Abstract
An article of footwear includes an upper including at least two straps, an adjustable connector attached to ends of the at least two straps and a pivot pin connecting the adjustable connectors to the upper, where the adjustable connectors each independently move about the pivot pin to adjust the positions of the at least two straps relative to a wearer's foot.
Claims
1. An article of footwear comprising: an upper including at least two straps; a first adjustable connector attached to an end of one of said at least two straps, wherein said one of said at least two straps is movably attached to said first adjustable connector; a second adjustable connector attached to an end of another of said at least two straps; and a pivot pin connecting the first and second adjustable connectors to the upper, wherein the first and second adjustable connectors each independently move about the pivot pin to adjust the positions of said at least two straps relative to a wearer's foot.
2. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second adjustable connectors has a triangular shape with a central opening, and a through-hole.
3. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second adjustable connectors has a triangular shape with a solid body, and a through-hole.
4. The article of footwear of claim 3, wherein the body has a gradual curvature.
5. The article of footwear of claim 1, where each of the first and second adjustable connectors has a base and a circular connecting member, and a post connecting said base to said circular connecting member, wherein said circular connecting member includes a through-hole.
6. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second adjustable connectors is made with metal or a composite material.
7. An article of footwear comprising: an upper including a plurality of straps; a plurality of adjustable connectors, each of said plurality of adjustable connectors being attached to one of said plurality of straps, said plurality of adjustable connectors each including a through-hole; a pivot pin inserted through the through-holes of said plurality of adjustable connectors and secured to said upper, wherein said plurality of straps are each movably attached to a respective one of said plurality of adjustable connectors, wherein said plurality of adjustable connectors each independently move about the pivot pin and are configured to adjust positions of said plurality of straps relative to a wearer's foot.
8. The article of footwear of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of adjustable connectors has a triangular shape with a central opening, and a through-hole.
9. The article of footwear of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of adjustable connectors has a triangular shape with a solid body, and a through-hole.
10. The article of footwear of claim 9, wherein the body has a gradual curvature.
11. (canceled)
12. The article of footwear of claim 7, where each of the plurality of adjustable connectors has a base and a circular connecting member, and a post connecting said base to said circular connecting member, wherein said circular connecting member includes a through-hole.
13. The article of footwear of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of adjustable connectors is made with metal or a composite material.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present footwear.
[0008] FIG. 2 is a right side view of the footwear of FIG. 1.
[0009] FIG. 3 is a left side view of the footwear of FIG. 1.
[0010] FIG. 4 is a front view of an embodiment of an adjustable connector on the footwear shown in FIG. 1.
[0011] FIG. 5 is a side view of the adjustable connector of FIG. 4.
[0012] FIG. 6 is top view of the adjustable connector of FIG. 4.
[0013] FIG. 7 is bottom view of the adjustable connector of FIG. 4.
[0014] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the pin associated with the adjustable connector of FIG. 4.
[0015] FIG. 9 is a side view of the pin of FIG. 8.
[0016] FIG. 10 is a top view of the pin of FIG. 8, where the bottom view is a mirror image of the top view.
[0017] FIG. 11 is a fragmentary front view of another embodiment of the present footwear where each side strap includes an adjustable connector connected to a central strap.
[0018] FIG. 12 is a fragmentary side view of another embodiment of the adjustable connector.
[0019] FIG. 13 is a front view of a further embodiment of the adjustable connector.
[0020] FIG. 14 is a side view of the adjustable connector of FIG. 13.
[0021] FIG. 15 is a top view of the adjustable connector of FIG. 13.
[0022] FIG. 16 is a bottom view of the adjustable connector of FIG. 13.
[0023] FIG. 17 is another embodiment of the article of footwear including three adjustable connectors.
[0024] FIG. 18A is a top view of another embodiment of the adjustable connector.
[0025] FIG. 18B is a top view of a further embodiment of the adjustable connector.
[0026] FIG. 18C is a top view of another embodiment of the adjustable connector.
[0027] FIG. 19 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the article of footwear including an adjustable connector with a removable strap.
[0028] FIG. 20 is a fragmentary exploded view of the adjustable connector of FIG. 19 with the strap connector removed from the adjustable connector.
[0029] FIG. 21 is a fragmentary top view of the strap connector of FIG. 19.
[0030] FIG. 22 is an enlarged front view of the strap connector of FIG. 19.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0031] The present footwear includes one or more adjustable connectors that are each attached to a closure device of an upper, such as a lace or a strap, and are movably connected to the upper and to each other to enable each closure device to be independently moved to adjust the comfort and fit of the footwear on a wearer's foot.
