ARTICLE OF FOOTWEAR HAVING A POLYGON LUG SOLE PATTERN

• US 20190328087A1
• Filed: 05/06/2019
• Published: 10/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: AVAR, Eric P., HOFFER, Kevin W., HATFIELD, Tobie D.
• Granted Patent: US 11,089,840 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 1/0009 made at least partially of alveolar or honeycomb material
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/141 with a part of the sole being flexible, e.g. permitting articulation or torsion
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/16 Pieced soles with several layers of different material A43B13/12
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/184 the structure protruding from the outsole
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/186 Differential cushioning region, e.g. cushioning located under the ball of the foot resilient heel not included in the sole A43B21/26; resilient supports for the heel of the foot A43B21/32
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/223 Profiled soles
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/26 projecting beyond the sole surface
• CPC Class Codes: A43D 86/00 Machines for assembling soles or heels onto uppers, not provided for in groups A43D25/00 - A43D83/00, e.g. by welding
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 35/06 having soles or heels formed and joined on to preformed uppers using a moulding technique, e.g. by injection moulding, pressing and vulcanising
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 35/122 Soles

Abstract

Articles of footwear, including athletic footwear, include one or more of: (a) an upper; (b) a sole structure including a midsole and an outsole, the outsole having a plurality of polygonal lugs arranged about a base surface of the outsole. The outsole may include one or more regions wherein the characteristics of a portion of the lugs within a region differ from the characteristics of a portion of the lugs in another region. The lugs may differ, for example based on size, construction and/or spacing between the lugs. Methods of manufacturing such articles of footwear also are disclosed.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. A sole structure for an article of footwear, comprising:

a base surface; and

a first plurality of polygonal lugs extending from the base surface, the first plurality of polygonal lugs being arranged to form a ground contacting surface of the sole structure, wherein the first plurality of polygonal lugs includes a first polygonal lug having two adjacent sides nested within an area defined by sides of a first pair of adjacent polygonal lugs.

3. The sole structure of claim 2, wherein the first polygonal lug is arranged such that a distance between the first polygonal lug and the first pair of adjacent polygonal lugs is between 1 mm and 15 mm.

4. The sole structure of claim 2, wherein the first polygonal lug is arranged such that a distance between the first polygonal lug and the first pair of adjacent polygonal lugs is between 1 mm and 8 mm.

5. The sole structure of claim 2, wherein the first polygonal lug is arranged such that a distance between the first polygonal lug and the first pair of adjacent polygonal lugs is between 2 mm and 12 mm.

6. The sole structure of claim 2, wherein free ends of the first plurality of polygonal lugs opposite the base surface are not in contact with each other.

7. The sole structure of claim 2, wherein the first plurality of polygonal lugs is arranged in a first region of the sole structure, and wherein the sole structure further comprises:

a second region including a second plurality of polygonal lugs extending from the base surface, the second plurality of polygonal lugs being arranged to form the ground contacting surface of the sole structure, wherein the second plurality of polygonal lugs includes a second polygonal lug having two adjacent sides nested within an area defined by sides of a second pair of adjacent polygonal lugs.

8. The sole structure of claim 7, wherein the first polygonal lug is arranged such that a distance between the first polygonal lug and the first pair of adjacent polygonal lugs is between 1 mm and 8 mm, and wherein the second polygonal lug is arranged such that a distance between the second polygonal lug and the second pair of adjacent polygonal lugs is between 2 mm and 12 mm.

9. The sole structure of claim 7, wherein free ends of the first plurality of polygonal lugs opposite the base surface are not in contact with each other, and wherein free ends of the second plurality of polygonal lugs opposite the base surface are not in contact with each other.

10. The sole structure of claim 7, wherein the first region is arranged at a central portion of the ground contacting surface and the second region is arranged at a periphery of the central portion.

11. The sole structure of claim 10, wherein the first plurality of polygonal lugs and the second plurality of polygonal lugs have a hexagonal shape.

12. A sole structure for an article of footwear, comprising:

a base surface; and

a first plurality of polygonal lugs extending from the base surface, the first plurality of polygonal lugs being arranged to form a ground contacting surface of the sole structure, wherein the first plurality of polygonal lugs includes a first polygonal lug having two adjacent sides nested within an area defined by sides of a first pair of adjacent polygonal lugs, wherein the first plurality of polygonal lugs is arranged in a first region of the sole structure; and

a second plurality of polygonal lugs extending from the base surface, the second plurality of polygonal lugs being arranged to form the ground contacting surface of the sole structure, wherein the second plurality of polygonal lugs includes a second polygonal lug having two adjacent sides nested within an area defined by sides of a second pair of adjacent polygonal lugs, wherein the second plurality of polygonal lugs is arranged in a second region of the sole structure different from the first region of the sole structure.

13. The sole structure of claim 12, wherein free ends of the first plurality of polygonal lugs opposite the base surface are not in contact with each other, and wherein free ends of the second plurality of polygonal lugs opposite the base surface are not in contact with each other.

14. The sole structure of claim 13, wherein the first plurality of polygonal lugs and the second plurality of polygonal lugs are non-uniformly sized.

15. The article of footwear of claim 14, wherein the first plurality of polygonal lugs in the first region have a first spacing arrangement;

and

wherein the second plurality of lugs in the second region have a second spacing arrangement different from the first spacing arrangement.

16. The sole structure of claim 15, wherein the first plurality of polygonal lugs have a hollow construction and a first wall thickness and the second plurality of polygonal lugs have a hollow construction and a second wall thickness different from the first wall thickness.

17. The sole structure of claim 16, wherein the first wall thickness is between 3 mm and 20 millimeters.

18. The article of footwear of claim 16, wherein the second wall thickness is between 1 mm and 5 millimeters.

19. The sole structure of claim 16, wherein the first region is arranged at a central portion of the ground contacting surface and the second region is arranged at a periphery of the central portion.

20. A sole structure for an article of footwear, comprising:

a base surface;

a

a first plurality of polygonal lugs extending from the base surface, the first plurality of polygonal lugs being arranged to form a ground contacting surface of the sole structure, wherein the first plurality of polygonal lugs includes a first polygonal lug having two adjacent sides nested within an area defined by sides of a first pair of adjacent polygonal lugs, wherein the first plurality of polygonal lugs is arranged in a first region of the sole structure;

a second plurality of polygonal lugs extending from the base surface, the second plurality of polygonal lugs being arranged to form the ground contacting surface of the sole structure, wherein the second plurality of polygonal lugs includes a second polygonal lug having two adjacent sides nested within an area defined by sides of a second pair of adjacent polygonal lugs, wherein the second plurality of polygonal lugs is arranged in a second region of the sole structure different from the first region of the sole structure; and

a third plurality of polygonal lugs extending from the base surface, the second plurality of polygonal lugs being arranged to form the ground contacting surface of the sole structure, wherein the second plurality of polygonal lugs includes a second polygonal lug having two adjacent sides nested within an area defined by sides of a second pair of adjacent polygonal lugs, wherein the third plurality of polygonal lugs is arranged in a third region of the sole structure different from both the first region and the second region of the sole structure; and

wherein the first plurality of polygonal lugs has a first lug characteristic, and the second plurality of polygonal lugs has a second lug characteristic different than the first lug characteristic, and the third plurality of polygonal lugs has a third lug characteristic different than both the first lug characteristic and the second lug characteristic.

21. The sole structure of claim 20, wherein the first plurality of polygonal lugs have a hollow construction and a first wall thickness, the second plurality of polygonal lugs have a hollow construction and a second wall thickness, and the third plurality of polygonal lugs have a hollow construction and a third wall thickness.