Patent Description:
<CIT>, <CIT> and <CIT> describe known examples of articles of footwear with associated tensioning systems.

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

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 <NUM>, 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 do not necessarily lend themselves to mass production and/or daily use. Additionally, other previous designs for motorized lacing systems comparatively suffered from problems such as high cost of manufacture, complexity, assembly challenges, and poor serviceability. The present inventors have developed various concepts to deliver a modular footwear platform to accommodate motorized and non-motorized lacing engines that solves some or all of the problems discussed above, among others. In order to fully leverage the modular lacing engine discussed briefly below and in greater detail in copending Application Serial Number <CIT>, titled "LACING APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATED FOORWEAR PLATFORM," the present inventors developed various alternative and complementary lacing engine designs, battery chargers, user interface concepts, and display/carrying cases discussed herein. The invention is defined by the appended independent claim <NUM>. Additional embodiments are defined in the dependent claims. Embodiments in <FIG>, <FIG>, <FIG>, <FIG>, <FIG> do not form part of the claimed invention.

The motorized lacing engine discussed below in reference to <FIG>, as well as alternative concepts discussed throughout, 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.

Utilizing motorized or non-motorized centralized lacing engines to tighten athletic footwear presents some challenges in providing sufficient performance without sacrificing some amount of comfort. Lacing architectures discussed herein have been designed specifically for use with centralized lacing engines and are designed to enable various footwear designs from casual to high-performance.

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 lacing architectures for use with a motorized lacing engine, 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.

<FIG> is an illustration of various internal components of lacing engine <NUM>, according to example embodiments. <FIG> also illustrates how a load cell can be incorporated into a lacing engine, such as lacing engine <NUM>. 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, the load cell can be incorporated outboard of bushing <NUM> to detect forces transmitted from the spool <NUM> through the worm gear <NUM> onto the worm drive <NUM>. Information from the load cell can be used as an input to the tension control to tighten or loosen lace tension based on an inference on activity level being experienced by the footwear. For example, if the load cell is detecting frequent shock loading on the laces, it can be inferred that activity level of high (e.g., engaged in basketball game). Alternatively, if the load cell is detecting little or no shock loading, then the lacing engine can infer low activity level and potentially loosen the laces.

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>. As noted above, the arrangement also allows for convenience placement of a load cell outboard of the bushing <NUM> to measure axial forces on the drive training from laces.

Within an automated footwear platform using an automatic lacing engine it may be important to detect various parameters regarding lace position and/or tension. The following discusses various concepts for detecting lace position and/or lace tension within a lacing engine, such as lacing engine <NUM> discussed above.

<FIG> illustrate an electrode technique for directly detecting end of lace travel. In this example, a flexible electrode is positioned against a portion of the lace spool and impedance is measured across the electrode and spool. When lace is on the spool the impedance will be high, as the lace in this example is an insulator. Once the lace runs off the spool, the impedance will drop as the connection improves. In this example, the end of the lace cable is measured directly through the change in impedance measurement. <FIG> illustrates the system with some lace on the spool, while <FIG> illustrates the system where the lace has run off the spool (at least in the location of the electrode <NUM>).

In this example, the lacing engine <NUM> includes components such as a housing <NUM>, a lace spool <NUM>, a lace cable <NUM>, a lace end <NUM>, a spool hub <NUM>, and an electrode <NUM>. The lace cable <NUM> is taken up or release by the lace spool <NUM>. The electrode <NUM> measures impedance across a circuit created between the electrode <NUM> and the lace spool <NUM>. In this example, the lace spool <NUM> acts as an electrical conductor and the lace cable <NUM> acts as an insulator. Accordingly, when there is lace cable wound on the lace spool <NUM>, the electrode <NUM> is not in contact with the lace spool <NUM> and the electrical circuit is complete, resulting a high impedance through the circuit. When the lace cable <NUM> runs off the lace spool <NUM>, the electrode <NUM> is able to contact the lace spool <NUM> and complete an electrical circuit. The impedance across this circuit drops when the electrode <NUM> contacts the lace spool <NUM>, which can be detected by a controller circuit in the lacing engine <NUM>. As illustrated in <FIG>, when the lace end <NUM> moves past the electrode <NUM>, the electrode <NUM> comes into contact with the lace spool <NUM>. Once in contact with the conductive lace spool <NUM>, the electrode <NUM> completes a low impedance electrical circuit.

