Land vehicles – Skates
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-09
2001-05-22
Swann, J. J. (Department: 3611)
Land vehicles
Skates
C028S206000, C028S206000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06234532
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to blades for ice skating and, more particularly, to a lateral toe pick device for enhancing the ice-gripping capability of the skate blade.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A common problem in competitive figure skating is that in certain maneuvers that require the skater to vigorously plant the forward toe edge of the skate blade into the ice to create lift or take off in order to carry out certain actions while air-borne, typically rotating or spinning, a fair amount of slippage occurs between the forward toe edge of the skate blade and the ice surface at the blade-to-ice interface. Certain of these maneuvers are commonly referred to as the toe loop, the flip and the lutz, of the double, triple and quadruple variety. This slippage robs the skater of lift off power, which concomitantly compromises the skater's ability to fly farther, higher, or longer through the air. Power skating also suffers from slippage at the blade-to-ice interface.
Therefore, a need exists in the art for reducing the slippage that commonly occurs at the blade-to-ice interface and to improve the ice-gripping capabilities of ice skate blades.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The main objective of the present invention is to provide an ice skate blade with enhanced ice-gripping ability to reduce slippage and the loss of upward lift or acceleration power experienced by an ice skater.
The present invention provides a lateral toe pick intended for assembly onto a skate blade, an ice skate blade having such a lateral toe pick, and a blade-and-boot assembly. The assembly of this invention comprises a boot securable to a skater's foot; an elongated skate blade including a longitudinal lower runner edge for motively engaging an ice surface, a first forward or fore end, a second rear or aft end disposed opposite the first fore end, and upper mounting surfaces for securing the skate blade to the sole plate of the skate boot; and means extending laterally from the skate blade near the first fore end to enhance the ice-gripping ability of the blade. In most blades intended for figure skating, the first fore end includes one or more protruding teeth members, which are commonly referred to as “picks,” that collectively define a first point of engagement between the skate blade and the ice surface upon the skater planting the forward toe end of the skate blade into the ice in the performance of various skating maneuvers.
The laterally extending means includes a forward edge extending laterally from the skate blade and slightly forwardly toward the first fore end of the skate blade to define a second point of engagement between the skate blade and the ice during the aforementioned maneuvers. Such means is preferably defined by a toe pick element affixed laterally onto the skate blade or manufactured as an integral part of the skate blade. In a preferred embodiment, the invention includes second means extending laterally from the skate blade on the opposite side of the blade than the first means and disposed in a similar arrangement relative to the first fore end of the skate blade as the first means. Such second means also includes a forward edge extending laterally from the vertical axis of the skate blade and slightly forwardly toward the first fore end of the skate blade to define a third point of engagement between the skate blade and the ice surface, thereby even further enhancing the ice-gripping capability of the first fore end of the skate blade.
These and other advantages and feature which characterize this invention are set forth in the claims presented below. For a complete understanding of the invention, reference should be made to the drawings and the detailed specification below, in which there is described a preferred embodiment of the invention.
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Bingham Summers Welsh & Spilman LLP
Boots Daniel L.
Shriver J. Allen
Swann J. J.
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