Article of footwear having ground surface material accumulation prevention structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016286905-A1
Application number	US-201415036546-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 13, 2014
Priority date	Nov 15, 2013
Publication date	Oct 6, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An article of footwear includes a sole having a lower surface, a web that covers a portion of the lower surface of the sole, the web having an exposed surface, and a spring element disposed between the lower surface of the sole and the web. The spring element is configured to transition the exposed surface of the web between a first state and a second state in response to a compression force applied to the spring element by an external ground surface in a user activity, to prevent accumulation of ground surface material, such as mud, dirt, clay, sand, slush, etc., compacting on the sole of the article of footwear in the user activity.

First claim

1 . An article of footwear comprising:
a sole having a lower surface; a web that covers a portion of the lower surface of the sole, the web having an exposed surface and a through-hole; a first ground surface traction element disposed within the through-hole such that the web is secured between the first ground surface traction element and the lower surface of the sole; and a spring disposed between the lower surface of the sole and the web, the spring being configured to transition a portion of the exposed surface of the web between a first state and a second state in response to a compression force generated between the spring and an external ground surface by user activity, to prevent accumulation of ground surface material compacting on the sole of the article of footwear by the user activity.

2 . The article of footwear according to claim 1 , wherein the spring is configured to move the portion of the exposed surface of the web to a first position adjacent the lower surface of the sole in response to the compression force and to a second position located further from the lower surface of the sole than the first position in response to release of the compression force.

3 . The article of footwear according to claim 1 , wherein the lower surface of the sole includes a second ground surface traction element, wherein the spring is disposed between the first ground surface traction element and the second ground surface element, wherein the spring is optionally fixed to the lower surface of the sole.

4 . The article of footwear according to claim 1 , wherein the spring is a coil spring or a leaf spring.

5 . The article of footwear according to claim 1 , wherein the web is made of an elastomeric material.

6 . The article of footwear according to claim 1 , wherein the web includes a wear resistant surface treated on at least one of (a) a portion of the web that contacts the spring and (b) a portion of the exposed surface of the web corresponding to a location of the spring.

7 . The article of footwear according to claim 1 , wherein a perimeter portion of the web is fixed to the sole.

8 . The article of footwear according to claim 1 , wherein a perimeter portion of the web is bonded to the sole.

9 . The article of footwear according to claim 1 , wherein a perimeter portion of the web is molded to the sole.

10 . The article of footwear according to claim 1 , wherein the article of footwear further comprises an upper, and a perimeter portion of the web is fixed to the upper, wherein the perimeter portion of the web is optionally fixed to the upper at a perimeter of the sole.

11 . The article of footwear according to claim 1 , wherein a contour of the web conforms to a contour of the lower surface of the sole and the contour of the web is pre-formed by molding.

12 . The article of footwear according to claim 1 , wherein the spring includes a first spring disposed between a first cluster of ground surface traction elements and the article of footwear includes a second spring disposed between a second cluster of ground surface traction elements, the first spring having a first spring constant k1, and the second spring constant having a second spring constant k2, wherein the first spring constant k1 is optionally different from the second spring constant k2.

13 . The article of footwear according to claim 1 , wherein the spring is a leaf spring having a first spring element disposed between a first cluster of ground surface traction elements and a second spring element disposed between a second cluster of ground surface traction elements, the first spring element having a first spring constant k1, and the second spring element having a second spring constant k2.

14 . The article of footwear according to claim 1 , wherein a contour of the web conforms to a contour of at least one of the ground surface traction elements of the first cluster or the second cluster.

15 . The article of footwear according to claim 1 , wherein the article of footwear further comprises a clip configured to attach to the at least one ground surface traction element with the web disposed between the clip and the at least one ground surface traction element, wherein the clip optionally forms a band configured to conform to a perimeter surface portion of the at least one ground surface traction element.

16 . The article of footwear according to claim 1 , wherein the spring includes a first spring disposed between a first cluster of ground surface traction elements and the article of footwear includes a second spring disposed between a second cluster of ground surface traction elements, the first spring having a first size, and the second spring having a second size different from the first size.

17 . A method of making an article of footwear comprising:
providing a sole having a lower surface; providing a web that covers a portion of the lower surface of the sole, the web having an exposed surface and a through-hole; extending a portion of a ground surface traction element through the through-hole such that the web is secured between the ground surface traction element and the lower surface of the sole; and placing a spring between the lower surface of the sole and the web, the spring being configured to transition a portion of the exposed surface of the web between a first state and a second state in response to a compression force generated between the spring and an external ground surface by user activity, to prevent accumulation of ground surface material compacting on the sole of the article of footwear by the user activity.

18 . The method of making an article of footwear according to claim 17 , further comprising:
providing a molding system having:
a first mold plate including a first mold cavity; and
a second mold plate including a second mold cavity;
placing a mold material blank in between the first mold plate and the second mold plate in a position adjacent to the first mold cavity; placing the sole plate in between the mold material blank and the second mold plate such that the sole plate is disposed within the second mold cavity; positioning the spring element; pressing the first mold plate and the second mold plate together; and applying heat to both the first mold plate and the second mold plate to mold the mold material blank to the lower surface of the sole plate such that the spring element is disposed between the mold material blank and the lower surface of the sole plate.

19 . The method of making an article of footwear according to claim 17 , further comprising suctioning air from both the first mold cavity and the second mold cavity.

20 . The method of making an article of footwear according to claim 17 , further comprising:
forming the mold material blank by cutting a sheet of mold material to have a perimeter that conforms with a perimeter of the sole plate.

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Schiller Denis

Classifications

• A43B13/182

  Helicoidal springs · CPC title

• A43B5/02

  Football boots {or shoes, i.e. for soccer, football or rugby} · CPC title

• A43B13/122

  characterised by the outsole or external layer · CPC title

• A43B5/185

  with a sole covering spikes or cleats · CPC title

• B29D35/142

  Soles · CPC title