CN114828967A - Skate blade with pre-applied variable curvature and variable stiffness modular boot mounting system - Google Patents

Abstract

Skate blade with a tube (1) having a slot (5) with a compound radius, in which slot a skate (3) is placed to impart a compound radius to the skate (3). A unified quick-fit structure is also provided to secure a mounting cup (8) attached to a tube (1) to a skate boot through interaction between a retaining rib (11) and a mounting plate (10) located on the boot. This provides a uniform and repeatable attachment. Other features include harmonic damping, adhesive retention features, shoe alignment features.

Description

Skate blade with pre-applied variable curvature and variable stiffness modular boot mounting system

Cross Reference to Related Applications

This application claims priority to U.S. application No. 62/880,230 filed prior to 30/7/2019 and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Technical Field

The invention discussed herein relates to the general field of skating accessories and describes a skate blade with pre-applied variable curvature, variable stiffness and modular boot mounting system.

Background

The skate is typically made of aluminum or a longitudinal tubular structure of steel with the steel skate mounted on one side of the tube and an aluminum mounting "cup" or "arm" attached to the opposite side of the tube to allow for the installation and adjustment of the boot. There are two general types of skaters, one for short-track skating on a 111m runway and one for long-track skating on a 400m runway. As shown in FIG. 1, the ice blade is designed to be mounted in a fixed position in the forefoot and heel portions of the boot. The mounts used on the short-track ice blade may be modified at different heights to increase or decrease the distance between the boot and the blade, depending on the preference of the skater. The most popular long-track skates are designed to be mounted in a fixed position on the forefoot of the skate on an articulated arm (34) that is not fixed to the heel of the boot, as shown in fig. 2A, commonly referred to as a "clap skate (clap skate)", which is named after the clapping sound emitted when the hinge is closed during skating. Fig. 2B shows the movement of the beater arm. This design allows for longer contact time with the ice and the skater can produce higher speeds. According to the provisions of the international skating union, the regulatory agency for this sport, the design of the hinged beater arm on long-track skates does not allow the use of short-track skates.

When using aluminum tubing, a steel skate blade is mounted in a machined socket using an adhesive that retains some elasticity once cured. When steel tubing is used, the steel blades of the ice blade are typically mounted within the tubing using a welding, brazing or soldering process. Adhesives are not currently used in the environment of steel slider and tube assemblies.

Since speed skips usually only make turns in the counter clockwise direction. To maximize stability and skating efficiency, ice boots and skates are typically configured to utilize a counter-clockwise turn. The blades are mounted on the boot offset to the left, with some blades on the left in their support structure. The ice blade slide surface is also typically adjusted with a radius or "rocker" to supplement the size of the ice rink and the level of experience of the skater. While the radius applied to a primary skater is typically a single radius, an expert skater may use a compound curve made up of multiple radii that vary with the length of the blade surface, also referred to as a combined radius. Generally, the selected rocker arm is more curved in the heel and toe areas of the skate and flatter toward the center of the skate. The center portion of the runner tends to curve more toward the turning radius of the race track. The rocker arm provided by the current manufacturers is of a single general radius, the short-track ice skate is about 9 meters, and the long-track ice skate is about 23 meters. The skater or technician must then manually adjust the rocker arm to the skater's desired specifications, using a chamfering machine with an appropriate template or using a manual grinding process with a honing stone, and a gauge to verify the modification.

In addition to applying a radius to the blade surface of the blade, the blade may also be bent to the left to take advantage of the ice only sliding in a counter-clockwise direction. For skaters using a combined radius, the degree of curvature of the blade may be varied according to different radii to increase the contact area of the blade with the ice surface, thereby increasing grip and allowing the skater to turn more sharply due to the pressure applied to that portion of the blade. To illustrate this principle, for a skater applying a smaller radius to the toe and heel portions of their runner and having a flatter radius in the center, as the runner bends more in the toe and heel areas, the runner will turn faster as it applies more pressure on the toe or heel portions of the runner, allowing the runner to more easily alter its trajectory.

