HK1170130A - Outsole tread pattern - Google Patents

Abstract

A footwear sole includes an upper surface and a lower surface. The lower surface includes a plurality of tread members formed thereon. The tread members include a plurality of projections or lugs of various sizes and shapes which are grouped together into specific patterns. The material from which the projections are formed increases the shoe sole's ability to resist slipping on floor surfaces which are covered with oil, water, soap, etc. The shape and pattern of the projections or lugs enable them to resist flexing and disengaging the floor surface. This increases the footwear sole's ability to resist slipping.

Description

Pattern shoe outsole

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to footwear, and more particularly to a base assembly for use in footwear such as shoes, sandals, and the like.

Background

It is well known that the bottom of shoes is made of rubber or a rubber compound. This type of shoe construction provides very advantageous results when used on shoes that are normally worn in a wet environment. For example, shoes worn by people in food preparation plants, or shoes worn in places where large amounts of water or fluid are utilized in the manufacture of products.

Many factories or companies employ floors covered with materials that prevent the penetration of fluids or other substances. The use of these materials allows any substance that does not inadvertently spill onto the floor to be quickly and completely removed from the floor. One disadvantage of floor coverings of this type is that: whenever water or other fluids are spilled on these floors, the floors become very slippery. One example of this is floor coverings used in hospitals or other health care facilities. People working in these environments need to wear shoes that prevent them from slipping when they encounter slippery floors.

Many different shoe soles have been proposed to prevent people from slipping. In U.S. patent application No. 3,717,943, the sole of a boot or overshoe is made of rubber and includes a fin (fin) and a groove. The flipper cooperates with the groove to trap air within the groove. The air assists the self-cleaning structure of the boot, removing mud and other substances from the sole of the boot.

U.S. patent application No. 4,202,116 discloses a tread (tread) for an athletic shoe that includes a tread having protrusions extending outwardly from the tread surface. The sole portion includes a thin-walled metal portion having at least two separate dimensionally-reinforced surface portions bearing integrally-molded projections. The reinforcing surface includes a plurality of raised, smooth surfaced beveled protrusions. The metal part is fixedly mounted to the inner surface of the shoe sole by a fine wire grid or uniformly distributed perforations embedded in the synthetic resin shoe sole.

U.S. patent application No. 4,274,211 discloses a sole made of a flexible rubber material having a slip-resistant appearance. The sole surface includes a plurality of variously sized lugs or layered elements. The element comprises a surface made of a non-slip material. In addition to being slip resistant, the structure and spacing of the protrusions prevents the accumulation of mud and other debris on the sole of the shoe.

U.S. patent application No. 7,047,672 discloses a shoe sole designed for use on a sandy surface. The sole is made of a compression member having an upper surface and a lower surface. The outer peripheral edge projects downwardly from the lower surface of the sole. A plurality of flippers project downwardly from the lower surface. This type of structure provides sufficient propulsion in a sandy environment.

U.S. published patent application No. 2009/0188132 discloses a slip resistant shoe sole that includes a plurality of ground contacting projections. The ground-contacting projections are V-shaped and spaced a predetermined distance from each other in a longitudinal direction of a sole of the shoe. The V-shaped protrusion further includes a stiffener at its base. The protrusions are made of an elastic polymer having A specific JIS-A hardness. This material increases the non-slip properties of the shoe and the shape of the protrusions increases its resistance to bending and deformation.

U.S. patent application No. 7,703,221 discloses a sole assembly for a shoe that includes a flexible base having an underside that includes a forward region, a rearward region, and a medial region therebetween. The sole comprises a plurality of individual sole elements on its underside. Each element includes a body portion and an attachment section operatively secured to the underside of the flexible substrate. The sole elements are arranged on the underside of the flexible base so that adjacent sole elements have overlapping sections.

Disclosure of Invention

A non-slip outsole includes an upper surface and a lower surface. The lower surface includes a plurality of sole surface elements formed thereon. The face component includes a plurality of lugs or flanges of various sizes and shapes that are grouped to form a specific pattern. The material from which the protrusions are made increases the anti-slip ability of the sole on a floor surface covered with oil, water, soap, etc. The shape and pattern of the protrusions or flanges are such that they resist bending and separation from the floor surface. This increases the slip resistance of the sole.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an anti-slip sole for footwear, which enables an individual to walk safely on a smooth floor surface and/or a floor surface covered with water, oil, soap, etc.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a sole that can be simply manufactured by molding.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a shoe sole, which includes a plurality of protrusions so that an individual can safely walk on a smooth floor surface and/or a floor surface covered with water, oil, soap, etc.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a shoe sole including a tread portion having a tread pattern that enables an individual to safely walk on a smooth floor surface and/or a floor surface covered with water, oil, soap, or the like.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which some embodiments, both illustrated and example, are set forth. Any drawings contained herein form a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments of the present invention and illustrate various objects and features thereof.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is an isometric bottom view of a sole of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the sole of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of a set of protrusions;

FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of a set of protrusions;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a set of protrusions; and

fig. 6 is a front plan view of a set of protrusions taken along line 6-6 of fig. 5.

