Footwear heel support device

Abstract

An article of footwear includes an upper defining a foot-receiving cavity with a heel region, and a heel support device extending around the rear of a heel region from a lateral side to a medial side. The heel support device may include a plurality of slats and a base, the plurality of slats providing a progressive gradient of lengths and/or widths, and/or one or more pegs extending from the device for attachment to a footwear upper, and/or an elongated tip that may be disposed in a cavity of an extension of a heel collar of the upper.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A device for easing foot entry into an article of footwear, the device comprising:
 a control bar and a base underlying the control bar;   wherein the control bar includes a plurality of slats, the plurality of slats including an uppermost slat and a lowermost slat closer to the base than the uppermost slat; each slat of the plurality of slats having:
 a center segment; 
 a medial side arm extending from the center segment to a medial end connected to a medial side of the base; and 
 a lateral side arm extending from the center segment to a lateral end connected to a lateral side of the base; wherein the center segments of the plurality of slats progressively increase in width from the lowermost slat to the uppermost slat; 
   wherein the center segment of the uppermost slat has a tip; and   wherein an upper surface of the tip has a slope that increases in a forward direction.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the control bar is resiliently bendable between an unloaded position and a loaded position in which at least one center segment is closer to the base than in the unloaded position. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the medial side arms of the plurality of slats progressively increase in width from the lowermost slat to the uppermost slat. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the lateral side arms of the plurality of slats progressively increase in width from the lowermost slat to the uppermost slat. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the lowermost slat is shorter and thinner than the uppermost slat. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the slope of the upper surface of the tip increases in the forward direction along a longitudinal midline of the article of footwear, providing a ramp. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein an outer perimeter of the center segment has a discontinuity point at the tip. 
     
     
         8 . An article of footwear comprising:
 a footwear upper defining at least a portion of a foot-receiving cavity and defining an ankle opening at the foot-receiving cavity;   a sole structure secured to and underlying the footwear upper;   a device configured to surround a portion of the foot-receiving cavity at a heel region of the article of footwear and disposed between an inner layer of the footwear upper and an outer layer of the footwear upper, the device having an inner side and an outer side, the inner side closer to the foot-receiving cavity than the outer side, and the device including:   a control bar and a base underlying the control bar;   wherein the control bar includes a plurality of slats, the plurality of slats including an uppermost slat and a lowermost slat closer to the base than the uppermost slat; each slat of the plurality of slats having:
 a center segment; 
 a medial side arm extending from the center segment to a medial end connected to a medial side of the base; and 
 a lateral side arm extending from the center segment to a lateral end connected to a lateral side of the base; wherein the center segments of the plurality of slats progressively increase in width from the lowermost slat to the uppermost slat; 
   wherein the center segment of the uppermost slat has a tip; and   wherein an upper surface of the tip has a slope that increases in a forward direction.   
     
     
         9 . The article of footwear of  claim 8 , wherein the control bar is resiliently bendable between an unloaded position and a loaded position in which at least one center segment is closer to the base than in the unloaded position. 
     
     
         10 . The article of footwear of  claim 8 , wherein the medial side arms of the plurality of slats progressively increase in width from the lowermost slat to the uppermost slat; and/or
 wherein the lateral side arms of the plurality of slats progressively increase in width from the lowermost slat to the uppermost slat.   
     
     
         11 . The article of footwear of  claim 8 , wherein the lowermost slat is shorter and thinner than the uppermost slat. 
     
     
         12 . The article of footwear of  claim 8 , wherein the slope of the upper surface of the tip increases in the forward direction along a longitudinal midline of the article of footwear, providing a ramp. 
     
     
         13 . The article of footwear of  claim 8 , wherein an outer perimeter of the center segment has a discontinuity point at the tip.