Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02935348 2016-06-30
ICE SKATE
FIELD
The invention generally relates to ice skates, including their blade holder
and their
blade.
BACKGROUND
An ice skate includes a skate boot for receiving a skater's foot and a blade
holder
connecting a blade to the skate boot. Many different types of skate boots,
blade
holders and blades have been developed in order to provide skates which can
accommodate different skating maneuvers as well as to provide certain benefits
to
skaters.
As with most sports equipment, a visual appearance of a skate is an important
consideration for a skater using it. For this reason, various efforts have
been made
which resulted in numerous skates with different designs of skate boots being
available. However, variations in visual appearance of blade holders have been
generally limited in comparison. For instance, while blade holders of
different shapes
have been developed (e.g., depending on different manufacturers), there has
been
little effort directed to other aesthetic aspects of the blade holders.
Notably,
conventional blade holders are typically in a single color, mostly white, and
while
some blade holders have implemented darker/shaded areas, these are generally
limited to logos and/or other graphics that occupy very small areas.
For these and/or other reasons, there is a need to improve ice skates,
including their
blade holder.
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SUMMARY
In accordance with various aspects of the invention, there is provided a blade
holder
for an ice skate. The ice skate comprises a skate boot for receiving a foot of
a skater
and a blade for contacting an ice surface. The blade holder comprises a blade-
retaining base to retain the blade and a support extending upwardly from the
blade-
retaining base to interconnect the blade holder and the skate boot. A visual
appearance of the blade holder may be designed such that the blade holder has
visual characteristics enhancing its aesthetics and/or other aspects related
to its
visual appearance (e.g., an effect on the skater, a perception that others may
have
of the skater, elaborateness and/or customization of its visual appearance,
etc.). For
instance, selected parts of an exterior of the blade holder may be colored
differently
for aesthetic and/or other purposes.
For example, in accordance with an aspect of the invention, there is provided
a
blade holder for an ice skate. The ice skate comprises a skate boot for
receiving a
foot of a skater and a blade for contacting an ice surface. The blade holder
comprises a blade-retaining base to retain the blade and a support extending
upwardly from the blade-retaining base to interconnect the blade holder and
the
skate boot. At at least a majority of an exterior of the support is colored
differently
than at least a majority of an exterior of the blade-retaining base.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a blade
holder
for an ice skate. The ice skate comprises a skate boot for receiving a foot of
a skater
and a blade for contacting an ice surface. The blade holder comprises a blade-
retaining base to retain the blade and a support extending upwardly from the
blade-
retaining base to interconnect the blade holder and the skate boot. A color of
an
exterior of the support that is at least predominant on the exterior of the
support is
different from a color of an exterior of the blade-retaining base that is at
least
predominant on the exterior of the blade-retaining base.
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In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a blade
holder
for an ice skate. The ice skate comprises a skate boot for receiving a foot of
a skater
and a blade for contacting an ice surface. The blade holder comprises a blade-
retaining base to retain the blade; a front pillar and a rear pillar that
project upwardly
from the blade-retaining base to interconnect the blade holder and the skate
boot;
and a void extending from the front pillar to the rear pillar. At least a
majority of an
exterior of the front pillar and at least a majority of an exterior of the
rear pillar are
colored differently than at least a majority of an exterior of the blade-
retaining base.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a blade
holder
for an ice skate. The ice skate comprises a skate boot for receiving a foot of
a skater
and a blade for contacting an ice surface. The blade holder comprises a blade-
retaining base to retain the blade; a front pillar and a rear pillar that
project upwardly
from the blade-retaining base to interconnect the blade holder and the skate
boot;
and a void extending from the front pillar to the rear pillar. A color of an
exterior of
the front pillar that is at least predominant on the exterior of the front
pillar and a
color of an exterior of the rear pillar that is at least predominant on the
exterior of the
rear pillar are different from a color of an exterior of the blade-retaining
base that is
at least predominant on the exterior of the blade-retaining base.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a blade
holder
for an ice skate. The ice skate comprises a skate boot for receiving a foot of
a skater
and a blade for contacting an ice surface. The blade holder comprises a blade-
retaining base to retain the blade and a support extending upwardly from the
blade-
retaining base to interconnect the blade holder and the skate boot. The blade-
retaining base comprises a first material and the support comprises a second
material. The first material and the second material differ in stiffness and
are colored
differently.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a blade
holder
for an ice skate. The ice skate comprises a skate boot for receiving a foot of
a skater
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and a blade for contacting an ice surface. The blade holder comprises a blade-
retaining base to retain the blade and a support extending upwardly from the
blade-
retaining base to interconnect the blade holder and the skate boot. The blade-
retaining base comprises a first material and the support comprises a second
material different from the first material. The support comprises an overlay
on the
second material.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a blade
holder
for an ice skate. The ice skate comprises a skate boot for receiving a foot of
a skater
and a blade for contacting an ice surface. The blade holder comprises a blade-
retaining base to retain the blade and a support extending upwardly from the
blade-
retaining base to interconnect the blade holder and the skate boot. An
exterior of the
blade holder comprises a checkered pattern and at least part of an exterior of
the
blade-retaining base is free of checkering.
These and other aspects of the invention will now become apparent to those of
ordinary skill in the art upon review of the following description of
embodiments of
the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
A detailed description of embodiments of the invention is provided below, by
way of
example only, with reference to the following drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of an example of an ice skate comprising a
blade holder
that includes an exterior comprising parts that are differently colored, in
accordance
with an embodiment of the invention;
Figure 2 is an exploded view of the ice skate, including a skate boot, the
blade holder,
and a blade;
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Figures 3 to 9 are various views of the blade holder;
Figures 10 to 15 are various views of an upper component of the blade holder;
Figures 16 to 21 are various views of a lower component of the blade holder;
Figure 22 shows an example of an embodiment in which an exterior of a support
of the
blade holder of Figures 3 to 9 has a plurality of colors;
Figures 23A to 23C are partial cross-sectional views showing a blade-
detachment
mechanism of the blade holder;
Figures 24 to 28 show various views of different parts of the blade holder,
including an
interconnection of these different parts of the blade holder;
Figures 29 to 31 show examples of variants of an interconnection of different
parts of
the blade holder;
Figures 32 to 35 show examples of variants in which the blade holder may
retain the
blade;
Figures 36 and 37 show an example of a variant of the blade;
Figure 38 shows an example of an embodiment in which the support of the blade
holder comprises an overlay;
Figure 39 shows an example of an embodiment in which the exterior of the
support of
the blade holder comprises a checkered pattern;
Figures 40 to 47 show examples of other color arrangements provided on the
exterior
of the support of the blade holder in other embodiments;
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Figures 48 to 50 show examples of other shapes of the blade holder in other
embodiments;
Figure 51 shows an example of a variant of the upper component of the blade
holder;
Figure 52 shows an example of another embodiment of the blade holder in which
the
blade holder is shaped differently;
Figure 53 shows an example of a skater's view of the blade holder when the
blade
holder is at angle relative to an ice surface on which the skater skates; and
Figures 54 and 55 are side and front views of a right foot of the skater with
an
integument of the foot shown in dotted lines and bones shown in solid lines.
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
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 EMBODIMENTS
Figures 1 and 2 show an example of an ice skate 10 in accordance with an
embodiment of the invention. The ice skate 10 comprises a skate boot 11 for
enclosing
a skater's foot, a blade holder 28, and a blade 52 for contacting an ice
surface 5 on
which the skater skates. In this embodiment, the ice skate 10 is a hockey
skate
designed for playing ice hockey. In other embodiments, the ice skate 10 may be
designed for other types of skating activities.
As further discussed below, in this embodiment, a visual appearance of the
blade
holder 28 may be designed such that the blade holder 28 has visual
characteristics
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enhancing its aesthetics and/or other aspects related to its visual appearance
(e.g., an
effect on the skater, elaborateness and/or customization of its visual
appearance, etc.).
