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US 5,960,568 AGranted
Snap-fit cleats for footwear
AssigneeMichael Bell
InventorsMichael Bell, Stanley W. Widmer
Life of this patent
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AssigneeMichael Bell
InventorsMichael Bell, Stanley W. Widmer
Estimating the term…
A cleat for use in a resilient flexible ground engaging portion of an article of footwear or an attachment for an article of footwear to provide resistance to slippage. The web of resilient material has an inner side and an outer side, and an aperture extending therethrough for receiving portions of the cleat assembly. The cleat assembly includes a base member, a projection member, and an optional cover member. The base member is an annular ring having a central opening and is arranged to be located within the opening in the web of resilient material. The projection member has a hub having an outer surface, from which a spike projects, and a flange projecting radially outward from the hub. The flange includes a peripheral bead. The projection member of the cleat assembly includes plural posts and the base member of that assembly includes plural lugs defining plural recesses therebetween. The hub includes plural longitudinally extending, spring fingers, each having an undercut free end which is arranged to be extended through the aperture in the web of resilient material and through the central opening in the base member to snap-connect to a respective portion of the base member. This action tightly holds portions of the web of resilient material contiguous with the aperture between the annular bead on flange and the base member and with the posts and the recess cooperating for intimately engaging the resilient material of the web to prevent displacement or loosening of the cleat assembly from the web of resilient material. The cap is arranged to be releasably snap connected to the projection member to cover the spike, when desired.
A cleat for mounting to a resilient flexible ground engaging portion of an article of footwear or an attachment for an article of footwear to provide resistance to slippage, the web of resilient material having an inner side and an outer side, and an aperture extending therethrough for receiving portions of said cleat assembly, said cleat assembly comprising a base member and a projection member, said base member being an annular ring having a central opening therein and being arranged to be disposed on the web of material so that at least a portion of said base member is located within the aperture in the web of material, said projection member comprising a hub having a central longitudinal axis and a peripheral flange extending outward from said hub, said hub including a portion arranged to be extended through the aperture in the web of material and through said central opening in said base member for non-threadedly snap-connecting to portions of said base member contiguous with said central opening, whereupon portions of the web of material contiguous with the aperture are tightly held between said flange and said base member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.