CN110636772A - Automated footwear with cables and upper tensioners - Google Patents

Abstract

A footwear assembly may include: an upper, a lace cable, a plurality of lace guides, and a tensioner. The tensioner may include an elastic member extending between two of the plurality of lace guides, an elastic member extending between a first portion and a second portion of the upper, an elastic member extending between a portion of the upper and a lace guide of the plurality of lace guides, a heel channel connected to a heel portion of the upper and configured to facilitate access to the interior void, an elastic member coupled to the footwear assembly for smoothing out the curve of torque versus lace displacement during tightening of the lace cable, a tensioning member secured to a side of the upper proximate the toe cap and the lace cable, and a floating overlay attached to a side of the upper proximate the toe cap and the lace cable.

Description

Automated footwear with cables and upper tensioners

priority claim

This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 62/471,850, filed March 15, 2017; and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 62/475,105, filed March 22, 2017 The above-mentioned patent application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

background

The present application generally relates to a tensioning system for footwear. More specifically, the present application relates to uppers and lacing systems for controlling the fit of footwear.

Current footwear uppers generally have fixed dimensions and therefore do not readily allow conforming to the shape of the foot. Therefore, the wearer typically uses the lacing system to control the fit and tension of the upper. However, in footwear that includes a motorized lacing engine, the ability of the wearer of the footwear to tighten the upper around the foot by adjusting the lacing system with the feel and tactile feedback that can be obtained from a manual lacing system becomes reduce. Accordingly, there is a need to improve the ability of the upper and lacing system to conform to the shape of the foot with the desired amount of tension, particularly utilizing automated lacing engines.

brief overview

The following specification describes aspects relating to footwear assemblies including lacing systems including motorized and non-motorized lacing engines, footwear components related to the lacing engines, automated lacing footwear platforms, and related manufacturing processes. More specifically, the following specification describes various aspects of lacing configurations (configurations) for use in footwear, including motorized or non-motorized lacing engines for centralized lace tightening. The following specification additionally describes a number of tensioners that may be incorporated into a footwear component, such as in an upper having a lacing configuration.

A footwear assembly comprising: a footwear upper including a toe portion, a medial side, a lateral side and a heel portion, the medial side and the lateral side each extending proximally from the toe portion to the heel Part; a shoelace cable having a first end anchored along a distal outside portion of the medial side and a second end anchored along a distal outside portion of the lateral side; along a plurality of shoelace guides distributed on the medial and lateral sides, each shoelace guide of the plurality of shoelace guides being adapted to receive a length of shoelace cable, wherein the shoelace cable extends through the plurality of shoes Each of the strap guides to form a pattern along each of the medial and lateral sides of the footwear upper; the medial proximal lace guide (medial proximal lace guide), the medial proximal lace guide routing the lace cables from the pattern formed by the inner portion of the plurality of lace guides into a location that allows the lace cables to engage a lacing engine disposed within the midsole portion; the outer proximal lace guide ( a lateral proximal lace guide) for routing the lace cable from a location that allows the lace cable to engage the lacing engine into the pattern formed by the lateral portions of the plurality of lace guides; and A first elastic member extending between the first lace guide and the second lace guide of the piece.

A footwear assembly comprising: a footwear upper including a toe portion, a medial side, a lateral side and a heel portion, the medial side and the lateral side each extending proximally from the toe portion to the heel Portions; a shoelace cable having a first end anchored along the far lateral side portion of the medial side and a second end anchored along the far lateral side portion of the lateral side; along the medial and lateral sides a distributed plurality of lace guides, each of the plurality of lace guides being adapted to receive a length of lace cable, wherein the lace cable extends through one of the plurality of lace guides each to form a pattern along each of the medial and lateral sides of the footwear upper; a medial proximal lace guide that routes the lace cable from the plurality of laces The pattern formed by the medial portion of the guide is routed into a position that allows the lace cable to engage a lacing engine disposed within the midsole portion; the lateral proximal lace guide for routing the lace cable from allowing the lace The location of the cable engaging the lacing engine is routed into a pattern formed by the lateral portions of the plurality of lace guides; and a first elastic member extending between the first portion and the second portion of the footwear upper.

A footwear assembly comprising: a footwear upper including a toe portion, a medial side, a lateral side and a heel portion, the medial side and the lateral side each extending proximally from the toe portion to the heel Portions; a shoelace cable having a first end anchored along the far lateral side portion of the medial side and a second end anchored along the far lateral side portion of the lateral side; along the medial and lateral sides a distributed plurality of lace guides, each of the plurality of lace guides being adapted to receive a length of lace cable, wherein the lace cable extends through one of the plurality of lace guides each to form a pattern along each of the medial and lateral sides of the footwear upper; a medial proximal lace guide that routes the lace cable from the plurality of laces The pattern formed by the medial portion of the guide is routed into a position that allows the lace cable to engage a lacing engine disposed within the midsole portion; the lateral proximal lace guide for routing the lace cable from allowing the lace the location of the cable engaging the lacing engine is routed into a pattern formed by the outer portions of the plurality of lace guides; and between the first portion of the footwear upper and a first lace guide of the plurality of lace guides The first elastic member extending between.

A footwear assembly comprising: a sole structure; a footwear upper defining a toe portion, a medial side, a lateral side, and a heel portion, the footwear upper being connected to the sole structure to form a an interior space of the footwear upper forming a collar to allow access to the interior space; a lacing engine disposed within the sole structure; a lacing system comprising: a lace cable having an anchor fixed to the medial and lateral ends of the footwear upper and through the midsection of the lacing engine; and a plurality of lace guides for running along the footwear upper between the medial and lateral ends and the lacing engine a lace cable is routed; and a heel channel connected to the heel portion and configured to facilitate access to the interior volume.

A footwear assembly comprising: a sole structure; a footwear upper defining a toe portion, a medial side, a lateral side, and a heel portion, the footwear upper being connected to the sole structure to form a the interior space of the foot, the footwear upper forming the collar to allow access to the interior space; the lacing engine, the lacing engine is disposed in the sole structure; the lacing system, including: the lace cable, the lace cable having a medial end and a lateral end anchored to the upper of the footwear and a mid-section passing through the lacing engine; and a plurality of lace guides for running along the footwear between the medial and lateral ends and the lacing engine an upper routing a lace cable; and an elastic member coupled to the footwear assembly for smoothing a torque versus lace displacement curve during tightening of the lace cable.

A footwear assembly comprising: a footwear upper including a toe portion, a medial side, a lateral side and a heel portion, the medial side and the lateral side each extending proximally from the toe portion to the heel Portion; medial tension member secured to the inner side of the upper near the toe cap; lateral tension member secured to the outer side of the upper near the toe cap; lace cable , the lace cable has a first end attached to a medial tensioning member and a second end attached to a lateral tensioning member; and a plurality of lace guides distributed along the medial and lateral sides, the plurality of Each of the lace guides is adapted to receive a length of lace cable, wherein the lace cable extends through each of the plurality of lace guides to extend along the footwear upper. Each of the medial and lateral sides forms a pattern.

A footwear assembly comprising: a sole structure; a footwear upper defining a toe portion, a medial side, a lateral side, and a heel portion, the footwear upper being connected to the sole structure to form a the interior space of the footwear upper forming the collar to allow access to the interior space; the lacing engine disposed in the sole structure; the medial floating overlay attached to the upper of the footwear a medial side near the toe portion; a lateral floating overlay attached to the lateral side of the upper of the footwear near the toe; and a lacing system comprising: a lace cable , the lace cable having medial and lateral ends anchored to the medial and lateral floating covers and an intermediate portion passing through the lacing engine; and a plurality of lace guides for Lace cables are routed along the shoe upper between the end and the lacing engine.

A footwear assembly comprising: a footwear upper including a toe portion, a medial side, a lateral side and a heel portion, the medial side and the lateral side each extending proximally from the toe portion to the heel part of and forms the throat region of the upper of footwear; a medial tension member secured to the medial side of the upper near the toe cap; a lateral tension member secured to the upper near the toe the lateral side of the toe cap; a lace cable having a first end attached to the medial tensioning member and a second end attached to the lateral tensioning member; and distributed along the medial and lateral sides a plurality of lace guides; wherein the lace cables extend from the first end at the medial tensioning member across the throat region and pass through the one or more lace guides along the lateral side; and wherein the lace The cable extends from the second end at the lateral tensioning member across the throat area and along the medial side through the one or more lace guides.

Brief description of the drawings

In the drawings, which are not necessarily to scale, like numerals may depict like parts in the different views. Similar numbers with different letter suffixes may represent different instances of similar components. The figures generally illustrate the various embodiments discussed in this document, by way of example and not limitation.

1 is an exploded view illustration of components of a portion of a footwear assembly with a motorized lacing system, according to some exemplary embodiments.

2 is a top view illustrating a lacing configuration for use with a footwear assembly including a motorized lacing engine, according to some example embodiments.

3A-3C are top views illustrating a flat footwear upper having a lacing configuration for use in a footwear assembly including a motorized lacing engine, according to some example embodiments.

4A is a schematic diagram illustrating a portion of a footwear upper having a lacing configuration for use in a shoe including a motorized lacing engine and a footwear upper, according to some example embodiments. Heel and tongue entry control parts are used in footwear components.

4B is a diagram illustrating a portion of a footwear upper having a lacing configuration for use in a footwear assembly including a heel and tongue elastic member connected to a lacing configuration.

5 is a diagram illustrating a portion of a footwear upper having a lacing configuration for use in a footwear assembly including a motorized lacing engine, according to some example embodiments.

6 is a diagram illustrating a portion of a footwear upper having a lacing configuration for use in a footwear assembly including a motorized lacing engine, according to some exemplary embodiments.

7A-7B are diagrams illustrating a portion of a footwear upper having a lacing configuration for use in a footwear assembly including a motorized lacing engine, according to some exemplary embodiments.

7C-7D are diagrams illustrating a deformable lace guide for use in a footwear assembly, according to some exemplary embodiments.

7E is a graph illustrating multiple torque versus lace displacement curves for a deformable lace guide, according to some example embodiments.

8A-8G are diagrams illustrating lacing guides for use in certain lacing configurations, according to some example embodiments.

9 is a flowchart illustrating a footwear assembly process for assembling footwear including a lace-up engine, according to some exemplary embodiments.

10 is a flowchart illustrating a footwear assembly process for assembling footwear including a lace-up engine, according to some exemplary embodiments.

11 is a diagram illustrating a front view of a footwear upper, partially broken away, showing an elastic strip connecting medial and lateral panels of the upper.

12 is a diagram illustrating a rear view of the footwear upper of FIG. 11 , showing the heel strap assembly connecting portions of the lacing cables on the medial and lateral sides of the upper.

13 is a diagram illustrating a side view of the footwear upper of FIG. 11 , partially broken away to show a lace guide attached to the footwear upper along an elastic strip.

14 is a diagram illustrating the footwear upper of FIG. 13 flexed to show a lace guide attached to the footwear upper separately from the elastic strap.

15A is a diagram illustrating the footwear upper of FIG. 12 showing a loose lacing cable being pulled from the motorized lacing engine by the pretensioned strap of the heel strap assembly.

15B is a diagram illustrating the footwear upper of FIG. 15A showing the lacing cables tightened into the motorized lacing engine and the heel tightened around the heel portion of the footwear upper Heel strap with strap assembly.

16 is a diagram illustrating another embodiment of a footwear upper showing a medial lace cable tensioning strip and a lateral lacing cable tensioning strip.

17 is a graph illustrating various force versus lace displacement curves for an upper of a shoe including elastic members described herein, according to some exemplary embodiments.

18 is a diagram illustrating the footwear upper of FIG. 16 unfolded flat to show a lacing configuration including tension straps connected to shoelaces in a cross configuration.

FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating the tensioning strap of FIG. 18 , indicating locked and stretched regions.

FIG. 20 is a diagram illustrating another embodiment of a footwear upper including a lacing configuration including tensioning straps connected to shoelaces in a non-crossing configuration.

21 is a top view illustrating a two-zone lacing architecture for use with footwear assemblies including motorized or non-motorized lacing engines, according to some example embodiments.

22 is a top perspective view of an article of footwear incorporating the upper of FIG. 21 and the dual-zone lacing configuration, according to some exemplary embodiments.

Any headings provided herein are for convenience only and do not necessarily affect the terminology used or the scope or meaning of the discussion under the heading.

Detailed Description

In the 1989 film Back to the Future II, the fictional Powerstrap's worn by Marty McPhee Athletic shoes first widely popularized the concept of self-tightening laces. although At least one powerful lace-up sneaker has been released that looks similar to the style of the film prop in Back to the Future II, but the internal mechanical system and surrounding footwear platform used are not necessarily suitable for mass production or everyday use of them. use. Furthermore, other previous designs for motorized lacing systems suffer from relatively high manufacturing costs, complexity, difficulty in assembly, and poor applicability. The present inventors have developed a modular footwear platform to accommodate motorized and non-motorized laced engines which, among other things, solves some or all of the above-mentioned problems. In order to take advantage of the modular lacing engine discussed briefly below, and discussed in greater detail in co-pending application Serial No. 62/308,686, entitled "LACING APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATED FOORWEARPLATFORM," the present inventors developed the Lace-up construction. The lacing configurations discussed herein can address a number of issues experienced with centralized lace tightening mechanisms, such as uneven tightening, fit, comfort, and performance. The lace-up configuration provides several benefits, including smoothing lace tension and enhancing comfort across greater distances of lace travel while maintaining fit performance. One aspect of enhanced comfort involves the lacing configuration, which reduces pressure on the top of the foot. The exemplary lacing configuration may also enhance fit and performance by manipulating lace tension in the medial-lateral direction as well as in the anterior-posterior (front-to-rear) direction. Various other benefits of the components described below will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art.

The lacing configuration in question was developed specifically for interfacing with a modular lacing engine positioned within the midsole portion of a footwear assembly. However, these concepts can also be applied to motorized and manual lacing mechanisms disposed in various locations around footwear, such as in the heel or even the toe portion of a footwear platform. The lacing configurations discussed include the use of lace guides which may be formed from tubular plastic, metal clips, fabric loops or channels, plastic clips and open u-shaped channels, other shapes and materials besides these . In some examples, different types of lacing guides may be mixed to perform specific lace routing functions within the lacing configuration.

