CN111616466A - Automated footwear with cable and upper tensioner - Google Patents

Abstract

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.

Description

Automated footwear with cable and upper tensioner

The present application is a divisional application of an invention patent application having application date of 2018, 3 and 14, application number 201880030117.0, entitled "automated footwear with Cable and Upper tensioner".

Priority requirement

This application claims priority to U.S. provisional patent application serial No. 62/471,850 filed on 15/3/2017; and priority of U.S. provisional patent application serial No. 62/475,105 filed on 22/3/2017, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

Background

The present application relates generally to a tensioning system for footwear. More particularly, the present application relates to an upper and lacing system for controlling the fit of footwear.

Current footwear uppers are generally of a fixed size and therefore do not readily allow conformance to the shape of the foot. Therefore, wearers often utilize lacing systems to control the fit and tension of the upper. However, in footwear that includes motorized lacing engines, the ability of the wearer of the footwear to tighten the upper around the foot by adjusting the lacing system with sensory and tactile feedback available from manual lacing systems may become reduced. Accordingly, there is a need for an improved upper and lacing system that conforms to the shape of the foot with a desired amount of tension, particularly using automated lacing engines.

Brief summary

The following description describes aspects of footwear assemblies that relate to lacing systems including motorized and non-motorized lacing engines, footwear components associated with lacing engines, automated lacing footwear platforms, and associated manufacturing processes. More specifically, the following description variously describes aspects of lace configurations (constructions) for use in footwear, including motorized or non-motorized lace engines for focused lace tightening. The following description additionally describes a plurality of tensioners that can be incorporated into a footwear assembly, such as in an upper having a lace 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 portion; a lace cable having a first end anchored along a distal outer portion (digital exterior) 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 a 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 lace cables from a pattern formed by medial portions of the plurality of lace guides into a position that allows the lace cables to engage a lace engine disposed within the midsole portion; a lateral proximal lace guide for routing lace cables from a position that allows the lace cables to engage the lace engine into a 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.

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 the distal outer portion of the medial side and a second end anchored along the 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 a 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 a lace cable from a pattern formed by medial portions of the plurality of lace guides into a position that allows the lace cable to engage a lacing engine disposed within the midsole portion; a lateral proximal lace guide for routing lace cables from locations that allow the lace cables to engage the lacing engine into a pattern formed by lateral portions of the plurality of lace guides; and a first resilient 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 portion; a lace cable having a first end anchored along the distal outer portion of the medial side and a second end anchored along the 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 a 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 a lace cable from a pattern formed by medial portions of the plurality of lace guides into a position that allows the lace cable to engage a lacing engine disposed within the midsole portion; a lateral proximal lace guide for routing lace cables from locations that allow the lace cables to engage the lacing engine into a pattern formed by lateral portions of the plurality of lace guides; and a first resilient member extending between a first portion of the footwear upper and a first lace guide of the plurality of lace guides.

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 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 for routing 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.

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 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 for routing lace cables along the footwear upper between the medial and lateral ends and the lacing engine; and a resilient member coupled to the footwear assembly for smoothing a torque versus lace displacement curve during tightening of the lace cables.

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 tensioning member secured to a medial side of the upper proximate the toe cap; a lateral tensioning member secured to a 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 of the plurality of lace guides adapted to receive a length of a 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 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 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 (medial floating overlay) attached to a medial side of the footwear upper proximate the toe portion; a lateral floating overlay (lateral floating overlay) attached to a lateral side of the footwear upper proximate the toe 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 for routing lace cables along the footwear upper between the medial and lateral ends 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 portion and forming a throat area of the footwear upper; a medial tensioning member secured to a medial side of the upper proximate the toe cap; a lateral tensioning member secured to a 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 cable extends from the first end at the medial tensioning member across the throat area and through the 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 the one or more lace guides along the medial side.

Brief Description of Drawings

In the drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, like numerals may describe similar components in different views. Like numerals having different letter suffixes may represent different instances of similar components. The drawings illustrate generally, by way of example, but not by way of limitation, various embodiments discussed in the present document.

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

Fig. 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.

Fig. 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.

Fig. 4A is a schematic diagram illustrating a portion of a footwear upper having a lacing configuration for use in footwear assemblies that include a motorized lacing engine and heel and tongue access control components in the footwear upper, according to some example embodiments.

Fig. 4B is a diagram illustrating a portion of a footwear upper having a lacing configuration for use in footwear assemblies that include a heel and tongue elastic member connected to the lacing configuration.

Fig. 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.

Fig. 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 example embodiments.

Fig. 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 example embodiments.

Figures 7C-7D are diagrams illustrating deformable lace guides for use in footwear assemblies according to some example embodiments.

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

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

Fig. 9 is a flow diagram illustrating a footwear assembly process for assembling footwear including a lacing engine, according to some example embodiments.

Fig. 10 is a flow diagram illustrating a footwear assembly process for assembling footwear including a lacing engine, according to some example embodiments.

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

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

Figure 13 is a diagram illustrating a side view of the footwear upper of figure 11, partially cut away to show lace guides attached to the footwear upper along elastic straps.

Fig. 14 is a diagram illustrating bending of the footwear upper of fig. 13 to show the lace guides attached to the footwear upper separately from the elastic straps.

Fig. 15A is a diagram illustrating the footwear upper of fig. 12 showing a loosened lacing cable pulled from the motorized lacing engine by a pre-tensioned strap of the heel strap assembly.

Fig. 15B is a diagram illustrating the footwear upper of fig. 15A, showing the lacing cable tightened into the motorized lacing engine and the heel strap of the heel strap assembly tightened around the heel portion of the footwear upper.

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

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

Fig. 18 is a diagram illustrating the footwear upper of fig. 16 laid flat to show a lace configuration including tensioning strips connected to the lace in a crossed configuration.

Fig. 19 is a diagram illustrating the tensioning strap of fig. 18, indicating a locking region and a stretch region.

Fig. 20 is a diagram illustrating another embodiment of a footwear upper including a lacing configuration that includes tensioning straps connected to a lace in a non-crossing configuration.

Fig. 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.

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

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

Detailed Description

In the movie released in 1989, Return to the future II, Madi, McStWith imaginary, strong laces worn by kefir

The concept of self-tightening shoelaces is widely popularized in sports shoes for the first time. Although it is not limited to

At least one strong-lace athletic shoe has been released that looks like the movie prop style in Return to future II, but the internal mechanical systems and perimeter footwear platforms employed are not necessarily suitable for mass production or everyday use. In addition, other previous designs for motorized lacing systems have suffered from problems such as high manufacturing costs, complexity, difficulty in assembly, and poor applicability, in relative terms. The present inventors have developed a modular footwear platform to accommodate motorized and non-motorized lacing engines that addresses some or all of the above-mentioned issues, among other issues. To take full advantage of the modular LACING engine discussed briefly below, and discussed in more detail in the co-pending application entitled "lace applied FOR AUTOMATED LACING pattern" having serial No. 62/308,686, the inventors developed the LACING configuration discussed herein. The lace configuration discussed herein may address a number of issues experienced with centralized lace tightening mechanisms, such as uneven tightening, fit, comfort, and performance. The lace configuration provides a number of benefits, including smoothing lace tension and enhancing comfort across a greater lace travel distance, while maintaining fit performance. One aspect of enhanced comfort relates to a lacing configuration that reduces pressure on the top of the foot. The exemplary lace 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-back) direction. Various other benefits of the components described below will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant arts.

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

The motorized lacing engines discussed below were developed to provide robust, durable, and interchangeable components for automated lacing footwear platforms from the ground up. The lacing engine includes unique design elements that enable retail-level final assembly in the modular footwear platform. The lacing engine design allows for a large portion of the footwear assembly process to utilize known assembly techniques, and the unique adaptation to standard assembly processes can still 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 when purchased. Other aspects of the midsole plate and modular automated footwear platform allow different types of lacing engines to be used interchangeably. For example, the motorized harness engine discussed below may be replaced with a human powered harness engine. Alternatively, a fully automated motorized lacing engine with foot presence sensing or other optional features may be housed within a standard midsole plate.

