Hybrid skate boot

A skate includes a boot for receiving a wearer's foot and ankle therein, boot having a boot upper fixed to an outsole. The boot upper includes a vamp for covering a front portion of the foot, first and second quarters connected to the vamp for covering sides of the foot, an instep portion connected to the vamp and quarters for at least partly covering a top portion of the foot, and a rear portion connected to the quarters for covering a rear portion of the foot and ankle. At least the instep portion and part of the rear portion are made of a first material, and the first and second quarters are made of a different, second material. The second material is more rigid than the first material.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to skates, such as ice skates or in-line roller skate for example, and more particularly to the boots of such skates.

BACKGROUND ART

Skate boots, and in particular ice hockey skate boots, have generally become more and more rigid through time in order to provide the necessary support for the players. Skate boots must usually provide at least some ankle support, while nevertheless allowing a certain degree of flexion to accommodate the dorsiflexion and plantar flexion of the ankle joint.

As such, a number of skate boot configurations have been designed in an attempt to provide both sufficient flexibility and support for the ankle. Such attempted configurations have included rigid skate boots having more flexible foam quarter panels, rigid boots with a flexible member surrounding the ankle, boots with a rigid tendon guard and more flexible quarters, etc. However, most of these designs either do not provide the desired flexibility or support, or are relatively complex, thus expensive, to produce.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

It is therefore an aim of the present invention to provide an improved skate boot. Therefore, in accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a skate comprising a boot for receiving a wearer's foot and ankle therein, the boot having a boot upper fixed to an outsole, the boot upper including: a vamp for covering a front portion of the foot; first and second quarters connected to the vamp for respectively covering at least first and second sides of the foot; an instep portion connected to the vamp and quarters for at least partly covering a top portion of the foot; a rear portion connected to the quarters for covering a rear portion of the foot and ankle; at least the instep portion and part of the rear portion being made of a first material; and the first and second quarters being made of a second material more rigid than the first material.

There is also provided, in accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a skate boot comprising: an outsole; a toe cap disposed at a forward end of the outsole; and an upper extending from the outsole and connected to the toe cap to surround a foot received in the skate boot, the upper including a quarter on each side of the skate boot, each said quarter being made of a first material that is more rigid than a second material of which a remainder of the upper is composed.

There is further provided, in accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a method of making a skate boot upper, comprising: integrally molding a boot portion from a first material, the boot portion including at least an instep portion and a tendon guard; manufacturing two quarters of a second material more rigid than the first material; and assembling the boot portion and the two quarters.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PARTICULAR EMBODIMENTS

Referring now toFIG. 1, a skate according to a particular embodiment of the present invention is generally shown at10. The skate10includes a boot12, to which is attached a blade assembly14. Although the skate10is depicted as an ice skate, it is to be understood that the present invention as described herein can equally apply to other types of skates, such as for example an in-line roller skate.

The boot12of the skate10generally includes an outsole16to which is connected the blade assembly14, a toe cap18extending from the outsole16to surround and protect the toes, a tongue20extending from the toe cap18to cover the instep of the foot, and an upper22connected to the toe cap18and the outsole16to surround and protect the remainder of the foot and ankle.

The upper22of the boot12includes a vamp24connected to the toe cap18, two quarters26(only one of which is shown inFIG. 1) each covering a respective side of the foot and ankle, an instep portion28at least partly covering the tongue20, and a rear portion30extending from the outsole16to cover the rear of the foot and ankle.

Each quarter26extends upwardly from the outsole16and has an approximate “L” shape, defined by a bottom section32covering a side of the foot and a top section34extending from the bottom section32at the rear thereof to cover a side of the ankle. The bottom section32includes a forward finger portion36that extends forwardly therefrom, spaced apart from the outsole16.

The vamp24includes inner and outer sections38(only one of which is shown) for respectively covering a front part of an inner and outer side of the foot. Each vamp section38extends upwardly from the outsole16and extends in a fore-aft direction between the bottom section32of the respective quarter26and the toe cap18. As such, each vamp section38includes a rear finger portion40that extends rearwardly therefrom along the outsole16, and which is complementary to the finger portion36of the respective quarter26which is disposed thereabove.

The instep portion28includes two sections42(only one of which is shown) extending upwardly from the respective quarter26and vamp section38. Each section42of the instep portion28defines along the top thereof a tongue edge44extending over the tongue20. Each section42of the instep portion28also includes a series of eyelets46defined therethrough and which are adjacent the tongue edge44and disposed along a substantial part of the length thereof. The two sections42of the instep portion28are interconnected by a lace48extending through the eyelets46, which when tightened draws the two sections42of the opposed instep portions28together, such as to fasten the skate boot12in place on the foot of the wearer.