The motorized lacing engine discussed below was developed from the ground up to provide a robust, durable, and interchangeable component for an automated lacing footwear platform. The lacing engine includes unique design elements that enable retail-grade final assembly in a modular footwear platform. The lacing engine design allows for much of the footwear assembly process to utilize known assembly techniques, with unique adaptations of the standard assembly process still able to utilize current assembly resources.

In an example, a modular automated lacing footwear platform includes a midsole plate secured to a midsole for receiving a lacing engine. The design of the midsole plate allows the lacing engine to be placed into the footwear platform at the latest at the time of purchase. The midsole plate and other aspects of the modular automated footwear platform allow different types of lacing engines to be used interchangeably. For example, the motorized tethered engines discussed below could be replaced with human powered tethered engines. Alternatively, a fully automatic motorized lacing engine with foot presence sensing or other optional features may be housed within a standard midsole plate.

Utilizing a motorized or non-motorized centralized lacing engine to tighten athletic footwear presents several challenges in providing adequate performance without sacrificing a degree of comfort. The lacing configurations discussed herein have been specifically designed for use with centralized lacing engines and are designed to enable a wide variety of footwear designs from casual to high performance.

This initial overview is intended to introduce the subject matter of the patent application. It is not intended to provide an exclusive or exhaustive explanation of the various inventions disclosed in the more detailed description that follows.

Automated Footwear Platform

Various components of the automated footwear platform are discussed below, including the motorized lacing engine, the midsole plate, and various other components of the platform. While the majority of this disclosure focuses on tether configurations for use with motorized tethered engines, the designs discussed are applicable to human-powered tethered engines or other motorized tethered engines with additional or less capabilities. with engine. Accordingly, the term "automated" as used in "automated footwear platform" is not intended to include only systems that operate without user input. Rather, the term "automated footwear platform" includes a variety of motorized and human-powered, self-activated and human-activated mechanisms for tightening the lacing or retention systems of footwear.

1 is an exploded view illustration of components of a motorized lacing system for footwear, according to some exemplary embodiments. Motorized lacing system 1 illustrated in FIG. 1 includes lacing engine 10 , cover 20 , actuator 30 , midsole plate 40 , midsole 50 , and outsole 60 . Figure 1 illustrates the basic sequence of assembly of the components of the automated lacing footwear platform. The motorized lacing system 1 begins with securing the midsole plate 40 within the midsole. Next, actuator 30 is inserted into an opening in the lateral side of the midsole plate, opposite an interface button that may be embedded in outsole 60 . Next, the lace-up engine 10 is dropped into the midsole plate 40 . In an example, the lacing system 1 is inserted under a continuous loop of lacing cables, and the lacing cables are aligned with the spools in the lacing engine 10 (discussed below). Finally, the cover 20 is inserted into the groove in the midsole plate 40 , secured in the closed position and locked in the recess in the midsole plate 40 . Cover 20 can capture tether engine 10 and can help maintain the alignment of the tether cables during operation.

In an example, article of footwear or motorized lacing system 1 includes or is configured to interact with one or more sensors that may monitor or determine foot presence characteristics. Footwear including motorized lacing system 1 may be configured to perform a variety of functions based on information from one or more foot presence sensors. For example, a foot presence sensor may be configured to provide binary information about the presence or absence of a foot in the footwear. If the binary signal from the foot presence sensor indicates the presence of a foot, the motorized lacing system 1 may be activated, such as to automatically tighten or loosen (ie, loosen) the shoe lacing cable. In an example, an article of footwear includes a processor circuit that can receive or interpret a signal from a foot presence sensor. Processor circuitry may optionally be embedded in or with lacing engine 10 , such as in the sole of an article of footwear.

Lace-up

FIG. 2 is a top view of upper 200 illustrating an exemplary lacing configuration, according to some exemplary embodiments. In this example, in addition to lace 210 and lacing engine 10 , upper 205 includes lateral lace anchor 215 , medial lace anchor 216 , lateral lace guide 222 , medial lac Austrian cables (brio cables) 225 . The example illustrated in FIG. 2 includes a continuous knit textile upper 205 with a diagonal lacing pattern including non-overlapping medial and lateral lacing paths. A lacing path originates from lateral lace anchor, extends through lateral lace guide 222 , passes through lacing engine 10 , progresses through medial lace guide 220 , and returns to medial lace anchor 216 . In this example, lace 210 forms a continuous loop from lateral lace anchor 215 to medial lace anchor 216 . In this example, the medial to lateral tightening is delivered via Brio cables 225 . In other examples, the lacing paths may cross or incorporate additional features to transmit tightening forces in a medial-lateral direction across upper 205 . Additionally, the concept of continuous lace loops may be incorporated into more traditional uppers that have a central (medial) gap across which laces 210 cross back and forth.

3A-3C are top views illustrating a flat footwear upper 305 having a lacing configuration 300 for use in a footwear assembly including a motorized lacing engine, according to some example embodiments. For purposes of discussing an example footwear upper, upper 305 is assumed to be designed for incorporation into a footwear component in the form of a right foot. FIG. 3A is a top view of a flat footwear upper 305 with the lacing configuration 300 illustrated. In this example, footwear upper 305 includes a series of lace guides 320A- 320J (collectively lace guides 320 ), through which lace cables 310 pass. In this example, lace cables 310 form a loop that terminates on each side of upper 305 in lateral lace anchors 345A and medial lace anchors 345B (collectively referred to as lace anchor points 345), wherein The middle portion of the loop is routed through the lacing engine within the midsole of the footwear assembly. Upper 305 also includes stiffeners associated with each of series of lace guides 320 . The stiffener can be superimposed on a single lace guide or span multiple lace guides. In this example, the stiffeners include a central stiffener 325, a first outer stiffener 335A, a first inner stiffener 335B, a second outer stiffener 330A, a second inner stiffener 330B. The middle portion of lace cable 310 is routed to and/or out of the lacing engine via lateral rear lace guide 315A and medial rear lace guide 315B, and through lateral lace outlet 340A and medial lace outlet 340A. Exit 340B exits and/or enters upper 300 .

Upper 305 may include different portions, such as forefoot (toe) portion 307 , midfoot portion 308 , and heel portion 309 . Forefoot portion 307 corresponds to the joints connecting the metatarsals and phalanges of the foot. Midfoot point 308 may correspond to the arch area of the foot. Heel portion 309 may correspond to the rear or heel portion of the foot. Medial and lateral heel portions 309 may be connected via heel member 350 , which may include medial strap 352 and lateral strap 354 . The medial and lateral sides of the midfoot portion of upper 305 may include central portion 306 . In some common footwear designs, central portion 306 may include an opening spanned by a criss-cross (or similar) lacing pattern that allows for adjustment of the fit of the footwear upper around the foot. Central portion 306 including an opening also facilitates entry and removal of the foot from the footwear assembly.

Lace guide 320 is a tubular or channel structure to retain lace cable 310 while routing lace cable 310 through a pattern along each of the lateral and medial sides of upper 305 . In this example, lace guides 320 are u-shaped plastic tubes arranged in a substantially sinusoidal pattern that loops in an up-down direction along the medial and lateral sides of upper 305 . The number of cycles completed by lace cable 310 may vary depending on the size of the shoe. Smaller sized footwear assemblies may only accommodate one half-cycle, whereas the exemplary upper 305 accommodates two half-cycles before entering either the medial rear lace guide 315B or the lateral rear lace guide 315A. The pattern is described as substantially sinusoidal because, at least in this example, the u-shaped guides have a wider profile than the peaks or troughs of a true sine wave. In other examples, a pattern closer to a true sine wave pattern (which is not easy to obtain without extensive use of carefully curved lace guides when the shoelace is stretched between them) could be used. The shape of the lace guide 320 can be varied to produce different torque versus lace displacement curves, where torque is measured at the lacing engine in the midsole of the shoe. Using a lace guide with a smaller radius curve, or including a higher frequency wave pattern (e.g., more cycles with more lace guides), can result in a torque versus lace displacement curve The change. For example, with a lace guide having a smaller radius, the lace cable would experience greater friction, which could result in a greater initial torque, which would exhibit a smooth torque on a torque versus lace displacement curve. However, in some implementations, it may be more desirable to maintain a low initial torque level (for example, by keeping friction within the lace guides low), while utilizing lace guide placement patterns or lace guide designs to help Smooth torque versus lace displacement curve. One such lace guide design is discussed with reference to FIGS. 7A and 7B , with another alternative lace guide design discussed with reference to FIGS. 8A-8G . In addition to the lace guides discussed with reference to these figures, the lace guides may be fabricated from plastic, polymer, metal or fabric. For example, layers of fabric may be used to form shaped channels to route lace cables in a desired pattern. As discussed below, combinations of plastic or metal guides and fabric coverings can be used to create guide components for use in the lacing configurations in question.

Returning to FIG. 3A , reinforcements 325 , 335 , and 330 are illustrated in association with various lace guides, such as lace guide 320 . In an example, reinforcement 335 may comprise fabric impregnated with a heat-activated adhesive that may be adhered on top of lace guides 320G, 320H, a process sometimes referred to as heat staking. The reinforcement may be superimposed on multiple lace guides, such as reinforcement 325, which in this example is superimposed on six upper lace guides positioned adjacent a central portion of the footwear, such as central portion 306 . In another example, the stiffener 325 may be split along the middle of the central portion 306 to form two pieces superimposed over the lace guide along the medial side of the central portion 306 , the shoe along the medial side of the central portion 306 . The lace guides are separate from the lace guides along the lateral sides of the central portion 306 . In yet another alternative example, stiffener 325 may be divided into six separate stiffeners that overlay individual lace guides. The use of stiffeners may be varied to alter the dynamics of the interaction between the lace guide and the underlying footwear upper, such as upper 305 . The reinforcement may also be adhered to upper 305 in a variety of other ways, including stitching, adhesives, or a combination of mechanisms. The manner in which the reinforcement is adhered as well as the type of fabric or material used for the reinforcement may also affect the friction experienced by the lace cables extending through the lace guide. For example, a more rigid material heat fused on an otherwise flexible lace guide would increase the friction experienced by the lace cable. Conversely, a flexible material adhered to the lace guide can reduce friction by keeping the lace guide more flexible. Reinforcing member 325 may also include an elastic mesh to overlay the throat region of the footwear upper.

As mentioned above, Figure 3A illustrates central stiffener 325, which is a single member spanning the medial and lateral upper lace guides (320A, 320B, 320E, 320F, 320I, and 320J). Assuming stiffener 325 is a more rigid material with less flexibility than the underlying footwear upper (in this example, upper 305), the resulting central portion 306 of the footwear assembly will exhibit a less loose fit. characteristic. In some applications, a more rigid, less loose central portion 306 may be desired. However, in applications where greater flexibility across central portion 306 is desired, central stiffener 325 may be split into two or more stiffeners. In some applications, a variety of flexible or elastic materials may be used to couple separate central stiffeners across central portion 306 to allow central portion 306 to more conform to shape. In another example, the central stiffener 325 itself may be elastic. In some examples, upper 305 may have a small gap extending along the length of central portion 306 with one or more elastic members spanning the gap and connecting a plurality of central stiffeners, such as at least partially illustrated in FIG. 4A . has a lace guide 410 and an elastic member 440 .

Heel member 350 may include devices or components that may be used to control entry into footwear upper 305 and, additionally or alternatively, to control the effective spring rate of footwear upper 305 . In an example, medial strap 352 and lateral strap 354 may include elastic webbing sewn or otherwise attached to medial and lateral heel portions 309 , respectively, and to each other. In other embodiments, only a single elastic strap is connected to the medial and lateral heel portions 309 . Accordingly, straps 352 and 354 may provide a degree of stretch to the heel portion of footwear upper 305 . This effect may be used to provide upper 305 with various comfort and performance aspects, as described below. For example, elasticity may help heel portion 309 remain engaged with a wearer's heel during use of the article of footwear. The straps 352 and 354 may comprise elastic, spandex, rubber, or the like.

In another embodiment, medial strap 352 and lateral strap 354 may include releasably engageable components such that a user of the article of footwear may selectively open and close footwear upper 305 . For example, straps 352 and 354 may comprise opposing pieces of hook and loop fastener material, or opposing pieces of zipper construction. In such an embodiment, heel member 350 may provide entry and exit of the foot into and out of footwear upper 305 regardless of the state of lace cable 310 . More specifically, heel member 350 may allow the foot to exit from the footwear even if the lacing engine has pulled the lace cable 310 into the sole structure to tie the lace cable 310 down the footwear upper 305. The upper 305 is withdrawn.

FIG. 3B is another top view of flat footwear upper 305 with lacing configuration 300 illustrated. In this example, footwear upper 305 includes a similar lace guide pattern including lace guide 320 with modifications to the configuration of reinforcements 325 , 330 , and 335 . As discussed above, modifications to the stiffener configuration will result in at least slightly different fit characteristics, and may also alter the torque versus lace displacement curve.

3C is an example of a series of lacing configurations illustrated on a flat footwear upper, according to an exemplary embodiment. Lace configuration 300A illustrates a lace guide pattern similar to the sine wave pattern discussed with reference to FIG. 3A , with individual stiffeners superimposed on each individual lace guide. Lace configuration 300B again illustrates a contoured lacing pattern, also known as parachute lacing, in which elongated stiffeners are superimposed over the upper pair of lace guides across the central portion and the separate lower lacing on the guide. Lace configuration 300C is yet another undulating lacing pattern with a single central stiffener. Lace configuration 300D introduces a triangular shaped lace pattern in which individual reinforcements cut to shape fit over individual lace guides. Lace configuration 300E illustrates a variation of stiffener configuration in a triangular lace pattern. Finally, lace configuration 300F illustrates another variation of stiffener configuration, including a central stiffener and a reinforced lower stiffener.

4A is a diagram illustrating a portion of a footwear upper 405 having a lacing configuration 400 for use in a footwear assembly including a motorized lacing engine, according to some example embodiments. In this example, a medial portion of upper 405 is illustrated with lace guide 410 that routes lacing cable 430 through medial exit guide 415 . Lace guide 410 is encapsulated within stiffener 420 to form lace guide component 415 wherein at least a portion of lace guide component is repositionable on upper 405 . In one example, lace guide component 415 is supported by hook and loop material, and upper 405 provides a surface that can accept the hook and loop material. In this example, lace guide component 415 may be supported with hook portions, with upper 405 providing a knitted loop surface to receive lace guide component 415 . In another example, lace guide component 415 may have a track interface integrated to engage a track, such as track 445 . Track-based integration may provide safe, limited travel, movement options for lace guide component 415 . For example, track 445 extends substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of central portion 450 and allows for positioning of lace guide member 415 along the length of the track. In some examples, track 445 may span from the lateral side to the medial side to retain a lace guide component on either side of central portion 450 . Similar tracks may be positioned in place to hold all lace guide components 415 so that all lace guides on footwear upper 405 can be adjusted in restricted directions.

