Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TITLE: ADJUSTABLE HOCKEY SKATE BLADE SYSTEM
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a system which
allows a series of adjustments where the position of the
hockey blade holder relative to a hockey skate boot and
the leg position of the skater are adjustable to
accommodate the physical requirements of the skater.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Hockey skate design has been dominated by a skate
boot having a molded blade holder attached thereto with
the holder extending downwardly from the skate. A
replaceable skate blade is received in a slot on the
bottom surface of the holder. The TUUKTM blade holder,
manufactured by Canstar Sports Inc., is one example of
this type of system. However, similar systems are
of fered by EastonTM, CCMTM, GRAFTM and others. The molded
plastic blade holder includes a front hollow pedestal
portion and a rear hollow pedestal portion which extend
downwardly from the sole of the boot. Each pedestal
includes a securing arrangement that cooperates with the
downwardly opening slot for fastening of the skate blade.
The pedestals taper outwardly towards the sole of the
skate boot. The blade holder is secured to the sole of
the boot at a number of fixed points in the boot and
fixed peripheral points in an outwardly extending flange
of each pedestal. Typically the blade holder is secured
by rivets which pass through circular ports in the flange
of each of the pedestals or by a fastener having a
diameter corresponding to the hole diameter provided in
the flange. The peripheral securement of the pedestals
near the periphery of the sole of the skate boot provides
a required mechanical advantage in distributing the
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forces which are transmitted through the skate boot to
the skate blade. These forces can be quite large and
have a variety of different directions due to the speed
and sudden changes in direction common in hockey. In
addition to the high forces the skate system must endure
due to the skating action, there are also forces in
hockey as a result of collisions with the puck the boards
and/or players or other player's equipment. Securement
along the centerline of the skate blade is not
sufficient.
The downward tapering of the pedestals from the
sole of the boot to the skate blade helps to redirect the
puck and a gap is there to give stability to each of the
pedestals.
Many hockey skates are sold as a complete system
with the holder and blade already attached to the hockey
boot at the time of manufacture. In more expensive
hockey skates, the users can select the particular hockey
skate boot and then match it with a desired holder and
blade. Hockey skate holders are typically secured to the
skate boot in a centered and aligned orientation.
Forward and rearward balance on the skates can be
controlled by custom blade sharpening to changing the
shape of the lower surface of the blade which contacts
the ice. Some players prefer a highly curved surface
which is desirable for rapid turning whereas others are
more interested in speed and balance and have a large
flat portion between a front curved portion and a rear
curved portion.
This type of adjustment has been found by the
inventor to be inadequate and does not address the widely
ranging physical attributes of different hockey players.
As can be appreciated hockey players can be pigeon toed,
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duck footed, knock kneed or bowlegged. Some of these
conditions are caused or exaggerated by having flat feet
or fallen arches.
The inventor has been able to significantly
increase performance by providing a system that allows
the individual hockey player to tailor the particular
securement of the blade system to a hockey boot to meet
his particular needs. These adjustments can include
offsets either side of a centerline of the hockey skate
and it can also include toe in or toe out adjustments as
well heel in and heel out adjustments. Some approximate
adjustments of the position of the blade holder can be
carried out in a pro-shop however, final adjustment
typically requires the actual use by the player. In
addition, the system allows shimming of the holder for
adjustment of the leg and foot position to compensate for
physical characteristics of the user that affect
alignment and/or balance.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
A hockey skate according to the present invention
comprises a boot, a blade holder, a blade received in the
blade holder and an adjustable arrangement for altering
the attachment position of the blade holder to the boot.
The adjustable arrangement engages outwardly extending
flanges of the boot holder in one of a plurality of
positions where each of these positions has a different
orientation of the blade relative to a centerline of the
boot. The blade holder and boot includes a slot
adjustment that has a series of securement points on
opposite sides of the centerline of the blade to secure
the blade holder to the boot adjacent a peripheral edge
of the skate boot.
