Skate with removable tongue

Abstract

A tongue for a skate boot includes a body having a first segment and a second segment at a lower end. One or both of the first and second segments are displaceable toward the other to a sandwiched position. The first and second segments overlap in the sandwiched position and position part of a toe portion of the boot between the first and second segments. The first segment includes two mating tabs spaced apart from each other, and the second segment includes two segment apertures spaced apart from each other. In the sandwiched position, the first segment engages an inner surface of the part of the toe portion and the second segment engages an outer surface, two toe portion apertures are aligned with the two segment apertures; and the two mating tabs pass into the two toe portion apertures and into the two segment apertures.

1 . A tongue removably mountable within a boot of a skate, the tongue comprising: a body extending along a longitudinal axis between an upper end and a lower end, the lower end of the body having a first segment and a second segment, one or both of the first segment and the second segments being relatively displaceable toward the other to define a sandwiched position, the first and second segments overlapping in the sandwiched position and configured to receive part of a toe portion of the boot between the first and second segments, the first segment including two mating tabs spaced apart from each other, and the second segment including two segment apertures spaced apart from each other and extending through the second segment, in the sandwiched position the two mating tabs sized to pass through two corresponding apertures of the part of the toe portion, and into the two segment apertures of the second segment. 
     
     
         2 . The tongue of  claim 1 , wherein the two mating tabs are spaced apart from each other in a lateral direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the body, and the two segment apertures are spaced apart from each other in the lateral direction transverse to the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         3 . The tongue of  claim 1 , wherein one or both of the first and second segments is foldable about a fold line. 
     
     
         4 . The tongue of  claim 1 , wherein the first segment is fixedly attached to the body of the tongue, the second segment being foldable toward the first segment and away from the first segment about a fold line. 
     
     
         5 . The tongue of  claim 1 , wherein the two mating tabs are two press-fit pins disposed on the first segment, in the sandwiched position the second segment overlapping the first segment and the two press-fit pins inserted through the apertures in the part of the toe portion, and through the two segment apertures. 
     
     
         6 . The tongue of  claim 1 , wherein the first segment is attached to an outer surface of the body at a first location, and the second segment is attached to the outer surface at a second location spaced apart from the first location. 
     
     
         7 . The tongue of  claim 1 , wherein the tongue is only attachable to the boot at a location where the two mating tabs pass into the apertures in the part of the toe portion and into the two segment apertures. 
     
     
         8 . The tongue of  claim 1 , wherein the two mating tabs include a base portion extending from the first segment, a middle portion extending from the base portion, and a top portion connected to the middle portion and defining a distal extremity of the two mating tabs, the middle portion being thinner than the base and top portions. 
     
     
         9 . The tongue of  claim 8 , wherein the top portion of the two mating tabs has a top portion diameter being greater than a diameter of the two segment apertures. 
     
     
         10 . The tongue of  claim 8 , wherein in the sandwiched position, the second segment is disposed around the middle portion and around the top portion. 
     
     
         11 . A method of attaching a tongue to a skate boot, the method comprising:
 sandwiching part of a toe portion of the skate boot between a first segment of the tongue at a lower end of the tongue and a second segment of the tongue at the lower end; and   inserting two mating tabs on one of the first and second segments through two apertures in the part of the toe portion and through two segment apertures in the other of the first and second segments to removably attach the tongue to the skate boot.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein sandwiching the part of the toe portion includes displacing one or both of the first and second segments toward the part of the toe portion to abut the first and second segments against opposed surfaces of the part of the toe portion. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein sandwiching the part of the toe portion includes folding one or both of the first and second segments toward the part of the toe portion. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein inserting the two mating tabs includes positioning said one of the first and second segments underneath the part of the toe portion and vertically displacing the two mating tabs relative to the two apertures in the part of the toe portion and relative to the two segment apertures. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein vertically displacing the two mating tabs relative to the two apertures and relative to the two segment apertures includes squeezing together said one of the first and second segments and the part of the toe portion. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein sandwiching the part of the toe portion includes positioning said one of the first and second segments underneath the part of the toe portion, and positioning the other of the first and second segments in vertical overlap over the part of the toe portion. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein inserting the two mating tabs includes removably attaching the tongue to the skate boot only at a location where the two mating tabs pass into the two apertures in the part of the toe portion and into the two segment apertures. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein inserting the two mating tabs includes inserting the two mating tabs through the two apertures in the part of the toe portion, and then subsequently displacing the other of the first and second segments toward the toe portion to insert the two mating tabs through the two segment apertures. 
     
     
         19 . A skate, comprising:
 a boot comprising a toe portion to cover toes of a wearer and two toe portion apertures in part of the toe portion, the two toe portion apertures spaced apart from each other;   a tongue having a body extending along a longitudinal axis between an upper end and a lower end, the lower end of the body having a first segment and a second segment, the first and second segments being relatively displaceable toward each other to define a sandwiched position, the first and second segments overlapping in the sandwiched position and the part of the toe portion being between the first and second segments, the first segment including two mating tabs spaced apart from each other, and the second segment including two segment apertures spaced apart from each other and extending through the second segment, in the sandwiched position the two mating tabs pass into the two toe portion apertures and into the two segment apertures, to removably connect the tongue to the boot; and   a ground-engaging element connected to a bottom of the boot.   
     
     
         20 . The skate of  claim 19 , wherein the two mating tabs have portions of varying thickness.