Footwear upper 405 illustrates another example lacing configuration that includes a central elastic member, such as elastic member 440 . In these examples, at least the upper lace guide components along the medial and lateral sides may be connected across central portion 450 with elastic members that allow different levels of fit and performance for different footwear designs. For example, a high-performance basketball shoe that requires a wide range of lateral movement to secure the foot could utilize elastic members with a high modulus of elasticity to ensure a snug fit. In another example, a running shoe may utilize elastic members with a low modulus of elasticity, since the running shoe may be designed with a focus on comfort for long-distance road running rather than providing a high level of lateral motion suppression. In some examples, elastic member 440 may be replaceable, or include a mechanism to allow adjustment of the level of elasticity. As discussed above, in some examples, a footwear upper, such as upper 405 , may include a gap along central portion 450 that at least partially separates the medial and lateral sides. Even if there is a small gap along central portion 450, a resilient member, such as resilient member 440, can be used to bridge the gap.

Although FIG. 4A only illustrates a single track 445 or a single elastic member 440, these elements may be replicated for any or all lace guides in a particular lacing configuration. For example, each lace guide component 415 may be mounted to its own track 445 that extends generally in a medial-lateral direction through central portion 450 . The location of each lace guide component 415 may be related to the presence of a foot within footwear upper 405 . For example, if a sensor, such as a contact switch within the sole structure, detects the weight of the foot in the footwear upper 405, the lace guide member 415 may be pulled closer to the central portion 450 to tighten the lace cables. 430 to fasten the footwear upper 405 down on the foot. However, if the presence sensors do not detect the weight of the foot within the footwear upper 405, the lace guide member 415 may be retracted from the central portion 450 to facilitate entry of the foot into the shoe by causing slack to be introduced in the lace cable 430. Class Upper 405. In such embodiments, the drive mechanism of the lace cable may additionally be used to move the lace guide member 415 on the track 445 . In other embodiments, one or more additional drive mechanisms, such as motors, may be incorporated into the article of footwear. Additionally, in such embodiments, central stiffener 325 may be added at the central portion to provide an elastic region, or additionally or alternatively, provide an opening, such as a zipper (eg, zipper 465 ), to footwear upper 405 .

FIG. 4B additionally shows plurality of elastic members 440 at heel strap 480 and lace guide 415 spanning heel ridge 650 . Heel strap 480 and elastic member 440 may be used to control the effective spring rate of footwear upper 405 . As discussed above, the elasticity provided by straps such as heel strap 480 and elastic members 440 may provide a degree of stretchability to footwear upper 405, thereby allowing for more comfort in upper 405. Sexuality and performance are under control. In an example, heel strap 480 may connect directly to heel lacing member guides 615 on the medial and lateral sides of heel ridge 650 . Alternatively, heel strap 480 may be connected to lacing member guide 615 at one end and sewn into footwear upper 605 at heel ridge 650 . In such embodiments, a single heel strap 480 may be used on either the medial side or the lateral side of the footwear upper 605, or the heel strap 480 may be used on each of the medial and lateral sides of the footwear upper 605. one up. Heel lacing member guides 615 may be disconnected from footwear upper 405 such that they are suspended relative to footwear upper 405 by lace cable 430 and heel strap 480 . Elastic member 440 may pretension heel lacing component guide 615 to the rear or heel portion of footwear upper 405 to allow lace cable 430 to pull out of the lacing engine in a loose state. However, when the lacing engine winds the lace cable 430 into a tightened state, the heel strap 480 can stretch to allow the lace cable 430 to be tightened down on the footwear upper 405, and the shoe The heel portion of the upper 405 is pulled under the wearer's heel.

Elastic member 440 may provide footwear upper 405 with an additional degree of stretch. Elastic member 440 may be attached to lace guide component 415 at one end and connected at the other end to another opposing lace guide component 415 or to footwear upper 405 such as at central portion 450 . Like the heel strap 480, the elastic member 440 can be used to pull the lace cable 430 out of the lacing engine, but can be stretched to allow the lace cable 430 to be tightened down on the shoe upper 405 .

Heel strap 480, elastic member 440, and elastic central reinforcement 325 may each provide a degree of stretchability to the footwear upper, which may introduce different zones of comfort and comfort within the lacing action provided by the lacing mechanism. performance area. FIG. 17 illustrates various comfort and performance curves for different exemplary footwear uppers incorporating different combinations of lace cables 480 , elastic member 440 , elastic heel member 350 , and elastic central stiffener 325 .

5 is a diagram illustrating a portion of a footwear upper 405 having a lacing configuration 400 for use in a footwear assembly including a motorized lacing engine, according to some exemplary embodiments. In this example, the central portion 450 illustrated in FIG. 4A is replaced with a central closure mechanism 460 , illustrated in this example as a central zipper 465 . The central closure mechanism is designed to enable a wider opening in the footwear upper 405 to facilitate entry and exit. The central zipper 465 can be easily unzipped to allow the foot to enter or exit. In other examples, central closure 460 may be a hook and loop, snap, buckle, toggle, secondary lace, or any similar closure mechanism.

6 is a diagram illustrating a portion of a footwear upper 405 having a lacing configuration 600 for use in a footwear assembly including a motorized lacing engine, according to some exemplary embodiments. In this example, lacing configuration 600 adds heel lacing component 615 including heel lacing guide 610 and heel reinforcement 620 , as well as heel redirection guide 610 and heel exit guide 615 . Heel redirection guide 610 displaces lace cable 430 away from last lace guide 410 toward heel lacing member 615 . Heel lacing component 615 is formed from heel lacing guide 610 with heel reinforcement 620 . Heel lacing guide 610 is depicted as having a similar shape to lacing guides used elsewhere on upper 405 . However, in other examples, heel lace guide 610 may be other shapes or include multiple lace guides. In this example, heel lace component 615 is shown mounted on heel rail 645 , allowing for adjustability of the position of heel lace component 615 . Similar to the adjustable lace guides discussed above, other mechanisms may be utilized to achieve adjustment of the positioning of heel lace component 615, such as hook and loop fasteners or similar fastening mechanisms.

In some examples, upper 405 includes heel ridge 650 , which may include a closure mechanism similar to central portion 450 discussed above. In an example with a heel closure mechanism, the heel closure mechanism is designed to provide easy entry and exit from the footwear by expanding a conventional footwear assembly foot opening. Additionally, in some examples, heel lacing member 615 may connect across heel ridge 650 (with or without a heel closure mechanism) to a matching heel lacing member on the opposite side. The connection may include a resilient member similar to resilient member 440 .

7A-7B are diagrams illustrating a portion of a footwear upper 405 having a lacing configuration 700 for use in a footwear assembly including a motorized lacing engine, according to some example embodiments. In this example, lacing configuration 700 includes lace guide 710 for routing lace 730 . Lace guide 710 may include an associated reinforcement 720 . In this example, lace guide 710 is configured to allow portions of lace guide 710 to flex from the open initial position illustrated in FIG. 7A to the bent closed position illustrated in FIG. Dotted lines illustrating relative positions). In this example, lace guide 710 includes an extension that exhibits an approximately 14 degree bend between an open initial position and a closed position. Other examples may exhibit more or less curvature between the initial and final positions (or shapes) of lace guide 710 . Bending of lace guide 710 occurs when lace 730 is tightened. The flexing of lace guide 710 serves to smooth the torque versus lace displacement curve by applying some initial tension to lace 730 and providing an additional mechanism to dissipate lace tension during the tightening process. Thus, in the initial shape or bent position, lace guide 710 creates some initial tension in the lace cable, which also acts to take up the slack in the lace cable. When the tightening of the lace cable begins, the lace guide 710 bends or deforms.

In this example, lace guide 710 is a plastic or polymer tube, and may have a different modulus of elasticity depending on the particular composition of the tube. The modulus of elasticity of lace guide 710 and the configuration of stiffener 720 will control the amount of additional tension induced in lace 730 by bending of lace guide 710 . The elastic deformation of the ends (legs or extensions) of lace guide 710 induces continuous tension on lace 730 as lace guide 710 attempts to return to its original shape. In some examples, the entire lace guide is evenly curved over the length of the lace guide. In other examples, the bending occurs primarily within the u-shaped portion of the lace guide, where the extension remains substantially straight. In yet other examples, the extension accommodates most of the bending, with the u-shaped portion remaining relatively fixed.

The stiffener 720 is adhered to the lace guide 710 in a manner that allows the end of the lace guide 710 to move. In some examples, reinforcement member 720 is adhered by the hot melt process discussed above, where the placement of the heat activated adhesive allows for certain openings to allow for bending in lace guide 710 . In other embodiments, the stiffener 720 may be sewn into place or use a combination of adhesive and stitching. How the stiffener 720 is adhered or configured can affect which portion of the lace guide bends under load from the lace cable. In some examples, the hot melt is concentrated around the u-shaped portion of the lace guide, allowing the extension (leg) to bend more freely.

7C-7D are diagrams illustrating a deformable lace guide 710 for use in a footwear assembly, according to some exemplary embodiments. In this example, the lace guide 710 described above with reference to FIGS. 7A and 7B is discussed in further detail. Figure 7C illustrates lace guide 710 in a first (open) state, which may be considered a non-deformed state. Figure 7D illustrates lace guide 710 in a second (closed/bent) state, which may be considered a deformed state. Lace guide 710 may include three distinct sections, such as middle section 712 , first extension 714 , and second extension 716 . Lace guide 710 may also include lace receiving opening 740 and lace outlet 742 . As mentioned above, the lace guide 710 can have different moduli of elasticity, which controls the degree of deformation with a certain applied tension. In some examples, lace guide 710 may be constructed with different sections having different moduli of elasticity, such as middle section 712 having a first modulus of elasticity, a first extension having a second modulus of elasticity, and a second The extension has a third modulus of elasticity. In some examples, the second modulus of elasticity and the third modulus of elasticity may be substantially similar, causing the first extension and the second extension to bend or deform in a similar manner. In this example, substantial similarity can be interpreted as elastic moduli being within a few percent of each other. In some examples, lace guide 710 may have a variable modulus of elasticity that transitions from a high modulus at apex 746 to a low modulus toward the outer ends of the first and second extensions. In these examples, the modulus may vary based on the wall thickness of lace guide 710 .

Lace guide 710 defines a number of axes for describing how the deformable lace guide functions. For example, first extension 714 may define a first incoming lace axis 750 that is aligned with at least an outer portion of an interior passageway defined within first extension 714 . Second extension 716 defines a first outgoing lace axis 760 that is aligned with at least an outer portion of the interior channel defined within second extension 716 . When deformed, lace guide 710 defines a second incoming lace axis 752 and a second outgoing lace axis 762 that are each aligned with respective portions of the first and second extensions. Lace guide 710 also includes medial axis 744 that intersects lace guide 710 at apex 746 and is equidistant from the first and second extensions (assuming a symmetrical lace guide is in a non-symmetrical position). deformed state, as illustrated in Figure 7C).

7E is a graph 770 illustrating multiple torque versus lace displacement curves for a deformable lace guide, according to some exemplary embodiments. As discussed above, one of the benefits obtained using lace guide 710 includes modifying the torque (or lace tension) versus lace displacement (or shortening) curve. Curve 776 illustrates torque versus displacement for a non-deformable lace guide used in an exemplary lacing configuration. Curve 776 illustrates how the shoelace experiences a rapid increase in tension in a short displacement near the end of the tightening process. In contrast, curve 778 illustrates a torque versus displacement curve for a first deformable lace guide used in an exemplary lacing configuration. Curve 778 begins in a similar manner to curve 776, but the curve flattens as the lace guide deforms with additional lace tension, causing the tension to increase with greater lace displacement. Flattening the curve allows the end user more control over the fit and performance of the footwear.

The final example is divided into three segments, an initial tightening segment 780 , an adaptive segment 782 and a reaction segment 784 . Segments 780, 782, 784 may be used in any situation that requires torque and resultant displacement. However, the reaction section 784 may abruptly change or correct the lace, especially when the motorized lacing engine responds to an unanticipated external factor (e.g., the wearer has suddenly stopped moving, resulting in a relatively high load on the lace). used in case of displacement. In contrast, adaptive segment 782 can be utilized when a more gradual displacement of the lace can be utilized because changes in load on the lace can be anticipated, for example, because the change in load may be less abrupt, or because the active Changes are input into the motorized lacing engine by the wearer, or the motorized lacing engine is able to anticipate changes in activity through machine learning. The deformable lace guide design that resulted in this final example is designed to create adaptive segments 782 and reaction segments 784 through lace guide structural design such as channel shape, material choice, or combination parameters. The lacing configuration and lace guides that produced the final example also create pre-tension in the lace cable, resulting in the illustrated initial fastening segment 780 .

8A-8F are schematic diagrams illustrating an example lacing guide 800 for use in certain lacing configurations, according to some example embodiments. In this example, an alternative lace guide with an open lace channel is illustrated. Lace guide 800 includes guide tab 805, stitch opening 810, guide superior surface 815, lace retainer 820, lace channel 825, channel radius 830, lace entry opening 840, guide guide inferior surface 845 and guide radius 850 . Advantages of an open channel lace guide such as lace guide 800 include the ability to easily route lace cables after the lace guide is installed on the upper of the footwear. For a tubular lace guide as illustrated in many of the lace configuration examples discussed above, the lace cable is routed through the lace guide prior to adhering the lace guide to the footwear upper. Components are the easiest to implement (not to say that it cannot be implemented later). The open channel lace guide facilitates easy lace routing by allowing lace cables to be simply pushed through through lace retainer 820 after lace guide 800 is positioned on the footwear upper. Lace guide 800 may be fabricated from a variety of materials including metal or plastic.

