Land vehicles – Skates – Wheeled skate
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-26
2001-09-18
Johnson, Brian L. (Department: 3618)
Land vehicles
Skates
Wheeled skate
C301S005302
Reexamination Certificate
active
06290242
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the art of the two-wheel skate when employing the use of certain dual surfaced rollers in combination with double-action turning means. Essentially, each roller has an arcuately shaped central section providing the skater a certain degree of lateral roller mobility while skating in a generally forward direction, and frusto-conical end sections providing the lateral roller stability needed by the skater in applying pressure to the turning mechanisms, thus providing a two-wheel skate with the mechanical means to accomplish double-action turns.
Such a skate was first presented to the roller skating art by this applicant in U.S. Pat. No. 4,844,492 issued Jul. 4, 1989. At that time, and in association with a roller skate manufacturer, the first industrial prototype of the skate was produced.
During the intervening years improvements in the skate have focused on three basic needs: first, reducing the roller's lateral width to more practical proportions without sacrificing turning function, second, unifying and strengthening the design of the double-action turning mechanism, and third, integrating all the component elements of the skate in a manner and style more in keeping with current standards in roller skating art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of this invention to provide increased turning efficiency and improved maneuverability in a two-wheel inline skate by the employment of improved rollers in combination with an improved structural design of the double-action turning mechanisms.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a general purpose two-wheel inline skate that is well crafted and styled, suitable for indoor and outdoor use on normal skating surfaces, practical in respect to manufacturing means and lightweight materials, and which provides improved maneuverability with superior traction, control and safety in the execution of turns.
This invention provides certain improvements in mechanical efficiency, operation and performance ability of a two-wheel inline skate by the employment of improved rollers having a unique two-point stance providing increased leverage potential and increased turning force, in combination with an improved structural design of the double-action hanger means providing a more efficient framework for the transmission of turning forces.
The improved structural design of the double-action hanger mechanism provides a new and improved hanger means in which the three major hanger elements, comprising the kingbolt platform, pivot post and roller-supporting brackets, all emanate from the central hanger crossmember located directly over the roller, and wherein the entire hanger frame may be cast in one piece of high strength, lightweight material, thus constituting a more unified and stronger hanger means for the transmission of turning forces in operating the double-action mechanism.
The roller of the instant invention retains the same basic components as the original roller of U.S. Pat. No. 4,844,492 cited above, that is, an arcuately surfaced central part in combination with conically surfaced end parts, but introduces new features in respect to the manner of integrating the combined surfaces. Additionally, the new roller has a greatly reduced lateral width providing the roller with more practical overall proportions and contributing directly to a more compact and stronger roller/hanger assembly.
The method of integrating the combined surfaces of the improved roller provides for the employment of an arcuately shaped central section which has a smaller central running surface defined thereon, and relatively narrow frusto-conical end parts of decreasing diameter located a short distance away from the central section, and wherein the angle of taper of the end parts equals the angle of inclination occurring at the respective bounds of the central running surface, with said angle of taper also being on a plane coinciding with said respective bounds, and wherein the ends of the central section are connected to the respective conical end parts by means of a concave elliptical surface.
In the course of normal operation and under right or left lateral pressure of the skater in executing turns, the improved roller described above naturally adopts a two-point stance in spanning the recessed surface area between the right or left bound of the central running surface and the respective conical end part. This two-point stance effectively provides an extended conically-oriented running surface almost three times wider than the actual conical end part, thus providing the roller ample lateral stability for the skater to work with in the application of turning pressure, while at the same time providing for a much higher concentration of turning force on the narrow conical end part where the roller's leverage potential is greatest and where the concentrated turning force can be used to a proportionate and improved mechanical advantage, thereby increasing the mechanical efficiency of the roller as well as the combined roller/hanger assembly and contributing directly to improved maneuverability of the skate.
The roller's central running surface provides for skating motion in a generally forward direction and also allows for unimpeded mobility in lateral inclination throughout the range of lateral curvature in the central running surface, thus enabling the skater to shift his or her balance point, as need or desire dictates, to any point within said range.
The operational features, thus described, provide the basis of the roller's improved surface design in this method of roller construction and also establish the central running surface as the controlling element effecting surface configuration and related roller function. An increase in the degrees of arc on the central running surface would provide increased skating mobility on the central part with a proportionately slower response in turning function. Decreasing the degrees of arc reverses the equation. Small variations in this respect could find useful application in the design of specialized rollers for different age groups, skill levels and activities.
Of equal importance to the skate's maneuverability is the added traction and control in turns resulting from the frictional contact of the conical end parts. This improved traction, together with the angular orientation of the conical contact, permits the skater to lean into turns in a more natural skating style and provides substantially more control and safety in turns than is found in conventional inline roller skates.
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Johnson Brian L.
Klebe G. B.
LandOfFree
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