Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02397000 2005-05-10
GOALIE SKATE PROTECTIVE SHELL
WITH REMOVABLE BLADE
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
100011 Hockey ice skates typically include a metal blade which is removably
mounted in one-piece holder. The holder is, in turn, secured to the sole of a
skate
boot by means of a plurality of rivets, with rivets being commonly employed.
[0002] While the holder is capable of securely fixing the blade to the boot,
difficulties arise when the blade must be sharpened since the blade and bulky
holder
cannot be easily or quickly removed from the boot. This makes it difficult to
manipulate or fixedly secure the entire skate in a blade sharpening machine
for re-
sharpening the blade edge.
[0003] Goalie ice skates have a somewhat different construction in that a
smaller height boot is mounted inside a plastic protective shell. The shell
includes an
integral holder for a blade which is insert molded in the shell. The shell is
then
riveted to the sole in the same manner as a regular hockey ice skate.
[0004] Further, with goalie skates, removal of the blade when the blade is
damaged, worn out, or otherwise requires replacement involves removal of all
of the
rivets attaching the holder to the skate boot. At best, this is a time
consuming and
costly process.
[0005] It would be desirable to provide a goalie skate protective shell having
a
removable blade to overcome the aforementioned problems with prior art goalie
skates; while at the same time providing the desired extra protection of a
goalie's feet.
SUMMARY
[0006] A goalie skate protective shell for receiving a goalie ice skate boot
includes a protective shell having opposed sidewalls and a sole joined by toe
and heel
portions. A holder is unitarily formed as part of the sole of the shell. The
holder has
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an open ended groove extending lengthwise thereover. At least two transversely
extending bores are formed in the holder. A blade has a blade edge and at
least two
legs projecting from the blade. Apertures are formed in the legs for alignment
with
the transverse extending bores in the holder when the blade is mounted in the
open
ended groove in the holder. Fasteners are engagable through the apertures in
legs of
the blade and the transversely extending bores in the holder to removable
affix the
blade to the holder.
[0007] Accordingly, in one aspect of the present invention, there is provided
an attachment for a goalie ice skate comprising:
a protective shell having first and second opposed side walls and a sole
joined
by toe and heel portions, the shell defining an interior cavity adapted for
receiving a
goalie ice skate boot;
a holder molded with the sole of the shell, the holder having an open ended
groove extending lengthwise thereover;
at least two transversely extending bores formed in the holder;
a blade received in the open ended groove after the holder has been molded
with respect to the shell, the blade having a blade edge and at least two legs
projecting from the blade edge, apertures formed in the legs for alignment
with a
corresponding number of bores formed in the holder when the blade is mounted
in
the open ended groove in the holder; and
fasteners engagable through the apertures in the legs of the blade and the
bores in the holder to removably affix the blade to the holder.
[0008] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided
a method for making an attachment for a goalie skate comprising the steps of
forming a sole having a first end and a second end;
molding a protective shell with the sole for receiving a goalie ice skate boot
including a toe portion adjacent a first end of the sole and a heel portion
adjacent the
second end, and
molding a blade holder with the sole and the protective shell including an
open ended groove for receiving a blade subsequent to being molded with the
sole
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and the protective shell, the blade holder also including at least one bore
extending
transverse to the open ended groove and adjacent one of the toe portion and
the heel
portion to receive a fastener for releasibly associating a blade with respect
to the
molded sole, protective shell and blade holder; and
positioning the blade in the open ended groove after the protective shell has
been unitarily formed.
[0009] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is
provided an attachment for a goalie ice skate comprising:
a sole having a first end and a second end;
a protective shell molded with the sole for receiving a goalie ice skate boot
including a toe portion adjacent a first end of the sole and a heel portion
adjacent a
second end of the sole, the protective shell extending in a first direction
from the
sole; and
a blade holder molded with the sole and the protective shell including an open
ended groove for receiving a blade subsequent to being molded with the sole
and the
protective shell, the blade holder also including at least one bore extending
transverse
to the open ended groove and adjacent one of the toe portion and the heel
portion to
receive a fastener for releasibly associating a blade with the molded sole,
protective
shell and blade holder.
