Patent Publication Number: US-2019168101-A1

Title: Ice skate attachment

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This U.S. Divisional Patent Application claims the benefit of U.S. Utility patent application Ser. No. 14/262265, filed Apr. 25, 2014 and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/816,000, filed Apr. 25, 2013, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to attachments for ice skates and to ice skating training devices. 
     2. Related Art 
     Traditional hockey and figure ice skates include a boot and a single runner blade runner which is affixed to a bottom surface of the boot via a support frame. People who are just learning to ice skate often have difficulty using such traditional ice skates because they have difficulty stabilizing themselves on an ice surface. Accordingly, some ice skating manufacturers produce and sell beginner ice skates which have a pair of laterally spaced apart runner blades for improving the stabilization of the novice ice skater. However, such beginner ice skates are undesirable since they are an added expense and are soon outgrown as the person learning to skate reaches a stage of proficiency where the double runner blades are no longer needed. Once this occurs, the person or his or her parents, is faced with having to purchase a traditional, single-runner blade set of skates at an added cost. 
     It is also common for skaters to utilize some type of skate guard to cover and protect their runner blades when not in use or when wearing the skates on any surface other than ice. Such skate guards are typically made of rubber or plastic materials and have a general elongate channel shape which enables the user to slip the guards over the runner blades such that a lower edge of each runner blade is captured in the channel of the guard. A strap of some sort is typically wrapped about the support frame of the skate to secure the blade guard on the skate. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION AND ADVANTAGES 
     An aspect of the present invention provides for an ice skate attachment assembly or converting a single runner blade ice skate into a multiple runner blade ice skate. The assembly includes a skate guard having a bottom surface and including a channel for receiving and supporting the single runner blade of the ice skate. The assembly further includes at least two multi-runner blades which are secured with the skate guard and are spaced laterally from one another on either lateral side of the skate guard with each multi-runner blade extending below the bottom surface of the skate guard to an ice engaging edge. 
     The ice skate attachment assembly is advantageous because it allows a novice ice skater to learn to skate on ice skates with multiple runner blades, which may be more stable than single runner blade ice skates, at a minimum cost. As such, the benefit of multiple runner blades is provided to the user with less waste and cost than purchasing a pair of multi-runner ice skates at full cost and then discarding them soon after he or she has reached a level of proficiency where he or she is able to skate effectively on single runner blade ice skates. 
     According to a further aspect of the present invention, the multi-runner blades are detachably joined with the skate guard. This feature is further advantageous because once the user reaches a level of proficiency where he or she is able to skate on the single runner blades of his or her ice skates, he or she may detach the multi-runner blades from the skate guard and use the skate guard in the manner of a traditional skate guard. 
     Another aspect of the present invention provides for an ice skate attachment kit for converting a single runner ice skate into a multiple runner blade ice skate. The kit includes at least two multi-runner blades, each of which has an ice-engaging edge and mounting hardware for detachably connecting the multi-runner blades with a skate guard on opposite lateral sides of the skate guard. The kit may include the skate guard for convenience, or the skate guard may be excluded to allow a user to use convert his or her own skate guard. 
     Yet another aspect of the present invention provides for a method of converting a single runner blade ice skate into a multiple runner blade ice skate. The method includes the step of preparing an ice skate having a boot and a single runner blade joined with the boot via a support frame. The method continues with the step of preparing an ice skate assembly including a skate guard with a longitudinally extending channel and at least two multi-runner blades secured on opposite lateral sides of the skate guard. The method proceeds with the step of guiding the single runner blade of the ice skate into the channel of the skate guard. This process is quick and can be accomplished with little effort and without any special tools. 
