Disposable double-edged skate blade

Abstract

A disposable reversible skate blade for an ice skate comprising a thin runner blade held around the edges of a lightweight composite core, and a pair of opposed blade supports, which may be individually replaceable or which may be formed as an integral part of the core. The entire blade assembly is lightweight, easily removable, reversible and replaceable in a skate with little or no requirement for tools, and is inexpensive enough to manufacture that the blade is disposable.

Claims

1. A reversible disposable blade for an ice skate, said blade comprising: a core having a pair of opposed planar sides, each planar side bounded by two opposed edges and two curved ends; and at least one ice-contacting runner on each of said opposed edges; said ice-contacting runners and said core being composed of different materials; and further comprising a reinforcing core within said core.

2. The blade of claim 1 wherein said core is composed of at least one material selected from the group consisting of aluminum, ballistic nylon, epoxy resin, fibre-reinforced polymer, fibreglass, carbon fibre, aramid polymer fibre and para-aramid polymer fibre.

3. The blade of claim 1 wherein said runner is composed of at least one material selected from the group consisting of stainless steel, carbon steel, aluminum, titanium and ceramic.

4. The blade of claim 1 wherein said runner is glued to said core.

5. The blade of claim 1 wherein said runner is compression molded to said core.

6. The blade of claim 1 wherein said runner is molded to said core during an injection molding process.

7. A reversible disposable blade for an ice skate, said blade comprising: a core having a pair of opposed planar sides, each planar side bounded by two opposed edges and two curved ends; and at least one ice-contacting runner on each of said opposed edges; said ice-contacting runners and said core being composed of different materials; and at least one reinforcing bar extending between said opposed edges.

8. The blade of claim 1 wherein at least one of said runners further comprises a plurality of protrusions, and said protrusions are embedded into said core.

9. The blade of claim 1 wherein at least one of said runners comprises an extension along its inner length, and said extension is embedded into said core.

10. The blade of claim 1 wherein said at least one runner extends along at least one of said opposed edges and over at least one of said curved ends.

11. The blade of claim 1 wherein said core has a thickness between said two opposed flat sides and said thickness tapers along said blade.

12. The blade of claim 1 wherein said runner comprises a channel along its outer length and further comprises a filler material in said channel.

13. The blade of claim 1 further comprising at least one aperture through said core to accommodate a fastener to attach said blade to said ice skate.

14. The blade of claim 1 further comprising at least one blade support on each of said opposed planar sides.

15. The blade of claim 14 wherein said blade supports and said core are inseparable.

16. The blade of claim 14 wherein said blade supports are separable from said core.

17. The blade of claim 16 wherein said core further comprises at least one aperture adapted to interlock with at least one corresponding protrusion on said blade supports.

18. The blade of claim 16 wherein said core further comprises at least one extension adapted to interlock with at least one corresponding aperture on said blade supports.

19. An ice skate comprising: a boot; a blade holder extending from said boot; and a detachable and reversible skate blade comprising: a core having a pair of opposed planar sides, each planar side bounded by two opposed edges and two curved ends; and at least one ice-contacting runner on each of said opposed edges; said ice-contacting runners and said core being composed of different materials; and further comprising a reinforcing core within said core; wherein said skate blade is disposable.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The preferred embodiment of the invention will be described by reference to the drawings in which:

(2) FIG. 1a is a side view of a first embodiment of the double-edged disposable skate blade;

(3) FIG. 1b is a plan view of a long edge of the skate blade shown in FIG. 1a;

(4) FIG. 1c is an end view of the skate blade shown in FIG. 1a;

(5) FIGS. 1d-1g are sectional views of the skate blade shown in FIG. 1a, taken along lines d-d through g-g respectively;

(6) FIG. 2a is a side view of a second embodiment of the double-edged disposable skate blade;

(7) FIG. 2b is an end view of the skate blade shown in FIG. 2a;

(8) FIGS. 2c-2e are sectional views of the skate blade shown in FIG. 2a, taken along lines c-c through e-e respectively;

(9) FIG. 3a is a side view of a third embodiment of the double-edged disposable skate blade;

(10) FIG. 3b is a plan view of a long edge of the skate blade shown in FIG. 3a;

(11) FIGS. 3c and 3d are end views of the skate blade shown in FIG. 3a;

(12) FIGS. 3e-3h are sectional views of the skate blade shown in FIG. 3a, taken along lines e-e through h-h respectively;

(13) FIG. 4a is a side view of a fourth embodiment of the double-edged disposable skate blade;

