Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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SKATE WITH TENDON GUARD
TECHNICAL FIELD
The application relates generally to skates and, more particularly, to boots
for such
skates.
BACKGROUND OF THE ART
Skate boots, and in particular ice hockey skate boots, have generally become
more
rigid over time in order to provide the necessary support for the players.
Skate boots
must usually provide at least some ankle support and protection for the
Achilles tendon,
while nevertheless allowing a certain degree of flexion to accommodate the
dorsiflexion
and plantar flexion of the ankle joint.
Although some conventional skate boots provide some amount of flexibility,
they may
still be too rigid for some players. It is understood that a skate boot that
is too rigid can
negatively impact the performance of the player using the skate boot.
SUMMARY
In one aspect, there is provided a skate boot, comprising: a tendon guard
partially
delimiting an opening of the skate boot for receiving therein a foot of a
user, the tendon
guard having: a lower member surrounding a rear portion of the opening of the
skate
boot; a connecting member extending upwardly from and connected to the lower
member; an upper member extending upwardly from and connected to the
connecting
member, the upper member being abuttable against a rear bottom portion of a
leg of
the user, the upper member being resiliently displaceable relative to the
lower member
about the connecting member in a forward and a rearward direction; and an
intermediate part interconnecting the upper and lower members and encasing the
connecting member, the intermediate part made of a material having one or both
of a
greater flexibility and a lower hardness than that of the lower member, the
connecting
member and the upper member.
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In another aspect, there is provided a tendon guard for a skate boot,
comprising: a body
made of a first material and having a lower member, a connecting member
extending
upwardly from and connected to the lower member, and an upper member extending
upwardly from and connected to the connecting member, the upper member being
abuttable against a rear bottom portion of a leg of the user, the upper member
being
resiliently displaceable relative to the lower member in a forward and a
rearward
direction about the connecting member; and an intermediate part made of a
second
material interconnecting the upper and lower members and encasing the
connecting
member, the intermediate part occupying a portion of the tendon guard
extending
between the upper and lower members and around the connecting member, the
second
material being more flexible than the first material.
In further aspect, there is provided a skate boot, comprising: a tendon guard
partially
delimiting an opening of the skate boot for receiving therein a foot of a
user, the tendon
guard having: a lower member surrounding a rear portion of the opening of the
skate
boot; a connecting member having upwardly extending first and second side
edges, the
connecting member extending upwardly from and connected to the lower member;
an
upper member extending upwardly from and connected to the connecting member,
the
upper member being abuttable against a rear bottom portion of a leg of the
user, the
upper member being resiliently displaceable relative to the lower member in a
forward
and a rearward direction about the connecting member; and an intermediate part
interconnecting the upper and lower members, the intermediate part occupying a
first
portion of the tendon guard extending between the upper and lower members and
the
first side edge of the connecting member, and a second portion of the tendon
guard
extending between the upper and lower members and the second side edge of the
connecting member, the intermediate part made of a material having one or both
of a
greater flexibility and a lower hardness than that of the lower member, the
connecting
member and the upper member.
In a further aspect, there is provided a method of manufacturing a skate,
comprising:
manufacturing a tendon guard, including: forming a body of the tendon guard
from a
first material, the body having a lower member, a connecting member extending
upwardly from and connected to the lower member, and an upper member extending
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upwardly from and connected to the connecting member, the upper member being
resiliently displaceable relative to the lower member in a forward and a
rearward
direction about the connecting member; interconnecting the upper and lower
members
with an intermediate part of the tendon guard made of a second material, the
second
material having one or both of a greater flexibility and a lower hardness than
the first
material; and assembling the tendon guard with a skate boot of the skate.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Reference is now made to the accompanying figures in which:
Fig. 1 is a schematic tridimensional view of a skate having a skate boot with
a tendon
guard, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
Fig. 2A is a schematic tridimensional view of the tendon guard of Fig. 1;
Fig. 2B is a schematic exploded view of the tendon guard of Fig. 2A; and
Fig. 3 is a schematic side view of the tendon guard of Fig. 1, an upper member
of the
tendon guard being shown in multiple positions.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Fig. 1 illustrates a skate 10. The skate 10 includes a skate boot 11, to which
is attached
a blade assembly 12. The blade assembly 12 includes a blade holder portion 13
fixed to
the bottom of an outsole 14 of the skate boot 11, and a metal blade 15
retained within
the blade holder portion 13. Although the skate 10 is depicted as a hockey ice
skate,
the present invention could equally apply to other types of skates, such as
for example,
a roller hockey skate, a recreational ice skate or a recreational in-line
roller skate.
