Traction cleat and receptacle
AssigneePride Manufacturing Company, LLC
InventorsJohn Robert Burt, Lee P. Shuttleworth
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In traction cleat and receptacle system in a shoe outsole, unauthorized cleats are prevented from connection to a receptacle by a projection in the receptacle cavity and a recess in the cleat attachment stem for receiving the projection. A locking arrangement includes an annular array of twelve locking teeth on a boss surrounding the receptacle cavity, wherein every fourth tooth has a steeper side angle to in cooperate with mating cleat locking posts. A cylindrical shroud prevents the locking posts from damaging the outsole material during cleat rotation.
Claims20
An engagement system comprising:
- a receptacle having an attachment axis mounted in a shoe sole;
- a replaceable traction cleat having a cleat rotation axis configured to rotationally attach in an insertion direction to said receptacle;
- an engagement stem projecting from said cleat;
- a cavity defined in said receptacle and configured to rotationally receive and engage said stem with said rotation axis and said attachment axis disposed coaxially;
- means for preventing an unauthorized traction cleat from being rotationally attached to the receptacle, said means comprising:
- a projection member within said cavity, said projection member extending from a proximal end wall of the receptacle cavity and disposed concentrically about said attachment axis;
- a recess defined in a distal end of said stem disposed concentrically about said rotational axis and configured to receive said projection member without interference when said cavity rotationally receives and engages said stem;
- wherein said projection member within said cavity blocks cleats having engagement stems without a recess defined therein from being rotationally received and engaged in said cavity.
A replaceable cleat for use with a receptacle mounted in a shoe, the receptacle having a cavity defined therein with a projection member extending into said cavity, said cleat comprising:
- at least one traction element;
- and
- an engagement stem having a distal end with a recess defined and extending axially in the stem to a length of at least one millimeter,
- wherein the recess in said engagement stem is configured to be received in and engaged by the receptacle cavity, and
- wherein said recess is further configured for receiving the cavity projection member without interference when the cavity receives and engages said stem, whereby said cavity projection member blocks cleats having engagement stems without a recess defined therein from being received and engaged in said cavity.
A replaceable cleat for engaging a receptacle mounted in a shoe in locking relation, the receptacle having a cavity defined therein with a projection member extending into said cavity, said cleat comprising:
- a hub having a perimetric edge surrounding a rotation axis, a top surface and a bottom surface;
- an engagement stem extending from said top surface configured to be received in and engaged by the receptacle;
- a recess defined in a distal end of said engagement stem disposed concentrically about said rotational axis and configured to receive the projection member without interference when said cavity rotationally receives and engages said stem;
- and
- a plurality of angularly spaced dynamic traction elements extending in a cantilevered manner from said perimetric edge;
- wherein said recess has a frustoconical configuration,
- wherein the recess defined in the distal end of the stem extends axially at least about 1.0 millimeter or more into the distal end of the stem, and
- wherein each of said plurality of angularly spaced dynamic traction elements is pivotably flexible in an upward direction about said perimetric edge when subjected to weight of a person wearing a shoe in which the cleat is installed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.