FOOTWEAR ASSEMBLIES WITH ENHANCED TRACTION AND ASSOCIATED METHODS OF USE AND MANUFACTURE

Abstract

A footwear assembly having a dual density outsole with lugs and non-retractable studs in the lugs. Peripheral lugs are spaced apart from the outsole's longitudinal axis and central lugs are disposed adjacent to the longitudinal axis between the peripheral lugs. The peripheral lugs are taller than the central lugs and are made of a denser rubber. The studs embedded in the lugs with a shaft and tip portion exposed. The peripheral lugs having recessed flex grooves circular recesses coaxially aligned with the studs.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This non-provisional patent application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/496,985, titled Footwear Assemblies With Enhanced Traction And Associated Methods Of Use And Manufacture, filed Jun. 14, 2011, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference thereto.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure is directed generally to footwear assemblies with studded outsoles for use on slippery and/or uneven surfaces.

BACKGROUND

Footwear technology has been developed and fine tuned for a wide range of uses. As an example, footwear technology has been developed for providing enhanced traction on ice or other slippery surfaces. One version of this technology is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,634,283 and 6,915,595, both of which are incorporated herein by reference thereto. These patents describe traction technology that includes a retractable stud mounted in the bottom of the footwear. Other traction technology has been developed that provides removable traction devices attachable to boots, athletic shoes, or other footwear. While the prior technology provides some benefits for traction on ice, slippery surfaces, uneven terrain, etc., there is a need for improvements to the conventional technology.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the current invention are directed to footwear assemblies that overcome drawbacks of the prior art and provide other benefits. In one embodiment, footwear assemblies are provided that have outsole assemblies with non-retractable studs mounted in contoured lugs or other protrusions on dual density outsoles.

At least one embodiment provides a footwear assembly having an upper and a bottom component connected to the upper. The bottom component has a dual density outsole with a tread portion having a plurality of lugs and a plurality of non-retractable studs disposed in at least a portion of the lugs. The lugs include peripheral lugs spaced apart from a longitudinal axis of the outsole and a plurality of central lugs disposed at or adjacent to the longitudinal axis and between the peripheral lugs. The peripheral lugs are made of a first rubber material with a first density, and the central lugs are made of a second rubber material with a second rubber with a second density different than the first rubber. The peripheral lugs define a first engagement surface plane and the central lugs define a second engagement surface plane offset from the first engagement surface plane. The studs are at least partially embedded in the lugs with a shaft and tip portion being exposed and project past the first engagement surface plane of the peripheral lugs. The peripheral lugs having flex groove recessed from the first engagement service plane and substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis and about which the peripheral lugs can flex. The peripheral lugs have a circular recess in communication with the flex grooves and substantially coaxially aligned with the studs such that the shaft and tip portions project through the circular recess.

Another embodiment provides a footwear outsole assembly with a dual density outsole comprising a tread portion, a plurality of non-retractable studs having a shaft portion and a tip portion, and a plurality of lugs projecting from the tread portion and supporting the plurality of studs. The lugs comprise peripheral lugs spaced apart from a longitudinal axis of the outsole and a plurality of central lugs disposed adjacent to the longitudinal axis and between the peripheral lugs. The peripheral lugs are made of a first rubber material with a first density, and the central lugs are made of a second rubber material with a second density different than the first density. The peripheral lugs define a first engagement surface plane and the central lugs define a second engagement surface plane recessed relative to the first engagement surface plane. The non-retractable studs are at least partially embedded in the lugs with a shaft and tip portion being exposed and project past the first engagement surface plane of the peripheral lugs. The peripheral lugs having flex groove therein recessed from the first engagement service plane and about which the peripheral lugs can flex. The peripheral lugs have a concave portion recessed relative to the flex grooves and configured with the shaft and tip portions of the studs project through the concave portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view of a footwear assembly configured in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an outsole assembly of the footwear assembly of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged side elevation view of a stud shown removed from the outsole assembly of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional detail view taken substantially at call-out 5 of FIG. 4.

FIGS. 6-8 are plan views of sole assemblies in accordance with alternate embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Footwear assemblies with studded outsoles and associated methods for using and making such assemblies are described in detail herein in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. Certain details are set forth in the following description and in the Figures to provide a thorough and enabling description of various embodiments of the disclosure. Other details describing well-known structures and components often associated with footwear assemblies and methods of forming such assemblies, however, are not set forth below to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the description of various embodiments of the disclosure.