The outsole 14 generally defines the bottom portion of the skate boot 11, to
which are
connected a toe cap 16 surrounding the toes, two quarters 17 (only one of
which is
shown, given that only one side of the skate 10 is visible) covering the sides
of the foot
and wrapped around the ankle for improved support thereof, and a rear element
18
covering a rear portion of the foot. A tongue 19 extends from the toe cap 16
to cover the
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instep. Other configurations for the skate 10 are possible, and the
configuration of the
skate 10 and/or the skate boot 11 is not limited to the depicted embodiment.
The rear element 18 includes a portion covering and protecting the Achilles
tendon,
which interconnects the two quarters 17 at the rear of the foot. This portion,
referred to
herein as a tendon guard 20, is flexible enough to follow the motions of the
ankle, while
also being stiff enough to protect the Achilles tendon from impacts.
In the depicted embodiment, the tendon guard 20 extends around some of the
periphery of an upper portion of the skate boot 11, and delimits at least
partially an
opening 20A in the upper portion of the skate boot 11 through which the foot
of the user
is inserted into the skate boot 11. The opening 20A is thus defined between
the tendon
guard 20 and the tongue 19.
Figs. 2A and 2B illustrate the tendon guard 20, including a body 21 and an
interconnecting part 22. Although the body 21 and intermediate part 22 of the
tendon
guard 20 are depicted as being separate from one another in the exploded view
of Fig.
2B, in a particular embodiment the body 21 and intermediate part 22 of the
tendon
guard 20 are connected together such that it forms a single body. More
particularly, the
components of the tendon guard 20 described below can be integral with one
another
such that the tendon guard 20 forms one-piece object whose components cannot
be
separated cleanly without causing damage to the individual components. The
integrality
of the tendon guard 20 may be achieved, for example, during its manufacturing.
In an
alternate embodiment, the body 21 and intermediate part 22 may be removably
and/or
adjustably connected to one another, so as to allow selective replacement of
the body
21 and intermediate part 22, and/or adjustment of their relative position.
The body 21 of the tendon guard 20 forms the bulk of the tendon guard 20 in
the
depicted embodiment, and provides protection to a rear bottom portion of the
leg of the
user adjacent to her/his Achilles tendon. The body 21 has a lower member 23 is
attached to both quarters 17 of the skate boot 11, for example through
stitching and/or
adhesive, to partially or completely surround the opening 20A in the skate
boot 11. In
the depicted embodiment, the lower member 23 includes a series of eyelets 23A
defined therethrough in proximity to the tongue 19, which are configured to
overlap and
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be aligned with eyelets defined through the quarters 17, or be complementary
to the
quarter 17 to define the top eyelets of the boot 11 with the quarters 17
defining only the
remaining eyelets extending under the eyelets 23A defined by the lower member
23.
Alternately, the lower member 23 can define the entire row of eyelets of the
boot 11
(whether on its own or by overlapping a portion of the quarters 17 in which
the eyelets
are also defined), and define for example the complete facing of the boot. In
a
particular embodiment, the lower member 23 is fixedly attached to the skate
boot 11
such that it remains fixed in place. This anchoring of the lower member 23 may
contribute to the resilient and flexible displacement of other portions of the
tendon guard
20.
