초록 ▼

A skate boot for receiving the foot, the ankle and adjacent leg section of an intended user. The skate boot includes an upper. The upper defines a dorsal upper section and a substantially opposed plantar upper section, a rear upper section extending outwardly from and substantially peripherally to t

A skate boot for receiving the foot, the ankle and adjacent leg section of an intended user. The skate boot includes an upper. The upper defines a dorsal upper section and a substantially opposed plantar upper section, a rear upper section extending outwardly from and substantially peripherally to the plantar upper section and an opening allowing the user to insert the foot within the skate boot. The upper includes a deformable region for facilitating the elastic dorsiflexion of the upper between an initial upper configuration and a dorsiflexed upper configuration wherein the dorsal upper section is closer to the rear upper section than in the initial upper configuration, the deformable region being substantially more elastically deformable than adjacent upper portions of the upper and providing an elastic force biasing the upper towards the initial configuration upon dorsiflexion of the upper.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A skate boot for receiving the foot, the ankle and adjacent leg section of an intended user, the anide having a malleolus, said foot defining a dorsal foot section and a substantially opposed plantar foot section, said skate boot comprising: a. an upper, said upper defining:

What is claimed is: 1. A skate boot for receiving the foot, the ankle and adjacent leg section of an intended user, the anide having a malleolus, said foot defining a dorsal foot section and a substantially opposed plantar foot section, said skate boot comprising: a. an upper, said upper defining: i. a dorsal upper section and a substantially opposed plantar upper section; ii. a rear upper section extending outwardly from and substantially peripherally to said plantar upper section; iii. a vamp for maintaining said foot between said dorsal and plantar upper sections, said vamp being located substantially longitudinally opposed to said rear upper section; iv. two substantially laterally opposed quarters each extending between said rear upper section and said vamp, each of said quarter defining a respective nose located substantially adjacent said vamp, said dorsal upper section defining an inflection point substantially adjacent said nose, each of said quarter also defining a respective malleolus receiving section for receiving the malleolus of the ankle of the intended user; and v. an opening allowing the user to insert the foot within said skate boot, said opening extending between said rear upper section and said dorsal upper section; b. said upper including a deformable region extending generally perpendicularly to said plantar upper section and located substantially further away from said plantar upper section than said malleolus receiving section, said deformable region being provided for facilitating the elastic dorsiflexion of said upper between an initial upper configuration and a dorsiflexed upper configuration wherein said vamp is closet to said rear upper section than in said initial upper configuration, said deformable region being substantially more elastically deformable than adjacent upper portions of said upper and providing an elastic force biasing said upper towards said initial configuration upon dorsiflexion of said upper. 2. A skate boot as defined in claim 1, wherein said upper further defines first and second lateral upper sections, said first and second lateral upper section each extending outwardly from and substantially peripherally to said plantar upper section, said rear upper section connecting said first and second lateral upper sections. 3. A skate boot as defined in claim 2, wherein said deformable region reduces a buckling of said first and second lateral upper sections upon a dorsiflexion of said upper wherein said upper passes from said upper initial upper configuration to said dorsiflexed upper configuration. 4. A skate boot as defined in claim 3, further comprising a fastening device for connecting said first and second lateral upper sections. 5. A skate boot as defined in claim 4, wherein said fastening device includes a mobile fastening portion. 6. A skate boot as defined in claim 5, wherein said deformable region allows said mobile fastening portion to be further from at least part of said rear upper section when said upper is in said dorsiflexed upper configuration than when said upper is in said initial upper configuration, when said dorsiflexed upper configuration is achieved through a dorsiflexion of the foot. 7. A skate boot as defined in claim 6, wherein said deformable region includes a panel blocking a cut-out region of said upper. 8. A skate boot as defined in claim 7, wherein said panel includes rubber. 9. A skate boot as defined in claim 7, wherein said panel is glued to adjacent portions, said adjacent portions being adjacent to said cut-out region. 