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According to an aspect of the invention the
adjustable arrangement includes a series of releasable
fasteners passing through slot shaped ports in the blade
holder and releasably engage the boot to secure the
holder to the boot.
In yet a further aspect of the invention the
flanges of the skate holder include a toe flange having a
plurality of elongate slots in a peripheral edge portion
of the toe flange to accommodate a series of toe in and
toe out positions of the skate blade.
In yet a further aspect of the invention the
flanges of the blade holder include a heel flange having
a plurality of elongate slots in a peripheral edge
portion of the heel flange to accommodate a series of
heel in and heel out positions.
In yet a further aspect of the invention each of
the flanges of the blade holder has at least four
elongated slots with at least two pairs of slots on
opposite sides of the centerline and with each pair of
slots positioned closer to a peripheral edge of a bottom
surface of said boot than carline of said boot.
In yet a further aspect of the invention the
adjustable arrangement includes a clamping system for
each flange to engage the blade holder in any of said
positions.
In yet a further aspect of the invention each
clamping arrangement includes a first component secured
to the holder with the first component adjustably
received in a second component secured to said boot.
In yet a further aspect of the invention the first
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component is a plate received in a slot of the second
component along an edge portion of the first component
and to the exterior of the blade holder and accessible on
a lower portion of the boot.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Preferred embodiments of the invention are shown
in the drawings wherein;
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the blade holder
with a series of elongated securing slots;
Figure 2 is a side view of an adjustable plate
system for the blade holder;
Figure 3 is a bottom view of the blade holder of
Figure 2 showing the securing plates associated with the
front and rear pedestals;
Figure 4 is a bottom view showing adjustment of
the plate system;
Figure 5 is a perspective view of the adjustable
plate system secured to the sole of a hockey skate boot;
Figure 6 is a partial perspective view of a skate
with a lace extension member provided at an upper
proportion thereof;
Figure 7 is a partial perspective view showing
details of the lace extension member;
Figure 8 is a side view of a skate with the lace
extension member secured thereto;
Figure 9 is a perspective view of the lace
extension member;
Figure 10 is a partial side view of a skate with
the lace extension member built into the boot of the
skate;
Figure 11 shows the lace extension member in
combination with packing material for securement to one
side thereof;
Figure 12 shows the lace extension member and
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packing material secured to the lace extension member;
Figure 13 is a partial perspective view showing
how additional packing material may be added thereto;
Figure 14 is a partial perspective view showing a
modified skate boot with a pocket for receiving packing
material at an upper edge of the skate boot;
Figure 15 is a rear view showing the legs of a
skater and the correction necessary to provide a flat
running skate blade;
Figure 16 is a partial perspective view showing
shimmy members secured between the skate boot and a skate
blade; and
Figure 17 shows the alignment of the skate blade
holder to the skate boot.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The hockey skate 2 has a boot 4 with a stiff lower
surface 6. The stiff lower surface 6 forms the sole of
the boot and has a series of ports 8 for receiving
releasable fasteners 10. The fasteners 10 can be two
piece fasteners which extend through the sole of the boot
or can be built into the boot. Thus, any suitable
fastener can be used. The blade assembly 11 includes a
blade holder 12 and a blade 14. Securement of the blade
14 to the holder can use any of the conventional
arrangements or other securing system.
The blade holder 12 includes a front pedestal 20
secured under the toe of the boot and a rear pedestal 22
secured under the heel of the boot. The front pedestal
and rear pedestal are joined by a connecting portion 24
which has the downwardly opening blade receiving slot 26
that partially receives the blade 14 along the length
thereof. The blade is typically secured to the holder by
a securement arrangement provided within the pedestals of
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the holder.
The front pedestal 20 includes an outwardly
extending securing flange 30 and the rear pedestal 22
includes an outwardly extending securing flange 32.
