Skates with in-line wheels having improved maneuverability...

Details Skates with in-line wheels having improved maneuverability... Skates with in-line wheels having improved maneuverability...

1999-05-20

2001-05-08

Culbreth, Eric (Department: 3611)

Land vehicles

Skates

Wheeled skate

C280S011221, C280S011222, C280S011224, C280S011225, C280S011231, C280S011232

Reexamination Certificate

active

06227550

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to skates with in-line wheels.
BACKGROUND ART
It is known that roller skates known as in-line skates have become very popular in recent years.
Their increasing demand has been so significant that conventional roller skates with two pairs of twin wheels have practically disappeared.
The success of skates with in-line wheels is such that all sports gear manufacturers are currently ready to market their own range of in-line skates.
These in-line skates substantially have a supporting structure which is rigidly coupled to a shoe in an upward region; the shoe is generally of the type with a rigid shell made of plastics with a soft innerboot, and supports are rigidly fixed to the structure in a downward region; generally four but rarely even three or six wheels arranged in front of each other are articulated to the supports.
The wheels, which have the same diameter and thickness, have a diametrical cross-section which is rounded at its ends, so that the rolling band is particularly narrow.
The ground contact area of each wheel is also particularly narrow and depends on factors such as the type of material (generally a polymer), the weight of the user and the degree of wear.
The technique for using these skates is different from that of twin-wheel skates and is more similar to that of ice skates which, as is known, have a rather long rigid metal blade rigidly coupled edgeways below the shoe.
In skates with in-line wheels, the overall longitudinal dimensions of the wheels even exceed the length of the shoe; while this fact, on the one hand, facilitates travel in a straight line and increases their stability, it entails difficulties in handling turns, which are performed by tilting the entire implement and by changing the direction of each step with respect to the preceding one.
The rigid coupling of the rotation axes of the wheels to the supports also causes every roughness of the ground to be transmitted through the implement to the athlete's leg; this of course worsens control of the implement in addition to having a negative effect on the athlete.
WO93/12846 discloses skates with in-line wheels as defined in the preamble of claim
1
.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The aim of the present invention is to provide skates with in-line wheels for which turning and maneuverability in general are easier.
Within the scope of this aim, a consequent primary object of the present invention is to provide skates with in-line wheels for which stability during straight-line travel is at least equal to that of current skates.
Another important object of the present invention is to provide skates with in-line wheels which are capable of absorbing the stresses induced in a substantially vertical direction by uneven ground.
Another important object of the present invention is to provide skates with in-line wheels which provide faster skating.
Another important object of the present invention is to provide skates with in-line wheels which have improved efficiency and are more controllable with respect to current skates.
Another object of the present invention is to provide skates with in-line wheels which can be manufactured with conventional equipment and systems.
This aim, these objects and others which will become apparent hereinafter are achieved by skates with in-line wheels, each comprising a supporting structure to which supports are connected for a plurality of wheels, characterized in that at least one of the central wheels is coupled to the supporting structure so that it can change the level of its rotation axis.
Advantageously, each one of the skates comprises at least two supports which are coupled to the supporting structure that is coupled to the shoe in an upward region; each one of said supports bears a pair of wheels, and said supports are arranged so as to alternate the wheels of one support with the wheels of the other; the coupling of at least one of said supports to said supporting structure is such as to allow to change the level of at least one of the respective rotation axes of the wheels.


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