It is previously known to use heating resistors and other structures or devices which transfer heat in order to heat the blades of the skates. These previously known solutions are however meant mainly to create heat with the heating resistors which are integrated inside the skates or inside their blades or produce heat with other devices which are integrated fixed to the skate. In these solutions no attention has been paid to external heat sources of the skates and their blades. They are also solutions which are technically complicated, user dependent and increase the weight of the skates. These kinds of heaters are known for example from the publications WO 2009/023958, WO 2009/012562 and CA 2605934. Further the disadvantage of these heaters and the power sources related to them is the fact that they can easily be damaged if they are for example integrated to the skates of a person who plays games on ice.

The heating of the blades of the skates of a player is previously known from the publication WO 2009/032792 also with the help of a specific heating mat. The mat is located outside the icy area and the player uses the mat when he is not on the ice, such as when he sits on a bench. With the help of this kind of mat it is difficult to heat the side of the blade of the skate because in this case the surface of the mat should bend against the sides of the blades. The conduction of heat to the blades is slow only through the base area of the blades.

With the heating equipment according to the invention the sliding properties of an object which slides on the ice can be improved in a new way for a short time by rising the temperature of at least the part which slides against the ice and belongs to the object before one enters the ice. It is characteristic of the equipment according to the invention that the equipment is an exterior heating device outside the object with the help of which heating device the whole base area of the object can be heated and in addition to that the metallic side parts can be heated at least up to a height of 15 mm.

The advantage of the invention is the fact that when a skate functions as the object according to the invention, then by heating the blades of the skates with an exterior heat source, the total mass of the skates and equipment does not increase and the heat energy which becomes latent at the blades can also be increased compared with the previously known solutions. Thanks to heating the sliding and static friction on the ice decreases significantly when one skates on the ice. The usage of the skate regarding changes in direction and movements at a microlevel becomes more effective and the total energy used by the athlete for the skating decreases. With the help of these blade profiles and grooves of that kind which have longer radii can also be utilized in the blades of the skates.

Especially during a competitive sports usage the heating device of the blades of the skates gives a player or an athlete having a rest a chance to heat the blades of the skates in a natural sitting or standing position without having to change the sportsman behaviour and movements and without separate additions or additional devices to the existing equipment of the player user independently. In use the heating of the blades of the skates gives a smooth and comfortable feeling during the sliding stage of the skating also then when the surface of the ice has worn out. At the stage of operation, in other words when one is on the ice, the heat of the blade mainly is conducted into the ice mainly as a time function. During a stage of operation which lasts long enough the temperature of the blade falls to its normal level which corresponds to the normal temperature of the blade which has not been heated. Also the hockey stick of the player which is slid on the ice by the player can also be heated outside the ice in which case it slides well on the surface of ice which comprises especially loose splashes and does not collect sludge onto its surface. In the following the invention is described more detailed by referring to the accompanying drawing in which

Figure 1 shows the heating mat of the blades of the skates as loose parts diagonally seen. Figure 2 shows skates when they are located on top of the heating mat.

Figure 3 shows skates in a heating situation on top of the heating mat. Figure 4 shows a radiant heater of the skates.

Figure 5 shows a hot-air heater of a skate.

Figure 6 shows skates in a heating device.

Figure 7 shows thermal grooves which are heating the skates.

Figure 1 shows a heating mat according to the invention which heating mat has a waterproof structure and in the operating situation it is steady when it has been set on a plane surface. It can easily be moved and its implementation does not require a fixed

installation. In normal use in conventional ice sports conditions the maximum usage temperature of the surface of the thermal grooves 1 of the mat is under + 90°C which does not cause harm to the user or the operation location. The blade is heated at least to a value 40°C or also even more than 60°C. One heating mat can have more than one user. The materials of the heating mat enable the cleaning of the device for example by flushing it with water.

Figure 1 shows a heating mat according to the invention without being sewn up and when its components 2 - 6 are separated from each other. The presented heating mat is designed regarding its outline in such a way that the both blades 11 of the skates 10 of an athlete or a player fit onto its surface area in a natural sitting or standing position when they are being set into the actual thermal grooves 1 or on top of the heating mat. The surface layer 2 of the heating mat is a silicone coated woven glass fabric and the thermal grooves 1 belonging to it are sewn at their edges up with the base material, in other words with the silicone coated woven glass fabric 6 which functions as a anti-skid barrier. The stitches are shown with a number 9. When the surface 2 and base material 6 are sewn up they form a pocket inside which the actual glass fibre blanket 5, aluminium coated woven glass fabric 4, aluminium body 3 and heating resistors 7 are set.