Historically, bending of skate blades has been accomplished with a mallet, vise, or similar tool until the blade "looks correct" or "feels correct. The bending process is typically applied to the iceblade tube, rather than the iceblade slips, because the iceblade slips are finer and the tube tends to better maintain the applied curve. The toe portion of the ice blade may be bent, and thus the ice blade is more sharply turned when the weight of the skater moves forward. The rear heel of the ice blade may be bent, and thus the ice blade is more sharply turned when the weight of the skater moves backward. The entire skate blade may be curved in a smooth arc to increase ice contact and stability, or the entire skate blade may have a variable curvature to allow the skater to increase or decrease their turning efficiency depending on the portion of the skate blade to which pressure is applied. This process is almost unpredictable when performed using a mallet and a vise, and therefore ice skaters are often hesitant to ice skate blades used to bend in this manner.

A number of tools have been developed to assist in the bending of the ice blade. Unfortunately, the mechanical bending process creates work hardened and fatigue zones along the length of the tube, resulting in inconsistent stiffness along the length of the skate blade assembly. The greater the number of manual bendings, the more inconsistent the tube becomes due to cold work hardening of the aluminum and development of persistent slip bands, leading to cumulative fatigue damage and failure to maintain the desired shape during use of the skate. The manual bending process, which increases the strength of the affected area by cold working, also results in a reduction of ductility. The percent yield strength and elongation as a function of percent cold work indicate that a small amount of cold work results in a significant reduction in ductility. This results in a significant increase in cost to the skater, because the blade, which has a large amount of blade metal remaining, must be discarded, because the blade will no longer maintain the desired curvature.

The mechanical bending operation not only causes metal fatigue, but also causes problems with the adhesive used to bond the steel slider to the runner tube, since the adhesive increases the problems with the metallurgical stress fatigue properties of the runner previously described. The type of adhesive used to make the tube/slide assembly is generally resilient. Most adhesives commonly used in the industry are in the 30% elastic range. Since there are six different surfaces bonded by adhesive (three sides of the steel slip and three sides of the aluminum being machined), in addition to the metal spring back problem of the aluminum tube and steel slip, the manual bending operation must overcome the elastic properties of the adhesive to change the bend radius of the ice blade assembly. To overcome the elastic deformation of springback in metal, and sometimes even the stretching tendency of significant (30%) adhesive, the technician must bend the tube far beyond the desired shape to cause plastic deformation, and return the tube to the desired shape when relaxed. This extensive overbending significantly increases the fatigue impact on the tube. In addition, excessive bending can also lead to fatigue shear stress at the glue joint, since the change in radius of the four perpendicular surfaces can produce surface shear when the bending operation is performed. Such stress on the adhesive bonding surface can and does result in catastrophic ice blade delamination, which can lead to assembly failure and possible injury to the athlete. To address the delamination problem caused by the bending process, some manufacturers use mechanical rivets to "pin" the slips into the tube. This pinning process causes further problems because it locks the tube and slide in a static position. When the mechanical bending process is performed on a pinned ice blade assembly, the contact surface of the steel slide and the slot in the aluminum tube are prevented from moving along their contact plane. This results in a wave shape where the pin is mounted and the pin makes the tube and slide not movable at all, so bending becomes more difficult, resulting in more bending operations being required, resulting in more fatigue and a reduced life of the ice skate assembly. The wave shape generated by the mechanical pins can lead to reduced performance of the assembly.

Regardless of the tool used, another problem typically introduced by mechanical bending processes is that the bending force is applied to the slider surface at a position that is greater or less than the desired vertical position. The result is that torsional loading of the ice blade tube results in angular deformation of the sliding vane surface. Such distortion can result in performance characteristics that are not standardized, the root cause of which is difficult to identify by a runner technician using the measurement tools currently used in the industry. When this occurs, the skater may feel unstable while turning and may encounter a collision whose root cause cannot be easily determined. These collisions can cause serious injury. When such torsional deformation occurs, it is difficult, if not impossible, to correct and significant additional costs are incurred to the athlete because the entire skate assembly must be replaced.

