Ice skate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11547924-B2
Application number	US-201815919117-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 12, 2018
Priority date	Mar 14, 2013
Publication date	Jan 10, 2023
Grant date	Jan 10, 2023

Abstract

An ice skate comprising a blade holder having U-shaped inner and outer members that are spaced apart to define a hollow space therebetween. The U-shaped outer member has an elongated blade-supporting base and front and rear pillars that are spaced apart in a longitudinal direction of the blade holder. At least part of the elongated blade-supporting base, front pillar and rear pillar is made of a composite material such as a fiber-matrix composite material. The ice skate also has a blade comprising a runner and a body made of composite material with a matrix and a plurality of fibers embedded in the matrix.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A blade holder for holding a blade of an ice skate, the ice skate comprising a skate boot for receiving a foot of a skater, the blade holder comprising:
a wall comprising a first polymeric material and defining at least part of a shape of the blade holder; and
a filler configured to achieve at least one of contributing to an impact resistance of the blade holder and absorbing vibrations during skating, the filler comprising a second polymeric material different from the first polymeric material;
wherein: the blade holder comprises an upper structure comprising a front member, a rear member and an inner member extending between the front member and the rear member; the inner member defines an upper void; the blade holder comprises a lower structure comprising a front pillar, a rear pillar spaced from the front pillar in a longitudinal direction of the blade holder and an elongated blade-supporting base for supporting the blade between the front pillar and the rear pillar; and the inner member, the front pillar, the rear pillar and the elongated blade-supporting base define a lower void.

2. The blade holder of claim 1 , wherein the wall and the filler are affixed to one another by molding of at least one of the wall and the filler.

3. The blade holder of claim 2 , wherein the wall of the blade holder is molded over the filler of the blade holder.

4. The blade holder of claim 1 , wherein the first polymeric material is a composite material.

5. The blade holder of claim 4 , wherein the composite material is a fiber-reinforced polymeric material comprising fibers in a polymeric matrix.

6. The blade holder of claim 5 , wherein the fiber-reinforced polymeric material comprises a pre-impregnated fiber layer including respective ones of the fibers.

7. The blade holder of claim 6 , wherein: the pre-impregnated fiber layer is a first pre-impregnated fiber layer; and the fiber-reinforced polymeric material comprises a second pre-impregnated fiber layer including respective ones of the fibers distinct from the respective ones of the fibers of the first pre-impregnated fiber layer.

8. The blade holder of claim 5 , wherein the fibers comprise carbon fibers.

9. The blade holder of claim 5 , wherein the fibers comprise at least one of graphite fibers, carbon graphite fibers, aramid fibers, boron fibers, silicon carbide fibers, ceramic fibers, metallic fibers, glass fibers, and polypropylene fibers.

10. The blade holder of claim 1 , wherein the second polymeric material is a foam.

11. The blade holder of claim 1 , wherein: the wall defines a cavity;
and at least part of the filler of the blade holder is disposed in the cavity.

12. The blade holder of claim 1 , wherein at least part of the wall is part of at least one of the front pillar, the rear pillar and the elongated blade-supporting base.

13. The blade holder of claim 12 , wherein the wall of the blade holder includes at least part of the front pillar and at least part of the rear pillar.

14. The blade holder of claim 13 , wherein the wall of the blade holder includes at least part of the elongated blade-supporting base.

15. The blade holder of claim 13 , wherein the filler of the blade holder includes at least part of the front pillar and at least part of the rear pillar.

16. The blade holder of claim 15 , wherein the wall of the blade holder includes at least part of the elongated blade-supporting base and the filler of the blade holder includes at least part of the elongated blade-supporting base.

17. The blade holder of claim 12 , wherein the lower structure comprises a U-shaped member including the front pillar, the rear pillar and the elongated blade-supporting base.

18. The blade holder of claim 1 , wherein the inner member of the upper structure is a U-shaped member, wherein the wall of the blade holder includes at least part of the U-shaped member.

19. An ice skate comprising the blade holder of claim 1 .

20. The blade holder of claim 1 , wherein the front pillar extends upwardly towards the front portion of the upper structure, and the rear pillar extends upwardly towards the rear portion of the upper structure.

21. A blade holder for holding a blade of an ice skate, the ice skate comprising a skate boot for receiving a foot of a skater, the blade holder comprising:
a wall comprising a composite material and defining at least part of a shape of the blade holder; and
a filler configured to achieve at least one of contributing to an impact resistance of the blade holder and absorbing vibrations during skating, the filler comprising a polymeric material different from the composite material;
wherein: the blade holder comprises an upper structure comprising a front member, a rear member and an inner member extending between the front member and the rear member; the inner member comprises a first arm extending upwardly towards the front member and a second arm extending upwardly towards the rear member; the inner member defines an upper void; the blade holder comprises a lower structure comprising a front pillar, a rear pillar spaced from the front pillar in a longitudinal direction of the blade holder and an elongated blade-supporting base for supporting the blade between the front pillar and the rear pillar; and the upper structure and the lower structure define a lower void.

22. A blade holder for holding a blade of an ice skate, the ice skate comprising a skate boot for receiving a foot of a skater, the blade holder comprising:
a wall comprising a first polymeric material and defining at least part of a shape of the blade holder; and
a filler configured to achieve at least one of contributing to an impact resistance of the blade holder and absorbing vibrations during skating, the filler comprising a second polymeric material different from the first polymeric material;
wherein: the wall and the filler of the blade holder are affixed to one another by molding of at least one of the wall and the filler of the blade holder; the blade holder comprises an upper structure comprising a front member, a rear member and an inner member extending between the front member and the rear member; the inner member defines an upper void; the blade holder comprises a lower structure comprising a front pillar, a rear pillar spaced from the front pillar in a longitudinal direction of the blade holder and an elongated blade-supporting base for supporting the blade between the front pillar and the rear pillar; and the inner member, the front pillar, the rear pillar and the elongated blade-supporting base define a lower void.

23. The blade holder of claim 22 , wherein the first polymeric material is a composite material.

24. The blade holder of claim 23 , wherein the composite material comprises a matrix.

25. The blade holder of claim 24 , wherein the matrix comprises a resin.

26. The blade holder of claim 25 , wherein the resin comprises a thermosetting polymeric material.

27. The blade holder of claim 25 , wherein the resin comprises a thermoplastic polymeric material.

28. The blade holder of claim 25 , wherein the resin comprises a hybrid thermosetting-thermoplastic polymeric material.

29. The blade holder of claim 23 , wherein the composite material comprises fibers.

30. The blade holder of claim 29 , wherein the fibers comprise carbon fibers.

Assignees

• Bauer Hockey Llc

Inventors

• Labonte Ivan
• Corbeil Jean-Francois

Classifications

• A63C1/42

  Manufacture of skates · CPC title

• A63C1/303

  removably fastened to the blade holder · CPC title

• A63C2203/42

  Details of chassis of ice or roller skates, of decks of skateboards · CPC title

• A63C1/32

  Special constructions of the simple blade · CPC title

• A63C1/30 Primary

  with special blades · CPC title