Patent Description:
Devices for automatically tightening an article of footwear have been previously proposed. <CIT>, titled "Automatic tightening shoe", provides a first fastener mounted on a shoe's upper portion, and a second fastener connected to a closure member and capable of removable engagement with the first fastener to retain the closure member at a tightened state. Liu teaches a drive unit mounted in the heel portion of the sole. The drive unit includes a housing, a spool rotatably mounted in the housing, a pair of pull strings and a motor unit. Each string has a first end connected to the spool and a second end corresponding to a string hole in the second fastener. The motor unit is coupled to the spool. Liu teaches that the motor unit is operable to drive rotation of the spool in the housing to wind the pull strings on the spool for pulling the second fastener towards the first fastener. Liu also teaches a guide tube unit that the pull strings can extend through.

<CIT> also discloses a lace winding device for shoes.

The present inventors have recognized, among other things, a need for an improved lacing apparatus for automated and semi-automated tightening of shoe laces. This document describes, among other things, the mechanical design of a lacing apparatus portion of a footwear platform. The following examples provide a non-limiting overview of the lacing apparatus and supporting footwear components discussed herein. The present invention is defined by the attached claims, to which reference should now be made.

The headings provided herein are merely for convenience and do not necessarily affect the scope or meaning of the terms used.

The concept of self-tightening shoe laces was first widely popularized by the fictitious power-laced Nike® sneakers worn by Marty McFly in the movie Back to the Future II, which was released back in <NUM>. While Nike® has since released at least one version of power-laced sneakers similar in appearance to the movie prop version from Back to the Future II, the internal mechanical systems and surrounding footwear platform employed in these early versions do not necessarily lend themselves to mass production or daily use. Additionally, previous designs for motorized lacing systems comparatively suffered from problems such as high cost of manufacture, complexity, assembly challenges, lack of serviceability, and weak or fragile mechanical mechanisms, to highlight just a few of the many issues. The present inventors have developed a modular footwear platform to accommodate motorized and non-motorized lacing engines that solves some or all of the problems discussed above, among others. The components discussed below provide various benefits including, but not limited to: serviceable components, interchangeable automated lacing engines, robust mechanical design, reliable operation, streamlined assembly processes, and retail-level customization. Various other benefits of the components described below will be evident to persons of skill in the relevant arts.

The motorized lacing engine discussed below was developed from the ground up to provide a robust, serviceable, and inter-changeable component of an automated lacing footwear platform. The lacing engine includes unique design elements that enable retail-level final assembly into a modular footwear platform. The lacing engine design allows for the majority of the footwear assembly process to leverage known assembly technologies, with unique adaptions to standard assembly processes still being able to leverage current assembly resources.

In an example, the modular automated lacing footwear platform includes a mid-sole plate secured to the mid-sole for receiving a lacing engine. The design of the mid-sole plate allows a lacing engine to be dropped into the footwear platform as late as at a point of purchase. The mid-sole plate, and other aspects of the modular automated footwear platform, allow for different types of lacing engines to be used interchangeably. For example, the motorized lacing engine discussed below could be changed out for a human-powered lacing engine. Alternatively, a fully-automatic motorized lacing engine with foot presence sensing or other optional features could be accommodated within the standard mid-sole plate.

The automated footwear platform discussed herein can include an outsole actuator interface to provide tightening control to the end user as well as visual feedback through LED lighting projected through translucent protective outsole materials. The actuator can provide tactile and visual feedback to the user to indicate status of the lacing engine or other automated footwear platform components.

This initial overview is intended to introduce the subject matter of the present patent application. It is not intended to provide an exclusive or exhaustive explanation of the various inventions disclosed in the following more detailed description.

The following discusses various components of the automated footwear platform including a motorized lacing engine, a mid-sole plate, and various other components of the platform. While much of this disclosure focuses on a motorized lacing engine, many of the mechanical aspects of the discussed designs are applicable to a human-powered lacing engine or other motorized lacing engines with additional or fewer capabilities. Accordingly, the term "automated" as used in "automated footwear platform" is not intended to only cover a system that operates without user input. Rather, the term "automated footwear platform" includes various electrically powered and human-power, automatically activated and human activated mechanisms for tightening a lacing or retention system of the footwear.

<FIG> is an exploded view illustration of components of a motorized lacing system for footwear, according to some example embodiments. The motorized lacing system <NUM> illustrated in <FIG> includes a lacing engine <NUM>, a lid <NUM>, an actuator <NUM>, a mid-sole plate <NUM>, a mid-sole <NUM>, and an outsole <NUM>. <FIG> illustrates the basic assembly sequence of components of an automated lacing footwear platform. The motorized lacing system <NUM> starts with the mid-sole plate <NUM> being secured within the mid-sole. Next, the actuator <NUM> is inserted into an opening in the lateral side of the mid-sole plate opposite to interface buttons that can be embedded in the outsole <NUM>. Next, the lacing engine <NUM> is dropped into the mid-sole plate <NUM>. In an example, the lacing system <NUM> is inserted under a continuous loop of lacing cable and the lacing cable is aligned with a spool in the lacing engine <NUM> (discussed below). Finally, the lid <NUM> is inserted into grooves in the mid-sole plate <NUM>, secured into a closed position, and latched into a recess in the mid-sole plate <NUM>. The lid <NUM> can capture the lacing engine <NUM> and can assist in maintaining alignment of a lacing cable during operation.