In 2013, Inze Bont filed Canadian patent application CA2883755A1, which proposed the idea of making an ice skate out of pre-bent sockets that would limit the need for mechanical bending. However, the solution proposed by mr. Bont inherently produces an ice blade with inconsistent performance because the flange size of the application curve varies with the length of the ice blade. Furthermore, since the curves are generally consistent curves, further mechanical bending is required to make the runner usable for its intended purpose. The fact that the flange dimensions vary significantly with the length of the runner results in inconsistent stiffness over the length of the runner and inconsistent stiffness characteristics with areas of the runner requiring higher or lower stiffness. This makes the bending process more difficult because the amount of appropriate force applied to the structure cannot be determined to produce the correct final bending characteristics. Furthermore, this can lead to reduced performance of the assembly because the stiffness characteristics of the skates are not aligned with the locations where the players require them to exhibit optimal performance. Implementing such a design during manufacture can result in a variable additive effect of mechanical problems, which makes the preparation of skate blades more like an art rather than a science, as each blade is inherently different and is constantly changing during the preparation process. While this idea does improve the prior art, the inherent requirement that a large number of subsequent mechanical bending processes be required still entails all of the problems described above. Since its introduction, this manufacturing method has been adopted by all ice skate manufacturers today and has become the industry standard since 2013.

Another problem in the procedure introduced by the solution proposed by mr. Bont is that the portion of the tube where the curved socket is located is designed for a straight socket. The act of machining a radiused slot in prior flange designs can result in a flange thickness that is not uniform along the length of the flange. The inconsistent nature of the flange thickness results in variable increases/decreases in stiffness of the assembly that is incorrectly positioned along the length of the slider. Such variable thickness gives stiffness increase/decrease regardless of the intended operation of the assembly and results in suboptimal performance characteristics. The effect of this inconsistency is that, apart from a compromise setting of the ice blade, it is almost impossible to achieve any goal, since it is not possible to control whether there is the right amount of stiffness at the right position along the flange.

Studies have shown that the skate blade generates harmonic resonance when moving over ice. The radius and curvature of the ice blade results in a relatively small contact area with the ice surface, leaving most of the slide surface out of contact with the ice. The result of these portions of the ice blade separating from the ice is that the tube/slide assembly vibrates much like a tuning fork. Such harmonic oscillations can affect the behavior of the ice blade and its ability to properly follow a desired trajectory and provide poor feedback to the skater as the skater moves weight forward or backward across the radius of the slider to change course as to what the ice blade is doing. The present invention proposes to solve this vibration problem by introducing a vibration damping system, such as a fluid damper, elastomeric isolator or tuned mass damper system, into the hollow portion of the tube. Depending on the frequency of the vibration, different compounds or combinations thereof may be required. If a viscous fluid is used, it may be necessary to add a hollow foam core to counteract the effects of fluid movement within the tube. For lighter skaters, foam may be sufficient to address the vibration problem. The compound used in this application must have thermal dimensional stability to prevent unintentional increases in stiffness and hydraulic failure of the tube assembly due to the harsh temperature ranges that the skate blade must withstand. The performance impact of such harmonic resonance is equivalent to drilling into concrete using a percussion drill. When attempting to drill into concrete using a conventional drill bit, even very heavy pressures have little effect on the concrete. When a vibratory impulse is applied by the drill bit, the concrete can be drilled through quickly. In a similar manner, a vibrating ice blade will tend to cut into or slip on ice, while an ice blade that can adjust or eliminate harmonic resonance will allow the penetration of the blade into the surface of the ice to be adjusted to a more desirable level.

This adjustability will result in the following benefits:

the frictional wear on the edge of the ice skate is small;

less ice road damage results in greater stability;

better performance because the reduced surface contact reduces friction losses;

better feedback to the athlete during skating; and

labor and material requirements for ice blade maintenance are reduced.

All the short-and long-track skates produced so far are delivered in an unusable state by the manufacturer. They all require manual radius and bend operations and other preparatory steps to allow the runner to use the ice blade.

