Land vehicles: wheels and axles – Wheel – Skate wheel
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-02
2001-10-30
Stormer, Russell D. (Department: 3617)
Land vehicles: wheels and axles
Wheel
Skate wheel
C152S323000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06309025
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to roller skate wheels, and particularly to wheels of the type utilizing a pneumatic tire.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are two basic types of wheels for roller skates, including the solid wheel and the pneumatic wheel.
FIGS. 1 and 2
of the drawings disclose conventional roller skates of the in-line type and double-line type, respectively, which are provided with solid wheels formed of rubber, plastic or other appropriate material. Because of the solid wheel construction, these skates often cause discomfort to skaters, particularly when they are performing maneuvers, such as jumping or other high impact movements, which transmit vibrations from the ground directly to their feet. Such skating requires a high level of skill in order to avoid injuries to the feet from shock, which often causes sprains. However, to most skaters, such discomfort and injuries are almost unavoidable.
In order to mitigate the drawbacks of solid wheels, it is known to provide roller skates with wheels formed from pneumatic tires. Wheels of this type serve as cushions with a shock-absorbing function, an example of which is disclosed by the Taiwan Patent Application Publication No. 81215017. Pneumatic wheels provide greater comfort to the skater and the pressure of the tire may be adjusted to vary skating acceleration. Since a pneumatic wheel is lighter than a comparable solid wheel, the overall weight of the skate is reduced, particularly if the skate requires four or more wheels.
The tire of a pneumatic skate wheel is installed on a wheel rim in a manner similar to the tires of conventional vehicles, such as automobiles or motorcycles. Such vehicle tires are constructed to resist deformation under pressure and thereby assure safety while the vehicle is moving straight or around a turn. However, because roller skates are subjected to a greater variety of movements, such as jumping, accelerating and landing on the ground at various angles, there exists the possibility that the tire may fall off the wheel rim and thereby cause injury to the skater. Moreover, a skater can travel at a speed of around 30-40 miles per hour, a speed which is quite high and imparts a rolling speed to the wheels that is at least five times that of automobile or motorcycle wheels. When skate wheels roll at this high speed, the centrifugal force generated may result in deforming the pneumatic tire of the skate wheel and pose potential danger to the skater.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved cushioned wheel assembly for a roller skate which provides a shock buffering and absorbing function during skating.
It is another object of the invention to provide an improved roller skate wheel assembly having a pneumatic tire which resists deformation and detachment from the wheel rim during all skating movements, thereby enhancing safety to the skater.
These and other objects of the invention are realized by providing an improved skate wheel assembly which includes an annular bearing frame defined by an inner circumferential bearing seat, an outer circumferential tire rim and a radially extending circumferential bridge portion connecting the bearing seat and wheel rim. A pneumatic tire is mounted on the tire rim and an outer covering layer is molded around the tire and bearing frame to form an integrated wheel assembly. A plurality of bearings are installed in a central circular passage defined by the bearing seat and a wheel shaft is rotatably supported through the bearings.
Further embodiments of the invention include providing the outer covering layer with a reinforcing filler material, providing the tire with circumferentially spaced annular grooves which may also be provided with reinforcing filler material, mounting the tire to a sectionalized tire rim whereby substantially the entire tire is exposed in the wheel assembly, providing the tire with a check valve for inflating same, including a chamber between the bearing seat and tire rim which is connected to the outside to permit the chamber to be filled with the cover layer material and thereby further integrate the bearing seat, tire rim, and tire tube, and including at least one depression in the tire tube, the walls of which restrict the tire tube from expanding while inflated with high pressure and provide a support function in case of damage to the tire tube, and which may be connected to a symmetric depression by a puncture and filled with cover layer material to provide still further integration of the wheel assembly.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention shall become apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof, when taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein like reference characters refer to corresponding parts in the several views.
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patent: 5567019 (1996-10-01), Raza et al.
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patent: 5797658 (1998-08-01), Larrucea
patent: 6135568 (2000-10-01), Huang
Bacon & Thomas PLLC
Stormer Russell D.
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