U.S. patent application number 16/267654 was filed with the patent office on 2019-06-06 for ice skate attachment.
The applicant listed for this patent is ROLLERGARD, LLC. Invention is credited to DAVID J. MAYER.
Application Number | 20190168101 16/267654 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 51787279 |
Filed Date | 2019-06-06 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20190168101 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
MAYER; DAVID J. |
June 6, 2019 |
ICE SKATE ATTACHMENT
Abstract
An ice skate attachment assembly for converting a single runner
blade ice skate into as multiple runner blade ice skate is
provided. The assembly includes a skate guard having a bottom
surface and including a channel for receiving and supporting the
single runner blade of the ice skate. The assembly further includes
at least two multi-runner blades secured with the skate guard and
being laterally spaced from one another on either lateral side of
the skate guard with each of the multi-runner blades extending
below the bottom surface of the skate guard to an ice-engaging
edge.
Inventors: |
MAYER; DAVID J.; (ST.
CHARLES, MI) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
ROLLERGARD, LLC |
St. Charles |
MI |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
51787279 |
Appl. No.: |
16/267654 |
Filed: |
February 5, 2019 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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14262265 |
Apr 25, 2014 |
10195515 |
|
|
16267654 |
|
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|
|
61816000 |
Apr 25, 2013 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63C 2203/06 20130101;
A63C 1/36 20130101; A63C 1/303 20130101; Y10T 29/49895 20150115;
A63C 3/12 20130101 |
International
Class: |
A63C 3/12 20060101
A63C003/12; A63C 1/30 20060101 A63C001/30; A63C 1/36 20060101
A63C001/36 |
Claims
1. A method of reversibly converting a single runner blade ice
skate into a multiple runner blade ice skate, comprising the steps
of: preparing an ice skate having a boot and a single runner blade
joined with said boot via a support frame; preparing an ice skate
attachment assembly including a skate guard and at least two
multi-runner blades secured on opposite lateral sides of the skate
guard, the skate guard including a longitudinally extending
channel; and guiding the single runner blade of the ice skate into
the channel of the skate guard.
2. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the skate guard
further includes an elastic retention strap and further including
the step of securing the elastic retention strap with a support
frame of the ice skate.
3. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the ice skate
attachment assembly includes a pair of multi-runner blades.
4. The method as set forth in claim 3 wherein the multi-runner
blades are spaced from the opposite lateral sides of the skate
guard.
5. A method of detachably mounting a pair of multi-runner blades
onto a skate guard for a single runner blade ice skate, comprising
the steps of: preparing a skate guard having a bottom surface, a
top surface with a longitudinally extending channel, and at least
two openings spaced longitudinally from one another; positioning at
least two multi-runner blades on opposite lateral sides of the
skate guard so that at least two longitudinally spaced apertures on
each of the multi-runner blades align with the at least two
openings in the skate guard and so that a bottom ice-engaging edge
of each multi-runner blade is spaced vertically below the bottom
surface of the skate guard; and inserting fasteners through the
aligned ones of the apertures in the multi-runner blades and
openings in the skate guard to detachably secure the multi-runner
blades with the skate guard on either lateral side of the skate
guard.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This U.S. Divisional Patent Application claims the benefit
of U.S. Utility patent application Ser. No. 14/262265, filed Apr.
25, 2014 and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/816,000,
filed Apr. 25, 2013, the disclosures of which are incorporated
herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates generally to attachments for
ice skates and to ice skating training devices.
2. Related Art
[0003] Traditional hockey and figure ice skates include a boot and
a single runner blade runner which is affixed to a bottom surface
of the boot via a support frame. People who are just learning to
ice skate often have difficulty using such traditional ice skates
because they have difficulty stabilizing themselves on an ice
surface. Accordingly, some ice skating manufacturers produce and
sell beginner ice skates which have a pair of laterally spaced
apart runner blades for improving the stabilization of the novice
ice skater. However, such beginner ice skates are undesirable since
they are an added expense and are soon outgrown as the person
learning to skate reaches a stage of proficiency where the double
runner blades are no longer needed. Once this occurs, the person or
his or her parents, is faced with having to purchase a traditional,
single-runner blade set of skates at an added cost.
