Hockey skate boot including a tongue with one or more comfort channels

Abstract

A skate boot includes a tongue configured to reduce or relieve pressure on the superficial tendons of the anterior region of a skater's foot. The tongue has an outer portion, an inner portion, and one or more channels, grooves, or openings formed in the inner portion or outer portion. The one or more channels, grooves, or openings are positioned to overlie one or more of the superficial tendons in the anterior region of a skater's foot.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A tongue for a skate boot, comprising:
 an outer portion;   an inner portion configured to rest against an anterior region of a skater's foot; and   one or more channels in the outer portion, wherein the channels are positioned to overlie at least one superficial tendon in the anterior region of the skater's foot.   
     
     
         2 . The skate-boot tongue of  claim 1  wherein the inner portion has a continuous surface configured to rest against the skater's foot. 
     
     
         3 . The skate-boot tongue of  claim 1  wherein the outer portion includes a first channel and a second channel. 
     
     
         4 . The skate-boot tongue of  claim 3  wherein the first channel is positioned to overlie the extensor hallucis longus anterior tendon, and the second channel is positioned to overlie the extensor digitorum longus tendon, of the skater's foot. 
     
     
         5 . The skate-boot tongue of  claim 3  wherein the first channel has different dimensions than the second channel. 
     
     
         6 . The skate-boot tongue of  claim 1  wherein each of the one or more channels has a width of approximately 20 to 25 mm. 
     
     
         7 . The skate-boot tongue of  claim 1  wherein each of the one or more channels has a length of approximately 55 to 65 mm. 
     
     
         8 . The skate-boot tongue of  claim 1  wherein each of the one or more channels has a depth of approximately 10 to 15 mm. 
     
     
         9 . The skate-boot tongue of  claim 1  wherein the tongue includes an attachment portion configured for removable attachment of the tongue to a skate. 
     
     
         10 . The skate-boot tongue of  claim 9  wherein the attachment portion comprises an opening configured to receive a connector. 
     
     
         11 . The skate-boot tongue of  claim 1  wherein the tongue comprises a plurality of foam layers. 
     
     
         12 . The skate-boot tongue of  claim 11  wherein at least two of the foam layers have different hardness values. 
     
     
         13 . A hockey skate, comprising:
 a body;   a tongue attached to the body, the tongue comprising:   an outer portion;
 an inner portion configured to rest against an anterior region of a skater's foot; and 
 at least one channel in the outer portion, wherein each channel is positioned to overlie a superficial tendon in the anterior region of the skater's foot. 
   
     
     
         14 . The hockey skate of  claim 13  wherein the tongue is removably attached to the body. 
     
     
         15 . The hockey skate of  claim 14  wherein the tongue is removably attached to the body via at least one screw or bolt. 
     
     
         16 . The skate-boot tongue of  claim 13  wherein the inner portion of the tongue has a continuous surface configured to rest against the skater's foot. 
     
     
         17 . The skate-boot tongue of  claim 13  wherein the outer portion includes a first channel and a second channel. 
     
     
         18 . The skate-boot tongue of  claim 17  wherein the first channel is positioned to overlie the extensor hallucis longus anterior tendon, and the second channel is positioned to overlie the extensor digitorum longus tendon, of the skater's foot. 
     
     
         19 . A hockey skate, comprising:
 a body;   a tongue attached to the body, the tongue comprising:
 a first channel positioned to overlie the extensor hallucis longus anterior tendon of the skater's foot; and 
 a second channel positioned to overlie the extensor digitorum longus tendon of the skater's foot. 
   
     
     
         20 . The hockey skate of  claim 19  wherein the tongue is removably attached to the body via a connector.