EP0717651B1

EP0717651B1 - Ice- or roller-skate

Info

Publication number: EP0717651B1
Application number: EP95923280A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Peter Edauw
Original assignee: Stylus SpA
Current assignee: Stylus SpA
Priority date: 1994-07-08
Filing date: 1995-06-09
Publication date: 1999-04-14
Anticipated expiration: 2015-06-09
Also published as: JPH09502642A; DE69509052T2; ATE178806T1; CA2170502A1; WO1996001671A1; EP0717651A1; DE69509052D1

Abstract

A skate comprising a boot (1) having attached to its sole a support (4) for mounting at least one means for a movement on a base surface, such an ice skate or a roller skate, characterized in that it comprises an insole (3b) with a downwards directed extension (6) interacting with said means (7) at a location disposed between a vertical axis (B) passing through the ankle and a vertical axis (C) passing through the point of blade roller surface contact.

Description

The present invention relates to a skate, more specially to a skate comprising a boot provided at its bottom side with a support for mounting at least one means for a movement on a base surface. The skate according to the invention is an ice skate or a roller inline skate.
In a known embodiment, for example as disclosed in DE-A-2 820 681, an ice skate comprises a boot composed of a leg portion hingedly connected at the location of the ankle to a foot portion having a downwards directed extension in the form of a substantially U-shaped support for mounting the runner blade. The foot portion is usually connected to the U-shaped support at the heel and toe locations. The runner blade is of perfect curvilinear radius configuration with the concave side facing upwards, and the point of blade-ice contact is positioned forwards corresponding with the vertical axis passing through the skater's center of gravity.
Inasmuch as the optimization of the skating performance requires the skater to apply the necessary thrust within the range between the vertical axis passing through his ankle and the vertical axis passing through the center of blade, it is evident that known skates of this type will never lend themselves to any such optimization, since the U-shaped configuration of the support results in that the thrust is exercised at the toe and heel locations, i.e. outwards of the desired location.
US-A-3 934 892 discloses an ice skate having a blade curved throughout its length from the toe region to the heel region of the skate to define a convex running edge, and a pair of wall members having lower edges that are connected to the blade throughout its length from the toe region to the heel region, and such wall members extend upwardly from the blade while diverging from each other. One of the wall members is connected upwardly to the sole of the skate at the front and heel portions of the sole, while the other one of the wall members may be connected upwardly along the entire extension of the sole or alternatively also only to the front and heel portions of the sole. This skate also has the inconvenience that the thrust is predominantly exercised at the toe and heel locations, that is forwardly of the central vertical axis of the boot and rearwardly of the vertical axis passing through the ankle region of the boot.
US-A-1 601 105 discloses a snow skate having a foot plate, a runner strip, and a zigzag truss-like foundation bar interconnected between the foot plate and runner strip at its apex portions, and extending between the toe and heel portions of the skate. This skate also has the inconvenience that any thrust would be exercised generally throughout the entire extension of the skate, that is in particular predominantly forwardly of the central vertical axis of the boot and rearwardly of the vertical axis passing through the ankle region of the boot.
In another known embodiment, a roller skate comprises a boot having a leg portion articulated at the location of the ankle to a foot portion the sole of which has attached thereto a support for mounting a plurality of rollers in longitudinal alignment with one another.
In view of the fact that the optimization of the skating performance requires the skater to exert the necessary thrust at a location disposed between the vertical axis passing through the ankle of his foot and the vertical center axis of the boot, it is evident that these known

roller or inline skates do not readily lend themselves to such optimization, since
unskilled skaters practice the sport in a substantially erect posture, as a result of which the thrust is exerted along the axis passing through the center of boot or even in front thereof and
unskilled skaters practice the sport with their body bent forward substantially at right angles to their legs, as a result of which the center of gravity of body along an axis forwards of the center axis of the boot/blade or frame.

