US 6,662,476 B1 · Bowling shoe with sole having regions of different coefficient of friction

Abstract

A wedge-soled bowling shoe has selectable percentages of regions of different coefficients of friction of traction characteristics and different coefficients of friction of slide characteristics on a shoe sole surface. The shoe gives the bowler precise control over relative amounts of slide and/or traction action of each shoe. The bowler can readily change the relative amounts of slide and/or traction action of each shoe by changing a replaceable sole member of the desired percentages of regions of high or low traction and high or low slide to accommodate differing conditions and differing styles of bowling. Using one of a plurality of pairs of replaceable sole members, a first member of each pair is constructed of two materials, each of a different coefficient of friction to provide slide characteristics and a second member of each pair is constructed of two materials, each of a different coefficient of friction to provide traction characteristics. Changing the replaceable sole member changes the relative slide and/or traction on the bowling shoe sole and allows either shoe of a pair to be determined as the slide or traction shoe.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A bowling shoe comprising:

(a) a shoe upper;
(b) a wedge-sole;
(c) the wedge-sole mounted to the shoe upper, the wedge sole having a replaceable sole member receiving area;
(d) a plurality of pairs of replaceable sole members, each replaceable sole member comprised of (i) a first surface region of a higher coefficient of friction than the coefficient of friction of a second surface region, (ii) a ratio of the area of the first region compared to the area of the second region that differs from the ratio of other replaceable sole members, (iii) a size and shape to cover the entire wedge-sole in a continuous flat, planar tread face, and (v) a means for matingly engaging and disengaging with the replaceable sole receiving area;
whereby
(c) upon removal of a first selected replaceable sole member from the replaceable sole receiving area of a first shoe, which first replaceable sole member has a first area ratio, and removeably securing a second selected replaceable sole member to the replaceable sole receiving area of the first shoe, a second replaceable sole member is provided that has a second area ratio.

3 more elements

A method of varying the slide and traction characteristics of each shoe of a pair of wedge-soled bowling shoes comprising:

(a) providing a pair of shoe uppers;
(b) providing a pair of wedge-soles, each having a replaceable sole member receiving area;
(c) mounting each wedge-sole to its respective shoe upper;
(d) providing a plurality of pairs of replaceable sole members, each replaceable sole member comprised of (i) a first surface region of a higher coefficient of friction than the coefficient of friction of a second surface region, (ii) a ratio of the area of the first region compared to the area of the second region that differs from the ratio of other replaceable sole members, (iii) a size and shape to cover the entire wedge-sole in a continuous flat, planar tread face, and (v) a means for matingly engaging with and disengaging from the replaceable sole receiving area;
(e) selecting either bowling shoe of the pair of bowling shoes to be traction shoe and thereby the other bowling shoe to be a slide shoe;
selecting a first replaceable sole member of a pair of replaceable sole members with a first ratio of the area of its first region compared to its area of the second region that corresponds to the desired amount of slide;
(f) selecting a second replaceable sole member of the pair of replaceable sole members that has (i) a second ratio of the area of its first region compared to its area of the second region corresponds to the desired amount of traction and (ii) a second ratio lower than the first ratio, so that the selected traction bowling shoe has greater traction than the slide bowling shoe;
(g) removeably mounting the first replaceable sole member of the pair of replaceable sole members to the replaceable sole member receiving area of the traction wedge-soled bowling shoe of the pair of bowling shoes;
(h) removeably mounting the second replaceable sole member of the pair of replaceable sole members to the replaceable sole member receiving area of the slide wedge-soled bowling shoe of the pair of bowling shoes;
and,
(i) repeating the steps set forth above to (i) select a different bowling shoe of the pair as the traction shoe and (ii) independent of the slide shoe, increase or decrease the amount of traction of the traction shoe and independent of the traction shoe, increase or decrease the amount of slide of the slide shoe relative to the bowling shoes mounted with the previously selected combination of removeable sole members.