In this embodiment, this is achieved while the blade holder 28 is lightweight
and/or
provides other performance benefits to the skater. For example, in this
embodiment,
selected parts of an exterior 27 of the blade holder 28 are colored
differently for
aesthetic and/or other purposes. Also, in this embodiment, the blade holder 28
is
designed to optimize its weight and performance characteristics, including
greater
stiffness in certain areas (e.g., front and heel areas) and greater feel and
control in
other areas (e.g., along an interface with the blade 52). For instance, in
this
embodiment, the blade holder 28 comprises an arrangement of different
materials
(e.g., a composite material and a polymeric material) that differ in stiffness
and density
and are strategically distributed in the blade holder 28. These different
materials are
related to the selected parts of the exterior 27 of the blade holder 28 that
are colored
differently.
The skate boot 11 defines a cavity 26 for receiving the skater's foot. With
additional
reference to Figures 54 and 55, the skater's foot includes toes T, a ball B,
an arch
ARC, a plantar surface PS, a top surface TS, a medial side MS and a lateral
side LS.
The top surface TS of the skater's foot is continuous with a lower portion of
the skater's
shin S. In addition, the skater has a heel H, an Achilles tendon AT, and an
ankle A
having a medial malleolus MM and a lateral malleolus LM that is 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 and
merging with
the heel H. A forefoot of the skater includes the toes T and the ball B, a
hindfoot of the
skater includes the heel H, and a midfoot of the skater is between the
forefoot and
midfoot.
In this embodiment, the skate boot 11 comprises a front portion 17 for
receiving the
toes T of the skater's foot, a rear portion 19 for receiving the heel H of the
skater's foot,
and an intermediate portion 21 between the front portion 17 and the rear
portion 19.
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More particularly, in this embodiment, the skate boot 11 comprises an outer
shell 12, a
toe cap 14 for facing the toes T, a tongue 16 extending upwardly and
rearwardly from
the toe cap 14 for covering the top surface TS of the skater's foot, a rigid
insert 18 for
providing more rigidity around the ankle A and the heel H of the skater's
foot, an inner
lining 20, a footbed 22, and an insole 24. The skate boot 11 also comprises
lace
members 38 and eyelets 42 punched into the lace members 38, the outer shell 12
and
the inner lining 20 vis-à-vis apertures 40 in order to receive laces for tying
on the skate
10.
The inner lining 20 is affixed to an inner surface of the outer shell 12 and
comprises an
inner surface 32 intended for contact with the heel H and medial and lateral
sides MS,
LS of the skater's foot and the skater's ankle A in use. The inner lining 20
may be
made of a soft material (e.g., a fabric made of NYLON fibers or any other
suitable
fabric). The rigid insert 18 is sandwiched between the outer shell 12 and the
inner
lining 20 and may be affixed in any suitable way (e.g., glued to the inner
surface of the
outer shell 12 and stitched along its periphery to the outer shell 12). The
footbed 22 is
mounted inside the outer shell 12 and comprises an upper surface 34 for
receiving the
plantar surface PS of the skater's foot and a wall 36 projecting upwardly from
the upper
surface 34 to partially cup the heel H and extend up to a medial line of the
skater's foot.
The insole 24 has an upper surface 25 for facing the plantar surface PS of the
skater's
foot and a lower surface 23 on which the outer shell 12 may be affixed.
The outer shell 12 is molded (e.g., 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 50, 60 for facing the medial and lateral sides MS,
LS of the
skater's foot, respectively. The medial and lateral side portions 50, 60
include upper
edges 51, 61 which connect to the lace members 38. The heel portion 44 may be
formed 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
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receiving the lateral malleolus LM of the skater. The lateral depression 58 is
located
slightly lower than the medial depression 56, for conforming to the morphology
of the
skater's foot. The ankle portion 46 further comprises a rear portion 47 facing
the lower
part LP of the Achilles tendon AT. The rear portion 47 may be thermoformed
such that
it follows the lower part LP of the Achilles tendon AT. Furthermore, the skate
boot 11
also includes a tendon guard 43 affixed to the rear portion 47 of the ankle
portion 46
and extending upwardly therefrom.
The skate boot 11 may be constructed in any other suitable way in other
embodiments. For example, in other embodiments, various components of the
skate
boot 11 mentioned above may be configured differently or omitted and/or the
skate
boot 11 may comprise any other components that may be made of any other
suitable materials and/or using any other suitable processes.
With additional reference to Figures 3 to 8, the blade holder 28 comprises a
lower
portion 64 comprising a blade-retaining base 80 that retains the blade 52 and
an
upper portion 62 comprising a support 82 that extends upwardly from the blade-
retaining base 80 towards the skate boot 11 to interconnect the blade holder
28 and
the skate boot 11. A front portion 66 of the blade holder 28 and a rear
portion 68 of
the blade holder 28 define a longitudinal axis 65 of the blade holder 28. The
front
portion 66 of the blade holder 28 includes a front 154 of the blade holder 28
and
extends beneath and along the skater's forefoot in use, while the rear portion
68 of
the blade holder 28 includes a rear 156 of the blade holder 28 and extends
beneath
and along the skater's hindfoot in use. An intermediate portion 74 of the
blade holder
28 is between the front and rear portions 66, 68 of the blade holder 28 and
extends
beneath and along the skater's midfoot in use. A length L of the blade holder
28 can
be measured from a frontmost point 70 to a rearmost point 72 of the blade
holder 28.
The blade holder 28 comprises a medial side 71 and a lateral side 67 that are
opposite one another. The blade holder 28 has a longitudinal direction (i.e.,
a
direction generally parallel to its longitudinal axis 65) and transversal
directions (i.e.,
directions transverse to its longitudinal axis 65), including a widthwise
direction (i.e.,
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a lateral direction generally perpendicular to its longitudinal axis 65). The
blade
holder 28 also has a height direction normal to its longitudinal and widthwise
directions.
The blade-retaining base 80 is elongated in the longitudinal direction of the
blade
holder 28 and is configured to retain the blade 52 such that the blade 52
extends
along a bottom portion 73 of the blade-retaining base 80 to contact the ice
surface.
To that end, the blade-retaining base 80 comprises a blade-retention portion
75 to
face and retain the blade 52. In this embodiment, the blade-retention portion
75
comprises a recess 76 in which an upper portion of the blade 52 is disposed.
The blade holder 28 can retain the blade 52 in any suitable way. In this
embodiment,
with additional reference to Figures 23A to 23C, the blade holder 28 comprises
a
blade-detachment mechanism 55 such that the blade 52 is selectively detachable
and removable from, and attachable to, the blade holder 28 (e.g., when the
blade 52
is worn out or otherwise needs to be replaced or removed from the blade holder
28).
More particularly, in this embodiment, the blade 52 includes a plurality of
projections
531, 532. The blade-detachment mechanism 55 includes an actuator 115 and a
biasing element 117 which biases the actuator 115 in a direction towards the
front
portion 66 of the blade holder 28. To attach the blade 52 to the blade holder
28, the
front projection 531 is first positioned within a hollow space 119 (e.g., a
recess or
hole) of the blade holder 28. The rear projection 532 can then be pushed
upwardly
into a hollow space 121 (e.g., a recess or hole) of the blade holder 28,
thereby
causing the biasing element 117 to bend and the actuator 115 to move in a
rearward
direction. The rear projection 532 will eventually reach a position which will
allow the
biasing element 117 to force the actuator 115 towards the front portion 66 of
the
blade holder 28, thereby locking the blade 52 in place. The blade 52 can then
be
removed by pushing against a finger-actuating surface 123 of the actuator 115
to
release the rear projection 532 from the hollow space 121 of the blade holder
28.
Further information on examples of implementation of the blade-detachment
mechanism 55 in some embodiments may be obtained from U.S. Patent 8,454,030
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hereby incorporated by reference herein. The blade-detachment mechanism 55 may
be configured in any other suitable way in other embodiments.
In this embodiment, the blade-retaining base 80 comprises a plurality of
apertures
811-814 distributed in the longitudinal direction of the blade holder 28 and
extending
from the medial side 71 to the lateral side 67 of the blade holder 28. In this
example,
respective ones of the apertures 811-814 differ in size. More particularly, in
this
example, the apertures 811-814 decrease in size towards the front portion 66
of the
blade holder 28. The apertures 811-814 may have any other suitable
configuration, or
may be omitted, in other embodiments.
The blade-retaining base 80 may be configured in any other suitable way in
other
embodiments.