[0004] It is also common for skaters to utilize some type of skate
guard to cover and protect their runner blades when not in use or
when wearing the skates on any surface other than ice. Such skate
guards are typically made of rubber or plastic materials and have a
general elongate channel shape which enables the user to slip the
guards over the runner blades such that a lower edge of each runner
blade is captured in the channel of the guard. A strap of some sort
is typically wrapped about the support frame of the skate to secure
the blade guard on the skate.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION AND ADVANTAGES
[0005] An aspect of the present invention provides for an ice skate
attachment assembly or converting a single runner blade ice skate
into a multiple runner blade ice skate. The assembly includes a
skate guard having a bottom surface and including a channel for
receiving and supporting the single runner blade of the ice skate.
The assembly further includes at least two multi-runner blades
which are secured with the skate guard and are spaced laterally
from one another on either lateral side of the skate guard with
each multi-runner blade extending below the bottom surface of the
skate guard to an ice engaging edge.
[0006] The ice skate attachment assembly is advantageous because it
allows a novice ice skater to learn to skate on ice skates with
multiple runner blades, which may be more stable than single runner
blade ice skates, at a minimum cost. As such, the benefit of
multiple runner blades is provided to the user with less waste and
cost than purchasing a pair of multi-runner ice skates at full cost
and then discarding them soon after he or she has reached a level
of proficiency where he or she is able to skate effectively on
single runner blade ice skates.
[0007] According to a further aspect of the present invention, the
multi-runner blades are detachably joined with the skate guard.
This feature is further advantageous because once the user reaches
a level of proficiency where he or she is able to skate on the
single runner blades of his or her ice skates, he or she may detach
the multi-runner blades from the skate guard and use the skate
guard in the manner of a traditional skate guard.
[0008] Another aspect of the present invention provides for an ice
skate attachment kit for converting a single runner ice skate into
a multiple runner blade ice skate. The kit includes at least two
multi-runner blades, each of which has an ice-engaging edge and
mounting hardware for detachably connecting the multi-runner blades
with a skate guard on opposite lateral sides of the skate guard.
The kit may include the skate guard for convenience, or the skate
guard may be excluded to allow a user to use convert his or her own
skate guard.
[0009] Yet another aspect of the present invention provides for a
method of converting a single runner blade ice skate into a
multiple runner blade ice skate. The method includes the step of
preparing an ice skate having a boot and a single runner blade
joined with the boot via a support frame. The method continues with
the step of preparing an ice skate assembly including a skate guard
with a longitudinally extending channel and at least two
multi-runner blades secured on opposite lateral sides of the skate
guard. The method proceeds with the step of guiding the single
runner blade of the ice skate into the channel of the skate guard.
This process is quick and can be accomplished with little effort
and without any special tools.
[0010] Still another aspect of the present invention is a method of
detachably mounting a pair of multi-runner blades onto a skate
guard for a single runner blade ice skate. The method includes the
step of preparing a skate guard having a bottom surface, a top
surface with a longitudinally extending channel and at least two
openings spaced longitudinally from one another. The method
proceeds with the step of positioning at least two multi-runner
blades on opposite lateral sides of the skate guard so that at
least two longitudinally spaced apertures on each of the
multi-runner blades align with the openings in the skate guard and
so that a bottom ice-engaging edge of each multi-runner blade is
spaced vertically below the bottom surface of the skate guard. The
method proceeds with the step of inserting fasteners through the
aligned ones of the apertures in the multi-runner blades and
openings in the skate guard to detachably secure the multi-runner
blades with the skate guard on either lateral side of the skate
guard.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] These and other features and advantages of the present
invention will be readily appreciated, as the same becomes better
understood by reference to the following detailed description when
considered in connection with the accompanying drawings
wherein:
[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a single runner blade ice
skate;
[0013] FIG. 2 is a side view showing a skate guard secured with a
single runner blade ice skate;
[0014] FIG. 3 is an exploded view of an exemplary embodiment of an
ice skate attachment assembly;
[0015] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the ice skate attachment
assembly of FIG. 3 in an assembled state;
[0016] FIG. 5 is another perspective view of the ice skate
attachment assembly of FIG. 3 in an assembled state and taken from
a different viewpoint from FIGS. 4; and
[0017] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a single runner
blade from the ice skate of FIG. 1 installed in the ice skate
attachment assembly of FIG. 3.