In an example, the lace cable can be made from a material with a known impedance, which can allow for the electrode <NUM> to provide data to a controller circuit to approximate the amount of lace cable on the lace spool. In this example, the width of the lace cable would produce a known impedence level when measured across the circuit produced by the electrode <NUM> and the lace spool <NUM>. Each wrap of lace cable operates to increase the distance between the electrode <NUM> and the lace spool <NUM>, which would increase the impedance level by a known quantity. As the impedance produced by the lace cable wrapping around the lace spool will not be extremely precise, impedance measurement can be translated into an approximation of the amount of lace cable wrapped around the lace spool. In certain examples, the lace spool may be sized in a manner where each wrap of lace cable does not always increase the gap between the electrode and the lace spool by the width of the lace cable, in these examples the impedance measure provides a rougher approximation of lace cable on the lace spool. In some examples, the impedance measurement between the electrode <NUM> and lace spool <NUM> can provide aproximations, such as the lace spool is full, ¾ full, ½ full, ¼ full, or empty.

<FIG> illustrate a lever and divot assembly for detecting lace position (e.g., end of lace travel). In this example, a spring-loaded lever rides against the lace spool and drops into a divot in the lace spool when the lace runs off the spool. A switch or position sensor can detect when the spring-loaded lever drops into the divot. <FIG> illustrates the interaction between the lever and lace spool prior to the lace end running past the lever. <FIG> illustrates the condition when the lever drops into the divot after the lace end runs past the lever. The end of travel condition of the lace cable is directly measured by the lever when the lace cable unwraps off the lace spool and allows the lever to drop into the divot in the lace spool.

In this example, the lacing engine <NUM> can include components such as a housing <NUM>, a lace spool <NUM>, a lace cable <NUM>, a lace end <NUM>, a spool hub <NUM>, a position divot <NUM>, and a lever <NUM>. The lever <NUM> can be spring-loaded and include an integrated cut-off switch to control a motor within the lacing engine. In this example, the lever <NUM> pivots on a pivot point <NUM> integrated into the housing <NUM>. The integrated cut-off switch is activated when the lever <NUM> drops into the divot <NUM> in the lace spool <NUM>. The divot <NUM> is integrated into the inner surface of the lace spool <NUM> where the lace cable <NUM> is taken up. With at least one full wrap of lace cable <NUM> on the lace spool <NUM>, the divot <NUM> is covered by the lace cable <NUM>, so the lever <NUM> remains in the normal position with the cut-off switch not activated. When the lace spool <NUM> runs the lace end <NUM> pass the lever <NUM>, the lever <NUM> is free to drop into the divot <NUM> and activate the cut-off switch stopping the motor. In an example, the lever <NUM> is substantially the same width (or depth into the illustration) as the width of the lace spool <NUM>, this allows any amount of lace cable <NUM> on the lace spool <NUM> to keep the lever <NUM> from dropping into the divot <NUM>.

<FIG> illustrate a split-spool configuration to detect end of lace travel. <FIG> illustrates the split-spool in a closed state, where there remains lace on the lace spool. <FIG> illustrates the split-spool in an open state, where the lace has run off the lace spool and causes the hinged (split) portion to extend and activate a cut-off switch. In this example, the lace spool includes a hinged portion that is held down against the spool when lace is wrapped around the spool. As the lace wraps off the spool, the hinged portion is pulled up into a switch or sensor. Thus, the end of lace travel condition is directly measured or detected when the lace cable pulls the hinged portion off the lace spool and contacts the cut-off switch or sensor.

