Back to results
US 11,766,090 B2Granted
Footwear with mechanical foot-insertion assist
AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorsChristopher Andon, Timothy P. Hopkins
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An article of footwear and methods include an insole, an upper configured to form a space between the upper and the insole configured to admit and secure a foot of a wearer, and a rotatable conveyor element. The rotatable conveyor element is seated in at least one of the insole and the upper. The rotatable conveyor element is configured to rotatably engage a body part of the wearer as the foot enters the space and draw the foot into the space.
Claims10
An article of footwear, comprising:
- an insole;
- an upper configured to form a space between the upper and the insole configured to admit and secure a foot of a wearer;
- and
- a rotatable conveyor element, seated in at least one of the insole and the upper, configured to rotatably engage a body part of the wearer as the foot enters the space and draw the foot into the space;
- wherein the upper forms a collar to admit the foot of the wearer and wherein the rotatable conveyor element is a collar mechanism positioned in the collar, wherein the collar mechanism comprises:
- a wheel;
- a flexible tube extending around at least a portion of the collar, wherein the wheel is secured within the tube;
- and
- a coating around the flexible tube configured to promote engagement with the leg of the wearer, the coating comprised of at least one of:
- latex or a polymer;
- wherein the wheel is a first wheel and wherein the collar mechanism further comprises a second wheel secured within the tube.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.