Patent Publication Number: US-7594666-B2

Title: Skate assembly

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to skates in which a sole plate or frame is attached to the base of the boot, and wheels or rollers are in turn secured to the sole plate or frame. 
     2. Related Art 
     In order to allow some degree of movement of the skater&#39;s foot, existing skate boots are made of a semi-flexible or semi-soft material. The soft boot material produces a slower grinding speed on surfaces such as concrete curbs or steel rails, and also allows unwanted flex of the boot. These problems have been solved in the past by attaching glider plates of faster and harder material to the underside of the boot or a platform or sole plate that covers a large portion of the underside of the boot. Glider plates do not solve the problem of flexing of the boot base, while sole plates add unwanted height between the foot and the ground. The two layers between the wearer&#39;s foot and the ground also reduces the wearer&#39;s feel and control of the skate. 
     SUMMARY 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a new skate assembly which has a baseless boot. 
     According to one aspect of the present invention, a skate assembly is provided, which comprises a boot having a heel, a toe, opposite sides, and an open base having an opening extending from the heel to the toe and side rims extending along opposite sides of the base opening, at least a substantial part of the boot being made of a first material, and a sole plate secured across the open base of the boot, the sole plate being made of a second material which is more rigid than the first material. 
     In the assembled skate, a glide device is attached to the lower surface of the sole plate. The skate assembly may be an in-line skate with the gliding device comprising a frame with a row of wheels or rollers rotatably mounted on the frame, a conventional roller skate with a frame carrying spaced pairs of aligned rollers, or an ice skate with a blade. 
     The design of the skate assembly with an open or baseless boot avoids the problem of a flexible boot base. Since the boot is open at the base and attached directly to the sole plate, the overall height of the boot remains the same, and there is only one layer of material (the sole plate) between the wearer&#39;s foot and the ground engaging glide member or members (rollers or blades). This may improve the skater&#39;s feel and control of the skate movement. 
     In one embodiment of the invention, the sole plate is releasably attached to the boot. In this embodiment, the side rims extending on opposite sides of the base opening have fastener openings, and the sole plate has corresponding fastener openings which are aligned with the side rim openings when the parts are assembled. Suitable releasable fasteners extend through the aligned openings to releasably secure the sole plate to the boot. The side rim openings may be recessed for receiving T-nuts which engage bolts extending through the aligned openings. In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the sole plate may be permanently secured over the open base of the boot, by stitching or the like. 
     In an exemplary embodiment where the sole plate is removably secured to the boot, the sole plate or frame has a raised peripheral rim extending around at least part of its perimeter. One side of the peripheral rim and the corresponding side portion of the boot have mateable formations for releasable engagement when the sole plate is engaged over the open base of the boot. The formations may be inwardly projecting tabs on the sole plate rim for engagement in corresponding openings on the side portion of the boot. 
     One or more sliders or grind plates may be provided for securing on the outer side face of the boot. The sliders are made of a suitable durable, smooth-surfaced material designed to resist abrasion when the skater uses the sliders to slide against a suitable grinding or sliding edge. In this embodiment, the grind plates have base portions with openings for alignment with corresponding fastener openings in the corresponding side rim of the open base and in the sole plate, so that the same fasteners extend through all three aligned openings at each fastener location. The grind plates may also have inwardly projecting tabs for extending through corresponding openings in the adjacent outer side portion of the boot. In this arrangement, the grind plates will also help to hold the boot and sole plate together. In alternative embodiments, grind regions may be formed integrally with the outer side of the sole plate or boot. 
     In another embodiment of the invention, the sole plate is permanently secured over the base of the boot to cover the opening by means of stitching or the like. The sole plate in this case may have a raised rim extending around at least part of its periphery which engages over the corresponding lower rim of the boot, and a recessed area or groove may be provided around the rim for receiving the stitching. 
     Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art after reviewing the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The details of the present invention, both as to its structure and operation, may be gleaned in part by study of the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts, and in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a exploded perspective view illustrating the separated components of a skate boot assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a lower perspective view of the boot of  FIG. 1 , illustrating the open base of the boot; 
         FIG. 3  is an inner side view of the boot of  FIGS. 1 and 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a lower plan view of the boot; 
         FIG. 5  is an inside perspective view of the front and rear sliders and backslide plate of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a top perspective view of the sole plate of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a bottom perspective view of the sole plate of  FIGS. 1 and 6 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a top perspective view of the skate boot assembly with the components assembled together; 
         FIG. 9  is a bottom perspective view of the assembly of  FIG. 8 ; 
         FIG. 10  is a partial cross-sectional view on the lines  10 - 10  of  FIG. 8 ; 
         FIG. 11  is a partial cross sectional view on the lines  11 - 11  of  FIG. 9 ; 
         FIG. 12  is an inner side elevation view similar to  FIG. 3  illustrating a boot according to another embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 13  is a lower perspective view of the boot of  FIG. 12 , illustrating the open base of the boot; 
         FIG. 14  is a side view of a sole plate for engagement over the open base of the boot of  FIGS. 12 and 13 ; 
         FIG. 15  is an inner side view of the sole plate of  FIG. 13 ; 
         FIG. 16  is a top plan view of the sole plate of  FIGS. 13 and 14 ; and 
         FIG. 17  is an outer side elevation view of the sole plate and boot of  FIGS. 12 to 15  assembled together along with a glide device or roller frame, sliders and a back slide plate. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Certain embodiments as disclosed herein provide for a skate boot assembly with a baseless boot. For example, one embodiment as disclosed herein allows for a sole plate of more rigid material to be releasably secured over the open base of a boot. 
     After reading this description it will become apparent to one skilled in the art how to implement the invention in various alternative embodiments and alternative applications. However, although various embodiments of the present invention will be described herein, it is understood that these embodiments are presented by way of example only, and not limitation. As such, this detailed description of various alternative embodiments should not be construed to limit the scope or breadth of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims. 
       FIGS. 1 to 11  of the drawings illustrate a skate boot assembly  10  according to a first embodiment of the invention which may form part of an in-line skate or a conventional skate.  FIGS. 1 to 11  illustrate a right boot assembly, and it will be understood that a left boot assembly will be made in a corresponding manner with appropriate reversal of structures for fitting over the left foot of a wearer. The assembly  10  basically comprises a boot  12 , a sole plate or frame  14  for securing over the base of the boot, and a set of sliders for securing over the outer side rim of the assembled boot and sole plate, the sliders comprising a front slider  15 , a backslide plate  16  similar to the backslide plate described in my U.S. Pat. No. 6,863,284, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, and a rear slider  18 . The components are shown assembled in  FIG. 9 . It will be understood that a glide frame (not illustrated) will be secured to the lower face of the sole plate, using central guide slot  20  and mounting holes  22  ( FIG. 7 ), in a manner known in the field. The glide frame will have a row of downwardly depending, rotatably mounted wheels or rollers. 
     The skate boot  12  will be made of relatively soft and semi-flexible material for the comfort of the wearer and also to allow a certain amount of movement of the foot when the skate is in use, as is known in the field. The boot material may be plastic or the like, or may be constructed with different materials in different areas of the boot, such as plastic and fabric. Some examples of suitable materials for boot  12  are polyurethane and polyethylene. The boot has a main body having a toe portion  24 , a heel or rear cuff portion  25 , inner and outer side portions  27 ,  28 , and is “baseless”, i.e. the base is substantially completely open, with a base opening  29  extending along the majority of its length, as best illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 4 . Side rims  30  extend along opposite sides of opening  29 . A series of spaced fastener openings  31  are provided along each side rim  30 . These openings may be recessed so that the nut or head of a fastener extending through an opening does not protrude above the upper surface of the side rim (see  FIGS. 10 and 11  and associated description). 
     A slightly recessed lower rim  32  extends around the lower periphery of the body of the boot  12 , and a series of slots  34  are provided at spaced intervals along the outer and inner side edges of this rim, as best seen in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . A recess  35  is provided in the outer side of rim  32  for receiving the backslide plate  16 . 
