Abstract:
A roller skate comprising a shoe portion having a sole with front and rear regions and a cantilevered member having a free end proximate the front region of the skate and a fixed end opposite the free end. A supporting member is located between and contacting the cantilevered member and the sole. A plurality of front wheels are coupled to each other by a front axle. The front axle biases the free end of the cantilevered member. The skate further includes means for adjusting the position of the supporting member relative to the front axle. The position of the supporting member defines the sizes of the fixed end and the free end of the cantilevered member such that, when the adjusting means moves the supporting member away from the front region of the shoe portion, the size of the free end of the cantilevered member increases, permitting an increased amount of vertical movement of the free end of the cantilevered member and the front axle.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This invention relates generally to roller skates. More particularly, this invention relates to a roller skate for an infant or child that includes a variety of features for helping the user learn to skate successfully and safely. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Roller skates have been widely sold and are well known in both the sporting goods and children&#39;s toy industries. During recent years, many different types of roller skates have been developed having different functions and configurations. One particular type of skate is a “beginner&#39;s skate” that is intended for young children or other individuals who have not learned how to roller skate in a proficient manner. Most beginner&#39;s skates include four or more wheels with at least two sets of parallel wheels, with one set located in the front portion of the skate and one set located in the back portion of the skate. By having the two front wheels rotate about one axis and the two rear wheels rotate about another axis, instead of having all of the wheels arranged to operate like an “in line skate”, the beginner&#39;s skate provides the user with an additional amount of balance which can be especially important for an inexperienced skater. 
     While such conventional roller skates are known in the art, they include a number of shortcomings that can give rise to a number of problems for an inexperienced skater. For example, inexperienced skaters often have difficulty beginning the initial skating motion. When a skater is standing still, he or she must be able to propel themselves from a starting position. This can be extraordinarily difficult for a new skater who has yet to master the use of the skates in even the most fundamental manner. One prior art attempt to solve this problem involves the use of large rubber stoppers affixed to the front of the skate in front of the two front wheels. When a person desires to propel himself from a standing position, he lifts his heel forward, causing the rubber stopper to come into contact with the ground. The user is then able to push himself, using the rubber stopper, into a forward motion. This action, however, has a number of drawbacks. First, this action alone can require a higher degree of coordination than a new skater will often have, especially in the case of an infant or a young child. Second, a stopper made from a rubber or similar material will often become worn out over time, reducing its level of usefulness as time progresses. Third, many users, especially inexperienced users, will often attempt to use the rubber stoppers as a braking mechanism in the event that they are travelling at an excessive or uncontrollable velocity. The stopper, however, should not be used as a brake and, if used as such, can result in the skater falling over, resulting in potentially serious injuries. For these reasons, it has become desirable to develop an alternative structure for allowing a user to propel himself or herself from a standing position. 
     Additionally, conventional beginner&#39;s skates have a number of other shortcomings. For example, it is often desirable to limit the direction of movement of the skate wheels, particularly when an infant or young child is first learning to skate. Many conventional beginner&#39;s skates, however, include no method for limiting such movement. Additionally, the feet of young children often grow significantly during the first few years of the child&#39;s life. For these reasons, a single sized skate is undesirable since a young child will quickly outgrow such a skate. For these reasons, it is desirable to have a skate that incorporates one of a variety of features that increases the safety to a user or the operational value of the skate itself. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A roller skate comprises a skate body and first and second front wheels coupled to the body. A front axle couples the front wheels to each other, and a spring is coupled to the skate body and is also biased by the front axle. A support member is coupled to the skate body and contacts the spring. The support member is adjustable such that the degree to which the front axle biases the spring can be modified. A tension adjuster is used to alter the position of the support member. In one embodiment of the invention, both the tension adjuster and the support member include a plurality of mating notches that provide means for changing the support member&#39;s position. When a user places an increased force upon the front axle, the front axle biases the spring, making the front of the skate contact the ground and allowing the user to “kick” himself into a skating motion. The skate may also include a pawl and ratchet wheel combination that are used to prevent the backwards motion of one or more rear skate wheels. In another embodiment of the invention, the skate body includes front or back portions that can be separated to increase the size of the skate, enabling an optimum fit to a given user of the roller skate. 
     Further advantages and features of the present invention will be apparent from the following specification and claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a roller skate. 
