AU1672301A - Footware for sporting equipment - Google Patents

Description

P/00/011 Regulation 3.2 COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT Name of Applicant: GRIPLOCK PTY LTD Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: AHEARN FOX Patent Trade Mark GPO Box 1149 Brisbane Queensland Attorneys 4001 Invention Title: "FOOTWEAR

EQUIPMENT"

FOR SPORTING The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: -1- FOOTWEAR FOR SPORTING EOUIPMENT This invention relates to footwear for sporting equipment and in particular to an article of footwear adapted for connection to sports equipment such as skateboards and surfboards.

Our international patent application No. PCT/AU97/00375 describes binding apparatus for use particularly with a skateboard, the binding apparatus including an article of footwear having a recess in the sole which is adapted to receive therein a knob or other protuberance fixed to the skateboard for releasably securing the skateboard to the article of footwear.

One advantage of that invention is that it provides the skateboard rider with the opportunity to perform more and better skateboarding tricks and feats while at the same time allowing him to release himself from the skateboard if necessary or desirable. The aforementioned international application describes a simple form of footwear with a recess as part of that invention. The present invention is aimed at providing an improved article of footwear with a recess in the sole for the same purpose which provides more wearer comfort and is more stable and more resistant to failure.

**With the foregoing in view, this invention in one aspect resides broadly in an article of footwear including: a moulded outer sole having a tread portion with an arch region and a ball region and preferably a heel region and a toe region, each region corresponding in position to the respective corresponding regions of a wearers foot, and an opening in the ball region of the tread portion, the opening being bounded by a first wall portion extending upwardly from the upper face of the tread portion and the inner face of the first wall portion defining a passage through the outer sole; a mounting block having a support plate and a second wall portion depending from the support plate defining a recess or passage with a lower opening defined by a lip formed within the second wall portion providing an entry to said recess or passage, the support plate being supported by said first wall portion and said second wall portion being located in the passage through -2said outer sole. Various forms of upper may be fixed to the moulded outer sole depending on the application but in one heavy duty form intended for use with a skateboard, the upper is constructed substantially of leather and synthetic material in a manner similar to that of basket ball boots.

In another aspect the invention resides broadly in a moulded outer sole for footwear including: a tread portion having an arch region and a ball region and preferably a heel region and a toe region, each region corresponding in position to the respective corresponding regions of a wearers foot, an opening in the ball region of the tread portion, the opening being bounded by a first wall portion extending upwardly from the upper face of the tread portion and the inner face of the first wall portion defining a passage through the outer sole.

Terms such as "upper", "lower","front","rear", "underside", "inner" and "outer" are used herein for the purpose of description and illustration of the invention by reference to the normal disposition of the article of footwear on the foot of a person standing, and are not intended to limit the use of the footwear to any particular disposition.

The shape and thickness of the first wall portion determines, at least in part, the stiffness of the first wall portion, but preferably the wall portion is constructed of a harder material than the tread portion, for example a higher durometer rubber in order to provide extra support for the mounting block and limit deformation of the ball region. It is also preferred that the first wall portion be supported by a plurality of ribs extending upwardly from the upper face of the tread portion in and connected to the first wall portion. In a more preferred form the ribs are restricted to the ball region thereby allowing room for the addition of cushioning material such as foam in the toe, arch and heel regions. In one embodiment of the invention, the outer sole includes side walls to which a boot or shoe upper can be fixed and the supporting ribs extend across the outer sole and connect with the side walls, two of the ribs respectively separating the toe region and the arch region from the ball region, and the upper edges of the ribs and the first wall portion being contiguous and providing a support platform for the mounting block at a level above the upper face of the tread portion. It will be appreciated that the recess in the mounting block is intended to receive therein a complementary protuberance on a skateboard or the like in the manner described in our aforementioned international application, and with this in mind, the first wall portion and any associated ribbing or the like is intended to support the mounting block for this purpose.

In order to more fully understand the present invention, reference may be made to the aforementioned international application and that application is incorporated herein by way of reference to the extent necessary to obtain a clear understanding of the invention.

Preferably, the inner face of the first wall portion tapers inwards towards the underside of the tread portion to form a passage of frustoconical form while the outer face of the second wall portion has a corresponding taper so that it engages tightly within the passage through the outer sole and relative movement between the mounting block and the outer sole is substantially 20 prevented while at the same time providing a watertight seal.