Another problem with all prior art skate blade designs is the boot mounting system design. For short-track skates, the mounting system is commonly referred to as a "cup". For long-diameter skates, the mounting system is commonly referred to as a "bridge". These components are integral parts of the entire assembly. The current generation of short-path blade skates are all based on the original design conceived by Maple skete b.v. originator Johan Bennink in 1992. This design is typically constructed using a machined aluminum extrusion or billet, but there are other materials, such as titanium, and other manufacturing methods (e.g., forging) can be used to create a uniform mounting structure for attaching the shoe to the iceblade tube. The initial design involved bolts connecting the cup to the boot mounting surface and using bolts and nuts to mate the cup with the ice blade tube. The system provides very low consistency due to loose mounting tolerances and the lack of any locating features. Replication of preferred settings for each player is a complete trial and error due to lack of locating features and loose tolerances, and the blade replacement time is very long due to the multi-part fastening system. As the industry began to replace the requirement for a nut to support the threaded hole in the cup, the skate replacement time was reduced, thereby increasing the efficiency of installing and replacing skates. In 2014, Maple Skate b.v. introduced an alignment mark at the rim of the cup to help re-mount the runner assembly to the boot mount when the runner needs to be replaced; however, these marks are located only at random positions on the edge of the cup, as shown in FIG. 3, and thus there is no uniform reference point nor any distinguishable mark placement design method, and thus the initial positioning of the boot on the mounting cup is based on the subjective nature of the skater's "feel". The result of this is that any modifications to the skater's boot, or the design of the cup, result in the skater having to start from scratch and repeat the test to get a similar "feel" with the new part.

The long track speed skating blade mounting system, known as a slapping skate, is very different from the short track speed cup system. Unlike conventional skates, in which the skate blades are rigidly fixed to the boot and the skate blades, the tapping skate blades are attached to the boot by a front hinge mechanism. This allows the skate blade to remain in contact with the ice longer, as the ankle can now stretch at the end of the stroke, and move more naturally, thereby distributing the energy of the leg more efficiently and effectively. This flapping design is only allowed for use in long track speed skating. It has been prohibited from participating in short track speed skis for safety reasons.

The bridge mount of a long-track skate allows for the attachment of the boot at the forefoot and heel of the boot to a beam, which is typically made of aluminum and designed to be attached in a hinge clip at the front third of the iceblade tube. The bridge contains a spring to return the skate to a starting position aligned with the bridge. The entire assembly is called a "slapping" mechanism, properly named for the slapping sound that is emitted when the ice blade returns against the bridge.

Mounting systems for slapping skates have remained nearly unchanged since the 1990's. Current designs of all manufacturers have relied on nuts and bolts to attach the shoe to the beater arm bridge, and installation and adjustment of these fasteners is both difficult and time consuming. Furthermore, while the current generation of beater arm bridges do have fore/aft alignment marks to more accurately position the runner in that orientation, there is no reproducible way to properly position the angle of the runner relative to the boot, a critical aspect of the runner's setup.

Current cup and bridge designs do not contemplate a mismade skate boot whose mounting surface is not mounted in a parallel orientation relative to the mating surface of the cup/bridge of the skate blade assembly. In particular, the bootie mounts may be angled slightly so that they do not fit completely flush with the cup mounting surface shown in FIG. 4. As a result of this deficiency, the act of securing the bootie mount to the boot introduces a loading effect that can lead to boot damage and premature failure. This loading effect may also deform the skate blade assembly, which may make diagnosis of skate performance problems very difficult. Furthermore, the current design of the bootie mounting block built into the bootie assembly presents problems in properly securing the bootie mounting to the bootie assembly. Figure 5a is a cross section of a shoe installation design used in the industry showing a bite in the retaining material. Figure 5b is a detailed view of the bite. Current designs make it difficult for the worker who completes the assembly to properly secure the mounting block, resulting in a mounting system that is prone to failure under high torsional loads.

Accordingly, there is a need for an improved skate assembly that incorporates an improved method for applying a desired radius (including a composite combined multi-radius) and curved profile to a skate blade during the manufacturing process. Such a method may improve the accuracy of the radius and bending. There is also a need for an improved method of securing the ice skate blades into the tube. Improved surface treatments will reduce labor and improve performance. Precise positioning of the variable stiffness characteristics along the tube and flange surfaces will allow for improved performance required by individual skaters. An improved mounting system for securing and positioning the boot mounting cup and bridge to the boot would allow for easier installation, consistent repeatable alignment, and the ability to adjust to accommodate improperly manufactured boot mounts. The pull-out prevention boot mount will make the assembly of the mounting cup and beater arm safer and more rigid.

