Abstract:
A skate boot featuring an exterior toe protector and a method of manufacture. The skate boot is provided with a toe cover adapted to be pulled and stretched over a last allowing the skate boot to be formed in a similar fashion as a skate boot featuring an interior toe protector. The toe protector has a pair of lateral extensions which overlap the frontal edges of the lateral supporting portions of the skate boot and a pair of cutout areas to surround the same lateral supporting portions of the skate boot.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The invention relates to skate boots, in particular to skate boots featuring an exterior toe protector, and to a method of manufacturing skate boots.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Toe protectors are not new to the field of sports equipment and hockey in particular. Hockey skates are provided with a shell-like reinforcement in the toe region of the skate to prevent injuries. Canadian patent No. 839,484 discloses a skate boot construction including a toe cap. A molded convex dome-like shell is placed over the last and stapled to the insole of the boot; an upper toe covering flexible material is then placed over the last and over the toe cap and secured to the insole of the boot. This is the typical method of manufacturing a skate boot having a protective toe cap.  
           [0003]    Most skate boots are normally manufactured in the following manner: A toe-cap is positioned on the last of the skate boot. A last is a three-dimensional shape of the inside cavity of the boot or shoe. A pre-assembled boot consisting of various pieces of fabric and/or leather is placed over the last and over the toe-cap. An insole is then placed on the bottom part of the last. The pre-assembled boot is stretched over the last and over the toe cap in order for the pre-assembled boot to conform to the specific shape of the last. The toe cap is therefore located inside the boot. The stretched material is then nailed or tacked and glued to the insole to maintain the desired shape. Once the upper part of the skate boot is completed, a rigid outsole is glued to the insole of the boot to complete the skate boot. An ice blade holder or an in-line roller chassis is then mounted to the rigid outsole to complete the skate.  
           [0004]    More recently, skate boots have been made with the toe cap outside the skate boot. This method has the advantage of eliminating all material covering the toe cap of the skate boot. However, the stretching part of the manufacturing process had to be modified. The pre-assembled boot no longer required a toe cap covering material since it was no longer necessary to stretch this material over the toe cap. A tongue was sewn to the toe cap. The protective toe cap and tongue assembly was inserted between the sides of the pre-assembled boot and sewn to each side of the boot. The stretching over the last was done only along the sides and at the rear of the pre-assembled boot where material was then glued and nailed or tacked to the insole. Finally, an outsole was nailed and glued to the bottom of the skate boot covering the bottom of the toe cap previously installed.  
           [0005]    The above described method of manufacturing a skate boot using an exterior toe cap produced an inferior formfitting skate boot in the frontal area of the foot. Skaters using skate boots having an exterior toe cap often complained about poor frontal fitting of this type of skate boot. The frontal area of the skate boot was not being stretched properly and the result was a somewhat awkward fitting skate, which was either too tight or too loose.  
           [0006]    Thus, there is a need in the industry for a skate boot featuring an outside toe protector which has equal formfitting qualities as a traditionally made skate boot.  
         OBJECTS AND STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    It is thus an object of the invention to provide a skate boot having an outside toe protector that has equal formfitting qualities as a traditionally made skate boot.  
           [0008]    It is another object of the invention to provide a skate boot construction adapted to increase the frontal formfitting of a skate boot.  
           [0009]    It is a further object of the invention to provide a method of making a skate boot having an outside toe protector which has a good frontal form fit.  
           [0010]    As embodied and broadly described herein, the invention provides a skate boot comprising an upper for supporting and enclosing a skater&#39;s foot. The upper has a heel counter, an ankle support, a medial quarter and a lateral quarter, each quarter having a frontal edge; the medial and lateral quarters extending forwardly from the heel counter and the ankle support. An insole forms the bottom of the upper and a toe cover defining a toe box for covering the toe area of the skater&#39;s foot, is connected to the frontal edges and to the insole. A tongue is connected to the toe cover for cushioning and covering the upper frontal part of the skater&#39;s foot and ankle. The skate boot also comprises a preformed toe protector overlying the toe cover and secured to the upper. The toe protector has a convex upper portion covering the front, the top and the sides of the toe cover. The toe protector also has an anchoring portion for securing the toe protector to the upper.  
           [0011]    Preferably, the toe protector further comprises a tab extending inwardly from each lateral extensions for fastening the toe protector to the insole of the upper. Also, the toe protector comprises cut-out areas adapted to surround the frontal edges of the medial and lateral quarters to allow some degree of motion to these quarters.  