     Still another aspect of the present invention is a method of detachably mounting a pair of multi-runner blades onto a skate guard for a single runner blade ice skate. The method includes the step of preparing a skate guard having a bottom surface, a top surface with a longitudinally extending channel and at least two openings spaced longitudinally from one another. The method proceeds with the step of positioning at least two multi-runner blades on opposite lateral sides of the skate guard so that at least two longitudinally spaced apertures on each of the multi-runner blades align with the openings in the skate guard and so that a bottom ice-engaging edge of each multi-runner blade is spaced vertically below the bottom surface of the skate guard. The method proceeds with the step of inserting fasteners through the aligned ones of the apertures in the multi-runner blades and openings in the skate guard to detachably secure the multi-runner blades with the skate guard on either lateral side of the skate guard. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated, as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a single runner blade ice skate; 
         FIG. 2  is a side view showing a skate guard secured with a single runner blade ice skate; 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded view of an exemplary embodiment of an ice skate attachment assembly; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the ice skate attachment assembly of  FIG. 3  in an assembled state; 
         FIG. 5  is another perspective view of the ice skate attachment assembly of  FIG. 3  in an assembled state and taken from a different viewpoint from  FIGS. 4 ; and 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view showing a single runner blade from the ice skate of  FIG. 1  installed in the ice skate attachment assembly of  FIG. 3 . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE ENABLING EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to the drawings, wherein like numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, an ice skate attachment assembly  20  constructed according to an exemplary embodiment is shown in  FIGS. 3-6 . The ice skate attachment assembly  20  is configured to be quickly and releasably engaged with traditional, single runner blade ice skate  22  (either a figure skate or an ice skate  22 ) in the usual manner of a skate guard  24  but further includes a pair of multi-runner blades  26  which serve to convert the traditional ice skate  22  into a multi-runner ice skate. Once a user has advanced to the point where he or she is proficient enough to skate on a single runner blade  28 , he or she may simply remove the ice skate attachment assembly  20  to utilize the now-exposed single runner blade  28  of the ice skate  22 . As such, a person who is just learning to skate can purchase a standard pair of traditional ice skates  22  and easily, and temporarily, convert those traditional ice skates  22  into a set of multi-runner blade ice skates. The ice skate attachment assembly  20  is further adaptable so that the multi-runner blades  26  can be selectively removed so that the user may utilize the skate guard  24  in the manner of a traditional skate guard  24  to protect the single runner blade  28  from damage while walking on a non-ice surface. The ice skate attachment assembly  20  may be configured for use with both hockey skates, such as the ice skate  22  shown in  FIG. 1 , or with figure skates (not shown). 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , the ice skate attachment assembly  20  may be packaged in a kit including a skate guard  24 , at least two multi-runner blades  26  and mounting hardware for joining the multi-runner blades  26  with the skate guard  24 . Alternately, the kit could only include the multi-runner blades  26  and the mounting hardware, thereby allowing a user to choose his or her own skate guard. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the skate guard  24  extends longitudinally from a curved front or toe region to a back or heel region and has a top, a pair of lateral sides  30  and a bottom surface  32 . The top surface presents a channel  34  which extends along the length of the skate guard  24  for receiving the single runner blade  28  of the traditional ice skate  22 . The skate guard  24  further includes an elastic retention strap  36  which is secured to the oppositely facing lateral sides  30  at the heel region for elastically engaging around a back end of a support frame  38  of the ice skate  22  to secure the skate guard  24  with the ice skate  22 . The skate guard  24  further includes a plurality of openings  40  which extend between the opposite lateral sides  30  and are longitudinally spaced from one another along the length of the skate guard  24 . In the exemplary embodiment, each of the openings  40  is counterbored, or recessed, at each of the lateral sides  30 . As shown, in the exemplary embodiment, a plurality of the openings  40  are open at the bottom of the skate guard  24 . 
     Referring back to  FIGS. 3-6 , the multi-runner blades  26  are separate pieces from one another and may be fabricated of any suitable material including, for example, stainless steel, steel, steel alloys, aluminum, aluminum alloys, plastics or ceramics. The multi-runner blades  26  may be cut or stamped from a flat stock of material. Each multi-runner blade  26  has a generally flat bottom ice-engaging edge  42 , which may be ground flat or may be hollow ground depending on what type of edge  42  is desired. The multi-runner blades  26  preferably have a thickness in the range of ⅛″ to 3/16″. 
