CN113226105A - Zoned dynamic lacing system - Google Patents

Abstract

An article of footwear includes an upper defining an interior void and having a first region and a second region. The article of footwear also includes a sole structure attached to the upper. The article of footwear includes a cable including a first fastening section extending across a first region to a first terminal end anchored to one of the upper and the sole structure and a second fastening section extending across a second region to a second terminal end anchored to one of the upper and the sole structure. The article of footwear also includes a cable lock attached to one of the upper and the sole structure, the cable lock configured to receive the first fastening segment and the second fastening segment and operable to fix a position of each of the first fastening segment and the second fastening segment independent of each other.

Description

Zoned dynamic lacing system

Cross Reference to Related Applications

This application claims priority to U.S. non-provisional patent application No.16/674,106 filed on 5.11.2019, which is filed on 6.11.2018, in accordance with 35u.s.c. § 119(e) claiming priority to U.S. provisional patent application serial No.62/756,130, filed on 6.11.2018, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to an article of footwear having a dynamic lacing system for moving the footwear between a contracted state and a relaxed state.

Background

This section provides background information related to the present disclosure, but is not necessarily prior art.

An article of footwear conventionally includes an upper and a sole structure. The upper may be formed from any suitable material(s) that receive, secure, and support the foot on the sole structure. A bottom portion of the upper, proximate a bottom surface of the foot, is attached to the sole structure. The sole structure generally includes a layered arrangement that extends between an outsole that provides wear-resistance and traction with the ground surface and a midsole disposed between the outsole and the upper for providing cushioning to the foot.

The upper may cooperate with laces, straps, or other fasteners to adjust the fit of the upper around the foot. For example, the lace may be tightened to close the upper around the foot and tightened once the desired fit of the upper around the foot is achieved. Each time the lace is tightened, care must be taken to ensure that the upper is not too loose or too tight around the foot. Furthermore, the laces may loosen or untie during wear of the shoe. Although fasteners such as hook-and-loop type fasteners are easier and faster to operate than traditional laces, these fasteners have a tendency to wear out over time and require more attention in securing the upper to the foot to obtain the required tension.

Known automatic tightening systems typically include a tightening mechanism, such as a rotatable knob, that may be manipulated to apply tension to one or more cables that interact with the upper for closing the upper about the foot. While these automatic tightening systems may gradually increase the amount of tension in the one or more cables to achieve the desired fit of the upper around the foot, they require time-consuming efforts to manipulate the tightening mechanism to properly tension the cables to secure the upper around the foot, and when it is desired to remove the shoe from the foot, the wearer needs to simultaneously press the release mechanism and pull the upper away from the foot to release the tension in the cables. In addition, these automatic tightening systems provide constant tension along the length of the one or more cables, whereby rotation of the rotatable knob causes the entire cable to be tightened evenly. Where it may be desirable to tighten a first region of the upper at a different rate than a second region of the upper, additional cables and tightening mechanisms must be separately incorporated and controlled.

Thus, known automatic tightening systems lack suitable means to both quickly and variably adjust the tension of the cable to close the upper around the foot and quickly release the tension applied to the cable so that the upper may be quickly loosened for removal of the shoe from the foot. In addition, the tightening mechanisms employed by these known automatic tightening systems need to be incorporated onto the exterior of the upper so that the tightening mechanism is accessible to the wearer to adjust the fit of the upper about the foot, thereby compromising the overall appearance and aesthetics of the shoe.

Drawings

The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected configurations and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1 is a lateral elevational view of an article of footwear having a cable lock movable between a locked condition restricting movement of a cable and an unlocked condition permitting movement of the cable in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a medial side elevational view of the article of footwear of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a bottom perspective view of the article of footwear of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4A is a top perspective view of the article of footwear of FIG. 1, showing the cable in a relaxed position;

FIG. 4B is a top perspective view of the article of footwear of FIG. 1, showing the cables in a retracted state, with the lateral side of the article of footwear tightened more than the medial side of the article of footwear;

FIG. 4C is a top perspective view of the article of footwear of FIG. 1, showing the cables in another contracted state, the lateral side of the article of footwear being tightened less than the medial side of the article of footwear;

FIG. 5 is a lateral elevational view of another article of footwear having a cable lock movable between a locked condition restricting movement of a cable and an unlocked condition permitting movement of the cable in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a medial side elevational view of the article of footwear of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a bottom perspective view of the article of footwear of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8A is a top perspective view of the article of footwear of FIG. 5, showing the cable in a relaxed position;

FIG. 8B is a top perspective view of the article of footwear of FIG. 5, showing the cables in a retracted state, the lateral side of the article of footwear being tightened more than the medial side of the article of footwear;

FIG. 8C is a top perspective view of the article of footwear of FIG. 5, showing the cables in another contracted state, the lateral side of the article of footwear being tightened less than the medial side of the article of footwear;

FIG. 9 is a lateral elevational view of another article of footwear having a cable lock movable between a locked condition restricting movement of a cable and an unlocked condition permitting movement of the cable in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a medial side elevational view of the article of footwear of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a top perspective view of the article of footwear of FIG. 9;

FIG. 12 is a lateral elevational view of another article of footwear having a cable lock movable between a locked condition restricting movement of a cable and an unlocked condition permitting movement of the cable in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 13 is a medial side elevational view of the article of footwear of FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a top perspective view of the article of footwear of FIG. 12;

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a locking lock and cable according to the principles of the present disclosure;

FIG. 16 is an exploded view of the cable lock and cable of FIG. 15 showing the locking member and housing of the cable lock;

FIG. 17 is a top view of the cable lock of FIG. 15 when the locking member is in the locked condition, showing the housing with the cover removed to expose the locking member slidably disposed within the housing;

FIG. 18 is a top view of the cable lock of FIG. 15 when the locking member is in an unlocked condition, showing the housing with the cover removed to expose the locking member slidably disposed within the housing;

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of the cable lock of FIG. 15 showing a housing of the cable lock;

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of a cable lock and cable according to the principles of the present disclosure;

FIG. 21 is an exploded view of the cable lock and cable of FIG. 20 showing the locking member and housing of the cable lock;

FIG. 22 is a top view of the cable lock of FIG. 20 when the locking member is in the locked condition, showing the housing with the cover removed to expose the locking member slidably disposed within the housing;

FIG. 23 is a top view of the cable lock of FIG. 20 when the locking member is in the unlocked state, showing the housing with the cover removed to expose the locking member slidably disposed within the housing;

FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional view of the cable lock of FIG. 20 taken along section line 24-24 of FIG. 22, illustrating the interface between the pulley and the prong of the cable lock;

FIG. 25 is a perspective view of the housing of the cable lock of FIG. 20, whereby the housing includes a prong for interfacing with a pulley of the cable lock;

FIG. 26 is a perspective view of another example of the housing of the cable lock of FIG. 20, whereby the housing does not include a prong for interfacing with a pulley of the cable lock; and

fig. 27 is a perspective view of a pulley of the cable lock of fig. 20.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.

Detailed Description

Example configurations will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. Example configurations are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art. Specific details are set forth such as examples of specific components, devices, and methods in order to provide a thorough understanding of the construction of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details need not be employed, that example configurations may be embodied in many different forms, and that the specific details and example configurations should not be construed as limiting the scope of the description.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular example configurations and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular articles "a", "an" and "the" are intended to cover the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms "comprises," "comprising," "including," and "having" are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance in the particular order discussed or illustrated, unless specifically identified as an order of performance. Additional or alternative steps may be utilized.

When an element or layer is referred to as being "on," engaged to, "" connected to, "attached to," or "coupled to" another element or layer, it may be directly on, engaged, connected, attached or coupled to the other element or layer, or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly on," directly engaged to, "" directly connected to, "directly attached to," or "directly coupled to" another element or layer, there may be no intervening elements or layers present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements are to be understood in a similar manner (e.g., "between," "adjacent" with respect to "directly adjacent," etc.). As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

The terms first, second, third and the like may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections. These elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. Such data may be used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Terms such as "first," "second," and other numerical terms do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated herein. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the example configurations.

One aspect of the present disclosure provides an article of footwear. The article of footwear includes an upper defining an interior void and having a first region and a second region. The article of footwear also includes a sole structure attached to the upper. The article of footwear also includes a cable including a first fastening section extending across the first region to a first terminal end anchored to one of the upper and the sole structure and a second fastening section extending across the second region to a second terminal end anchored to one of the upper and the sole structure. The article of footwear also includes a cable lock attached to one of the upper and the sole structure, the cable lock configured to receive the first and second fastening segments and operable to fix a position of each of the first and second fastening segments independent of each other.

Implementations of the disclosure may include one or more of the following optional features. In some embodiments, either or both of the first region and the second region comprise an elastic material. The first region is disposed on a medial side of the upper and the second region is disposed on a lateral side of the upper. The first region may be further disposed closer to an ankle opening of the upper than the second region, and the second region may be further disposed closer to a toe region of the upper than the first region. In some examples, the first terminal end is anchored to a medial side of the upper and the second terminal end is anchored to a lateral side of the upper.

In some configurations, the cable lock is disposed within the sole structure. Here, the cable lock further comprises a release cable operable to move the cable lock from the locked state to the unlocked state.

In some embodiments, at least one of the first and second regions includes an upper edge having a first series of cable guides and a lower edge having a second series of cable guides, the at least one of the first and second fastening segments being alternately arranged between the first and second series of cable guides along a length of the at least one of the first and second regions. The cable may include a first control segment connected to the first fastening segment by a cable lock and a second control segment connected to the second fastening segment by a cable lock. The tensile force applied to the first control segment includes a first tightening force to the first fastening segment and a second tightening force to the second fastening segment. The first tightening force is greater than the second tightening force or less than the second tightening force.

Another aspect of the present disclosure provides an article of footwear. The article of footwear includes an upper defining an interior void and having a first region and a second region, and a sole structure attached to the upper. The article of footwear also includes a cable including a first fastening section extending across the first region to be anchored to the first terminal end of the upper, a second fastening section extending across the second region to be anchored to the second terminal end of the upper, and a control portion operable to provide at least one of a first tightening force to the first fastening section and a second tightening force to the second fastening section, the first tightening force being greater than or less than the second tightening force. The article of footwear also includes a cable lock attached to one of the upper and the sole structure and receiving a portion of the cable therein, the cable lock operable between a locked state preventing movement of the cable and an unlocked state allowing movement of the cable.

Implementations of the disclosure may include one or more of the following optional features. In some embodiments, the first and second fastening segments are connected to the control portion at a cable lock. The cable lock may be disposed within the sole structure. The cable lock further includes a release cable operable to move the cable lock from the locked state to the unlocked state.

In some embodiments, the first region is disposed on a medial side of the upper and the second region is disposed on a lateral side of the upper. Here, at least one of the first region and the second region extends from the ankle opening to a forefoot region of the upper. The first region may be further disposed closer to an ankle opening of the upper than the second region, and the second region may be further disposed closer to a toe region of the upper than the first region.

In other examples, at least one of the first and second regions includes an upper edge having a first series of cable guides and a lower edge having a second series of cable guides, whereby at least one of the first and second fastening sections is alternately arranged between the first and second series of cable guides along a length of the at least one of the first and second regions. In other examples, the first terminal end is disposed on a medial side of the upper and the second terminal end is disposed on a lateral side of the upper.

In some configurations, the control portion includes a first control segment connected to the first fastening segment at the sole structure and a second control segment connected to the second fastening segment at the sole structure. The tensile force applied to the first control segment includes a first tightening force to the first fastening segment and a second tightening force to the second fastening segment.

Referring to fig. 1-3, an example of an article of footwear 10 is disclosed that includes a system that provides a variable tensioning force. In some embodiments, article of footwear 10 includes an upper 100 and a sole structure 200 attached to upper 100. Article of footwear 10 also includes cable lock 300 and fastening system 400 incorporated into at least one of upper 100 and sole structure 200. Fastening system 400 includes a cable 402 that cooperates with cable lock 300 to move article of footwear 10 between a retracted state and a relaxed state, as described in detail below. In particular, cable 402 is in the tightening direction D_TMovable to move the article of footwear 10 to a retracted state. In some embodiments, upper 100 and sole structure 200 cooperate to provide channels and guides for guiding portions of cable 402 through cable lock 300. The cable lock 300 is configured to selectively secure the cable 402 in a retracted state.

Article of footwear 10 may be divided into one or more regions. The areas may include a forefoot portion 12, a midfoot portion 14, and a heel portion 16. Forefoot region 12 may correspond with the joints and toes connecting the metatarsals with the phalanges of the foot. Midfoot region 14 may correspond with the arch region of a foot, while heel region 16 may correspond with a rear region of the foot, including the calcaneus bone. Footwear 10 may also include a forward end 18 associated with a forward-most point of forefoot region 12 and a rearward end 20 corresponding with a rearward-most point of heel region 16. As shown in fig. 3, a longitudinal axis AF of footwear 10 extends along the length of footwear 10 from a forward end 18 to a rearward end 20, and generally divides footwear 10 into a lateral side 22 and a medial side 24. Accordingly, lateral side 22 and medial side 24 correspond with opposite sides of footwear 10 and extend through regions 12, 14, 16, respectively.

Upper 100 includes an interior surface that defines an interior void 102 configured to receive and secure a foot for support on sole structure 200. An ankle opening 104 in heel portion 16 may provide access to interior void 102. For example, ankle opening 104 may receive the foot to secure the foot within void 102 and facilitate the movement of the foot into and out of interior void 102. Upper 100 may include a tongue portion 106 that extends between lateral side 22 and medial side 24 and covers interior void 102. Upper 100 may include one or more gripping features 108 formed adjacent to ankle opening 104 for pulling footwear 10 into and out of the foot.

Upper 100 may be formed from one or more materials that are stitched or bonded together to form interior void 102. Suitable materials for upper 100 may include, but are not limited to, textiles, foam, leather, and synthetic leather. The example upper 100 may be formed from a combination of one or more substantially inelastic or non-stretchable materials and one or more substantially elastic or stretchable materials that are disposed in different areas of the upper 100 to facilitate movement of the upper 100 between the contracted state and the relaxed state. The one or more elastic materials may include any combination of one or more elastic fabrics, such as, but not limited to, spandex, elastic fiber, rubber, or neoprene. The one or more non-elastic materials may include any combination of one or more of thermoplastic polyurethane, nylon, leather, vinyl, or another material/fabric that does not impart elastic properties.

For example, one or both of lateral side 22 and medial side 24 of upper 100 may include inelastic regions 110 formed from the one or more inelastic materials and one or more adjustment regions 112, 114 formed from the one or more elastic materials. Adjustment areas 112, 114 may be partially defined by inelastic regions 110 to provide elastic regions of upper 100. Each of the adjustment regions 112, 114 extends from the first end 116 to the second end 118 in one of the forefoot region 12 and the midfoot region 14, and includes an upper edge 120 and a lower edge 122 formed on an opposite side of the adjustment regions 112, 114 from the upper edge 120 and extending between the first end 116 and the second end 118. In some examples, first end portion 116 may be formed at ankle opening 104. Accordingly, first end portions 116 of adjustment regions 112, 114 define a portion of ankle opening 104 and provide a degree of stretch to ankle opening 104 to accommodate receipt of a foot.

