Composite cleat for athletic shoe

• US 6,138,386 A
• Filed: 01/22/1999
• Issued: 10/31/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Etonic Worldwide LLC (Lotto Sport Italia S.P.A)
• Original Assignee: Spalding Sports Worldwide, Inc. (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Inventors: Santos, Kenneth A., Singer, Joel A.
• Primary Examiner(s): PATTERSON, MARIE D
• Application Number:
  US09/235,581
• Time in Patent Office: 648 Days
• Field of Search: 36/134, 36/67 D, 36/67 R, 36/61
• US Class Current: 36/127
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 15/16 Studs or cleats for football or like boots
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 15/164 having a circular cross section
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 15/168 with resilient means, e.g. shock absorbing means

Abstract

A composite, long wearing, slip-resistant non-metal golf cleat that alleviates damage to grass, e.g., the surface of a golf green, yet provides traction similar to conventional metal spikes is disclosed.

Claims

1. A composite cleat for an athletic shoe, said cleat comprising:

a stud having a longitudinal axis for mounting the cleat to the athletic shoe; and

a non-metal body comprising two non-metal components attached to said stud;

wherein said non-metal body comprises a first component which substantially surrounds a second center component, the first component being formed of a disk of a first material having a first durometer mounted to said stud on a first major horizontal surface of said disk and the second center component being formed of a second material having a second durometer which is different than the durometer of the first material and extending from a second major horizontal surface of said disk,

wherein said disk further comprises a plurality of vertical protrusions extending outwardly from said second center component to the circumference of said disk, said protrusions terminating in a longitudinal direction.

2. The composite cleat of claim 1, wherein said plurality of vertical protrusions terminate in a longitudinal direction at a vertical height less than said second center material.

3. The composite cleat of claim 1, wherein said plurality of vertical protrusion terminate in a longitudinal direction at a vertical height greater than said second center material.

4. The composite cleat of claim 1, wherein said second center component has a circular cross-section.

5. The composite cleat of claim 4, wherein said protrusions comprise a first edge defined by a chord extending tangentially from the circumference of said second center component to the circumference of said disk.

6. The composite cleat of claim 1, wherein said protrusions comprise a second edge defined by a fillet joining said second major surface of said disk at a radius thereof to a plane parallel to the first major surface of said disk and a first edge of an adjacent protrusion.

7. An athletic shoe comprising a sole having a plurality of cleats mounted thereon, each cleat comprising:

a stud having a longitudinal axis for mounting the cleat to the athletic shoe; and

;

a non-metal body comprising two non-metal components attached to said stud;

wherein a first component substantially surrounds a second center component, the first component being formed of a disk of a first material having a first durometer mounted to said stud on a first major horizontal surface of said disk and said second center component being formed of a second material having a second durometer which is different than the durometer of the first material and extending from a second major horizontal surface of said disk,

wherein said disk further comprises a plurality of vertical protrusions extending outwardly from said second center component to the circumference of said disk, said protrusions terminating in a longitudinal direction.

8. The composite cleat of claim 7, wherein said plurality of vertical protrusions terminate in a longitudinal direction at a vertical height less than said second center material.

9. The composite cleat of claim 7, wherein said plurality of vertical protrusion terminate in a longitudinal direction at a vertical height greater than said second center material.

10. The shoe of claim 7, wherein said second center component has a circular cross-section.

11. The shoe of claim 10, wherein said protrusions comprise a first edge defined by a chord extending tangentially from the circumference of said second center component to the circumference of said disk.

12. The shoe of claim 11, wherein said protrusions comprise a second edge defined by a fillet joining said second major surface of said disk at a radius thereof to a plane parallel to the first major surface of said disk and a first edge of an adjacent protrusion.

13. The shoe of claim 7, wherein the sole further comprises a plurality of integrally molded nubs.

14. A golf shoe comprising a sole having a plurality of cleats mounted thereon, each cleat comprising:

a stud having a longitudinal axis for mounting the cleat to the athletic shoe; and

a non-metal body comprising two components attached to said stud;

wherein a first component substantially surrounds a second center component, the first component being formed of a first material having a first durometer and the second center component being formed of a second material having a second durometer which is different than the durometer of the first material;

wherein said first component comprises a disk of said first material mounted to said stud on a first major horizontal surface of the disk; and

the center portion extends from a second major horizontal surface of said disk; and

wherein said disk further comprises a plurality of vertical protrusions extending outwardly from said second center component to the circumference of said disk, said protrusions terminating in a longitudinal direction.

15. The composite cleat of claim 14, wherein said plurality of vertical protrusions terminate in a longitudinal direction at a vertical height less than said second center material.

16. The composite cleat of claim 14, wherein said plurality of vertical protrusion terminate in a longitudinal direction at a vertical height greater than said second center material.

