Skate Shoe Guard

Abstract

An external guard for a skate shoe such as an ice skate having means for securing a blade in spaced relation to the shoe having a sole, a toe, a heel, outside and instep sides and laces or other means for tightening the shoe onto a person's foot, the guard comprising a single-piece, molded plastic body having a portion adapted to enclose the toe, an integral side portion adapted to closely follow the contour of at least one of said sides and partially around the heel, the upper edge of the side portion being clear of the laces, the lower edge of the guard having an inwardly turned flange to be secured by an suitable means to the sole, a modification of the guard having a tab extending downwardly from the flange to block a portion of the space between the blade and the shoe sole.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to athletic protective devices, and more particularly to a device to protect hockey players from foot injury by a flying puck and the like.

Not too long ago, serious hockey activity was, for the most part, restricted to cold winter climates, as evidenced by the fact that almost all National Hockey League and most good other professional, semi-professional league and college hockey players came from Canada, only a few coming from northern states like Minnesota. This was because natural ice is available continuously for several months of the year. Hard natural ice in areas farther south is available only a relatively few days during the entire winter.

However, with the advent of artificial ice rinks, hockey ice is available nearly all year around, in municipal rinks and rinks operated as businesses for profit, often under the name of a professional star. As a result, participation in amateur hockey, on an organized basis, has experienced a tremendous upswing, particularly in the United States.

In addition to expansion of the National Hockey League and greater college participation, more and more high schools are adding hockey to their athletic program. Further, numerous well-organized hockey leagues are in operation for children of all ages. The fact is that many artificial rinks are in use all day and on into the late night and early morning, and there are waiting lists for league use.

Being a game of flying hard pucks, swinging hard sticks and steel skate blades, the probability of injury is considerable, including serious injury to the ankle or foot. Even professional hockey players, using the best lined or padded hockey skates available, suffer disabling foot and ankle injuries due to blows or penetration of the skate shoe. It is difficult to estimate how many such injuries are sustained in amateur hockey, where unlined or unpadded skates are common, but any such injury, particulary to children, should be avoided, if possible.

Another problem is that where an amateur goalie is not using special goalie skates, it is possible, as it sometimes does, for the puck to pass through the space between the skate shoe and the blade.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is directed to the elimination of foot and ankle injuries of the type referred to above, and, with a simple modification, converts any hockey skate into the equivalent of a goalie skate.

Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a device for preventing foot and ankle injuries to hockey players.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a device that may be purchased in the proper size at the same time that the skates are purchased or anytime.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a device that is inexpensive to manufacture, easy to attach or remove and durable in use.

Still another object of the invention is to provide such a device that does not detract from the appearance of the hockey or other skate and that does not limit or in any way interfere with the necessary freedoms of movement of the hockey player.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a device that is lightweight, but considerably more resistant to indentation or penetration than leather or other material from which skate shoes are made.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent by reference to the following specification and the appended drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the instep side of a left hockey skate, with a device embodying the invention applied thereto.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the device only, taken from the line 2--2 of FIG. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the device only, taken on the plane of line 3--3 of FIG. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 4 is another cross-sectional view of the device, taken on the plane of line 4--4 of FIG. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIGS. 5 (portions cut away), 6 and 7 are views similar to FIGS. 1 3 and 4, but illustrating a modification of the invention.

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 1, but illustrating another modification of the invention.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view, with portions thereof broken away, illustrating still other modifications of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are applied to like elements in the various views, and specifically to FIGS. 1-4, 10 is a hockey type skate shown in broken lines for purposes of illustrating application of the invention. The skate 10, which is not a goalie skate, as anyone will recognize, includes (a) the leather ankle-high shoe portion 12 formed to provide a sole 14, a toe 16, an instep 18 and a heel 20 and (b) the blade portion 22 formed to provide the blade 24 and the blade spacing and attaching members 24a, 24b and 24c.

The shoe is usually made of leather so as to be relatively soft and pliable and to substantially conform to the shape of the foot and ankle when the shoe laces 27 are properly tightened. Being relatively pliable and tightly fitted on the foot, the leather is subject to indentation upon receiving a sharp blow, and the force of the blow is transmitted directly to the foot, causing varying degrees of injury.

