Orientations for footwear ground-engaging member support features

• US 10,149,515 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2015
• Issued: 12/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Auger, Perry W., Caine, Andrew, Cavaliere, Sergio
• Primary Examiner(s): LYNCH, MEGAN E
• Application Number:
  US14/614,681
• Publication Number:
  US 20150208763A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,405 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/141 with a part of the sole being flexible, e.g. permitting articulation or torsion
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/223 Profiled soles
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/02 Football boots or shoes, i.e. for soccer, football or rugby
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 15/161 characterised by the attachment to the sole
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 15/162 characterised by the shape

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to an article of footwear including an upper configured to receive a foot and a sole component fixedly attached to a bottom portion of the upper. The sole component may include a baseplate having a bottom surface and at least a first ground engaging member extending substantially downward from the bottom surface of the baseplate and a plurality of elongate support members extending substantially downward from the bottom surface of the baseplate, abutting the first ground engaging member at a side portion, and extending horizontally from the side portion of the first ground engaging member. At least two of the plurality of support members may be disposed on opposite sides of the first ground engaging member and are substantially parallel with one another, but not aligned with one another.

Claims

1. An article of footwear, comprising:

an upper configured to receive a foot; and

a sole component fixedly attached to a bottom portion of the upper, the sole component including;

a baseplate having a bottom surface;

at least a first ground engaging member extending substantially downward from the bottom surface of the baseplate; and

a plurality of elongate support members extending substantially downward from the bottom surface of the baseplate and extending horizontally from a side portion of the first ground engaging member, each support member of the plurality of support members extending away from the bottom surface of the baseplate to a first terminal end abutting the first ground engaging member at the side portion and extending horizontally along the bottom surface of the baseplate to a second terminal end spaced apart from the first terminal end,

wherein the plurality of support members includes a first linear support member having a longitudinal axis that extends substantially radially from a center portion of the first ground engaging member, a second linear support member having a longitudinal axis that extends substantially radially from the center portion of the first ground engaging member, and a third linear support member having a longitudinal axis extending in a substantially non-radial direction of the first ground engaging member.

2. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the first ground engaging member is substantially elongate along a ground engaging member axis oriented in a horizontal direction, and wherein at least one of the plurality of support members is substantially aligned with the ground engaging member axis.

3. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the sole component includes an arrangement of a plurality of ground engaging members including the first ground engaging member, wherein each of the plurality of support members extends horizontally away from the first ground engaging member in a direction that is not aligned with any of the other ground engaging members in the arrangement.

4. An article of footwear, comprising:

an upper configured to receive a foot; and

a sole component fixedly attached to a bottom portion of the upper, the sole component including;

a baseplate having a bottom surface;

at least a first ground engaging member extending substantially downward from the bottom surface of the baseplate; and

a plurality of elongate support members extending substantially downward from the bottom surface of the baseplate and extending horizontally from a side portion of the first ground engaging member, each support member of the plurality of support members extending away from the bottom surface of the baseplate to a first terminal end abutting the first ground engaging member at the side portion and extending horizontally along the bottom surface of the baseplate to a second terminal end spaced apart from the first terminal end;

wherein the first ground engaging member is substantially elongate along a ground engaging member axis oriented in a horizontal direction,

wherein the plurality of support members includes a first linear support member having a longitudinal axis that extends through a center portion of the first ground engaging member, a second support member having a longitudinal axis that extends through the center portion of the first ground engaging member, and a third linear support member having a longitudinal axis extending in a substantially non-radial direction of the first ground engaging member.

5. The article of footwear according to claim 4, wherein at least one support member of the plurality of support members includes a substantially constant taper from the first end to the second end.

6. The article of footwear according to claim 4, wherein the first support member and the second support member extend downward from the bottom surface of the baseplate less distance than the first ground engaging member extends downward from the bottom surface of the baseplate;

and wherein the respective widths of the first support member and the second support member are narrower than a width of the ground engaging member.

7. The article of footwear according to claim 4, wherein the first ground engaging member has a horizontal cross-sectional shape that is substantially elongate.

8. The article of footwear according to claim 4, wherein the longitudinal axis of one of the first support member and the second support member is substantially perpendicular to the ground engaging member axis.