Preferably, the first wall portion in the molded outer sole coooo has a plurality of recesses or bores provided therein and the mounting block includes a plurality of complementary integrally omoulded pins depending from the underside of the support plate 25 and adapted to engage in the recesses or bores to provide additional sideways support for the mounting block.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig.1 is a pictorial representation of a shoe according to the present invention shown in-line for attachment to a skateboard in the manner described in our international patent application No. PCT/AU97/00375; Fig.2 is a pictorial representation of the outer sole of the shoe illustrated in Fig.l; Fig.3 is a plan-view of the outer sole of Fig.2; -4- Fig.4. is a sectional side elevation of the outer sole of Fig.2 along line 4-4; is a pictorial representation of the mounting block of the shoe of Fig.l; is a pictorial representation of a cap for the mounting block of Fig.6 is a pictorial representation of the outer sole of Fig.2 with the mounting block of Fig.5a fitted thereto; Fig.7 is a plan view of the combined outer sole and mounting block of Fig.6; and Fig.8 is a sectional side elevation of the combined outer sole and mounting block of Fig.7 along line 8-8.

Fig.9 is another pictorial representation of an outer sole which is identical with the sole of Fig.2, shown again in order to illustrate use of an alternative mounting block; Fig.10 is a pictorial representation from above of an alternative mounting block shown in line for assembly with the outer sole of Fig. 9; Fig.11 is a pictorial representation of the alternative mounting block of Fig. 10 from below for use with the outer sole "20 of Fig. 9; Fig.12 is a plan view of the mounting block of Fig.13 is a sectional elevation of the mounting block of along line 13-13; Fig. 14 is a plan-view of the outer sole of Fig.9 with the mounting block of Fig.10 fitted thereto; and is a sectional side elevation of the outer sole and mounting block assembled as shown in Fig.14 along line S The skateboard shoe 10 illustrated in Fig.l is similar to a basketball boot in form and has a moulded outer sole 11 and a combination synthetic and leather upper 12 fixed thereto. A mounting block 13 is fitted to the outer sole and provides a means of attaching the shoe to a skateboard 17 as will be described later.

The outer sole 11 has a tread portion 21 with a heel region 22, an arch region 23, a ball region 24 and a toe region 25, each region corresponding in position to the respective corresponding regions of a wearer's foot, and a side wall 26 extending upwardly from the tread portion about its perimeter. An opening 27 is provided in the ball region of the tread portion towards the inner part 28 of the side wall beneath the main load carrying part of the wearer's foot. The opening is bounded by an annular wall portion 30 which extends upwardly from the inner face of the tread portion and terminates in an annular face 31 which is slightly concave and at a level above the upper face of the tread portion in the adjacent arch and toe regions. A plurality of ribs shown typically at 32 extend radially from the annular wall and connect to the inner and outer side walls 28 and 29 of the outer sole while concentrically running ribs shown typically as 33 intersect the radially extending ribs. Two further ribs 34 and extend across the outer sole from side to side and are approximately tangential to the outer face of the annular wall, the rib 34 separating the ball region from the arch region and the rib 35, the toe region from the ball region. It will be seen that the ribs form a webbed structure for supporting the mounting block 13 thereon. A plurality of blind bores 36 are provided in 20 the annular wall extending from the upper annular face 31 towards the tread portion for decreasing the weight of the outer sole in that area and for providing increased vertical cushioning for the wearer's foot while the inner face 37 of the annular wall portion tapers inwardly towards the underside of the tread portion for a purpose which will become clearer later. The blind bores have another purpose also which will be described later.

The mounting block 13 has a support plate portion 41 and a skirt portion 42 depending therefrom, the skirt portion defining a recess therein with a lower opening 43 defined by a lip 44 extending about the inner face of the skirt. The lip is adapted to engage with complementary securing tongues 19 on a knob 18 mounted on the skateboard for retaining the knob in the recess and thus connecting the skateboard to the shoe. The outer face of the skirt tapers inwardly away from the support plate and is complementary in form to the taper of the inner face 37 of the annular wall 30, so that it forms a tight fit therein for support -6and water-proofing purposes. As seen in Fig.2, the ribs 32 to are slightly relieved at shoulder 45 around the annular wall to provide a recessed area adapted to accommodate the support plate 41 therein whereby the upper face of the support plate will be approximately level with the upper faces of the ribs outside the mounting block. It will also be seen that a recess 46 is provided in the support plate 41 above the skirt and is adapted to receive therein the cover plate 47 shown in As more clearly shown in Fig.4, the tangential ribs 34 and together with the inner and outer walls 28 and 29 form recessed regions adapted to accommodate foam rubber mid-sole supports in the toe, arch and heel regions. The foam rubber supports (not shown) are shaped to fill the recesses up to the height line 48 on the side wall 26 which is slightly above the height of the ribs and a thin piece of foam rubber (not shown) is placed above the mounting block to provide a limited amount of cushioning for the ball of the foot and to overlay any imperfections in the mounting block or the ribs.