(14) FIGS. 4b-4e are sectional views of the skate blade shown in FIG. 4a, taken along lines b-b through e-e respectively;

(15) FIG. 5a is a side view of a pair of blade supports for use with the disposable skate blade of the invention;

(16) FIG. 5b is a plan view of the pair of blade supports shown in FIG. 5a;

(17) FIG. 5c is an end view of the pair of blade supports shown in FIG. 5a;

(18) FIGS. 5d-5f are sectional views of the pair of blade supports shown in FIGS. 5a and 5b, taken along lines d-d through f-f respectively;

(19) FIGS. 5g and 5h are views of the inside surfaces of the pair of blade supports shown in FIG. 5a;

(20) FIG. 6a is a side view of a fifth embodiment of the double-edged disposable skate blade;

(21) FIG. 6b is a plan view of a long edge of the skate blade shown in FIG. 6a;

(22) FIG. 6c is an end view of the skate blade shown in FIG. 6a;

(23) FIGS. 6d-6f are sectional views of the skate blade shown in FIG. 6a, taken along lines d-d through f-f respectively;

(24) FIG. 7a is a side view of a sixth embodiment of the double-edged disposable skate blade;

(25) FIG. 7b is a plan view of a long edge of the skate blade shown in FIG. 7a;

(26) FIGS. 7c and 7d are end views of the skate blade shown in FIG. 7a;

(27) FIGS. 7e-7g are sectional views of the skate blade shown in FIG. 7a, taken along lines e-e through g-g respectively; and

(28) FIGS. 8-18 are enlarged views of embodiments of a blade hollow for use with any of the embodiments of the disposable skate blade of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(29) Referring to FIGS. 1a-1g, a removable double edged disposable blade 10 for an ice skate includes a core 12 with an ice-contacting portion or runner 14 attached to its outer edge 16.

(30) The core 12 may comprise a flat elongated elliptical piece having opposed flat sides 18 edged by a pair of opposed long edges 20, which comprise part of outer edge 16. It will be understood that lower as used in this description means the edge of the blade 10 that would contact the ice when the skate is in use, while upper means the portion of the blade 10 that is away from the ice and within the blade holder, but given that the blade 10 is reversible, each of the long edges 20 is interchangeable with the other and each may at any given time be the upper or lower ice-contacting edge. Each long edge 20 of the blade 10 is preferably substantially flat along its length, and is separated from the opposed long edge 20 by opposed front 22 and rear 24 curved ends, which may or may not have identical curvatures to each other.

(31) The core 12 may be composed of any suitably strong and lightweight material, such as aluminum, ballistic nylon, an epoxy resin, a fibre-reinforced polymer such as fibreglass, carbon fibre or aramid or para-aramid polymer fibre such as Kevlar, or a similar composite or thermoplastic material. The core may be fabricated in any manner lending itself to fast and inexpensive mass manufacture, such as injection molding, vacuum molding, compression moulding, resin transfer moulding, press moulding, autoclave moulding, transfer moulding, pultrusion composite moulding, filament winding, casting, centrifugal casting, continuous casting, vacuum infusion, wet lay-up, and thermoplastic moulding.

(32) One or more reinforcing bars 26 may be provided to stiffen the core 12 against torsional forces, and to secure runner 14 to the edges of core 12. Although three reinforcing bars 26 are illustrated in this embodiment, it will be understood that the number and location of reinforcing bars 26 within core 12 in the figures is for illustrative purposes only, and that the number and location may vary as necessary to provide the desired balance between stiffness and weight of the blade.

(33) The runner 14 is preferably a thin piece of stainless steel, but may also be formed of other materials, such as carbon steel, aluminum, titanium, ceramic, combinations of these materials, or other suitable material capable of holding an edge. It may be provided with different shapes and may comprise one or more filler materials to assist with gliding, as will be discussed later with reference to FIGS. 8-18. It may extend only partially around the outer edge 16 of blade core 12, as in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1a, or it may completely encompass the blade core 12, as best shown in FIG. 6a. The runner 14 is firmly secured to outer edge 16, such as by being in the mold during an injection moulding process, by being compression moulded to the outer edge 16, by being glued the outer edge 16 or any other suitable process to ensure firm and permanent connection to the outer edge 16. Runner 14 is relatively thin, which decreases both the cost of manufacturing the blade and the overall weight of the blade, without sacrificing the ability to provide a strong, sharp edge for optimal skating performance.