17. The golf shoe of claim 14, wherein said second center component has a circular cross-section.

18. The golf shoe of claim 17, wherein said protrusions comprise a first edge defined by a chord extending tangentially from the circumference of said second center component to the circumference of said disk.

19. The golf shoe of claim 14, wherein said protrusions comprise a second edge defined by a fillet joining said second major surface of said disk at a radius thereof to a plane parallel to the first major surface of said disk and a first edge of an adjacent protrusion.

20. The golf shoe of claim 14, wherein the sole further comprises a plurality of integrally molded nubs.

21. An athletic shoe comprising a sole having a plurality of cleats thereon, each cleat comprising:

a non-metal body comprising two non-metal components;

wherein said non-metal body comprises a first component that substantially surrounds a second center component, the first component being formed of a disk of a first material having a first durometer mounted to said stud on a first major horizontal surface of said disk and the second component being formed of a second material having a second durometer which is different than the durometer of the first material and extending from a second major horizontal surface of said disk,

wherein said disk further comprises a plurality of vertical protrusions extending outwardly from said second center component to the circumference of said disk, said protrusions terminating in a longitudinal direction.

22. The composite cleat of claim 21, wherein said plurality of vertical protrusions teminate in a longitudinal direction at a vertical height less than said second center material.

23. The composite cleat of claim 21, wherein said plurality of vertical protrusion terminate in a longitudinal direction at a vertical height greater than said second center material.

24. The shoe of claim 21, wherein said second center component has a circular cross-section.

25. The shoe of claim 24, wherein said protrusions comprise a first edge defined by a chord extending tangentially from the circumference of said second center component to the circumference of said disk.

26. The shoe of claim 21, wherein said protrusions comprise a second edge defined by a fillet joining a second major surface of said disk at a radius thereof to a plane parallel to the first major surface of said disk and by a first edge of an adjacent protrusion.

27. The shoe of claim 21, wherein the sole further comprises a plurality of integrally molded nubs.

28. A golf shoe comprising a sole having a plurality of cleats mounted thereon, each cleat comprising:

a non-metal body comprising two components;

wherein a first component substantially surrounds a second center component, the first component being formed of a first material having a first durometer and the second component being formed of a second material having a second durometer which is different than the durometer of the first material;

wherein said first component comprises a disk-shaped region of said first material mounted to said sole and the center portion extends from a first major horizontal surface of said disk; and

wherein said disk further comprises a plurality of vertical protrusions extending outwardly from said second center component to the circumference of said disk, said protrusions terminating in a longitudinal direction.

29. The composite cleat of claim 28, wherein said plurality of vertical protrusions terminate in a longitudinal direction at a vertical height less than said second center material.

30. The composite cleat of claim 28, wherein said plurality of vertical protrusion terminate in a longitudinal direction at a vertical height greater than said second center material.

31. The golf shoe of claim 28, wherein said second center component has a circular cross-section.

32. The golf shoe of claim 31, wherein said protrusions comprise a first edge defined by a chord extending tangentially from the circumference of said second center component to the circumference of said disk.

33. The golf shoe of claim 28, wherein said protrusions comprise a second edge defined by a fillet joining a second major surface of said disk at a radius thereof to a plane parallel to the first major surface of said disk and by a first edge of an adjacent protrusion.

34. The golf shoe of claim 28, wherein the sole further comprises a plurality of integrally molded nubs.

35. A composite cleat for an athletic shoe, said cleat comprising:

a stud having a longitudinal axis for mounting the cleat to the athletic shoe; and

a non-metal body;

said non-metal body comprising a plurality of non-metal traction gripping elements extending away from an outer perimeter of a substantially circular base portion of the cleat, said base portion to be mounted against an athletic shoe sole, each traction element comprising an outer most ground contacting surface wherein said outermost ground contacting has a generally flat, arcuate rib shape having a rounded end portion at one end of the arcuate rib and an angular end portion at the opposing end of the arcuate rib, further wherein the arcuate rib has a central portion which has an outer surface that is further away from the base portion of the cleat than either of the rounded end portion or angular end portion of the arcuate rib thereby forming a curved surface on the arcuate rib, the curved surface being curved away from the base portion of said cleat;

further wherein each traction gripping element has a sloping rib which slopes angularly and downwardly towards a central area of the cleat wherein said sloping rib extends from a central area of the arcuate rib of each traction gripping element, wherein said sloping rib has a generally flat surface.

36. The composite cleat of claim 35, wherein the cleat has four of said traction gripping elements which are spaced equidistantly around the outer perimeter of the substantially circular base.

37. The composite cleat of claim 35, wherein the non-metal body further comprises a first component having said traction gripping elements formed thereon that substantially surrounds a second center component, the first component being formed of a first material having a first durometer and the second center component being formed of a second material having a second durometer which is different than the durometer of the first material.