Abstract:
A skateboard with rollers has been developed. The skateboard includes a deck with two cylindrical shaped rollers that are mounted on the bottom of the deck. Each roller has an axle that can be shared with two wheels that can be removed or added as desired.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application 60/648,475 entitled “Skateboard with Rollers” that was filed on Jan. 31, 2005. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     The invention relates generally to recreational equipment. More specifically, the present invention relates to a modified skateboard with rollers in addition to wheels.  
         [0004]     2. Background Art  
         [0005]     In recent years, skateboarding has dramatically increased in popularity. Additionally, many skateboarders perform complicated and difficult acrobatic tricks on their boards. However, attempting to learn these tricks are difficult and potentially dangerous for a novice. Consequently, a modified skateboard is needed that is easier for a novice to learn to ride.  
       SUMMARY OF INVENTION  
       [0006]     In some aspects, the invention relates to a skateboard, comprising: a deck; two cylindrical shaped main rollers that are mounted on the bottom of the deck; an axle that supports each of the main rollers; and a plurality of removable wheels, where at least two wheels share the axle with each main roller.  
         [0007]     Other aspects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the appended claims.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0008]     It should be noted that identical features in different drawings are shown with the same reference numeral.  
         [0009]      FIGS. 1   a  and  1   b  show bottom views of a skateboard with rollers in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.  
         [0010]      FIGS. 2   a  and  2   b  show side views of the embodiment of the present invention shown in  FIG. 1   a.    
         [0011]      FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b  shows side views of the embodiment of the present invention shown in  FIG. 1   b.    
         [0012]      FIG. 4  shows a detailed depiction of the wheels used in some embodiments of the present invention.  
         [0013]      FIG. 5  shows a detailed depiction of the of the springs used in some embodiments of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0014]     A modified skateboard with rollers in addition or in place of wheels has been developed.  FIG. 1A  shows a bottom view of a modified skateboard  10 . A pair of main rollers  12   a  and  12   b  are mounted the bottom of the deck  11  of the skateboard  10  that allow for forward movement. The main rollers  12   a  and  12   b  are mounted on common axles  14   a  and  14   b  with four wheels  16   a - 16   d.  The wheels  16   a - 16   d  are removable from the axles  14   a  and  14   b  so that the skateboard may move with the use of the main rollers  12   a  and  12   b  alone. An advantage of the use of rollers, is the reduction of “wobbles” which can occur to skateboard wheels as they travel at high speeds.  
         [0015]     Also attached are two lateral rollers  18   a  and  18   b  that allow the skateboard to move in a lateral direction when the rider is performing stunts such as “riding a rail”. The lateral rollers  18   a  and  18   b  have a higher centerline than the axles  14   a  and  14   b  that support the main rollers/wheels. This prevents the lateral rollers from dragging during forward movement of the skateboard.  
         [0016]     A nose roller  20   a  and tail roller  20   b  are also attached on the respective ends of the skateboard  10 . These rollers provide support for the skateboard when the rider is performing “wheelies” by pushing down on the rear and elevating the nose or “riding the nose” by pushing down on the nose and elevating the rear of the board. These rollers  20   a  and  20   b  allow for a novice to practice these stunts while maintaining a greater degree of control of the skateboard  10 .  
         [0017]     Four spring support assemblies  22   a - 22   d  attach the axles  14   a  and  14   b  to the brackets of the lateral rollers  18   a  and  18   b.  The assemblies  22   a - 22   d  serve to support the weight of the rider while also acting as shock absorbers for any impact of stunts such as jumps or hops.  FIG. 1   b  shows an alternative embodiment of the present invention where a longer pair of spring support assemblies  26   a  and  26   b  are used to connect the axles  14   a  and  14   b  directly to each other bypassing the lateral rollers  18   a  and  18   b.    
         [0018]      FIGS. 2   a  and  2   b  show side views of the embodiment of the present invention shown in  FIG. 1   a.  In  FIG. 2   a,  the skateboard  10  is shown with the wheels  16   a - 16   d  detached while  FIG. 2   b  shows the skateboard  10  with the wheels 16   a - 16   d  in place.  FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b  show side views of the embodiment of the present invention shown in  FIG. 1   b.  In  FIG. 3   a,  the skateboard  10  is shown with the lateral rollers  18   a  detached while  FIG. 3   b  shows the skateboard  10  with the lateral rollers  18   a  in place. Additionally, the nose and tail of the skateboard  10  that is tilted upward as shown in  FIGS. 2   a,    2   b,    3   a  and  3   b.  This allows the nose roller  20   a  and tail roller  20   b  to avoid dragging the ground when the board is moving forward.  
         [0019]     Also shown in  FIGS. 1   a  and  1   b  is a strap bracket  24 . The bracket  24  is mounted on the bottom of the skateboard  10  but is accessible through a hole in the deck. A strap (not shown) is attached to the bracket  24  and held by the rider. As the rider attempts to perform stunts such as jumps, hops, spins, etc., the rider will pull up on the strap in order to keep the skateboard against his feet. Additionally, the strap will also prevent the skateboard from getting away from the rider if he has to jump off the board.  
         [0020]      FIG. 4  shows a detailed side view of a mounting assembly for a roller in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. This mounting assembly  30  is used for the lateral rollers as well as the nose and tail rollers described previously. The assembly includes a mounting bracket  32  that is attached to the deck of the board with screws  35 . In this embodiment, the bracket is 1.5 inches wide. The bracket  32  has a center hole for the axle  34  that supports the roller  36 .  
         [0021]      FIG. 5  shows a detailed side view of the spring support assembly  40  used for the main rollers in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. This mounting assembly  40  includes a mounting bracket  42  that is attached to the deck  43 . The mounting bracket  42  has a slot  44  that is cut in the bracket along the axis of the spring  52 . The axle  46  that supports the roller  50  is seated in a bushing  48  that moves within the slot  44 . This mounting assembly  40  allows a rider to turn the skateboard when riding on the main rollers alone without the wheels.  
         [0022]     When a rider on the skateboard wants to turn, he shifts his weight in the desired direction. This increases the force on one side of the board. As the force increases, the springs on that side will compress and pull that end of the axle further up into the slot. On the other side, the spring will expand and push the end of the axle down into the slot. The rear main roller assembly will perform in the same way. This will shift the orientation of the main rollers slightly and turn the skateboard in the direction of the weight shift of the rider. Once the turn is complete, the rider will re-center his weight and the rollers will return to a normal orientation.  
         [0023]     It is important to note that the various features of the skateboard described previously are optional and that the present invention may be configured with many different combinations of these features. The advantages of various embodiments of the present invention include: the use of multiple rollers which offer greater board stability; the capability to replace the rollers with wheels when desired; and the use of a strap to keep the board from getting away from the rider while performing tricks.  
         [0024]     While the invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art, having benefit of this disclosure, will appreciate that other embodiments can be devised which do not depart from the scope of the invention as disclosed here.