Ice skate

Abstract

An ice skate comprising a blade holder having U-shaped inner and outer members that are spaced apart to define a hollow space therebetween. The U-shaped outer member has an elongated blade-supporting base and front and rear pillars that are spaced apart in a longitudinal direction of the blade holder. At least part of the elongated blade-supporting base, front pillar and rear pillar is made of a composite material such as a fiber-matrix composite material. The ice skate also has a blade comprising a runner and a body made of composite material with a matrix and a plurality of fibers embedded in the matrix.

1 . A blade holder for an ice skate, the ice skate comprising a skate boot for receiving a foot of a skater, the skate boot comprising a front portion for receiving toes of the foot, a rear portion for receiving a heel of the foot, and an intermediate portion between the front portion and the rear portion of the skate boot, the blade holder comprising:
 an elongated blade-supporting base; and   a front pillar and a rear pillar that are spaced apart in a longitudinal direction of the blade holder, the front pillar extending from the elongated blade-supporting base towards the front portion of the skate boot, the rear pillar extending from the elongated blade-supporting base towards the rear portion of the skate boot, the elongated blade-supporting base extending from the front pillar to the rear pillar; and   
       wherein at least part of the elongated blade-supporting base, the front pillar and the rear pillar is made of a composite material. 
     
     
         2 . The blade holder of  claim 1 , wherein the composite material is a fiber-matrix composite material and wherein the elongated blade-supporting base, the front pillar and the rear pillar are made of the fiber-matrix composite material. 
     
     
         3 . The blade holder of  claim 2 , wherein the elongated blade-supporting base comprises a bottom blade portion and the blade holder comprises an ice skate blade mounted to the bottom blade portion of the elongated blade-supporting base. 
     
     
         4 . The blade holder of  claim 3 , wherein the blade holder is responsive to a skating movement of the skater to undergo an elastic torsion of each of the front pillar and the rear pillar which induces an elastic flexion of the elongated blade-supporting base and the blade in a widthwise direction of the blade holder. 
     
     
         5 . The blade holder of  claim 1 , wherein a longitudinal spacing of the front pillar and the rear pillar is greater than a sum of a minimal longitudinal dimension of the front pillar and a minimal longitudinal dimension of the rear pillar and wherein at least a front quarter and a rear quarter of the blade holder is free of any inter-pillar structure comparable to at least one of the front pillar and the rear pillar. 
     
     
         6 . The blade holder of  claim 5 , wherein at least one of a front third and a rear third of the blade holder is free of any inter-pillar structure comparable to at least one of the front pillar and the rear pillar. 
     
     
         7 . The blade holder of  claim 6 , wherein each of the front third and the rear third of the blade holder is free of any inter-pillar structure comparable to at least is one of the front pillar and the rear pillar. 
     
     
         8 . The blade holder of  claim 1 , wherein the blade holder is free of any inter-pillar structure comparable to at least one of the front pillar and the rear pillar. 
     
     
         9 . The blade holder of  claim 3 , wherein a longitudinal spacing of the front pillar and the rear pillar is greater than a sum of a minimal longitudinal dimension of the front pillar and a minimal longitudinal dimension of the rear pillar and wherein at least a front quarter and a rear quarter of the blade holder is free of any inter-pillar structure substantially limiting a widthwise flexion of the elongated blade-supporting base while the skater skates. 
     
     
         10 . The blade holder of  claim 3 , wherein at least one of a front third and a rear third of the blade holder is free of any inter-pillar structure substantially limiting a widthwise flexion of the elongated blade-supporting base while the skater skates. 
     
     
         11 . The blade holder of  claim 10 , wherein each of the front third and the rear third of the blade holder is free of any inter-pillar structure substantially limiting a widthwise flexion of the elongated blade-supporting base while the skater skates. 
     
     
         12 . The blade holder of  claim 3 , wherein the blade holder is free of any inter-pillar structure substantially limiting a widthwise flexion of the elongated blade-supporting base while the skater skates. 
     
     
         13 . The blade holder of  claim 1 , wherein a longitudinal spacing of the front pillar and the rear pillar is greater than a sum of a minimal longitudinal dimension of the front pillar and a minimal longitudinal dimension of the rear pillar and wherein the elongated blade-supporting base is suspended only by the front pillar and the rear pillar. 
     
     
         14 . The blade holder of  claim 1 , wherein the elongated blade-supporting base, the front pillar and the rear pillar are part of a U-shaped outer member and wherein the blade holder comprises a U-shaped inner member spaced from the U-shaped outer member to define a void between the U-shaped inner member and the U-shaped outer member. 
     
     
         15 . The blade holder of  claim 14 , comprising a resilient element disposed between the U-shaped inner member and the U-shaped outer member that is configured to deform when the U-shaped inner and outer members move relative to each other while the skater skates. 
     
     
         16 . The blade holder of  claim 2 , comprising a front member defining a front peripheral wall with an upper surface for facing a bottom portion of the front portion of the skate boot and a rear member defining a rear peripheral wall with an upper surface for facing a bottom portion of the rear portion of the skate boot. 
     
