Article of footwear incorporating a backtab pull and tongue pull

• US 5,276,983 A
• Filed: 06/12/1991
• Issued: 01/11/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc., Nike International Ltd. (Nike, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Hatfield, Tinker L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Meyers, Steven N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATTERSON, MARIE D
• Application Number:
  US07/713,861
• Time in Patent Office: 944 Days
• Field of Search: 36/138, 36/136, 36/132, 36/1, 36/3 R, 36/3 A, 36/54
• US Class Current: 36/138
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 11/00 Footwear with arrangements to facilitate putting-on or removing, e.g. with straps
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/26 Tongues for shoes

Abstract

The invention pertains to an article of footwear having a backtab pull and a tongue pull on an upper of the article of footwear. The backtab pull and tongue pull assist the wearer in the donning and removing of an article of footwear, in particular an athletic shoe having a molded dynamic fit. The backtab pull includes a strap affixed to the posterior of the article of footwear and the tongue pull includes at least one hole, and preferably two holes, incorporated into an extended tongue portion of the upper.

Claims

1. A molded-fit article of footwear incorporating a pull to facilitate the donning and removing thereof, said article of footwear comprising:

an upper for surrounding and holding a foot within said molded-fit article of footwear;

a sole connected to said upper for contacting the ground surface when said article of footwear in disposed on a foot of a wearer;

an extended tongue attached to said upper of said article of footwear, said extended tongue including a body portion extending transversely from a medial side to a lateral side of said upper, said body portion having a given thickness and width capable of curving around a leg of a wearer of said article of footwear, said body portion projecting above said upper of said article of footwear;

pull means for widening the point of entry of said molded-fit article of footwear, said pull means comprising at least one hole integrally formed through said given thickness of said body portion of said extended tongue in the direction of the longitudinal axis of said article of footwear and sized for the insertion of at least one finger therethrough; and

an external layer of synthetic thermoplastic applied over at least one side of said body portion to cover substantially the entire width of an upper portion of said extended tongue and thereby encompass said at least one hole.

2. An article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein said extended tongue is made of a neoprene foam material.

3. An article of footwear according to claim 2, wherein said external layer of synthetic thermoplastic is applied over at least one side of said neoprene foam material to substantially the entire width of an upper portion of said extended tongue which encompasses said at least one hole.

4. An article of footwear according to claim 1 wherein said at least one hole in said extended tongue comprises two holes.

5. An article of footwear according to claim 4 wherein said two holes are positioned symmetrically about a longitudinal centerline of said extended tongue.

6. An article of footwear according to claim 1 wherein said at least one hole is generally rectangular.

7. An article of footwear according to claim 1 wherein a substantial portion of said at least one hole in said extended tongue is above an uppermost edge of said upper of said article of footwear.

8. An article of footwear incorporating a pull assembly to facilitate the donning or removing thereof, said article of footwear comprising:

an upper for surrounding and holding a foot within said article of footwear;

a sole connected to said upper for contacting the ground surface when said article of footwear is disposed on a foot of a wearer;

an extended tongue attached to said upper of said article of footwear, said extended tongue having a body portion with a given thickness and width such that said body portion is capable of curving around a leg of a wearer of said article of footwear, said body portion projecting above a collar of said upper;

at least one hole formed through the thickness of said body portion in the direction of the longitudinal axis of said article of footwear;

a strap affixed to said upper and having a transverse portion substantially parallel to a transverse axis of said upper;

said transverse portion of said strap being spaced from a posterior end of said upper proximate to a superior aspect of a collar of said upper to define an opening for the insertion of at least one finger of the wearer of said article of footwear;

positioning means for preventing said strap from impinging the Achilles'"'"' tendon of the wearer of said article of footwear during flexion of the foot of the wearer and for defining said opening between said transverse portion of said strap and said collar of said upper for the insertion of at least one finger, said positioning means comprising two side portions extending substantially rearward from a posterior aspect of the collar of the article of footwear and said transverse portion of said strap extending between said two side portions; and

wherein said extended tongue further includes a layer of synthetic thermoplastic applied over at least one side of said body portion to an upper portion of said extended tongue which encompasses said at least one hole.

9. An article of footwear according to claim 8, wherein said extended tongue is made from a neoprene foam material.

10. An article of footwear according to claim 9, wherein said layer of synthetic thermoplastic is applied over at least one side of said neoprene foam material to an upper portion of said extended tongue which encompasses said at least one hole.