Tightening athletic footwear with a motorized or non-motorized centralized lacing engine 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 variety of footwear designs, from casual to high performance.

This initial summary is intended to introduce the subject matter of the present patent application. This 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

A number of components of an automated footwear platform are discussed below, including a motorized lacing engine, a midsole plate, and a number of other components of the platform. While much of the present disclosure focuses on a harness configuration for use with a motorized harness engine, the designs discussed may be applied to a human-powered harness engine or other motorized harness engines having additional or less capabilities. Thus, the term "automated" as used in "automated footwear platform" is not intended to include only systems that operate without user input. In contrast, the term "automated footwear platform" includes a variety of electrically and manually powered, automatically activated, and manually activated mechanisms for tightening a lace or retaining system of footwear.

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

In an example, the article of footwear or motorized lacing system 1 includes or is configured to interact with one or more sensors that can monitor or determine foot presence characteristics. Footwear including the 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 regarding the presence or absence of a foot in footwear. If the binary signal from the foot presence sensor indicates that a foot is present, the motorized lacing system 1 can be activated, such as automatically tightening or loosening (i.e., loosening) a footwear lacing cable. In an example, an article of footwear includes a processor circuit that may receive or interpret signals from a foot presence sensor. The processor circuit may optionally be embedded in the lacing engine 10 or embedded with the lacing engine 10, such as in the sole of an article of footwear.

Lacing configuration

Fig. 2 is a top view of an upper 200 illustrating an example lace configuration according to some example embodiments. In this example, in addition to lace 210 and lace engine 10, upper 205 includes lateral lace securing element 215, medial lace securing element 216, lateral lace guide 222, medial lace guide 220, and brio cables (brio cables) 225. The example illustrated in fig. 2 includes a continuous knit textile upper 205 having a diagonal lacing pattern including non-overlapping medial and lateral lacing paths. Lace pathways are initially created in lateral lace fastener, extend through lateral lace guide 222, through lace engine 10, proceed through medial lace guide 220, and back to medial lace fastener 216. In this example, lace 210 forms a continuous loop from lateral lace fastener 215 to medial lace fastener 216. In this example, the inboard to outboard take-up is transmitted through the brillouin cable 225. In other examples, the lace paths may intersect or incorporate additional features to transmit tightening forces in a medial-lateral direction across upper 205. In addition, the concept of a continuous lace loop may be incorporated into a more traditional upper that has a central (medial) gap and lace 210 crosses back and forth across the central gap.

Fig. 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 assembly in the form of a right foot. Fig. 3A is a top view of a flat footwear upper 305 with the illustrated lace configuration 300. In this example, footwear upper 305 includes a series of lace guides 320A-320J (collectively, lace guides 320), with lace cables 310 passing through lace guides 320. In this example, lace cables 310 form loops that terminate on each side of upper 305 at lateral lace securing element 345A and medial lace securing element 345B (collectively, lace securing points 345), with a middle portion of the loops routed through a lacing engine within the midsole of the footwear assembly. Upper 305 also includes a reinforcement associated with each of the series of lace guides 320. The reinforcement may be superimposed on a single lace guide or span multiple lace guides. In this example, the stiffeners include a center stiffener 325, a first outboard stiffener 335A, a first inboard stiffener 335B, a second outboard stiffener 330A, and a second inboard stiffener 330B. A middle portion of lace cable 310 is routed to and/or from the lacing engine via lateral rear lace guide 315A and medial rear lace guide 315B, and exits and/or enters upper 300 through lateral lace exit 340A and medial lace exit 340B.

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

Lace guides 320 are tubular or channel structures to retain lace cables 310 while routing lace cables 310 through the 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 wave pattern that circulates in an up-down direction along the medial and lateral sides of upper 305. The number of cycles performed by lace cables 310 may vary depending on the size of the shoe. Smaller sized footwear assemblies may only accommodate one half cycle, while example upper 305 accommodates two half cycles before entering either medial rear lace guide 315B or lateral rear lace guide 315A. The pattern is described as being substantially sinusoidal, as at least in this example the u-shaped guide has a wider profile than the true sine wave peaks or troughs. In other examples, a pattern that is closer to a true sine wave pattern may be used (if carefully curved lace guides are not used in large amounts, a true sine wave is not readily available when the lace is stretched between the lace guides). The shape of lace guides 320 may be varied to produce different torque versus lace displacement curves, where torque is measured at a lacing engine in the midsole of the shoe. Using lace guides with smaller radius curves, or including higher frequency wave patterns (e.g., more cycles with more lace guides), may result in a change in the curve of torque versus lace displacement. For example, with lace guides having smaller radii, the lace cables may experience greater friction, which can result in a greater initial torque, which may show a smooth torque on the curve of torque versus lace displacement. However, in some embodiments, it may be more desirable to maintain a low initial torque level (e.g., by keeping the friction within the lace guides low) while utilizing a lace guide placement pattern or lace guide design to help smooth out the curve of torque versus lace displacement. One such lace guide design is discussed with reference to fig. 7A and 7B, with another alternative lace guide design discussed with reference to fig. 8A-8G. In addition to the lace guides discussed with reference to these figures, the lace guides may be made of plastic, polymer, metal, or fabric. For example, layers of fabric may be used to form shaped channels to route the lace cables in a desired pattern. As discussed below, a combination of plastic or metal guides and fabric coverings may be used to create guide components for use in the lace configuration discussed.

Returning to fig. 3A, reinforcements 325, 335, and 330 are illustrated as being associated with different lace guides, such as lace guide 320. In an example, the reinforcement 335 may include a fabric impregnated with a heat activated adhesive that may be adhered on top of the 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, in this example, reinforcement 325 is superimposed on six upper lace guides positioned adjacent a central portion of the footwear (such as central portion 306). In another example, stiffener 325 may be split along the middle of central portion 306 to form two pieces that overlie a lace guide along a medial side of central portion 306 that is separate from a lace guide along a lateral side of central portion 306. In yet another alternative example, reinforcement 325 may be divided into six separate reinforcements that are superimposed on separate lace guides. The use of the reinforcement may be varied to alter the dynamics of the interaction between the lace guides and the underlying footwear upper (such as upper 305). The reinforcement member 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 stiffener is adhered, along with the type of fabric or material used for the stiffener, may also affect the friction experienced by the lace cables extending through the lace guides. For example, heat fusing a more rigid material to other flexible lace guides may increase the friction experienced by the lace cables. Conversely, a flexible material adhered to the lace guides may reduce friction by keeping the lace guides more flexible. Stiffener 325 may also include an elastic mesh to overlie the throat area of the footwear upper.

As mentioned above, fig. 3A illustrates central stiffener 325, which central stiffener 325 is a single member that spans the medial and lateral upper lace guides (320A, 320B, 320E, 320F, 320I, and 320J). Given that stiffener 325 is a more rigid material having less flexibility than the underlying footwear upper (in this example, upper 305), the final central portion 306 of the footwear assembly will exhibit less loosely fitting characteristics. In some applications, a more rigid, less loose center portion 306 may be desirable. However, in applications where greater flexibility across the central portion 306 is desired, the 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 enable central portion 306 to conform more closely to the shape. In another example, the central stiffener 325 itself may be resilient. 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 multiple central reinforcements, such as with lace guides 410 and elastic members 440 at least partially illustrated in fig. 4A.

Heel member 350 may include devices or components that may be used to control access to 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 straps 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 attached to medial and lateral heel portions 309. Thus, straps 352 and 354 may provide a degree of stretchability to the heel portion of footwear upper 305. This effect may be utilized to provide upper 305 with a variety of comfort and performance aspects, as described below. For example, the elasticity may help heel portion 309 remain engaged with the wearer's heel during use of the article of footwear. The ribbons 352 and 354 may comprise elastic material (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, the bands 352 and 354 may comprise opposing pieces of hook and loop fastener material, or opposing pieces of zipper construction. In such embodiments, heel member 350 may provide entry and egress 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 be withdrawn from footwear upper 305 even though the lacing engine has pulled lace cable 310 into the sole structure to tie lace cable 310 down on footwear upper 305.

