Abstract:
A skate boot is disclosed which comprises a foot element adapted to be mounted to a ground engaging skating implement and for receiving at least partially the foot of a skater, and an articulated cuff for encircling and supporting the ankle of a skater. The articulated cuff is partially inserted in the foot element and slidably coupled to the foot element to permit unrestrained limited pivotal motion of the articulated cuff relative to an axis coinciding approximately with the pivot axis of the skater&#39;s ankle.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to skate boot construction such as used in ice skates in general and more particularly for playing hockey, and for in-line roller skates. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Skate boots and particularly hockey skate boots have always been fairly rigid, especially in the ankle area. This rigidity provides a high performance skate, which properly support the ankle of the skater. Providing flexibility at the ankle area of the skate boot has always been achieved at the expense of support and performance. Some skate boots have been designed with cutouts at the level of the ankle, on each side of the boot where creases would normally develop. These cutouts effectively increase flexibility of the skate boot but reduce the ankle support and therefore the performance of the skate. Many of the design approaches for skate boots in the prior art have failed to appreciate the relationship of the dynamics of the foot in the skating motion, relative to the overall structure and operation of the skate boot. 
     Skaters generally want a certain amount of rigidity in the skates around the ankle so that proper support is provided. On the other hand, when the skater is breaking in a new pair of skates, the rigidity makes this break-in period more difficult. Thus it is desirable to provide such rigidity in a manner that still permits localized flexibility to make the skate more comfortable. Some skaters have been known to leave the upper eyelets of their skate boots untied in order to get the flexibility in the ankle area that they require for their style of skating or simply to increase the level of comfort of the skate boot. 
     Thus there is a need for a skate boot that provides flexibility and comfort at the ankle area, while a certain amount of rigidity in the skates around the ankle so that proper support is provided. 
     OBJECTS AND STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION 
     It is thus an object of the invention to provide a skate boot adapted to be flexible at the ankle area while providing good lateral support for the ankle of the skater. 
     It is another object of the invention to provide a skate boot that provides performance and flexibility without having to be “broken in” by the skater. 
     As embodied and broadly described herein, the invention provides a skate boot comprising a foot element adapted to be mounted to a ground engaging skating implement and for receiving at least partially the foot of a skater, and an articulated cuff for encircling and supporting the ankle of a skater. The articulated cuff is partially inserted in the foot element and slidably coupled to the foot element to permit unrestrained limited pivotal motion of the articulated cuff relative to an axis coinciding approximately with the pivot axis of the skater&#39;s ankle. 
     Advantageously, the skate boot comprises a belt like coupling for linking together the articulated cuff and the foot element. The foot element comprises a passageway on each side of the skater&#39;s ankle and the articulated cuff comprises belt like lateral extensions inserted in each passageway thereby slidably coupling the articulated cuff to the foot element. Preferably, the passageway is made of a lateral shoulder attached to each quarter of said foot element with a lower stitching line and an upper stitching line which define said passageway therebetween. The articulated cuff includes an ankle brace supporting the back and sides of the skater&#39;s ankle and a tendon guard extending upwardly from the ankle brace for supporting and protecting the lower rear portion of the skater&#39;s leg, the tendon guard further comprising a reinforcement member which itself comprises the belt like lateral extensions. 
     Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent by reference to the following description and the drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     A detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention is provided herein below, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings. Please note that there are three types of stippled lines in the drawings: the single dot lines refer to the stitching lines of the skate boot, the line-double dots lines refer to the internal parts of the skate boot, and the line-single dots lines refer to the accessory. In FIGS. 1 to  7   b , a blade is shown as an accessory whereas in FIG. 8 an in-line roller chassis is shown as an accessory. 
     FIG. 1 is a side elevational view illustrating a skate boot according to the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of skate boot showing in stippled lines the articulated cuff partially inserted in the foot element according to the invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken at line  3 — 3  of FIG. 2 showing the inside of a skate boot according to the invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the skate boot of FIG. 1 with the tongue of the skate boot partially cut out in order to better illustrate the internal parts of the skate boot according to the invention; 
     FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken at line  5 — 5  of FIG. 2 showing the connection of the articulated cuff with the foot element of the skate boot according to the invention; 
     FIG. 6 is rear elevational view of the skate boot of FIG. 1 showing in stippled lines the articulated cuff of the skate boot according to the invention; 
     FIG. 7 a  partial side elevational view of the skate boot according to the invention showing in stippled lines the articulated cuff at its rearmost position; 
     FIG. 7 b  partial side elevational view of the skate boot according to the invention showing in stippled lines the articulated cuff at its forwardmost position; and 
     FIG. 8 is side elevational view of the skate boot according to the invention having an in-line roller chassis as an accessory. 