In this example, the lacing engine <NUM> can include structures such as a housing <NUM>, a split lace spool <NUM>, a lace cable <NUM>, a lace end <NUM>, a spool hub <NUM>, a hinged portion <NUM> (also referred to as a split spool section <NUM>), a pivot <NUM>, and a cut-off switch <NUM>. The lace cable <NUM> wraps around the split lace spool <NUM>, which holds the hinged portion <NUM> in place as the split lace spool <NUM> rotations about spool hub <NUM>. When the lace cable <NUM> unwraps from the split lace spool <NUM>, the hinged portion <NUM> pivots about pivot <NUM> and contacts cut-off switch <NUM>. When the hinged portion <NUM> contacts the cut-off switch <NUM> the lace spool <NUM> stops counter-clockwise rotation and any motor input is shut down. The lace cable <NUM> is connected to the hinged portion <NUM> at lace end <NUM>. After the hinged portion <NUM> contacts the cut-off switch <NUM>, the lacing engine <NUM> can reverse (e.g., start clockwise rotation) to take-up lace cable <NUM> onto the split lace spool <NUM>. Clockwise rotation of the lace spool <NUM> will cause the hinged portion <NUM> to pivot back into place on the split lace spool <NUM>, as lace cable <NUM> is wrapped onto the split lace spool <NUM>.

<FIG> illustrate an optical sensor to detect different markings on a lace cable. In this example, the lace cable can include characteristics, such as color, pattern, texture, or similar markings, which are detectable by an optical sensor. The markings or characteristics can be used to detect certain specific locations on the lace cable, and/or operate like an encoder with markings at regular intervals. In other words, the optical sensor allows for direct detection or measurement of characteristics of the lace cable as it is manipulated by the lacing engine. As shown in <FIG>, the lace cable can include alternating (or similar pattern) of different colors that can be detected by an optical sensor. Different colors on various sections of the lace cable can provide a control circuit within an automated lacing engine valuable information about lace travel and/or footwear tightness. For example, using alternating color patterns, a control circuit can receive regular triggers from an optical sensor, which can be used like an encoder signal to track lace cable location (e.g., how much lace cable has been pulled in by the lacing engine).

In this example, the lacing engine <NUM> can include components such as a housing <NUM>, a lace spool <NUM>, a lace cable <NUM>, a lace end section <NUM>, a spool hub <NUM>, and an optical sensor <NUM>. The optical sensor <NUM> can be utilized to identify transitions between different colored or shaded sections of a lace cable, such as lace cable <NUM>. In <FIG>, the lace cable <NUM> is illustrated as having a section of alternating color or shade (shown as alternating shades), as well as a lace end section <NUM> of a solid color or shade specific to the end of the lace cable. The optical sensor <NUM> is tuned to identify each different transition and color/shade state during operation of the lacing engine <NUM>. Data from the optical sensor <NUM> can be sent to a control circuit, which can use the data to determine amount of lace on the lace spool, speed of lace retraction or extension, or end of lace (e.g., lace end section <NUM>), among other things.

<FIG> are diagrams illustrating various lace tension detecting assemblies, according to some example embodiments. These example assemblies can be integrated into a lacing engine for an automated footwear platform, such as those discussed above. <FIG> illustrates a force sensor pulley combination used to detect lace cable tension. In this example, the lace wraps around (<NUM> degrees) a pin or pulley with a force sensor positioned to sense forces imparted on the pin/pulley by the lace cable. In this example, the pin/pulley defects under load in a predicable manner, which can then be measured by the force sensor. Alternatively, the pin or pulley can be mounted too the force sensor to enable direct detection and/or measurement of the lace cable tension. In a similar configuration, a position sensor is used to detect movement of the pin/pulley, which is then translated into a force.

