Adjustable Heel Support Member For Article Of Footwear

• US 20160015129A1
• Filed: 07/20/2015
• Published: 01/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Cavaliere, Sergio
• Granted Patent: US 9,795,187 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 21/36 characterised by their attachment; Securing devices for the attaching means combined with soles A43B13/28
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/08 Heel stiffeners; Toe stiffeners
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/088 Heel stiffeners A43B23/10, A43B23/14, A43B23/16, A43B23/17 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/14 made of leather A43B23/085 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/16 made of impregnated fabrics, plastics or the like A43B23/086 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/28 Devices to put in shoes in order to prevent slipping at the heel or to prevent abrading the stockings
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/26 adjustable as to length or size
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/14 with foot-supporting parts
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/24 Insertions or other supports preventing the foot canting to one side , preventing supination or pronation

Abstract

An adjustable heel support member includes a base portion and an extended portion. The extended portion comprises a lateral portion, a medial portion and a rearward portion. The heel support member further includes a fastening member that can be used to adjust the lateral portion, the medial portion and the rearward portion to resize the heel support member. In some cases, the fastening member may be an elastic ring.

Claims

1. A heel closure apparatus for an article of footwear, comprising:

a heel cup comprising three upwardly extending lobes, including a medial lobe, a lateral lobe, and a central lobe;

a fastener disposed at a distal end of the central lobe, the fastener comprising at least one guide channel extending therethrough from a medial side of the fastener to a lateral side of the fastener;

a medial hook disposed at a distal end of the medial lobe;

a lateral hook disposed at a distal end of the lateral lobe; and

a continuous loop of an elastic cord extending through the at least one guide channel, wherein;

a medial portion of the loop extends outwardly from the guide channel and toward the medial lobe,

a lateral portion of the loop extends outwardly from the guide channel and toward the lateral lobe, and

at least one of the medial or lateral portion of the loop is designed to elastically stretch outwardly from the guide channel and toward a corresponding medial or lateral hook to enable the medial or lateral loop portion to be captured and retained by the corresponding medial or lateral hook.

2. The heel closure apparatus of claim 1, wherein the medial hook and the lateral hook are mirror images of each other.

3. The heel closure apparatus of claim 1, wherein each hook extends away from an exterior surface of the lobe so that an engaging surface of each hook faces away from the fastener.

4. The heel closure apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the medial hook and the lateral hook includes a broadened flange proximate an anterior edge of the hook, and wherein one or more portions of the broadened flange overlap a portion of the loop when the loop is engaged with the hook.

5. The heel closure apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the medial hook and the lateral hook includes a ramp that connects an anterior edge of the hook to an outward-facing surface of the corresponding lobe, wherein a ramp height is greatest proximate the anterior edge of the hook.

6. The heel closure apparatus of claim 5, wherein the ramp extends towards a gap disposed between the corresponding lobe and the central lobe.

7. The heel closure apparatus of claim 6, wherein the ramp height is lowest proximate the gap.

8. The heel closure apparatus of claim 1, wherein the elastic band is configured to be placed under tension when the medial loop portion is engaged with the medial hook and the lateral loop portion is engaged with the lateral hook.

9. The heel closure apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fastener is disposed on an outward-facing surface of the central lobe.

10. The heel closure apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a hook guard disposed proximate and spaced apart from an engaging surface of the hook, wherein the hook guard is a raised portion designed to facilitate aligning the elastic cord with the engaging surface of the hook.

11. The heel closure apparatus of claim 10, wherein the hook guard is spaced apart from the hook by a distance that is equal to or greater than a cross-sectional diameter of the elastic cord.

12. The heel closure apparatus of claim 10, wherein the hook guard is t-shaped with a ramp and a cross-bar, wherein the cross-bar is disposed closest to the hook and the ramp slopes away from the cross-bar.

13. The heel closure apparatus of claim 1, wherein the guide channel includes a passage with a minimum cross-sectional diameter that is equal to or greater than a cross-sectional diameter of the elastic cord.

14. The heel closure apparatus of claim 1, wherein the guide channel includes one or more passages so that the guide channel is configured to receive multiple portions of the elastic cord.

15. A heel closure apparatus for an article of footwear, comprising:

a heel counter comprising three lobes, including a medial lobe, a lateral lobe, and a central lobe, wherein the medial lobe is spaced apart from the central lobe by a medial gap and the lateral lobe is spaced apart from the central lobe by a lateral gap,

a fastener disposed on an outward-facing surface of the central lobe;

wherein the medial gap and the lateral gap have each of an unflexed spacing and a flexed spacing, the flexed spacing being configured to accommodate a width of a heel of a foot inserted into the heel counter,

wherein the flexed spacing is greater than the unflexed spacing, and

wherein the fastener is configured to retain the flexed spacing when secured.

16. The heel closure apparatus of claim 15, wherein the fastener comprises

a medial hook disposed on the medial lobe proximate the medial gap;

a lateral hook disposed on the lateral lobe proximate the lateral gap; and

a continuous loop of an elastic band extending through the fastener, wherein at least one of a medial portion of the loop and a lateral portion of the loop is designed to elastically stretch outwardly from the guide channel and toward a corresponding medial or lateral hook to enable the medial or lateral loop portion to be captured and retained by the corresponding medial or lateral hook.

17. The heel closure apparatus of claim 16, wherein the spacing of the medial gap is configured to decrease when the medial loop portion is captured by the fastener.

18. The heel closure apparatus of claim 15, wherein the medial lobe and the lateral lobe are biased towards the central lobe.

19. The heel closure apparatus of claim 15, wherein the flexed spacing is variable under tension by the elastic band during use, rendering the heel counter suitable to accommodate heels of different sizes.

20. The heel closure apparatus of claim 15 further comprising a raised portion that acts as a hook guard disposed proximate and spaced apart from an engaging surface of the hook, wherein the raised portion is designed to facilitate aligning the elastic band with the engaging surface of the hook.