In an example, the footwear article or the motorized lacing system <NUM> includes or is configured to interface with one or more sensors that can monitor or determine a foot presence characteristic. Based on information from one or more foot presence sensors, the footwear including the motorized lacing system <NUM> can be configured to perform various functions. For example, a foot presence sensor can be configured to provide binary information about whether a foot is present or not present in the footwear. If a binary signal from the foot presence sensor indicates that a foot is present, then the motorized lacing system <NUM> can be activated, such as to automatically tighten or relax (i.e., loosen) a footwear lacing cable. In an example, the footwear article includes a processor circuit that can receive or interpret signals from a foot presence sensor. The processor circuit can optionally be embedded in or with the lacing engine <NUM>, such as in a sole of the footwear article.

Examples of the lacing engine <NUM> are described in detail in reference to <FIG>. Examples of the actuator <NUM> are described in detail in reference to <FIG>. Examples of the mid-sole plate <NUM> are described in detail in reference to <FIG>. Various additional details of the motorized lacing system <NUM> are discussed throughout the remainder of the description.

<FIG> are diagrams and drawings illustrating a motorized lacing engine, according to some example embodiments. <FIG> introduces various external features of an example lacing engine <NUM>, including a housing structure <NUM>, case screw <NUM>, lace channel <NUM> (also referred to as lace guide relief <NUM>), lace channel wall <NUM>, lace channel transition <NUM>, spool recess <NUM>, button openings <NUM>, buttons <NUM>, button membrane seal <NUM>, programming header <NUM>, spool <NUM>, and lace grove <NUM>. Additional details of the housing structure <NUM> are discussed below in reference to <FIG>.

In an example, the lacing engine <NUM> is held together by one or more screws, such as the case screw <NUM>. The case screw <NUM> is positioned near the primary drive mechanisms to enhance structural integrity of the lacing engine <NUM>. The case screw <NUM> also functions to assist the assembly process, such as holding the case together for ultra-sonic welding of exterior seams.

In this example, the lacing engine <NUM> includes a lace channel <NUM> to receive a lace or lace cable once assembled into the automated footwear platform. The lace channel <NUM> can include a lace channel wall <NUM>. The lace channel wall <NUM> can include chamfered edges to provide a smooth guiding surface for a lace cable to run in during operation. Part of the smooth guiding surface of the lace channel <NUM> can include a channel transition <NUM>, which is a widened portion of the lace channel <NUM> leading into the spool recess <NUM>. The spool recess <NUM> transitions from the channel transition <NUM> into generally circular sections that conform closely to the profile of the spool <NUM>. The spool recess <NUM> assists in retaining the spooled lace cable, as well as in retaining position of the spool <NUM>. However, other aspects of the design provide primary retention of the spool <NUM>. In this example, the spool <NUM> is shaped similarly to half of a yo-yo with a lace grove <NUM> running through a flat top surface and a spool shaft <NUM> (not shown in <FIG>) extending inferiorly from the opposite side. The spool <NUM> is described in further detail below in reference of additional figures.

The lateral side of the lacing engine <NUM> includes button openings <NUM> that enable buttons <NUM> for activation of the mechanism to extend through the housing structure <NUM>. The buttons <NUM> provide an external interface for activation of switches <NUM>, illustrated in additional figures discussed below. In some examples, the housing structure <NUM> includes button membrane seal <NUM> to provide protection from dirt and water. In this example, the button membrane seal <NUM> is up to a few mils (thousandth of an inch) thick clear plastic (or similar material) adhered from a superior surface of the housing structure <NUM> over a corner and down a lateral side. In another example, the button membrane seal <NUM> is a <NUM> mil thick vinyl adhesive backed membrane covering the buttons <NUM> and button openings <NUM>.

<FIG> is an illustration of housing structure <NUM> including top section <NUM> and bottom section <NUM>. In this example, the top section <NUM> includes features such as the case screw <NUM>, lace channel <NUM>, lace channel transition <NUM>, spool recess <NUM>, button openings <NUM>, and button seal recess <NUM>. The button seal recess <NUM> is a portion of the top section <NUM> relieved to provide an inset for the button membrane seal <NUM>. In this example, the button seal recess <NUM> is a couple mil recessed portion on the lateral side of the superior surface of the top section <NUM> transitioning over a portion of the lateral edge of the superior surface and down the length of a portion of the lateral side of the top section <NUM>.

In this example, the bottom section <NUM> includes features such as wireless charger access <NUM>, joint <NUM>, and grease isolation wall <NUM>. Also illustrated, but not specifically identified, is the case screw base for receiving case screw <NUM> as well as various features within the grease isolation wall <NUM> for holding portions of a drive mechanism. The grease isolation wall <NUM> is designed to retain grease or similar compounds surrounding the drive mechanism away from the electrical components of the lacing engine <NUM> including the gear motor and enclosed gear box. In this example, the worm gear <NUM> and worm drive <NUM> are contained within the grease isolation wall <NUM>, while other drive components such as gear box <NUM> and gear motor <NUM> are outside the grease isolation wall <NUM>. Positioning of the various components can be understood through a comparison of <FIG> with <FIG>, for example.

<FIG> is an illustration of various internal components of lacing engine <NUM>, according to example embodiments. In this example, the lacing engine <NUM> further includes spool magnet <NUM>, O-ring seal <NUM>, worm drive <NUM>, bushing <NUM>, worm drive key <NUM>, gear box <NUM>, gear motor <NUM>, motor encoder <NUM>, motor circuit board <NUM>, worm gear <NUM>, circuit board <NUM>, motor header <NUM>, battery connection <NUM>, and wired charging header <NUM>. The spool magnet <NUM> assists in tracking movement of the spool <NUM> though detection by a magnetometer (not shown in <FIG>). The o-ring seal <NUM> functions to seal out dirt and moisture that could migrate into the lacing engine <NUM> around the spool shaft <NUM>.

