Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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SKATE BOOT
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a skate boot comprising an outer shell having
a flexible
tendon guard.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
U.S. Patent 6,260,290 discloses a skate boot comprising quarter medial and
lateral
portions integrally connected together in a one-piece construction and being
folded at
a symmetry line to form a U-shaped skate boot structure. The skate boot has a
tendon
guard secured to the quarter medial and lateral portions at a junction line in
a side-by-
side fashion thereby resulting in the rear portion of the skate boot having an
obtuse
angular profile defined by the tendon guard and the quarter medial and lateral
portions.
U.S. Patent 6,550,159 discloses a skate boot comprising an articulated cuff
for
encircling and supporting the ankle of a skater. The articulated cuff is
partially
inserted in the skate boot and is slidably coupled to the skate boot to permit
forward
and backward motion of the articulated cuff relative to an axis coinciding
approximately with the pivot axis of the ankle of the skater.
The most recent trend in skate boot construction is to manufacture skate boots
using
lightweight components, and where possible with a reduced number of
components.
Accordingly, there is a need in the industry for a lighter skate boot that
provides rigidity
around the ankle while allowing backwards flexion of the ankle when the foot
of the
skater moves towards full extension.
CA 02506005 2009-04-03
85493-512(S)
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
As embodied and broadly described herein, the invention provides a skate boot
for enclosing a
human foot when in use, the foot having a heel, an ankle with a medial
malleolus and a lateral
malleolus, an Achilles tendon having an upper part and a lower part that
projects outwardly
with relation to the upper part, the lower part merging with the heel, a
plantar surface, medial
and lateral sides and toes. The skate boot comprises (a) an outer shell made
of thermoformable
material, the outer shell being thermoformed such that it comprises a heel
portion for receiving
the heel of the foot; an ankle portion for receiving the ankle and having a
rear portion for
facing at least partially the lower part of the Achilles tendon; and medial
and lateral side
portions for facing the medial and lateral sides of the foot respectively; and
(b) a tendon guard
being made of a material more flexible than that of the outer shell, the
tendon guard comprising
a bottom portion affixed to the rear portion of the ankle portion and a
flexing portion projecting
upwardly from the bottom portion for facing at least partially the upper part
of the Achilles
tendon, the flexing portion being capable, when pressure is applied on it, of
flexing rearwardly
from an initial position for allowing backward flexion of the ankle when the
foot moves
towards full extension and, when pressure is no longer applied on it, of
returning to the initial
position.
The invention also provides a skate boot for enclosing a human foot when in
use, the foot
having a heel, an ankle with a medial malleolus and a lateral malleolus, an
Achilles tendon
having an upper part and a lower part that projects outwardly with relation to
the upper part,
the lower part merging with the heel, a plantar surface, medial and lateral
sides and toes. The
skate boot comprises (a) an outer shell comprising a heel portion for
receiving the heel of the
foot; an ankle portion for receiving the ankle, the ankle portion comprising a
rear portion for
facing at least partially the lower part of the Achilles tendon; and medial
and lateral side
portions for facing the medial and lateral sides of the foot respectively; and
(b) a tendon guard
comprising a bottom portion affixed to the ankle portion and a flexing portion
projecting
upwardly from the bottom portion for facing at least partially the upper part
of the Achilles
tendon, the flexing portion being more flexible than the outer shell such that
the flexing portion
is capable of flexing rearwardly for allowing backwards flexion of the ankle
when the foot
moves towards full extension.
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The invention further provides a skate boot for enclosing a human foot when in
use,
the foot having a heel, an ankle with a medial malleolus and a lateral
malleolus, an
Achilles tendon having an upper part and a lower part that projects outwardly
with
relation to the upper part, the lower part merging with the heel, a plantar
surface,
medial and lateral sides and toes. The skate boot comprises (a) an outer shell
made of
thermoformable material, the outer shell being thermoformed such that it
comprises a
heel portion for receiving the heel of the foot; an ankle portion for
receiving the ankle
and having a rear portion for facing at least partially the lower part of the
Achilles
tendon; and medial and lateral side portions for facing the medial and lateral
sides of
the foot respectively; and (b) a tendon guard affixed to the ankle portion for
facing at
least partially the upper part of the Achilles tendon, the tendon guard being
made of a
flexible material such that the tendon guard allows backwards flexion of the
ankle
when the foot moves towards full extension, the flexible material being made
by
injecting molding.
