Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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SKATE BOOT INCLUDING A THERMOFORMABLE ARCH-SUPPORT REGION
BACKGROUND
[0001] Hockey skates are typically relatively inflexible in order to
provide
necessary support and to efficiently transfer forces during skating. To ensure
efficient acceleration and cornering, a hockey skate should fit snugly on a
wearer's
foot so that little relative movement occurs between the foot and the skate
boot.
[0002] Given that the shape of the human foot varies between. wearers,
ensuring a proper fit for a particular individual can be challenging. The sole
region of
the skate boot is generally an important fitting area because much of the
pressure
exerted by a foot occurs in that region. The sole region typically contains an
arch
support designed to accommodate the arch of a wearer's foot. The shape of an
arch, however, can vary greatly between wearers, with some feet having little
or no
arch (i.e., "flat feet"), while other feet have a pronounced arch.
[0003] There are several ways to accommodate and support differently
shaped arches. One way is to provide non-customized insoles of different
shapes.
Non-customized insoles, however, increase the overall cost of a hockey skate
and
may not provide adequate support for the shape of a particular foot.
[0004] Another option is to use custom insoles or orthotics. This is
generally
accomplished by taking an impression of a wearer's foot and replicating the
shape
- 1 -
into an insole. Custom insoles and orthotics, however, are expensive, and many
wearers
are unwilling to make the effort required for customization. Additionally,
custom insoles
and orthotics are generally heavy and non-responsive, resulting in a skate
that is less
responsive than desired.
[0005] Another option is to use an insole including a flowable material
that
conforms to the arch of a wearer's foot. These "flow" or "gel" type materials,
however, are
heavy and non-responsive, resulting in a skate that provides less agility than
that which
is desired by a typical skater.
SUMMARY
[0006] A hockey skate boot includes a sole portion having a deformable
arch-
support region to accommodate feet having differently shaped arches. The
deformable
arch-support region may be made of a thermoformable material that is moldable
when
heated to match the arch of a given wearer's foot. After the arch-support
region is molded
to conform to a wearer's arch, it is allowed to cool so that it hardens and
remains in the
desired shape.
[0006A] According to another aspect, the disclosure relates to a skate boot
for a
skate. The skate boot comprises a boot form configured to receive a foot of a
user. The
boot form comprises: a medial portion configured to face a medial side of the
user's foot;
a lateral portion configured to face a lateral side of the user's foot; a heel
portion
configured to face a heel of the user's foot; and a sole portion configured to
face a plantar
surface of the user's foot. The medial portion and the sole portion of the
boot form
comprises a thermoformable arch-supporting region projecting upwardly such as
to define
a height of the arch-supporting region. The thermoformable arch-supporting
region
includes thermoformable material that is moldable to conform to an arch of the
user's foot
when heated by a heating device and compressed by the user's foot. The
thermoformable
arch-supporting region of the boot form extends in the sole portion of the
boot form
2
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-03-08
towards the lateral portion of the boot form beyond a front longitudinal end
of the boot
form and a rear longitudinal end of the boot form in a widthwise direction of
the boot form.
[0006B] According to another aspect, the disclosure relates to a skate boot
for a
skate. The skate boot comprises a boot form configured to receive a foot of a
user. The
boot form comprises: a medial portion configured to face a medial side of the
user's foot;
a lateral portion configured to face a lateral side of the user's foot; a heel
portion
configured to face a heel of the user's foot; and a sole portion comprising an
inner surface
configured to face a plantar surface of the user's foot. The medial portion
and the sole
portion of the boot form comprises a thermoformable arch-supporting region
including
thermoformable material that is moldable to conform to an arch of the user's
foot when
heated by a heating device and compressed by the user's foot. The
thermoformable arch-
supporting region of the boot form is configured such that a height of the
thermoformable
arch-supporting region from an apex of the thermoformable arch-supporting
region to a
bottom of the inner surface of the sole portion is only reducible when the
thermoformable
arch-supporting region is heated by the heating device and compressed by the
user's foot
irrespective of a shape of the user's foot.