The body 21 also includes an upper member 24. The upper member 24 is
substantially
upright, such that it extends above the opening 20A when the tendon guard 20
forms
part of the skate boot 11. When the foot of the user is inserted into the
skate boot 11,
the upper member 24 is in close proximity to, or may abut against, a bottom
rear portion
of the leg of the user. Stated differently, the upper member 24 is disposed
adjacent to
the Achilles tendon, thereby providing protection for the Achilles tendon. The
upper
member 24 can thus take any form suitable for such functionality. In the
depicted
embodiment, for example, the upper member 24 is sufficiently wide to shield
the
Achilles tendon from directly behind the foot, and slightly along the side.
The lower and upper members 23, 24 are connected together via a connecting
member
25. The connecting member 25 bridges the space between the lower and upper
members 23, 24. In the depicted embodiment, lower member 23, upper member 24
and
connecting member 25 are made of the same material. A portion 25A of the
tendon
guard 20 is free of this material and is instead made of a more flexible
material; this
portion 25A is defined between the upper and lower members 23, 24 and around
the
connecting member 25. In the depicted embodiment, the portion 25A is shown as
a first
portion 25B and a second portion 25C (see Fig. 2B). The first portion 25B
extends
between the lower and upper members 23, 24 and a first side edge 250 of the
connecting member 25. The second portion 25C extends between the lower and
upper
members 23, 24 and a second side edge 25E of the connecting member 25. The
first
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and second side edges 25D, 25E of the connecting member 25 extend
substantially
upwardly from the lower member 23.
The portion 25A facilitates the resilient displacement of the upper member 24
because
the relatively rigid material of the upper member 24 only extends to the lower
member
23 via the relatively narrow connecting member 25. The absence of the
relatively rigid
material in the portion 25A improves the flexibility of the upper member 24
and its ability
to flex or bend relative to the lower member 23.
In the depicted embodiment, a width WcoN of the connecting member 25 is less
than the
width of both the lower and upper members 23, 24. The connecting member 25
thus
forms a relatively narrow connection or bridge between the lower and upper
members
23, 24. The comparatively small width WcoN of the connecting member 25
contributes to
the flexibility of the upper member 24. The width WcoN of the connecting
member 25
can be any suitable value to achieve such functionality, and to still provide
protection to
the Achilles tendon because the connecting member 25 remains substantially
aligned
with the Achilles tendon when the skate boot 11 is worn by the user.
In the depicted embodiment, the connecting member 25 defines a joint 26 where
it is
connected with both the lower and upper members 23, 24. At least the joint 26
defined
between the connecting member 25 and the lower member 23 is flexible, and is
designated as flexible joint 26A. The flexible joint 26A can contribute to the
relative and
resilient displacement of the connecting member 25 and the lower member 23. In
the
depicted embodiment, the connecting member 25 and the upper member 24 joined
thereto are displaceable relative to the lower member 23 such that the upper
member
24 is displaceable relative to the lower member 24 in a forward and a rearward
direction
about the flexible joint 26A.
The displacement of the upper member 24 relative to the lower member 23 is
caused
when the upper member 24 is flexed by a foot or an ankle of the user. This can
occur,
for example, when the user flexes her/his foot rearward in the skate boot 11,
a
movement known as dorsiflexion, and thus abuts against the upper member 24
causing
it to displace in the rearward direction. The displacement of the upper member
24 is
resilient, such that the upper member 24 will displace in the forward
direction back to a
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default resting position once the foot is no longer abutting thereagainst. The
flexible
joint 26A therefore assists the upper member 24 to follow a given forward and
rearward
flexion of an ankle of the user. It will be appreciated that the "forward
direction" is
understood herein as being in the direction of the toe cap 16 of the skate
boot 11, while
the "rearward direction" is opposite to the forward direction (i.e. away from
the toe cap
16).
Accordingly, in the depicted embodiment, at least the upper member 24 is able
to pivot
or flex about a fulcrum defined at the flexible joint 26A, in a forward and
rearward
direction. The upper member 24 thus acts like a lever arm, flexing backward
about its
connection to the connecting member 25, when force is applied by the user on
the
tendon guard 20.
