GB2477725A

GB2477725A - Blade member with shock absorber

Info

Publication number: GB2477725A
Application number: GB1002160A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Nachiappan Chockalingam; Cheryl Blewitt; Timothy S Drew
Original assignee: CANSKATE DESIGNS Ltd
Current assignee: CANSKATE DESIGNS Ltd
Priority date: 2010-02-10
Filing date: 2010-02-10
Publication date: 2011-08-17
Anticipated expiration: 2030-02-10
Also published as: GB201002160D0; GB2477725B

Abstract

The blade member 3 comprises means for attaching the blade member 3 to a boot 1 ; and resilient means 23 configured to absorb shock caused by impact of the blade member with the ground wherein the stiffness of the resilient means is configured to be adjustable by a user. The blade member may enable the boot to be used as an ice skate or an inline roller-skate or a roller skate. The resilient means 25 may be a coil spring(s). The stiffness of the spring(s) may be adjusted by a cam mechanism 29. Alternatively, the spring(s) 25 may be replaceable by a user to adjust the stiffness of the spring(s).

Description

Blade Member Embodiments of the present invention relate to a blade member. In particular, they relate to a blade member for use as an ice skate or a roller-skate.

Skaters, such as ice skaters or roller-skaters, often perform jumps or lifts. For example, in a competition a figure skater may perform a routine which includes a plurality of jumps and lifts. In order to become proficient at the jumps and lifts the skater must practice the jumps a large number of times.

Each time the skater lands after a jump or lift their musculoskeletal system is subject to impact forces. Repeated exposure to such impact forces may increase the risk of injury to the skater.

1 5 It would be beneficial reduce the risk of injury to skaters caused by the impact forces of landing after jumping or being lifted.

According to embodiments of the invention there is provided a blade member comprising: means for attaching the blade member to a boot; and resilient means configured to absorb shock caused by impact of the blade member with the ground wherein the stiffness of the resilient means is configured to be adjustable by a user.

In some embodiments of the invention the means for attaching the blade member to a boot may be configured to attach the blade member to the sole of a boot.

In some embodiments of the invention the resilient means may comprise a plurality of resilient members separated along a length of the blade member.

In some embodiments of the invention the resilient means may comprise a spring.

In some embodiments of the invention the blade member may also comprise a cam mechanism for enabling a user to adjust the stiffness of the resilient means. In other embodiments of the invention the resilient means may be configured to be user replaceable to enable a user to adjust the stiffness of the resilient means.

In some embodiments of the invention the blade member may also comprise a bearing member for supporting the resilient means.

In some embodiments of the invention the blade member may comprise a first portion and a second portion where the first portion is configured to be attached to the boot and the second portion is configured so that in use the second portion contacts the ground.

In some embodiments of the invention the blade member may be an ice skating blade. In other embodiments of the invention the blade member may comprise a plurality of wheels.

According to embodiments of the invention there may also be provided a boot comprising: a blade member attached to the boot; wherein the blade member comprises resilient means configured to absorb shock caused by impact of the blade member with the ground wherein the stiffness of the resilient means is configured to be adjustable by a user.

For a better understanding of various examples of embodiments of the present invention reference will now be made by way of example only to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. I illustrates a boot comprising a blade member according to a first embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 illustrates a blade member according to a second embodiment of the invention; Fig. 3 illustrates the resilient means of the blade member of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 illustrates a boot comprising a blade member according to the second embodiment of the invention; Fig. 5 illustrates a boot comprising a blade member according to another embodiment of the invention; Fig. 6 illustrates the boot and blade member of Fig. 5 in more detail; and Figs. 7A to 7C illustrate a cam mechanism according to embodiments of the invention.

The Figures illustrate a blade member 3 comprising: means 19 for attaching the blade member 3 to a boot 1; and resilient means 23 configured to absorb shock caused by impact of the blade member 3 with the ground wherein the stiffness of the resilient means 23 is configured to be adjustable by a user.

Fig.1 illustrates a boot I comprising a blade member 3 according to a first embodiment of the invention. In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1 the blade member 3 enables the boot 1 to be used as an ice skate. The ice skate may be any type of ice skate, for example it may be used for figure skating, ice dancing, ice hockey, speed skating or any other type of skating.

The boot 1 comprises an upper portion 5, a sole 7 and a heel 9. The upper portion 5 is sized and shaped so as to receive a foot of a user. The upper portion 5 of the boot I may be made from a material such as leather.