The support 82 is configured for supporting the skate boot 11 above the blade-
retaining base 80 and transmit forces to and from the blade-retaining base 80
during
skating. In this embodiment, the support 82 comprises a front pillar 84 and a
rear
pillar 86 which extend upwardly from the blade-retaining base 80 towards the
skate
boot 11. The front pillar 84 extends towards the front portion 17 of the skate
boot 11
and the rear pillar 86 extends towards the rear portion 19 of the skate boot
11. The
blade-retaining base 80 extends from the front pillar 84 to the rear pillar
86. More
particularly, in this embodiment, the blade-retaining base 80 comprises a
bridge 88
interconnecting the front and rear pillars 84, 86.
The support 82 and the skate boot 11 can be connected to one another in any
suitable way. In this embodiment, the support 82 is affixed to the skate boot
11.
More particularly, in this embodiment, the front and rear pillars 84, 86 are
fastened to
the skate boot 11 by fasteners (e.g., rivets, screws, bolts). In this example,
each of
the front and rear pillars 84, 86 comprises a flange 87 including a plurality
of
apertures 891-89F to receive respective ones of the fasteners that fasten the
blade
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holder 28 to the skate boot 11. The support 82 may be affixed to the skate
boot 11 in
any other suitable manner in other embodiments (e.g., by an adhesive).
The support 82 may be configured in any other suitable way in other
embodiments.
The visual appearance of the blade holder 28 may be designed to enhance its
aesthetics and/or other aspects related to its visual appearance. Notably, in
this
embodiment, substantial parts 1601-160p of the exterior 27 of the blade holder
28
are colored differently for aesthetic and/or other purposes. In that sense,
with the
substantial parts 1601-160p of its exterior 27 being chromatically different,
the blade
holder 28 may be referred to as being a "polychromatic" blade holder.
The exterior 27 of the blade holder 28 is that outer part (e.g., surface) of
the blade
holder 28 that is visible and faces outwardly away from the blade holder 28.
It
comprises the medial side 71, the lateral side 67, the front 154, and the rear
156 of
the blade holder 28. Thus, the exterior 27 of the blade holder 28 includes an
exterior
162 of the support 82 and an exterior 164 of the blade-retaining base 80,
which are
respectively that outer part (e.g., surface) of the support 82 that is visible
and faces
outwardly away from the support 82 and that outer part (e.g., surface) of the
blade-
retaining base 80 that is visible and faces outwardly away from the blade-
retaining
base 80. The exterior 162 of the support 82 comprises a lateral side 166, a
medial
side 167, a front 170, and a rear 173 of the support 82, while the exterior
164 of the
blade-retaining base 80 comprises a lateral side 174, a medial side 176, a
front 178,
and a rear 180 of the blade-retaining base 80.
More particularly, in this embodiment, the exterior 162 of the support 82 and
the
exterior 164 of the blade-retaining base 80 are at least mainly (i.e., mainly
or
entirely) colored differently. That is, at least a main part (i.e., a main
part or an
entirety) of the exterior 162 of the support 82 and at least a main part of
the exterior
164 of the blade-retaining base 80 exhibit different colors. Any suitable
colors may
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be used, such as, for example: white, black, and gray, which are considered
colors
herein; red, blue, yellow, etc.; and any shade thereof.
The different colors exhibited by the exterior 162 of the support 82 and the
exterior
164 of the blade-retaining base 80 may be arranged in any suitable way. In
this
embodiment, a relatively lighter portion of the exterior 27 of the blade
holder 28 (i.e.,
exhibiting one or more lighter colors such as white or whitish shades) may be
significant, whereas a relatively darker portion of the exterior 27 of the
blade holder
28 (i.e., exhibiting one or more darker colors such as gray, black, red, blue
or darker
shades) may be more limited or less noticeable by the skater while skating. In
some
cases, this may be desirable as blade holders which are too dark have
sometimes
been less appreciated by skaters who may be perceived by others as skating
slower
when wearing blade holders which are too dark and/or who may sometimes feel
that
this affects their performance, such as by apparently making them believe or
feel
that they skate slower.
In this embodiment, at least a majority (i.e., a majority or the entirety) of
the exterior
162 of the support 82 is colored differently than at least a majority of the
exterior 164
of the blade-retaining base 80.
For instance, in some embodiments, at least 75%, in some cases at least 90%,
and
in some cases substantially an entirety of the exterior 162 of the support 82
may be
colored differently than at least 75% of the exterior 164 of the blade-
retaining base
80.
In some embodiments, at least the majority of the exterior 162 of the support
82 may
be darker than at least the majority of the exterior 164 of the blade-
retaining base
80. In other words, at least a majority of the exterior 162 of the support 82
may
contrast at least the majority of the exterior 164 of the blade-retaining base
80. For
example, a color 135 of the exterior 162 of the support 82 that is at least
predominant (i.e., a predominant or sole color) on the exterior 162 of the
support 82
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may be different from a color 137 of the exterior 164 of the blade-retaining
base 80
that is at least predominant on the exterior 164 of the blade-retaining base
80.
Notably, in some cases, the color 135 of the exterior 162 of the support 82
that is at
least predominant on the exterior 162 of the support 82 may be darker than the
color
137 of the exterior 164 of the blade-retaining base 80 that is at least
predominant on
the exterior 164 of the blade-retaining base 80.
As such, a sole or main color 135 of the exterior 162 of the support 82 may be
different from a sole or main color 137 of the exterior 164 of the blade-
retaining base
80. For example, the sole or main color 135 of the exterior 162 of the support
82
may be darker than the sole or main 137 color of the exterior 164 of the blade-
retaining base 80.
In this example, the exterior 162 of the support 82 includes an exterior 139
of the
front pillar 84 and an exterior 141 of the rear pillar 86. In some cases, at
least a
majority of the exterior 139 of the front pillar 84 and at least a majority of
the exterior
141 of the rear pillar 84 may be colored differently than at least the
majority of the
exterior 164 of the blade-retaining base 80; in some cases, at least 75% of
the
exterior 139 of the front pillar 84 and at least 75% of the exterior 141 of
the rear pillar
86 may be colored differently than at least 75% of the exterior 164 of the
blade-
retaining base 80; in some cases, at least 90% of the exterior 139 of the
front pillar
84 and at least 90% of the exterior 141 of the rear pillar 86 may be colored
differently than at least 90% of the exterior 164 of the blade-retaining base
80; and in
some cases, substantially an entirety of the exterior 139 of the front pillar
84 and
substantially an entirety of the exterior 141 of the rear pillar 86 may be
colored
differently than substantially an entirety of the exterior 164 of the blade-
retaining
base 80. For instance, in some examples of implementation, at least the
majority of
the exterior 139 of the front pillar 84 and at least the majority of the
exterior 141 of
the rear pillar 86 may be darker than at least the majority of the exterior
164 of the
blade-retaining base 80.
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In some embodiments, a color 142 of the exterior 139 of the front pillar 84
that is at
least predominant on the exterior 139 of the front pillar 84 and a color 143
of the
exterior 141 of the rear pillar 86 that is at least predominant on the
exterior 141 of
the rear pillar 86 may be different from the color 137 of the exterior 164 of
the blade-
retaining base 80 that is at least predominant on the exterior 164 of the
blade-
retaining base 80. For example, the color 142 of the exterior 139 of the front
pillar 84
and the color 143 of the exterior 141 of the rear pillar 86 may be darker than
the
color 137 of the exterior 164 of the blade-retaining base 80.
Moreover, in some embodiments, a sole or main color 142 of the exterior 139 of
the
front pillar 84 and a sole of main color 143 of the exterior 141 of the rear
pillar 86
may be different from the sole or main color 137 of the exterior 164 of the
blade-
retaining base 80. For example, the sole or main color 142 of the exterior 139
of the
front pillar 84 and the sole or main color 143 of the exterior 141 of the rear
pillar 86
may be darker than the sole or main color 137 of the exterior 164 of the blade-
retaining base 80.
In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 22, the exterior 162 of the support 82
may have a plurality of colors CLi-CLN. Moreover, the exterior 162 of the
support 82
may have more colors CLi-CLN than the exterior 164 of the blade-retaining base
80.
