Skate boot having a lace member with at least one opening
A skate boot comprising an outer shell including medial and lateral side portions for facing the medial and lateral sides of the foot. Each of the medial and lateral side portions has an upper edge. The skate boot also comprises a lace member mounted to either of the upper edges of the medial and lateral side portions. The lace member has at least one opening for receiving an insert. The lace member has a first flexion mode when no insert is received in the at least one opening and a second flexion mode when the insert is received in the at least one opening. The second flexion mode is different from the first flexion mode.
1. A skate boot for receiving a foot of a user of a skate, the skate boot being configured to support the user's foot above a skating element of the skate, the skate boot comprising:
a shell comprising a lateral side portion configured to face a lateral side of the user's foot, a medial side portion configured to face a medial side of the user's foot, and an ankle portion configured to receive an ankle of the user; and
a lacing member configured to lace the skate boot and comprising:
lacing apertures to receive a lace; and
flexion openings disposed between adjacent ones of the lacing apertures and configured to facilitate flexing of the lacing member when the user's foot moves during skating, each flexion opening comprising an outer portion and an inner portion that is farther from a top edge of the lacing member and wider in a longitudinal direction of the lacing member than the outer portion of the flexion opening.
2. The skate boot of claim 1 , wherein the flexion openings are elongated.
3. The skate boot of claim 2 , wherein the flexion openings are longer than the lacing apertures.
4. The skate boot of claim 2 , wherein the flexion openings are longer and narrower than the lacing apertures.
5. The skate boot of claim 2 , wherein each of the flexion openings comprises walls opposite to one another and moveable relative to one another when the user's foot moves during skating.
6. The skate boot of claim 1 , wherein the flexion openings extend from the top edge of the lacing member.
7. The skate boot of claim 1 , wherein the flexion openings are free of any insert therein.
8. The skate boot of claim 1 , wherein the lacing member comprises an insert disposed in at least one of the flexion openings.
9. The skate boot of claim 1 , wherein the lacing member is mounted to the shell.
10. The skate boot of claim 9 , wherein the lacing member is mounted to the shell by at least one of stitching, over molding, thermal bonding, high frequency welding, vibration welding, piping, a zipper, an adhesive, and staples.
11. The skate boot of claim 1 , wherein the lacing member is injection molded.
12. The skate boot claim 1 , wherein the lacing member is integrally formed with the shell.
13. The skate boot of claim 1 , wherein the flexion openings include at least three flexion openings.
14. The skate boot of claim 1 , wherein the flexion openings include at least four flexion openings.
15. The skate boot of claim 1 , wherein: the lacing member is a lateral lacing member; and the skate boot comprises a medial lacing member configured to lace the skate boot and comprising:
lacing apertures to receive the lace; and
flexion openings disposed between adjacent ones of the lacing apertures of the medial lacing member and configured to facilitate flexing of the medial lacing member when the user's foot moves during skating, each flexion opening of the medial lacing member comprising an outer portion and an inner portion that is farther from a top edge of the medial lacing member and wider in a longitudinal direction of the medial lacing member than the outer portion of the flexion opening of the medial lacing member.
16. A skate comprising the skate boot of claim 1 and a skating element below the skate boot.
17. A skate boot for receiving a foot of a user of a skate, the skate boot being configured to support the user's foot above a skating element of the skate, the skate boot comprising:
a shell comprising a lateral side portion configured to face a lateral side of the user's foot, a medial side portion configured to face a medial side of the user's foot, and an ankle portion configured to receive an ankle of the user; and
a lacing member configured to lace the skate boot and comprising:
lacing apertures to receive a lace; and
flexion openings disposed between adjacent ones of the lacing apertures, extending from a top edge of the lacing member, and free of any insert therein, each flexion opening comprising an outer portion and an inner portion that is farther from the top edge of the lacing member and wider in a longitudinal direction of the lacing member than the outer portion of the flexion opening.
18. A skate boot for receiving a foot of a user of a skate, the skate boot being configured to support the user's foot above a skating element of the skate, the skate boot comprising:
a shell comprising a lateral side portion configured to face a lateral side of the user's foot, a medial side portion configured to face a medial side of the user's foot, and an ankle portion configured to receive an ankle of the user; and
a lacing member that is configured to lace the skate boot, is injection molded, and comprises:
lacing apertures to receive a lace; and
flexion facilitators disposed between adjacent ones of the lacing apertures and configured to facilitate flexing of the lacing member when the user's foot moves during skating;
wherein: the flexion facilitators include flexion openings; and each flexion opening comprises an outer portion and an inner portion that is farther from the top edge of the lacing member and wider in a longitudinal direction of the lacing member than the outer portion of the flexion opening.
19. The skate boot of claim 18 , wherein the flexion openings are elongated.
20. The skate boot of claim 18 , wherein the flexion openings are free of any insert therein.
21. The skate boot of claim 18 , wherein the lacing member comprises an insert disposed in at least one of the flexion openings.
22. The skate boot of claim 18 , wherein the flexion facilitators comprise a flexible material that is more flexible than a main material of the lacing member.
23. The skate boot of claim 22 , wherein the lacing member is mounted to the shell by at least one of stitching, over molding, thermal bonding, high frequency welding, vibration welding, piping, a zipper, an adhesive, and staples.
24. The skate boot of claim 18 , wherein the flexion facilitators comprise flexion openings and an insert disposed in at least one of the flexion openings.
25. The skate boot of claim 18 , wherein: the lacing member is a lateral lacing member; and the skate boot comprises a medial lacing member that is configured to lace the skate boot, is injection molded, and comprises:
lacing apertures to receive the lace; and
flexion facilitators disposed between adjacent ones of the lacing apertures of the medial lacing member and configured to facilitate flexing of the medial lacing member when the user's foot moves during skating.
26. The skate boot of claim 18 , wherein the flexion openings are longer than the lacing apertures.
27. The skate boot of claim 18 , wherein the flexion openings are longer and narrower than the lacing apertures.
28. The skate boot of claim 18 , wherein each of the flexion openings comprises walls opposite to one another and moveable relative to one another when the user's foot moves during skating.
29. The skate boot of claim 18 , wherein the flexion openings extend from the top edge of the lacing member.
30. The skate boot of claim 18 , wherein the lacing member is mounted to the shell.
31. The skate boot claim 18 , wherein the lacing member is integrally formed with the shell.
32. The skate boot of claim 18 , wherein the flexion openings include at least three flexion openings.
33. The skate boot of claim 18 , wherein the flexion includes at least four flexion openings.
34. A skate comprising the skate boot of claim 18 and a skating element below the skate boot.
35. The skate of claim 34 , wherein the skate is an ice skate and the skating element comprises a blade.
36. The skate of claim 16 , wherein the skate is an ice skate and the skating element comprises a blade.