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US 2022/0000221 A1Published application
Compact motorized tensioning device for footwear
AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorsTiffany A. Beers, Ryan Frederick, Clayton Lindsay, Austin J. Orand, Andrew A. Owings
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Abstract
A tensioning system for articles of footwear and articles of apparel is disclosed. The tensioning system includes a spool system that can be engaged or disengaged from a driveshaft through the use of a cam device. The motorized tensioning device includes a torque transmitting system that allows for incremental tightening incremental loosening and full loosening of the tensile element.
Claims19
An article of footwear, comprising:
- an upper;
- a sole structure;
- and
- a motorized tensioning device seated in the sole structure and comprising:
- a cam device;
- a spool;
- a tensile element wound, at least in part, around the spool;
- a driveshaft extending through the spool and coupled to the cam device to deliver torque to the cam device to cause the spool to turn to increase or decrease tension on the tensile element;
- and
- an engagement plate configured to:
- engage with and receive torque from the cam device;
- couple to the spool in an engaged state to cause the spool to rotate with the drive shaft;
- and
- space apart from the spool in a disengaged state to cause the spool to rotate independently of the drive shaft.
11 more elements
A method of controlling, in an article of footwear, a motorized tensioning device having a spool, the method comprising:
- turning a driveshaft in a first direction, causing the driveshaft to turn a cam device in the first direction, causing a ramped edge of the cam device to push against a lower surface of an engagement plate such that a rotation of the cam device increases an axial distance between the cam device and the engagement plate;
- increasing the axial distance between the spool is coupled to the cam device and the engagement plate, thereby transitioning the spool system from an engaged state to a disengaged state;
- and
- in the disengaged state, imparting a force on one of an upper of the article of footwear and a tensile element of the article of footwear to freely unwind the tensile element around the spool.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.