DESCRIPTION OF THE ENABLING EMBODIMENT
[0018] Referring to the drawings, wherein like numerals indicate
corresponding parts throughout the several views, an ice skate
attachment assembly 20 constructed according to an exemplary
embodiment is shown in FIGS. 3-6. The ice skate attachment assembly
20 is configured to be quickly and releasably engaged with
traditional, single runner blade ice skate 22 (either a figure
skate or an ice skate 22) in the usual manner of a skate guard 24
but further includes a pair of multi-runner blades 26 which serve
to convert the traditional ice skate 22 into a multi-runner ice
skate. Once a user has advanced to the point where he or she is
proficient enough to skate on a single runner blade 28, he or she
may simply remove the ice skate attachment assembly 20 to utilize
the now-exposed single runner blade 28 of the ice skate 22. As
such, a person who is just learning to skate can purchase a
standard pair of traditional ice skates 22 and easily, and
temporarily, convert those traditional ice skates 22 into a set of
multi-runner blade ice skates. The ice skate attachment assembly 20
is further adaptable so that the multi-runner blades 26 can be
selectively removed so that the user may utilize the skate guard 24
in the manner of a traditional skate guard 24 to protect the single
runner blade 28 from damage while walking on a non-ice surface. The
ice skate attachment assembly 20 may be configured for use with
both hockey skates, such as the ice skate 22 shown in FIG. 1, or
with figure skates (not shown).
[0019] Referring now to FIG. 3, the ice skate attachment assembly
20 may be packaged in a kit including a skate guard 24, at least
two multi-runner blades 26 and mounting hardware for joining the
multi-runner blades 26 with the skate guard 24. Alternately, the
kit could only include the multi-runner blades 26 and the mounting
hardware, thereby allowing a user to choose his or her own skate
guard.
[0020] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the skate guard 24 extends
longitudinally from a curved front or toe region to a back or heel
region and has a top, a pair of lateral sides 30 and a bottom
surface 32. The top surface presents a channel 34 which extends
along the length of the skate guard 24 for receiving the single
runner blade 28 of the traditional ice skate 22. The skate guard 24
further includes an elastic retention strap 36 which is secured to
the oppositely facing lateral sides 30 at the heel region for
elastically engaging around a back end of a support frame 38 of the
ice skate 22 to secure the skate guard 24 with the ice skate 22.
The skate guard 24 further includes a plurality of openings 40
which extend between the opposite lateral sides 30 and are
longitudinally spaced from one another along the length of the
skate guard 24. In the exemplary embodiment, each of the openings
40 is counterbored, or recessed, at each of the lateral sides 30.
As shown, in the exemplary embodiment, a plurality of the openings
40 are open at the bottom of the skate guard 24.
[0021] Referring back to FIGS. 3-6, the multi-runner blades 26 are
separate pieces from one another and may be fabricated of any
suitable material including, for example, stainless steel, steel,
steel alloys, aluminum, aluminum alloys, plastics or ceramics. The
multi-runner blades 26 may be cut or stamped from a flat stock of
material. Each multi-runner blade 26 has a generally flat bottom
ice-engaging edge 42, which may be ground flat or may be hollow
ground depending on what type of edge 42 is desired. The
multi-runner blades 26 preferably have a thickness in the range of
1/8'' to 3/16''.
