Athletic shoe with bendable traction projections

• US 5,313,718 A
• Filed: 01/13/1993
• Issued: 05/24/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Valiant, Gordon A., McMahon, Thomas A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sewell, Paul T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DAYOAN, BETHANNE CAROLINE
• Application Number:
  US08/003,692
• Time in Patent Office: 496 Days
• Field of Search: 36/31, 36/59 C, 36/32 R, 36/114, 36/128, 36/59 A, 36/59 B, 36/59 R, D 2/320, D 2/312, D 2/311
• US Class Current: 36/59.00C
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/26 projecting beyond the sole surface
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/0042 with circular or circle shaped parts

Abstract

There is disclosed an athletic shoe having grooves in a ground engaging surface of a sole formed concentrically about a pivot point in the ball portion and having traction projections in the form of bristles or columns embedded in the bottom of the grooves. Free ends of the traction projections protrude from the ground engaging surface whereby forces on the free ends of the traction projections perpendicular to the grooves, as when a player is accelerating, causes the projections to bend against the side walls of the grooves which thus support the projections against further bending with the free ends of the projections protruding from the outsole to provide traction. Forces on the free ends of the projections tangentially to the grooves, as when a player pivots, cause the projections to bend into or lay down in the grooves and thus offer little or no traction. The ground engaging surface of the sole is formed of a material having a low coefficient of friction so that the sole can move or pivot relatively freely once the projections have bent into the grooves.

Claims

1. A sole for an athletic shoe comprising:

an outsole member having a plurality of traction projections extending outwardly therefrom, said plurality of traction projections including traction projections arranged concentrically about a pivot point located in the ball portion of said outsole member;

a plurality of concentric rings secured to said outsole member to define a ground engaging surface, said concentric rings being oriented relative to said concentric traction projections such that said concentric traction projections are movable between a first position extending outward of said ground engaging surface to provide traction against a ground surface material when said sole is moved in generally linear translational motion and a second position inward of said ground engaging surface and substantially out of contact with the ground surface material to minimize traction when said sole is moved about in generally pivoting motion; and

wherein said traction projections include notches for facilitating movement of said traction projections to the second position inward of said ground engaging surface, said notches formed in an outer cylindrical surface of said columns and extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to a tangent of a groove at positions of respective traction projections.

2. The sole in accordance with claim 1 wherein each traction projection includes two notches.