     Because skate boots are made of relatively soft material which is too flexible for direct interface with the glide frame of the skate, a rigid sole plate or frame of stronger, faster sliding material is secured over the base of the boot to provide an interface between the boot and glide frame. In this case, the boot is baseless and is open across the majority of the base region, and the sole plate  14  is secured over the base to cover the opening, as best illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 8  to  11 . The sole plate may be made of any suitable hard and substantially rigid material, such as fiber reinforced nylon or the like, which will be resistant to wear and abrasion. The sole plate is releasably secured over the open base of the boot and can be removed and replaced if the surfaces become too worn over time, as a result of sliding or grinding maneuvers. 
     The upper and lower faces of the sole plate  14  are illustrated in more detail in  FIGS. 6 and 7 . The peripheral shape and dimensions of the sole plate are designed to substantially match those of the open base of the boot, and the sole plate has a raised peripheral rim  36  which extends along its inner side edge, toe, and heel. The inner side edge of the sole plate has an indent or cut out  38  for alignment with the indent  35  in the inner side of the boot which is designed to receive the backslide plate, and a reduced height rim  39  extending from the indent  38  to the toe and heel regions of the sole plate. 
     A series of four inwardly directed tabs  40  are provided on the inner side of rim  36  of the sole plate, as illustrated in  FIG. 6 . The tabs  40  are positioned for mating engagement in the corresponding slots  34  in the inner side rim of the boot when the sole plate is engaged over the open base of the boot, as best seen in  FIGS. 8 and 10 . The tabs  40  are designed to snap into the corresponding slots  34  when the sole plate is engaged over the base of the boot with the side rims  36  engaging over the corresponding rim portion  32  of the boot, as best seen in  FIG. 10 . Fastener openings  42  are provided along opposite side portions of the sole plate for alignment with the corresponding fastener openings  31  in the side rims  30  of the base of the boot. 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 1 ,  5  and  9 , a series of sliders are designed to engage over the outer side rim of the boot and the sole plate after the sole plate has been engaged over the open base of the boot. The sliders are also each made of a rigid and durable, abrasion resistant material such as fiber reinforced nylon or the like. The sliders comprise a separate front slider  15 , backslide plate  16  and rear slider  18 , although a single slider may be provided in alternative embodiments, or the slide surfaces may be formed integrally with the sole plate. One advantage of the separate sliders is that one or more sliders can be replaced relatively quickly and easily when they become worn. Another advantage is that the sliders help to hold the sole plate firmly in position on the base of the boot. 
     Backslide plate  16  has a conventional concave, arcuate slide face  17  as is known in the field. The sliders all provide hard, relatively smooth outer sliding or grinding faces, as best seen in  FIG. 9 , which a skater can use to slide against a suitable edge such as a rail, sidewalk edge, or the like. 
     Each slider is a generally L shaped member having a base wall or leg  44  and an upstanding side wall or leg  45  (see  FIG. 5 ). The side walls of the front and rear sliders  15 , 18  each have two spaced, inwardly directed tabs  46  designed for mating engagement in the corresponding slots  34  in the outer side rim of the boot, as best seen in  FIGS. 2 ,  5  and  11 . The base walls of each of the sliders and the backslide plate  16  each have a pair of spaced fastener openings  48  designed for alignment with corresponding openings  31 ,  42  in the side rims of the base of the boot and the sole plate, respectively.  FIG. 11  illustrates this alignment for one set of fastener openings in the front slider  15 , sole plate  14 , and side rim  30  of the base of the boot.  FIG. 10  illustrates the alignment between one of the openings  31  on the opposite, inner side rim  30  and an opening  42  in the sole plate. 
     The respective sliders, sole plate, and outer side rim  30  of the base of the boot are secured together along the outer side of the boot by means of a first set of T-nut fasteners  50  while the sole plate and inner side rim  30  along the opposite side of the base of the boot are also secured together with a similar set of T-nut fasteners  52  extending through the aligned openings, as best seen in  FIGS. 8 ,  10  and  11 . As best illustrated in FIG.  11 , each T-nut fastener of the first set comprises a bolt having a head  54  engaging in a recess surrounding the opening  48  in the respective slider and a shaft  55  extending through the aligned openings  48 ,  42  and  31 , and a nut  56  engaging over the projecting end of shaft  55  and seated in a recess surrounding opening  31 . Each fastener of the second set is of equivalent structure and like reference numerals are used for like parts, as illustrated in  FIG. 10 . The only difference is that the head  54  in this case engages in a recess surrounding opening  42  in the sole plate, and the shaft may be slightly shorter since it extends only through the sole plate and side rim  30 . 
