Patent Grant
7875229
The invention relates to a method of making a lasted skate boot comprising an upper for enclosing and supporting a human foot.
Typical skate boots are fabricated by assembling together previously die-cut pieces of textile material and shaping them over a last. Various pieces of textiles or fabrics are cut to specific patterns, which are then pre-assembled by stitching or gluing or both into a multi-layer construction. The rigidity and flexibility characteristics of the skate boot are defined by the various layers of materials being positioned and layered in specific regions of the pre-assembled component of the skate boot. The accumulation of pieces of material into layers and the mechanical properties of each piece of textile or fabric material define the overall dynamic behavior of the skate boot. Usually, the pre-assembled component further includes rigid components generally made of plastic to increase the rigidity of specific areas of the skate boot. The pre-assembled boot generally consists of the back and sides of the skate boot and a toe cap and tongue assembly. The pre-assembled boot has the general configuration of the finished product but has not yet been shaped to the final form of the skate boot.
The pre-assembled component is positioned over a last and formed to obtain the shape of the desired finished product. A last is a three-dimensional shape of the inside cavity of a boot. The pre-assembled boot may be mounted upside down onto the last for ease of manipulation and assembly of the remaining components making up the skate boot. An insole is placed on the top part of the upside down last and the pre-assembled boot is stretched over the last and over the insole in order for the pre-assembled boot to conform to the specific shape of the last. The stretched material is then glued and nailed or tacked to the insole to maintain the desired shape. Once the upper part of the skate boot is completed, a rigid outsole is glued to the insole of the boot to complete the skate boot. An ice blade holder or an in-line roller chassis is finally mounted to the bottom of the boot to complete the skate.
This type of process is extensively used in the shoemaking industry. It generates a good product but has some disadvantages. For instance, the number of parts involved in the multi-layer construction can be staggering; a conventional ice skate for hockey may have up to eighty parts to be assembled and shaped over the last. As a consequence, the manufacturing process is lengthy and complex. The nature of the assembly of parts is inherently labor-intensive and slow as there are many manual tasks to be performed and many steps are necessary to complete the footwear. The considerable number of elements to be assembled entails an increased risk of errors, particularly in the alignment of the various pieces of the pre-assembled boot, which contributes to an increase in the number of rejected boots or skates in the manufacturing process or, at least, a reduction in the quality of the overall production. This traditional process of making skate boots also requires several molds and cutting dies to produce all the pieces necessary for making the pre-assembled boot.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,509,276 issued to Bourque discloses a skate boot made of a combination of plastic and fabric material. The disclosed skate boot consists of a lower exterior molded rigid plastic portion and intermediate and upper portions made of pliable material to allow forward flexure and torsional flexibility in the ankle area.
There remains a need in the industry for a skate boot made of fewer components than the traditionally made skate boot yet provides a skate boot that performs as well as a traditionally made skate boot. There is also a need for a skate which provides flexibility and durability as well as optimal performance.
As embodied and broadly described in this document, the invention provides a method of making a lasted skate boot comprising an upper for enclosing and supporting a human foot having an ankle, a plantar surface, a lateral side, a medial side, and toes. The method comprises (a) forming lateral and medial quarter panels by thermoforming a sheet of foam material such that at least one of the quarter panels comprises an inner surface shaped to substantially conform to one of the lateral and medial sides of the foot; (b) assembling to the quarter panels a toe box for enclosing the toes of the foot, an inner lining having an inner surface intended for contact with the foot in use, and a tongue extending upwardly and rearwardly from the toe box to form the upper; and (c) affixing to the upper an insole for facing the plantar surface of the foot.
As embodied and broadly described in this document, the invention also provides a method of making a lasted skate boot comprising an upper for enclosing and supporting a human foot having an ankle, a plantar surface, a lateral side, a medial side, and toes. The method comprises (a) forming lateral and medial quarter panels by thermoforming a sheet of foam material such that at least one of the quarter panels comprises an inner surface shaped to substantially conform to one of the lateral and medial sides of the foot and the quarter panels comprise a lower skirt portion extending along a lower edge of the quarter panels; (b) positioning the quarter panels over a last; (c) positioning an insole over the last, the insole being located for facing the plantar surface of the foot; and (d) shaping over the last the upper by folding the lower skirt over the insole and fastening the lower skirt to the insole.
Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent by reference to the following description and the drawings.
A detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention is provided below, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
a is a cross-sectional view of the preformed molded quarter panel taken at line 8a-8a of
b is a cross-sectional view of the preformed molded quarter panel taken at line 8b-8b of
c is a cross-sectional view of the preformed molded quarter panel taken at line 8c-8c of
d is a cross-sectional view of the preformed molded quarter panel taken at line 8d-8d of
a is a perspective view illustrating the upper having a variant of a preformed quarter panel according to a second embodiment of the invention;
b is a perspective view illustrating the upper having a variant of a preformed quarter panel according to a third embodiment of the invention;
c is a perspective view illustrating the upper having a variant of a preformed quarter panel according to a fourth embodiment of the invention;
a is a rear elevational view of the upper of
b is a rear elevational view of the upper of
c is a rear elevational view of the upper of
In the drawings, the embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of examples. It is to be expressly understood that the description and drawings are only for the purpose of illustration and are an aid for understanding. They are not intended to be a definition of the limits of the invention.
A skate boot manufactured in accordance with the present invention is illustrated generally by reference numeral 20 in
The interior surface 34 of lateral foam quarter panel 22 has approximately the same shape and configuration of a human foot. Once assembled, it defines the interior shape of skate boot 20. The interior surface 34 of preformed quarter panels 22 and 24 is taken from a three-dimensional model of the foot and ankle morphology of a typical human foot which accounts for statistical variations of the relative position of the lateral and medial malleolus within a specific size range. As shown in
The molded foam quarter panels are manufactured as one-piece components produced by thermo-pressured molding of a suitable thermosetting foam material initially in uniform thickness sheet form such as a pre-cut sheet of EVA (Ethylene Vinyl Acetate) foam 110 as shown in
The pre-cut sheet of EVA foam with its protective overlay 44 is then inserted into the cavity of a male-female mold 100 as shown in
The pre-cut foam sheet 110 is aligned and temporarily secured to one of the mold portions 102 or 104 using any suitable mechanism to accurately position pre-cut foam sheet 110 within mold 100 and maintain sheet 110 in position when mold 100 is closed. Once mold 100 is closed over pre-cut foam sheet 110, mold 100 is heated up to the thermoforming temperature of the foam and male and female portions 102 and 104 are pressed against the foam sheet 110. In an embodiment of the invention, heat and pressure are applied simultaneously for a period of 8 to 10 minutes after which mold 100 is allowed to cool down so that the foam sheet 110 will set to the three-dimensional shape defined by the cavity of mold 100. When heat and pressure are applied to foam sheet 110, the foam material originally in the thin area of the quarter panel tends to migrate to the thicker area of the quarter panel, thereby marginally increasing the density of the foam in the thicker area. Prior to removing the foam quarter panel from mold 100, mold 100 is cooled down for a period of time which is long enough for foam quarter panel to set and retain its new shape once removed. Upon removal, excess material of the initial foam sheet 110 remaining along the edges of the molded article is trimmed off as required to define the foam quarter panel as illustrated in
In the molding process described above, the applied heat is generally between 250° F. and 350° F., with the preferred temperature being approximately 300° F. The applied pressure is generally between 50 psi and 150 psi, with the preferred pressure being approximately 100 psi. The heat and pressure are applied for approximately 10 minutes and then the heat is turned off while maintaining minimal pressure to allow cooling of mold 100 so that the foam quarter panel will set in its new three-dimensional shape.
Skate boot 20 is designed to have stiffness variations in localized regions of upper 21. As described, the variation of stiffness of skate boot 20 is obtained at least partially by the use of preformed molded foam quarter panels. By utilizing different grades of foam material, different foam materials, the same foam material with different density, or the same foam material with different quantities in localized regions, the designers are able to vary, within a certain range, the mechanical properties of the molded quarter panels. The variation of stiffness or mechanical properties of the molded quarter panels directly affects the dynamic behavior of skate boot 20. As a further benefit of the molded foam panels, decorative or ornamental features such as ribs 42 may easily be added to the design providing more artistic flexibility to the designers.
Referring to
Referring to
As illustrated in
Referring now to
A second layer of material in the form of a rear cover 60 is sewn or otherwise attached to the rear portion of upper 21. Rear cover 60 extends from the top of tendon guard 27 down to the bottom of heel counter 23 and covers any joining lines such as vertical line 45 (
Subsequently, an inner lining 26 is preferably glued to the interior surface 34 or to at least the upper portion of the interior surface 34 covering the ankle support area 25. Inner lining 26 may also be glued to the interior surfaces of each foam quarter panel 22 and 24 prior to their assembly. An added strip of lining 54 is stitched over the separation line resulting therefrom when quarter panels 22 and 24 are assembled. Although not necessary since the preformed foam quarter panels are soft and therefore comfortable, some cushioning or padding may be added between the interior surface 34 of the foam quarter panels and inner lining 26 in the ankle area.
