U.S. patent application number 15/234494 was filed with the patent office on 2018-02-15 for skate with tendon guard.
The applicant listed for this patent is Sport Maska Inc.. Invention is credited to Manuel BERGERON PIETTE, Alexis FAUCHER, Georges-Emmanuel HARVEY, Alexandre HUNEAU.
Application Number | 20180043233 15/234494 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 61160756 |
Filed Date | 2018-02-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20180043233 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
HARVEY; Georges-Emmanuel ;
et al. |
February 15, 2018 |
SKATE WITH TENDON GUARD
Abstract
A skate boot having a tendon guard partially delimiting an
opening of the skate boot. The tendon guard includes a lower
member, a connecting member extending upwardly from the lower
member, an upper member extending upwardly from the connecting
member and an intermediate part. The upper member is abuttable
against a rear bottom portion of a leg of the user. The upper
member is resiliently displaceable relative to the lower member in
a forward and a rearward direction. The intermediate part
interconnects the upper and lower members and may encase the
connecting member. The intermediate part is made of a material
having one or both of a greater flexibility and a lower hardness
than that of the lower member, the connecting member and the upper
member. A method of manufacturing a skate is also discussed.
Inventors: |
HARVEY; Georges-Emmanuel;
(Laval, CA) ; BERGERON PIETTE; Manuel; (Montreal,
CA) ; HUNEAU; Alexandre; (Fabreville, CA) ;
FAUCHER; Alexis; (Laval, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Sport Maska Inc. |
Montreal |
|
CA |
|
|
Family ID: |
61160756 |
Appl. No.: |
15/234494 |
Filed: |
August 11, 2016 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63C 3/00 20130101; A43B
5/1691 20130101; A63C 1/42 20130101 |
International
Class: |
A63C 3/00 20060101
A63C003/00; A43B 5/16 20060101 A43B005/16; A63C 1/42 20060101
A63C001/42 |
Claims
1. A skate boot, comprising: a tendon guard partially delimiting an
opening of the skate boot for receiving therein a foot of a user,
the tendon guard having: a lower member surrounding a rear portion
of the opening of the skate boot; a connecting member extending
upwardly from and connected to the lower member; an upper member
extending upwardly from and connected to the connecting member, the
upper member being abuttable against a rear bottom portion of a leg
of the user, the upper member being resiliently displaceable
relative to the lower member about the connecting member in a
forward and a rearward direction; and an intermediate part
interconnecting the upper and lower members and encasing the
connecting member, the intermediate part made of a material having
one or both of a greater flexibility and a lower hardness than that
of the lower member, the connecting member and the upper
member.
2. The skate boot as defined in claim 1, wherein the connecting
member has a plurality of grooves therein.
3. The skate boot as defined in claim 2, wherein each groove
extends transversely to a height of the skate boot.
4. The skate boot as defined in claim 1, wherein the intermediate
part occupies a portion of the tendon guard extending between the
upper and lower members and around the connecting member, the
portion being free a material of the lower member, the connecting
member and the upper member.
5. The skate boot as defined in claim 1, wherein the lower member
is fixedly attached to the skate boot.
6. The skate boot as defined in claim 1, wherein the intermediate
part at least partially delimits an upper extremity of the skate
surrounding the opening.
7. The skate boot as defined in claim 1, wherein the lower member,
the connecting member and the upper member are made of plastic and
the material of the intermediate part is an elastomeric
material.
8. The skate boot as defined in claim 1, wherein the lower member,
the connecting member and the upper member are made of a same
material.
9. The skate boot as defined in claim 1, wherein the lower member,
the connecting member, the upper member and the intermediate part
are integral with one another.
