Footwear with active gripping outsole

Abstract

A footwear construction is provided including a sole assembly having one or more active gripping pods that collapse upon themselves to grip underfoot surfaces and terrain. The gripping pods can include a generally centrally located actuator lug that engages a ground surface and collapses upward and optionally into the sole assembly, and while so doing, pulls one or more adjacent lug rings toward it along corresponding arcuate paths. The collapse and pull in of the lug rings causes those elements to grip the ground surface with a predetermined force.

1 . An article of footwear comprising:
 an upper;   a sole assembly joined with the upper, the sole assembly including a first gripping pod, the first gripping pod comprising:
 a first central axis; 
 a first actuator lug generally aligned with the first central axis, the first actuator lug including an actuator lug ground contacting surface defining a periphery and an exterior actuator lug wall extending upwardly from the actuator lug ground contacting surface; and 
 a first lug ring that surrounds the first actuator lug and that is disposed radially outward from the exterior actuator lug wall, the first lug ring including a lug ring interior edge and a lug ring interior wall that face generally toward the exterior actuator lug wall, and a lug ring ground contacting surface; 
   wherein the first gripping pod includes a first collapse compartment defined in the sole assembly above the first actuator lug and the first lug ring;   wherein the first gripping pod is operable in an extended mode when the first gripping pod is not under a compressive force due to a wearer's weight, and in a gripping mode when the first gripping pod is under the compressive force,   wherein in the gripping mode, the first actuator lug and the first lug ring collapse at least partially into the first collapse compartment, with the first lug ring moving toward the first central axis of the first gripping pod in the gripping mode,   wherein the lug ring interior edge is disposed above the ground contacting surface of the first actuator lug such that a part of the lug ring ground contacting surface is above the ground contacting surface of the first actuator lug in the gripping mode,   whereby a ground surface material is grabbed between the lug ring interior wall and the actuator lug exterior wall to improve traction of the footwear relative to the ground surface material.   
     
     
         2 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , comprising:
 a second gripping pod distal from the first gripping pod, the second gripping pod comprising:
 a second central axis; 
 a second actuator lug aligned with the second central axis; 
 a second lug ring that surrounds the second actuator lug; 
   wherein the second gripping pod includes a second collapse compartment defined in the sole assembly above the second actuator lug and the second lug ring;   wherein the second gripping pod is operable in an extended mode and in a gripping mode,   wherein in the gripping mode, the second actuator lug and the second lug ring collapse at least partially into the second collapse compartment, with the second lug ring moving toward the second central axis of the second gripping pod and with a portion of the second lug ring moving away from the first central axis of the first gripping pod.   
     
     
         3 . The article of footwear of  claim 2 ,
 wherein the first gripping pod is located in a heel region of the footwear,   wherein the second gripping pod is located in a forefoot region of the footwear.   
     
     
         4 . The article of footwear of  claim 3 ,
 wherein the sole assembly includes a side to side width and a longitudinal length,   wherein the first gripping pod extends across a majority of the side to side width,   wherein the second gripping pod extends across a majority of the side to side width.   
     
     
         5 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the lug ring interior edge travels toward the exterior actuator lug wall along an arcuate path when transitioning to the gripping mode.   
     
     
         6 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the actuator lug ground contacting surface is a first distance below the lug ring ground contacting surface when the first gripping pod is in the extended mode,   wherein the actuator lug ground contacting surface is a second distance below the lug ring ground contacting surface when the first gripping pod is in the gripping mode,   wherein the second distance is less than the first distance.   
     
     
         7 . The article of footwear of  claim 6 ,
 wherein the first distance is at least 1 mm, inclusive, and the second distance is less than 1 mm so that the actuator lug ground contacting surface retracts upward relative to the lug ring ground contacting surface in the gripping mode.   
     
     
         8 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first collapse compartment includes a foam material unit therein sufficient to allow the first gripping pod to collapse.   
     
     
         9 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first actuator lug travels along a substantially linear path toward the first collapse compartment during a transition to the gripping mode from the extended mode,   wherein the lug ring interior edge travels along a curvilinear path toward the actuator lug exterior wall during the transition to the gripping mode from the extended mode.   
     
     
         10 . The article of footwear of  claim 9 ,
 wherein the lug ring interior wall tilts toward the exterior actuator lug wall during the transition from the extended mode to the gripping mode.   
     
     
         11 . The article of footwear of  claim 10 ,
 wherein the lug ring interior wall is disposed at a first angle relative to a vertical plane in the extended mode,   wherein the lug ring interior wall is disposed at a second angle relative to a vertical plane in the gripping mode,   wherein the second angle is at least 2 degrees greater than the first angle.   
     