In this example, the lacing engine 700A can include components such as a housing <NUM>, a spool cavity <NUM>, a lace spool <NUM>, a lace cable <NUM>, a lace free end <NUM>, a pulley <NUM>, and a sensor <NUM>. The housing <NUM> can include a spool cavity <NUM> designed to receive a lace spool <NUM>, which can be rotated to take-up or release lace cable <NUM>. One of the primary functions of a lacing engine, such as lacing engine 700A is to tension a lace cable to secure a footwear platform to a user's foot. In an example, the sensor <NUM> can detect movement of the pulley (or pin) <NUM>, which can be translated into a force or tension being applied to the lace cable <NUM>. In another example, the sensor <NUM> can be a force sensor that directly reads a force being applied against the pulley <NUM> by the lace cable <NUM> as it exits the lacing engine 700A. In either example, the data generated by the sensor <NUM> can be delivered to a control circuit, which can utilize the data to control tightening or loosening of the lace cable <NUM> through control of the lacing engine 700A.

<FIG> illustrates a strain gauge configuration for sensing lace tension. In this example, a strain gauge can be positions on a bar or structure where the lace exits the lacing engine. The lace can exit the spool and make a <NUM> degree turn around a structure including the strain gauge. The structure and strain gauge can be calibrated to allow for measurement of the lace tension. In this example, the lacing engine 700B can include components such as a housing <NUM>, a spool cavity <NUM>, a lace spool <NUM>, a lace cable <NUM>, a lace free end <NUM>, a pulley (or pin) <NUM>, a sensor <NUM>, and a strain gauge <NUM>. In this example, the lace cable tension is measured by a strain gauge, such as strain gauge <NUM>, on the pin <NUM>. As the lace cable <NUM> wraps around pin <NUM>, the tension on the lace cable <NUM> causes deflection in the pin <NUM>, which is measured by the strain gauge <NUM>. In this example, the lace cable <NUM> is taken up by the lace spool <NUM> as it makes a <NUM> degree turn around the pin <NUM>. The <NUM> degrees turn around pin <NUM> imparts sufficient forces against the pin <NUM> for the strain gauge <NUM> to measure the defection caused by the tension on lace cable <NUM>.

<FIG> illustrate a direct pressure sensing technique. In this example, the tongue of a footwear assembly can include one or more force sensing resistors (FSRs). The FSRs can detect lace tension across the upper portion of the footwear assembly. In this example, the FSRs can be positions along the underside of the tongue to press against the foot of the user. <FIG> illustrates an individual FSR (sensor assembly <NUM>) designed to be positioned at a lace cable junction. <FIG> illustrates a footwear platform with various FSR locations, such as sensor assembly locations 810A and 810B.

In this example, the sensor assembly <NUM> can include components such as a sensor platform <NUM>, a lace guide <NUM>, a circuit <NUM>, and a connector <NUM>. The sensor platform <NUM> provides a base for the sensor assembly and it can be designed for integration into various locations within the footwear platform. The lace guide <NUM> can be designed to receive one or more portions of a lace cable and guide the lace cable over the force sensing resistor. The circuit <NUM> can include a calibrated resistor that outputs a resistance measurement that is proportional to an amount of force exerted on the sensor assembly <NUM>. The connector <NUM> is used to interconnect sensor assemblies back to a control circuit within the footwear platform.

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.

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 (process) examples described herein, such as the footwear assembly examples, can include machine or robotic implementations at least in part.

Claim 1:
A lacing engine (<NUM>) for an automated footwear platform, the lacing engine (<NUM>) comprising:
a housing (<NUM>);
a lace spool (<NUM>) at least partially disposed within the housing (<NUM>), the lace spool (<NUM>) adapted to collect a portion of a lace cable (<NUM>) in response to rotation in a first direction during tightening of the footwear platform; and
a detection mechanism to directly measure a characteristic of the lace cable (<NUM>) while the lace cable (<NUM>) is manipulated by the lacing engine (<NUM>); characterized in that:
the detection mechanism includes an electrode (<NUM>) adapted to measure an impedance across the electrode (<NUM>) and the lace spool (<NUM>).