US 8,615,904 B2Granted

Footwear cleat with cushioning

AssigneeCleats LLC

InventorsRichard J. Locke, Craig H. Rubino, Armand J. Savoie

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Abstract

A cleat for footwear. The cleat includes a base layer that attaches to the outsole of the footwear, a cushioning layer and a traction element layer. The traction element layer is attached to the base layer solely by the cushioning layer. Each of the cleat layers provides friction with the ground when the cleat engages the ground. The durometer of the base layer and the durometer of the traction element layer are greater than the durometer of the cushioning layer. When a user steps on a surface wearing a shoe outfitted with these cleats, the resilience of the cushioning layer at once both lessens the impact of the traction elements on the ground surface and lessens the reaction force on the user's foot transmitted through the shoe's outsole. The user's comfort is thereby enhanced.

Claims9

Dependent claims

A ground-engaging cleat for a shoe, comprising:

a base layer characterized by a top portion and a bottom portion;
a cushioning layer, the top portion of the cushioning layer attached to the bottom portion of the base layer;
and
a traction element layer, the traction element layer attached to the bottom portion of the cushioning layer,
wherein:
(1) the ground-engaging cleat has an outer surface portion that comes into contact with turf, and each of the base layer, the cushioning layer and the traction element layer extends to and partially defines the outer surface portion and can provide friction with the turf during ground engagement of the cleat,
(2) the durometer of the cushioning layer ranges from 65 to 80 on the Shore A scale and the durometer of cushioning layer is less than the durometer of the base layer and the durometer of the cushioning layer is less than the durometer of the traction element layer,
(3) the cushioning layer alone fastens the traction element layer to the bottom portion of the base layer, and
(4) each of the base layer, the cushioning layer and the traction element layer has a cross-sectional area, and the cross-sectional area of the base layer is great than the cross-sectional area of the cushioning layer, and the cross-sectional area of the cushioning layer is greater than the cross-sectional area of the traction element layer.

6 more elements

A shoe comprising:

an outsole including at least one ground-engaging cleat,
the at least one ground-engaging cleat having an outer surface portion that comes into contact with turf, the at least one ground-engaging cleat comprising:
a base layer characterized by a top portion and a bottom portion,
a cushioning layer, the top portion of the cushioning layer attached to the bottom portion of the base layer;
and
a traction element layer, the traction element layer attached to the bottom portion of the cushioning layer,
wherein:
(1) the at least one ground-engaging cleat is attached to the shoe such that each of the base layer, the cushioning layer and the traction element layer extends to and partially defines the outer surface portion and can provide friction with the turf during ground engagement of the cleat,
(2) the durometer of the cushioning layer ranges from 65 to 80 on the Shore A scale and the durometer of cushioning layer is less than the durometer of the base layer and the durometer of the cushioning layer is less than the durometer of the traction element layer,
(3) the cushioning layer alone fastens the traction element layer to the bottom portion of the base layer,
(4) the base layer, the cushioning layer and the traction element layer are made of plastic materials,
(5) the base layer, the cushioning layer and the traction element layer are formed by injection molding, and
(6) the outsole and the base layer of the at least one ground-engaging cleat are made of the same material, and
(7) each of the base layer, the cushioning layer and the traction element layer has a cross-sectional area, and the cross-sectional area of the base layer is greater than the cross-sectional area of the cushioning layer, and the cross-sectional area of the cushioning layer is greater than the cross-sectional area of the traction element layer.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/659,256Filed 24 Oct 2012 · continuation
Priority: 30 May 2006
Published: US 2013/0047469 A128 Feb 2013
Granted: 31 Dec 2013
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

A43C 15/161
Studs or cleats for football or like boots: characterised by the attachment to the sole
A43C 13/04
Wear-resisting attachments: cleats; Simple studs; Screws; Hob-nails
A43C 15/02
Non-skid devices or attachments: attached to the sole
A43C 15/165
Having a circular cross section: pointed or conical, e.g. calks, spikes, pins

Family

Application60/809,323Us provisional application · filed 30 May 2006
Application60/823,396Us provisional application · filed 24 Aug 2006
Application11/754,509Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 29 May 2007
Application61/119,976Us provisional application · filed 4 Dec 2008
Application12/629,496Parent of this continuation · filed 2 Dec 2009
US 2013/0047469 A1Pre-grant publication · published 28 Feb 2013
US 8,316,562 B2Parent of this continuation
Application12/629,496Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 2007/0277399 A1Published application
US 2010/0107450 A1Published application
US 8,615,904 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.