In the illustrated example, upper 100 includes a first adjustment region 112 disposed on lateral side 22 of upper 100 and a second adjustment region 114 disposed on medial side 24 of upper 100. Generally, first adjustment area 112 extends from a first end 116 at ankle opening 104 along lateral side 22 of upper 100 to a second end 118 at forefoot region 12, and second adjustment area 114 extends from first end 116 at ankle opening 104 along medial side 24 of upper 100 to second end 118 in midfoot region 14 or forefoot region 12.

In one example of upper 100, as shown in fig. 1-4, first adjustment region 112 extends on lateral side 22 of upper 100 from a first end 116 at ankle opening 104 along lateral side 22 through midfoot region 14 to a second end 118 on lateral side 22 of upper 100 in forefoot region 12. Likewise, second adjustment area 114 extends on medial side 24 of upper 100 from a first end 116 at ankle opening 104 through midfoot region 14 along medial side 24 of upper 100 to a second end 118 adjacent forefoot region 12. Upper edge 120 and lower edge 122 of at least one of adjustment regions 112, 114 of upper 100 may be formed with a serpentine profile, whereby the width of adjustment regions 112, 114 from upper edge 120 to lower edge 122 is variable along at least a portion of the length of adjustment regions 112, 114 from first end 116 to second end 118. In some examples, a portion of lower edge 120 of at least one of adjustment regions 112 may coincide with sole structure 200 and extend along sole structure 200.

In some embodiments, sole structure 200 includes an outer sole plate 202. Outer baseplate 202 includes a ground engaging surface 204 and an opposing inner surface 206 formed on an opposite side of outer baseplate 202 from ground engaging surface 204. A peripheral side surface 208 extends between ground engaging surface 204 and inner surface 206 and defines an outer periphery of outer baseplate 202. In the illustrated example, exterior chassis 202 extends from front end 18 to rear end 20 of footwear 10. Exterior sole plate 202 may be attached to upper 100 using stitching or an adhesive. Outer sole plate 202 generally provides frictional resistance and traction with a ground surface, and may be formed of one or more materials that impart durability and wear resistance, as well as enhance traction with the ground surface. In some examples, sole structure 200 may be formed with one or more cushioning layers, including a midsole and/or a midsole, and an outsole may be formed from a resilient polymeric material, such as rubber.

As shown in fig. 3, sole structure 200 may include a cavity 210 for receiving a cable lock 300 therein. In the example shown, the cavity 210 is formed through the ground engaging surface 204 of the outer sole plate 202 such that the cable lock 300 is exposed along the ground engaging surface 204. Other configurations may include a cavity 210 formed into the inner surface 206 without extending through the ground engaging surface 204. In some examples, sole structure 200 may also include a plurality of conduits 212 extending from cavity 210 to peripheral side surface 208 for guiding respective cables and cord guides between cable lock 300 to the exterior of upper 100. In some examples, the conduit 212 may be formed from a different material than the outer base plate 202. For example, conduit 212 may be a tubular insert formed of a material having a lower coefficient of friction than the material of outer sole plate 202 to minimize friction between cable 402 and sole structure 200.

Referring to the example shown in fig. 3, the ground engaging surface 204 of the outer sole plate 202 includes a plurality of traction elements 214a, 214b extending therefrom. Traction elements 214a, 214b include an integral traction element 214a and an attached traction element 214 b. The unitary traction elements 214a are formed from the same material as the outer sole plate 202 and are integrally formed with the ground engaging surface 204 during the molding process.

In contrast to the unitary traction elements 214a, the attached traction elements 214b are initially formed separately from the outer sole plate 202 and are secured to the outer sole plate 202 during or after the molding process. As shown in fig. 3, the attached traction element 214b may include a flange 216 and a cleat 218 extending from the flange 216. In some examples, the flange 216 may include a plurality of radially disposed tabs configured to engage the material of the outer base plate 202 to prevent rotation of the traction elements 214 b. The studs 218 may be tapered and protrude from the ground engaging surface 204 of the outer sole plate 202.

In some examples, the flange 216 of the attached traction element 214b is encapsulated within the outer sole plate 202 between the inner surface 206 and the ground engaging surface 204. For example, during a molding process for forming outer sole plate 202, attached traction elements 214b may initially be provided to an outer sole plate mold such that cleats 218 are received by a mold surface corresponding to ground engaging surface 204 of outer sole plate 202, while flanges 216 are spaced apart from the mold surface corresponding to ground engaging surface 204 of outer sole plate 202. The molten material is then provided to the forefoot mold and encapsulates the flange 216 within the outer sole plate 202, while the studs 218 extend through the outer sole plate 202 and protrude from the ground engaging surface 204, as shown in fig. 3.

Additionally or alternatively, cleats 218 may be removably attached to outer sole plate 202 such that cleats 218 may be replaced. For example, the outer base plate 202 may have a threaded bushing 220 including a flange 216 that is encased within the outer base plate 202 in a similar manner as described above with respect to the traction elements 214 b. The threaded bushing 220 may be exposed through the ground engaging surface 204 of the outer sole plate 202 such that corresponding threads of the stud 218 may engage the threaded bushing 220 to removably secure the stud 218. However, in contrast to the exemplary embodiments shown in FIGS. 1-3, not all embodiments of the present invention include footwear having an outer sole plate 202 and/or traction cleats 218, but may instead include, for example, a cushioning midsole and a rubber outsole, or a unitary midsole/outsole structure.

As best shown in fig. 4A, fastening system 400 includes a cable 402 and a tracking system 404 formed on or in upper 100 or sole structure 200 for guiding cable 402 and causing cable 402 to distribute tension along article of footwear 10. As shown in fig. 1, the tightening force F_TAnd a relaxation force F_LIs applied to a respective control portion 406 and the securing portion 408 causes a tensile force to be applied along the length of the cable 402. Normally, when the force F is tightened_TOr relaxation forces F_LWhen one of the cables 402 is applied, the tracking system 404 distributes the tension of the cable 402 along a plurality of points of the upper and lower edges 120, 122 of the adjustment zones 112, 114 to retract the adjustment zones 112, 114 or to allow the adjustment zones 112, 114 to relax, as discussed in more detail below.

The cable 402 may be highly lubricious and/or may be formed from one or more fibers having a low modulus of elasticity and high tensile strength. For example, the fibers may include high modulus polyethylene fibers having a high strength to weight ratio and low elasticity. Additionally or alternatively, the cable 402 may be formed from molded monofilament polymer and/or braided steel with or without other lubricious coatings. In some examples, cable 402 includes multiple strands of material braided together.

In the example shown, the cable 402 includes a control portion 406 extending from the cable lock 300 in a first direction, a fastening portion 408 extending from the cable lock 300 in a second direction, and a locking portion 410 connecting the control portion 406 and the fastening portion 408. The control portion 406 is configured to have a tightening force F applied thereto_TSo that the cable 402 is in the tightening direction D_TAnd (4) moving. When incorporated into article of footwear 10, control portion 406 may be disposed on article of footwear 10 such that a user may easily grasp it to tighten direction D_TCable 402 is pulled. When fastening force F_TWhen applied to control portion 406, fastening portion 408 is configured to cooperate with tracking system 404 to tighten article of footwear 10. Conversely, the control portion 408 is also configured to have a relaxing force F applied thereto_TTo move the cable 402 in the slack direction DL. The locking portion 410 is disposed within the cable lock 300 and engages the cable lock to fix the position of the cable 402, as described in more detail below.

Referring to fig. 4A, the cable 402 may include various segments defined with respect to the cable lock 300. For example, the control portion 406 may be referred to as including a first control segment 412 and a second control segment 414. As shown, first control segment 412 extends from cable lock 300 along lateral side 22 of upper 100 at the bottom of sole structure 200, while second control segment 414 extends from cable lock 300 along medial side 24 of upper 100.

Likewise, the fastening portion 408 may include a first fastening section 416 and a second fastening section 418. First fastening segment 416 extends from cable lock 300 on the bottom of sole structure 200 and is disposed along first adjustment region 112. Similarly, a second fastening segment 418 extends from the cable lock 300 and is disposed along the second adjustment region 114. The first control segment 412 is connected to the first fastening segment 416 by a first locking segment 420 that extends through the cable lock 300, and the second control segment 414 is connected to the second fastening segment 418 by a second locking segment 422 that extends through the cable lock 300.

In the illustrated example, the first control segment 412 and the second control segment 414 are connected to each other and define a continuous length of cable 402 that extends from the cable lock 300 around the tongue portion 106 of the upper 100 and back to the cable lock 300. In contrast to the continuously formed control portion 406, the fastening portion 408 is not continuous such that each fastening section 416, 418 includes a terminal end 424. As discussed in more detail below, tip ends 424 may be attached to inelastic regions 110 of upper 100 at discrete locations from one another. Alternatively, terminal ends 424 may be connected to one another at another area of footwear 10.

While the overall length of the cable 402 remains constant, the effective length of the control portion 406 and the securing portion 408 of the cable 402 depends on the position of the cable 402 relative to the cable lock 300. For example, when the control portion 406 is pulled and the cable 402 is pulled in the tightening direction D by the cable lock 300_TWhen moved, the effective length of the control portion 406 will increase and the effective length of the securing portion 408 will decrease. Conversely, when the securing portion 408 is pulled and the cable 402 is routed through the cable lock 300 in the slack direction D_LUpon movement, the effective length of fastening portion 408 will increase to slacken the article of footwear 10 and the effective length of control portion 406 will decrease. As described above, the locking portion 410 refers to a portion of the cable 402 contained within the cable lock 300, regardless of the position of the cable 402. Thus, the control portion 406, the securing portion 408, and the locking portion 410 are not fixed portions of the cable 402 itself, but are dependent on the position of the cable 402 relative to the cable lock 300.

Cable 402 of fastening system 400 is configured to cooperate with cable lock 300 to move article of footwear 10 between a retracted state and a relaxed state, as described in detail below. In an exemplary embodiment, cable lock 300 and fastening system 400 are configured to cooperate with upper 100 to provide zoned tightening, whereby a tightening force F applied to a portion of cable 402 associated with lateral side 22 of footwear 10_T1、F_T2Or relaxation forces F_L1、F_L2And are applied to footwear10 tension F of the portion of cable 402 associated with inner side 24_T1、F_T2Or relaxation forces F_L1、F_L2Different. Accordingly, lateral side 22 and medial side 24 of upper 100 may be adjusted to have different degrees of tightness along different portions of the foot. For example, a tightening force F having a first magnitude_TlCan be applied to the first control section 412 with a tightening force F of a second magnitude_T2Is applied to the second control segment 414. Thus, the first tightening force F_T1Will be applied to the first locking segment 420 and the second tightening force F_T2Will be applied to the second locking segment 422 causing the first locking segment 420 to be pulled through the cable lock 300 at a greater speed than the second locking segment 422. Because the terminal ends 424 of the fastening segments 416, 418 are separated from each other, the first fastening force F_T1Will be applied to the first fastening section 416 and the second fastening force F_T2Will be applied to the second fastening section 418.

In some examples, at least one of lateral side 22 and medial side 24 of upper 100 includes a series of cable guides 426 that guide cables 402 from conduits 212 of exterior sole plate 202 along upper 100. In the example shown, the cable guide 426 of the tracking system 404 is formed from a fabric or mesh loop that defines a channel for slidably receiving the cable 402 therethrough. In other examples, the cable guide 426 may include apertures (e.g., eyelets) formed through the inelastic region 110 of the upper 100, or a fabric or mesh loop attached to the inelastic region 110 of the upper 100 to receive the fastening sections 416, 418. When the cable 402 is in the take-up direction D_TThe fabric or mesh loop/webbing may rub against the cable 402 as it moves.

The maximum number of fabric or mesh loops used as the cable guide 426 may be selected to not exceed a threshold number of turns of the cable 402 so that the accumulated friction does not adversely inhibit the cable 402 from tightening in the direction D_TThe movement of (2). In some examples, the cable guide 426 may be formed of a rigid, low-friction material (e.g., high-density polyethylene, etc.) and have an arcuate inner surface for receiving the cable 402. In some examples, the inner (i.e., cable contact) surface of the cable guide 426 is lined with or coated with a low friction coatingA wiping material, such as a lubricious polymer (e.g., polytetrafluoroethylene, etc.), that facilitates movement of the cable 402 therein. By coating the cable guide 426 with a low friction material, the number of turns taken per lace pattern can be increased without creating a detrimentally high (e.g., functionally compromised) level of friction in the cable path.

With continued reference to fig. 4A, first and second fastening segments 416, 418 are guided through a plurality of cable guides 426 disposed along adjustment regions 112, 114 of upper 100. After passing through cable guide 426, terminal ends 424 of first fastening segment 416 and second fastening segment 418 are attached to inelastic region 110 of upper 100. In the example shown, terminal end 424 is attached to upper 100 at discrete attachment points 428 adjacent second ends 118 of adjustment regions 112, 114. In other examples, the terminal ends 424 may be operably connected to one another at a single attachment point. For example, connector 424 may connect terminal ends 424 to one another, or terminal ends 424 may be knotted together, adhered to one another, or fused together.

Referring to fig. 4A, each of lateral side 22 and medial side 24 of upper 100 includes a first series of cable guides 426 disposed along upper edge 120 of adjustment regions 112, 114 and a second series of cable guides 426 disposed along lower edge 122 of respective adjustment regions 112, 114. Thus, the adjustment regions 112, 114 are disposed between the upper and lower series of cable guides 426. As shown, the cable guides 426 alternate along the upper and lower edges 120, 122 such that the cable 402 is guided between the upper and lower edges 120, 122 in a serpentine manner along the length of the conditioning regions 112, 114 by the cable guides 426.

The number of cable guides 426 may be selected to provide for a cable 402 in a take-up direction D_TOr a relaxation direction D_FProviding a low level of friction when moving. Although this example shows cable guides 426 on each of the lateral side 22 and the medial side 24 including two cable guides along the upper edge 120 and two cable guides 426 along the lower edge 122, other configurations may include a greater or lesser number of cable guides 426 per group. In some examples, upper edge 120 includes a greater number than lower edge 122A cable guide 426. In yet another example, the upper edge 120 and the lower edge 122 each include the same number of cable guides 426. In addition, cable guide 426 may be selectively placed on upper 100 such that each portion of cable 402 extending between upper edge 120 and lower edge 122 is substantially straight to reduce instances when the cable is in the tightening and loosening direction D_T、D_LFriction while moving.

