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US 8,011,118 B2Granted
Article of footwear with circular tread pattern
AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorClifford B. Gerber
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An article of footwear is disclosed. The article of footwear includes an outsole with a circular tread pattern. The circular tread pattern provides sufficient traction in all directions but also allows the wearer to pivot about a pivot portion. The circular tread pattern is generally large, and in some cases, the first and smallest circular tread extends less than 360 degrees. The pivot portion can include a slot that aids in flexibility. The outsole can also include a different tread pattern for the heel portion, or the circular tread pattern may also extend into the heel portion.
Claims23
An article of footwear comprising:
- an outsole having a bottom surface including a circular tread pattern, the circular tread pattern formed of a plurality of circular treads extending over a forefoot portion of the outsole and a heel portion of the outsole, and the bottom surface of the outsole being made of a material having a first coefficient of sliding friction;
- a pivot tread positioned substantially at a center of the circular tread pattern, the pivot tread having a generally circular cross-sectional shape, protruding a first distance from the bottom surface of the outsole, and being made of a material having a second coefficient of sliding material;
- the center of the circular tread pattern being common to all of the plurality of circular treads;
- the circular tread pattern including a first circular tread having a first radius, the first radius being the smallest radius of any circular tread;
- the first circular tread comprising a plurality of tread elements disposed around the pivot tread and protruding a second distance from the bottom surface of the outsole, the first distance being approximately equal to the second distance;
- the tread elements having a generally elongated shape with a radial width and a circumferential thickness, wherein the radial width is greater than the circumferential thickness;
- the tread elements being made of a deformable material having a third coefficient of sliding friction that is greater than the first coefficient of sliding friction of the bottom surface of the outsole and the second coefficient of sliding friction of the pivot tread;
- and
- the circular tread pattern also including a second circular tread having a second radius greater than the first radius.
6 more elements
An article of footwear comprising:
- an outsole having a bottom surface including a circular tread pattern, the circular tread pattern formed of a plurality of circular treads extending over the entire outsole, and the bottom surface of the outsole being made of a material having a first coefficient of sliding friction;
- and
- a pivot tread positioned substantially at a center of the circular tread pattern, the pivot tread having a generally circular cross-sectional shape, protruding a first distance from the bottom surface of the outsole, and being made of a material having a second coefficient of sliding material,
- wherein the center of the circular tread pattern is common to all of the plurality of circular treads,
- wherein each of the circular treads comprises a plurality of tread elements protruding a second distance from the bottom surface of the outsole, the first distance being approximately equal to the second distance, and
- wherein the tread elements are made of a deformable material having a third coefficient of sliding friction that is greater than the first coefficient of sliding friction of the bottom surface of the outsole and the second coefficient of sliding friction of the pivot tread.
3 more elements
An article of footwear comprising:
- an outsole including a circular tread pattern, the circular tread pattern formed of a plurality of circular treads extending over a forefoot portion of the outsole and a heel portion of the outsole, the circular tread pattern disposed around a center that generally coincides with a position of a ball of a wearer's foot;
- and
- a plurality of tread elements forming the plurality of circular treads, each tread element having an elongated shape with a major axis oriented radially and a minor axis oriented circumferentially,
- wherein each tread element of the plurality of tread elements is connected to and extends outward from a bottom surface of the outsole and
- wherein the bottom surface of the outsole defines a slot that extends generally in a lateral direction across the outsole, is configured to be disposed generally underneath a toe joint of the wearer's foot, and is generally aligned with the center of the circular tread pattern, to provide flexibility in bending of the article of footwear.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.