WO1998006464A1

WO1998006464A1 - Ice skate with a flexible blade

Info

Publication number: WO1998006464A1
Application number: PCT/GB1997/002156
Authority: WO
Inventors: Michael Sean Barron
Original assignee: Michael Sean Barron
Priority date: 1996-08-08
Filing date: 1997-08-08
Publication date: 1998-02-19
Also published as: GB2316327A; GB9716637D0; GB9616625D0

Abstract

When a skater's weight is applied to the skate, the blade (4) is able to flex into a flatter condition so that the ice-bearing surface (5), in the form of steel strip, will be substantially in contact with the ice along the whole length. When the skater is negotiating a bend, the skate will be tilted onto one edge and the sideways force applied will cause a degree of flexibility of the blade (4) into a curved sideways condition and at the same time the struts (2 and 3) will be distorted slightly to allow for the flexing of the blade (4). The lattening out of the bow-shape to the blade (4) will be modified to some extent but the combination of this, together with the sideways curving of the blade (4), will still result in the ice-bearing surface (5) being in contact with the ice substantially along the whole of its length.

Description

ICE SKATE WITH A FLEXIBLE BLADE

A conventional ice skate has a rigid steel blade which is essentially flat with a curved, rocker-edge, profile. When the skater wishes to turn he is able to do so by rotating the blade around the central portion of the rocker contact point. The need to incorporate a rocker into the design makes the skate inherently unstable in a fore and aft mode.

According to the present invention there is provided an ice skate comprising a support member, a pair of struts depending at their one ends from the support member and a robust yet resilient blade mounted between the other ends of the struts, and having a lower ice-bearing surface curving up at the each end towards the struts to define a bow shape, the struts and their interconnection to the blade being such as to allow the blade to flex so as to increase the ice contact along the length of the blade and flex into a curved state out of direct alignment with the two struts when a sideways force is applied to the blade. Because the blade of this ice skate is capable of flexing in both a vertical and horizontal mode, it will be able to conform to the surface of the ice and in so doing provide greater stability for the skater. It also has the ability to flex laterally to follow the curved profile of the ice turn. The skater, by angulating the knee into the bend can create the necessary sideways force to the blade which will cause it to adopt the desired curved state. The lower face of the blade, defining the ice-bearing surface is resiliently deformable into a straighter condition when a load is applied down onto the blade through the struts. This structure allows for the ice-bearing surface to be applied to the ice over a substantial length of the blade both when the skater is moving in a straight line and when the skater is negotiating a curve. In the latter case the lower face of the blade can adopt a modified curved state which, in association with the sideways curve created to the blade, ensures that a substantial portion of the ice- bearing surface is in contact with the ice during the turning movement .

The blade can be formed as a body from a moulded synthetic material, with the ice-bearing surface being formed as a steel strip which is set into the moulded body. The steel strip can be split partially at a selection of positions along its length, or can be formed from a series of adjacent units. The formation of the splits, or the actual breaks between adjacent units, aids in the movement of the whole of the ice-bearing surface between desired essentially straight and curved conditions. The moulded body may be formed from a fibre reinforced plastics material .

In order to provide the necessary ability to flex, the blade and the struts may be formed from a single body, but with the struts being able to distort to allow the blade to flex. Alternatively at least one end of the blade could be slidably mounted in a recess in a strut and with biassing means being provided to hold the blade firmly between the two struts.

As a further possibility one or both ends of the blade may be linked to the struts by a respective resilient connecting member. In this case the arrangement may be such that each connecting member links to the blade by a pivot.

The invention may be performed in various ways and preferred embodiments thereof will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: -

Figure 1 illustrates in side view an ice skate of this invention formed as an integral unit;

Figure 2 is a front view of the ice skate of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side view of an alternative form of ice skate of this invention incorporating an independent blade mounted between two support struts;

Figure 4 is a front view of the ice skate shown in Figure 3 ;

Figure 5 is a side view of a third embodiment of an ice skate of this invention:

Figures 6 and 7 are vertical lateral and longitudinal sections respectively through the blade of an ice skate of Figures 1, 3 or 5; and

Figure 8 is a side view of a fourth embodiment of an ice skate of this invention.

The ice skate illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 is formed as a single unit comprising a pair of fixing plates 1, front and rear support struts 2 and 3 and a blade 4. The mounting plates 1 can be set into a base of a skating boot or can incorporate fixing clips enabling the skate to be attached releasably to a skating boot. The struts 2 and 3 and the blade 4 have a degree of inherent flexibility. As can be seen from Figure 1, the blade 4 is bow-shaped so that it turns up at the ends. However when the skater's weight is applied to the skate, the blade 4 is able to flex into a flatter condition so that the ice-bearing surface 5, in the form of a steel strip, will be substantially in contact with the ice along the whole length. When the skater is negotiating a bend the skate will be tilted onto one edge and the sideways force applied will cause a degree of flexibility of the blade 4 into a curved sideways condition and at the same time the struts 2 and 3 will be distorted slightly to allow for the flexing of the blade 4. The flattening out of the bow-shape to the blade 4 will be modified to some extent but the combination of this, together with the sideways curving of the blade 4, will still result in the ice-bearing surface 5 being in contact with the ice substantially along the whole of its length.