As shown in fig. 3, fastening system 400 may incorporate conduits 212a-212e formed in sole structure 200. The conduits 212a-212e are configured to receive and guide the ends of the cable 402 and release cord 384 extending from the cable lock 300 through the outer baseplate 202. Here, the first conduit 212a may receive an end of a first control segment 412 extending between the cable lock 300 and the outer side 22, and the second conduit 212b may receive an end of a second control segment 414 extending between the cable lock 300 and the inner side 24. Likewise, the third conduit 212c receives the end of the first fastening section 416 extending between the cable lock 300 and the outer side 22, and the fourth conduit 212d receives the end 24 of the second fastening section 418 extending between the cable lock 300 and the inner side 22. The release conduit 212e is configured to receive and guide the portion of the release cable 384 extending from the cable lock 300. In the example shown in fig. 3, the release conduit 212e extends from the cable lock 300 toward the rear end 20 of the sole structure 200.

Fastening system 400 can also include one or more channels 430 for routing cable 402 and/or releasing cable 384 along upper 100. Channel 430 may be formed within upper 100, or alternatively, channel 430 may be defined by a sheath or cover attached to an exterior surface of upper 100. In the illustrated example, footwear 10 includes a relief channel 430 that extends vertically along upper 100 from a first end adjacent an opening of relief conduit 212e formed in peripheral side surface 208 to a second end adjacent ankle opening 104. Relief channel 430 is configured to guide relief cable 384 from outer sole plate 202 to an area of upper 100 that is readily accessible to a wearer.

In the example footwear 10 shown in fig. 1-4, relief channel 430 extends vertically along rear end 20 of upper 100 from a first end adjacent relief conduit 212e to an opening at the ankle104 at a rear portion thereof. Thus, release cable 384 is routed from cable lock 300 through release conduit 212e and exits peripheral side surface 208 of outer floor 202 at rear end 20. The release cable 384 then passes upwardly through the first end of the release channel 430 and extends from the second end. Thus, the portion of release cable 384 extending from release channel 430 can be grasped by the wearer to apply release force F_RFor moving the cable lock 300 to the unlocked state.

As described above, the control portion 406 of the cable 402 is a continuous loop extending from the cable lock 300. As shown in fig. 1, 2, 5, and 6, control portion 406 extends around tongue portion 106 proximate ankle opening 104 (i.e., proximate the area above the instep of the wearer's foot). The portion of the control portion 406 that extends around the tongue portion 106 may be enclosed within one or more sheaths 432. Each sheath 432 may additionally be formed of materials and/or braids as described below: when the control part 406 is tightened by means of the tightening force F_T(i.e., when the cable 402 is in the take-up direction D_TWhen moved) in a direction away from upper 100, control portion 406 of cable 402 and sheath 432 are allowed to move from a relaxed state to a stretched or expanded state. When tightening force F_TWhen removed, the material and/or braid of the sheath 432 automatically contracts the sheath 432 to a relaxed state and accommodates the bundle with the cable 402 therein.

In the example shown, a separate control portion grip 434 is operatively connected to the sheath 432 at an attachment location proximate the tongue portion 106 to allow a user to apply the cinching force F_TTo pull control portion 406 away from the upper, thereby contracting adjustment regions 112, 114 by simultaneously drawing upper and lower edges 120, 122 toward one another to bring upper 100 into a contracted state. Other configurations may include operably connecting the control portion grip 434 to other portions of the sheath 432 along the length of the control portion 406. In some embodiments, by allowing a user to grasp and apply a tightening force F_TTo pull control portion 406 away from upper 100, control portion grip 434 is omitted, and sheath 432 corresponds with control portion 406.

In the example footwear 10 shown in fig. 1-4, tracking system 404 also includes a closure 436 for securing control portion grip 434 to upper 100 during use. For example, when in the contracted state, control portion 406 may have more slack than can be accommodated by being tightened (take-up) by sheath 432, and may need to be constrained against upper 100. Alternatively, in instances where sheath 432 has a sufficient degree of tightness to hold control portion 406 against the upper, footwear 10a may not include a closure.

Referring to fig. 4A-4C, the use of cable lock 300 and fastening system 400 in conjunction with upper 100 and sole structure 200 is illustrated. Fig. 4A shows an example of footwear 10 in a relaxed state, where first fastening segment 416 and second fastening segment 418 have slack, and adjustment regions 112, 114 are in the relaxed state. In the relaxed state, the foot of the wearer may be inserted into interior void 102 of upper 100 via ankle opening 104. The slack in the fastening segments 416, 418 allows the adjustment regions 112, 114 to move to a stretched or expanded state, thereby increasing the effective volume of the interior void 102 to accommodate the foot of the wearer. Adjustment regions 112, 114 may be formed of an elastic material to provide a first degree of contraction to the wearer's foot to retain footwear 10 on the foot prior to transitioning the footwear to a contracted state.

As shown in FIG. 4B, footwear 10 may be moved to the first contracted state by pulling control portion 406 toward one of lateral side 22 and medial side 24. For example, control portion 406 is shown pulled toward medial side 24 to transition upper 100 to the first, contracted state. More specifically, as the control portion 406 is pulled toward the inner side 24, the first tightening force F_T1Is applied to the first control section 412 with a smaller second tightening force F_T2Is applied to the second control segment 414. Following the first tightening force F_T1From the first control section 412 to the first fastening section 416, a first tightening force F_T1Causing the first locking segment 420 of the cable 402 to be pulled through the cable lock 300a first distance. Applying a first tension force F to the first fastening section 416_T1Causing cable guide 426 along upper edge 120 to move toward opposing cable guide 426 along lower edge 122 of first adjustment region 112 on lateral side 22. As a result, the upper edge 120 and the lower edge of the first conditioning area 112The rims 122 are pulled toward each other as indicated by arrows T1, thereby contracting the first adjustment region 112 about the wearer's foot. By contracting the first adjustment region 112, the amount that the elastic material of the adjustment region 112 can stretch is effectively limited by the first fastening section 416. First tightening force F_T1May be selected based on the desired amount of stretch allowed in the first adjustment region 112.

At the same time, pulling the control portion 406 toward the medial side 24 results in less than the first tightening force F_T1Second tightening force F_T2Is applied to the second control segment 414. Following the second tightening force F_T2From the second control section 414 to the second fastening section 418, a second tightening force F_T2Causing the second locking segment 422 of the cable 402 to be pulled through the cable lock 300a second distance. Applying a second tension force F to the second fastening section 418_T2Causing cable guide 426 along upper edge 120 of second adjustment region 114 to move toward cable guide 426 along lower edge 122 of second adjustment region 114 of upper 100. As a result, upper edge 120 and lower edge 122 are pulled toward one another, as indicated by arrow T2, thereby contracting second adjustment region 114 about the wearer's foot. Second tightening force F_T2Less than the first tightening force F_T1Such that first conditioning region 112 will be constricted by first fastening section 416 to a greater extent than second conditioning region 114 will be constricted 418 by second fastening. Thus, second accommodation region 114 will be more elastic than first accommodation region 112. With a first tightening force F_T1Likewise, a second tightening force F_T2May be selected by the wearer based on the desired amount of stretch permitted in the second adjustment region 114. In some cases, the second tightening force F_T2May not be present or may not be sufficient in the tightening direction D_TCable 402 is moved up, whereby second adjustment region 114 will not be retracted at all.

As shown in fig. 4C, footwear 10 may be moved to the second, contracted state by pulling control portion 406 toward lateral side 22. For example, as the control portion 406 is pulled toward the outer side 22, the first tightening force F_T1Is applied to the second control section 414 with a smaller second tightening force F_T2Is applied to the first control segment 412. Followed byA first tightening force F_T1From the second control section 414 to the second fastening section 418, the first tightening force F_T1Causing the second locking segment 422 of the cable 402 to be pulled through the cable lock 332 a first distance. Applying a first tension force F to the second fastening section 418_T1Causing cable guide 426 along upper edge 120 of second conditioning region 114 to be pulled toward cable guide 426 along lower edge 122 of second conditioning region 114. As a result, upper edge 120 and lower edge 122 of second adjustment region 114 are pulled toward one another, as indicated by arrow T1, thereby contracting second adjustment region 114 about the wearer's foot. By contracting second adjustment region 114, the amount that the elastic material of adjustment region 114 can stretch is effectively limited by second fastening segment 418. First tightening force F_T1May be selected based on the desired amount of stretch allowed in the second adjustment region 114.

At the same time, pulling the control portion 406 toward the outer side 22 results in less than the first tightening force F_T1Second tightening force F_T2Is applied to the first control segment 412. Following the second tightening force F_T2From the first control section 412 to the first fastening section 416, the second tightening force F_T2Causing the first locking segment 420 of the cable 402 to be pulled through the cable lock 300a second distance. Applying a second tension force F to the first fastening section 416_T2Causing cable guide 426 along upper edge 120 of first conditioning region 112 to be pulled toward cable guide 426 along lower edge 122 of first conditioning region 112. As a result, upper edge 120 and lower edge 122 of first conditioning area 112 may be pulled toward one another, as indicated by arrow T2, thereby contracting first conditioning area 112 about the wearer's foot. Here, the second tightening force F_T2Less than the first tightening force F_T1Such that first conditioning region 112 will be constricted by first fastening section 416 to a lesser extent than second conditioning region 114 will be constricted 418 by second fastening. Thus, first accommodation region 112 will be more flexible than second accommodation region 114. With a first tightening force F_T1Likewise, a second tightening force F_T2May be selected by the wearer based on the desired amount of stretch permitted in the first adjustment region 112. In some cases, the second tightening force F_T2May not be present or may not be sufficient in the tightening direction D_TCable 402 is moved up so that first adjustment region 112 will not be retracted at all.

In some examples, the first tightening force F_T1And a second tightening force F_T2May be substantially the same. Thus, each of the first adjustment zone 112 and the second adjustment zone 114 may be contracted to the same extent, thereby causing the elastic material of the first adjustment zone 112 and the elastic material of the second adjustment zone 114 to be stretched to the same extent on the foot of the wearer.

In the example shown in fig. 2, closure member 436 includes a base portion 438 that is attached to upper 100 adjacent ankle opening 104, and a flap 440 that extends from a first end of base portion 438 to a freely hanging distal end. Thus, the closure 436 includes a living hinge at the first end of the base 438, whereby the flaps 440 are operable between the open and closed positions by moving the distal ends of the flaps 440 relative to the first end of the base 438. The closure 436 includes one or more fasteners 442 such that the distal ends of the flaps 440 can be removably coupled to the base 438 in the closed position. For example, the base 438 can include a first fastener portion 442a and the flap 440 can include a corresponding second fastener portion 442 b. In the closed position, the second fastener portions 442b of the flaps 440 are removably attached to the first fastener portions 442a of the base 438. Here, the fins 440 and the base 438 define channels 444 between the base 438 and the fins 440 for receiving and securing the control portion 406. In the open position, the second fastener portion 442b is removed from the first fastener portion 442a such that the flaps 440 can be pulled away from the base 438, allowing the control portion 406 to be removed from the closure 436.

Referring to fig. 5-8C, an article of footwear 10a is provided that includes an upper 100a and a sole structure 200a attached to the upper 100 a. In view of the substantial similarity in structure and function of the components associated with article of footwear 10 with respect to article of footwear 10a, like reference numerals are used hereinafter and in the drawings to identify like components, while like reference numerals, including letter extensions, are used to identify those components that have been modified.

Referring to FIG. 5, an example of an article of footwear 10a is disclosed that includes a system that provides a variable tensioning force. In some embodiments, article of footwear 10a includes an upper 100a and a sole structure 200a attached to upper 100 a. Article of footwear 10a also includes cable lock 300 and fastening system 400a incorporated into at least one of upper 100a and sole structure 200 a. Fastening system 400a includes a cable 402 that cooperates with cable lock 300 to move article of footwear 10a between a retracted state and a relaxed state, as described in detail below. In particular, cable 402 is in the tightening direction D_TMovable to move the article of footwear 10a to a retracted state. In some embodiments, upper 100a and sole structure 200a cooperate to provide channels and guides for guiding portions of cable 402 through cable lock 300. The cable lock 300 is configured to selectively secure the cable 402 in a retracted state.

Upper 100a includes an interior surface that defines an interior void 102 configured to receive and secure a foot for support on sole structure 200 a. An ankle opening 104 in heel portion 16 may provide access to interior void 102. For example, ankle opening 104 may receive the foot to secure the foot within void 102 and facilitate the movement of the foot into and out of interior void 102. Upper 100a may include a tongue portion 106 that extends between lateral side 22 and medial side 24 and covers interior void 102. Upper 100a may include one or more gripping features 108 formed adjacent to ankle opening 104 for pulling footwear 10a into and out of the foot.

Upper 100a may be formed from one or more materials that are stitched or bonded together to form interior void 102. Suitable materials for upper 100a may include, but are not limited to, textiles, foam, leather, and synthetic leather. The example upper 100a may be formed from a combination of one or more substantially inelastic or non-stretchable materials and one or more substantially elastic or stretchable materials disposed in different areas of the upper 100a to facilitate movement of the upper 100a between a contracted state and a relaxed state. The one or more elastic materials may include any combination of one or more elastic fabrics, such as, but not limited to, spandex, elastic fiber, rubber, or neoprene. The one or more non-elastic materials may include any combination of one or more of thermoplastic polyurethane, nylon, leather, vinyl, or another material/fabric that does not impart elastic properties.

For example, one or both of lateral side 22 and medial side 24 of upper 100a may include inelastic regions 110a formed from the one or more inelastic materials and one or more adjustment regions 112a, 114a formed from the one or more elastic materials. Adjustment areas 112a, 114a may be partially defined by inelastic regions 110a to provide elastic regions of upper 100 a. Each of the adjustment regions 112a, 114a extends from the first end 116 to the second end 118 in one of the forefoot region 12 and the midfoot region 14, and includes an upper edge 120 and a lower edge 122 formed on an opposite side of the adjustment regions 112a, 114a from the upper edge 120 and extending between the first end 116 and the second end 118. In some examples, first end portion 116 may be formed at ankle opening 104. Accordingly, first end portions 116 of adjustment regions 112a, 114a define a portion of ankle opening 104 and provide a degree of stretch to ankle opening 104 to accommodate receipt of a foot.

In the illustrated example, upper 100a includes a first conditioning region 112a disposed on lateral side 22 of upper 100a and a second conditioning region 114a disposed on medial side 24 of upper 100 a. Generally, first adjustment area 112a extends from a first end 116 at ankle opening 104 along lateral side 22 of upper 100a to a second end 118 at forefoot region 12, and second adjustment area 114a extends from first end 116 at ankle opening 104 along medial side 24 of upper 100a to second end 118 in midfoot region 14 or forefoot region 12.

