Shaped support features for footwear ground-engaging members

• US 8,806,779 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2011
• Issued: 08/19/2014
• 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): Huynh, Khoa
• Assistant Examiner(s): BRANDON, MEGAN E
• Application Number:
  US13/234,180
• Publication Number:
  US 20130067772A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,068 Days
• Field of Search: 361/03, 36126-129, 36 59 A- 59 C, 36/59.R, 36/67.A, 361/14
• US Class Current: 36/67.A
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/04 Plastics, rubber or vulcanised fibre
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/14 characterised by the constructive form
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/141 with a part of the sole being flexible, e.g. permitting articulation or torsion
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/184 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 13/188 Differential cushioning regions
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/22 Soles made slip-preventing or wear-resisting, e.g. by impregnation or spreading a wear-resisting layer
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/223 Profiled soles
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 17/02 wedge-like or resilient
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 17/14 made of sponge, rubber, or plastic materials
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/02 Football boots or shoes, i.e. for soccer, football or rugby
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 15/16 Studs or cleats for football or like boots
• 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 first elongate support member 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. The first support member may have a downward facing surface with a first facet and a second facet, wherein each of the first facet and the second facet are angled at different non-horizontal orientation.

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 and at least a first ground engaging member having a first sidewall and a second opposite sidewall both extending substantially vertically downward in a first direction from the bottom surface of the baseplate and having a hole passing all of the way through the first ground engaging member from the first sidewall to the second sidewall, and a first support member extending substantially downward, in the first direction, from the bottom surface of the baseplate;

wherein the first support member has a height extending in the first direction, a width, and a length that is longer than the width;

wherein the first support member includes a downward facing surface extending at an angle between the first ground engaging member and the bottom surface of the baseplate;

wherein the first support member abuts the first sidewall of the first ground engaging member in alignment with the hole, and the entire length of the first support member extends horizontally from the first sidewall of the first ground engaging member; and

wherein the downward facing surface of the first support member intersects with the first sidewall of the first ground engaging member at a position that is between the hole and the bottom surface of the baseplate.

2. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the first support member extends substantially radially from an approximate center portion of the first ground engaging member.

3. The article of footwear according to claim 2, the first ground engaging member has a height extending in the first direction, a width, a length that is longer than the width, and a longitudinal axis extending through a centerline of the first ground engaging member along the length of the first ground engaging member and the width of the first ground engaging member tapers from the bottom surface of the baseplate toward a ground side surface of the ground engaging member.

4. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the sole component includes multiple support members extending substantially downward in the first direction from the bottom surface of the baseplate, each of the multiple support members having a height extending in the first direction, a width, a length that is longer than the width and wherein each of the multiple support members abuts the first ground engaging member and extends radially from the first ground engaging member, wherein the lengths of the multiple support members are substantially different from one another.

5. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the first ground engaging member has a height extending in the first direction, a width, a length that is longer than the width, and a longitudinal axis extending through a centerline of the first ground engaging member along the length of the first ground engaging member wherein the first support member has a longitudinal axis extending through a centerline of the first support member along the length of the first support member, and wherein the width of the first support member is smaller than the width of the ground engaging member.

6. The article of footwear according to claim 5, wherein the height of the first support member is less than the height of the first ground engaging member.

7. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the first ground engaging member has a height extending in the first direction, a width, a length that is longer than the width, and a longitudinal axis extending through a centerline of the first ground engaging member along the length of the first ground engaging member and the first support member has a longitudinal axis extending through a centerline of the first support member along the length of the first support member.

8. The article of footwear according to claim 7, wherein the width of the first support member tapers with distance away from the first ground engaging member.

9. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the sole component further includes a second ground engaging member;

wherein the second ground engaging member has a third sidewall extending substantially downward in the first direction from the bottom surface of the baseplate;

wherein the first support member extends substantially downward in the first direction from the bottom surface of the baseplate, the first support member having a height extending in the first direction, a width, a length that is longer than the width, and a longitudinal axis extending through a centerline of the first support member along the length of the first support member; and

wherein the first support member is extending between and abutting the first sidewall of the first ground engaging member and the third sidewall of the second ground engaging member.

10. The article of footwear according to claim 9, wherein the sole component further includes second, third, fourth, and fifth support members extending substantially downward in the first direction from the bottom surface of the baseplate;

wherein the second support member abuts the first ground engaging member and has a height extending in the first direction, a width, a length that is longer than the width, and a longitudinal axis extending through a centerline of the second support member along the length of the second support member;

wherein the third support member abuts the first ground engaging member and has a height extending in the first direction, a width, a length that is longer than the width, and a longitudinal axis extending through a centerline of the third support member along the length of the third support member;

wherein the fourth support member abuts the second ground engaging member and has a height extending in the first direction, a width, a length that is longer than the width, and a longitudinal axis extending through a centerline of the fourth support member along the length of the fourth support member;

wherein the fifth support member abuts the second ground engaging member and has a height extending in the first direction, a width, a length that is longer than the width, and a longitudinal axis extending through a centerline of the fifth support member along the length of the fifth support member; and

wherein the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth support members are arranged to form an H configuration.

11. The article of footwear according to claim 9, wherein the width of the first support member tapers toward a midpoint between the first ground engaging member and the second ground engaging member.

12. The article of footwear according to claim 11, wherein the first support member tapers from a first width at the first ground engaging member and the second ground engaging member to a second, narrower width, at the midpoint between the first ground engaging member and the second ground engaging member.

13. The article of footwear according to claim 9, wherein the second ground engaging member has a third sidewall and a fourth sidewall opposite the third sidewall and a second hole passing all of the way through the second ground engaging member from the third sidewall to the fourth sidewall.

14. The article of footwear according to claim 9, wherein the first ground engaging member has a tilde-shaped horizontal cross-sectional shape.

15. The article of footwear according to claim 9, wherein the first ground engaging member has a third sidewall and a fourth sidewall and wherein the sole component further includes a second support member and a third support member;

wherein the second support member extends substantially downward in the first direction from the bottom surface of the baseplate, the second support member having a height extending in the first direction, a width, a length that is longer than the width, and a longitudinal axis extending through a centerline of the second support member along the length of the second support member and wherein the second support member is extending from and abutting the third sidewall of the first ground engaging member; and

wherein the third support member extends substantially downward in the first direction from the bottom surface of the baseplate, the third support member having a height extending in the first direction, a width, a length that is longer than the width, and a longitudinal axis extending through a centerline of the third support member along the length of the third support member and wherein the third support member is extending from and abutting the fourth sidewall of the first ground engaging member.

16. The article of footwear according to claim 15, wherein the length of the second support member is longer than the length of the third support member.

17. The article of footwear according to claim 9, wherein the height of the first support member is less than the height of the first ground engaging member.

18. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the first ground engaging member and the first support member are comolded.

19. The article of footwear according to claim 9, wherein the width of the first ground engaging member is substantially the same as a width of the first hole.

20. The article of footwear according to claim 9, wherein the first support member abuts the third sidewall of the second ground engaging member in alignment with a second hole passing through the second ground engaging member.