Jump skate

A jump skate comprises a boot with a base attachment, a surface engager, and a link/spring mechanism, which uses large spring deformation to boost a skater in jumping. The link/spring mechanism comprises at least two links and at least one spring (coil or wound). The links and the spring(s) are made of metallic, synthetic, or composite materials. The link/spring mechanism is connected to the boot and the surface engager with pin joints in such a way that allows large relative displacement with zero rotation between the boot and the surface engager, which offers improved control of the surface engager for skate jump/landing. The spring(s) is installed in such a way that it deforms with relative displacements between the boot and the surface engager. Thus a skater can first store energy into the spring(s) by forcing the boot down towards the surface engager and then jump to release the energy for further height.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to a skate for jumping. More particularly, 
the invention relates to improved in-line roller skates, improved ice 
skates, and improved conventional roller skates, which provide effective 
energy storage/release to enable the relatively high jump, controlled 
landing, and reduced impact. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
Spring-assisted skates are disclosed in the patent art. Most of these prior 
arts use small springs and claim shock absorbing characteristics. Only a 
couple of prior arts claim jump-assisting characteristics. Such skates are 
disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,597,792 issued to E. A. Hoff et al (1926); 
4,351,538 issued to Berta (1982); and 5,503,413 issued to Belogour (1996). 
These prior arts include an ice skate, a conventional roller skate, and an 
in-line roller skate. Each of the skates comprises components including a 
boot, a surface-engaging blade or roller assembly (hereinafter referred to 
as the surface engager), and a means using spring(s) for shock absorbing 
or jump assistance. 
In general, these prior spring-assisted skates fall into the following 
disadvantages: 
(a) No effective rotational control of the surface engager from the boot. 
In particular, the surface engager is allowed to rotate with respect to 
the boot, thus a skater cannot select a specific part of the surface 
engager to initiate a jump or support a landing. In other words, a 
skater's jump is limited to certain ways, and the landing becomes more 
difficult because of the uncertain orientation of the surface engager. 
(b) No significant storage/release of energy to assist a jump because only 
small spring deformation is practical for these prior arts. Based on their 
design configurations, prior arts may further lose control of surface 
engagers and skate structural integrity if relatively large spring 
deformation is adopted. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Accordingly, objects and unique advantages of the present invention are: 
1. to provide a spring-assisted skate with large spring deformation for 
effective jump assistance 
2. to provide a spring-assisted skate with zero rotation between the 
surface engager and the boot for effective jump/landing control 
3. to provide a spring-assisted skate with structural integrity during 
large deformation. 
These and other objects of the invention are realized by interposing a 
link/spring mechanism between the boot and the surface engager. 
A link/spring mechanism comprises at least two links and at least one 
spring (coil or wound). The said links and spring(s) are made of metallic 
(such as aluminum alloy), synthetic (such as plastics), or composite 
materials (such as graphite/epoxy). 
The link/spring mechanism is connected to the boot and the surface engager 
with pin (also made of metallic, synthetic, or composite materials) joints 
in such a way that 
i. the spring(s) deforms with relative displacements between the boot and 
the surface engager 
ii. the boot base is maintained parallel to the surface engager throughout 
the entire range of skate deformation. 
Thus a skater can force the boot down towards the surface engager to store 
energy and then jump to release the energy for increased height. Being 
certain that the surface engager is parallel to the boot base, the skater 
can land with as much control as if wearing a regular skate--even more 
comfortably due to the effective shock-absorbing characteristics of the 
jump skate. 
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention shall become 
apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred 
embodiments thereof, when considered in conjunction with the drawings 
wherein like reference characters refer to corresponding parts in the 
several views.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
1. First Preferred Embodiment 
Jump skates according to the first preferred embodiments of the invention 
shall now be described with initial reference to FIGS. 1(a)-3(b). 
As shown in FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b), jump skate 1 includes a boot 2 and an 
in-line roller assembly as the surface engager 3. Boot 2 includes a base 
attachment 4 with two machined holes 5 and 6. (A base attachment may 
comprise a single element or multiple elements that are attached to the 
sole and heel with screws, adhesive, or other means.) Surface engager 3 
includes attachments with two machined holes 7 and 8. Distance between 
holes 5 and 6 is the same as that between holes 7 and 8. 
Shown between the boot base attachment 4 and the surface engager 3 is the 
link/spring mechanism that comprises 
Links 9 and 10 (of equal length) with four machined holes 5a, 6a, 7a, and 
8a 
Connector pins 5b, 6b, 7b, and 8b 
Wound springs 5c and 8c 
Coil spring 11 
Pins 5b, 6b, 7b, and 8b are shown to connect links 9 and 10 to the boot 
base attachment 4 and the surface engager 3 by fastening hole 5 to hole 
5a, hole 6 to hole 6a, hole 7 to hole 7a, and hole 8 to hole 8a, 
respectively. These links and pin joints assure the skate structural 
integrity while allowing displacements between the boot base attachment 4 
and the surface engager 3. 
Note that, geometrically, the boot base attachment 4, the surface engager 
3, links 9 and 10 together form the four sides of a parallelogram to 
assure that the surface engager 3 will always be parallel to the boot base 
attachment 4. The present invention thus surpasses all prior arts in 
controlling the surface engager for skate jump/landing. 
Wound spring 5c is shown to be installed on pin 5b, with two spring legs 
pushing against link 9 and the boot base attachment 4. Similarly, wound 
spring 8c is shown to be installed on pin 8b, with two spring legs pushing 
against link 10 and the top of surface engager 3. In addition, coil spring 
11 is connected between pins 6b and 7b. All three springs will deform and 
store energy with relative displacements between the boot base attachment 
4 and the surface engager 3. (For a simplified design, using any one of 
the three springs alone can serve the purpose of jump assistance.) 
