Land vehicles – Runner vehicle – Standing occupant
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-31
2001-11-06
Mar, Michael (Department: 3619)
Land vehicles
Runner vehicle
Standing occupant
C280S007140, C280S087042
Reexamination Certificate
active
06311990
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to ice skateboards and particularly it relates to skateboard runners having shock-absorbing and safety features incorporated therein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Ice skateboards are often used outdoors on natural ice of a frozen pond, lake or river, and on sidewalks and in parking lots following a winter storm of freezing rain for example. These icy surfaces are normally harder than the artificial ice of an arena. Natural ice is also known to have a pebbly surface comprising frozen lumps, cracks and hollows. The irregular surfaces and the hardness of natural ice cause vibration stresses and associated deterioration to the structure of an ice skateboard. These vibration stresses are also known to increase fatigue of the user of the skateboard.
Each truck of a conventional roller skateboard usually has a resilient shock-absorbing member at the center thereof for acting simultaneously on both wheels on that truck. Although this arrangement is practical for use of roller skateboards, there are numerous advantages of having each blade of a four-runner ice skateboard independently cushioned. Some of these advantages are better stability, maneuverability and a smoother ride.
Examples of skateboards of the prior art for use on hard snow and ice are disclosed in the following documents:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,114,913 issued on Sep. 19, 1978 to W. K. Newell et al.;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,165,091 issued on Aug. 21, 1979 to D. E. Chadwick;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,194,753 issued on Mar. 25, 1980 to D. Schrishuhn, Jr.;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,225,145 issued on Sep. 30, 1980 to R. K. Carr;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,521,029 issued on Jun. 4, 1985 to T. L. Mayes;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,896,893 issued on Jan. 30, 1990 to A. A. Shumays et al.;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,161,810 issued on Nov. 10, 1992 to J. J. DeCesare.
Although these prior inventions deserve undeniable merits, there is no known prior art which provides for individual cushioning of the blades of an ice skateboard.
Therefore it is believed that there continues to be a need for a skateboard runner which has shock absorbing features incorporated therein, which is easily mountable to the truck axle of a roller skateboard and wherein the alignment of the blade relative the truck axle is maintainable at all times. Further, it is believed that there continues to be a need for a skateboard runner from which the blade is easily demountable for sharpening or for replacement.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides for an ice skateboard and runners therefor in which the blades are individually cushioned, easily demountable and pivotal around each truck axle to recede toward the skateboard during a fall for example.
Broadly, in a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ice skateboard comprising a bottom surface and trucks and axles mounted to the bottom surface. The ice skateboard also comprises skateboard runners pivotally mounted to the axles. Each of the skateboard runners has a solid body comprising an upper and lower portions, a bearing assembly mounted therein at a central region thereof, a metal blade mounted to the lower portion, a centre of gravity between the bearing assembly and the metal blade, and a maximum radial dimension relative to the bearing assembly. The maximum radial dimension of the runner is shorter than the distance of the axle from the bottom surface of the skateboard.
The principal advantage of this first feature is safety. During the overturning of the skateboard, in a fall for example, each skateboard runner is free to rotate about one of the axles to recede against the board. Even if the user falls over the overturned skateboard, he/she has less chance of hurting himself/herself against the sharp edges of the blades.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ice skateboard wherein the solid body of each skateboard runner has a slot in the lower portion thereof. The slot has a bottom surface and two closed end walls. The metal blade is mounted in the slot and held longitudinally inside the two closed end walls. There is also provided a cushion strip mounted between the metal blade and the bottom surface of the slot for absorbing a vertical movement of the blade.
This particular feature is advantageous because the movements of the metal blade on a rough ice surface is partly absorbed by the cushion strip and only partly transmitted to the solid body, to the trucks and to the bottom surface of the ice skateboard. The ice skateboard of the present invention gives a smooth ride as compared with other ice skateboards having uncushioned runners.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a skateboard runner for use on a roller skateboard in replacement of a wheel of the roller skateboard. The skateboard runner comprises a solid body having a length, an upper and lower portions, a bearing assembly mounted therein at a central region thereof relative to the length and a slot in the lower portion. There are also provided a metal blade mounted in the slot and a cushion strip mounted between the metal blade and the bottom surface of the slot. The bearing assembly in the solid body is similar to the bearing assembly found in common skateboard wheels, whereby the skateboard runner according to the present invention is readily mountable to the axle of a skateboard truck in a same manner as for a common skateboard wheel.
In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, the metal blade in each skateboard runner further has keyholes therein, and is retained inside the slot in the solid body by bolts extending from the keyholes to the upper portion of the solid body. There are also provided a spring and washer assembly mounted on each of the bolts for adjusting a compression of the cushion strip between the bottom surface of the cavity and the metal blade, and for adjusting the degree of shock absorption of the cushion strip according to the preference of individual users.
Still another feature of the invention is that it is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to materials, equipment and labour, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low price of sale to the industry, thereby making such skateboard runners and ice skateboards economically available to the public.
Other advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1663060 (1928-03-01), Rainey
patent: 1706048 (1929-03-01), Van De Mark
patent: 4043565 (1977-08-01), Mogannam
patent: 4114913 (1978-09-01), Newell et al.
patent: 4116455 (1978-09-01), Dotson et al.
patent: 4165091 (1979-08-01), Chadwick
patent: 4194753 (1980-03-01), Schrishuhn, Jr.
patent: 4225145 (1980-09-01), Carr
patent: 4244593 (1981-01-01), Malone
patent: 4337957 (1982-07-01), Heine
patent: 4521029 (1985-06-01), Mayes
patent: 4896893 (1990-01-01), Shumays et al.
patent: 5161810 (1992-11-01), DeCesare
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