Article of footwear with device for ease of entry

Abstract

A device for easing foot entry into an article of footwear includes a control bar that has a center segment, a medial side arm extending downwardly and forwardly from the center segment, and a lateral side arm spaced from the medial side arm and extending downwardly and forwardly from the center segment. The device includes a base underlying the control bar and connected to the medial side arm at a first joint and to the lateral side arm at a second joint. The device includes a medial anchor arm extending downwardly and forwardly from the first joint and partially under the foot-receiving void. The device includes a lateral anchor arm extending downwardly and forwardly from the second joint and partially under the foot-receiving void. The medial side arm and the lateral side arm resiliently bend to a loaded position when a downward force is applied to the center segment.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An article of footwear comprising:
 an upper;   a sole structure secured to and underlying the upper, wherein the sole structure includes a bladder defining an interior cavity and configured to retain a fluid in the interior cavity; and   a device including:
 a control bar having a center segment, a medial side arm extending downwardly and forwardly from the center segment, and a lateral side arm spaced from the medial side arm and extending downwardly and forwardly from the center segment; and 
 a base underlying the control bar and connected to the medial side arm at a first joint and to the lateral side arm at a second joint; wherein the control bar and the base are configured to surround a rear of the upper with the medial side arm at a medial side of the upper, the lateral side arm at a lateral side of the upper; 
   wherein the bladder has a convex upper surface, and the base has a concave lower surface that interfits with and is secured to the convex upper surface of the bladder.   
     
     
         2 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the concave lower surface of the base has an inner edge and an outer edge and is concave in a transverse direction of the device and in a longitudinal direction of the device from the inner edge to the outer edge, with the outer edge lower than the inner edge. 
     
     
         3 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the center segment of the control bar has a thinned portion; and   the upper is stitched to the control bar at the thinned portion.   
     
     
         4 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the medial side arm and the lateral side arm are not fixed to the upper. 
     
     
         5 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the medial side arm and the lateral side arm are adapted to resiliently bend to a loaded position when a downward force is applied to the center segment of the control bar, storing potential energy that returns the control bar to an unloaded position upon removal of the downward force. 
     
     
         6 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the upper and the sole structure define a foot-receiving void; and   the device includes a medial anchor arm extending downwardly and forwardly from the first joint and adapted to be positioned partially under the foot-receiving void.   
     
     
         7 . The article of footwear of  claim 6 , wherein:
 the bladder has a convex front surface at a medial side of the bladder; and   the convex front surface at the medial side of the bladder is nested in a concave rear surface of the medial anchor arm.   
     
     
         8 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the upper and the sole structure define a foot-receiving void; and   the device includes a lateral anchor arm extending downwardly and forwardly from the second joint and adapted to be positioned partially under the foot-receiving void.   
     
     
         9 . The article of footwear of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the bladder has a convex front surface at a lateral side of the bladder; and   the convex front surface at the lateral side of the bladder is nested in a concave rear surface of the lateral anchor arm.   
     
     
         10 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the sole structure includes:
 a midsole secured to an upper surface of the bladder and extending forward of the base;   a first outsole component, secured to a bottom surface of the bladder; and   a second outsole component secured to the bladder inward of the first outsole component and secured to a bottom surface of the midsole forward of the bladder.   
     
     
         11 . The article of footwear of  claim 10 , wherein an inflated portion of the bladder and the first outsole component are arcuate. 
     
     
         12 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the device includes a medial anchor arm extending downwardly and forwardly from the first joint;   the device includes a lateral anchor arm extending downwardly and forwardly from the second joint; and   the sole structure further includes an outsole component secured to a bottom surface of the bladder rearward of the medial anchor arm and the lateral anchor arm.   
     
     
         13 . The article of footwear of  claim 12 , wherein the outsole component is further secured to a bottom surface of the medial anchor arm and a bottom surface of the lateral anchor arm forward of the bladder. 
     
     
         14 . The article of footwear of  claim 13 , wherein the outsole component is a first outsole component, and the sole structure further includes:
 a midsole secured to an upper surface of the bladder and extending forward of the base; and   a second outsole component secured to the bladder inward of the first outsole component and secured to a bottom surface of the midsole forward of the bladder.   
     
     
         15 . The article of footwear of  claim 14 , wherein the second outsole component is secured to an uninflated portion of the bladder. 
     
     
         16 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the sole structure further includes a midsole secured to an upper surface of the bladder and extending rearwardly and transversely inward of the base to a rear portion of the base. 
     
     
         17 . The article of footwear of  claim 16 , wherein the midsole further extends forward of the base. 
     
     
         18 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the device is a single, unitary, one-piece component. 
     
     
         19 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the base has:
 a medial side projection extending transversely outwardly from a medial side of the base rearward of the first joint; and/or   a lateral side projection extending transversely outwardly from a lateral side of the base rearward of the second joint; and/or   a rear projection extending rearwardly from a rear of the base.   
     
     
         20 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the sole structure is characterized by an absence of a heel counter between the center segment and the base.