Land vehicles – Skates – Runner type
Patent
1996-06-03
1998-10-27
Johnson, Brian L.
Land vehicles
Skates
Runner type
A63C 134
Patent
active
058268901
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an ice-skate blade which includes a central main runner and side-runners positioned on respective sides of the main runner.
A conventional ice skate has a continuous elongated blade. Depending on the use for which the ice skate is intended, the blade will have a different curvature in its longitudinal direction, so as to vary the surface along which it has contact with the ice. For instance, in the case of ice-skates that are intended for speed-skating, the blade is relatively long and generally straight so as to provide a long abutment surface with the ice and therewith will generate less friction. On the other hand, ice skates that are intended for ice-hockey players have a relatively pronounced curvature in their longitudinal direction, so as to shorten the ice contacting surface and enable the player to turn more effectively. This blade curvature may also vary between skates that are intended for defensive players and skates that are intended for attacking players, since the nature of the turns performed by such players place different requirements on the turning ability of the skates.
The blade is normally ground to an elongated hollow or cupped shape, such as to provide two ice-engaging edges and therewith provide the best possible engagement of the blade with the ice. The deeper the hollow, the better the grip obtained. This is achieved, however, at the cost of impaired sliding or skating action, since the edges cut deeper into the ice. This prevents the length over which the blade makes contact with the ice from being made too short, since the pressure at which the skate bears on the ice, and therewith the extent to which the blade cuts into the ice, will increase with shorter contact lengths.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,392,658 teaches an ice skate blade which includes a longitudinally extending main runner and side-runners placed on respective sides thereof. A common feature of all the blade configurations described in this specification is that the main runner and side-runners extend parallel with one another along the full length of the blade, such that coaction between the main runner and the side-runners is the same along the full length of the blade.
WO 82/00255 describes an ice skate which includes a main runner and side-runners positioned on respective sides of the main runner. These side-runners are located at a higher level than the cutting edge of the main runner along the whole of their length. The purpose of this is to improve the mechanical strength and the stability of the main runner, and also to reduce the load on the ankle. In this regard, it is also noted that under certain conditions, the side-runners provide a firmer grip on the ice.
In our earlier International Patent Application Publication No. WO94/1678, there is described an ice skate which includes a main runner and side-runners positioned on a respective side of the main runner, wherein the main runner is discontinuous so as to provide a front and a rear glide surface. In this case, the side-runners are located at a lower level than the main runner over a central part of the blade construction.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The main object of the present invention is to improve the gliding properties of an ice-skate blade while retaining or improving the ability with which turns can be made on the ice and also the engagement of the blade with the ice.
The invention is based on the concept that the aforesaid object can be achieved with the aid of a blade that has a central main runner and side-runners on respective sides of the main runner. The side-runners have a relatively deep hollow and are utilized to obtain a good grip with the ice when moving forward abruptly from a stationary position and when turning on the ice, which enables the main runner to have a relatively shallow hollow, therewith improving the gliding properties of the runner, in accordance with the aforegoing.
According to the invention, the side-runners take-over the function of the main runner when accele
REFERENCES:
patent: 60431 (1866-12-01), Scott et al.
patent: 187697 (1877-02-01), Adair
patent: 286199 (1883-10-01), Hindley
patent: 524129 (1894-08-01), Bryant
patent: 1100976 (1914-06-01), Hille
patent: 4392658 (1983-07-01), Redmond et al.
patent: 4907813 (1990-03-01), Hall
Johnson Brian L.
Lerner Avraham
Orebroskenan Aktiebolag
LandOfFree
Ice skate blade does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Ice skate blade, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Ice skate blade will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-1608390