In this example, major drive components of the lacing engine <NUM> include worm drive <NUM>, worm gear <NUM>, gear motor <NUM> and gear box <NUM>. The worm gear <NUM> is designed to inhibit back driving of worm drive <NUM> and gear motor <NUM>, which means the major input forces coming in from the lacing cable via the spool <NUM> are resolved on the comparatively large worm gear and worm drive teeth. This arrangement protects the gear box <NUM> from needing to include gears of sufficient strength to withstand both the dynamic loading from active use of the footwear platform or tightening loading from tightening the lacing system. The worm drive <NUM> includes additional features to assist in protecting the more fragile portions of the drive system, such as the worm drive key <NUM>. In this example, the worm drive key <NUM> is a radial slot in the motor end of the worm drive <NUM> that interfaces with a pin through the drive shaft coming out of the gear box <NUM>. This arrangement prevents the worm drive <NUM> from imparting any axial forces on the gear box <NUM> or gear motor <NUM> by allowing the worm drive <NUM> to move freely in an axial direction (away from the gear box <NUM>) transferring those axial loads onto bushing <NUM> and the housing structure <NUM>.

<FIG> is an illustration depicting additional internal components of the lacing engine <NUM>. In this example, the lacing engine <NUM> includes drive components such as worm drive <NUM>, bushing <NUM>, gearbox <NUM>, gear motor <NUM>, motor encoder <NUM>, motor circuit board <NUM> and worm gear <NUM>. <FIG> adds illustration of battery <NUM> as well as a better view of some of the drive components discussed above.

<FIG> is another illustration depicting internal components of the lacing engine <NUM>. In <FIG> the worm gear <NUM> is removed to better illustrate the indexing wheel <NUM> (also referred to as the Geneva wheel <NUM>). The indexing wheel <NUM>, as described in further detail below, provides a mechanism to home the drive mechanism in case of electrical or mechanical failure and loss of position. In this example, the lacing engine <NUM> also includes a wireless charging interconnect <NUM> and a wireless charging coil <NUM>, which are located inferior to the battery <NUM> (which is not shown in this figure). In this example, the wireless charging coil <NUM> is mounted on an external inferior surface of the bottom section <NUM> of the lacing engine <NUM>.

<FIG> is a cross-section illustration of the lacing engine <NUM>, according to example embodiments. <FIG> assists in illustrating the structure of the spool <NUM> as well as how the lace grove <NUM> and lace channel <NUM> interface with lace cable <NUM>. As shown in this example, lace <NUM> runs continuously through the lace channel <NUM> and into the lace grove <NUM> of the spool <NUM>. The cross-section illustration also depicts lace recess <NUM> and spool mid-section, which are where the lace <NUM> will build up as it is taken up by rotation of the spool <NUM>. The spool mid-section <NUM> is a circular reduced diameter section disposed inferiorly to the superior surface of the spool <NUM>. The lace recess <NUM> is formed by a superior portion of the spool <NUM> that extends radially to substantially fill the spool recess <NUM>, the sides and floor of the spool recess <NUM>, and the spool mid-section <NUM>. In some examples, the superior portion of the spool <NUM> can extend beyond the spool recess <NUM>. In other examples, the spool <NUM> fits entirely within the spool recess <NUM>, with the superior radial portion extending to the sidewalls of the spool recess <NUM>, but allowing the spool <NUM> to freely rotation with the spool recess <NUM>. The lace <NUM> is captured by the lace groove <NUM> as it runs across the lacing engine <NUM>, so that when the spool <NUM> is turned, the lace <NUM> is rotated onto a body of the spool <NUM> within the lace recess <NUM>.

As illustrated by the cross-section of lacing engine <NUM>, the spool <NUM> includes a spool shaft <NUM> that couples with worm gear <NUM> after running through an O-ring <NUM>. In this example, the spool shaft <NUM> is coupled to the worm gear via keyed connection pin <NUM>. In some examples, the keyed connection pin <NUM> only extends from the spool shaft <NUM> in one axial direction, and is contacted by a key on the worm gear in such a way as to allow for an almost complete revolution of the worm gear <NUM> before the keyed connection pin <NUM> is contacted when the direction of worm gear <NUM> is reversed. According to the present invention, a clutch system is implemented to couple the spool <NUM> to the worm gear <NUM>. In such an example, the clutch mechanism could be deactivated to allow the spool <NUM> to run free upon de-lacing (loosening). In the example of the keyed connection pin <NUM> only extending is one axial direction from the spool shaft <NUM>, the spool is allowed to move freely upon initial activation of a de-lacing process, while the worm gear <NUM> is driven backward. Allowing the spool <NUM> to move freely during the initial portion of a de-lacing process assists in preventing tangles in the lace <NUM> as it provides time for the user to begin loosening the footwear, which in turn will tension the lace <NUM> in the loosening direction prior to being driven by the worm gear <NUM>.

<FIG> is another cross-section illustration of the lacing engine <NUM>, according to example embodiments. <FIG> illustrates a more medial cross-section of the lacing engine <NUM>, as compared to <FIG>, which illustrates additional components such as circuit board <NUM>, wireless charging interconnect <NUM>, and wireless charging coil <NUM>. <FIG> is also used to depict additional detail surround the spool <NUM> and lace <NUM> interface.