Many of the details, dimensions, angles, relative sizes of components, and/or other features shown in the Figures are merely illustrative of particular embodiments of the disclosure. Accordingly, other embodiments can have other details, dimensions, angles, sizes, and/or features without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. In addition, further embodiments of the disclosure may be practiced without several of the details described below, while still other embodiments of the disclosure may be practiced with additional details and/or features.

FIG. 1 is a side view of a footwear assembly 10 (“assembly 10”) configured in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure. The illustrated assembly 10 is shown as an over shoe, although other embodiments can include other footwear, such as boots, shoes, waders, etc. The footwear assembly 10 includes an upper 12 configured to receive the foot of a wearer, and an outsole assembly 14 attached to the upper 12. The outsole assembly 14 is configured to provide enhanced traction, particularly on rough terrain and/or slippery surfaces, such as ice, snow, or other frozen surfaces. The outsole assembly 14 of the illustrated embodiment includes a tread portion 15 with a plurality of gripping features, such as lugs 16 and non-retractable studs 18 connected to the lugs 16. The lugs 16 and studs 18 are configured to engage the ground 20 or other structure or surface supporting the wearer. As seen in FIG. 1, the outsole assembly 14 is contoured in the heel area 22 and the forefoot area 24 such that some of the lugs 16 and studs 18 may engage the ground 20 when a wearer is standing “flat-footed” on the ground 20, while other lugs 16 and studs 18 may not be in contact with the ground. But, when the wearer walks or moves through a regular walking or running gait cycle, various portions of the tread portion 15 will engage the ground 20 through out the gait cycle, from heel strike through toe-off. The lugs 16 and studs 18 are configured to engage the ground and provide enhanced traction for the wearer during the gait cycle.

The outsole assembly 14 illustrated in FIG. 2 includes a plurality of lateral and medial peripheral lugs 26 disposed on the medial and lateral sides 28 and 30 of the outsole. The outsole assembly 14 also has a plurality of central lugs 32 disposed generally along the outsole's central axis between the peripheral lugs 26. The peripheral and central lugs 26 and 32 can include one or more non-retractable studs 18 therein. In other embodiments, some of the peripheral lugs 26 or the central lugs 32 may not include a stud contained therein. In one embodiment, the stud 18 is a non-retractable stud of the type shown in FIG. 3, which is also described in U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/267,787, filed Dec. 8, 2009, and U.S. Non-Provisional patent application Ser. No. 12/962,380, filed Dec. 7, 2010, both of which are incorporated herein in their entirety by reference thereto.

In the illustrated embodiment, each stud 18 is at least partially embedded in a lug 16, and the stud extends from the outsole to increase or enhance the user's traction on slippery or rough terrain. In certain embodiments, the studs 18 are made from steel, steel alloys, or other suitable materials for traction enhancing studs 18. As described in detail below, each stud 18 is configured to be securely retained in the tread portion 15, and to prevent the stud 18 from loosening or falling out of the outsole assembly 14 over the life of the footwear assembly 10. Moreover, although the illustrated embodiment includes the studs 18 embedded in the lugs 16, in other embodiments the studs 18 can be embedded directly into the outsole without any of the lugs.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged side elevation view of a stud 18 shown removed from the outsole assembly 14 of FIG. 2. The stud 18 of the illustrated embodiment includes a shaft 34 that has an engagement portion 36, a tip 38, and an enlarged head 40 opposite the tip 38. In the illustrated embodiment, the engagement portion 36 is an annular retention ring that provides substantial engagement between the rubber of the outsole and the stud so as to hold the stud in place and to prevent the stud from inadvertently being pulled out of the outsole. The head 40 and at least a portion of the shaft 34 are embedded in the lug 16 or other part of the tread portion 15 (FIG. 2). The shaft 34 has an overall length sufficiently long to expose the tip 38 and/or project the tip 38 from the lug 16. The head 40 acts as an anchor to retain the stud 18 in the lug 16 so that a portion of the non-retractable stud 18 remains firmly embedded in the tread portion 15 during use. More specifically, the head 40 resists movement of the stud 18 in an axial direction generally parallel to the shaft 34. In this manner, the stud 18 will not retract into the lug 16, so the tip 38 remains exposed and in position to securely engage the uneven, rough or slippery terrain or surface.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along line 4-4 of FIG. 2, and the outsole assembly 14 is shown in any substantially flat arrangement for purposes of illustration. FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional detail view taken substantially at call-out 5 of FIG. 4. As seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, the studs 18 are embedded in the peripheral lugs 26 and in the central lugs 32. As shown in FIG. 4, the peripheral lugs 26 are taller than the central lugs 32, such that the central lugs appear to be recessed in the tread portion 15. The peripheral lugs 26 have a first height H1, and have a bottom engagement surface 44 configured to engage the ground 20 (shown in broken lines) or other support surface. The central lugs 32 have a second height H2 that is less than the first height H1, and the central lugs 32 have an engagement surface 46 spaced apart from the plane 48 defined by the engagement surface 44 of the peripheral lugs 26. The engagement surfaces 44 and 46 can be textured surfaces in selected embodiment or smooth surfaces in other embodiments.

