Patent Publication Number: US-6669210-B2

Title: Adjustable ice skate

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) 
     This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 09/833,758 now abandoned; filed Apr. 12, 2001, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/141,170; filed Aug. 27, 1998; U.S. Pat. No. 6,217,039, which claims priority of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/073,464; filed Feb. 2, 1998, entitled “ADJUSTABLE SKATE”. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to ice skates, and in particular to ice skates wherein the boot size is adjustable to accommodate different foot sizes. 
     Ice skating has been a popular recreational activity for many years, especially for children. However, children have growing feet, and to enjoy ice skating the skates should properly fit the child&#39;s feet. Of course with growing feet, a new pair of skates must be purchased as the child&#39;s feet grow, sometimes on an annual basis. 
     There exists in the prior art boots that are modifiable in length. However, there does not exist in the prior art an ice skate that can be modified in length, and yet be durable, and also have a minimum number of parts to keep down costs and be easy for children to use. Thus, there is a need to provide an ice skate that can be modified in length, durable to the rigors that children put skates through and also be simple for children to use. The ice skate of the present invention being modifiable in length, durable and simple to use is advantageous especially for use by youth whose foot size may change significantly in a short period of time. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention comprises an ice skate that has a heel portion and a toe box portion which can be modifiable in length. The heel portion is disposed on a blade holder frame. The toe box portion is slidably disposed upon the blade holder frame and is slidable in relation to the heel portion. The toe box portion includes downwardly extending, resilient channel walls having detents disposed thereon which frictionally engage a plurality of indentations disposed upon the blade holder frame when the channel sidewalls are flexed inwardly and urged toward the blade holder frame. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a side perspective view of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a side view of the present invention with a toe box portion removed. 
     FIG. 3 is a top view of the present invention with the toe box portion removed. 
     FIG. 4 is an exploded sectional view taken along line  4 — 4  in FIG.  3 . 
     FIG. 5 a sectional view taken along the line  5 — 5  in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 6 is a partial sectional view of the present invention illustrating the toe box sole secured to a blade holder frame. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The ice skate of the present invention is generally illustrated at  10  in FIG.  1 . The ice skate  10  includes a boot  12  whose size may be modified in length. The boot  12  includes a toe box  14  and a heel portion  16  disposed on a blade holder frame  18 . The toe box  14  slidably engages both the heel portion  16  and the blade holder frame  18 . The toe box  14  is secured to the blade holder frame  18  by a locking mechanism  20 . The blade holder frame  18  retains a blade  22  for engaging an ice surface, as is well known in the art. The boot  12  further includes a cuff portion  24  pivotally mounted to the heel portion  16  in a conventional manner by a pair of pivots  26  located on opposing sides of the cuff portion  24 . Fastening means  28 , including but not limited to laces and eyelets or adjustable straps, as are well known in the art, secure the cuff  24  to the leg and foot of a wearer. A suitable liner (not shown) has an elastic section proximate the toe box  14  so that the liner can accommodate different foot sizes. Such liners are known in the art. 
     As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the toe box  14  slidably attaches to the heel portion  16  and the blade holder frame  18 , and is secured to the blade holder frame  18 . The length of the ice skate  10  of the present invention is modified by moving the toe box  14  in relation to the heel portion  16  and blade holder frame  18  of the boot  12 . The toe box  14  includes a forward toe cap portion  30  integrally formed with a toe sole portion  32 . The toe sole portion  32  overlies a top forward surface  34  of the heel portion  16  and includes a first slot  36  positioned under the forward toe cap portion  30  along a longitudinal axis of the skate  10 , as illustrated in FIG.  3 . The first slot  36  includes a perimeter wall  38  extending downward below the surface of the toe sole portion  32 . 
     As illustrated in FIG. 4, the toe box  14  further includes a channel  40  for accepting a forward section  42  of the blade holder frame  18 . The channel  40  is defined by a lower surface  44  of the toe sole portion  32  and downwardly extending, resilient left and right channel sidewalls  46  and  47 . The left and right channel sidewalls  46  and  47  each include an aperture  48  and  49  positioned therethrough, and an inside surface  50   a  and  50   b  having detents  52   a  and  52   b  positioned thereon. Each detent  52   a  and  52   b  face opposite one another, and partly comprise the locking mechanism  20 . 
     The heel portion  16  includes a heel sole portion  54  and left and right quarters  56  and  57 . The left and right quarters  56  and  57 , each include elongated apertures  58   a  and  58   b  therethrough for partially receiving the left and right downwardly extending channel sidewalls  46  and  47 , respectively, as best illustrated in FIG.  5 . The heel sole portion  54  extends forwardly approximately to the instep of the foot. Left and right vamp sections  60  and  61  extend forward past the heel sole portion  54  and outside of the toe cap  30  of the toe box  14 . It will be appreciated that the toe sole portion  32  and the heel sole portion  54  cooperate to form a single sole of the boot  12 . 
     Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, the blade holder frame  18  comprises a blade receiving member  62  for receiving the blade  22 , a front stanchion  64 , and a back stanchion  65 . Preferably, the heel portion  16  and the blade holder frame  18  are integrally formed. However, the heel portion  16  may be secured to the blade holder frame  18  by a variety of means including, but not limited to, riveting, bolting, gluing or stapling. The front stanchion  64  includes second slot  66  and a third slot  68  extending through the stanchion  64  from a first side surface  70  to a second side surface  72 . The front stanchion  64  further includes a plurality of recessed indentations  74   a  and  74   b  positioned on each side surface  70  and  72 , respectively. The front stanchion  64  even further includes a recessed surface  76  extending below the top forward surface  34  of the heel portion  16  and disposed longitudinally along the longitudinal axis of the skate  10 . As illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 6, the second slot  66  receives a locking bolt  78 , and is fashioned such that the bolt  78  may travel transversely in either longitudinal direction of the skate  10 . The third slot  68  is fashioned to receive and retain a rectangular threaded bur  80  used for receiving a threaded securing bolt  82  to alignably secure the toe box  14  to the blade holder frame  18 . 
     Securing the toe box to the front stanchion  64  of the blade holder frame  18  is the threaded securing screw  82 , bushing  84  and the rectangular nut  80 , as illustrated in FIG.  6 . The first slot  36  of the toe box  14  is aligned with the recessed surface  76  of the front stanchion  64 . The recessed surface  76  of the front stanchion  64  also includes guide wall surfaces  86  for slidably engaging the downwardly extending perimeter wall  38  of the toe box  14 . The bushing  84  seats within the first slot  36  of the toe box  14 , and the threaded securing screw  82  extends through the bushing  84  and threadably engages the rectangular nut  80 . Upon threadably engaging the threaded securing screw  82  to the rectangular nut  80 , the toe box  14  is slidably secured to the front stanchion  64  of the blade holder frame  18 , and is allowed to travel in either longitudinal direction, as indicated by Arrow A, to extend or shorten the length of the boot  12 . 
     The toe box  14  is locked into a selected position by the locking mechanism  20 . The locking mechanism  20   a  includes the left and right downwardly extending channel walls  46  and  47  of the toe box  14  positioned proximate the sidewalls  70  and  72  of the front stanchion  64 . The locking mechanism  20  further includes the locking bolt  78  extending through the apertures  48   a  and  48   b  of the downwardly extending channel walls  46  and  47  and the second slot  66  of the front stanchion  64 . The downwardly extending channel walls  46  and  47  preferably have a natural tendency to flex or spring away from the sidewalls  70  and  72  of the front stanchion  64  of the blade holder frame  18  to an original or relaxed position. In the relaxed position, the detents  52   a  and  52   b  of the channel walls  46  and  47  do not engage the plurality of indentations  74  located on each surface  70  and  72  of the front stanchion  64 . A locking nut  88  threadably engages the locking bolt  78 , and upon tightening, the locking nut  88  and locking screw  78  urge and inwardly flex the downwardly extending channel walls  46  and  47  from the relaxed position and toward the sidewalls  70  and  72  of the front stanchion  64 . 
     Upon urging and flexing the downwardly extending channel walls  46  and  47  toward the front stanchion  64 , the detents  52   a  and  52   b  disposed upon the channel walls  46  and  47 , respectively, cooperatively engage the plurality of indentations  74   a  and  74   b  disposed upon the side surfaces  70  and  72  of the front stanchion  64 , thus locking the toe box  14  to the front stanchion  64  and heel portion  16  at a selected position. To position the toe box  14  in an alternative selected position, the locking screw  78  is un-tightened, allowing the channel walls  46  and  47  to flex outward  14  toward the relaxed position, thus causing the detents  52   a  and  52   b  to disengage from the plurality of indentations  74   a  and  74   b  and allowing the toe box  14  to slide in either longitudinal direction as indicated by Arrow A. 
     The location of the detents  52   a  and  52   b  and the indentations  74   a  and  74   b  may be reversed so that the detents  52   a  and  52   b  are located on sidewalls  70  and  72  and the indentations  74   a  and  74   b  are located on the left and right channel walls  46  and  47 . Once the position of the to box  14  has been selected, the toe box  14  is secured in the selected position by tightening the screw  78  and the nut  88  which urges the left and right channel walls  46  and  47  against surfaces  70  and  72  of the front stanchion  64 , thereby ensuring that detents  52   a  and  52   b  stay within the selected indentations  74   a  and  74   b , all respectively. 
     Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.