11. An article of footwear according to claim 8 wherein said strap is made from a thermoplastic material.

12. An article of footwear according to claim 8 wherein said at least one hole in said extended tongue further comprises two holes.

13. An article of footwear according to claim 12 wherein said two holes are positioned symmetrically about a longitudinal centerline of said extended tongue.

14. An article of footwear according to claim 8 wherein said strap includes a side portion on each transverse side of said transverse portion, each side portion being attached to said upper and extending generally upward and rearward from their respective points of attachment.

15. An article of footwear according to claim 14 wherein said side and transverse portion of said strap have an arcuate shape in the horizontal direction approximating the curved shape of a posterior upper edge of the collar of the upper.

16. An article of footwear according to claim 8 wherein said at least one hole is generally rectangular.

17. An article of footwear according to claim 8 wherein a substantial portion of said at least one hole in said extended tongue is above an uppermost edge of the collar of said upper.

18. An article of footwear incorporating a pull to facilitate the donning and removing thereof, said article of footwear comprising:

an upper for surrounding and holding a foot therewithin, said upper terminating no higher than generally around the region of an ankle of a wearer and said upper including an instep covering portion extending from a medical side to a lateral side of said article of footwear and curving around to thereby substantially cover the dorsal side of the foot;

a sole connected to said upper for contacting the ground surface when said article of footwear is disposed on a foot of a wearer;

said instep covering portion including pull means for enabling the wearer to widen the point of entry of said upper, said pull means including at least one aperture integrally formed through said instep covering portion in the direction of the longitudinal axis of said article of footwear and sized for the insertion of at least one finger therethrough;

an external layer of synthetic thermoplastic applied over at least one side of said instep covering portion to cover substantially the entire width of an upper portion of said instep covering portion and thereby encompass said at least one aperture; and

wherein a force applied by a finger inserted through said at least one aperture thereby facilitates the donning of said article of footwear.

19. An article of footwear according to claim 18 wherein said at least one hole comprises two holes.

20. An article of footwear according to claim 19 wherein said two holes are positioned symmetrically about a longitudinal centerline of said upper.

21. An article of footwear according to claim 19 wherein said at least one hole is generally rectangular in shape.

22. An article of footwear according to claim 18 wherein said instep covering portion comprises a neoprene material.

23. An article of footwear according to claim 18 wherein said instep covering portion comprises a stretch lycra material.

24. An article of footwear incorporating a pull assembly to facilitate the donning or removing thereof, said article of footwear comprising:

an upper for surrounding and holding a foot within said article of footwear;

a sole connected to said upper for contacting the ground surface when said article of footwear is disposed on a foot of a wearer;

an extended tongue attached to said upper of said article of footwear, said extended tongue having a body portion extending from a medical side to a lateral side of said upper with a given thickness and width such that said body portion is capable of curving around a leg of a wearer of said article of footwear, said body portion projecting above a collar of said upper;

two hole formed through the thickness of said body portion in the direction of the longitudinal axis of said extended tongue and sized for the insertion of at least one finger therethrough;

a strap affixed to said article of footwear, and having a transverse portion substantially parallel to a transverse axis of said article of footwear;

said transverse portion of said strap being spaced from a posterior end of said upper proximate to a superior aspect of a collar of said upper to define an opening for the insertion of at least one finger of the wearer of said article of footwear; and

positioning means for preventing said strap from impinging the Achilles'"'"' tendon of the wearer of said article of footwear during flexion of the foot of the wearer and for defining said opening between said transverse portion of said strap and said collar of said upper for the insertion of at least one finger, said positioning means comprising two side portions extending substantially rearward form a posterior aspect of the collar of the article of footwear and said transverse portion of said strap extending between said two side portions;

wherein said extended tongue is made from a neoprene foam material;

wherein said extended tongue further comprises a layer of synthetic thermoplastic applied over at least one side of said neoprene foam material to an upper portion of said extended tongue which encompasses said two holes;

wherein said strap is made from a thermoplastic material;

wherein said two holes are positioned symmetrically about a longitudinal centerline of said extended tongue;

wherein said strap includes a side portion on each transverse side of said transverse portion, said side portion being attached to said upper and extending generally upward and rearward from there respective points of attachment;

wherein said side and transverse portions of said strap have an arcuate shape in the horizontal direction approximating the curved shape of a posterior upper edge of the collar of the upper;

wherein said two holes are generally rectangular; and

wherein a substantial portion of said two holes in said extended tongue are above an uppermost edge of the collar of said upper.