[0010] According to still yet another aspect of the present invention, there
is
provided a method for making an attachment for a goalie ice skate comprising:
molding a protective shell having first and second opposed side walls and a
sole joined by toe and heel portions, the shell defining an interior cavity
adapted for
receiving a goalie ice skate boot;
molding a holder as part of the sole of the shell, the holder having an open
ended groove extending lengthwise thereover;
forming at least two transversely extending bores in the holder;
positioning a blade received in the open ended groove after the holder has
been molding with the shell, the blade having a blade edge and at least two
legs
projecting from the blade edge, apertures formed in the legs for
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alignment with a corresponding number of bores formed in the holder when the
blade
is mounted in the open ended groove in the holder; and
engaging fasteners through the apertures in the legs of the blade and the
bores
in the holder to removably affix the blade to the holder.
[0011) The present goalie skate protective shell with removable blade
overcomes deficiencies found in previous goalie ice skate protective shells.
The
holder which is integrally formed as a unitary part of the protective shell
removably
receives an ice skate blade which uniquely enables the blade to be removed for
replacement, sharpening, etc. This makes the protective shell of the present
invention easier to use than previously devised goalie skate protective
shells.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] The various features, advantages and other uses of the present
invention will become more apparent by referring to the following detailed
description and drawing in which:
[0013] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a goalie skate protective
shell with replaceable blade according to the present invention;
[0014] FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the inner side of the assembled goalie
skate protective shell and blade show in FIG. 1;
[0015] FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the outer side of the assembled
goalie protective shell and blade of the present invention;
[0016] FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the replaceable blade shown in
FIGS. 1-3; and
[0017] FIG. 5 is a front end view of the goalie skate protective shell and
replaceable blade according to the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0018] Referring now to the drawing, and to FIGS. 1-5 in particular, there is
depicted a goalie skate 10 having a protective shell with a replaceable blade
14
mounted therein.
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100191 The shell 12 is formed as a one-piece body of a suitable hard plastic,
such as polypropylene or polyethlene. The shell 12 includes opposed side walls
including an outer side wall 20 and an inner side wall 22. The outer side wall
extends between a toe cup 24 and a heel 26, with the toe cup 24 and the hee126
joining opposed ends of the outer and inner side walls 20 and 22. The terms
"outer"
and "inner" are used with reference to the user's foot.
100201 The outer side wa1120 has a relatively low profile, at least in a
center
portion of the skate 10. This low profile is formed by an upper edge 28 which
depends from an upper end at the heel 26 to a lower height side lip portion
extending
longitudinally along the length of the shell 12 before rising again and
curving
smoothly into the toe cup 24.
[0021] The inner side wa1122 has a greater height with an ankle portion 30
rising above the upper extent of the heel 26 before the central edge 32 of the
inner
side wa1122 smoothly depends from the ankle portion 30 to the toe cup 24.
[0022] A sole 18 is formed along a bottom surface of the shell 12 and is
integrally joined to the side wal120 and 22, the toe cup 24 and the heel 26.
The
overall dimensions of the sole 18 are chosen for each a particular size boot
16.
[0023] A blade holder portion 32 is integrally joined to or molded with the
sole 18 and depends from the sole 18. The holder portion 32 may take a variety
of
shapes; although all shapes of the holder portion 32 include a plurality of
depending
legs 34, 36, 38 and 40, by example only. The front most leg 341ocated in the
toe
portion of the shell 12 and the rear most leg 401ocated at the heel portion of
the shell
12 are formed with through bores 42 to receive replaceable blade fasteners
shown as
a two-part fastener formed of fastener elements 44 and 46. The intermediate
legs 36
and 38 of the holder 32 have internal slots 48 opening from a bottom edge of
the
holder 32, the purpose of which will also be described hereinafter.
[0024] Finally, the bottom of the holder portion 32 is in the form of a
continuous edge having an internal open-ended groove 50 extending there along
between the leg 34 in toe portion of the shell 12 and the leg 40 in the hee140
of the
shell 12.
CA 02397000 2005-05-10
[0025] As shown in FIG. 5, the side portions 52 and 54 of each leg 34, 36, 38
and 40 of the holder portion 32 taper inwardly from an upper end adjacent to
the sole
18 to the groove 50.
[0026] The legs 34, 36, 38 and 40 of the holder portion 32 form a plurality of
weight reducing apertures therebetween, with three apertures 56, 58 and 60
being
depicted by way of example only in FIG. 2.
