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US 9,955,750 B2Granted
Article of footwear with sole projections
AssigneeReebok International Ltd.
InventorsMatthew Montross, Ricardo Vestuti
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An article of footwear includes a sole having a main sole body and a plurality of projections extending from the main sole body. The plurality of projections includes a central row of projections extending generally along the longitudinal axis of the sole, a lateral row of projections on the lateral side of the sole, and a medial row of projections on the medial side of the sole. In one aspect, at least one of the projections in the central row of projections extends further from the main sole body in a vertical direction than adjacent projections in the lateral row of projections and the medial row of projections.
Claims22
An article of footwear comprising:
- a foam sole comprising a main sole body extending continuously into a plurality of foam projections, the foam sole having a medial side, a lateral side, and a longitudinal axis, wherein the plurality of foam projections includes a central row of projections extending along the longitudinal axis of the foam sole, a lateral row of projections on the lateral side of the foam sole, and a medial row of projections on the medial side of the foam sole;
- wherein every projection in the central row of projections is disposed on the longitudinal axis,
- wherein every projection in the lateral row of projections is disposed on a lateral edge of the lateral side of the foam sole,
- wherein every projection in the medial row of projections is disposed on a medial edge of the medial side of the foam sole,
- wherein projections of the central row are disposed next to projections of the lateral row with no projections therebetween,
- wherein projections of the central row are disposed next to projections of the medial row with no projections therebetween,
- wherein, in a heel portion of the foam sole, at least one of the projections in the central row of projections extends further from a bottom surface of the main sole body in a vertical direction than a most-proximate projection in the lateral row of projections or the medial row of projections,
- wherein, in the heel portion of the foam sole, at least one of the projections in the lateral row of projections extends further from the bottom surface of the main sole body in a vertical direction than an adjacent projection in the lateral row of projections, the adjacent projection disposed closer to a midfoot portion of the foam sole than the at least one of the projections in the lateral row of projections,
- wherein, in a forefoot portion of the foam sole, the foam sole further comprises a hub-and-spoke arrangement extending continuously from the main sole body, the hub-and-spoke arrangement comprising a plurality of bridge elements monolithic with the main sole body and extending radially outward from a central hub foam projection of the central row of projections, wherein the plurality of bridge elements connect only to adjacent foam projections in the central row of projections, the lateral row of projections, and the medial row of projections,
- wherein the central hub connects to a first adjacent foam projection in the central row of projections longitudinally forward of the central hub, a second adjacent foam projection in the central row of projections longitudinally rearward of the central hub, a third adjacent foam projection in the lateral row of projections lateral to the central hub, and a fourth adjacent foam projection in the medial row of projections medial to the central hub,
- and
- wherein every projection is configured to contact a surface separately when a user is moving under the user's own power.
9 more elements
An article of footwear comprising:
- a foam sole comprising a main sole body and a plurality of foam projections extending from a bottom surface of the main sole body, the foam sole having a medial side, a lateral side, and a longitudinal axis, wherein the foam sole includes a forefoot portion, a midfoot portion, and a heel portion,
- wherein the plurality of foam projections includes a central row of projections extending along the longitudinal axis of the foam sole, a lateral-most row of projections on the lateral side of the foam sole, and a medial-most row of projections on the medial side of the foam sole;
- wherein the lateral-most row of projections comprises lateral-most projections having an edge disposed at a lateral edge of the lateral side of the foam sole,
- wherein the medial-most row of projections comprises medial-most projections having an edge disposed at a medial edge of the medial side of the foam sole,
- wherein, in the heel portion of the foam sole, at least one of the lateral-most projections in the lateral-most row of projections extends further from the bottom surface of the main sole body in a vertical direction than at least one of the medial-most projections in the medial-most row of projections,
- wherein the at least one lateral-most projection and the at least one medial-most projection are disposed directly laterally opposite each other across the longitudinal axis,
- wherein, in the forefoot portion of the foam sole, the foam sole further comprises a hub-and-spoke arrangement extending continuously from the main sole body, the hub-and-spoke arrangement comprising a plurality of bridge elements monolithic with the main sole body and extending radially outward from a central hub foam projection of the central row of projections, wherein the plurality of bridge elements connect only to adjacent foam projections in the central row of projections, the lateral-most row of projections, and the medial-most row of projections,
- wherein the central hub connects to a first adjacent foam projection in the central row of projections longitudinally forward of the central hub, a second adjacent foam projection in the central row of projections longitudinally rearward of the central hub, a third adjacent foam projection in the lateral-most row of projections lateral to the central hub, and a fourth adjacent foam projection in the medial-most row of projections medial to the central hub,
- and
- wherein every projection is configured to contact a surface separately when a user is moving under the user's power.
7 more elements
An article of footwear comprising:
- a main sole body comprising foam;
- a plurality of foam projections extending downward from a bottom surface of the main sole body,
- wherein the plurality of foam projections includes a central row of projections, a lateral-most row of projections, and a medial-most row of projections;
- and
- a hub-and-spoke arrangement, in a forefoot portion of the main sole body, extending continuously from the main sole body, the hub-and-spoke arrangement comprising a plurality of bridge elements monolithic with the main sole body and extending radially outward from a central hub foam projection of the central row of projections, wherein the plurality of bridge elements connect only to adjacent foam projections in the central row of projections, the lateral-most row of projections, and the medial-most row of projections,
- wherein every projection in the central row of projections is disposed on the longitudinal axis,
- wherein every projection in the lateral-most row of projections is disposed on a lateral edge of the main sole body,
- wherein every projection in the medial-most row of projections is disposed on a medial edge of the main sole body,
- wherein the article of footwear includes no projections between the central row of projections and the medial-most row of projections,
- wherein the article of footwear includes no projections between the central row of projections and the lateral-most row of projections,
- wherein, in the heel portion of the foam sole, each projection in the lateral-most row of projections extends further from the bottom surface of the main sole body in a vertical direction than a projection at a corresponding point along a longitudinal length of the main sole body in the medial-most row of projections,
- wherein the central hub connects to a first adjacent foam projection in the central row of projections longitudinally forward of the central hub, a second adjacent foam projection in the central row of projections longitudinally rearward of the central hub, a third adjacent foam projection in the lateral-most row of projections lateral to the central hub, and a fourth adjacent foam projection in the medial-most row of projections medial to the central hub,
- and
- wherein every projection is configured to contact a surface separately when a user is moving under the user's own power.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.