Abstract:
A device for regenerating a brake, particularly for skates having a supporting frame for two or more wheels and a support for a pad which has an initially intact surface which interacts with the ground during braking. A sensor for detecting the degree of wear of the surface of the pad is associated with the support and is connected to a sprocket suitable to modify the initial position of the pad. Advantageously, this modification can be achieved by restoring an intact condition for the surface that interacts with the ground. The device allows to achieve optimum braking without requiring any intervention on the part of the user for pad replacement.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a device for regenerating a brake, particularly for skates. 
     The problem of achieving optimum braking is common to all currently conventional skates. In this regard, U.S. Pat. No. 337,161 discloses a skate which is provided with a shoe supporting plate having two lower supports for two pairs of mutually parallel wheels. A support for a brake is associated at the rear pair of wheels; the brake is constituted by a pad, having a surface which interacts with the ground and which is generally made of rubber-like material. The position of the pad can be adjusted by means of a screw which reduces the distance of the surface of the pad from the facing ground. 
     A drawback of this conventional type is that as the pad gradually wears, the user must remove the skate and operate the screw, pushing the pad so that it returns closer to the ground. 
     This operation must be repeated whenever required by the amount of wear of the pad. Moreover, the direct intervention of the user implies suspending the sports activity. 
     The need to restore the initial condition of the pad, and therefore its position with respect to the ground at a preset height, is in any case indispensable in order to ensure that the user achieves optimum braking. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,112,120 discloses a skate in which the threaded stem of a brake, provided with a pad towards the ground, is rotatably associated in the rear region of the shoe supporting plate, adjacent to the pair of rear wheels. 
     An adjustment washer is associated with the threaded stem; as in the previously illustrated case, during the use of the skate the pad wears at the region that interacts with the ground: as the thickness of the pad, and accordingly the distance of the pad from the ground, decreases, the user is forced to stop his other sports activity, optionally remove the skate to perform the operation more easily, and turn the pad so as to move it closer to the ground; the position can be determined by the adjustment washer. 
     The above skate also, however, suffers the above noted drawbacks. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,197,572 discloses a skate provided with a brake comprising a support for a pad. 
     The brake further comprises an element for fixing and adjusting the support which is accordingly connected between the wheel pivoting frame and the pad support. 
     Adjustment occurs by means of the interaction between two toothed surfaces formed on the pad support and on the support fixing and adjustment element. This position can be preset by means of a screw, thus allowing the user to move the pad closer to the ground whenever required by gradual wear. 
     However, this skate also suffers the above-mentioned drawbacks, since this adjustment must be performed by the user whenever he detects a decrease in the braking effect and because this adjustment must be performed by interrupting sports practice, optionally removing the skate and using suitable tools. 
     Variations are also provided in which the adjustment can occur by activating suitable nuts and lock nuts; this increases the difficulty of the operation. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,192,099 discloses a skate provided with a supporting frame for in-line wheels which has, at its rear end, two tabs for the pivoting of the last rear wheel; said tabs can move elastically closer to the overlying part of the frame when the user shifts his weight backward. 
     In this skate, the braking action is achieved because a pad is arranged transversely to the frame in the region above the last wheel and therefore interacts with the wheel when the skate is tilted backward. 
     In order to compensate for the wear of the pad, the pad is associated with a system for adjusting its vertical position which however, like the previously described skates, requires manual intervention of the user. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,348,320 discloses a skate which comprises a supporting frame for mutually in-line wheels, to the rear of which the support for a pad which interacts with the ground during braking is slidingly associated. 
     The connection between the wheel support and the pad support is adjustable, in that there is a screw whose tightening locks two complementarily toothed surfaces formed respectively on the pad support and on the wheel support. 
     However, this skate also suffers the same drawbacks noted in the previous skates. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The aim of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems, eliminating the drawbacks of the cited prior art and thus providing an invention which allows the user to always achieve the braking action in optimum conditions even as the degree of wear of the braking element that interacts with the ground varies. 
