HK1031181B - Shoe cleats - Google Patents

Description

Shoe wedge

The present invention relates to improvements in and relating to the location of shoe cleats (heel cleads) in soles of shoes.

When fitting a shoe cleat to the sole of, for example, a golf shoe, it is known to do so by means of a threaded spigot on the cleat, which spigot ultimately mates with a correspondingly threaded socket in the sole. Such receptacles are typically provided by a stand-alone form that may be incorporated into a molded sole or may be configured on a composite sole structure that includes leather, EVA, or other sheet material that forms an outsole. Typically, such cleats can be unscrewed for replacement when they are excessively worn or damaged.

Cleats configured in the manner described above may have ground-piercing pegs or spikes (as described in GB- ｃA-2028102) or other forms of ground-engaging members (as described in EP- ｃA-034232) projecting from the underside of ｃA disc-like flange body.

Most shoe cleats in the form of threads utilize a single start thread rather than a multiple start thread. In addition to being the simplest thread form, a single start thread is advantageous over a multiple start thread in that it provides greater resistance to unscrewing when the shoe cleat has been tightly inserted into the receptacle. But can benefit from the use of multiple start threads when it is desired to insert by hand and assemble by a fully automated factory. In particular, the steeper helix angle of the multi-start thread allows a spigot of any given length to be inserted into the socket more quickly with less rotation. In addition, a multiple start thread, when started from any orientation, can reduce the amount of rotation that is required on average when engaging threads. Furthermore, a shorter plug length is allowed because the multiple start thread cut also has greater shear strength than the single start thread.

There is a current trend to use ground engaging pieces of softer plastic. The life of such shoe cleats is significantly short. The golfer then needs to replace the shoe cleats more frequently. Meanwhile, golfers generally have different sets of shoe cleats to adapt to different conditions in order to change the shoe cleats according to the result of judgment on the situation of the course before playing. If a single-start thread system is used, the replacement of the toebolt can be a time-consuming and laborious task, since the corresponding shoe cleat needs to be rotated many times when removed and inserted. This is often a manual task that prevents many golfers from often being able to change their cleats as desired.

As a labor for overcoming the problem of the conventional single-start threaded joint that requires multiple rotations for insertion and removal, the use of a bayonet type joint has been proposed; by means of the bayonet-type coupling, the shoe cleat can be connected or disconnected with respect to its holder with only a small amount of rotation. In practice, however, this combination of quick connections has not proved entirely satisfactory. The load first applied to unscrew the cleat from its holder in use is significant. While threaded joints provide a large and well-distributed area of load-bearing contact between the components of interest, bayonet-type joints rely on few points at which the entire load must be carried, and thus can be severely damaged (e.g., involving shearing of the bayonet pins). When such damage occurs, it is not easy to remove the damaged shoe cleat if not all of it is damaged and the cleat is lost. Secondly, although the shoe cleat may be designed to slide in and out directly relative to its seat, in practice the passage of the shoe cleat may be impeded, either by deformation of the components or by the intrusion of dust, impairing the operation of the system.

For the above reasons, it is attractive to use a multiple start thread. An example of the use of a multi-start thread form is described in the specification of WO91/04685, which describes a double start thread.

To ensure that the shoe cleat does not unscrew by accident (whether a single or multiple start thread is used), various forms of locking ratchets have been proposed, many of which only act at the end of the insertion of the spigot into the socket. For example, one commonly proposed device uses sets of intermeshing teeth in a relatively annular array perpendicular to the screw axis surface. This arrangement allows little room for variation in the depth of the interengaging teeth, and thus correspondingly little room for variation in the depth of insertion of the plug into the socket when the locking ratchet is properly engaged. This depth variation can be important when the receptacle is provided in a composite shoe sole, since it is generally not possible to maintain the outer surface of the outer sole in a precisely flat plane relative to the receptacle during the manufacturing process.