For example, in some cases, the colors CLi-CLN of the exterior 162 of the
support
82 may include at least two colors, in some cases at least three colors, in
some
cases at least four colors, and in some cases even more colors. Although in
this
embodiment, the exterior 164 of the blade-retaining base 80 is illustrated as
having a
single color 137, the exterior 164 of the blade-retaining base 80 may have a
plurality
of colors.
Moreover, in some embodiments, the exterior 162 of the support 82 may exhibit
a
gradual variation between respective ones of its colors CLi-CLN. That is, a
transition
region 165 may exist between the different colors CLi-CLN of the exterior 162
of the
support 82 where a given one of the colors CLi-CLN of the exterior 162 of the
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support 82 gradually (i.e., rather than abruptly) changes into another of the
colors
CLi-CLN of the exterior 162 of the support 82.
In some embodiments, an interface 105 of the different colors of the support
82 and
the blade-retaining base 80 may extend over at least a substantial part of the
length
L of the blade holder 28. That is, the interface 105 between one or more of
the
colors CLi-CLN of the exterior 162 of the support 82 and the color 137 (or the
plurality of colors) of the blade-retaining base 80 may extend longitudinally
along a
significant portion of the length L of the blade holder 28. For instance, in
some cases
the interface 105 of different colors of the support 82 and the blade-
retaining base
80 may extend over at least 20% of the length L of the blade holder 28, in
some
cases over at least 30% of the length L of the blade holder 28, in some cases
over at
least a majority of the length L of the blade holder 28, and in some cases
even more.
In this embodiment, the blade holder 28 is characterized by a material
distribution
profile to optimize its weight and performance characteristics. Notably, in
this
embodiment, the material distribution profile of the blade holder 28 results
in a variation
in density and a variation in rigidity across certain areas of the blade
holder 28 to
reduce its weight while providing greater stiffness in some areas (e.g., the
front and
rear pillars 84, 86) where more rigidity may be desirable (e.g., to better
transmit forces)
and greater compliance (i.e., less stiffness) in other areas (e.g., along the
blade-
retaining base 80) where less rigidity may be desirable (e.g., for better feel
and
control). In this example, the material distribution profile of the blade
holder 28 is used
to provide the substantial parts 1601-160p of its exterior 27 that are
differently colored.
The material distribution profile is designed such that the blade holder 28
comprises an
arrangement of different materials M1, M2 disposed in selected areas of the
blade
holder 28. The different materials M1, M2 belong to different classes of
materials (i.e.,
polymers, metals, ceramics and composites) and/or exhibit substantially
different
values of a given material property (e.g., modulus of elasticity, tensile
strength, density,
etc.).
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In this embodiment, the material M1 is stiffer (i.e., more rigid) than the
material M2
and makes up at least a major part (i.e., a major part or an entirety) of the
support 82
of the upper portion 62 of the blade holder 28, while the material M2 makes up
at
least a major part of the blade-retaining base 80 of the lower portion 64 of
the blade
holder 28. More particularly, in this embodiment, the material M1 makes up at
least a
major part of each of the front and rear pillars 84, 86 and the material M2
makes up
at least a major part of the blade-retaining base 80. This makes the front and
rear
pillars 84, 86 of the blade holder 28 stiffer, which may better transmit
forces and
provide more strength during skating, while making the blade-retaining base 80
less
stiff, which may allow for better feel and control during skating.
More particularly, in this embodiment, with additional reference to Figures 10
to 21,
each of the front and rear pillars 84, 86 is at least mainly (i.e., mainly or
entirely)
made of the material M1, while the blade-retaining base 80 is at least mainly
made of
the material M2. In this example, each of the front and rear pillars 84, 86 is
entirely
made of the material M1, while a major part 63 of the blade-retaining base 80
is
made of the material M2 and a thin upper part 69 of the bridge 88 of the blade-
retaining base 80 is made of the material M1 (i.e., at least a majority of the
bridge 88
is made of the material M2). More specifically, in this example, the thin
upper part 69
of the bridge 88 of the blade-retaining base 80 is integrally formed and
continuous
with the front and rear pillars 84, 86 such that the thin upper part 69 of the
bridge 88
and the front and rear pillars 84, 86 constitute a monolithic one-piece upper
component 77 of the blade holder 28 that is made of the material M1, while the
major
part 63 of the blade-retaining base 80 constitutes a monolithic one-piece
lower
component 78 of the blade holder 28 that is made of the material M2. In other
embodiments, different parts of the front and rear pillars 84, 86 and the
blade-
retaining base 80 may be made of the materials M1, M2.
The materials M1, M2 may differ in rigidity to any suitable degree. For
example, in
some embodiments, a ratio A1/A2 of a modulus of elasticity A1 (e.g., tensile
modulus)
17
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of the material Mi over a modulus of elasticity A2 of the material M2 may be
at least
2, in some cases at least 5, in some cases at least 10, in some cases at least
20, in
some cases at least 50, and in some cases even more (e.g., at least 100). This
ratio
may have any other suitable value in other embodiments.
For instance, in some embodiments, the modulus of elasticity Ai of the
material Mi
may be at least 25 GPa, in some cases at least 50 GPa, in some cases at least
100
GPa, and in some cases even more (e.g., at least 150 GPa or 200 GPa), and/or
the
modulus of elasticity A2 of the material M2 may be no more than 20 GPa, in
some
cases no more than 10 GPa, in some cases no more than 5 GPa, and in some
cases even less (e.g., no more than 2 GPa or 1 GPa). The modulus of elasticity
Ai of
the material Mi and/or the modulus of elasticity A2 of the material M2 may
have any
other suitable value in other embodiments.
In this embodiment, the material Mi is denser than the material M2 and, thus,
in
addition to making the blade-retaining base 80 less stiff for better feel and
control,
the material M2 which is less dense than the material Mi helps to reduce the
weight
of the blade holder 28.
The materials M1, M2 may differ in density to any suitable degree. For
example, in
some embodiments, a ratio p1/p2 of a density pi of the material Mi over a
density p2
of the material M2 may be at least 1.1, in some cases at least 1.2, in some
cases at
least 1.3, and in some cases even more (e.g., at least 1.5). This ratio may
have any
other suitable value in other embodiments.
For instance, in some embodiments, the density pi of the material Mi may be at
least 1 g/cm3, in some cases at least 1.2 g/cm3, in some cases at least 1.4
g/cm3, in
some cases at least 1.8 g/cm3, in some cases at least 2 g/cm3, and in some
cases
even more (e.g., at least 2.5 g/cm3 or 3 g/cm3), and/or the density p2 of the
material
M2 may be no more than 2 g/cm3, in some cases no more than 1.8 g/cm3, in some
cases no more than 1.4 g/cm3, in some cases no more than 1.2 g/cm3 and in some
18
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cases even less (e.g., no more than 1 g/cm3 or 0.8 g/cm3). The density pi of
the
material Mi and/or the density p2 of the material M2 may have any other
suitable
value in other embodiments.
Moreover, in some embodiments, the materials M1, M2 may also be visually
contrasting. For instance, in this embodiment, a color of the material Mi may
be
different from a color of the material M2. As such, the substantial parts 1601-
160p of
the exterior 27 of the blade holder 28 that are colored differently may be
provided by
the choice of materials M1, M2 used for the support 82 and the blade-retaining
base
80. For example, the color of the material Mi may be darker than the color of
the
material M2.
In this embodiment, the material Mi is a composite material and the material
M2 is a
non-composite material (i.e., a material that is not a composite material). In
this
example, the non-composite material M2 is a non-composite polymeric material.
More particularly, in this embodiment, the composite material Mi is a fiber-
matrix
composite material that comprises a matrix 90 in which fibers 921-92F are
embedded.
The matrix 90 may include any suitable substance. In this embodiment, the
matrix
90 is a polymeric matrix. Thus, in this example of implementation, the
composite
material Mi is a fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP ¨ a.k.a., fiber-reinforced
polymer). The
polymeric matrix 90 may include any suitable polymeric resin. For instance, in
some
examples, the polymeric matrix 90 may include a thermoplastic or thermosetting
resin, such as epoxy, polyethylene, polypropylene, acrylic, thermoplastic
polyurethane (TPU), polyether ether ketone (PEEK) or other polyaryletherketone
(PAEK), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyvinyl chloride (PVC),
poly(methyl
methacrylate) (PMMA), polycarbonate, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS),
nylon,
polyimide, polysulfone, polyamide-imide, self-reinforcing polyphenylene,
polyester,
vinyl ester, vinyl ether, polyurethane, cyanate ester, phenolic resin, etc., a
hybrid
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CA 02935348 2016-06-30
thermosetting-thermoplastic resin, or any other suitable resin. In this
embodiment,
the polymeric matrix 90 includes an epoxy resin.
