Mounting arrangement for ice skate blades

Abstract

An ice skate assembly for attachment to a boot has a skate blade and a blade heating arrangement mounted within a blade support. The blade is heated by a row of field-effect transistors carried on a circuit board or another type of heating element encapsulated on the top edge of the blade in an over-molded plastic strip which engages into a slot in the support as a wedged fit. The blade is attached by an inclined wedge member a screw for pulling the blade longitudinally of the blade and to draw the inclined wedge member into its receptacle. The battery pack is carried in the rear tower which is sealed against moisture penetration and includes two proximity switches for actuation.

1 . A combination of a skate blade member and support therefor for attachment to a skate boot, comprising:
 a skate blade member;   a support for the skate blade member having a bottom slot member defining a downwardly facing slot for receiving the blade member in fixed position along the slot, a front tower member and a rear tower member each extending upwardly from the bottom slot member to a top portion for attachment to the skate boot;   wherein the blade member comprises a rigid blade and an over-molding member of a plastics material along sides of the blade attached to the blade with a bottom edge of the blade exposed below the over-molding material;   the blade member being separate from and removable from the slot;   the over-molding material being molded to form a shape in transverse cross-section for engaging into the slot such that sides of the over-molding material engage sides of the slot to hold the blade member in place against side to side movement;   and a tightening arrangement for pulling the blade member into the slot.   
   
   
       2 . The combination according to  claim 1  wherein the blade has hook elements at spaced positions along its length which are molded into the over-molding material to prevent the blade from being pulled downwardly out of the over-molding material. 
   
   
       3 . The combination according to  claim 1  wherein the blade has mounting elements which extend through the over-molding material so as to present portions thereof above the over-molding material for attachment to the support above the slot. 
   
   
       4 . The combination according to  claim 3  wherein the mounting elements include a wedge member on the blade and wherein the support includes an inclined receptacle for the wedge member and a tensioning member to pull the blade member longitudinally along the slot to pull the wedge member into the receptacle in a wedging action. 
   
   
       5 . The combination according to  claim 1  wherein the wedge member is arranged adjacent the front of the blade member and the tensioning member is arranged to effect a pulling action rearwardly. 
   
   
       6 . The combination according to  claim 4  wherein the tensioning member comprises a captured nut on the blade member and a screw on the support. 
   
   
       7 . The combination according to  claim 6  wherein the captured nut is mounted for pivotal movement about a transverse axis. 
   
   
       8 . The combination according to  claim 1  wherein the over-molding material is shaped with tapered sides which engage into tapered sides in the slot. 
   
   
       9 . The combination according to  claim 1  wherein the over-molding material is shaped with shoulder members on each side for engaging shoulders on either side of the slot. 
   
   
       10 . The combination according to  claim 1  wherein a bottom edge of the blade member is curved and both the slot and the over-molding material are similarly curved. 
   
   
       11 . The combination according to  claim 1  wherein the over-molding material has sides which engage into the slot which are castellated in a direction facing away from sides of the blade. 
   
   
       12 . The combination according to  claim 11  wherein the blade has a bottom edge which curves upwardly at front and wherein the castellated sides are arranged at the upwardly curved front section. 
   
   
       13 . The combination according to  claim 1  wherein the towers are hollow. 
   
   
       14 . The combination according to  claim 1  wherein the towers each include a surrounding top edge flange for fastening to the bottom surface of a skate boot. 
   
   
       15 . The combination according to  claim 1  wherein each tower has a top edge flange with fastening holes for receiving fastening screws for fastening to the bottom surface of a skate boot and wherein holes are elongate to allow adjustment of the tower on the boot. 
   
   
       16 . A combination of a skate blade member and support therefor for attachment to a skate boot, comprising:
 a skate blade member;   a support for the skate blade member having a bottom slot member defining a downwardly facing slot for receiving the blade member in fixed position along the slot, a front tower member and a rear tower member each extending upwardly from the bottom slot member to a top portion for attachment to the skate boot;   wherein the towers are hollow;   wherein the towers each include a surrounding top edge flange for fastening to the bottom surface of a skate boot;   and wherein each tower has a top edge flange with fastening holes for receiving fastening screws for fastening to the bottom surface of a skate boot and wherein holes are elongate to allow adjustment of the tower on the boot.   
   
   
       17 . A combination of a skate blade member and support therefor for attachment to a skate boot, comprising:
 a skate blade member;   a support for the skate blade member having a bottom slot member defining a downwardly facing slot for receiving the blade member in fixed position along the slot, a front tower member and a rear tower member each extending upwardly from the bottom slot member to a top portion for attachment to the skate boot;   the blade member being separate from and removable from the slot   the blade member having a shape in transverse cross-section for engaging into the slot to hold the blade member in place against side to side movement;   and a tightening arrangement for pulling the blade member into the slot;   the tightening arrangement including a wedge member on the blade member;   the support including an inclined receptacle for the wedge member and a tensioning member to pull the blade member longitudinally along the slot to pull the wedge member into the receptacle in a wedging action;   wherein the wedge member is arranged adjacent the front of the blade member and the tensioning member is arranged to effect a pulling action rearwardly;   and wherein the tensioning member comprises a captured nut on the blade member adjacent a rear end of the blade member and a screw for insertion into a hole at the rear of the support for engaging into the captured nut to pull the blade member rearwardly.   
   
   
       18 . The combination according to  claim 17  wherein the captured nut is mounted for pivotal movement about a transverse axis.