Detailed Description

While the present invention is susceptible of embodiment in various forms, there is shown in the drawings and will hereinafter be described a preferred and non-limiting embodiment with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiment illustrated.

The invention discloses a sole made of anti-slip materials and having unique sole surface patterns. Fig. 1 and 2 show the tread pattern. Fig. 3-6 show details of the sole surface. As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the sole 10 includes an outsole 12 and a heel 14. As used herein, "footwear" is defined as any type of clothing that is adapted to be worn on a foot, such as shoes, boots, sandals, overshoes, and the like. As used herein, "outsole" is defined as any layer or component of footwear that defines, in part, the bottom of the outermost layer that faces the surface of the footwear. A plurality of unique sole elements 16 are secured to the outsole 12 and heel 14. A preferred embodiment of the invention includes a heel that is integral with the outsole. However, the heel may also be formed as a component separate from and secured to the outsole. The sole surface elements 16 are preferably arranged in a herringbone or V-shaped pattern with the apex of the V in the direction of the front of the footwear. This is merely a preferred pattern or design and other designs and/or patterns may be used. In a preferred embodiment, as shown in fig. 1 and 2, the portion of the outsole 12 between the front of the outsole 12 and the heel 14 does not include a sole member 16.

Fig. 3-6 show details of the face component 16. Each of the sole surface components 16 includes a base 18 and a plurality of projections 20. The sole component also includes longitudinal channels 22 and lateral channels 24. The role of these channels will be described later. The sole member is made of a single non-slip material. The non-slip material has a shore Hardness of about 0.49 based on testing on a shore Hardness Tester (Durometer Hardness Tester). The material also has a Slip resistance in the range of 0.56-0.65 when tested on a Brungraber Mark 2 hinge Strut Slip Testing Device (engineered Strut Slip Testing Device). The non-slip surface is defined as a surface having a ratio of 0.50 or more when tested on a Brungraber Mark 2 hinge rod slip test device.

Referring to fig. 3 and 4, each preferred chevron tread component includes a guide projection (lead projection)25 that is square in cross-section. Spaced from and flanked by the projections 25 are projections 26. The cross-section of the protrusion 26 is rectangular. Spaced from the end of the projection 26 is a projection 28. The cross-section of the protrusion 28 is also rectangular. Spaced from the projections 26 are V-shaped projections 30. Spaced from the end of the projection 30 and substantially parallel to the projection 28 is a projection 32. The projections 25-32 are preferably integrally formed on the base 18. Each of the protrusions 25-32 includes an upper surface 34 that contacts the floor or other surface on which the shoe is placed.

The material from which the sole component 16 is made is used to provide slip resistance to the footwear when the sole component encounters a wet, smooth, or other slippery surface. Such material also provides stability to the protrusions 25-32 so that they resist bending and deformation when slid along a floor or other surface. Deformation of the projection will result in the upper surface 34 of the projection not being fully engaged with the floor or surface. Deformation of the protrusions may also result in less slip resistance of the outsole component and the footwear. The material of the sole surface component also cannot be too hard or will not provide the sole surface component with the proper amount of slip resistance.

When excess water, oil or other fluids are encountered on the surface, it is highly necessary to direct these fluids away from the projections 25-32. This is achieved by the channels 22 and 24. As shown in FIG. 5, the sole surface elements 16 project upwardly in the direction of footwear travel. When water, oil or other fluid is encountered on the floor or other surface, the fluid is forced along the channels 22 and 24 away from the upper surface 34 of the projection. This allows the raised upper surface 34 to be in full contact with the floor or other surface and provides slip resistance to the footwear. The transverse channels 24 facilitate the removal of fluid from the longitudinal channels 22 and provide a path for fluid to encounter the lateral sides of the sole surface element 16.

