Land vehicles – Skates – Wheeled skate
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-19
2001-01-23
Johnson, Brian L. (Department: 3618)
Land vehicles
Skates
Wheeled skate
C280S011223
Reexamination Certificate
active
06176497
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of the in-line roller skates. It relates more particularly to an improved frame for the practice of in-line skating.
2. Description of Background and Material Information
An in-line skate normally has an assembly of several basic elements, including a boot which is attached to a frame that supports a series of aligned wheels. The frame therefore forms the interface between the boot and the wheels. The frame generally includes bridges that receive the boot, these bridges connecting lateral walls serving as supports for the wheels. The frame sustains flexural and torsional stresses that are applied by the skater. It must therefore have sufficient rigidity properties to maintain a correct alignment of the wheels in both the horizontal plane and the vertical plane, in order to prevent sagging, twisting or even lateral deformation during turns.
Various types of frames currently exist. The frames that are the most rigid, but also the most expensive to manufacture, are the frames extruded and machined from a metal section, generally made of aluminum. Thus, a monoblock piece of great rigidity is obtained, which is particularly adapted for competition. The process for producing such frames is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,388,846, for example. In addition to the cost, there are other drawbacks tied to the monolithic nature of the frame, which provides few possibilities for adjusting the mechanical properties and does not make the frame very shock absorbent.
European Patent Publication No. 0 774 283 discloses a frame that includes separate lateral flanges obtained by stamping sheet metal, then joined by bridges. The desired rigidity is provided by a rib of the frame with a predetermined dimension and position. The production of such a frame nevertheless remains relatively high-cost as a result of the shaping operations and high aluminum consumption.
Also well known are the frames formed of two half-pieces made of injected plastic, joined to one another by complementary fastening means. In general, these frames are more economical to produce; however, they have mediocre mechanical properties.
International Patent Publication No. WO 98/33565 relates to an in-line skate that includes an interface piece arranged between the frame and the boot. The interface piece is attached to the side of the frame by connecting points located between the wheel axles and the bridges of the frame. This structure has the advantage of improving the transfer of forces between the boot and the frame. A structure of this type is nevertheless complicated and expensive to produce since it requires the design of an additional interface piece and a frame made entirely of metal. The excessive thicknesses created between the frame and the interface also have a tendency to elevate the boot with respect to a traditional structure, which is undesirable. These excessive thicknesses also increase the material cost and make the skate heavier.
European Patent Publication No. 0 795 347 discloses a frame that includes two longitudinally spaced blocks joined to one another by sliding lateral rails. A structure of this type allows the length of the frame to be adjusted depending on different shoe sizes. However, such a frame has mediocre rigidity due to the design of the frame in two separate blocks.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,775,706 relates to a skate assembly that includes a boot, a frame having crosswise reinforcing elements and a pair of reinforcing angle brackets connecting the front and rear axes of the frame to the sides of the boot. A structure of this type promotes the transmission of stresses from the boot to the wheels. However, this structure has the drawback of being complex to produce and assemble. Moreover, a structure of this type is not adapted for being associated with a system for rapidly detaching the boot from the frame.
International Patent Publication No. WO 97/33665 relates to a frame for gliding sport articles whose structure includes parts made from materials with different mechanical properties attached to one another at least partially.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,803,466 relates to an in-line skate that includes a frame equipped with a toe plate and a heel plate of the boot, to which independent lateral flanges are detachably attached. The flanges are inserted through two cavities laterally spaced apart and demarcated on each side of the frame by two pairs of edges extending downward from the lower surface of each plate. One of the primary advantages is being able to separate the flanges from the rest of the frame in order to replace them or interchange them. Another advantage is to offer a structure with intermediate plates that favors the weight distribution so as to reinforce the rigidity and strength of the frame. However, a structure of this type does not provide optimal mechanical properties due to the fact that the flanges are only held in place by edges and are locked independently by means of independent screws. Furthermore, the assembly of such a frame is lengthy and not very economical because of the large number of elements, particularly fastening pieces.
Various other frame designs are described in the following documents: UK 18,312; U.S. Pat. No. 578,081; U.S. Pat. No. 593,278; U.S. Pat. No. 2,168,820; U.S. Pat. No. 3,387,852; U.S. Pat. No. 5,380,020; WO 96/22818; U.S. Pat. No. 5,549,310; WO 97/02072; DE 296 12 212 U1; and WO 96/26775. However, all these structures are clearly differentiated from the one offered by the present invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention therefore has an object of offering a frame structure that solves the problems of the prior art that have just been described.
In particular, one of the objects of the invention is to propose a frame having good mechanical properties, particularly good strength and good flexural and torsional rigidity, and promoting an optimal transmission of forces during the practice of skating.
Another object of the invention is to propose a frame whose very design makes it possible to vary the mechanical properties by varying the nature of the materials and the dimensions of the elements that constitute it.
Another object of the invention is to propose a frame having good mechanical characteristics while limiting both the number of elements involved in its construction and the bulkiness, and also limiting the use of expensive materials, saving them for the most appropriate places.
Another object of the invention is to propose a frame that is capable of adapting to any boot coupling system, particularly any detachable coupling system.
Another object of the invention is to propose a frame designed to be both light and without excessive thickness, but also rigid and inexpensive.
Another object of the invention is to propose an easy-to-assemble frame requiring a minimum of operations.
Another object of the invention is to propose the capability to facilitate the adaptation of the frame to several boot sizes and hence to limit the number of pieces to be produced, thus reducing production costs.
To this end, the invention relates to an in-line skate frame that includes a generally U-shaped main body with a transverse base equipped with at least one support bridge at the toe of the boot and one support bridge at the heel of the boot; and two projecting lateral portions that extend the transverse base downward, and two flange portions arranged parallel to one another including means adapted for receiving a series of wheels, the flange portions being independent attached elements connected to the projecting lateral portions of the main body.
According to an essential characteristic of the invention, two projecting lateral portions, each including a fitting formed by a groove serving as the housing of at least one zone of each flange portion, each groove being laterally bordered by the outer wall of the projecting lateral portion and by a bracing portion common to both grooves, laterally spaced apart from one another.
According to a second essential characteristic, the ou
Fischmann Bryan
Greenblum & Bernstein P.L.C.
Johnson Brian L.
Salomon S.A.
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