Another form of locking ratchet that can be used to overcome the above difficulties is described in U.S. patent No. 5036606. In the arrangement described, a ring of radially projecting teeth on one part are arranged to engage axially extending splines arranged in a ring around the other part, the teeth overlying the splines (entering the spaces between the splines) as the two parts are rotated relative to each other on insertion of the plug into the socket. The axial dimension of the gullets is such that they mate with the teeth throughout the depth of insertion of the plug into the receptacle. The applicant has found that in this arrangement the teeth and/or gullets can become severely worn, rendering the entire system ineffective after several insertions or removals.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved shoe cleat and holder assembly that provides effective locking over the depth of insertion of a plug into a receptacle.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a shoe cleat and holder combination, wherein the threaded spigot of one of the two parts is arranged to be inserted into the threaded socket of the other part with rotation to secure the two parts together, and wherein the locking means of the two parts is arranged to be integral when the spigot is inserted into the socket to resist subsequent unscrewing of the combination, the locking means comprising a ring of posts extending axially from one of the two parts and a ring of teeth projecting radially on the other part, the rings being coaxial with the screw axis, and wherein, during at least a later stage of insertion of the spigot into the socket, when the rings are rotated relative to each other, the engagement of the teeth with the posts causes the posts to deflect resiliently to engage the teeth between the posts, causing the locking means to engage with each other.

The axial dimensions of these posts ensure that locking can be achieved over the depth of insertion, while the posts together with the teeth form an effective locking means, while wear is minimized by the resilience of the posts.

The number of teeth may be an integer multiple of the number of posts. This integer may be 1 so that the number of teeth is the same as the number of posts.

The plug may be provided on the cleat and the socket on the holder, as is often the case, but the reverse arrangement may be used.

Furthermore, the ring of posts is preferably provided on the stud and the ring of teeth is preferably provided on the mounting. More preferably, the teeth project from the cylindrical outer surface of a sleeve (forming a threaded socket) of the mounting and are intended to be received, in use, between the ring of posts, the sleeve being received in an annular well formed between the spigot and the posts.

The shaft preferably has a radially inner surface facing the ring of teeth in its convex configuration so that the teeth pass smoothly over the surface of the column between their engagement portions in the recesses formed in the spaces of the spaced columns. The peripheral termination of this post surface may have different profiles to provide different resistance to movement of the teeth through the post as they are tightened and loosened. The profile is preferably designed so that the resistance to tightening is less than the resistance to unscrewing. This facilitates insertion and helps to ensure that the cleat does not release by mistake. The columns may be arranged in pairs, with each pair having a common base or with each column being independent.

The threads of the spigot and socket may be multi-start (preferably 3-start) threads, which allows for quick and efficient assembly of the shoe cleat and holder in the form of a stud. The number of posts in the turn is preferably an integer multiple of the number of thread starts, for example there may be 6, 9 or 12 posts for a 3-start thread.

The profile of the radially inner surface of the post forms the subject of a further aspect of the invention.

According to a second aspect of the invention, a shoe cleat has a threaded spigot for rotatable insertion into a socket in a holder and a ring of axially extending posts engageable with teeth in the holder, each post having a radially inner surface with a curved profile having a central convex region and first and second peripheral terminal ends, the first and second terminal ends having different profiles.

The different profiles of the first and second peripheral terminals means that the posts provide different resistance to movement past their teeth during insertion and removal of the cleat relative to the mount.

The terminal end is preferably contoured so that the post provides less resistance to the teeth when the cleat is inserted than when the cleat is removed. The peripheral terminal end, which is the leading end upon insertion, may have a concave profile facing the teeth to facilitate passage of the teeth. The other peripheral termination, i.e. the leading end when removed, then preferably has a convex profile towards the teeth to help resist unscrewing when not required.

If the cleats are made of different materials, the frictional and elastic properties of the posts will also be different. The profile of the peripheral termination may be varied to ensure that each cleat, regardless of the material from which it is made, requires approximately the same force to be applied during insertion and removal.

As in the first aspect of the invention, the posts may be independent or may be arranged in pairs with each pair having a common base. The thread of the spigot is preferably a multiple start thread, more preferably a 3 start thread.

