Abstract:
The inventive skate consists of an upper that is designed to accept the foot of the user. Other portions of the upper are preferably constructed using a semi-rigid material, such as fiberglass, nylon, plastic, etc. These semi-rigid portions of the upper decrease the flexibility of the upper in certain sections, thus increasing performance. The inventive skate also includes a blade chassis. The chassis includes a lower portion that is adapted to hold the skate&#39;s blade and an upper portion that is adapted to cover a portion of the upper. The inventive skate is configured so that the center of gravity of the skater is disposed generally centrally along the length of the skate chassis. This skate configuration is generally referred to as neutral pitch.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 61/710192, entitled “Goalie Skate,” filed Oct. 5, 2012. 
     
    
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention is in the field of a skate for ice or roller skating. More particularly, the present invention relates to a skate for use by a hockey goalie. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    In hockey, goalies do not typically skate for great distances during the course of a game. Instead, goalies typically stay stationary during a hockey game. Therefore, a goalie&#39;s skate typically has negative angle at the ankle area and then the blade is flat so the heel is not raised. This causes the goalie to lean forward into the laced area of the skate causing “lace bite.” Further, goalies are often required to make certain athletic moves that are not typical for other hockey players. Therefore, there exists a need for a hockey skate specifically designed to accommodate athletic moves typically undertaken by goalies. The inventor has solved these problems by developing a unique hockey skate that accommodates athletic moves typically undertaken by goalies. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    The inventive skate consists of an upper that is designed to accept the foot of the user. This upper is preferably partially constructed of soft materials, such as leather or canvas, in areas that contact the top side of the user&#39;s foot and ankle. These soft portions of the upper allow the skate to be adjusted to the particular shape of the user&#39;s foot using fasteners such as laces, buckles, straps, etc. Other portions of the upper are preferably constructed using a semi-rigid material, such as fiberglass, nylon, plastic, etc. These semi-rigid portions of the upper decrease the flexibility of the upper in certain sections, thus increasing performance. The semi-rigid portions of the upper provide increased protection for the user from injury due to contact by pucks, sticks, and other equipment. The upper is also fitted with a rigid sole plate that lies underneath the foot of the user when the skate is in use. This rigid sole is designed to increase the longitudinal rigidity of the skate and facilitate the connection between the upper and the blade chassis. 
         [0005]    The inventive skate also includes a blade chassis. The chassis includes a lower portion that is adapted to hold the skate&#39;s blade and an upper portion that is adapted to cover a portion of the upper. The chassis is preferably constructed of a rigid material such as glass packed nylon. The inventive skate is configured so that the center of gravity of the skater is disposed generally centrally along the length of the skate chassis. This skate configuration is generally referred to as neutral pitch. The inventive skate is designed with a neutral pitch to accommodate the goalie&#39;s stance that is typically more upright than other hockey position players. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0006]    Various other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein: 
           [0007]      FIG. 1  is an instep view of the inventive skate. 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is an instep view of the upper of the inventive skate. 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is a view of the stiffening plates of the inventive skate. 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is a top view of the top of the inventive skate. 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  is a top view insole of the inventive skate. 
           [0012]      FIG. 6  is an instep view of the chassis of the inventive skate. 
           [0013]      FIG. 7  is a side view of the blade of the inventive skate. 
           [0014]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the chassis of the inventive skate. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
       [0015]    The following description is presented to enable any person skilled in the art to make and/or use the invention. For purposes of explanation, specific nomenclature is set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. Descriptions of specific embodiments or applications are provided only as examples. Various modifications to the embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown, but is to be accorded the widest possible scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein. 
         [0016]      FIG. 1  shows the instep of the assembled goalie skate. As depicted in  FIG. 1 , the Applicant&#39;s invention consists of an upper  1 , a chassis  2 , and a blade  3 .  FIG. 2  shows one component of the goalie skate assembly, the upper  1 . The upper  1  can be made of any material suitable for constructing a skate. These materials may include canvass, leather, plastic felt, nylon, and synthetic materials. Ridged plastic pieces  4  may be used to prevent injury to the user in areas that are likely to be hit by a puck while the skate is in use. These areas may include the toe box  5  of the upper  1 . Pliable materials such as canvass, leather, nylon, synthetics, etc. may be used to form the portions of the upper  1  that form to the user&#39;s foot such as the ankle  6  and mid-step portions  7 . 
         [0017]    The upper  1  may include a mechanism to form the upper to the user&#39;s foot  8 , such as eyelets  10  and laces  9 . However, any known tightening mechanism could be utilized such as buckles, straps, hook and loop fasteners, ratchets, etc. The mechanism to form the upper to the user&#39;s foot  8  may be located above the user&#39;s forefoot and in front of the user&#39;s ankle. However, the mechanism could be placed in other locations in the upper suitable for forming the upper to the user&#39;s foot. 
