Patent Application
20240123320
The present disclosure relates to the field of skate blade manufacturing and skate blade clamping and alignment in skate sharpening systems.
An ice skate may be designed with a removable blade in order to facilitate replacement. The removable portion of the blade may be constructed of multiple materials in order to have harder materials in contact with the ice surface, and to have stiff, lightweight materials in the upper portion to keep the overall weight of the assembly to a minimum. This weight savings may have distinct performance advantages in sporting activities such as hockey.
The present disclosure relates to devices and methods which improve the current state of the art for clamping and aligning a skate blade with a skate sharpening system. The present disclosure also relates to devices and methods which reduce the overall weight of a skate blade.
In accordance with certain features, aspects, and advantages of at least one of the embodiments disclosed herein, a skate blade includes a peripheral rim including a top surface and a bottom surface, the top surface configured to interface with a skate and the bottom surface configured to be in contact with a skating surface, the peripheral rim including a first material, the peripheral rim defining one or more openings between the top surface and the bottom surface, and the skate blade further includes one or more support ribs extending across the one or more openings of the peripheral rim.
In accordance with certain features, aspects, and advantages of at least one of the embodiments disclosed herein, a skate blade includes a top portion including a first material; a bottom portion including a second material; a projection extending laterally from the top portion; and at least one clamping feature, the at least one clamping feature configured to interface with a clamping mechanism of a skate sharpening system.
In accordance with certain features, aspects, and advantages of at least one of the embodiments disclosed herein, a jaw member for a skate sharpening system includes a body portion; a first jaw face extending from the body portion; a second jaw face extending from the body portion; and one or more locating pins configured to removably coupled to the body portion.
The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of this disclosure will become more readily appreciated as the same become better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in, and constitute a part of, this specification, illustrate embodiments of the disclosure. Embodiment of the present disclosure are illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings and in which like references indicate similar elements. According to common practice, the various features of the drawings discussed below are not necessarily drawn to scale. The drawings are provided to illustrate example embodiments described herein and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure.
Various embodiments and aspects of the disclosures will be described with reference to details discussed below, and the accompanying drawings will illustrate the various embodiments. The following description and drawings are illustrative of the disclosure and are not to be construed as limiting the disclosure. Numerous specific details are described to provide a thorough understanding of various embodiments of the present disclosure. However, in certain instances, well-known or conventional details are not described in order to provide a concise discussion of embodiments of the present disclosures.
Reference in the specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” or “another embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in conjunction with the embodiment can be included in at least one embodiment of the disclosure. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” in various places in the specification do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment.
While constructing the skate blade 100 with different materials for the top portion 102 and the bottom portion 104 can provide advantages of weight reductions and/or improved stiffness (or rigidity), such construction may not be optimized for interactions with clamps included in skate sharpening system. “Skate sharpening systems,” as the term is used herein includes systems for blade sharpening, blade profiling, blade contouring, blade surface checking (e.g., edge height checking), and/or the like. In skate sharpening systems, it may be desirable for the skate blade 100 to include flat, perpendicular shapes for precise references. For example,
As shown in
In some skate sharpening systems used for contouring blades (also referred to as profiling), it can be advantageous to stack multiple skate blades together and perform the contouring all at once. For example, 2, 3, 4, or more blades 100 may be contoured at the same time in the same skate sharpening system 200. Contouring multiple blades simultaneously can provide the advantages of a faster operation with less setup while ensuring that the contour applied to each blade is identical. In the case of removable blades with a multi-part structure, such as the skate blade 100 shown in at least
