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US 12,714,198 B2Granted
Footwear heel counter
AssigneeWalmart Apollo, LLC
InventorSalvo Farina
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An article of footwear includes an upper and a heel counter operatively connected to a heel region of the upper. The heel counter includes a cradle having a body. The body of the cradle includes a base and a cradle arm extending outward from the base to a tip portion of the cradle arm. The tip portion of the cradle arm is moveable relative to the base between an expanded position and a collapsed position. A spring is encased within the body of the cradle such that the spring biases the tip portion of the cradle arm toward the expanded position of the tip portion. The tip portion of the cradle arm is resiliently deflectable toward the collapsed position against the bias of the spring.
Claims16
An article of footwear comprising:
- an upper, including a flexible backing;
- and
- a heel counter operatively connected to a heel region of the upper, the heel counter comprising:
- a cradle comprising a body, the body of the cradle comprising a base;
- a first cradle arm extending outward from the base to a first tip portion of the first cradle arm, the first tip portion of the first cradle arm being moveable relative to the base between a first expanded position and a first collapsed position;
- a second cradle arm disposed below the first cradle arm extending outward from the base to a second tip portion, the second tip portion of the second cradle arm being moveable relative to the base between a second expanded position and a second collapsed position;
- one or more collapsible windows defined between the first cradle arm and the base, wherein the flexible backing is visible through the one or more collapsible windows when the first tip portion is in the first expanded position and when the second tip portion is in the second expanded position;
- and
- a spring encased within the body of the cradle such that the spring biases the first tip portion of the first cradle arm toward the first expanded position of the first tip portion, the first tip portion of the first cradle arm being resiliently deflectable toward the first collapsed position against the bias of the spring, wherein the spring includes a lateral end portion of the spring extending along a lateral side and a medial end portion of the spring extending along a medial side, the lateral end portion and the medial end portion each comprising at least a segment of a length of the spring having a straight portion disposed approximately parallel to a longitudinal axis.
6 more elements
An article of footwear comprising:
- an upper, including a flexible backing;
- and
- a heel counter operatively connected to a heel region of the upper, the heel counter comprising:
- a cradle comprising a base that extends a length along a longitudinal axis from a rear end portion of the base to a front-end portion of the base, the rear end portion of the base comprising a hub;
- a first cradle arm extending outward from the base to a tip portion of the first cradle arm, the tip portion of the first cradle arm being moveable relative to the base between a first expanded position and a first collapsed position;
- a second cradle arm disposed below the first cradle arm extending outward from the base to a tip portion, the tip portion of the second cradle arm being moveable relative to the base between a second expanded position and a second collapsed position;
- one or more collapsible windows defined between the first cradle arm and the base, wherein the flexible backing is visible through the one or more collapsible windows when the tip portion of the first cradle arm is in the first expanded position and when the tip portion of the second cradle arm is in the second expanded position;
- and
- the base comprising lateral and medial legs that extend lengths outward from the hub along the longitudinal axis, wherein the length of the lateral leg is greater than the length of the medial leg;
- and
- a spring encased within the cradle such that the spring biases the tip portion of the first cradle arm toward the first expanded position of the tip portion of the first cradle arm, the first tip portion of the first cradle arm being resiliently deflectable toward the first collapsed position against the bias of the spring, wherein the spring includes a lateral end portion of the spring extending along a lateral side and a medial end portion of the spring extending along a medial side, the lateral end portion and the medial end portion each comprising at least a segment of a length of the spring having a straight portion disposed approximately parallel to the longitudinal axis.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.