    
    
     In the drawings, preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of examples. It is to be expressly understood that the description and drawings are only for the purpose of illustration and are an aid for understanding. They are not intended to be a definition of the limits of the invention. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIG. 1 illustrates a skate boot  20  according to the invention comprising a foot element  22 , an articulated cuff  24 , a tongue  26  and a skate blade  28  shown in stippled lines as an example of an accessory for skate boot  20 . Foot element  22  is adapted to enclose and support a skater&#39;s foot and comprises a toe cap  30 , quarters  32  and  34  on each side of foot element  22 , a reinforcement heel counter  36  stitched to both quarters  32  and  34 , and a lateral shoulder  38  extending around the back of the ankle from the front of quarter  32  all the way around to the front of quarter  34 . Lateral shoulder  38  is attached to quarter  32  with a first stitching line  40  on the lower side and a second looped stitching line  42  on the upper side. There are no stitching lines at the front and at the rear of lateral shoulder  38  leaving a front opening  41  and a rear opening  43 . Stitches  40  and  42  effectively connect lateral shoulder  38  to quarter  32  and  34  and create passageways  44  between quarter  32  and  34  and lateral shoulder  38  extending from front opening  41  to rear opening  43 . Foot element  22  also comprises lace eyelets  46  to tighten quarters  32  and  34  over the skater&#39;s foot. 
     Referring now to FIG. 2 where the portion of articulated cuff  24  which is inserted in foot element  22  is shown in stippled line (line-doubled dots-line), it can be seen that articulated cuff  24  extends almost to the bottom of foot element  22 . Articulated cuff  24  comprises an ankle brace  50  made of padded leather or other suitable material, which wraps around the back and sides of the skater&#39;s ankle and supports it. Ankle brace  50  extends above foot element  22  and is provided with lace eyelets  52  located at the frontal ankle area of skate boot  20 . At the rear, ankle brace  50  extends upwardly to provide the padding element for tendon guard  56 . Tendon guard  56  is made of the upward extension  49  of ankle brace  50  and a more rigid reinforcement member  58  sewn or otherwise attached to upward extension  49  of ankle brace  50 . Reinforcement member  58  is preferably made of a plastic material or nylon but may also be made of any semi-rigid material. Reinforcement member  58  supports the back of the skater&#39;s ankle more rigidly and features belt like lateral extensions  60  and  62 , one on each side of the skater&#39;s ankle which are inserted into passageways  44 . Lateral extension  60  is inserted onto rear opening  43 , exits front opening  41  and is sewn by a stitching line  45  to the front portion of ankle brace  50 . An eyelet  64  is provided at the forward end of lateral extension  60 , which is co-axial with the middle eyelet  52  of ankle brace  50 . It must be understood that lateral extension  62 , which is located on the inside of skate boot  20  and its construction are a mirror image of lateral extension  60 . A lace  54  is channeled though eyelets  46  and though eyelets  52  and  64  to close and tighten skate boot  20 . The belt like lateral extensions  60  and  62  inserted into each passageway  44  provide a means of coupling articulated cuff  24  to foot element  22 . This coupling means provides articulated cuff  24  with some degrees of freedom. Articulated cuff  24  is able to partially pivot or flex forward and backward relative to foot element  22  and also to partially rotate about a vertical axis coinciding approximately with the longitudinal axis of the skater&#39;s lower leg. Since the bottom portion of ankle brace  50  is not connected to foot element  22 , it is able to follow the movement of the skater&#39;s ankle while adequately supporting it. Articulated cuff  24  is adapted primarily to provide support to the skater&#39;s ankle and secondly to allows relative motion between articulated cuff  24  and foot element  22  so that in every position, the skater&#39;s ankle is properly supported yet it is not restricted in its motion. 
     FIG. 3, which is a cross-sectional view of skate boot  20  taken at line  3 — 3 , illustrates the interior of skate boot  20  and more specifically the lay out of articulated cuff  24 . Articulated cuff  24  is made of ankle brace  50  and upper extension  49 . Ankle brace  50  includes a pair of padded side flaps  66  and  68  each having a malleoli cushion  70  adapted to cushion and protect the malleolis of the skater. A narrow band  72  is sewn to the central portion of articulated cuff  24 , which is aligned with the skater&#39;s Achilles&#39; tendon when skate boot  20  is worn. Narrow band  72  is thinner than padded side flaps  66  and  68  providing added room for the back of the skater&#39;s ankle. The lower portion of ankle brace  50 , directly below band  72 , has an open space  74  adapted to provide slightly more room and freedom to the skater&#39;s heel. Each side flaps  66  and  68  extend down on each side of the skater&#39;s heel to provide support while the central portion of the skater&#39;s heel is left uncovered. As previously mentioned, ankle brace  50  has an upward extension  49  which forms the padded portion of tendon guard  56 . FIG. 3 shows the end portions of lateral extensions  60  and  62  exiting from openings  43 , which are sewn or otherwise attached to their respective side flaps  66  and  68 . Lateral extensions  60  and  62  inserted into passageways  44  maintain articulated cuff  24  connected to foot element  22  while providing some freedom of movement between them. 