(34) Blade core 12 may be a substantially uniform thickness along its length, as shown in FIG. 1b. In this configuration, it is possible to place the blade 10 within a blade holder in any one of four different configurations, as either of curved ends 22, 24 may be at the toe end of the holder, if they are identical to each other and as long as the blade 10 fits properly into the blade holder. This can simplify installment of the blade 10, because it is not necessary to be concerned about which curved end 22 or 24 is at which end of the holder. However, it is also contemplated that the thickness of the blade core 12 may be tapered from toe 22 to heel 24 along its length, as shown most clearly in FIGS. 3b-3d, which may provide improved gliding characteristics. However, it is then necessary when reversing the blade 10 to ensure that the thick end is always the front end 22, and is placed toward the front of the holder. It is also necessary to ensure during manufacture that runner 14 properly tapers along with blade core 12.

(35) One or more apertures 30 may be provided in blade 10 through which a locking means may be used to secure the blade 10 to a holder on a skate blade. Apertures 28 may also be provided to accommodate blade supports, as will be discussed later. It will be understood that the number and placement of the apertures 28 and/or 30 may differ from that shown in the figures, as long as sufficient strength and stability characteristics may be achieved.

(36) In a second embodiment, shown in FIGS. 2a-2e, the runner 14 is provided with an extension 34, which protrudes from its inner surface (inner being the non-ice-contacting surface), and about which core 12 is formed. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2a, the core 12 simply surrounds the extension 34 directly; extensions 34 may be provided with one or more holes 36 through which the resin holding the core 12 together can flow, thereby firmly bonding the core 12 to the extension 34 and to the runner 14.

(37) Alternatively, as best shown in the embodiment of FIGS. 3a-3h, the inner surface of runner 14 may comprise a plurality of smaller studs or pins 38, which may be gripped by the resin holding the core 12 together, thereby firmly bonding the core 12 to the studs 38 and to the runner 14.

(38) In another embodiment, the blade 10 may be provided with a reinforcing core 40 within blade core 12. Reinforcing core 40 may be used with any of the embodiments earlier described, but as illustrated in FIGS. 4a-4e, it preferably meshes or otherwise accommodates or is accommodated by any portions of the runner 14 (such as the runner extension 34 shown in FIG. 4a) such that reinforcing core is solidly connected to blade core 12 and runner 14. Again, holes 36, 42 may be provided in the runner extension 34 and/or reinforcing core 40 through which the resin holding the core 12 together can flow, thereby firmly bonding the core 12 to the reinforcing core 40, the extension 34 and to the runner 14.

(39) It is contemplated that the foregoing blade embodiments may be combined with a pair of the blade supports shown in Applicant's co-pending PCT App. No. PCT/CA2012/000968 to form the blade assembly system shown therein. A pair of blade supports 44, 46, best shown in FIGS. 5a-5h, will provide additional strength and stability through at least a portion of the length of a blade 10 (not shown in FIGS. 5a-5h). Blade supports may also provide additional strength against lateral forces. In case of a very strong lateral force, such as a puck striking the side of the blade, particularly near the centre of the blade, the force may be sufficient to deform the blade, rendering it unusable. However, with the addition of blade supports, the blade supports themselves will crack and break first, dissipating the lateral forces before they can irreversibly damage the blade. This can increase the lifetime of a blade.

(40) Blade supports 44, 46 comprise a pair of opposed protruding ridges 52, on which the bottom of the blade holder will rest when the blade is inserted into the blade holder. Any downward force applied to the blade 10 through the skate boot and holder, such as by a skater jumping on or onto the ice, stepping, or taking strong strides, is distributed along the blade supports 44, 46. Ridges 52 may be discontinuous, as shown, or continuous, in any configuration which substantially supports the underside of the blade holder. Blade supports 44, 46 may also serve as a means to physically interlock the blade 10 with the blade holder, by providing suitable means to engage the blade supports 44, 46 and the holder. One example of such engaging means is a set of teeth 54 provided at one or more locations along the blade supports 44, 46. When the blade 10 is inserted into a holder having matching engaging means, such that the holder meshes with teeth 54 at one or more locations, the blade 10 is securely held together with the holder, preventing it from falling out unless enough force is applied to pull the blade 10 out of its engagement with the holder. Further, the meshing of the two engaging means prevents the blade 10 from moving longitudinally within the holder. When properly engaged, apertures 50 on blade supports 44, 46 line up with apertures 30 in blade 10, to accommodate a locking mechanism if required.