[0032] Referring now to FIGS. 1-10, an article of footwear 20, such as a shoe, includes a sole, generally indicated as 22, where the sole 22 includes a midsole 24 attached to an upper 26, and an outsole 28 attached to the midsole. The midsole 24 is made of a substantially durable material and has a peripheral wall 30 where the midsole has an upper surface 32 and a bottom surface 34. The midsole 24 and the outsole may be formed separately and attached together in a compression molding process, by using an adhesive or integrally formed by injection molding or by another suitable manufacturing process.
[0033] In the illustrated embodiment, the midsole 24 is made with ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), but may also be made with thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), a foam material, rubber or any suitable material or combination of materials. As shown in FIGS. 1-3, the outsole 28 is attached to a bottom surface 36 of the midsole 24 by an adhesive or by molding, and is made of rubber. The outsole 28 typically includes a plurality of tread members 36 that are configured to grip an underlying surface, such as the ground, during movement. It should be appreciated that the outsole 28 may be made of any suitable material or combinations of materials known in the art.
[0034] Referring to FIGS. 1-3, the upper 26 includes a closure device having a plurality of straps 38 that are interconnected together and configured to receive a foot of a wearer. In the illustrated embodiment, the upper 26 includes a lateral front strap 40 having a first end 42 that is attached to lateral side 44 of the midsole 24 during the molding of the midsole, by stitching or by an adhesive. A second, opposite end 46 of the lateral front strap 40 includes a ring connector 48 (FIG. 2). In FIG. 2, an adjustable, medial front strap 50 has a first end 52 that is attached to a medial side 54 of the midsole 24 similar to the lateral front strap 40. The medial front strap 50 includes a first part 56 (FIG. 1) having a first attachment device 58 and a second part 60 having a second attachment device 62 where the medial front strap 50 is inserted through the ring connector 48 and the second attachment device 62 on the second part 60 is secured to the first attachment device 58 on the first part 56 to secure the medial front strap 50 in position relative to the wearer's foot. In an embodiment, the first attachment device 58 includes a plurality of loop fasteners and the second attachment device 62 (FIG. 1) includes a plurality of hook fasteners, where the loop and hook fasteners engage are secured together. In another embodiment, the first attachment device 58 includes a plurality of hook fasteners and the second attachment device 62 includes a plurality of loop fasteners, where the loop and hook fasteners are secured together. The second attachment device 62 may be released from the first attachment device 58 and then re-attached to the first attachment device to adjust the position (tighten or loosen) of the medial front strap 50 relative to the wearer's foot, i.e., the fit of the medial front strap on the wearer's foot.
[0035] The rear end 64 (FIG. 2) of the upper 26 includes three straps, namely, a rear lateral strap 66, a rear medial strap 68, an upper strap 70 and a heel strap 72. As shown, the rear lateral strap 66 and the rear medial strap 68 each include first ends 74 and 76 that are attached to the midsole 24 as described above. The second ends 78 and 80 of the rear lateral strap 66 and the rear medial strap 68 are each connected to the upper strap 70 and the heel strap 72 by an adjustable connector 82, and more specifically by adjustable connectors 82a, 82b and 84a, 84b, that are each movably connected to the second ends 78 and 80 of the rear lateral strap 66 and the rear medial strap 68. In the illustrated embodiment, the upper strap 70 is adjustable and is threaded through the adjustable connector 82b and attached to itself by loop and hook fasteners as described above or by any suitable attachment method. Similarly, a first end 89 (FIG. 2) of the heel strap 72 is adjustable and threaded through the adjustable connector 82a and attached to itself in the same way as the first end 86 of the upper strap 70. In FIG. 2, a lateral strap 83 is attached to the adjustable connector 82b and to the ring connector 48 and extends along the lateral side 44 of the midsole 24.
[0036] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4-7, each adjustable connector 82 described above is the same and have a generally triangular shape formed by side members 90 and a central opening 92. It should be appreciated that the adjustable connector may also have a square shape, a rectangular shape, a circular shape, a polygonal shape or any suitable geometric shape. In this embodiment, the adjustable connectors 82a, 82b and 84a, 84b each further include a through-hole 94 (FIG. 4) at one end where the side members 90 are joined together. In this embodiment, the side members 90 may be separately made and joined together to form each adjustable connector or each adjustable connector may be integrally formed by molding or other suitable manufacturing method. Also, the side members 90 of each adjustable connector each have a length of 2.0 cm to 4.0 cm and a thickness of 1.0 to 3.0 mm and preferably 2.5 mm, but may have any suitable length and thickness.
