Skate or other footwear

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12290143-B2
Application number	US-202418616284-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 26, 2024
Priority date	Feb 9, 2016
Publication date	May 6, 2025
Grant date	May 6, 2025

Abstract

A skate (e.g., an ice skate) for a skater (e.g., a hockey player). The skate comprises a skate boot for receiving a foot of the skater and a skating device (e.g., a blade and a blade holder) disposed beneath the skate boot to engage a skating surface (e.g., ice). At least part of the skate boot and optionally at least part of one or more other components (e.g., the skating device) may be constructed from one or more materials (e.g., foams) molded by flowing in molding equipment during a molding process (e.g., injection molding or casting). This may allow the skate (or other footwear) to have useful performance characteristics (e.g., reduced weight, proper fit and comfort, etc.) while being more cost-effectively manufactured. Other articles of footwear are also provided.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A skate boot for a skate, the skate comprising a skating device located below the skate boot to engage a skating surface, the skate boot defining a cavity to receive a foot of a user, the skate boot comprising a body that comprises a medial side portion configured to face a medial side of the user's foot, a lateral side portion configured to face a lateral side of the user's foot, a heel portion configured to receive a heel of the user's foot, and an ankle portion configured to receive an ankle of the user, wherein: the body of the skate boot comprises an injection-molded layer forming at least part of the medial side portion, at least part of the lateral side portion, at least part of the heel portion, and at least part of the ankle portion of the body of the skate boot; and the body of the skate boot comprises a reinforcement located outward of the injection-molded layer and in at least two but less than all of the medial side portion, the lateral side portion, the heel portion, and the ankle portion of the body of the skate boot.

2. The skate boot of claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement is located in at least one of the medial side portion and the lateral side portion of the body of the skate boot.

3. The skate boot of claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement is located in the medial side portion and the lateral side portion of the body of the skate boot.

4. The skate boot of claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement is located in the ankle portion of the body of the skate boot.

5. The skate boot of claim 2 , wherein the reinforcement is located in the ankle portion of the body of the skate boot.

6. The skate boot of claim 3 , wherein the reinforcement is located in the ankle portion of the body of the skate boot.

7. The skate boot of claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement is configured to increase an impact resistance of the body of the skate boot.

8. The skate boot of claim 1 , wherein a material of the reinforcement is at least one of stiffer and harder than a material of the injection-molded layer.

9. The skate boot of claim 1 , wherein the injected-molded layer is an injected-molded foam layer.

10. The skate boot of claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement comprises a composite material.

11. The skate boot of claim 1 , wherein the composite material is a fiber-reinforced polymeric material.

12. The skate boot of claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement is thermoformed.

13. The skate boot of claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement is visible from outside the skate boot.

14. The skate boot of claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement constitutes at least part of an external surface of the skate boot.

15. The skate boot of claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement is affixed to the injection-molded layer after injection molding of the injection-molded layer.

16. The skate boot of claim 1 , wherein: the reinforcement is a first reinforcement; and the body of the skate boot comprises a second reinforcement separate from the first reinforcement and located outward of the injection-molded layer.

17. The skate boot of claim 1 , wherein: the body of the skate boot comprises a toe portion configured to enclose toes of the user's foot; and the injection-molded layer forms at least part of the toe portion of the body of the skate boot.

18. The skate boot of claim 1 , wherein: the injection-molded layer is a first injection-molded layer; and the body of the skate boot comprises a second injection-molded layer located outward of the first injection-molded layer.

19. The skate boot of claim 18 , wherein the second injection-molded layer overlies the reinforcement.

20. The skate boot of claim 18 , wherein the second injection-molded layer is clear.

21. The skate boot of claim 18 , wherein the second injection-molded layer forms at least part of the medial side portion, at least part of the lateral side portion, at least part of the heel portion, and at least part of the ankle portion of the body of the skate boot.

22. The skate boot of claim 18 , wherein: the body of the skate boot comprises a toe portion configured to enclose toes of the user's foot; and each of the first injection-molded layer and the second injection-molded layer forms at least part of the toe portion of the body of the skate boot.

23. The skate boot of claim 1 , wherein: the body of the skate boot comprises a sole portion to face a plantar surface of the user's foot; and the injection-molded layer forms at least part of the sole portion of the body of the skate boot.

24. A skate comprising the skate boot of claim 1 .

25. The skate of claim 24 , wherein the skate is an ice skate, the skating surface is ice, and the skating device comprises a blade to engage the ice and a blade holder between the skate boot and the ice.

26. The ice skate of claim 25 , wherein the injection-molded layer forms at least part of the blade holder.

27. The skate boot of claim 25 , wherein: the injection-molded layer is a first injection-molded layer; the body of the skate boot comprises a second injection-molded layer located outward of the first injection-molded layer; and each of the first injection-molded layer and the second injection-molded layer forms at least part of the blade holder.

28. A skate boot for a skate, the skate comprising a skating device located below the skate boot to engage a skating surface, the skate boot defining a cavity to receive a foot of a user, the skate boot comprising a body that comprises a medial side portion configured to face a medial side of the user's foot, a lateral side portion configured to face a lateral side of the user's foot, a heel portion configured to receive a heel of the user's foot, an ankle portion configured to receive an ankle of the user, and a toe portion configured to enclose toes of the user's foot, wherein: the body of the skate boot comprises a first injection-molded layer forming at least part of the medial side portion, at least part of the lateral side portion, at least part of the heel portion, at least part of the ankle portion, and at least part of the toe portion of the body of the skate boot; the body of the skate boot comprises a reinforcement located outward of the first injection-molded layer; and the body of the skate boot comprises a second injection-molded layer located outward of the first injection-molded layer.

29. Footwear to receive a foot of a user, the footwear comprising a body that comprises a medial side portion configured to face a medial side of the user's foot, a lateral side portion configured to face a lateral side of the user's foot, a heel portion configured to receive a heel of the user's foot, and an ankle portion configured to receive an ankle of the user, wherein: the body of the footwear comprises an injection-molded layer forming at least part of the medial side portion, at least part of the lateral side portion, at least part of the heel portion, and at least part of the ankle portion of the body of the footwear; and the body of the skate boot comprises a reinforcement located outward of the injection-molded layer and in at least two but less than all of the medial side portion, the lateral side portion, the heel portion, and the ankle portion of the body of the footwear.

Assignees

• Bauer Hockey Llc

Inventors

• Labonté Ivan
• Payeur Conrad
• Déschênes Candide

Classifications

• B29L2031/505

  Uppers · CPC title

• B29K2995/007

  Hardness · CPC title

• B29K2105/04

  cellular or porous · CPC title

• B29K2075/00

  Use of {PU, i.e.} polyureas or polyurethanes {or derivatives thereof}, as moulding material · CPC title

• B29C45/1676

  using a soft material and a rigid material, e.g. making articles with a sealing part · CPC title