In the example shown in fig. 5-8, first adjustment area 112a extends on lateral side 22 of upper 100a from a first end 116 at ankle opening 104 along lateral side 22 through midfoot region 14 to a second end 118 on lateral side 24 of upper 100a in forefoot region 12. Accordingly, first adjustment area 112a extends across the upper from medial side 24 to lateral side 22. Second adjustment area 104a of upper 100a extends on medial side 24 of upper 100a from first end 116 at ankle opening 104 along medial side 24 of upper 100a through midfoot region 14, over medial side 24 to second end 118 in forefoot region 14. In this example, the upper and lower edges 120, 122 of the adjustment regions 112a, 114a are arcuate and curved in a single direction, as opposed to the serpentine edges 120, 122 described above. Further, the upper edge 120 and the lower edge 122 may converge toward each other in a direction from the first end 116 to the second end 118. Thus, at least one of the first conditioning region 112a and the second conditioning region 114a can have a generally arcuate shape and a width that tapers along a length from the first end 116 to the second end 118.

In some embodiments, sole structure 200a includes an outer sole plate 202 a. Outer bottom plate 202a includes a ground engaging surface 204 and an opposing inner surface 206 formed on an opposite side of outer bottom plate 202a from ground engaging surface 204. A peripheral side surface 208 extends between ground engaging surface 204 and inner surface 206 and defines an outer periphery of outer bottom panel 202 a. In the illustrated example, exterior chassis 202a extends from front end 18 to rear end 20 of footwear 10 a. Exterior sole plate 202a may be attached to upper 100a using stitching or an adhesive. Outer sole plate 202a generally provides frictional resistance and traction with a ground surface, and may be formed of one or more materials that impart durability and wear resistance, as well as enhance traction with the ground surface. In some examples, sole structure 200a may be formed with one or more cushioning layers, including midsoles and/or mesopels, and outsoles may be formed from a resilient polymeric material, such as rubber.

As shown in fig. 7, sole structure 200a may include a cavity for receiving cable lock 300 therein. In the example shown, the cavity 210a is formed through the ground engaging surface 204 of the outer sole plate 202a such that the cable lock 300 is exposed along the ground engaging surface 204. Other configurations may include a cavity 210a formed into the inner surface 206 without extending through the ground engaging surface 204. In some examples, sole structure 200a may also include a plurality of conduits 212 extending from cavity 210a to peripheral side surface 208 for guiding cable locks 300 to various cables and cords between the exterior of upper 100 a. In some examples, the conduit 212 may be formed of a different material than the outer base plate 202 a. For example, conduit 212 may be a tubular insert formed of a material having a lower coefficient of friction than the material of outer sole plate 202a to minimize friction between cable 402 and sole structure 200 a.

Referring to fig. 7, the ground engaging surface 204 of the outer sole plate 202a may include a plurality of traction elements 214a, 214b, as described above with respect to the outer sole plate 202. The traction elements may include an integral traction element 214a and an attached traction element 214 b. The unitary traction element 214a is formed from the same material as the outer sole plate 202a and is integrally formed with the ground engaging surface 204, for example, during a molding process. However, in contrast to the exemplary embodiments shown in fig. 6-7, not all embodiments of the invention include footwear having an outsole plate 202 and/or traction elements 214a, 214b, but may instead include, for example, a cushioning midsole and a rubber outsole.

As best shown in fig. 8A, fastening system 400a includes a cable 402 and a tracking system 404a formed on or in upper 100a or sole structure 200a for guiding cable 402 and causing cable 402 to distribute tension along article of footwear 10 a. Normally, when the force F is tightened_TOr relaxation forces F_LIs applied to the cable 402, the tracking system 404 distributes the tension of the cable 402 along a plurality of points of the upper edge 120 and the lower edge 122 of the adjustment zones 112a, 114a to retract the adjustment zones 112a, 114a or to allow the adjustment zones 112a, 114a to relax, as discussed in more detail below.

In the example shown, the cable 402 includes a control portion 406 extending from the cable lock 300 in a first direction, a fastening portion 408 extending from the cable lock 300 in a second direction, and a locking portion 410 connecting the control portion 406 and the fastening portion 408. The control portion 406 is configured to have a tightening force F applied thereto_TSo that the cable 402 is in the tightening direction D_TAnd (4) moving. When incorporated into article of footwear 10a, control portion 406 may be disposed on article of footwear 10a such that a user may easily grasp it to tighten direction D_TCable 402 is pulled. When fastening force F_TWhen applied to control portion 406, fastening portion 408 is configured to cooperate with tracking system 404a to tighten article of footwear 10 a. Conversely, the control portion 408 is also configured to have slack applied theretoForce F_TTo let the cable 402 in the slack direction D_LAnd (4) moving. The locking portion 410 is disposed within the cable lock 300 and engages the cable lock 300 to fix the position of the cable 402, as described in more detail below.

Referring to fig. 8A, the cable 402 may include various segments defined with respect to the cable lock 300. For example, the control portion 406 may be referred to as including a first control segment 412 and a second control segment 414. As shown, first control segment 412 extends from cable lock 300 along lateral side 22 of upper 100a at the bottom of sole structure 200a, while second control segment 414 extends from cable lock 300 along medial side 24 of upper 100 a.

Likewise, the fastening portion 408 may include a first fastening section 416 and a second fastening section 418. First fastening segment 416 extends from cable lock 300 on the bottom of sole structure 200a and is disposed along first adjustment region 112 a. Similarly, a second fastening segment 418 extends from the cable lock 300 and is disposed along the second adjustment region 114 a. The first control segment 412 is connected to the first fastening segment 416 by a first locking segment 420 that extends through the cable lock 300, and the second control segment 414 is connected to the second fastening segment 418 by a second locking segment 422 that extends through the cable lock 300.

In the illustrated example, the first control segment 412 and the second control segment 414 are connected to each other and define a continuous length of cable 402 that extends from the cable lock 300 around the tongue portion 106 of the upper 100a and back to the cable lock 300. In contrast to the continuously formed control portion 406, the fastening portion 408 is not continuous such that each fastening section 416, 418 includes a terminal end 424. As discussed in more detail below, tip ends 424 may be attached to inelastic regions 110a of upper 100a at discrete locations from one another. Alternatively, the terminal ends 424 may be connected to one another at another area of the footwear 10 a.

While the overall length of the cable 402 remains constant, the effective length of the control portion 406 and the securing portion 408 of the cable 402 depends on the position of the cable 402 relative to the cable lock 300. For example, when the control portion 406 is pulled and the cable 402 is pulled in the tightening direction D by the cable lock 300_TWhen moved, the effective length of the control portion 406 will increase and the effective length of the securing portion 408 will decrease. Phase (C)Conversely, when the securing portion 408 is pulled and the cable 402 is routed through the cable lock 300 in the slack direction D_LUpon movement, the effective length of the fastening portion 408 will increase to loosen the article of footwear 10a and the effective length of the control portion 406 will decrease. As described above, the locking portion 410 refers to a portion of the cable 402 contained within the cable lock 300, regardless of the position of the cable 402. Thus, the control portion 406, the securing portion 408, and the locking portion 410 are not fixed portions of the cable 402 itself, but are dependent on the position of the cable 402 relative to the cable lock 300.

The cable 402 of the fastening system 400a is configured to cooperate with the cable lock 300 to move the article of footwear 10a between the retracted state and the relaxed state, as described in detail below. In general, cable lock 300 and fastening system 400a are configured to cooperate with upper 100a to provide zoned tightening, whereby a tightening force F is applied to the portion of cable 402 associated with lateral side 22 of footwear 10a_T1Or relaxation forces F_L1With a tightening force F applied to the portion of cable 402 associated with medial side 24 of footwear 10a_T2Or relaxation forces F_L2Different. Accordingly, lateral side 22 and medial side 24 of upper 100a may be adjusted to have different degrees of tightness around the foot. For example, a tightening force F having a first magnitude_T1Can be applied to the first control section 412 with a tightening force F of a second magnitude_T2Is applied to the second control segment 414. Thus, the first tightening force F_T1Will be applied to the first locking segment 420 and the second tightening force F_T2Will be applied to the second locking segment 422 causing the first locking segment 420 to be pulled through the cable lock 300 at a greater speed than the second locking segment 422. Because the terminal ends 424 of the fastening segments 416, 418 are separated from each other, the first fastening force F_T1Will be applied to the first fastening section 416 and the second fastening force F_T2Will be applied to the second fastening section 418.

In some examples, at least one of lateral side 22 and medial side 24 of upper 100a includes a series of cable guides 426 that guide cables 402 from conduits 212 of exterior base plate 202a along upper 100 a. In the example shown, the cable guide 426 of the tracking system 404a is formed from a fabric or mesh loop that defines a channel for slidably receiving the cable 402 therethrough. In other examples, the cable guide 426 may include apertures (e.g., eyelets) formed through the inelastic region 110a of the upper 100a, or a fabric or mesh loop attached to the inelastic region 110a of the upper 100 to receive the fastening segments 416, 418.

With continued reference to fig. 8A, first and second fastening segments 416, 418 are guided through a plurality of cable guides 426 disposed along adjustment regions 112a, 114a of upper 100 a. After passing through cable guide 426, terminal ends 424 of first fastening segment 416 and second fastening segment 418 are attached to inelastic region 110a of upper 100 a. In the example shown, terminal end 424 is attached to upper 100a at discrete attachment points 428 adjacent second ends 118 of adjustment regions 112a, 114 a. In other examples, the terminal ends 424 may be operably connected to one another at a single attachment point. For example, connector 424 may connect terminal ends 424 to one another, or terminal ends 424 may be knotted together, adhered to one another, or fused together.

Referring to fig. 8A, each of lateral side 22 and medial side 24 of upper 100a includes a first series of cable guides 426 disposed along upper edge 120 of adjustment regions 112a, 114a and a second series of cable guides 426 disposed along lower edge 122 of each adjustment region 112a, 114 a. Thus, the adjustment regions 112a, 114a are disposed between the upper and lower series of cable guides 426. As shown, the cable guides 426 alternate along the upper and lower edges 120, 122 such that the cables 402 are guided between the upper and lower edges 120, 122 in a serpentine manner along the length of the conditioning regions 112a, 114a by the cable guides 426.

The number of cable guides 426 may be selected to provide for a cable 402 in a take-up direction D_TOr a relaxation direction D_FProviding a low level of friction when moving. Although this example shows cable guides 426 on each of the lateral side 22 and the medial side 24 including two cable guides 426 along the upper edge 120 and two cable guides 426 along the lower edge 122, other configurations may include a greater or lesser number of cable guides 426 per group. In some examples, upper edge 120 includes a greater number than lower edge 122A cable guide 426. In yet another example, the upper edge 120 and the lower edge 122 each include the same number of cable guides 426. In addition, cable guide 426 can be selectively placed on upper 100a such that each portion of cable 402 extending between upper edge 120 and lower edge 122 is substantially straight to reduce instances when the cable is in the tightening and loosening direction D_T、D_LFriction while moving.

As shown in fig. 7, fastening system 400a may incorporate conduits 212a-212e formed in sole structure 200 a. The conduits 212a-212e are configured to receive and guide the release cable 384 and the segments 412, 414, 416, 418 of the cable 402 extending from the cable lock 300 through the outer baseplate 202 a. Here, the first conduit 212a may receive an end of a first control segment 412 extending between the cable lock 300 and the outer side 22, and the second conduit 212b may receive an end of a second control segment 414 extending between the cable lock 300 and the inner side 24. Likewise, the third conduit 212c receives the end of the first fastening section 416 extending between the cable lock 300 and the outer side 22, and the fourth conduit 212d receives the end 24 of the second fastening section 418 extending between the cable lock 300 and the inner side 22.

With continued reference to fig. 7, the release conduit 212e is configured to receive and guide the portion of the release cable 384 extending from the cable lock 300. In the example shown in fig. 7, the release conduit 212e extends from the cable lock 300 toward the front end 18 of the footwear to the peripheral side surface 208 of the outer sole plate 202a at the lateral side 22 of the sole structure 200 a.

Fastening system 400a may also include one or more channels 430a for routing cable 402 and/or releasing cable 384 along upper 100 a. Release channel 430a may be formed within upper 100a, or alternatively, release channel 430a may be defined by a sheath or cover attached to an exterior surface of upper 100 a. In the illustrated example, footwear 10a includes a relief channel 430a that extends vertically along the upper from a first end adjacent to an opening of a relief conduit 212e formed in peripheral side surface 208 to a second end adjacent to ankle opening 104. Relief channel 430a is configured to guide relief cable 384 from outer floor 202a to an area of upper 100a that is readily accessible to a wearer.

As best shown in fig. 5, relief channel 430a extends vertically along lateral side 22 of upper 100a from a first end adjacent relief conduit 212e to a second end at the lateral side of ankle opening 104. Thus, the release cable 384 is guided from the cable lock 300 through the release conduit 212e and exits the peripheral side surface 208 of the outer floor 202a at the outer side 22. The release cable 384 then passes upwardly through the first end of the release channel 430a and extends from the second end. Thus, the portion of release cable 384 extending from release channel 430a can be grasped by the wearer to apply release force F_RFor moving the cable lock 300 to the unlocked state. As shown, relief channel 430a is disposed in midfoot region 14 on lateral side 22. In other examples, relief channel 430a may be disposed on medial side 24 of upper 100a and may be located in heel region 16 of forefoot region 12.

As described above, the control portion 406 of the cable 402 is a continuous loop extending from the cable lock 300. As shown in FIG. 8A, control portion 406 extends around tongue portion 106 proximate ankle opening 104 (i.e., proximate the area above the instep of the wearer's foot). The portion of the control portion 406 that extends around the tongue portion 106 may be enclosed within one or more sheaths 432. Each sheath 432 may additionally be formed of materials and/or braids as described below: when the control part 406 is tightened by means of the tightening force F_T(i.e., when the cable 402 is in the take-up direction D_TWhen moved) in a direction away from upper 100a, control portion 406 of cable 402 and sheath 432 are allowed to move from a relaxed state to a stretched or expanded state. When tightening force F_TWhen removed, the material and/or braid of the sheath 432 automatically contracts the sheath 432 to a relaxed state and accommodates the bundle with the cable 402 therein.

In the example shown, a separate control portion grip 434 is operatively connected to the sheath 432 at an attachment location proximate the tongue portion 106 to allow a user to apply the cinching force F_TTo pull control portion 406 away from the upper, thereby contracting adjustment regions 112a, 114a by simultaneously drawing upper and lower edges 120, 122 toward one another to bring upper 100a into a contracted state. Other configurations may include having the control portion grip 434 along the length of the control portion 406 mayOperatively connected to the rest of the sheath 432. In some embodiments, by allowing a user to grasp and apply a tightening force F_TTo pull control portion 406 away from upper 100a, control portion grip 434 is omitted, and sheath 432 corresponds with control portion 406.

