U.S. patent application number 13/294159 was filed with the patent office on 2013-05-16 for footwear outsole inlcuding gripping tread.
This patent application is currently assigned to Deckers Outdoor Corporation. The applicant listed for this patent is Lavion Gibson. Invention is credited to Lavion Gibson.
Application Number | 20130118036 13/294159 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 48279283 |
Filed Date | 2013-05-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130118036 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Gibson; Lavion |
May 16, 2013 |
FOOTWEAR OUTSOLE INLCUDING GRIPPING TREAD
Abstract
An outsole for an article of footwear including a plurality of
laterally extending walls where each pair of adjacent walls defines
a channel. The outsole also includes a plurality of receptacles
between the adjacent walls where the channel extends across each of
the receptacles.
Inventors: |
Gibson; Lavion; (Goleta,
CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Gibson; Lavion |
Goleta |
CA |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Deckers Outdoor Corporation
Goleta
CA
|
Family ID: |
48279283 |
Appl. No.: |
13/294159 |
Filed: |
November 10, 2011 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
36/103 ;
36/25R |
Current CPC
Class: |
A43B 13/223 20130101;
A43B 1/0009 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
36/103 ;
36/25.R |
International
Class: |
A43B 13/14 20060101
A43B013/14 |
Claims
1. An outsole for an article of footwear comprising: a plurality of
laterally extending walls, each pair of adjacent walls defining a
channel; and a plurality of receptacles between said adjacent
walls, said channel extending across each of said receptacles.
2. The outsole of claim 1, wherein each of said walls is integrally
formed and extends between a medial side and a lateral side of the
outsole.
3. The outsole of claim 1, wherein each of said walls has a zig-zag
shape.
4. The outsole of claim 1, wherein each of said receptacles is
diamond-shaped.
5. The outsole of claim 1, wherein each of said receptacles
includes inwardly extending surfaces meeting a center point.
6. The outsole of claim 5, wherein each of said surfaces of said
receptacles includes a plurality of steps.
7. An article of footwear comprising: an outsole having a front
side, a rear side, a medial side and a lateral side; a plurality of
walls extending between said medial and said lateral sides of said
outsole, each pair of adjacent walls defining a channel; a
plurality of receptacles between said adjacent walls, said channel
extending between said medial and said lateral sides of said
outsole; a toe tread portion at said front side of said outsole;
and a heel tread portion at said rear side of said outsole.
8. The article of footwear of claim 7, wherein said toe tread
portion includes rearwardly facing lugs.
9. The article of footwear of claim 8, wherein said heel tread
portion includes fowardly facing lugs.
10. The article of footwear of claim 7, wherein said toe tread
portion and said heel tread portion each include lugs, said lugs of
said toe tread portion and said heel tread portion extending in
opposite directions.
11. The article of footwear of claim 7, wherein said outsole
includes a peripheral edge and said walls extend to said peripheral
edge on said medial and lateral sides of the outsole.
12. The article of footwear of claim 7, wherein said toe tread
portion and said heel tread portion each include a plurality of
overlapping lugs.
13. An outsole for an article of footwear comprising: a plurality
of laterally spaced receptacles, each of said receptacles including
a plurality of angled surfaces meeting at a center point.
14. The outsole of claim 13, wherein said angled surfaces of said
receptacles each include steps.
15. The outsole of claim 13, further comprising a channel extending
across said receptacles.
16. The outsole of claim 13, wherein each of said receptacles is
diamond-shaped.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] Outsoles are the outermost layer of a shoe that directly
contact the ground and are made with different materials and
patterns depending on the environmental conditions and terrains
that the shoes are used in. In this regard, outsoles on shoes used
for physical activities, such as running or biking, must be durable
and provide sufficient support to handle the wear and tear and
impact forces generated during those activities.
[0002] Off road biking, such as mountain biking, is a popular
outdoor activity and consists of riding bicycles off-road using
specially adapted cycling equipment. Most mountain biking occurs on
rough terrain, such as steep hills and trails, which requires
significant endurance and agility and the proper equipment. To
enhance the rider's stability and control on such rough terrain,
the rider's shoes must provide sufficient support and flexibility
as well as securely grip the pedals and the ground.
[0003] The terrain in the locations where mountain biking occurs
varies and in some areas may include combinations of dirt, gravel,
sand and rock. The rider's shoes therefore need to be able to
sufficiently grip the different terrains. The shoes must also
securely grip the pedals so that the user's feet do not slide along
or slip off of the pedals during riding which can be dangerous and
lead to severe injuries.
SUMMARY
[0004] An article of footwear is provided with an outsole including
a plurality of walls extending between medial and lateral sides of
the outsole and a plurality of receptacles between adjacent pairs
of the walls. The receptacles engage a surface of a pedal for
securely holding the article of footwear on the pedal while the
walls limit forward and rearward movement of a the article of
footwear on the pedal to help prevent the article of footwear from
sliding or slipping off of the pedal.
