An article of footwear can include provisions for facilitating the installation of various components. During manufacture of the article of footwear, the upper and/or sole structure can include one or more specialized compartments designed to receive the components. The components can be installed in compartments after manufacture of the article of footwear. In some cases, the components can be used to perform different functions in a motorized tensioning system.

A lacing system for an article of footwear has a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a heel region. The system includes a sole structure, an upper attached to the sole structure, the upper having a lateral side, a medial side, and a tongue, a housing that is disposed along the tongue and entirely within the midfoot region, and an electronics assembly enclosed entirely within the housing. The electronics assembly includes at least a motor and a gear assembly. A first lace extends from the housing through a first aperture and a second aperture, and the first lace is drawn into the housing when the motor is activated by a user.

The present invention discloses a string adjuster that can adjust the length of a string by winding the string. A string adjuster of the present invention includes a fixed unit and a rotation unit, in which a knob of the rotation unit includes a first extension having a counter-anti-separator formed on the interior circumferential surface and preventing separation from a housing, a second extension having a winding determination protrusion formed on the interior circumferential surface and determining winding and releasing modes, and a spacing groove formed between the first extension and the second extension.

A lacing system configured to selectively adjust the size of an opening on an object and allow for the incremental release of the lace within the lacing system. The lacing system can have a reel comprising a housing, a spool supported by the housing, and a knob supported by the housing. The reel can be configured so that cable is gathered in the channel formed in the spool when the spool is rotated in a first direction relative to the housing, and so that cable can be incrementally released from the spool when the spool is rotated in a second direction relative to the housing. In some embodiments, the reel can include a rotation limiter which can be configured to prevent over-tightening of the lacing system and/or to prevent rotation past the substantially fully loosened state.

A closure system for a boot or other footwear includes a tension member that is disposed within the boot and routed or guided about a path within the boot via one or more guides. The closure system also includes an adjustment member that is disposed within the boot and operably coupled with the tension member. The closure system further includes a reel based closure device having a knob that is operable to tension the tension member and to release tension from the tension member. Tensioning of the tension member adjusts a fit of the adjustment member about a foot within the boot to secure the foot within the boot and loosening of the tension member adjusts the fit of the adjustment member about the foot to allow the foot to be more easily removed from the boot.

An article of footwear can include provisions for improving the operation and use of various systems associated with the article. An automated tensioning system can be configured to provide and perform a variety of functions associated with the fastening of the article of footwear. The automated tensioning system may tighten and loosen the article of footwear through the operation of a motor. The automated tensioning system may also be able to store and recall a preset tension level.

An article of footwear, lacing engine, and method includes a motor, a transmission operatively coupled to the motor, and a lace spool. The lace spool is operatively coupled to the transmission and includes a top lace groove in a top surface of the lace spool and a circumferential channel, wherein the lace is configured to be inserted in the top lace groove and be taken up around the circumferential channel based on a turning of the lace spool from action by the motor and transmission. A fastener is configured to couple the lace spool to the transmission and is inserted into the lace spool via the top surface, the fastener having a head having a head width sufficient to partially cover the top lace groove, leaving a top gap having a gap width less than a thickness of the lace.

The present invention provides a wire tightening device which is installed in shoes or the like and structured so that a tightening operation for tightening a wire can be performed with ease, and the position of a part winding the wire is lifted inside a housing. The present invention comprises: a winding wheel which is positioned in the inner space of the housing and has a vertical through hole formed in the center; and an ascending/descending member that is positioned in the through hole of the winding wheel and coupled to the winding wheel through ratchet coupling, and is provided with engagement teeth which are formed in the lower portion and interlock with locking teeth of the housing.

Embodiments of the invention are directed to adjustable closure devices. One embodiment has a strap, a connector attached to a strap end, a chafe mounted on the strap behind the connector, and a hinged handle on the chafe. The chafe has a two outer bars and a central bar, these bars defining strap through-paths. The strap end-region has path segments arranged, directionally from the strap's central region toward the strap end at the chafe, or, in embodiments that configure the strap as a pulley, at the connector. An adjustable length region of the strap spans between the chafe and the connector. An elevatable handle configuration allows a user to pull the chafe to which it is connected along the strap, away from connector. As the chafe moves along the strap, the strap can transition between a large circumference configuration and small circumference. Some embodiments have a strap friction-locking mechanism associated with the handle and the chafe.

A fastening device is provided. The fastening device includes a case, a spool, a knob and a locking unit. When the knob is rotated relative to the case in a fastening direction, the spool is not affected by the locking unit and is allowed to rotate in the fastening direction for fastening the lace. When the knob is rotated relative to the case in a loosening direction, the spool is allowed to freely rotate in the loosening direction to release the lace. As the knob is engaged with the housing via an engagement between the mounted portion and the engaged portion, the housing, the locking unit, the knob and the spool are combined and restricted.