Referring to fig. 8A-8C, the use of cable lock 300 and fastening system 400a in conjunction with upper 100a and sole structure 200a is illustrated. FIG. 8A shows an example of footwear 10a in a relaxed state, where first fastening segment 416 and second fastening segment 418 have slack, and adjustment regions 112a, 114a are in the relaxed state. In the relaxed state, the foot of the wearer may be inserted into interior void 102 of upper 100a via ankle opening 104. The slack in the fastening segments 416, 418 allows the adjustment regions 112a, 114a to move to a stretched or expanded state, thereby increasing the effective volume of the interior void 102 to accommodate the wearer's foot. Adjustment regions 112a, 114a may be formed of an elastic material to provide a first degree of contraction to the wearer's foot to retain footwear 10a on the foot prior to transitioning the footwear to a contracted state.

As shown in FIG. 8B, footwear 10a may be moved to the first contracted state by pulling control portion 406 toward one of lateral side 22 and medial side 24. For example, control portion 406 is shown pulled toward medial side 24 to transition upper 100a to the first, contracted state. More specifically, as the control portion 406 is pulled toward the inner side 24, the first tightening force F_T1Is applied to the first control section 412 with a smaller second tightening force F_T2Is applied to the second control segment 414. Following the first tightening force F_T1From the first control section 412 to the first fastening section 416, a first tightening force F_T1Causing the first locking segment 420 of the cable 402 to be pulled through the cable lock 300a first distance. Applying a first tension force F to the first fastening section 416_T1Causing cable guide 426 along upper edge 120 to move toward opposing cable guide 426 along lower edge 122 of first adjustment region 112a on lateral side 22. As a result, upper edge 120 and lower edge 122 of first conditioning region 112a are pulled toward one another, as indicated by arrow T1, thereby contracting first conditioning region 112a about the wearer's foot. By contracting the first adjustment region 112a,the amount of elastic material of the adjustment region 112a that can stretch is effectively limited by the first fastening section 416. First tightening force F_T1May be selected based on the desired amount of stretch allowed in the first adjustment region 112 a.

At the same time, pulling the control portion 406 toward the medial side 24 results in less than the first tightening force F_T1Second tightening force F_T2Is applied to the second control segment 414. Following the second tightening force F_T2From the second control section 414 to the second fastening section 418, a second tightening force F_T2Causing the second locking segment 422 of the cable 402 to be pulled through the cable lock 300a second distance. Applying a second tension force F to the second fastening section 418_T2Causing cable guide 426 along upper edge 120 of second adjustment region 114a to move toward cable guide 426 along lower edge 122 of second adjustment region 114a of upper 100 a. As a result, upper edge 120 and lower edge 122 are pulled toward one another, as indicated by arrow T2, thereby contracting second adjustment region 114a about the wearer's foot. Second tightening force F_T2Less than the first tightening force F_T1Such that first conditioning region 112a will be contracted by first fastening section 416 to a greater extent than second conditioning region 114a will be contracted 418 by second fastening. Thus, the second accommodation region 114a will be more elastic than the first accommodation region 112 a. With a first tightening force F_T1Likewise, a second tightening force F_T2May be selected by the wearer based on the desired amount of stretch permitted in the second adjustment region 114 a. In some cases, the second tightening force F_T2May not be present or may not be sufficient in the tightening direction D_TCable 402 is moved up so that second adjustment region 114a will not be retracted at all.

As shown in FIG. 8C, footwear 10a may be moved to the second, contracted state by pulling control portion 406 toward lateral side 22. For example, as the control portion 406 is pulled toward the outer side 22, the first tightening force F_T1Is applied to the second control section 414 with a smaller second tightening force F_T2Is applied to the first control segment 412. Following the first tightening force F_T1From the second control section 414 to the second fastening section 418, the first tightening force F_T1Resulting in a cable 402The second locking segment 422 is pulled a first distance through the cable lock 332. Applying a first tightening force F to the second fastening section 418_T1Causing cable guide 426 along upper edge 120 of second conditioning region 114a to be pulled toward cable guide 426 along lower edge 122 of second conditioning region 114 a. As a result, upper edge 120 and lower edge 122 of second conditioning region 114a are pulled toward one another, as indicated by arrows T1, thereby contracting second conditioning region 114a about the wearer's foot. By contracting the second conditioning region 114a, the amount that the elastic material of the conditioning region 114a can stretch is effectively limited by the second fastening segment 418. First tightening force F_T1May be selected based on the desired amount of stretch allowed in the second adjustment region 114 a.

At the same time, pulling the control portion 406 toward the outer side 22 results in less than the first tightening force F_T1Second tightening force F_T2Is applied to the first control segment 412. Following the second tightening force F_T2From the first control section 412 to the first fastening section 416, the second tightening force F_T2Causing the first locking segment 420 of the cable 402 to be pulled through the cable lock 300a second distance. Applying a second tension force F to the first fastening section 416_T2Causing cable guide 426 along upper edge 120 of first conditioning region 112a to be pulled toward cable guide 426 along lower edge 122 of first conditioning region 112 a. As a result, upper edge 120 and lower edge 122 of first conditioning region 112a may be pulled toward one another, as indicated by arrows T2, thereby contracting first conditioning region 112a about the wearer's foot. Second tightening force F_T2Less than the first tightening force F_T1Such that first conditioning region 112a will be contracted by first fastening section 416 to a lesser extent than second conditioning region 114b will be contracted 418 by second fastening. Thus, the first accommodation region 112a will be more elastic than the second accommodation region 114 a. With a first tightening force F_T1Likewise, a second tightening force F_T2May be selected by the wearer based on the desired amount of stretch permitted in the first adjustment region 112 a. In some cases, the second tightening force F_T2May not be present or may not be sufficient in the tightening direction D_TCable 402 is moved up so that first adjustment region 112a will be at allWill not be shrunk.

In some examples, the first tightening force F_T1And a second tightening force F_T2Are substantially the same. Thus, each of the first and second adjustment zones 112a, 114a will contract to the same extent, thereby causing the elastic material of the first adjustment zone 112a and the elastic material of the second adjustment zone 114a to be stretched to the same extent on the foot of the wearer.

As discussed below with respect to operation of the cable lock 300, when the cable lock 300 is in the locked state (e.g., with the cable 402 prevented from being in the slack direction D)_LThrough a cable), footwear 10a is maintained in any of the retracted states. Thus, when the wearer wishes to remove footwear 10a from the foot, cable lock 300 must pass release force F_RIs applied to the release cable 384 to move the cable lock 300 toward the unlocked state. The cable lock 300 may only partially move toward the unlocked state, thereby releasing the force F_RThe cable lock 300 automatically returns to the locked state when stopped. Alternatively, the cable lock 300 may be pulled to a fully unlocked state, whereby the cable lock 300 remains unlocked until the tightening force F_TIs applied to the control section 406.

Referring to fig. 9-11, an article of footwear 10b is provided that includes an upper 100b and a sole structure 200b attached to the upper 100 b. In view of the substantial similarity in structure and function of the components associated with article of footwear 10 with respect to article of footwear 10b, like reference numerals are used hereinafter and in the drawings to identify like components, while like reference numerals, including letter extensions, are used to identify those components that have been modified.

Referring to FIG. 11, an example of an article of footwear 10b is disclosed that includes a system that provides a variable tensioning force. In some embodiments, article of footwear 10b includes an upper 100b and a sole structure 200b attached to upper 100 b. Article of footwear 10b also includes cable lock 300 and fastening system 400b incorporated into at least one of upper 100b and sole structure 200 b. Fastening system 400b includes a cable 402 that cooperates with cable lock 300 to move article of footwear 10b between a retracted state and a relaxed state, as described in detail below. In particular, cable 402 is in the tightening direction D_TMovable to move the article of footwear 10b to a retracted state. In some embodiments, upper 100b and sole structure 200b cooperate to provide a channel and guide for guiding portions of cable 402 through cable lock 300. The cable lock 300 is configured to selectively secure the cable 402 in a retracted state.

Unlike the examples of footwear 10, 10a provided above, which provide lateral and medial zoned tightening, footwear 10b is configured to provide upper and lower zoned tightening to the upper. In the example shown, one or both of lateral side 22 and medial side 24 of upper 100b may include inelastic regions 110b formed of the one or more inelastic materials and one or more adjustment regions 112b, 114b formed of a resilient elastic material. Adjustment regions 112b, 114b may be partially defined by inelastic regions 110b to provide elastic regions of upper 100 b.

In the illustrated example, adjustment regions 112b, 114b define a lower first adjustment region 112b and an upper second adjustment region 114b disposed along an instep area of upper 100 b. In some examples, first adjustment region 112b and second adjustment region 114b are continuously formed with one another to define a second end 118 that extends from a first end 116 adjacent ankle opening 104 into one of forefoot region 12 and midfoot region 14. Adjustment region 115 includes a pair of edges 124, 126 formed on opposite sides of upper 100b and extending between first end 116 and second end 118. In some examples, first end portion 116 may be formed proximate ankle opening 104. Accordingly, first end portion 116 of second adjustment region 114b defines a portion of ankle opening 104 and provides a degree of stretch to ankle opening 104 to accommodate receipt of a foot. As shown, a first one of edges 124 extends along lateral side 22 of upper 100b, and a second one of edges 126 extends along medial side 24 of upper 100 b. Accordingly, adjustment regions 112b, 114b extend across an instep area of upper 100 b.

Referring to fig. 9, cable lock 300 is disposed on an instep area of upper 100b, adjacent to ankle opening 104. Thus, the cable lock 300 may be disposed on or above the conditioning area 115. As described in greater detail below, cable lock 300 is generally configured to engage with a cable 402 of a fastening system to selectively fix the position of cable 402 relative to upper 100 b.

As best shown in fig. 11, fastening system 400b includes a cable 402 and a tracking system 404b formed on or in upper 100b for guiding cable 402 and causing cable 402 to distribute tension along article of footwear 10 b. Normally, when the force F is tightened_TOr relaxation forces F_LIs applied to the cable 402, the tracking system 404 distributes the tension of the cable 402 along the first and second conditioning regions 112b, 114b along a plurality of points to retract the respective conditioning regions 112b, 114b or allow the conditioning regions 112b, 114b to relax, as discussed in more detail below.

In the example shown, the cable 402 includes a control portion 406 extending from the cable lock 300 in a first direction, a fastening portion 408 extending from the cable lock 300 in a second direction, and a locking portion 410 connecting the control portion 406 and the fastening portion 408. The control portion 406 is configured to have a tightening force F applied thereto_TSo that the cable 402 is in the tightening direction D_TAnd (4) moving. When incorporated into article of footwear 10b, control portion 406 may be disposed on article of footwear 10b such that a user may easily grasp it to tighten direction D_TCable 402 is pulled. The control portion 406 may also be disposed within one or more retractable sheaths and provided with control grips, as described above with respect to the article of footwear 10, 10 a. When tightening force F_TWhen applied to control portion 406, fastening portion 408 is configured to cooperate with tracking system 404b to tighten article of footwear 10 b. Conversely, the control portion 408 is also configured to have a relaxing force F applied thereto_TTo let the cable 402 in the slack direction D_LAnd (4) moving. The locking portion 410 is disposed within the cable lock 300 and engages the cable lock to fix the position of the cable 402, as described in more detail below.

Referring to fig. 11, the cable 402 may include various segments defined with respect to the cable lock 300. For example, the control portion 406 may be described as including a first control section 412 and a second control section 414 that are independently operable to control the tension of respective sections 416, 418 of the fastening portion 408, as described below. In the example shown, first control segment 412 and second control segment 414 each extend from an end of cable lock 300 toward ankle opening 104. In some examples, the control portion 406 is formed as a continuous loop whereby respective "ends" of the first control segment 412 and the second control segment 414 are engaged with one another such that the control portion 406 forms a continuous length of the cable 402 extending from the cable lock 300. In the example of fig. 11, where cable lock 300 is disposed on tongue portion 106 of upper 100b, first control section 412 is disposed generally along lateral side 22 of upper 100b, and second control section 414 is disposed generally along medial side 24 of upper 100b, and is attached or joined to first control section 412 in a central portion of upper 100b adjacent ankle opening 104.

Likewise, the fastening portion 408 may include a first fastening section 416 and a second fastening section 418. First fastening segment 416 extends from cable lock 300 on tongue portion 106 of upper 100b and is arranged in a serpentine manner along first adjustment region 112 b. Second fastening segment 418 extends from cable lock 300 on tongue portion 106 of upper 100b and is arranged in a serpentine manner along second adjustment region 114 b. In general, first fastening section 416 is configured to adjust the fit of upper 100b along first adjustment region 112b, and second fastening section 416 is configured to adjust the fit of upper 100b along second adjustment region 114 b. In contrast to continuously formed control portion 406, fastening portion 408 is not continuous such that each fastening segment 416, 418 includes a terminal end 424 that is anchored to inelastic region 110b of upper 100 b. As discussed in more detail below, tip ends 424 may be attached to inelastic regions 110b of upper 100b at discrete locations from one another. Alternatively, terminal ends 424 may be connected to one another at another area of footwear 10 b.

While the overall length of the cable 402 remains constant, the effective length of the control portion 406 and the securing portion 408 of the cable 402 depends on the position of the cable 402 relative to the cable lock 300. For example, when the control portion 406 is pulled and the cable 402 is pulled in the tightening direction D by the cable lock 300_TWhen moved, the effective length of the control portion 406 will increase and the effective length of the securing portion 408 will decrease. Conversely, when the securing portion 408 is pulled and the cable 402 is in a slack direction through the cable lock 300D_LUpon movement, the effective length of the fastening portion 408 will increase to loosen the article of footwear 10b and the effective length of the control portion 406 will decrease. As described above, the locking portion 410 refers to a portion of the cable 402 contained within the cable lock 300, regardless of the position of the cable 402. Thus, the control portion 406, the securing portion 408, and the locking portion 410 are not fixed portions of the cable 402 itself, but are dependent on the position of the cable 402 relative to the cable lock 300.

The cable 402 of the fastening system 400b is configured to cooperate with the cable lock 300 to move the article of footwear 10b between the retracted state and the relaxed state, as described in detail below. In general, cable lock 300 and fastening system 400b are configured to cooperate with upper 100b to provide zoned tightening, whereby a tightening force F is applied to the portion of cable 402 associated with first adjustment region 112b_TOr relaxation forces F_LWith a tightening force F applied to the portion of cable 402 associated with second adjustment region 114b_TOr relaxation forces F_LDifferent. Accordingly, first adjustment area 112b and second adjustment area 114b of upper 100b may be adjusted to have different tightness around the foot. For example, a tightening force F having a first magnitude_T1Can be applied to the first control section 412 with a tightening force F of a second magnitude_T2Is applied to the second control segment 414. Thus, the first tightening force F_T1Will be applied to the first locking segment 420 and the second tightening force F_T2Will be applied to the second locking segment 422 causing the first locking segment 420 to be pulled through the cable lock 300 at a greater speed than the second locking segment 422. Because terminal ends 424 of fastening segments 416, 418 are independently anchored to upper 100b, first fastening force F_T1Will be applied to the first fastening section 416 and the second fastening force F_T2Will be applied to the second fastening section 418.

