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US 2012/0055046 A1Published application
Articles with Retractable Traction Elements
AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorsJim Baucom, Clifford B. Gerber
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Articles of manufacture and articles of wear may include one or more retractable traction elements. A plurality of the retractable traction elements may be interconnected by a base member and may form an insert. Each of the retractable traction elements may include an extension inducing element and a ground (or other surface) contacting element. The extension inducing element may flex in response to an applied force and may cause the ground or other surface contacting element to extend and engage an underlying surface.
Claims25
An article of footwear, comprising:
- an upper;
- a sole member attached to the upper, the sole member having a plurality of openings in a bottom surface thereof;
- and
- a traction element insert contained in the sole member, wherein
- the insert includes a plate member having a plurality of deformable and upwardly-curved walls formed therein, each of the walls having an upper surface and a lower surface,
- the insert further includes a plurality of extendable ground-contacting traction elements, each of the ground-contacting traction elements attached to a different one of the lower surfaces, and
- the sole member and plate member are configured such that downward force on the upper surfaces from a foot of a wearer of the article compresses the walls and extends the ground-contacting traction elements through the plurality of openings.
4 more elements
An article of footwear, comprising:
- an upper;
- a sole member attached to the upper, the sole member having a midsole, an outsole and a plurality of openings defined in a bottom surface of the outsole;
- and
- a traction element insert contained in the sole member between the midsole and outsole, wherein
- the insert includes a plate member having a plurality of deformable and upwardly-curved walls formed therein, each of the walls having an upper surface and a lower surface, and
- the insert further includes a plurality of extendable ground-contacting traction elements, each of the ground-contacting traction elements attached to a different one of the lower surfaces.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.