The sole 7 is provided underneath the upper portion 5 of the boot I. In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1 the sole 5 comprises a heel 9. The heel 9 is positioned at the back of the boot I and in use supports the heel of the users' foot. The sole 5 and the heel 9 may be made from a rigid material.

It is to be appreciated that the upper portion 5 of the boot I may be available in different sizes to accommodate for different sized feet.

The blade member 3 comprises a first portion 11 and a second portion 13.

The first portion 11 is configured to enable the blade member 3 to be attached to the boot 1. The second portion 13 is configured such that, in use, the second portion 13 contacts the ground. The ground may be the surface of the ice or any other sports surface. The second portion 13 may comprise a sharp edge which enables the blade member 3 to be used as an ice skate.

In the embodiment illustrated in Fig.1 the blade member 3 is a figure skating blade. The blade member 3 comprises a toe pick 15 at the front of the blade member 3 to assist with jumping and a heel portion 17 at the rear of the blade member 3. It is to be appreciated that the size and shape of the blade member 3 may vary depending upon the intended use of the boot I and blade member 3. For example, in other embodiments of the invention the blade member 3 may be used a freestyle blade or a dance blade. The blade 1 5 member 3 used for a freestyle blade generally has a larger toe pick 15 and a longer heel portion 17 at the rear of the blade member 3 than a blade member 3 used for ice dancing. The shape of the toe pick 15 may also vary depending on the intended use of the blade member 3. The size of the blade member 3 may depend upon the intended use of the blade member 3 and the size of the boot 1 to which the blade member 3 is to be attached.

It is to be appreciated that other types of blade member 3 may be used in other embodiments of the invention.

The blade member 3 may be made from a material such as stainless steel or a light material such as aluminium or a manmade composite. The blade member 3 may comprise a protective surface coating. The blade member 3 may comprise a protective coating along the edge of the blade to prevent the blade wearing down too quickly.

The blade member 3 comprises attachment means 19 for attaching the blade member 3 to the boot I. The attachment means 19 may enable the blade member 3 to be removably attached to the boot 1 so that a user of the boot 1 may remove the blade member 3 from the boot 1. This may enable the same boot 1 to be used with different blade members 3. This may also enable the blade member 3 to be removed for repair and maintenance. In other embodiments of the invention the attachment means 19 may permanently attach the blade member 3 to the boot 1 so that the blade member 3 cannot be removed by a user.

The attachment means 19 may comprise a mounting block 21. In the embodiment illustrated in Fig.1 a first mounting block 21A is provided at the front of the blade member 3 and a second mounting block 21B is provided at the back of the blade member 3. The first mounting block 21A is connected to the sole 7 at the front of the boot 1 and the second mounting block 21B is connected to heel 9 of the boot 1. The mounting blocks 21A, 21B may be attached to the sole 7 of the boot by any suitable fixing means such as screws. The mounting blocks 21A, 21B may also comprise a groove. The blade member 3 may be positioned within the groove and may be held in place by any suitable means such as a screw.

The mounting blocks 21A, 21B may be made of any suitable material such as a polymer, for example, HDPE (high-density polyethylene) or a metal alloy.

In the embodiments of the invention the blade member 3 comprises resilient means 23. The resilient means 23 are positioned between the second portion 13 of the blade member 3 and the boot I so that in use the resilient means 23 absorbs shock caused by the impact of the second portion 13 of the blade member 3 with the ground.

In the embodiment illustrated in Fig.1 the resilient means 23 are positioned within the mounting blocks 21A and 21B. The resilient means 23 are indicated within dashed lines in Fig.1 because, in use, the mounting blocks 21A and 21B would conceal the resilient means 23 so that they would not be visible to the user.

In the embodiment illustrated in Fig.1 two resilient means 23 are provided. It is to be appreciated that in other embodiments of the invention any number of resilient means may be provided. The resilient means 23 are separated along the length of the blade member 3 so that a first resilient means 23 is provided towards the front of the boot 1 and a second resilient means 23 is provided towards the rear of the boot I underneath the heel 9. In Fig. 1 only the 1 0 resilient means 23 underneath the heel 9 is illustrated for clarity.

In the embodiment illustrated in Fig.1 the resilient means 23 comprise a spring 25 and a bearing pad 27. The spring 25 may be a coil compression spring. The spring 25 may be made of a material such as stainless steel.

The bearing pad 27 secures the spring 25 in position and also bears the load of the spring 25.