Relative to the conventional blade holder the flanges 30
and 32 are somewhat larger to accommodate the front
elongate securing slots 34 either side of the holder and
rear elongate securing slots 36 either side of the
holder. With the larger flanges, the shape of the
pedestals has been altered to include concaved recesses
40 in the front pedestal and concave recesses 42 in the
rear pedestal. It is also possible to reduce the width
of the pedestals and increase the flange area to
accommodate the additional slot area or to make the
pedestals closer to a post system. It is preferred to
maintain the angled pedestal shape and use the concave
recess to accommodate the slots.
These slots are positioned either side of the
centerline of the blade holder and are used to secure the
holder to the skate boot in a peripheral edge region of
the boot on opposite sides of a centerline of the boot.
The concave recesses 42 are either side of the
outwardly extending center section 41 that provides
stability and strength and also provides an area interior
to the pedestal for security of the blade.
With the system as shown in Figure 1 the modified
blade holder 12 can be secured to the sole of the boot in
a plurality of positions. It is held in any of these
positions by means of releasable fasteners 10 which
engage the elongate slots and secure the holder to the
boot.
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If angular adjustment of the blade is necessary
the releasable fasteners may be loosened and the blade
holder repositioned relative to the sole of the boot. To
assist in this realignment the flange 30 includes front
and rear aligning marking 50 and the rear flange 32
includes aligning mark 52. The sole of the boot includes
a number of aligning grooves 56 adjacent the toe portion
and aligning grooves 58 in the heel portion to allow
determination of the orientation of the blade 14 relative
to the centerline of the boot or any reference point on
the boot. Aligning marks can also be provided at the toe
of the boot, if desired. The elongate slots are about
3/8 of an inch in length. The concave recess provides a
flange area of about 5/8 of an inch.
With the system as shown in Figure 1 the modified
holder 12 can be releasably secured to the sole of the
boot 4 and the user may provide adjustments of the
position of the holder relative to the boot. In this
case the various releasable fasteners are loosened and
the skate holder 12 adjusted to a new orientation. The
system allows for both toe in and toe out adjustment as
well as heel in and heel out adjustments. The holder is
also moveable relative to the centerline of the boot.
All of these adjustments in combination, allow a player
to find the position that provides him with the most
comfort and performance. This arrangement can also be
used with the skimming system shown in Figure 16.
Once the desired position is known the holder can
be permanently secured to the boot using rivets, screws,
or other fasteners. The two-piece bolt and nut
arrangement works satisfactorily and allows for
adjustment or service, if necessary. Additional tight
fitting securing holes in the securing flanges can be
used or a conventional holder can then be mounted on the
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boot in the particular optimum position. The
conventional holder can be modified to have the same
marking points or to allow accurate placement. The
actual blade holders are relatively inexpensive and it
may be desirable to use the conventional style once the
best position or satisfactory position has been
determined.
The system of Figure 1 allows for continuous
adjustment within the slots but an incremented system can
be used if desired. The system can accommodate forward
and back adjustment if desired.
The arrangement shown in Figures 2 through 5
operates in a modified manner. In this case, the hockey
skate 102 includes a boot 104 which receives or has
integral with the base of the boot, an adjustable
clamping arrangement 120. The clamping arrangement
includes a heel mounting arrangement 122 which is fixed
to the sole of the boot. This mounting arrangement
includes a front clamping slot 124 and a rear clamping
slot 126. The clamping slots provide a tight fit with
the securing plates 140 and 142 but allow sliding
movement along the slots. The modified holder 112 is
attached to securing plates 140 and 142 to be generally
fixed therewith. At the front of the skate 102 is a
mounting plate 132 having a rear clamping slot 136. This
member will receive the plate 142 such that the plate is
slidable in the slots 136. Screws 150 can cause the
slots 124, 126 and 136 to engage and fixedly retain
members 140 and 142.
The modified holder 112 can also include a
threaded worm drive associated with one or each pedestal.
The threaded worm member cooperates with a threaded port
fixed to the sole and thereby allows adjustment of the
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position of the holder relative to the rear member 122.