The fibers 921-92F may be made of any suitable material. In this embodiment,
the
fibers 921-92F are carbon fibers. The composite material M1 is thus a carbon-
fiber-
reinforced plastic in this example of implementation. Any other suitable type
of fibers
may be used in other embodiments (e.g., polymeric fibers such as aramid fibers
(e.g., Kevlar fibers), boron fibers, silicon carbide fibers, metallic fibers,
glass fibers,
ceramic fibers, etc.).
In this embodiment, the fibers 921-92F are continuous such that they
constitute a
continuous fiber reinforcement of the composite material M1. For example, in
this
embodiment, the fibers 921-92F may be provided as layers of continuous fibers
(e.g.
pre-preg (i.e., pre-impregnated) layers of fibers held together by an amount
of matrix
material, which is destined to provide a respective portion of the matrix 90
of the
composite material Mi).
In this example, respective ones of the fibers 921-92F are oriented
differently. For
example, in some embodiments, the fibers 921-92F are arranged in layers
stacked
upon one another and may extend parallel or at an oblique angle to the
longitudinal
axis of the blade holder 28. For instance, given ones of the fibers 921-92F in
the
layers that are stacked may be oriented at 00, +/-45 and +/-90 in an
alternating
manner. The fibers 921-92F may be arranged in any other suitable way in other
examples.
In this embodiment, the polymeric material M2 is a thermoplastic material.
More
particularly, in this example, the polymeric material M2 is nylon (polyamide).
The
polymeric material M2 may be any other suitable thermoplastic material in
other
examples (e.g., thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), acrylonitrile butadiene
styrene
(ABS), etc.). The polymeric material M2 may be a thermosetting material or any
other
CA 02935348 2016-06-30
suitable polymer in other embodiments (e.g., polypropylene, polyethylene
(e.g.,
HDPE), polycarbonate, etc.).
In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, a maximal longitudinal dimension LP
(i.e.,
a maximal dimension in the longitudinal direction of the blade holder 28) of
each of
the front and rear pillars 84, 86 may be relatively significant. For instance,
in some
embodiments, a ratio LP/L of the maximal longitudinal dimension LP of the
front
pillar 84 or the rear pillar 86 over the length L of the blade holder 28 may
be at least
0.2, in some cases at least 0.3, and in some cases even more (e.g., 0.4).
With continued reference to Figures 3 to 21, in this embodiment, since it
includes the
composite material M1 providing greater stiffness, parts of the blade holder
28 that
are made of the composite material M1 may be reduced in size in order to
reduce
the weight of the blade holder 28.
For instance, in this embodiment, the blade holder 28 comprises a void 94
between
the front and rear pillars 84, 86 that may be relatively large and thus help
to reduce
its weight. Notably, in this example, the front and rear pillars 84, 86 are
significantly
spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the blade holder 28. A
longitudinal extent
V of the void 94 (i.e., a maximal distance between the front and rear pillars
84, 86 in
the longitudinal direction of the blade holder 28) is relatively large and a
minimal
longitudinal dimension C of each of the front and rear pillars 84, 86 (i.e., a
minimal
dimension in the longitudinal direction of the blade holder 28 of each of the
front and
rear pillars 84, 86) may be relatively small.
For example, in some embodiments, the longitudinal extent V of the void 94
between
the front and rear pillars 84, 86 may be greater than a sum of the minimal
longitudinal dimension C of the front pillars 84 and the minimal longitudinal
dimension C of the rear pillar 86.
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CA 02935348 2016-06-30
As another example, in some embodiments, the longitudinal extent V of the void
94
between the front and rear pillars 84, 86 may be greater than the minimal
longitudinal dimension C of each of the front and rear pillars 84, 86. For
instance, in
some embodiments, a ratio V/C of the longitudinal extent V of the void 94
between
the front and rear pillars 84, 86 over the minimal longitudinal dimension C of
each of
the front and rear pillars 84, 86 may be at least 1.8, in some cases at least
2, in
some cases at least 2.2, and in some cases even greater. This ratio may have
any
other value in other embodiments.
As yet another example, in some embodiments, a ratio V/L of the longitudinal
extent
V of the void 94 between the front and rear pillars 84, 86 over the length L
of the
blade holder 28 may be at least 0.4, in some cases at least 0.5, in some cases
at
least 0.6, and in some cases even greater. This ratio may have any other value
in
other embodiments.
For instance, in this embodiment, the length L of the blade holder 28 may be
about
30 cm, the minimal longitudinal dimension C of the front pillar 84 may be
about 7 cm,
the minimal longitudinal dimension C of the rear pillar 86 may be about 7 cm,
and
the longitudinal extent V of the void 94 between the front and rear pillars
84, 86 may
be about 15 cm for a size 8. The length L of the blade holder 28, the minimal
longitudinal dimension C of each of the front and rear pillars 84, 86, and the
longitudinal extent V of the void 94 between the front and rear pillars 84, 86
may
have any other suitable values in other embodiments.
In this embodiment, each of the front and rear pillars 84, 86 comprises a wall
95 that
defines a cavity 96. In this example, the wall 95 is made of the composite
material
M1 and can be relatively thin. For instance, in some embodiments, a thickness
T of
the wall 95 may be no more than 5 mm, in some cases no more than 4 mm, in some
cases no more than 3 mm, in some cases no more than 2 mm, and in some cases
even less. The thickness T of the wall 95 may have any other suitable value in
other
embodiments.
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In this example of implementation, each of the front and rear pillars 84, 86
comprises
a top opening 97 that leads to its cavity 96 and faces the skate boot 11 when
the
blade holder 28 is mounted to the skate boot 11.
Also, in this example of implementation, each of the front and rear pillars
84, 86
comprises a peripheral opening 98 that leads to its cavity 96 such that its
cavity 96 is
exposed from outside of the skate 10 when the blade holder 28 is mounted to
the
skate boot 11. That is, each of the front and rear pillars 84, 86 is open
peripherally
such that its cavity 96 opens up to the outside of the skate 10 when the blade
holder
28 is mounted to the skate boot 11. More particularly, in this example of
implementation, the peripheral opening 98 of the front pillar 84 and the
peripheral
opening 98 of the rear pillar 86 face one another.
Therefore, in this embodiment, even though it includes significant parts made
of the
composite material M1, in view of a reduction in size of these parts and/or
use of the
polymeric material M2 which is less dense, the weight of the blade holder 28
can be
relatively low. For example, in some embodiments, a ratio of the weight of the
blade
holder 28 over the length L of the blade holder 28 may be no more than 4.3
g/cm, in
some cases no more than 4 g/cm, in some cases no more than 3.7 g/cm, in some
cases no more than 3.5 g/cm, and in some cases even less (e.g., no more than
3.3
g/cm). For instance, in some embodiments, if the length L of the blade holder
28 is
about 30 cm (e.g., for a size 8), the weight of the blade holder 28 may be no
more
than 130 g, in some cases no more than 120 g, in some cases no more than 110
g,
in some cases no more than 105 g, and in some cases even less (e.g., no more
than
100 g). The weight of the blade holder 28 may have any other suitable value in
other
embodiments.
The composite material M1 and the polymeric material M2 making up respective
portions of the blade holder 28 may be interconnected in any suitable way.
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In this embodiment, the composite material M1 and the polymeric material M2
are
mechanically interlocked. That is, the composite material M1 and the polymeric
material M2 are in a mechanical interlock relationship in which they are
interconnected via a part of the blade holder 28 made of a given one of the
composite material M1 and the polymeric material M2 extending into a part of
the
blade holder 28 made of the other one of the composite material M1 and the
polymeric material M2. More specifically, the part of the blade holder 28 made
of the
given one of the composite material M1 and the polymeric material M2 comprises
an
interlocking space (e.g., one or more holes, one or more recesses, and/or one
or
more other hollow areas) into which extends an interlocking portion of the
part of the
blade holder 28 made of the other one of the composite material M1 and the
polymeric material M2.
