Sports shoe cleats

• US RE40,047 E1
• Filed: 03/11/2004
• Issued: 02/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Greenkeepers Of Delaware LLC (Greenkeepers Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Greenkeepers Of Delaware LLC (Greenkeepers Incorporated)
• Inventors: Carroll, Francis C.
• Primary Examiner(s): PATTERSON, MARIE D
• Application Number:
  US10/797,934
• Time in Patent Office: 1,433 Days
• Field of Search: 361/27, 361/34, 36/67.R, 36/67.D, 36/67.A, 36/59.A, 36/59.C
• US Class Current: 36/134
• CPC Class Codes: N/A

Abstract

A golf shoe cleat has a main body member having a dome-shaped outer face and a planar inner face, a threaded stud molded integrally with the main body member and projecting outwardly from the inner face. A plurality of pseudo pyramid-shaped teeth projecting around the perimeter of the main body member, each of the pseudo pyramid-shaped teeth having an outward angle to provide lateral stability and traction through the plane of a sports swing. The traction teeth have a low profile to reduce damage to putting green surfaces for example. An anti-debris ring is formed on the peripheral edge of the planar inner face. In this position, the anti-debris ring tends to prevent the edge of the cleat from separating from the sole of the golf shoe thereby foreclosing the entry of debris underneath the cleat. At the same time, when the cleat is snugged down by the application tool, the pressure causes the ring to more closely hug the sole and precludes the entry of debris.

Claims

1. A golf shoe cleat comprising a body member having an outer face and an inner face, shoe mounting member having an axis AL which is perpendicular to said inner face and projecting outwardly from said inner face and adapted to secure said, cleat in a receptacle in said golf shoe upon rotation of said shoe mounting member in said receptacle,

a circular array of shaped traction teeth projecting outwardly around the perimeter of said outer face, each traction tooth having an axis ALT and an outer traction tooth surface, each outer traction tooth surface and axis ALT having an outward angulation relative to said axis AL to provide lateral stability and enhanced traction through the plane of a golf swing and wherein said inner face has a peripheral edge spaced from said shoe mounting member and an anti-debris ring formed integrally with said body member and projecting from said inner face.

2. A golf shoe cleat comprising a main body member having a dome-shaped outer face and a planar inner face, a shoe attaching member projecting outwardly from said planar inner face having an axis AL perpendicular to said planar inner face,

a circular array of shaped traction teeth projecting around the perimeter of said main body member, each traction tooth having an axis ALT, said axis ALT having an outward angulation relative to said axis AL to provide lateral stability and traction through the plane of a golf swing, said outward angulation being about 37½

°

.

3. A golf shoe cleat comprising a body member having an outer face and an inner face, shoe mounting member having an axis AL which is perpendicular to said inner face and projecting outwardly from said inner face and adapted to secure said cleat in a receptacle in said golf shoe upon rotation of said shoe mounting member about said axis in said receptacle,

a circular array of low profile traction teeth projecting outwardly around the perimeter of said outer face, each traction tooth having a traction surface which faces away from said axis AL, each traction tooth having an axis ALT and each axis ALT having an outward angulation relative to said axis AL to provide lateral stability and enhanced traction through the plane of a golf swing.

4. The cleat defined in claim 3 wherein said inner face has a peripheral edge spaced from said shoe mounting member and an anti-debris ring formed integrally with said body member and projecting from said inner face.

5. A golf shoe cleat comprising a main body member having a dome-shaped outer face and a planar inner face, a shoe attaching member projecting outwardly from said inner face having an axis AL perpendicular to said planar inner face and adapted to secure said cleat in a receptacle in said golf shoe upon rotation of said shoe mounting member in said receptacle,

an annular anti-debris ring formed on the edge of said planar inner face,

a plurality of shaped traction teeth projecting in a circular array around the perimeter of said main body member, each traction tooth being spaced from said axis AL and having an axis ALT and an outer traction surface facing away from said axis AL, each said outer axis ALT and traction surface having an outward angulation relative to said axis AL to provide lateral stability and traction through the plane of a golf swing.

6. A golf shoe cleat comprising a main body member having a dome-shaped outer face and a planar inner face, shoe attachment means having an axis AL, said shoe attachment means projecting outwardly from said inner face and adapted to secure said cleat in a receptacle in said golf shoe upon rotation of said shoe mounting member in said receptacle,

a plurality of pseudo pyramid-shaped teeth projecting around the perimeter of said main body member, each pseudo pyramid-shaped tooth having an axis ALT and an outwardly angled traction surface which faces away from said axis AL and provides lateral stability and traction through the plane of a golf swing, said teeth being in a low profile to reduce damage to putting green surfaces,

said body member having an anti-debris ring on the peripheral edge of said planar inner face.

7. A golf shoe cleat comprising a molded main body member having a dome-shaped outer face and a planar inner face,

a mounting member projecting vertically outwardly from said inner face and having an axis AL and adapted to secure said cleat in a receptacle in said golf shoe upon rotation of said shoe mounting member in said receptacle,

said main body member having a circular perimeter,

a plurality of traction teeth circumferentially spaced around said circular perimeter of said main body member, each traction tooth having an axis ALT and an outwardly angled outer traction surface which faces away from said axis AL to provide lateral stability and traction through the plane of a golf swing.