In some embodiments of the invention the resilient means 23 may be pre-compressed. The force used to pie-compress the resilient means 23 may be varied and may depend upon a plurality of factors such as the mass of the user of the boot 1, the proficiency of the user of the boot 1 and the number of times the user is likely to perform movements, such as jumps, which create a large impact forces. The force used to pie-compress the resilient means 23 may be of the order of twice the weight of the user of the boot 1. The pie-compression may damp the resilient means 23 to prevent unwanted bouncing. In other embodiments of the invention there may be no pre-compression of the resilient means 23, In such embodiments the mass of the skater may provide enough force to damp the resilient means 23 and prevent unwanted bouncing.

The blade member 3 also comprises adjusting means 29 for adjusting the stiffness of the resilient means 23. The stiffness of the resilient means 23 may be given by the spring rate of the resilient means 23. The spring rate is given by the ratio of the force applied to a resilient means 23 such as a spring to the displacement caused by that force. It gives a measure of the elasticity of the resilient means 23.

In the embodiment illustrated in Fig.1 the means for adjusting the stiffness of the resilient means 23 comprises a cam mechanism. The cam mechanism may be adjusted to control the compression of the spring 25. By increasing the compression of the spring 25 the force required to further compress the spring 25 is increased. A cam mechanism which may be used in embodiments of the invention is illustrated in Figs. 7A to 7B.

In other embodiments of the invention the blade member 3 may be configured so that a user may adjust the stiffness of the resilient means 23 by replacing 1 5 the spring 25 with a different spring 25 which has a different stiffness. For example a spring 25 with a first spring rate may be replaced with a spring 25 having a second spring rate. If the second spring rate is greater than the first spring rate then the stiffness of the spring 25 will have been increased so that it takes a larger force to compress the spring 25 even further.

In use the resilient means 23 absorbs shock which is caused by the impact of the blade member 3 with the ground. When the user lands after jumping the second portion 13 of the blade member 3 impacts the ground. The forces created by the impact further compress the resilient means 23 and so reduce the amount of the impact force which is transferred to the boot 1 and the foot and other parts of the musculoskeletal system of the user.

By enabling the user to adjust the stiffness of the resilient means 23 this enables the user to control the amount of shock absorption which is provided by the resilient means 23. This may enable the user to adjust the resilient means 23 in dependence upon the type of jumps which they are carrying out or the number or jumps which are likely to be performed. For example if a skater is wearing the boot I during a training session they may be performing a larger number of jumps than they would during a competition and so they may wish to increase the resilience of the resilient means 23 for the training session to reduce the risk of injury.

As the resilient means 23 may be pre-compressed to a force greater than the weight of the skater this prevents the blade member 3 from moving vertically with respect to the boot 1 during normal skating by the skater. During normal skating the impact forces caused by the second portion 13 of the blade member 3 contacting the ground are not large enough to further compress the resilient means 23. This prevents the skater from bouncing during normal skating.

Fig. 2 illustrates a blade member 3 according to a second embodiment of the invention. The boot 1 to which the blade member may be attached is not illustrated in Fig. 2.

The blade member 3 illustrated in Fig. 2 is a different shape to the blade member 3 illustrated in Fig. 1, however the blade member still comprises a first portion 11 and a second portion 13 where the first portion 11 is configured to enable the blade member 3 to be attached to a boot I and the second portion 13 is configured such that, in use, the second portion 13 contacts the ground. It is to be appreciated that in other embodiments of the invention other shaped blade members 3 may be used.

In this second embodiment of the invention the blade member 3 is also used as a figure skating blade. The blade member comprises a toe pick 15 and a heel portion 17.

The first portion 11 of the blade member 3 comprises a screw 31. The screw 31 enables the blade member 3 to be attached to a mounting block and so attached to a boot 1. In the embodiment illustrated in Fig.2 only a single screw may be needed to secure the blade member in the mounting block.

This may make it easier for a user to remove and re-attach the blade member 3 to a boot.

In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 2 the resilient means 23 comprises two coil compression springs 25 and supporting members 27 which are separated along the length of the blade member 3. As in the previous embodiment a first resilient means 23 is provided towards the front of the boot 1 and a second resilient means 23 is provided towards the rear of the boot 1 1 0 underneath the heel 9.

A spring 25 and bearing pad 27 are illustrated in more detail in Fig. 3. In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 3 the bearing pad 27 is substantially cylindrical.

The bearing pad 27 comprises an upper surface 41 upon which the spring 25 is supported. The upper surface 41 may be substantially flat. The upper surface may be sized so that it has the same diameter as the outer diameter of the spring 25. In some embodiments of the invention the upper surface 41 of the bearing pad 27 may have a larger diameter than the outer diameter of the spring 25.