     The combination of the tongue or tab and slot engagement between the sole plate and boot on one side of the boot, and the tab and slot engagement between the sliders or grind plates and the boot on the other side of the boot, as well as the fasteners  50 ,  52 , will firmly hold the sole plate in position over the open base of the boot. The grind plates or sliders  15 , 16  and  18  hold the boot and sole plate firmly together along the outside of the boot, as seen in  FIG. 10 , with the tab and slot engagement  34 ,  40  holding these parts together along the other side of the boot. The tongue and slot engagement holds the parts in the proper position with the fastener openings aligned while the fasteners  50 ,  52  are engaged through the openings. The fasteners  52  extending through the aligned openings on opposite sides of the boot will prevent accidental separation of these components during use of the skate. 
     The sole plate  14  in this embodiment has the dual function of covering the open base of the boot and also providing a strong and rigid interface between the glide or roller frame and the boot and wearer&#39;s foot. In previous skate assembly arrangements with a conventional boot base, the base of the boot and the sole plate formed a double layer between the skater&#39;s foot and the gliding surface. The arrangement of this invention has only a single layer between the wearer&#39;s foot and the glide frame, specifically the sole plate or platform, reducing the overall height of the assembly and putting the skater closer to the ground. It also provides more direct “feel” between the sole of the foot and the glide frame, potentially assisting the skater in maneuvers. The center of gravity is lowered for better stability, and the interface between the rider&#39;s foot and the glide frame is relatively rigid. The amount of material required for the boot is reduced due to its more or less completely open base, potentially reducing expense. 
     The sole plate and the sliders are all releasably secured to the boot, so that any one or more of these components can be removed and replaced as needed, for example if they become worn or too scuffed. 
     In the embodiment of  FIGS. 1 to 11 , the sole plate and sliders are releasably secured to the base of the boot.  FIGS. 12 to 17  illustrate an alternative skate boot assembly  60  ( FIG. 17 ) in which a rigid sole plate  62  is permanently secured to a baseless boot  64  of similar design to the previous embodiment. The boot assembly  60  also includes sliders  15 ,  16 , and  18  similar to the sliders of the previous embodiment, and like reference numerals have been used for like parts as appropriate. The assembled view of  FIG. 17  also shows the glide frame  61  and rollers  63  secured to the underside of sole plate  62 , and it will be understood that a similar glide frame may be attached to the removable sole plate  14  of the previous embodiment. 
     The boot and sole plate of  FIGS. 12 to 17  will be made of the same or similar materials to the previous embodiment, with the boot being of generally softer, more flexible material and the sole plate  62  being of rigid, more wear-resistant material. The overall shape of the boot  64  is similar to the previous embodiment, with an upper toe portion  65 , heel or cuff portion  66 , and inner and outer side portion  68 ,  69  for receiving a wearer&#39;s foot, and a substantially open base with an opening  70  extending along substantially the entire length of the base of the boot, as best seen in  FIG. 13 . Opposite side rims  71 ,  72  extend along opposite inner and outer sides of opening  70 . Unlike the previous embodiment, spaced fastener openings  74  are provided only in the outer side rim  72 . The boot has a slightly recessed lower rim  75  extending around its periphery. Spaced slots  76  are provided in the outer side portion of rim, but no slots are provided on the inner side portion of the rim, unlike the previous embodiment. 
     A reduced thickness stitching groove  78  extends around the peripheral rim of the boot. A recessed region  79  is provided in a central region of the outer side of the rim, as in the previous embodiment, for receiving the backslide plate  18 . 