(41) Blade supports 44, 46 may comprise an inner surface 56 containing alignment means to mate it with the side of blade 10, such as one or more projections 58, which align with apertures 28 in blade 10. It will be understood that any suitable alignment means may be used to correctly align the blade support 44 with blade support 46 transversely through blade 10. For example, it is also possible to mate the pieces in the opposite manner, i.e. by providing projections on blade 10 that correspond to apertures on one or both of blade supports 44, 46.

(42) In order to ensure that the blade supports 44, 46 hold securely about the blade 10, connecting means 48 may be provided to allow the opposed blade supports to connect with each other. For example, blade support 44 may be provided with studs 48a, which mate with cavities 48b on opposed blade support 46 in a manner similar to a toy building block. It will be appreciated that other connecting mechanisms may be used, as well as different embodiments of this connecting means 48, such as more or fewer numbers of matching studs 48a and cavities 48b, or differently shaped studs 48a and/or cavities 48b.

(43) In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 6a-6f, blade 10 is substantially the same as that shown in FIGS. 1a-1g, but an integral blade support 60 is further provided on the sides 18 of the blade 10. Blade support 60 is preferably formed as a unitary piece with core 12, such that the blade 10 has the same external features of blade supports 44, 46, such as one or more protruding ridges 52, and teeth 54 to engage a blade holder. Similarly, the other embodiments of FIGS. 1-4 may be provided with integral blade supports 60; as a further example, FIGS. 7a-7g correspond to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3a-3e.

(44) It is contemplated that the blade 10, while being of substantially the configuration shown, can be made with variations in blade thickness, profile (radius and rocker) and hollow radius, to suit the needs of different sports, different ice conditions, different skater size, weight, strength and skill levels, and different playing roles. For example, softer ice will require a different blade hollow radius than harder ice. A speed skater will use a thinner blade than a hockey player. A heavier skater will require a different profile than a lighter skater. A hockey player playing in a forward position may prefer a different blade profile to allow for increased maneuverability than a player playing on defense, who may skate backward more frequently than forward. A hockey goaltender will have a substantially different profile compared to a player who plays out; goalie blades are typically flat, or substantially flatter, than skater blades, and the height of one edge may differ from the height of the other edge.

(45) Generally, both of the opposed edges 20 may have similar characteristics, such as being made of the same material, and shaped with the same hollow, profile and/or taper, such that the blade 10 comprises two opposed long edges 20 that are truly interchangeable with each other. However, it is contemplated that a blade 10 may be provided with differing characteristics between the edges 20, such as being made of different materials, or having different hollow radii and/or different profiles, such that a skater can choose which blade edge will perform best in a particular situation or under specific ice conditions without having to carry around too many replacement blades. Further, because the blades are disposable, and are therefore not intended to be sharpened, skaters who prefer specific hollow sizes and shapes can select which is the best for them, in one or more different situations. The skater can therefore know what performance characteristics to expect out of a blade each time he or she changes the blade.

(46) Some examples of different blade configurations are shown in FIGS. 8-18. In each case, runner 14 comprises a pair of opposed edges 70, separated by a channel 72. Channel 72 may be shaped in various ways, and may be provided with a filler 74. Filler 74 may be a suitable material, chosen to improve the gliding characteristics of the blade, such as Teflon, another polymer or a ceramic. Filler 74 may be selected to be a hydrophobic material to affect the way that the blade interacts with water that collects within the channel. A specific blade shape and hollow can be created either by physically shaping the metallic opposed edges 70 and channel 72 of the runner 14, or by using filler material 74 to provide essentially the same shape and hollow, regardless of the shape of the runner 14. This point is illustrated by a comparison of, for example, FIGS. 8-11, which show all-metal runners, with FIGS. 12-15, which show runners filled to create a matching channel shape. This provides flexibility in blade shape, composition, weight and cost of manufacture, while providing an almost unlimited number of possible blade configurations, without significantly changing the blade manufacturing process or cost. FIGS. 16-18 more clearly illustrate that several different blade channel 72 configurations may be provided using a single runner configuration, simply by providing different amounts and shapes of filler 74 between opposed runner edges 70.

(47) In order to protect double-edged blades from damage, or from injuring the skater while not in use on a skate, a sleeve may be provided. The sleeve may also be used as a hand guard, to protect the skater's hand while removing or inserting a blade from the skate.

(48) In the foregoing specification, the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments thereof. However, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that other variations to the preferred embodiment described herein may be practised without departing from the scope of the invention, such scope being properly defined by the following claims. The scope of the claims should therefore not be limited by the preferred embodiments set forth in the examples, but should be given the broadest interpretation consistent with the description as a whole. The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.