Abstract:
A brake assembly for inline skates. The brake assembly has a braking roller which is turned by one or more of the wheels of the inline skate when the roller is in a braking position. The braking roller then expands outwardly and causes its outer surface to rub against a braking surface causing a braking action. The braking roller may be carried by a pair of carrier plates movably positioned within the frame which holds the inline skate brake wheels.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO PRIOR APPLICATIONS 
     Provisional applications on the subject invention were filed on Jan. 27, 2003, assigned Ser. No. 60/443,265. and May 5, 2003, and assigned Ser. Nos. 60/467,296. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The field of the invention is inline skate brakes and the invention relates more particularly to inline skate brakes of the type which use a “diabolo.” The term “diabolo” is intended to mean a roller which has two halves and a center portion with a reduced diameter. A typical diabolo used on an inline skate is shown in FIG. 2 of U.S. Pat. No. 5,938,213. As the diabolo is brought into contact with a wheel or two wheels, the two halves of the diabolo, referred to in the &#39;213 patent as disks, move outwardly so that their outer surface rubs against the chassis, causing a braking action. 
     Another diabolo is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,895,061 which refers to a brake having a pair of disks 9. The disks 9 have a frusto conical face facing the wheels 11 and diabolos are held away from the wheels by a spring 13. When the disks 9 come into contact with the wheel, they are moved apart and pressed against the arms of lever 11. U.S. Pat. No. 5,639,104 shows a skate brake which has a diabolo with frusto conical disks, shown for instance in FIGS. 2, 3, 4, and 5. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,065,761 shows a cylindrical braking wheel which contacts the outer surface of one or more of the wheels of an inline skate. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is for a brake assembly for inline skates which have a frame supported by a boot portion. The frame has a right and left downwardly directed frame member. The frame holds at least three axles, and usually four, for supporting wheels. A preferred version of the brake assembly has a right and a left carrier plate positioned along a portion of the inner face of the downwardly directed frame members. Each downwardly directed frame member has an inwardly directed protrusion around each axle opening, which abuts the wheel bearing of each wheel and holds the wheel away from the frame. A right and a left carrier plate is positioned along a portion of the inner face of the frame. The carrier plate has elongated openings which are positioned over the bearing supporting protrusions of the frame. The carrier plate can move back and forth, up and down, or at an angle depending upon the shape of the elongated openings. The carrier plates hold a plurality of diabolos. The diabolos do not contact the wheels when the carrier plate is in a disengaged position and contact the wheels when the carrier plate is in an engaged position. Means are provided for movably controlling the position of the carrier plate, preferably by use of a collar around the ankle of the boot. 
     A preferred configuration of diabolo is a single diabolo having a curved recess, although two separated disks can be used. The preferred diabolo has an elastic portion so that when it contacts a wheel, it stretches outwardly and its outer faces contact the carrier plate to provide a braking action. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of the underside of an inline skate showing the frame of the skate and the pair of carrier plates. The carrier plates are shown as supporting a plurality of diabolos. 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of an inline skate having a skate brake of the present invention having vertically oriented openings. 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of an inline skate having the skate brake of the present invention having horizontally oriented elongated openings. 
         FIG. 4  is a side view of two wheels having a diabolo held on a pair of pivoted levers therebetween. 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of a diabolo useful with the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is an end view of the diabolo of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 7  is a side view of an alternate configuration of the diabolo useful with the brake of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     An inline skate is shown in perspective view in  FIG. 1  and indicated generally by reference character  10 . Inline skate  10  has a boot portion  11  with a frame  12  affixed to the bottom thereof. Frame  12  has a right downwardly directed frame member  13  and a left downwardly directed frame member  14 . Each of the right and left frame members have four axle openings  17  for supporting wheel axles. Each axle opening has an inwardly directed bearing supporting protrusion  15 . Each protrusion  15  has an outer dimension indicated by the arrow  16 . Each axle opening is indicated by reference character  17 . 
     A right carrier plate  18  and a left carrier plate  19  each have two elongated openings  20 . Each elongated opening has a major dimension  22  and a minor dimension  21 . The minor dimension  21  is about equal to the outer dimension  16  of protrusion  15 . In this way, each carrier plate can slide along the elongated openings back and forth or up and down or at an angle while being guided by contact with the protrusions  15 . A spoke  9  can function either as a tension member or as a force applying member. In  FIG. 1 , it functions in both forms since when collar  37  moves forward, spoke  9  pushes the carrier plates forward through bolt and nuts  8 . The spoke  9  may be adjustable by turning wing nut  7  or other conventional adjustment means such as that shown in  FIG. 4 . It is contemplated that a TEFLON or other high slip polymer ring could be placed around the protrusions  15  to reduce friction and wear between the carrier plates and the protrusions. The carrier plates  18  and  19  are preferably steel having a thickness of only about 0.028. In this manner, they fit within a conventional frame and require very little change in design or appearance of the frame. 