10. A skate boot as defined in claim 7, wherein said panel is stitched to adjacent portions, said adjacent portions being adjacent to said cut-out region. 11. A skate boot as defined in claim 7, wherein said upper includes an external shell defining interior and an exterior shell surfaces, said insert being attached to said interior shell surface. 12. A skate boot as defined in claim 6, wherein the foot includes a heel, said upper comprising a heel upper section for receiving the heel, said heel upper section including a heel counter defining a hollow for relieving a pressure exerted by said upper onto the heel upon a dorsiflexion of the foot. 13. A skate boot as defined in claim 12, wherein: a. said upper includes an outer shell provided at least in part within said rear upper section and said first and second lateral upper sections; b. said upper further includes a liner provided within said outer shell; and c. said heel counter is provided between said outer shell and said liner. 14. A skate boot as defined in claim 13, wherein said liner includes a deformable padding provided in proximity to said hollow. 15. A skate boot as defined in claim 14, wherein said deformable padding and said hollow cooperate to distribute a force exerted by said upper onto the heel over an area that is larger than an area over which the force exerted by said upper onto the heel is distributed when the hollow is absent from said upper, thereby reducing the pressure exerted onto the heel. 16. A skate boot as defined in claim 15, wherein the heel includes a heel bone and wherein said hollow is located, configured and sized to receive the heel bone. 17. A skate boot as defined in claim 16, wherein said heel counter includes a material that is substantially more rigid than said deformable padding. 18. A skate boot as defined in claim 17, wherein said hollow is substantially circular. 19. A skate boot as defined in claim 17, wherein said hollow is substantially elliptical and defines a minor axis and a major axis, said minor axis being oriented substantially perpendicularly to said plantar upper section. 20. A skate boot as defined in claim 19, wherein said heel counter further includes first and second lateral flaps extending away from said rear upper section and within said outer shell. 21. A skate boot as defined in claim 20, wherein said first and second lateral flaps are configured and sized to receive the ankle such as to interfere with a rotation of the anide relatively to said skate boot in a plane substantially parallel to the plantar foot surface. 22. A skate boot as defined in claim 20, wherein said first and second lateral flaps are configured and sized such as to allow a rotation of said ankle relatively to said skate boot in a plane extending substantially longitudinally respectively to said skate boot and substantially perpendicular to said planter foot surface. 23. A skate boot as defined in claim 22, wherein said heel counter extends further away from said plantar upper section in proximity to said hollow than within said first and second lateral flaps. 24. A skate boot as defined in claim 6, wherein: a. said first and second lateral upper sections each include respectively a first and a second strip of eyelets strip, each of said first and second strips of eyelet including a plurality of eyelets located peripherally to said first and second lateral upper sections; and b. said plantar upper section includes a tongue. 25. A skate boot as defined in claim 24, wherein said tongue defines a tongue longitudinal axis and wherein said tongue is asymmetrical with respect to said tongue longitudinal axis. 26. A skate boot as defined in claim 25, wherein said tongue includes a. first and second lateral tongue portions; and b. a central tongue portion extending therebetween; c. said first and second lateral tongue portions each extending only along part of said central tongue portion. 27. A skate boot as defined in claim 26, wherein the user defines a sagittal plane and said first lateral tongue portion extends outwardly from said central tongue portion substantially towards the sagittal plane when said skate boot is worn by the user. 28. A skate boot as defined in claim 27, wherein said second lateral tongue portion extends outwardly from said central tongue portion substantially away from the sagittal plane when said skate boot is worn by the user. 29. A skate boot as defined in claim 28, wherein said second lateral tongue portion extends more along said central tongue portion than said first lateral tongue portion. 30. A skate boot as defined in claim 29, wherein the ankle includes an ankle bone, the first and second lateral tongue portion each extending towards the ankle for being in proximity to the ankle bone when the user wears said skate boot. 31. A skate boot as defined in claim 25, wherein the foot includes an extensor hallucis longus tendon, said central tongue portion including a recess for reducing a pressure exerted be said tongue on the extensor hallucis longus tendon upon a dorsiflexion of the foot. 32. A skate boot as defined in claim 31, wherein said recess includes a substantially rigid material for contacting said lace when said lace is laced through said eyelets. 