10. A tendon guard for a skate boot, comprising: a body made of a
first material and having a lower member, a connecting member
extending upwardly from and connected to the lower member, and an
upper member extending upwardly from and connected to the
connecting member, the upper member being abuttable against a rear
bottom portion of a leg of the user, the upper member being
resiliently displaceable relative to the lower member in a forward
and a rearward direction about the connecting member; and an
intermediate part made of a second material interconnecting the
upper and lower members and encasing the connecting member, the
intermediate part occupying a portion of the tendon guard extending
between the upper and lower members and around the connecting
member, the second material being more flexible than the first
material.
11. The tendon guard as defined in claim 10, wherein the connecting
member has a plurality of grooves therein, each groove extending
transversely to a height of the skate boot.
12. The tendon guard as defined in claim 10, the portion of the
tendon guard extending between the upper and lower members and
around the connecting member is free of the first material.
13. The tendon guard as defined in claim 10, wherein the first
material is a plastic material and the second material is an
elastomeric material.
14. The tendon guard as defined in claim 10, wherein the body and
the intermediate part are integral with one another.
15. A skate boot, comprising: a tendon guard partially delimiting
an opening of the skate boot for receiving therein a foot of a
user, the tendon guard having: a lower member surrounding a rear
portion of the opening of the skate boot; a connecting member
having upwardly extending first and second side edges, the
connecting member extending upwardly from and connected to the
lower member; an upper member extending upwardly from and connected
to the connecting member, the upper member being abuttable against
a rear bottom portion of a leg of the user, the upper member being
resiliently displaceable relative to the lower member in a forward
and a rearward direction about the connecting member; and an
intermediate part interconnecting the upper and lower members, the
intermediate part occupying a first portion of the tendon guard
extending between the upper and lower members and the first side
edge of the connecting member, and a second portion of the tendon
guard extending between the upper and lower members and the second
side edge of the connecting member, the intermediate part made of a
material having one or both of a greater flexibility and a lower
hardness than that of the lower member, the connecting member and
the upper member.
16. The skate boot as defined in claim 15, wherein the material of
the intermediate part encases the connecting member.
17. The skate boot as defined in claim 15, wherein the connecting
member has a plurality of grooves therein.
18. The skate boot as defined in claim 16, wherein each groove
extends transversely to a height of the skate boot.
19. The skate boot as defined in claim 15, wherein the lower
member, the connecting member and the upper member are made of a
same material, and the first and second portions are free of the
material of lower member, the connecting member and the upper
member.
20. The skate boot as defined in claim 19, wherein the material of
the lower member, the connecting member and the upper member is a
plastic material and the material of the intermediate part material
is an elastomeric material.
21. A method of manufacturing a skate, comprising: manufacturing a
tendon guard, including: forming a body of the tendon guard from a
first material, the body having a lower member, a connecting member
extending upwardly from and connected to the lower member, and an
upper member extending upwardly from and connected to the
connecting member, the upper member being resiliently displaceable
relative to the lower member in a forward and a rearward direction
about the connecting member; interconnecting the upper and lower
members with an intermediate part of the tendon guard made of a
second material, the second material having one or both of a
greater flexibility and a lower hardness than the first material;
and assembling the tendon guard with a skate boot of the skate.
22. The method as defined in claim 21, wherein interconnecting the
upper and lower members includes encasing the connecting member in
the second material.
23. The method as defined in claim 21, wherein interconnecting the
upper and lower members includes molding the second material over
the connecting member and over at least part of each of the upper
and lower members.
24. The method as defined in claim 21, further comprising forming
at least one of the body and the intermediate part by plastic
injection.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The application relates generally to skates and, more
particularly, to boots for such skates.
BACKGROUND OF THE ART
[0002] Skate boots, and in particular ice hockey skate boots, have
generally become more rigid over time in order to provide the
necessary support for the players. Skate boots must usually provide
at least some ankle support and protection for the Achilles tendon,
while nevertheless allowing a certain degree of flexion to
accommodate the dorsiflexion and plantar flexion of the ankle
joint.
[0003] Although some conventional skate boots provide some amount
of flexibility, they may still be too rigid for some players. It is
understood that a skate boot that is too rigid can negatively
impact the performance of the player using the skate boot.
