HYBRID SKATE BOOT

• US 20100139126A1
• Filed: 01/09/2008
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sport Maska Incorporated (Adidas AG)
• Original Assignee: Sport Maska Incorporated (Adidas AG)
• Inventors: Koyess, Philippe
• Granted Patent: US 8,505,222 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 36/115
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/04 Ski or like boots
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/16 Skating boots
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/1625 made from materials with different rigidities
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/1683 characterised by the lower part of the upper or by the shell
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 1/42 Manufacture of skates

Abstract

A skate includes a boot for receiving a wearer'"'"'s foot and ankle therein, boot having a boot upper fixed to an outsole. The boot upper includes a vamp for covering a front portion of the foot, first and second quarters connected to the vamp for covering sides of the foot, an instep portion connected to the vamp and quarters for at least partly covering a top portion of the foot, and a rear portion connected to the quarters for covering a rear portion of the foot and ankle. At least the instep portion and part of the rear portion are made of a first material, and the first and second quarters are made of a different, second material. The second material is more rigid than the first material.

Claims

1. A skate comprising a boot for receiving a wearer'"'"'s foot and ankle therein, the boot having a boot upper fixed to an outsole, the boot upper including:

a vamp for covering a front portion of the foot;

first and second quarters connected to the vamp, each quarter having a bottom section for covering a side of the foot and a top section for covering a side of the ankle;

an instep portion connected to the vamp and quarters for at least partly covering a top portion of the foot;

a rear portion connected to the quarters for covering a rear portion of the foot and ankle;

at least the instep portion being made of a first material; and

the first and second quarters being made of a second material more rigid than the first material, with at least a major part of the instep portion being free of the second material.

2. The skate according to claim 1, wherein at least an upper part of the rear portion is made of the first material.

3. The skate according to claim 2, wherein at least the instep portion and the upper part of the rear portion are integrally molded in a single piece.

4. The skate according to claim 1, wherein each quarter overlaps a remainder of the boot upper only along edges of the quarter and is connected to the remainder of the boot upper along said edges.

5. The skate according to claim 1, wherein the first material has a rigidity at least equal to that of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA).

6. The skate according to claim 1, wherein the first material includes ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) and the second material includes at least one of expanded polypropylene (EPP) and poly(ethylene-co-methacrylic acid) (EMAA).

7. The skate according to claim 6, wherein the second material also includes filaments.

8. The skate according to claim 1, wherein the second material includes a plurality of laminated layers.

21. The skate according to claim 1, wherein each quarter is made of a single piece.

22. The skate according to claim 1, wherein the top and bottom sections together have an approximate “

L”

shape.

9. A skate boot comprising:

an outsole;

a toe cap disposed at a forward end of the outsole; and

an upper extending from the outsole and connected to the toe cap to surround a foot and ankle received in the skate boot, the upper including a first portion covering at least sides of the foot and of the ankle, and a second portion extending at least upwardly from an edge of the first portion, the first and second portion including different materials, the second portion being more flexible than the first portion.

10. The skate boot according to claim 9, wherein the second portion is integrally molded in a single piece.

11. The skate boot according to claim 9, further comprising a heel support extending from the outsole and integrally formed therewith in a single piece to cover a rear portion of the upper.

12. The skate boot according to claim 11, wherein the outsole is made of a material including carbon fiber.

13. The skate boot according to claim 9, wherein the toe cap is integrally formed with the outsole in a single piece.

14. The skate boot according to claim 9, wherein the first portion includes at least one of expanded polypropylene (EPP) and poly(ethylene-co-methacrylic acid) (EMAA) and the second portion includes ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA).

15. The skate boot according to claim 14, wherein the first portion also includes a filament layer or a mesh layer.

16. The skate boot according to claim 9, wherein second portion has a rigidity at least equal that of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA).

17. The skate boot according to claim 9, wherein the first portion includes a plurality of laminated layers.

23. The skate according to claim 9, wherein the first portion includes at least one element having an approximate “

L”

shape.

18. A method of making a skate boot upper, comprising:

integrally molding a boot portion from a first material, the boot portion including at least an instep portion and at least part of a tendon guard;

manufacturing two quarters of a second material more rigid than the first material; and

assembling the upper by attaching edges of the quarters to the boot portion with the quarter overlapping the boot portions only along said edges.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the step of assembling of the upper further comprises stitching the edges of the quarters to the boot portion.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein the step of integrally molding the boot portion further comprises integrally molding a vamp and a rear portion including the tendon guard.