8 more elements

A method of varying the slide and traction characteristics of each shoe of a pair of wedge-soled bowling shoes comprising:

(a) providing a pair of shoe uppers;
(b) providing a pair of wedge-soles, each sole comprising (i) a replaceable sole member receiving region extending from a toe to a heel of the wedge-sole and (ii) a permanent sole region;
(c) mounting each wedge-sole to its respective shoe upper;
(d) providing a plurality of pairs of replaceable sole members, each replaceable sole member comprised of (i) a higher coefficient of friction than the coefficient of friction of the permanent sole region, (ii) a ratio of the area of the replaceable sole member compared to the area of the permanent sole region that differs from the ratio of the area of other replaceable sole members compared to the area of the permanent sole region, (iii) the combination of the replaceable sole member and the permanent sole region together cover the entire wedge-sole in a continuous tread face, and (iv) a means for matingly engaging and disengaging the replaceable sole member and the replaceable sole receiving region;
(e) selecting either bowling shoe of the pair of bowling shoes to be a traction shoe and the other bowling shoe to be a slide shoe;
(f) selecting a first replaceable sole member of a pair of replaceable sole members with a first ratio of the area of the replaceable sole member compared to the area of the permanent sole region that corresponds to the desired amount of slide;
(g) selecting a second replaceable sole member of the pair of replaceable sole members comprising:
(i) a second ratio of the area of the replaceable sole member compared to the area of the permanent sole region that corresponds to the desired amount of traction;
and, (ii) a second ratio lower than the first ratio, so that the selected traction shoe has greater traction than the slide shoe;
(h) removeably mounting the first replaceable sole member of the pair of replaceable sole members to the replaceable sole member receiving area of the traction wedge-soled shoe of the pair of shoes;
(i) removeably mounting the second replaceable sole member of the pair of replaceable sole members to the replaceable sole member receiving area of the slide wedge-soled shoe of the pair of shoes;
and
(j) repeating the steps set forth above to (i) independent of the slide shoe, increase or decrease the amount of traction of the traction shoe and (iii) independent of the traction shoe, increase or decrease the amount of slide of the slide shoe relative to the bowling shoes mounted with the previously selected combination of removable sole members.

10 more elements

A method of varying the slide and traction characteristics of each shoe of a pair of wedge-soled bowling shoes comprising:

(a) providing a pair of shoe uppers;
(b) providing a pair of wedge-soles, each sole comprising (i) a replaceable sole member receiving region extending from a toe to a heel of the wedge-sole and (ii) a permanent sole region;
(c) mounting each wedge-sole to its respective shoe upper;
(d) providing a plurality of pairs of replaceable sole members, each replaceable sole member comprised of (i) a higher coefficient of friction than the coefficient of friction of the permanent sole region, (ii) a ratio of the area of the replaceable sole member compared to the area of the permanent sole region that differs from the ratio of the area of other replaceable sole members compared to the area of the permanent sole region, (iii) the combination of the replaceable sole member and the permanent sole region together cover the entire wedge-sole in a continuous tread face, and (iv) a means for matingly engaging and disengaging the replaceable sole member and the replaceable sole receiving region;
(e) selecting either bowling shoe of the pair of bowling shoes to be a traction shoe and the other bowling shoe to be a slide shoe;
(f) selecting a first replaceable sole member of a pair of replaceable sole members with a first ratio of the area of the replaceable sole member compared to the area of the permanent sole region that corresponds to the desired amount of slide;
(g) selecting a second replaceable sole member of the pair of replaceable sole members comprising (i) a second ratio of the area of the replaceable sole member compared to the area of the permanent sole region that corresponds to the desired amount of traction and (ii) a second ratio lower than the first ratio, so that the selected traction shoe has greater traction than the slide shoe;
(h) removeably mounting the first replaceable sole member of the pair of replaceable sole members to the replaceable sole member receiving area of the traction wedge-soled shoe of the pair of shoes;
(i) removeably mounting the second replaceable sole member of the pair of replaceable sole members to the replaceable sole member receiving area of the slide wedge-soled shoe of the pair of shoes;
and
(j) repeating the steps set forth above to (i) select a different bowling shoe of the pair as the traction shoe and (ii) independent of the slide shoe, increase or decrease the amount of traction of the traction shoe and (iii) independent of the traction shoe, increase or decrease the amount of slide of the slide shoe relative to the bowling shoes mounted with the previously selected combination of removable sole members repeating the steps set forth above to (i) select a different bowling shoe of the pair as the traction shoe and (ii) independent of the slide shoe, increase or decrease the amount of traction of the traction shoe and (iii) independent of the traction shoe, increase or decrease the amount of slide of the slide shoe relative to the bowling shoes mounted with the previously selected combination of removable sole members.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Bowling shoe with sole having regions of different coefficient of friction

Life of this patent

Bowling shoe with sole having regions of different coefficient of friction

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20