[0037] As shown in FIGS. 1-3, the through-holes 94 of the adjustable connectors 82a, 82b, 84a, 84b on the lateral side 44 and the medial side 54 of the midsole 24 are aligned with each other and with through-holes 96 formed in the second ends 78 and 80 (FIG. 2) of the rear lateral strap 66 and the rear medial strap 68. A pivot pin 98 shown in FIGS. 8-10 is inserted through the aligned through-holes 96 and 98 and secured in place by compressing the ends of the pivot pin 98 using a suitable tool, to form flanges 100 at each of the ends of the pivot pin 98. The flanges 100 each have a diameter or width that is greater than a diameter of the through-holes 94 and 96 such that the pivot pin 98 will not move out of or fall out of the through-holes 94 and 96. In this embodiment, the pivot pin 98 is made with metal, such as stainless steel, or a composite material, but may be made with any suitable material or combination of materials. Further, each pivot pin 98 has a length and a diameter, where the diameter of the pivot pin 98 in a middle part (between the flanges 100) is less than the diameters of the flanges 100 at the ends after the pivot pin 98 after being compressed. The diameter of the central part or middle part of the pivot pin 98 is less than the diameters of the through-holes 84 and 96 so that the adjustable connectors 82a, 82b and 84a, 84b may pivot or rotate about the pivot pin 98. Since the second ends 78 and 80 of the rear lateral strap 66 and the rear medial strap 68 are attached to the adjustable connectors, the second ends 78 and 80 of the rear lateral strap and the rear medial strap also pivot or rotate simultaneously with the movement of the adjustable connectors about the pivot pin 98. The movement of the adjustable connectors 48, 82, 84 and 88 and thereby the second ends 78 and 80 of the straps enables a wearer to be able to adjust the positions of the straps relative to their foot and thereby adjust the comfort and fit of the upper on the wearer's foot.
[0038] In the above embodiment, two adjustable connectors are movably connected together and to a strap by a pivot pin 98. In another embodiment, three or more of the adjustable connectors may be movably connected together by a pivot pin 98 to adjust the positions of several straps relative to a wearer's foot. It should also be appreciated that the adjustable connectors may be attached to one or more laces or other devices used to adjust the fit and comfort of footwear on a wearer's feet.
[0039] Referring to FIG. 11, another embodiment of an article of footwear 102 is shown where first ends 104 and 106 of adjustable connectors 108 and 110 are attached to ends of side straps 112 and 114 by molding or adhesive and second ends 116 and 118 of the adjustable connectors 108 and 110 include through-holes 120 and 122. In this embodiment, the adjustable connectors 108 and 110 are planar and have a generally triangular shape and are solid with no central opening. As described above, the second ends 116 and 118 of each adjustable connector 108 and 110 includes a through-hole 120 and 122 where the through-holes of the adjustable connectors 108 and 110 and a through-hole 124 formed in a central strap 126 are aligned with each other and joined together by a pivot pin 128 as shown in FIGS. 8-10. After being connected to a central strap 126, the adjustable connectors 108 and 110 independently pivot or rotate relative to the central strap and each other and enable a wearer to adjust the positions of the side straps 112 and 114 relative to the wearer's foot to adjust the comfort and fit of the footwear 102 on their foot. It should be appreciated that the article of footwear 102 may include two or more of the adjustable connectors that are joined together and pivot or rotate relative to each other.
[0040] Referring to FIG. 12, another embodiment of the adjustable connector is shown and generally indicated as 130, where the adjustable connector includes a first end 132 having a generally rectangular base 134 and a second end 136 having a circular connecting member 138 where the base and the connecting member are secured to each other by post 140. In this embodiment, the circular connecting member 138 includes a through-hole 142 that is aligned with through-holes of one or more additional adjustable connectors and secured together by the pivot pin as shown in FIGS. 8-10.
[0041] Referring to FIGS. 13-16, a further embodiment of the adjustable connector is shown and generally indicated as 144, where the adjustable connector has a generally triangular shape and an end 146 including a through-hole 148. As shown, the adjustable connector 144 has a solid body 147 and may be made with metal, a composite material or any suitable material or combination of materials. In this embodiment, the adjustable connector 144 has a gradual curvature between the ends 146 and 150 of the adjustable connector. The gradual curvature enables at least a portion of the adjustable connector 144 to extend away from a surface of the upper so that the adjustable connector may move more easily relative to the upper and so that the adjustable connector does not press on a wearer's foot during movement. It should be appreciated that the adjustable connector may have any suitable degree of curvature.