SUMMARY
[0004] In one aspect, there is provided a skate boot, comprising: a
tendon guard partially delimiting an opening of the skate boot for
receiving therein a foot of a user, the tendon guard having: a
lower member surrounding a rear portion of the opening of the skate
boot; a connecting member extending upwardly from and connected to
the lower member; an upper member extending upwardly from and
connected to the connecting member, the upper member being
abuttable against a rear bottom portion of a leg of the user, the
upper member being resiliently displaceable relative to the lower
member about the connecting member in a forward and a rearward
direction; and an intermediate part interconnecting the upper and
lower members and encasing the connecting member, the intermediate
part made of a material having one or both of a greater flexibility
and a lower hardness than that of the lower member, the connecting
member and the upper member.
[0005] In another aspect, there is provided a tendon guard for a
skate boot, comprising: a body made of a first material and having
a lower member, a connecting member extending upwardly from and
connected to the lower member, and an upper member extending
upwardly from and connected to the connecting member, the upper
member being abuttable against a rear bottom portion of a leg of
the user, the upper member being resiliently displaceable relative
to the lower member in a forward and a rearward direction about the
connecting member; and an intermediate part made of a second
material interconnecting the upper and lower members and encasing
the connecting member, the intermediate part occupying a portion of
the tendon guard extending between the upper and lower members and
around the connecting member, the second material being more
flexible than the first material.
[0006] In further aspect, there is provided a skate boot,
comprising: a tendon guard partially delimiting an opening of the
skate boot for receiving therein a foot of a user, the tendon guard
having: a lower member surrounding a rear portion of the opening of
the skate boot; a connecting member having upwardly extending first
and second side edges, the connecting member extending upwardly
from and connected to the lower member; an upper member extending
upwardly from and connected to the connecting member, the upper
member being abuttable against a rear bottom portion of a leg of
the user, the upper member being resiliently displaceable relative
to the lower member in a forward and a rearward direction about the
connecting member; and an intermediate part interconnecting the
upper and lower members, the intermediate part occupying a first
portion of the tendon guard extending between the upper and lower
members and the first side edge of the connecting member, and a
second portion of the tendon guard extending between the upper and
lower members and the second side edge of the connecting member,
the intermediate part made of a material having one or both of a
greater flexibility and a lower hardness than that of the lower
member, the connecting member and the upper member.
[0007] In a further aspect, there is provided a method of
manufacturing a skate, comprising: manufacturing a tendon guard,
including: forming a body of the tendon guard from a first
material, the body having a lower member, a connecting member
extending upwardly from and connected to the lower member, and an
upper member extending upwardly from and connected to the
connecting member, the upper member being resiliently displaceable
relative to the lower member in a forward and a rearward direction
about the connecting member; interconnecting the upper and lower
members with an intermediate part of the tendon guard made of a
second material, the second material having one or both of a
greater flexibility and a lower hardness than the first material;
and assembling the tendon guard with a skate boot of the skate.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] Reference is now made to the accompanying figures in
which:
[0009] FIG. 1 is a schematic tridimensional view of a skate having
a skate boot with a tendon guard, according to an embodiment of the
present disclosure;
[0010] FIG. 2A is a schematic tridimensional view of the tendon
guard of FIG. 1;
[0011] FIG. 2B is a schematic exploded view of the tendon guard of
FIG. 2A; and
[0012] FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of the tendon guard of FIG.
1, an upper member of the tendon guard being shown in multiple
positions.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0013] FIG. 1 illustrates a skate 10. The skate 10 includes a skate
boot 11, to which is attached a blade assembly 12. The blade
assembly 12 includes a blade holder portion 13 fixed to the bottom
of an outsole 14 of the skate boot 11, and a metal blade 15
retained within the blade holder portion 13. Although the skate 10
is depicted as a hockey ice skate, the present invention could
equally apply to other types of skates, such as for example, a
roller hockey skate, a recreational ice skate or a recreational
in-line roller skate.
