Skate blade holder with blade attachment mechanism and blade therefor

Abstract

A skate and a replaceable skate blade are disclosed. The skate includes a boot and a blade assembly with a blade holder and a blade removably mounted to the holder. A locking pin is displaceable relative the blade holder between a blade locking position in which a tip of the locking pin is in engagement with the blade and a blade releasing position in which the tip of the locking pin is disengaged from the blade. A pin actuator is engageable by a user for translating the pin actuator along a longitudinal axis of the locking pin, wherein translation of the pin actuator induces translation of the locking pin along the longitudinal axis from the blade locking position to the blade releasing position. A biasing element reacts against the pin actuator and biasing the locking pin in the blade locking position.

1 . A skate comprising:
 a boot;   a blade assembly including:
 a blade holder attached beneath the boot, the blade holder having a bottom surface defining a groove and recesses extending upwardly from the groove, the blade holder having a socket defining a socket opening located in a lateral side of the blade holder; 
 a blade removably mounted to the blade holder, the blade including a body defining an ice-engaging edge and a top edge opposite the ice-engaging edge, a front projection and a rear projection each extending from the top edge and away from the ice-engaging edge, wherein the blade is moveable with respect to the blade holder between an engagement position in which the top edge is received in the groove and a disengagement position in which the blade is disengaged from the recesses and the groove; 
 wherein the front projection of the blade is forwardly inclined and has a tapered shape that converges from a base of the front projection adjacent the top edge of the body to a tip of the front projection, and the rear projection has a slot extending inwardly into the rear projection; a locking pin displaceable relative the blade holder along a longitudinal axis between a blade locking position, in which a tip of the locking pin is received within the slot for engagement with the blade, and a blade releasing position, in which the tip of the locking pin is disengaged from slot in the blade; 
 a pin actuator received within the socket of the blade holder, the pin actuator engageable by a user for translating the pin actuator along the longitudinal axis, the pin actuator engaged with the locking pin such that translation of the pin actuator induces translation of the locking pin along the longitudinal axis from the blade locking position to the blade releasing position; and 
 a biasing element mounted to the blade holder to react against the pin actuator and biasing the locking pin in the blade locking position. 
   
     
     
         2 . The skate of  claim 1 , wherein the front projection has a length defined from the base to the tip of the front projection, the front projection having a height defined as a distance between the top edge of the body immediately adjacent the base of the front projection and a tangent line at the tip of the front projection generally parallel to the top edge of the body, and wherein the length is greater than the height. 
     
     
         3 . The skate of  claim 2 , wherein the height of the front projection is at least two times a depth of the groove in the blade holder. 
     
     
         4 . The skate of  claim 3 , wherein the height of front projection is about 3 times the depth of the groove in the blade holder. 
     
     
         5 . The skate of  claim 1 , wherein the blade holder has a front pedestal defining an internal cavity, the recesses including a front recess in the front pedestal that opens into the internal cavity, the front projection of the blade being received within the front recess. 
     
     
         6 . The skate of  claim 5 , wherein the tip of the front projection of the blade projects into the internal cavity when the blade is mounted to the blade holder. 
     
     
         7 . The skate of  claim 5 , wherein the front recess has a shape complimentary with the front projection to matingly receive the front projection therein. 
     
     
         8 . The skate of  claim 5 , wherein the front recess has a front wall portion and a rear wall portion facing the front wall portion on an opposite side of the front recess in a fore-aft direction of the blade holder, the front wall portion defining a convex surface facing rearwardly and merging with a base of the groove. 
     
     
         9 . The skate of  claim 8 , wherein the front wall portion and the rear wall portion of the front recess are angled towards one another. 
     
     
         10 . The skate of  claim 8 , wherein the front wall portion forms an acute angle with the base of the groove extending forward of the front wall portion. 
     
     
         11 . The skate of  claim 8 , wherein the convex surface defines a rounded corner that is configured to mate with a complimentary portion of the front portion. 
     
     
         12 . The skate of  claim 1 , wherein the rear projection has a cam surface, the slot extending inwardly into the rear projection from the cam surface, and the tip of the locking pin having a locking pin cam surface configured to slide along the cam surface of the rear projection of the blade. 
     
     
         13 . The skate of  claim 12 , wherein the cam surface of the rear projection is a curved surface having a convex curvature. 
     
     
         14 . The skate of  claim 12 , wherein the cam surface of the rear projection is rearwardly facing. 
     
     
         15 . The skate of  claim 12 , wherein a tip-engaging wall surface at least partially defines the slot in the blade and merges with the cam surface of the rear projection at a turning point, the locking pin in engagement with the tip-engaging wall surface of the slot in the blade locking position and disengaged from the tip-engaging wall surface in the blade releasing position. 
     
     
         16 . A replaceable blade for a skate having a locking pin adapted to removably engage the replaceable blade to a blade holder of the skate, the replaceable blade comprising: a body defining an ice-engaging edge, a top edge opposite the ice-engaging edge, a first projection and a second projection each extending upwardly from the body, the first and second projections configured for being received within a respective recess defined by the blade holder of the skate, the first projection being a front projection and the second projection being a rear projection, wherein the front projection is angled and forwardly inclined, and the front projection has a tapered shape that converges from a base of the front projection adjacent to the top edge of the body to a tip of the front projection, and wherein the rear projection has a slot extending inwardly into the rear projection, the slot adapted to receive the locking pin therein. 
     
     
         17 . The replaceable blade of  claim 16 , wherein the front projection has a length defined from the base to the tip of the front projection, the front projection having a height defined as a distance between the top edge of the body immediately adjacent the base of the front projection and a tangent line at the tip of the front projection generally parallel to the top edge of the body, and wherein the length is greater than the height. 
     
     
         18 . The replaceable blade of  claim 16 , wherein an upper section of the replaceable blade is adapted to be received within a groove of a blade holder of the skate, the upper section extending between a fore end to an aft end of the replaceable blade, the upper section having a thickness T 1  measurable from the top edge to a boundary line that is offset with and generally parallel to the top edge, wherein the first projection has a height H 1 , the height H 1  being at least two times the thickness T 1  of the upper section. 
     
     
         19 . The replaceable blade of  claim 16 , wherein the front projection has a length defined from the base to the tip of the front projection, the front projection having a height defined as a distance between the top edge of the body immediately adjacent the base of the front projection and a tangent line at the tip of the front projection generally parallel to the top edge of the body, and wherein the length is greater than the height. 
     
     
         20 . The skate of  claim 19 , wherein the height of the front projection is at least two times a depth of the groove in the blade holder.