US-A-5 046 746 discloses a roller skate in which the support for mounting the plurality of mutually aligned rollers is connected to the sole of the boot at the heel region and at the region of the ball of the foot. This skate also has the shortcomings previously described since the thrust forces are exerted predominantly forwardly at the region of the ball of the foot (i.e. forward of the center vertical axis of the boot) or rearwardly at the heel region (i.e. rearward of the vertical axis passing through the ankle of the boot).
It is an object of the invention to eliminate this inconvenience and to create an ice skate permitting the skater to transmit the thrust action to a suitably determined location of the runner blade.
This object and others to become evident from the following description of the invention which is disclosed in the claims.
The invention shall be further explained with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
figure 1 shows a partially sectioned side view of an ice skate according to an embodiment of the invention,
figure 2 shows a partial cross-sectional view thereof,
figure 3 shows a second embodiment of the ice skate,
figure 4 shows a third embodiment of the ice skate,
figure 5 shows a fourth embodiment of the ice skate,
figure 6 shows a diagrammatic side view of a roller skate in an embodiment of the invention,
figure 7 shows a partial cross-sectional view thereof,
figure 8 shows a roller skate in another embodiment, and
figure 9 shows a partial cross-sectional view thereof.
As shown in the drawings, according to figures 1 and 2, the ice skate according to the invention substantially comprises a boot 1 with a leg portion 2 articulated by means of two pivots 3a adjacent the location of the ankle to a foot portion 3 having a downwards directed extension in the form of a substantially U-shaped support 4 for a runner blade 7 of arcuate shape mounted with its concave side facing upwards.
Accommodated within foot portion 3 is an insole 3b provided on its lower side with a prop 6 of substantially frustopyramidal shape with its greater base secured to insole 3b by screws 5 and its smaller base taking support on runner blade 7. Prop 6 extends from foot portion 3 through a correspondingly shaped aperture formed in the sole and provided with a sealing gasket (not shown in the drawings).
The vertical axis A of prop 6 is disposed between vertical axes B and C passing respectively through the ankle and the point extremity of runner blade in relation of the foot/boot.
Insole 3a and prop 6 are made of a plastic material substantially more rigid than the material used for foot portion 3 and support 4. In other cases prop 6 may be made of a metallic material such as aluminum or the like.
It is evident that thanks to the positioning of prop 6, the thrust forces exerted by the skater on insole 3b are transmitted to runner blade 7 at the optimum location, and that even when the skater does not assume the perfectly correct skating attitude.
In the embodiment illustrated in figure 3, insole 13b has its lower side provided with two props 16 and 16', with the vertical axis of prop 16 disposed along the axis passing through the ankle and that passing through the point of extremity of runner blade in relation of the foot/boot and the vertical axis of prop 16', passing through the toe end of the foot. This ice skate lends itself particularly well for use in figure-skating.
In the embodiment illustrated in figure 4, insole 23b of the foot portion 23 of the boot 21 is formed with a longitudinally extended slot opening 23c for receiving therein the screw 25 for fixing prop 26 on the underside. This embodiment permits prop 26 to be longitudinally displaced to thereby vary its point of attack. Point of transmission of thrust on blade in relation with ankle and extremity of blade.
In the embodiment illustrated in figure 5, there is arranged between the lower surface of the sole 33g of the boot 31 and the top surface of the support 34 of runner blade 37 at the locations of the toe 33d and heel 33e portions of the foot portion 33 a sole reinforcement 36 with appendix, triangular or pyramidically shaped which concentrates the effort in a well definite point. In this case sole reinforcement 36 has a sharply bent profile permitting it to take support on runner blade 37 at a location between the vertical axes passing through the ankle and through the point of contact between the runner blade and the ice in resting position. As it is shown in figure 5 axis A crosses the lowest point of insole 33b. Furthermore it is also shown in this figure that the insole 33b is fastened to the toe and heel portions 33d and 33e respectively of the boot 33 by means of rivets 33f.
It should be noted that in the embodiments according to figures 3 and 5 the articulation of the leg portion on the foot portion is not shown. Nevertheless, these variants can contain also articulations adjacent the location of the ankle as it is disclosed in connection with the embodiment in figures 1 and 3.
As shown in the drawings according to figures 6 and 7, the roller skate according to the invention substantially comprises a boot 41 composed of a leg portion 42 articulated by means of two pivots 43a adjacent the location of the ankle to a foot portion 43. To the sole of boot 41 as a base plate 48 has attached thereto by means of screws 45 a substantially rigid prismatic extension 46 formed as a forked bracket for mounting a roller wheel 47 rotatable about a pin 49.
Attached to the sides of extension 46 are as a support two parallel rigid bars 48 of suitable configuration and interconnected by pins 49' for mounting rollers 47' in longitudinal alignment with roller 47.
In particular, the vertical axis A of extension 46 is disposed at a location between vertical axes B and C passing respectively through the ankle of the foot and through the longitudinal center of the boot.
It is evident that thanks to the positioning of extension 46, the thrust exerted by the skater on sole as a base plate 48 is transmitted directly to the roller (wheel) 47 and so, indirectly, via mentioned parallel rigid bars 44 to the other rollers (wheels) 47' maximizing the thrust/transmission on roller (wheel) 47 and that even when the skater does not assume the perfectly correct posture for skating.
In the embodiment illustrated in figure 8, boot 51 is mounted on a base plate 58 itself fixedly connected to extension 56 acting as the mounting support for roller 57 and having the parallel bars 54 for mounting further rollers 57' attached thereto, each roller 57' rotatably arranged about a pin 59'.
Extension 46 could be permitted to displacement in longitudinal and transversal direction in relation with the boot/foot by regulation type, mentioned before (see figure 4) by extension slots or various holes permitting to attach extension 46 in different positions on base plate 40' by screws 45. This all for optimizing and personalizing the user's way of skating and so improving skating performance.
Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly, such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims

A skate comprising a boot (1,11,21,31,41,51)) provided at its bottom side with a support (4,14,24,34,44,54) for mounting at least one means (7,17,27,37,47,57) for movement on a base surface, said boot having a sole part (3b,13b,23b,33g,48,58) which is provided with a downwards directed prismatic extension (6,16,26,36,46,56) having attached thereto said support for mounting said movement means, said extension having, in cross-section in a longitudinal plane, a base portion attached to the sole part and a downwardly directed converging apex portion to which said support is connected, and said extension being disposed such that the connection between the support and the converging apex portion is located between axes which are vertical when the skate is in use and passing respectively through the ankle and through the longitudinal center of the boot.
The skate of claim 1 in the form of an ice skate comprising as said means for movement a runner blade (7,17,27,37) on the support which is attached to the sole of the boot which runner blade is positioned for skating or transport movement on ice as a base surface, said sole part being formed by an insole (3b,13b,23b) or a sole (33g) with said downwards directed extension (6,16,26,36) interacting with said runner blade at a location between said vertical axes (B,C) passing respectively through the ankle region and through the extremity of the runner blade in relation of the foot/boot.
The skate of claim 2, characterized in that said insole (3b,13b,23b) is accommodated within said boot.
The skate of claim 2, characterized in that said extension (6,16,26) is of frustoconical configuration.
The skate of claim 3, characterized in that said extension (6,16,26) is fixedly connected to said insole.
The skate of claim 2, characterized in that said extension (6,16,26,36) is secured to said insole (3b,13b,23b) or to said sole (33g) by means of screws (5,25).
The skate of claim 2, characterized in that it comprises another extension (16') adjacent the toe end of the boot.
The skate of claim 2, characterized in that said extension is united with a sole reinforcement means (36) which is interposed between the lower surface of the sole (33g) of said boot (31) and the upper surface of said support (34) of said runner blade (37).
The skate of claim 8, characterized in that said reinforcement means (36) has a sharply bent profile.
The skate of claim 6, characterized in that said insole (23b) is formed with a longitudinally extending slot opening (23c) for the adjustment of said extension (26).
The skate of claim 1 in the form of a roller skate having as said means for movement runner means in the form of a plurality of rollers (47,47';57,57') in longitudinal alignment with one another, characterized in that said extension (46,56) is substantially U-shaped and accommodates therein a pin (49,59) for mounting a roller wheel (47,57).
The skate of claim 11, characterized in that said extension (46,56) has attached thereto as said support two parallel bars (44,54) transversely interconnected by pins (49';59') for mounting further rollers (47',57').
The skate of claim 11, characterized in that said boot (41,51) has attached thereto as said sole part a base plate (48,58) having said extension (46,56) secured thereto.