[0014] The outsole 14 generally defines the bottom portion of the
skate boot 11, to which are connected a toe cap 16 surrounding the
toes, two quarters 17 (only one of which is shown, given that only
one side of the skate 10 is visible) covering the sides of the foot
and wrapped around the ankle for improved support thereof, and a
rear element 18 covering a rear portion of the foot. A tongue 19
extends from the toe cap 16 to cover the instep. Other
configurations for the skate 10 are possible, and the configuration
of the skate 10 and/or the skate boot 11 is not limited to the
depicted embodiment.
[0015] The rear element 18 includes a portion covering and
protecting the Achilles tendon, which interconnects the two
quarters 17 at the rear of the foot. This portion, referred to
herein as a tendon guard 20, is flexible enough to follow the
motions of the ankle, while also being stiff enough to protect the
Achilles tendon from impacts.
[0016] In the depicted embodiment, the tendon guard 20 extends
around some of the periphery of an upper portion of the skate boot
11, and delimits at least partially an opening 20A in the upper
portion of the skate boot 11 through which the foot of the user is
inserted into the skate boot 11. The opening 20A is thus defined
between the tendon guard 20 and the tongue 19.
[0017] FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate the tendon guard 20, including a
body 21 and an interconnecting part 22. Although the body 21 and
intermediate part 22 of the tendon guard 20 are depicted as being
separate from one another in the exploded view of FIG. 2B, in a
particular embodiment the body 21 and intermediate part 22 of the
tendon guard 20 are connected together such that it forms a single
body. More particularly, the components of the tendon guard 20
described below can be integral with one another such that the
tendon guard 20 forms one-piece object whose components cannot be
separated cleanly without causing damage to the individual
components. The integrality of the tendon guard 20 may be achieved,
for example, during its manufacturing. In an alternate embodiment,
the body 21 and intermediate part 22 may be removably and/or
adjustably connected to one another, so as to allow selective
replacement of the body 21 and intermediate part 22, and/or
adjustment of their relative position.
[0018] The body 21 of the tendon guard 20 forms the bulk of the
tendon guard 20 in the depicted embodiment, and provides protection
to a rear bottom portion of the leg of the user adjacent to her/his
Achilles tendon. The body 21 has a lower member 23 is attached to
both quarters 17 of the skate boot 11, for example through
stitching and/or adhesive, to partially or completely surround the
opening 20A in the skate boot 11. In the depicted embodiment, the
lower member 23 includes a series of eyelets 23A defined
therethrough in proximity to the tongue 19, which are configured to
overlap and be aligned with eyelets defined through the quarters
17, or be complementary to the quarter 17 to define the top eyelets
of the boot 11 with the quarters 17 defining only the remaining
eyelets extending under the eyelets 23A defined by the lower member
23. Alternately, the lower member 23 can define the entire row of
eyelets of the boot 11 (whether on its own or by overlapping a
portion of the quarters 17 in which the eyelets are also defined),
and define for example the complete facing of the boot. In a
particular embodiment, the lower member 23 is fixedly attached to
the skate boot 11 such that it remains fixed in place. This
anchoring of the lower member 23 may contribute to the resilient
and flexible displacement of other portions of the tendon guard
20.
[0019] The body 21 also includes an upper member 24. The upper
member 24 is substantially upright, such that it extends above the
opening 20A when the tendon guard 20 forms part of the skate boot
11. When the foot of the user is inserted into the skate boot 11,
the upper member 24 is in close proximity to, or may abut against,
a bottom rear portion of the leg of the user. Stated differently,
the upper member 24 is disposed adjacent to the Achilles tendon,
thereby providing protection for the Achilles tendon. The upper
member 24 can thus take any form suitable for such functionality.
In the depicted embodiment, for example, the upper member 24 is
sufficiently wide to shield the Achilles tendon from directly
behind the foot, and slightly along the side.
