Abstract:
A frame for an inline skate, having two spaced apart sidewalls connected by an upper horizontal interconnection structure, the sidewalls adapted to support a plurality of wheels in an inline configuration, characterized in that the upper horizontal interconnection structure includes three spaced apart web members, and each web member is provided with a respective mounting aperture for securing a boot thereto.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This application claims the benefit of Australian patent application No. 2005905162, filed Sep. 19, 2005 by Bont Footwear Pty Ltd, the assignee of the present application, on behalf of the present inventor.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     The present invention relates to an inline skate comprising a frame and a boot. In particular it relates to a boot having three mounting points adapted to be mounted to three respective mounting apertures on the frame.  
         [0004]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0005]     Generally, an inline skate includes a plurality of wheels installed in a frame in series. The frame of an inline skate is designed to be fixed to the lower side of the boots and to support a user&#39;s weight. In addition, it is designed to effectively absorb an impact from a contact between the ground and the wheels, and impact due to collision with obstacles when the inline skates are being used. Conventionally, inline skate frames as shown in FIG. 4 of International Patent No. WO 2004/096385, published Nov. 11, 2004, have a horizontal upper wall interconnecting two side walls which are adapted to support a plurality of wheels in an inline configuration. In recent times attempts have been made to make high speed (or high performance) inline skate frames which are of relatively low mass in which the frame comprises two side support walls that are interconnected and which have two spaced apart mounting points in the form of elongate apertures at raised spaced apart locations. An example of this design is shown in the applicant&#39;s own U.S. Design Pat. No. 470,208, issued Feb. 11, 2003 and entitled “Inline Skate Frame”. In such a frame the boot is mounted to the two spaced apart mounting points.  
         [0006]     In recent times larger skating wheels have been introduced and skaters have desired that their boots be as low as possible to the ground. As a result of this, the traditional gap between the two frame mounting points has increased from about 165 mm to 195 mm. This increase in the distance of the gap allows the boot mounted to such a frame to flex, which is undesirable.  
         [0007]     The present invention attempts to overcome at least some of the disadvantages of the prior art inline skate frames.  
         [0008]     None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus, an inline skate solving the aforementioned problems is desired.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0009]     In accordance with a first aspect the present invention consists of a frame for an inline skate, comprising two spaced apart sidewalls connected by an upper horizontal interconnection means, said sidewalls adapted to support a plurality of wheels in an inline configuration, characterized in that the upper horizontal interconnection means comprises three spaced apart web members, and each web member is provided with a respective mounting aperture for securing a boot thereto.  
         [0010]     Preferably, said three spaced apart web members are equally spaced apart.  
         [0011]     Preferably, two of said three web members are disposed at or near opposite ends of said frame, and the remaining said web member is disposed there between.  
         [0012]     Preferably, said mounting apertures are elongate slots.  
         [0013]     Preferably, each of said elongate slots is disposed lengthwise substantially at 90° to the intended line of travel of the wheels when fitted.  
         [0014]     Preferably, each of said web members is flush with the upper edges of said sidewalls.  
         [0015]     Preferably, said boot has three spaced apart mounting points disposed axially on the sole region in a heel to toe direction.  
         [0016]     Preferably, when said boot is fitted to said frame, said mounting points of said boot align with said mounting apertures.  
         [0017]     Preferably, said portion of the sole region on said boot between at least two of said mounting points is concavely shaped.  
         [0018]     Preferably, at least one of the wheels supported by said frame projects through an opening between two of the spaced apart web members such that a portion of the wheel is disposed within said concavely shaped portion of said sole region.  
         [0019]     Preferably, at least one spacer is disposed between one of said mounting apertures and the adjacent one of said mounting points.  
         [0020]     Preferably, said at least one spacer is disposed adjacent the central web member of said three web members.  
         [0021]     In accordance with a second aspect the present invention consists of a boot for an inline skate, said boot comprising at least three spaced apart mounting points disposed axially in a heel to toe direction, said mounting points allowing said boots to be mounted to an inline skate frame by fasteners.  
         [0022]     Preferably, a sole region between at least two of said three spaced apart mounting points is concavely shape.  
         [0023]     Preferably, said frame has three spaced apart mounting apertures.  
         [0024]     In accordance with a third aspect the present invention consists of an inline skate comprising a boot and frame in combination, said frame adapted to support a plurality of wheels and having three spaced apart mounting apertures disposed thereon, and said boot having at least three spaced apart mounting points disposed axially in a heel to toe direction, said mounting points allowing said boot to be mounted to said frame by fasteners.  
