Ice skate blade retention system of article of footwear for ice skating

Abstract

A skate blade retention system comprising a trigger including a user interface and a rotor positioned adjacent to the trigger. The rotor comprises a rotor rotating portion rotatable about a central axis and comprising a rigid protrusion, a rotor mounting portion, and at least one biasing element coupled to the rotor mounting portion. The at least one biasing element is biased to cause rotation of the rotor rotating portion about the central axis in a first rotational direction. A first translation of the trigger towards the rotor causes a first rotation of the rotor rotating portion about the central axis in a second rotational direction opposite the first rotational direction. The at least one biasing element causes (i) a second rotation of the rotor rotating portion about the central axis in the first rotational direction, and (ii) a second translation of the trigger away from the rotor.

What we claim is: 
     
         1 . A skate blade retention system comprising:
 a trigger comprising a user interface: and   a rotor positioned adjacent to the trigger, the rotor comprising:
 a rotor rotating portion rotatable about a central axis and comprising a rigid protrusion, 
 a rotor mounting portion, and 
 at least one biasing element coupled to the rotor mounting portion, wherein the at least one biasing element is biased to cause rotation of the rotor rotating portion about the central axis in a first rotational direction, 
   wherein a first translation of the trigger towards the rotor causes a first rotation of the rotor rotating portion about the central axis in a second rotational direction opposite the first rotational direction, and   wherein the at least one biasing element causes (i) a second rotation of the rotor rotating portion about the central axis in the first rotational direction, and (ii) a second translation of the trigger away from the rotor.   
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . The skate blade retention system of  claim 1 , wherein the trigger further comprises (a) a contact comprising an angled planar face disposed opposite the user interface, and (b) a first wall and a second wall extending from the user interface and defining a recess therebetween, and wherein the contact is disposed (i) between the first and second walls and (ii) within the recess. 
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . The skate blade retention system of  claim 4 , wherein the first wall comprises a first recessed rail and the second wall comprises a second recessed rail, and wherein the first and second recessed rails are configured to retain at least a portion of the rotor. 
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . The skate blade retention system of  claim 1 , wherein the rotor is positioned at least partially within a recess defined by the trigger, and wherein the rotor rotating portion is configured to engage with a portion of a skate blade. 
     
     
         9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . The skate blade retention system of  claim 1 , wherein the rotor rotating portion further comprises a bell comprising first and second bell walls defining a cavity therebetween bound by an inner surface of the bell, and wherein a shape defined by the inner surface of the bell is complementary to a portion of a skate blade. 
     
     
         11 . The skate blade retention system of  claim 10 , wherein (i) the cavity is configured to receive the portion of the skate blade, and (ii) the inner surface comprises the rigid protrusion, the rigid protrusion being configured to retain a bottom surface of the portion of the skate blade to retain the portion of the skate blade within the cavity of the bell. 
     
     
         12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . The skate blade retention system of  claim 1 , wherein the rotor rotating portion further comprises a joint defining at least one of an opening or a recess. wherein the rotor further comprises a knuckle extending from the rotor mounting portion towards the joint and positioned within the at least one of the opening or the recess, and wherein (i) the knuckle defines the central axis as extending through a center of the knuckle and (ii) the rotor rotating portion is rotatable about the central axis via the knuckle. 
     
     
         15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . The skate blade retention system of  claim 14 , wherein the joint defines the recess and further comprises a pin, wherein the knuckle defines an opening, and wherein the opening of the knuckle receives the pin of the joint. 
     
     
         17 . The skate blade retention system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one biasing element further comprises at least a first biasing element configured to resist compression in the second rotational direction and a second biasing element configured to resist extension in the second rotational direction, wherein the rotor rotating portion further comprises (i) a first arm for contacting the trigger and (ii) a bell, wherein the first biasing element is coupled to a first end of the rotor mounting portion and the first arm, and wherein the second biasing means is coupled to a second end of the rotor mounting portion and the bell. 
     
     
         18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . The skate blade retention system of  claim 1 , wherein the first translation of the trigger towards the rotor causes deformation of the at least one biasing element. 
     
     
         21 . The skate blade retention system of  claim 1 , wherein the second rotation of the rotor rotating portion about the central axis in the first rotational direction causes at least a portion of the rotor rotating portion to (i) contact at least a portion of the trigger and (ii) cause the second translation of the trigger away from the rotor. 
     