           [0012]    Advantageously, the toe cover comprises at least two superposed layers: a first layer of smooth material facing the inside of the skate boot and a second layer of a textile material over the first layer and adapted to resist tension.  
           [0013]    As embodied and broadly described herein, the invention also provides a method of making a skate boot comprising the steps of:  
           [0014]    a) stretching over a last an upper having a toe cover, a heel counter, an ankle support, an insole, a medial quarter and a lateral quarter;  
           [0015]    b) folding the edges of said upper underneath said insole on said last and fastening said edges to said;  
           [0016]    c) affixing a preformed toe protector over said toe cover, said toe protector having a convex upper portion covering the front, the top and the sides of said toe cover and an anchoring portion for securing said toe protector to said insole;  
           [0017]    d) simultaneously urging both sides said toe protector toward said medial and lateral quarters and fastening said anchoring portion of said toe protector to said insole.  
           [0018]    Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent by reference to the following description and the drawings. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0019]    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, in which:  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the first step of a method of making a skate boot according to the invention;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the second step of a method of making a skate boot according to the invention;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 3 is a rear elevational of the second step of a method of making a skate boot according to the invention;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the third step of a method of making a skate boot according to the invention;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the fourth step of a method of making a skate boot according to the invention;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 6 is an inside perspective view of a toe protector according to the invention;  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 7 is a bottom plan view of the fourth step of a method of making a skate boot according to the invention;  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 8 is a bottom plan view of the fifth step of a method of making a skate boot according to the invention;  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 9 is a top plan of view of a skate boot after the fifth step is completed according to the invention;  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the sixth and final step of a method of making a skate boot according to the invention; and  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 11 is perspective view of the completed skate boot made according to the invention.  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the completed ice skate made according to the invention.  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the completed in-line roller skate made according to the invention. 
     
    
       [0033]    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  
       [0034]    [0034]FIG. 1 illustrates a pre-assembled upper  20  for making a skate boot. Pre-assembled upper  20  basically comprises a heel counter  61 , an ankle support  62 , a medial quarter  63  and a lateral quarter  64 . Each quarter  63  and  64  has a frontal edge  28  and  29  and extends from the heel counter  61  and the ankle support  62  to the front of the upper  20 . At the front, a toe cover  26  made of a soft textile material covers the toe area of the skater&#39;s foot and is sewn on each side to frontal edges  28  and  29 . A tongue  31 , for cushioning and covering the upper frontal part of the skater&#39;s foot and ankle, is also sewn to the upper edge of toe cover  26  in a manner enabling tongue  31  to be flipped up and down to open the skate boot and allow the skater to easily insert his or her foot into upper  20 .  
         [0035]    Pre-assembled upper  20  is made of various pieces of leather, fabric or textile sewn and glued together prior to being formed as pre-assembled upper  20 . FIG. 1 illustrates the first step of the making of a skate boot once pre-assembled upper  20  is completed. A Last  25  is inserted into pre-assembled upper  20  and an insole  36  is positioned over the lower end of last  25  once last  25  is inside pre-assembled upper  20 . Medial and lateral quarters  63  and  64  have a sufficient marginal edge  33  that exceeds all around last  25  to provide a gripping and pulling means to stretch upper  20  over last  25 . Similarly, toe cover  26  has a marginal edge  34  that exceeds the front portion of last  25  to provide the necessary gripping and pulling means to stretch toe cover  26  over the front portion of last  25 . Marginal edges  33  and  34  provide the necessary hold for pre-assembled upper  20  to be stretched over a last  25 .  
         [0036]    [0036]FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate the second step of making of a skate boot and shows last  25  inside upper  20  and insole  36  in position. Glue is first applied along the sides of insole  36 . Marginal edges  33  and  34  of pre-assembled upper  20  are then pulled and stretched tightly over last  25  and folded underneath insole  36  as depicted by the arrows A. Once folded, marginal edges  33  and  34  adhesively bond to insole  36  with the glue that was previously laid on insole  36 . Note that toe cover  26  is made of a material strong enough to resist the traction force of the stretching. Toe cover is preferably constructed of three layers of material: A first layer of smooth textile material on the inside of the boot which will be in contact with the skater&#39;s foot, a second layer consisting of a thin plastic sheet adapted to retain the shape given by the last  25 , and a third layer of a nylon textile which can resist the traction force during the lasting process. The addition of toe cover  26  to the construction of a skate boot having a external toe protector enables the entire pre-assembled upper  20  to be properly stretched over last  25  which will provide a good fitting of the final product. The pulling and stretching may be accomplished by hand using traditional shoe maker tools or can be automated to provide an even tension of the material over last  25  which results in a better quality skate boot.  
