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US 2002/0163146 A1Published application
Fast entry elastic vamp closure skate
OwnerD. Paul Bennettinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A skate (10) includes a substantially nonrigid upper (12) secured to a base (14). The skate includes a vamp portion (28) defining a vamp opening (30), and a tongue (32) disposed beneath the vamp opening. An elastic web (34) spans across the vamp opening to compress the upper about a skate's foot. The elastic web transmits compressive force to the underlying tongue for distribution over a greater area of the foot.
Claims13
A skate having at least one ground engaging member, comprising:
- a base having an undersurface to which the at least one ground engaging member can be mounted and an upper surface for supporting a skater's foot;
- a substantially non-rigid upper shoe portion for receiving a skater's foot secured to the upper surface of the base and defining a toe end, a heel end and a vamp portion over the instep of the received foot, the vamp portion defining a vamp opening extending upwardly from the toe end to an upper edge of the non-rigid upper shoe portion;
- a tongue disposed within the upper shoe portion and having a lower end fastened to the toe end of the upper shoe portion, extending upwardly along the vamp opening to at least adjacent the ankle of the skater's foot;
- an elastic web fastened to the upper shoe portion on first and second sides of the vamp opening and spanning across at least a portion of the vamp opening over the instep of the skater's foot, compressing the tongue under the vamp portion;
- and
- a substantially rigid support structure extending upwardly from the base and including an ankle cuff that provides lateral and medial support of the skater's ankle while permitting forward flexion of the skater's ankle.
3 more elements
A skate having at least one ground engaging member, comprising:
- a base having an undersurface to which the at least one ground engaging member can be mounted and an upper surface for supporting a skater's foot;
- a substantially non-rigid upper shoe portion for receiving a skater's foot secured to the upper surface of the base and defining a toe end, a heel end and a vamp portion over the instep of the received foot, the vamp portion defining a vamp opening extending upwardly from the toe end to an upper edge of the non-rigid upper shoe portion;
- a tongue disposed within the upper shoe portion and having a lower end fastened to the toe end of the upper shoe portion, extending upwardly along the vamp opening to at least adjacent the ankle of the skater's foot;
- an elastic web fastened to the upper shoe portion on first and second sides of the vamp opening and spanning across at least a portion of the vamp opening over the instep of the skater's foot, extending from a lower end of the vamp opening to an upper point covering at least a majority of the instep, compressing the tongue under the vamp portion;
- and
- a substantially rigid external support structure extending upwardly from the base and including an ankle cuff that provides lateral and medial support of the skater's ankle while permitting forward flexion of the skater's ankle.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.