     
         22 . A skate blade assembly comprising:
 a skate blade comprising a first end and a second end opposite the first end, an ice-contacting surface, and an upper edge opposite the ice-contacting surface, the upper edge comprising first and second hooks projecting upwardly and disposed proximate to one of the first and second ends respectively:   a blade holder having first and second pedestals and a bridge portion connecting the first and second pedestals, the blade holder further comprising a bottom surface defining a longitudinal groove extending along a length thereof for receiving the upper edge of the skate blade, wherein (i) the bottom surface defines a first opening to the longitudinal groove for receiving the first hook of the skate blade, (ii) the bottom surface defines a second opening in the longitudinal groove for receiving the second hook of the skate blade, and (iii) the second pedestal comprises an inner surface defining a cavity in communication with the second opening: and   a retention system for removably coupling the skate blade to the blade holder, the retention system being at least partially mounted within the cavity of the second pedestal and comprising:
 a trigger configured to engage an appendage of a user from an exterior of the blade holder; and 
 a rotor comprising a rigid protrusion for retaining the second hook of the skate blade, the rigid protrusion being rotatable about a central axis between (i) a locked position in which the rigid protrusion engages the second hook of the skate blade to retain the skate blade in the longitudinal groove of the blade holder, and (ii) an unlocked position in which the rigid protrusion disengages the second hook of the skate blade to release the skate blade from the blade holder, wherein the trigger is movable in response to the appendage of the user acting on the trigger for imparting translational movement of the trigger to cause rotation of the rigid protrusion from the locked position to the unlocked position. 
   
     
     
         23 . The skate blade assembly of  claim 22 , wherein the first hook extends towards the first end of the blade holder, and wherein the second hook extends towards the first end of the blade holder. 
     
     
         24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . The skate blade assembly of  claim 22 , wherein a top surface of the second hook is shaped to cause rotation of the rigid protrusion from the locked position to the unlocked position based on insertion of the second hook into the second opening. 
     
     
         27 . The skate blade assembly of  claim 22 , wherein the upper edge of the skate blade further comprises a ridge projecting upwardly between the first hook and the second hook, and wherein the bottom surface of the blade holder defines a recess in the longitudinal groove for receiving the ridge of the skate blade. 
     
     
         28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . The skate blade assembly of  claim 22 , wherein the bottom surface further comprises first and second bottom walls within the longitudinal groove defining the second opening. 
     
     
         30 . The skate blade assembly of  claim 29 , wherein the rigid protrusion of the rotor biases (i) the second hook away from the first bottom wall and towards the second bottom wall, and (ii) a rear surface of the second hook to contact the second bottom wall. 
     
     
         31 . (canceled) 
     
     
         32 . The skate blade assembly of  claim 22 , wherein the inner surface of the second pedestal further defines the cavity with a third opening that opens to a front portion of the second pedestal, wherein the trigger further comprises a user interface protruding from the cavity through the third opening to the exterior of the blade holder. 
     
     
         33 . The skate blade assembly of  claim 22 , wherein the inner surface further comprises a mounting portion configured to retain a portion of the rotor. 
     
     
         34 . The skate blade assembly of  claim 22 , wherein the first pedestal further comprises a second inner surface defining a second cavity, wherein the first opening opens to the second cavity of the first pedestal, and wherein the rigid protrusion is configured to hook a bottom surface of the second hook to retain the second hook within the cavity of the second pedestal. 
     
     
         35 . (canceled) 
     
     
         36 . (canceled) 
     
     
         37 . A skate blade retention system comprising:
 a trigger comprising:
 a user interface configured to engage with an appendage of a user, the user interface comprising a leading edge: 
 at least one retainer comprising a seating surface configured to engage with a skate blade holder, wherein the at least one retainer extends from the user interface; 
 a contact comprising an angled planar face disposed opposite the leading edge: 
 a first wall and a second wall extending from the user interface and defining a recess therebetween: and 
   a rotor configured to engage with a portion of a skate blade, and sized and configured to be positioned at least partially within the recess defined by the trigger, the rotor comprising:
 a rotor rotating portion configured to rotate about a central axis and comprising:
 a bell comprising first and second bell walls defining a cavity therebetween bound by an inner surface of the bell, wherein (i) the cavity is configured to receive the portion of the skate blade, and (ii) the inner surface comprises a rigid protrusion configured to engage with the portion of the skate blade: 
 a joint coupled to the bell and configured to rotate the bell about the central axis; and 
 a first arm coupled to the bell and configured to contact the angled planar face of the trigger: 
 
 a mounting portion configured to couple to the skate blade holder and comprising a first end and a second end opposite the first end: 
 a knuckle extending from the mounting portion towards the joint, wherein (i) the joint is configured to receive the knuckle, (ii) the knuckle defines the central axis, and (iii) the rotor rotating portion is configured to rotate about the central axis via the knuckle: 
 a biasing element coupled to the first end of the mounting portion and the first arm, wherein the biasing element is biased to cause rotation of the rotor rotating portion about the central axis in a first direction, 
   wherein a first translation of the trigger towards the rotor causes rotation of the rotor rotating portion about the central axis in a second direction opposite the first direction, and   wherein the biasing clement causes (i) rotation of the rotor rotating portion about the central axis in the first direction, and (ii) a second translation of the trigger away from the rotor.