Patent ID: 9629418
Date: 2017-04-25
CPC Classifications: A43B,A43C

Claim:
1. An article of footwear, comprising: an upper configured to receive a foot of a wearer, the upper including one or more elastic portions and one or more substantially inelastic portions; a plurality of lace receiving members fixedly attached to an outer surface of the upper on the inelastic portions of the upper; a sole structure fixedly attached to the upper; a motorized tensioning system including a motorized tightening device and a continuous tensile member extending through the plurality of lace receiving members and directly attached to the tightening device, the tightening device being configured to apply tension in the tensile member to adjust the size of an internal void defined by the article of footwear by drawing two or more of the plurality of lace receiving members closer to one another; wherein the elastic portions of the upper are fused to the inelastic portions of the upper; wherein the tensile member extends through a first lace receiving member of the two or more lace receiving members in a first direction and extends through a second lace receiving member of the two or more lace receiving members in a second direction that is substantially parallel to the first direction; wherein the first lace receiving member and the second lace receiving member are drawn toward each other in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction to close a gap between the first lace receiving member and a second lace receiving member; wherein the gap between the first lace receiving member and a second lace receiving member includes at least one of the one or more elastic portions of the upper; and wherein the elastic portion of the upper is formed of a substantially elastic material that extends over a substantial majority of the total surface area of the article of footwear, and extends continuously from adjacent to the opening through an area between the first lace receiving member and the second lace receiving member and into a forefoot region of the article of footwear to a midline of the article of footwear between a medial side and a lateral side of the article of footwear.