The skate blade 100A differs from the skate blade 100 in that some skate blade material 141A (e.g., stainless steel has been removed). The material is removed between the top edge 114A and the bottom surface 116A. When the material is removed, a peripheral rim 140A can remain, defining an outer periphery of the skate blade 100A. The rim 140A can extend from the top portion 102A to the bottom portion 104A, with a plurality of central openings 142A therebetween. Removing a portion of the skate blade material 141A can reduce the weight of the skate blade 100A for improved performance, while still allowing the skate blade 100A to undergo operations on the skate sharpening system 200. In some cases, the material can be removed using conventional machining techniques. The material can be removed in a selective manner such that a plurality of support elements 150A remain. The support elements 150A can extend between or through the openings 142A to contact the rim 140A at two locations. The support elements 150A can be ribs, as illustrated. The number of support elements 150A included in the skate blade 100A can vary, depending on the implementation. In the illustrated example, the skate blade 100A includes eight support elements 150A. In one example, one support element 150A can be positioned near or under the heel hook 112A and one support element 150A can be positioned near or under the toe hook 110A. In this example, six support elements 150A are positioned near the center of the skate blade 100A, with three support elements 150A positioned closer to the heel 108A and three support elements 150A positioned closer to the toe 106A. In some embodiments, the support elements can be combined into a one or more support elements. For example, the two groupings of three support elements 150A can each be combined into a wider single support element, resulting in only two support elements. In some embodiments, the skate blade may include a single support element. When used with the skate sharpening system 200, one or more of the support elements 150A can be used as a clamping surface for the jaw system 210. For example, the central support elements 150A may be positioned such that the first jaw face 216 engages the support elements 150A near the heel 108A and the second jaw face 218 engages the one support element 150A near the toe 106A or vice versa. The locations of the one support element 150A can also be selected to provide maximum structural support for the skate blade 100A. The support elements may include one or more clamping features that are configured to interface with the clamps on the skate sharpening system. In some implementations, the skate blade 100A can be between 20% and 80% lighter than conventional skate blade (e.g., between 20% and 80%, 30% and 70%, 40% and 60%, 45% and 55%, values between the foregoing, etc.).
With reference to
As shown in
With reference to
The skate blade 100B can include a plurality of perforated sections 144B. The perforated sections 144B can be located at least in the central openings 142B. The perforated sections 144B can be portions of the skate blade 100B that include small openings 146B where material has been removed. Including perforated sections 144B can reduce the weight of the skate blade 100B compared to conventional skate blades, while allowing the skate blade 100B to retain its structure and strength provided by the blade material 141B.
Various example embodiments of the disclosure can be described by the following clauses:
Clause 1. A skate blade comprising: a peripheral rim comprising a top surface and a bottom surface, the top surface configured to interface with a skate and the bottom surface configured to be in contact with a skating surface, the peripheral rim comprising a first material, the peripheral rim defining one or more openings between the top surface and the bottom surface; and one or more support ribs extending across the one or more openings of the peripheral rim.
Clause 2. The skate blade of clause 1 further comprising a second material, the second material different from the first material, wherein the second material is positioned within the one or more openings and coupled to the peripheral rim and the one or more support ribs.
Clause 3. The skate blade of clause 2 further comprising a plurality of projections, the plurality of projections extending inwardly from at least one of the peripheral rim and the one or more support ribs into the one or more openings, wherein the plurality of projections are configured to extend into the second material.
Clause 4. The skate blade of clause 3, wherein the plurality of projections have a smaller diameter than the peripheral rim.
Clause 5. The skate blade of clause 2, wherein the second material comprises a plastic, a foam, or carbon fiber.
Clause 6. The skate blade of clause 2 further comprising an internal rim, the internal rim extending inwardly from at least one of the peripheral rim and the one or more support ribs into the one or more openings, wherein the internal rim is configured to extend into the second material.
Clause 7. The skate blade of clause 2, wherein the second material is not flush with the first material along a first side or a second side of the skate blade.
Clause 8. The skate blade of clause 1, wherein the one or more openings comprise perforated portions of the first material including a plurality of openings.
Clause 9. The skate blade of clause 1, wherein at least one of the one or more support ribs comprises a clamping surface for clamping to jaws of a skate sharpening machine.
Clause 10. The skate blade of clause 1, wherein the one or more support ribs comprise at least one clamping feature configured to interface with a clamping mechanism of a skate sharpening system.
Clause 11. A skate blade comprising: a top portion comprising a first material; a bottom portion comprising a second material; a projection extending laterally from the top portion; and at least one clamping feature, the at least one clamping feature configured to interface with a clamping mechanism of a skate sharpening system.
