Apparatus, system, and method for unibody skate boot
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A skate boot apparatus comprising:
- a base including an upper face configured to receive a wearer'"'"'s foot and a lower face configured to structurally support a skate mechanism, wherein the base includes a resin-impregnated, fabric composite shell and a core, the core having a lower density than the shell, the shell surrounding the core;
an upper structural support integrated with the base and extending upwardly from the base to a point above a wearer'"'"'s ankle, the upper support having an area of a first rigidity above and adjacent the base and at least a second rigidity lower than the first rigidity in a majority of the portion of the upper support above the area of first rigidity;
an outer shell secured outside said upper support;
an inner liner secured inside said upper support; and
a plurality of integrated threaded inserts configured to releasably engage a plurality of threaded fasteners to couple the base to the skate mechanism, said base being molded around said inserts, wherein the plurality of inserts are disposed toward circumferential edges of the base with a portion of the insert being supported by the shell of the base and a portion of the inserts being disposed within the core.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Skate boot apparatuses, a skate, and a method are provided. A base including an upper face configured to receive a wearer'"'"'s foot and a lower face configured to structurally support a skate mechanism is provided. An integral upper support is provided, the integral upper support extending upwardly from the base to a point above an ankle of the wearer, the integral support having a varying rigidity decreasing from a high rigidity near the base to a low rigidity near the point above the ankle of the wearer.
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Citations
115 Claims
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1. A skate boot apparatus comprising:
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a base including an upper face configured to receive a wearer'"'"'s foot and a lower face configured to structurally support a skate mechanism, wherein the base includes a resin-impregnated, fabric composite shell and a core, the core having a lower density than the shell, the shell surrounding the core; an upper structural support integrated with the base and extending upwardly from the base to a point above a wearer'"'"'s ankle, the upper support having an area of a first rigidity above and adjacent the base and at least a second rigidity lower than the first rigidity in a majority of the portion of the upper support above the area of first rigidity; an outer shell secured outside said upper support; an inner liner secured inside said upper support; and a plurality of integrated threaded inserts configured to releasably engage a plurality of threaded fasteners to couple the base to the skate mechanism, said base being molded around said inserts, wherein the plurality of inserts are disposed toward circumferential edges of the base with a portion of the insert being supported by the shell of the base and a portion of the inserts being disposed within the core.
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2. A skate boot apparatus comprising:
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a base including an upper face configured to receive a wearer'"'"'s foot and a lower face configured to structurally support a skate mechanism, wherein the base includes a resin-impregnated, fiber composite shell surrounding a lower density core; an upper structural support integrated with the base and extending upwardly from the base to a point above a wearer'"'"'s ankle, the upper support having an area of a first rigidity above and adjacent the base and at least a second rigidity lower than the first rigidity in a majority of the portion of the upper support above the area of first rigidity; an outer shell secured outside said upper support; and an inner liner secured inside said upper support.
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3. A skate boot apparatus comprising:
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a base including an upper face configured to receive a wearer'"'"'s foot and a lower face configured to structurally support a skate mechanism, wherein the base includes a resin-impregnated, fabric composite shell and a core, the core being of lower density material, the shell surrounding the core, the skate further comprising at least one integral lug extending generally downwardly from the base to engage the skate mechanism, the core of the base extending into the lug; an upper structural support integrated with the base and extending upwardly from the base to a point above a wearer'"'"'s ankle, the upper support having an area of a first rigidity above and adjacent the base and at least a second rigidity lower than the first rigidity in a majority of the portion of the upper support above the area of first rigidity; an outer shell secured outside said upper support; and an inner liner secured inside said upper support. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5)
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6. A skate boot apparatus comprising:
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a base including an upper face configured to receive a wearer'"'"'s foot and a lower face configured to structurally support a skate mechanism, wherein the base includes a core section between the upper face and the lower face, the upper and lower faces being connected around the sides of the core, the faces and sides forming a resin-impregnated, fiber composite shell around the core, the core having a lower density than the shell; an upper structural support integrated with the base and extending upwardly from the base to a point above a wearer'"'"'s ankle, the upper support having an area of a first rigidity above and adjacent the base and at least a second rigidity lower than the first rigidity in a majority of the portion of the upper support above the area of first rigidity; an outer shell secured outside said upper support; and an inner liner secured inside said upper support. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A skate boot apparatus comprising:
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a base including an upper face configured to receive a wearer'"'"'s foot and a lower face configured to structurally support a skate mechanism; an upper structural support integrated with the base and extending upwardly from the base to a point above a wearer'"'"'s ankle, the upper support having an area of a first rigidity above and adjacent the base and at least a second rigidity lower than the first rigidity in a majority of the portion of the upper support above the area of first rigidity, wherein the upper structural support is formed by curing together a plurality of layers of fiber composite material set and joined together with a resin; an outer shell secured outside said upper support; and an inner liner secured inside said upper support. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A skate boot apparatus comprising:
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a base including an upper face configured to receive a wearer'"'"'s foot and a lower face configured to structurally support a skate frame; and a boot encompassing the base within a bottom side, the boot including; a contoured upper support extending upwardly past the upper face of the base to surround an ankle joint, a heel, and at least a portion of a foot of the wearer, the contoured upper support having a first rigidity near the base and a second rigidity near the point above the wearer'"'"'s ankle lower than the first rigidity, the contoured upper support having a plurality of layers with more layers adjacent the base and fewer layers above the wearer'"'"'s ankle; a shaped lower surface extending from the contoured upper support beneath the lower face of the base, the shaped lower surface being configured to engage the skate frame; an outer layer secured outside the upper support; and an inner liner secured inside the upper support. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57)
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58. An ice skate system comprising:
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a skate mechanism including; a skating device; a skate frame supporting the skating device on a first side and configured to engage a mounting bracket on a second side; and a mounting bracket coupled with the skate frame, the mounting bracket being configured to mount the skate mechanism; a boot including; a base including an upper face configured to receive a wearer'"'"'s foot and a lower face configured to structurally support the skate mechanism, the base including a plurality of inserts configured to receive a plurality of skate attachment devices; and a boot encompassing the base within a bottom side, the boot including; a contoured upper support extending upwardly past the upper face of the base to surround an ankle joint, a heel, and at least a portion of a foot of the wearer, the contoured upper support having a first rigidity near the base and at least a second rigidity in a majority of the portion of the boot above the area of first rigidity, the second rigidity being lower than the first rigidity; and a shaped lower surface extending continuously from the contoured upper support beneath the lower face of the base and shaped to receive an upper face of the skate mechanism; a boot lining disposed inside the upper support and configured to receive the foot of the wearer; and a plurality of skate attachment devices configured to join the skate mechanism to the boot. - View Dependent Claims (59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88)
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89. A method for forming a skate boot, the method comprising:
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forming a base including; forming the base with an upper face configured to receive a wearer'"'"'s foot; and forming a lower face configured to structurally support a skate mechanism; and forming a boot including; forming an upper support around the base with a plurality of layers of composite material extending upward integrally from the base; contouring the upper support of the boot to surround a wearer'"'"'s ankle, a wearer'"'"'s heel, and at least a portion of a wearer'"'"'s foot, the upper support having a first rigidity near the base and at least a second rigidity in a majority of the portion of the boot above the area of first rigidity, the second rigidity being lower than the first rigidity; and shaping a lower surface of the boot beneath the lower face of the base to receive the skate mechanism. - View Dependent Claims (90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115)
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Specification