ThermaBlade commercializes skate blades that are heated to significantly reduce the friction of the blade gliding on the ice.
IP:
Heating arrangement for ice skate blades (Publication date: November 16, 2004)
Internat. class.: A63C 1/30, A63C 1/32
“An ice skate comprising a boot arranged to receive a person’s foot, a skate blade assembly and a blade heating arrangement mounted within a blade mounting arrangement. The blade heating arrangement is arranged to use a field-effect transistor controlled by a microprocessor to operate in the non-linear range to heat skate blades from a power source. The blade is formed as a two part structure with a central core plate within the steel blade part of a higher thermal conductivity material such as copper. The circuit controlling the heating includes a charging component which uses as a contact for the charging current the blade itself.”