[0006C] According to another aspect, the disclosure relates to a skate boot
for a
skate. The skate boot comprises a boot form configured to receive a foot of a
user. The
boot form comprises: a medial portion configured to face a medial side of the
user's foot;
a lateral portion configured to face a lateral side of the user's foot; a heel
portion
configured to face a heel of the user's foot; and a sole portion configured to
face a plantar
surface of the user's foot. The medial portion and the sole portion of the
boot form
comprises a thermoformable arch-supporting region projecting upwardly such as
to define
a height of the arch-supporting region. The thermoformable arch-supporting
region
includes a thermoformable fiber-reinforced first material that is moldable to
conform to an
arch of the user's foot when heated by a heating device and compressed by the
user's
foot. A lower part of the boot form adjacent to the thermoformable arch-
supporting region
of the boot form comprises a second material different from the thermoformable
fiber-
reinforced first material.
2a
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-03-08
[0006D] According to another aspect, the disclosure relates to a skate boot
for a
skate. The user's foot has a foot size. The skate boot comprises a boot form
configured
to receive the user's foot. The boot form comprises: a medial portion
configured to face a
medial side of the user's foot; a lateral portion configured to face a lateral
side of the
user's foot; a heel portion configured to face a heel of the user's foot; and
a sole portion
configured to face a plantar surface of the user's foot. The medial portion
and the sole
portion of the boot form comprises a thermoformable arch-supporting region
including
thermoformable material that is moldable to conform to an arch of the user's
foot when
heated by a heating device and compressed by the arch of the user's foot. The
arch-
supporting region has a height selected to be greater than a height of any
type of arches
of feet having the foot size. The thermoformable arch-supporting region of the
boot form
forms part of an external surface of the skate boot.
[0006E] According to another aspect, the disclosure relates to a method of
providing
a skate for a user. The skate comprises a skate boot for receiving a foot of a
user. The
skate boot comprises a boot form configured to receive the user's foot. The
boot form
comprises: a medial portion configured to face a medial side of the user's
foot; a lateral
portion configured to face a lateral side of the user's foot; a heel portion
configured to face
a heel of the user's foot; and a sole portion configured to face a plantar
surface of the
user's foot, The medial portion and the sole portion of the boot form
comprises a
thermoformable arch-supporting region including thermoformable material that
is
moldable to conform to an arch of the user's foot when heated by a heating
device and
compressed by the arch of the user's foot. The method comprises: selecting a
height of
the arch-supporting region that is greater than a height of the arch of the
user's foot before
the arch-supporting region is compressed by the arch of the user's foot; and
causing the
height of the arch-supporting region to be reduced and correspond to the
height of the
arch of the user's foot after the arch-supporting region is compressed by the
arch of the
user's foot.
[0006F] Other features and advantages will become apparent to those skilled
in the
art upon review of the following drawings and detailed description.
2b
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-03-08
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] In the drawings, wherein the same reference number indicates the
same element throughout the several views:
[0008] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a boot form for a skate boot
including a
thermoformable arch-support region and separate upper quarter panels,
according
to one embodiment.
[0009] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the boot form shown in FIG. 1.
[0010] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a boot form for a skate boot
including a
thermoformable arch-support region having corrugations oriented generally
parallel
to the longitudinal axis of the boot form, according to one embodiment.
[0011] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a boot form for a skate boot
including a
thermoformable arch-support region having corrugations oriented generally
perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the boot form, according to one
embodiment.
[0012] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a boot form for a skate boot
including a
thermoformable arch-support region and an additional arch support, according
to
one embodiment.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] Various embodiments of the invention will now be described. The
following description provides specific details for a thorough understanding
and
enabling description of these embodiments. One skilled in the art will
understand,
however, that the invention may be practiced without many of these details.
Additionally, some well-known structures or functions may not be shown or
described in detail so as to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the relevant
description of
the various embodiments.
[0014] The terminology used in the description presented below is intended
to
be interpreted in its broadest reasonable manner, even though it is being used
in
conjunction with a detailed description of certain specific embodiments of the
invention. Certain terms may even be emphasized below; however, any
terminology
intended to be interpreted in any restricted manner will be overtly and
specifically
defined as such in this detailed description section.
