Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
'!''''''~'1~936~0
~WO 96/OOS12 ' PCT/CA95100389
SKATE BOOT WITH COMPOSITE Sl~l F
TECHNICI~I FIFI r)
This invention relates to skate boots, and particularly to a skate
boot having a culllpos;Lt: material sole, of a resin reinforced with fibers.
5 Although primarily intended for ice skates, the skate boot could also be used for
in-line skates or roller skates.
~A ~yt:l~Oul~EC
In conventional skate boots, the rnaterial used for the sole or
outsole of the boot is TPR (Lllt:llllU,UI~Dlil, rubber). Many years of tradition and
10 gradual evolution have led to this becoming the almost universal choice of skate
boot manufacturers. The sole is designed to provide an interface between the
sewn boot and the ice skate blade holder or in-line skate chassis. It provides
structure to which the materials of the upper can be attached. It does not
provide a great dleal of structural support, and is in fact soft and flexible.
In view of the general suitability of TPR, there has been little
incentive to innovate. It has hitherto been thought that TPR was clearly the
best material, perhaps partially because it is vastly better than materials used in
older skate boots.
However, TPR does have the disadvantage of being solll~Jllal
20 energy absorbent or "spongy". In ice skating of hockey, especially at the
plurt:sD;unal or serious amateur level, this aLDulbency is IJ"-'~ aLle, since itsoftens the "feel" of the ice, and reduces the efficiency of energy transfer from
the skater's legs and feet through the boot to the blade and ice surface. The
TPR poses a problem when all~r",uLi"g to control the energy llallDIlliLlt:d from25 the musculature during the skating stride, and in feeling the ground reaction forces for balance and skating control.
The inventor has l~coy"i~ed that a thinner, less spongy sole would
be desirable, to improve the energy transfer and to provide the skater with
better ice contact and control, particularly during tight turns and the like.
KC~ kl~.~ \ILL:~rlL ~ U l : 1:3- ~J-~ti : I ~ JDt:LA(iAI ~11~ 1 I I.~L-- +~'J ~J :Wf3U~
2 1 ~3660
ll~letal ~o!es worc collaid~lu~, but have been ,e~u~ as bein~
undesirable dua to bein~ too cold for ice skates. Furthermore, ona3 deformed, a metal
sole! rnay rernain deformed, rather than sprin~in~ back to its ori~inal shape.
It i$ known from NL-A-89016g03 to provide an ice skate with a sole
comprised of an inflexible sheli including ssvf~ral laysrs of a f brefeinforced resin. Skates
.L; such as that disclosed therein are intenr~d ~or use in sports sur,h as speed skatin~ and
thu~, the ~ole~ thereof are d~signed so as to avoid torsional flexing of the scle about a
lor~itudinal axis. Ice-hockey skates, heweYer, must provide for such torsional flexing af
Ihe sole and thus a skate sole such as that discloaed in NL-A-89016903 is unu~ in
such skates.
1~ ,
DISCLOSUF2F OF INVF~ lON
It is an object of the invention to provide a boct with a thinner and lightsr sole
Ihan h~d hitherto been thought possiblc, without unde_:...Lle sacritices in rigidity or
stilTness.
Afxordin~ly, in th~3 inverlbon, a thin, strong con~posite material is used for the
sole of the skate ooot. The sole is a thin layer d ccmpcsite material, namely a mix of resin
anri r~if~fblcif~ fibers, which provides a hi~h flex modulus and reates a hiah stiftness to
wei~ht ratio. Thermcset or Il ,~r",epldiLic resins may be used, with glas~, carbon, Kevlar
~tradlsmark) or other suitable flbers.
Further teaturss ct the invenUon will be descfibed or will become epparent
in th~ course cf the followin~ detailed u'~ n.
r;F DESCI~ lON OF DR4WIN~;S
In order that the invention may be more clearly u~ Id~l ~luu~!, the prsfarred
~ bc~ n~t thereof wili ncw be described in detail by u/ay of example, with referenc~ ~o
the a~".yar,yin~ drawings, in which:
Fi~. 1 isap~-r -~h_view oFsniceska1ebootcfthepreferred~ budi.,,...Il,
Fi~. 2 is a side YiSW cf the skate bcot, cut cpen to show ils cc;nstruction in
the heel ~rea;
Fig. 3 is a ,~," ~ 'h~e viaw o~ the skatq boot, cut open in the toe area;
Fi~. 4 is a tront seciicnal view, explcded to shcw the varicus co,nponenl~
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A~ NDEa SHEEr
l~ P ~ " 2~ 93660
wo 96/00512 PCT/CAgS10038g
Fig. 5 is a front sectional view similar to Fig. 6, but showing the
various ~o,,,~uoue,,l~ rivetted together;
Fi~. 6 is perspective view of the sole of the skate boot; and
Fi~. 7 is a plan view of the sole.