The rear portion30of the boot12extends upwardly from the outsole16at the rear thereof. The rear portion30includes a tendon guard50covering the rear of the foot and ankle and interconnecting the two quarters26around the rear of the boot. The rear portion30also includes two lateral sections52(only one of which is shown) extending frontwardly from the tendon guard50on a respective side of the foot up to the respective section42of the instep portion28, and from the respective quarter26to the top line54around the opening56of the skate boot12.

The skate boot12also includes an optional heel support58which extends from, and in at least one embodiment is integrally formed with, the outsole16at the rear thereof to cover a bottom portion of the tendon guard50for improved support to the heel.

Referring now to the quarters26of the boot12in more detail, the quarters26are preferably made of a material that is more rigid than at least that of the tendon guard50and the instep portion28, and preferably also more rigid that that of the entire remainder of the upper22(i.e. the vamp24, instep portion28and rear portion30). The quarters26of the boot are thus made of a different material than a majority of the remainder of the boot. The relatively more rigid quarters26on either side of the skate boot therefore provide protection to the sides of the wearer's foot, as well as provide structure to the boot, the remainder of which is made of a softer and/or more flexible material which allows for improved movement of the ankle and foot. As such, both good support and protection is provided to the side of the ankle and foot, while allowing for a comfortable and flexible boot12facilitating the flexing motion of the ankle.

In a particular embodiment, the vamp24, instep portion28and rear portion30are all integrally molded in a single piece, and the quarters26are attached thereto by a suitable fastening means. In one embodiment, the quarters26are attached to this single piece by stitching, as schematically illustrated by the stitch lines60inFIG. 1. Alternate methods to attach the quarters26to the remainder of the upper22are however also possible, and include adhesive and lamination for example. In the present embodiment, the upper22is thus formed of only three separate elements (i.e. the two quarters26and the single piece including the vamp24, instep portion28and rear portion30) which are easily assembled together, providing a relatively simple manufacturing process.

In a particular embodiment, the quarters26overlap the remainder of the upper22only along edges thereof sufficient to allow the connection therebetween, as shown inFIG. 3. In an alternate embodiment, however, the quarters26completely overlap the remainder of the upper22, i.e. the upper22includes a layer of flexible material beneath the overlaid quarters26, to which the quarters26are connected as shown inFIG. 2.

The vamp24, instep portion28and rear portion30are preferably made of a material having sufficient flexibility for a comfortable fit, an adequate abrasion resistant surface finish, and which can be easily formed to the desired shape. In one particular embodiment, the vamp24, instep portion28and rear portion30are all made of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), optionally covered (e.g. laminated) with a layer of polyurethane to provide an improved surface finish.

The quarters26are preferably made of a material having sufficient rigidity for providing proper support, an adequate abrasion resistant surface finish, and which can be easily formed to the desired shape. In one particular embodiment, the quarters26include a plurality of laminated layers, which include layers of at least one of expanded polypropylene (EPP) and poly(ethylene-co-methacrylic acid) (EMAA), also known as Surlyn®. The layers also optionally include one or more layers of mesh or filament, preferably made of a plastic such as nylon, for improved rigidity.

In an alternate embodiment, the quarters26can be made of a single layer of an adequate material, such as for example EPP or Surlyn®.

In a particular embodiment, the heel support58is integrally formed (such as by molding for example) with the outsole16to form a single integral piece, and the heel support58and outsole16are made of a rigid composite material, such as for example a material including carbon fiber. Such a construction provides improved support for the heel, particularly in tight turns, and provides for an improved energy transmission to the ice while skating.

In another embodiment, the toe cap18may also be integrally formed with the outsole16, in the same manner as the heel support58, such as to form a single integral piece composed of the same material (such as a carbon fiber based material as noted above). Further, both the heel support58and the top cap18can be both integrally formed with the outsole16, such as to form a single integral piece to which the rest of the boot12is attached.

The embodiments of the invention described above are intended to be exemplary. Those skilled in the art will therefore appreciate that the foregoing description is illustrative only, and that various alternate configurations and modifications can be devised without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the boot configuration of the present invention could be applied to types of boots other than skate boots. Accordingly, the present invention is intended to embrace all such alternate configurations, modifications and variances which fall within the scope of the appended claims.