In this example, lace guide 800 may initially be attached to a footwear upper by stitching or adhesive. The illustrated design includes stitch openings 810 configured to enable easy manual or automated stitching of lacing guide 800 to a footwear upper (or similar material). Once lace guide 800 is attached to the footwear upper, the lace cable may be routed by simply pulling a loop of the lace cable into lace channel 825 . Lace entry opening 840 extends through lower surface 845 to provide a release groove for a lace cable to pass around lace retainer 820 . In this example, channel radius 830 is designed to correspond to the diameter of the shoelace cable, then or slightly larger than the diameter of the shoelace cable. Channel radius 830 is one of the parameters of lace guide 800 that may control the amount of friction experienced by a lace cable extending through lace guide 800 . Another parameter of lace guide 800 that affects the friction experienced by the lace cable includes guide radius 850 . Guide radius 850 may also affect the frequency or spacing of lace guides positioned on the upper of the footwear.

FIG. 8G is a diagram illustrating a portion of footwear upper 405 having a lacing configuration 890 using lacing guides 800 , according to some exemplary embodiments. In this example, a plurality of lacing guides 800 are disposed on a lateral side of footwear upper 405 to form one half of lacing configuration 890 . Similar to the lacing configurations discussed above, lacing configuration 890 uses lacing guides 800 to create a wave pattern or parachute lacing pattern to route the lace cables. One of the benefits of this type of lacing configuration is that lace tightening can produce lateral-medial tightening as well as anterior-posterior tightening of the footwear upper 405 .

In this example, lace guide 800 is adhered to upper 405 at least initially by stitching 860 . Stitch 860 is shown over or engaging suture opening 810 . One of the lace guides 800 is also depicted with a reinforcement 870 superimposed on the lace guide. Such reinforcements may be individually positioned on each of lace guides 800 . Alternatively, larger reinforcements can be used to overlay multiple lacing guides. Similar to the reinforcement members discussed above, the reinforcement member 870 may be adhered by adhesive, heat activated adhesive, and/or stitching. In some examples, reinforcement 870 may be adhered using an adhesive (heat activated or non-heat activated) and a vacuum bagging process that compresses the reinforcement evenly against the tie guides. on file. A similar vacuum bagging process can also be used with the stiffeners and lace guides discussed above. In other examples, a mechanical press or similar machine may be used to help adhere the reinforcement to the lace guide.

Once all of the lace guides 800 are initially positioned and attached to the footwear upper 405, the lace cables may be routed through the lace guides. Routing the lace cable may begin with anchoring the first end of the lace cable at lateral anchor point 470 . Lace cables may then be pulled into each lace channel 825 starting from the forwardmost lacing guide and working rearwardly toward the heel of upper 405 . Once the lace cable is routed through all of the lace guides 800, a stiffener 870 may optionally be adhered to each of the lace guides 800 to secure the lace guide and lace cable.

assembly process

9 is a flowchart illustrating a footwear assembly process 900 for assembling footwear including a lace-up engine, according to some exemplary embodiments. In this example, the assembly process 900 includes operations such as: obtaining a footwear upper, a lace guide, and a lace cable at 910; routing the lace cable through the tubular lace guide at 920; anchoring the first end of the lace cable at 930; anchoring the second end of the lace cable at 940; positioning the lace guide at 950; securing the lace guide at 960; Integrate the upper with the footwear component. Process 900, described in further detail below, may include some or all of the process operations described, and at least some of the process operations may occur at multiple locations and/or using different automation tools.

In this example, process 900 begins at 910 by obtaining a footwear upper, a plurality of lace guides, and a lace cable. A footwear upper, such as upper 405 , may be a flat footwear upper that is separate from the remainder of the footwear assembly (eg, sole, midsole, external overlay, etc.). The lace guides in this example include tubular plastic lace guides as discussed above, but may include other types of lace guides. At 920, process 900 continues with the lace cable being routed (or threaded) through the plurality of lace guides. While the lace cables may be routed through the lace guide at various points during the assembly process 900, when using tubular lace guides, the laces are routed through the lace prior to assembly onto the footwear upper. Over guides may be preferred. In some examples, the lace guides may be pre-threaded onto the lace cable, where process 900 begins with a plurality of lace guides already threaded onto the lace obtained during the operation at 910 .

At 930, process 900 continues with the first end of the lace cable being anchored to the footwear upper. For example, lace cable 430 may be anchored along a lateral edge of upper 405 . In some examples, lace cables may be temporarily anchored to upper 405 , with more permanent anchoring achieved during integration of the footwear upper with the remaining footwear components. At 940, process 900 may continue with the second end of the lace cable being anchored to the footwear upper. Like the first end of the lace cable, the second end can be temporarily anchored to the upper. Additionally, process 900 may optionally delay anchoring of the second end until later in the process or during integration with the footwear component.

At 950, process 900 continues with a plurality of lace guides positioned on the upper. For example, lace guides 410 may be positioned on upper 405 to create a desired lacing pattern. Once the lace guide is positioned, process 900 may continue at 960 by securing the lace guide to the upper of the footwear. For example, reinforcements 420 may be secured to lace guides 410 to hold them in place. Finally, process 900 may be completed at 970, where the footwear upper is integrated into the remainder of the footwear assembly, including the sole. In an example, integration may include positioning a loop of a lace cable connecting a lateral side and a medial side of a footwear upper in position to engage a lacing engine in a midfoot of a footwear assembly.

10 is a flowchart illustrating a footwear assembly process 1000 for assembling footwear including lace guides, according to some exemplary embodiments. In this example, assembly process 1000 includes operations such as: obtaining a footwear upper, lace guides, and lace cables at 1010; securing the lace guides to the footwear upper at 1020; Anchor the first end of the shoelace cable; at 1040, route the shoelace cable through the shoelace guide; at 1050, anchor the second end of the shoelace cable; optionally, at 1060 securing the reinforcement to the lace guide; and integrating, at 1070, the upper with the footwear component. Process 1000, described in further detail below, may include some or all of the process operations described, and at least some of the process operations may occur at multiple locations and/or using different automation tools.

In this example, process 1000 begins at 1010 by obtaining a footwear upper, a plurality of lace guides, and a lace cable. A footwear upper, such as upper 405 , may be a flat footwear upper that is separate from the remainder of the footwear assembly (eg, sole, midsole, external overlay, etc.). The lace guides in this example include open channel plastic lace guides as discussed above, but may include other types of lace guides as well. At 1020, process 1000 continues with the lacing guide secured to the upper. For example, lace guides 800 may be individually stitched in place on upper 405 .

At 1030, process 1000 continues with the first end of the lace cable being anchored to the footwear upper. For example, lace cable 430 may be anchored along a lateral edge of upper 405 . In some examples, lace cables may be temporarily anchored to upper 405 , with more permanent anchoring achieved during integration of the footwear upper with the remaining footwear components. At 1040, process 1000 continues with the lace cable being routed through the open channel lace guide, which includes leaving a gap between the lateral and medial sides of the footwear upper for engagement with the lacing engine. Lace loops. The lace loops may be of a predetermined length to ensure that the lacing engine can properly tighten the assembled footwear.

At 1050, process 1000 may continue with the second end of the lace cable being anchored to the footwear upper. Like the first end of the lace cable, the second end can be temporarily anchored to the upper. Additionally, process 1000 may optionally delay anchoring of the second end until later in the process or during integration with the footwear component. In some examples, delaying the anchoring of the first and/or second ends of the lace cables may allow for adjustment of the overall lace length, which may be useful during integration of the lacing engine.

At 1060, process 1000 may optionally include operations for securing textile reinforcements (overlays) to the lace guides to further secure them to the footwear upper. For example, lace guide 800 may have reinforcement 870 heat fused to the lace guide to further secure the lace guide and lace cable. Finally, process 1000 may be completed at 1070, where the footwear upper is integrated into the remainder of the footwear assembly, including the sole. In an example, the integration may include positioning a loop of a lace cable connecting a lateral side and a medial side of a footwear upper in place to engage a lacing engine in a midfoot of a footwear assembly.

Tension strip

11 is a diagram illustrating a front view of a partially cutaway footwear upper 1100 showing elastic strap 1102 connecting medial side 1104 and lateral side 1106 of footwear upper 1100 . Footwear upper 1100 may be coupled to sole structure 1108 in which a motorized lacing engine may be disposed. Footwear upper 1100 may include interior layers, such as medial panel 1110 and lateral panel 1112, that are configured to surround the foot. The inner panel 1110 and outer panel 1112 may include additional layers, such as a backing or cushioning layer (not shown). Elastic webbing 1102 may be attached to both inner panel 1110 and outer panel 1112 .

Footwear upper 1110 may also include lace guides 1114 , laces 1116 , and outer layer 1118 . Upper 1100 may include outer layer 1118 configured to overlay lace 1116 , elastic strap 1102 , and lace guide 1114 . Outer layer 1118 is cut away in FIG. 11 to illustrate inner panel 1110 , outer panel 1112 , elastic webbing 1102 , lace guides 1114 , and laces 1116 .

Lace guide 1114 may be attached to medial panel 1110 and lateral panel 1112 . Lace guides 1114 may each include a guide tab 1115 and a lace channel body 1117 . Guide tab 1115 may be mounted directly to sheets 1110 and 1112, such as via adhesive, stitching, riveting, or the like. Lace guide 1114 may be configured similar to other lace guides described herein. Lace 1116 may be threaded through a channel provided in lace channel body 1117 of lace guide 1114 . Lace 1116 may have a distal portion anchored to the upper toward the toe region and a proximal portion connected to the distal portion and located within the lacing engine.

As discussed herein, operation of the lacing engine may function to tighten lace 1116 to compress medial panel 1110 and lateral panel 1112 . In particular, a proximal portion of lace 1116 is drawn into sole structure 1108 when the lacing engine is operated, which may cause lace guide 1114 to be drawn toward sole structure 1108 . As lace guides 1114 on medial panel 1110 and lateral panel 1112 are pulled closer to sole structure 1108 , elastic webbing 1102 may stretch around a foot positioned within footwear upper 1100 . Elastic webbing 1102 may be made of any type of resilient material other than elastic, such as rubber or spandex. Elastic webbing 1102 may be configured to rest in an unstretched or pretensioned state when a foot is placed in footwear upper 1100 . In other embodiments, the elastic webbing 1102 may be replaced with an elastic mesh material.

12 is a diagram illustrating a rear view of footwear upper 1100 of FIG. 11 , showing heel strap assembly 1120 connecting lace 1116 on the medial and lateral sides of upper 1110 . Heel strap assembly 1120 may include pretensioning strap 1122 , heel strap 1124 , and anchor point 1126 . Pretensioning strap 1122 may extend from lace 1116 on the lateral side of footwear upper 1100 shown in FIG. 11 , through heel portion 1128 of footwear upper 1100 , and to the footwear upper. 1100 (not visible in FIG. 12 ) to connect to the opposite end of shoelace 1116 . Pretensioning strap 1122 may be connected to lace 1116 at joint 1130 in any suitable manner, such as through use of lace guide 1114 . In an example, lace 1116 is allowed to slide within interface 1130 with pretensioning strap 1122 . In an example, pretensioning strap 1122 may be connected to guide tab 1115 of lace guide 1114 , and lace 1116 may be connected to lace channel body 1117 of lace guide 1114 . The pretensioned strap 1122 may comprise a resilient, elongate member that may be stretched and may return to its original length after stretching. As will be explained in more detail below with reference to FIGS. 15A and 15B , pretensioning strap 1122 may be configured to pull lace 1116 from the lacing engine to release lace 1116 as the lacing engine spool unwinds.

Heel strap 1124 may extend from junction 1130 of pretensioning strap 1122 with lace 1116 to anchor point 1126 . In the state shown in FIG. 12 , heel strap 1124 is folded between anchor point 1126 and junction 1130 . As will be explained in more detail below with reference to FIGS. 15A and 15B , when joint 1130 is pulled toward the toe portion of footwear upper 1100 , heel strap 1124 will expand, ultimately causing anchor point 1126 to be pulled toward the toe portion. Heel portion 1128 to help retain footwear upper 1100 on the heel of a foot inserted into upper 1100 . Anchor points 1116 may include any suitable device or device capable of providing a point of rest on footwear upper 1100 . In the illustrated embodiment, anchor points 1126 may include threaded fasteners that extend through footwear upper 1100 .

13 is a diagram illustrating a side view of the footwear upper 1100 of FIG. Belt guide 1114. FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating the footwear upper 1100 of FIG. 13 flexed to show lace guide 1114 attached to footwear upper 1100 separately from elastic strap 1102 . Figures 13 and 14 are discussed concurrently.

Outer layer 1118 is partially cut away to show outer panel 1112 independently connected to elastic webbing 1102 and lace guide 1114 . Guide tab 1115 of lace guide 1114 may be connected to outer panel 1112 in any suitable manner. In the illustrated embodiment, guide tab 1115 is connected to outer panel 1112 via stitching 1132 . The guide tab 1115 is spaced from the upper edge of the outer panel 1112 on which the elastic webbing 1102 is positioned to form a gap between the guide tab 1115 and the elastic webbing 1102 .

The elastic ribbon 1102 may comprise a single ribbon, or as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 , multiple ribbons aligned end-to-end. Elastic webbing 1102 may be attached to outer panel 1112 via any suitable means, such as adhesive or stitching. In the illustrated embodiment, elastic webbing 1102 is attached to outer panel 1112 via stitching 1134 . Disengagement of lace guide 1114 from elastic webbing 1102 may allow elastic webbing 1102 to stretch evenly along the length of outer panel 1112 and may allow elastic webbing 1102 to operate the lace guide on shoelace 1116 1114 and may provide a more even motion for the operation of lace guide 1114 on lace 1116.

FIG. 15A is a diagram illustrating the footwear upper 1100 of FIG. 12 showing loose lace 1116 being pulled by pretensioning strap 1122 from the motorized lacing engine. As shown, distance D1 between lace guide 1114A and lace guide 1114B may be a first splayed length. Likewise, distance D2 between lace guide 1114A and anchor point 1126 may be the first contracted length. Distance D1 is greater than distance D3 of FIG. 15B to allow the foot to enter footwear upper 1100 when lace 1116 is unfastened. Tensioning strap 1122 is activated to pull lace 1116 toward heel portion 1128 at junction 1130 , thereby pulling proximal portion 1131 of lace 1116 out of the lacing engine. Heel strap 1124 is buckled or folded between junction 1130 and anchor point 1126 as excess slack from proximal portion 1131 allows the tensioning strap to act to pull junction 1130 toward anchor point 1126 .