5 BFcT MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THF INVENTION
Referring to the drawings, the invention will now be described in
greater detail. The following cles~ 6OIl refers to an ice skate boot, but the
same principles will apply to boots for in-line skates or roller skates.
The skate has two main cu""uune~,L~, namely the boot 1 which
10 includes a sole 2, and the blade holder 3 which includes a blade or runner 4.The blade holder is fastened to the boot in conventional fashion, via rivets 5.
As can be seen best in Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5, the boot includes an
upper 6 wh.ch has a curled-under portion 7 which is po~iLio"ed above the sole
2. A plastic platform 8 is then po .;Liunecl above the curled-under portion and
15 the sole. On top of the plastic platform is a thin foam liner 9. The rivets 5 pass
through the blade holder, the sole, the curled-under portion of the upper, the
plastic platform, and the foam liner.
Figs. 6 and 7 show the preferred e",l,odi",~ "t of the sole 2 of the
present invention. The sole is a thin layer of cOlll,uOaill: material, molded to the
20 shape as illustrated, with raised rib-like central contours 10.
The preferred co~,uu .;L~ material is a bi-d;~ Liolldl mix of acrylic
Ll,e""opl~:.Lic resin, glass and carbon fibers, such as the Novotek HW-5050
ILladellldlh) material supplied by BioMechanical Co""uo:,;L~:, (a division of
Medical Materials Corporation), of Camarillo, California, U.S.A.. A ~ue:~,;ricdLio
25 sheet is annexed hereto as Appendix A.
This material provides moderate stiffness, strength and durability
with balanced .I;I~LiulldliLy. It has cross-woven upper and lower fdct:sheeL:~ of
carbon and glass fibers, with a variable thickness core. In the preferred
e",bc " "~"L, the thickness of the overall sheet is 1.4 mm. The material
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WO 96/~0512 PCTICA95/013389--
decreases the overall weight of the skate by greater than 100 gm from about
1 000 gm.
Obviously, the thickness could be varied, as could the material
itseif. Composite materials of resin and fibers, other than the Novotek material,
certainly could be used. In general, II,e,llloD~L resins such as polyester resin or
epoxy resin, or Lll~ ,u,ul~~lic resins such as polyamides (e.g. Nylon 6, Nylon 6-
6, Nylon 12, Nylon 11), acrylics, ABS, polypropylene, polyethylene, etc., could
be used. The fibers are encArslll~t~d in the resin in order to increase the flexmodulus or stiffness of the sole. The o,ie,,LaLiul~ of the fibers and the
ptllLellLdu~e of fiber content versus resin content will dictate the final rigidity.
The fiber can be in short lengths oriented randomly in the resin, or there can be
longer strands, either ullidi,~LLiullally oriented in the resin, or layered or woven
to create a bi-dil~LLiol1dl structure.
Obviously, not al! LullllJ;IlaLioll~ of resins, fibers, olienLaLions
lengths and pe:lL~llLa9~:~ will be suitable. Suitable palalll~::Lt:l~ must be selected
through routine ~,ue:dlllesllLdLiùll, to achieve the desired light weight and degree
of stiffness.
In the preferred manufacturing process using the Novotek material
or other Lhtllllùuld~Lic" the material is first die-cut to the desired outer shape,
then heated to facilitate molding, and then molded to its final, contoured shape.
The manufacture of the overall boot then continues according to conventional
practices. For example, the material is bonded to the curled-under portion of the
boot upper via a suitable adhesive. The plastic platform and the foam liner are
then inserted, and the rivets are installed in conventional fashion.
As examples of alternative processes, hand iay up, com,u~ c,;ul)
molding, resin transfer molding or reaction injection molding could be used for
thermoset resins. For thellllupla~LiL resins, heat forming, vacuum forming, or
injection molding could be used. The invention is not limited to use with these
manufacturing processes only, but could conceivably be used in other
manufacturing or assembly processes, known or as yet unknown.
2 1 9 3 6 6 ~
~1V0 96100512 PCT/CA95100389
Although the cOlll,uuailt: material is much thinner than soles in the
prior art, and is not particularly rigid by itself, the result of the overall assembly
is 8 skate boot which is surprisingly rigid in the sole area, which provides
excellent force transfer from the skater's foot to the ice or other surface, and5 which is so",~ ,l lighter than conventional skates.
It will be ~.,u,u~ L~d that the above d~l,d,ulioll relates to the
preferred t:",L " llellL by way of example only. Certain variations on the
invention will be obvious to those kl,o~.led~edL,le in the field, and such obvious
variations are within the scope of the invention as claimed, whether or not
10 expressly described herein.
