SKATES AND OTHER FOOTWEAR COMPRISING ADDITIVELY-MANUFACTURED COMPONENTS
A skate or other footwear comprising one or more additively-manufactured components designed to enhance performance and use of the skate or other footwear, such as fit and comfort, power transfer (e.g., to a skating surface during skating strides), and/or other aspects of the skate or other footwear.
1 . A skate comprising:
a skate boot configured to receive a foot of a user; and
a skating device below the skate boot and configured to engage a skating surface;
wherein the skate comprises an additively-manufactured component comprising a plurality of distinct layers structurally different from one another and layered on one another.
2 . The skate of claim 1 , wherein the skate boot comprises at least part of the additively-manufactured component.
3 . The skate of claim 1 , wherein the skating device comprises at least part of the additively-manufactured component.
4 . The skate of claim 3 , wherein: the skate is an ice skate; the skating surface is an ice surface; and the skating device comprises a blade for engaging the ice surface and a blade holder holding the blade.
5 . The skate of claim 4 , wherein the blade holder comprises at least part of the additively-manufactured component.
6 . The skate of claim 4 , wherein the blade comprises at least part of the additively-manufactured component.
7 . (canceled)
8 . The skate of claim 1 , wherein the distinct layers of the additively-manufactured component differ in stiffness.
9 . (canceled)
10 . (canceled)
11 . The skate of claim 1 , wherein the distinct layers of the additively-manufactured component differ in resilience.
12 . (canceled)
13 . (canceled)
14 . The skate of claim 1 , wherein the distinct layers of the additively-manufactured component include at least three distinct layers.
15 . The skate of claim 1 , wherein the additively-manufactured component comprises a lattice.
16 . The skate of claim 15 , wherein the lattice comprises the distinct layers.
17 .- 22 . (canceled)
23 . The skate of claim 16 , wherein a density of the lattice in a first one of the distinct layers of the lattice is greater than the density of the lattice in a second one of the distinct layers of the lattice.
24 . The skate of claim 16 , wherein a spacing of elongate members of the lattice in a first one of the distinct layers of the lattice is less than the spacing of elongate members of the lattice in a second one of the distinct layers of the lattice.
25 . The skate of claim 16 , wherein elongate members of the lattice in a first one of the distinct layers of the lattice are cross-sectionally larger than elongate members of the lattice in a second one of the distinct layers of the lattice.
26 . The skate of claim 16 , wherein an orientation of elongate members of the lattice in a first one of the distinct layers of the lattice is different from the orientation of elongate members of the lattice in a second one of the distinct layers of the lattice.
27 . The skate of claim 16 , wherein a material composition of the lattice in a first one of the distinct layers of the lattice is different from the material composition of the lattice in a second one of the distinct layers of the lattice.
28 .- 34 . (canceled)
35 . The skate of claim 1 , wherein: the skate boot comprises a body and a pad configured to be disposed between the body of the skate boot and the user's foot; and
the pad comprises at least part of the additively-manufactured component.
36 . The skate of claim 35 , wherein the pad is an ankle pad configured to face an ankle of the user.
37 . (canceled)
38 . The skate of claim 1 , wherein: the skate boot comprises a body and a liner disposed within the body of the skate boot; and the liner comprises at least part of the additively-manufactured component.
39 .- 42 . (canceled)
43 . The skate of claim 1 , wherein: the skate boot comprises a body and a footbed disposed within the body of the skate boot; and the footbed comprises at least part of the additively-manufactured component.
44 . The skate of claim 1 , wherein: the additively-manufactured component is a first additively-manufactured component; and the skate comprises a second additively-manufactured component.
45 .- 55 . (canceled)
56 . The skate of claim 15 , wherein the additively-manufactured component comprises a non-lattice member connected to the lattice.
57 . The skate of claim 56 , wherein the non-lattice member is configured to be positioned between the lattice and the user when the skate is worn.
58 . The skate of claim 56 , wherein the non-lattice member is thinner than the lattice.
59 . (canceled)
60 . (canceled)
61 . The skate of claim 56 , wherein the non-lattice member is a covering that covers at least part of the lattice and constitutes at least part of a surface of the additively-manufactured component.
62 . The skate of claim 56 , wherein: the skate is an ice skate; the skating surface is an ice surface; the skating device comprises a blade for engaging the ice surface and a blade holder holding the blade; the blade comprises at least part of the additively-manufactured component; the non-lattice member constitutes an ice-contacting surface of the blade; and the lattice constitutes at least part of a body of the blade above the ice-contacting surface of the blade.
63 . (canceled)
64 . The skate of claim 15 , wherein the lattice comprises fiber-reinforced composite material.
65 . The skate of claim 64 , wherein the fiber-reinforced composite material of the additively-manufactured component is 3D-printed using continuous-fiber 3D printing.
66 . The skate of claim 64 , wherein at least one fiber of the fiber-reinforced composite material of the additively-manufactured component extends along at least a majority of a length of the additively-manufactured component.
67 . The skate of claim 64 , wherein at least one fiber of the fiber-reinforced composite material of the additively-manufactured component extends along an entirety of the length of the additively-manufactured component.
68 . The skate of claim 6 , wherein the additively-manufactured component comprises 3D-printed metallic material constituting at least an ice-contacting surface of the blade.
69 .- 243 . (canceled)
244 . A skate comprising:
a skate boot configured to receive a foot of a user; and
a skating device below the skate boot and configured to engage a skating surface;
wherein the skate comprises: an additively-manufactured component comprising a lattice; and a covering that covers at least a majority of an outer side of the lattice.
245 . A skate comprising:
a skate boot configured to receive a foot of a user; and
a skating device below the skate boot and configured to engage a skating surface;
wherein the skate comprises: an additively-manufactured component comprising a lattice; and an inner liner adjacent to the lattice.
246 .- 249 . (canceled)