Outer sole for an athletic shoe having cleats with exchangeable gripping ...

United States Patent an

Dassler et al.

[i i] Patent Number: 4,644,672 [45] Date of Patent: Feb. 24, 1987

[54] OUTER SOLE FOR AN ATHLETIC SHOE HAVING CLEATS WITH EXCHANGEABLE GRIPPING ELEMENTS

[75] Inventors: Armin A. Dassler; Willi Bauer, both of Herzogenaurach, Fed. Rep. of Germany

[73] Assignee: Puma AG Rudolf Dassler Sport, Herzogenaurach, Fed. Rep. of Germany

[21] Appl. No.: 756,249

[22] Filed: Jul. 18,1985

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data

Jul. 19, 1984 [DE] Fed. Rep. of Germany 3426600

[51] Int. CI." A43B 5/00

[52] U.S. CI 36/134; 36/62

[58] Field of Search 36/134, 59 R, 59 A,

36/59 B, 59 C, 67 R, 67 A, 67 B, 67 C, 67 D

[56] References Cited

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

2,607,134 8/1952 Langer 36/67 D

4,357,763 11/1982 Fleischmann et al 36/134 X

4,366,632 1/1983 Bente 36/134 X

4,414,763 11/1983 Bente 36/134

4.445.288 5/1984 Fror 36/134

4.445.289 5/1984 Beneteau 36/134

4,492,047 1/1985 Arff 36/134

FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS

1888123 2/1964 Fed. Rep. of Germany .

2154951 11/1971 Fed. Rep. of Germany 36/134

2542116 9/1975 Fed. Rep. of Germany 36/67 D

2820381 11/1979 Fed. Rep. of Germany 36/134

2098457 11/1982 United Kingdom 36/134

Primary Examiner—Werner H. Schroeder

Assistant Examiner—T. Graveline

Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Sixbey, Friedman & Leedom

[57] ABSTRACT

An athletic shoe sole with cleats having exchangeable gripping elements designed in such a way that the gripping elements can easily be exchanged without incurring diminished stability or premature wear to the shoe sole. To this end, stud-shaped holding elements (2) are provided with a flange (3) with which they are molded into the shoe sole 1. Shoe sole (1) itself, or a portion associated therewith, forms coaxially to the stud-like holding elements (2), a minimum of one raised area (28) which surrounds at least one recess (25) between these raised areas (28) and stud shaped holding elements (2). Finally, the respective recesses (25) are engaged correspondingly shaped projecting elements (26) of the gripping elements or the gripping element components, respectively, which are in the form of caps (9).

20 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures

OUTER SOLE FOR AN ATHLETIC SHOE HAVING
CLEATS WITH EXCHANGEABLE GRIPPING
ELEMENTS

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE
INVENTION

The invention relates to a sole for an athletic shoe having cleats with exchangeable gripping elements of the type having stud-shaped holding elements with an outer surface that has at least one snap-lock device by means of which a gripping element of resilient material may be secured on the stud-shaped holding element. Such an athletic shoe is described in German Patent GM 18 88 123 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,054,197.

The shoe described in German GM 18 88 123 provides a stud-shaped fastening element of a cleat, which is usually firmly attached to the sole, e.g., by nailing. A pressure dispersion disk is placed between the cleat and the sole. Additionally, exchangeable caps are slipped onto the cleat and locked into engagement with it in a manner increasing the height of the cleat. Such fastening of the caps is by wedging, for example, by tooth-like projections and associated notches in the outer surface of the cleat, or by a central pin. Additionally, the caps are removable with a suitable tool. This design results in a light-weight, low-cost athletic shoe, wherein the leather cleat is protected and the cleat height can easily be varied.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,054,197 relates to an athletic shoe having a sole into which a riveted fastening member, having an internally threaded bore, is inserted and secured by flanging of the outer edge and simultaneously co-riveting a previously placed pressure dispersion disk. The fastening member, consequently, has to be made of metal. A stud, having a screw shank, is inserted into the interior threaded portion of the holding member. The stud is essentially either of cylindrical shape, having an enlargement at its end, or is of wedge-shaped configuration with an externally increasing radius. This causes the screwed shaft to be weakened in the area of the shoulders, and therefore, presents a greatly increased danger of breakage. The cap forming the actual gripping element is snapped over the stud, whereby the 45 inner wall of the cap is adapted to the outer wall of the stud. Additional disk-like elements which are abrasion resistant can be applied over the cap. Such a cleat assembly has the disadvantage of being costly and the further drawback of the heavy weight of the metal parts, as well as the tendency of the studs to break off easily.

It is the objective of the present invention to provide an athletic shoe sole with exchangeable gripping elements of the foregoing kind, which gripping elements can easily be exchanged in a way that, particularly, prevents a diminished stability of the sole carrying the gripping elements, or damage thereto.

This objective is achieved by the special features of the invention wherein the stud-shaped holding elements have a flange by which they are anchored in the sole with the stud-shaped holding element projecting from the sole at a ground contacting side thereof, wherein the gripping elements are in the form of caps, and wherein the sole is formed with at least one raised area that creates at least one recess coaxially about a respective stud-shaped holding element and into which an open end of a respective gripping element is engaged.

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Accordingly, the invention provides for a permanent securing of the gripping elements to the sole. Threading within the sole, and mounting of a special pressure distribution disk are dispensed with. Locally increasing the thickness of the sole not only avoids weakening thereof, but at the same time permits better anchoring of the caps in the recess thus formed and a firmer seating of the caps on the stud-like holding elements.

These and further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, or purposes of illustration only, several embodiments in accordance with the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a shoe sole having an inserted stud-shaped holding element and a cap mounted thereover;

FIG. 2 is a partial section through the shoe sole having a stud-shaped holding element without a cap being slipped over;

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the shoe sole as illustrated in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of a stud-like holding element formed as an insert member for the sole;

FIGS. 4a and \b are, respectively, views of the encircled detail areas of FIG. 4 on an enlarged scale;

FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view of the stud-shaped holding element of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a partial sectional view of the inventive cap;

FIG. 7 is a bottom plan view of the cap according to FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of the cap of FIG. 6; and

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary view of a cap having a modified recess for an attachment and/or removal tool.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE
PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Numeral 1 designates a shoe sole in FIG. 1, particularly the outsole of a cleated athletic shoe, e.g., football shoe, hockey shoe or baseball shoe. Generally, this outsole is formed of a single piece of injection molded or cast synthetic material, like polyurethane, polyethylene, polyamide, hexamethylenediamine-adipic acid polycondensate or similar material, and extends the entire length of the shoe, including the heel. The heel and sole portions, may however, be two separate parts, in which case, stud-shaped holding elements, described in detail below, and hereinafter referred to as studs, are provided for each part. The studs are distributed in conventional manner. Such distribution, for example, would be determined by considerations of the sole's stress profile and/or required skid resistance of the athletic shoe on the playing field.

Stud 2 has a flange 3 that is firmly molded or cast into outsole 1. So as to ensure good anchoring of flange 3 with the sole material, it is preferably provided with cut-out or undercut configurations 4, for example, in the form of apertures, into which the sole material can flow during molding. Stud 2 projects from outsole 1 at its ground contacting side 5. The preferred shape of the stud is that of a truncated cone, whereby the broader base faces shoe sole 1. The outer surface 6 of stud 2 has a minimum of one, but preferably two spaced apart grooves 7 and 8, which advantageously have the shape of circular annular grooves.