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

Fig. 3C is a series of examples of lace configurations depicted 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 figure 3A, with a separate reinforcement superimposed on each separate lace guide. Lace configuration 300B again illustrates a wavy lace pattern, also known as parachute lacing (parachute lacing), in which elongated stiffeners are superimposed on a pair of upper lace guides spanning a central portion and a separate lower lace guide. Lace configuration 300C is yet another undulating lace pattern with a single central reinforcement. Lace configuration 300D introduces a triangular shaped lace pattern where individual stiffeners cut to the appropriate shape fit on individual lace guides. Lace configuration 300E illustrates a variation of the reinforcement configuration in the triangular lace pattern. Finally, lace configuration 300F illustrates another variation of the reinforcement configuration, including a central reinforcement and a reinforced lower reinforcement.

Fig. 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, the medial portion of upper 405 is illustrated with lace guide 410, lace guide 410 routing lace cables 430 through medial exit guide 415. Lace guides 410 are encapsulated in reinforcements 420 to form lace guide components 415, wherein at least a portion of the lace guide components may be repositioned on upper 405. In one example, lace guide component 415 is supported by a hook and loop material, and upper 405 provides a surface that can receive 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). The track-based integration may provide lace guide component 415 with safe, limited travel, movement options. For example, the track 445 extends substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the central portion 450 and allows for positioning of the lace guide component 415 along the length of the track. In some examples, tracks 445 may span from the lateral side to the medial side to retain lace guide components on either side of central portion 450. Similar tracks may be positioned in appropriate locations to hold all lace guide components 415 so that all lace guides on footwear upper 405 may be adjusted in a limited direction.

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 footwear designs to achieve different levels of fit and performance. For example, high performance basketball shoes that require foot immobilization through a wide range of lateral movement may utilize elastic members having a high modulus of elasticity to ensure a snug fit. In another example, the running shoe may utilize an elastic member having a low modulus of elasticity, as the running shoe may be designed to focus on the comfort of long distance road running, rather than providing a high level of lateral motion inhibition. In some examples, the elastic member 440 may be replaceable or include a mechanism that allows for 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 side and the lateral side. Even with a small gap along the central portion 450, a resilient member (such as resilient member 440) may be used to span the gap.

Although fig. 4A illustrates only a single track 445 or a single elastic member 440, these elements may be duplicated for any or all lace guides in a particular lace configuration. For example, each lace guide component 415 may be mounted to its own track 445, with the track 445 extending generally in the medial-lateral direction through the 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 is present, such as a contact switch within the sole structure that detects the weight of the foot in the footwear upper 405, the lace guide component 415 may be pulled closer to the central portion 450 to tighten the lace cable 430 to tighten the footwear upper 405 down on the foot. However, if the presence sensor does not detect the weight of the foot within footwear upper 405, lace guide component 415 may be withdrawn from central portion 450 to facilitate entry of the foot into footwear upper 405 by causing slack to be introduced in lace cables 430. In such embodiments, the drive mechanism of the lace cable can additionally be used to move the lace guide component 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. Further, in such embodiments, central stiffener 325 may be added at the central portion to provide an elastic zone, or additionally or alternatively, to provide an opening to footwear upper 405, such as a zipper (e.g., zipper 465).

Fig. 4B additionally shows a plurality of resilient members 440 at the heel strap 480 and lace guide 415 spanning the heel ridge 650. The heel strap 480 and the resilient member 440 may be used to control the effective spring rate of the footwear upper 405. As discussed above, the elasticity provided by the plurality of straps, such as the heel strap 480 and the elastic member 440, may provide a degree of stretchability to the footwear upper 405, allowing various comfort and performance aspects of the upper 405 to be controlled. In an example, heel strap 480 may be connected directly to heel strap component guides 615 on the medial and lateral sides of heel spine 650. Alternatively, heel strap 480 may be connected at one end to lacing element guide 615 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 or 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. Heel strap component guides 615 may be disconnected from footwear upper 405 such that they are suspended relative to footwear upper 405 by lace cables 430 and heel strap 480. Elastic members 440 may pre-tension heel strap component guides 615 to a rear or heel portion of footwear upper 405 to allow lace cables 430 to be pulled 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 may stretch to allow the lace cable 430 to be tightened down on the footwear upper 405 and the heel portion of the footwear upper 405 to be pulled under the heel of the wearer.

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

The heel strap 480, elastic member 440, and elastic central stiffener 325 may each provide a degree of stretchability to the footwear upper, which may introduce different comfort and performance zones within the lacing action provided by the lacing mechanism. Figure 17 illustrates a plurality of comfort and performance curves for different example footwear uppers that incorporate different combinations of lace cables 480, elastic members 440, elastic heel members 350, and elastic central stiffener 325.

Fig. 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 example embodiments. In this example, the central portion 450 illustrated in fig. 4A is replaced with a central closure mechanism 460, which central closure mechanism 460 is illustrated as a central zipper 465 in this example. The central closure mechanism is designed to enable the opening in footwear upper 405 to be wider to facilitate entry and exit. The central zipper 465 can be easily unzipped to allow the foot to enter or exit. In other examples, the central closure 460 may be a hook and loop, a snap, a clasp, a latch, an auxiliary lace, or any similar closure mechanism.

Fig. 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 example embodiments. In this example, the strap configuration 600 adds a heel strap component 615 that includes a heel strap guide 610 and a heel reinforcement element 620, as well as a heel redirection guide 610 and a heel exit guide 615. Heel reorienting guide 610 displaces lace cables 430 away from last lace guide 410 toward heel strap component 615. Heel strap component 615 is formed from heel strap guide 610 with heel reinforcement 620. Heel lace guide 610 is depicted as having a shape similar to lace guides used in other locations on upper 405. However, in other examples, heel lace guide 610 may be other shapes or include multiple lace guides. In this example, the heel strap component 615 is shown mounted on the heel track 645, allowing adjustability of the position of the heel strap component 615. Similar to the adjustable lace guides discussed above, adjustments to the positioning of heel lace component 615 may be accomplished using other mechanisms, such as hook and loop fasteners or similar fastening mechanisms.

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

Fig. 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, lace configuration 700 includes lace guides 710 for routing a lace 730. Lace guides 710 may include associated reinforcements 720. In this example, lace guides 710 are configured to allow portions of lace guides 710 to bend from an open initial position illustrated in fig. 7A to a bent closed position illustrated in fig. 7B (see dashed lines illustrating relative positions in each figure). In this example, lace guide 710 includes an extension that exhibits a bend of approximately 14 degrees between an open initial position and a closed position. Other examples may exhibit more or less flexion between the initial and final positions (or shapes) of lace guides 710. The bending of the lace guide 710 occurs when the lace 730 is tightened. The bending of lace guide 710 serves to smooth the curve of torque versus lace displacement by applying some initial tension to lace 730 and providing an additional mechanism to dissipate the lace tension during the tightening process. Thus, in the initial shape or bent position, lace guide 710 creates some initial tension in the lace cables, which also acts to take up the slack in the lace cables. When the tightening of the lace cables is initiated, lace guide 710 is bent or deformed.

In this example, lace guides 710 are plastic or polymeric tubes and may have different modulus of elasticity depending on the particular composition of the tube. The modulus of elasticity of lace guide 710 and the configuration of reinforcement 720 will control the amount of additional tension in lace 730 caused by the bending of lace guide 710. When the lace guide 710 tries to return to the original shape, the elastic deformation of the ends (legs or extensions) of the lace guide 710 causes continuous tension on the lace 730. In some examples, the entire lace guide is uniformly curved over the length of the lace guide. In other examples, the bending occurs primarily within the u-shaped portion of the lace guide, with the extensions remaining substantially straight. In still other examples, the extension accommodates most of the bending, with the u-shaped portion remaining relatively fixed.

The reinforcing member 720 is adhered to the lace guide 710 in such a manner as to allow the ends of the lace guide 710 to move. In some examples, the stiffener 720 is adhered by the hot melt process discussed above, wherein the placement of the heat activated adhesive allows for some opening to achieve the bend in the lace guide 710. In other embodiments, the stiffener 720 may be sewn into place or a combination of adhesive and stitching may be used. How reinforcement 720 is adhered or configured may affect which portion of the lace guide bends under load from the lace cables. In some examples, the hot melt is concentrated around the u-shaped portion of the lace guide so that the extensions (legs) are more free to bend.

