US 12,102,183 B2
Skate boot with tendon guard
Etienne Champagne, Montréal (CA); Alain Kieu, St-Jerome (CA); Alexis Faucher, St-Rose (CA); and Samuel Maheux, Montréal (CA)
Assigned to Sport Maska Inc., Montréal (CA)
Filed by Sport Maska Inc., Montréal (CA)
Filed on Jul. 16, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/377,935.
Application 17/377,935 is a continuation of application No. PCT/CA2020/050050, filed on Jan. 17, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/794,241, filed on Jan. 18, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0337918 A1, Nov. 4, 2021
Int. Cl. A43B 5/16 (2006.01)
CPC A43B 5/1691 (2013.01) [A43B 5/1625 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A skate boot comprising:
a) a structural shell configured to cover at least a rear and sides of a foot of a wearer; and
b) a tendon guard attached to the shell and configured to protect an Achilles tendon of the wearer, the tendon guard including:
i) a lower portion attached to the shell,
ii) an upper portion extending above a rear upper edge of the shell, the upper portion configured to protect at least a portion the Achilles tendon above the shell, and
iii) a flex portion located below the rear upper edge of the shell, the flex portion having sufficient flexibility to permit rearward movement of the upper portion from a resting position toward a rearward position in response to application of a rearward force on the upper portion by a lower leg of the wearer during plantarflexion, and the flex portion having sufficient resiliency to urge the upper portion back toward the resting position when the rearward force is relieved,
wherein the structural shell has a medial portion for covering a medial side of the foot and a lateral portion laterally opposite the medial portion for covering a lateral side of the foot, and the rear upper edge extends across a rearmost portion of the shell between the medial portion and the lateral portion of the shell, and wherein the flex portion is at an elevation below a lowermost section of the rear upper edge.