Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02650051 2009-01-12
ICE SKATE BLADE
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001 ] The present invention relates to ice skates
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Current ice skates utilize a boot, a blade holder and a single blade
for skating on ice. This
design is limiting as the single blade provides for only one hollow with a
very small surface area
for gliding. Speed skates as an example have much longer blades and hollows
for the express
purpose of increasing the surface area in contact with the ice. The proposed
invention also
increases the blade and hollow surface area in contact with the ice, but
instead of lengthening the
skate blade which makes the skate unwieldy, the proposed invention places two
identical hollows
either on the on the same blade, or by way of locating two identical blades in
the same skate
blade holder.
[0003] The proposed invention provides for increased skate performance by
reducing drag and
contact friction.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The proposed invention provides for a wider skate blade with a minimum
of two hollows
per skate blade per skate boot instead of the current standard, which is one
hollow per blade per
boot. The wider skate blade with two hollows effectively doubles the contact
surface area of the
skate blade. As an option you can also mount two identical regular skate
blades next to each
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other in a single skate blade holder and with each blade having a standard
hollow with two edges
which are produced as per current blade sharpening techniques.
[0005] The preferred embodiment of the invention consists of a regular
industry standard skate
boot and holder with a wider blade that can accommodate at least two hollows
instead of one. A
second embodiment provides for the locating of twin blades in a single skate
blade holder instead
of one. The blades are located in the holder using existing blade attaching
mechanisms and are
secured to each other with a mechanical means such as a nut and bolt. It will
be apparent to one
skilled in the art that modifications may be made to the illustrated
embodiment without departing
from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter defined in the
claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] These and other features of the invention will become more apparent
from the following
description in which reference is made to the appended drawings, the drawings
are for the
purpose of illustration only and are not intended to in any way limit the
scope of the invention to
the particular embodiment or embodiments shown, wherein:
[0007] FIG. 1 Shows a blade with two identical hollows.
[0008] FIG. 2 Shows a blade with two distinct hollows.
[0009] FIG. 3 Shows the second embodiment with two single blades joined
together providing
two hollows.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0010] The preferred embodiment, a wider blade skate with twin hollows is
generally identified
by reference numeral 10, will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2,
and 3.
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[0011] Review of the Prior Art
[0012] Ice skates have been around for many years and have progressed in
performance due to
small changes in the materials being used in construction, these changes have
been incremental
over the years and have allowed the skate to evolve to its current design and
construction,
however the original design, a skate boot, a single skate blade holder and a
single skate blade
with a single hollow are still in widespread use today.
Canadian Patent #1323048 describes the following;
"An ice hockey skate blade has a top edge, a skating edge, and a toe portion.
The skating edge
has a gliding portion behind the toe portion. The gliding portion width is
less than the top edge of
the blade and the toe portion of the blade. The front toe portion of the blade
allows contact with
the ice and has a width equivalent to standard hockey ice skate widths, while
the gliding portion
of the blade behind the toe section has a width corresponding to ice skate
racing blades" This
invention relates to a single blade with a differing width with one hollow.
US Patent #5,826,890 describes the following;
"An ice-skate blade includes a central main runner and side-runners positioned
on opposite sides
of the main runner. The blade includes three zones separated in the
longitudinal direction of the
blade, namely an essentially central glide zone having one or more runners
located on the same
level, and a rear zone and a front zone having side-runners which extend on
respective sides of
the main runner and which are located at a higher level than the main runner,
so as to grip the ice
only when the blade is tilted. The side-runners extend along the full length
of the main runner."
This invention relates to a multiple blade arrangement with multiple hollows
on different planes.
US Patent #5,570,893 describes the following
"An ice-skate blade construction comprising a central runner (5) and at least
one side-runner (4)
on each side of the main runner. The side runners are arranged so as to make
engagement with
the ice solely when the blade (2) is inclined so that the angle defined by the
blade with the ice is
less than 90 degrees by a predetermined value. In order to improve the gliding
and manoeuvering
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properties of the skate blade, the main runner (5) has a discontinuous glide
surface which
includes at least one part (7) which is not intended to make contact with the
ice and which is
delimited by two parts that are." This invention relates to a multiple blade
arrangement, with
hollows that are on differing planes with each to make contact at different
times.
US Patent #4,392,658 describes the following
"An elongated skate blade for an ice skate, the blade including first and
second acute-angled
cutting edges formed longitudinally on opposed sides of the blade for cutting
engagement with
an ice surface, and a generally downwardly facing longitudinally extending
bottom surface
extending transversely from the first cutting edge to the second cutting edge.
The bottom surface
includes first and second longitudinally extending edge faces rising upwardly
and inwardly from
the first and second cutting edges respectively, and a longitudinally
extending middle face
centrally disposed between the first and second edge faces. The middle face
has a substantially
flat or downwardly convex profile in transverse cross-section for at least one-
third of the distance
from the transverse center of the blade to each side of the blade. Where the
middle face is
downwardly convex, the radius of curvature exceeds the width of the blade for
at least one-third
of the distance from the transverse center of the blade to each side of the
blade." This invention
relates a multiple hollow configuration, bisected by a flat central portion.
WO Patent #1995015199 19950608
This invention relates to an ice-skate blade which includes a central main
runner and side-
runners positioned on respective sides of the main runner. This invention
relates to a multiple
blade arrangement, with hollows that are each to make contact at different
times.
None of the prior art addresses the fact that the current blade and hollow
configuration was
designed specifically to create a turning and gliding surface with specific
properties. It has been
determined that the current skate blade configuration generates friction
between the blade and
the ice, which creates a film of water between the blade and the ice, the film
provides for the
gliding properties of the blade. The proposed invention, by utilizing at least
two such hollows,
will create twice the blade friction creating property and twice the water
film for gliding and will
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therefore increase the gliding performance of the blade without compromising
the turning
capability which has already been designed into the current blade
configuration.
[0013] Structure and Relationship of Parts
[0014] Referring to FIG. 1, there is provided a skate blade 10 twin identical
hollows 24.
[0015] Referring to FIG. 2 there is provided a skate blade 10 with two
distinct hollows 22.
[016] Referring to FIG. 3 there is provided twin skate blades comprising two
single blades 12
creating twin hollows 24..
[017] It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that modifications may be
made to the illustrated
embodiment without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as
hereinafter defined
in the claims.