Figures 7C-7D are diagrams illustrating deformable lace guides 710 for use in footwear assemblies according to some example embodiments. In this example, lace guides 710 described above with reference to fig. 7A and 7B are discussed in further detail. Fig. 7C illustrates the lace guide 710 in a first (open) state, which may be considered an undeformed state. Fig. 7D illustrates lace guide 710 in a second (closed/flexed) state, which may be considered a deformed state. Lace guide 710 may include three distinct sections, such as a middle section 712, a first extension 714, and a second extension 716. Lace guide 710 may also include a lace receiving opening 740 and a lace exit 742. As mentioned above, lace guides 710 may 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 extension having a third modulus of elasticity. In certain 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, substantially similar may be interpreted as the modulus of elasticity 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 guides 710.

Lace guides 710 define multiple axes for describing how the deformable lace guides function. For example, first extension 714 may define a first incoming lace axis (first incoming lace axis)750 that is aligned with at least an outer portion of the interior channel 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 internal channel defined within second extension 716. When deformed, lace guide 710 defines a second entry lace axis 752 and a second exit lace axis 762 that are each aligned with a respective portion of the first and second extensions. Lace guide 710 also includes a medial axis 744, where medial axis 744 intersects lace guide 710 at apex 746 and is equidistant from the first and second extensions (assuming the symmetric lace guide is in a non-deformed state, as illustrated in fig. 7C).

Figure 7E is a graph 770 illustrating a plurality of torque versus lace displacement curves for a deformable lace guide according to some example embodiments. As discussed above, one of the benefits obtained using lace guides 710 includes modifying the torque (or lace tension) versus lace displacement (or shortening) curve. Curve 776 illustrates a torque versus displacement curve for a non-deformable lace guide used in an exemplary lace configuration. Curve 776 illustrates how the lace 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 lace configuration. Curve 778 begins in a manner similar to curve 776, but flattens out as the lace guide deforms with additional lace tension, resulting in tension increasing with greater lace displacement. The flattened curve allows the end user to better control 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. The segments 780, 782, 784 may be used in any situation where torque and resultant displacement (residual displacement) are required. However, the reaction segment 784 may be used particularly in situations where the motorized lace engine suddenly changes or corrects displacement of the lace in response to an unexpected external factor (e.g., the wearer has suddenly stopped moving, resulting in a relatively high load on the lace). In contrast, when a more gradual displacement of the lace may be utilized, adaptive segment 782 may be utilized because a change in load on the lace may be anticipated, for example, because the change in load may be less abrupt, or a change in activity is input into the motorized lacing engine by the wearer, or the motorized lacing engine may be able to anticipate a change in activity through machine learning. The deformable lace guide design that produced this final example is designed to create adaptive segment 782 and reactive segment 784 through the lace guide structure design (such as channel shape, material selection, or combination parameters). Creating the final example lace configuration and lace guides also creates a pretension in the lace cables, resulting in the illustrated initial fastening section 780.

Fig. 8A-8F are schematic diagrams illustrating example lace guides 800 for use in certain lace 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, suture opening 810, guide superior surface 815, lace retainer 820, lace channel 825, channel radius 830, lace entry opening 840, guide inferior surface 845, and guide radius 850. Advantages of open channel lace guides, such as lace guide 800, include the ability to easily route lace cables after the lace guide is installed on a footwear upper. For the tubular lace guides illustrated in many of the lace configuration examples discussed above, routing the lace cables through the lace guides is most easily accomplished (not later possible) prior to adhering the lace guides to the footwear upper. After lace guide 800 is positioned on the footwear upper, the open channel lace guide facilitates simple lace routing by allowing lace cables to be simply pushed through lace retainers 820. The lace guide 800 can be made from a variety of materials including metal or plastic.

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

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

In this example, lace guide 800 is at least initially adhered to upper 405 by stitching 860. Stitching 860 is shown over or engaging suture opening 810. One of the lace guide elements 800 is also depicted with a reinforcement 870 overlying the lace guide element. Such a reinforcement may be positioned individually on each of the lace guides 800. Alternatively, larger reinforcements may be used to overlie the plurality of lace guides. Similar to the stiffeners discussed above, the stiffeners 870 may be adhered by adhesive, heat activated adhesive, and/or stitching. In some examples, the stiffener 870 may be adhered using an adhesive (heat or non-heat activated) and a vacuum bagging process that uniformly compresses the stiffener against the lace guide. A similar vacuum bagging process may 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 guides.

Once all of lace guides 800 are initially positioned and attached to footwear upper 405, lace cables may be routed through the lace guides. Lace cables may be routed from anchoring a first end of the lace cables at lateral anchor points 470. Lace cables may then be pulled into each lace channel 825 starting with the forward-most lace guides and acting posteriorly toward the heel of upper 405. Once the lace cables are routed through all lace guides 800, a stiffener 870 may optionally be adhered to each of lace guides 800 to secure the lace guides and lace cables.

Assembly process

Fig. 9 is a flow diagram illustrating a footwear assembly process 900 for assembling footwear including a lacing engine, according to some example 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 cables through the tubular lace guides at 920; anchoring a first end of the lace cables at 930; anchoring a second end of the lace cables at 940; positioning the lace guide at 950; securing the lace guides at 960; and integrating the upper with the footwear assembly at 970. The process 900, described in further detail below, may include some or all of the described process operations, 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 lace cables. A footwear upper, such as upper 405, may be a flat footwear upper that is separate from the rest of the footwear assembly (e.g., sole, midsole, exterior overlay, etc.). The lace guides in this example include tubular plastic lace guides as discussed above, but may also include other types of lace guides. At 920, process 900 continues with the lace cables being routed (or threaded) through a plurality of lace guides. While the lace cables may be routed through the lace guides at different points in the assembly process 900, when using tubular lace guides, it may be preferable to route the lace through the guides prior to assembly onto the footwear upper. In some examples, the lace guides may be pre-threaded (pre-threaded) onto the lace cables, where process 900 begins with a plurality of lace guides having been threaded onto the laces obtained during the operation at 910.

At 930, process 900 continues with the first end of the lace cables being anchored to the footwear upper. For example, lace cables 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 ends of the lace cables, the second ends may be temporarily anchored to the upper. Additionally, process 900 may optionally delay anchoring of the second end until a later stage of the process or during integration with the footwear assembly.

At 950, process 900 continues with a plurality of lace guides being positioned on the upper. For example, lace guides 410 may be positioned on upper 405 to create a desired lace pattern. Once the lace guide is positioned, process 900 may continue at 960 by securing the lace guide to the footwear upper. For example, the reinforcing members 420 may be fixed to the lace guides 410 to hold them in place. Finally, process 900 may be complete 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 loops of lace cables connecting lateral and medial sides of a footwear upper in place to engage lacing engines in a midsole of a footwear assembly.

Fig. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a footwear assembly process 1000 for assembling footwear including lace guides, according to some example embodiments. In this example, the assembly process 1000 includes operations such as: obtaining a footwear upper, a lace guide, and a lace cable at 1010; securing the lace guide to the footwear upper at 1020; anchoring a first end of the lace cables at 1030; routing the lace cables through the lace guides at 1040; anchoring a second end of the lace cables at 1050; optionally, securing the reinforcement to the lace guide at 1060; and integrating the upper with the footwear assembly at 1070. The process 1000, described in further detail below, may include some or all of the described process operations, 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 lace cables. A footwear upper, such as upper 405, may be a flat footwear upper that is separate from the rest of the footwear assembly (e.g., sole, midsole, exterior overlay, etc.). The lace guides in this example include open channel plastic lace guides as discussed above, but may also include other types of lace guides. At 1020, process 1000 continues with the lace guide being secured to the upper. For example, lace guides 800 may be separately stitched in place on upper 405.

At 1030, process 1000 continues with the first end of the lace cables being anchored to the footwear upper. For example, lace cables 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 cables being routed through the open channel lace guides, which includes leaving a lace loop between the lateral side and the medial side of the footwear upper for engagement with the lacing engine. The lace loops may be of a predetermined length to ensure that the lacing engine is able to properly tighten the assembled footwear.

