Method and system for control of ice skate blade grinding apparatus

Abstract

Computer-implemented method of operating an ice skate blade grinding apparatus, which comprises determining a number of contiguous ice skate blades inserted into the apparatus; and setting an operating parameter of the apparatus based at least in part on the determined number of contiguous ice skate blades. This allows optimized sharpening and profiling of multiple blades at a time.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method of operating an ice skate blade grinding apparatus, comprising:
 determining a number of contiguous ice skate blades inserted into the apparatus; and   setting an operating parameter of the apparatus based at least in part on the determined number of contiguous ice skate blades.   
     
     
         2 . The method defined in  claim 1 , wherein the determining comprises:
 capturing at least one image of an ice-contacting surface of the blades inserted into the apparatus; and   processing the at least one image to identify inter-blade surface transitions, thereby to determine the number of contiguous ice skate blades as one more than the number of transitions.   
     
     
         3 . The method defined in  claim 1 , wherein the determining comprises: receiving an input from a user of the apparatus, the input specifying the number of contiguous ice skate blades. 
     
     
         4 . The method defined in  claim 1 , wherein the determining comprises:
 measuring a collective thickness of the ice skate blades;   dividing the measured thickness by an average blade thickness, the average blade thickness being measured by digital image processing or provided by a user of the apparatus.   
     
     
         5 . The method defined in  claim 1 , wherein blades are held together by a clamping pressure applied by a holding mechanism of the apparatus, and wherein the setting comprises setting a final clamping pressure based on the determined number of contiguous ice skate blades. 
     
     
         6 . The method defined in  claim 1 , wherein blades are clamped by a clamping pressure applied by a holding mechanism of the apparatus, and wherein the setting comprises setting a final clamping pressure based on the determined number of contiguous ice skate blades and a thickness of each of the ice skate blades. 
     
     
         7 . The method defined in  claim 1 , wherein the operating parameter is a pressure applied by an abrasive element to an ice-contacting surface of the blades, and wherein the setting comprises setting said pressure based on the determined number of contiguous ice skate blades. 
     
     
         8 . The method defined in  claim 1 , further comprising consulting a non-transitory memory based on the determined number of contiguous ice skate blades to obtain a value of the operating parameter corresponding to said number of contiguous ice skate blades, an association between said number and said value being stored in said non-transitory memory. 
     
     
         9 . The method defined in  claim 1 , wherein setting the operating parameter comprises setting a position of a rotating element along a direction parallel to an axis of rotation of the rotating element. 
     
     
         10 . The method defined in  claim 9 , wherein the rotating element is a grinding wheel. 
     
     
         11 . The method defined in  claim 9 , wherein the rotating element is a contact wheel separated from an ice-contacting surface of the ice skate blades by a grinding belt. 
     
     
         12 . The method defined in  claim 1 , wherein the setting comprises determining a collective thickness of the contiguous ice skate blades and setting said operating parameter based on the collective thickness. 
     
     
         13 . The method defined in  claim 12 , wherein determining the collective thickness comprises capturing at least one image of the ice skate blades and measuring the collective thickness from the at least one image. 
     
     
         14 . The method defined in  claim 12 , wherein determining the collective thickness comprises determining an individual thickness of each of the ice skate blades and adding the individual thicknesses to yield the collective thickness. 
     
     
         15 . The method defined in  claim 14 , wherein determining the individual thickness of a given one of the ice skate blades comprises capturing at least one image of the given ice skate blade and measuring the thickness of the given ice skate blade from the at least one image. 
     
     
         16 . The method defined in  claim 14 , wherein determining the individual thickness of a given one of the ice skate blades comprises receiving input from a user of the apparatus specifying the thickness of the given ice skate blade. 
     
     
         17 . The method defined in  claim 14 , wherein determining the individual thickness of a given one of the ice skate blades comprises receiving input from a user of the apparatus specifying a manufacturer or model of the given ice skate blade. 
     
     
         18 . The method defined in  claim 12 , wherein blades are held in place by a holding mechanism of the apparatus, the holding mechanism movable along an axis, and wherein determining the collective thickness comprises logging a position of the holding mechanism along said axis. 
     
     
         19 . The method defined in  claim 12 , wherein blades are held in place by a holding mechanism of the apparatus, the holding mechanism movable along an axis by rotating a knob, and wherein determining the collective thickness comprises logging an angular distance traveled by said knob between an initial position and a final position in which the ice skate blades are clamped. 
     
     
         20 . The method defined in  claim 12 , wherein blades are held in place by a holding mechanism of the apparatus, the holding mechanism movable along an axis, and wherein determining the collective thickness comprises logging a distance traveled by the holding mechanism along said axis between an initial position and a final position in which the blades are clamped. 
     
     
         21 . The method defined in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining a desired profile of the contiguous ice skate blades;   setting said operating parameter of the apparatus based additionally on the desired profile of the contiguous ice skate blades.   
     
     
         22 . The method defined in  claim 1 , further comprising operating the apparatus in accordance with the set operating parameter. 
     
     
         23 . The method defined in  claim 1 , wherein the operating parameter is a blade profile. 
     
     
         24 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-readable instructions which, when read and executed by a processor of an ice skate grinding apparatus, cause the apparatus to carry out a method that includes:
 determining a number of contiguous ice skate blades inserted into the apparatus; and   setting an operating parameter of the apparatus at least in part on the determined number of contiguous ice skate blades.   
     
     
         25 . An ice skate grinding apparatus, comprising:
 a holding mechanism configured to hold one or more ice skate blades under pressure;   a grinding mechanism connected to the holding mechanism, the grinding mechanism configured to cause an abrasive element to move relative to, and contact under pressure, an ice-contacting surface of the blades; and   a processing entity configured for controlling a set of operating parameters, the operating parameters including at least the pressure of the holding mechanism, the pressure of the grinding mechanism and relative movement of the abrasive element and the blades;   the processing entity being further configured to determine the number of ice skate blades held together by the holding mechanism;   the processing entity being further configured to set at least one of the operating parameters based at least on the determined number of contiguous ice skate blades held by the holding mechanism.