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 . to  31 . (canceled) 
     
     
         32 . A blade holder for holding a blade of an ice skate, the ice skate comprising a skate boot for receiving a foot of a skater, the blade holder comprising:
 a front pillar;   a rear pillar spaced from the front pillar in a longitudinal direction of the blade holder; and   an elongated blade-supporting base for supporting the blade between the front pillar and the rear pillar;   
       wherein: the front pillar and the rear pillar are configured to support the skate boot and transmit forces exerted when the skater skates; and the front pillar and the rear pillar are configured to allow a controlled flexion of the elongated blade-supporting base when the skater skates. 
     
     
         33 . The blade holder of  claim 32 , wherein each of the front pillar and the rear pillar is configured to elastically rotationally deform when the skater skates. 
     
     
         34 . The blade holder of  claim 32 , wherein the elongated blade-supporting base is configured to elastically flex in a widthwise direction of the blade holder when the skater skates. 
     
     
         35 . The blade holder of  claim 34 , wherein a displacement of the elongated blade-supporting base in the widthwise direction of the blade holder at a longitudinal midpoint of the blade holder is at least 2 mm. 
     
     
         36 . The blade holder of  claim 34 , wherein a displacement of the elongated blade-supporting base in the widthwise direction of the blade holder at a longitudinal midpoint of the blade holder is at least 4 mm. 
     
     
         37 . The blade holder of  claim 34 , wherein a displacement of the elongated blade-supporting base in the widthwise direction of the blade holder at a longitudinal midpoint of the blade holder is at least 6 mm. 
     
     
         38 . The blade holder of  claim 34 , wherein a ratio of: (i) a displacement of the elongated blade-supporting base in the widthwise direction of the blade holder at a longitudinal midpoint of the blade holder over (ii) a lateral force applied in a middle of the blade holder is at least 1/250 mm/N. 
     
     
         39 . The blade holder of  claim 34 , wherein a ratio of: (i) a displacement of the elongated blade-supporting base in the widthwise direction of the blade holder at a longitudinal midpoint of the blade holder over (ii) a lateral force applied in a middle of the blade holder is at least 1/175 mm/N. 
     
     
         40 . The blade holder of  claim 34 , wherein a ratio of: (i) a displacement of the elongated blade-supporting base in the widthwise direction of the blade holder at a longitudinal midpoint of the blade holder over (ii) a lateral force applied in a middle of the blade holder is at least 1/100 mm/N. 
     
     
         41 . The blade holder of  claim 32 , wherein the elongated blade-supporting base is configured to allow the blade to flex when the skater skates. 
     
     
         42 . The blade holder of  claim 32 , wherein the blade holder is configured to impart a curvature to the blade when the skater skates. 
     
     
         43 . The blade holder of  claim 32 , wherein the blade holder is configured to kickback in the widthwise direction of the blade holder when the skater skates. 
     
     
         44 . The blade holder of  claim 32 , wherein: the blade holder comprises a central portion longitudinally between the front pillar and the rear pillar; and the central portion is configured to compress such that a height of the blade holder at the central portion is reduced when the skater skates. 
     
     
         45 . The blade holder of  claim 44 , wherein the blade holder is configured to kickback in the height direction of the blade holder when the skater skates. 
     
     
         46 . The blade holder of  claim 32 , wherein the blade holder comprises an upper structure for facing the skate boot, the upper structure comprises a front portion and a rear portion; the front pillar extends towards the front portion of the upper structure and the rear pillar extends towards the rear portion of the upper structure. 
     
     
         47 . The blade holder of  claim 46 , wherein the upper structure comprises a central portion between the front portion and the rear portion. 
     
     
         48 . The blade holder of  claim 32 , wherein a front quarter of the blade holder and a rear quarter of the blade holder are free of inter-pillar structure limiting a widthwise flexion of the elongated blade-supporting blade when the skater skates. 
     
     
         49 . The blade holder of  claim 32 , wherein a front third of the blade holder and a rear third of the blade holder are free of inter-pillar structure limiting a widthwise flexion of the elongated blade-supporting blade when the skater skates. 
     
     
         50 . The blade holder of  claim 32 , wherein the blade holder is free of inter-pillar structure limiting a widthwise flexion of the elongated blade-supporting blade when the skater skates between the front pillar and the rear pillar. 
     
     
         51 . The blade holder of  claim 50 , wherein the blade holder is free of inter-pillar structure extending to the elongated blade-supporting blade between the front pillar and the rear pillar. 
     
     
         52 . The blade holder of  claim 50 , wherein: the blade holder comprises an inter-pillar structure extending downwardly to and secured at the elongated blade-supporting base; and the inter-pillar structure is configured to allow the widthwise flexion of the elongated blade-supporting base without limiting the widthwise flexion of the elongated blade-supporting base. 
     
     
         53 . The blade holder of  claim 32 , wherein the front pillar, the rear pillar at the elongated blade-supporting base form a U-shaped member. 
     
     
         54 . The blade holder of  claim 53 , wherein the U-shaped member is an outer U-shaped member, and the blade holder comprises an inner U-shaped member. 
     
     
         55 . An ice skate comprising the blade holder of  claim 32 . 
     
     
         56 . A blade holder for holding a blade of an ice skate, the ice skate comprising a skate boot for receiving a foot of a skater, the blade holder comprising:
 a front pillar;   a rear pillar spaced from the front pillar in a longitudinal direction of the blade holder; and   an elongated blade-supporting base for supporting the blade between the front pillar and the rear pillar;   
       wherein: the front pillar and the rear pillar are configured to support the skate boot and transmit forces exerted when the skater skates; each of the front pillar and the rear pillar is configured to elastically rotationally deform when the skater skates; and the elongated blade-supporting base is configured to elastically flex in a widthwise direction of the blade holder when the skater skates. 
     
     
         57 . A blade holder for holding a blade of an ice skate, the ice skate comprising a skate boot for receiving a foot of a skater, the blade holder comprising:
 a front pillar;   a rear pillar spaced from the front pillar in a longitudinal direction of the blade holder; and   an elongated blade-supporting base for supporting the blade between the front pillar and the rear pillar;   
       wherein: the front pillar and the rear pillar are configured to support the skate boot and transmit forces exerted when the skater skates; and the blade holder is configured to impart a curvature to the blade when the skater skates.