A degree of pliability in a skate shoe is necessary in order to allow certain freedom of movement in the ankle, but the pliability that allows the movement also allows the indentation and injury.

There is available an ankle support insert for hockey skates, but since it is fitted over the foot before insertion thereof into the skate, for side-to-side support to prevent weak ankle inward or, more frequently, outward, as opposed to the desired verticle, positioning of the blades, it is bulky and, to varying degrees, it interferes with proper tightening, freedom of movement and blood circulation in the foot.

As seen in FIGS. 1-4, the invention comprises a guard 26, preferably made from a tough and relatively hard, indentation and puncture-proof plastic material, molded to substantially conform to the shape of the shoe. The device should be moisture non-absorbent, resistant to cracking at freezing temperatures and thin-walled so as to be lightweight. Even though the invention can be practiced employing various materials, various successful embodiments of the invention have been made by using such materials as an acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer, polypropylene, and polycarbonate resin. The preferred material is LEXAN-500 which is a General Electric Corp. trademark for thermoplastic carbonate-linked polymers produced by reacting bisphenol A and phosgene. The characteristics of such LEXAN-500 are further described in a General Electric Corporation publication entitled LEXAN 500 and bearing a number CDC-532, 11-70 (5M).

As shown, the guard 26 has a toe portion 28 fitting over and protecting the toe 16 of the shoe, which, incidentally, is the first portion of a hockey skate to get defaced, often severely, by skate blades.

Extending rearwardly from the toe portion 28 is an integral side portion 30 terminating at the other end in a heel portion 32, the side 30 also having at the bottom thereof an instep portion 34.

Adjacent the toe 28 is an outwardly offset or bulging portion 36 to accommodate the portion of the shoe fitting the ball of the foot and the shoe construction at the toe 16.

At the bottom of the guard, all around the toe 28, along the instep 34 and back to the heel 32, is an inwardly extending lip or flange 38 which is of a size and shape so as not to interfere with the means (usually plates at the top of elements 24a, 24b and 24c riveted to the shoe sole 14) attaching the blade 22 to the shoe.

The guard 26 can, of course, be molded in any color, or combinations of colors, and finish, and in specific sizes and shapes to fit all makes of skates.

For use, the guard 26 is merely fitted on the skate 10, as shown in FIG. 1, and secured semi-permanently or permanently, as by stapling, moisture-proof cementing or otherwise suitably attaching the flange 38 to the portion of the sole 14 engaged thereby.

Since the shoe toe 16 is completely enclosed by the toe 28 of the guard 26 so as to anchor the guard in position and since the guard is attached along the length of the flange 38, no other attaching means is required. That is, the guard 26 is secured to rigid portions of the shoe so that freedom of movement is in no way affected. Also, since the guard 26 is on the outside of the shoe, it does not in any way adversely affect shoe fit. In fact, as far as the skater is concerned, he doesn't even know the guard is in place, except that he will not feel a blow from a flying puck to the extent he would if the guard were not there.

In FIGS. 5-7, strips 40 or any other desired form of material similar to pressure-sensative type weather stripping material are applied to the inner surface of the guard 26. Thus, when the guard 26 is fitted on the shoe, it will be spaced therefrom to provide additional protection.

In FIG. 8, the flange 38 is formed with an integral tab 42 of suitable size, shape and location to block the opening between the blade 22, the sole 14 and the members 24a and 24b, to prevent passage of the puck therethrough, and thereby converting the usual hockey skate to the equivalent of a goalie's skate, which is made to close such openings.

In FIGS. 1-7, the guard 26 covers and protects the toe and only the instep side of the skate. However, a hockey defenseman, in particular, would benefit from protection at the outside, rather than the instep side, of the skate.

FIG. 9 illustrates how the invention is adapted to alternatively protect either only the outside of the skate, or both sides of the skate. In FIG. 9, the guard 27 has, in addition to the toe 28 and the instep side 30, an integral outside portion 44, also having the flange 38 and terminating in a heel portion 32. Since the heel portions 32 of the sides 30 and 44 are not joined, the guard 26 is just as easily assembled on the shoe as the guard 26 having only the instep side 30. Means 48, may, however, be provided to connect the heel portions 32 for additional support.

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 9, the guard may be formed so as to have only the toe 28 and the outside portion 44, and with a tab 42, if desired, as would be the case if guard 27 were severed at the line 46.

