Method for making a cleated plate member and apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10010139-B2
Application number	US-201414452861-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 6, 2014
Priority date	Aug 7, 2013
Publication date	Jul 3, 2018
Grant date	Jul 3, 2018

Abstract

A method for making a cleated plate member of an article of footwear includes forming a blade cleat assembly having an anchor member associated with a blade member, the blade member having a planar body, the body having a base portion, a head portion opposite the base portion, and a through hole formed in the base portion, a first molding material of the anchor member surrounding the base portion of the blade member and extending through the through hole formed in the base portion of the blade member, and associating the blade cleat assembly with an exposed surface of a plate body to form a cleated plate member. The base portion of the blade member further may include a pair of opposing shoulder flange portions. A blade cleat assembly may be disposed in a cleat assembly receptacle of a mold system configured to form a cleated plate member.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of making a cleated plate member for an article of footwear comprising:
forming a blade cleat assembly having an anchor member associated with a blade member, the blade member having a planar body including: (1) two substantially parallel planar sides, (2) a base portion, (3) a head portion opposite the base portion, and (4) a through hole formed in the base portion, a first molding material of the anchor member surrounding the base portion of the blade member and extending through the through hole formed in the base portion of the blade member; and associating the blade cleat assembly with an exposed surface of a plate body to form a cleated plate member.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein forming the blade cleat assembly includes flowing the first molding material about the base portion of the blade member to form a body of the anchor member that embeds the base portion of the blade member.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein flowing the first molding material about the base portion of the blade member includes flowing the first molding material through the through hole in the base portion of the blade member to form a continuous seam of molding material through the through hole of the blade member.

4. The method according to claim 2 , wherein forming the blade cleat assembly includes flowing the first molding material about opposing shoulder flange portions of the blade member.

5. The method according to claim 2 , wherein flowing the first molding material about the base portion of the blade member includes forming a tapered surface portion of the anchor member.

6. The method according to claim 2 , wherein flowing the first molding material about the base portion of the blade member includes forming a supporting ridge portion of the anchor member.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein associating the blade cleat assembly with an exposed surface of a plate body to form a cleated plate member comprises:
disposing the blade cleat assembly in a cleat assembly receptacle of a mold cavity of a molding system configured to mold the cleated plate member.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein disposing the blade cleat assembly in the cleat assembly receptacle includes selectively locating the blade cleat assembly within the mold cavity so that the blade cleat assembly is at least partially recessed in the cleated plate member molded by the molding system.

9. The method according to claim 7 , wherein disposing the blade cleat assembly in the cleat assembly receptacle includes selectively locating the blade cleat assembly within the mold cavity so that the blade cleat assembly is at least partially embedded in the cleated plate member molded by the molding system.

10. The method according to claim 7 , wherein disposing the blade cleat assembly in the cleat assembly receptacle includes selectively locating the blade cleat assembly within the mold cavity so that the blade cleat assembly is located at a selected height relative to the exposed surface of the cleated plate member molded by the molding system.

11. The method according to claim 7 , further comprising:
disposing a plurality of blade cleat assemblies in a respective plurality of cleat assembly receptacles of the mold cavity of the molding system.

12. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the cleat assembly receptacle is sized and dimensioned to correspond to the respective blade cleat assembly.

13. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the cleat assembly receptacle includes a slot sized and dimensioned to receive at least a portion of the blade member of the blade cleat assembly.

14. The method according to claim 7 , further comprising:
injecting a second molding material into the mold cavity of the molding system to form the cleated plate member,
wherein the second molding material is mold compatible with the first molding material of the anchor member of the blade cleat assembly.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the second molding material bonds with the first molding material of the anchor member of the blade cleat assembly.

16. The method according to claim 14 , wherein at least a portion of the anchor member of the blade cleat assembly is recessed within the second molding material of the cleated plate member.

17. The method according to claim 14 , wherein at least a portion of the anchor member of the blade cleat assembly is embedded within the second molding material of the cleated plate member.

18. The method according to claim 14 , wherein injecting the second molding material into the mold cavity of the molding system includes flowing the second molding material through the through hole of the blade member of the cleated plate member to form a continuous seam of the second molding material through the through hole of the blade member.

19. A cleated plate member for an article of footwear, comprising:
a plate body made of a first molding material; and
at least one blade cleat assembly associated with an exposed surface of the plate body and including an anchor member associated with a blade member, the blade member having a planar body including two substantially parallel planar sides, the planar body having a base portion, a head portion opposite the base portion, and a through hole formed in the base portion, the head portion extending beyond the anchor member away from the plate body, a second molding material of the anchor member surrounding the base portion of the blade member and extending through the through hole formed in the base portion of the blade member.

20. The cleated plate member according to claim 19 , wherein the first molding material surrounds at least a portion of the anchor member to recess at least the portion of the anchor member of the blade cleat assembly within the plate body of the cleated plate member.

21. The cleated plate member according to claim 19 , wherein the first molding material surrounds at least a portion of the anchor member to embed at least the portion of the anchor member of the blade cleat assembly within the plate body of the cleated plate member.

22. The cleated plate member according to claim 19 , wherein the first molding material extends through the through hole formed in the base portion of the blade member to form a continuous seam of the first molding material through the through hole of the blade member.

23. A blade cleat assembly for a molded cleated plate member of an article of footwear, the blade cleat assembly comprising:
a blade member including a planar body having two substantially parallel planar sides, the planar body including a base portion, a head portion opposite the base portion, and a through hole formed in the base portion; and
an anchor member made of a first molding material and operable to be attached to the molded cleated plate member, the first molding material surrounding the base portion of the blade member and extending through the through hole formed in the base portion of the blade member, the head portion extending beyond the anchor member in a direction away from the base portion.

24. The blade cleat assembly according to claim 23 , wherein the base portion of the blade member includes opposing flange portions, and the first molding material forms tapered surface portions of the anchor member over the flange portions of the blade member.

25. The blade cleat assembly according to claim 2

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Baucom Jim
• Pauk Matthew R

Classifications

• B29D35/06

  having soles or heels formed and joined on to preformed uppers using a moulding technique, e.g. by injection moulding, pressing and vulcanising · CPC title

• B29D35/148

  Moulds or apparatus therefor · CPC title

• B29D35/084

  using exchangeable mould elements · CPC title

• A43C15/162

  characterised by the shape · CPC title

• A43B13/26 Primary

  projecting beyond the sole surface · CPC title