Footwear Lacing System Reducing Friction via Zone Segmentation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional lacing systems in footwear often result in lace friction and wear, leading to increased force required for tightening and reduced comfort, as laces tend to crisscross or overlap, causing uneven tension distribution across different zones of the foot.

Innovation Solution

A lacing system with a first and second lace, each routed through specific rows of lace-receiving passages, allowing approximately 90-degree turns to prevent crisscrossing and overlapping, with the second lace extending through each passage only once to reduce friction and the first lace extending directly between adjacent rows in one zone and alternating or non-adjacent rows in another, allowing independent tensioning of different foot regions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If laces are routed through conventional crisscross patterns, then lace-receiving passages can be easily formed, but lace friction and wear increase, requiring more force for tightening

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of forming lace-receiving passagesVSAvoidforce required for tightening

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The lacing system divides the footwear upper into multiple zones (first zone, second zone, third zone) with distinct lace-receiving passage rows in each zone. Laces are routed through specific rows in a structured sequence rather than random crisscrossing, segmenting the lacing path to reduce friction and wear while maintaining ease of manufacture.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Device complexity

If laces crisscross and overlap in conventional patterns, then simple routing is achieved, but uneven tension distribution occurs across different foot regions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesimplicity of lace routingVSAvoidtension distribution uniformity

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

Different zones of the footwear upper are assigned different lace-receiving passage row configurations. The first zone has rows for medial and lateral sides, the second zone has intermediate rows, and the third zone has additional rows. This local differentiation ensures even tension distribution across different foot regions while maintaining structured routing simplicity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Area of stationary object

If laces are routed through multiple passages with overlapping paths, then comprehensive coverage is achieved, but lace wear increases reducing lifespan

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecoverage area of lacing systemVSAvoidlace lifespan

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSDuration of action of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The lace-receiving passages are pre-formed in specific rows at defined locations on the medial and lateral sides of the footwear upper before lacing. This preliminary structuring guides the lace through an optimized path that provides comprehensive coverage while minimizing friction and wear, extending lace lifespan.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS11317677B2Article with side lacing system and method of lacing an article

Publication Date: 2022.05.03 NIKE INC

AI summary

An article such as an article of footwear includes a lacing system having two laces that are routed through lace-receiving passages in two distinct zones of a body of the article. A first lace can be routed through a first set of lace-receiving passages in a first zone, and a second lace can be routed through a second set of lace-receiving passages in a second zone. A method of lacing an article includes routing the first lace and the second lace through the lace-receiving passages of the respective zones.