Disclosure of Invention

Presented herein are embodiments according to a skate blade assembly with a pre-applied radius and curvature, and an adjustable mounting system. A skate blade having a generally elongated configuration is defined by: an ice blade slide providing a contact portion for contacting a sliding surface such as ice; and an ice blade attachment portion for attaching an ice blade to the ice boot, including a shoe mounting feature secured to the ice blade attachment assembly. The skate blade also defines a blade longitudinal axis, a blade first side surface, and a blade second side surface. The ice blade with pre-applied curvature comprises: a tube having a mounting flange with a curved profile and a variable stiffness profile as required for application during manufacturing, and a mating socket mounted in a perpendicular orientation; an ice skate blade having a retention feature; and a modular mounting system having alignment and retention features for mounting the assembly to an ice boot having pull-out and alignment features.

Accordingly, several advantages of one or more aspects are as follows:

providing a new runner design, eliminating the need to apply a large and repetitive manual mechanical bending force to the glue/weld/fusion bond, which would weaken or deform the assembly, as the end result would need to be stretched or shrunk by the length of the bonded side to accommodate the new shape;

machining the runner blade mounting flange to the required curved profile during manufacture ensures that the length of each contact side is correct prior to assembly, thus eliminating the need to mechanically apply significant additional bending which could weaken or damage the assembly; and

machining a consistent flange thickness on the concave flange surface and a variable stiffness profile along the convex flange surface ensures that the proper level of stiffness is introduced at the correct location along the length of the flange to ensure that the desired performance of the assembly is achieved.

These design changes significantly extend product life because mechanical operations that weaken and damage the components or their assembly are significantly reduced or eliminated. The mechanical operation of the work hardening tube structure is obviously reduced, so that the hardness uniformity of the tube is improved, and the consistency, the performance and the service life of the ice skate blade assembly are improved. The retaining feature used in the slider component allows the use of adhesive rivets during component assembly if fine adjustments to the curved profile are required, which would allow these fine adjustments to be made without fear of delamination or failure. While the preferred embodiment of this retention feature is the use of circular holes, other methods, such as grooves, dimples, etc., may be used. In addition, these modifications also reduce or eliminate the tendency of the adhesive-backed ice skate blade to delaminate due to manual bending operations, thereby eliminating the need for supplemental retention methods and the resulting degradation of assembly performance.

Another feature of the present invention is the elimination of the need to deburr skate blades during routine sharpening maintenance by applying a Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) or Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) surface coating. In addition to eliminating the need for deburring, this feature greatly reduces the possibility of surface corrosion of the steel vane surface, while also increasing surface wear resistance and reducing friction, thereby reducing maintenance requirements and improving performance.

In addition, the boot mounting and alignment features of the present invention allow for the installation of a boot with an improperly installed mount to self-align to properly contact all mounting surfaces without applying torsional loads to the assembly. In addition, the use of the alternative proposed pull-out prevention boot mount with an alignment system allows the skater or technician to ensure that any changes that occur due to impact damage or fastener loosening can be quickly identified and corrected. Furthermore, the alignment feature allows for quick and easy duplication of settings for new equipment, as well as quick changes and a high degree of repeatability.

Furthermore, these design changes have led to the first style of ice blade ever produced, which the athlete can use immediately when the manufacturer delivers without any additional mechanical work other than sharpening, thus significantly reducing labor costs and reducing the likelihood of damage to the components caused by improper modification. Other advantages of one or more aspects will be apparent with reference to the drawings and ensuing description.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. Additional features of the invention will be described hereinafter that form the subject of the claims of the invention.

Many objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description and appended claims, reference being made to the accompanying drawings forming a part of a specification, wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

Before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a side view of a short-track skate.

FIG. 2A is a side view of a skate showing an articulated "beater arm" mechanism secured to the forefoot region of the boot.

FIG. 2B is a side view of the skate showing the motion of the articulated "beater arm" mechanism.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a Maple PB mounting cup with alignment marks (prior art).

FIG. 4 is a side view of the boot with the improperly installed boot mount misaligned, showing misaligned surface contact on the mounting cup.

Figure 5a is a cross-sectional view of an industry standard bootie mount installed in a boot, showing a bite in the retaining feature of the bootie mount.

Figure 5b is a detailed view of figure 5a showing the bite in the retaining feature of the bootie mount.