The bearing pad 27 also comprises a retaining member 43 on the upper surface 41. The retaining member 43 may comprise any means which secures the spring 25 to the bearing pad 27. In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 3 the retaining member 43 comprises a first portion which has a diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the spring 25 and a second portion which has a diameter larger than the inner diameter of the spring 25. The second portion is positioned on top of the first portion. The first portion fits through a coil of the spring 25 but the second portion does not. When the spring 25 is positioned on the bearing pad 27 a coil of the spring 25 is positioned around the first portion and the remaining coils of the spring 25 are positioned above the second portion. As the diameter of the second portion is greater than the inner diameter of the spring 25 this retains the spring 25 in position on the bearing pad 27. The first coil of the spring 25 cannot move between the upper surface 41 and the retaining member 43 however the remaining coils of the spring are free to move vertically and so be compressed and absorb impact forces as described above.

The bearing pad 27 may be made of any suitable material. For example it may be made from a plastic such as HDPE or nylon. The bearing pad 27 may prevent the spring 25 from sliding relative to the blade member 3.

Fig. 4 illustrates the blade member 3 of Figs. 2 and 3 attached to a boot 1.

The boot 1 illustrated in Fig. 4 is similar to the boot illustrated in Fig. 1. It comprises an upper portion 5 which is sized and shaped so as to receive a foot of a user and a sole 7 provided underneath the upper portion 5 of the boot 1. In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 4 the sole 7 is substantially flat.

A mounting block 21 is attached to the sole 7 of the boot 1. In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 4 only one mounting block 21 is provided. The mounting block 21 extends from the front of the boot 1 to the rear of the boot 1. The mounting block 21 may be attached to the boot I using any suitable means. For example the mounting block 21 may be attached to the sole 7 of the boot I by screws or by using an adhesive.

The mounting block 21 comprises a slot 51. The slot extends along the length of the mounting block 21. The slot 51 has a width such that the blade member 3 may be positioned within the slot 51. The blade member 3 may be secured in position within the mounting block 21 by the screw 31.

The mounting block 21 may be made of any suitable material such as a pdlymer or a metal alloy.

When the blade member 3 is attached within the mounting block 21 the resilient means 23 are positioned within the mounting block 21 and so are not visible. Therefore the resilient means 23 are not illustrated in Fig.4. It is to be appreciated that, as with the previously described embodiment, adjusting means 29 for adjusting the stiffness of the resilient means 23 may be provided. For example, a cam mechanism may be provided which enables a user to control the compression of a spring 25 or the blade member 3 may be configured to enable a user to replace the springs 25.

Fig. 5 illustrates a boot 1 comprising a blade member 3 according to another embodiment of the invention. As in the previous embodiments the blade member 3 enables the boot I to be used as an ice skate which may be any type of ice skate. Fig. 6 illustrates the embodiment of Fig. 5 in more detail.

The references numbers used in the previous Figures are also used for common features in Figs. 5 and 6.

1 5 As in the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1 the boot 1 comprises an upper portion 5, a sole 7 and a heel 9. The upper portion 5 is sized and shaped so as to receive a foot of a user and may be made from a material such as leather.

The blade member 3 is similar to the blade member illustrated in Fig. I. It comprises a first portion 11 and a second portion 13 where the first portion 11 is configured to enable the blade member 3 to be attached to the boot I and the second portion 13 is configured to contact the ground in use. The blade member 3 comprises attachment means 19 for attaching the blade member 3 to the boot 1 which comprises mounting blocks similar 21A and 21B to those used in Fig.1.

The embodiment of Figs 5 and 6 differs from that of Fig. 1 in that in Fig. I the resilient means comprises two springs 25 whereas in Figs. 5 and 6 the resi'ient means comprises four springs 25. Two of the springs 25 are provided towards the front of the boot 1 and the other two springs 25 are provided towards the rear of the boot I underneath the heel 9. The springs are arranged linearly along the length of the blade member 3. The springs may be configured to restrict the bending of the sole 7 of the boot 1. For example, when the boot 1 is not in use the weight of the user is not there to compress the springs 25. The force of the springs 25 against the sole 7 of the boot I may cause the sole 7 to bend. The number and configuration of the springs 25 may be selected to restrict this effect.

Each of the four springs 25 is mounted on a bearing pad 27 as described above which bears the load of the spring 25 and also retains the spring 25 in 1 0 position.

In the embodiments illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 the blade member 3 comprises a cam mechanism 41 for adjusting the stiffness of the springs. A first cam mechanism 41 is provided in the first mounting block 21A towards the front of 1 5 the boot 1 and a second cam mechanism 41 is provided in the second mounting block 21 B underneath the heel 9 of the boot 1.

