DEVICES AND METHODS FOR CLEANING AND DRYING ICE SKATE BLADES

• US 20100012150A1
• Filed: 07/15/2009
• Published: 01/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WLR Enterprises LLC
• Original Assignee: WLR Enterprises LLC
• Inventors: Mixdorf, Brian M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,273,182 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 134/6
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 3/00 Accessories for skates

Abstract

A handheld device for removing moisture from a skate blade, the device including a body and multiple wiper blades. The body includes a front end and a rear end and defines a skate blade pathway substantially parallel to an axis extending from the front end to the rear end. The multiple wiper blades are located within the body along an axis extending from the front end to the rear end, and are adapted to contact a surface of a skate blade traversing the skate blade pathway.

Claims

1. A handheld device for removing moisture from a skate blade, comprising:

a body, including a front end and a rear end, the body defining a skate blade pathway substantially parallel to an axis extending from the front end to the rear end; and

a plurality of wiper blades disposed within the body along the axis extending from the front end to the rear end, and adapted to contact a surface of a skate blade traversing the skate blade pathway.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the skate blade pathway comprises a front skate blade receiving slot defined by the front end of the body and a rear skate blade receiving slot defined by the rear end of the body.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of wiper blades comprises a plurality of opposing pairs of wiper blades.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the plurality of opposing pairs of wiper blades comprises three pairs of wiper blades.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the wiper blades comprise a rubber material having a hardness durometer of 60.

6. The device of claim 1, further comprising a plug disposed within the body and adapted to contact a bottom surface of the skate blade.

7. The device of claim 6, further comprising a second plug disposed within the body and adapted to contact the bottom surface of the skate blade, wherein the first plug is located adjacent the front end, and the second plug is located adjacent a rear end.

8. The device of claim 6, wherein the plug comprises an absorbent material adapted to absorb moisture collected on a bottom surface of the skate blade.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the plug comprises felt.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein one or both of the front end and rear end comprises a projection adapted to remove moisture from a bottom surface of the skate blade.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the body is generally rectangular in shape.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the body comprises a plastic material.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the device further includes an absorbent plug and the method further comprises causing a bottom surface of the skate blade to contact the plug.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein moving the device in a direction along the common axis causes the plug to wipe the bottom surface of the skate blade, thereby removing moisture from the bottom surface of the skate blade.

13. A device for removing moisture from a skate blade, comprising:

a generally rigid body adapted to be held in the hand of a user, the body defining a first skate blade receiving slot located at a first end of the body, a second skate blade receiving slot located at a second end of the body, and a first cavity for collecting moisture removed from the skate blade; and

a plurality of flexible wiper blades operably coupled to the body such that each wiper blade projects along an axis generally perpendicular to an axis extending from the first end of the body to the second end of the body.

14. The device of claim 13, further comprising a second cavity for collecting moisture removed from the skate blade.

15. The device of claim 13, further comprising a plug disposed within the body and adapted to contact a bottom surface of the skate blade.

16. The device of claim 13, wherein the body comprises a first portion including a first post and a first post-receiving opening, and a second portion including a second post and a second post-receiving opening, wherein the first post-receiving opening is adapted to receive the second post and the second post-receiving opening is adapted to receive the first post such that the first and second portions may be securely coupled together to form the body.

17. A method of cleaning and drying skate blades, comprising:

grasping a handheld device adapted to remove moisture from a skate blade with a hand of a user, the handheld device including a body defining a skate blade pathway and a plurality of wiper blades;

aligning the pathway of the body with the skate blade such that the skate blade and the pathway are substantially aligned along a common axis;

causing at least one of the plurality of wiper blades to contact a first end of the skate blade at a side surface of the skate blade;

moving the device in a direction along the common axis from the first end of the skate blade to a second end of the skate blade, such that the plurality of wiper blades wipe the side surface of the skate blade, thereby removing moisture from the side surface of the skate blade.

20. A method, comprising:

providing a handheld device for removing moisture from a skate blade, the device including;

a body, including a front end and a rear end, the body defining a skate blade pathway substantially parallel to an axis extending from the front end to the rear end, and

a plurality of wiper blades disposed within the body along the axis extending from the front end to the rear end, and adapted to contact a surface of a skate blade traversing the skate blade pathway; and

providing a set of instructions for using the device, the instructions including the steps of;

grasping the device adapted to remove moisture from a skate blade with a hand of a user,

aligning the pathway of the body with the skate blade such that the skate blade and the pathway are substantially aligned along a common axis;

moving the device in a direction along the common axis from the first end of the skate blade to a second end of the skate blade.