Boots – shoes – and leggings – Boots and shoes – Occupational or athletic shoe
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-13
2002-03-19
Kavanaugh, Ted (Department: 3728)
Boots, shoes, and leggings
Boots and shoes
Occupational or athletic shoe
C036S134000, C036S06700D
Reexamination Certificate
active
06357146
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention concerns sports footwear with studded soles, such as football boots, rugby boots and hockey boots, and particularly relates to novel kinds and arrangements of studs for these.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Conventionally studs are cylindrical or frustoconical projections from the sole. Recently-available designs have non-circular studs in the form of straight or curved fins, or triangles. These are designed to be visually distinctive; they may also affect ground penetration and grip.
Studs may be moulded integrally with a plastic sole unit. It is also known for circular or triangular studs to be fixed detachably by threaded bolts which screw into threaded sockets embedded in the sole. In the latter case the stud body generally has a polygonal portion or other flats for engagement by a spanner.
See e.g. US-A-4590693 and EP-A-815759.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
We now disclose new and useful developments in this field as regards the shape and mounting of studs.
Our first proposal relates to studs shaped with non-circular symmetry. We have found that such studs can be designed to tailor the grip properties of the footwear in different directions of foot action, and that the behaviour of a ground surface penetrated by a stud is to some extent fluid, depending on how wet it is, making the horizontally-directed fluid dynamic profile of the stud a significant factor in its behaviour.
Thus the first set of proposals relates to the shape of studs.
For convenience in describing directional studs we shall use the term “drive line” which is a median line (radial, for a rotationally-fastened stud) in the direction of the stud's maximum flow resistance.
A stud will naturally project the same area in opposite directions along the drive line, but directional properties can be achieved by adjusting the angular presentation of the stud surface relative to the drive line in these two directions. In general terms we propose a directional stud which has one or more relatively abrupt faces presenting a first resistance to movement of the stud in a first radial direction through a flowable ground material at the drive side, facing along the drive line, and a relatively inclined or convergent face or faces on the other side which can be termed the compliant side presenting a second resistance to movement of the stud directed radially oppositely to the first radial direction.
An abrupt face desirably extends substantially parallel to the stud axis, preferably within 10 degrees of parallel, and transverse to the drive line. Preferably it is substantially flat; alternatively it may be recessed relative to its own border (i.e. concave). Desirably such abrupt face accounts for at least 40% or preferably at least 50 or 60% of the total stud area projected along the drive direction in situ.
The compliant side has more inclined face than the drive side to reduce its relative flow resistance. Consequently, the first resistance of the abrupt drive face is greater than the second resistance of the compliant side. Preferably the inclined face is provided as flank regions which diverge in the drive direction towards shoulders where they meet the drive side. The inclined face is preferably inclined to the stud axis, i.e. axially convergent, by at least 30 degrees or 40 degrees. Preferably inclined face is divergent from the drive line by not more than
60
degrees, preferably not more than 50 degrees. Such surface may be flat, or more preferably concave as discussed further below. Preferably it is generally smooth to improve flow.
Desirably such inclined face accounts for at least 50% or preferably at least 60% or 70%, of the total stud area projected along the reverse of the drive direction in situ. Indeed, inclined face having one or both of axial convergence and plan divergence may account for upwards of 80% of that area.
Preferably divergent flank regions on the compliant side lead to shoulders of the abrupt face on the drive side. For a combination of ground penetration with suitable face inclination it is preferred that the flank regions and the shoulders, preferably also a median ridge where the flank regions meet, are axially convergent as specified above. Any one and preferably all of these axially convergent features is/are desirably also concave in axial section. This keeps down the ratio of the radial cross-sectional area relative to the penetrant area of drive face at a given depth.
Providing axial convergences and face inclinations relative to the direction transverse to the drive line enables the stud to become relatively compliant in that direction too. This lateral compliance can help to reduce leg injuries associated with undesirable stud resistance to sideways and twisting movements of the foot. For football, a forward inclination of the stud also reduces difficulties in getting the toe down under the ball for kicking.
A particularly preferred form of stud has a shaped stud body, preferably a plastics moulding, penetrated by an axial securing bolt whose drive head is exposed at the top of the stud and whose threaded end projects below a base plane of the stud. The stud body has a generally flat drive face on the drive side, substantially perpendicular to the horizontal drive line. The flat drive face is bordered at the sides by lateral shoulders which converge towards the top of the stud body, preferably at least 30 degrees relative to the axial direction overall from the base to the top of the stud body, and which preferably are concave. On the compliant side the stud has divergent flank faces diverging from a median ridge at their meeting to the respective shoulders, and which converge axially towards the top of the stud body as does the median ridge. Convergence to the top of the body is preferably at least 40 degrees (overall from top to bottom) relative to the axial direction. Preferably the median ridge and most preferably also the flank faces are concave at least in axial planes and, for the faces, also in radial planes.
A second independent aspect of our proposal relates to studs releasably securable to the sole by engagement of a rotational fastener portion of the stud with a complementary rotational fastener portion of the sole, e.g. screw-threaded portions. In addition to its fastener portion the foot of the stud has a stud alignment formation, extending off-axis and engageable to overlap axially with an alignment formation of the sole to hold a predetermined rotational orientation of the stud relative to the sole when securing the stud.
Preferably the rotational fastener portion of the stud is rotatable relative to the stud's alignment formation. The fastener components can then be rotated to a secure or tight condition after the stud is locked at the desired orientation. For this purpose an axial freedom of movement of the stud's fastener portion relative to the alignment portion is also desirable, making it easier to move the alignment portion into engagement after initially engaging the fastener, or vice versa.
The stud's fastener portion is conveniently an axial bolt, e.g. a threaded bolt, projecting below the foot of the stud body. The stud's fastener portion may be a discrete component housed in a stud body component, e.g. a metal fastener housed in a moulded plastics stud body since this corresponds closely to familiar constructions. A drive head for the fastener portion of engagement by a fastening tool, e.g. a hexagonal or other polygonal head, may project from or be exposed at the top of the stud body.
The alignment formations may be chosen from a wide range of possibilities, provided that when engaged (with an axial overlap) they prevent rotation of the stud in at least one and preferably both rotational senses. However we note a number of criteria leading to preferred constructions. For ease of manufacture and durability, the alignment formations on the stud and/or sole are desirably fixed, integral formations e.g. moulded in one piece. There may be for example one or more localised projections or lugs on one comp
Mitchell Jennifer Karen
Wordsworth Elliot David
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld L.L.P.
Kavanaugh Ted
Mitre Sports International Limited
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