         [0037]    As shown in FIG. 4, while being stretched and pulled, marginal edges  33  and  34  are further nailed or tacked all around insole  36  with nails or tacks  38 . Nails  38  provide the necessary mechanical grip to remove the pulling forces and allow the glue to properly set between marginal edges  33  and  34  and insole  36 . Once marginal edges  33  and  34  are fully stretched and firmly attached to insole  36 , a light sanding of the marginal edges  33  and  34  is performed to partially even the lower surface of upper  20  and provide a flat surface on which an outsole can later be glued and nailed.  
         [0038]    [0038]FIG. 5 shows upper  20  in its final form. Toe cover  26  is stretched around insole  36  and shaped to define a toe box covering the toe area of the foot. Both lateral and medial quarters  63  and  64  are also stretched around insole  36  and shaped to support each side of the foot. A toe protector  40  is then positioned over toe cover  26  as represented by arrow  50 . Prior to positioning toe protector  40 , a layer of glue may be applied to toe cover  26  to ensure that cover  26  adheres to the interior wall of toe protector  40 . However toe cover  26  may also not be glued to the interior surface of toe protector  40  and remain loose inside the skate boot. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, toe protector  40  is a convex structure made of a highly resistant plastic such as nylon or polyurethane which are both rigid and light. Toe protector  40  features a generally planar lower insole contacting portion  42  or anchoring portion conforming to the frontal lower surface of upper  20  and flanked by a pair of tabs  44  extending from lower portion  42 . Lower portion  42  preferably extends over the entire frontal area of insole  36  but may also only extend along the edge of insole  36  leaving the center portion uncovered. In this manner, toe protector  40  is more flexible and can adapt to various widths.  
         [0039]    The upper portion  45  that will cover the toe area of pre-assembled upper  20  features an upper extension  46  and two lateral extensions  48 . Each lateral extension  48  preferably includes a tab  44  adjacent lower portion  42  of toe protector  40 . Cutout areas  43  are provided in between lateral extensions  48  and upper extension  46  to enable toe protector  40  to surround edges  28  and  29 . Toe protector  40  is of course hollow to fit over toe cover  26  of pre-assembled upper  20 .  
         [0040]    [0040]FIG. 7 illustrates the same sequence as FIG. 5 but viewed from underneath. A layer of glue is also applied to marginal edge  34 . Toe protector  40  is slipped over the toe area of pre-assembled upper  20  and more specifically over toe cover  26  and the frontal part of insole  36 . Toe protector  40  is bonded to marginal edge  34  underneath pre-assembled upper  20  and is sometime glued to toe cover  26 . As shown In FIG. 8, once toe protector  40  has been positioned over toe cover  26 , mechanical pressure, depicted by arrows  51 , is applied on both sides of toe protector  40  to each lateral extension  48 . While the mechanical pressure  51  is applied, tabs  44  are tacked onto insole  26  through marginal edge  33 . This step results in lateral extensions  48  being tightly pressed against the exterior of each frontal edge  28  and  29  of pre-assembled upper  20 .  
         [0041]    As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, toe protector  40  is installed onto pre-assembled upper  20  in such a way that lateral extensions  48  overlap each frontal edge  28  and  29 . Since the entire pre-assembled upper  20  has been stretched to provide a proper form fit, toe protector  40  cannot be inserted between toe cover  26  and edges  28  and  29 . Cutout areas  43  of toe protector  40  are provided to surround frontal edges  28  and  29  and allow some degree of lateral motion to medial and lateral quarters  63  and  64 .  
         [0042]    Finally, as shown in FIG. 10, an outsole  30  is nailed and glued to the bottom of pre-assembled upper  20  in order to complete the skate boot. It must be noted that the use of outsole  30  is optional since an ice blade holder or an in-line roller chassis having an integrated rigid platform conforming to the lower surface of upper  20  may be affixed to pre-assembled upper  20  rendering the outsole redundant. Outsole  30  is used when the blade holder or the in-line roller chassis requires a rigid platform for fastening.  
         [0043]    [0043]FIG. 11 illustrates a finished skate boot  21 . The only step left to complete the skate is to mount an ice blade assembly or an in-line roller chassis assembly to outsole  30  by fastening it to the outsole  30  as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13. It should be noted that toe cover  26  further provides a more comfortable toe area for the skater. A normal skate boot does not have a textile cover in the toe region of the boot so the toes of the skater are directly in contact with the plastic toe cap.  
         [0044]    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.