     An important object is to provide an invention which allows to achieve, over time, a constantly optimum braking action without requiring the user to temporarily suspend sports practice or to intervene directly to restore the optimum conditions. 
     A further important object is to provide an invention which allows to keep the effectiveness of the braking action constant over time and to extend the life of the braking element. 
     A further object is to provide an invention which is reliable and safe in use and has low manufacturing costs. 
     This aim, these objects and others which will become apparent hereinafter are achieved by a device for regenerating a brake, particularly for skates comprising a supporting frame for a plurality of wheels, a pad or block being associated, in a rear region, with said frame, said pad having a surface which is initially intact and interacts with the ground during braking, characterized in that a sensor for detecting the degree of wear of said surface of said pad is connected to a means which is adapted to modify the initial position of said pad. 
     Advantageously, this modification of the initial position of said pad or block is achieved by restoring an intact condition for said surface that interacts with the ground. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of two particular but not exclusive embodiments, illustrated only by way of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a partially sectional side perspective view of the device; 
     FIG. 2 is a partially cutout side view of the device in the optimum braking conditions; 
     FIG. 3 is a view, similar to FIG. 2, of the device in the condition in which the surface of the pad that interacts with the ground is worn to the point of activating the sensor; 
     FIG. 4 is a view, similar to FIG. 3, of an intermediate step of the activation of the device; 
     FIG. 5 is a view, similar to FIG. 4, of the condition in which optimum braking conditions are restored; 
     FIGS. 6,  7 ,  8  and  9  are views, similar to FIGS. 2,  3 ,  4  and  5 , of another embodiment. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     With reference to the above FIG. 1 designates the device, which is particularly usable for skates of the type comprising a shoe  2  below which a preferably U-shaped frame  3  is associated. A plurality of mutually in-line wheels  5  are pivoted between the first wings  4  of said frame. 
     A support  6  for a pad or block  7  is associated at the rear end of the frame  3  and has a box-like shape which forms a pair of second wings  8  which are pivoted, at one end, at the first pivot  9  for supporting the last wheel  5  of the skate. 
     Toward the shoe  2 , the support  6  has a pair of third wings  10   a ,  10   b  which are associated with the shoe or with a tab which protrudes from the frame by means of a suitable second pivot  11 . 
     The pad or block  7  is pivoted between the second wings  8  of the support  6 , in a region to the rear of the last rear wheel  5 , by means of a suitable third pivot or screw  12  with respect whereto the pad or block can turn. 
     The pad or block has a polygonal plan shape and therefore has a plurality of preferably flat surfaces  13  which are adapted to interact with the ground  14 . 
     A sensor for detecting the degree of wear of each one of the surfaces  13  is associated with the support  6  and is constituted by a disk  15  which is arranged coaxially to the third pivot or screw  12  at at least one side of the pad or block  7 . 
     The disk  15  has an essentially annular shape, with a central hole whose diameter is several times larger than the diameter of the third pivot or screw  12 . A body  16  can be arranged in the hole and is provided with a protrusion or raised portion  16   a  which is rigidly coupled to said body and in which there is a slot  17  in which said third pivot or screw  12  passes. 
     Slot  17  is essentially vertical with respect to the ground  14  in the condition in which the braking action is not activated, as shown in FIG. 2, while the raised portion  16   a  is accommodated within a recessed seat  6   a  formed inside the support  6 . This refinement allows the body  16  to slide exclusively in a vertical direction with respect to the support  6 , since rotation is locked by the interaction between the raised portion  16   a  and the walls of the recessed seat  6   a.    
     The body  16  and the disk  15  are therefore approximately adjacent to the internal lateral surface of the second wings  8  of the support  6 . A sprocket  18  is arranged on the opposite side with respect to said body and said disk, rotates rigidly with the pad or block  7  and has a plurality of teeth  19  which selectively interact by abutment with a pair of tabs  20   a  and  20   b  which protrude from a pawl  21  which is rotatably associated between the shoulders  8  by means of a fourth pivot  22  and oscillates in contrast with a flexible element such as a spring  23  which is interposed between said pawl and a base  24  located inside said support  6  in a region above the adjacent wheel  5 . 
