Footwear Cleat Support Spacing for Traction and Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing footwear sole structures lack optimal traction and stability on various surfaces, particularly in conditions such as soft, natural turf in wet conditions, due to inadequate design of ground engaging members and support members.
Innovation Solution
The design includes a sole component with a baseplate and ground engaging members extending downward, featuring elongate support members that abut the ground engaging members, providing reinforcement, increased traction, and facilitating ground penetration and extraction, with varying orientations and spacings to adapt to different surfaces and conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If ground engaging members are provided with uniform support members, then structural simplicity is maintained, but traction and stability on diverse surfaces are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by providing uneven spacing between support members relative to ground engaging members. Specifically, the spacing between support members is different on opposite sides of the ground engaging member, creating an asymmetric configuration that adapts to diverse surface conditions while maintaining structural effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local quality by varying the spacing of support members in different locations. The first and second support members are spaced differently from the ground engaging member, allowing each region to provide optimized support characteristics for specific traction and stability requirements on various surfaces
2Strength
If support members are closely spaced, then reinforcement is increased, but ground penetration capability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by providing only two support members per ground engaging member rather than a dense array. This partial configuration provides sufficient reinforcement while maintaining adequate spacing to allow ground penetration, avoiding the excessive reinforcement that would impede penetration
3Strength
If multiple support members are added per ground engaging member, then reinforcement is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential support members needed for effective reinforcement. By providing exactly two support members per ground engaging member with optimized uneven spacing, the design achieves adequate reinforcement without the complexity of more numerous or densely arranged support members
Data Source
AI summary
An article of footwear may include an upper configured to receive a foot and a sole component fixedly attached to a bottom portion of the upper. The sole component may include a baseplate having a bottom surface and at least a first ground engaging member extending substantially downward from the bottom surface of the baseplate. The sole component may also include a plurality of elongate support members extending substantially downward from the bottom surface of the baseplate, abutting the first ground engaging member at a side portion, and extending horizontally from the side portion of the first ground engaging member; wherein three or more support members of the plurality of support members are unevenly spaced about the ground engaging member. The spaces between the unevenly spaced support members may be devoid of additional support members, and the three or more support members may be independent of other ground engaging members.