FIG. 6 is a left side view of a fully assembled short track skate blade in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a right side view of a fully assembled short track skate blade in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the front of a fully assembled short track skate blade assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is an exploded front perspective view of a fully assembled short track skate blade assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a front view of a fully assembled short track skate blade assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a rear view of a fully assembled short track skate blade assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a rear perspective view of a fully assembled short track skate blade assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a top view of a fully assembled short-track skate blade assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a bottom view of a fully assembled short-track skate blade assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a partial perspective cross-sectional view through the drawings showing a skate blade slip slot with conforming flange, variable stiffness flange and adhesive.

FIG. 16 is a partial front view illustrating a skate blade glide slot with uniform flange, variable stiffness flange and adhesive according to an embodiment of the present invention throughout the drawings.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the front of a skate blade slot with a uniform flange, a variable stiffness flange, and an adhesive according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of the side of a skate blade with a glue rivet retaining hole in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 19 is an alternative perspective view of the side of a skate blade slider with a glue rivet retaining slot in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 20a is an alternative perspective view of the side of a skate blade with a glue rivet retaining pocket in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 20b is a detailed perspective view of the side of the skate blade with the glue rivet retaining pockets according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 21 is a front view of the front of a skate blade slider illustrating adhesive collection features and adhesive in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 22 is a detailed perspective view of a damping system port having a plug aperture plug according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 23 is a perspective view of a front portion of an embodiment of a longway bridge feature having an adjustable/reproducible boot mounting system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 24 is a perspective view of a pull-out prevention boot mounting component of the mounting assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 25 is an exploded perspective view of a graduated angular alignment pattern applied to a mounting assembly member in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 26 is a partial perspective view of a quick release boot mounting cup.

Figure 27 is an exploded view of a quick release boot mounting cup.

FIG. 28 is a partial perspective view of the quick release boot mounting cup mounted to the pull-out prevention boot mount.

FIG. 29 is an exploded view of the quick release boot mounting cup mounted to the pull-out prevention boot mount.

FIG. 30 is a plurality of views illustrating different concepts for a boot mounting plate showing a boot mounting cup alignment mark feature.

FIG. 31 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the quick release boot mounting cup, quick release plate, and retaining ribs.

Fig. 32a is a number of views depicting different potential geometries for retention on a quick release plate.

Fig. 32b is a number of views depicting different potential geometries for retention on a quick release plate.

Fig. 33a is a number of views depicting different potential geometries for retention on a quick release plate.

Fig. 33b is a number of views depicting different potential geometries for retention on a quick release plate.

Fig. 34a is a number of views depicting different potential geometries for retention on a quick release plate.

Fig. 34b is a number of views depicting different potential geometries for retention on a quick release plate.

Fig. 35a is a number of views depicting different potential geometries for retention on a quick release plate.

Fig. 35b is a number of views depicting different potential geometries for retention on a quick release plate.

Fig. 36a is a number of views depicting different potential geometries for retention on a quick release plate.

Fig. 36b is a number of views depicting different potential geometries for retention on a quick release plate.

Fig. 37a is a number of views depicting different potential geometries for retention on a quick release plate.

Fig. 37b is a number of views depicting different potential geometries for retention on a quick release plate.

Fig. 38a is a number of views depicting different potential geometries for retention on a quick release plate.

Fig. 38b is a number of views depicting different potential geometries for retention on a quick release plate.

The various embodiments described herein are not intended to limit the invention to those described. On the contrary, it is intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

List of figures-reference numerals

The following reference numerals are used in the drawings to indicate related elements of the depicted embodiments:

1. pipe

2. Pipe plug

3. Sliding vane

4. Adhesive holding feature for slider

5. Variable radius sliding vane mounting slot

6. Adhesive agent

7. Adhesive build-up feature

8. Boot mounting cup

9. Boot mounting cup fastener

10. Boot mounting cup plate

11. Boot mounting cup retention rib

12. Boot mounting cup retention rib fastener

13. Boot mounting cup fine adjustment screw

14. Boot mounting cup fastener

15. Boot mounting cup alignment mark feature

16. Pull-out prevention boot attachment

17. Boot installation alignment grid feature

18. Tube damping system cavity

19. Filling port of pipe damping system

20. Pipe damping system plug

21. Variable stiffness flange

22. Constant thickness flange

23. Multi-radius rocker arm of sliding vane

Detailed Description

Referring now to the drawings, preferred embodiments of a skate blade with pre-applied variable curvature, variable stiffness, adhesive retention features, and a modular boot mounting and alignment system are described herein. It should be noted that, as used in this specification, the articles "a," "an," and "the" include plural referents unless the content clearly dictates otherwise.