Moreparticularly, in this embodiment, with additional reference to Figure 28,
the
upper component 77 of the blade holder 28 made of the composite material M1
and
including the front and rear pillars 84, 86 and the thin upper part 69 of the
bridge 88
comprises an interlocking space 102 into which extends an interlocking portion
104
of the lower component 78 of the blade holder 28 made of the polymeric
material M2
and including the major part 63 of the blade-retaining base 80. In this
example, the
interlocking space 102 of the upper component 77 of the blade holder 28 made
of
the composite material M1 comprises a plurality of holes 1061-106H (e.g.,
which may
have been pre-molded or drilled) and the interlocking portion 104 of the lower
component 78 of the blade holder 28 made of the polymeric material M2
comprises a
plurality of elements 1081-108H that extend into respective ones of the holes
106i-
106H to interlock the composite material M1 and the polymeric material M2
together.
In this example of implementation, the blade holder 28 is manufactured using
an
overmolding process in which the polymeric material M2 is overmolded onto the
composite material M1 to create an overmolded joint 112 between the polymeric
material M2 and the composite material M1. More particularly, during the
overmolding
process, the polymeric material M2 flows into the holes 1061-106H of the upper
24
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component 77 of the blade holder 28 made of the composite material M1 where it
is
captured to mechanically interlock the polymeric material M2 and composite
material
M1 at the joint 112. In some cases, the thermoplastic material M2 and the
matrix 90
of the composite material M1 may enhance retention of the materials M1, M2
together
(e.g., by creating a chemical bond between them).
More particularly, in this example of implementation, the upper component 77
of the
blade holder 28 made of the composite material M1 may be manufactured by
providing a plurality of layers of fibers, which are destined to provide the
fibers 92i-
92F of the composite material M1, onto one another on a supporting structure
which
is then placed in a mold to consolidate the composite material M1. In this
embodiment, each of these layers of fibers is provided as a pre-preg (i.e.,
pre-
impregnated) layer of fibers held together by an amount of matrix material,
which is
destined to provide a respective portion of the matrix 90 of the composite
material
M1. The supporting structure onto which the pre-preg layers of fibers are
layered
may be implemented in any suitable manner (e.g., one or more silicone mold
parts,
one or more inflatable bladders, etc.). In other embodiments, the matrix 90 of
the
composite material M1 may be provided separately from (e.g., injected onto)
the
layers of fibers. The holes 1061-106H for eventual interlocking of the
polymeric
material M2 may be molded in the mold in which the composite material M1 is
consolidated or may be drilled after consolidation of the composite material
M1 in the
mold. Various other manufacturing techniques may be used to make the upper
component 77 of the blade holder 28 made of the composite material M1.
Once the upper component 77 of the blade holder 28 made of the composite
material M1 is formed, in this example of implementation, the lower component
78 of
the blade holder 28 made of the polymeric material M2 may be manufactured by
overmolding the polymeric material M2 onto the composite material M1. For
instance,
the polymeric material M2 may be injected into a mold in which the upper
component
77 of the blade holder 28 is disposed.
CA 02935348 2016-06-30
At this stage, in some embodiments, as shown in Figure 38, an overlay 182 may
be
provided on the exterior 27 of the blade holder 28 to provide a particular
aesthetic
appearance to the blade holder 28. For instance, in this embodiment, the
overlay
182 may be provided on the support 82 such that the support 82 comprises the
overlay 182.
The overlay 182 may have various different visual characteristics that provide
a
desired aesthetic appearance to the blade holder 28. For instance, the overlay
182
may comprise a plurality of colors 1841-184N (or in some cases a single
color). One
or more of the colors 1841-184N of the overlay 182 may be different from the
color
137 of the blade-retaining base 80. For example, a color 184, of the overlay
182 may
be darker than the color 137 of the blade-retaining base 80. Moreover, in some
embodiments, the overlay 182 may exhibit a gradual variation between
respective
ones of its colors 1841-184N. That is, the overlay 182 may comprise a
transition
region (not shown) between given ones of the different colors 1841-184N where
a
given one of the colors 1841-184N of the overlay 182 gradually (i.e., rather
than
abruptly) changes into an other of the colors 1841-184N of the overlay 182.
In some embodiments, the overlay 182 may comprise a graphic 186. For example,
the graphic 186 may be a shape, a symbol, a word, a picture or any other
suitable
type of visual element.
Moreover, in some embodiments, at least part of the overlay 182 may be
transparent. That is, the overlay 182 may comprise a transparent region 188
through
which a person can see such that a surface of the material M1 of the support
82
underlying the transparent region 188 is visible through the overlay 182. In
such
embodiments, the overlay 182 and the surface of the material M1 underlying the
transparent region 188 of the overlay 182 form part of the exterior 162 of the
support
82. The transparent region 188 may vary in size in accordance with different
embodiments. For instance, the transparent region 188 of the overlay 182 may
extend throughout substantially an entirety of the overlay 182 such that
substantially
26
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an entirety of the overlay 182 is transparent. In addition, in some
embodiments, the
overlay 182 may exhibit a gradual variation in transparency. That is, the
overlay 182
may comprise a transition region 190 between its transparent region 188 and a
non-
transparent region (i.e., a more opaque region) of the overlay 182, the
transition
region 190 being less transparent than the transparent region 188 but more
transparent than the non-transparent region of the overlay 182.
The overlay 182 may be disposed on the support 82 of the blade holder 28 in
various ways. For instance, in some embodiments, the overlay 182 may be
adhesively bonded to the material M1 of the support 82. For example, in such
cases,
the overlay 182 may be a sticker. In other embodiments, the overlay 182 may be
a
decal that is configured to transfer a design (e.g., its colors, graphics,
etc.) onto the
material M1 of the support 82.
The blade holder 28 can be manufactured using any other suitable process in
other
embodiments.
In this embodiment, the blade-detachment mechanism 55 of the blade holder 28
to
selectively attach and detach the blade 52 to and from the blade holder 28 is
disposed in a cavity 130 defined by a wall 132 of the blade-retaining base 80
made
of the polymeric material M2. The polymeric material M2 is thus disposed
between
the blade 52 and the composite material M1. The greater compliance of the
polymeric material M2, and possibly its greater ductility, may help to isolate
the
composite material M1 from the blade 52 and the blade-detachment mechanism 55
and thus reduce a potential for rattling or other vibrations to be transmitted
to the
composite material M1 (e.g., thereby reducing a potential for local stresses
and crack
formation in the composite material Mi). The polymeric material M2 may thus
serve
as a "bumper" between the blade 52 and the composite material M1. In this
example,
the cavity 130 is contiguous to the cavity 96 defined by the wall 95 of the
rear pillar
86 such that an opening 136 links the cavity 130 and the cavity 96 which
constitute a
27
CA 02935348 2016-06-30
common continuous hollow space. In other examples, the cavity 130 may be
isolated from the cavity 96 defined by the wall 95 of the rear pillar 86.
The blade 52 comprises an ice-contacting material 140 including an ice-
contacting
surface 127 for sliding on the ice surface while the skater skates. In this
embodiment, the ice-contacting material 140 is a metallic material (e.g.,
stainless
steel). The ice-contacting material 140 may be any other suitable material in
other
embodiments. Also, in this embodiment, an entirety of the blade 52 is made of
the
ice-contacting material 140.
The ice skate 10, including the blade holder 28, may be implemented in any
other
suitable way in other embodiments.
For example, in other embodiments, the substantial parts 1601-160p of the
exterior
27 of the blade holder 28 that are colored differently may be arranged in any
other
suitable manners.
For instance, in some embodiments, as shown in Figure 39, the exterior 27 of
the
blade holder 28 may comprise a checkered pattern 192. Notably, in some
embodiments, the checkered pattern 192 may extend over a substantial part of
the
exterior 27 of the blade holder 28 but does not extend over another
substantial part
of the exterior 27of the blade holder 28.