[0042] Referring to FIG. 17, another embodiment of the article of footwear is shown and generally indicated as 152. Similar to the article of footwear shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the upper 26 includes a rear end 64 where the rear end 64 of the upper 26 includes three straps, namely, a rear lateral strap 66, a rear medial strap 68, an upper strap 70 and a heel strap 72. As shown, the rear lateral strap 66 and the rear medial strap 68 each include first ends 74 and 76 (FIGS. 2 and 3) that are attached to the midsole 24 as described above. The second ends 78 and 80 (FIG. 2) of the rear lateral strap 66 and the rear medial strap 68 are each connected to the upper strap 70 and the heel strap 72 by an adjustable connector 82, and more specifically by adjustable connectors 82a, 82b and 84a, 84b, that are each movably connected to the second ends 78 and 80 of the rear lateral strap 66 and the rear medial strap 68. In the illustrated embodiment, the upper strap 70 is adjustable and is threaded through the adjustable connector 82b and attached to itself by loop and hook fasteners as described above or by any suitable attachment method. Similarly, a first end 90 of the heel strap 72 is adjustable and threaded through the adjustable connector 82a and attached to itself in the same way as the first end 86 of the upper strap 70. A lateral strap 83 is attached to the adjustable connector 82b and to the ring connector 48 and extends along the lateral side 44 of the midsole 24.
[0043] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the rear lateral strap 66 has an end attached to another adjustable connector 82c. Each of the adjustable connectors 82a, 82b and 82c include through-holes 94 that are aligned with each other and with through-hole 96 formed in the rear lateral strap 66. As described above, a pivot pin 98 shown in FIGS. 8-10 is inserted through the aligned through-holes 96 and 98 and secured in place by compressing the ends of the pivot pin 98 using a suitable tool, to form flanges 100 at each of the ends of the pivot pin 98. In this way, the adjustable connectors 82a, 82b and 82c are movable relative to each other and to the end of the rear lateral strap 66. It should be appreciated that the upper may include a plurality of straps and each strap may include one of the adjustable connectors that are connected to each other and to one or more of the straps by the pivot pin 98 as described above. For example, the article of footwear may include a plurality of the adjustable connectors 82, such as four or more the adjustable connectors 82. Also, the adjustable connectors 82 may be attached to any suitable part of the upper 26 or the sole 22.
[0044] In another embodiment, one or more of the adjustable connectors 82 on the upper 26 or the sole 22 include a locking device (not shown) that is movable between an unlocked position and a locked position. In this embodiment, the locking device associated with the adjustable connector or adjustable connectors, is movable to the unlocked position. Then the adjustable connector or adjustable connectors are moved, and more specifically rotated, relative to one or more straps on the upper and/or the sole, until the adjustable connector or adjustable connectors are in a desired position. The locking device is then moved to the locked position to secure the adjustable connector or the adjustable connectors in the desired position. It should be appreciated that the locking device may be associated with the pivot pin 98 or may be any suitable locking device.
[0045] Referring to FIGS. 18A, 18B and 18C, additional embodiments of the adjustable connector are shown. In FIG. 18A, the adjustable connector 152 has a body 154 with a circular shape, a slot 156 and a through-hole 158. The slot 156 extends through the body 154 and is configured to receive an end of a strap or a strap may be threaded through the slot 156. A pivot pin, such as pivot pin 98 above, is inserted through the through-hole 158 so that the body 154 may pivot or rotate relative to the pivot pin to adjust the position of the strap attached to or threaded through the body 154. In this embodiment, the body 154 is made with plastic, but it may also be made with metal, a cloth material or with any suitable material or combination of materials.
[0046] In FIG. 18B, the adjustable connector 160 includes a body 162 including an oval ring 164 attached to a first end of a rod 166. The second, opposite end of the rod 166 includes a circular ring 167. An end of a strap is attached to the oval ring 164 or a strap may be threaded through the oval ring 164. A pivot pin, such as pivot pin 98 above, is inserted through the circular ring 167 so that the body 162 may pivot or rotate relative to the pivot pin to adjust the position of the strap attached to or threaded through the body 162. In this embodiment, the body 162 is made with metal but it may also with plastic or any suitable material or combination of materials.
[0047] In FIG. 18C, the adjustable connector 168 includes a body 170 having a triangular frame 172 where an oval ring 174 is attached to the frame 172 at one end and a circular ring 176 is attached to the frame 172 at another end. The frame 172, the oval ring 174 and the circular ring 176 may be separately made and attached together or integrally formed as a single component. An end of a strap is attached to the oval ring 174 or a strap may be threaded through the oval ring 174. A pivot pin, such as pivot pin 98 above, is inserted through the circular ring 176 so that the body 170 may pivot or rotate relative to the pivot pin to adjust the position of the strap attached to or threaded through the body 170. In this embodiment, the body 170 is made with metal, but it may also be made with plastic or with any suitable material or combination of materials.
