FOOTBED FOR A SKATE BOOT
A footbed for a skate boot having a quarter and a toe cap defining an internal space for receiving a human foot having a heel, an ankle, medial and lateral sides, a big toe, second, third and fourth toes, a little toe and a plantar surface, the footbed comprising: (a) a sole portion for facing the plantar surface of the foot, the sole portion having medial and lateral sides and front and rear ends; and (b) medial, front and lateral walls extending from the front end of the sole portion, the medial, front and lateral walls being movable from a first position, wherein the medial, front and lateral walls are generally in the same plane than that of the sole portion, to a second position, wherein each of the medial, front and lateral walls define an angle with respect to the sole portion such that, in use, the medial, front and lateral walls face the toes and are located between the toes and the toe cap of the skate boot. In one embodiment, the medial, front and lateral walls are replaced by first and second lateral walls, each having at least one flexing zone extending in a direction that is general traversal relative to the sole portion.
The present invention relates to a footbed for a skate boot.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONSkate toe caps are generally made of hard plastic material using injection molding or similar manufacturing methods. Although great care is usually taken in shaping the mold so as to produce a toe cap with a smooth inner surface, this surface is sometimes scratched during storage or the assembly process of the skate boot. As the mold ages, flashing may also occur during the injection molding process, which can affect the final shape of the toe cap. In these instances, the inner surface of the hard plastic toe cap may become scuffed or is otherwise rendered imperfect, which may result in discomfort and/or irritation for the skater, especially in the region around his or her toes.
Against this background, there is a need in the industry for a footbed that offers better comfort for the skater at the toes region.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAs embodied and broadly described herein, the present invention provides a footbed for a skate boot having a quarter and a toe cap defining an internal space for receiving a human foot having a heel, an ankle, medial and lateral sides, a big toe, second, third and fourth toes, a little toe and a plantar surface, the footbed comprising: (a) a sole portion for facing the plantar surface of the foot, the sole portion having medial and lateral sides and front and rear ends; and (b) medial, front and lateral walls extending from the front end of the sole portion, the medial, front and lateral walls being movable from a first position, wherein the medial, front and lateral walls are generally in the same plane than that of the sole portion, to a second position, wherein each of the medial, front and lateral walls define an angle with respect to the sole portion such that, in use, the medial, front and lateral walls face the toes and are located between the toes and the toe cap of the skate boot.
The invention also provides a footbed for a skate boot having a quarter and a toe cap. The skate boot defines an internal space for receiving a human foot having a heel, an ankle, medial and lateral sides, a big toe, second, third and fourth toes, a little toe and a plantar surface. The footbed comprises a sole portion for facing the plantar surface of the foot, the sole portion having medial and lateral sides and front and rear ends. The footbed also comprises first and second walls extending from the front end of the sole portion. Each of the first and second walls has at least one flexing zone extending in a direction that is general traversal relative to the sole portion. The first and second walls are movable from a first position, where the first and second walls are generally in the same plane than that of the sole portion, to a second position, where each of the first and second walls define an angle with respect to the sole portion such that, in use, the first and second walls face all toes and are located between the toes and the toe cap of the skate boot.
This and other aspects and features of the present invention will now become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon review of the following description of specific embodiments of the invention and the accompanying drawings.
A detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention is provided herein below, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
In the drawings, 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.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTIONTo facilitate the description, any reference numeral designating an element in one figure will designate the same element if used in any other figures. In describing the embodiments, specific terminology is resorted to for the sake of clarity but the invention is not intended to be limited to the specific terms so selected, and it is understood that each specific term comprises all equivalents.
Unless otherwise indicated, the drawings are intended to be read together with the specification, and are to be considered a portion of the entire written description of this invention. As used in the following description, the terms “horizontal”, “vertical”, “left”, “right”, “up”, “down” and the like, as well as adjectival and adverbial derivatives thereof (e.g., “horizontally”, “rightwardly”, “upwardly”, “radially”, etc.), simply refer to the orientation of the illustrated structure. Similarly, the terms “inwardly,” “outwardly” and “radially” generally refer to the orientation of a surface relative to its axis of elongation, or axis of rotation, as appropriate.
As shown in
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the quarter 12 could be a one-piece quarter or a quarter made of separate medial and lateral quarters that are affixed together at the rear with a rear vertical band subsequently affixed to the quarters in order to hide the seam.
The one-piece quarter may be made of a thermoformable material. As used herein, the expression “thermoformable material” refers to a material that is capable of softening when heated and of hardening again when cooled. Some non-limiting examples of different types of thermoformable material comprise ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) foam, polyethylene foam, polystyrene foam and polypropylene foam.
The one-piece quarter may be thermoformed such that it comprises a heel portion for receiving the heel H, an ankle portion for receiving the ankle A and medial and lateral side portions for receiving the medial and lateral sides MS, LS of the foot F respectively and thus forms a foot-receiving cavity that conforms to the general shape of the foot F.