     FIG. 2 is a back end view of the roller skate of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the roller skate of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 4 is a top view of the internal components of the front portion of the skate. 
     FIGS. 5A and 5B are a top view of the internal components of the rear portion of the skate. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     As described in FIGS. 1-3, a roller skate constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the invention is shown generally at  20 , and the roller skate  20  includes a front portion  22  and a rear portion  24 . The front portion  22  of the skate  20  includes upper and lower front portions  26  and  28 , respectively, while the rear portion  24  of the skate  20  includes upper and lower rear portions  30  and  32 , respectively. The front portion  22  further includes left and right front wheels  34  and  36 , respectively, while the rear portion  24  includes left and right rear wheels  38  and  40 , respectively. The upper rear portion  30  includes a plurality of retaining clips  42  through which a strap (not shown) may be placed, holding the user&#39;s foot in place and preventing the foot from sliding out of the skate  20 . The retaining clips  42  are placed inside a slot  44  on each side of the upper rear portion  30 . In an alternate embodiment of the invention, the retaining clips  42  may be formed as one piece with the upper rear portion  30  via molding or some other method. The strap that is used to hold the user&#39;s foot in place can include a conventional Velcro® material to secure the foot, or the strap could simply be tied about itself or fastened by some other conventional method. 
     The front upper portion  26  is coupled to the lower front portion  28  via a series of screws  46 , or other appropriate fastener. Similarly, the rear upper portion  30  is coupled to the lower rear portion  32  via the screws  46 . 
     FIGS. 4 and 5 show the internal components that make up the upper and lower front portions  26  and  28 . As is seen more clearly in FIG. 4, the lower front portion  22  includes a front foot region  47  and an elongate track  80 . Coupled to the elongate track  80  is a cantilevered member  48  that serves as a spring for the front portion  22 . The cantilevered member  48  is coupled to the elongate track  80  at one end by a pair of screws  50  (or other conventional fastener). Located between the cantilevered member  48  in the rest of the upper front portion  26  is a support member  52 . In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the support member  52  is capable of moving backwards and forwards relative to the front wheels  34  and  36  and the rear wheels  38  and  40  and serves to adjust the relative tension of the cantilevered member  48 . 
     The left and right front wheels  34  and  36  are coupled to each other via a front axle  54  and left and right transverse members  56  and  58 , respectively. The front axle  54 , in one embodiment of the invention, is located at an axis  57  which is offset from and substantially parallel to an axis running through the left and right front wheels  34  and  36 . Located at each end of the front axle  54  are left and right transverse members  56  and  58  that couple the front axle  54  to the left and right front wheels  34  and  36 . In one embodiment of the invention, the left and right transverse members  56  and  58  are formed as one piece with the front axle  54 , although it is possible for these components to be formed separately. The left and right front wheels  34  and  36  are coupled to the front foot region  47  and the left and right transverse members  56  and  58  via screws (not shown) or other such fasteners. In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the front axle  54  does not spin in conjunction with the left and right front wheels  34  and  36 . Instead the left and right front wheels  34  and  36  simply spin about the screws by which they are connected to the front foot region  47 . 
     Coupled to the center region of the front axle  54  is an elongated contact portion  60  that rests directly underneath and biases the cantilevered member  48 . In one embodiment of the invention, the contact portion  60  is formed as one piece with the front axle  54 , although it is possible for the two components to be formed separately. 
     The combination of the front axle  54 , the support member  52  and the cantilevered member  48  combine to give the front portion  22  of the skate  20  added flexibility when a user begins to skate from a motionless position. The operation of this combination is generally as follows. The placement of the support member  52  adjacent to the cantilevered member  48  operates to separate the cantilevered member  48  into a free end  70  and a fixed end  72 , with the fixed end  72  being secured to the elongate track  80  via the screws  50 , and the free end  70  contacting the contact portion  60  of the front axle  54 . Due to the relative rigidity of the cantilevered member  48 , the free end  70  of the cantilevered member  48  biases, or acts against the contact portion  60 , inhibiting its movement to a certain degree. The contact portion  60 , however, is capable of a certain degree of movement when force is imparted on the left and right front wheels  34  and  36 . The degree to which the contact portion  60  is capable of moving about this axis is therefore dependent upon the flexibility of the free end  70  of the cantilevered member  48 . The degree of flexibility of the free end  70  is dependent upon the relative position of the support member  52 . In the event that the support member  52  is located at the frontmost possible point relative to the front axle  54 , the free end  70  (defined as that portion of the cantilevered member  48  between the support member  52  and the front edge of the cantilevered member  48 ) is quite small. This severely limits the amount of flexibility of the free end  70 . As the support member  52  is moved backwards relative to the front axle  54 , however, the free end  70  increases in length and size. This allows the free end  70  to bend significantly more than it otherwise could if the support member  52  is in the front most position. With this increased flexibility the contact portion  60  of the front axle  54  is capable of biasing the cantilevered member  48  to a greater degree. 