15B is a diagram illustrating the footwear upper 1100 of FIG. 15A , showing the lace 1116 tightened into the motorized lacing engine and the heel bar tightened around the heel of the footwear upper 1100 bring. As shown, distance D3 between lace guide 1114A and lace guide 1114B may be the second contracted length. Likewise, distance D4 between lace guide 1114A and anchor point 1126 may be a second splayed length. Distance D3 is smaller than distance D1 because lacing engine has been activated to pull proximal end portion 1131 of shoelace 1116 into lacing engine. This additionally causes the previously retracted tensioning strap 1122 to be stretched such that D4 is greater than D2, and causes the heel strap 1124 to be flattened and then stretched. When shoelace 1116 is fastened downwardly on footwear upper 1100 and the foot therein, the stretching of heel strap 11124 causes heel portion 1128 of footwear upper 1100 to be drawn into position on the footwear upper. 1100 in the heel of the foot.

16 is a diagram illustrating another embodiment of a footwear upper 1200 showing medial lace cable tensioning strip 1202 and lateral lace cable tensioning strip 1204 , respectively. Footwear upper 1200 may be coupled to sole structure 1206 in which a motorized lacing engine may be disposed. Footwear upper 1200 may include medial panel 1208, lateral panel 1210, and toe panel 1212 configured to at least partially surround a foot. The inner panel 1208 and outer panel 1210 may include additional layers, such as a backing layer or cushioning layer (not shown). Cable tensioning straps 1202 and 1204 may be connected to medial panel 1208 and lateral panel 1210 at bottom edges, respectively, and may be connected to lace 1214 at distal portions 1216A and 1216B, respectively. Footwear upper 1110 may also include lace guides 1218 and elastic panels 1220 .

Elastic panels 1220 may function similarly to elastic webbing 1102 of FIGS. 11-15B to provide a degree of stretch to footwear upper 1200 . Lace guide 1218 may function similarly to other lace guides described herein, and for the sake of brevity, no further description is provided. Lace 1214 may have distal ends connected to tensioning straps 1202 and 1204 , while a medial portion of lace 1214 may be located in a lacing mechanism provided in sole structure 1206 . Thus, as the lacing mechanism winds lace 1214 , lace 1214 is pulled through lace guide 1218 to fasten lace 1214 down on footwear upper 1200 . Tensioning straps 1202 and 1204 provide anchoring for end portions 1216A and 1216B of shoelace 1214 to facilitate the tightening action.

Tension straps 1202 and 1204 allow lace 1214 to be anchored to sole structure 1206 while also being at least partially wrapped around panels 1208 and 1210 of footwear upper 1200 . As can be seen, lace 1214 intersects footwear upper 1200 once at medial panel 1208 and once at lateral panel 1210 . This allows some of the force used in tensioning lace 1214 to also be used directly to exert inward pressure on footwear upper 1200 proximate toe panel 1212 . Tension straps 1202 and 1204 provide a greater surface area over which tension in lace 1214 is distributed to panels 1208 and 1210 . That is, if lace 1214 is anchored to footwear upper 1200 at sole structure 1206, then strips 1202 and 1204 contact sheets 1208 and 1210 over a greater surface area than lace 1214 contacts sheets 1208 and 1210 at the same location. surface area. In an embodiment, strips 1202 and 1204 are trapezoidal in shape. In other embodiments, strips 1202 and 1204 may be triangular or rectangular in shape. For example, strip 1202 may have bottom edge region 1222 that is wider than top edge region 1224 . Bottom edge region 1222 may be attached to the bottom portion of medial panel 1208 , such as by adhesive or stitching, or by being incorporated into sole structure 1206 . Top edge region 1224 may be attached to lace 1214 by any suitable method, such as by being attached to length of strap 1202 by stitching 1226 . Straps 1202 and 1204 may be attached to footwear upper 1200 only at sole structure 1206 so that they form flaps. In other embodiments, straps 1202 and 1204 may be attached to footwear upper 1200 along their entire lengths or only a portion of their lengths. Straps 1202 and 1204 may be made of rigid or non-elastic material or stretchable (resilient) or elastic material. The trapezoidal or triangular shape of straps 1202 and 1204 may more evenly distribute stress and force within the toe cap of footwear upper 11200 and create a comfortable and secure fit. Likewise, straps 1202 and 1204 may include other geometries that have benefits, such as evenly distributing stress and forces along footwear upper 1200 .

17 is graphs 1300A, 1300B, 1300C, 1300D, 1300E illustrating force versus lace displacement for an upper of a shoe including elastic or tensioning members described herein, according to some exemplary embodiments. and a graph of 1300F. The bottom X-axis shows displacement in millimeters and the side Y-axis shows load in Newtons. Curves 1300A through 1300F are each associated with a different load on the lace. As shown, by adjusting the parameters of the various components described herein (lace cable 480, elastic member 440, elastic heel member 350, elastic central stiffener 325, etc.), prior to elastic zone locking and performance zone activation , can provide different levels of comfort slopes. Accordingly, the comfort and performance slopes of each curve may be tailored to provide different effects for different types of shoes or articles of footwear or for different types of wearers.

18 is a diagram illustrating the footwear upper 1200 of FIG. 16 unfolded flat to show a lacing configuration including tensioning straps 1202 and 1204 connected to laces 1214 in a cross configuration.

Footwear upper 1200 may include medial panel 1208, lateral panel 1210, heel panels 1211A and 1211B, and toe panel 1212, with heel panel 1211B attached to lateral panel 1210 and footwear upper 1200 When attached to the sole structure, the panels are configured to at least partially surround the foot. Medial panel 1208 and lateral panel 1210 may include additional layers, such as a liner (not shown), outer layer 1230 (which may include sole portions 1230A and 1230B and throat portions 1230C and 1230D), and cover layer 1232 (which may include including sole portions 1232A and 1232B and throat portions 1232C and 1232D).

Outer layer 1230 may include a layer of material to reinforce inner panel 1208 and outer panel 1210 . In an example, outer layer 1230 may comprise a synthetic material, such as nylon. Cover layer 1232 may include a layer that supports lace guide 1218 . Overlay 1232 may comprise a semi-rigid yet deformable material that may distribute the load of lace guide 1218 to footwear upper 1200 . In an example, cover layer 1232 may comprise a synthetic material such as Microcellular polyurethane.

Tensioning straps 1202 and 1204 may be connected to medial panel 1208 and lateral panel 1210 at bottom edges 1222A and 1222B, respectively, and may be connected to distal portions 1216A and 1216B of shoelace 1214 at outer edges 1224A and 1224B, respectively. . Footwear upper 1110 may also include lace guides 1218 and elastic panels 1220 .

Proximal ends 1234A and 1234B of shoelace 1214 may be connected to a lacing engine (not shown). Proximal ends 1234A and 1234B may be connected to each other to form lace 1214 . That is, lace 1214 may comprise a one-piece construction. Lace 1214 is threaded through lace guide 1218 such that distal portions 1216A and 1216B extend to tensioning straps 1202 and 1204 . Distal portion 1216A is connected to tensioning strap 1202 at stitch 1226 . Likewise, distal portion 1216B may be connected to tensioning strap 1204 . As shown, distal end portions 1216A and 1216B intersect in a throat region of footwear upper 1200 formed between throat portions 1230C and 1230D of outer layer 1230 , for example. In such a configuration, lace guides 1218 on throat portions 1230C and 1230D may be omitted near toe panel 1212 to prevent interference with lace 1214 .

Tensioning straps 1202 and 1204 may be configured to float on top of footwear upper 1200 to allow the layers of footwear upper 1200 (eg, outer layer 1230 and cover layer 1232 ) to be pulled over lace 1214 . Contracts independently of tension in lace 1214 when tight. For example, when the throat portions 1230C and 1230D are drawn closer to the sole portions 1230A and 1230B, respectively, when the proximal ends 1234A and 1234B are tensioned by the lacing engine, the throat portions 1230C and 1230D can be stretched between tensioning straps 1202 and 1230D. 1204 slide below. Thus, in an embodiment, only a portion of each of tensioning straps 1202 and 1204 may be attached to footwear upper 1200 .

Tension straps 1202 and 1204 may have a variety of shapes to distribute the force of lace 1214 across medial panel 1208 and lateral panel 1210 . Strips 1202 and 1204 may be triangular, quadrangular, trapezoidal, rectilinear, or any other shape. In an example, strips 1202 and 1204 are wider near the bottom of the sole structure and narrower near the top of lace 1214 so as to be distributed along the swath of footwear upper 1200 and sole structure from Lace 1214 force. Strips 1202 and 1204 may have the same shape, or, as shown in FIG. 20, may have different shapes.

FIG. 19 is a schematic diagram illustrating tensioning strap 1202 of FIG. 18 , indicating locking region 1240 and stretching region 1242 . Distal end portion 1216A of lace 1214 may be connected to locking region 1240 along length L, such as by stitching 1226 .

The bottom edge region 1222 of the strip 1202 may be wider than the top edge region 1224 . Bottom edge region 1222 may be connected to footwear upper 1200 or a sole structure. In certain embodiments, only a portion of stretch region 1242 , such as bottom edge region 1222 , is attached to footwear upper 1200 or the sole structure so as to allow stretch region 1242 to stretch. In an embodiment, the stretch region 1242 is composed of an elastic material, a synthetic material, a polymer, a proprietary material having one or more of these properties (such as a Lunar Fly Strap material), or the like. In other examples, most or all of stretch zone 1242 is attached to footwear upper 1200 .

Locking region 1240 may extend from stretch region 1242 to top edge region 1224 . Locking zone 1240 may extend laterally across the entirety of the topmost portion of stretch zone 1242 . Locking region 1240 may comprise a portion of tensioned strap 1202 that is less elastic or stretchable than stretching region 1242 . In an example, locking region 1240 may comprise a separate piece of material attached to the material of stretch region 1242 . In another embodiment, the locking region 1240 is an extension of the material of the stretch region 1242 that has been treated to reinforce the material in the locking region 1240 . For example, stitching 1226 along length L of lace 1214 may provide reinforcement. In an example, length L may be approximately 15 millimeters. Additionally or alternatively, locking region 1240 may be treated with a hot melt material to secure distal portion 1216A and reinforce locking region 1240 . In other embodiments, the locking region 1240 may be treated with a stretch-inhibiting coating, such as Terranina, to increase the locking capability of the tensioning strap 1202 . The ability to lock may indicate reluctance to stretch in order to allow lace 1214 to be tightened. That is, a fully locked lace will increase the tightening on the foot in proportion to the amount the lace is tightened. In other words, the laces can no longer stretch. For different embodiments of the tensioning strap 1202, the locking capabilities of the locking regions 1240 and the stretching capabilities of the stretching regions 1242 may vary in different combinations.

FIG. 20 is a diagram illustrating another embodiment of a footwear upper 1200 that includes a lacing configuration that includes tensioned laces 1214 connected to laces 1214 in a non-crossing configuration. Strips 1250 and 1252. Footwear upper 1200 of FIG. 20 includes the same components as footwear upper 1200 of FIG. parts. As can be seen in FIG. 20 , distal portions 1216A and 1216B of lace 1214 may be configured to remain on the same side of footwear upper 1200 where they are connected to the lacing engine and their respective tensioners. Bands. That is, the distal portion 1216B can be connected to the inner tensioning strap 1250 and can extend through the lace guide 1218A and the other lace guide 1218 through the inner sheet 1208 to connect to the lace engine, while the far End portion 1216A may be connected to outer tensioning strap 1252 and may extend through lace guide 1218B and other lace guides 1218 through outer sheet 1210 to connect to the lace engine. Lace guides 1218A and 1218B may be added to facilitate lacing upper 1200 and stretching elastic panel 1220 along the length of the throat region of upper 1200 . As shown, the relative dimensions of tensioning straps 1250 and 1252 may vary to provide different performance characteristics on the medial and lateral sides of upper 1200 . For example, in the non-intersecting embodiment of FIG. 20, tensioning straps 1250 and 1252 may be shorter than tensioning straps 1202 and 1204, eg, to bring distal portions 1216A and 1216B closer to the sole structure. Additionally, the medial tension strap 1250 may be shorter than the lateral tension strap 1252, or vice versa, to vary the force applied to the ball, metatarsal, and phalanx regions of the foot.

21 is a top view illustrating a flat footwear upper 1400 having a lace-up configuration for use with a lace-up engine, according to some example embodiments. 22 is a drawing of an exemplary footwear assembly utilizing the dual-zone lacing configuration discussed with reference to FIG. 21 . In this example, footwear upper 1400 has a medial side 1403 and a lateral side 1404, and a distal (toe) and a proximal (heel) end. The distal end includes a toe section 1407 and the proximal end includes a heel portion 1406 . Footwear upper 1400 may also include a floating textile layer (optional, not shown), outer layer 1402 , and floating tongue 1405 . Floating tongue 1405 extends out of foot opening 1409 of outer layer 1402 adjacent throat portion 1411 (also referred to as a throat section) formed by at least a U-shaped cut in outer layer 1402 . In some examples, throat portion 1411 varies in configuration, including various cutout shapes or alternative material sections. All throat portions allow portions of the lateral and medial sides of the footwear component to move with reference to each other. In other examples, throat portion 1411 may be integrated into the cover layer of outer layer 1402 so that throat portion 1411 and the lacing configuration are hidden from outside view. In some examples, throat portion 1411 is also cut from the floating textile layer. Footwear upper 1400 may include some or all of the structures discussed with reference to footwear upper 300 , but illustrated in a simpler fashion to emphasize the dual-zone lacing configuration.

In this example, the lacing configuration is divided into two distinct zones. The first region interacts with a toe or forefoot region of footwear upper 1400 . The second zone interacts with a midfoot region of footwear upper 1400 . The first lacing zone lace cables are illustrated as solid dark gray lines and the second lacing zone lace cables are illustrated as black dashed lines. These differences are for illustrative purposes only, to help distinguish the different shoelace cable paths, in which the shoelace cable is a single cable extending from terminal 1420 to terminal 1421 (terminal also referred to as an anchor location or anchor point). root cable. Alternatively, even in designs where different lace cables are used for the first and second lacing zones, the materials used will generally be common between the different zones. The first lacing zone may include a lace guide that guides lace cable 1410 from first lace terminal 1420 . In this example, first lace terminal end 1420 is located on the distal-lateral portion of eyelet 1408 . Lace cable 1410 is routed from first lace terminal end 1420 across the distal end of throat portion 1411 and through first medial lace guide 1440 . Lace cable 1410 is routed from first medial lace guide 1440 back to throat portion 1411 and through first lateral lace guide 1430 . Lace cable 1410 is routed from first outer lace guide 1430 , through second outer lace guide 1431 and through third outer lace guide 1432 . The lace guides are labeled first, second, third, etc. to indicate the order of extending proximally from the distal end of throat portion 411 toward foot opening 1409 . Optionally, lace cable 1410 may be routed through material guide 1422 on a route from first lateral lace guide 1430 to third lateral lace guide 1432 . Lace cable 1410 is routed from third lateral lace guide 1432 through laterally facing tongue lace guide 1417 and down through optional material guide 1422 to lateral heel lace guide 1451 . Lateral heel lace guide 1451 routes lace cable 1410 into the midsole plate via lateral lace outlet 1419 .

