Removable Shoe Spike System

The present system, method and apparatus are adapted for the quick and easy exchange of spikes on athletic shoes. More specifically, the system, apparatus and methods comprise a spike having an opening, an aglet adapted for coupling to the shoe, for example by way of a shoelace, and a coupling head affixed to the aglet which is adapted to couple with the opening on the spike so as to allow a user to quickly and easily replace, remove or install spikes in the athletic shoe. The disclosure thus allows the user to have the tool attached to their shoe at all times so as to avoid carrying additional equipment while wearing the shoe.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The embodiments disclosed herein relate to various systems, apparatus and methods for changing the spikes on shoes. Certain embodiments relate to spikes, aglets and other components of certain shoes. Further embodiments relate to methods of using the above components.

BACKGROUND

Many forms of athletic shoes benefit from the use of spikes or cleats on the intended surface, as a way to increase the user's traction, stability, grip, and the like. Such surfaces can include grass, rubberized track, ice, artificial turf, sand, dirt, mud, and a variety of other athletic and other playing fields or terrains. For example, track and field athletes, runners of all distances, tri-athletes, golfers, and a variety of team sport athletes engaged in football, soccer, baseball, rugby, and the like all may use cleats or spikes as a way to increase their performance in both practice and competition.

In certain applications, the need to change or replace the spikes is common. The spikes or cleats may wear out, as is common with runners, or a need to be changed for other reasons, such as a change in weather or to get a different benefit or “feel,” as is common for football and soccer players.

There is a need in the art for improved apparatus, systems and methods for changing spikes and cleats on shoes.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Discussed herein are various embodiments relating to a novel shoe spike system, comprising apparatus and methods of use.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Various exemplary embodiments of the shoe spike system are disclosed herein. As seen generally throughout the figures, the present system10generally relates to a novel spike12that can be attached to and removed from certain shoes14. Also disclosed herein are a variety of methods and apparatus used for attaching and removing the disclosed spikes, including a specialized aglet16, as is best shown inFIGS. 5,8and10-14. In certain embodiments, the aglet16further comprises a coupling head18which is adapted to couple to the spike by way of an opening20in the spike. For purposes of this application, “spike” is meant to include any kind of spike or cleat that attaches to the bottom of a shoe, including without limitation a shoe used in athletics, and aglet is meant to include any kind of attachment to the end of a shoelace, drawstring, or the like.

Turning to the figures in detail,FIGS. 1-14depict various embodiments of the shoe spike system. As seen in the exemplary embodiment depicted inFIG. 4, certain exemplary embodiments of the system10comprise at least one spike12set in a shoe14and at least one aglet16further comprising a coupling head18adapted so as to allow a user1to loosen and tighten the spikes12easily and without carrying any extra equipment. As best depicted inFIGS. 1-2, certain exemplary embodiments comprise spikes12having an opening or other female mating region20formed to accept a corresponding male region mounted on the aglet. Other coupling means are possible, as would be apparent to one of skill in the art.

Continuing withFIGS. 1-2, in certain exemplary embodiments, the system comprises a spike12having a first end12A and a second end12B connected by a solid portion12C. In these embodiments, the first end12A of the spike12can be tapered to a point, so as to aid the spike12in facilitating traction between the shoe and the surface the shoe is used on. In such embodiments, the spike12can be constructed from any kind of material typically used for a spike, including without limitation metal, plastic, rubber, other synthetic polymers or combinations thereof.

In these embodiments, the second end12B of the spike12has a connection that can be coupled to the shoe (as shown fitted inFIG. 4). This connection can be a threaded male connector (as best shown inFIG. 1). On the second end12B of the spike that is sized to mate with a female connection on the shoe (as is shown inFIG. 6), however other connections are possible. These other connections include a magnetic connection between the spike and shoe, a peg and slot type connection, a twist and lock connection, or any other equivalent apparatus or method adapted for connecting a spike to a shoe, as would be readily apparent to one of skill in the art. Certain alternative embodiments can also utilize a male threaded connector on the shoe connecting to a female threaded connector on the spike12.

As depicted inFIGS. 1-2, in certain exemplary embodiments, the spike also has an opening20defined into the solid portion of the spike12. This opening20is adapted to mate with the coupling head18of the aglet16. This opening20could be defined either partially or completely through the solid portion. One advantage of an opening completely through is that it can be accessed by the aglet from either direction, but this is in no way necessary to the function of the system. In certain exemplary embodiments, the opening20may be defined substantially perpendicular to an axis connecting the first and second ends of the spike, though, again, this is not required for the system to function.

As can be seen inFIGS. 1-3, this axis between the first12A and second12B spike ends is generally a substantially straight line. The cross-section of the spike can be any shape, including without limitation circular, triangular, rectangular, hexagonal, or circular with two flattened sides defined by parallel chords through the circle.

In certain exemplary embodiments, a spike12that has a threaded connector (for example, as depicted inFIGS. 1 & 6) as its connection to the shoe can have certain materials applied to the threads on the second end12B to assist the second end in forming a tight mate with the female threaded connection on the shoe. In certain embodiments, these materials can include nylon, Teflon, tape, plastic or other equivalent materials that accomplish the goal of facilitating a tight male-female connection. This material could be applied anywhere threads exist for connecting the spike to a shoe, including internally or externally on either the spike or the shoe.

In other exemplary embodiments, certain materials can be applied to the threaded connector12B on a second end of a spike that assist in enabling the spike to be screwed into the shoe. The materials may then contribute to resistance against being unscrewed. These materials include grease, oil, and other kinds of lubricants that would make it easier to screw the spike into the shoe, and then after the spike is in the shoe would help the spike resist being unscrewed.