Reference will now be made in detail to the accompanying drawings of shoe cleat and socket forming components in the form of engageable studs, which components illustrate by way of example various aspects of the invention in terms of their structure and manner of cooperating with one another. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of a stud-form shoe cleat;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the stud;

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of a mount (receptacle forming member);

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the mount;

FIG. 5 is like FIG. 2 and shows a portion of another embodiment.

A cleat in the form of a stud suitable for use on a golf shoe has a disc-shaped flange 10. A threaded spigot 12 projects from the upper side of the flange and a grounded spike 14 projects from the lower side of the flange, the spigot and spike being centrally located in the flange. Both the flange and the spigot are moulded from a plastics unit, and the spike is formed by a metal pin passing axially through the moulding and is secured in the moulding by riveting.

The stud is arranged to be mounted to the sole or heel of a golf shoe by means of a mounting (figures 3 and 4) in the form of a socket forming mounting. The mount includes a bushing 16 having a threaded socket bore 18, the bore of which is closed at an upper end 20. Around the bushing 16 there is a flange 22 having a plurality of holes 24 formed therein. In use, the mounting is fitted into the moulded or composite outsole (or heel) of a golf shoe, revealing its threaded aperture 18 for receiving the complementary threaded spigot 12 of the stud to secure the stud to the shoe. This mount is formed as a unitary moulding of plastic.

Such stud and mount combinations heretofore described are well known in the art.

In the present invention, the complementary threads of the stud and mount are 3-start threads, providing a steeper helix angle, allowing the stud to be inserted into the mount with minimal rotation. In order to secure the stud when screwed into the seat frame, locking devices are used which have a low frictional resistance when unscrewed due to the steepness of the thread. The locking means comprises a ring of axially extending teeth 26 formed around the outside of the saddle bushing 16 and engaging the inner surface of a ring 28 on the stud when the bushing is inserted into the ring.

As shown in fig. 3 and 4, the teeth 26 project radially outwardly from the cylindrical outer surface 30 of the bushing 16 in the form of stubby ribs extending in a direction parallel to the axis of the bushing 16, the ribs being generally triangular in cross-section but having rounded apex angles. These ribs are uniformly distributed coaxially around the axis of the bushing, with a total of 12 ribs at 30 ° intervals.

The collar 28 (fig. 1 and 2) of the stud extends axially from the flange 10 and has a height which is approximately half the height of the coaxial surrounding threaded spigot 12. An annular well 32 is formed between plug 12 and ring 28 for receiving liner 16. Ring 28 comprises a ring of 12 separate segments forming individual posts 34 evenly spaced at 30 intervals about the axis of the stud, which posts are separated by slots 36. The radially outer surface 38 of post 34 constitutes the cylindrical outer surface of ring 28. The radially inner surface 40 of post 34 (facing teeth 26 in the assembled assembly) is slightly convex in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the stud (fig. 2) so that the inner surface of ring 28 interrupted by slots 36 undulates in a circumferential direction about the axis of the stud.

The radial projection distance of the teeth 26 from the seat frame axis is substantially equal to such distance of the inner surface of the post 34 at a peripheral location immediately adjacent the slot 36. That is, except when the teeth 26 of the carrier are radially aligned with the slots 36 of the ring, there is radial interference between the teeth and the post which causes frictional resistance to relative rotation of these components. The rotation of the stud relative to the seat frame is then progressively hindered by the engagement of the tooth 26 with the successive post 34. Thus, the stud is either fully inserted into the housing or only partially inserted (provided that the degree of insertion is such that the teeth and post engage one another).

Teeth 26 are substantially incompressible and are reliably placed under the influence of the resilient deflection of independent post 34 to allow teeth 26 to pass easily through the post upon relative rotation of the two parts. The convex surface profile of the post 34 allows the teeth 26 to smoothly pass over the surface of the post between their engagement in the recesses formed in the free spaces of each spaced post. The posts 34 are less prone to deflection as the spigot 12 is screwed into the socket, thereby adding resistance to the teeth passing over them (as the teeth approach the base of the posts at the flange 10). This resistance can be used to prevent the risk of over-tightening the stud into the seat frame. When the plug is rotated through 120 relative to the receptacle, the stud is fully inserted into the housing after initial interengagement of the plug and receptacle threads. In this position, the teeth 26 of the seat frame are opposed by the slots between the posts of the stud ring.

