Goalie skate protective shell with removable blade

Abstract

A goalie skate protective shell defines an interior cavity adapted for receiving a goalie ice skate boot. A holder is unitarily formed as part of a sole of the shell and has an open ended, lengthwise extending groove. At least two transversely extending bores are formed in the holder and receive fasteners which extend through the bores and apertures formed in a plurality of legs projecting from a blade mounted in the groove in the holder to removably affix the blade to the holder.

1 . An attachment to a goalie ice skate comprising: 
 a protective shell having first and second opposed side walls and a sole joined by toe and heel portions, the shell defining an interior cavity adapted for receiving a goalie ice skate boot;    a holder integrally molded as part of the sole of the shell, the holder having an open ended groove extending lengthwise thereover;    at least two transversely extending bores formed in the holder;    a blade removably received in the open ended groove after the holder has been formed with respect to the shell, the blade having a blade edge and at least one leg projecting from the blade edge, at least one aperture formed in the leg for alignment with a corresponding number of bores formed in the holder when the blade is mounted in the open ended groove in the holder; and    fastener means, engagable through the apertures in the at least one leg of the blade and the bores in the holder, for removably affixing the blade to the holder.    
   
   
       2 . The attachment to a goalie ice skate according to  claim 1  wherein the open ended groove is integrally molded to the toe and heel portions and releasably engages the blade.  
   
   
       3 . The attachment to a goalie ice skate according to  claim 1  wherein the corresponding number of bores are integrally formed with respect to the toe and heel portions.  
   
   
       4 . The attachment to a goalie ice skate according to  claim 1  further comprising: 
 at least one lateral support defined by a mounting edge of the blade; and    at least one slot for receiving the at least one lateral support defined by the holder.    
   
   
       5 . The attachment to a goalie ice skate according to  claim 4  wherein the at least one slot is integrally formed with respect to the toe and heel portions.  
   
   
       6 . The attachment to a goalie ice skate according to  claim 1  wherein the first opposed side wall defines a low profile in at least a central portion of the skate and the corresponding number of bores are integrally formed with respect to the low profile of the first opposed side wall.  
   
   
       7 . The attachment to a goalie ice skate according to  claim 1  wherein the second opposed side wall defines an ankle portion rising above an upper extent of the heel portion and the corresponding number of bores are integrally formed with respect to the ankle portion of the second opposed side wall.  
   
   
       8 . The attachment to a goalie ice skate according to  claim 1  wherein at least one of the apertures formed in the legs is offset from a substantially longitudinal axis of the corresponding leg.  
   
   
       9 . An attachment to a goalie ice skate comprising: 
 a sole having a first end and a second end;    a protective shell integrally molded with the sole for receiving a goalie ice skate boot including a toe portion adjacent a first end of the sole and a heel portion adjacent a second end of the sole, the protective shell extending in a first direction from the sole; and    a blade holder integrally molded with to the sole and the protective shell and including an open ended groove for receiving a blade subsequent to being formed with the protective shell, the blade holder also including at least one bore extending transverse to the open ended groove and adjacent one of the toe portion and the heel portion to receive a fastener for releasably associating a blade with respect to the integrally formed sole, protective shell and blade holder.    
   
   
       10 . The attachment to a goalie ice skate according to  claim 9  wherein the at least one bore further comprises: 
 a first bore adjacent the toe portion, the sole disposed between and unitarily formed with the first bore and the toe portion; and    a second portion adjacent the heel portion, the sole disposed between and unitarily formed with the second bore and the heel portion.    
   
   
       11 . The attachment to a goalie ice skate according to  claim 9  further comprising: 
 a first opposed side wall extending between the toe portion and the heel portion and defining a low profile in at least a central portion of the first opposed side wall; and    a second opposed side wall extending between the toe portion and the heel portion and defining an ankle portion rising above an upper extent of the heel portion.    
   
   
       12 . The attachment to a goalie ice skate according to  claim 9  further comprising: 
 at least one slot defined in the open ended groove and extending along a longitudinal axis of the sole to receive a lateral support defined by a blade received in the open ended groove.    
   
   
       13 . The attachment to a goalie ice skate according to  claim 9  further comprising: 
 a blade receivable with respect to the open ended groove including a blade portion and first and second legs extending substantially transverse to the blade portion, the first leg defining a first projection extending substantially parallel to the blade portion and toward the second leg, the second leg defining a second projection extending substantially parallel to the blade portion and toward the first leg.    
   
   
       14 . A method for making an attachment to a goalie skate comprising the steps of: 
 forming a sole having a first end and a second end;    integrally molding a protective shell with the sole for receiving a goalie ice skate boot including a toe portion adjacent a first end of the sole and a heel portion adjacent the second end, and    integrally molding a blade holder with the protective shell including an open ended groove for receiving a blade subsequent to being formed with the protective shell, the blade holder also including at least one bore extending transverse to the open ended groove and adjacent one of the toe portion and the heel portion to receive a fastener for releasably associating a blade with respect to the integrally formed sole, protective shell and blade holder; and    positioning the blade in the open ended groove after the protective shell has been unitarily formed.    
   
   
       15 . The method according to  claim 14  wherein the step of integrally molding the protective shell further comprises the steps of: 
 forming a first opposed side wall extending between the toe portion and the heel portion; and    defining a low profile in at least a central portion of the first opposed side wall.    
   
   
       16 . The method according to  claim 14  wherein the step of integrally molding the protective shell further comprises the steps of: 
 forming a second opposed side wall extending between the toe portion and the heel portion; and    defining an ankle portion rising above an upper extent of the heel portion.    
   
   
       17 . The method according to  claim 14  wherein the step of integrally molding the blade holder further comprises the steps of: 
 forming at least one slot extending transverse to the open ended groove and adjacent one of the toe portion and the heel portion to receive a fastener for releasably associating the blade with respect to the unitarily formed sole, protective shell and blade holder.    
   
   
       18 . The method according to  claim 17  wherein the step of forming at least one slot further comprises the steps of: 
 forming a first slot in the open ended groove adjacent the toe portion of the protective shell extending toward the heel portion.    
   
   
       19 . The method according to  claim 18  wherein the step of forming at least one slot further comprises the steps of: 
 forming a second slot in the open ended groove adjacent the heel portion of the protective shell extending toward the toe portion.    
   
   
       20 . The method according to  claim 14  further comprising the step of: 
 positioning a blade with respect to the open ended groove after the forming step.    
   
   
       21 . The method according to  claim 14  wherein the forming step further comprises the step of: 
 molding the protective shell and the holder in a plastic molding process.    
   
   
       22 . A method for making an attachment to a goalie ice skate comprising: 
 integrally molding a protective shell having first and second opposed side walls and a sole joined by toe and heel portions, the shell defining an interior cavity adapted for receiving a goalie ice skate boot;    integrally molding a holder as part of the shell, the holder having an open ended groove extending lengthwise thereover;    forming at least two transversely extending bores in the holder;    positioning a blade received in the open ended groove after the holder has been unitarily formed with respect to the shell, the blade having a blade edge and at least two legs projecting from the blade edge, apertures formed in the legs for alignment with a corresponding number of bores formed in the holder when the blade is mounted in the open ended groove in the holder; and    engaging fasteners through the apertures in the legs of the blade and the bores in the holder to removably affix the blade to the holder.