Moreover, the invention provides a skate boot for enclosing a human foot when
in
use, the foot having a heel, an ankle with a medial malleolus and a lateral
malleolus,
an Achilles tendon having an upper part and a lower part that projects
outwardly with
relation to the upper part, the lower part merging with the heel, a plantar
surface,
medial and lateral sides and toes. The skate boot comprises (a) an outer shell
comprising a heel portion for receiving the heel of the foot; an ankle portion
for
receiving the ankle and having a rear portion for facing at least partially
the lower part
of the Achilles tendon; and medial and lateral side portions for facing the
medial and
lateral sides of the foot respectively; and (b) a tendon guard for facing at
least
partially the upper part of the Achilles tendon, the tendon guard being made
of a
flexible material such that the tendon guard flexes rearwardly from an initial
position
when the foot moves towards full extension, said flexible material having
enough
resiliency such that the tendon guard returns to its initial position when
pressure is no
longer applied on it.
These and other aspects and features of the present invention will now become
apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon review of the following
description
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of specific embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
A detailed description of examples of embodiments of the present invention is
provided
hereinbelow with reference to the following drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a side view of a right human foot with the integument of the foot
shown in
stippled lines and the bones shown in solid lines;
Figure 2 is a front view of the human foot of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a perspective view of an ice skate in accordance with the present
invention;
Figure 4 is an exploded view of the ice skate of Figure 3;
Figure 5 is a perspective view of the outer shell of Figures 3 and 4, wherein
the outer
shell is in a partial state of completion;
Figure 6 is a perspective view of the outer shell of Figures 3 and 4;
Figure 7 is a perspective view of the outer shell of Figures 3 and 4 with the
tendon guard
of Figures 3 and 4;
Figure 8 is a rear elevational view of the outer shell and tendon guard of
Figure 7;
Figure 9 shows a skater in a first skating position;
Figure 10 shows the skater in a second skating position;
Figure 11 shows the skater in a third skating position;
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Figure 12 is an enlarged view of the right skate of Figure 11; and
Figure 13 is a partial side elevational view of the ice skate of Figure 3
showing in
stippled lines the tendon guard in a position wherein the tendon guard allows
backwards
flexion of the ankle of the skater.
In the drawings, embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of
example. It is to
be expressly understood that the description and drawings are only for the
purposes of
illustration and as an aid to understanding, and are not intended to be a
definition of the
limits of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
To facilitate the description, any reference numerals designating an element
in one
figure will designate the same element if used in any other figures. In
describing the
embodiments, specific terminology is resorted to for the sake of clarity but
the
invention is not intended to be limited to the specific terms so selected, and
it is
understood that each specific term comprises all equivalents.
Shown in Figures 1 and 2 is a typical right human foot F that includes toes T,
a plantar
surface PS, a medial side MS and a lateral side LS. In addition, the human
foot includes
a heel H, an Achilles tendon AT and an ankle A having a lateral malleolus LM
and a
medial malleolus MM, the lateral malleolus LM being at a lower position than
the
medial malleolus MM. The Achilles tendon AT has an upper part UP and a lower
part
LP projecting outwardly with relation to the upper part UP, the lower part
merging with
the heel H.
Shown in Figures 3 and 4 is an ice skate 1 that comprises a skate boot 10
suitable for
enclosing the foot F. Although the skate boot 10 shown in the figures is being
used for
an ice skate 1, it is understood that the skate boot 10 can be used for a
roller skate.
The ice skate 1 has an outer shell 12 for receiving the foot F, a toe cap 14
made of rigid
molded plastic for facing the toes T, a tongue 16 extending upwardly and
rearwardly
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from the toe cap 14 for covering the forefoot of the foot F, a rigid insert 18
for providing
more rigidity around the ankle A and heel H, an inner lining 20, a footbed 22,
an insole
24, an outsole 26, an ice skate blade holder 28 and a blade 30. The rigid
insert 18 may be
glued to an inner surface of the outer shell 12. It is understood that the
rigid insert 18 is
an optional component and may be eliminated if the outer shell 12 is
sufficiently rigid
for supporting the ankle A and heel H. Similarly, the insole 24 and outsole 26
are
optional components and may be eliminated if the outer shell 12 is
sufficiently rigid for
receiving the blade holder 28.
t o The inner lining 20 is affixed to an inner surface of the outer shell 12
and it comprises an
inner surface 32 intended for contact with the heel H, ankle A and medial and
lateral
sides MS, LS of the foot F in use. If the skate boot 10 comprises the rigid
insert 18, such
rigid insert 18 is sandwiched between the outer shell 12 and inner lining 20
and such
inner lining 20 may be glued to the inner surfaces of the outer shell 12 and
rigid insert 18
and stitched along its periphery to the outer shell 12. The inner lining 20 is
made of a
soft material and can be a fabric made of 100% NYLON fibers. The footbed 22
is
mounted inside the outer shell 12 and it comprises an upper surface 34 for
receiving the
plantar surface PS and a wall 36 projecting upwardly from the upper surface
34. The
wall 36 partially cups the heel H and extends up to a medial line of the foot
F.