33. A skate boot as defined in claim 31, wherein said tongue includes a tongue lining proximal to the foot and a tongue shell distal from the foot, said tongue lining being substantially more deformable than said tongue shell. 34. A skate boot as defined in claim 33, wherein said tongue shell includes said rigid material of said recess. 35. A skate boot as defined in claim 34, wherein said rigid material of said recess includes a plurality of openings for improving a flexibility of said tongue such that the dorsiflexion of said skate boot is facilitated. 36. A skate boot as defined in claim 35, wherein said openings are substantially almond-shaped. 37. A skate boot as defined in claim 35, wherein said tongue includes a lacing track connected to said outer tongue shell and provided in proximity to eyelets most distal from said plantar upper surface, said lacing track rigidifying said tongue such as to reduce a pressure exerted onto the leg by said fastening device. 38. A skate boot as defined in claim 35, wherein said outer tongue shell includes a material selected from the group including leather and a synthetic molded material. 39. A skate boot as defined in claim 38, wherein said rigid material of said recess includes a polymer. 40. A skate boot as defined in claim 1, wherein: a. said deformable region is a first deformable region; and b. said upper includes a second deformable region for facilitating the elastic dorsiflexion of said upper between the initial upper configuration and the dorsiflexed upper configuration, said second deformable region being substantially more elastically deformable than adjacent upper portions of said upper end providing an elastic force biasing said upper towards said initial configuration upon dorsiflexion of said upper. 41. A skate boot as defined in claim 40, wherein said second deformable region is provided at least in part within said rear upper section. 42. A skate boot as defined in claim 2, wherein a. said fastening device includes a first snip of eyelets and a second strip of eyelets, said first and second snip of eyelets each including respectively a first and a second eyelet, said first and second scrip of eyelets being provided within said first and second lateral upper sections; and b. said lace is for connecting said first and second strips of eyelets. 43. A skate boot as defined in claim 42, wherein said skate boot includes a material selected from the group including leather, synthetic leather and polymers. 44. A skate for receiving the foot the ankle and adjacent leg section of an intended user, said foot defining a dorsal foot section and a substantially opposed plantar foot section, said skate comprising a skate boot for receiving the foot, the ankle and adjacent leg section of the user, said skate boot including a. an upper, said upper defining: i. a dorsal upper section and a substantially opposed plantar upper section; ii. a rear upper section extending outwardly from and substantially peripherally to said plantar upper section; iii. a vamp for maintaining said foot between said dorsal and plantar upper sections, said vamp being located substantially longitudinally opposed to said rear upper section; iv. two substantially laterally opposed quarters each extending between said rear upper section and said vamp, each of said quarter defining a respective nose located substantially adjacent said vamp, said dorsal upper section defining an inflection point substantially adjacent said nose, each of said quarter also defining a respective malleolus receiving section for receiving the malleolus of the ankle of the intended user; and v. opening allowing the user to insert the foot within said skate boot, said opening extending between said rear upper section and said dorsal upper section; b. said upper including a deformable region extending generally perpendicularly to said plantar upper section and located substantially further away from said plantar upper section than said malleolus receiving section, said deformable region being provided for facilitating the elastic dorsiflexion of said upper between an initial upper configuration and a dorsiflexed upper configuration wherein said vamp is closer to said rear upper section than in said initial upper configuration, said deformable region being substantially more elastically deformable than adjacent upper portions of said upper and providing an elastic force biasing said upper towards said initial configuration upon dorsiflexion of said upper. 45. A skate as defined in claim 44, wherein said skate is an ice skate comprising a blade assembly fixedly connected to said upper. 46. A skate as defined in claim 44, wherein said skate is a roller skate comprising a roller assembly fixedly connected to said upper.