Referring to fig. 6 and 7, a preferred but exemplary embodiment of a skate blade with a pre-applied variable curvature and modular boot mounting and alignment system is shown. The depicted skate assembly concept can be used with either a short track skate blade or a long track skate blade, examples of which are shown in fig. 1 and 2A. Skates are typically provided with an elongated rail-type support member, typically cylindrical tubular, commonly referred to as a skate tube, having attachments to facilitate mounting of the skate blade slide member and having mounting points for securing the boot. The skate tube typically has a slot adapted to maintain and retain the upper portion of the skate or slider on one side of the skate tube, and a mounting platform(s), referred to as a "cup" or "arm", attached on the side opposite the slot for attaching the skate assembly to the boot. The short and long blade illustrated in fig. 1 and 2A illustrate one possible embodiment of each type of skate blade that is capable of being bent using a blade bending apparatus. Various other types of skate blades, including blades of various configurations, may be used without departing from the scope of the present invention. In addition, the ice blade attachment portion with and without the associated slider or attachment member mounted thereto may also be used without departing from the scope of the present invention.

The skate blade assembly is shown in an exploded view in fig. 9. The tube (1) carries a slip sheet (3) which is inserted into a variable radius slip sheet mounting slot (5) and secured with an adhesive (6). Adhesive (6) flows into the adhesive retention feature (4) to form an adhesive rivet to help retain the slider (3) in the variable radius slider mounting slot (5). The boot mounting cup (8) is attached to a boot mounting cup fastener (9). A boot mounting cup plate (10) is attached to a pull-out resistant boot mount (13) using fasteners (11). A boot mounting cup plate (10) is attached to the boot mounting cup (8) using fasteners (11). Then, the boot position is adjusted using the boot mounting alignment grid (14) and the boot mounting plate alignment marks (12).

We currently envision that the tube (1) of this embodiment is made of aluminum and the extruded shape of the material is machined by a cnc system to minimize waste, but other materials and methods are also suitable, including but not limited to alloys, plastics, composite materials such as carbon fiber, and the like.

We currently envisage the slide (3) being made of steel, but other materials are also suitable.

We presently envisage the mounting cup (8) or alternative long beater arm, plate (10) and boot mount (16) and retaining rib (11) being made of aluminium, but other materials are also suitable.

We currently envisage that the fasteners (9, 12, 13 and 14) are made of steel and titanium alloys, but other materials are also suitable.

We currently envision that the boot mounting cup plate (10) can be made of different thicknesses to increase or decrease the effective height of the skate assembly; however, the height increase may also be achieved by increasing the height of the cup itself while maintaining a thin mounting plate.

We currently envisage that adhesive (6) is a commercially available adhesive suitable for bonding different metals. We also consider the use of an adhesive in the steel-to-steel combination of the ice blade and the tube. The gluing process used with aluminum tubes is feasible and may be preferred because the glued assembly will provide some performance advantages, including but not limited to: reducing impact energy, which can reduce skate damage and vibration damping.

We currently envisage that the adhesive retention feature is a circular hole (4) drilled in the slider (3), but other methods including grooves, dimples, slots etc. are also suitable for achieving the desired result.

We currently envisage that the adhesive-pooling feature is an angled chamfer (7) machined into the top edge of two flanges (21 and 22) forming either wall of the mounting socket (5), but other methods including notches, dimples, sockets, etc. are also suitable for achieving the desired result.

We presently contemplate machining the variable stiffness flange (21) by CNC in specifications including radius specifications during the manufacturing process. In contrast to the uniform constant stiffness flange (22), the variable stiffness flange (21) will have a varying thickness (fig. 15-17). This variable stiffness concept can be applied to the circumference of the tube as well as the top of the tube, in addition to the variable stiffness flange (21).