The second lacing zone includes a set of lace guides that route lace cable 1410 from second terminal 1421 to medial lace outlet 1418 . In this example, lace cable 1410 is routed from second terminal end 1421 located on the lateral side of eyelet 1408 on throat portion 1411 to second medial lace guide 1441 . Lace cable 1410 is routed from second medial lace guide 1441 back onto throat portion 1411 to second lateral lace guide 1431 . Lace cable 1410 is then routed a third time through second lateral lace guide 1431 back onto throat portion 411 and through third medial lace guide 1442 . Third medial lace guide 1442 routes lace cable 1410 onto medial facing tongue lace guide 1416 which routes lace cable towards medial heel lace guide 1450 . Lace cables may optionally be routed through material lace guide 1424 on their way to medial heel lace guide 1450 . Lace cable 1410 is routed from medial heel lace guide 1450 via medial lace outlet 1418 into the midsole plate.

The dual-zone lacing configuration enables uneven distribution of lace cable tension between the distal and proximal ends of throat portion 1411 . The first lacing zone applies the same lace cable tension over fewer lace guides, resulting in the tension being distributed over a smaller area. The second lacing zone distributes lace cable tension over a larger area with more lace guides. Using the dual-zone lacing configuration, the user experiences a tighter, higher performance fit in the toe (forefoot) region of the footwear. Other multi-zone lacing configurations may be utilized to vary the distribution of lace cable tension as desired for a particular footwear application.

In this example, the lacing configuration includes a tongue lace guide assembly 1415 (or simply tongue lace guide 1415). Tongue lace guide 1415 may include medial-facing lace guide 1416 and lateral-facing lace guide 1417 . Medial-facing lace guide 1416 and lateral-facing lace guide 1417 may be molded or formed from a single piece of material, or be separate structures that are coupled together in some manner. In some examples, the medial-facing and lateral-facing lace guides may be coupled together with elastic members, such as elastic member 440 , that allow the shoe to Some separation between belt guides. In some examples, medial-facing lace guide 1416 and lateral-facing lace guide 1417 may be adhered to the tongue lace guide reinforcement. In yet other examples, the medial-facing lace guide and the lateral-facing lace guide are disposed on, wrapped in, or otherwise connected via the webbing material. The tongue lace guide reinforcement may be a non-stretch or limited-stretch material, a rigid material or an elastic material. Tongue lace guide reinforcement may be adhered, stitched, or similarly attached to floating tongue 1405 . In some examples, the tongue lace guide reinforcement may be padded or similarly configured to distribute the force applied to the tongue lace guide over a wider area to avoid hot spots (hot-spots) for the user. spots). In other examples, medial-facing lace guide 1416 and lateral-facing lace guide 1417 may be connected by an elastic member or webbing and may float relative to floating tongue 1405 .

Embodiments of the present disclosure may be directed to adjusting the effective spring rate of a shoe when the shoe is tightened on the foot. Well-designed elastic zones in the lacing system of a shoe upper allow for varying rates of tightening. For example, a very stiff lacing system can become very tight very quickly and may cause discomfort to the wearer. Elastic regions strategically added to the lacing system and/or the shoe upper can manipulate the shoe's lockout stiffness, travel, modulus, or other parameters to adjust the fit of the shoe upper to the foot. In this way, elastic zones can be added to the top and rear (or heel) areas of the foot to allow the footwear upper to be pulled down onto the foot in a desired manner. For example, elastic regions may facilitate placement or pre-tensioning of untightened material of a footwear upper, which may be considered a parachute of material tightened down on the foot by a lacing configuration. Depending on the desires, preferences, or uses of the article of footwear, a user may adjust the lacing mechanism to adjust the article of footwear to have different comfort or performance characteristics.

example

Example 1 may include or use subject matter such as a footwear assembly comprising: a footwear upper including a toe portion, a medial side, a lateral side, and a heel portion, the medial and lateral sides each Extending proximally from the toe portion to the heel portion; a shoelace cable having a first end anchored along the far lateral side portion of the medial side and a first end anchored along the far lateral side portion of the lateral side second end; a plurality of lace guides distributed along the medial and lateral sides, each lace guide of the plurality of lace guides being adapted to receive a length of lace cable, wherein the lace cable extending through each of the plurality of lace guides to form a pattern along each of the medial and lateral sides of the footwear upper; a medial proximal lace guide, the medial proximal lace guide routing a lace cable from the pattern formed by the inner portion of the plurality of lace guides into a location that allows the lace cable to engage a lacing engine disposed within the midsole portion; the outer proximal lace guide, for routing the lace cable from a location that allows the lace cable to engage the lacing engine into the pattern formed by the outer portion of the plurality of lace guides; and on the first lace of the plurality of lace guides A first elastic member extending between the guide and the second lace guide.

Example 2 may include the subject matter of Example 1, or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of Example 1, to optionally include a first elastic member that may connect the first elastic member across a centerline portion of the footwear upper. A shoelace guide and a second shoelace guide.

Example 3 may include one or any combination of the subject matter in Example 1 or 2, or may optionally be combined with one or any combination of the subject matter in Example 1 or 2, to optionally include a first elastic member, the first An elastic member may connect the first lace guide and the second lace guide across a heel portion of the footwear upper.

Example 4 may include the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 1 to 3, or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 1 to 3, to optionally include a second elastic member, the second The elastic member may extend between a third lace guide and a fourth lace guide of the plurality of lace guides.

Example 5 may include one or any combination of the subject matter of Examples 1 to 4, or may optionally be combined with one or any combination of the subject matter of Examples 1 to 4, to optionally include a first elastic member, the first The elastic members may be interchangeable with different elastic members that provide different moduli of elasticity to alter the fit characteristics of the footwear upper.

Example 6 may include one or any combination of the subject matter of Examples 1 to 5, or may optionally be combined with one or any combination of the subject matter of Examples 1 to 5, to optionally include a first elastic member, the first The elastic member may be used to smooth the torque versus lace displacement curve during tightening of the lace cable.

Example 7 may include or use subject matter such as a footwear lacing device that may include: a shell structure that may include: a footwear assembly including: a footwear upper, the footwear The surface includes a toe portion, a medial side, a lateral side, and a heel portion, the medial and lateral sides each extending proximally from the toe portion to the heel portion; a lace cable having a a first end anchored to the distal lateral side portion and a second end anchored to the distal lateral side portion along the lateral side; a plurality of lace guides distributed along the medial and lateral sides, one of the plurality of lace guides Each lace guide is adapted to receive a length of lace cable, wherein the lace cable extends through each of the plurality of lace guides to extend along the medial and lateral sides of the footwear upper. Each of the lace guides forms a pattern; a medial proximal lace guide that routes the lace cables from the pattern formed by the medial portions of the plurality of lace guides to allow the lace cables to engage disposed within the midsole portion in the location of the lacing engine; an outboard proximal lace guide for routing the lace cable from a location that allows the lace cable to engage the lacing engine to a location provided by the plurality of laces in the pattern formed by the lateral portion of the guide; and a first elastic member extending between the first portion and the second portion of the footwear upper.

Example 8 may include the subject matter of Example 7, or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of Example 7, to optionally include a first elastic member that may include a The elastic centerline portion of the opening, and the first and second portions of the footwear upper may include medial and lateral sides, respectively.

Example 9 may include one or any combination of the subject matter of Example 7 or 8, or may optionally be combined with one or any combination of the subject matter of Example 7 or 8, to optionally include a first elastic member, the first The elastic member may include an elastic heel portion extending proximate the foot opening, and the first and second portions of the footwear upper may include medial and lateral sides, respectively, of the heel portion.

Example 10 may include one or any combination of the subject matter of Examples 1 to 9, or may optionally be combined with one or any combination of the subject matter of Examples 1 to 9, to optionally include a first elastic member, the first The elastic member may be used to smooth the torque versus lace displacement curve during tightening of the lace cable.

Example 11 may include one or any combination of the subject matter of Examples 7 to 19, or may optionally be combined with one or any combination of the subject matter of Examples 7 to 19, to optionally include a first elastic member, the first The elastic member may be opened or expanded to allow access to the interior volume within the upper of the footwear.

Example 12 may include or use subject matter such as a shoe lacing device that may include: a shoe assembly including: a shoe upper including a toe portion, a medial side, a lateral side and a heel portion, the medial side and the lateral side each extending proximally from the toe portion to the heel portion; a lace cable having a first end anchored along a far lateral side portion of the medial side and a second end anchored along the distal lateral side portion of the lateral side; a plurality of lace guides distributed along the medial and lateral sides, each lace guide in the plurality of lace guides being adapted to receive a length of wherein the lace cable extends through each of a plurality of lace guides to form a pattern along each of the medial and lateral sides of the footwear upper; the medial proximal lace a guide that routes the lace cable from the pattern formed by the medial portion of the plurality of lace guides to a portion that allows the lace cable to engage a lacing engine disposed within the midsole portion in position; a lateral proximal lace guide for routing the lace cable from a position that allows the lace cable to engage the lacing engine into the pattern formed by the lateral portions of the plurality of lace guides; and in A first elastic member extends between a first portion of the footwear upper and a first lace guide of the plurality of lace guides.

Example 13 may include the subject matter of Example 12, or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of Example 12, to optionally include a first portion of a footwear upper that may include a heel portion and a The first lace guide near the heel portion.

Example 14 may include, or may optionally be combined with, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 12 or 13, to optionally include a first portion of a footwear upper, The first portion of the footwear upper may include any of a medial side and a lateral side of the footwear upper and a first lace guide located near a throat of the upper.

Example 15 may include, or may optionally be combined with, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 12 to 14, to optionally include a second elastic member, the second The elastic member may extend between the second portion of the footwear upper and a second lace guide of the plurality of lace guides.

Example 16 may include, or may optionally be combined with, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 12 to 15, to optionally include a first elastic member, the first The elastic members may be interchangeable with different elastic members that provide different moduli of elasticity to alter the fit characteristics of the footwear upper.

Example 17 may include, or may optionally be combined with, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 12 to 16, to optionally include a first elastic member, the first The elastic member may be used to smooth the torque versus lace displacement curve during tightening of the lace cable.

Example 18 may include or use subject matter such as a shoe lacing device that may include: a footwear assembly including: a sole structure; a footwear upper defining a toe portion, a medial side , the lateral side and the heel portion, the shoe upper is connected to the sole structure to form an interior space for receiving the foot, the footwear upper forms a collar to allow access to the interior space; the lacing engine is disposed on In a sole structure; a lacing system comprising: a lace cable having medial and lateral ends anchored to a footwear upper and a medial portion passing through a lacing engine; and a plurality of lace guides a member for routing the lace cables along the shoe upper between the medial and lateral ends and the lacing engine; and a heel channel connected to the heel portion and configured to facilitate access interior space.

Example 19 may include, or may optionally be combined with, the subject matter of Example 18 to optionally include a heel channel that may include an elastic member coupling the medial and lateral portions of the heel portion.

Example 20 may include, or may optionally be combined with, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 18 or 19, to optionally include an elastic member that may be coupled to to footwear components and used to smooth the curve of torque versus lace displacement during tightening of the lace cable.

Example 21 may include or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 18 to 20 to optionally include a heel channel that Can include zipper.

Example 22 may include or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 18 to 21 to optionally include a heel channel that Strips of hook and loop fastening material may be included on the medial and lateral portions of the heel portion, respectively.

Example 23 may include or use subject matter such as a shoe lacing device that may include: a shoe assembly including: a sole structure; a shoe upper defining a toe portion, a medial side , the lateral side and the heel portion, the shoe upper is connected to the sole structure to form an interior space for receiving the foot, the footwear upper forms a collar to allow access to the interior space; the lacing engine is provided with In a sole structure; a lacing system comprising: a lace cable having a medial end and a lateral end anchored to a footwear upper and a medial portion passing through a lacing engine; and a plurality of laces a guide for routing the lace cables along the upper of the footwear between the medial and lateral ends and the lacing engine; and an elastic member coupled to the footwear assembly for use in tightening the shoe Smooth torque versus lace displacement curves during strapping.

Example 24 may include, or may optionally be combined with, the subject matter of Example 23 to optionally include an elastic member that may be configured to stretch after the lacing engine has tightened the lace cable .

Example 25 may comprise the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 23 or 24, or may optionally be combined with one or any combination of the subject matter of Examples 23 or 24, to optionally include an elastic member which may have A modulus of elasticity that is lower than that of the shoe upper.

Example 26 may comprise, or may optionally be combined with, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 23 to 25, to optionally include an elastic member which may be Constructed to widen the collar.

Example 27 may comprise or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 23 to 26, to optionally include a resilient member which may be connected A first lace guide and a second lace guide of the plurality of lace guides.

Example 28 may include, or may optionally be combined with, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 23 to 27, to optionally include a first lace guide and a second lace guide. Two lace guides, the first lace guide and the second lace guide may be located on the medial portion and the lateral portion of the heel portion, respectively.

Example 29 may include or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 23 to 28 to optionally include a first lace guide and a second lace guide. Two lace guides, the first lace guide and the second lace guide may be located on the medial and lateral sides of the footwear upper, respectively.

Example 30 may include, or may optionally be combined with, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 23 to 29 to optionally include a first lace guide and a second lace guide. Two lace guides, the first lace guide and the second lace guide may float relative to the upper of the footwear.

Example 31 may include, or may optionally be combined with, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 23 to 30, to optionally include an elastic member that can A first lace guide of the plurality of lace guides is attached to a first portion of an upper of the shoe.