Clause 12. The skate blade of clause 11, wherein the at least one clamping feature comprises an opening in the projection having a defined shape.
Clause 13. The skate blade of clause 11, wherein the at least one clamping feature is a reinforced portion of the skate blade positioned within the top portion of the skate blade, wherein the reinforced portion comprises the second material that extends from the bottom portion into the top portion.
Clause 14. The skate blade of clause 11, wherein the at least one clamping feature includes a first clamping feature comprising a first locating opening and a second clamping feature comprising a second locating opening, the first locating opening and second locating opening configured to receive locating pins of the skate sharpening system.
Clause 15. The skate blade of clause 14, wherein the first clamping feature and the second clamping feature are orthogonal to a top surface of the skate blade.
Clause 16. The skate blade of clause 14, wherein the first locating opening and the second locating opening are different shaped openings.
Clause 17. The skate blade of clause 16, wherein the first locating opening and the second locating opening are configured such that the skate blade can only be positioned within the skate sharpening system in a defined orientation.
Clause 18. A jaw member for a skate sharpening system, the jaw member comprising: a body portion; a first jaw face extending from the body portion; a second jaw face extending from the body portion; and one or more locating pins configured to removably coupled to the body portion.
Clause 19. The jaw member of clause 18, wherein the first jaw face comprises a first cutout and the second jaw face comprises a second cutout, wherein a first locating pin of the one or more locating pins is configured to be positioned in the first cutout and a second locating pin of the one or more locating pins is configured to be positioned in the second cutout.
Clause 20. The jaw member of clause 18, wherein each locating pin of the one or more locating pins comprises a first projection and a second projection opposite the first projection, the first projection configured to be inserted into the body portion, the second projection configured to be inserted into a locating opening of a skate blade in use.
Clause 21. The jaw member of clause 18, wherein the one or more locating pins are magnetic.
Clause 22. The jaw member of clause 19, wherein the first cutout includes a first opening and the second cutout includes a second opening, the first opening and the second opening configured to receive projections of the one or more locating pins.
Conditional language used herein, such as, among others, “can,” “could,” “might,” “may,” “e.g.,” and the like, unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments include, while other embodiments do not include, certain features, elements and/or states. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements and/or states are in any way required for one or more embodiments or that one or more embodiments necessarily include these features, elements and/or states.
Conjunctive language such as the phrase “at least one of X, Y, and Z,” unless specifically stated otherwise, is otherwise understood with the context as used in general to convey that an item, term, etc. may be either X, Y, or Z. Thus, such conjunctive language is not generally intended to imply that certain embodiments require the presence of at least one of X, at least one of Y, and at least one of Z.
While the above detailed description may have shown, described, and pointed out novel features as applied to various embodiments, it may be understood that various omissions, substitutions, and/or changes in the form and details of any particular embodiment may be made without departing from the spirit of the disclosure. As may be recognized, certain embodiments may be embodied within a form that does not provide all of the features and benefits set forth herein, as some features may be used or practiced separately from others.
Additionally, features described in connection with one embodiment can be incorporated into another of the disclosed embodiments, even if not expressly discussed herein, and embodiments having the combination of features still fall within the scope of the disclosure. For example, features described above in connection with one embodiment can be used with a different embodiment described herein and the combination still fall within the scope of the disclosure.
It should be understood that various features and aspects of the disclosed embodiments can be combined with, or substituted for, one another in order to form varying modes of the embodiments of the disclosure. Thus, it is intended that the scope of the disclosure herein should not be limited by the particular embodiments described above. Accordingly, unless otherwise stated, or unless clearly incompatible, each embodiment of this disclosure may comprise, additional to its essential features described herein, one or more features as described herein from each other embodiment disclosed herein.
Features, materials, characteristics, or groups described in conjunction with a particular aspect, embodiment, or example are to be understood to be applicable to any other aspect, embodiment or example described in this section or elsewhere in this specification unless incompatible therewith. All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive. The protection is not restricted to the details of any foregoing embodiments. The protection extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.