[0005] In an embodiment, an outsole for an article of footwear is
provided that includes a plurality of laterally extending walls
where each pair of adjacent walls defines a channel. The outsole
also includes a plurality of receptacles between the adjacent walls
where the channel extends across each of the receptacles.
[0006] In another embodiment, an article of footwear is provided
and includes an outsole having a front side, a rear side, a medial
side and a lateral side, and a plurality of walls extending between
the medial and the lateral sides of the outsole, where each pair of
adjacent walls defines a channel. A plurality of receptacles are
defined between the adjacent walls where the channel extends
between the medial and the lateral sides of the outsole. The
article of footwear also includes a toe tread portion located at
the front side of the outsole and a heel tread portion located at
the rear side of the outsole.
[0007] In a further embodiment, an outsole for an article of
footwear is provided and includes a plurality of laterally spaced
receptacles where each of the receptacles includes a plurality of
angled surfaces meeting at a center point.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1 is a bottom perspective view of the present footwear
outsole.
[0009] FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary perspective view of a
central tread portion of the footwear outsole of FIG. 1.
[0010] FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary perspective view of the
toe tread portion of the footwear outsole of FIG. 1.
[0011] FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary perspective view of the
heel tread portion of the footwear outsole of FIG. 1.
[0012] FIG. 5 is a bottom perspective view of another embodiment of
the present footwear outsole.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0013] Referring now to FIGS. 1-4, the present footwear includes a
central tread portion configured to securely grip a pedal on a
bicycle or other pedal driven device and first and second tread
portions respectively located at the toe and heel portions of the
outsole for gripping the underlying terrain.
[0014] The present outsole generally designated as 20, includes a
central tread portion 22, a toe tread portion 24 and a heel tread
portion 26. The central tread portion 22 is configured to interface
or interlock with a pedal on a bicycle (not shown), such as a
mountain bike or off-road bike, or other suitable pedal driven
bicycles and devices. Specifically, the central tread portion 22 of
the outsole 20 engages teeth projecting from the bike pedal to
allow lateral movement of the outsole on the pedal, such as when a
user places their foot onto or off of the pedal, while inhibiting
forward or rearward movement of the outsole relative to the pedal.
As shown in FIG. 2, the central tread portion 22 includes a
plurality of zig-zagging, triangular walls 28 protruding from the
outsole 20 and extending between the medial side 30 and the lateral
side 32 of the outsole. In the illustrated embodiment, the central
tread portion 22 does not extend to the peripheral edge 34 of the
outsole 20 or to the toe portion 36 or the heel portion 38 of the
outsole. It should be appreciated that the outsole 20 may have one
or more portions including the zig-zagging walls 28 where the
zig-zagging walls may extend to the peripheral edge 34, the toe
portion 36 or the heel portion 38.
[0015] The walls 28 are arranged on the outsole 20 so that there is
a channel 40 or space between adjacent pairs of the walls 28 where
the channel allows the teeth on the pedal to move laterally between
the medial and the lateral sides 30, 32 of the outsole. This
lateral movement makes it easier for a user to slide their shoe
onto the pedal when starting to ride their bike and off of the
pedal for contacting the ground to stop the bike. While riding, a
user's shoes must securely engage and grip the pedals to maintain
stability and control of the bike. If the one or both shoes slide
along or slip off of the pedals, the rider could lose control of
the bike and be seriously injured. To inhibit forward or rearward
movement of the outsole 20 on the pedal, the walls 28 of the
outsole 20 are integrally formed, i.e., do not include spaces or
channels, thereby forming a closed wall pattern which acts as a
stop when the teeth engage the walls. It should be appreciated that
the walls 20 may have a zig-zag pattern or any closed pattern such
as a rounded wave pattern or other suitable pattern.
[0016] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the walls 28 form a plurality of
diamond-shaped receptacles or recesses 42 arranged in rows
extending between the medial and lateral sides 30, 32 of the
outsole 20. Each of the diamond-shaped recesses 42 includes four
angled or slanted surfaces 44 that extend from a top edge 46 of the
walls 28 to a center point 48 of the respective recess. The
recesses 42 also include a plurality of steps 49 or ridges that
gradually decrease the width of the recess from the top edge of the
walls to the center point. The narrowing recesses 42 enable a tooth
on a bicycle pedal to be easily inserted into the wider top opening
of each recess while securing the tooth in the narrowed bottom
portion of that recess. Thus, the teeth on a pedal easily engage
and are securely held in the recesses 42 when the outsole 20 of the
shoe engages the pedal.