<FIG> is a top view of the lacing engine <NUM>, according to example embodiments. <FIG> emphasizes the grease isolation wall <NUM> and illustrates how the grease isolation wall <NUM> surrounds certain portions of the drive mechanism, including spool <NUM>, worm gear <NUM>, worm drive <NUM>, and gear box <NUM>. In certain examples, the grease isolation wall <NUM> separates worm drive <NUM> from gear box <NUM>. <FIG> also provides a top view of the interface between spool <NUM> and lace cable <NUM>, with the lace cable <NUM> running in a medial-lateral direction through lace groove <NUM> in spool <NUM>.

<FIG> is a top view illustration of the worm gear <NUM> and index wheel <NUM> portions of lacing engine <NUM>, according to example embodiments. The index wheel <NUM> is a variation on the well-known Geneva wheel used in watchmaking and film projectors. A typical Geneva wheel or drive mechanism provides a method of translating continuous rotational movement into intermittent motion, such as is needed in a film projector or to make the second hand of a watch move intermittently. Watchmakers used a different type of Geneva wheel to prevent over-winding of a mechanical watch spring, but using a Geneva wheel with a missing slot (e.g., one of the Geneva slots <NUM> would be missing). The missing slot would prevent further indexing of the Geneva wheel, which was responsible for winding the spring and prevents over-winding. In the illustrated example, the lacing engine <NUM> includes a variation on the Geneva wheel, indexing wheel <NUM>, which includes a small stop tooth <NUM> that acts as a stopping mechanism in a homing operation. As illustrated in <FIG>, the standard Geneva teeth <NUM> simply index for each rotation of the worm gear <NUM> when the index tooth <NUM> engages the Geneva slot <NUM> next to one of the Geneva teeth <NUM>. However, when the index tooth <NUM> engages the Geneva slot <NUM> next to the stop tooth <NUM> a larger force is generated, which can be used to stall the drive mechanism in a homing operation. The stop tooth <NUM> can be used to create a known location of the mechanism for homing in case of loss of other positioning information, such as the motor encoder <NUM>.

<FIG> are illustrations of the worm gear <NUM> and index wheel <NUM> moving through an index operation, according to example embodiments. As discussed above, these figures illustrate what happens during a single full revolution of the worm gear <NUM> starting with <FIG> though <FIG>. In <FIG>, the index tooth <NUM> of the worm gear <NUM> is engaged in the Geneva slot <NUM> between a first Geneva tooth 155a of the Geneva teeth <NUM> and the stop tooth <NUM>. <FIG> illustrates the index wheel <NUM> in a first index position, which is maintained as the index tooth <NUM> starts its revolution with the worm gear <NUM>. In <FIG>, the index tooth <NUM> begins to engage the Geneva slot <NUM> on the opposite side of the first Geneva tooth 155a. Finally, in <FIG> the index tooth <NUM> is fully engaged within a Geneva lot <NUM> between the first Geneva tooth 155a and a second Geneva tooth 155b. The process shown in <FIG> continues with each revolution of the worm gear <NUM> until the index tooth <NUM> engages the stop tooth <NUM>. As discussed above, wen the index tooth <NUM> engages the stop tooth <NUM>, the increased forces can stall the drive mechanism.

<FIG> is an exploded view of lacing engine <NUM>, according to example embodiments. The exploded view of the lacing engine <NUM> provides an illustration of how all the various components fit together. <FIG> shows the lacing engine <NUM> upside down, with the bottom section <NUM> at the top of the page and the top section <NUM> near the bottom. In this example, the wireless charging coil <NUM> is shown as being adhered to the outside (bottom) of the bottom section <NUM>. The exploded view also provide a good illustration of how the worm drive <NUM> is assembled with the bushing <NUM>, drive shaft <NUM>, gear box <NUM> and gear motor <NUM>. The illustration does not include a drive shaft pin that is received within the worm drive key <NUM> on a first end of the worm drive <NUM>. As discussed above, the worm drive <NUM> slides over the drive shaft <NUM> to engage a drive shaft pin in the worm drive key <NUM>, which is essentially a slot running transverse to the drive shaft <NUM> in a first end of the worm drive <NUM>.

<FIG> are diagrams and drawings illustrating an actuator <NUM> for interfacing with a motorized lacing engine, according to an example embodiment. In this example, the actuator <NUM> includes features such as bridge <NUM>, light pipe <NUM>, posterior arm <NUM>, central arm <NUM>, and anterior arm <NUM>. <FIG> also illustrates related features of lacing engine <NUM>, such as LEDs <NUM> (also referenced as LED <NUM>), buttons <NUM> and switches <NUM>. In this example, the posterior arm <NUM> and anterior arm <NUM> each can separately activate one of the switches <NUM> through buttons <NUM>. The actuator <NUM> is also designed to enable activation of both switches <NUM> simultaneously, for things like reset or other functions. The primary function of the actuator <NUM> is to provide tightening and loosening commands to the lacing engine <NUM>. The actuator <NUM> also includes a light pipe <NUM> that directs light from LEDs <NUM> out to the external portion of the footwear platform (e.g., outsole <NUM>). The light pipe <NUM> is structured to disperse light from multiple individual LED sources evening across the face of actuator <NUM>.

In this example, the arms of the actuator <NUM>, posterior arm <NUM> and anterior arm <NUM>, include flanges to prevent over activation of switches <NUM> providing a measure of safety against impacts against the side of the footwear platform. The large central arm <NUM> is also designed to carry impact loads against the side of the lacing engine <NUM>, instead of allowing transmission of these loads against the buttons <NUM>.

