Cleat Attachment System

Abstract

A cleat attachment system for footwear. The cleat includes a cylinder on a base with one or more locking tabs disposed around the outside of the cylinder. The receptacle includes a cylindrical cavity with one or more locking tabs on the cavity's inner surface. A cleat attaches to a receptacle embedded in footwear by inserting the cleat attachment structure into the receptacle, after ramps on the cleat attachment structure and the receptacle are oriented with respect to each other. The locking tabs engage to retain the cleat in the receptacle. Corresponding ramps on the cleat attachment structure and the receptacle cooperate to disengage the locking tabs when the cleat attachment structure is twisted about its axis. The cleat is thereby detached from the receptacle.

I claim: 
     
         1 . An attachment structure for a removable cleat, the attachment structure comprising:
 a base;   at least one locking tab disposed on a wall, the wall extending longitudinally from a top surface of the base,   wherein at least one locking tab is oriented substantially transverse to a central axis about which the attachment structure may be rotated to disengage the attachment structure from a receptacle; and   at least one ramp disposed on the top surface of the base, the ramp being substantially transverse to the central axis.   
     
     
         2 . The attachment system of  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of locking tabs are disposed on the top surface of the base and spaced apart in a circular array around the central axis. 
     
     
         3 . The attachment system of  claim 1 , wherein the ramp inclines from the top surface of the base. 
     
     
         4 . The attachment system of  claim 3 , wherein the ramp does not overlap any of the locking tabs. 
     
     
         5 . The attachment system of  claim 1 , wherein a dimension of the ramp is configured to allow the ramp to interact with a receptacle ramp in the receptacle to disengage the locking tabs when the cleat is twisted. 
     
     
         6 . The attachment system of  claim 1 , further comprising a cleat. 
     
     
         7 . An attachment structure for a removable cleat, the attachment structure comprising:
 a base;   a plurality of locking tabs, each locking tab being oriented substantially transverse to a central axis about which the attachment structure may be rotated to disengage the attachment structure from a receptacle,   each locking tab being disposed from a top surface of the base by the same distance; and   at least one ramp disposed on the top surface of the base, the ramp being substantially transverse to the central axis.   
     
     
         8 . The attachment structure of  claim 7 , wherein at least some of the plurality of locking tabs are spaced apart in a circular array around the central axis. 
     
     
         9 . The attachment structure of  claim 7 , wherein the ramp inclines from the top surface of the base. 
     
     
         10 . The attachment structure of  claim 9 , wherein the ramp does not overlap any of the locking tabs. 
     
     
         11 . The attachment structure of  claim 1 , wherein a dimension of the ramp is configured to allow the ramp to interact with a receptacle ramp in the receptacle to disengage the locking tabs when the cleat is twisted. 
     
     
         12 . The attachment structure of  claim 1 , further comprising a cleat. 
     
     
         13 . A method of connecting a removable cleat to an outsole of an athletic shoe, comprising:
 providing an attachment system including:
 a cleat attachment structure including:
 a cleat base; 
 a plurality of locking tabs of the cleat attachment structure, each locking tab being oriented substantially transverse to a cleat central axis about which the cleat attachment structure may be rotated to disengage the cleat attachment structure from a receptacle, 
 at least one ramp disposed on a top surface of the cleat base, the ramp being substantially transverse to the cleat central axis; 
 
 the receptacle adapted to be molded into the outsole of the athletic shoe and to receive and hold the cleat attachment structure, the receptacle including:
 a receptacle base; 
 a cylindrical cavity in the receptacle base disposed about a receptacle central axis; 
 at least one locking tab of the receptacle disposed on a cylindrical surface of the cylindrical cavity, wherein the locking tab is oriented substantially transverse to the receptacle central axis; and 
 at least one ramp disposed on and projecting from the cylindrical surface of the cylindrical cavity, the at least one ramp disposed on and projecting from the cylindrical surface being substantially transverse to the receptacle central axis; 
 
 aligning the cleat central axis with the receptacle central axis; 
 inserting the cleat attachment structure into the receptacle; 
 engaging at least one locking tab of the cleat attachment structure with at least one locking tab of the receptacle. 
   
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13 , further comprising:
 disengaging at least one locking tab of the cleat attachment structure from at least one locking tab of the receptacle by twisting the cleat attachment structure about the cleat axis.