Skate chassis with pitch adjustment

• US 7,523,947 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2005
• Issued: 04/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ExxonMobil Research & Engineering Company (Exxon Mobil Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mission I-tech Hockey Limited
• Inventors: Pham, Tan, McLean, Robert W., Wilder, Thomas V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis; Christopher P
• Assistant Examiner(s): OLSZEWSKI, JOHN
• Application Number:
  US11/052,531
• Publication Number:
  US 20050212227A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,541 Days
• Field of Search: 280/11.12, 280/11.18, 280/11.17, 280/11.3, 280/11.31, 280/11.32, 280/11.34, 280/11.27, 280/7.13, 280/841, 280/11.223
• US Class Current: 280/11.12
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 1/00 Skates roller skates or skate boards A63C17/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 1/28 Pivotally-mounted plates
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 1/32 Special constructions of the simple blade

Abstract

An ice skate chassis is configured so that a user can adjust the pitch of the skate chassis between a plurality of discrete pitch positions. The pitch is adjusted by locking the ice blade at a desired angle relative to a bladeholder of the chassis. The blade can be positively locked at a plurality of discrete, repeatable angle positions so that the angle will not slip or creep during skating.

Claims

1. An ice skate chassis adjustable between a plurality of discrete pitch positions, comprising:

an elongate skate blade;

a bladeholder configured to receive the elongate skate blade; and

a mounting mechanism for securing the blade to the bladeholder, the mounting mechanism configured to selectively secure the blade only at a plurality of discrete, pre-set positions relative to the bladeholder.

2. The ice skate chassis of claim 1, wherein the chassis has a neutral pitch position, at least one forward pitch position, and at least one rearward pitch position.

3. The ice skate chassis of claim 1, wherein the bladeholder comprises an elongate kerf configured to accept at least a portion of the skate blade, and at least a portion of the mounting mechanism is disposed within the bladeholder.

4. The ice skate chassis of claim 3, wherein the bladeholder comprises a transparent or translucent material configured so that a user can view the portion of the mounting mechanism disposed within the bladeholder.

5. The ice skate chassis of claim 1, wherein an angle of the blade relative to the bladeholder varies within the range of from about ½

°

to about 1½

°

between adjacent discrete pitch positions.

6. The ice skate chassis of claim 5, wherein the angle of the blade relative to the bladeholder varies about ¾

°

between adjacent discrete pitch positions.

7. An ice skate comprising an ice skate chassis as set out in claim 1 in combination with a skate boot, wherein the ice skate chassis is mounted onto the skate boot.

8. An ice skate chassis, comprising:

an elongate skate blade having a longitudinal axis and comprising a mount portion, the mount portion of the skate blade comprising a first slot and a second slot;

a bladeholder having an elongate kerf configured to accept at least part of the skate blade mount portion when the skate blade is installed in the bladeholder; and

a blade angle adjustment mechanism, the adjustment mechanism being configured to selectively engage one of the skate blade slots and simultaneously engage the bladeholder;

wherein when the skate blade is installed in the bladeholder with the adjustment mechanism engaging the first skate blade slot, the skate blade longitudinal axis is at a first angle relative to the bladeholder, and when the skate blade is installed in the bladeholder with the adjustment mechanism engaging the second skate blade slot, the skate blade longitudinal axis is at a second angle relative to the bladeholder.

9. The ice skate chassis of claim 8, wherein the adjustment mechanism comprises a tooth, and the tooth is configured to selectively engage one of the skate blade slots.

10. The ice skate chassis of claim 9, wherein the mount portion of the skate blade comprises a front aperture and a rear aperture, and the bladeholder comprises front and rear apertures configured to align with the skate blade front and rear apertures.

11. The ice skate chassis of claim 10 additionally comprising front and rear fasteners configured to fit through the aligned front and rear apertures of the skate blade and bladeholder so as to secure the blade to the bladeholder.

12. The ice skate chassis of claim 11, wherein at least one of the blade apertures is elongate.

13. The ice skate chassis of claim 12, wherein the front blade aperture is elongate.

14. The ice skate chassis of claim 12, wherein the rear blade aperture is elongate.

15. The ice skate chassis of claim 12, wherein the first and second slots are arranged in or adjacent the elongate blade aperture.

16. The ice skate chassis of claim 15, wherein the fastener that is configured to fit in the elongate blade aperture comprises the adjustment mechanism.

17. The ice skate chassis of claim 16, wherein at least one slot is formed in the bladeholder, and the adjustment mechanism engages the bladeholder slot and at least one of the skate blade slots.

18. The ice skate chassis of claim 12, wherein the first and second slots are arranged on the skate blade and are spaced from the elongate blade aperture.

19. An ice skate comprising an ice skate chassis as set out in claim 9 in combination with a skate boot, wherein the ice skate chassis is mounted onto the skate boot.

20. An ice skate chassis, comprising:

an elongate skate blade having a mount portion comprising first and second mounts;

a bladeholder having an elongate kerf configured to accept at least part of the skate blade mount portion when the skate blade is installed in the bladeholder;

a fastening mechanism for attaching the first and second mounts of the skate blade to the bladeholder;

a plurality of slots disposed in at least one of the bladeholder and skate blade; and

a blade angle adjustment mechanism, the adjustment mechanism being configured to simultaneously engage the skate blade and the bladeholder to define an angular position of the skate blade relative to the bladeholder, the adjustment mechanism being adapted to selectively engage one of the plurality of slots disposed in at least one of the bladeholder and skate blade so as to selectively position the blade at one of a plurality of discrete, pre-set positions relative to the bladeholder.

21. The ice skate chassis of claim 20, wherein the adjustment mechanism is configured to simultaneously engage the skate blade and a slot in the bladeholder.

22. The ice skate chassis of claim 21, wherein the adjustment mechanism is configured to simultaneously engage a slot in the skate blade and a slot in the bladeholder.

23. The ice skate chassis of claim 21, wherein the bladeholder comprises a plurality of slots.

24. The ice skate chassis of claim 21, wherein the skate blade comprises a plurality of slots.

25. The ice skate chassis of claim 20, wherein the fastening mechanism comprises first and second mount fasteners that secure the blade to the bladeholder.

26. The ice skate chassis of claim 25, wherein the angle adjustment mechanism is spaced from the fastening mechanism.

27. The ice skate chassis of claim 25, wherein at least one of the first and second mount fasteners comprises the angle adjustment mechanism.

28. An ice skate comprising an ice skate chassis as set out in claim 21 in combination with a skate boot, wherein the ice skate chassis is mounted onto the skate boot.