The skate boot 10 also comprises bands 38 secured to upper side portions of
the outer
shell 12. The bands 38 may be made of fabric, textile or leather and comprises
apertures
40. Eyelets 42 are punched into the band 38, outer shell 12 and inner lining
20 vis-a-vis
apertures 40. The skate boot 10 further comprises a tendon guard 42 for facing
at least
partially the upper part UP of the Achilles tendon AT.
The outer shell 12 will now be described in more detail below with respect to
Figures 5
to 8. While the tendon guard 42 is made of a flexible material, the outer
shell 12 is made
of a more rigid material in order to provide enough support to the foot F. The
outer shell
12 may be made of a thermoformable material. As used herein, the expression
"thermoformable material" refers to a material that is capable of softening
when heated
and of hardening again when cooled. Some non-limiting examples of different
types of
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thermoformable material comprise ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) foam,
polyethylene
foam, polystyrene foam, polypropylene foam and thermoformable materials sold
under
the trade-marks MEGABIX , SURLYN , SONTARA , FORIVIO500 , BYLON ,
MOSOCA and NYLON 66.
The outer shell 12 may be made from a pre-cut sheet of thermoformable material
having
a profile corresponding to that of the outer shell 12. The sheet of material
may be a
composite sheet having a layer of thermoformable foam. Some non-limiting
examples of
different types of thermoformable foam include ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA)
foam,
polyethylene foam and polypropylene foam. High density polyethylene (HDPE)
1300,
1100 and 0907 foams can also be used. The sheet may be made of thermoforming
materials such as those sold under the trade-mark MEGABIX (a core of extruded
SURLYN , a backing of SONTARA and a hot melt coating; thickness of 0.95 mm),
FORMO500 (non woven polyester with a core of extruded polyolefinic,
stiffening
layers of synthetic latex on each side and an ethylene vinyl acetate hot melt
adhesive on
one side; thickness of 1.50 mm), BYLON (a nylon multifilament with a backing
of
black saturated needle punched polyester nonwoven and a face coating of non-
fray
urethane) and MOSOCA (NYLON 66 with a core of SURLYN and a PU coating).
The composite sheet may also be made of a first sheet of polyethylene high
density
(HDPE) foam; a second sheet of thermoplastic; and a third composite sheet made
of a
first layer of cotton, a second layer of SURLYN fibers, a third layer of a
mesh of
NYLON fibers and a coating. These sheets being laminated together before or
during
the thermoforming process of the outer shell 12.
The sheet of thermoformable material may include two or three layers, wherein
the layer
that will form the outer surface of the outer shell 12 is more rigid that the
layer that will
form the inner surface of the outer shell 12. A layer of thermoformable foam
may be
located between the inner and outer layers. In a non-limiting embodiment, the
thermoformed shell 12 is made of a single sheet made of thermoformable
material.
However, it should be understood that the thermoformed shell could also be
made of
multiple sections. For example, the thermoformed shell could be made from
separate
medial and lateral side portions that are affixed together.
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The outer shell 12 is thermoformed such that it comprises a heel portion 44
for receiving
the heel H, an ankle portion 46 for receiving the ankle A and medial and
lateral side
portions 48, 50 for facing the medial and lateral sides MS, LS respectively.
These
components form a foot receiving cavity that conforms to the general shape of
the foot F.
The heel portion 44 may be thermoformed such that it is substantially cup
shaped for
following the contour of the heel H.
The ankle portion 46 comprises medial and lateral ankle sides 52, 54. The
medial ankle
side 52 has a medial cup-shaped depression 56 for receiving the medial
malleolus MM
and the lateral ankle side 54 has a lateral cup-shaped depression 58 for
receiving the
lateral malleolus LM. The lateral depression 58 is located slightly lower than
the medial
depression 56, for conforming to the morphology of the foot F. The ankle
portion 46
further comprises a rear portion 60 facing the lower part LP of the Achilles
tendon AT.
The rear portion 60 may be thermoformed such that it follows the lower part LP
of the
Achilles tendon AT.
The medial and lateral side portions 48, 50 extend forwardly from the heel and
ankle
portions 44, 46 and comprise respective medial and lateral skirt portions 62,
64 that are
integrally formed therewith and extend downwardly therefrom. As shown in
Figure 6, in
order to complete the outer shell 12, the medial and lateral skirt portions
62, 64 are
folded inwardly to form a sole 66 having an upper surface 68 for facing a
substantial
portion of the plantar surface PS and a bottom surface 70 for receiving an
outsole, a
blade holder or a roller chassis. The medial and lateral skirt portions 62, 64
may be
affixed together via stitching 72. It should however be understood that the
skirt portions
62, 64 could be affixed together in a variety of different manners without
departing from
the spirit of the invention.