         [0018]    The mechanism to form the upper to the user&#39;s foot  8  may also be used to help shape the ankle portion of the upper  6 . The ankle portion of the upper  6  is angled forward from 90 degrees. This puts the foot in a more natural skating position reducing the need to lean into the laces  9 . Such an embodiment increases circulation to the foot so that it does not become numb or cold. The mechanism to form the upper to the user&#39;s foot  8  may be fashioned into the upper  1  so that the goalie&#39;s ankle is positioned at a 65 degree to 90 degree angle to the user&#39;s foot. This may be accomplished by positioning the eyelets  10  for the laces  9  at an angel between 75 and 85 degrees from the foot. 
         [0019]    Goalies are often required to extend their toe to provide increased coverage of the net while engaged in the game of hockey. To facilitate this movement a soft insert  11  may be placed at the top rear portion of the upper  1  to cushion the user&#39;s Achilles tendon should the user lean backwardly. Any material pliable enough to accommodate the extension of the goalie&#39;s toe such as cloth, rubber, spandex, nylon, neoprene, or other synthetic could be used to create this insert. 
         [0020]    A multiple piece stiffening plate  12  may be added to the ankle portion  6  of the upper  1 . The stiffening plate  12  holds the user&#39;s foot down in to the skate for better control, and connects the instep and outstep of the skate together to provide support for the user&#39;s ankle. The stiffening plate  12  provides lateral strength in the upper  1  that allows the user to exert pressure on the skate blade, thus improving the performance of the skate. The stiffening plate  12  also increases the durability of the skate.  FIG. 3  shows the stiffening plate  12  component of the skate assembly. The stiffening plate  12  can be constructed of any semi-ridged material, rigid material, or other material that is stretch resistant and suitable for use in skates. Varying the properties of the material serves to provide different levels of stiffness to the skate. The stiffening plate  12  may be constructed from a semi-rigid carbon fiber or aramid fiber. The stiffening plate  12  extends from the bottom of the user&#39;s heel and extends upwardly toward the user&#39;s ankle. The lower piece  13  of the plate  12  cups the user&#39;s heel and extends along the user&#39;s instep and outstep. A mid-piece  14  of the plate  12  extends underneath the inside and outside portions of the user&#39;s ankle. The upper piece  15  of the plate  12  extends to the inside and outside of the foot and extends over the top of the ankle bone location. 
         [0021]    Any means for attaching the upper  1  portion&#39;s constituent parts that is sufficiently durable to withstand the rigors of skating can be used to assemble the upper  1 . The means for attaching the upper&#39;s constituent parts may be a combination of stitching  16  and adhesives. Other embodiments that do not require connection such as a single or multiple piece moldable thermo plastic exterior are also possible.  FIG. 4  is a top view of the upper  1 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , various types of padding  17  may be added to the interior of the upper to enhance the fit and comfort of the skate. Heat moldable foam padding may be added to the interior of the skate to allow users to customize the fit of the skate to their foot after purchase. 
         [0022]    After the constituent parts of the upper  1  are assembled, the periphery of the upper  18  is attached to the upper sole  19 . The upper sole  19  is generally shaped to lie underneath the user&#39;s foot when the skate is in use. The upper sole  19  can be fashioned from any material that facilitates its connection with the upper. The upper sole  19  may be constructed of fiber board. The periphery of the upper  18  is wrapped over the upper sole  19  and attached to the upper sole  19 . This attachment may be accomplished by any means suitable for attaching the upper  1  to the upper sole  19  including stitching, adhesive, and mechanical attachment. This attachment may be done with staples  20 . 
         [0023]    The upper  1  is then attached to a sole plate  21  constructed of a rigid material, such as plastic, metal, fiberglass, or carbon fiber. The sole plate  21  may be constructed from carbon fiber that provides an advantageous rigid support structure. The sole plate  21  is generally shaped in the same manner as the upper sole  19 , to lie underneath the user&#39;s foot when the skate is in use. The sole plate  21  may be attached to the upper  1  using any form of attachment that is sufficient to maintain the integrity of the connection such as stitching, gluing, or mechanical attachment with hardware. The sole plate  21  may be connected to the upper using adhesives. An independent foot bed  22  may be placed into the upper  1  for added comfort.  FIG. 5  depicts a foot bed  22  that may be placed in the upper. When a foot bed  22  is utilized, it is placed so that it lies between the upper sole  19  and the user&#39;s foot. Additionally, the foot bed  22  may conceal the connection between the upper sole  19  and the upper  1  making the inside of the skate more esthetically pleasing. 
         [0024]    Referring now to  FIG. 6 , a chassis  2  is depicted. The chassis  2  is the portion of the skate located between the blade  3  and the upper  1 . The chassis  2  can be made of any material that is strong enough to withstand the pressure that is exerted by the user upon the skate blade while the skate is in use. These materials may include, metal, plastic, glass packed nylon, synthetic materials, or a combination thereof. 