[0020] The lower and upper members 23, 24 are connected together
via a connecting member 25. The connecting member 25 bridges the
space between the lower and upper members 23, 24. In the depicted
embodiment, lower member 23, upper member 24 and connecting member
25 are made of the same material. A portion 25A of the tendon guard
20 is free of this material and is instead made of a more flexible
material; this portion 25A is defined between the upper and lower
members 23, 24 and around the connecting member 25. In the depicted
embodiment, the portion 25A is shown as a first portion 25B and a
second portion 25C (see FIG. 2B). The first portion 25B extends
between the lower and upper members 23, 24 and a first side edge
25D of the connecting member 25. The second portion 25C extends
between the lower and upper members 23, 24 and a second side edge
25E of the connecting member 25. The first and second side edges
25D, 25E of the connecting member 25 extend substantially upwardly
from the lower member 23.
[0021] The portion 25A facilitates the resilient displacement of
the upper member 24 because the relatively rigid material of the
upper member 24 only extends to the lower member 23 via the
relatively narrow connecting member 25. The absence of the
relatively rigid material in the portion 25A improves the
flexibility of the upper member 24 and its ability to flex or bend
relative to the lower member 23.
[0022] In the depicted embodiment, a width W.sub.CON of the
connecting member 25 is less than the width of both the lower and
upper members 23, 24. The connecting member 25 thus forms a
relatively narrow connection or bridge between the lower and upper
members 23, 24. The comparatively small width W.sub.CON of the
connecting member 25 contributes to the flexibility of the upper
member 24. The width W.sub.CON of the connecting member 25 can be
any suitable value to achieve such functionality, and to still
provide protection to the Achilles tendon because the connecting
member 25 remains substantially aligned with the Achilles tendon
when the skate boot 11 is worn by the user.
[0023] In the depicted embodiment, the connecting member 25 defines
a joint 26 where it is connected with both the lower and upper
members 23, 24. At least the joint 26 defined between the
connecting member 25 and the lower member 23 is flexible, and is
designated as flexible joint 26A. The flexible joint 26A can
contribute to the relative and resilient displacement of the
connecting member 25 and the lower member 23. In the depicted
embodiment, the connecting member 25 and the upper member 24 joined
thereto are displaceable relative to the lower member 23 such that
the upper member 24 is displaceable relative to the lower member 24
in a forward and a rearward direction about the flexible joint
26A.
[0024] The displacement of the upper member 24 relative to the
lower member 23 is caused when the upper member 24 is flexed by a
foot or an ankle of the user. This can occur, for example, when the
user flexes her/his foot rearward in the skate boot 11, a movement
known as dorsiflexion, and thus abuts against the upper member 24
causing it to displace in the rearward direction. The displacement
of the upper member 24 is resilient, such that the upper member 24
will displace in the forward direction back to a default resting
position once the foot is no longer abutting thereagainst. The
flexible joint 26A therefore assists the upper member 24 to follow
a given forward and rearward flexion of an ankle of the user. It
will be appreciated that the "forward direction" is understood
herein as being in the direction of the toe cap 16 of the skate
boot 11, while the "rearward direction" is opposite to the forward
direction (i.e. away from the toe cap 16).
[0025] Accordingly, in the depicted embodiment, at least the upper
member 24 is able to pivot or flex about a fulcrum defined at the
flexible joint 26A, in a forward and rearward direction. The upper
member 24 thus acts like a lever arm, flexing backward about its
connection to the connecting member 25, when force is applied by
the user on the tendon guard 20.
[0026] The flexibility provided by the flexible joint 26A can be
achieved using different techniques, all of which are within the
scope of the present disclosure. One possible technique includes a
score line to define the flexible joint 26A between the connecting
member 25 and the lower member 24. Another possible technique
includes thinning the material of the connecting member 25 at the
flexible joint 26A. Although the flexible joint 26A is described
herein as being defined between the connecting member 25 and the
lower member 23, it will be appreciated that the flexible joint 26A
can be defined at any location along the connecting member 25, for
example at the joint 26 between the connecting member 25 and the
upper member 24.
