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  Footwear soleUSPTO Application #: 20070266597Title: Footwear sole Abstract: A shoe sole having a bottom surface with a plurality of stud clusters extending therefrom is provided, each stud cluster comprising at least two studs connected via one or more connection elements, wherein, to optimise the manner in which the stud clusters deal with forces applied to them during ground contact, each stud cluster is oriented in accordance with a predetermined direction of gross shear motion of the stud cluster and each stud cluster is dimensioned in accordance with the distribution of forces applied to the sole during ground contact. (end of abstract) Agent: Stites & Harbison PLLC - Alexandria, VA, US Inventor: Martin JONES USPTO Applicaton #: 20070266597 - Class: 03605900C (USPTO) The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070266597. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The field of this invention relates to soles for footwear, and in particular, but not exclusively, soles for use in sports and recreational footwear. BACKGROUND [0002] To improve traction (grip) of footwear such as walking boots, running shoes, football boots etc., the soles commonly have a plurality of studs (sometimes referred to as cleats) extending from the bottom surface of the sole. The studs are normally spaced apart from one another. [0003] When the wearer of the sole walks or runs etc., upon ground contact, the studs are designed to penetrate or otherwise interact with the ground, so as to inhibit sliding of the footwear over the ground. As the studs contact the ground, a force is applied to the studs in a direction normal to the bottom surface of the shoe sole, counteracting the wearer's weight, and also in shear directions, i.e. in a direction substantially parallel to the bottom surface of the sole. The force applied in the shear direction may be, effectively, a `braking force` or `accelerating force`, which inhibits or effects, respectively, further movement of the studs with respect to the ground. [0004] However, with this conventional stud arrangement, the studs have a propensity to pivot about the connection point between the stud and the sole. This effect is exemplified in FIGS. 1a and 1b. FIG. 1a shows a conventional stud 12 fixed to a sole 11 prior to application of the `braking force`. FIG. 1b, shows the position of the stud once the braking force is applied; the stud 12 has pivoted about a connection point 13 between the stud 12 and the sole 11. As can be seen, this pivoting causes deformation of the sole, which can cause discomfort to the wearer. Furthermore, the angle of the leading surface 12a of the stud 12, which opposes the braking force, has changed. The surface 12a has tilted substantially, and the effectiveness of the stud to provide traction has therefore decreased. [0005] Conventional studs are usually frusto-conical in shape, tapering towards their distal ends. This tapering increases the studs' ability to penetrate the ground upon ground contact. In general, the smaller the studs, the better they are at ground penetration (at any given penetration force). However, the smaller the studs are, in general, the worse they are at coping with the forces applied to them upon ground contact. [0006] Japanese Patent Application No. JP2002-272506 discloses a stud arrangement in which studs are arranged in clusters. Each cluster has three studs linked by connection elements. The purpose of this arrangement is to reduce the `push-up feeling`, i.e. the discomfort caused by forces transmitted from the studs to the sole of the wearer's foot, when the studs contact the ground, since the forces are spread across the studs of the stud cluster, and thus over a wider area. [0007] European patent application No. EP 1234516 discloses a sole structure for a football shoe that is divided into six portions having different rigidities. Sole pressure distribution diagrams are used to determine the appropriate rigidity for each portion. Blade-shaped studs are placed on the sole structure only at areas of high pressure, and the orientation of the blade-shaped studs is based on `active direction distribution diagrams` so as to sustain forces applied from the ground to the foot. [0008] Definitions [0009] In this description, the term "bottom surface" is used to describe the surface of the sole that contacts the ground in use, either directly or via the studs. The terms "heel region", "midfoot region" and "toe region" are used to describe the regions of the bottom surface of the sole, which, in use, are adjacent the heel, midfoot and toes/ball, respectively, of the sole of the wearer's foot. The "toe end" and the "heel end" of the sole should be construed accordingly. The terms "medial side" and "lateral side" are used to describe the sides of the sole, which, in use, are nearest the medial (inside) and lateral (outside) of the wearer's foot respectively. The term "forward direction" is used to describe a direction extending substantially from the heel end to the toe end of the sole and the term "backward direction" should be construed accordingly. The