Method and Apparatus for Dynamically Altering a Height of a Sole Assembly
First Claim
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1. An actuator for an article of footwear comprising:
- a wedge;
a retractor connected to the wedge and configured to pull the wedge rearwardly within a groove formed in a sole assembly of an article of footwear; and
a spring assembly connected to the wedge and configured to provide tension in a forward direction on the wedge positioned in the groove.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for dynamically altering a height of a sole assembly of an article of footwear uses an actuator having a retraction assembly and a traction assembly. A wedge is moved to different positions within a groove formed in the sole assembly. A user evaluates the performance of the footwear with the wedge at different positions while performing an activity. The user evaluations help determine an optimal height of the sole assembly.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An actuator for an article of footwear comprising:
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a wedge; a retractor connected to the wedge and configured to pull the wedge rearwardly within a groove formed in a sole assembly of an article of footwear; and a spring assembly connected to the wedge and configured to provide tension in a forward direction on the wedge positioned in the groove. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of dynamically altering a height of a sole assembly of an article of footwear comprising
positioning a wedge at a first distance from a front of a groove formed in a rear surface of a sole assembly of an article of footwear with a retractor so as to create a first heel height for the sole assembly; -
evaluating performance of the article of footwear in use with the wedge positioned at the first distance; positioning the wedge with the retractor so that it is positioned at a second distance from the front of the groove so as to create a second heel height for the sole assembly; evaluating performance of the article of footwear in use with the wedge positioned at the second distance; and comparing performance of the article of footwear in use with the wedge positioned at each of the first and second distances.
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Specification