Land vehicles – Wheeled – Coasters
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-27
2003-05-06
Lerner, Avraham (Department: 3618)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Coasters
C280S124113, C280S269000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06557873
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a replacement front wheel assembly for a roller board having a footboard provided at the rear end portion thereof with at least one wheel and at the front end portion thereof with a steering head bearing means for connection of a front wheel assembly and a steering rod connected to the front wheel assembly.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Roller boards most recently have become trendy sports equipment. They were introduced into the market in large numbers in a large variety of different kinds. There are basically different types of roller boards, including boards with one front wheel and boards with two front wheels. Roller boards having one front wheel are considerably less expensive to manufacture and thus correspondingly less expensive as regards the sales price thereof. Thus, they have stood up well in the market, and a very large portion of the roller boards sold so far can be reckoned among these “single-track roller boards”. In the overall construction thereof, these single-track roller boards are very similar to the long known children's scooters. They are basically just of smaller built than the latter and in most cases provide the possibility of being brought into a handy shape for transport, by folding up components, sliding them together, etc.
Differing from these single-track roller boards are roller boards with two front wheels. These front wheels are individually joined to the footboard of the roller board by means of a steering mechanism and, by laterally pivoting the steering rod of the roller board, can be steered into a corner in synchronism, but each wheel being pivoted around its own pivot axis. During such pivoting of the steering or control rod for turning or cornering of the front wheels, there is typically caused tilting of the footboard at the same time, which automatically provides for the user to assume an inclined position as well. The advantage of such roller boards with two front wheels on the one hand resides in more stable handling ability and in particular also in more stable cornering ability. An additional advantage consists in that such roller boards can stand on their own, which of course is not possible with single-track roller boards. A significant disadvantage of such roller boards consists in that they are relatively complex in manufacture. Another handicap of such roller boards, that is due to the relative complex construction thereof as well, is that it has not been possible to produce a sufficient number of roller boards with two front wheels in the most recent boom period in which the demand for roller boards all over the world could not be fulfilled. This had the effect that they lost more and more market shares to single-track roller boards. The inventor of the present invention thus assumes that a retrofitting set allowing single-track roller boards to be relatively easily and inexpensively converted into such roller boards with two front wheels, could be very successful in the market.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is thus the object of the present invention to make available a replacement front wheel assembly of the type indicated, by means of which single-track roller boards can be retrofitted relatively easily and inexpensively to such roller boards with two front wheels.
According to the invention, this object is met by a replacement front wheel assembly which is characterized in that the front wheel assembly comprises a connecting member for connection to the steering head bearing means as well as two front wheels that are each offset towards a respective side of the longitudinal axis of the roller board.
The steering head bearing means of a roller board typically has a construction similar to the steering head bearing of a bicycle, with two ball bearings, which are disposed at the upper and lower ends, respectively, of the tubular steering head, supporting a tubular connecting member on which corresponding bearing shells for the ball bearings are provided. The relative position of the bearing shells on the connecting member relative to each other may be changed, for example, via a screw thread. In this manner, the bearing clearance can easily be adjusted. In case of the single-track roller boards usual in the trade, the one front wheel is adapted to be rotated together with a corresponding connecting member in the steering head bearing means. The connecting member, at the top end thereof, has a steering rod or handlebar connected thereto, i.e. the latter is typically clamped thereto by means of a threaded connection. The steering motions of the steering rod are transferred to the front wheel directly, so that turning of the steering rod into the desired cornering direction has the effect that the front wheel is turned into this cornering direction as well. According to the present invention, the connecting member, instead of one single front wheel, is provided with two front wheels that are each arranged offset to a respective side of the longitudinal axis of the roller board. By relatively simple replacement of the “single-track front wheel assembly” with the “replacement front wheel assembly” according to the invention, it is thus possible to convert a single-track roller board into a roller board with two front wheels. Preferably, the two front wheels are mounted on the front wheel assembly such that pivoting of the steering rod to one side of the longitudinal axis of the roller board effects cornering or turning of each individual wheel into this direction. It is particularly preferred if both wheels, though being turned individually about different steering axes, are turned in synchronism with each other so that both front wheels follow the proper curved path each.
Preferably, the two front wheels, alternatively or in addition, are mounted on the front wheel assembly such that, upon mounting of the replacement front wheel assembly on the roller board, turning of the steering rod effects turning of the two front wheels into the same direction to which the steering rod has been turned. A simple embodiment, in which turning of both wheels can be realized by turning of the steering rod only (whereas no turning of the wheels by tilting of the steering rod can be realized), comprises a transverse bar which is secured to the lower end of the connecting member and which has one front wheel each connected to the respective outer ends thereof. When the steering rod is turned, the transverse rod together with the two front wheels attached thereto is turned as well. By slight inclination of the axis of the steering rod, i.e. of the steering head bearing, it can be ensured that the roller board, despite this simple construction, upon cornering takes the required inclined position. However, particularly advantageous is the combination of the two steering mechanisms with each other, i.e. turning of each individual front wheel upon lateral pivoting of the steering rod and common rotation of the two wheels jointly about the steering axis. With this combination, extremely maneuverable roller boards can be produced. On the other hand, it is also possible to produce roller boards with very high track stability, for example, roller boards for high speeds with good straight-running properties which nevertheless have good steering properties.
Preferably, the front wheels are connected to the outer ends of a transverse bar, and it is particularly preferred to connect the transverse bar to the connecting member such that, upon mounting of the replacement front wheel assembly on the roller board, it is pivotable about the longitudinal axis of the roller board, but fixed about the vertical axis. This type of mounting can be carried out preferably by means of a U-shaped holding means on the connecting member, with the two legs of the “U”-shape being directed downwardly. It is thus possible to provide a pin in the longitudinal direction of the roller board between the two legs of the “U”-shape. The transverse bar may be pivotally supported on this pin. By means of this type of mounting, it is ensure
Euro-G.E.M. GmbH
Garabedian Todd E.
Lerner Avraham
Wiggin & Dana LLP
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