[0027] The connecting member 25 can itself be made flexible so that
the flexible joint 26A is defined in, or by, the connecting member
25, in order to promote the resilient displacement of the upper
member 24. Referring to FIG. 2B, the connecting member 25 has one
or more grooves 27. The presence of one or more grooves 27 reduces
the thickness of the connecting member 25 at the location of the
groove 27 which reduces the inherent stiffness of the connecting
member 25 at that location, and promotes the flexibility of the
connecting member 25. In the depicted embodiment, each groove 27
extends transversely or substantially transversely to a height of
the skate boot 11. The orientation of the grooves 27 is thus
parallel to an axis about which the upper member 24 flexes or
pivots. The transverse orientation of the grooves 27 therefore
contributes to the flexibility of the connecting member 25. It can
thus be appreciated that the number, spacing, and depth of the
grooves 27, to name but a few factors, can be varied to obtain the
desired flexibility of the connecting member 25, and thus of the
upper member 24 joined thereto.
[0028] Still referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B, the intermediate part 22
of the tendon guard 20 interconnects the lower and upper members
23, 24. In the depicted embodiment, the intermediate part 22 is a
singular body that fills the portion 25A between lower and upper
members 23, 24, and provides most of the interconnection between
the lower and upper members 23, 24. In FIG. 2A, the connecting
member 25 is encased or enclosed within the material of the
intermediate part 22, which ensures continuity between the lower
and upper members 23, 24. By encasing the connecting member 25, the
intermediate part 22 also hides the connecting member 25 from view,
and improves the aesthetics of the tendon guard 20. The connecting
member 25 can be encased within the intermediate part 22 during the
manufacture of the tendon guard 20. In other embodiments, the
connecting member 25 may not be encased within the intermediate
part 22, or only partially encased within the intermediate part
22.
[0029] The material of the intermediate part 22 is has a greater
flexibility and/or has a lower hardness than the material of the
body 21. The greater flexibility and/or lower hardness of the
intermediate part 22 contribute to the resilient displacement of
the upper member 24 relative to the lower member 23. In the
depicted embodiment, the material of the body 21 is a relatively
rigid plastic or composite and the material of the intermediate
part 22 is a more flexible elastomeric material such as rubber or
another plastic. In FIG. 2A, the connecting member 25 thus forms a
connection between the lower and upper members 23, 24 that is
enclosed within a more flexible material. The combination of the
more rigid material in the lower and upper members 23, 24 and the
more flexible material of the intermediate part 22 extending
therebetween provides protection to the Achilles tendon, while also
contributing to the resilient displacement of the upper member 24
relative to the lower member 23. It will be appreciated that the
materials of the body 21 and intermediate part 22 having different
flexibility and/or hardness from one another can be different
materials, or the same type of material (e.g. same plastic with
different hardness, different plastic resin grades, same resin but
different number/type/material of fibers contained therein, same
resin with and without fibers). Each of the body 21 and
intermediate part 22 can be made from a combination of different
materials.
[0030] Referring to FIG. 1, the intermediate part 22 is shown as
delimiting some of an upper extremity of the skate boot 11
surrounding the opening 20A. In the depicted embodiment, the
material of the intermediate part 22 forms a rim 28 that encircles
at least part of the opening 20A in the skate boot 11.