[0015] Where the context permits, singular or plural terms may also include
the plural or singular term, respectively. Moreover, unless the word "or" is
expressly
limited to mean only a single item exclusive from the other items in a list of
two or
more items, then the use of "or" in such a list is to be interpreted as
including (a) any
single item in the list, (b) all of the items in the list, or (c) any
combination of items in
CA 02907288 2015-10-09
the list. Further, unless otherwise specified, terms such as "attached" or
"connected"
are intended to include integral connections, as well as connections between
physically separate components.
[0016] As shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2, in one embodiment, a boot form 30 for a
skate boot includes a heel region 34, a toe region 36, a lower portion 32, an
upper
portion 38, and an arch-support region 50. The boot form 30 may be made of
fiber-
reinforced composite materials or other suitable materials.
[0017] Some
suitable reinforcing materials include structural fibers of carbon,
glass, aramid, ceramic, liquid crystal polymer, and others. Carbon fiber, for
example, provides a rigid frame that efficiently transfers energy generated by
leg
motion to the blade-holder (not shown) and blade (not shown) of the skate. To
impart desired stiffness properties in different directions and locations,
these
structural fibers may be combined with a thermoset resin such as epoxy, vinyl
ester,
or others. The structural fibers may alternatively be combined with a
thermoplastic
resin such as a polyamide, polypropylene, polyurethane, or others. In one
embodiment, the upper portion 38 may be made of a glass-fiber-reinforced
thermoplastic resin or similar material that is more flexible than the
materials used to
construct the lower portion 32.
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[0018] The skate boot may also include upper quarter panels 40 and 42. The
upper quarter panels 40 and 42 have a bottom edge 44 that aligns with an edge
46
of the boot form 30. The upper quarter panels 40 and 42 may be adhesively
bonded, stitched, or otherwise suitably attached to the edge 46 of the boot
form 30.
The upper quarter panels 40 and 42 may be made of a thermoplastic fabric
laminate
that is more flexible than the boot form 30, or of another suitable material
An outer
covering (not shown), such as a leather or fabric covering, and a tendon guard
(not
shown) may also be attached to the boot form 30 or quarter panels 40 and 42.
[0019] In one embodiment, the boot form 30 and the upper quarter panels 40
and 42 may generally be constructed as described in U.S. patent application
no.
14/094,599, filed on December 2, 2013, or U.S. patent application no.
13/794,071,
filed on March 11,2013.
[0020] The boot form 30 further includes a deformable arch-support region
50
in its lower medial region, or sole region. The deformable arch-support region
50
provides a customizable fit of the skate boot to a wearer's foot. As shown in
FIGS. 1
and 2, the arch-support region 50 includes a length L, a height H, and a depth
or
width D. (Dimension W indicates the 'remaining width of the boot form 30.) The
arch-support region 50 may vary in size, thickness, or geometry to offer
desired
performance benefits.
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[0021] The arch-
support region 50 may be made of a thermoplastic material
having a relatively low melting temperature, such as a polyamide,
polypropylene,
polyurethane, polyethylene, or other suitable material. When heated
to a
temperature of about 160-220 degrees Fahrenheit, these materials become
moldable when subjected to a force, such as when a wearer presses his or her
foot
against the arch-support region 50.
[0022] In one
embodiment, the arch-support region 50 includes a higher-arch
dimension H than that of a typical human foot, and may also include larger
dimensions L or D. For example, the arch support region 50 may have the
following
dimensions in a male, size-9 boot: Length L of approximately 5 inches, Depth D
of
approximately 1.5 inches, and height H of approximately 1 inch (a typical size-
9
human arch has a length of approximately 4 inches, a depth of approximately
1.25
inches, and a height of approximately 0.75 inches). This allows the arch-
support
region 50 to accommodate both large and small arches during molding. If the
wearer's foot has a naturally high arch, for example, the change in shape of
the
arch-support region 50 during molding may be relatively minimal. If the
wearer's foot
has a naturally low arch, conversely, the height H of the arch-support region
50 may
reduce significantly during molding to match the contour of the wearer's arch.