The threaded port could be a rack gear attached to the
sole. The gear adjustment can provide faster on ice
adjustment.
With this system, the clamping slots can be
released and the user can adjust the position of the heel
relative to the centerline of the boot. In addition, the
front pedestal of the holder can be adjusted relative to
the toe of the boot.
In some cases rigid securement is not necessary.
For example, a user can use several fasteners to secure
the holder in place and test the skate in a cautious
manner. Adjustments can quickly be made. Once the
general desired position is known all fasteners can be
used to test the skate under demanding conditions.
Each of the systems has a series of guide markings
that allow the user to determine the position that the
holder has been moved to. This can be quite important as
adjustment of the front position typically causes some
movement of the rear position. To find the optimum
position a player may wish to keep notes on the different
settings and the results at these settings.
The system of Figures 2 through 5 is designed to
allow more rapid on ice adjustment of the position of the
holder relative to the boot. Once it is generally known
what positions are believed to be optimum the system can
allow further fastening to test the skate under more
demanding conditions. This system is designed to be used
as part of the process for finding the optimum position
or satisfactory position. Once this position is known it
can be marked on the boot or the position can be
determined by the various guide markings and then a
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conventional holder can be secured in that position to
the sole of the boot with the skate being worn by the
user. Each worm member is rotatably mounted with the
holder and accessible at one side of the holder. The
rotatable position of the worm member determines the
position of the holder relative to the sole of the boot.
The worm member 200 shown in Figure 5 passes through a
threaded port 304 in the downwardly extending post 202
attached to the sole of the boot. A worm drive member
200 is provided in each pedestal and posts 202 are
attached adjacent each pedestal securing the blade holder
sufficiently to allow testing and fast adjustment. The
thread on the worm drive can be significantly aggressive
to act as its own lock against further adjustment on a
temporary basis. Preferably, the worm drives are
adjustable from opposite sides of the boot holder and the
threads are opposed to provide some binding or tensions
therebetween. It is also possible to use a removable
lock pin or other locking member for fixing the worm
drive for skate trial basis. Once the final position is
known, the holder is preferably fixed in a conventional
manner or a conventional holder is substituted and
secured in the desired position. The post 202 is only
visible in Figure 5 as the holder has been partially cut
away.
Preferably, the worm drives are adjustable from
opposite sides of the boot holder and the threads are
opposed to provide some binding or tensioning
therebetween.
It has been found that proper positioning of the
blade holder can dramatically affect the ability of a
hockey player to accelerate, turn in both directions and
effectively perform at a higher level. It can also be
appreciated that the player can select or effectively
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trade-off between positions that may allow more effective
turning versus other positions which may allow for faster
acceleration or ultimate speed. Most players will seek a
compromise between these two characteristics. This
system has been found to greatly improve the performance
of hockey players whose particular physical attributes
are significantly different from the norm. In addition,
it allows player whose attributes are closer to the norm
to fine tune the position to optimize or improve their
performance.
Proper position of the holder to the boot sole can
allow a player to skate more easily with less muscle
effect to maintain balance and allow other muscles to be
more relaxed. Thus, adjustment of the position of the
holder allows muscles to be more efficient due to better
alignment.
This system can also be used with different shims
or modified holders to accommodate height adjustment or
angle adjustment across the boot sole.
The modified skate 200 includes a skate boot 202
having a lace extension 204 provided at an upper position
generally above the ankle and typically secured to an
upper eyelet of the skate boot. The lace extension
member 204 is of a "U" shape and formed of a molded
plastic material. The lace extension includes forwardly
extending arms 206 and 208 provided either side of the
skate boot. These extending arms act as spring arms and
are typically secured to the skate boot by means of a
rivet 214 or other securing mechanism securing the lace
extension member to the skate boot. A series of holes
can be provided in the extending arms 206 and 208 to
allow proper alignment of the extension member with the
skate boot such that it is generally adjacent the back of
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the skate boot. With this arrangement, the rear
connecting band 216 can be immediately adjacent the skate
boot.
