Apparatus, system, and method for unibody skate boot

Abstract

Skate boot apparatuses, a skate, and a method are provided. A base including an upper face configured to receive a wearer's foot and a lower face configured to structurally support a skate mechanism is provided. An integral upper support is provided, the integral upper support extending upwardly from the base to a point above an ankle of the wearer, the integral support having a varying rigidity decreasing from a high rigidity near the base to a low rigidity near the point above the ankle of the wearer.

1 . A skate boot apparatus comprising: 
 a base including an upper face and a lower face configured to interface with a skate mechanism;    an upper structural support integrated with the base and extending upwardly from the base to a point above a wearer's ankle, the upper support having an area of a first rigidity above and adjacent the base and an area of a second rigidity lower than the first rigidity in a majority of the portion of the upper support above the area of first rigidity, wherein the upper structural support includes a plurality of layers of fiber composite material joined together with a resin;    an outer shell secured outside at least a portion of said upper support; and    an inner liner secured inside said upper support.    
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a varying rigidity of the upper structural support ranging from the first rigidity to the second rigidity is created by using a varying number of the layers, wherein sections of the upper structural support having a high rigidity include a first number of the layers and sections of the upper structural support having the low rigidity include a second number of the layers where the first number is greater than the second number.  
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the varying rigidity of the upper structural support is created by using layers including layers of varying compositions, each of the varying compositions having varying rigidities.  
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the layers include at least one hingably coupled layer, the hingably coupled layer being partially joined with the boot toward the base and being partially unjoined with the boot away from the base such that the hingably coupled layer is movable at an upper end configured to receive the wearer's ankle.  
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the layers include at least one of a long-woven fiber material.  
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the long-woven fiber material includes one of a fiberglass, a carbon-fiber, and an aramid fiber.  
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising an impact-resistant material layered over the outer layer of composite material.  
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the impact-resistant material includes a polyurethane plastic.  
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the varying rigidity of the upper structural support is created by molding using a varying thickness wherein sections of the upper structural support having a high rigidity include a first thickness and sections of the upper structural support having the low rigidity include a second thickness where the first thickness is greater than the second thickness.  
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the varying rigidity of the upper structural support is created by molding using a material of varying rigidity wherein sections of the upper structural support having a high rigidity include a first material and sections of the upper structural support having the low rigidity include a second material where the first material is more rigid than the second material.  
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein at least one of the first material and the second material includes a short fiber material.  
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein a rigidity of the short fiber material is increasable by increasing a fiber concentration in the short fiber material.  
     
     
         13 . The skate boot of  claim 1 , wherein said lower face includes at least two generally planar engagement regions and an arch-shaped region between said engagement regions.  
     
     
         14 . A method for forming a skate boot, the method comprising: 
 forming a base including: 
 forming the base with an upper face configured to support a wearer's foot and a lower face configured to structurally support a skate mechanism; and  
   forming a boot including: 
 forming an upper support around the base with a plurality of layers of composite material extending upward integrally from the base;  
 contouring the upper support of the boot to surround a wearer's ankle, a wearer's heel, and at least a portion of a wearer's foot, the upper support having a first rigidity near the base and at least a second rigidity in a majority of the portion of the boot above the area of first rigidity, the second rigidity being lower than the first rigidity; and  
 shaping a lower surface of the boot beneath the lower face of the base to receive the skate mechanism.  
   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising shaping the lower surface to integrate a plurality of inserts in the boot, the inserts being configured to releasably engage a plurality of skate attachment devices to couple the skate mechanism to the boot.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising molding the base to at least partially encompass the inserts.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the base includes a shell and a core having a lower density than the shell, the method further comprising shaping the lower surface to include at least one integral lug extending generally downwardly from the base to engage the skate mechanism, the core extending into the lug.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the upper support is formed by joining a plurality of composite layers.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein a varying rigidity of the boot ranging from the first rigidity to the second rigidity is created by using a varying number of the layers, wherein sections of the boot having a high rigidity include a first number of the layers and sections of the boot having the low rigidity include a second number of the layers where the first number is greater than the second number.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the varying rigidity of the boot is created by using layers including layers of varying compositions, each of the varying compositions having varying rigidities.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the layers include at least one of a long-woven fiber material.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the long-woven fiber material includes one of a fiberglass, a carbon-fiber, and an aramid fiber.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the varying rigidity of the boot is created by molding using a varying thickness wherein sections of the boot having a high rigidity include a first thickness and sections of the boot having the low rigidity include a second thickness where the first thickness is greater than the second thickness.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the varying rigidity of the boot is created by molding using a material of varying rigidity wherein sections of the boot having a high rigidity include a first material and sections of the boot having the low rigidity include a second material where the first material is more rigid than the second material.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein at least one of the first material and the second material includes a short fiber material.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein a rigidity of the short fiber material is increasable by increasing a fiber concentration in the short fiber material.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising extending the upper support generally over a metatarsal of the wearer's foot.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the upper support is configured to receive a toe cap, the upper support being configured to at least partially extend over a trailing edge of the toe cap.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the upper face of the base includes a recess for receiving an edge of a toe cap.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising shaping a mid region of a lower surface of the boot beneath the lower face of the base in an arch shape and a planar region adjacent the mid region.  
     
     
         31 . A skate boot apparatus comprising: 
 a base including an upper face configured to receive a wearer's foot and a lower face configured to structurally support a skate mechanism, wherein the base includes a core section between the upper face and the lower face, the upper and lower faces being connected around the sides of the core, the faces and sides forming a resin-impregnated, fiber composite shell around the core, the core having a lower density than the shell;    an upper structural support integrated with the base and extending upwardly from the base to a point above a wearer's ankle, the upper support having an area of a first rigidity above and adjacent the base and at least a second rigidity lower than the first rigidity in a majority of the portion of the upper support above the area of first rigidity;    an outer shell secured outside at least a portion of said upper support; and    an inner liner secured inside said upper support.    
     
     
         32 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein the shell is molded around the core.  
     
     
         33 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein core section includes a rigid foam material encased by the shell on all sides.  
     
     
         34 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein core section includes a plurality of recesses to accommodate inserts coupled with the base, the inserts having protrusions extending into an interior of the boot, the inserts abutting a least a portion of the shell.  
     
     
         35 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein the core section is formed separately from the boot and received into a core section recess in the boot.  
     
     
         36 . The apparatus of  claim 35 , wherein the core section is custom formed to accommodate the wearer's foot.  
     
     
         37 . The apparatus of  claim 35 , wherein the core section is bonded to the upper surface of the base of the boot.