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

At 1060, process 1000 may optionally include an operation for securing the textile reinforcements (overlays) on the lace guides to further secure them to the footwear upper. For example, lace guide 800 may have a reinforcement 870 heat staked to the lace guide to further secure the lace guide and lace cables. Finally, process 1000 may be complete at 1070, where the footwear upper is integrated into the remainder of the footwear assembly, including the sole. In an example, integration may include positioning loops of lace cables connecting lateral and medial sides of a footwear upper in place to engage lacing engines in a midsole of a footwear assembly.

Tension strap

Fig. 11 is a pictorial diagram illustrating a front view of footwear upper 1100 partially cut away, showing elastic ribbon 1102 connecting medial side 1104 and lateral side 1106 of footwear upper 1100. Footwear upper 1100 may be coupled to sole structure 1108, and a motorized lacing engine may be disposed in sole structure 1108. Footwear upper 1100 may include interior layers, such as a medial panel 1110 and a lateral panel 1112, that are configured to surround the foot. The inner and outer side panels 1110, 1112 may comprise further layers, such as a backing or padding layer (not shown). The elastic band 1102 may be connected to both the inner panel 1110 and the outer panel 1112.

Footwear upper 1110 may also include lace guides 1114, a lace 1116, and an outer layer 1118. Upper 1100 may include an outer layer 1118, with outer layer 1118 configured to overlie lace 1116, elastic webbing 1102, and lace guides 1114. The outer layer 1118 is cut away in FIG. 11 to show the inner panel 1110, the outer panel 1112, the elastic webbing 1102, the lace guides 1114, and the laces 1116.

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

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

Fig. 12 is a diagram illustrating a rear view of the footwear upper 1100 of fig. 11, showing a heel strap assembly 1120 connecting the lace 1116 on the medial and lateral sides of the upper 1110. Heel strap assembly 1120 may include a pre-tensioned strap 1122, heel strap 1124, and anchor point 1126. Pretensioning strip 1122 may extend from lace 1116 on the lateral side of footwear upper 1100 shown in fig. 11, extend through heel portion 1128 of footwear upper 1100, and extend to the medial side of footwear upper 1100 (not visible in fig. 12) to connect to opposite ends of lace 1116. The pre-tension strap 1122 may be connected to the lace 1116 at the junction 1130 in any suitable manner, such as by using the lace guide 1114. In the example, the lace 1116 is allowed to slide within the interface 1130 with the pre-tension strap 1122. In an example, pre-tension 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 strips 1122 may comprise resilient, elongate members that can be stretched and can return to their original length after stretching. As will be explained in more detail below with reference to fig. 15A and 15B, the pre-tensioned strap 1122 may be configured to pull the shoe lace 1116 from the lacing engine to release the shoe lace 1116 as the lacing engine spool unwinds.

Heel strap 1124 may extend from a junction 1130 of pre-tension strap 1122 and 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 fig. 15A and 15B, as joint 1130 is pulled toward the toe portion of footwear upper 1100, heel strap 1124 will unfold, eventually causing anchor point 1126 to pull heel portion 1128 toward the toe portion to help retain footwear upper 1100 on the heel of a foot inserted into upper 1100. Anchor 1116 may include any suitable device or means capable of providing a resting point on footwear upper 1100. In the illustrated embodiment, anchor points 1126 may include threaded fasteners that extend through footwear upper 1100.

Fig. 13 is a diagram illustrating a side view of the footwear upper 1100 of fig. 11, the footwear upper 1100 being partially cut away to show lace guides 1114 attached to the footwear upper 1100 along elastic webbing 1102. Fig. 14 is a diagram illustrating the footwear upper 1100 of fig. 13 bent to show the lace guides 1114 connected to the footwear upper 1100 separately from the elastic ribbons 1102. Fig. 13 and 14 are discussed concurrently.

The outer layer 1118 is partially cut away to show the outer panel 1112 separately attached to the elastic webbing 1102 and lace guides 1114. Leader tab 1115 of lace leader 1114 may be attached to lateral sheet 1112 by any suitable means. In the illustrated embodiment, the guide tab 1115 is connected to the outer sheet material 1112 via stitching 1132. The guide tab 1115 is spaced from the upper edge of the outer panel 1112 on which the elastic band 1102 is positioned to form a gap between the guide tab 1115 and the elastic band 1102.

The elastic band 1102 may comprise a single band, or multiple bands aligned end-to-end as shown in fig. 13 and 14. The elastic band 1102 may be attached to the outer panel 1112 via any suitable means, such as adhesive or stitching. In the illustrated embodiment, the elastic band 1102 is connected to the outer panel 1112 via stitching 1134. Disengagement of the lace guides 1114 from the elastic webbing 1102 may allow the elastic webbing 1102 to stretch evenly along the length of the lateral web 1112, and may allow the elastic webbing 1102 to operate the lace guides 1114 on the laces 1116 and may provide a more even action for the operation of the lace guides 1114 on the laces 1116.

Fig. 15A is a diagram illustrating the footwear upper 1100 of fig. 12, showing the loosened lace 1116 pulled from the motorized lacing engine by the pre-tensioned strap 1122. As shown, distance D1 between lace guide 1114A and lace guide 1114B may be a first expanded length. Likewise, distance D2 between lace guide 1114A and anchor point 1126 may be a 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 released. The tensioning strap 1122 is activated to pull the lace 1116 at the joint 1130 toward the heel portion 1128, thereby pulling the proximal portion 1131 of the lace 1116 out of the lacing engine. Heel strap 1124 is tied (buckled) or folded between joint 1130 and anchor point 1126 because excessive slack from proximal portion 1131 allows the tensioning strap to act to pull joint 1130 toward anchor point 1126.

Fig. 15B is a diagram illustrating footwear upper 1100 of fig. 15A, showing lace 1116 tightened into the motorized lacing engine and a heel strap tightened around the heel of footwear upper 1100. As shown, distance D3 between lace guide 1114A and lace guide 1114B may be a 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 the lacing engine has been activated to pull the proximal portion 1131 of the shoelace 1116 into the lacing engine. This additionally causes the previously retracted tension strap 1122 to be stretched such that D4 is greater than D2, and causes the heel strap 1124 to flatten out and then stretch. When lace 1116 is tightened down on footwear upper 1100 and the foot therein, the stretching of heel strap 11124 causes heel portion 1128 of footwear upper 1100 to be pulled into the heel of the foot positioned in footwear upper 1100.

Fig. 16 is a diagram illustrating another embodiment of a footwear upper 1200, showing medial and lateral lacing cable tensioning straps 1202 and 1204, respectively. Footwear upper 1200 may be coupled to a sole structure 1206, and a motorized lacing engine may be disposed in sole structure 1206. Footwear upper 1200 may include a medial sheet 1208, a lateral sheet 1210, and a toe sheet 1212, which are configured to at least partially enclose a foot. The inner and outer side sheet materials 1208, 1210 may comprise further layers, such as a backing layer or a padding layer (not shown). Cable tensioning straps 1202 and 1204 may be attached at bottom edges to inner and outer sheet materials 1208 and 1210, respectively, and may be attached at distal end portions 1216A and 1216B, respectively, to lace 1214. Footwear upper 1110 may also include lace guides 1218 and elastomeric sheet materials 1220.

Elastic sheet material 1220 may function similarly to elastic ribbon 1102 of fig. 11-15B to provide a degree of stretchability to footwear upper 1200. Lace guide 1218 may function similarly to the 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, and a medial portion of lace 1214 may be located in a lacing mechanism provided in sole structure 1206. Thus, as lacing mechanism winds lace 1214, lace 1214 is pulled through lace guide 1218 to tighten lace 1214 downward on footwear upper 1200. Tensioning straps 1202 and 1204 provide anchors for end portions 1216A and 1216B of lace 1214 to facilitate the tightening action.

