Patent Publication Number: US-6698110-B1

Title: Spiked shoe having a spike cleaning cushion

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to the general art of wearing apparel, and to the particular field of shoes and accessories therefor. 
     2. Discussion of the Related Art 
     Many activities require a participant to run, stop and turn, often quickly. Good traction is therefore a requirement for such activities. Therefore, many sport shoes have outer soles that are specially designed to create traction. Games, such as basketball, volleyball and the like have such specially designed shoes. 
     Still other such games are conducted out of doors on playing fields, or even indoors on special playing courts. Football, golf, soccer and baseball are merely examples of such games that are played out of doors or on grass-type playing fields. Therefore, these games, also, have shoes that have specially designed outer soles. 
     Often, the outdoor games use shoes with spikes. While spikes greatly increase traction, spikes have drawbacks. If the playing field is muddy, mud tends to stick to the spikes. This vitiates the advantages associated with spikes. Not only does this require a participant to stop the activity to clean mud from the spikes, it may be dangerous. A participant may count on a particular traction from the spikes and if that traction is not present, the person can fall or twist a knee. 
     Therefore, there is a need for a spiked shoe that retains its ability to create traction. Still further, there is a need for a spiked shoe that retains its ability to create traction even when the ground is muddy or would otherwise tend to stick to the spikes thereby vitiating the traction features associated with spikes. 
     While there are tools available for cleaning spikes, such tools require the user to stop the activity to clean the spikes. Until the mud is cleaned from the spikes, the above-mentioned problems and drawbacks will be present. It is not always possible or convenient for a participant to stop the activity to clean spikes. 
     Therefore, there is a need for a spiked shoe that retains its ability to create traction and in which the spikes are continuously cleaned. 
     PRINCIPAL OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
     It is a main object of the present invention to provide a spiked shoe that retains its ability to create traction. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a spiked shoe that retains its ability to create traction even when the ground is muddy or would otherwise tend to stick to the spikes thereby vitiating the traction features associated with spikes. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a spiked shoe in which the spikes are continuously cleaned. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     These, and other, objects are achieved by a shoe unit which comprises an outer sole; a plurality of conical spikes mounted on the outer sole, each spike having a height dimension measured from the outer sole; a foam cushion mounted on the outer sole and having a first wall fixed to the outer sole, a second wall and a thickness dimension measured between the first wall and the second wall; a plurality of bores defined in the foam cushion, each bore accommodating a spike; the foam cushion being compressible between a pre-compressed condition with the thickness dimension of the foam cushion being essentially equal to the height dimension of the spikes when no compressive force is applied to the foam cushion via the outer sole, the thickness dimension of the foam cushion being less than the height dimension of the spikes when compressive force is applied to the foam cushion via the outer sole. The bores defined in the foam cushion being sized and shaped so the foam cushion adjacent to the bores is spaced apart from the spikes when the foam cushion is in the pre-compressed condition and the bores defined in the foam cushion being further sized and shaped so the foam cushion adjacent to the bores will contact the spikes when the foam cushion is being moved into the compressed condition by compressive force applied to the foam cushion via the outer sole, the foam cushion contacting the spikes prior to reaching the compressed condition. 
     Thus, every time a wearer steps down on the shoe, the foam cushion will compress and contact the spikes. Since the foam cushion contacts the spikes prior to reaching a fully compressed condition, the foam cushion will “wipe” the spike clean as the foam cushion moves from the pre-compressed condition to the compressed condition and back again to the pre-compressed condition. The foam cushion then returns to the pre-compressed condition when the wearer removes his weight from the foot during the walking or running process. The spikes are thus continuously cleaned thereby allowing the wearer to obtain the full benefit of the spikes at all times. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES 
     FIG. 1 is a bottom perspective view of a spiked shoe embodying the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is an elevational view taken along line  2 — 2  of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is a partial view showing the arrangement of the outer sole with respect to a spike during operation of the outer sole when compressive force is applied to the outer sole by a wearer bearing on the outer sole. 
     FIG. 4 is a partial view showing the arrangement of the outer sole with respect to a spike near the end of operation of the outer sole when compressive force is applied to the outer sole by a wearer bearing on the outer sole. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings. 