The locking stud 34 on the stud is substantially deformed outwardly as it passes over the locking teeth 26 on the mounting and returns when engaged with the grooves between the teeth. This substantial movement is independent of the thread clearance and thus independent of the thread geometry, allowing the two components of the thread assembly to be tightly coupled such that the two mating components are strong when combined, resistant to disassembly, and easy to position.

Fig. 5 shows another embodiment of upper stud ring 28, with corresponding parts being given corresponding reference numerals. Unlike the split column 34, the columns 42 in fig. 5 are in pairs, each pair sharing the same base 44. The radially inner surface 40 of each post 42 is also different. The peripheral terminations of these surfaces, while still generally convex toward the teeth, are not mirror symmetric. In contrast, the inner surface 40 includes: a central convex zone 46, a first peripheral terminal end 48 having a concave profile towards the teeth, a second peripheral terminal end 50 having a convex profile towards the teeth. The first end 48 is the leading end and the second end 50 is the trailing end when the stud is inserted into the mounting, and vice versa when the stud is removed from the mounting. The concave profile of the first terminal end 48 provides less resistance to the tooth during insertion of the stud, while the convex profile of the second terminal end 50 provides greater resistance to the tooth during removal of the stud. This makes the stud easier to insert and prevents it from being accidentally dislodged.

The profile of the terminals 48, 50 may be varied to vary the torque required to tighten and loosen, or to provide different materials with different frictional and resilient characteristics.

Claims (9)

1. A shoe cleat and holder combination in which a threaded spigot (12) of one of the two parts is arranged to be inserted with rotation into a threaded socket (18) of the other part to secure the two parts together, and in which locking means (26, 28) of the two parts are arranged to be integral when the spigot (12) is inserted into the socket (18) to prevent subsequent release of the combination, characterised in that the locking means comprises a ring of separate posts (34, 42) extending axially from one of the two parts and a ring of radially projecting teeth (26) on the other part, the rings being coaxial with the screw axis, and in that, at least at a later stage of insertion of the spigot (12) into the socket (18), engagement of the teeth (26) with the posts (34, 42) causes the posts (34, 42) to deflect resiliently radially as the two rings are rotated relative to each other to cause the posts (34, 42) the teeth (26) in between mesh, causing the locking means to mesh with each other.

2. A shoe cleat and holder combination according to claim 1, characterised in that the number of teeth (26) is an integer multiple of the number of posts (34, 42).

3. A shoe cleat and holder combination according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the spigot (12) is provided on the cleat and the socket (18) is provided on the holder.

4. A shoe cleat and holder combination according to any preceding claim, characterised in that the ring of posts (34, 42) is provided on the cleat and the ring of teeth (26) is provided on the holder.

5. A shoe cleat and holder combination according to claim 4, characterised in that the teeth (26) project from the cylindrical outer surface (30) of the bush (16) of the holder, and the socket (18) is formed in the bush (16), the teeth (26) being received in the ring of posts (34, 42) and the bush (16) being received in the annular well (32) formed between the spigot (12) and the posts (34, 42) in use.

6. A shoe cleat and holder combination according to any preceding claim, characterised in that the post (34, 42) has a radially inner surface (40) which faces the ring of teeth (26) with its convex profile.

7. A shoe cleat and holder combination according to claim 6, characterised in that the peripheral terminations (48, 50) of the radially inner surface (40) have different profiles.

8. A shoe cleat and holder combination according to any preceding claim, characterised in that the posts (42) are arranged in pairs, each pair having a common base (44).

9. A shoe cleat and holder combination according to any preceding claim, characterised in that the threads of the spigot (12) and socket (18) are 3-start threads.