[0048] Referring to FIGS. 19 to 22, another embodiment of the article of footwear is shown and generally indicated as 178. Similar to the article of footwear shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the upper 26 includes a rear end 64 where the rear end 64 of the upper 26 includes three straps, namely, a rear lateral strap 66, a rear medial strap 68, an upper strap 70 and a heel strap 72. As shown, the rear lateral strap 66 and the rear medial strap 68 each include first ends 74 and 76 that are attached to the midsole 24 as described above. The second ends 78 and 80 of the rear lateral strap 66 and the rear medial strap 68 are each connected to the upper strap 70 and the heel strap 72 by an adjustable connector 82, and more specifically by adjustable connectors 82a, 82b and 84a, 84b, that are each movably connected to the second ends 78 and 80 of the rear lateral strap 66 and the rear medial strap 68.
[0049] In the illustrated embodiment, an end of the upper strap 70 includes a strap connector 180 having a body 182 and an actuator 184 movably connected to the body 182. The body 182 defines an interior space and a through-hole 186 formed in a top wall 188, where the through-hole 186 (FIG. 22) is configured to receive the actuator 184. As shown in FIG. 22, the actuator 184 includes a body 190 defining an interior space. A plurality of resilient members, such as coil springs 192a, 192b and 192c, are positioned between a bottom wall 194 of the actuator 184 and a bottom wall 196 of the body 182. The actuator 184 is movable between a first position (non-compressed position) and a second position (compressed position) where the coil springs 192a, 192b and 192c bias the actuator 184 toward the first position. As shown, at least one, and preferably a plurality of cords 198, are attached to an end cap 200 (FIG. 21) and to the upper strap 70 (FIG. 19). The cords 198 extend through the bodies 182 and 190 as shown in FIG. 22. When the actuator 184 is in the first position or non-compressed position, the coils springs 192a, 192b and 192c move the actuator 184 upward, which causes the cords 198 to be clamped between the top wall 188 of the body 182 and the bottom wall 194 of the actuator 184 and thereby lock the cords 198 in place. To adjust the length of the upper strap 70, a user grips the end cap 200 while pressing downward on the actuator 184 thereby compressing the coils springs 192a, 192b and 192c and enlarging the space between the top wall 188 of the body 182 and the bottom wall 194 of the actuator 184. This action unclamps the cords 198 and allows the user to grab the end cap 200 and pull the cords further through the strap connector 180 to tighten the upper strap 70 or move the cords in the opposite direction, i.e., towards the upper strap 70, to loosen the upper strap. Once the upper strap 70 has been adjusted, the user releases the actuator 184, which causes the actuator to clamp the cords 198 as described above. A lateral strap 83 is attached to the adjustable connector 82b and to the ring connector 48 and extends along the lateral side 44 of the midsole 24.
[0050] In this embodiment, the bottom wall 196 of the body 182 of the strap connector 180 includes a plurality of tabs 202 that matingly engage corresponding receptacles 204 on a surface of the adjustable connector 82b in a snap-fit connection to removably attach the strap connector 180 to the adjustable connector 82b. In another embodiment, the tabs 202 and the receptacles 204 are replaced with magnets that are attracted to each other to removably attach the strap connector 180 to the adjustable connector 82b. It should be appreciated that any suitable connector or connectors may be used to removably attach the strap connector to the adjustable connector.
[0051] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the rear lateral strap 66 has an end attached to another adjustable connector 82c. Each of the adjustable connectors 82a, 82b and 82c include through-holes 94 that are aligned with each other and with through-hole 96 formed in the rear lateral strap 66. As described above, a pivot pin 98 shown in FIGS. 8-10 is inserted through the aligned through-holes 96 and 98 and secured in place by compressing the ends of the pivot pin 98 using a suitable tool, to form flanges 100 at each of the ends of the pivot pin 98. In this way, the adjustable connectors 82a, 82b and 82c are movable relative to each other and to the end of the rear lateral strap 66. It should be appreciated that the upper may include a plurality of straps and each strap may include one of the adjustable connectors that are connected to each other and to one or more of the straps by the pivot pin 98 as described above. For example, the article of footwear may include a plurality of the adjustable connectors 82, such as four or more the adjustable connectors 82. Also, the adjustable connectors 82 may be attached to any suitable part of the upper 26 or the sole 22. It should be appreciated that one or more of the straps described above may include the strap connector 180 and cords 198 to adjust the straps relative to a user's foot.
[0052] While particular embodiments of the present article of footwear are shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the invention in its broader aspects and as set forth in the following claims.