For example, in this embodiment, the exterior 162 of the support 82 comprises
the
checkered pattern 192. The checkered pattern 192 may extend over a limited
portion
of the exterior 162 of the support 82 or, in some cases, may extend over a
significant
portion of the exterior 162 of the support 82. For instance, in some cases,
the
checkered pattern 192 may occupy at least 10% of the exterior 162 of the
support
82, in some cases at least 25% of the exterior 162 of the support 82, in some
cases
at least 50% of the exterior 162 of the support 82 (i.e., at least the
majority of the
exterior 162 of the support 82), in some cases at least 75% of the exterior
162 of the
28
CA 02935348 2016-06-30
support 82, in some cases at least 90% of the exterior 162 of the support 82,
or in
some cases even more (e.g., substantially an entirety of the exterior 162 of
the
support 82).
The checkered pattern 192 may be provided on the exterior 162 of the support
62 in
various ways. For instance, in some embodiments, the checkered pattern 192 may
be defined by intersecting elements 1941-194N of the composite material M1.
For
example, the intersecting elements 1941-194N of the composite material M1 may
be
elements of tape of the composite material M1 that are woven, interlaced or
otherwise intersect one another.
In contrast, in this embodiment, at least part of the exterior 164 of the
blade-retaining
base 80 may be free of checkering. That is, at least part of the exterior 164
of the
blade-retaining base 80 may not comprise a checkered pattern like the
checkered
pattern 192. In this example, at least a majority (i.e., a majority or an
entirety) of the
exterior 164 of the blade-retaining base 80 is free of checkering. More
particularly, in
this example, substantially the entirety of the exterior 164 of the blade-
retaining base
80 is free of checkering.
Various other configurations of the blade holder 28 may be possible in other
embodiments.
Examples of other possible configurations are shown in Figures 40 to 47. For
instance, in one example, as shown in Figure 40, a darker color CLD of the
exterior
162 of the support 82 may be provided at a top portion of each of the front
and rear
pillars 84, 86 and at a bottom portion of the support 82 (e.g., at an
interface with the
color 137 of the blade-retaining base 80). A lighter color CLL, for example
similar to
the color 137 of the blade-retaining base 80, may be provided at an
intermediate
portion of the support 82 between the top portions of the pillars 84, 86 and
the
bottom portion of the support 82. In another example, as shown in Figure 41,
the top
portion of each of the front and rear pillars 84, 86 may be provided with the
lighter
29
CA 02935348 2016-06-30
color CLL while the darker color CLD of the exterior 162 of the support 82 may
be
provided at the bottom portion of the support 82 exclusively. In both
embodiments
show in Figures 40 and 41, a transition region may be provided between the
darker
color OLD of the exterior 162 of the support 82 and the lighter color CLL of
the
exterior 162 of the support 82 such that the exterior 162 of the support 82
may
exhibit a gradual variation between respective ones of its colors CLi-CLN.
As yet another example, as shown in Figure 42, the darker color OLD of the
exterior
162 of the support 82 may not necessarily be above or below the lighter color
CLL of
the exterior 162 of the support 82. For instance, in this example, the darker
color
OLD is positioned rearwardly of the lighter color CLL such that a transition
region
between the darker color OLD and the lighter color CLL provides a gradual
variation
between the darker and the lighter colors OLD, CLL in the longitudinal
direction of the
blade holder 28. Moreover, in this example, the lighter color CLL extends
along at
least a majority of the front pillar 84. Alternatively or additionally, in
other examples,
the lighter color CLL may extend along at least a majority of the rear pillar
86.
In the example of Figure 43, the darker color OLD of the exterior 162 of the
support
82 occupies the bottom portion of the support 82 and the exterior 162 of the
support
82 has no transition region between the darker color OLD and the lighter color
CLL
and therefore there is an abrupt variation between the colors OLD, CLL of the
exterior
162 of the support 82. In the examples of Figures 42 and 43, the darker color
OLD
has a greater extent in the rear pillar 86 than in the front pillar 84. That
is, the darker
color OLD extends along a greater portion of the rear pillar 86 than a portion
of the
front pillar 84.
As yet another example, as shown in Figure 44, the darker color OLD of the
exterior
162 of the support 82 may be provided at the top portion of each of the front
and
rear pillars 84, 86 and at the bottom portion of the support 84, while the
intermediate
portion of the support 82 between the top portion of the pillars 84, 86 and
the bottom
portion of the support 82 is provided with the lighter color CLL. As such, in
this
CA 02935348 2016-06-30
example, each of the front and rear pillars 84, 86 comprises a pair of regions
that are
not continuous to one another and that are provided with the darker color CLD.
As yet another example, as shown in Figure 45, the darker color CLD may occupy
at
least a majority of the exterior 162 of the support 82. For example, a lighter
color
(e.g., similar to the color 137 of the blade-retaining base 80) may occupy a
small top
portion of the front and rear pillars 84, 86 while a remainder of the support
82 is
provided with the darker color CLD.
As yet another example, as shown in Figure 46, the darker color CLD of the
exterior
162 of the support 82 may extend mainly along a region adjacent the void 94 of
the
blade holder 28. For instance, a rear portion of the rear pillar 86 and a
front portion
of the front pillar 84 may be provided with a lighter color (e.g., similar to
the color 137
of the blade-retaining base 80).
In the example shown in Figure 47, a majority of the exterior 141 of the rear
pillar 86
has the darker color CLD while about half the exterior 139 of the front pillar
has the
darker color OLD.
In other embodiments, the blade holder 28 may have any other suitable shape.
For instance, in other embodiments, the support 82 and/or the blade-retaining
base
80 may be shaped in various other ways (e.g., the front and rear pillars 84,
86 may
be shaped differently; the blade-retaining base 80 may have more, fewer, or no
apertures such as the apertures 811-814; etc). As an example, Figure 48 shows
an
embodiment in which the front and rear pillars 84, 86 are open only at their
top
opening 97 (i.e., they lack any peripheral opening such as the peripheral
opening
98). As another example, Figure 50 shows an embodiment in which in which the
blade-retaining base 80 has five apertures such as the apertures 811-814. As
yet
another example, Figure 49 shows an embodiment in which the blade-retaining
base
80 has no apertures such as the apertures 811-814. As yet another example,
Figure
31
CA 02935348 2016-06-30
52 shows an embodiment in which the support 82 and the blade-retaining base 80
are shaped differently than in embodiments considered above. For instance, the
front and rear pillars 84, 86 of the support 82 may be shaped differently such
that the
void 94 between the front and rear pillars 84, 86 is shaped differently (e.g.,
has a
more square, rounded, or polygonal shape). At least the majority of the
exterior 162
of the support 82 is colored differently than at least the majority of the
exterior 164 of
the blade-retaining base 80.
As mentioned above, in some situations, blade holders which are too dark may
have
a visual and/or psychological effect on skaters that may sometimes make them
feel
as though they are skating slower than they are in reality. In that context,
the blade
holder 28 may be configured to provide the exterior 162 of the support 82 with
a
darker portion while ensuring that the skater cannot observe or can observe a
limited
portion of the darker portion of the exterior 162 of the support 82 while the
skater is
skating. For instance, with reference to Figure 53, in some embodiments, the
blade
holder 28 may be configured such that, when the skate 10 is at an angle a
relative to
the ice surface 5, at least a majority of the darker portion of the exterior
162 of the
support 82 is not visible when viewed perpendicularly to the ice surface 5. In
some
cases, the angle a may be at least 15 , in some cases at least 20 , in some
cases
30 , in some cases 45 and in some cases even more. In other embodiments, the
blade holder 28 may not be configured as such.
In other embodiments, the composite material M1 and the polymeric material M2
of
the blade holder 28 may be interconnected in any other suitable way.