     The operation of the skate  20  including the front axle  54 , the support member  52  and the cantilevered member  48  is generally as follows. When a user is standing still and desires to “kick” himself into motion, the user transfers tie weight of his foot to the left and right front wheels  34  and  36 . Because the left and right front wheels  34  and  36  are movable up and down relative to the skate  20 , the downward pressure on the front portion  22  of the skate  20  results in a tendency for the left and right front wheels  34  and  36  to move upward relative to the rest of the skate  20 . This upward motion of the left and right front wheels  34  and  36 , and the connected contact portion  60  and left and right transverse members  56  and  58 , biases or acts against the free end  70  of the cantilevered member  48 . It is in this sense that the cantilevered member  48  acts as a spring, working against the contact portion  60  of the cantilevered member  48 . The degree to which the left and right front wheels  34  and  36  and connected components are capable of moving upward relative to the rest of the skate  20  will depend upon the size of the free end  70  of the cantilevered member  48 . In the instance where the support member  52  is at the frontmost position relative to the front portion  22  of the skate  20 , the free end  70  is at a minimum size, simulating an extraordinary stiff spring. When in this position, the contact portion  60  is only capable of moving upwards relative to the rest of the skate  20  upon the application of a maximum relative force. In one embodiment of the skate  20 , the left and right front wheels  34  and  36  may not be able to move upwards at all in certain cases. In the event that an older or heavier child is using the skate, this may be the preferred position of the support member  52  because it will take a great deal of effort by the child to cause significant force acting on the cantilevered member  48 . 
     When the support member  52  is moved backwards relative to the front portion  22  of the skate  20 , the free end  70  of the cantilevered member  48  increases in size and is capable of bending further, resembling a spring that is less stiff than previously described. In such a case, the same amount of force applied against the front axle  54  will cause a larger degree of biasing against the free end  70  of the cantilevered member  48 , allowing the front wheels  34  and  36  to move upwards relative to the rest of the skate  20 . This could be particularly beneficial for very young and lightweight children who would have more difficulty in applying a significant amount of force to the left and right front wheels  34  and  36 . 
     The effect of the contact portion  60  moving upwards relative to the rest of the skate  20  is that a front tip  33  of the skate  20  is capable of coming closer to the ground or other surface upon which the skate rests than it would otherwise be able to if the front wheels  34  and  36  were incapable of vertical movement. Therefore, when the user provides a sufficient force to move the front wheels  34  and  36  significantly, the front tip  33  of the skate  20  will actually come into contact with the ground. Because the front tip  33  is substantially rigid in one embodiment of the invention, the user is capable of “pushing off” with the skate  20  when the tip  33  is in contact with the ground. This is particularly beneficial for young children and inexperienced skaters who often have difficulty in beginning the skating motion from a standing position. In one embodiment of the invention, the front tip  33  will comprise a separate tab  76  that is coupled to the rest of the upper front portion  26  of the skate  20 . The front tab  76  adds some flexibility to the front portion  22  of the skate and it can also make the front tab  76  easily replaceable in the case of excessive wear and/or damage. 
