Skate boot with stiffening cuff insert

Abstract

A skate boot has (i) a unitary, molded boot body formed of plastic material defining a sole, side walls, a rear wall and an upper cuff to surround the foot and lower leg region of a user, and (ii) a cuff insert at least partially embedded within the upper cuff of the boot body by molding the plastic material of the boot body about the cuff insert. The insert includes a rear section and two side sections to align with corresponding portions of the upper cuff of the boot body. The insert is a unitary molded structure that is harder than the boot body material. The insert provides targeted stiffening to the upper cuff region of the boot body so that the upper cuff maintains its shape and securement relative to the lower leg of the user as the user flexes their ankle to optimize performance of the skate boot.

1 . A skate boot comprising:
 a boot body comprising (i) a sole extending from a heel end of the boot towards a toe end of the boot to receive a foot of a user thereon, (ii) two side walls extending upwardly from the sole at medial and lateral sides of the boot respectively to define a lower portion of a tongue opening of the boot between respective upper edges of the side walls, (iii) a rear wall extending upwardly from the sole between the side walls at the heel end of the boot, and (iv) an upper cuff having a rear portion above the rear wall and side portions extending forwardly from the rear portion towards respective front edges of the upper cuff to define an upper portion of the tongue opening between the front edges, (v) wherein the sole, the side walls, the rear wall, and the upper cuff collectively define a unitary molded structure formed of a plastic material having a first prescribed hardness; and   a cuff insert at least partially embedded within the upper cuff of the boot body;   wherein the cuff insert includes a rear section at the rear portion of the upper cuff of the boot body and two side sections extending forwardly from the rear section at the side portions of the upper cuff of the boot body; and   wherein the cuff insert comprises a unitary structure formed of a second material having a second prescribed hardness that is harder than the first prescribed hardness.   
     
     
         2 . The skate boot according to  claim 1  wherein the second prescribed hardness of the second material of the cuff insert is greater than 70 on the Shore D hardness scale. 
     
     
         3 . The skate boot according to  claim 1  wherein the second material of the cuff insert is a fibre reinforced composite material. 
     
     
         4 . The skate boot according to  claim 1  wherein the second material of the cuff insert comprises polycarbonate. 
     
     
         5 . The skate boot according to  claim 4  wherein the polycarbonate is reinforced with glass fibres. 
     
     
         6 . The skate boot according to  claim 1  wherein the first prescribed hardness of the plastic material of the boot body is less than 70 on the Shore D hardness scale. 
     
     
         7 . The skate boot according to  claim 1  wherein the plastic material of the boot body comprises polypropylene. 
     
     
         8 . The skate boot according to  claim 1  wherein the plastic material of the boot body substantially fully spans an exterior side of the cuff insert. 
     
     
         9 . The skate boot according to  claim 8  further comprising a plurality of spacers formed on the exterior side of the cuff insert to protrude outwardly towards an exterior of the skate boot by a distance corresponding to a thickness of the plastic material of the boot body that spans the exterior side of the cuff insert. 
     
     
         10 . The skate boot according to  claim 9  wherein the spacers are situated at spaced apart locations along both side sections of the cuff insert and on the rear section of the cuff insert. 
     
     
         11 . The skate boot according to  claim 9  wherein the spacers are situated in proximity to a boundary edge of the cuff insert. 
     
     
         12 . The skate boot according to  claim 1  wherein the cuff insert is at least partially exposed and uncovered by the plastic material of the boot body at an interior side of the boot body. 
     
     
         13 . The skate boot according to  claim 12  further comprising at least one flange portion formed at a bottom boundary of the cuff insert at a location spaced outwardly from an interior surface of the cuff insert so as to receive a portion of the plastic material of the boot body overlapping an interior of the flange portion at the interior side of the boot body. 
     
     
         14 . The skate boot according to  claim 1  further comprising a plurality of apertures extending through the cuff insert between an interior side and an exterior side of the boot body, the plurality of apertures being occupied by the plastic material of the boot body. 
     
     
         15 . The skate boot according to  claim 14  wherein at least some of the apertures have an undercut area at the interior side of the boot body such that a boundary edge of the aperture is enlarged at the interior side of the boot body relative to the exterior side of the boot body. 
     
     
         16 . The skate boot according to  claim 1  wherein the side sections of the cuff insert terminate at respective forward edges, the forward edges being spaced rearwardly of the front edges of the upper cuff of the boot body respectively. 
     
     
         17 . The skate boot according to  claim 16  further comprising a plurality of lace openings formed in the boot body along the front edges of the upper cuff of the boot body, the forward edges of the side sections of the cuff insert being rearward of the lace openings. 
     
     
         18 . The skate boot according to  claim 1  wherein the side sections of the cuff insert terminate of respective forward edges, the forward edges being tapered and reduced in thickness relative to a remainder of the cuff insert. 
     
     
         19 . The skate boot according to  claim 1  wherein an upper edge of the cuff insert is located along a corresponding upper edge of the boot body. 
     
     
         20 . A method of forming the skate boot according to  claim 1  comprising:
 molding the cuff insert of the second material; 
 placing the molded cuff insert into a boot mold; and 
 injection molding the plastic material of the boot body into the boot mold about the cuff insert to form the boot body.