Ice skate

Abstract

An ice skate comprising a blade holder having U-shaped inner and outer members that are spaced apart to define a hollow space therebetween. The U-shaped outer member has an elongated blade-supporting base and front and rear pillars that are spaced apart in a longitudinal direction of the blade holder. At least part of the elongated blade-supporting base, front pillar and rear pillar is made of a composite material such as a fiber-matrix composite material. The ice skate also has a blade comprising a runner and a body made of composite material with a matrix and a plurality of fibers embedded in the matrix.

1 .- 31 . (canceled) 
     
     
         32 . A skate for skating on ice, the skate comprising:
 a one-piece component, comprising:
 a skate boot body that comprises a medial side portion to face a medial side of a user's foot, a lateral side portion to face a lateral side of the user's foot, a heel portion to receive a heel of the user's foot, and an ankle portion to receive an ankle of the user, the skate boot body including at least a first part of a fiber-reinforced composite layer; and 
 a blade holder body integrally formed with the skate boot body and configured to hold a blade for engaging the ice, the blade holder body including at least a second part of the fiber-reinforced composite layer; and 
   a toe cap separately affixed to the one-piece component.   
     
     
         33 . The skate of  claim 32 , wherein at least a majority of the skate boot body is made of the first part of the fiber-reinforced layer and formed integrally with the second part of the fiber-reinforced composite layer. 
     
     
         34 . The skate of  claim 33 , wherein an entirety of the skate boot body is made of the first part of the fiber-reinforced composite layer and formed integrally with the second part of the fiber-reinforced composite layer. 
     
     
         35 . The skate of  claim 32 , wherein the medial side portion, the lateral side portion, the heel portion, and the ankle portion of the skate boot body are made of the first part of the fiber-reinforced composite layer material and are formed integrally with the second part of the fiber-reinforced composite layer. 
     
     
         36 . The skate of  claim 32 , wherein: the skate boot body comprises a toe portion to enclose toes of the user's foot; and the medial side portion, the lateral side portion, the heel portion, the ankle portion, and the toe portion of the skate boot body are made of the first part of the fiber-reinforced composite layer and are formed integrally with the second part of the fiber-reinforced composite layer. 
     
     
         37 . The skate of  claim 32 , wherein the fiber-reinforced composite layer comprises continuous fibers. 
     
     
         38 . The skate of  claim 37 , wherein respective ones of the continuous fibers of are interlaced. 
     
     
         39 . The skate of  claim 32 , wherein the fiber-reinforced composite layer comprises a pre-impregnated fiber layer. 
     
     
         40 . The skate of  claim 39 , wherein: the pre-impregnated fiber layer is a first pre-impregnated fiber layer; and the skate comprises a second pre-impregnated fiber layer that overlies the first pre-impregnated fiber layer. 
     
     
         41 . The skate of  claim 32 , wherein the fiber-reinforced composite layer comprises carbon fibers. 
     
     
         42 . The skate of  claim 32 , wherein the fiber-reinforced composite layer comprises at least one of graphite fibers, carbon graphite fibers, aramid fibers, boron fibers, silicon carbide fibers, ceramic fibers, metallic fibers, glass fibers, and polypropylene fibers. 
     
     
         43 . The skate of  claim 32 , wherein the skate comprises lacing members affixed to the skate boot body and configured to receive a lace. 
     
     
         44 . The skate of  claim 32 , wherein the blade holder comprises a blade-supporting base configured to hold the blade such that the blade is detachable and removable from the blade holder body. 
     
     
         45 . The skate of  claim 44 , wherein the blade holder comprises a blade-connecting mechanism configured to attach the blade to and remove the blade from the blade holder body. 
     
     
         46 . The skate of  claim 45 , wherein the blade-connecting mechanism comprises a hollow space to receive and engage a connecting portion of the blade. 
     
     
         47 . The skate of  claim 46 , wherein the hollow space of the blade-connecting mechanism is hook-shaped and the connecting portion of the blade is a hook. 
     
     
         48 . The skate of  claim 45 , wherein the blade-connecting mechanism comprises an actuator manually operable to detach the blade from the blade holder body. 
     