8. The golf shoe cleat defined in claim 7 wherein said traction teeth are pseudo pyramid-shaped.

9. A golf shoe cleat comprising a main body member having an inner face and an outer face, a shoe-attaching member projecting perpendicularly outwardly from said inner face and said shoe-attaching member having an axis AL and adapted to secure said cleat in a receptacle in said golf shoe upon rotation of said shoe mounting member in said receptacle,

a plurality of low-profile traction teeth projecting around the perimeter of the outer face of said main body member in a circular array, each traction tooth having an axis ALT and outer traction surface which are angled away from said axis AL, said outer traction surface having an outward angulation relative to said axis AL to enhance lateral stability and traction through the plane of a golf swing.

10. A golf shoe cleat comprising a main body member having an inner face and an outer face, a shoe-attaching member projecting perpendicularly outwardly from said inner face and said shoe-attaching member having an axis AL and adapted to secure said cleat in a receptacle in said golf shoe upon rotation of said shoe mounting member in said receptacle,

a plurality of low-profile traction teeth projecting around the perimeter of the outer face of said main body member, each traction tooth having an outer traction surface facing away from said axis AL, said outer surface having an outward angulation relative to said axis AL to enhance lateral stability and traction through the plane of a golf swing.

11. The golf shoe cleat defined in claim 10 9 wherein the angle between each said tooth axis ALT and said axis AL is about 37 1/2 degrees.

12. A golf shoe cleat comprising a main body member having an inner face and an outer face, a shoe-attaching member projecting perpendicularly outwardly from said inner face and said shoe-attaching member having an axis AL and adapted to secure said cleat in a receptacle in said golf shoe upon rotation of said shoe mounting member in said receptacle,

a circular array of tapered traction teeth formed of a resilient and flexible material projecting from the perimeter of said main body member, each traction tooth having an outer traction surface extending from said main body member in a direction away from and at an angle to said axis AL to enhance lateral stability and traction through the plane of a golf swing.

13. The golf shoe cleat defined in claim 12, wherein said outer face is substantially planar and said traction teeth project from said outer face.

14. The golf shoe cleat defined in claim 12, wherein said outer face is dome-shaped and said traction teeth project from said outer face.

15. The golf shoe cleat defined in claim 12, wherein each traction tooth has an axis ALT which is angled away from said axis AL, said axis ALT having an outward angulation relative to said axis AL to enhance said lateral stability and traction through the plane of a golf swing.

16. The golf shoe cleat defined in claim 15, wherein the angle between each said tooth axis ALT and said axis AL is about 371/2 degrees.

17. The golf shoe cleat defined in claim 12, wherein the traction teeth are low-profile traction teeth.

18. The golf shoe cleat as defined in claim 12, wherein the traction teeth are tapered away from the main body member.

19. A golf shoe with cleats, comprising:

a shoe including a sole having a plurality of receptacles formed therein; and

a plurality of cleats, each cleat secured to one of the receptacles in the sole, each of said cleats comprising;

a main body member having an inner face and an outer face, a shoe-attaching member projecting perpendicularly outwardly from said inner face and said shoe-attaching member having an axis AL and adapted to secure said cleat in said one of the receptacles upon rotation of said shoe mounting member in said receptacle, and

a plurality of low-profile traction teeth projecting around the perimeter of the outer face of said main body member, each traction tooth having an outer traction surface facing away from said axis AL, said outer surface having an outward angulation relative to said axis AL to enhance lateral stability and traction through the plane of a golf swing.

20. A golf shoe including a sole having a plurality of cleats mounted therein, each of said cleats comprising:

a body member having an outer face and an inner face,

a shoe attaching member having an axis AL extending perpendicular to said inner face and adapted to secure the cleat in a receptacle in the sole of the shoe, and

a plurality of teeth projecting from the outer face of said body member, wherein at least some of said plurality of teeth are disposed adjacent the perimeter of the outer face and have an outer traction surface facing away from said axis AL, said outer surface having an outward angulation relative to said axis AL to enhance lateral stability and traction through the plane of a golf swing.

21. A golf shoe according to claim 20, wherein said teeth disposed adjacent the perimeter of the outer face are arranged in a generally circular perimetrical pattern.

22. A golf shoe according to claim 21, wherein said teeth are circumferentially spaced substantially equidistantly from one another.

23. A golf shoe according to claim 20, wherein one or more of said teeth are not outwardly angled.

24. A golf shoe including a sole having an outer edge, a plurality of cleats mounted in receptacles formed in said sole, each of said cleats comprising:

a body member having an outer face and an inner face,

a shoe attaching member having an axis AL extending perpendicular to said inner face and adapted to secure the cleat in a receptacle in the sole of the shoe,

a plurality of outwardly angled traction teeth projecting from the outer face of said body member, each outwardly angled traction tooth having an outer traction surface facing away from said axis AL, said outer surface having an outward angulation relative to said axis AL to enhance lateral stability and traction through the plane of a golf swing, and

means for locking said cleats in said receptacles upon rotation of said cleats therein such that a plurality of said outwardly angled teeth on each of said cleats are disposed adjacent to and face the outer edge of the sole.