The mounting block 113 shown in Fig.10 is the same as that of Fig.5a except that it has six integrally moulded pins 149 20 depending from the support plate portion 143 and accordingly corresponding numbers are used to reference corresponding parts but prefaced by a The pins are adapted to be tightly received in the blind bores 36 of the outer sole as more clearly S shown in Fig.15, thereby creating a more secure physical bond 25 between the mounting block 113 and the outer sole than the mounting block 13. While the pins and the blind bores in this 0 0embodiment are circular in cross section, it will be appreciated that other shapes may be satisfactory and furthermore, a greater or lesser number of pins may also provide satisfactory physical 30 bonding.

The tread portion in the ball region is formed of rubber having a higher durometer than the rubber in the arch and toe regions and channels extend across the tread portion below and approximately in line with the tangentially extending ribs 34 and 35 to allow flexing of the arch region and the toe region relative to the ball region for wearer comfort.

-7- As more clearly shown in Figs.4 and 8, the opening in the tread portion has a chamfer at its entry at about 30 degrees to the underside of the tread portion. It is believed that this angle of chamfer will reduce wear of the tread portion in this region.

In use, a skateboard rider can use the shoes in the same manner described in the aforementioned international application.

While the foregoing description has been given by way of illustrative example of the invention, all modifications and variations thereto as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of this invention as defined in the appended claims.

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Claims (13)

1. An article of footwear including: a moulded outer sole having a tread portion with an arch region and a ball region, each region corresponding in position to the respective corresponding regions of a wearers foot, and an opening in the ball region of the tread portion, the opening being bounded by a first wall portion extending upwardly from the upper face of the tread portion and the inner face of the first wall portion defining a passage through the outer sole; a mounting block having a support plate and a second wall portion depending from the support plate defining a recess or passage with a lower opening defined by a lip formed within the second wall portion providing an entry to said recess or passage, the support plate being supported by said first wall portion and said second wall portion being located in the passage through said outer sole.

2. A moulded outer sole for footwear including: a tread portion having an arch region, each region corresponding in position to the respective corresponding regions .20 of a wearers foot, an opening in the ball region of the tread portion, the o. pening being bounded by a first wall portion extending upwardly from the upper face of the tread portion and the inner face of S the first wall portion defining a passage through the outer sole.

3. An outer sole according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 having a heel region and a toe region corresponding in position to the respective corresponding regions of a wearers foot.

4. An outer sole according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the wall portion is constructed of a harder material than the tread portion.

An outer sole according to Claim 4, wherein the wall portion is constructed of a higher durometer rubber than the tread portion.

6. An outer sole according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first wall portion is supported by a plurality of ribs extending upwardly from the upper face of the tread portion and connected to the first wall portion.

7. An outer sole according to Claim 6, wherein the ribs are restricted to the ball region.

8. An outer sole according to Claim 7, wherein the outer sole includes side walls to which a boot or shoe upper can be fixed and the supporting ribs extend across the outer sole and connect with the side walls.

9. An outer sole according to Claim 8, wherein two of the ribs respectively separate the toe region and the arch region from the ball region, and the upper edges of the ribs and the first wall portion are contiguous and provide a support platform for the mounting block at a level above the upper face of the tread portion.

10. An outer sole according to any one of the preceding claims wherein, the inner face of the first wall portion tapers inwards towards the underside of the tread portion to form a passage of frustoconical form while the outer face of the second wall *25 portion has a corresponding taper whereby engagement of the inner face and the outer face prevents relative movement between the mounting block and the outer sole. ee..

11. An outer sole according to Claim 10, wherein engagement of 30 the inner face and the outer face creates a watertight seal.

12. An outer sole according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first wall portion in the molded outer sole has a plurality of recesses or bores provided therein and the mounting block includes a plurality of complementary integrally moulded pins depending from the underside of the support plate and adapted to engage in the recesses or bores to provide sideways support for the mounting block.

13. An outer sole according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the recess in the mounting block is adapted to receive therein a complementary protuberance on a skateboard. Dated this 3 0 t h day of January 2001 GRIPLOCK PTY LTD By their patent attorneys AHEARN FOX *o o* o. 0 0