     As shown in the figures, the present invention is embodied in a spiked shoe  10  which is worn during walking or running and which is subject to compressive force every time a wearer places his or her weight on the shoe  10  during such walking or running. Those skilled in the art will understand this weight-generated compressive force, and thus no further description thereof will be presented. Spiked shoe  10  comprises a shoe unit  12  having an outer sole  14 , a vamp  16 , an inner sole  18 , with a wearer&#39;s foot contacting the inner sole  18  when the shoe unit  12  is worn. Shoe unit  12  further includes sides such as side  20 , a rear  22 , a heel  24 , and a toe box  26 . 
     A plurality of spikes, such as spike  30 , are mounted on the outer sole  14 . Each spike  30  is spaced apart from adjacent spikes  30 , and the plurality of spikes  30  include a first group  30 A of spikes located adjacent to the heel  24  of the shoe unit  12  and a second group  30 B of spikes located adjacent to the toe box  26  of the shoe unit  12 . The spikes  30  are all identical, and each spike  30  includes a mounting base  32  having a first side  34  fixed to the outer sole  14  and a second side  36 . Each spike  30  further includes a conical body  38  having a base  40  on the mounting base  32 , an apex  42  spaced apart from the base  40  of the spike  30 , and a conical wall  44  extending from the base  40  of the spike  30  to the apex  42  of the spike  30 . A base diameter  46  of each spike  30  is measured at the base  40  of the spike  30  and an apex diameter  48  is measured adjacent to the apex  48  of the spike  30 . The base diameter  46  of the spike  30  is larger than the apex diameter  48  of the spike  30 . A height dimension  50  is measured between the base  40  of the conical body  38  and the apex  42  of the conical body  38 . 
     A spike cleaner unit  60  cleans the spikes  30  every time the wearer places his or her weight on the shoe unit  12 . Cleaner unit  60  includes a foam cushion  62  having a first surface  64  fixed to the outer sole  14  of the shoe unit  12  and a second surface  66  spaced apart from the outer sole  14  of the shoe unit  12 . A thickness dimension  68  is measured between the first surface  64  of the foam cushion  62  and the second surface  66  of the foam cushion  62 . A rubber-like outer cover  70  is mounted on the second surface  66  of the foam cushion  62 . A portion  72  of the outer cover  70  is fixed to the shoe unit  12  adjacent to the toe box  26  of the shoe unit  12  and adjacent to the outer sole  14  of the shoe unit  12 . 
     A plurality of spike-accommodating frusto-conical bores, such as bore  80 , are defined in the foam cushion  62  at locations to accommodate the spikes  30 . The bores  80  are identical and each spike  30  being associated with one of the frusto-conical bores  80 . Each bore  80  extends from the second surface  66  of the foam cushion  62  to the first surface  64  of the foam cushion  62 . Each bore  80  has a truncated conical shape and includes a base  82  having a base diameter  84 , a frustum  86  having a frustum diameter  88  and a frusto-conical wall  90  connecting the base  82  of the frusto-conical bore  80  to the frustum  86  of the frusto-conical bore  80 . The diameter  88  of the frustum  86  is shown in FIG. 2 to be spaced apart from the frustum  86  for the sake of clarity of the Figures; however, it is to be understood that this diameter  88  is measured at the frustum  86  of the bore  80 . The diameter  88  of the frustum  86  is smaller than the diameter  84  of the base  82  of the bore  80  and larger than the diameter  48  of the apex  42  of the spike  30  associated with the bore  80 . The diameter  84  of the base  82  of the bore  80  is larger than the diameter  46  of the base  40  of the spike  30  associated with the bore  80 . Each bore  80  further has a height dimension  92  that extends between the frustum  86  of the bore  80  and the base  82  of the bore  80 . 
     As can be understood from the Figures, the conical bodies  38  of the spikes  30  are oriented from the base  40  of each spike  30  to the apex  42  of each spike  30  in an orientation that is opposite to the orientation of the frusto-conical bores  80  from the base  82  of each bore  80  to the frustum  86  of each bore  80 . 