The flexibility provided by the flexible joint 26A can be achieved using
different
techniques, all of which are within the scope of the present disclosure. One
possible
technique includes a score line to define the flexible joint 26A between the
connecting
member 25 and the lower member 24. Another possible technique includes
thinning the
material of the connecting member 25 at the flexible joint 26A. Although the
flexible joint
26A is described herein as being defined between the connecting member 25 and
the
lower member 23, it will be appreciated that the flexible joint 26A can be
defined at any
location along the connecting member 25, for example at the joint 26 between
the
connecting member 25 and the upper member 24.
The connecting member 25 can itself be made flexible so that the flexible
joint 26A is
defined in, or by, the connecting member 25, in order to promote the resilient
displacement of the upper member 24. Referring to Fig. 2B, the connecting
member 25
has one or more grooves 27. The presence of one or more grooves 27 reduces the
thickness of the connecting member 25 at the location of the groove 27 which
reduces
the inherent stiffness of the connecting member 25 at that location, and
promotes the
flexibility of the connecting member 25. In the depicted embodiment, each
groove 27
extends transversely or substantially transversely to a height of the skate
boot 11. The
orientation of the grooves 27 is thus parallel to an axis about which the
upper member
24 flexes or pivots. The transverse orientation of the grooves 27 therefore
contributes to
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the flexibility of the connecting member 25. It can thus be appreciated that
the number,
spacing, and depth of the grooves 27, to name but a few factors, can be varied
to
obtain the desired flexibility of the connecting member 25, and thus of the
upper
member 24 joined thereto.
Still referring to Figs. 2A and 2B, the intermediate part 22 of the tendon
guard 20
interconnects the lower and upper members 23, 24. In the depicted embodiment,
the
intermediate part 22 is a singular body that fills the portion 25A between
lower and
upper members 23, 24, and provides most of the interconnection between the
lower
and upper members 23, 24. In Fig. 2A, the connecting member 25 is encased or
enclosed within the material of the intermediate part 22, which ensures
continuity
between the lower and upper members 23, 24. By encasing the connecting member
25,
the intermediate part 22 also hides the connecting member 25 from view, and
improves
the aesthetics of the tendon guard 20. The connecting member 25 can be encased
within the intermediate part 22 during the manufacture of the tendon guard 20.
In other
embodiments, the connecting member 25 may not be encased within the
intermediate
part 22, or only partially encased within the intermediate part 22.
The material of the intermediate part 22 is has a greater flexibility and/or
has a lower
hardness than the material of the body 21. The greater flexibility and/or
lower hardness
of the intermediate part 22 contribute to the resilient displacement of the
upper member
24 relative to the lower member 23. In the depicted embodiment, the material
of the
body 21 is a relatively rigid plastic or composite and the material of the
intermediate
part 22 is a more flexible elastomeric material such as rubber or another
plastic. In Fig.
2A, the connecting member 25 thus forms a connection between the lower and
upper
members 23, 24 that is enclosed within a more flexible material. The
combination of the
more rigid material in the lower and upper members 23, 24 and the more
flexible
material of the intermediate part 22 extending therebetween provides
protection to the
Achilles tendon, while also contributing to the resilient displacement of the
upper
member 24 relative to the lower member 23. It will be appreciated that the
materials of
the body 21 and intermediate part 22 having different flexibility and/or
hardness from
one another can be different materials, or the same type of material (e.g.
same plastic
with different hardness, different plastic resin grades, same resin but
different
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number/type/material of fibers contained therein, same resin with and without
fibers).
Each of the body 21 and intermediate part 22 can be made from a combination of
different materials.
Referring to Fig. 1, the intermediate part 22 is shown as delimiting some of
an upper
extremity of the skate boot 11 surrounding the opening 20A. In the depicted
embodiment, the material of the intermediate part 22 forms a rim 28 that
encircles at
least part of the opening 20A in the skate boot 11.