In some examples, lateral side 22 and medial side 24 of upper 100b include a series of cable guides 426 that guide cables 402 from cable lock 300 along adjustment regions 112b, 114 b. In some examples, the cable guide 426 may be formed of a rigid, low-friction material and have an arcuate inner surface for receiving the cable 402. In other examples, cable guidesThe member 426 may include an aperture (e.g., an eyelet) formed through the inelastic region 110b of the upper 100b, or a fabric or mesh loop attached to the inelastic region 110b of the upper 100b to receive the fastening segments 416, 418. When the cable 402 is in the take-up direction D_TThe fabric or mesh loop/webbing may rub against the cable 402 as it moves.

With continued reference to fig. 11, first and second fastening segments 416, 418 are guided through a plurality of cable guides 426 disposed along adjustment region 115 of upper 100 b. After passing through cable guide 426, terminal ends 424 of first fastening segment 416 and second fastening segment 418 are attached to inelastic region 110b of upper 100 b.

In the illustrated example, the first fastening segment 416 is configured to control the degree of tightening of the lower first adjustment region 112 b. As shown, first fastening segment 416 extends from cable lock 300 to a first cable guide 426 disposed on lateral side 22 adjacent to or within forefoot region 12. Beginning with first cable guide 426, first fastening segment 416 extends across first conditioning region 112b to second cable guide 426 adjacent edge 126 of medial side 24 of first conditioning region 112 b. First fastening segment 416 then extends back across first conditioning region 112b to a third cable guide 426 adjacent edge 124 of lateral side 22 of first conditioning region 112b, and then back across first conditioning region 112b to terminal end 424. As shown, the terminal end 424 of the first fastening segment 416 is positioned adjacent the inner side 24 of the first adjustment region 112b and at the edge 126 at the second end 118. Thus, when the first fastening section 416 is tightened by applying a tightening force F to the first control section 412_TIn the tightening direction D_TUpon movement, the first fastening section 416 pulls the cable guides 426 on the opposing edges 124, 126 of the first adjustment region 112b toward one another, causing the first adjustment region 112b to tighten.

The second fastening section 418 is configured to control the fit of the upper second conditioning region 114 b. As shown, second fastening segment 418 extends from cable lock 300 to fourth cable guide 426 on inelastic region 110b in midfoot region 14 of the upper. Second fastening section 418 then spans upper second adjustment region 114b from fourth cable guide 426To a fifth cable guide 426 that extends to edge 124 adjacent second conditioning region 114b on lateral side 22. From there, second fastening section 418 extends back across second conditioning region 114b to the sixth cable guide adjacent edge 126 on medial side 24, and across second conditioning region 114b back to terminal end 424 adjacent edge 124 on lateral side 22. As shown, the second fastening section 418 is disposed between the first fastening section 418 and the cable lock 300 along the upper second adjustment region 114 b. Thus, when the second fastening section 418 is tightened by applying a tightening force F to the second control section 414_TIn the tightening direction D_TUpon movement, the second fastening segment pulls the cable guides 426 on the opposing edges 124, 126 of the second adjustment region 114b toward one another, causing the second adjustment region 114b to tighten.

Referring to fig. 12-14, an article of footwear 10c is provided that includes an upper 100c and a sole structure 200c attached to the upper 100 c. In view of the substantial similarity in structure and function of the components associated with article of footwear 10 with respect to article of footwear 10c, like reference numerals are used hereinafter and in the drawings to identify like components, while like reference numerals, including letter extensions, are used to identify those components that have been modified.

Referring to FIG. 14, an example of an article of footwear 10c is disclosed that includes a system that provides a variable tensioning force. In some embodiments, article of footwear 10c includes an upper 100c and a sole structure 200c attached to upper 100 c. Article of footwear 10c also includes cable lock 300 and fastening system 400c incorporated into at least one of upper 100c and sole structure 200 c. Fastening system 400c includes a cable 402 that cooperates with cable lock 300 to move article of footwear 10c between a retracted state and a relaxed state, as described in detail below. In particular, cable 402 is in the tightening direction D_TMovable to move the article of footwear 10c to a retracted state. The cable lock 300 is configured to selectively secure the cable 402 in a retracted state.

Article of footwear 10c is similar to article of footwear 10b described above in that it is configured to provide upper and lower zoned tightening along an instep region of the upper. In the example shown, one or both of lateral side 22 and medial side 24 of upper 100c may include inelastic regions 110c formed of the one or more inelastic materials and one or more adjustment regions 112c, 114c formed of a resilient elastic material. Adjustment areas 112c, 114c may be partially bounded by inelastic regions 110c to provide elastic regions of upper 100 c.

In the illustrated example, adjustment regions 112c, 114c define a lower first adjustment region 112c and an upper second adjustment region 114c disposed along an instep area of upper 100 c. In some examples, first adjustment region 112c and second adjustment region 114c are formed continuously with one another to define a second end 118 that extends from a first end 116 adjacent ankle opening 104 into one of forefoot region 12 and midfoot region 14. Adjustment region 115c includes a pair of edges 124, 126 formed on opposite sides of upper 100c and extending between first end 116 and second end 118. In some examples, first end portion 116 may be formed proximate ankle opening 104. Accordingly, first end portion 116 of second adjustment region 114c defines a portion of ankle opening 104 and provides a degree of stretch to ankle opening 104 to accommodate receipt of a foot. As shown, a first one of edges 124 extends along lateral side 22 of upper 100c, and a second one of edges 126 extends along medial side 24 of upper 100 c. Accordingly, adjustment regions 112c, 114c extend across the instep area of upper 100 c.

Referring to fig. 12, cable lock 300 is disposed on rear end 20 of upper 100c, adjacent ankle opening 104.

As described in greater detail below, cable lock 300 is generally configured to engage with cable 402 of fastening system 400 to selectively fix the position of cable 402 relative to upper 100 c.

As best shown in fig. 14, fastening system 400c includes a cable 402 and a tracking system 404c formed on or in upper 100c for guiding cable 402 and causing cable 402 to distribute tension along article of footwear 10 c. Normally, when the force F is tightened_TOr relaxation forces F_LIs applied to cable 402, tracking system 404c distributes the tension of cable 402 along first and second conditioning regions 112c, 114c at a plurality of points to retract or allow conditioning of the respective conditioning regions 112c, 114cThe nodal regions 112c, 114c relax, as discussed in more detail below.

In the example shown, the cable 402 includes a control portion 406 extending from the cable lock 300 in a first direction, a fastening portion 408 extending from the cable lock 300 in a second direction, and a locking portion 410 connecting the control portion 406 and the fastening portion 408. The control portion 406 is configured to have a tightening force F applied thereto_TSo that the cable 402 is in the tightening direction D_TAnd (4) moving. When incorporated into article of footwear 10c, control portion 406 may be disposed on article of footwear 10c such that a user may easily grasp it to tighten direction D_TCable 402 is pulled. The control portion 406 may also be disposed within one or more retractable sheaths and provided with control grips, as described above with respect to the article of footwear 10, 10 a. When fastening force F_TWhen applied to control portion 406, fastening portion 408 is configured to cooperate with tracking system 404c to tighten article of footwear 10 c. Conversely, the control portion 408 is also configured to have a relaxing force F applied thereto_TTo let the cable 402 in the slack direction D_LAnd (4) moving. The locking portion 410 is disposed within the cable lock 300 and engages the cable lock 300 to fix the position of the cable 402, as described in more detail below.

Referring to fig. 14, the cable 402 may include various segments defined with respect to the cable lock 300. For example, the control portion 406 may be described as including a first control section 412 and a second control section 414 that are independently operable to control the tension of respective sections 416, 418 of the fastening portion 408, as described below. In the example shown, first control segment 412 and second control segment 414 each extend from an end of cable lock 300 toward ankle opening 104. In some examples, the control portion 406 is formed as a continuous loop whereby respective "ends" of the first control segment 412 and the second control segment 414 are engaged with one another such that the control portion 406 forms a continuous length of the cable 402 extending from the cable lock 300. In the example of fig. 14, where cable lock 300 is disposed on tongue portion 106 of upper 100c, first control section 412 is disposed generally along lateral side 22 of upper 100c, and second control section 414 is disposed generally along medial side 24 of upper 100c, and is attached or joined to first control section 412 in a central portion of upper 100c adjacent ankle opening 104.

Likewise, the fastening portion 408 may include a first fastening section 416 and a second fastening section 418. First fastening segment 416 extends from cable lock 300 on rear end 20 of upper 100b and is arranged in a serpentine manner along first adjustment region 112 b. Second fastening segment 418 extends from cable lock 300 on rear end 20 of upper 100b and is arranged in a serpentine manner along second conditioning region 114 c. In general, first fastening section 416 is configured to adjust the fit of upper 100c along first adjustment region 112c, while second fastening section 416 is configured to adjust the fit of upper 100c along second adjustment region 114 c. In contrast to continuously formed control portion 406, fastening portion 408 is not continuous such that each fastening segment 416, 418 includes a terminal end 424 that is anchored to inelastic region 110c of upper 100 c. As discussed in more detail below, tip ends 424 may be attached to inelastic regions 110c of upper 100c at discrete locations from one another. Alternatively, terminal ends 424 may be connected to one another at another area of footwear 10 c.

While the overall length of the cable 402 remains constant, the effective length of the control portion 406 and the securing portion 408 of the cable 402 depends on the position of the cable 402 relative to the cable lock 300. For example, when the control portion 406 is pulled and the cable 402 is pulled in the tightening direction D by the cable lock 300_TWhen moved, the effective length of the control portion 406 will increase and the effective length of the securing portion 408 will decrease. Conversely, when the securing portion 408 is pulled and the cable 402 is routed through the cable lock 300 in the slack direction D_LUpon movement, the effective length of the fastening portion 408 will increase to loosen the article of footwear 10c and the effective length of the control portion 406 will decrease. As described above, the locking portion 410 refers to a portion of the cable 402 contained within the cable lock 300, regardless of the position of the cable 402. Thus, the control portion 406, the securing portion 408, and the locking portion 410 are not fixed portions of the cable 402 itself, but are dependent on the position of the cable 402 relative to the cable lock 300.

The cable 402 of the fastening system 400c is configured to cooperate with the cable lock 300 to move the article of footwear 10c between the retracted state and the relaxed state, as described in detail below. In generalCable lock 300 and fastening system 400c are configured to cooperate with upper 100c to provide zoned tightening, whereby a tightening force F is applied to the portion of cable 402 associated with first adjustment region 112c_TOr relaxation forces F_LWith a tightening force F applied to the portion of the cable 402 associated with the second adjustment region 114c_TOr relaxation forces F_LDifferent. Accordingly, first adjustment area 112c and second adjustment area 114c of upper 100c may be adjusted to have different degrees of tightness around the foot. For example, a tightening force F having a first magnitude_TCan be applied to the first control section 412 with a tightening force F of a second magnitude_TIs applied to the second control segment 414. Thus, the first tightening force F_TWill be applied to the first locking segment 420 and the second tightening force F_TWill be applied to the second locking segment 422 causing the first locking segment 420 to be pulled through the cable lock 300 at a greater speed than the second locking segment 422. Because terminal ends 424 of fastening segments 416, 418 are independently anchored to upper 100c, first tightening force F_T1Will be applied to the first fastening section 416 and the second tightening force F_T2Will be applied to the second fastening section 418.

In some examples, lateral side 22 and medial side 24 of upper 100c include a series of cable guides 426 that guide cables 402 from cable lock 300 along adjustment regions 112c, 114 c. In other examples, the cable guide 426 may include apertures (e.g., eyelets) formed through the inelastic region 110 of the upper 100c, or a fabric or mesh loop attached to the inelastic region 110 of the upper 100c to receive the fastening segments 416, 418. When the cable 402 is moved in the tightening direction DT, the fabric or mesh loop/webbing may rub against the cable 402.

With continued reference to fig. 14, first and second fastening segments 416, 418 are guided through a plurality of cable guides 426 disposed along adjustment region 115c of upper 100 c. After passing through cable guide 426, terminal ends 424 of first fastening segment 416 and second fastening segment 418 are attached to inelastic region 110c of upper 100 c.

In the illustrated example, the first fastening segment 416 is configured to control the degree of tightening of the lower first adjustment region 112 c. As shown in the figureAs shown, first fastening segment 416 extends from cable lock 300 to a first cable guide 426 disposed on lateral side 22 adjacent to heel region 16 within midfoot region 14. Beginning with first cable guide 426, first fastening segment 416 extends across first conditioning region 112c to second cable guide 426 adjacent edge 126 of medial side 24 of first conditioning region 112 c. First fastening segment 416 then extends back across first conditioning region 112c to a third cable guide 426 adjacent edge 124 of lateral side 22 of first conditioning region 112c, and then back across first conditioning region 112c to terminal end 424. As shown, the terminal end 424 of the first fastening segment 416 is positioned adjacent the inner side 24 of the first adjustment region 112c and at the edge 126 at the second end 118. Thus, when the first fastening section 416 is tightened by applying a tightening force F to the first control section 412_TIn the tightening direction D_TUpon movement, the first fastening section 416 pulls the cable guides 426 on the opposing edges 124, 126 of the first adjustment region 112c toward one another, causing the first adjustment region 112c to tighten.

The second fastening section 418 is configured to control the fit of the upper second conditioning region 114 c. As shown, second fastening segment 418 extends from cable lock 300 to a fourth cable guide 426 on inelastic region 110c in heel region 14 of the upper. Second fastening section 418 then extends from fourth cable guide 426 across upper second conditioning region 114c to fifth cable guide 426 adjacent edge 124 of second conditioning region 114c on lateral side 22. From there, second fastening section 418 extends back across second conditioning region 114c to the sixth cable guide adjacent edge 126 on medial side 24, and across second conditioning region 114c back to terminal end 424 adjacent edge 124 on lateral side 22. As shown, the second fastening section 418 is disposed between the first fastening section 418 and the cable lock 300 along the upper second adjustment region 114 c. Thus, when the second fastening section 418 is tightened by applying a tightening force F to the second control section 414_TIn the tightening direction D_TUpon movement, the second fastening segment pulls the cable guides 426 on the opposing edges 124, 126 of the second adjustment region 114c toward one another, causing the second adjustment region 114c to tighten.

As described above, either of first and second fastening segments 416, 418 may be provided with any number of cable guides 426 to guide fastening segments 416, 418 along upper 100 c. For example, an additional cable guide 426 may be disposed between the cable lock 300 and the adjustment region 115 c. Further, the fastening sections 416, 418 may have additional passages on the conditioning regions 112c, 114c that may be formed by including additional cable guides along the edges 124, 126 of the conditioning region 115 c.