     
         17 . The blade holder of  claim 16 , wherein the elongated blade-supporting base, the front pillar and the rear pillar are part of a U-shaped outer member and wherein the blade holder comprises a U-shaped inner member spaced from the U-shaped outer member to define a hollow space between the U-shaped inner member and the U-shaped outer member, the U-shaped inner member comprising an elongated portion, a front portion extending upwardly from the elongated portion and having an upper end integrally formed with the front member and a rear portion extending upwardly from the elongated portion and having an upper end integrally formed with the rear member, and wherein the front pillar has an upper end integrally formed with the front member and the rear pillar has an upper end integrally formed with the rear member. 
     
     
         18 . The blade holder of  claim 17 , wherein each of the front and rear peripheral walls of the front and rear members comprises apertures for affixing the blade holder to the bottom portion of the front and rear portions of the skate boot. 
     
     
         19 . The blade holder of  claim 17 , comprising an intermediate member extending between the front and rear members, the intermediate member having an upper surface for facing a bottom portion of the intermediate portion of the skate boot, the front and rear peripheral walls of the front and rear members and the intermediate member defining a pedestal for facing the bottom portion of the skate boot. 
     
     
         20 . The blade holder of  claim 17 , wherein the elongated portion of the U-shaped inner member overlaps a portion of the elongated blade-supporting base. 
     
     
         21 . The blade holder of  claim 2 , wherein the elongated blade-supporting base, the front pillar and the rear pillar comprise an external wall defining an interior cavity. 
     
     
         22 . The blade holder of  claim 17 , wherein the elongated blade-supporting base, the front pillar, the rear pillar and the elongated portion, front portion and rear portion of the U-shaped inner member comprise an external wall defining an interior cavity. 
     
     
         23 . The blade holder of  claim 17 , wherein the elongated blade-supporting base, the front pillar, the rear pillar, the elongated portion, front portion and rear portion of the U-shaped inner member, the front member and the rear member comprise an external wall defining an interior cavity. 
     
     
         24 . The blade holder of  claim 21 , wherein the elongated blade-supporting base, the front pillar and the rear pillar comprise a filler in the interior cavity. 
     
     
         25 . The blade holder of  claim 24 , wherein the filler comprises foam. 
     
     
         26 . The blade holder of  claim 22 , wherein the elongated blade-supporting base, the front pillar, the rear pillar and the elongated portion, front portion and rear portion of the U-shaped inner member comprise a filler in the interior cavity. 
     
     
         27 . The blade holder of  claim 26 , wherein the filler comprises foam. 
     
     
         28 . A blade holder for an ice skate, the ice skate comprising a skate boot for receiving a foot of a skater, the skate boot comprising a front portion for receiving toes of the foot, a rear portion for receiving a heel of the foot, and an intermediate portion between the front portion and the rear portion of the skate boot, the blade holder comprising:
 a U-shaped inner member; and   a U-shaped outer member spaced from the U-shaped inner member to define a hollow space between the U-shaped inner member and the U-shaped outer member, the U-shaped outer member comprising:   
       an elongated blade-supporting base; and 
       a front pillar and a rear pillar that are spaced apart in a longitudinal direction of the blade holder, the front pillar extending from the elongated blade-supporting base towards the front portion of the skate boot, the rear pillar extending from the elongated blade-supporting base towards the rear portion of the skate boot, the elongated blade-supporting base extending from the front pillar to the rear pillar; and 
       wherein at least part of the elongated blade-supporting base, the front pillar and the rear pillar is made of a composite material. 
     
     
         29 . A blade holder for an ice skate, the ice skate comprising a skate boot for receiving a foot of a skater, the skate boot comprising a front portion for receiving toes of the foot, a rear portion for receiving a heel of the foot, and an intermediate portion between the front portion and the rear portion of the skate boot, the blade holder comprising:
 an elongated blade-supporting base; and   a front pillar and a rear pillar that are spaced apart in a longitudinal direction of the blade holder, the front pillar extending from the elongated blade-supporting base towards the front portion of the skate boot, the rear pillar extending from the elongated blade-supporting base towards the rear portion of the skate boot, the elongated blade-supporting base extending from the front pillar to the rear pillar;   
       wherein the elongated blade-supporting base, the front pillar and the rear pillar comprise an external wall defining an interior cavity, the external wall being at least partially made of a composite material. 
     
     
         30 . An ice skate blade extending along a longitudinal axis, the ice skate blade comprising:
 an body extending along the longitudinal axis and comprising a composite material, the composite material comprising a matrix and a plurality of fibers embedded in the matrix, the body comprising a bottom portion and a top portion for mounting to a blade holder; and   a runner extending along the longitudinal axis and comprising a top portion and a bottom portion having an ice-contacting surface for contacting an ice surface on which a skater skates.   
     
     
         31 . The ice skate blade of  claim 30 , wherein respective ones of the fibers are oriented to be in tension when the blade deflects while the skater skates.