The skate boot 10 may also comprise an inner lining affixed to the inner surface of the quarter 12. The inner lining comprises an inner surface that is intended for contact with the heel H, ankle A and medial and lateral sides MS, LS of the foot F. The inner lining is typically made of a soft material, such as a fabric made of 100% NYLON® fibers.
As it is well know in the art, the skate boot 10 may comprise an insole over which the pre-assembled boot is stretched in order for the pre-assembled boot to conform to the specific shape of the last on which the pre-assembled boot is mounted. The stretched material is then glued and nailed or tacked to the bottom portion of the insole to maintain the desired shape and the toe cap could also be glued and tacked to the bottom portion of the insole.
As shown by
As shown by
Those skilled in the art will note that the movement of the walls 152, 154, 156 from the first to the second position may occur when the footbed 20 is inserted into the foot-receiving cavity of the skate boot 10. It will be further appreciated that as they are moved to the second position, the walls 152, 154, 156 may form the toe wall enclosure 150 from contact with the medial and lateral sides of the quarter 12 and/or medial, lateral and frontal sides of the toe cap 14. More specifically, the flexing zones 158, 160, 162 acts like a hinge for each of the walls 152, 154, 156, allowing the respective angle ⊖ with respect to the general orientation of the sole portion 100 to change as they physically contact the interior surfaces of the quarter 12 and toe cap 14 of the skate boot 10.
With respect to the above, it may be appreciated that when the footbed 20 has moved to the second position, the angle ⊖ defined by each of the walls 152, 154, 156 with respect to the sole portion 100 may be between approximately 80° and 100°, and more preferably approximately 90° as shown in
In addition, the height of the medial wall 152, front wall 154 and lateral wall 156 could be between 0.5 and 1.5 inches when they are in the second position. The vertical height of the walls 152, 154, 156 should be sufficient to ensure that they at least partially face the toes T1, T2, T3, T4, T5 and protects those toes from the inner surface of the rigid toe cap 14.
The rear end 140 of the footbed 20 also has a surrounding wall 142 that extends upwardly from the medial side 110 and lateral side 120. As a result, the surface of the surrounding wall 142 at least partially faces the medial side MS, lateral side LS and the rear bottom part of the heel H when the footbed 20 is in use.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the height of the surrounding wall 142 could be sufficiently high to cause it to partially cup the heel H in the area of the rear end 140.
The surrounding wall 142 in combination with the rest of the sole portion 100 provides an envelope for the foot F that is comfortable, yet offers a supporting ‘bed’ that helps maintaining the foot within the skate boot 10 in the required position for optimal performance. A portion of the surface of the surrounding wall 142 may also be coated with a friction-enhancing substance, such as a silicon gel. The application of such a substance increases the friction between the sock of the player and the footbed 20 in the rear end 140 in order to improve the engagement between the foot and the footbed 20 in this area.
It will be appreciated that different parts of the footbed 20 could be made of one or more materials. For example, a section of higher-density material (e.g., a high density foam, such as polyethylene or polystyrene foam) may be used for the bottom of the sole portion 100 in the area underlying the big toe T1, the forefoot plantar region in the general area of the front end 130, the lateral side LS of the foot and the heel H.
The higher-density material that could be used in this area of the sole portion 100 may be almost incompressible as this area corresponds to where most of the forces exerted by the foot F are channeled into the skate boot 10 during use. Therefore, the use of higher-density materials here may allow more of the skater's exerted force to be converted into motion.
In contrast, other areas of the footbed 20 may be comprised of a lower-density material designed to provide comfort for the foot F, rather than transform force into motion. For example, a lower-density EVA foam might be used for the sole portion 100 in the areas outside of that defined above (i.e., the big toe T1, the forefoot plantar region in the general area of the front end 130, the lateral side LS of the foot and the heel H). As a result, the footbed 20 could enhance the efficiency of the skater when he or she skates along the ice, as well as provide comfort for the skater's foot when he or she is not skating and is standing up
As is best shown in
The footbed 20′ comprises a first (medial) wall 152′, a second (lateral) wall 154′ and a front wall 156′ extending from the front end 130′ of the sole portion 100′, as well as a flexing zones 158′, 160′, 162′ on the underside of the footbed 20′.
Again, as best shown in
A comparison of
The footbed 20 (or 20′) has three (3) walls, namely a first (medial) wall 152 (or 152′), a second (lateral) wall 156 (or 156′) and a front wall 154 (or 154′).
However, it should be understood that other footbeds with a lesser or greater number of walls would also fall within the scope of the present invention.
The footbed 200 has a sole portion 202 for facing the plantar surface of the foot, the sole portion 202 having medial and lateral sides 204, 206 and front and rear ends 208, 210. The footbed 200 also comprises first and second walls 212, 214 extending from the front end 208 of the sole portion 202.