[0027] The blade 14 is preferably formed of a metal, such as steel. The blade
14, as shown in detail in FIGS. 1-5, includes a blade edge 64 and an opposed
mounting edge 66 which is adapted to fit within the groove 50 in the holder
portion
32. The mounting edge 66 may have a smooth continuous surface or an irregular
surface with cut outs for reduced weight as shown by example only in FIGS. I
and 4.
[0028] A blade portion 68 is formed between the blade edge 64 and the
mounting edge 66. The blade portion 68 extends between a toe edge 70 and a
heel
edge 72. Optionally, a plurality of identical or different shaped weight
reducing
apertures 74 are formed along the length of the blade portion 68.
[0029] A front or toe leg 78 extends from the toe edge 70 as shown in FIG. 4.
The outer profile of the toe leg 78 includes a notch 80 which is optionally
provided
by example only. Similarly, a heel leg 82 extends from the heel edge 72. An
optional notch 84 may be formed in the outer surface of the heel leg 82 for
weight
reducing purposes.
[0030] At least one and preferably a pair of lateral supports 86 and 88 are
formed intermediately along the length of the blade portion 68 between the toe
leg 76
and the heel leg 82. At least one aperture 90 is formed in each of the lateral
supports
86 and 88 for weight reducing purposes. The lateral supports 86 and 88 fit
snugly
into the slots 48 formed in the legs 36 and 38 of the holder 32 to provide
lateral
support for the blade 14.
[0031] The blade 14 is removably attachable to the holder portion 32 by
means of the aforementioned fasteners 44 and 46 which are extendable through
the
bores 42 formed in an upper end of the toe leg 76 and the heel leg 82. The toe
leg 76
and the heel leg 82 slide within open ended grooves 77 and 83 formed on the
legs 34
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and 40 of the holder portion 32 such that the apertures 92 and 94 align with
the bores
42 in the legs 34 and 40 for receiving the fasteners elements 44 and 46 there
through.
[0032] The frontmost aperture 56 in the holder portion 32 is formed with a
rearward facing projection 98. The projection 98 enables the goalie to fit the
front
toe strap 99 of the leg pads in place over the projection 98 to stop the leg
pads from
twisting during use.
[0033] In use, the shell 12 receives a conventional goalie skate boot 16
therein.
At a number of peripheral locations 100, a plurality of rivets or screws pass
through
the sole 18 of the shell 12 into the sole of the boot 16 to secure the boot 16
and shell
12 together. This enables a goalie to exhibit unitary movement between his
legs, the
boots 16 and the shell 12 mounted on each boot 16.
[0034] Other features of the present invention may be more clearly seen in
FIGS. 2 and 3. As shown therein, the rearmost aperture 60 in the holder
portion 32
is formed with at least one angled edge 96. The edge 96 is specifically formed
to
accommodate the correct orientation of the lower attaching strap 97 of a
goalie's leg
pad. The edge 96 allows the leg pad strap to lie flat across the holder 32
without
twisting.
[0035] The intermediate mounting edge 66 of the blade portion 68 of the blade
14 extends into the groove 50 in the holder 32 to laterally support the blade
14 from
lateral movement relative to the holder 32. The lateral supports 86 and 88
assist in
such lateral support.
[0036] If at any time, the blade 14 needs to be re-sharpened since it has
become dull, the fastener elements 44 and 46 are un-threaded to enable the
blade 14
to be separated from the shell 12. This enables the blade 14 to be easily and
stationally mounted in a conventional blade sharpening machine, not shown, to
re-
sharpen the edge 64 on the blade 14.
[0037] Alternately, damaged or dull blades 14 can be easily and quickly
removed and replaced by new, sharp blades in the limited amount of time
between
periods in a conventional hockey game.
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[0038] The replaceable blades 14 can also be interchanged with different
blades more suited for different ice conditions. Soft ice requires blades that
are
duller; while hard ice needs sharp blades for optimum skating performance.
[0039] After the blades 14 have wotn down as a result of multiple sharpenings
over time, the blades 14 can be easily removed and replaced with new blades
without
having to remove the shell 12 from the boot 16.
[0040] In summary, there has been disclosed a unique goalie skate with
includes a protective shell having a removable blade mounted thereon.
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