We currently contemplate laser etching the alignment grid and markings on the shoe mounting cup/arm (8), plate (10) and mounting block (13) into the aluminum surface, but these markings may also be included by CNC machining, screen printing, surface marking, etc., or other suitable means. In addition, the scale markings are specialized to make the mounting and alignment process a repeatable process, and may be designated by letters, numbers, or other suitable symbols.

We currently contemplate surface coating on the slider using diamond-like carbon (DLC), but Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD), Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD), or similar surface treatments may achieve similar results.

Accordingly, the reader will see that the skate blade assembly of various embodiments can be used to provide an end user with an assembly that requires a minimum of setup steps that are easy to accomplish, repeat and conform in their application.

From the above description, many advantages of some embodiments of our skate blade assembly become apparent:

the multi-radius pre-bent slot (5) in the tube (1) allows for significantly reducing or eliminating manual bending operations while creating a preferred bend for each skater.

The multiple radii or "compound" pre-installation radius (20) allows for significant reduction or elimination of manual radius/rocker operations. By providing a pre-formed radius of blades and tubes comprising a compound radius, a consumer can purchase blades and/or tubes that are reasonably close to the desired gauge. Not only will this reduce the time and effort to provide the final modification, but the metal memory of the ice blade and tube will be closer to the required specifications than the current commercial products.

The elimination of mechanical fastening rivets allows the slider to move within the elastic range of the bonded adhesive during use and during slight mechanical bending operations that may be required to maintain the skate in bending over time.

The bonded rivet resulting from the use of the retention feature (4) provides improved retention of the slips in the tube while also reducing the weight of the assembly, and without the negative effects of the standard metal rivets previously described. We currently contemplate four retention holes, but may be less than four.

The adhesive pooling feature (7) ensures that any excess adhesive that may be applied during installation of the slider into the tube will flow into the holding area rather than moving up to the side of the slider surface, which must then be removed by the skater or technician prior to use.

The boot mounting plate (10) allows for easier and faster replacement of a broken or damaged skate blade, as well as easier and cheaper adjustment of the height of the assembly to improve the boot's turn gap when the skater leans at a corner.

Alignment grids (17) and markings (15) on the mounting cup (8), plate (10) and pull-out prevention boot mount (16) allow the skater to easily align the boot and skate and quickly and easily replicate the preferred settings that can be made when worn or damaged components must be replaced.

The fine tuning feature (13) of the quick release cup allows the skater to have a reliable and repeatable setting on all of their skates.

While the above description contains many specifics, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments, but as merely providing illustrations of some of the several embodiments. For example, the tube may have other shapes, such as circular, trapezoidal, triangular, etc.; the mounting cup/arm, plate and pull-out prevention boot mount may likewise have other shapes, etc. The scope of the embodiments should, therefore, be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given.

The damping feature utilizes a tube damping system fill port (18) to allow the addition of damping fluid, foam and/or compound into the tube damping system cavity (18) and then retains the damping fluid, foam and/or compound in the cavity by installing a tube damping system plug.

The pull-out resistant boot mount (16) has an angled shape to prevent the mount from pulling out of the shell of the boot.

The slider surface coating (24) is 1-5 microns thick, provides very low friction (0.5-0.6 coefficient of friction), has a higher hardness than the steel surface to which it is adhered, and reduces resistance to sliding wear. Due to the extremely high surface hardness, any burrs on the slide surface that are created during sharpening and polishing are easily removed.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The invention can be manufactured and used in industry, mainly for the skating industry. Other industries may be able to utilize the invention, including but not limited to skiing, snowboarding, mountain climbing, and other sports.

Claims (5)

1. A skate blade comprising a slider and a tube, the slider being inserted into an insertion slot in the tube, and the insertion slot having a radius to impart the radius to the slider and form a curved ice contacting surface on the slider.

2. The skate blade of claim 1 wherein the radius is a compound radius.

3. The skate blade of claim 1 further comprising a surface coating on the slider.

4. The skate blade of claim 1 further comprising:

a mounting platform that interacts with a mounting platform located on the ice boot,

a retention rib; and

a fastener for biasing the retaining rib against the mounting deck to secure the mounting deck to the mounting deck.

5. The skate blade of claim 1 wherein the slot is formed by two opposing flanges, one of the flanges having a variable thickness along its length.

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