<FIG> provides a side view of the actuator <NUM>, which further illustrates an example structure of anterior arm <NUM> and engagement with button <NUM>. <FIG> is an additional top view of actuator <NUM> illustrating activation paths through posterior arm <NUM> and anterior arm <NUM>. <FIG> also depicts section line A-A, which corresponds to the cross-section illustrated in <FIG>. In <FIG>, the actuator <NUM> is illustrated in cross-section with transmitted light <NUM> shown in dotted lines. The light pipe <NUM> provides a transmission medium for transmitted light <NUM> from LEDs <NUM>. <FIG> also illustrates aspects of outsole <NUM>, such as actuator cover <NUM> and raised actuator interface <NUM>.

<FIG> are diagrams and drawings illustrating a mid-sole plate <NUM> for holding lacing engine <NUM>, according to some example embodiments. In this example, the mid-sole plate <NUM> includes features such as lacing engine cavity <NUM>, medial lace guide <NUM>, lateral lace guide <NUM>, lid slot <NUM>, anterior flange <NUM>, posterior flange <NUM>, a superior surface <NUM>, an inferior surface <NUM>, and an actuator cutout <NUM>. The lacing engine cavity <NUM> is designed to receive lacing engine <NUM>. In this example, the lacing engine cavity <NUM> retains the lacing engine <NUM> is lateral and anterior/posterior directions, but does not include any built in feature to lock the lacing engine <NUM> in to the pocket. Optionally, the lacing engine cavity <NUM> can include detents, tabs, or similar mechanical features along one or more sidewalls that could positively retain the lacing engine <NUM> within the lacing engine cavity <NUM>.

The medial lace guide <NUM> and lateral lace guide <NUM> assist in guiding lace cable into the lace engine pocket <NUM> and over lacing engine <NUM> (when present). The medial/lateral lace guides <NUM>, <NUM> can include chamfered edges and inferiorly slated ramps to assist in guiding the lace cable into the desired position over the lacing engine <NUM>. In this example, the medial/lateral lace guides <NUM>, <NUM> include openings in the sides of the mid-sole plate <NUM> that are many times wider than the typical lacing cable diameter, in other examples the openings for the medial/lateral lace guides <NUM>, <NUM> may only be a couple times wider than the lacing cable diameter.

In this example, the mid-sole plate <NUM> includes a sculpted or contoured anterior flange <NUM> that extends much further on the medial side of the mid-sole plate <NUM>. The example anterior flange <NUM> is designed to provide additional support under the arch of the footwear platform. However, in other examples the anterior flange <NUM> may be less pronounced in on the medial side. In this example, the posterior flange <NUM> also includes a particular contour with extended portions on both the medial and lateral sides. The illustrated posterior flange <NUM> shape provides enhanced lateral stability for the lacing engine <NUM>.

<FIG> illustrate insertion of the lid <NUM> into the mid-sole plate <NUM> to retain the lacing engine <NUM> and capture lace cable <NUM>. In this example, the lid <NUM> includes features such as latch <NUM>, lid lace guides <NUM>, lid spool recess <NUM>, and lid clips <NUM>. The lid lace guides <NUM> can include both medial and lateral lid lace guides <NUM>. The lid lace guides <NUM> assist in maintaining alignment of the lace cable <NUM> through the proper portion of the lacing engine <NUM>. The lid clips <NUM> can also include both medial and lateral lid clips <NUM>. The lid clips <NUM> provide a pivot point for attachment of the lid <NUM> to the mid-sole plate <NUM>. As illustrated in <FIG>, the lid <NUM> is inserted straight down into the mid-sole plate <NUM> with the lid clips <NUM> entering the mid-sole plate <NUM> via the lid slots <NUM>.

As illustrated in <FIG>, once the lid clips <NUM> are inserted through the lid slots <NUM>, the lid <NUM> is shifted anteriorly to keep the lid clips <NUM> from disengaging from the mid-sole plate <NUM>. <FIG> illustrates rotation or pivoting of the lid <NUM> about the lid clips <NUM> to secure the lacing engine <NUM> and lace cable <NUM> by engagement of the latch <NUM> with a lid latch recess <NUM> in the mid-sole plate <NUM>. Once snapped into position, the lid <NUM> secures the lacing engine <NUM> within the mid-sole plate <NUM>.

<FIG> are diagrams and drawings illustrating a mid-sole <NUM> and out-sole <NUM> configured to accommodate lacing engine <NUM> and related components, according to some example embodiments. The mid-sole <NUM> can be formed from any suitable footwear material and includes various features to accommodate the mid-sole plate <NUM> and related components. In this example, the mid-sole <NUM> includes features such as plate recess <NUM>, anterior flange recess <NUM>, posterior flange recess <NUM>, actuator opening <NUM> and actuator cover recess <NUM>. The plate recess <NUM> includes various cutouts and similar features to match corresponding features of the mid-sole plate <NUM>. The actuator opening <NUM> is sized and positioned to provide access to the actuator <NUM> from the lateral side of the footwear platform <NUM>. The actuator cover recess <NUM> is a recessed portion of the mid-sole <NUM> adapted to accommodate a molded covering to protect the actuator <NUM> and provide a particular tactile and visual look for the primary user interface to the lacing engine <NUM>, as illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>.

