Footwear traction devices and systems and mechanisms for making durable connections to soft body materials
AssigneeKahtoola, Inc.
InventorChristopher Bunch
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present disclosure is directed toward a device that can be worn over footwear to provide traction, such as on slick or slippery surfaces, in snow, or on ice. Described embodiments include footwear accessory devices comprising at least one cleat that provides traction but does not add significantly to the profile of the footwear during use. The present disclosure is also directed toward to connecting bodies that can be used to couple objects to a stretchy material.
Claims26
A footwear securing member comprising a section of a first material, the section having at least a top surface and a bottom surface, the footwear securing member comprising
- at least one connecting body of a second material, the connecting body comprising
- a hub being configured to connect to an object, the hub having a proximal end and a distal end, the hub extending at least partially between the top surface and the bottom surface of the section of the first material and
- a flange radially projecting from the hub,
- the flange being encapsulated by the first material forming an interface between the flange and the first material and
- wherein the first material and the second material are polymeric, and wherein the interface consists of the first material fused to the second material.
A footwear securing member comprising a section of a first material, the section having at least a top surface and a bottom surface, the footwear securing member comprising
- at least one connecting body of a second material, the connecting body comprising
- a hub being configured to connect to an object, the hub having a proximal end and a distal end, the hub extending at least partially between the top surface and the bottom surface of the section of the first material and
- a flange radially projecting from the hub, the flange being encapsulated by the first material and the surface of the flange fused with the first material
- a toe bail reinforcement comprising
- a first toe bail hub and a second toe bail hub spaced apart from each other, each hub having a proximal end, a distal end and an intermediate section therebetween;
- a toe bail flange radially projecting from each hub within the respective intermediate section of the hub;
- and
- a bridge piece extending between the first toe bail hub and the toe bail second hub,
- wherein the footwear securing member is configured to fit horizontally around a footwear and the toe bail reinforcement is located in a portion of the footwear securing member that is in contact with a toe box of the footwear and not on the underside of the footwear during use.
A footwear securing member comprising a section of a first material, the section having at least a top surface and a bottom surface, the footwear securing member comprising
- at least one connecting body of a second material, the connecting body comprising
- a hub being configured to connect to an object, the hub having a proximal end and a distal end, the hub extending at least partially between the top surface and the bottom surface of the section of the first material and
- a flange radially projecting from the hub,
- the flange being encapsulated by the first material forming a fused interface between the flange and the first material and
- wherein the first material and the second material are polymeric and wherein no adhesive agent other than the first material and the second material is used at the interface,
- wherein the hardness of the first material is in the range of Shore A 25 to 65, and
- wherein the hardness of the second material is at least Shore A 70 or harder.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.