[0031] FIG. 3 shows the resilient displacement of the tendon guard
20 in response to flexion about the ankle of the user. Under
dorsiflexion, when a rearward pressure is applied by the foot
against the upper member 24 and/or connecting member 25, the upper
and connecting members 24, 25 are resiliently displaced about the
flexible joint 26A in rearward direction D1. In the depicted
embodiment, the lower member 23 is fixedly attached to the skate
boot 11 such that it does not displace in response to the movement
of the foot of the user. The extent of rearward resilient
displacement of the upper member 24 and/or the connecting member 25
can be varied as desired. For example, by selecting the desired
characteristics of the flexible joint 26A, the connecting member
25, and/or the materials of the body 21 and intermediate part 22,
the extent of rearward displacement can be as shown at 24', or even
further rearward at 24''. Once rearward pressure is no longer
applied, such as during plantar flexion, the upper member 24 and/or
the connecting member 25 resiliently displace along forward
direction D2 back to a default upright position.
[0032] In an alternate embodiment, the connecting member 25 is
omitted, so that the lower member 23 and the upper member 24 are
connected to each other only by the material of the intermediate
part 22. In this embodiment, the lower member 23 and the upper
member 24 can be made of different materials from one another
(which may have different hardness and/or flexibility from one
another) or of the same type material with different hardness
and/or flexibility in each member, with the materials of both
members having a lower hardness and/or greater flexibility than
that of the interconnecting intermediate part 22. Alternately, the
lower member 23 and the upper member 24 can be made of the same
material having a lower hardness and/or greater flexibility than
that of the intermediate part 22.
[0033] In a particular embodiment, and referring to FIGS. 2A and
2B, the skate 10 is manufactured in accordance with the following.
The body 21 of the tendon guard 20 is formed, including the lower
member 23, connecting member 25 and upper member 24. The body 21
and its components can be formed using any suitable technique. For
example, the body 21 may be formed using a plastic injection
process within a suitable mold.
[0034] The lower and upper members 23, 24 are then interconnected
the intermediate part 22 of the tendon guard 20 made of a material
more flexible than that of the body 21. The intermediate part 22
can be formed using any suitable technique. For example, the
intermediate part 22 may also be formed using a plastic injection
process within a suitable mold.
[0035] Interconnecting the lower and upper members 23, 24 together
may include encasing the connecting member 25 in the material of
the intermediate part 22. Interconnecting the lower and upper
members 23, 24 may also include molding the material of the
intermediate part 22 directly over the connecting member 25, and
over at least part of each one of the upper and lower members 23,
24. The interconnection of the lower and upper members 23, 24 with
the material of the intermediate part 22 can thus be achieved with
an over-molding process, whereby the intermediate part 22 is
pressure molded over at least some of the body 21. Other methods
can alternately be used to form the connection; for example, the
body 21 and the intermediate part 22 may be molded separately with
complementary elements configured to form a mechanical lock when
assembled, and then engaged together through the mechanical lock of
the complementary elements. Alternately, fasteners or any other
suitable type of attachment may be used to interconnect the body 21
and the intermediate part 22.
[0036] The assembled tendon guard 20 is then connected to the skate
boot of the skate. The assembly with the skate boot can be achieved
using various processes including, but not limited to, gluing,
stitching, bounding, fusing, clipping, riveting, screwing, and
mechanical locking.
[0037] In light of the preceding, it can be appreciated that the
skate 10 disclosed herein includes a tendon guard 20 which is
structural so as to provide protection to the Achilles tendon of
the user, while also having flexibility in a desired area of the
boot 11.
[0038] In a particular embodiment, the tendon guard 20 disclosed
herein therefore allows for improved range of motion at the rear of
the skate 10. During dorsiflexion, the tendon guard 20 allows the
skate 10 to accommodate the backward flexion of the foot without
lifting the skate 10 off of the playing surface. The flexibility of
the tendon guard 20 therefore allows the player to keep the skate
10 in contact with the playing surface for a longer period of time,
thus maximising the power transfer of each stride.
[0039] The above description is meant to be exemplary only, and one
skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made to the
embodiments described without departing from the scope of the
invention disclosed. Modifications which fall within the scope of
the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art,
in light of a review of this disclosure, and such modifications are
intended to fall within the appended claims.
* * * * *