Because most of the space between the boot base attachment 4 and the 
surface engager 3 can be used for skate/spring deformation and energy 
storage/release, the present invention is therefore very effective for 
jump assistance. In addition, because all links and spring(s) are located 
under the boot base attachment 4 without any hazardous protrusions around 
the boot (such as in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,503,413 to Belogour), the present 
invention adds safety to performance. 
For the stable support of a skater's weight, the front segment of the 
surface engager 3 is made so long that it extends the front roller axle 12 
beyond the boot toe (hole 6) throughout the entire range of skate 
deformation. 
A stopper element 13 is added onto surface engager 3 to keep links 9 and 10 
(through the connection to the surface engager 3) always "forward 
inclined" such that the boot can only move forward when it is forced 
downward. Thus, the stopper element 13 reduces uncertainty in the skate's 
for improved control. (The present invention is also applicable to a jump 
skate with "rearward inclined" links. Nevertheless, a stopper is needed to 
maintain a rearward incline of the links.) 
Finally, the flat top portion of the surface engager 3 serves as an 
additional stopper that limits the downward rotation of links 9 and 10 and 
defines the maximal deformation range of the skate. 
FIGS. 2(a) to 2(b) illustrate the side and front views, respectively, of 
the first preferred embodiment of the invention related to a jump ice 
skate using one spring. 
FIGS. 3(a) to 3(b) illustrate the side and front views, respectively, of 
the first preferred embodiment of the invention related to a jump 
conventional roller skate using one spring. 
2. Second Preferred Embodiment 
FIGS. 4(a)-6(b) illustrate a second preferred embodiment of the present 
invention. In comparison to the first embodiment, the second embodiment 
minimizes the relative horizontal displacement between the boot and the 
surface engager, thus offering further control to a jump skate. 
As shown in FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b), jump skate 31 includes a boot 32 and an 
in-line roller assembly as the surface engager 33. Boot 32 includes a base 
attachment 34 with two machined holes 35 and 36. Surface engager 33 
includes attachments with two machined holes 37 and 38. Distance between 
holes 35 and 36 is the same as that between holes 37 and 38. 
Shown between the boot base attachment 34 and the surface engager 33 is the 
link/spring mechanism that comprises 
Links 39, 40, 44, 45, and 46 
Pins 35b, 36b, 37b, 38b, 47b, and 48b 
Wound springs 48c 
Links 39, 40, 44, 45, and 46 are connected by pins 47b and 48b, through 
holes 47 and 48. Links 39, 40, 44, and 45 are equal in length, each with 
an additional machined hole (holes 37a, 38a, 35a, and 36a, respectively) 
for connections to the surface engager 33 and the boot base attachment 34. 
The center link 46 has a length equal to the distance between holes 35 and 
36, which also equals to the distance between holes 37 and 38. 
Pins 35b and 36b are shown to connect links 44 and 45 to the boot base 
attachment 34 by fastening hole 35 to hole 35a, and hole 36 to hole 36a, 
respectively. Similarly, pins 37b and 38b are shown to connect links 39 
and 40 to the surface engager 33 by fastening hole 37 to hole 37a, and 
hole 38 to hole 38a, respectively. These links and pin joints assure the 
skate structural integrity while allowing displacements between the boot 
and the surface engager. 
Note that, geometrically, the boot base attachment 34, the surface engager 
33, and all five said links together form two superimposed parallelograms 
to assure that the surface engager 33 will always be parallel to the boot 
base attachment 34. 
The wound spring 48c is shown to be installed on pin 48b, with two spring 
legs pushing against links 39 and 44, which will deform and store energy 
with relative displacements between the boot base attachment 34 and the 
surface engager 33. In addition, the deformation of wound spring 48c will 
push forward the center link 46 and suppress relative horizontal 
displacement between the boot base attachment 34 and the surface engager 
33. 
Having eliminated the relative rotation and horizontal displacement between 
the boot base 34 and the surface engager 33, the present invention thus 
surpasses all prior arts in controlling the surface engager for skate 
jump/landing. 
Because most of the space between the boot base attachment 34 and the 
surface engager 33 can be used for skate/spring deformation and energy 
storage/release, the present invention is therefore very effective for 
jump assistance. In addition, because all links and spring(s) are located 
under the boot base attachment 34 without any hazardous protrusions around 
the boot (such as in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,503,413 to Belogour), the present 
invention adds safety to performance. 
A stopper element 49 is added onto the center link 46 to keep it always 
"forward shifted" when the boot base 34 is forced down toward the surface 
engager 33. (The present invention is also applicable to a jump skate with 
a "rearward shifted" center link. Nevertheless, stopper elements are still 
needed to maintain a rearward shift of the center link 46.) 
Finally, the flat portions of the surface engager 33 and the boot base 
attachment 34 serve as additional stoppers that limit the rotation of 
links 39, 40, 44, and 45, and define the maximal deformation range of the 
skate. 
FIGS. 5(a) to 5(b) illustrate the side and front views, respectively, of 
the second preferred embodiment of the invention related to a jump ice 
skate using one spring. 
FIGS. 6(a) to 6(b) illustrate the side and front views, respectively, of 
the second preferred embodiment of the invention related to a jump 
conventional roller skate using one spring. 
The invention therefore provides a novel and improved skate that allows 
quick storage/release of large amounts of energy and enables a skater to 
jump higher into the air and to land more comfortably than when wearing a 
regular skate. 
It is to be understood that the form of the invention herein shown and 
described is to be taken as the preferred embodiments thereof, and that 
various changes in shape, material, size, and arrangement of parts may be 
resorted to without departing from the spirit or the invention or scope of 
the subjoined claims.