# US 11,432,618 B2 · Actuator for an automated footwear platform > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,432,618 B2 - Document ID: US11432618B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/865,677 - Filed: 2020-05-04 - Published: 2020-08-20 - Granted: 2022-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2016-03-15 - Assignees: NIKE, Inc. - Applicants: NIKE, Inc. - Inventors: Narissa Chang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11432618B2 ## CPC - A43C 11/165: {characterised by a spool, reel or pulley for winding up cables, laces or straps by rotation} - A43B 1/0072: {made at least partially of transparent or translucent materials} - A43B 3/34: with electrical or electronic arrangements - A43B 3/36: with light sources - A43B 13/14: characterised by the constructive form - A43C 1/00: Shoe lacing fastenings (garment fastening devices A41F) - A43C 7/00: Holding-devices for laces - A43C: FASTENINGS OR ATTACHMENTS OF FOOTWEAR; LACES IN GENERAL - A43B: CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR ## Abstract Systems and apparatus related to an automated footwear platform including a button assembly for controlling a footwear lacing apparatus are discussed. In an example, the button assembly can include a bushing and an actuator. The bushing can include an actuator housing surrounded by an outer flange. The actuator housing can include an exterior side and an interior side relative to the footwear platform. The actuator can include a plurality of actuator bodies disposed within the actuator housing. Each actuator body of the plurality of actuator bodies can include a switch interface adapted to interact with a switch on a lacing engine. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A button assembly for providing a physical interface to switches disposed on a lacing engine within an automated footwear platform, the button assembly comprising: a bushing including an actuator housing surrounded by an outer flange, the actuator housing including an exterior side and an interior side relative to the footwear platform; and an actuator including a plurality of actuator bodies disposed within the actuator housing, each actuator body of the plurality of actuator bodies including a switch interface adapted to interact with a switch on the lacing engine, wherein each actuator body of the plurality of actuator bodies are movable linearly within a portion of the actuator housing of the bushing. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The button assembly of claim 1, wherein each actuator body of the plurality of actuator bodies includes a tear-drop cross sectional shape. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The button assembly of claim 2, wherein the portion of the actuator housing includes a structure complementary to the tear-drop cross sectional shape of each actuator body. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The button assembly of claim 1, wherein each actuator body of the plurality of actuator bodies includes an external interface extending exteriorly from the actuator housing when the actuator body is seated within the actuator housing. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The button assembly of claim 4, wherein the external interface includes a set of interface ribs extend radially outward from each other to form a Y-shaped structure. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The button assembly of claim 5, wherein each rib of the set of interface ribs includes a rounded outer exterior edge. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The button assembly of claim 1, wherein the bushing includes an aperture to conduct light from LEDs within the lacing engine. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The button assembly of claim 7, wherein the aperture is disposed within a central portion of the actuator housing. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The button assembly of claim 8, wherein the plurality of actuator bodies includes an anterior actuator body disposed on a first side of the aperture and a posterior actuator body disposed on a second side of the aperture. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The button assembly of claim 9, wherein the anterior actuator body is a mirror image of the posterior actuator body. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The button assembly of claim 1, wherein the actuator housing includes a recess lip extending from an interior side of the outer flange to form an actuator recess to hold the plurality of actuator bodies. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The button assembly of claim 11, wherein the recess lip includes a bushing key extending from an inferior portion of the recess lip, the bushing key providing alignment with a bushing cutout in a mid-sole plate portion of the footwear platform. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The button assembly of claim 11, wherein the recess lip includes interior retention clips to engage an interior bushing retention ridge on a mid-sole plate portion of the footwear platform. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The button assembly of claim 13, wherein a superior edge of the outer flange includes exterior retention clips to engage an exterior bushing retention ridge on the mid-sole plate portion of the footwear platform. ### Claim 15 A footwear assembly comprising: an upper portion configured to receive a foot of a user within the footwear assembly; a lacing engine including a plurality of physical switches to control functions of the lacing engine; a button assembly adapted to transmit a physical movement to activate the plurality of physical switches on the lacing engine; a mid-sole portion coupled to the upper portion and adapted to receive the lacing engine, the mid-sole portion including a cutout to receive the button assembly to enable control functions of the lacing engine for an external surface of the footwear assembly; and an out-sole portion coupled to at least an inferior portion of the mid-sole portion, wherein the button assembly includes: a bushing received within the cutout, and an actuator movably disposed within the bushing to linearly translate in response to an attempted activation of one or more of the plurality of physical switches on the lacing engine. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The footwear assembly of claim 15, wherein the bushing includes an actuator housing surrounded by an outer flange, wherein at least a portion of the outer flange abuts an exterior portion of the mid-sole portion. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The footwear assembly of claim 16, wherein the actuator housing includes a recess lip extending from an interior side of the outer flange to form an actuator recess to hold the actuator. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The footwear assembly of claim 17, wherein the recess lip includes a bushing key, extending from an inferior portion of the recess lip, the bushing key adapted to mate with a corresponding bushing cutout in the cutout in the mid-sole portion. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The footwear assembly of claim 17, wherein the recess lip includes interior retention clips to engage an interior bushing retention ridge adjacent the cutout in the mid-sole portion. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The footwear assembly of claim 19, wherein a superior edge of the outer flange includes exterior retention clips to engage an exterior bushing retention ridge adjacent the cutout in the mid-sole portion.