     The foam cushion  62  is formed of compressible material  94  and is compressible to have the second surface  66  of the foam cushion  62  moving between a pre-compressed condition shown in FIG. 2 having the second surface  66  of the foam cushion  62  spaced a pre-compressed distance from the outer sole  14  of the shoe  12  when no compressive force is applied to the outer sole  14  of the shoe  12  and to the second surface  66  of the foam cushion  62  and a compressed condition shown in FIG. 3 having the second surface  66  of the foam cushion  62  a compressed distance from the outer sole  14  of the shoe  12  when compressive force is applied to the outer sole  14  of the shoe  12  and to the second surface  66  of the foam cushion  62 . By comparing FIGS. 2 and 3, it can be understood that the pre-compressed distance is larger than the compressed distance and the pre-compressed distance is essentially equal to the height dimension  50  of a spike  30 . As can also be understood from FIGS. 2 and 3, the thickness dimension  68  of the foam cushion  62  changes from a pre-compressed thickness to a compressed thickness with the pre-compressed thickness of the foam cushion  62  being essentially equal to the height dimension  50  of each of the spikes  30 . 
     Each bore  80  of the foam cushion  62  has a unit diameter  100  measured across the frusto-conical wall  90  of the frusto-conical bore  80  at a location of the bore  80  between the base  82  of the frusto-conical bore  80  and the frustum  86  of the frusto-conical bore  80 . Each spike  30  has a unit diameter  102  measured across the conical wall  44  of the spike  30  at a location on the spike  30  between the base  40  of the spike  30  and the apex  42  of the spike  30 . A unit diameter  100  at any location of the frusto-conical bore  80  changes and decreases as the foam cushion  62  is compressed from the pre-compressed condition to the compressed condition. The unit diameter of a frusto-conical bore  80  of the foam cushion  62  at any chosen location of the frusto-conical bore  80  is larger than the unit diameter of the spike  30  associated therewith at a location on the spike  30  corresponding to the chosen location of the frusto-conical bore  80  when the foam cushion  62  is in the pre-compressed condition. As can be understood from FIG. 4, the unit diameter of the frusto-conical bore  80  of the foam cushion  62  at the chosen location is equal to the unit diameter of the spike  30  associated therewith at the location on the spike  30  corresponding to the chosen location of the frusto-conical bore  80  when the foam cushion  62  is in the compressed condition with the foam cushion  62  adjacent to the frusto-conical bore  80  at the unit diameter at the chosen location in the foam cushion  62  contacting the spike  30  associated with the frusto-conical bore  80  at the location on the spike  30  corresponding to the chosen location of the frusto-conical bore  80  when the foam cushion  62  is in the compressed condition. The foam cushion  62  adjacent to the frusto-conical bore  80  in the foam cushion  62  at the chosen location of the frusto-conical bore  80  is spaced apart from the spike  30  associated with the frusto-conical bore  80  in the foam cushion  62  at the location on the spike  30  corresponding to the chosen location of the frusto-conical bore  80  when the foam cushion  62  is in the pre-compressed condition. Thus, in the pre-compressed condition, a gap, such as gap  104 , is defined between the cushion  62  adjacent to the spike-accommodating bore  80  and the spike  30 , and that gap  104  disappears when the cushion  62  is forced into the compressed condition. 
     By comparing FIGS. 2,  3  and  4 , it can be understood that the bores  80  defined in the foam cushion  62  are sized and shaped so the foam cushion  62  adjacent to the bores  80  is spaced apart from the spikes  30  when the foam cushion  62  is in the pre-compressed condition and the bores  80  defined in the foam cushion  62  are further sized and shaped so the foam cushion  62  adjacent to the bores  80  will contact the spikes  30  when the foam cushion  62  is being moved into the compressed condition by compressive force applied to the foam cushion  62  via the outer sole  14 , and the foam cushion  62  contacts the spikes  30  prior to reaching the compressed condition. The foam cushion  62  also contacts the spike  30  during the return movement from the compressed condition to the pre-compressed condition. Thus, every time a wearer steps down on the shoe  12 , the foam cushion  62  will compress and contact the spikes  30 . Since the foam cushion  62  contacts the spikes  30  prior to reaching a fully compressed condition, the foam cushion  62  will “wipe” the spike  30  clean as the foam cushion  62  moves from the pre-compressed condition to the compressed condition. The foam cushion  62  then returns to the pre-compressed condition when the wearer removes his weight from the foot during the walking or running process and again wipes against the spike  30  until and as the cushion  62  fully returns to its pre-compressed condition thereby forcing mud, grime and grass off of the spike  30  to further clean the spike  30 . In either case, the relative movement of the cushion  62  with respect to the spike  30  is towards the apex  42  of the spike  30  while in contact with the spike  30  thereby removing mud and the like from the spike  30 . 
     It is understood that while certain forms of the present invention have been illustrated and described herein, it is not to be limited to the specific forms or arrangements of parts described and shown.