Referring to fig. 15-24, examples of cable locks 300, 300a according to the present disclosure are provided. Each example of the cable lock 300, 300a includes an enclosure 302, 302a having a housing 304, 304a, 304b and a cover 306, 306a, and a locking member 308 disposed within the enclosure 302 configured to selectively engage a cable 402. In some examples, the cable lock 300a may include one or more cable guides 310, as shown in fig. 21. As described in more detail below, the cable guide 310 cooperates with the cable 402 and the enclosure 302 to provide at least one of audible and tactile feedback as the cable 402 passes through the cable lock 300 a. The cable lock 300, 300a further includes a first biasing member 312 and a pair of second biasing members 314, the first biasing member 312 being configured to bias the locking member 308 toward the engaged or locked state, the pair of second biasing members 314 being configured to cooperate with the housing 304, 304a, 304b to retain the locking member 308 in the disengaged or unlocked state, as described with respect to fig. 18, 19, 22 and 23.

Referring to fig. 19, 25 and 26, a number of examples of housings 304, 304a, 304b are provided. The housings 304, 304a, 304b define a length extending between a first end 316 and a second end 318. The housing 304, 304a, 304b includes a base portion having an outer surface 322 and a cable receiving inner surface 324 formed on a side of the base portion 320 opposite the outer surface 322. A peripheral wall 326, 326a extends from the inner surface 324 and cooperates with the base portion 320 and the covers 306, 306a to define a main chamber 328 of the enclosures 302, 302a that is configured to receive the cable 402, the locking member 308, and the cable guide 310. In the example shown, the perimeter walls 326, 326a include a pair of end walls 327a at each of the first and second ends 316, 318 and an opposing pair of side walls 327b extending between the end walls 327 a. In other examples, the perimeter wall may be continuous and define an annular perimeter wall of the circular enclosure 302, or may be multi-faceted and define a polygonal enclosure 302.

The perimeter wall 326, 326a may include a plurality of cable openings 330a formed therethrough for providing communication between the primary chamber 328, 328a and the exterior of the enclosure 302, 302 a. In the example shown, the openings 330a, 330b include a first pair of openings 330a near the first end 316 for receiving the first end of the cable 402 and a second pair of openings 330b near the second end 318 for receiving the second end of the cable 402. In the example of the housing 304 shown in fig. 19, the openings 330a, 330b are formed in the side wall 327b of the housing. However, the openings 330a, 330b may be formed through corners of the housings 304a, 304b, as shown in fig. 25 and 26. In other examples, the openings 330a, 330b may be formed entirely in the end wall 327a of the housing.

With continued reference to fig. 19, 25, and 26, the housing 304, 304a, 304b includes a locking channel 332 defined by an opposing pair of engagement portions or surfaces 334, the engagement portions or surfaces 334 converging toward one another such that the locking channel 332 is associated with a wedge-shaped configuration that tapers toward the second end 318 of the housing 304, 304a, 304 b. Thus, the engagement surface 334 is defined by respective sidewalls of the housings 304, 304a, 304b that converge toward one another and extend between the inner surface 324 of the base portion 320 and the covers 306, 306a to define the locking channel 332. As described in more detail below, the engagement surface 334 cooperates with the locking member 308 to secure the cable 402.

Referring to fig. 25 and 26, in some examples, the housings 304a, 304b can further include one or more shafts 336 configured to be received by the cable guide 310 and to function as an axle or spindle about which the cable guide 310 coaxially rotates. In the example shown, the housings 304a, 304b include a pair of shafts 336 disposed between the locking channel 332 and each of the second openings 330b at the second end 318, respectively. Accordingly, the shaft 336 is positioned within the housings 304a, 304b such that the cable guide 310 will be engaged by the cable 402 as the cable 402 passes between the locking channel 332 and the second opening 330b, as shown in fig. 22 and 23. However, the shaft 336 may be positioned in other areas of the housing 304 such that the cable guide 310 is disposed along the path of the cable 402.

With continued reference to fig. 25 and 26, each shaft 336 may include a shoulder portion 338 that protrudes a first distance from the inner surface 324 of the base portion 320 and has a first diameter. The shaft 336 also includes a neck portion 340 extending a second distance from the distal end of the shoulder portion 338 and having a second diameter. The difference in diameter between the shoulder portion 338 and the neck portion 340 defines a planar bearing surface 341 for rotatably supporting the cable guide 310, as shown in fig. 24. An annular recess 342 configured to rotatably receive one of the cable guides 310 is formed in the inner surface 324 of the base portion 320 and is concentric with the shaft 336. Thus, as described below, the cable guide 310 is configured to rotate about the shaft 336 and within the recess 342 as the cable 402 passes through the cable lock 300 a.

As shown in fig. 22-25, in some examples, the housing 304a can include a pair of prongs 344 having a first end 346 secured to the housing 304a and a freely hanging distal end 348 configured to intermittently engage the cable guide 310 to produce an incremental audible output corresponding to movement of the cable 402 through the housing 304b a predetermined distance. In the example shown, a first end 346 of each prong 344 is attached to one side of a boss extending from the inner surface 324 of the base portion 320. In other examples, the pins 344 may be attached directly to the base portion 320 or one of the side walls 327 of the housing 304 b. In another example, the housing 304b may be formed without pins, as shown in fig. 26.

Each prong 344 extends from the first end 346 along the longitudinal axis a_PExtending in a direction toward a respective one of the shafts 336. In some examples, the longitudinal axis a of each prong 344_PWith a central axis A of a respective one of the shafts 336_SAnd (4) intersecting. The pins 344 are configured along the longitudinal axis a_PResiliently flex so that distal ends 348 of prongs 344 are operable between the interference position and the release position. In the interference position, the distal end 348 of the prong 344 extends out of the cable guide 310The distal end 348 of the prong 344 is disposed outside the outer perimeter of the cable guide 310 when the prong 344 is in the deployed position. Thus, as the cable 402 is pulled through the cable lock 300a, the cable guide 310 is caused to rotate about the shaft 336 to intermittently engage the distal ends 348 of the prongs 344, thereby causing audible and tactile feedback to be provided to the user to indicate movement of the cable 402. Thus, the cooperation of the pulley 310 and the prong 344 may define the feedback mechanism 349 of the cable lock 300 a. As described above, the housing 304b may be formed without pins, as shown in fig. 26. When the housing 304b is formed without prongs, the pulley 310 may rotate freely within the housing 304b without providing feedback to the user.

With continued reference to fig. 19, 25, and 26, the housing 304, 304a, 304b includes a pair of retention features 350 configured to selectively engage the locking member 308 and secure the locking member 308 in the unlocked state, as shown in fig. 18 and 23. The retention features 350 associated with the housings 304, 304a, 304b may include first and second retention features 350, 350 disposed on opposite sides of the housings 304, 304a, 304b such that the retention features 350 are biased inward toward the locking member 308 by the second biasing member 314. In the example shown, the retention features 350 each include a flexible tab 352 integrally formed with the housings 304, 304a, 304b such that the retention features 350 act as a living hinge that is movable between an engaged state and a disengaged state to allow the locking member 308 to pass therebetween. Thus, each tab 352 is along the longitudinal axis a_TExtending from a fixed first end 354 to a separate distal end 356. As shown, the distal end 356 of each tab 352 may partially define the path of the cable 402 between the locking channel 332 and the opening 330a at the first end 316 of the housing 304. Thus, the distal end 356 may include a convex inner guide surface 358 along which the cable 402 passes between the locking channel 332 and a respective one of the first openings 330 a.

Each retention feature 350 also includes a protrusion 360 extending laterally from the distal end 356 of the tab 352 into the locking channel 332. The width of the protrusion 360 may gradually change in a direction from the first end 316 to the second end 318Is thin such that the protrusion 360 includes a retaining surface 362 facing the first end 316 of the housing 304 and a biasing surface 364 formed on the opposite side of the protrusion 360 from the retaining surface 362. Each of the retaining surface 362 and the biasing surface 364 may be relative to the longitudinal axis a of the housing 304, 304a, 304b_HForming an oblique angle. However, the retaining surface 362 is relative to the longitudinal axis a_HMay be greater than the angle of the biasing surface 364 such that the retaining surface 362 is configured to provide greater resistance to movement of the locking member 308 toward the second end 318 (i.e., the locked state) than the first end 316 (i.e., the unlocked state). In the example shown, the protrusion 360 is spaced from the distal end 356 of the tab 352 and cooperates with the distal end 356 to define a track 366 or channel for guiding the cable 402 from the locking channel 332 to one of the first openings 330 a.

With continued reference to fig. 18, 19, 22 and 23, the cable lock 300 includes a pair of second biasing members 314 configured to bias the distal ends 356, and thus the protrusions 360 of the retention features 350, inwardly toward the locking channel 332. In the example shown, the biasing member 314 is a compression spring that applies a continuous biasing force F to the distal end 356 of the tab 352_B. In other examples, the biasing force F_BMay be applied by other types of biasing members 314, such as tension springs, coil springs; or by forming the first end 354 of the tab 352 as a resilient living hinge.

Referring to the examples of fig. 18, 19, 22, and 23, the locking member 308 is configured to be slidably received within a locking channel 332 of the housing 304. As described above, the locking member 308 is operable between a locked state and an unlocked state to selectively fix the position of the cable 402. The locking member 308 includes a first end 368, a second end 370, and a pair of locking surfaces 372 formed on opposite sides of the locking member between the first end 368 and the second end 370. In some examples, the locking surfaces 372 converge toward each other in a direction from the first end 368 to the second end 370 such that the locking surfaces 372 are parallel to a respective one of the engagement surfaces 334 of the housing 304 when the locking member 308 is disposed within the locking channel 332. In the example shown, the locking surface 372 includes a protrusion or tooth 373 that is configured to allow the cable 402 to move toward the first end 316 of the housing 304 when the locking member 308 is in the locked state, while restricting movement of the cable 402 toward the second end 318 of the housing 304 by grasping the cable 402.

The first end 368 of the locking member 308 may include a tab portion 374 having a flared protrusion 376 extending outwardly therefrom, and a pair of detents 378 formed between the protrusion 376 and the locking surface 372. Generally, the protrusion 376 includes a biasing surface 380 facing the first end 368 of the locking member 308 and a retaining surface 382 facing in a direction opposite the biasing surface 380. The retaining surface 382 defines a portion of the pawl 378. The biasing surface 380 of the protrusion 376 is configured to interface with the biasing surface 364 of the retention feature 350 as the protrusion 376 passes between the protrusions 360 as the locking member 308 moves toward the first end 316 of the housing 304. The retention surface 382 of the protrusion 376 is configured to interface with the retention surface 362 of the retention feature 350 to secure the locking member 308 in the unlocked state, as shown in fig. 12 and 17.

With continued reference to fig. 18, 19, 22, and 23, the locking member 308 includes a first biasing member 312 attached to the second end 370 and a release cable 384 attached to the first end 368. As shown, the first biasing member 312 is an extension spring having a first end attached to the second end 370 of the locking member 308 and a second end attached to the second end 318 of the housing 304. Thus, the first biasing member 312 is configured to apply a continuous engagement force F to the locking member 308_ETo bias the locking member 308 toward the locked state. Instead, a release cable 384 is attached to the tab 374 at the first end 368 of the locking member 308 and is configured to transmit a selectively applied release force FR to the first end 368 of the locking member 308. When the force F is released, as described below_RGreater than the engaging force F_EThe locking member 308 will move from the locked state to the unlocked state.

Referring to the example cable lock 300a shown in fig. 21, the cable guide 310 is a pair of pulleys 310 that are rotatably coupled to a shaft 336 of the housing 304. As shown in fig. 27, each pulley 310 includes an upper surface 386 defining a thickness of the pulley 310, a lower surface 388, and an aperture 390 extending through the thickness of the pulley 310 and configured to rotatably receive the shaft 336 of the housing 304. The aperture 390 may include an inwardly extending flange 391 having an inner surface for rotatably receiving the neck portion 340 of the shaft 336 and a lower surface supported by the bearing surface 341 of the shoulder portion 338 of the shaft 336, as shown in fig. 24. An outer wall 392 of the pulley 310 extends between the upper surface 386 and the lower surface 388 and defines a smaller diameter of the pulley.

Referring to fig. 27, each pulley 310 includes an upper flange 394a and a lower flange 394 b. The upper flange 394a is collectively formed by a plurality of upper projections 396a that are evenly spaced about the outer wall 392 of the pulley 310 and adjacent the upper surface 386. Each upper projection 396a extends a first length L1 around the outer wall 392 of the pulley 310 and is spaced apart by a first distance D1. Similarly, the lower flange 394b is collectively formed by a plurality of lower projections 396b that are evenly spaced about the outer wall 392 of the pulley 310 and adjacent the lower surface 388. The lower projections 396b extend a second length L2 around the outer wall 392 of the pulley and are spaced apart by a second distance D2.

In the example shown, the first length L1 of the upper protrusion 396a is the same as the second distance D2 between the lower protrusions 396b, and the second length L2 of the lower protrusions 396b is the same as the first distance D1 between the upper protrusions 396 a. Further, each upper protrusion 396a is axially aligned with a space formed between adjacent lower protrusions 396 b. Therefore, the upper and lower protrusions 396a and 396b are alternately arranged around the outer wall 392 and do not overlap in the axial direction of the pulley 310. In other examples, different lengths and spaces may be used such that the projections 396a, 396b overlap each other in the axial direction.

The upper and lower projections 396a, 396b cooperate with the outer wall 392 of the pulley 310 to define a groove 398 configured to receive a portion of the cable 402 therein. As described above, when the flanges 394a, 394b are defined by the projections 396a, 396b, the groove 398 may be intermittently and alternately defined by the projections 396a, 396 b. Thus, the cable 402 will be continuously supported within the groove 398 by at least one of the upper and lower protrusions 396a, 396 b.

Referring to the cross-sectional view of fig. 24, each pulley 310 is configured to be received in a respective one of the annular recesses 342 of the housings 304a, 304b such that the distal ends 348 of the prongs 344 therein extend into the space formed between adjacent lower projections 396 b. Thus, distal end 348 of prong 344 interferes with the rotational path of lower projection 396 b. As the pulley 310 rotates, the lower projection 396b intermittently engages the distal end 348 of the prong 344. This intermittent engagement provides both audible feedback in the form of a click and tactile feedback in the form of an intermittent increase in resistance. Thus, the cooperation of the pulley 310 and the prong 344 may be referred to as forming the feedback mechanism 349 of the cable lock 300.

Fig. 17 and 22 provide top views of the cable locks 300, 300a with the covers 306, 306a removed to show the locking members 308, release cables 384 and cables 402 disposed within the locking channels 332 of the housings 304, 304a, 304b in the locked state. In some examples, the locking member 308 is biased into the locked state by the first biasing member 312. For example, fig. 17 and 22 illustrate the first biasing member 312 exerting an engagement force F on the locking member 308_ESuch that the second end 370 of the locking member 308 is urged toward the second end 318 of the housing 304, 304a, 304b, thereby biasing the locking member 308 into the locked condition.