As shown in Figure 6, the lace 220 is used for
securing and tightening of the lower portion of the skate
boot 202 and adjacent an upper eyelet the lace then
engages the forwardly extending arms 206 and 208. With
this arrangement, a pivoting slot is defined at an upper
portion of the skate that allows a user's leg to pivot
about the ankle allowing movement in a forward and
rearward direction. This provides support either side of
the slot by means of the tightening on the extending arms
206 and 208 but does not require buckling or hinging of
the skate boot as may otherwise be required. The forward
and rearward pivoting slot that is defined by this
arrangement is shown as 224. Figure 8 illustrates how
the user's leg 222 can generally pivot about the ankle
bone and move within the slot defined by the lace
extension member 204.
It has been previously recommended by some hockey
and/or skating coach's not to fully lace a hockey skate
and leave the top eyelets unused. This allows additional
forward and rearward movement within the skate body.
Unfortunately, by not using all of the eyelets, there is
less support above the ankle and although there is
improved movement forward and rearwardly, there is also
an undesirable decrease in lateral support. The use of
the lace extension member 204 provides excellent lateral
stability while still allowing the forward and rearward
pivoting movement indicated by 224.
The lace extension member 204 is secured to the
skate boot 202 typically using the eyelets 209 of the
skate boot where these eyelets are positioned at the
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upper portion of the skate boot. Other securement
approaches, such as further holes made for the extension
member, can also be used.
In Figure 6 a rivet 214 secures the lace extension
member 204 to the skate boot to the exterior of the skate
boot. Various different lacing arrangements can be
provided as shown in Figures 6 and 7. In Figure 6 the
lace 220 passes through a single port in each of the arms
206 and 208 and is tied at a center position. This
allows some floating of the arms while the arms are still
restricted by a tensioning force provided by the lace
220. The extension member may also be cut to the
appropriate length, thereby reducing when necessary, the
length of the extension arms.
In Figure 7, the lace 220 passes through two of
the eyelets 212 provided in the lace extension member and
the lace provides secure positioning of the extending
arms 206 and 208 relative to one another and defining the
slot therebetween. This arrangement provides additional
lateral stability and provides some additional resistance
as the user's leg is moved to the most forward portion
within the slot. The user can select the most
appropriate securing arrangement for his particular
preference. It is also noted that the present skate
shows a single securing arrangement used where the skate
lace 220 initially secures the lower portion of the boot
and then is used to secure the lace extension member.
Separate lacing arrangements can be used if desired.
It can also be seen in Figures 8, 9 and 10 that
the different eyelets 210 and 212 provided in the
extending arms 206 and 208, allow the user to modify the
securement of the lace extension member in a desired
manner. These forwardly extending arms are not only
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secured to the skate boot but are also connected by the
rear connecting band 216. In this way, the force between
the two arms is partially balanced by a resistance force
of the lace extension member to the inward movement of
the lace extending arms.
In Figure 10 the modified skate 230 is shown where
the lace extending member 232 is built into the boot
skate. It is desirable to have the lace extension member
integral such that each of the arms are connected and
jointly oppose inward movement of the arms thereby
maintaining the slot like area at the upper portion of
the skate to allow forward and rearward rocking movement
of the skater. It is desirable in a skating action to
allow this ability to adjust the center of gravity by
changing the angle of the leg relative to the skate boot.
With hockey skates, and in particular, playing
hockey, it is important that the skate blade be generally
perpendicular to the ice surface when the player is in a
normal position. It is also desirable that the blade be
approximately aligned with the forward direction. The
skate is inclined during turning and it is important to
be able to turn in both directions. The neutral
perpendicular position is desire. Furthermore, the skate
blade should be generally parallel to the skate blade of
the other skate in this neutral position. Playing hockey
involves skating in both the forward and rearward
direction and this neutral position of the blade is a
preferred starting point. Furthermore, there are various
times in hockey when the player is gliding. This is
particularly true when preparing to shoot. There is a
large weight transfer over the skate and the position of
the player's body over the skate changes. An
unfavourable angle of the skate blade can reduce the time
that the player has to complete a shot and the angle of
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the blade may define a travel direction which makes the
shot more difficult to complete.