     FIG. 4 provides a top plan view of skate boot  20  and illustrates how lateral extensions  60  and  62  are connected to each side flaps  66  and  68  at  75  and  76 . FIG. 4 also illustrates that tendon guard  56  is partially angled forward and is constructed of the combination of the upward extension  49  of ankle brace  50  and reinforcement member  58 . FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken at line  5 — 5  of FIG.  2  and specifically illustrates how belt like lateral extensions  60  and  62  of reinforcement member  58  are enclosed and guided by the walls of passageways  44 . Each lateral extension  60  and  62  is able to slide freely into each passageway  44 . The connections of eyelets  64  to middle eyelets  52  restrict the backward movement of each lateral extension  60  and  62  while the rear main portion of reinforcement member  58  restricted the forward movement of each lateral extension  60  and  62 . It should be noted that while articulated cuff  24  is adapted to move forward and backward as indicated by arrows  61 , it is also adapted to rotate partially. Lateral extension  60  may move forward while lateral extension  62  moves backward thereby allowing a partial rotational movement of articulated cuff  24 . The range of rotation of articulated cuff  24  is restricted by each sewing line  45 . The backward movement of lateral extension  62  is stopped by the connection of lateral extension  62  with side flaps  68  at eyelet  64 , and similarly, the backward movement of lateral extension  60  is stopped by the connection of lateral extension  60  with side flaps  66  at eyelet  64 . The rotational capability of articulated cuff  24  however limited provides an added degree of freedom to skate boot  20 . 
     FIG. 6 is a rear view of skate boot  20  illustrating the construction of tendon guard  56  and the insertion of lateral extensions  60  and  62  in their respective rear openings  43 . Tendon guard  56  is made of the upward extension  49  of ankle brace  50  to which is sewn reinforcement member  58 . Sewing line  80  connects reinforcement member  58  to ankle brace  50 . It must be noted that sewing line  80  only attaches the central portion of reinforcement member  58  to upward extension  49  of ankle brace  50  while each lateral extension  60  and  62  remains unattached. Lateral extensions  60  and  62  are therefore free to slide into passageways  44 . As can be seen in FIG. 6, Passageways  44  are defined by the upper sewing lines  42  and the lower sewing line  40  attaching lateral shoulder  38  to foot element  22 . 
     There are a variety of methods to assemble articulated cuff  24  with foot element  22 . One method is to insert ankle brace  50  into foot element  22  and each lateral extension  60  and  62  outside foot element  22 , and then sew lateral shoulder  38  to foot element  22  with stitching lines  40  and  42 , thereby enclosing lateral extensions  60  and  62 . Another method is to sew the bottom of lateral shoulder  38  with sewing line  40  leaving the upper side undone; the articulated cuff  24  is the inserted into foot element  22  and lateral extensions  60  and  62  into the unclosed lateral shoulder  38 . Once assembled, the upper side of lateral shoulder  38  is sewn at lines  42  to close the upper side of each passageway  44  thereby enclosing lateral extensions  60  and  62  into passageways  44 . Yet another method is to sew reinforcement member  58  to upward extension  49  after ankle brace  50  is installed inside foot element  22 . Each lateral extension  60  and  62  is inserted into their respective passageway  44  and then reinforcement member  58  is sewn to upward extension  49  of ankle brace  50  at stitching line  80 . Lateral extensions  60  and  62  are also sewn to ankle brace  50  at stitching lines  45  as is best shown in FIG.  5 . 
     FIGS. 7 a  and  7   b  illustrate the forward and backward movements of articulated cuff  24 . When the skater&#39;s ankle flexes backward, the bottom portion of ankle brace  50  move forward, partially following the heel of the skater while tendon guard  56  moves backward pushed by the rear portion of the leg. In FIG. 7 a , lateral extension  60  has reached its rearmost position as eyelet  64  is stopped against the sides of front opening  41 . In FIG. 7 b , lateral extension  60  has reached its foremost position as the remain portion of reinforcement member  58  is butting against rear opening  43  and more specifically against upper stitching line  42 . As can be seen from FIGS. 7 a  and  7   b , lateral extensions  60  and  62  are also able to partially move up and down inside passageways  44 . It should be noted that the pivotal motion of articulated cuff  24  is not centered on a fixed axis but on a swaying axis located somewhere in the vicinity the central portion of passageways  44  and coinciding approximately with the pivot axis of the skater&#39;s ankle. This dynamic of motion is caused by the somewhat loose connection of articulated cuff  24  with foot element  22 . Since lateral extensions  60  and  62  may move forward and backward as well as up and down and rotationally, the pivotal axis of articulated cuff  24  is mobile within a limited zone. 
     The mobility of the pivotal axis increases the versatility of skate boot  20  to conform to various foot and ankle physiology. No two ankles being exactly alike, this type of loose connection allows for variations of the malleolis position. Skate boot  20  is adapted to first support the skater&#39;s ankle by tightening ankle brace  50  over the ankle, and secondly to allow pivotal movement of articulated cuff  24  relative to foot element  22  so that in every position, the skater&#39;s ankle is properly supported yet it is not restricted in its motion. 
     FIG. 8 shows a skate boot  20  according to another embodiment of the invention having an in-line roller chassis  80  as an accessory. 
     The above description of preferred embodiments should not be interpreted in a limiting manner since other variations, modifications and refinements are possible within the spirit and scope of the present invention. The scope of the invention is defined in the appended claims and their equivalents.