     A variety of means are well known in the art for moving the support member  52  towards or away from the front portion  22  of the skate  20 . In one embodiment of the invention, the skate  20  includes a tension adjuster  65  including an adjuster spring  64  wrapped around a support (not shown). On the lower portion of the tension adjuster  65  are a plurality of first notches  66 . On the support member  52  are a corresponding plurality of second notches  68 . The first notches  66  of the adjuster  65  and second notches  68  of the support member  52  are capable of mating such that, when the tension adjuster  65  is turned counterclockwise, the mating action of the first notches  66  and the second notches  68  causes the support member  52  to move backwards relative to the front portion  22  at a skate  20 . Similarly, when the tension adjuster  65  is moved in the clockwise direction, the mating action of the first and second notches  66  and  68  moves the support member  52  forward relative to the front portion  22  of the skate  20 . This permits the user to change the effective size of the free end  70  of the cantilevered member  48 , altering the amount of stiffness of the cantilevered member  48  and the amount of force required to move the front axle  54 . The tension adjuster  65  is accessible from the bottom of the skate  20  through a hole  74  in the lower front portion  28  of the skate  20 . 
     Another embodiment of the invention also includes a feature that allows the user to change the size of the skate  20  such that users with different foot sizes can use the same skate  20 . As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the upper front portion  26  includes the elongate track  80 , while the rear portion  24  includes a size adjuster  84 . The elongate track  80  includes a plurality of third notches  82  on one side thereof and the size adjuster  84  includes complimentary fourth notches  86  on one side thereof. The third and fourth notches  84  and  86  are arranged such that they are capable of mating with each other, effectively fixing the relative positions of the elongate track  80  and the size adjuster  84 . As can be seen best in FIG. 3, the size adjuster  84  includes a size adjuster switch  87  that can be accessed by the user at the bottom of the skate  20 . When not being manipulated by the user, the size adjuster switch  87  is in such a position such that the fourth notches  86  and the third notches  82  are matingly engaged with each other, effectively fixing both parts and preventing them from moving. When the user adjusts the size adjuster switch  87 , however, the fourth notches  86  are moved out of engagement with the third notches  82 . When the third and fourth notches  82  and  86  are not in engagement with each other, the user may pull the front and rear portions  22  and  24  away from each other, effectively extending the length of the skate  20 . When the user has pulled the front and rear portions  22  and  24  to an adequate distance to fit the user&#39;s foot, the user allows the size adjuster switch  87  to go back into its original position. This action forces the fourth notches  86  to reengage the third notches  82  at a different position. This locks the new size of the skate  20  in place, providing the user with a different sized skate  20 . 
     As can be seen in FIGS. 2,  3 , and  5 , the left and right rear wheels  38  and  40  are coupled to each other by a rear axle  90 . Located on the rear axle  90  is a ratchet wheel  92 , including a plurality of grooves  93 . The rear wheels  38  and  40 , the rear axle  90  and the ratchet wheel  92  are coupled to each other such that all of the components rotate about the same axis with substantially similar rotational velocities. A rear wheel switch  96  is coupled to the lower rear portion  32  of the skate  20 . The rear wheel switch  96  includes a pawl  99  that is capable of moving into and out of engagement with the grooves  93  on the ratchet wheel  92 . The grooves  93  are arranged such that, when the pawl  99  is in a position to engage the grooves  93 , the rear axle  90 , the ratchet wheel  92  and the rear wheels  38  and  40  are incapable of rotating in the backwards direction. This has the effect of preventing the skate  20  from rolling backwards when the rear wheel switch  96  is in the appropriate position. As can be seen more clearly in FIG. 3, the rear wheel switch  96  can be actuated by moving switch member  98  between first and second positions  101  and  102 . When the switch member  98  is in the first position  101 , the pawl  94  is located away from the ratchet wheel  92 . This permits the skate  20  to move both forwards and backwards. When the switch member  98  is in the second position  102 , the pawl  99  is in a position such that it is capable of engaging the ratchet wheel  92 , preventing the rear wheels  38  and  40  from rotating backwards. This serves as an additional safety feature for new and inexperienced users, since such users would not need to worry about potentially losing their balance and/or falling should the wheels inadvertently slip backwards. 
     While several preferred embodiments have been shown and described in this application, it is understood that changes and modifications can be made to the invention without departing from the invention&#39;s broader aspects. For example, it is possible to use other means, such as coil springs, to serve as a biasing spring for the front axle. Furthermore, it is possible to develop skates that do not incorporate some of the safety features, such as the anti-rollback feature. It is also possible to develop a skate that does not incorporate the size adjusting feature described in the application. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the described and illustrated embodiments, but only by the scope and spirit of the independent and dependent claims.