Athletic Shoe Sole

Abstract

An athletic shoe sole useful with synthetic turf is formed of a single piece of flexible resilient material in which a plurality of substantially frustoconical cleats project downwardly from the bottom of the sole from the heel to the toe. In addition, a set of elongated cleats are positioned on the ball part of the sole adjacent to the instep. These elongated cleats are angled inwardly to provide lateral traction.

Description

SUBJECT MATTER OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to an athletic shoe sole which is especially useful on synthetic turfs.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The synthetic turf surface which is currently used for athletic purposes, including for example, athletic surfaces for football fields has generated a number of problems with respect to the design of suitable footwear for use on such turfs. Of particular concern has been the development of a suitable athletic shoe useful especially in football and baseball. One of the major difficulties encountered in the design of footwear for such athletic surfaces has been the provision of a shoe sole which provides adequate traction in turning at high running speeds without damage to the turf or likelihood of injury to the wearer. The footwear presently used, in many instances, has not been completely satisfactory because it does not permit quick starts, turns, or sidesteps. Furthermore, some athletic footwear have cleats which inadvertently catch the surface of the synthetic turf, thus either slowing the athlete down or alternately creating a source of danger which might injure the athlete. Heretofore, with conventional cleats, there has been significant danger to an athlete wearing conventional footwear on being hit from the side, as may be the case in a "mousetrap play" in football. Under such conditions, his cleats may grip the turf too securely thereby preventing a natural give with a possible consequent injury. The use of metal cleats for such purposes has also presented a serious problem, because metal cleats have a tendency to damage the surface of synthetic turfs.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the present invention to overcome the foregoing limitations of athletic footwear heretofore available for use on synthetic turfs. Among the objects of the present invention is to provide a shoe sole useful for football, baseball, and other athletic footwear intended primarily for synthetic turfs. Another object of the present invention is to provide a shoe sole construction for the purposes described in which an athlete wearing a shoe having the sole of the type described is able to run without interference by the gripping elements on the surface of the sole and without likelihood of injury caused by inadvertent gripping of the sole on the surface of the turf. A further object of the present invention is to provide a shoe sole for the purposes described which permits a full range of movements by athletes at high running speeds and forces without likelihood of damaging the surface of a synthetic turf.

In the present invention there is provided an athletic shoe sole designed primarily for use on synthetic turfs which is formed of a single piece of resilient material having opposed major surfaces with one major surface adapted to form the upper of the sole and the other having a plurality of integrally formed gripping means. One of the gripping means consists of a plurality of projecting members each extending normally from the other surface and having a base adjacent to the other surface of greater periphery than the periphery of the end remote from the base. These projecting members preferably have a substantially frustoconic configuration. Another set of gripping means consists of a plurality of elongated members, each having walls diverging from one another toward the major surface of the sole. These elongated gripping means are preferably located on the ball portion of the sole and are most preferably adjacent to the shank portion thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The foregoing objects and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a shoe sole embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to the drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is shown a shoe sole that is designed for a variety of athletic shoes primarily used on synthetic turfs. These soles may, for example, be attached to football, baseball, and other types of athletic footwear in which it is ordinarily necessary to move in a variety of directions with sudden turns. The sole is particularly useful in connection with football shoes.

As illustrated, there is provided a shoe sole formed of a single piece of flexible resilient material. This material 1 may be formed of a suitable sole material such as relatively hard rubber or plastic that affords some degree of flexibility and resilience and at the same time provides enough structural strength for the gripping means hereafter described. The sole is formed with a conventional periphery 2 in the shape of a shoe sole. The periphery 2 or edge spans two major surfaces 3 and 4. The major surface 3 forms the upper surface of the sole and is adapted to be secured to the upper of the shoe. The other major surface is provided with a plurality of integrally formed gripping means. One of these gripping means consists of a plurality of projecting members 5 and 6. Another gripping means 7 consists of a plurality of elongated members 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12.