     Each of the multi-runner blades  26  has a plurality of apertures  44  which are spaced longitudinally from one another by a predetermined distance which corresponds with the distance between two of the openings  40  in the skate guard  24  for aligning with corresponding ones of the openings  40  in the skate guard  24 . 
     The mounting hardware of the exemplary ice skate attachment assembly  20  includes a set of bushings  46 , or spacers, which are sized to be received in the counterbores of the openings  40  in the skate guard  24 , and a plurality of fasteners  48 . When inserted into the counterbores of the openings  40 , the bushings  46  project or stand out from the lateral sides  30  of the skate guard  24  and provide a flat, firm surface for mounting the multi-runner blades  26 . In the exemplary embodiment, the bushings  46  are generally cylindrical in shape. As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 6 , the fasteners  48  extend through aligned ones of the apertures  44  on the multi-runner blades  26  and the openings  40  on the skate guard  24  and also through the bushings  46  to removably secure the multi-runner blades  26  with the skate guard  24 . In the exemplary embodiment, the fasteners  48  include sets of screw and threaded cap (or nut) combinations wherein tools, such as Allen wrenches can be inserted into the heads of the screw and cap to tighten the multi-runner blades  26  into position on either lateral side  30  of the skate guard  24 . One or more center bushings may additionally be provided between the skate guard  24  and the multi-runner blades  26  to allow for increased support of the multi-runner blades  26 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 6 , once mounted, the multi-runner blades  26  extend vertically below the bottom surface  32  of the skate guard  24  in spaced and parallel relationship with one another. Also, the multi-runner blades  26  are spaced from the lateral sides  30  of the skate guard  24  due to the presence of the bushings  46 . The distance between the bottom surface  32  of the skate guard  24  and the ice-engaging edges  42  of the runner blades  26 ,  28  may be, for example, approximately ⅜″. The fasteners  48  shown are held in the opening  40  of the skate guard  24  despite the open bottom of the opening  40  because the opening extends through greater than 180° of curvature and therefore supports both the tops and the bottoms of the fasteners  48  and of the bushings  46 . 
     Another aspect of the present invention is a method or process of mounting at least two multi-runner blades  26  onto a skate guard  24 . To install the multi-runner blades  26  onto the skate guard  24 , one simply arranges the bushings  46  into the counterbores of the openings  40  on the lateral sides  30  of the skate guard  24  and positions the multi-runner blades  26  such that the apertures  44  on the multi-runner blades  26  are aligned with the openings  40  on the skate guard  24  and the bushings  46 . The fasteners  48  are then inserted through the aligned apertures  44 , bushings  46  and openings  40  to secure the multi-runner blades  26  with the skate guard  24 . 
     Another aspect of the present invention is a method or process of installing the ice skate attachment assembly  20  or the modified skate guard  24  onto a single runner blade ice skate  22 , thereby converting the single runner blade ice skate  22  into a multi-runner blade  26  ice skate  22 . To install the ice skate attachment assembly  20  onto the ice skate  22 , a user first guides the single runner blade  28  of the ice skate  22  into the channel  34  on the top of the skate guard  24  such that the toe of the support frame  38  (or the blade of a figure skate) is cupped at the front. Next, the user extends the retention strap  36  of the skate guard  24  about the back part of the support frame  38  to resiliently secure the skate guard  24  with the ice skate  22 . 
     Once the user is proficient at skating and no longer needs the assistance of the multi-runner blades  26 , the skate guard  24  can be readily converted back to a skate guard  24  by simply removing the multi-runner blades  26  in the reverse manner of installation as described above. 
     Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings and may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described while within the scope of the appended claims.