     As in the previous embodiment, the sole plate  62  is of predetermined shape and dimensions for fitting over the open base of the boot, and has a raised peripheral rim  80  for engaging the corresponding recessed lower rim  75  of the boot. A reduced thickness stitching groove  82  extends around the rim  80  and is aligned with the groove  78  when the sole plate is placed over the base. Unlike the previous embodiments, the rim of the sole plate in this embodiment has no inwardly projecting tabs, but simply engages closely over the lower rim of the boot. 
     The peripheral rim  80  on the outer side of the sole plate has a rounded raised portion  84  with an opening  85  which will be aligned with the backslide plate recess  79  in the boot when the parts are assembled together, as can be seen in  FIGS. 14 and 17 . The shape of the opening corresponds to the shape of the backslide plate  16 , so that plate  16  can be mounted flush in opening  85 . Opening  85  extends into the base of the backslide plate  16 , as can be seen in  FIG. 16 . 
     As can be seen in  FIG. 16 , the base plate has recessed fastener openings  86  on its center line through which a glide or roller frame  61  may be secured to the plate. Unlike the previous embodiment, additional fastener openings  88  are only provided adjacent the outer side edge of the sole plate for attachment of the sliders. Since the sole plate is permanently attached to the boot by stitching, there is no need for any additional fasteners between the boot and sole plate. The outer side of the sole plate has indents  89 ,  90  on its lower surface on opposite sides of the backslide plate opening  85 , for receiving the front and rear sliders  15 ,  18  as described in more detail below. The sole plate may also have ribs and the like in its upper and/or lower surfaces for added strengthening if desired. 
     In this embodiment, the sole plate is placed over the open base of the boot, and the rim of the sole plate is secured to the rim of the boot by a line of stitching  92  extending through the aligned stitching grooves  75  and  82 . The stitching may be wire thread or the like which is sufficiently strong to hold these parts together on a permanent or semi-permanent basis. Although the sole plate is secured to the boot by stitching in the illustrated embodiment, other securing means may be used in other embodiments such as adhesive or the like. Adhesive may be used in addition to stitching for added security. 
     When the sole plate is secured to the base of the boot, the fastener openings  88  along the outer side edge of the sole plate will be aligned with the fastener openings  74  in side rim  72 . These are used for securing the front and rear slide plates  15 ,  18  and the backslide plate  16  over the outer side edge of the boot, as in the previous embodiment. As noted above, the sliders  15 ,  16 ,  18  in this embodiment will be substantially the same as in the previous embodiment, and the front and rear sliders  15 ,  18  will have inwardly projecting tabs  46  on their inner side walls, as illustrated in  FIG. 5  in connection with the first embodiment. Additionally, fastener openings  48  will be provided in the base wall of each of the sliders  15 , 18  and backslide plate  16 , as in  FIG. 5 . 
     In this embodiment, the backslide plate  16  is engaged through the opening  85  in the outer side of the sole plate  62 , and into the recess  79  in the outer side of the boot. The front and rear sliders in turn are engaged over the outer side of the boot and sole plate on opposite sides of the backslide plate  16 , with the tabs  46  projecting through slots  76  and the openings  48  aligned with the respective openings  88  and  74  in the sole plate and outer side rim of the boot respectively. Each of the sliders is secured to the boot by suitable fasteners extending through the aligned openings, such as T-nut fasteners  52  as illustrated in  FIGS. 10 and 11  of the previous embodiment. The fully assembled skate is illustrated in  FIG. 17 . 
     In each of the above embodiments, a substantially “baseless” or open base skate boot is releasably or permanently secured to a sole plate of more rigid material which covers the open base of the boot. This provides rigidity at the interface between the boot and the roller or glide frame, while keeping the wearer&#39;s foot relatively close to the ground engaging wheels and not adding an extra layer of height to the assembly. 
     The above description of the disclosed embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles described herein can be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, it is to be understood that the description and drawings presented herein represent a presently preferred embodiment of the invention and are therefore representative of the subject matter which is broadly contemplated by the present invention. It is further understood that the scope of the present invention fully encompasses other embodiments that may become obvious to those skilled in the art and that the scope of the present invention is accordingly limited by nothing other than the appended claims.