The sharp edges 36 of the projections 25-32 serve to wipe fluid, such as water or oil, from the floor or other surface to help prevent the footwear from sliding on these surfaces. As the footwear moves along the floor or surface, the rim 36 will push or direct fluid on the floor or other surface away from the upper surface 34 of the projections 25-32. This will prevent fluid from reaching between the projections 25-32 and the floor or other surface, which in turn enables the upper surfaces 34 of the projections to be in full contact with the floor or other surface over which the footwear is moved. The rounded corners 38 of the projections 25-32 help to direct fluid into the channels 22 and 24 and to direct fluid away from the upper surfaces 34 of the projections 25-32. The sharp edges 36 of the projections are particularly useful for portions of the outsole that are not in secure contact with the floor or underlying surface. The height or thickness 39 of the protrusions 25-32 is selected to help prevent the protrusions from deforming or deflecting under pressure and to provide sufficient depth to the channels 22 and 24 to quickly and efficiently direct fluid away from the protrusions 25-32.

Typically, substantially each person's ball applies more pressure downward on the shoe or footwear than the rest of the foot. Thus, in turn, the portion of the outsole under the ball of the foot will apply substantially more pressure downward against the floor or other surface beneath the shoe or footwear. This additional pressure will tend to keep the fluid away from under the sole surface of the footwear and from the floor, thus helping the footwear to resist slipping. The portion of the outsole not directly under the ball of the foot will tend to have a lower downward force applied. Thus, the outsole of the footwear will not be able to provide sufficient downward pressure to remove all fluid under the footwear. The edges 36 of the lugs 25-32 help direct fluid away from the upper surfaces 34 of the lugs in those portions of the outsole not directly beneath the ball of the foot, thereby making the footwear non-slip in wet or smooth environments.

All patents and publications mentioned in the specification are indicative of the levels of those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains. To the same extent as each individual publication is specifically and individually incorporated by reference, all patents and publications are herein incorporated by reference.

It is to be understood that while certain forms of the invention are illustrated, it is not intended to be limited to the specific forms and arrangements of parts herein described and shown. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention and the invention is not to be considered limited to what is described and shown in the specification and any drawings contained herein.

Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objects and obtain the ends and advantages mentioned, as well as those inherent therein. The embodiments, methods, processes and techniques described herein represent preferred embodiments, which are exemplary and not limiting in scope. Modifications and other uses will occur to those skilled in the art which are encompassed within the spirit of the invention and are defined by the scope of the appended claims. While the invention has been described by specific preferred embodiments, it should be understood that the invention as claimed should not be unduly limited to such specific embodiments. Rather, various modifications of the described examples for carrying out the invention which are obvious to those skilled in the art are intended to be within the scope of the claims.

Claims (10)

1. A cleated outsole comprising:

a plurality of surface-engaging sole face components arranged to direct fluid on a surface away from a pattern of surface-engaging portions of the sole face components;

the sole face component includes a base and a plurality of projections extending from the base toward a surface that the outsole is to contact, the projections including an upper surface that contacts the surface that the outsole is to contact.

2. The cleated outsole of claim 1, wherein the sole component is a herringbone and the pattern of the sole surface component is a plurality of herringbone shapes, the apexes of the plurality of herringbone shapes being in a direction toward the front of the outsole.

3. The cleated outsole of claim 1 comprising a plurality of channels on the sole face component extending longitudinally and transversely of the protrusions on the sole face component.

4. The cleated outsole of claim 1, wherein the lugs comprise at least one edge constructed and arranged to prevent bending of the lugs and direct fluid away from an upper surface of the lugs and into channels extending between the lugs.

5. The cleated outsole of claim 2 wherein the lugs on each of the sole members include at least one lug that is square in cross-section, at least one lug that is rectangular in cross-section, and at least one lug that is L-shaped in cross-section.

6. The cleated outsole of claim 5 wherein the at least one square-shaped protrusion is located at an apex of the chevron, at least two of the rectangular-shaped protrusions extending from the square-shaped protrusion along the arms of the chevron.

7. The cleated outsole of claim 6, wherein the L-shaped projection is located rearward of the square projection in a direction of a heel of the footwear.

8. The cleated outsole of claim 1 comprising a heel secured to the outsole, the heel comprising a plurality of surface-engaging midsole elements.

9. The cleated outsole of claim 8, wherein the sole component on the heel is a chevron, and the pattern of the sole surface component on the heel is a plurality of chevrons, the apexes of the plurality of chevrons being in a direction toward the front of the outsole.

10. The non-slip outsole of claim 8 including a region on the outsole between the front and heel where the midsole element is not secured.