For example, in some embodiments, as shown in Figures 50 and 51, the upper
component 77 of the blade holder 28 made of the composite material M1
comprises
a plurality of projections 1531,1532 that project towards the lower component
78 of
the blade holder 28 made of the polymeric material M2 and that include part of
the
interlocking space 102 into which extends the interlocking portion 104 of the
lower
component 78 of the blade holder 28. In this embodiment, each of the
projections
32
CA 02935348 2016-06-30
1531,1532 is a flap, the part of the interlocking space 102 of the upper
component 77
of the blade holder 28 formed by each of the flaps 1531,1532 comprises a
plurality of
holes 1551,1554 (e.g., which may have been pre-molded or drilled), and the
interlocking portion 104 of the lower component 78 of the blade holder 28
comprises
a plurality of elements 1681-1688 that extend into respective ones of the
holes 1551-
1554 of each of the flaps 1531,1532 to interlock the composite material M1 and
the
polymeric material M2 together. Thus, in this embodiment, the holes 1061-106H
and
the holes 1551-1554 of the interlocking space 102 of the upper component 77 of
the
blade holder 28 are oriented differently such that the elements 1081-108H and
the
elements 1681-1688 of the interlocking portion 104 of the lower component 78
of the
blade holder 28 extend transversally to one another (e.g., in this case, the
elements
1081-108H extend into the holes 1061-106H generally vertically and the
elements
1681-1688 extend into the holes 1551-1554 generally horizontally). In some
cases,
this may help to further enhance mechanical interlocking of the composite
material
M1 and the polymeric material M2.
As another example, in some embodiments, as shown in Figure 29, instead of or
in
addition to the upper component 77 of the blade holder 28 made of the
composite
material M1 comprising the interlocking space 102 into which extends the
interlocking portion 104 of the lower component 78 of the blade holder 28 made
of
the polymeric material M2, the lower component 78 of the blade holder 28 made
of
the polymeric material M2 may comprise an interlocking space 116 into which
extends an interlocking portion 118 of the upper component 77 of the blade
holder
28 made of the composite material M1. For instance, in this embodiment, the
interlocking space 116 of the lower component 78 of the blade holder 28 made
of
the polymeric material M2 comprises a plurality of holes 1201-120j (e.g.,
which may
have been pre-molded or drilled) and the interlocking portion 118 of the upper
component 77 of the blade holder 28 made of the composite material M1
comprises
a plurality of elements 1221-122j that extend into respective ones of the
holes 1201-
120j to interlock the composite material M1 and the polymeric material M2
together.
In this example, the thermoplastic resin of the matrix 90 of the composite
material M1
33
CA 02935348 2016-06-30
when provided (e.g., injected) flows into the holes 1201-120j defined by the
polymeric material M2 to create the elements 1221-122j that interlock the
composite
material M1 and the polymeric material M2 together.
As another example, in some embodiments, as shown in Figure 30, instead of or
in
addition to the composite material M1 and the polymeric material M2 being
mechanically interlocked, the composite material M1 and the polymeric material
M2
may be adhesively bonded by an adhesive 124. The adhesive 124 may be an
epoxy-based adhesive, a polyurethane-based adhesive, a methacrylate adhesive,
a
methyl methacrylate adhesive, or any other suitable adhesive for bonding the
composite material M1 and the polymeric material M2.
As another example, in some embodiments, as shown in Figure 31, instead of or
in
addition to the composite material M1 and the polymeric material M2 being
mechanically interlocked and/or adhesively bonded, the composite material M1
and
the polymeric material M2 may be fastened using one or more fasteners 128.
Each
fastener 128 may be a rivet, a screw, a bolt, or any other suitable mechanical
fastener
While in embodiments considered above the different materials M1, M2 making up
respective parts of the blade holder 28 include a composite material and a non-
composite polymeric material, the different materials M1, M2 may include any
other
suitable combination of materials in other embodiments. For example, in some
embodiments, the material M1 may be a composite material and the material M2
may
be a different composite material (e.g., less stiff than the composite
material M1, by
including fewer and/or less rigid fibers in its matrix and/or having its
matrix more
compliant than the composite material Mi). For instance, in some embodiments,
the
composite material M1 may include continuous fibers (e.g., pre-preg layers of
fibers)
providing a continuous fiber reinforcement as discussed above, while the
composite
material M2 may include discontinuous (e.g., chopped) fibers randomly
dispersed
within its matrix. For example, in some cases, the composite material M2 may
34
CA 02935348 2016-06-30
include a nylon matrix in which are dispersed chopped fibers (e.g., 10% or 20%
chopped fibers) such as carbon or aramid fibers, which may also enhance
abrasion
resistance). Thus, in some embodiments, the composite material M2 may include
a
polymeric matrix (e.g., nylon) that is reinforced with fibers.
Also, while in embodiments considered above there are two different materials
M1,
M2 making up respective parts of the blade holder 28, the material
distribution profile
of the blade holder 28 may include three or more different materials making up
respective parts of the blade holder 28 such as described above in relation to
the
materials M1, M2.
In other embodiments, the blade holder 28 may retain the blade 52 in any other
suitable way. For instance, instead of being selectively detachable and
removable
from and attachable to the blade holder 28, in other embodiments, the blade 52
may
be permanently affixed to the blade holder 28 (i.e., not intended to be
detached and
removed from the blade holder 28). As an example, in some embodiments, as
shown in Figures 30 and 31, the blade holder 28 may retain the blade 52 using
an
adhesive 172 and/or one or more fasteners 175. For instance, in some
embodiments, as shown in Figure 32, the recess 76 of the blade holder 28 may
receive the upper part of the blade 52 that is retained by the adhesive 172.
The
adhesive 172 may be an epoxy-based adhesive, a polyurethane-based adhesive, or
any suitable adhesive. In some embodiments, instead of or in addition to using
an
adhesive, as shown in Figure 33, the recess 76 of the blade holder 28 may
receive
the upper part of the blade 52 that is retained by the one or more fasteners
175.
Each fastener 175 may be a rivet, a screw, a bolt, or any other suitable
mechanical
fastener. Alternatively or additionally, in some embodiments, as shown in
Figure 34,
the blade-retention portion 75 of the blade holder 28 may extend into a recess
181 of
the upper part of the blade 52 to retain the blade 52 using the adhesive 172
and/or
the one or more fasteners 175. For instance, in some cases, the blade-
retention
portion 75 of the blade holder 28 may comprise a projection 188 extending into
the
recess 181 of the blade 52. As another example, in some embodiments, as shown
in
CA 02935348 2016-06-30
Figure 35, the blade 52 and the blade-retaining base 80 of the blade holder 28
may
be mechanically interlocked via an interlocking portion 191 of one of the
blade-
retaining base 80 and the blade 52 that extends into an interlocking void 193
of the
other one of the blade-retaining base 80 and the blade 52. For instance, in
some
cases, the blade 52 can be positioned in a mold used for molding the blade
holder
28 such that, during molding, the interlocking portion 191 of the blade-
retaining base
80 flows into the interlocking void 193 of the blade 52 (i.e., the blade
holder 28 is
overmolded onto the blade 52).
The blade 52 may be implemented in any other suitable way in other
embodiments.
For example, in some embodiments, as shown in Figures 36 and 37, the blade 52
may comprise a runner 145 that is made of the ice-contacting material 140 and
includes the ice-contacting surface 127 and a body 148 connected to the runner
145
and made of a material 150 different from the ice-contacting material 140. The
runner 145 and the body 148 of the blade 52 may be retained together in any
suitable way. For example, in some cases, the runner 145 may be adhesively
bonded to the body 148 using an adhesive. As another example, in addition to
or
instead of being adhesively bonded, the runner 145 and the body 148 may be
fastened using one or more fasteners (e.g., rivets, screws, bolts, etc.). As
yet
another example, the runner 145 and the body 148 may be mechanically
interlocked
by an interlocking portion of one of the runner 145 and the body 148 that
extends
into an interlocking space (e.g., one or more holes, one or more recesses,
and/or
one or more other hollow areas) of the other one of the runner 145 and the
body 148
(e.g., the body 148 may be overmolded onto the runner 145).
To facilitate the description, any reference numeral designating an element in
one
figure designates the same element if used in any other figures. In describing
the
embodiments, specific terminology has been 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.
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CA 02935348 2016-06-30
In some embodiments, any feature of any embodiment described herein may be
used in combination with any feature of any other embodiment described herein.
Certain additional elements that may be needed for operation of certain
embodiments have not been described or illustrated as they are assumed to be
within the purview of those of ordinary skill in the art. Moreover, certain
embodiments may be free of, may lack and/or may function without any element
that
is not specifically disclosed herein.
Although various embodiments have been illustrated, this was for the purpose
of
describing, but not limiting, the invention.
Various modifications will become
apparent to those skilled in the art and are within the scope of this
invention, which is
defined more particularly by the attached claims.
37