The cam mechanism 41 is illustrated in more detail in Figs. 7A to 7C. 7A illustrates a perspective view of a cam mechanism 41. Fig. 7B is a side view of the cam mechanism 41 and Fig. 70 is a front view of the same cam mechanism 41.

The cam mechanism 41 comprises a cam shaft 43. In the illustrated embodiment the cam shaft has a rectangular cross section. The cam shaft 43 is indicated by the dashed lines in Fig. 7C. The cam shaft 43 is positioned so that the centre of the rectangle is not aligned with the axis of the cam shaft 43.

The cam mechanism 41 also comprises a key socket 45. The key socket 45 comprises an aperture 47. The aperture 47 is sized and shaped to receive a key. In the illustrated embodiments the aperture 47 is hexagonal.

Fig. 6 illustrates how the cam mechanism 41 fits into the blade member 3.

The cam mechanism 41 fits into an aperture in the mounting blocks 21A and 21B. An aperture 49 is provided in the blade member 3. The cam mechanism 41 slots through the aperture so that the cam shaft 43 abuts an edge of the aperture 49.

The cam mechanism 41 may be held in place by a seal 51 such as an 0-ring.

The cam mechanism 41 may be rotated by a user. A user may slot a key into the key socket and rotate the key. This causes the cam shaft 43 to rotate. As the cam shaft rotates 43 the edge of the cam shaft 43 which abuts the blade member 3 causes displacement of the blade member 3 relative to the cam mechanism. 41. This adjusts the compression of the springs 25 and so provides a simple mechanism which enables a user to adjust the stiffness of the resilient means 23.

In the illustrated embodiment the cam shaft 43 has a rectangular cross section and the cam mechanism 41 may be configured in one of four different positions. The different positions are indicated on the key socket 45. In other embodiments of the invention the cam shaft 43 may have a different cross sectional shape and so the cam mechanism may have a different number of configurations.

Although embodiments of the present invention have been described in the preceding paragraphs with reference to various examples, it should be appreciated that modifications to the examples given can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as claimed. For example in the illustrated embodiments the blade member 3 comprises a blade which enables the boot I to be used as an ice skate. In other embodiments of the invention the blade member 3 may comprise a plurality of wheels and means for mounting the wheels to enable the boot 1 to be used as an inline roller-skate or a normal ro'ler-skate.

Also in the embodiments illustrated in the Figures the attachment means comprises a mounting block which is used to attach the blade member 3 to the boot 1. In other embodiments of the invention the attachment means may enable the blade member 3 to be attached directly to the boot 1. This may enable the boots 1 to have an appearance similar to traditional figure skating boots 1.

Whilst endeavoring in the foregoing specification to draw attention to those features of the invention believed to be of particular importance it should be understood that the Applicant claims protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features hereinbefore referred to and/or shown in the drawings whether or not particular emphasis has been placed thereon.

Claims

Claims 1. A blade member comprising: means for attaching the blade member to a boot; and resilient means configured to absorb shock caused by impact of the blade member with the ground wherein the stiffness of the resilient means is configured to be adjustable by a user.
2. A blade member as claimed in claim I wherein the means for attaching the blade member to a boot are configured to attach the blade member to the sole of a boot.
3. A blade member as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the 1 5 resilient means comprises a plurality of resilient members separated along a length of the blade member.
4. A blade member as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the resilient means comprises a spring.
5. A blade member as claimed in any preceding claim comprising a cam mechanism for enabling a user to adjust the stiffness of the resilient means.
6. A blade member as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4 wherein the resilient means is configured to be user replaceable to enable a user to adjust the resilience of the resilient means.
7. A blade member as claimed in any preceding claim comprising a bearing pad for supporting the resilient means.
8. A blade member as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the blade member comprises a first portion and a second portion where the first portion is configured to be attached to the boot and the second portion is configured so that in use the second portion contacts the ground.
9. A blade member as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the blade member is an ice skating blade.
10. A blade member as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the blade member comprises a plurality of wheels.
11. A boot comprising: a blade member attached to the boot; wherein the blade member comprises resilient means configured to absorb shock caused by impact of the blade member with the ground wherein the stiffness of the resilient means is configured to be adjustable by a user.
12. A blade member substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
13. A boot substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
14. Any novel subject matter or combination including novel subject matter disclosed herein, whether or not within the scope of or relating to the same invention as any of the preceding claims.