Furthermore, certain features that are described in this disclosure in the context of separate implementations can also be implemented in combination in a single implementation. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single implementation can also be implemented in multiple implementations separately or in any suitable subcombination. Moreover, although features may be described above as acting in certain combinations, one or more features from a claimed combination can, in some cases, be excised from the combination, and the combination may be claimed as a subcombination or variation of a subcombination.
Moreover, while operations may be depicted in the drawings or described in the specification in a particular order, such operations need not be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, or that all operations be performed, to achieve desirable results. Other operations that are not depicted or described can be incorporated in the example methods and processes. For example, one or more additional operations can be performed before, after, simultaneously, or between any of the described operations. Further, the operations may be rearranged or reordered in other implementations. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that in some embodiments, the actual steps taken in the processes illustrated and/or disclosed may differ from those shown in the figures. Depending on the embodiment, certain of the steps described above may be removed, others may be added.
Furthermore, the features and attributes of the specific embodiments disclosed above may be combined in different ways to form additional embodiments, all of which fall within the scope of the present disclosure. Also, the separation of various system components in the implementations described above should not be understood as requiring such separation in all implementations, and it should be understood that the described components and systems can generally be integrated together in a single product or packaged into multiple products.
For purposes of this disclosure, certain aspects, advantages, and novel features are described herein. Not necessarily all such advantages may be achieved in accordance with any particular embodiment. Thus, for example, those skilled in the art will recognize that the disclosure may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves one advantage or a group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein.
Language of degree used herein, such as the terms “approximately,” “about,” “generally,” and “substantially” as used herein represent a value, amount, or characteristic close to the stated value, amount, or characteristic that still performs a desired function or achieves a desired result. For example, the terms “approximately”, “about”, “generally,” and “substantially” may refer to an amount that is within less than 10% of, within less than 5% of, within less than 1% of, within less than 0.1% of, and within less than 0.01% of the stated amount. As another example, in certain embodiments, the terms “generally parallel” and “substantially parallel” refer to a value, amount, or characteristic that departs from exactly parallel by less than or equal to 15 degrees, 10 degrees, 5 degrees, 3 degrees, 1 degree, 0.1 degree, or otherwise.
The scope of the present disclosure is not intended to be limited by the specific disclosures of preferred embodiments in this section or elsewhere in this specification and may be defined by claims as presented in this section or elsewhere in this specification or as presented in the future. The language of the claims is to be interpreted broadly based on the language employed in the claims and not limited to the examples described in the present specification or during the prosecution of the application, which examples are to be construed as non-exclusive.
Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims, the words “comprise”, “comprising”, and the like, are to be construed in an inclusive sense as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense, that is to say, in the sense of “including, but not limited to”.
Reference to any prior art in this description is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that that prior art forms part of the common general knowledge in the field of endeavor in any country in the world.
The invention may also be said broadly to consist in the parts, elements and features referred to or indicated in the description of the application, individually or collectively, in any or all combinations of two or more of said parts, elements or features.
Where, in the foregoing description, reference has been made to integers or components having known equivalents thereof, those integers are herein incorporated as if individually set forth. In addition, where the term “substantially” or any of its variants have been used as a word of approximation adjacent to a numerical value or range, it is intended to provide sufficient flexibility in the adjacent numerical value or range that encompasses standard manufacturing tolerances and/or rounding to the next significant figure, whichever is greater.
It should be noted that various changes and modifications to the presently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and without diminishing its attendant advantages. For instance, various components may be repositioned as desired. It is therefore intended that such changes and modifications be included within the scope of the invention. Moreover, not all of the features, aspects and advantages are necessarily required to practice the present invention. The following lists have example embodiments that are within the scope of this disclosure. The example embodiments that are listed should in no way be interpreted as limiting the scope of the embodiments. Various features of the example embodiments that are listed can be removed, added, or combined to form additional embodiments, which are part of this disclosure.
Any and all applications for which a foreign or domestic priority claim is identified in the Application Data Sheet as filed with the present application are hereby incorporated by reference under 37 CFR 1.57. This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/379,630, filed Oct. 14, 2022, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63379630 | Oct 2022 | US |