Unfortunately, the neutral position of the skate
blade is not easily achieved. As shown in the earlier
drawings, the skate blade holder can be provided with
slots to provide better alignment of the skate blade
beneath the skate boot.
Figures 11 through 14 shows the use of a packing
material 240 secured to the lace extension member 204
allows shimming adjacent the cuff of the hockey skate.
The effect of this shimming is shown in Figure 15. It is
desirable to have the blade 251 of the skate
approximately perpendicular to the ice in a neutral
player position. It is also desirable to have this blade
251 generally centered beneath a user's knee.
Figure 15 illustrates how the packing 240 can be
used to partially correct an outward bowing of the
player's leg in combination with a shim arrangement 270.
The packing provided at the cuff of the hockey skate
allows for some correction and the shims 270 provide
additional correction. The combination of these
correction factors and adjustment of the blade position
as shown in the earlier drawings is helpful to approach
or reach this neutral position.
Figure 16 illustrates the shim members 271 and 272
interposed between the base 273 of the hockey skate and
the mounting flanges 274 and 275 of the blade holder 276.
Depending upon the amount of correction required
according to the particular characteristics of the user,
different shim members 271 and 272 may be used. The
blade holder 276 includes the slots 277 to allow for
alignment adjustment as indicated in Figure 17. A series
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of different shims can be provided to select the
appropriate shim. As these factors affect each other,
several iterations may be necessary. There may also be
some personal preferences about the "neutral position".
Figure 13 shows how a packing arrangement 240 is
securable to one of the extending arms. In this case,
arm 206, has packing 240 defined by a folded packing
member 246 secured to the arm 206 with different wedge
members 248 insertable within folded packing. The folded
packing member 246 is "V" shaped and is preferably fixed
to the appropriate extending arm 206.
In Figure 14, the interior surface of the skate
boot 202 has been provided with a packing/receiving
sleeve 260. Once again, packing 262 can be received
within the sleeve 260 for appropriate correction of the
position of the skater's leg within the boot.
With the above arrangement, a series of corrective
steps can be carried out to provide an effective skate
for a particular skater adjusted to the skater's physical
characteristics. This correction is accomplished in a
series of adjustment in contrast to the use of an
orthopaedic foot bed for example, which would be common
in running shoes and other sports. Unfortunately, a
corrective foot bed is not entirely effective as it can
not be used with many existing hockey skates as the
volume within the skate boot is not sufficient.
Furthermore, unfortunately the shape of the boot would
still be incorrect even though the bottom of the user's
foot is properly orientated. In many sports, lateral
stability is not particularly critical whereas in hockey,
this is indeed a critical function, as well as the
resulting position of the skater's leg or knee relative
to the skate boot.
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The present system provides an effective
arrangement to allow a user to adjust a hockey skate
according to their particular physical attributes and to
also adjust the skate to their particular preference.
The ability to provide packing above a user's ankle in
combination with shimming and an alignment mechanism for
the blade of the hockey skate is particularly effective.
Once the desired position has been found, the blade can
be securely fastened in a manner suitable for hockey.
This may include riveting or otherwise fixing of the
blade in its final position. It has been found that the
mechanical fasteners previously used, are satisfactory if
there are sufficient fastening positions provided
outwardly of the skate blade in the flange areas.
Peripheral securement either side of the centerline is
necessary for effective securement of the blade in a
hockey skate. It is not appropriate to use center
securement and the center securement would be
particularly inappropriate if shimming is provided.
Although various preferred embodiments of the
present invention have been described in detail, it will
be appreciated by those skilled in the art that
variations may be made without departing from the spirit
of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.
