Ice skate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11559733-B2
Application number	US-201916528867-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 1, 2019
Priority date	Jan 5, 2015
Publication date	Jan 24, 2023
Grant date	Jan 24, 2023

Abstract

A blade holder for an ice skate (e.g., for playing hockey). The ice skate comprises a skate boot for receiving a foot of a skater. The blade holder comprises a blade-retaining base to retain a blade. The blade-retaining base comprises a first material (e.g., a non-composite polymeric material). The blade holder comprises a support extending upwardly from the blade-retaining base to interconnect the blade holder and the skate boot. The support comprises a second material (e.g., a composite material) different from (e.g., stiffer than) the first material.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A blade holder for an ice skate, the ice skate comprising a skate boot for receiving a foot of a skater, the blade holder comprising:
a. a blade-retaining base to retain a blade, the blade-retaining base comprising a first material;
b. a support extending upwardly from the blade-retaining base to interconnect the blade holder and the skate boot, the support comprising a second material stiffer than the first material; and
c. a blade-detachment mechanism comprising an actuator toollessly operable such that the blade is selectively detachable and removable from, and attachable to, the blade holder, at least part of the blade-detachment mechanism being disposed in a cavity defined by a wall at least partly made of the first material.

2. The blade holder of claim 1 , wherein the second material is a composite material.

3. The blade holder of claim 2 , wherein the first material is a non-composite material.

4. The blade holder of claim 1 , wherein a ratio of a modulus of elasticity of the second material over a modulus of elasticity of the first material is at least 2.

5. The blade holder of claim 1 , wherein a ratio of a modulus of elasticity of the second material over a modulus of elasticity of the first material is at least 10.

6. The blade holder of claim 1 , wherein a ratio of a density of the second material over a density of the first material is at least 1.2.

7. The blade holder of claim 1 , wherein the support comprises a front pillar and a rear pillar and the blade-retaining base comprises a bridge interconnecting the front pillar and the rear pillar.

8. The blade holder of claim 7 , wherein at least a majority of the front pillar and the rear pillar is made of the second material.

9. The blade holder of claim 8 , wherein at least a majority of the bridge is made of the first material.

10. The blade holder of claim 7 , wherein: the front pillar, the rear pillar and an upper part of the bridge are made of the second material and constitute a monolithic one-piece upper component of the blade holder; and a major part of the blade-retaining base is made of the first material and constitutes a monolithic one-piece lower component of the blade holder.

11. The blade holder of claim 7 , comprising a void extending from the front pillar to the rear pillar, wherein a longitudinal extent of the void in a longitudinal direction of the blade holder is greater than a sum of a minimal longitudinal dimension of the front pillar in the longitudinal direction of the blade holder and a minimal longitudinal dimension of the rear pillar in the longitudinal direction of the blade holder.

12. The blade holder of claim 7 , comprising a void extending from the front pillar to the rear pillar, wherein a longitudinal extent of the void in a longitudinal direction of the blade holder is greater than a minimal longitudinal dimension of the front pillar in the longitudinal direction of the blade holder and a minimal longitudinal dimension of the rear pillar in the longitudinal direction of the blade holder.

13. The blade holder of claim 1 , wherein a thickness T of the wall is no more than 5 mm.

14. The blade holder of claim 3 , wherein the first material and the second material are mechanically interlocked.

15. The blade holder of claim 14 , wherein a given one of the first material and the second material is overmolded onto the other one of the first material and the second material to mechanically interlock the first material and the second material.

16. The blade holder of claim 1 , wherein a ratio of a weight of the blade holder over a length of the blade holder is no more than 4.3 g/cm.

17. A blade holder for an ice skate, the ice skate comprising a skate boot for receiving a foot of a skater, the blade holder comprising:
a. a blade-retaining base to retain a blade, the blade-retaining base comprising a first polymeric material; and
b. a support extending upwardly from the blade-retaining base to interconnect the blade holder and the skate boot such that the blade holder is below the skate boot, the support comprising a second polymeric material different from the first polymeric material;
wherein: the first polymeric material and the second polymeric material are disposed to be located below the skate boot and interconnected by molding of at least one of the first polymeric material and the second polymeric material such that a given one of the first polymeric material and the second polymeric material defines a hollow interlocking space occupied by the other one of the first polymeric material and the second polymeric material; the support comprises a front pillar and a rear pillar and the blade-retaining base comprises a bridge interconnecting the front pillar and the rear pillar; and at least a given one of the front pillar and the rear pillar comprises: a wall defining a cavity and at least partly made of the second material; a top opening that leads to its cavity and faces the skate boot when the blade holder is mounted to the skate boot; and a peripheral opening that leads to its cavity such that its cavity is exposed from an exterior of the skate when the blade holder is mounted to the skate boot.

18. The blade holder of claim 17 , wherein at least a majority of the front pillar and the rear pillar is made of the second material.

19. The blade holder of claim 18 , wherein at least a majority of the bridge is made of the first material.

20. The blade holder of claim 17 , wherein: the front pillar, the rear pillar and an upper part of the bridge are made of the second material and constitute a monolithic one-piece upper component of the blade holder; and a major part of the blade-retaining base is made of the first material and constitutes a monolithic one-piece lower component of the blade holder.

21. The blade holder of claim 17 , comprising a void extending from the front pillar to the rear pillar, wherein a longitudinal extent of the void in a longitudinal direction of the blade holder is greater than a minimal longitudinal dimension of the front pillar in the longitudinal direction of the blade holder and a minimal longitudinal dimension of the rear pillar in the longitudinal direction of the blade holder.

22. The blade holder of claim 17 , wherein a thickness T of the wall is no more than 5 mm.

23. The blade holder of claim 17 , wherein the second material is a composite material.

24. The blade holder of claim 23 , wherein the first material is a non-composite material.

25. The blade holder of claim 17 , wherein the second material is stiffer than the first material.

26. A blade holder for an ice skate, the ice skate comprising a skate boot for receiving a foot of a skater, the blade holder comprising:
a. a blade-retaining base to retain a blade, the blade-retaining base comprising a first polymeric material; and
b. a support extending upwardly from the blade-retaining base to interconnect the blade holder and the skate boot such that the blade holder is below the skate boot, the support comprising a second polymeric material different from the first polymeric material;
wherein: the first polymeric material and the second polymeric material are disposed to be located below the skate boot; and the blade holder comprises an overmolding joint between the first polymeric material and the second polymeric material.

27. The blade holder of claim 26 , wherein the s

Assignees

• Bauer Hockey Llc

Inventors

• Rouzier Edouard
• Gans Adam
• Chambert Martin
• Martel Pascal

Classifications

• A63C1/30 Primary

  with special blades · CPC title

• A63C1/32

  Special constructions of the simple blade · CPC title

• A63C1/303

  removably fastened to the blade holder · CPC title