     
         12 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the lug ring interior edge and the exterior actuator lug wall are separated by a first distance in the extended mode,   wherein the lug ring interior edge and the exterior actuator lug wall are separated by a second distance in the gripping mode,   wherein the second distance is less than the first distance.   
     
     
         13 . An article of footwear comprising:
 an upper;   a sole assembly joined with the upper, the sole assembly including a first gripping pod, the first gripping pod comprising:
 a first central axis; 
 a first actuator lug including a ground contacting surface and an exterior actuator lug wall; and 
 a first lug ring that surrounds the first actuator lug and that is disposed outward from the exterior actuator lug wall, with a groove defined therebetween, the first lug ring including a lug ring interior edge, a lug ring interior wall and a lug ring ground contacting surface; 
   wherein the first gripping pod is operable in an extended mode when the first gripping pod is not under a compressive force due to a wearer's weight, the lug ring interior wall being parallel to the first central axis in the extended mode, and in a gripping mode when the first gripping pod is under the compressive force,   wherein in the gripping mode, the first actuator lug and the first lug ring collapse at least partially upward into the sole assembly, with the first lug ring moving toward the first central axis of the first gripping pod in the gripping mode,   wherein the lug ring interior wall angles inward toward the first central axis in the gripping mode so that a ground surface material is grabbed between the lug ring interior wall and the actuator lug exterior wall to improve traction of the footwear relative to the ground surface material.   
     
     
         14 . The article of footwear of  claim 13 ,
 a second gripping pod distal from the first gripping pod, the second gripping pod comprising:
 a second central axis; 
 a second actuator lug; 
 a second lug ring that surrounds the second actuator lug; 
   wherein the second gripping pod is operable in an extended mode and in a gripping mode,   wherein in the gripping mode, the second actuator lug and the second lug ring move at least partially into the sole assembly, with the second lug ring moving toward the second central axis of the second gripping pod and with a portion of the second lug ring moving away from the first central axis of the first gripping pod.   
     
     
         15 . The article of footwear of  claim 13 ,
 wherein the lug ring interior edge and the lug ring ground contacting surface are interrupted by a plurality of voids such that the lug ring ground contacting surface is discontinuous.   
     
     
         16 . The article of footwear of  claim 15 ,
 wherein the first actuator lug travels along a substantially linear path during a transition to the gripping mode from the extended mode,   wherein the lug ring interior edge travels along a curvilinear path toward the actuator lug exterior wall during the transition to the gripping mode from the extended mode.   
     
     
         17 .- 18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . An article of footwear comprising:
 an upper;   a sole assembly joined with the upper and including a first gripping pod and a second gripping pod, the first gripping pod comprising:
 a first central axis; 
 a first actuator lug including a ground contacting surface and an exterior actuator lug wall; and 
 a first lug ring that surrounds the first actuator lug and that is disposed outward from the exterior actuator lug wall, with a groove defined therebetween, the first lug ring including a lug ring interior edge and a lug ring ground contacting surface; 
   wherein in the gripping mode, the first actuator lug and the first lug ring collapse at least partially upward into the sole assembly, with the first lug ring moving toward the first central axis of the first gripping pod in the gripping mode,   wherein the lug ring interior edge travels toward the exterior actuator lug wall along an arcuate path when transitioning to the gripping mode,   wherein the first actuator lug ground contacting surface is a first distance below the lug ring ground contacting surface when the first gripping pod is in the extended mode,   wherein the first actuator lug ground contacting surface is a second distance below the lug ring ground contacting surface when the first gripping pod is in the gripping mode,   wherein the second distance is less than the first distance,   wherein the lug ring interior edge raises a third distance above the ground contacting surface of the first actuator lug, so the lug ring interior edge is above a horizontal level of the ground contacting surface of the first actuator lug in the gripping mode.   
     
     
         20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . The article of footwear of  claim 19 ,
 wherein the lug ring interior edge travels upward in an arcuate path above the first actuator lug ground contacting surface while the first actuator lug ground contacting surface engages a ground surface,   whereby a ground surface material is grabbed between the lug ring interior wall and the actuator lug exterior wall to improve function of the footwear relative to the ground surface material.   
     
     
         22 . The article of footwear of  claim 13 ,
 wherein the lug interior wall is vertical in the extended mode,   wherein the lug interior wall is angled at least 2° toward the central axis in the gripping mode.   
     
     
         23 . The article of footwear of  claim 13 ,
 wherein the lug ring interior edge is disposed above the ground contacting surface of the first actuator lug such that a part of the lug ring ground contacting surface is above the ground contacting surface of the first actuator lug in the gripping mode.