     In one configuration diabolo  23  has a separate right half  24  and a left half  25 . The face of the right and left halves  24  and  25  are preferably curved as shown in  FIG. 7 . The curved face has several important advantages. Firstly, it contacts a greater area of a wheel, such as wheel  26  shown in  FIG. 2 . Increased contact forces the halves  24  and  25  outwardly so that an outer portion  30  and  31  rubs against the carrier plates  18  and  19 . Halves  24  and  25  are rotatingly supported by an axle  32  and are free to move in and out along axle  32 , as well as to freely rotate thereon. (see  FIG. 7 ) The axle may be shaped so that it can&#39;t turn with respect to the carrier plates  18  and  19 . This can be accomplished by anti-rotational geometry wherein the bolt is recessed into a non-circular recess in the carrier plates. It can also be accomplished by screws or rivets. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the carrier plate is a pivoted carrier plate  34  which is supported by a pivot  35 , which is supported around protrusion  36 . The elongated openings  33  are vertically oriented and the carrier plates are shown in an upward or braking configuration in  FIG. 2 . There is, of course, an identical carrier plate  34  on the other side of the inline skate of  FIG. 2 . 
     A tension member  41  may be a cable or spoke which is assigned to the back of a collar  37  which is pivotally supported by pivots  38  held by boot  11 . As collar  37  moves back, tension member  41  lifts upwardly lifting carrier plates  34  pivotally upwardly so that diabolos  23  contact wheels  26 ,  27 , and  28 . When collar  37  is in its forward normal position, carrier plates  34  are lowered so that diabolos  23  do not contact wheels  26 ,  27 , and  28 . There is preferably no contact between a diabolo and front wheel  29 . The tension member may be configured as a force applying member, such as a spoke, which would be configured to transmit a downward movement of the back of a collar to the carriers. 
     Turning now to  FIG. 3 , the carrier plates are indicated by reference character  39  and have horizontally aligned openings  40 , which are likewise supported by protrusions  15 . A cable is shown in a braking position  41  in  FIG. 3  and in a normal riding position  41 ′. 
     When the collar  37  is in a braking position, the carrier plates  39  are moved rearwardly so that the diabolos  23  contact wheels  26 ,  27  and  28  and are spread apart in the manner indicated in  FIG. 7 . When collar  37  is in a non-braking position, a return spring  42  urges the carrier plates  39  forwardly so that they are free of contact with wheels  26 ,  27 , and  28 . 
     An especially preferred diabolo configuration is shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6  where the diabolo is indicated by reference character  43 . Diabolo  43  has a one piece elastomeric or polymeric body  44  which is flexible enough to be moved outwardly by contact with the wheel  26 . As it moves outwardly, the frictional rings  45  and  46  abut the carrier plates  19  and  18 , respectively. There is a further braking action caused by the curved shape of the diabolo. It is to be understood that the outer peripheral edge  47  of wheel  26  moves at a faster linear speed than a more inwardly positioned portion  48 . Since the diameter of the wheel is much greater than the diameter of the diabolo, these relative speeds change so that there is a rubbing action caused by the mating of the wheel with the curved surface of the diabolo. This rubbing action provides additional braking force and the heat from this braking force is readily dissipated by the large surface of the wheel especially when the wheel is in contact with a skating surface cooler than itself. The result is a more efficient and less likely to overheat brake. A steel hollow cylindrical axle  48  reduces the rotational friction of diabolo  43  around an axle. The elastomeric or polymeric body may be fabricated from polyurethane, rubber, polytetrafluoro ethylene, polyetheretherketone, polyetheretherimide and phenolic based resins. 
     A braking assembly using a pair of levers  50  is shown in  FIG. 4 . A split carrier pivot  51  supports levers  50  with respect to the frame halves  13  and  14  not shown in  FIG. 4 , but analogous to that shown in  FIG. 1 . The elastomeric body may be fabricated from polyurethane or rubber. The curved shape of the inner portion of the diabolo may be elliptical, round, parabolic, hyperbolic, or poly curved. 
     A diabolo  52  shown in phantom view is supported by an axle  53  held in elongated opening  54 . Levers  50  are moved up and down by the connection of rod  55  with a spoke or other rigid member attached to collar  37  in a manner known to those skilled in the art. As the collar is pivoted rearwardly, rod  55  moves downwardly forcing diabolo  52  against wheels  56  and  57 . As shown by comparing  FIGS. 2 ,  3 , and  4 , the diabolos may be above, at, or below the level of the axles of the wheels of the inline skate. 
     The present embodiments of this invention are thus to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive; the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are intended to be embraced therein.