Tensioning straps 1202 and 1204 allow lace 1214 to be anchored to sole structure 1206 while also wrapping at least partially around sheet materials 1208 and 1210 of footwear upper 1200. As can be seen, lace 1214 intersects footwear upper 1200 once at medial sheet 1208 and once at lateral sheet 1210. This allows some of the force used in tensioning lace 1214 to also be used directly to apply inward pressure on footwear upper 1200 proximate toe panel 1212. Tensioning straps 1202 and 1204 provide a larger surface area over which tension in lace 1214 is distributed to sheet materials 1208 and 1210. That is, if lace 1214 is anchored to footwear upper 1200 at sole structure 1206, the surface area of straps 1202 and 1204 that contact sheet materials 1208 and 1210 is greater than the surface area of lace 1214 that contacts sheet materials 1208 and 1210 at the same location. In an embodiment, the strips 1202 and 1204 are trapezoidal in shape. In other embodiments, the strips 1202 and 1204 may be triangular or rectangular in shape. For example, the strip 1202 may have a bottom edge area 1222 that is wider than a top edge area 1224. Bottom edge region 1222 may be attached to a bottom portion of medial panel 1208, such as by adhesive or stitching or by being incorporated into sole structure 1206. Top edge area 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 length or only along a portion of their length. The straps 1202 and 1204 may be made of a rigid or inelastic material or a stretchable (resilient) or elastic material. The trapezoidal or triangular shape of strips 1202 and 1204 may more evenly distribute stresses and forces in the toe box of footwear upper 11200 and create a comfortable and secure fit. Likewise, straps 1202 and 1204 may include other geometries having multiple benefits (such as evenly distributing stresses and forces along footwear upper 1200).

Fig. 17 is a graph illustrating a plurality of force versus lace displacement curves 1300A, 1300B, 1300C, 1300D, 1300E, and 1300F for an upper of a shoe including a plurality of elastic or tensioning members described herein, according to some example embodiments. The X-axis of the bottom shows displacement in millimeters and the Y-axis of the side 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 cables 480, elastic members 440, elastic heel members 350, elastic center reinforcements 325, etc.), different levels of comfort slope may be provided before elastic zone locking and performance zone activation. Thus, the comfort and performance slopes of each curve may be designed to provide different effects for different types of footwear or articles of footwear or for different types of wearers.

Fig. 18 is a diagram illustrating footwear upper 1200 of fig. 16 laid flat to show a lace configuration including tensioning straps 1202 and 1204 connected to lace 1214 in a crossed configuration.

Footwear upper 1200 may include a medial sheet of material 1208, a lateral sheet of material 1210, heel sheets of material 1211A and 1211B, and a toe sheet of material 1212, which are configured to at least partially enclose a foot when heel sheet of material 1211B is attached to lateral sheet of material 1210 and footwear upper 1200 is attached to the sole structure. The medial and lateral sheet materials 1208, 1210 may include additional layers, such as a liner (not shown), an outer layer 1230 (which may include sole portions 1230A and 1230B and throat portions 1230C and 1230D), and an overlay 1232 (which may include sole portions 1232A and 1232B and throat portions 1232C and 1232D).

The outer layer 1230 may include a layer of material to reinforce the inner 1208 and outer 1210 sheet materials. In an example, the outer layer 1230 can include a synthetic material, such as nylon. The cover layer 1232 may include a layer that supports the lace guides 1218. Covering layer 1232 may include a semi-rigid, but deformable material that may distribute the load of lace guides 1218 to footwear upper 1200. In an example, the cover layer 1232 can include a composite material, such as

A microcellular polyurethane.

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

Proximal ends 1234A and 1234B of lace 1214 may be connected to a lace engine (not shown). Proximal ends 1234A and 1234B may be connected to one another 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 end portions 1216A and 1216B extend to tensioning straps 1202 and 1204. Distal end portion 1216A is connected to tensioning strap 1202 at suture 1226. Likewise, distal end portion 1216B may be connected to tensioning strap 1204. As shown, distal portions 1216A and 1216B intersect at a throat area of footwear upper 1200, e.g., formed between throat portions 1230C and 1230D of outer layer 1230. 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 various layers of footwear upper 1200 (e.g., outer layer 1230 and covering layer 1232) to contract when lace 1214 is tightened, independent of the tension in lace 1214. For example, as throat portions 1230C and 1230D are drawn closer to sole portions 1230A and 1230B, respectively, throat portions 1230C and 1230D may slide under tensioning straps 1202 and 1204 as proximal ends 1234A and 1234B are pulled taut by the lacing engine. Accordingly, in an embodiment, only a portion of each of tensioning straps 1202 and 1204 may be attached to footwear upper 1200.

Tensioning straps 1202 and 1204 may have a variety of shapes to distribute the force of lace 1214 across inner sheet 1208 and outer sheet 1210. The strips 1202 and 1204 may be triangular, quadrilateral, trapezoidal, rectilinear, or any other shape. In the example, straps 1202 and 1204 are wider near the bottom of the sole structure and narrower near the top of lace 1214 to distribute the force from lace 1214 along the width (swing) of footwear upper 1200 and the sole structure. The 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 the tension strap 1202 of fig. 18, indicating a lock area 1240 and a stretch area 1242. Distal end portion 1216A of lace 1214 may be connected to locking area 1240 along length L, such as by sutures 1226.

The bottom edge area 1222 of the strip 1202 may be wider than the top edge area 1224. Bottom edge region 1222 may be attached to footwear upper 1200 or the 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. In embodiments, the stretch zone 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), and the like. In other examples, most or all of stretch regions 1242 are attached to footwear upper 1200.

The locking areas 1240 can extend from the tension areas 1242 to the top edge area 1224. The locking region 1240 can extend laterally across the entire portion of the topmost portion of the stretch region 1242. The locking region 1240 may include a portion of the tensioning strip 1202 that is less elastic or stretchable than the stretch region 1242. In an example, the lock region 1240 can include a separate piece of material that is attached to the material of the stretch region 1242. In another embodiment, the lock regions 1240 are extensions of the material of the stretch regions 1242 that are treated to reinforce the material in the lock regions 1240. For example, stitching 1226 along length L of lace 1214 may provide a stiffening treatment. In an example, the length L may be about 15 millimeters. Additionally or alternatively, the locking area 1240 can be treated with a hot melt material to secure the distal end portion 1216A and reinforce the locking area 1240. In other embodiments, the locking area 1240 can be treated with a stretch inhibiting coating, such as terrannia, to increase the locking capability of the tensioning strap 1202. The locking capability may indicate a 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 proportionally to the amount the lace is tightened. In other words, the shoelace cannot be re-extended. The locking ability of the locking region 1240 and the stretching ability of the stretching region 1242 can be different in different combinations for different embodiments of the tensioning strap 1202.

Fig. 20 is a diagram illustrating another embodiment of a footwear upper 1200, the footwear upper 1200 including a lacing configuration that includes tensioning strips 1250 and 1252 connected to a lace 1214 in a non-intersecting configuration. Footwear upper 1200 of fig. 20 includes the same components as footwear upper 1200 of fig. 18, except that tensioning straps 1202 and 1204 are replaced with tensioning straps 1250 and 1252, and lacing guides 1218A and 1218B are added. As can be seen in fig. 20, distal end 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 engines and their respective tensioning straps. That is, distal end portion 1216B may be connected to inner tensioning strap 1250 and may extend through lace guide 1218A and other lace guides 1218 through inner sheet 1208 to connect to the lace engine, while distal 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 tightening of upper 1200 and stretching of elastic sheet 1220 along the length of the throat area of upper 1200. As shown, the relative dimensions of tensioning strips 1250 and 1252 may be varied 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, for example, to bring distal end portions 1216A and 1216B closer to the sole structure. Further, medial tensioning strap 1250 may be shorter than lateral tensioning strap 1252, or vice versa, to vary the force applied to the ball, metatarsal, and phalange regions of the foot.