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[0023] To customize
the arch-support region 50 to a wearer's foot, the boot
form 30 is heated to approximately 160-220 degrees Fahrenheit in an oven or
other
heating device, or with a portable device such as a hot-air gun. In some
embodiments, such as when a hot-air gun is used, only the arch-support region
50
needs to be heated. The boot form 30 is then removed from the oven (or the
supply
of heat to the boot form 30 is otherwise discontinued), after which the skate
boot is
fit to the wearer's foot and cinched tight with, for example, shoe laces.
During this
fitting, dimensions L, H, and D of the arch-support region 50 conform to the
shape of
the wearer's arch. The skate boot may then be removed from the wearer's foot
and
allowed to cool. Once cooled, the thermoplastic or other thermoformable
material
forming the arch-support region 50 will harden into its pre-heated stiffness
in the
shape of the wearer's arch.
[0024] If a wearer
inadvertently over-compresses the arch support region 50,
or if the boot is later used with a different wearer having a higher or
differently
shaped arch, the arch-support region 50 may be reheated and then formed into
its
original shape (or into another suitable pre-fitting shape). To accomplish
this, once
the arch-support region 50 is heated to a sufficient temperature, force or
pressure
may be applied under the arch-support region 50 to expand it or otherwise
reshape
it.
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[0025] The
stiffness of the arch-support region 50 may be varied based on the
materials used to construct it. For example, carbon-fiber-reinforced
thermoplastic
may be used to construct the arch-support region 50, which is similar in
stiffness to
the carbon-fiber-reinforced thermoset materials that may be used to construct
the
lower portion 32 of the boot form 30. The carbon fibers may also be oriented
at
specific angles to obtain desired bending stiffness or torsional stiffness. In
some
embodiments, the arch-support region 50 may have a stiffness similar to, or
more
flexible than, the lower portion 32 of the boot form 30. If the arch-support
region 50
is more flexible than the lower portion 32, the composite boot form 30 will
have a
lower overall bending stiffness or torsional stiffness.
[0026] The arch-
support region 50 may also provide a spring-like resiliency
that creates additional energy return. When a skater applies a downward force
to
push off and accelerate, the arch-support region 50 may flex and then return
to its
molded shape, providing additional acceleration for the skater. In one
embodiment,
springs or clips may be added under or in the arch-support region 50 to
provide
more or less push back force for the skater.
[0027] As shown in
FIGS. 3 and 4, the arch-support region 50 may include
ridges or corrugations to further optimize stiffness and resiliency. These
corrugations may be oriented parallel, perpendicular, diagonal, cross-hatched,
or in
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another direction relative to the longitudinal axis of the skate boot to
achieve desired
characteristics. Further, one or more of the corrugations may be curved to
provide
further customization.
[0028] FIG. 3 shows the arch-support region 50 with corrugations 52 running
parallel to the longitudinal axis of the boot form 30. The parallel
corrugations 52
generally provide increased bending stiffness. FIG. 4, conversely, shows the
arch-
support region 50 with corrugations 54 running perpendicular to the
longitudinal axis
of the boot form 30. The perpendicular corrugations 54 generally provide
decreased
bending stiffness.
[0029] In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, an additional arch
support
60 may be added or attached to the boot form 30 in the arch-support region 50.
The
additional arch support 60 may be made of a relatively stiff material, such as
a
carbon-fiber reinforced polymer, to provide stiffness enhancement, or of a
relatively
flexible, softer material, such as a polyurethane elastomer, to provide
vibration
damping. The additional arch support 60 may also be used as a forming tool
that is
positioned under the arch-support region 50 during thermal-fitting of the boot
form 30
to a wearer's foot.
[0030] Any of the above-described embodiments may be used alone or in
combination with one another. Further, the skate boot with a deformable arch-
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support region may include additional features not described herein. While
several
embodiments have been shown and described, various changes and substitutions
may of course be made, the invention, therefore, should not be limited, except
by the
scope of the following claims.
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