     
         49 . The skate of  claim 32 , wherein: the blade holder comprises a front pillar and a rear pillar spaced apart in a longitudinal direction of the blade holder body; and a longitudinal spacing of the front pillar and the rear pillar in the longitudinal direction of the blade holder body is greater than a sum of a minimal longitudinal dimension of the front pillar in the longitudinal direction of the blade holder body and a minimal longitudinal dimension of the rear pillar in the longitudinal direction of the blade holder body. 
     
     
         50 . The skate of  claim 49 , wherein the longitudinal spacing of the front pillar and the rear pillar in the longitudinal direction of the blade holder body is at least three times greater than the sum of the minimal longitudinal dimension of the front pillar in the longitudinal direction of the blade holder body and the minimal longitudinal dimension of the rear pillar in the longitudinal direction of the blade holder body. 
     
     
         51 . The skate of  claim 49 , wherein the longitudinal spacing of the front pillar and the rear pillar in the longitudinal direction of the blade holder body is at least five times greater than the sum of the minimal longitudinal dimension of the front pillar in the longitudinal direction of the blade holder and the minimal longitudinal dimension of the rear pillar in the longitudinal direction of the blade holder. 
     
     
         52 . The skate of  claim 32 , wherein the skate comprises a tendon guard affixed to the skate boot body. 
     
     
         53 . The skate of  claim 32 , further comprising internal material within a wall formed of the second part of the fiber-reinforced composite layer. 
     
     
         54 . The skate of  claim 53 , wherein the internal material comprises foam. 
     
     
         55 . The skate of  claim 53 , wherein the internal material constitutes an internal frame on which the second part of the fiber-reinforced composite layer is formed. 
     
     
         56 . The skate of  claim 32 , wherein: the one-piece component defines a plurality of voids extending laterally from a medial side of the skate to a lateral side of the skate; and
 at least one of the voids occupies most of a height of the blade holder body.   
     
     
         57 . The skate of  claim 56 , wherein the at least one void extends along a majority of a length of the blade holder. 
     
     
         58 . The skate of  claim 32 , further comprising an internal frame covered by the second part of the fiber-reinforced composite layer. 
     
     
         59 . The skate of  claim 58 , wherein the internal frame extends from a front region of the blade holder to a rear region of the blade holder and for at least a majority of a height of the blade holder. 
     
     
         60 . The skate of  claim 58 , wherein: the one-piece component defines a plurality of voids extending laterally from a medial side of the skate to a lateral side of the skate; and
 the internal frame wraps partially about at least one of the voids.   
     
     
         61 . The skate of  claim 58 , wherein the internal frame comprises foam. 
     
     
         62 . The skate of  claim 32 , wherein the fiber-reinforced composite layer comprises fibers which are oriented in pre-determined directions. 
     
     
         63 . A skate for skating on ice, the skate comprising:
 a one-piece component, comprising:
 a skate boot body that comprises a medial side portion to face a medial side of a user's foot, a lateral side portion to face a lateral side of the user's foot, a heel portion to receive a heel of the user's foot, and an ankle portion to receive an ankle of the user, the skate boot body including at least a first part of a fiber-reinforced composite layer; and 
 a blade holder body integrally formed with the skate boot body and configured to hold a blade for engaging the ice, the blade holder body including at least a second part of the fiber-reinforced composite layer; and 
   a toe cap separately affixed to the one-piece component;   wherein: the one-piece component defines a plurality of voids extending laterally from a medial side of the skate to a lateral side of the skate; and at least one of the voids occupies most of a height of the blade holder body.   
     
     
         64 . A skate for skating on ice, the skate comprising:
 a one-piece component, comprising:
 a skate boot body that comprises a medial side portion to face a medial side of a user's foot, a lateral side portion to face a lateral side of the user's foot, a heel portion to receive a heel of the user's foot, an ankle portion to receive an ankle of the user, and a toe portion to enclose toes of the user's foot, the skate boot body including at least a first part of a fiber-reinforced composite layer; and 
 a blade holder body integrally formed with the skate boot body and configured to hold a blade for engaging the ice, the blade holder body including at least a second part of the fiber-reinforced composite layer; and 
   a toe cap separately affixed to the one-piece component.