Skate Boot Dual Sub-Shell Design for Weight and Strength
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional skate boots, whether lasted or non-lasted, face challenges such as high manufacturing costs, poor fit, rigidity, and long break-in times due to their construction methods, which affect comfort, control, and durability.
Innovation Solution
A non-lasted skate boot design featuring a dual sub-shell structure with a denser outer shell and a less dense inner shell, allowing for enhanced flexibility, reduced weight, and improved fit, manufactured using molding techniques to create a shell that synergistically interacts for better performance and consistency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a non-lasted skate boot design is used, then manufacturing cost is reduced and manufacturing efficiency is improved, but structural strength and durability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The skate boot is divided into multiple independent shells (outer shell, middle shell, inner shell) that are molded separately and then assembled. This segmentation allows each shell to be optimized for specific functions while enabling efficient automated molding processes, resolving the contradiction between manufacturing efficiency and structural strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The skate boot employs composite construction with multiple shells made from different materials with varying densities and properties. The outer shell uses denser material for protection, while inner shells use lighter materials for comfort and flexibility. This composite approach maintains structural strength while enabling efficient molding processes.
2Strength
If a single dense material is used for the skate boot shell, then structural strength is improved, but weight increases and flexibility decreases
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the skate boot are constructed with materials of different densities tailored to local requirements. The outer shell uses denser material for structural protection where needed, while inner shells use lighter materials in areas requiring flexibility and comfort, optimizing the weight-strength balance.
Solution Approach 2:
The skate boot uses composite construction with multiple shells made from materials of varying densities. The outer shell employs denser material for strength and protection, while inner shells use lighter materials to reduce overall weight and enhance flexibility, resolving the contradiction between strength and weight.
3Duration of action of stationary object
If a lasted skate boot construction method is used, then traditional durability is achieved, but break-in time is extended and comfort is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The skate boot shells are pre-formed through molding processes that create the final three-dimensional shape and fit during manufacturing, eliminating the need for extended break-in periods. The shells are designed with ergonomic features and anatomical contours built-in, providing immediate comfort while maintaining durability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the fundamental construction parameter from lasted (bent and stitched) to non-lasted (molded). This parameter change allows the boot to achieve its final shape and fit during manufacturing, eliminating break-in time while maintaining or improving durability through the molded construction's resistance to deformation.
4Weight of moving object
If a non-lasted molded shell design is used, then weight is reduced and flexibility is improved, but manufacturing precision and consistency may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The skate boot is segmented into multiple shells that are molded separately using standardized molds, ensuring consistent reproduction of each component. This segmentation approach maintains manufacturing precision while enabling the use of lighter materials and designs that improve flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The composite shell construction uses standardized molding processes for each shell component, ensuring manufacturing consistency. The modular nature of the composite structure allows for precise control of each element while maintaining overall consistency through standardized assembly procedures.
Data Source
AI summary
A skate having a skate boot with a non-lasted boot shell, the shell having a first non-lasted three-dimensional sub-shell and a second non-lasted three-dimensional sub-shell, the second sub-shell being interior to and adjoining the first sub-shell, the first sub-shell comprising a first material having a first density and the second sub-shell comprising a second material having a second density, the second density being less than the first density, the shell being shaped so as to have a heel portion, an ankle portion, a lateral portion, a medial portion, and a sole portion; and a ground-engaging assembly disposed on an underside of the skate. Additional sub-shells are possible. Methods of manufacturing the skate boot shell, including molding and build-up, are also disclosed.