<FIG> and <FIG> illustrate portions of the mid-sole <NUM> and out-sole <NUM>, according to example embodiments. <FIG> includes illustration of exemplary actuator cover <NUM> and raised actuator interface <NUM>, which is molded or otherwise formed into the actuator cover <NUM>. <FIG> illustrates an additional example of actuator <NUM> and raised actuator interface <NUM> including horizontal striping to disperse portions of the light transmitted to the out-sole <NUM> through the light pipe <NUM> portion of actuator <NUM>.

<FIG> further illustrates actuator cover recess <NUM> on mid-sole <NUM> as well as positioning of actuator <NUM> within actuator opening <NUM> prior to application of actuator cover <NUM>. In this example, the actuator cover recess <NUM> is designed to receive adhesive to adhere actuator cover <NUM> to the mid-sole <NUM> and out-sole <NUM>.

<FIG> are illustrations of a footwear assembly <NUM> including a motorized lacing engine <NUM>, according to some example embodiments. In this example, <FIG> depict transparent examples of an assembled automated footwear platform <NUM> including a lacing engine <NUM>, a mid-sole plate <NUM>, a mid-sole <NUM>, and an out-sole <NUM>. <FIG> is a lateral side view of the automated footwear platform <NUM>. <FIG> is a medial side view of the automated footwear platform <NUM>. <FIG> is a top view, with the upper portion removed, of the automated footwear platform <NUM>. The top view demonstrates relative positioning of the lacing engine <NUM>, the lid <NUM>, the actuator <NUM>, the mid-sole plate <NUM>, the mid-sole <NUM>, and the out-sole <NUM>. In this example, the top view also illustrates the spool <NUM>, the medial lace guide <NUM> the lateral lace guide <NUM>, the anterior flange <NUM>, the posterior flange <NUM>, the actuator cover <NUM>, and the raised actuator interface <NUM>.

<FIG> is a top view diagram of upper <NUM> illustrating an example lacing configuration, according to some example embodiments. In this example, the upper <NUM> includes lateral lace fixation <NUM>, medial lace fixation <NUM>, lateral lace guides <NUM>, medial lace guides <NUM>, and brio cables <NUM>, in additional to lace <NUM> and lacing engine <NUM>. The example illustrated in <FIG> includes a continuous knit fabric upper <NUM> with diagonal lacing pattern involving non-overlapping medial and lateral lacing paths. The lacing paths are created starting at the lateral lace fixation running through the lateral lace guides <NUM> through the lacing engine <NUM> up through the medial lace guides <NUM> back to the medial lace fixation <NUM>. In this example, lace <NUM> forms a continuous loop from lateral lace fixation <NUM> to medial lace fixation <NUM>. Medial to lateral tightening is transmitted through brio cables <NUM> in this example. In other examples, the lacing path may crisscross or incorporate additional features to transmit tightening forces in a medial-lateral direction across the upper <NUM>. Additionally, the continuous lace loop concept can be incorporated into a more traditional upper with a central (medial) gap and lace <NUM> crisscrossing back and forth across the central gap.

<FIG> is a flowchart illustrating a footwear assembly process for assembly of an automated footwear platform <NUM> including lacing engine <NUM>, according to some example embodiments. In this example, the assembly process includes operations such as: obtaining an outsole/midsole assembly at <NUM>, inserting and adhering a mid-sole plate at <NUM>, attaching laced upper at <NUM>, inserting actuator at <NUM>, optionally shipping the subassembly to a retail store at <NUM>, selecting a lacing engine at <NUM>, inserting a lacing engine into the mid-sole plate at <NUM>, and securing the lacing engine at <NUM>. The process <NUM> described in further detail below can include some or all of the process operations described and at least some of the process operations can occur at various locations (e.g., manufacturing plant versus retail store). In certain examples, all of the process operations discussed in reference to process <NUM> can be completed within a manufacturing location with a completed automated footwear platform delivered directly to a consumer or to a retail location for purchase. The process <NUM> can also include assembly opertions associated with assembly of the lacing engine <NUM>, which are illustrated and discussed above in reference to various figures, including <FIG>. Many of these details are not specifically discussed in reference to the description of process <NUM> provided below solely for the sake of brevity and clarity.

In this example, the process <NUM> begins at <NUM> with obtaining an out-sole and mid-sole assembly, such as mid-sole <NUM> and out-sole <NUM>. The mid-sole <NUM> can be adhered to out-sole <NUM> during or prior to process <NUM>. At <NUM>, the process <NUM> continues with insertion of a mid-sole plate, such as mid-sole plate <NUM>, into a plate recess <NUM>. In some examples, the mid-sole plate <NUM> includes a layer of adhesive on the inferior surface to adhere the mid-sole plate into the mid-sole. In other examples, adhesive is applied to the mid-sole prior to insertion of a mid-sole plate. In some examples, the adhesive can be heat activated after assembly of the mid-sole plate <NUM> into the plate recess <NUM>. In still other examples, the mid-sole is designed with an interference fit with the mid-sole plate, which does not require adhesive to secure the two components of the automated footwear platform. In yet other examples, the mid-sole plate is secured through a combination of interference fit and fasteners, such as adhesive.

At <NUM>, the process <NUM> continues with a laced upper portion of the automated footwear platform being attached to the mid-sole. Attachment of the laced upper portion is done through any known footwear manufacturing process, with the addition of positioning a lower lace loop into the mid-sole plate for subsequent engagement with a lacing engine, such as lacing engine <NUM>. For example, attaching a laced upper to mid-sole <NUM> with mid-sole plate <NUM> inserted, a lower lace loop is positioned to align with medial lace guide <NUM> and lateral lace guide <NUM>, which position the lace loop properly to engage with lacing engine <NUM> when inserted later in the assembly process. Assembly of the upper portion is discussed in greater detail in reference to <FIG> below, including how the lace loop can be formed during assembly.