Fig. 3 shows the resilient displacement of the tendon guard 20 in response to
flexion
about the ankle of the user. Under dorsiflexion, when a rearward pressure is
applied by
the foot against the upper member 24 and/or connecting member 25, the upper
and
connecting members 24, 25 are resiliently displaced about the flexible joint
26A in
rearward direction Dl. In the depicted embodiment, the lower member 23 is
fixedly
attached to the skate boot 11 such that it does not displace in response to
the
movement of the foot of the user. The extent of rearward resilient
displacement of the
upper member 24 and/or the connecting member 25 can be varied as desired. For
example, by selecting the desired characteristics of the flexible joint 26A,
the
connecting member 25, and/or the materials of the body 21 and intermediate
part 22,
the extent of rearward displacement can be as shown at 24', or even further
rearward at
24". Once rearward pressure is no longer applied, such as during plantar
flexion, the
upper member 24 and/or the connecting member 25 resiliently displace along
forward
direction D2 back to a default upright position.
In an alternate embodiment, the connecting member 25 is omitted, so that the
lower
member 23 and the upper member 24 are connected to each other only by the
material
of the intermediate part 22. In this embodiment, the lower member 23 and the
upper
member 24 can be made of different materials from one another (which may have
different hardness and/or flexibility from one another) or of the same type
material with
different hardness and/or flexibility in each member, with the materials of
both members
having a lower hardness and/or greater flexibility than that of the
interconnecting
intermediate part 22. Alternately, the lower member 23 and the upper member 24
can
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be made of the same material having a lower hardness and/or greater
flexibility than
that of the intermediate part 22.
In a particular embodiment, and referring to Figs. 2A and 2B, the skate 10 is
manufactured in accordance with the following. The body 21 of the tendon guard
20 is
formed, including the lower member 23, connecting member 25 and upper member
24.
The body 21 and its components can be formed using any suitable technique. For
example, the body 21 may be formed using a plastic injection process within a
suitable
mold.
The lower and upper members 23, 24 are then interconnected the intermediate
part 22
of the tendon guard 20 made of a material more flexible than that of the body
21. The
intermediate part 22 can be formed using any suitable technique. For example,
the
intermediate part 22 may also be formed using a plastic injection process
within a
suitable mold.
Interconnecting the lower and upper members 23, 24 together may include
encasing
the connecting member 25 in the material of the intermediate part 22.
Interconnecting
the lower and upper members 23, 24 may also include molding the material of
the
intermediate part 22 directly over the connecting member 25, and over at least
part of
each one of the upper and lower members 23, 24. The interconnection of the
lower and
upper members 23, 24 with the material of the intermediate part 22 can thus be
achieved with an over-molding process, whereby the intermediate part 22 is
pressure
molded over at least some of the body 21. Other methods can alternately be
used to
form the connection; for example, the body 21 and the intermediate part 22 may
be
molded separately with complementary elements configured to form a mechanical
lock
when assembled, and then engaged together through the mechanical lock of the
complementary elements. Alternately, fasteners or any other suitable type of
attachment may be used to interconnect the body 21 and the intermediate part
22.
The assembled tendon guard 20 is then connected to the skate boot of the
skate. The
assembly with the skate boot can be achieved using various processes
including, but
not limited to, gluing, stitching, bounding, fusing, clipping, riveting,
screwing, and
mechanical locking.
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In light of the preceding, it can be appreciated that the skate 10 disclosed
herein
includes a tendon guard 20 which is structural so as to provide protection to
the Achilles
tendon of the user, while also having flexibility in a desired area of the
boot 11.
In a particular embodiment, the tendon guard 20 disclosed herein therefore
allows for
improved range of motion at the rear of the skate 10. During dorsiflexion, the
tendon
guard 20 allows the skate 10 to accommodate the backward flexion of the foot
without
lifting the skate 10 off of the playing surface. The flexibility of the tendon
guard 20
therefore allows the player to keep the skate 10 in contact with the playing
surface for a
longer period of time, thus maximising the power transfer of each stride.
The above description is meant to be exemplary only, and one skilled in the
art will
recognize that changes may be made to the embodiments described without
departing
from the scope of the invention disclosed. Modifications which fall within the
scope of
the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, in light
of a review of
this disclosure, and such modifications are intended to fall within the
appended claims.
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