Spacing For Footwear Ground-Engaging Member Support Features

• US 20130067774A1
• Filed: 09/16/2011
• Published: 03/21/2013
• 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
• Granted Patent: US 9,138,027 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 36/103
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/04 Plastics, rubber or vulcanised fibre
• 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 13/223 Profiled soles
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/00 Footwear for sporting purposes non-skid devices, e.g. ice-spurs or studs for football shoes, A43C15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/001 Golf shoes
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/002 Mountain boots or shoes
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/02 Football boots or shoes, i.e. for soccer, football or rugby
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 15/161 characterised by the attachment to the sole
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 15/162 characterised by the shape
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 15/164 having a circular cross section

Abstract

An article of footwear may include 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. The sole component may also include a plurality of elongate support members 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; wherein three or more support members of the plurality of support members are unevenly spaced about the ground engaging member. The spaces between the unevenly spaced support members may be devoid of additional support members, and the three or more support members may be independent of other ground engaging members.

Claims

1. An article of footwear, comprising:

an upper configured to receive a foot;

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 extending substantially downward from the bottom surface of the baseplate, and a plurality of elongate support members 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;

wherein three or more support members of the plurality of support members are unevenly spaced about the ground engaging member, wherein the spaces between the three or more unevenly spaced support members are devoid of additional support members, and wherein the three or more support members are independent of other ground engaging members extending from the baseplate.

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

3. The article of footwear according to claim 1, further including a second ground engaging member having a second plurality of elongate support members extending substantially downward from the bottom surface of the baseplate, abutting the second ground engaging member at a side portion, and extending horizontally from the side portion of the second ground engaging member;

wherein three or more of the second plurality of support members are evenly spaced about the second ground engaging member.

4. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the first ground engaging member has a horizontal cross-sectional shape that is substantially elongate.

5. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein at least a first support member of the plurality of support members extends substantially radially from a center of the first ground engaging member, and at least a second support member of the plurality of support members extends horizontally from the first ground engaging member in a substantially non-radial direction with respect to the center of the first ground engaging member.

6. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of support members extends horizontally away from the first ground engaging member in a direction toward a region of the sole component adjacent to a gap in the sole component.

7. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the sole component includes an arrangement of a plurality of ground engaging members including the first ground engaging member, wherein each of the plurality of support members extends horizontally away from the first ground engaging member in a direction that is not aligned with any of the other ground engaging members in the arrangement.

8. An article of footwear, comprising:

an upper configured to receive a foot;

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 extending substantially downward from the bottom surface of the baseplate;

a plurality of elongate support members 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; and

a textured traction surface disposed between at least two of the plurality of support members.

9. The article of footwear according to claim 8, wherein at least first and second support members of the plurality of support members include downward facing surfaces extending at slope angles from the side portion of the first ground engaging member to the bottom surface of the baseplate proximate to the ground engaging member, and wherein the first and second support members have downward facing surfaces extending at different slope angles.

10. The article of footwear according to claim 8, wherein at least one of the plurality of support members extends substantially radially from an approximate center portion of the first ground engaging member.

11. The article of footwear according to claim 10, wherein the first ground engaging member has a horizontal cross-sectional shape that is substantially round.

12. The article of footwear according to claim 10, wherein the first ground engaging member has a horizontal cross-sectional shape that is substantially elongate.

13. The article of footwear according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of support members extend substantially radially from an approximate center portion of the first ground engaging member, and are unevenly spaced about the first ground engaging member.

14. The article of footwear according to claim 8, wherein at least a first support member of the plurality of support members extends substantially radially from a center of the first ground engaging member, and at least a second support member of the plurality of support members extends horizontally from the first ground engaging member in a substantially non-radial direction with respect to the center of the first ground engaging member.

15. The article of footwear according to claim 8, wherein three or more of the plurality of support members are unevenly spaced about the first ground engaging member.

16. The article of footwear according to claim 8, wherein at least one of the plurality of support members extends horizontally away from the first ground engaging member in a direction toward a region of the sole component adjacent to a gap in the sole component.

17. The article of footwear according to claim 8, wherein the sole component includes an arrangement of a plurality of ground engaging members including the first ground engaging member, wherein each of the plurality of support members extends horizontally away from the first ground engaging member in a direction that is not aligned with any of the other ground engaging members in the arrangement.

18. An article of footwear, comprising:

an upper configured to receive a foot;

a ground engaging sole component fixedly attached to a bottom portion of the upper, the sole component including a baseplate having a bottom surface and a plurality of ground engaging members including at least a first ground engaging member extending substantially downward from the bottom surface of the baseplate and a plurality of elongate support members 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 first ground engaging member, wherein each of the plurality of support members extends horizontally away from the first ground engaging member in a direction that is not aligned with any other ground engaging members.

19. The article of footwear according to claim 18, wherein the plurality of support members includes three or more support members that extend horizontally from the first ground engaging member and are not aligned with any other ground engaging members.

20. The article of footwear according to claim 18, wherein the first ground engaging member extends from the baseplate in a forefoot region of the baseplate, wherein the ground engaging sole component further includes a plurality of additional elongate support members, each of the additional elongate support members extending substantially downward from the forefoot region of the bottom surface of the baseplate, abutting one of the plurality of ground engaging members at a side portion, and extending horizontally from one of the plurality of ground engaging members, wherein each of the additional support members extends horizontally away from the ground engaging member to which it abuts in a direction that is not aligned with any other ground engaging member extending from the forefoot region of the baseplate.

21. The article of footwear according to claim 18, wherein at least one of the plurality of support members extends substantially radially from an approximate center portion of the first ground engaging member.

22. The article of footwear according to claim 18, wherein the plurality of support members extend substantially radially from an approximate center portion of the first ground engaging member, and are unevenly spaced about the first ground engaging member.

23. The article of footwear according to claim 18, wherein the arrangement of a plurality of ground engaging members includes at least first and second forward ground engaging members extending substantially downward from the bottom surface of the baseplate and first and second rearward ground engaging members extending substantially downward from a bottom surface of the baseplate;

first and second rearward elongate support members extending substantially downward from the bottom surface of the baseplate, respectively abutting the first and second rearward ground engaging members at side portions thereof, and extending horizontally along orientation paths from the first and second rearward ground engaging members;

wherein the orientation paths of the first and second rearward support members intersect at a point that is rearward of a line connecting the first and second forward ground engaging members.

24. The article of footwear according to claim 18, wherein the arrangement of a plurality of ground engaging members includes at least first and second forward ground engaging members extending substantially downward from the bottom surface of the baseplate and first and second rearward ground engaging members extending substantially downward from a bottom surface of the baseplate;

first and second forward elongate support members extending substantially downward from the bottom surface of the baseplate, respectively abutting the first and second forward ground engaging members at side portions thereof, and extending horizontally along orientation paths from the first and second forward ground engaging members;

wherein the orientation paths of the first and second forward support members intersect at a point that is forward of a line connecting the first and second rearward ground engaging members.