Example 32 may include, or may optionally be combined with, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 23 to 31, to optionally include a first lace guide that The first lace guide may be located on a medial or lateral side of the footwear upper and the first portion of the shoe upper may be located on the heel portion.

Example 33 may include, or may optionally be combined with, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 23 to 32, to optionally include a first lace guide and a shoelace guide. The first portion of the upper of the shoe may be located on the medial side or the lateral side of the upper of the footwear and the first portion of the upper of the shoe may be located at the throat.

Example 34 may include, or may optionally be combined with, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 23 to 33, to optionally include a first lace guide and a second lace guide. Two lace guides, the first lace guide and the second lace guide may float relative to the upper of the footwear.

Example 35 may comprise or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 23 to 35 to optionally include a resilient member which may be connected The first and second parts of the shoe's upper.

Example 36 may include, or may optionally be combined with, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 23 to 35 to optionally include: the upper of the shoe may include A first portion of the lateral side and a second portion of the upper of the shoe may include a medial side, wherein the elastic member spans a heel portion.

Example 37 may include, or may optionally be combined with, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 23 to 36 to optionally include that the upper of the shoe may include A first portion of the lateral side and a second portion of the upper of the shoe may include a medial side, wherein the elastic member may span a throat portion of the footwear upper.

Example 38 may include, or may optionally be combined with, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 23 to 37, to optionally include a plurality of elastic members, the plurality of Elastic members may be incorporated into the lacing system.

Example 39 may include or use subject matter such as a shoe lacing device that may include: a shoe assembly including: a shoe upper including a toe portion, a medial side, a lateral side and a heel portion, each of a medial side and a lateral side extending proximally from the toe portion to the heel portion; a medial tensioning member secured to the medial side of the upper near the toe; a lateral tensioning member member, the lateral tensioning member is secured to the lateral side of the upper near the toe cap; a lace cable having a first end attached to the medial tensioning member and a first end attached to the lateral tensioning member a second end; and a plurality of lace guides distributed along the medial and lateral sides, each of the plurality of lace guides being adapted to receive a length of lace cable, wherein the lace cable A thread extends through each of the plurality of lace guides to form a pattern along each of the medial and lateral sides of the footwear upper.

Example 40 may include, or may optionally be combined with, the subject matter of Example 39 to optionally include a footwear upper that may further include elastic members that extend along the length of the footwear. The throat region of the upper connects the medial and lateral sides of the footwear upper.

Example 41 may include, or may optionally be combined with, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 39 or 40, to optionally include an inner tension member and an outer tension member member, the medial tension member and the lateral tension member may each at least partially float relative to the medial and lateral sides of the footwear upper, respectively.

Example 42 may include or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 39 to 41 to optionally include an inner tension member and an outer tension member members, the medial tension member and the lateral tension member may each include: a locking zone; and a stretching zone.

Example 43 may include or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 39 to 42 to optionally include: connectable to a shoelace cable The locking area and the stretch area can be connected to the upper of the footwear.

Example 44 may include, or may optionally be combined with, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 39 to 43 to optionally include a stretch zone attachable to the shoe bottom edge of the upper.

Example 45 may include the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 39 to 44, or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 39 to 44, to optionally include a locked region that may be relatively Floats completely on the footwear upper.

Example 46 may include, or may optionally be combined with, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 39 to 45, to optionally include a locked region that may include Stretch inhibiting coating.

Example 47 may include, or may optionally be combined with, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 39 to 46, to optionally include a locking zone and a stretch zone, which May consist of contiguous sheets of material.

Example 48 may include or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 39 to 47 to optionally include a first end of a shoelace cable and a second end, which may be stitched to the inner tension member and the outer tension member, respectively, in the locking region.

Example 49 may include, or may optionally be combined with, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 39 to 48, to optionally include a shoelace cable, the shoelace The cable may also include a first proximal portion connected to the medial side of the footwear upper and the first end of the lace cable; and a second proximal portion connected to the first end of the lace cable. connected to the lateral side of the footwear upper and the second end of the lace cable; wherein the first end of the lace cable can be connected to the medial tensioning member and the second end of the lace cable is connected to the lateral tensioning member .

Example 50 may include or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 39 to 49 to optionally include a first end of a shoelace cable and the second end, the first and second ends of the lace cable may intersect at the throat region of the footwear upper.

Example 51 may include, or may optionally be combined with, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 39 to 50, to optionally include a shoelace cable, the shoelace The cable may also include a first proximal portion connected to the medial side of the footwear upper and the first end of the lace cable; and a second proximal portion connected to the first end of the lace cable. Connected to the lateral side of the footwear upper and the second end of the lace cable; wherein the first end of the lace cable can be connected to the lateral tensioning member and the second end of the lace cable can be connected to the medial tensioning member member.

Example 52 may include or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 39 to 51 to optionally include a medial proximal lace guide, The medial proximal lace guide may route the lace cable from the pattern formed by the medial portion of the plurality of lace guides into a position that allows the lace cable to engage a lacing engine disposed within the midsole portion and a lateral proximal lace guide for routing the lace cable from a location allowing the lace cable to engage the lacing engine into the pattern formed by the lateral portions of the plurality of lace guides.

Example 53 may include or use subject matter such as a shoe lacing device that may include: a shoe assembly including: a sole structure; a shoe upper defining a toe portion, a medial side , a lateral side and a heel portion, the shoe upper is connected to the sole structure to form an interior space for receiving the foot, the footwear upper forms a collar to allow access to the interior space; a lacing engine disposed in the sole structure; a medial floating overlay attached to the medial side of the toe-proximate portion of the footwear upper; a lateral floating overlay attached to the outer side of the toe-proximate portion of the footwear upper a side; and a lacing system comprising: a lace cable having a medial end and a lateral end anchored to the medial floating cover and the lateral floating cover and a mid-section passing through the lacing engine; and A lace guide for routing the lace cables along the upper of the footwear between the medial and lateral ends and the lacing engine.

Example 54 may include, or may optionally be combined with, the subject matter of Example 53 to optionally include: a medial end of a lace cable connectable to a medial floating cover and a medial end connectable to a lateral floating cover the outer end of the lace cable.

Example 55 may include, or may optionally be combined with, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 53 and 54, to optionally include the medial end of the lace cable and The lateral end, the medial end and the lateral end of the lace cable may cross in a throat area of the footwear upper between the medial and lateral sides.

Example 56 may include or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 53 to 55 to optionally include: The medial end to the lateral floating cover and the lateral end of the lace cable may be connected to the lateral end of the medial floating cover.

Example 57 may comprise or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 53 to 56 to optionally include a resilient member which may be connected The medial and lateral sides of a footwear upper.

Example 58 may include or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 53 to 57 to optionally include an inner tensioning member and an outer tensioning member members, the medial tension member and the lateral tension member may each include: a locking zone; and a stretching zone.

Example 59 may include or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 53 to 58 to optionally include: The locking area and the stretch area can be connected to the upper of the footwear.

Example 60 may include or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 53 to 59 to optionally include a The bottom edge of the stretch zone.

Example 61 may include the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 53 to 60, or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 53 to 60, to optionally include a locked region that may be relatively Floats completely on the footwear upper.

Example 62 may include, or may optionally be combined with, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 53 to 61, to optionally include a locked region that may include Stretch inhibiting coating.

Example 63 may include, or may optionally be combined with, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 53 to 62, to optionally include a lock zone and a stretch zone, which May consist of contiguous sheets of material.

Example 64 may include, or may optionally be combined with, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 53 to 63, to optionally include the medial end of the lace cable and The outboard ends, which may be stitched to the inboard and outboard tension members in the locking zone, respectively.

Example 63 may include or use subject matter such as a shoe lacing device that may include: a shoe assembly including: a shoe upper including a toe portion, a medial side, a lateral side and a heel portion, a medial side and a lateral side each extending proximally from the toe portion to the heel portion and forming a throat region of the upper of the footwear; a medial tensioning member secured to the proximal portion of the upper; a medial side of the toe cap; a lateral tensioning member secured to the lateral side of the upper near the toe cap; a lace cable having a first end attached to the medial tensioning member and a second end attached to the lateral tensioning member; and a plurality of lace guides distributed along the medial and lateral sides; wherein the lace cables extend across the throat area from the first end at the medial tensioning member , and pass through one or more lace guides along the lateral side; and wherein the lace cable extends from the second end at the lateral tensioning member across the throat area and passes through one or more shoelace guides along the medial side More lace guides.

Example 65 may include the subject matter of Example 64, or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of Example 64, to optionally include a footwear upper that may further include elastic members that extend along the length of the footwear. The throat region of the upper connects the medial and lateral sides of the footwear upper.

Example 66 may include, or may optionally be combined with, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 64 and 65, to optionally include an inner tension member and an outer tension member. member, the medial tension member and the lateral tension member may each at least partially float relative to the medial and lateral sides of the footwear upper, respectively.

Example 67 may include or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 64 to 65 to optionally include an inner tension member and an outer tension member members, the medial tension member and the lateral tension member may each include: a rigid locking region; and an elastic stretch region.

Example 68 may include or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 64 to 67 to optionally include: connectable to a shoelace cable The locking area and the stretch area can be connected to the upper of the footwear.

Example 69 may include, or may optionally be combined with, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 64 to 67, to optionally include a locking zone and a stretch zone, which May consist of contiguous sheets of material.

Additional information

Throughout this specification, multiple instances may implement a component, operation or structure described as a single instance. Although various operations of one or more methods are illustrated and described as separate operations, one or more of these separate operations may be performed concurrently, and the operations do not need to be performed in the order shown. Structures and functions presented as separate components in example configurations may be implemented as a combined structure or component. Similarly, structures and functions presented as a single component may be implemented as separate components. These and other variations, modifications, additions and improvements fall within the scope of the subject matter herein.

Although an overview of the inventive subject matter has been described with reference to certain exemplary embodiments, various modifications and changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the broader scope of the disclosed embodiments. Such embodiments of the inventive subject matter may be referred to herein, individually or collectively, by the term "invention", which is for convenience only and is not intended to constrain the scope of the application to any single disclosure or inventive concept. (if in fact more than one is disclosed).

The embodiments illustrated herein are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the disclosed teachings. Other embodiments may be utilized and derived therefrom, such that structural and logical substitutions and changes may be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Accordingly, the disclosure is not to be read as limiting, and the scope of the various embodiments includes the full range of equivalents to which the disclosed subject matter is entitled.

As used herein, the term "or" can be interpreted in an inclusive or exclusive sense. Furthermore, multiple instances may be provided for a resource, operation or structure described herein as a single instance. Furthermore, the boundaries between the various resources, operations, modules, engines, and data stores are somewhat arbitrary, and particular operations are described in the context of particular illustrative constructs. Other allocations of functionality are envisioned and may fall within the scope of various embodiments of the present disclosure. In general, structure and functionality presented as separate resources in the exemplary configurations may be implemented as a combined structure or resource. Similarly, structures and functionality presented as a single resource may be implemented as separate resources. These and other changes, modifications, additions and improvements fall within the scope of the embodiments of the present disclosure as represented by the appended claims. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.

Each of these non-limiting examples can stand on its own, or can be combined with one or more other examples in various permutations or combinations.

The above detailed description includes references to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the detailed description. The drawings show, by way of illustration, specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments are also referred to herein as "examples." Such examples may include elements in addition to those shown or described. However, the inventors also contemplate examples providing only those elements shown or described. In addition, the inventors also contemplate examples using any combination or permutation of those elements (or one or more aspects thereof) shown or described, or in relation to a particular example (or one or more aspects thereof) ), or with respect to other examples (or one or more aspects thereof) shown or described herein.

In the event of inconsistent usage between this document and any document so incorporated by reference, the usage in this document controls.

In this document, the term "a(a)" or "an" is used, as is common in patent documents, to include one or more than one, independent of "at least one" or "one or more" any other instance or usage. In this document, the term "or" is used to mean a non-exclusive or such that "A or B" includes "A but without B", "B but without A" and "A and B", unless otherwise indicated. In this document, the terms "including" and "in which" are used as the plain English equivalents of the corresponding terms "comprising" and "wherein". Furthermore, in the appended claims, the terms "comprises" and "comprises" are open ended, meaning that a system of elements other than those listed after such term in the claims is included , apparatus, article, composition, formulation or process are still considered to fall within the scope of the claims. Furthermore, in the appended claims, the terms "first", "second", and "third", etc., are used only as labels and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on their objects.

Method (process) examples described herein, such as footwear assembly examples, may include machine or robotic implementations, at least in part.

The above description is intended to be illustrative rather than limiting. For example, the examples described above (or one or more aspects thereof) may be used in conjunction with each other. Other implementations may be used, such as by one of ordinary skill in the art upon review of the above description. An Abstract, if provided, is included to allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. The Abstract is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. Furthermore, in the above description, various features may be combined together to simplify the present disclosure. This should not be interpreted as implying that an unclaimed disclosed feature is essential to any claim. Rather, inventive subject matter may lie in less than all features of a particular disclosed embodiment. Accordingly, the appended claims are incorporated into the detailed description as examples or embodiments, where each claim stands on its own as a separate embodiment, and it is contemplated that these embodiments may be combined with each other in various combinations or permutations . The scope of the invention should be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

Claims (70)

1. A footwear assembly comprising:

a footwear upper including a toe portion, a medial side, a lateral side, and a heel portion, the medial side and the lateral side each extending proximally from the toe portion to the heel portion;

a lace cable having a first end anchored along a distal outer portion of the medial side and a second end anchored along a distal outer portion of the lateral side;

a plurality of lace guides distributed along the medial side and the lateral side, each lace guide of the plurality of lace guides adapted to receive a length of the lace cable, wherein the lace cable extends through each of the plurality of lace guides to form a pattern along each of the medial side and the lateral side of the footwear upper;

a medial proximal lace guide that routes the lace cables from the pattern formed by the medial portions of the plurality of lace guides into a position that allows the lace cables to engage a lacing engine disposed within a midsole portion;

a lateral proximal lace guide to route the lace cables from the position that allows the lace cables to engage the lacing engine into the pattern formed by lateral portions of the plurality of lace guides; and

a first elastic member extending between a first lace guide and a second lace guide of the plurality of lace guides.

2. The footwear assembly of claim 1, wherein the first elastic member connects the first lace guide and the second lace guide across a centerline portion of the footwear upper.

3. The footwear assembly of claim 1, wherein the first elastic member connects the first lace guide and the second lace guide across the heel portion of the footwear upper.