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As shown in Figure 4, the skate boot 10 may comprises the insole 24 that has
an upper
surface for facing the plantar surface PS of the foot and a bottom surface on
which the
upper surface 68 of the sole 66 may be affixed. The boot 10 may also comprise
the
outsole 26 that has a bottom surface of which the blade holder 28 is mounted.
It is
however understood that the insole 24 and outsole 26 are optional components
and may
be eliminated if the sole is sufficiently rigid for receiving the blade holder
28.
Alternatively, only the outsole 26 may be eliminated and the insole 24 may
still be used
in the construction of the skate boot 10.
Referring to Figures 7 and 8, the tendon guard 42 is affixed to the ankle
portion 46 of the
outer shell 12 for facing at least partially the upper part UP of the Achilles
tendon AT.
The tendon guard 42 can be affixed to the ankle portion 46 via stitching, over
molding,
thermal bonding, high frequency welding, vibration welding, piping, zipper,
adhesive
and staples, among other possibilities known in the art. The tendon guard 42
is more
flexible than the outer shell 12 such that it allows backwards flexion of the
ankle A when
the foot F moves towards full extension. The tendon guard 42 may be made of
silicone
or may be made by injection molding using polyester (e.g. polyester HYTREL )
polyurethane, polyamide, or other suitable thermoplastics. The selected
material must
have enough flexibility for allowing the tendon guard to flex rearwardly when
pressure
is applied on it while it should also have enough resiliency for allowing the
tendon guard
to return to its initial position when pressure is no longer applied on the
tendon guard.
The tendon 42 may comprise a bottom portion 74 and a flexing portion 80 that
projects
upwardly from the bottom portion 74 for facing at least partially the upper
part UP of the
Achilles tendon AT. The bottom portion 74 of the tendon guard 42 is affixed to
the rear
portion 60 of the ankle portion 46. The tendon guard 42 may also comprise
medial and
lateral side portions 76, 78 extending forwardly from the bottom portion 74
and being
affixed to the respective medial and lateral ankle sides 52, 54 of the ankle
portion 46.
The skate boot 10 may comprise a single continuous band that covers the upper
portion
of each of the medial and lateral side portions 48, 50 of the outer shell 12
and wraps
around the rear portion 60 and sides 52, 54 of the ankle portion 46 and cover
the bottom,
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medial and lateral side portions 74, 76, 78 of the tendon guard 42 instead of
the two
distinct bands 38 shown in Figures 3 and 4. The single continuous band is made
of
fabric, textile or leather. In such an alternative embodiment, the portions
74, 76, 78 of the
tendon guard 42 is sandwiched between the single continuous band and the outer
shell
12. The skate boot 10 may also comprise an overlay covering a rear part of the
flexing
portion 80 of the tendon guard 42, such overlay being made of fabric, textile
or leather.
In such further alternative embodiment, the flexing portion 80 is sandwiched
between
the overlay and the inner lining 20.
Figures 9 to 12 show a skater in different skating positions. In Figure 9, the
right foot of
the skater begins the pushing action against the ice. As shown in this figure,
the flexing
portion 80 of the tendon guard 42 faces at least partially the upper part UP
of the
Achilles tendon AT but does not contact the upper part UP. In Figure 10, the
right foot of
the skater continues its pushing action and the flexing portion 80 of the
tendon guard 42
then abuts against the upper part UP of the Achilles tendon AT. As shown in
Figures 11
and 12, when the right foot of the skater continues its pushing action and
reaches full
extension, the flexing portion 80 allows backwards flexion of the ankle A.
Hence,
because of its flexibility, the tendon guard 42 allows backwards flexion of
the ankle A
when the foot of the skater moves towards full extension. Note that only the
foremost
part of the blade contacts the ice when the skater reaches full push
extension.
After reaching full push extension, the foot of the skater moves forwardly
without
touching the ice and another pushing motion of the foot will begin once the
skate will
again touch the ice. It is understood that the tendon guard 42 should return
to its initial
position shown in Figure 9 once the full push extension of the foot is
completed. In that
sense, while the material of the tendon guard 42 is enough flexible for
allowing the
tendon guard 42 to flex rearwardly from its initial position when the foot of
the skater
moves towards full extension, the material should also have enough resiliency
such that
the tendon guard 42 return to its initial position shown in Figure 9 when no
pressure is
applied on it.
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As shown in Figure 13, in its initial position shown in full lines, the tendon
guard 42 is in
a generally vertical position. When the ankle flexes backwards and pressure is
applied
against the flexing portion 80 of the tendon guard 42, the tendon guard 42, as
shown in
stippled lines, is then capable of flexing rearwardly of an angle 0, such
angle 0 may be
up to 90 .
The above description of the embodiments should not be interpreted in a
limiting
manner since other variations, modifications and refinements are possible
within the
spirit and scope of the present invention. The scope of the invention is
defined in the
appended claims and their equivalents.
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