         [0025]    The chassis  2  includes a lower portion  23  that is configured to attach to the top portion of the blade  24 . This lower portion  23  may be configured with a channel  25  that is sized to receive the top portion of the blade  24 . The top portion of the blade  24  may be secured in the channel  25  mechanically or with adhesives. The top portion of the blade  24  may be configured with tabs  26 , some of which may receive bolts  28 ,  30  and  31  to attach the top portion of the blade  24  to the chassis  2 . The position of the attachment bolts  28 ,  30  and  31  holding the top portion of the blade  24  into the chassis  2  is designed to make the blade  3  changeable so blades of different height, angle, thickness, or profile can be used. The blade  3  may be flat or rounded. If a rounded blade  3  is employed, the high spot can be located in different areas of the blade  3  to change the balance point for the user. A first bolt  28  may be positioned near the toe  29  of the skate. A second bolt  30  may be positioned under the ball of the foot. The location of the two front bolts  28  and  30  may be relatively close together to reduce twisting in the front of the blade when force is applied to the ice by the user. A third bolt  31  may be positioned under the heel portion  32  of the skate. 
         [0026]    Additional blade tabs  26  may extend into the front and rear support members  36  and  38  of the lower portion  23  of chassis  2  to increase the strength of the connection between the top portion of the blade  24  and lower portion  23  of chassis  2  and reduce twisting of the blade  3  while the skate is in use. Portions of the rear of the blade  34  that do not incur as much torque while in use may be reduced in height to reduce the weight of the skate and increase the skate&#39;s esthetic appeal. The blade  3  is designed with two areas  34  where the steel is cut away as depicted in  FIGS. 1 and 7 . The depth of these cut away areas  34  varies depending on the style of blade  3  utilized. For example, taller blades may accommodate larger cut away areas  34  that create a greater reduction in weight. 
         [0027]    The lower portion  23  of chassis  2  may also be configured with a plurality of support members  36  and  38  that extend from the channel  25  to the sole platform  35 . The sole platform  35  is configured to facilitate the connection of the chassis  2  and the sole plate  21 . Near the toe  29  of the skate, the front support members  36  may be positioned to facilitate the attachment of laces from the goalie&#39;s foot pad to the chassis  2 . To this end, the front support members  36  may be positioned to form a triangle pointing downwardly from toe  29  of the skate. The front triangular shaped opening  37  improves leg pad attachment to the toe  29  of the skate. 
         [0028]    In the rear of the skate, the support members  38  may be positioned to facilitate the attachment of strapping from the goalie&#39;s leg pads to the chassis  2 . To this end, the rear support members  38  may be positioned to form a triangle pointing upwardly towards the heel portion  32  of the skate. This rear triangular shaped opening  39  allows the strap on the rear of the goalie&#39;s leg pad to make full surface contact with the rear support members  38  and enhances the connection between the goalie&#39;s leg pad and the skate. 
         [0029]    The upper portions of the chassis  2  comprise the sole platform  35  and the cowling  40 . The cowling  40  is the upper portion of the chassis  2  that extends above the sole plate  21  of the upper  1 . The attachment between the sole plate  21  of the upper  1  and the sole platform  35  of the chassis  2  may be made by any method sufficient to ensure the integrity of the attachment while the skate is in use such as bolts, screws, rivets, stitching, adhesive, etc. In one embodiment, bolts  41  are inserted through holes  42  in the sole platform  35  and the sole plate  21  and are connected to flat nuts  43  placed under the foot bed  22  in the interior of the upper  1 . The sole platform  35  may be constructed in various shapes that accommodate the support of the upper  1 . Auxiliary features, such as drainage holes  44 , may be added to the sole platform  35 , or other parts of the chassis  2  to enhance both the look and function of the skate. 
         [0030]    The cowling  40  can take various shapes, but is generally configured to protect the portions of the goalie&#39;s foot and ankle that are most likely to be struck by the puck or other objects. These include the interior portions of the ankle and the goalie&#39;s instep because these areas become exposed when the goalie stretches out his/her leg to deflect a shot. The cowling  40  may also extend over the toe  29  and heel  32  portions of the skate. In the forward instep portion of the cowling  40 , a rest platform  45  may be added. This portion of the cowling  40  covers the inner portion of the user&#39;s big toe and is the area that first contacts the ice when the goaltender is leaning inward. This rest platform  45  eliminates the sharply angled connection between the sole platform  35  and the cowling  40  in this portion of the chassis  2  by cutting a bevel  46  into the junction of the sole platform  35  and the cowling  40 . The bevel  46  of the rest platform  45  may be cut at a 45 degree angle although other acute angles could be used. This allows the goaltender to get much lower to the ice and achieve a steeper skate angle while maintaining blade  3  contact with the ice. This enhances the goalie&#39;s ability to push and move laterally for added performance. The rest platform  45  also creates a surface to where the goaltender can easily balance and hold position using less body strength.