[0022] Each of the multi-runner blades 26 has a plurality of
apertures 44 which are spaced longitudinally from one another by a
predetermined distance which corresponds with the distance between
two of the openings 40 in the skate guard 24 for aligning with
corresponding ones of the openings 40 in the skate guard 24.
[0023] The mounting hardware of the exemplary ice skate attachment
assembly 20 includes a set of bushings 46, or spacers, which are
sized to be received in the counterbores of the openings 40 in the
skate guard 24, and a plurality of fasteners 48. When inserted into
the counterbores of the openings 40, the bushings 46 project or
stand out from the lateral sides 30 of the skate guard 24 and
provide a flat, firm surface for mounting the multi-runner blades
26. In the exemplary embodiment, the bushings 46 are generally
cylindrical in shape. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, the fasteners 48
extend through aligned ones of the apertures 44 on the multi-runner
blades 26 and the openings 40 on the skate guard 24 and also
through the bushings 46 to removably secure the multi-runner blades
26 with the skate guard 24. In the exemplary embodiment, the
fasteners 48 include sets of screw and threaded cap (or nut)
combinations wherein tools, such as Allen wrenches can be inserted
into the heads of the screw and cap to tighten the multi-runner
blades 26 into position on either lateral side 30 of the skate
guard 24. One or more center bushings may additionally be provided
between the skate guard 24 and the multi-runner blades 26 to allow
for increased support of the multi-runner blades 26.
[0024] Referring now to FIG. 6, once mounted, the multi-runner
blades 26 extend vertically below the bottom surface 32 of the
skate guard 24 in spaced and parallel relationship with one
another. Also, the multi-runner blades 26 are spaced from the
lateral sides 30 of the skate guard 24 due to the presence of the
bushings 46. The distance between the bottom surface 32 of the
skate guard 24 and the ice-engaging edges 42 of the runner blades
26, 28 may be, for example, approximately 3/8''. The fasteners 48
shown are held in the opening 40 of the skate guard 24 despite the
open bottom of the opening 40 because the opening extends through
greater than 180.degree. of curvature and therefore supports both
the tops and the bottoms of the fasteners 48 and of the bushings
46.
[0025] Another aspect of the present invention is a method or
process of mounting at least two multi-runner blades 26 onto a
skate guard 24. To install the multi-runner blades 26 onto the
skate guard 24, one simply arranges the bushings 46 into the
counterbores of the openings 40 on the lateral sides 30 of the
skate guard 24 and positions the multi-runner blades 26 such that
the apertures 44 on the multi-runner blades 26 are aligned with the
openings 40 on the skate guard 24 and the bushings 46. The
fasteners 48 are then inserted through the aligned apertures 44,
bushings 46 and openings 40 to secure the multi-runner blades 26
with the skate guard 24.
[0026] Another aspect of the present invention is a method or
process of installing the ice skate attachment assembly 20 or the
modified skate guard 24 onto a single runner blade ice skate 22,
thereby converting the single runner blade ice skate 22 into a
multi-runner blade 26 ice skate 22. To install the ice skate
attachment assembly 20 onto the ice skate 22, a user first guides
the single runner blade 28 of the ice skate 22 into the channel 34
on the top of the skate guard 24 such that the toe of the support
frame 38 (or the blade of a figure skate) is cupped at the front.
Next, the user extends the retention strap 36 of the skate guard 24
about the back part of the support frame 38 to resiliently secure
the skate guard 24 with the ice skate 22.
[0027] Once the user is proficient at skating and no longer needs
the assistance of the multi-runner blades 26, the skate guard 24
can be readily converted back to a skate guard 24 by simply
removing the multi-runner blades 26 in the reverse manner of
installation as described above.
[0028] Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present
invention are possible in light of the above teachings and may be
practiced otherwise than as specifically described while within the
scope of the appended claims.
* * * * *