The studs 18 are embedded and the peripheral lugs 26 and the central lugs 32 such that the shaft 34 extends past the plane 48 defined by the engagement surface 44 of the peripheral lugs 26. In other words, the tip 38 of each stud 18 extends beyond the end of the lugs 16 and is configured to engage and grip the ground, such as ice or other slippery, penetrable surface during use of the footwear assembly 10. In the illustrated embodiment, the studs 18 are shaped in size so each of the studs in the central and peripheral lugs 32 and 26 extend the same distance past the plane 48, which means that more of the shaft 34 of the stud 18 extends past the engagement surface 46 of the central lug 32 as compared to the amount of exposed shaft from the peripheral lugs 26.

The central lugs 32 of the illustrated embodiment have a selected geometric shape, and the lugs each include four studs 18 embedded therein in a selected pattern. Other embodiments can include central lugs 32 with different shapes or orientation, and the central lugs can include more or less than four studs 18 per lug. The number of studs 18 per lug can vary on the same outsole assembly, and some or all of the central lugs may be void of any studs in alternate embodiments.

The outsole assembly 14 of the illustrated embodiment is a dual compound or dual density outsole that includes a first outsole material with a first density that is different then a second outsole material with a second density. The outsole assembly 14 is configured with a peripheral rubber material 50 (FIG. 2) that makes up the peripheral lugs 26 and generally peripheral portions of the tread 15 on the medial and lateral sides of the outsole around the peripheral lugs. In the illustrated embodiment, this peripheral rubber material 50 is a very durable rubber having a shore hardness of approximately 70+/−3 Shore A. The central lugs 32 and the portions of the tread 15 around the central lugs are made of a different, denser rubber material 52 than that of the peripheral lugs 26. In one embodiment, the central lugs 32 can be made from a rubber having a shore hardness of approximately 80+/−3 Shore A. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, the central rubber material 52 is illustrated as having a clear visual delineation from the peripheral rubber for purposes of illustration, although other embodiments can have substantially no visual delineation between the two materials of different densities and/or hardness. In another embodiment, the outsole can be made of a single, durable rubber or other suitable material for the outsole.

The denser central rubber 52 provides a relatively stiff material that securely holds the studs 18 in the central lugs 32 in a desired orientation so as to provide enhanced traction during use of the footwear assembly 10. The central rubber 52 also provides the benefit of securely holding the stud 18 in place in use considering a larger amount of the shaft 34 extends and is exposed beyond the surface of the central lugs 32. Accordingly, the denser central rubber 52 securely retains the studs 18 and prevents the studs from being torn out or overly deflecting during use of the footwear assembly 10.

As seen in FIG. 2, each peripheral lug 26 includes a flex groove 60 that is recessed relative to the plane 48 defined by the lug's engagement surface 44. The flex grooves 60 of the illustrated embodiment are substantially latterly oriented (i.e., substantially perpendicular to the central axis of the outsole assembly 14). The flex grooves 60 are configured to allow the portions of the individual peripheral lugs 26 on either side of the flex grooves to bend or flex relative to each other, such as during various portions of the gait cycle or when walking on uneven surfaces. In the illustrated embodiment, the stud 18 in the peripheral lug 26 is aligned with the flex groove 60. The stud 18 is also axially aligned with a circular recess 62 in the central area of the peripheral lug 26 that communicates with the flex groove 60. The flex groove 60 and circular recess 62 provides enhanced exposure to the non-retractable stud 18. While the illustrated embodiment shows a flex groove 60 in every peripheral lug 26, some or all of the peripheral lugs 26 in other embodiments may not include the flex groove 60.