At <NUM>, the process <NUM> continues with insertion of an actuator, such as actuator <NUM>, into the mid-sole plate. Optionally, insertion of the actuator can be done prior to attachment of the upper portion at operation <NUM>. In an example, insertion of actuator <NUM> into the actuator cutout <NUM> of mid-sole plate <NUM> involves a snap fit between actuator <NUM> and actuator cutout <NUM>. Optionally, process <NUM> continues at <NUM> with shipment of the subassembly of the automated footwear platform to a retail location or similar point of sale. The remaining operations within process <NUM> can be performed without special tools or materials, which allows for flexible customization of the product sold at the retail level without the need to manufacture and inventory every combination of automated footwear subassembly and lacing engine options. Even if there are only two different lacing engine options, fully automated and manually activated for example, the ability to configure the footwear platform at a retail level enhances flexibility and allows for ease of servicing lacing engines.

At <NUM>, the process <NUM> continues with selection of a lacing engine, which may be an optional operation in cases where only one lacing engine is available. In an example, lacing engine <NUM>, a motorized lacing engine, is chosen for assembly into the subassembly from operations <NUM> - <NUM>. However, as noted above, the automated footwear platform is designed to accommodate various types of lacing engines from fully automatic motorized lacing engines to human-power manually activated lacing engines. The subassembly built up in operations <NUM> - <NUM>, with components such as out-sole <NUM>, mid-sole <NUM>, and mid-sole plate <NUM>, provides a modular platform to accommodate a wide range of optional automation components.

At <NUM>, the process <NUM> continues with insertion of the selected lacing engine into the mid-sole plate. For example, lacing engine <NUM> can be inserted into mid-sole plate <NUM>, with the lacing engine <NUM> slipped underneath the lace loop running through the lacing engine cavity <NUM>. With the lacing engine <NUM> in place and the lace cable engaged within the spool of the lacing engine, such as spool <NUM>, a lid (or similar component) can be installed into the mid-sole plate to secure the lacing engine <NUM> and lace. An example of installation of lid <NUM> into mid-sole plate <NUM> to secure lacing engine <NUM> is illustrated in <FIG> and discussed above. With the lid secured over the lacing engine, the automated footwear platform is complete and ready for active use.

<FIG> include a set of illustrations and a flowchart depicting generally an assembly process <NUM> for assembly of a footwear upper in preparation for assembly to a mid-sole, according to some example embodiments.

<FIG> visually depicts a series of assembly operations to assemble a laced upper portion of a footwear assembly for eventual assembly into an automated footwear platform, such as though process <NUM> discussed above. Process <NUM> illustrated in <FIG> includes operations discussed further below in reference to <FIG>. In this example, process <NUM> starts with operation <NUM>, which involves obtaining a knit upper and a lace (lace cable). Next, at operation <NUM>, a first half of the knit upper is laced with the lace. In this example, lacing the upper involves threading the lace cable through a number of eyelets and securing one end to an anterior section of the upper. Next, at operation <NUM>, the lace cable is routed under a fixture supporting the upper and around to the opposite side. In some examples, the fixture includes a specific routing grove or feature to create the desired lace loop length. Then, at operation <NUM>, the other half of the upper is laced, while maintaining a lower loop of lace around the fixture. The illustrated version of operation <NUM> can also include tightening the lace, which is operation <NUM> in <FIG>. At <NUM>, the lace is secured and trimmed and at <NUM> the fixture is removed to leave a laced knit upper with a lower lace loop under the upper portion.

<FIG> is a flowchart illustrating another example of process <NUM> for assembly of a footwear upper. In this example, the process <NUM> includes operations such as obtaining an upper and lace cable at <NUM>, lacing the first half of the upper at <NUM>, routing the lace under a lacing fixture at <NUM>, lacing the second half of the upper at <NUM>, tightening the lacing at <NUM>, completing upper at <NUM>, and removing the lacing fixture at <NUM>.

The process <NUM> begins at <NUM> by obtaining an upper and a lace cable to being assembly. Obtaining the upper can include placing the upper on a lacing fixture used through other operations of process <NUM>. As noted above, one function of the lacing fixture can be to provide a mechanism for generating repeatable lace loops for a particular footwear upper. In certain examples, the fixtures may be shoe size dependent, while in other examples the fixtures may accommodate multiple sizes and/or upper types. At <NUM>, the process <NUM> continues by lacing a first half of the upper with the lace cable. Lacing operation can include routing the lace cable through a series of eyelets or similar features built into the upper. The lacing operation at <NUM> can also include securing one end (e.g., a first end) of the lace cable to a portion of the upper. Securing the lace cable can include sewing, tying off, or otherwise terminating a first end of the lace cable to a fixed portion of the upper.

At <NUM>, the process <NUM> continues with routing the free end of the lace cable under the upper and around the lacing fixture. In this example, the lacing fixture is used to create a proper lace loop under the upper for eventual engagement with a lacing engine after the upper is joined with a mid-sole/out-sole assembly (see discussion of <FIG> above). The lacing fixture can include a groove or similar feature to at least partially retain the lace cable during the sequent operations of process <NUM>.

