Outsole pattern for an article of footwear

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11819088-B2
Application number	US-202117396912-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 9, 2021
Priority date	Aug 9, 2021
Publication date	Nov 21, 2023
Grant date	Nov 21, 2023

Abstract

An outsole for an article of footwear with a forefoot region, a midfoot region, a heel region, a medial side, and a lateral side. The outsole can include a ground engaging surface with a plurality of cleats and a plurality of circular ridges including a first set of circular ridges and a second set of circular ridges. The first set of circular ridges can be concentrically aligned about a first epicenter in the forefoot region and the second set of circular ridges can be concentrically aligned about a second epicenter in the heel region. The plurality of cleats can include a first set of cleats in the forefoot region that can be aligned along a first circular ridge of the first set of circular ridges.

First claim

We claim:

1. An outsole for an article of footwear with a forefoot region, a midfoot region, a heel region, a medial side, and a lateral side, the outsole comprising:
a ground engaging surface with a plurality of cleats and a plurality of circular ridges including a first set of circular ridges and a second set of circular ridges, the plurality of cleats includes a first set of cleats in the forefoot region, wherein at least one cleat of the plurality of cleats is aligned and extending along a portion of a first circular ridge of the first set of circular ridges,
the first set of circular ridges being concentrically aligned about a first epicenter in the forefoot region,
the second set of circular ridges being concentrically aligned about a second epicenter in the heel region and overlap the first set of circular ridges in the midfoot region,
circular ridges of the first and second sets of circular ridges in the midfoot region, each has heights that undulate between tall and short portions, the tall portions of the circular ridges in the midfoot region are aligned to define a stiffening zone.

2. The outsole of claim 1 , wherein the first set of cleats is integrally formed with the first circular ridge of the first set of circular ridges.

3. The outsole of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of cleats includes a second set of cleats in the forefoot region aligned along a second circular ridge of the first set of circular ridges, the second set of cleats laterally spaced from and radially disposed outward from the first set of cleats.

4. The outsole of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of cleats includes a set of heel cleats in the heel region, the heel cleats aligned along a circular ridge in the second set of circular ridges.

5. The outsole of claim 1 , wherein the outsole further includes a midfoot region and the first set of circular ridges extends through at least one of the forefoot region, the midfoot region, or the heel region.

6. The outsole of claim 1 , wherein the outsole further includes a midfoot region and the second set of circular ridges extends through at least one of the midfoot region or the heel region.

7. The outsole of claim 1 , wherein the outsole further includes a midfoot region and the first set of circular ridges intersects the second set of circular ridges in the midfoot region.

8. The outsole of claim 1 , wherein the location of the first epicenter generally corresponds with the location of a first metatarsal joint of a wearer.

9. The outsole of claim 1 , wherein the location of the second epicenter generally corresponds with the location of a heel of a wearer.

10. An outsole for an article of footwear with a forefoot region, the outsole comprising:
circular ridges concentrically disposed around and emanating outwardly from an epicenter in the forefoot region, at least two of the circular ridges, including a first circular ridge and a second circular ridge, having a height undulating between tall and short portions there along,
a cleat aligned and extending along a portion of at least one of the first circular ridge or the second circular ridge;
wherein short portions of at least the first and second circular ridges are aligned to define a flex zone configured to accommodate flexion of the outsole there along.

11. The outsole of claim 10 , wherein the flex zone is configured to correspond with a location of at least one metatarsal-phalangeal joint of a wearer.

12. The outsole of claim 10 , wherein the flex zone extends from a medial side of the outsole to a lateral side and through the epicenter.

13. The outsole of claim 10 , wherein the epicenter generally corresponds with the location of a first metatarsal joint of a wearer.

14. The outsole of claim 10 , wherein the cleat is located outside of the flex zone.

15. The outsole of claim 14 , wherein the cleat is integrally formed with the at least one of the first circular ridge or the second circular ridge.

16. The outsole of claim 10 , wherein the outsole includes a midfoot region, a heel region, and the circular ridges are a first plurality of circular ridges, the outsole further comprising:
a second plurality of circular ridges concentrically disposed around and emanating outwardly from a second epicenter in the heel region,
wherein the first plurality of circular ridges overlap with the second plurality of circular ridges in the midfoot region and define a stiffening zone.

17. The outsole of claim 16 , wherein the second plurality of circular ridges have a height that undulates between tall and short portions,
wherein the tall portions of the first and second plurality of circular ridges are located within the stiffening zone.

18. The outsole of claim 16 , wherein the stiffening zone approximately follows a center of pressure applied by a wearer's foot.

19. An outsole of an article of footwear with a forefoot region, the outsole comprising:
a plurality of circular ridges and a plurality of cleats concentrically disposed in the forefoot region and emanating outwardly from an epicenter configured to correspond with the location of a first metatarsal joint of a wearer;
the plurality of circular ridges includes a first circular ridge and a second circular ridge, each of the first and second circular ridges has a height that undulates between tall and short portions there along,
at least one cleat of the plurality of cleats is aligned and extending along a portion of one of the first or second circular ridges;
short portions of the first and second circular ridges are aligned to define a flex zone configured to accommodate flexion of the outsole there along,
the plurality of circular ridges and the plurality of cleats configured to facilitate pivotal movement about the epicenter.

Assignees

• Puma SE

Inventors

• Redon Arnaud
• Dunning Christopher

Classifications

• A43C15/02 Primary

  attached to the sole · CPC title

• A43B13/141

  with a part of the sole being flexible, e.g. permitting articulation or torsion · CPC title

• A43B3/0042 Primary

  with circular or circle shaped parts · CPC title

• A43C13/04

  Cleats; Simple studs; Screws; Hob-nails · CPC title

• A43C15/16

  Studs {or cleats} for football or like boots · CPC title