     The ends of the tabs  20   a  and  20   b , in addition to interacting with the teeth  19  of the sprocket  18 , partially rest at the outer perimetric edge  25  of the body  16 , as shown in FIG.  1 . 
     The arrangement of the teeth is such as to block a clockwise rotation of the pad  7  during the normal braking action and therefore when the surface that interacts with the ground is not worn. 
     The configuration of said disk  15 , said body  16 , said slot  17 , said sprocket  18 , said teeth  19  and said tabs  20   a  and  20   b  is such that they are not actively involved during braking in the condition in which the surface  13  that interacts with the ground is not worn beyond a certain threshold. 
     Once said threshold, shown in FIG. 3, has been reached, during braking each one of the disks  15  interacts with the ground, and as the surface of the pad wears, the disk  15  and the body  16  provided with the slot  17  simultaneously move vertically. 
     Because of said slot, the disk  15 , by lifting, forces the disengagement of the end of the tabs  20   a  and  20   b  from the respective engagement tooth  19  until the condition shown in FIG. 3 is achieved. 
     In this condition, the disk has disengaged the ends of the tabs  20   a  and  20   b  from the respective tooth  19 , thus allowing the free clockwise rotation of the pad  7  until, as shown in FIG. 5, the worn surface  26  of the pad  7  is turned through an angle which again directs toward the ground  14  a further intact surface  13 . In this condition, because of the spring  23 , the ends of the tabs  20   a  and  20   b  reengage a corresponding tooth  19 . 
     This new repositioning is allowed by the fact that the pawl  21  forces the disk to reposition itself in the initial condition, since the new surface  13  that interacts with the ground has once again a preset height, so as to restore the conditions shown in FIG.  2 . 
     It has thus been observed that the invention has achieved the intended aim and objects, a device having been provided which allows, in a fully automatic manner and therefore sparing the user from any action, to always achieve an optimum braking condition, since as the surface that was initially termed intact and interacts with the ground wears, the pad rotates, restoring the initial optimum conditions, presenting again a new intact surface which makes contact with the ground. 
     The invention further allows a longer life of the pad, since all the surfaces formed thereon are utilized before considering its replacement. 
     A decrease in the degree of inclination of the skate that determines the braking action when a certain degree of wear of the pad is exceeded is also noted. 
     The device according to the invention is susceptible of modifications and variations, within the scope of the same inventive concept as claimed. 
     Thus, for example, FIGS. 6 to  9  illustrate another embodiment of a device  101  in which the tabs  120  of the pawl  121  are lifted by means of a cam  127  which protrudes at the upper perimetric edge  128  of two fourth wings  129  which are arranged laterally to the support  106  and are freely pivoted, at one end, at the first pivot  109  and are transversely connected, at the other end, by a suitable sensor which is constituted by a roller  130  which is freely rotatably pivoted between them and interacts with the ground  114 . 
     The cam  127  is formed at the region that lies above a slot  117  formed in said fourth wings  129 . 
     When using this embodiment, if an intact surface  113  of the pad or block  107  wears out, the fourth wings  129  rotate and the cam  127  accordingly rises due to the contact of the roller  130  with the ground; the movement of the cam  127  forces the tabs  120  of the pawl  121  to disengage from the respective tooth  119  of the sprocket  118 , thus allowing said pad  107  to turn clockwise. 
     In this manner, the worn surface  126  of said pad rotates, repositioning at the underlying ground  114  a new intact surface  113 , the different height of which allows the pawl  121  to again mesh with one of the teeth  119 , which is forced to do so by the presence of the spring  123 . 
     This embodiment also allows to achieve the intended aim and objects. 
     The materials and the dimensions that constitute the individual components of the invention may of course be the most pertinent according to specific requirements. 
     The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. TV98A000001 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.