Outsole for sports shoes

• US 7,010,871 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2001
• Issued: 03/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Puma Aktiengesellschaft Rudolf Dassler Sport
• Original Assignee: Puma Aktiengesellschaft Rudolf Dassler Sport
• Inventors: Sussmann, Reinhold
• Primary Examiner(s): STASHICK, ANTHONY D
• Application Number:
  US10/479,463
• Publication Number:
  US 20040148806A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,574 Days
• Field of Search: 36/59.C, 36/67.R, 36/67.A, 36/59.A, 36/59.D, 361/34
• US Class Current: 36/59.00C
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/02 Football boots or shoes, i.e. for soccer, football or rugby
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 15/02 attached to the sole

Abstract

An outsole (1) for athletic shoes (2) having stud-type cleat elements arranged in the front sole area (3) and heel area (4), the cleat elements extending in a conically tapered manner from the base (6) thereof to the contact surface (7). To improve the outsole, in order to enable improved contact of the feet when they are placed on the ground, even when the ground is moderately hard, the height (h_red) of at least one cleat element (5′) in the sole edge area (12) of the heel area (4) is reduced in relation to the average height (h_norm) of the other cleat elements (5″) in that area.

Claims

1. Outsole for athletic shoes with stud-shaped cleats that taper conically from a base to a contact surface thereof and are molded onto a front sole region and a heel region of the outsole, wherein all cleats in a sole edge region along the left and right sides of the front sole region are of substantially the same height and all cleats in a sole edge region along the left and right sides of the heel sole region are of substantially the same height except for at least one cleat in the heel region which has a height that is reduced as compared to an average height of other cleats in the heel region, and wherein the at least one cleat of reduced height lies in a portion of the heel sole region which extends in an angle range relative to a longitudinal centerline of the outsole of 30°

to 135°

of an imaginary circle defining an end area of the heel sole region and faces the ground when the sole stands on the ground.

2. Outsole according to claim 1, wherein said angle range is 60°

to 120°

.

3. Outsole according to claim 1, wherein the cleats which are reduced in height have a height which is a maximum of 60% of the average height (h_norm) of the cleats which are not reduced in height.

4. Outsole according to claim 1, wherein the cleats which are reduced in height have a height which is a maximum of 30% of the average height (h_norm) of the cleats which are not reduced in height.

5. Outsole according to claim 1, wherein the base of the cleats have an elongated cross-section.

6. Outsole according to claim 5, wherein the elongated cross-section is of a generally elliptical shape.

7. Outsole according to claim 1, wherein a longitudinal axis of the cleats in the front sole region runs in toward an edge of the sole.

8. Outsole according to claim 7, wherein a longitudinal axis of the cleats in the heel region runs transversely to the edge of sole.

9. Outsole according to claim 1, wherein a longitudinal axis of the cleats in the heel region runs transversely to an edge of sole.

10. Outsole according to claim 1, wherein the cleats of the front sole region comprise inner cleats surrounded by cleats in a sole edge area, and wherein a longitudinal axis of the base of at least one of the inner cleats runs in the direction of a longitudinal axis of the sole.

11. Outsole according to claim 10, wherein the cleats in the sole edge area of the front sole region have a height that is less than the height of the cleats which are not reduced in height in the sole edge region of the heel region.

12. Outsole according to claim 1, wherein the cleats of the front sole region comprise inner cleats surrounded by cleats in a sole edge area, and wherein the inner cleats have a height which is less than the height of the cleats in the sole edge area.

13. Outsole according to claim 12, wherein in a middle part of the front sole region at least three cleats are arranged in a row across the width of the sole.

14. Outsole according to claim 13, wherein the cleats in said row are offset relative to each other in the direction of a longitudinal axis of the sole.

15. Outsole according to claim 1, wherein the cleats have a ground contact surface which runs from the sole edge toward a longitudinal axis of the sole with a decreasing height.