Skate shields
AssigneeJCT Innovations, LLC
InventorsCarl D. Hipp, James M. McCrossin, Thomas K. McCrossin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Skate shields have a resiliently flexible protective shell with an upper portion curved so as to cover a medial side of the boot from near the toe to the instep and at least from the sole plate on the inner (medial) side of the boot over the boot to the outer (lateral) side of the boot. The protective shells are asymmetrically shaped, their continuity being broken in a location away from the medial side. The lower, inner medial edge of the upper shell is curved to contact and follow the medial side edge of the sole plate while a tongue extends transversely under the sole plate to hook the shield along the sole plate medial edge. The front end rests on the reinforced toe of the skate.
Claims25
In a skate having a toe end, a heel end and medial and lateral sides extending between the ends, the skate including a skate portion and a boot fixedly attached to the skate portion through a sole plate, the skate portion having a bottom side spaced from the sole plate and designed to contact a surface supporting the skate, the boot including at least a foot portion shaped generally to cover a person's foot between toe and heel ends and a shaft opening proximal the heel end to receive a skater's foot, a skate shield improvement comprising:
- a protective shell mounted to the skate and including at least an upper shell portion extending upwardly at least past the medial side of the sole plate, up the medial side and over an upper side of the foot portion of the boot in front of the shaft opening and at least partially over a lateral side foot of the boot to a lateral free end of the upper shell portion, continuity of the protective shell being broken at the free lateral end, the protective shell being sufficiently resiliently flexible and being secured sufficiently solidly with one or more rigid portions of the skate on the medial side of the skate to transfer energy from impact against the medial side of the upper shell to the one or more rigid portions of the skate on the medial side of the skate and away from flexible portions of the boot covered by the protective shell.
A shield for a skate having a skate portion and a boot mounted on the skate portion through a sole plate, the skate including a toe end, a heel end and medial and lateral sides, the sole plate facing and attached to a top side of the skate portion and supporting a foot portion of the boot shaped to cover a person's foot between the toe and heel ends, a space being provided between the skate portion and the sole plate, the shield comprising:
- a protective shell including an upper shell portion and a tongue, the upper shell portion being generally curved so as to fit over the boot of the skate from proximal the toe end at least to an instep area of the boot and at least up past a medial side edge of the sole plate on the medial side of the skate to an opposing, lateral side of the skate, the tongue extending transversely from a bottom end of the medial side of the upper shell so as to extend beneath the sole plate sufficiently to hook the shield on the sole plate along the medial side of the sole plate, the shield further being asymmetric with continuity of the shield being broken between a free lateral end of the upper shell portion and a free lateral end of the tongue, the shell being sized and shaped to contact and extended along a medial side edge of the sole plate and the shell being of a construction sufficiently resiliently to deflect impact against the medial side of the shield at least to the medial side of the sole plate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.