At <NUM>, the process <NUM> continues with lacing the second half of the upper with the free end of the lace cable. Lacing the second half can include routing the lace cable through a second series of eyelets or similar features on the second half of the upper. At <NUM>, the process <NUM> continues by tightening the lace cable through the various eyelets and around the lacing fixture to ensure that the lower lace loop is properly formed for proper engagement with a lacing engine. The lacing fixture assists in obtaining a proper lace loop length, and different lacing fixtures can be used for different size or styles of footwear. The lacing process is completed at <NUM> with the free end of the lace cable being secured to the second half of the upper. Completion of the upper can also include additional trimming or stitching operations. Finally, at <NUM>, the process <NUM> completes with removal of the upper from the lacing fixture.

<FIG> is a drawing illustrating a mechanism for securing a lace within a spool of a lacing engine, according to some example embodiments. In this example, spool <NUM> of lacing engine <NUM> receives lace cable <NUM> within lace grove <NUM>. <FIG> includes a lace cable with ferrules and a spool with a lace groove that include recesses to receive the ferrules. In this example, the ferrules snap (e.g., interference fit) into recesses to assist in retaining the lace cable within the spool. Other example spools, such as spool <NUM>, do not include recesses and other components of the automated footwear platform are used to retain the lace cable in the lace groove of the spool.

<FIG> is a block diagram illustrating components of a motorized lacing system for footwear, according to some example embodiments. The system <NUM> illustrates basic components of a motorized lacing system such as including interface buttons, foot presence sensor(s), a printed circuit board assembly (PCA) with a processor circuit, a battery, a charging coil, an encoder, a motor, a transmission, and a spool. In this example, the interface buttons and foot presence sensor(s) communicate with the circuit board (PCA), which also communicates with the battery and charging coil. The encoder and motor are also connected to the circuit board and each other. The transmission couples the motor to the spool to form the drive mechanism.

In an example, the processor circuit controls one or more aspects of the drive mechanism. For example, the processor circuit can be configured to receive information from the buttons and/or from the foot presence sensor and/or from the battery and/or from the drive mechanism and/or from the encoder, and can be further configured to issue commands to the drive mechanism, such as to tighten or loosen the footwear, or to obtain or record sensor information, among other functions.

<FIG> are diagrams illustrating a motor control scheme <NUM> for a motorized lacing engine, according to some example embodiments. In this example, the motor control scheme <NUM> involves dividing up the total travel, in terms of lace take-up, into segments, with the segments varying in size based on position on a continuum of lace travel (e.g., between home/loose position on one end and max tightness on the other). As the motor is controlling a radial spool and will be controlled, primarily, via a radial encoder on the motor shaft, the segments can be sized in terms of degrees of spool travel (which can also be viewed in terms of encoder counts). On the loose side of the continuum, the segments can be larger, such as <NUM> degrees of spool travel, as the amount of lace movement is less critical. However, as the laces are tightened each increment of lace travel becomes more and more critical to obtain the desired amount of lace tightness. Other parameters, such as motor current, can be used as secondary measures of lace tightness or continuum position. <FIG> includes an illustration of different segment sizes based on position along a tightness continuum.

<FIG> illustrates using a tightness continuum position to build a table of motion profiles based on current tightness continuum position and desired end position. The motion profiles can then be translated into specific inputs from user input buttons. The motion profile include parameters of spool motion, such as acceleration (Accel (deg/s/s)), velocity (Vel (deg/s)), deceleration (Dec (deg/s/s)), and angle of movement (Angle (deg)). <FIG> depicts an example motion profile plotted on a velocity over time graph.

<FIG> is a graphic illustrating example user inputs to activate various motion profiles along the tightness continuum.

Although an overview of the inventive subject matter has been described with reference to specific example embodiments, various modifications and changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the broader scope of embodiments of the present disclosure. Such embodiments of the inventive subject matter may be referred to herein, individually or collectively, by the term "invention" merely for convenience and without intending to voluntarily limit the scope of this application to any single disclosure or inventive concept if more than one is, in fact, disclosed.

The disclosure, therefore, is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of various embodiments includes the full range of equivalents to which the disclosed subject matter is entitled.

As used herein, the term "or" may be construed in either an inclusive or exclusive sense. Moreover, plural instances may be provided for resources, operations, or structures described herein as a single instance. Additionally, boundaries between various resources, operations, modules, engines, and data stores are somewhat arbitrary, and particular operations are illustrated in a context of specific illustrative configurations. Other allocations of functionality are envisioned and may fall within a scope of various embodiments of the present disclosure. In general, structures and functionality presented as separate resources in the example configurations may be implemented as a combined structure or resource. Similarly, structures and functionality presented as a single resource may be implemented as separate resources. These and other variations, modifications, additions, and improvements fall within a scope of embodiments of the present disclosure as represented by the appended claims. The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.

Method examples described herein, such as the motor control examples, can be machine or computer-implemented at least in part.

Claim 1:
A footwear lacing apparatus comprising:
a housing structure (<NUM>) including a top section (<NUM>) and a bottom section (<NUM>); and
a spool (<NUM>) including a superior surface, a lace spool under the superior surface and a spool shaft (<NUM>), the spool integrated into the top section of the housing structure;
a clutch system; and
a drive mechanism coupling with the spool via the clutch system , the drive mechanism adapted to rotate the spool to tighten or loosen a lace cable (<NUM>) integrated into the footwear, the drive mechanism comprising a worm drive (<NUM>), a worm gear (<NUM>), a gear motor (<NUM>) and a gear box (<NUM>);
wherein the worm gear is configured to inhibit back driving of the worm drive and the gear motor; and
wherein the clutch system couples the worm gear to the spool.