As for the footbeds 20, 20′, the footbed 200 may comprise a surrounding wall 216 that extends upwardly from the medial side 204 and lateral side 206 in order to partially cup the heel H and rear sides of the foot.
Again, as best shown in
The first and second walls 212, 214 are movable from a first position (shown in
As is best shown in
As seen in
As is best shown in
As is best shown in
If the footbed is adapted to receive the right foot, as shown in
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.
Claims
1. A footbed for a skate boot having a quarter and a toe cap defining an internal space for receiving a human foot having a heel, an ankle, medial and lateral sides, a big toe, second, third and fourth toes, a little toe and a plantar surface, said footbed comprising:
- (a) a sole portion for facing the plantar surface of the foot, said sole portion having medial and lateral sides and front and rear ends; and
- (b) medial, front and lateral walls extending from said front end of said sole portion, said medial, front and lateral walls being movable from a first position, wherein said medial, front and lateral walls are generally in the same plane than that of said sole portion, to a second position, wherein each of said medial, front and lateral walls defines an angle with respect to said sole portion such that, in use, said medial, front and lateral walls face the toes and are located between the toes and the toe cap of the skate boot.
2. A footbed as defined in claim 1, wherein said angle is between 80° and 100°.
3. A footbed as defined in claim 1, wherein said angle is approximately 90°.
4. A footbed as defined in claim 1, wherein, in use and in said second position, said medial wall at least partially faces medial and distal portions of the big toe.
5. A footbed as defined in claim 1, wherein, in use and in said second position, said lateral wall at least partially faces lateral and distal portions of the small toe.
6. A footbed as defined in claim 1, wherein, in use and in said second position, said front wall at least partially faces distal portions of the second, third and fourth toes.
7. A footbed as defined in claim 1, further comprising a surrounding wall extending upwardly from said medial and lateral sides and rear end of said sole portion wherein, in use, said surrounding wall at least partially faces the medial and lateral sides and heel of the foot.
8. A footbed as defined in claim 1, wherein in said second position, said medial, front and lateral walls has a height of between 0.5 inch and 1.5 inch.
9. A footbed as defined in claim 7, wherein said surrounding wall partially cups the heel.
10. A footbed as defined in claim 7, wherein said surrounding wall extends upwardly up to a medial line defined by the bones of the foot.
11. A footbed for a skate boot having a quarter and a toe cap defining an internal space for receiving a human foot having a heel, an ankle, medial and lateral sides, a big toe, second, third and fourth toes, a little toe and a plantar surface, said footbed comprising:
- (a) a sole portion for facing the plantar surface of the foot, said sole portion having medial and lateral sides and front and rear ends; and
- (b) first and second walls extending from said front end of said sole portion, each of said first and second walls having at least one flexing zone extending in a direction that is general traversal relative to said sole portion, said first and second walls being movable from a first position, wherein said first and second walls are generally in the same plane than that of said sole portion, to a second position, wherein each of said first and second walls defines an angle with respect to said sole portion such that, in use, said first and second walls face all toes and are located between the toes and the toe cap of the skate boot.
12. A footbed as defined in claim 11, wherein said first and second walls are medial and lateral walls and said footbed has a front wall extending from said front end of said sole and being located between said medial and lateral walls and wherein, in use and in said second position, said medial wall at least partially faces medial and distal portions of the big toe, said lateral wall at least partially faces lateral and distal portions of the small toe, and said front wall at least partially faces distal portions of the second, third and fourth toes.
13. A footbed as defined in claim 11, wherein said angle is between 80° and 100°.
14. A footbed as defined in claim 11, wherein said angle is approximately 90°.
15. A footbed as defined in claim 11, wherein said footbed has a top layer made of textile and a bottom layer made of foam and wherein said at least one flexing zone is provided in said bottom layer made of foam.
16. A footbed as defined in claim 15, wherein said at least one flexing zone is a V-shaped groove.
17. A footbed as defined in claim 15, wherein said at least one flexing zone is a U-shaped groove.
18. A footbed as defined in claim 11, wherein said at least one flexing zone is a first flexing zone and wherein each of said first and second walls has a further flexing zone.
19. A footbed as defined in claim 11, wherein said at least one flexing zone is a first flexing zone and wherein each of said first and second walls has second and third flexing zones.
20. A footbed as defined in claim 11, wherein said at least one flexing zone extends in a perpendicular direction relative to said sole portion.
Type: Application
Filed: Dec 6, 2010
Publication Date: Jun 7, 2012
Inventors: Gaétan CHAMPAGNE (St-Colomban), Olivier LAVIGNE (Rigaud)
Application Number: 12/960,821
International Classification: A43B 5/16 (20060101); A43C 13/14 (20060101);