Spike for footwear having rigid portion and resilient portion

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10813412-B2
Application number	US-201514943640-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 17, 2015
Priority date	May 15, 2012
Publication date	Oct 27, 2020
Grant date	Oct 27, 2020

Abstract

A spike is operable to be removably coupled to an article of footwear. The spike includes a first portion that is substantially rigid. The spike also includes a second portion that is resilient.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of manufacturing a cleat for an article of footwear, the method comprising:
positioning a first cleat portion in a first mold cavity of a bottom mold plate having an outer surface, the first mold cavity including a first cavity portion and a second cavity portion in fluid communication with the first cavity portion, the first cavity portion formed in the outer surface, the second cavity portion extending from the first cavity portion into the bottom mold plate;
moving a middle mold plate into contact with the bottom mold plate to define a second mold cavity between the middle mold plate and the bottom mold plate;
moving a top mold plate toward the middle mold plate to flow a molding material through a portion of the middle mold plate and into the second mold cavity, the molding material substantially filling the second mold cavity and encapsulating a projection of the first cleat portion; and
chemically bonding the first cleat portion and the molding material to form the cleat,
wherein the first cavity portion has a greater cross-sectional area than the second cavity portion.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein positioning the first cleat portion in the first mold cavity includes positioning a flange portion of the first cleat portion in the first cavity portion and positioning an attachment feature of the first cleat portion in the second cavity portion, the attachment feature operable to removably attach the first cleat portion to the article of footwear.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein positioning the flange portion in the first cavity portion fluidly isolates the second cavity portion from the second mold cavity.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising defining the second mold cavity between the flange portion and a void defined by the middle mold plate.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein flowing the molding material through a portion of the middle mold plate and into the second mold cavity causes the molding material to engage the flange portion.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing the first cavity portion and the second cavity portion with a substantially cylindrical shape, the first cavity portion being concentric with and having a greater diameter than the second cavity portion.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising solidifying the molding material to form a second cleat portion, the second cleat portion being less rigid than the first cleat portion.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein encapsulating a projection of the first cleat portion with the molding material includes encapsulating annular peaks and valleys formed in an outer surface of the projection.

9. A method of manufacturing a cleat for an article of footwear, the method comprising:
positioning a first cleat portion in a first mold cavity of a bottom mold plate, the bottom mold plate having an outer surface, a first lower surface, and a second lower surface, the first lower surface disposed between the outer surface and the second lower surface, the first mold cavity having a first cavity portion and a second cavity portion, the first cavity portion formed in the outer surface of the bottom mold plate and defined in part by the first lower surface of the bottom mold plate, the first lower surface having a first cross-sectional area, the second cavity portion formed in the first lower surface and defined in part by the second lower surface of the bottom mold plate, the second lower surface having a second cross-sectional area smaller than the first cross-sectional area, the first cavity portion in fluid communication with the second cavity portion;
moving a middle mold plate into contact with the bottom mold plate to define a second mold cavity between the middle mold plate and the first cleat portion;
moving a top mold plate toward the middle mold plate to flow a molding material through a portion of the middle mold plate and into the second mold cavity, the molding material substantially filling the second mold cavity and encapsulating a projection of the first cleat portion; and
chemically bonding the first cleat portion and the molding material to form the cleat,
wherein positioning the first cleat portion in the first mold cavity includes positioning the first cleat portion in the first cavity portion.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein positioning the first cleat portion in the first mold cavity includes positioning a flange portion of the first cleat portion in the first cavity portion and positioning an attachment feature of the first cleat portion in the second cavity portion, the attachment feature operable to removably attach the first cleat portion to the article of footwear.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein positioning the flange portion in the first cavity portion fluidly isolates the second cavity portion from the second mold cavity.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising defining the second mold cavity between the flange portion and a void defined by the middle mold plate.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein flowing the molding material through a portion of the middle mold plate and into the second mold cavity causes the molding material to engage the flange portion.

14. The method of claim 9 , further comprising providing the first cavity portion and the second cavity portion with a substantially cylindrical shape, the first cavity portion being concentric with and having a greater diameter than the second cavity portion.

15. The method of claim 9 , further comprising solidifying the molding material to form a second cleat portion, the second cleat portion being less rigid than the first cleat portion.

16. The method of claim 9 , wherein encapsulating a projection of the first cleat portion with the molding material includes encapsulating annular peaks and valleys formed in an outer surface of the projection.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the outer surface of the bottom mold plate is disposed between the middle mold plate and the second cavity portion of the bottom mold plate.

18. The method of claim 9 , wherein the outer surface of the bottom mold plate is disposed between the middle mold plate and the first lower surface of the bottom mold plate.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first cavity portion is defined in part by a first peripheral sidewall extending from the outer surface to a first lower surface, and the second cavity portion is defined in part by a second peripheral sidewall extending from the first lower surface to a second lower surface.

20. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first cavity portion is defined in part by a first peripheral sidewall extending between the outer surface and the first lower surface, and the second cavity portion is defined in part by a second peripheral sidewall extending between the first lower surface and the second lower surface.

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Johnson Jeffrey L

Classifications

• B29C49/071

  Preforms or parisons characterised by their configuration, e.g. geometry, dimensions or physical properties · CPC title

• B29C2949/0715

  the preform having one end closed · CPC title

• B29D35/0009

  by injection moulding; Apparatus therefor · CPC title

• A43C15/168 Primary

  with resilient means, e.g. shock absorbing means · CPC title

• A43C15/167

  frusto-conical or cylindrical · CPC title