As in traditionally made skate boots, a reinforcement plastic insert (not shown) may be positioned between the foam quarter panels and inner lining 26 in the heel and ankle area of upper 21 in order to provide more support and rigidity in this general area.
Upper eyelets 52 are then punched into the three layers making up the frontal portions 57 of ankle support 25. The three layers consist of narrow band 56, the thin foam peripheral region 36, and inner lining 26. Once punched, the holes are reinforced by metallic rivets or any suitable mechanism as is well known in the art of footwear construction. In the illustrated embodiment of
A series of lace loops 50, in the form of flexible traction-resistant straps, are sewn or otherwise attached to the interior surface of upper horizontal edge 37 of each quarter panel 22 and 24. Lace loops 50 make up the lower portion of the lacing system of skate boot 20. A lace (not shown) extends through each loop 50 in a crisscrossing path in an alternate pattern. When the lace is tightened, the two edges 37 of the quarter panels are caused to come closer together. Loops 50 are preferably sewn to the peripheral thin region 36 of each quarter panel (
Referring to
b and 10b illustrate a further variation of the rear panel. In the illustrated example, panel 210 encloses and covers the entire rear portion of upper 21 including heel counter 23, ankle support 25, and a portion of tendon guard 27. Panel 210 is sewn to front portions 212 on each side of upper 21 which are made of conventional material and cover a substantial portion of the front of skate boot 20.
Conversely, as illustrated in
As a further variant of skate boot 20, it is possible to use a single preformed molded panel on only one side of the skate boot. This arrangement would provide two different types of support on either side of the skate boot.
Referring to
Referring now to
Alternatively, the shaping of upper 21 may be accomplished without the use of a last since the foam quarter panels 22 and 24 are already molded to the desired shape of skate boot 20. Foam quarter panels 22 and 24 may be designed with interlocking elements adapted to be securely connected to each other as well as connected to other components such as toe box 30 and tongue 28 to the frontal portion of foam quarter panels 22 and 24.
As illustrated in
As shown in
By using the outlined construction method, substantial cost saving may be expected compared to the traditionally made stitched skate boot. Most of the possible cost saving is realized through the elimination of pattern pieces and assembly of the various components. The use of preformed molded quarter panels made of variable-thickness foam material, instead of conventional textile materials stitched together in a multi-layer construction, results in a substantial reduction of the number of parts to be assembled and therefore of the labor involved. Furthermore, the use of preformed molded quarter panels allows for greater flexibility in design modifications and in performance requirement changes. The thickness, density, and design features of the preformed molded quarter panels may be modified while leaving the contours essentially unchanged so that a new preformed molded quarter panel may be introduced into the production of the skate boot without adding steps of the construction method or additional pieces to the construction. The use of preformed molded quarter panels allows the designers to include ornamental features on the skates without adding pieces as is usually done in traditionally made skates. It is also worth noting that a foam quarter panel may be used to produce two or more skate sizes. For example, the same quarter panel may be used to produce a size 9 or a size 9½; the variation being taken by the adjacent covering pieces such as narrow band 56 and rear covers 60 and 61.
Reference is now made to
The elastic behavior of the foam material of quarter panels 22 and 24 also prevents the formation of cracks or creases in the front ankle area 92. Traditionally made skate boots eventually develop cracks in this area as the textile material fatigues. Again, since the foam material of quarter panels 22 and 24 behaves elastically, skate boot 20 does not fatigue as rapidly as traditionally made skate boots and exhibits a longer life cycle. Finally, the use of preformed foam quarter panels provides a skate boot made up of mostly absorbing material, which adjusts itself to minor differences in foot and ankle morphology. This creates a very comfortable skate boot.
The above description of the embodiments should not be interpreted in a limiting manner since other variations, modifications, and refinements are possible within the spirit and scope of the present invention. The scope of the invention is defined in the appended claims and their equivalents.
This application is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/560,789 filed on Apr. 28, 2000 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,769,203.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
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| 20040226113 A1 | Nov 2004 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 09560789 | Apr 2000 | US |
| Child | 10872714 | US |
