Land vehicles – Skates – Wheeled skate
Reexamination Certificate
2002-02-20
2004-07-20
Fischmann, Bryan (Department: 3618)
Land vehicles
Skates
Wheeled skate
C280S011190, C280S007130
Reexamination Certificate
active
06764082
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to shoes adapted for both walking and rolling.
BACKGROUND
There have been several proposals over the last century, and earlier, for walking shoes that can be readily converted to function temporarily as roller skates. A principal advantage to such shoes is the enhanced flexibility in transportation modes that they afford. Most are familiar with the rigid skate frames from several years ago that strapped to the underside of practically any normal walking shoe to permit the wearer to roll upon four wheels arranged two forward, two rear, in a forward or normal walking direction as in a standard roller skate. There is at least one walking shoe on the market that contains wheels that can be retracted into the sole of the shoe for walking, and then extended for rolling. Of course, such shoes require soles with thicknesses sufficient to fully contain such rollers when retracted, but have the advantage of not requiring their rolling parts to be carried separately while walking.
In a rolling mode with these and standard roller skates, the wearer generally is able to propel himself along with alternating forward thrusts with each foot, in a motion similar to ice skating. The direction of travel is generally determined by the fore-aft or toe-heel axis of the foot. In-line skates have their wheels aligned along the fore-aft center line of the shoe, and can provide some directional control by tilting the skate to change the camber of the wheels. Some in-line skates have been employed for sliding down railings in a direction perpendicular to the fore-aft shoe centerline, either by sliding down the railing with the railing positioned between a middle pair of rollers, or on skid plates between the wheels.
There is another shoe that has a removable roller mounted in a cavity the heel of the sole. For walking, the roller can be completely removed from its cavity. In a rolling mode, the wearer can, with practice and balance, roll in a forward direction upon the cylindrical roller with ankle locked and shin flexed. To obtain forward momentum, the wearer is instructed to run on the forward portions of the soles, and then lean back to engage only the heel rollers of both shoes with the ground for sustained rolling in the fore-aft direction as determined by the roller geometry and orientation.
Skateboarding is yet another mode of transportation and sport popular with young people. Skateboards are generally characterized as boards supported by forward and rear “trucks,” each having a pair of wheels mounted upon a tiltable axle. While rolling forward on the board, side-to-side weight fluctuations tilt the board and cause a shift in the rolling direction of the wheels to provide controllable steering of the board. The rolling direction is thus determined by the orientation of the wheel axles, although the normal rolling direction is along a major fore-aft axis of the board. It is common for the skateboarder to place her feet at an angle with respect major board axis, with one foot behind the other, similar to the stance of a surfer on a surfboard.
SUMMARY
I have realized that a generally enjoyable and stable transportation mode is effected with a convertible shoe that enables rolling along a direction other than the walking direction determined by the fore-aft shoe centerline, and by new and improved rolling shoe and truck assembly constructions.
According to one aspect of the invention, a shoe defines a normal walking direction and has a sole defining a forward region positioned beneath toes and at least part of a ball of a foot received within the shoe. The sole has a lower surface exposed across the forward region to engage a supporting surface for walking thereon. The shoe also has a roller secured to the sole and disposed rearward of the forward region. The roller is mounted to rotate about an axle defining a primary axis of rotation extending at an angle of between about zero and 45 degrees to the walking direction, as viewed from above the shoe, for rolling sideways along a support surface.
By “normal walking direction” I mean the direction generally defined by a fore-aft or toe-heel axis running along the length of the shoe.
Preferably, the roller is either removable or retractable, and the sole is sufficiently flexible to comfortably bend during walking.
In many instances, the roller forms a lowermost portion of the shoe.
In some embodiments, the axle is mountable to the sole in a plurality of selectable axis orientations. In some cases the axle defines, in one such orientation, an alternate axis of rotation extending substantially perpendicular to the walking direction.
Some shoes include two such rollers, which may be spaced apart laterally across the sole. Preferably, centers of the two rollers have a lateral spacing of about 20 percent of an overall length of the sole. In some instances, the rollers are spaced apart along the walking direction, with midplanes of the two rollers preferably spaced apart along the walking direction by a distance of about 30 percent of an overall length of the sole.
In some embodiments, the shoe also has a grinding surface disposed between the rollers and defining a laterally extending channel for receiving a rail. The grinding surface may be a circumferential surface of a rolling member, or be rigidly secured to the sole of the shoe, for example.
In some instances, the sole defines a cavity having an opening at the lower surface of the sole, with the roller partially disposed within the cavity and extending through the cavity opening.
In some such instances, the roller axle is mounted to a support cup spanning the roller and disposed within the sole cavity. The support cup may be removable from the sole cavity, or the support cup, roller and axle may be removable from the sole cavity as a unit.
In some embodiments, the support cup is selectively positionable in the cavity in a first position for rolling, in which the roller extends through the cavity opening, and a second position for walking, in which the roller is fully recessed within the cavity. Preferably, the cup encloses the roller within the cavity in said second position for walking.
The roller may have one or more of the following features: the roller is elongated, the roller is barrel-shaped, the roller is a wheel, the roller contains a bearing (such as one with rolling elements) supporting the roller on the axle, and/or the roller is cylindrical.
In many embodiments, the roller is disposed in an arch region of the sole.
In some arrangement, the roller defines a rolling surface spanning a distance of at least about 2.0 inches (5 centimeters), preferably at least 2.5 inches (6.3 millimeters), along the sole. The rolling surface preferably spans at least about 15 percent (more preferably, at least about 20 percent, and most preferably at least about 25 percent) of an overall length of the shoe.
In some advantageous constructions, the axle is secured to the sole through a compliant mount that allows tilting of the axle with respect to the sole to vary direction of travel while rolling upon the roller.
In some cases, the axle defines a canted kingpin axis about which the axle rotates to induce yaw with respect to a rolling direction. The axle may be secured to the sole through a compliant mount, for example, that resiliently deforms as the axle is rotated about its kingpin axis.
In some embodiments the axle carries two rollers, one disposed on either side of the kingpin axis. The rollers may be cylindrical, for example, mounted for rotation about the axle through separate bearings containing rolling elements. Preferably, a fore-aft distance between midplanes of the rollers is about 3.0 inches (76 millimeters), or about 30 percent of an overall length of the sole.
The kingpin axis is defined in part, in some embodiments, by a pin of the axle disposed for rotation within a socket of axle mounting structure secured to the sole.
The axle is preferably disposed in an arch region of the sole, between the forward region and an exposed heel region of the sole, and may be
Campbell Kelly E.
Fischmann Bryan
Fish & Richardson P.C.
Mearthane Products Corporation
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