Fig. 21 is a top view illustrating a flat footwear upper 1400 having a lacing configuration for use with a lacing engine, according to some example embodiments. Figure 22 is a drawing of an exemplary footwear assembly utilizing the two-zone lacing configuration discussed with reference to figure 21. In this example, footwear upper 1400 has a medial side 1403 and a lateral side 1404, as well as a distal end (toe) and a proximal end (heel). The distal end includes a toe box section 1407 and the proximal end includes a heel portion 1406. Footwear upper 1400 may also include a floating textile layer (optional, not shown), an exterior layer 1402, and a 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), throat portion 1411 being formed by at least a U-shaped cut in outer layer 1402. In some examples, throat portion 1411 varies in configuration, including multiple cut shapes or alternative material sections. All of the throat portions allow portions of the lateral side and the medial side of the footwear assembly to move with reference to one another. In other examples, throat portion 1411 may be integrated into a covering layer of outer layer 1402, such that throat portion 1411 and the lacing configuration are hidden from external 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 is illustrated in a simpler manner to emphasize the dual zone lacing configuration.

In this example, the lace configuration is divided into two distinct zones. The first zone interacts with a toe or forefoot region of footwear upper 1400. Second zone interacts with a midfoot region of footwear upper 1400. The first lacing tape cable is illustrated as a solid dark gray line and the second lacing tape cable is illustrated as a black dashed line. These differences are for illustrative purposes only to help distinguish between different lace cable paths, in these details lace cable is a single cable that extends from terminal end 1420 to terminal end 1421 (which is also referred to as an anchor location or point). 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. First lace region may include a lace guide that guides lace cable 1410 from first lace termination end 1420. In this example, first lace termination end 1420 is located on a distal-lateral portion of eyelet 1408. Lace cable 1410 is routed from first lace termination 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 into throat portion 1411 and through first lateral lace guide 1430. The lace cables 1410 are routed from the first lateral lace guide 1430, through the second lateral lace guide 1431, and through the third lateral lace guide 1432. Lace guides are labeled first, second, third, etc. to indicate the order in which they extend proximally from the distal end of throat portion 411 toward foot opening 1409. Alternatively, the lace cables 1410 may be routed through the material guide 1422 on a route from the first lateral lace guide 1430 to the 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 cables 1410 into the midsole plate via lateral lace exit 1419.

Second lacing zone includes a set of lace guides that route lace cables 1410 from second terminal end 1421 to medial lace exit 1418. In this example, lace cable 1410 is routed from second terminal end 1421 located on a 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 cables 1410 onto a medial-facing tongue lace guide 1416, which tongue lace guide 1416 routes lace cables toward medial heel lace guide 1450. Lace cables may optionally be routed through material lace guides 1424 on a route to medial heel lace guide 1450. Lace cables 1410 are routed from medial heel lace guide 1450 into the midsole plate via medial lace exit 1418.

The two-zone lace configuration enables lace cable tension to be unevenly distributed between the distal and proximal ends of throat portion 1411. The first lacing zone applies the same lace cable tension on fewer lace guides, resulting in tension being distributed over a smaller area. The second lacing zone distributes lace cable tension over a larger area with more lace guides. Using a two-zone lace configuration, a user experiences a tighter, higher performance fit in the toe (forefoot) area of the footwear. Other multi-zone lace configurations may be utilized to vary the distribution of lace cable tensions 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 a medial-facing lace guide 1416 and a 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 and lateral lace guides may be coupled together with an elastic member (such as elastic member 440) that allows for some separation between the lace guides when tension is applied on lace cables 1418. In some examples, medial-facing lace guide 1416 and lateral-facing lace guide 1417 may be adhered to tongue lace guide reinforcements. In still other examples, the inboard facing lace guide and the outboard 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. In other examples, medial-facing lace guide 1416 and lateral-facing lace guide 1417 may be connected by a resilient element 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 a foot. The carefully designed elastic regions in the lacing system of the footwear upper may allow for different rates of tightening. For example, a very stiff lacing system can quickly become very tight, which can cause discomfort to the wearer. The elastic regions strategically added to the lacing system and/or the footwear upper may manipulate the locking stiffness, travel (travel), modulus, or other parameters of the shoe to adjust the fit of the footwear upper to the foot. As such, elastic zones may be added to the top and rear (or heel) areas of the foot to allow the footwear upper to be pulled downward onto the foot in a desired manner. For example, the elastic zone may facilitate the placement or pre-tensioning of the untightened material of the footwear upper, which may be considered a parachute of material tied down on the foot in a lace configuration. Depending on the desire, preference, or use 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.

Examples of the invention

Example 1 may include or use a theme such as a footwear assembly that includes: 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 the distal outer portion of the medial side and a second end anchored along the 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 a 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 a lace cable from a pattern formed by medial portions of the plurality of lace guides into a position that allows the lace cable to engage a lacing engine disposed within the midsole portion; a lateral proximal lace guide for routing lace cables from locations that allow 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 lace guide and a second lace guide of the plurality of lace guides.

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 lace guide and the second lace guide across a centerline portion of the footwear upper.

Example 3 may include the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 1 or 2, or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 1 or 2, to optionally include a first elastic member that 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 1-3, or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 1-3 to optionally include a second elastic member that may extend between a third lace guide and a fourth lace guide of the plurality of lace guides.

Example 5 may include the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 1-4, or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 1-4, to optionally include a first elastic member that may be interchangeable with a different elastic member that provides a different modulus of elasticity to alter a fit characteristic of the footwear upper.

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

Example 7 may include or use a theme such as a footwear lacing arrangement that may include: a housing structure, which may include: 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 the distal outer portion of the medial side and a second end anchored along the 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 a 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 lace cables from a pattern formed by medial portions of the plurality of lace guides into locations that allow the lace cables to engage a lacing engine disposed within the midsole portion; a lateral proximal lace guide for routing lace cables from locations that allow the lace cables to engage the lacing engine into a pattern formed by lateral portions of the plurality of lace guides; and a first resilient 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, the first elastic member may include an elastic central line portion extending proximally from at least the shell portion to the foot opening, and the first and second portions of the footwear upper may include medial and lateral sides, respectively.

Example 9 may include the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 7 or 8, or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 7 or 8, to optionally include a first elastic member, the first 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 of the heel portion, respectively.

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

Example 11 may include the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 7-19, or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 7-19, to optionally include a first resilient member that may be opened or expanded to allow access to an interior space within a footwear upper.

Example 12 may include or use a theme such as a footwear lacing arrangement that may include: 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 the distal outer portion of the medial side and a second end anchored along the 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 a 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 a lace cable from a pattern formed by medial portions of the plurality of lace guides into a position that allows the lace cable to engage a lacing engine disposed within the midsole portion; a lateral proximal lace guide for routing lace cables from locations that allow the lace cables to engage the lacing engine into a pattern formed by lateral portions of the plurality of lace guides; and a first resilient member extending 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 first lace guide located proximate the heel portion.

Example 14 may include the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 12 or 13, 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 that 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 the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 12-14, or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 12-14 to optionally include a second elastic member that may extend between a second portion of the footwear upper and a second lace guide of the plurality of lace guides.

Example 16 may include the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 12-15, or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 12-15 to optionally include a first elastic member that may be interchangeable with a different elastic member that provides a different modulus of elasticity to alter a fit characteristic of a footwear upper.

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

Example 18 may include or use a theme such as a footwear lacing arrangement that may include: 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 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 for routing 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.

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

Example 20 may include the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 18 or 19, 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 a footwear assembly and used to smooth a curve of torque versus lace displacement during tightening of lace cables.

Example 21 may include the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 18-20, or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 18-20 to optionally include a heel channel, which may include a zipper.

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

Example 23 may include or use a theme such as a footwear lacing arrangement that may include: 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 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 for routing lace cables along the footwear upper between the medial and lateral ends and the lacing engine; and a resilient member coupled to the footwear assembly, the resilient member for smoothing a torque versus lace displacement curve during tightening of the lace cables.

Example 24 may include the subject matter of example 23, 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 cables.

Example 25 may include the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 23 or 24, or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 23 or 24, to optionally include an elastic member that may have a lower modulus of elasticity than the modulus of elasticity of the footwear upper.

Example 26 may include the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 23-25, or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 23-25, to optionally include an elastic member, which may be configured to widen a collar.

Example 27 may include the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 23-26, or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 23-26 to optionally include an elastic member that may connect a first lace guide and a second lace guide of the plurality of lace guides.

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

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

Example 30 may include the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 23-29, or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 23-29 to optionally include first and second lace guides that may float with respect to the footwear upper.