The thermal grooves 1 which are formed into the surface layer 2 are made in such a way that their bottom is sewn fixed to the lower layers 3 - 6 according to the measurements of the blade 11 of the skates and according to the natural position of the blades 11. The grooves 1 are formed by sewing in such a way that the stitches pull the cavities to their location. By placing the blade 11 of the skate 10 into the groove, the surface layer 2 at the both sides of the blades 11 is pressed against the sides of the blades 11. Thus the heat is transferred mainly into the blades through the sides of the blades 11. There is a aluminium body 3 underneath the surface layer 2. The body is made of hollow aluminium pipes in such a way that they are joined to each other in a longitudinal direction with aluminium tape. The joining of aluminium pipes brings mobility and manageability to the sturucture of the heating mat regarding the usage and handling for example during installation, transport and storing.

The heating elements 7 are installed at both sides inside the aluminium pipes which are next to the thermal grooves 1. The aluminium body 3 functions as a protection and support for the other parts of the device, but functions also as a heat conductor with the help of which the temperature of the surface layer 2 of the heating mat maintains the heat taken from the thermal grooves 1 to the blades 11 till then when one enters with the skates 10 the ice for the stage of operation. An aluminium coated woven glass fabric 4 is installed underneath the aluminium body 3 the meaning of which woven glass fabric is to reflect the heat created by heating elements 7 upwards. A glass fibre blanket 5 is installed underneath the aluminium coated woven glass fabric 4 to function as a thermal insulation material. A silicone coated woven glass fabric 6 is sewn to function as a base layer and a anti-skid barrier. A handle 8 is attached at the side of the edge of the heating mat with the help of which handle the handling and transport of the heating mat is easy and simple.

In the figure 4 there are radiant heaters 13, 14 which are located on top of the base 12 to which radiant heaters electric current is fed along a cable 15. The heaters 13 are balks into the intermediate space of which balks the blades 11 of the skate 10 and possibly in addition to them other metal structures related to the blades are adjusted. The radiating surfaces 14 and the heat thus radiating from them is directed into the intermediate spaces of the balks 13.

In the figure 5 warm-air blowing towards the blade 11 is shown as one kind of heater. There is a warm-air heater on top of the base 12 comprising a motor 16, a blower 17, an electric resistance 19 and a blowing chamber 20. Hot air flows through the holes of the blowing chamber 20 to the blades of the skate 10. An opposite wall 21 in installed to form a intermediate space into which the skate is placed. With the solutions of the figures 4 and 5 the other metallic parts of the skate become heated considerably well in addition to the blade 11 and thus warm mass can be gained more. Thus the blades 11 cool down more slowly when one is on the ice. Regarding the games on ice the need for heating of the blades 11 is approximately 20 s - 1 min and with all presented performing ways of the invention this kind of duration can be achieved before the sliding properties which are achieved by heating the blades 11 essentially weaken.

In the figure 6 skates 10 which are located in the grooves 22 which are located at the base 24 and heated by electric resistances in which case the grooves 22 have a specific depth, such as 15 - 30 mm so that heat transfer liquid, such as oil, can be placed in the grooves 22. The oil becomes heated in the grooves to a temperature which is regulated by a thermostat and stays there. When the skates are located in the grooves 22, the oil heats up quickly the blades 11 and oil is left also on the surface of the blades 11 when one enters the ice and the oil functions as a heat insulation by slowing down the cooling down of the blades when one moves on the ice. The oil also prevents slush and drops of water from sticking to the blades 11. The oil can easily be added into the grooves 22.

In the figure 7 a certain profile is shown which forms a groove 22 and channels 23 for the electric resistances. The profile can be made of plastic when there is no need for its temperature to exceed 80°C. Bio-oil can be used as the oil. At most advantageously there is oil in the groove 22 at least 10 mm and even a higher oil layer is advisable in which case it ensures better that there will be an oil layer left at the sides of the blades 11 correspondingly as a higher part.

The most advantageous embodiments of the invention are shown above. The invention is however not restricted within only these but can vary in different ways within the limits of the claims. The hockey stick of the player can also be heated for example by locating the paddle of the hockey stick next to the radiant heater, to a heat accumulator, such as to a heated box space which is partly closed or by locating it to a corresponding place.