Back to results
US 11,882,903 B2Granted
Tension-retaining system for a wearable article
AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorTimothy P. Hopkins
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tension-retaining system for retaining tension in a tensioning cord of a wearable article may include a retainer including an anchor and a wedge. The anchor may define a notch, and the wedge may have a tensioning cord coupling feature. The wedge may have an engagement portion that fits within the notch with the engagement portion disposed further in the notch than the tensioning cord coupling feature.
Claims20
An article of footwear comprising:
- an upper at least partially defining an interior cavity;
- and
- a closure system for tightening the upper around the interior cavity, the closure system comprising:
- a tensioning cord having a proximal portion operatively secured to the upper, a medial-side distal portion, and a lateral-side distal portion;
- and
- a tension-retaining system that retains tension in the tensioning cord when the medial-side distal portion and the lateral-side distal portion of the tensioning cord are pulled away from the proximal portion, the tension-retaining system comprising:
- a medial-side retainer disposed at a medial side of the upper and a lateral-side retainer disposed at a lateral side of the upper;
- each of the medial-side retainer and the lateral-side retainer include an anchor and a wedge, the anchor coupled to the upper and defining a notch opening away from the proximal portion of the tensioning cord, the wedge defining a tensioning cord coupling feature and an engagement portion that fits within the notch with the engagement portion disposed further in the notch than the tensioning cord coupling feature so that tension in the tensioning cord biases the engagement portion into the notch;
- the medial-side distal portion of the tensioning cord coupled to the wedge at the tensioning cord coupling feature of the medial-side retainer, and the lateral-side distal portion of the tensioning cord coupled to the wedge at the tensioning cord coupling feature of the lateral-side retainer.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.