As best seen in FIG. 5, the stud's shaft 34 projects through the circular recess 62, such that the tip 38 projects past the plane 48 of the lug's engagement surface 44. This configuration of the peripheral lug 26 allows the less dense rubber material to partially flex and allow the stud 18 to partially deflect relative to lug. This flex of the lug 26 and partial deflection of the stud 18 can occur when, as an example, a wearer steps on a hard surface, such as cement or the like, into which the tip 38 of the stud 18 may not penetrate. Accordingly, portions of the lug's engagement surface 44 may contact the ground so as to provide the frictional engagement and effective traction of the tread 15 while walking on a hard surface. When the user steps on ice, snow, or other frozen or slippery surfaces, the tip 38 of the stud 18 can penetrate into the ground surface such that the studs 18 and the surface of the lugs can engage the ground surface to provide improved traction. As a result, the footwear assembly 10 provides enhanced and improved traction for the wearer in a wide range of conditions without requiring retraction of the studs 18.

As indicated above, the outsole assembly 14 is a contoured, partially curved structure that facilitates a smooth gait cycle. Accordingly, different portions of the outsole assembly 14 will engage the ground 20 at different times throughout the gait cycle. The dual density rubber materials 50 and 52 in conjunction with the non-retractable studs 18, at least some of which may partially deflect in some conditions, allow rubber-to-ground contact so as to provide improved traction and ground engagement.

As seen in FIG. 2, outsole assembly 14 also includes a toe lug 66 in the forefoot area 24 and a heel lug 68 in the heel area 22. In the illustrated embodiment, each of the toe and heel lugs 66 and 68 include one or more studs 18 partially embedded therein. The toe and/or heel lugs 66 and 68 can be textured or smooth lugs. The toe lug 66 and the heel lug 68 in the illustrated embodiment each contains two non-retractable studs 18, such that the outsole has a non-retractable stud arrangement in the toe and heel areas.

The outsole assembly 14 of the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-5 is one embodiment. FIGS. 6-8 are bottom plan views of sole assemblies in accordance with alternate embodiments that have different lug arrangements and or tread patterns with non-retractable studs in accordance with aspects of the present inventions. Other embodiments can include other tread patterns.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration, but that various modifications may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the invention. Further, while various advantages associated with certain embodiments of the disclosure have been described above in the context of those embodiments, other embodiments may also exhibit such advantages, and not all embodiments need necessarily exhibit such advantages to fall within the scope of the disclosure.

Claims

1. A footwear assembly, comprising:

An upper; and

A bottom component connected to the upper, the bottom component having a dual density outsole, the dual density outsole comprising a tread portion having a plurality of lugs and a plurality of non-retractable studs disposed in at least a portion of the lugs, the plurality of lugs comprising peripheral lugs spaced apart from a longitudinal axis of the outsole and a plurality of central lugs disposed at or adjacent to the longitudinal axis and between the peripheral lugs, the peripheral lugs being made of a first rubber material with a first density and the central lugs being made of a second rubber material with a second rubber with a second density different than the first rubber, the peripheral lugs define a first engagement surface plane and the central lugs define a second engagement surface plane offset from the first engagement surface plane, the studs are at least partially embedded in the lugs with a shaft and tip portion being exposed and project past the first engagement surface plane of the peripheral lugs; the peripheral lugs having flex groove therein recessed from the first engagement service plane and substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis and about which the peripheral lugs can flex, the peripheral lugs having a circular recess in communication with the flex grooves and substantially coaxially aligned with the studs such that the shaft and tip portions project through the circular recess.

2. A footwear outsole assembly with a dual density outsole, comprising:

A tread portion;

A plurality of non-retractable studs having a shaft portion and a tip portion; and

A plurality of lugs projecting from the tread portion and supporting the plurality of studs, the bottom component connected to the upper, the lugs comprising peripheral lugs spaced apart from a longitudinal axis of the outsole and a plurality of central lugs disposed adjacent to the longitudinal axis and between the peripheral lugs, the peripheral lugs being made of a first rubber material with a first density and the central lugs being made of a second rubber material with a second density different than the first density, the peripheral lugs define a first engagement surface plane and the central lugs define a second engagement surface plane recessed relative to the first engagement surface plane, the non-retractable studs being at least partially embedded in the lugs with a shaft and tip portion being exposed and project past the first engagement surface plane of the peripheral lugs, the peripheral lugs having flex groove therein recessed from the first engagement service plane and about which the peripheral lugs can flex, the peripheral lugs having a concave portion recessed relative to the flex grooves and configured with the shaft and tip portions of the studs project through the concave portion.