The above desuli,ulion relates to ice skates, but it should be clear
that the invention could be applied to in-line skates or conventional roller skates
as well. Instead of rivetting an ice skate blade holder to the boot, a wheel
carriage could be attached.
15 l~nusTRlAl APPLIcARll ITY
The invention provides a skate boot with a sole which is quite rigid,
yet light in weight.
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WO 96/00512 PCTIC~95100389
APPENDIX A
NOViETEKIM HW-505Q
.. :
Novetek HW-5050 uses a 50%/50% mix of carbon and glass fibers in two
directions. It is suitsble for a" ' ns that require modest stiffness, strength,
5 and durability with balanced ~ .,Liol)dl;ly compared to other Novetek
alternatives.
COMPOSITION
Fiber Alternating woven carbon and glass fibers in both 0~ and 90~
OriGllLaliul~
Resin Acrylic
10 PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
* Thickness o 35n - .105" (1.0mm- 2.5mm) available
~ Weight .028 - .081 oz/in2 (.123-.356 gm/cm2)
* Surface Smooth. Tlall~lJal~ to fibers
Size Cut to customer ~.e.,iricaLiol1s, minimum 25in2, maximum
200 in2 (minimum 160 cm2, maximum 1290 cm2) from sheet
of 48nx36"(122x91 cm).
1 5 PROCESS
Cutting Use steel rule die, forged die, hard tooling, shear or saw
Forming Heat to 350-390~F (1 75-200~C). Piace under 5-10 psi (35-70
KPa) for about 15 seconds
Finishing Use general purpose grinding and polishing wheels on edge if
required
ALL~ III Chemical, adhesive, or Ill~;hallicdl aLLa~;lllllelll to other
materials/devices
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SUESTITUTE SHEET (RIJLE 26)
l i ~'P ~
~WO 96/00512 PCTICA95100389
Detaiied instructions, consultation, and technical support conccs~,~;~g specific
p~uce~i"g requirements are available upon request.
NOVETEI~TM HW-5050 MATFPIAl rllOP~
Thickness - inches ~mm)
,035 0.4b .055 .065 .075 .085 .105
(.89) (1.14) (1.40) (1.65) (1.91) (2.16) (2.67)
Areal Density
oz/in' .028 .036 .043 .051 .059 .066 .081
gm/cm' .123 .158 .189 .224 .260 .290 .356
Tensile Load
(ASTM D63F~)
Ib 1160 1190 1215 1245 1275 1305 1365
1 0 N 160 5290 5400 5540 5670 5800 6070
Tensile Strength
(ASTM D638)
b/in2 33100 26400 22100 19100 17000 15400 13200
KPa x 105 2.28 1.82 1.52 1.32 1.17 1.06 .91
1 5 Tensile Modulus
(ASTM D638)
Ib/in~ x 10-5 2.6 2.4 2.2 2.0 1.8 1.6 1.2
KPa x 10' 1.79 1.65 1.2 1.38 1.24 1.10 .83
FIexural Rigidity
Ib-in''' 12 23 40 62 88 118 184
N-cm' 344 660 1148 1780 2325 3387 5280
Flexural Strength
(ASTM D790)
Ib/in2 x 10-6 73700 63400 57200 53000 50000 47800 44000
KPa x 10-5 5.08 4.37 3.94 3.55 3.45 3.30 3.03
SUB;,T' i UT~ S' 'LET (RULE 26~
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W O 96/00512 PCT/CA9S/00389 -
Flexural Modulus
(ASTM D790)
Ib/in2 x 106 3,3 3.1 2.9 2.7 2.5 2.3 1.9
KPa x 10-7 2.28 2.14 2.00 1.86 1.72 1.59 1.31
5 Shear Strength
(ASTM D2344)
Ib/in2 4840 5000 5175 5340 5525 5650 6000
KPa x 10-~ 3.33 3.45 3.57 3.68 3.80 3.78 4.13
Flexural Fatigue
1 0 Stren~th at 1 x
1 o6 cycles
ASTM D790,
Method 1
Ib/in2 33100 28500 25800 23900 22500 21500 19800
KPa x 10-5 2.28 1.96 1.78 1.65 1.55 i.48 1.37
Izod Impact
(ASTM D256)
ft-lb/in 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0
J/cm7 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.7
20 Creep
Resistance at
70~/0 Ultimate,
120~F, 120 hr.
(ASTM D2990)
in/in x 103 7.2 7.2 7.2 7.2 7.2 7.2 7.2
cm/cm x 103 7.2 7.2 7.2 7.2 7.2 7.2 7.2
Heat Distortion
Temp .
~F 220 220 220 220 220 220 220
~C 105 105 105 105 105 105 105
* Per unit width.
**Based upon product of effective elastic modulus and moment of inertia.
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SUBSTITUTE SI~EET (RULE 26)