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

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

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

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

Example 35 may include the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 23-35, or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 23-35, to optionally include an elastic member that may connect the first portion and the second portion of the upper of the footwear.

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

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

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

Example 39 may include or use a theme such as a footwear lacing arrangement that may include: 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 tensioning member secured to a medial side of the upper proximate the toe cap; a lateral tensioning member secured to a 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 of the plurality of lace guides adapted to receive a length of a 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.

Example 40 may include the subject matter of example 39, or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of example 39, to optionally include a footwear upper that may further include an elastic member connecting a medial side and a lateral side of the footwear upper along a throat area of the footwear upper.

Example 41 may include the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 39 or 40, or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 39 or 40, to optionally include a medial tension member and a lateral tension member that may each at least partially float relative to a medial side and a lateral side of a footwear upper, respectively.

Example 42 may include the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 39-41, or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 39-41, to optionally include a medial tension member and a lateral tension member, the medial tension member and the lateral tension member may each include: a locking region; and a stretch zone.

Example 43 may include the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 39-42, or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 39-42 to optionally include: may be attached to the locking regions of the lace cables and may be attached to the stretch regions of the footwear upper.

Example 44 may include the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 39-43, or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 39-43, to optionally include a bottom edge of a stretch zone that may be attached to a footwear upper.

Example 45 may include the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 39-44, or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 39-44 to optionally include a locking region that may float completely with respect to the footwear upper.

Example 46 may include the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 39-45, or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 39-45, to optionally include a lock-out region, which may include a stretch-inhibiting coating.

Example 47 may include the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 39-46, or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 39-46, to optionally include a locking region and a stretch region, which may be comprised of contiguous pieces of material.

Example 48 may include the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 39-47, or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 39-47 to optionally include first and second ends of lace cables that may be stitched to medial and lateral tensioning members, respectively, in a locking zone.

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

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

Example 51 may include the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 39-50, or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 39-50, to optionally include a lace cable, which may further include: a first proximal portion connected to a medial side of the footwear upper and to a first end of the lace cable; and a second proximal portion connected to a lateral side of the footwear upper and to a second end of the lace cable; wherein a first end of the lace cable may be connected to the lateral tensioning member and a second end of the lace cable may be connected to the medial tensioning member.

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

Example 53 may include or use a theme such as a footwear lacing arrangement that may include: 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 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 a medial side of the footwear upper proximate the toe cap portion; a lateral floating cover layer attached to a 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 for routing lace cables along the footwear upper between the medial and lateral ends and the lacing engine.

Example 54 may include the subject matter of example 53, or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of example 53 to optionally include: an inboard end of the lace cables that may be connected to the inboard floating overlay and an outboard end of the lace cables that may be connected to the outboard floating overlay.

Example 55 may include the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 53 and 54, or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 53 and 54 to optionally include medial and lateral ends of a lace cable, the medial and lateral ends of the lace cable may intersect at a throat area of the footwear upper between the medial side and the lateral side.

Example 56 may include the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 53-55, or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 53-55, to optionally include: an inboard end of the lace cables may be connected to the outboard floating overlay and an outboard end of the lace cables may be connected to the inboard floating overlay.

Example 57 may include the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 53-56, or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 53-56, to optionally include an elastic member that may connect the medial side and the lateral side of the footwear upper.

Example 58 can include the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 53-57, or can optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 53-57, to optionally include a medial tension member and a lateral tension member, the medial tension member and the lateral tension member can each include: a locking region; and a stretch zone.

Example 59 may include the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 53-58, or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 53-58, to optionally include: may be attached to the locking regions of the lace cables and may be attached to the stretch regions of the footwear upper.

Example 60 may include the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 53-59, or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 53-59, to optionally include a bottom edge that may be attached to a stretch zone of a footwear upper.

Example 61 may include the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 53-60, or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 53-60, to optionally include a locking region that may float completely with respect to the footwear upper.

Example 62 may include the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 53-61, or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 53-61, to optionally include a lock-out region, which may include a stretch-inhibiting coating.

Example 63 may include the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 53-62, or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 53-62 to optionally include a locking region and a stretch region, which may be comprised of contiguous pieces of material.

Example 64 may include the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 53-63, or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 53-63 to optionally include medial and lateral ends of a lace cable that may be stitched to medial and lateral tensioning members, respectively, in a locking zone.

Example 63 may include or use a theme such as a footwear lacing arrangement that may include: 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 tensioning member secured to a medial side of the upper proximate the toe cap; a lateral tensioning member secured to a 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 cable extends from the first end at the medial tensioning member across the throat area and through the 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 the one or more lace guides along the medial side.

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 an elastic member connecting a medial side and a lateral side of the footwear upper along a throat area of the footwear upper.

Example 66 may include the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 64 and 65, or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 64 and 65, to optionally include a medial tensioning member and a lateral tensioning member that may each at least partially float relative to a medial side and a lateral side of a footwear upper, respectively.

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

Example 68 may include the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 64 to 67, or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 64 to 67, to optionally include: may be attached to the locking regions of the lace cables and may be attached to the stretch regions of the footwear upper.

Example 69 may include the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 64-67, or may optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of examples 64-67, to optionally include a locking region and a stretch region, which may be comprised of contiguous pieces of material.

Additional description

Throughout this specification, multiple instances may implement a component, an operation, or a structure described as a single instance. Although the individual operations of one or more methods are illustrated and described as separate operations, one or more of the separate operations may be performed concurrently and nothing requires that the operations be performed in the order illustrated. Structures and functionality presented as separate components in the 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.

While the summary of the subject matter has been described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments, various modifications and changes may be made to the embodiments without departing from the broader scope of the embodiments of the disclosure. Such embodiments of the inventive subject matter may be referred to herein, individually or collectively, by the term "invention" merely for convenience and without intending to voluntarily limit the scope of this application to any single disclosure or inventive concept if more than one is in fact 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 considered as limiting, and the scope of various embodiments includes the full range of equivalents to which the disclosed subject matter is entitled.

As used herein, the term "or" may 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. Moreover, the boundaries between the various resources, operations, modules, engines, and data stores are somewhat arbitrary, and particular operations are illustrated in the context of specific illustrative constructs. Other allocations of functionality are envisioned and may fall within the scope of various embodiments of the disclosure. In general, structures and functionality presented as separate resources in the exemplary configurations may be implemented as a combined structure or resource. Similarly, the structures and functions presented as a single resource may be implemented as separate resources. These and other variations, modifications, additions, and improvements fall within the scope of the embodiments of the disclosure as represented by the claims that follow. The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.

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

The foregoing detailed description includes references to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof. 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. Moreover, the inventors also contemplate examples using any combination or permutation of those elements shown or described (or one or more aspects thereof), either with respect 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.

If usage between this document and any document so incorporated by reference is inconsistent, then usage in this document controls.

In this document, the terms "a" or "an" are used, as is common in patent documents, to include one or more, independent of any other instances or usages of "at least one" or "one or more. In this document, the term "or" is used to refer to a non-exclusive or, such that "a or B" includes "a but not B," "B but not 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 respective terms "comprising" and "wherein. Furthermore, in the following claims, the terms "comprises" and "comprising" are open-ended, that is, a system, device, article, composition, formulation, or process that comprises elements in addition to those elements listed after such term in a claim is still considered to fall within the scope of that claim. Furthermore, in the following claims, the terms "first," "second," and "third," etc. are used merely as labels, and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on their objects.

Examples of methods (processes) described herein, such as examples of footwear components, may include, at least in part, machine or robotic embodiments.

The above description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. For example, the examples described above (or one or more aspects thereof) may be used in combination with each other. Other embodiments may be used, such as may be used by one of ordinary skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. The abstract, if provided, is included to allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It 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 description above, 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. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into the detailed description as examples or embodiments, with each claim standing 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 (5)

1. 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.

2. The footwear assembly of claim 1, wherein the heel channel includes a resilient member coupling a medial portion and a lateral portion of the heel portion.

3. The footwear assembly of claim 2, 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.

4. The footwear assembly of claim 1, wherein the heel channel includes a zipper.

5. The footwear assembly of claim 1, wherein the heel channel includes strips of hook and loop fastener material on medial and lateral portions of the heel portion, respectively.

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