         [0025]     Preferably, a sole region of said boot between at least two of said three spaced apart mounting points is concavely shaped.  
         [0026]     Preferably, said frame has an interconnection means having three spaced apart mounting apertures disposed thereon.  
         [0027]     Preferably, said interconnection means is three spaced apart web members.  
         [0028]     These and other features of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0029]      FIG. 1  is a perspective front view of the inline skate frame in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0030]      FIG. 2  is a perspective rear view of the boot for use with the inline skate frame of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0031]      FIG. 3  is a schematic elevation view of an inline skate which comprises the frame of  FIG. 1  and the boot of  FIG. 2 .  
         [0032]      FIG. 4  is a perspective rear view of a boot for use with the inline skate of  FIG. 1  in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
       [0033]     Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0034]     FIGS.  1  to  3  depict a frame  10  and boot  20 , which in combination form an inline skate in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention. Frame  10  comprises two spaced apart sidewalls  11  that are connected by upper horizontal interconnection means in the form of three spaced apart web members  12 ,  12   a . The sidewalls  11  in this embodiment are each provided with four inline holes  13  allowing four wheels (not shown) to be mounted to the frame  11  in a conventional manner.  
         [0035]     Two of the three spaced apart web members  12  are located near the opposed aft and fore ends of the frame  11 , whilst the third central web member  12   a  is disposed there between. Each of the web members  12  is provided with a mounting aperture  14  in the form of an elongate slot. Each of the elongate slots is disposed lengthwise such that they are substantially at right angles (90°) to the intended line of travel of the wheels (when they are fitted to the frame).  
         [0036]     Each of the three web members  12 ,  12   a  are at the same height as each other, and connected to the upper edges of the sidewalls  11 , so that the web members  12 ,  12   a  and their respective mounting apertures  14  are flush with the sidewalls  11 . This feature differs from the prior art inline skate frame in U.S. Design Pat. No. 470,208, where the mounting apertures are raised above the sidewalls.  
         [0037]     The boot  20  has three spaced apart mounting points  21 ,  21   a  disposed axially in a heel to toe direction. The mounting points  21 ,  21   a  allow the boot  20  to be mounted to frame  10  by fasteners (not shown) passing through apertures  14 . The mounting points  21  are located near the opposed heel and toe ends of the boot, whilst mounting point  21   a  is disposed therebetween.  
         [0038]     The boot has two sole regions  22 , each disposed between two of the three spaced apart mounting points. Both these sole regions  22  are concavely shaped. When the boot  20  is mounted to the frame  10 , each of the concavely shaped sole regions  22  is disposed immediately over a respective wheel  30 , such that they act as “wheel arches”. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the upper portion  30   a  of the two central wheels  30  project through openings between web members  12 ,  12   a , thereby being disposed above the frame  10 .  
         [0039]     This means that whilst larger skating wheels may be used with frame  11 , the boot  20  mounted to frame  10  is disposed as low as possible to the ground when in use. In addition the use of three mounting points  21  secured to the respective spaced apart web members  12  on frame  10  results in the boot  20  becoming stiffer and giving the skater a stronger platform to push off.  
         [0040]     It is understood that the above has been given by way of an illustrative embodiment of the invention. All modifications and variations thereto as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope of and ambit of the invention as described herein. For example, in a second embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 4 , the central mounting point  21   a  on the boot  20  that aligns with the central web member  12   a  of frame  10  may lie in a plane closer to the top of the boot than the other two “heel” and “toe” mounting points. In such an embodiment a spacer  40  may be fitted between the central web member  12   a  of frame  10  and the central mounting point  21   a  of the boot. It should also be understood that in other not shown embodiments spacers of various kinds may be used between any of the mounting points and web members.  
         [0041]     Whilst the above described embodiment depicts a frame  10  having two side walls  11 , it should be understood that in another not shown embodiment the invention may comprise a frame having a single side wall to which the wheels are connected and three cantilevered (or projecting) members each having a mounting aperture would act as the horizontal interconnection means for securing to a boot.  
         [0042]     Also in another not shown embodiment the mount slots or apertures may have a shape and orientation that differ to the slots  14  shown in the above described embodiment.  
         [0043]     Furthermore, whilst the abovementioned embodiment depicts the boot  20  having concavely shaped sole regions  22 , it should be understood that in other not shown embodiments the shape of the sole region may differ.  
         [0044]     The term “comprising” (and its grammatical variations) as used herein is used in the inclusive sense of “having” or “including” and not in the exclusive sense of “consisting only of”.  
         [0045]     It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.