As can be seen from Figure 2, the struts 2 and 3 can each be formed as a pair of arms 6 which provide greater stability for the connection between the blade part 4 and the mounting plates 1. A shackle 7 is fitted at the rear end of the skate and can be used as a brake which comes into play when the skater tilts the foot rearwards. A stud 8 mounted at the front of the skate can also be used to aid in pushing off as the skater tips his foot forwards. 6

23 is fixed between part 21B and a block 24 secured to the end of a pultruded rod 25 which acts as the rear strut. The rod 25 can flex to some extent and can also rotate within a needle bearing 26 provided in a rear mounting plate 27. The rotational ability of the part 21B and the rod 25, together with the ability to bend of the rod 25, allows the blade 23 to flex as desired. As shown the two mounting plates 20 and 27 could be joined at 28 to form a single mounting.

The blade 15 or 23 is ideally constructed from fibre reinforced plastics material. Preferably this will incorporate unidirectional glass fibre, which could be laid up on a mandrel of the required radius . The blade 4 of the skate of Figure 1 cam also be formed from fibre reinforced plastics material and in that instance the whole of the skate can be formed as a single moulding from the material .

The steel strip 5 defining the ice-bearing surface is illustrated in more detail in Figures 6 and 7. Thus it will be seen that the strip 5 has mounting portions 9 embedded in the blade 4 (of unidirectional fibres embedded in resin) . The lower face of the strip 5 is concave at 10 so as to form two ice contact edges 11. In order to aid in the flexing of the steel strip 5, this strip may be split into sections 29 (Figure 7) , which reduces the resistance to flexing. As an alternative the steel strip may be made up from a series of adjacent small units which are abutted to one another. Flexing of the blade 4 or 15 will then cause the individual units of the strip 5 to move relative to one another to allow for this flexing. The alternative form of ice skate shown in Figures 3 and 4 again has a pair of mounting plates 12 and a pair of struts 13 and 14 with a blade 15 mounted between these struts. In this instance the mounting struts 13 and 14 are essentially rigid but one end of the blade 15 is slidably mounted in a recess 16 in the front strut 13. A spring 17 biases the blade 15 outwardly so that it is firmly held between the two struts 13 and 14. Again the blade 15 is flexible and is of bowed shape and incorporates an ice- bearing steel strip 5. The blade 15 is able to flex sideways into a curved state when the skater is negotiating a bend and during such movement the spring 17 will take up any change in length. Also the application of a vertical force onto the skate by the skater will tend to flatten the blade 15. These movements will tend to ensure that the blade 15 is in contact with the ice along substantially the whole of its length during any skating manoeuvre . Movement of the blade 15 relative to the fixed support struts 13 and 14 is enabled by the sliding of the end of the blade 15 within the recess 16. A recess and spring could be provided in the other strut 14 or both struts 13 and 14. During assembly one of the mounting plates 12 is slid into a mounting sleeve 19 and iβ fixed there in the desired position. In the design of ice skate shown in Figure 5, a forward mounting plate 20 has a depending support strut 21 of split form, with an internal pivot pin 22, allowing the lower part 2IB to rotate with respect to the upper part 21A. A blade In the example shown in Figure 8 a blade 30 is supported by a pair of support struts 31, 32 which are in turn fitted to a skating boot 33 by rivets 34. A plate 35 projecting from the blade 30 is connected at each end by a pivot 36 to a further plate 37 which is attached to the respective strut 31 or 32 by a sturdy resilient pad 38. Fingers 39 on the plate 37 and the strut lock into the pad 38. When the blade 30 flexes longitudinal movement can be taken up by the pivot 36 and by distortion of the pads 38. Sideways flexing of the blade 30 is also allowed by distortion of the pads 38.

A strengthening rib 40 is connected between the struts 31, 32 by screws 41. The rib 40, struts 31, 32, plates 35 and 37 and the blade 30 (except for a metal ice-bearing edge member 42) can all be moulded from plastics materials.

Claims

1. An ice skate comprising a support member, a pair of struts depending at their one ends from the support member and a robust yet resilient blade mounted between the other ends of the struts, and having a lower ice-bearing surface curving up at the each end towards the struts to define a bow shape, the struts and their interconnection to the blade being such as to allow the blade to flex so as to increase the ice contact along the length of the blade and flex into a curved state out of direct alignment with the two struts when a sideways force is applied to the blade.

2. An ice skate according to Claim 1, wherein the blade is formed as a body from a moulded synthetic material, with the ice-bearing surface being formed as a steel strip which is set into the moulded body.

3. An ice skate according to Claim 2, wherein the moulded body is formed from a fibre reinforced plastics material.

4. An ice skate according to Claim 2 or Claim 3 , wherein the steel strip is split partially at a selection of positions along its length.

5. An ice skate according to Claim 2 or 3, wherein the steel strip is formed from a series of adjacent units.

6. An ice skate according to any one of Claims 1 to 5, wherein the blade and the struts are formed from a single body, but the struts are able to distort to allow the blade to flex.

7. .hn ice skate according to any one of Claims 1 to 5, wherein at least one end of the blade is slidably mounted in a recess in a strut and biassing means is provided to hold the blade firmly between the two struts.

8. An ice skate according to any one of Claims 1 to 5, wherein one or both ends of the blade are linked to the struts by a respective resilient connecting member.

9. An ice skate according to Claim 8 , wherein each connecting member links to the blade by a pivot.

10. An ice skate of a form substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.