The opening20that is otherwise defined in the side of the solid portion of the spike in the embodiment described above allows a person to insert an object into the spike, and then exert pressure on the object in such a way as to create a force in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction around the axis between the first and second ends of the spike12. This facilitates attachment or removal of the spike by way of the coupling head18. In certain embodiments, the object inserted into the opening20in the spike can also be anything with a small enough cross-section to fit into the opening20—it need not necessarily be the coupling head18.

As shown inFIGS. 4-7, certain exemplary embodiments of the system also comprise an aglet16, further comprising a coupling head18that is adapted so as to be inserted into the opening20in the side of a spike12. In certain embodiments, this is a male-female coupling, as described above, though other methods of coupling would be apparent to one of skill in the art. In certain exemplary embodiments, the aglet16is coupled to the end or ends of a shoelace22opposite the coupling head18, so as to allow it to be kept with the user without adding substantially any weight or further equipment to the user.

As shown in FIGS.5and7-14, in certain exemplary embodiments, the aglet18comprises a coupling head18that is generally cylindrical. As will be discussed herein, many other shapes are possible. By way of example, the aglet16may be adapted so as to have a first end24having an opening region adapted for the accommodation of a shoelace22or other connection means and a second end26adapted for securing the coupling head18. While the aglet16and coupling head18shown inFIG. 5appear to be generally rigid forged unit, such as a steel, aluminum, alloy, or hard plastic, in certain embodiments the aglet16can be comprised of more malleable material such as shrink wrap plastic, polymer, polyolefin, PVC, biaxially oriented polypropylene, fiber, yarn, titanium or any other suitable material which would facilitate the placement and fastening of the coupling head18and shoelace22inside opposite ends of the aglet16. In certain embodiments, the aglet16and coupling head can be formed from the same material, while in alternate embodiments the aglet16and coupling head are comprised of different materials. In certain embodiments, the coupling head18can be made of metal such as stainless steel, spring steel, titanium, carbon fiber, any number of allows or combinations thereof, plastic, ceramic, rubber, or any other material capable of substantially withstanding a rotational force applied to the aglet16in order to rotate the spike12by way of the coupling head18.

FIG. 6generally depicts the manual removal of a spike12, as is done in the prior art and as may be done in the current system following the initial loosening of the spike12.FIG. 7depicts the insertion of the coupling head18into the opening20of the spike12, so as to ease rotation (shown as A) and increase leverage around the axis of the spike12.

As shown generally inFIGS. 8-14, in certain exemplary embodiments, the coupling head18can be specifically adapted to fit into the opening20. This can be achieved by a variety of structures and methods. In certain embodiments, the diameter of the aglet16and coupling head18may differ, though this is by no means necessary. Further, a variety of other shapes may be employed, such as a cubic, hexagonal, or other polygonal shape, as would be best adapted for the particular opening20in the spike.

In certain exemplary embodiments, and as depicted inFIGS. 8-14, the coupling head18can take a non-linear form to assist in removing the spikes12from a shoe14. For example, the coupling head18may comprise a steel extruded rod, having at least one angle in it, and be capable of removing a spike with an opening20in its side, as described above.

As depicted inFIGS. 8-9, in certain embodiments, the aglet comprises an L-shaped for removing a spike having an opening. In these embodiments, coupling head18can be specifically adapted to avoid difficulties in accessing the opening20, as would be apparent to one of skill in the art. As shown inFIGS. 8-9, and for simplicity, the coupling head18having at least a first angle30can be inserted into the opening20so as to prevent the aglet and shoelace from being substantially in line with the opening and also allow the user to loosen or tighten the spike12, as shown by B.

As shown inFIG. 10-14, in certain exemplary embodiments the coupling head18can comprise more than one angle30,32so as to facilitate the removal of the spike and avoid any problems with tangling or catching that may occur with certain combinations of shoes, shoelaces, and coupling heads having angles of approximately 90 degrees.FIG. 10also depicts an aglet16comprising shrink-wrap plastic and a shoelace22.

As shown for a variety of views inFIGS. 11-14, in certain exemplary embodiments the coupling head18can comprise a plurality of angles30,32and a plurality of segments40,42,44, which can be set in a variety of X- Y- and Z-planes or axis from one another. By way of example, and as shown inFIGS. 11-14, the plurality of coupling head18segments40,42,44are set in differing axis from one another, such that a first angle30of less than 90 degrees is set between the first40and second42segments, and a second angle32of less than 90 degrees is set between the second42and third44segments, such that the plurality of angles30,32are set in distinct axis from one another and the plurality of segments40,42,44are set in distinct planes from one another. As would be apparent to one of skill in the art, additional angles and segments are possible, and the present system encompasses angles of any size and orientation. This embodiment is in no way limiting to a specific number of angles or segments, nor is it limiting as to the axis, orientations, planes, or other configurations.

Certain shoes do not have laces or algets, and are instead retained on a user's foot with the help of a zipper, snaps, or other mechanisms. In these cases, the system can be adapted for attachment to the zipper or snap by similar means as those disclosed above, such that, for example, the aglet can be fitted to couple to the zipper or snap.

In other exemplary embodiments, a tool for removing a traditional spike could be attached to the aglet16in addition to the coupling head18, or to another part of the shoe. This tool may be configured to fit around any traditional type of spike, including circular spikes, hexagonal spikes, or substantially circular spikes with two flattened sides. These tools are well-known in the art.

Another embodiment is a kit comprising other embodiments described above, comprising one or more of: spikes with openings in the side, aglets configured to be inserted into the openings in the spikes, aglets connected to tools used to attach or remove spikes, or objects used to insert into the openings in spikes and attach or remove them.