[0017] Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 3, the toe tread portion 24 of
the outsole 20 includes rearwardly-facing, overlapping lugs 50 that
enhance the gripping of the outsole on an underlying surface or
terrain such as rocks, gravel, dirt or other surfaces. It is
contemplated that the toe tread portion 24 may have one or a
plurality of the lugs 50. Each lug 50 is formed by a pair of angled
walls 52 connected by a straight wall 54 where each of the walls
52, 54 has a straight or flat outer surface 56. In the illustrated
embodiment, one or more of the walls 52, 54 have angled outer
surfaces 57 that form an undercut 59 (FIG. 3) for enabling the lugs
50 to dig into and grip the ground. The lugs 50 extend from the
medial to lateral sides 30, 32 to the peripheral edge 34 of the
outsole 20. Additionally, the rearwardly facing lugs 50 slant
upwardly from the front of the shoe to the rear of the shoe. This
allows the lugs 50 to act as teeth that engage and dig into an
underlying surface or terrain such as when a user is walking on a
flat surface or up a mountain or hill.
[0018] Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 4, the heel tread portion 26
includes a plurality of lugs 58 that face forwardly or toward the
toe portion 36 of the shoe and overlap each other as described
above. These lugs 58 have angled walls 60 forming a triangular
shape that are separated by a flat or straight wall 62. The outer
surface 64 of each of the walls is generally straight or flat, but
may be angled to form an undercut 66. It should be appreciated that
the heel tread portion 26 may include one or a plurality of the
lugs 58 where the lugs may be arranged laterally (extending between
the medial to lateral sides 30, 32 of the outsole) or in any
suitable configuration. Similar to the lugs 50 on the toe tread
portion 24, the lugs 58 on the heel tread portion 26 are angled or
sloped upwardly from the heel portion 38 toward the toe portion 36
of the outsole 20 and form teeth-like structures that help grip the
heel tread portion 26 to the underlying terrain when a user is
stopped on a downward sloping incline, slippery surface or other
similar surface. It should be appreciated that the lugs 58 on the
heel tread portion 26 may be any suitable size and shape.
[0019] The peripheral edge 34 of the outsole 20 includes a
plurality of recesses or notches 68 that vary in size. These
notches 68 help to displace dirt or gravel from the outsole 20 and
away from the shoe. It should be appreciated that the notches 68 on
the peripheral edge 34 of the outsole 20 may be any suitable size
or shape.
[0020] The outsole 20 is made by first inserting a first material
into a press mold that compresses the first material to form the
central tread portion 22 of the outsole. After the central tread
portion 22 is formed, the same material is placed adjacent to the
central tread portion 22 to form the peripheral edge 34, the toe
tread portion 24 and the heel tread portion 26 of the outsole.
Accordingly, the central, toe and heel tread portions 22, 24, 26 of
the outsole 20 are co-molded using a press mold or any suitable
molding process.
[0021] In operation, a user places their shoe, and more
specifically, the outsole 20 of their shoe onto a bicycle pedal by
sliding the outsole 20 laterally onto the pedal so that the teeth
engage the recesses 42 in between the walls 28 of the central tread
portion 22 and slide laterally within the channels 40 between the
walls 28 until the user's foot is positioned stably on the pedal.
The teeth on the pedal engage the recesses 42 so that if the user's
foot moves forward or rearward on the pedal while the teeth are
engaged in the recesses, the teeth contact the adjacent zig-zagging
walls 28 where the walls act as a stop to prevent the teeth from
moving substantially forward or rearward relative to the outsole
20. If the user stops riding their bike and has to place their foot
or feet on the underlying terrain, the lugs 58 in the toe and heel
tread portions 36, 38 help grip the outsole 20 to the underlying
terrain and prevent the user's foot or feet from slipping or
sliding on the terrain.
[0022] Referring now to FIG. 5, another embodiment of the present
outsole is shown where an outsole 70 includes the central tread
portion 22 described above and a toe tread portion 72 and a heel
portion 74. The toe tread portion 72 includes a plurality of
overlapping lugs 76 that face or extend rearwardly (toward the toe
portion) and are arranged in a row laterally across the outsole 70.
Each lug 76 includes two angled walls 78 that meet at a center
point 80 to form a triangular shape where the lugs 76 are separated
by a straight or flat wall 82. The heel tread portion 74 includes
overlapping lugs 84 that face or extend forwardly (i.e., from the
heel to the toe portion). The lugs 84 are formed in the same way as
the lugs 76 and have a triangular shape but face or extend in an
opposite direction to the lugs 76 as shown in FIG. 1. It should be
appreciate that the lugs 76, 84 may be any suitable size and
shape.
[0023] While a particular embodiment of the present article of
footwear has been described herein, it will be appreciated by those
skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made
thereto without departing from the invention in its broader
aspects.
* * * * *