Outsole plate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11819084-B2
Application number	US-202217736038-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 3, 2022
Priority date	Apr 16, 2018
Publication date	Nov 21, 2023
Grant date	Nov 21, 2023

Abstract

A sole structure for an article of footwear includes a component including a first bundle of fibers affixed to a substrate, a ground-engaging assembly including a first traction element, a second traction element, and a connecting member extending between and connecting the first traction element and the second traction element, and a resin consolidating the first bundle of fibers and entrapping the connecting member to fix a position of the first traction element, the second traction element, and the connecting member relative to the substrate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sole structure for an article of footwear, the sole structure comprising:
a component including a first bundle of fibers affixed to a substrate;
a ground-engaging assembly including a first traction element, a second traction element, a connecting member extending between and connecting the first traction element and the second traction element, and a fastener projecting from at least one of the first traction element, the second traction element, and the connecting member in an opposite direction from each of the first traction element and the second traction element, the fastener including a shaft received by and extending at least partially into fibers of the first bundle of fibers and a retention feature disposed at an end of the shaft and extending in a first direction away from the shaft, the retention feature directly engaging the fibers of the first bundle of fibers; and
a resin consolidating the first bundle of fibers and entrapping the connecting member and the fastener to fix a position of the first traction element, the second traction element, and the connecting member relative to the substrate.

2. The sole structure of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the connecting member is entangled in the first bundle of fibers.

3. The sole structure of claim 1 , wherein the retention feature includes at least one arm extending in the first direction away from the shaft.

4. The sole structure of claim 3 , wherein the at least one arm is formed perpendicular to the shaft.

5. The sole structure of claim 3 , wherein the at least one arm is formed at an acute angle relative to the shaft.

6. The sole structure of claim 3 , wherein the at least one arm extends from the shaft in a direction away from the substrate.

7. The sole structure of claim 3 , wherein the shaft extends through a thickness of the first bundle of fibers.

8. The sole structure of claim 1 , wherein the connecting member is at least partially covered by the resin.

9. The sole structure of claim 1 , wherein the first bundle of fibers includes at least one of carbon fibers, boron fibers, glass fibers, and polymeric fibers.

10. An article of footwear incorporating the sole structure of claim 1 .

11. A method for forming a sole structure for an article of footwear, the method comprising:
attaching a first bundle of fibers to a substrate;
extending a shaft of a fastener at least partially into fibers of the first bundle of fibers, the fastener projecting from at least one of a first traction element, a second traction element, and a connecting member joining the first traction element and the second traction element to define a ground-engaging assembly;
providing the shaft with a retention feature disposed at an opposite end of the shaft than the at least one of the first traction element, the second traction element, and the connecting member, the retention feature extending in a first direction away from the shaft;
directly engaging the fibers of the first bundle of fibers with the retention feature; and
consolidating the first bundle of fibers and entrapping the connecting member and the fastener with a resin to fix a position of the first traction element, the second traction element, and the connecting member relative to the substrate.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising entangling at least a portion of the connecting member in the first bundle of fibers.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising providing the retention feature with at least one arm that extends in the first direction away from the shaft.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising forming the at least one arm perpendicular to the shaft.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising forming the at least one arm at an acute angle relative to the shaft.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising extending the at least one arm from the shaft in a direction away from the substrate.

17. The method of claim 11 , further comprising extending the shaft through a thickness of the first bundle of fibers.

18. The method of claim 11 , further comprising at least partially covering the connecting member with the resin.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein attaching the first bundle of fibers to the substrate includes attaching at least one of carbon fibers, boron fibers, glass fibers, and polymeric fibers to the substrate.

20. Further comprising incorporating the sole structure of claim 11 into an article of footwear.

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Bartel Aaron
• Lacey Sam
• Thuss Adam

Classifications

• A43B13/122 Primary

  characterised by the outsole or external layer · CPC title

• A43B5/00

  Footwear for sporting purposes (non-skid devices, e.g. ice-spurs or studs for football shoes, A43C15/00) · CPC title

• A43B13/026 Primary

  Composites, e.g. carbon fibre or aramid fibre; the sole, one or more sole layers or sole part being made of a composite · CPC title

• A43B13/04

  Plastics, rubber or vulcanised fibre · CPC title

• A43B13/223

  Profiled soles · CPC title