terms "forward of" and "backward of", used to describe relative positioning of the studs, should be construed accordingly. The term "sideways direction" of the sole is used to describe a direction substantially perpendicular to the forward and backward directions, in a direction substantially parallel to the bottom surface of the sole. STATEMENTS OF INVENTION [0010] It is a general proposition of the invention to provide a sole for a shoe having stud formations of different dimensions and/or orientations at predetermined locations of the sole. [0011] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided: [0012] a sole for a shoe having a bottom surface with a plurality of stud formations extending therefrom, [0013] wherein the stud formations are dimensioned and in accordance with the distribution of forces applied to the sole during ground contact. [0014] Preferably, the stud clusters are oriented in accordance with the distribution of forces applied to the sole during ground contact. [0015] The stud formations may be individual studs, or, preferably, stud clusters, each stud cluster comprising at least two studs connected via one or more connection elements. Preferably, the stud clusters are dimensioned in accordance with the typical distribution of forces applied to the sole during ground contact. [0016] The stud formations may be dimensioned directly in proportion with the forces, preferably the peak and/or average forces, applied to the region of the sole at which they are located, during ground contact. Ground contact occurs when a wearer of the sole (more specifically a wearer of a shoe or boot bearing the sole) takes a step onto the ground whilst walking, jogging or running etc. [0017] The force direction and magnitude may be determined using a force plate such as the Kistler Type 9287B. A wearer of a shoe may step on the plate during a running, walking step etc., and the direction and magnitude of the forces applied across the sole during ground contact may be measured using the plate. As an alternative, or in addition, the wearer may step on a pressure sensor pad system. The wearer may step on the pressure sensor pad barefooted, or the pressure sensor pad may be placed inside the shoe, to determine the forces that are applied to the sole of the shoe directly from the wearer's foot, or to the wearer's foot, during ground contact. [0018] Preferably, the stud formations are dimensioned in accordance with the peak forces at their respective position of the sole during ground contact. [0019] The force distribution over the sole may vary depending on the activity in which the sole is used. For example, if the sole is used for running, the pressure force distribution will normally be different from that of a sole used for walking or used in `lateral sports` such as tennis or basketball. Accordingly, in the present invention, the size and/or orientation of the stud formations may be optimised depending on the intended activity for the sole. [0020] Preferably, the stud formations located at regions of the sole which are subject to higher forces during ground contact are larger than the stud formations located at regions of the sole subject to lower forces during ground contact. [0021] In this description, a stud cluster may be larger than another stud cluster by having one or more larger studs than the other stud cluster, and/or one or more larger connection elements. Preferably, larger studs and connection elements have a greater spatial extent over their cross-section than smaller studs and connection elements. [0022] Normally, the larger the stud formations, the better they are of counteracting the applied force. However, normally, the larger the stud formations, the harder it is for the studs to penetrate the ground. Therefore, in the preferred embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention, by dimensioning the stud formations in accordance with the force distribution, the balance between counteracting the applied force and having good ground penetration can be optimised. [0023] It has been found that, when the sole is used for running, for example, the forces applied to the sole are higher at a central area, e.g. towards the mid-line, of the sole than the forces applied at the periphery of the sole. Thus, the stud formations located at the central area of the sole may have larger dimension than the stud formations located at the periphery of the sole. In view of this, the stud formations located at the central area of the toe region of the sole, e.g. at a region beneath the ball of the foot (1.sup.st and 2.sup.nd Metatarsal-phalangeal joint), may have larger dimension than the stud formations located at the periphery of the toe region of the sole and/or the stud formations located at the central area of the heel region of the sole may have larger dimensions than the stud formations located at the periphery of the heel region of the sole. Continue reading... Full patent description for Footwear sole Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Footwear sole patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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