The gripping members 5 and 6 are substantially frustoconical. The base 15 of these projecting members has a periphery substantially larger than that at the end 17 remote from the base. As illustrated in FIG. 1, these projecting members preferably have an oval base 15 and a circular remote end 17. The sidewall 18 intermediate the base 15 and remote end 17 may be slightly convex; or as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, may be straight. Projecting members 5 are smaller than projecting members 6. Projecting members 6 are preferably located in the heel area 19 of the sole, with one pair located close to the shank region 20 and one pair remote therefrom. An additional projecting member 6 is located at the extreme end of the heel. Projecting members 5 are located both in the shank region 20 and in the ball region 21. Preferably four such projecting members 5 are symmetrically arranged at the instep region. Other projecting members 5 are located in the ball region 21 extending along the outer side of the sole to the toe tip and also in the central portion of the ball region. The gripping means 7 comprising elongated members 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 is located in the ball region 21 adjacent the inner edge of the sole and preferably extends from close to the shank region 20 to close to the toe or tip of the sole. Each of the elongated members is provided with side walls 30 and 31 diverging outwardly from one another toward surface 4 (see FIG. 2). Sidewalls 31 preferably extend normal to the major portion of the surface 4 where sidewall 30 extends angularly thereto, preferably forming an angle of about 45.degree. with major surface 4. The inner section of sidewalls 30 and 31 is preferably rounded, as best seen in FIG. 2. The elongated members 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 are marginally spaced from one another and are supported on a common table projection 33. This table projection extends from surface 4, a distance of approximately one-half the height of the projecting members 5 and 6. Beveled segments of table 33 are located intermediate elongated members 10 and 11, and 11 and 12, as shown at 43 and 44. Platform 33 has one edge 35 that extends lengthwise of the sole; another edge 36 substantially parallel to it and close to the inner edge of the sole. Edges 37 and 38 form a substantially trapezoidal configuration which defines the outer limits or edges of elongated members 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12. Elongated member 8 is somewhat shorter than elongated member 9 and is marginally spaced from it by strip 39. Similarly, elongated member 9 is marginally spaced by strip 40 from elongated members 10, 11, and 12. Elongated members 10, 11, and 12 are longitudinally spaced from one another by segments 43 and 44 of platform 33. These segments are beveled toward surface 4, and thus sidewalls 31 of elongated members 10, 11, and 12 are substantially longer than sidewalls 31 of elongated members 8 and 9. As best seen in FIG. 2, the edges of the elongated members remote from the sole are spaced from the sole the same distance as the remote ends of projecting members 5 and 6.

Surface 4 is provided with a peripheral groove or channel 50 which is utilized to provide a stitching guide for securing the sole to the material of the upper. Other embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art and are within the following claims.

Claims

I claim:

1. An athletic shoe sole formed of flexible, resilient material having opposed major surfaces with one major surface adapted to form the upper surface of the sole and the other surface having a plurality of integrally formed gripping means,

one of said gripping means comprising a plurality of projecting members, each extending normally from said other surface and having a base adjacent said other surface of greater periphery than the periphery of the end remote from said base,

another of said gripping means comprising a plurality of elongated members, each having elongated walls diverging from one another toward the major portion of said other surface,

said one gripping means including at least one projecting member at the heel area of said sole,

wherein said elongated members are individually longitudinally arranged in a direction lengthwise of the sole and are parallel to one another, and project from the ball area of said sole.

2. An athletic shoe sole as set forth in claim 1 wherein one of said diverging walls of said elongated members is normal to the major portion of said other surface.

3. An athletic shoe sole as set forth in claim 2 wherein a plurality of said elongated members are longitudinally spaced and aligned with one another.

4. An athletic shoe sole as set forth in claim 3 wherein said longitudinally spaced elongated members are parallel and adjacent to another elongated member, with all of said elongated members having corresponding walls parallel to one another.

5. An athletic shoe sole as set forth in claim 4 having a platform projecting from said sole in the ball region thereof with said elongated members projecting therefrom.

6. An athletic shoe sole as set forth in claim 6 wherein said platform includes a beveled segment intermediate said longitudinally aligned elongated members, said platform extending from close to the shank region of said sole to close to the toe region thereof.

7. An athletic shoe sole as set forth in claim 2 wherein the other of said diverging walls in each elongated member is closer to the inner edge of said sole than said normal wall.