When in the locked state, the locking member 308 limits movement of the cable 402 relative to the housing 304, 304a, 304b by clamping the cable 402 between the engagement surface 334 and the locking surface 372. Therefore, when the force F is relaxed_LWhen applied to the cable 402, the locked state of the locking member 308 restricts the cable 402 in the slack direction D_LAnd (4) moving. In the example shown, when the force F is tightened_TWhen applied to the control portion 406, the locking member 308 allows the cable 406 to move because, due to the generally wedge-shaped shape of the locking member 308, this direction causes the cable 402 to exert a force on the locking member 308, thereby moving the locking member 308 toward the unlocked state. Due to the force exerted by the first biasing member 312 on the locking member 308, the locking member 308 automatically returns to the locked state once the force applied to the cable 406 is released.

Fig. 18 and 23 provide top views of the cable lock 300 with the covers 306, 306a removed to show the locking disposed within the locking channel 332 of the housing 304 when in the unlocked stateAnd a member 308. In some examples, the release cable 384 attached to the tab 374 of the locking member 308 will release the force F_RIs applied to the locking member 308 to move the locking member 308 away from the engagement surface 334. Here, the force F is released_RSufficient to overcome the engagement force F of the first biasing member 312_ETo allow the locking member 308 to move relative to the housing 304 such that the grip on the locking segments 420, 422 of the cable 402 between the locking surface 372 and the engagement surface 334 is released. In some examples, the release force F when applied by the release cable 384_RWhen removed, the engagement force F_ECausing the locking member 308 to transition back to the locked state.

When in the unlocked state, the locking member 308 allows movement of the cable 402 relative to the housing 304, 304a, 304b by allowing the locking segments 420, 422 of the cable 402 to move freely between the respective locking surface 372 and engagement surface 334. When pulling force F_T、F_LThe unlocked state of the locking member 308 allows the cable 402 to be in the tightening direction D when applied to a respective one of the control portion 406 and the fastening portion_TAnd a relaxation direction D_LAnd (4) moving. Cable 402 is in the take-up direction D_TCauses the effective length of fastening portion 408 to decrease to contract adjustment regions 112, 114 of upper 100, thereby bringing upper 100 into a contracted state to close interior void 102 around the foot, with cable 402 in a slack direction D_LCauses the effective length of fastening portion 408 to increase to allow adjustment regions 112, 114 to return to their flat, relaxed state, thereby facilitating transition of upper 100 from the tightened state to the relaxed state, such that the foot may be removed from interior void 102.

In some examples, a release force F applied to the release cable 384_RIs of sufficient magnitude and/or duration to cause release of the cable 384 along and engaging the force F_EWill release the force F in the opposite direction_RIs applied to the locking member 308 such that the locking member 308 moves relative to the housings 304, 304a, 304b away from the engagement surface 334 and toward the first ends 316 of the housings 304, 304a, 304 b. When the force F is released_RThe housings 304, 3 are moved a predetermined distance away from the engagement surface 334 of the housing 304 by the locking member 30804a, 304b may engage the detent 378 of the locking member 308, as shown in fig. 18 and 23. Here, once the force F is released_RReleased, the engagement between the pawl 378 of the locking member 308 and the at least one retention feature 350 of the housing 304, 304a, 304b retains the locking member 308 in the unlocked state. Moves a predetermined distance in the locking member 308 and releases the force F_RThe engagement force F of the first biasing member 312 after it is no longer applied_EAnd the force exerted by the pair of second biasing members 314 on the retention feature 350 locks the protrusion 360 of the retention feature 350 into engagement with the detent 378 of the locking component 308.

In some cases, the release force F associated with the first magnitude may be_RIs applied to the release cable 384 to move the locking member 308 away from the engagement surface 334 less than a predetermined distance to keep the features 350 from engaging. In these cases, when it is desired to relax in the direction D_L(e.g., by applying a relaxation force F_LApplied to the fastening portion 408) or the tightening direction D_T(e.g., by applying a tensioning force F to the control portion 406)_T) The release force F associated with the first magnitude may be maintained while moving the cable 402_RFor adjusting the fit of the interior void 102 around the foot. Once the desired fit of the interior void 102 around the foot is achieved, the release force F may be released_RTo transition the locking member 308 back to the locked state such that movement of the cable 402 is in the slack direction D_LConstrained and may maintain a desired fit. It should be noted that even when the locking member 308 is in the locked state, the cable 402 may be in the tightening direction D_TAnd (4) moving. Thus, once the force F is relaxed_LIs released and the desired fit is achieved, the locking member 308 automatically maintains the desired fit by locking the position of the cable 402 relative to the housings 304, 304a, 304 b.

In other cases, the release force F may be associated with a second magnitude that is greater than the first magnitude_RIs applied to the release cable 384 to move the locking member 308 a predetermined distance away from the engagement surface 334 to cause the corresponding retention feature 350 to engage the pawl 378. By being a holdoverThe protrusion 360 of the feature 350 provides a tapered biasing surface 364 opposite the locking member 308 to facilitate engagement of the retention feature 350 to allow the locking member 308 to more easily resist the biasing force F when the release cable 384 is pulled a predetermined distance_BThe retention feature 350 is moved, wherein the biasing force is exerted on the retention feature 350 by the second biasing member 314. In these cases, when the release force F is released_RWhen so, the engagement between the respective retention feature 350 and the pawl 378 retains the locking member 308 in the unlocked state.

When the tightening force F is applied_TWhen applied to the control portion 406, the locking member 308 returns to the locked state. I.e. when the tightening force F is applied_TWhen applied to the control portion 406, the first control segment 412 and the second control segment 414 are in a tensioned state, which in turn exerts a force on the second biasing member 314 via the distal end 356 of the tab 352 of the retention feature 350 as the first control segment 3412 and the second control segment 414 pass through the first opening 330a, as shown in fig. 17 and 22. In so doing, the distal ends 356 of the retention features 350 compress the second biasing member 314 and thus the protrusions 360 of the retention features 350 move away from each other and disengage the detents 378 of the locking member 308, allowing the first biasing member 312 to return the locking member 308 to the locked state.

The following clauses provide example configurations of an article of footwear and a cable lock according to the principles of the present disclosure.

Clause 1: an article of footwear includes an upper defining an interior void and having a first region and a second region, and a sole structure attached to the upper. The article of footwear also includes (i) a cable including a first fastening section extending across the first region to a first terminal end anchored to one of the upper and the sole structure and a second fastening section extending across the second region to a second terminal end anchored to one of the upper and the sole structure; and (ii) a cable lock attached to one of the upper and the sole structure, the cable lock configured to receive the first and second fastening segments and operable to fix a position of each of the first and second fastening segments independent of each other.

Clause 2: the article of footwear of clause 1, wherein either or both of the first region and the second region comprise an elastic material.

Clause 3: the article of footwear of any of the preceding clauses, wherein the cable lock is disposed within the sole structure.

Clause 4: the article of footwear of any of the preceding clauses, wherein the cable lock further comprises a release cable operable to move the cable lock from the locked state to the unlocked state.

Clause 5: the article of footwear of any of the preceding clauses wherein the first region is disposed on a medial side of the upper and the second region is disposed on a lateral side of the upper.

Clause 6: the article of footwear of any of the preceding clauses, wherein at least one of the first region and the second region includes an upper edge having a first series of cable guides and a lower edge having a second series of cable guides, at least one of the first fastening section and the second fastening section being alternately arranged between the first series of cable guides and the second series of cable guides along a length of the at least one of the first region and the second region.

Clause 7: the article of footwear of any of the preceding clauses wherein the first terminal end is anchored to a medial side of the upper and the second terminal end is anchored to a lateral side of the upper.

Clause 8: the article of footwear of any of the preceding clauses, wherein the cable includes a first control segment connected to the first fastening segment by a cable lock and a second control segment connected to the second fastening segment by a cable lock.

Clause 9: the article of footwear of any of the preceding clauses wherein the tensile force applied to the first control segment comprises a first tightening force on the first fastening segment and a second tightening force on the second fastening segment.

Clause 10: the article of footwear of clause 9, wherein the first tightening force is greater than the second tightening force or less than the second tightening force.

Clause 11: the article of footwear of any of clauses 1-4 and 8-10, wherein the first region is also disposed closer to an ankle opening of the upper than the second region, and the second region is also disposed closer to a toe region of the upper than the first region.

Clause 12: an article of footwear includes an upper defining an interior void and having a first region and a second region, and a sole structure attached to the upper. The article of footwear also includes (i) a cable including a first fastening section extending across the first region to a first terminal end anchored to the upper, a second fastening section extending across the second region to a second terminal end anchored to the upper, and a control portion operable to provide at least one of a first tightening force to the first fastening section and a second tightening force to the second fastening section, the first tightening force being greater than or less than the second tightening force; and (ii) a cable lock attached to one of the upper and the sole structure and receiving a portion of the cable therein, the cable lock operable between a locked state preventing movement of the cable and an unlocked state allowing movement of the cable.

Clause 13: the article of footwear of clause 12, wherein the first fastening segment and the second fastening segment are connected to the control portion at a cable lock.

Clause 14: the article of footwear of any of the preceding clauses, wherein the cable lock is disposed within the sole structure.

Clause 15: the article of footwear of any of the preceding clauses, wherein the cable lock further includes a release cable operable to move the cable lock from the locked state to the unlocked state.

Clause 16: the article of footwear of any of the preceding clauses, wherein the first region is disposed on a medial side of the upper and the second region is disposed on a lateral side of the upper.

Clause 17: the article of footwear of any of the preceding clauses, wherein at least one of the first region and the second region extends from the ankle opening to a forefoot region of the upper.

Clause 18: the article of footwear of any of the preceding clauses, wherein at least one of the first region and the second region includes an upper edge having a first series of cable guides and a lower edge having a second series of cable guides, at least one of the first fastening section and the second fastening section being alternately arranged between the first series of cable guides and the second series of cable guides along a length of the at least one of the first region and the second region.

Clause 19: the article of footwear of any of the preceding clauses, wherein the first terminal end is disposed on a medial side of the upper and the second terminal end is disposed on a lateral side of the upper.

Clause 20: the article of footwear of any of the preceding clauses, wherein the control portion includes a first control segment connected to the first fastening segment at the sole structure and a second control segment connected to the second fastening segment at the sole structure.

Clause 21: the article of footwear of clause 20, wherein the tensile force applied to the first control segment generates a first tightening force on the first fastening segment and a second tightening force on the second fastening segment.

Clause 22: the article of footwear of any of clauses 12-15 and 19-21, wherein the first region is also disposed closer to an ankle opening of the upper than the second region, and the second region is also disposed closer to a toe region of the upper than the first region.

The foregoing description has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to exaggerate or limit the present description. Individual elements or features of a particular configuration are generally not limited to that particular configuration, but are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances and can be used in a selected configuration, even if not specifically shown or described. The individual elements or features of a particular embodiment may also be varied in a number of ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the specification, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the specification.

Claims (22)

1. An article of footwear comprising:

an upper defining an interior void and having a first region and a second region;

a sole structure attached to the upper;

a cable including a first fastening section extending across the first region to a first terminal end anchored to one of the upper and the sole structure and a second fastening section extending across the second region to a second terminal end anchored to one of the upper and the sole structure; and

a cable lock attached to one of the upper and the sole structure, the cable lock configured to receive the first and second fastening segments and operable to fix a position of each of the first and second fastening segments independent of each other.

2. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein either or both of the first region and the second region comprise an elastic material.

3. The article of footwear of any of the preceding claims, wherein a cable lock is disposed within the sole structure.

4. The article of footwear of any of the preceding claims, wherein the cable lock further includes a release cable operable to move the cable lock from the locked state to the unlocked state.

5. The article of footwear according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the first area is disposed on a medial side of the upper and the second area is disposed on a lateral side of the upper.

6. The article of footwear of any of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the first region and the second region includes an upper edge with a first series of cable guides and a lower edge with a second series of cable guides, at least one of the first fastening section and the second fastening section being alternately arranged between the first series of cable guides and the second series of cable guides along a length of the at least one of the first region and the second region.

7. The article of footwear according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the first terminal end is anchored to a medial side of the upper and the second terminal end is anchored to a lateral side of the upper.

8. The article of footwear of any of the preceding claims, wherein the cable includes a first control segment connected to the first fastening segment by a cable lock and a second control segment connected to the second fastening segment by a cable lock.

9. The article of footwear according to claim 8, wherein the tensile force applied to the first control segment includes a first tightening force on the first fastening segment and a second tightening force on the second fastening segment.

10. The article of footwear according to claim 9, wherein the first tightening force is greater than the second tightening force or less than the second tightening force.

11. The article of footwear according to any of claims 1-4 and 8-10, wherein the first area is disposed closer to an ankle opening of the upper than the second area, and the second area is disposed closer to a toe area of the upper than the first area.

12. An article of footwear comprising:

an upper defining an interior void and having a first region and a second region;

a sole structure attached to the upper;

a cable including a first fastening section extending across the first region to a first terminal end anchored to the upper, a second fastening section extending across the second region to a second terminal end anchored to the upper, and a control portion operable to provide at least one of a first tightening force to the first fastening section and a second tightening force to the second fastening section, the first tightening force being greater than or less than the second tightening force; and

a cable lock attached to one of the upper and the sole structure and receiving a portion of the cable therein, the cable lock operable between a locked state preventing movement of the cable and an unlocked state allowing movement of the cable.

13. The article of footwear according to claim 12, wherein the first fastening segment and the second fastening segment are connected to the control portion at a cable lock.

14. The article of footwear of any of the preceding claims, wherein a cable lock is disposed within the sole structure.

15. The article of footwear of any of the preceding claims, wherein the cable lock further includes a release cable operable to move the cable lock from the locked state to the unlocked state.

16. The article of footwear according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the first area is disposed on a medial side of the upper and the second area is disposed on a lateral side of the upper.

17. The article of footwear of any of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the first region and the second region extends from the ankle opening to a forefoot region of the upper.

18. The article of footwear of any of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the first region and the second region includes an upper edge with a first series of cable guides and a lower edge with a second series of cable guides, at least one of the first fastening section and the second fastening section being alternately arranged between the first series of cable guides and the second series of cable guides along a length of the at least one of the first region and the second region.

19. The article of footwear according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the first terminal end is disposed on a medial side of the upper and the second terminal end is disposed on a lateral side of the upper.

20. The article of footwear of any of the preceding claims, wherein the control portion includes a first control segment connected to the first fastening segment at the sole structure and a second control segment connected to the second fastening segment at the sole structure.

21. The article of footwear according to claim 20, wherein the tensile force applied to the first control segment includes a first tightening force on the first fastening segment and a second tightening force on the second fastening segment.

22. The article of footwear according to any of claims 12-15 and 19-21, wherein the first area is disposed closer to an ankle opening of the upper than the second area, and the second area is disposed closer to a toe area of the upper than the first area.

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