4. The footwear assembly of any of claims 1-3, further comprising a second elastic member extending between a third lace guide and a fourth lace guide of the plurality of lace guides.

5. The footwear assembly of any of claims 1-4, wherein the first elastic member is interchangeable with a different elastic member providing a different modulus of elasticity to alter the fit characteristics of the footwear upper.

6. The footwear assembly of any of claims 1-5, wherein the first elastic member is to smooth a curve of torque versus lace displacement during tightening of the lace cables.

7. A footwear assembly comprising:

a footwear upper including a toe portion, a medial side, a lateral side, and a heel portion, the medial side and the lateral side each extending proximally from the toe portion to the heel portion;

a lace cable having a first end anchored along a distal outer portion of the medial side and a second end anchored along a distal outer portion of the lateral side;

a plurality of lace guides distributed along the medial side and the lateral side, each lace guide of the plurality of lace guides adapted to receive a length of the lace cable, wherein the lace cable extends through each of the plurality of lace guides to form a pattern along each of the medial side and the lateral side of the footwear upper;

a medial proximal lace guide that routes the lace cables from the pattern formed by the medial portions of the plurality of lace guides into a position that allows the lace cables to engage a lacing engine disposed within a midsole portion;

a lateral proximal lace guide that routes the lace cables from the position that allows the lace cables to engage the lacing engine into the pattern formed by lateral portions of the plurality of lace guides; and

a first elastic member extending between a first portion and a second portion of the footwear upper.

8. The footwear assembly of claim 7, wherein the first elastic member includes an elastic central line portion extending proximally from at least the shell portion to a foot opening, and the first and second portions of the footwear upper include the medial side and the lateral side, respectively.

9. The footwear assembly of claim 7, wherein the first resilient member includes a resilient heel portion extending proximate a foot opening, and the first and second portions of the footwear upper include medial and lateral sides of the heel portion, respectively.

10. The footwear assembly of any of claims 7-9, wherein the first elastic member is to smooth a curve of torque versus lace displacement during tightening of the lace cables.

11. The footwear assembly of any of claims 7-10, wherein the first resilient member is capable of being opened or expanded to allow access to an interior space within the footwear upper.

12. A footwear assembly comprising:

a footwear upper including a toe portion, a medial side, a lateral side, and a heel portion, the medial side and the lateral side each extending proximally from the toe portion to the heel portion;

a lace cable having a first end anchored along a distal outer portion of the medial side and a second end anchored along a distal outer portion of the lateral side;

a plurality of lace guides distributed along the medial side and the lateral side, each lace guide of the plurality of lace guides adapted to receive a length of the lace cable, wherein the lace cable extends through each of the plurality of lace guides to form a pattern along each of the medial side and the lateral side of the footwear upper;

a medial proximal lace guide that routes the lace cables from the pattern formed by the medial portions of the plurality of lace guides into a position that allows the lace cables to engage a lacing engine disposed within a midsole portion;

a lateral proximal lace guide to route the lace cables from the position that allows the lace cables to engage the lacing engine into a pattern formed by lateral portions of the plurality of lace guides; and

a first elastic member extending between a first portion of the footwear upper and a first lace guide of the plurality of lace guides.

13. The footwear assembly recited in claim 12, wherein the first portion of the footwear upper includes the heel portion and the first lace guide is located proximate to the heel portion.

14. The footwear assembly recited in claim 12, wherein the first portion of the footwear upper includes either the medial side or the lateral side of the footwear upper and the first lace guide is located near a throat of the upper.

15. The footwear assembly of any of claims 12-14, further comprising a second elastic member extending between a second portion of the footwear upper and a second lace guide of the plurality of lace guides.

16. The footwear assembly of any of claims 12-15, wherein the first elastic member is interchangeable with a different elastic member providing a different modulus of elasticity to alter the fit characteristics of the footwear upper.

17. The footwear assembly of any of claims 12-16, wherein the first elastic member is to smooth a curve of torque versus lace displacement during tightening of the lace cables.

18. A footwear assembly comprising:

a sole structure;

a footwear upper defining a toe cap portion, a medial side, a lateral side, and a heel portion, the footwear upper connected to the sole structure to form an interior void for receiving a foot, the footwear upper forming a collar to allow access to the interior void;

a lacing engine disposed in the sole structure;

a lacing system, comprising:

a lace cable having medial and lateral ends anchored to the footwear upper and a middle portion passing through the lacing engine; and

a plurality of lace guides to route the lace cables along the footwear upper between the medial and lateral ends and the lacing engine; and

a heel channel connected to the heel portion and configured to facilitate access to the interior space.

19. The footwear assembly of claim 18, wherein the heel channel includes a resilient member coupling a medial portion and a lateral portion of the heel portion.

20. The footwear assembly of claim 19, wherein the elastic member is coupled to the footwear assembly and functions to smooth a curve of torque versus lace displacement during tightening of the lace cables.

21. The footwear assembly of claim 18, wherein the heel channel includes a zipper.

22. The footwear assembly of claim 18, wherein the heel channel includes strips of hook and loop fastener material on medial and lateral portions of the heel portion, respectively.

23. A footwear assembly comprising:

a sole structure;

a footwear upper defining a toe cap portion, a medial side, a lateral side, and a heel portion, the footwear upper connected to the sole structure to form an interior void for receiving a foot, the footwear upper forming a collar to allow access to the interior void;

a lacing engine disposed in the sole structure;

a lacing system, comprising:

a lace cable having medial and lateral ends anchored to the footwear upper and a middle portion passing through the lacing engine; and

a plurality of lace guides to route the lace cables along the footwear upper between the medial and lateral ends and the lacing engine; and

an elastic member coupled to the footwear assembly, the elastic member for smoothing a curve of torque versus lace displacement during tightening of the lace cables.

24. The footwear assembly of claim 23, wherein the elastic member is configured to stretch after the lacing engine has tightened the lace cables.

25. The footwear assembly according to claim 23, wherein the elastic member has a modulus of elasticity that is lower than a modulus of elasticity of the footwear upper.

26. The footwear assembly of any of claims 23-25, wherein the resilient member is configured to widen the collar.

27. The footwear assembly of any of claims 23-25, wherein the elastic member connects a first lace guide and a second lace guide of the plurality of lace guides.

28. The footwear assembly of claim 27, wherein the first lace guide and the second lace guide are located on a medial side portion and a lateral side portion of the heel portion, respectively.

29. The footwear assembly recited in claim 27, wherein the first lace guide and the second lace guide are located on the medial side and the lateral side of the footwear upper, respectively.

30. The footwear assembly of any of claims 27-29, wherein the first lace guide and the second lace guide float relative to the footwear upper.

31. The footwear assembly recited in claim 23, wherein the elastic member connects a first lace guide of the plurality of lace guides to a first portion of an upper of the shoe.

32. The footwear assembly of claim 31, wherein the first lace guide is located on the medial or lateral side of the footwear upper and the first portion of the footwear upper is located on the heel portion.

33. The footwear assembly recited in claim 31, wherein the first lace guide and the first portion of the upper of the shoe are located on the medial side or the lateral side of the upper of the shoe, and the first portion of the upper of the shoe is located at the throat.

34. The footwear assembly of any of claims 32-33, wherein the first lace guide and the second lace guide float relative to the footwear upper.

35. The footwear assembly according to claim 23, wherein the elastic member connects the first and second portions of the upper of the shoe.

36. The footwear assembly of claim 35, wherein the first portion of the upper of the shoe includes the lateral side and the second portion of the upper of the shoe includes the medial side, wherein the resilient member spans the heel portion.

37. The footwear assembly of claim 35, wherein the first portion of the upper of the shoe includes the lateral side and the second portion of the upper of the shoe includes the medial side, wherein the elastic member spans a throat portion of the upper of the shoe.

38. The footwear assembly of claim 23, further comprising a plurality of elastic members incorporated into the lacing system.

39. A footwear assembly comprising:

a footwear upper including a toe portion, a medial side, a lateral side, and a heel portion, the medial side and the lateral side each extending proximally from the toe portion to the heel portion;

a medial tension member secured to the medial side of the upper proximate the toe cap;

a lateral tension member secured to the lateral side of the upper proximate the toe cap;

a lace cable having a first end attached to the medial tensioning member and a second end attached to the lateral tensioning member; and

a plurality of lace guides distributed along the medial side and the lateral side, each lace guide of the plurality of lace guides adapted to receive a length of the lace cable, wherein the lace cable extends through each of the plurality of lace guides to form a pattern along each of the medial side and the lateral side of the footwear upper.

40. The footwear assembly of claim 39, wherein the footwear upper further includes a resilient member connecting the medial side and the lateral side of the footwear upper along a throat area of the footwear upper.

41. The footwear assembly according to claim 39, wherein the medial and lateral tensioning members each at least partially float with respect to the medial and lateral sides of the footwear upper, respectively.

42. The footwear assembly of claim 41, wherein each of the medial and lateral tensioning members includes:

a locking region; and

a stretching zone.

43. The footwear assembly of claim 42, wherein the locking region is connected to the lace cables and the stretch region is connected to the footwear upper.

44. The footwear assembly of claim 43, wherein a bottom edge of the stretch zone is attached to the footwear upper.

45. The footwear assembly of claim 42, wherein the locking zone is completely floating relative to the footwear upper.

46. The footwear assembly of claim 42, wherein the locking zone includes a stretch-inhibiting coating.

47. The footwear assembly of claim 42, wherein the locking region and the stretch region are comprised of contiguous pieces of material.

48. The footwear assembly recited in claim 42, wherein the first and second ends of the lace cables are stitched to the medial and lateral tensioning members, respectively, in the locking zones.

49. The footwear assembly of claim 39, wherein the lace cables further comprise:

a first proximal portion connected to the medial side of the footwear upper and the first end of the lace cable; and

a second proximal portion connected to the lateral side of the footwear upper and the second end of the lace cable;

wherein the first end of the lace cable is connected to the medial tensioning member and the second end of the lace cable is connected to the lateral tensioning member.

50. The footwear assembly recited in claim 39, wherein the first end and the second end of the lace cable intersect at a throat area of the footwear upper.

51. The footwear assembly of claim 50, wherein the lace cables further comprise:

a first proximal portion connected to the medial side of the footwear upper and the first end of the lace cable; and

a second proximal portion connected to the lateral side of the footwear upper and the second end of the lace cable;

wherein the first end of the lace cable is connected to the lateral tensioning member and the second end of the lace cable is connected to the medial tensioning member.

52. The footwear assembly of claim 39, further comprising:

a medial proximal lace guide that routes the lace cables from the pattern formed by the medial portions of the plurality of lace guides into a position that allows the lace cables to engage a lacing engine disposed within the midsole portion; and

a lateral proximal lace guide to route the lace cables from the position that allows the lace cables to engage the lacing engine into the pattern formed by lateral portions of the plurality of lace guides.

53. A footwear assembly comprising:

a sole structure;

a footwear upper defining a toe cap portion, a medial side, a lateral side, and a heel portion, the footwear upper connected to the sole structure to form an interior void for receiving a foot, the footwear upper forming a collar to allow access to the interior void;

a lacing engine disposed in the sole structure;

a medial floating overlay attached to the medial side of the footwear upper proximate the toe cap portion;

a lateral floating cover layer attached to the lateral side of the footwear upper proximate the toe cap portion; and

a lacing system, comprising:

a lace cable having inboard and outboard ends anchored to the inboard and outboard floating overlays and a middle portion passing through the lace engine; and

a plurality of lace guides to route the lace cables along the footwear upper between the medial and lateral ends and the lacing engine.

54. The footwear assembly of claim 53, wherein the medial end of the lace cables are connected to the medial floating overlay and the lateral end of the lace cables are connected to the lateral floating overlay.

55. The footwear assembly of claim 53, wherein the medial end and the lateral end of the lace cable intersect at a throat area of the footwear upper between the medial side and the lateral side.

56. The footwear assembly of claim 55, wherein the medial end of the lace cable is connected to the lateral floating overlay and the lateral end of the lace cable is connected to the medial floating overlay.

57. The footwear assembly of claim 53, further comprising a resilient member connecting the medial and lateral sides of the footwear upper.

58. The footwear assembly of claim 53, wherein each of the medial tensioning member and the lateral tensioning member includes:

a locking region; and

a stretching zone.

59. The footwear assembly of claim 58, wherein the locking region is connected to the lace cables and the stretch region is connected to the footwear upper.

60. The footwear assembly of claim 59, wherein a bottom edge of the stretch zone is attached to the footwear upper.

61. The footwear assembly of claim 58, wherein the locking zone is completely floating relative to the footwear upper.

62. The footwear assembly of claim 58, wherein the locking zone includes a stretch-inhibiting coating.

63. The footwear assembly of claim 58, wherein the locking region and the stretch region are comprised of contiguous pieces of material.

64. The footwear assembly of claim 58, wherein the medial end and the lateral end of the lace cable are stitched to the medial tensioning member and the lateral tensioning member, respectively, in a locking zone.

65. A footwear assembly comprising:

a footwear upper including a toe portion, a medial side, a lateral side, and a heel portion, the medial side and the lateral side each extending proximally from the toe portion to the heel portion and forming a throat area of the footwear upper;

a medial tension member secured to the medial side of the upper proximate the toe cap;

a lateral tension member secured to the lateral side of the upper proximate the toe cap;

a lace cable having a first end attached to the medial tensioning member and a second end attached to the lateral tensioning member; and

a plurality of lace guides distributed along the medial side and the lateral side;

wherein the lace cables extend from the first end at the medial tensioning member across the throat area and through one or more lace guides along the lateral side; and

wherein the lace cables extend from the second end at the lateral tensioning member across the throat area and through one or more lace guides along the medial side.

66. A footwear assembly according to claim 65, wherein the footwear upper further includes an elastic member that connects the medial side and the lateral side of the footwear upper along the throat area of the footwear upper.

67. The footwear assembly of claim 65, wherein the medial and lateral tensioning members each at least partially float with respect to the medial and lateral sides of the footwear upper, respectively.

68. The footwear assembly of claim 67, wherein each of the medial and lateral tensioning members includes:

a rigid locking region; and

an elastic stretch zone.

69. The footwear assembly of claim 68, wherein the locking region is connected to the lace cables and the stretch region is connected to the footwear upper.

70. The footwear assembly of claim 68, wherein the locking region and the stretch region are comprised of contiguous pieces of material.