It will be noted, in the preferred embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1, that the edge 47 is positioned so that it does not interfere with manipulation of the shoe laces 27.

A particular hockey player might, for example, desire one outside guard and one instep guard, or one one-sided guard and one two-sided guard.

While several preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, in such clear and concise terms as to enable one skilled in the art to practice the same, it will be apparent that certain modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

I claim:

1. A guard for external application to a skate shoe having a shoe toe, a shoe heel, an instep side shoe wall with an instep portion formed therein interconnecting said shoe toe and said shoe heel, an outer side shoe wall opposite to said instep side shoe wall interconnecting said shoe toe and said shoe heel, said side shoe walls extending upwardly to a height sufficient to generally embrace therebetween the ankle of a person wearing said skate shoe, a shoe sole portion interconnecting said shoe toe shoe heel and side shoe walls, said shoe sole being effective for securing thereto attachment means for mounting therebelow a skate blade in spaced relationship to said shoe sole, said guard comprising a guard toe portion of a size and configuration permitting the application of said guard toe portion over said shoe toe externally thereof, a guard heel portion shaped as to have general conformation to at least a portion of said shoe heel, said guard heel portion having an upwardly directed extension of a height which when applied exteriorly to said skate shoe overlays at least one side of said ankle of said person wearing said skate shoe, a generally longitudinally extending guard side wall portion integrally formed with and joining said guard heel portion and said guard toe portion, said guard side wall portion being effective to be placed in general juxtaposition to said instep side shoe wall when said guard toe portion is placed over said shoe toe and said guard heel portion is overlayed on said shoe heel, said extension and said guard side wall having an upper edge formed as to be devoid of any functionally operative connection with fastening means for securing the skate shoe to the foot of the person wearing said skate shoe, said guard toe portion having a depth for the reception therein of said shoe toe which depth is of a dimension preventing said guard toe portion from having any functionally operative connection with said fastening means, and laterally extending guard flange means formed at least at the lower portions of said guard toe portion and said guard heel portion, said flange means extending generally inwardly of said guard so as to be effective for operatively abutting against an underside of said shoe sole to thereby establish a relative vertical relationship and alignment with said skate shoe, said flange means being of a lateral width as to avoid interference with said attachment means for mounting said skate blade to said shoe sole.

2. A guard according to claim 1 wherein said guard toe portion comprises an upper disposed continuous cap-like portion effective for completely enclosing both side and the forwardmost portion of said shoe toe.

3. A guard according to claim 1 wherein said guard side wall portion comprises a generally inwardly directed indented portion having general conformity to said instep portion of said instep shoe side wall.

4. A guard according to claim 2 wherein said guard flange means comprises a flange portion formed at a lower end of said inwardly indented portion to thereby operatively abut against said underside of said shoe sole in the vicinity of said instep portion.

5. A guard according to claim 1 and further comprising cushioning means carried on an inner surface of said guard side wall portion and said guard heel portion, said cushioning means being effective for operatively abuttingly engaging said shoe heel and said instep shoe side wall to thereby maintain said guard heel portion and said guard side wall portion spaced from said shoe heel and said instep shoe side wall.

6. A guard according to claim 1 and further comprising a downwardly depending tab-like extension formed integrally with said guard side wall portion, said tab-like extension depending downwardly a distance sufficient to prevent the passage of a hockey puck between said underside of said shoe sole and said skate blade.

7. A guard according to claim 1 wherein said guard side wall portion is also provided with a generally laterally extending inwardly directed flange portion at a lower end thereof, and further comprising a downwardly depending wall-like extension formed integrally with said flange portion, said wall-like extension depending downwardly a distance sufficient to prevent the passage of a hockey puck between said underside of said shoe sole and said skate blade.

8. A guard according to claim 1 and further comprising a guard second heel portion and a generally longitudinally extending guard second side wall portion, said guard second side wall portion being integrally formed with said guard toe portion and said guard second heel portion and being situated as to be in general juxtaposition to said outer side shoe wall, said guard second heel portion and said guard second side wall portion respectively having general conformity to said shoe heel and said outer side shoe wall, said guard second heel portion also extending upwardly as to generally overlay the area of the ankle of the person wearing said shoe.