Abstract:
A skating training device with a V-shape frame that has a front end and two rear portions with handles. The front end includes a wheeled leg and the rear portions include rear legs that terminate with skating blade assemblies. A brake system includes actuating levers that transmit a force of predetermined magnitude to an elongated bar that is pivotally mounted to the blade assemblies and include a braking teethed plate mounted thereto so that predetermined movements of the actuating lever result in causing the teethed plate member to sink against the ice surface. Optionally, the blade assemblies can be replaced with wheel assemblies for land skating.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to a trainer for ice skaters. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   Several designs for ice skating have trainers been designed in the past. None of them, however, includes two ice skate assemblies mounted to rear legs and wheel member rotatably mounted to a front leg assembly that provides the necessary support for a user. Additionally, the present invention has an upper frame with two handles and brake assemblies mounted thereto that permit a user to safely skate and maintain his/her equilibrium. These features are not disclosed by the prior art and provide  a safe and novel device for practicing ice skating. 
   Applicant believes that the closest reference corresponds to U.S. design patent No. D420,624 issued to the inventor of the present patent application on Feb. 15, 2000 for a wheeled trainer for skating and U.S. design patent No. D433,475 also issued to the inventor of the present patent application on Nov. 7, 2000 for a wheeled trainer for skating. However, these patents differ from the present invention because the issued patents provide for wheeled designs for land skating only. The present invention includes an ice skating blade assemblies that are readily mountable and replaceably with wheeled assemblies. The present invention also includes a brake mechanism that can be actuated by the user from handles on the frame resembling those of a conventional bicycle. 
   Other patents describing the closest subject matter provide for a number of more or less complicated features that fail to solve the problem in an efficient and economical way. None of these patents suggest the novel features of the present invention. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is one of the main objects of the present invention to provide a safe training apparatus for ice skaters. 
   It is another object of this invention to provide an ice skating trainer device with a brake mechanism that permits a user to control his/her speed. 
   It is still another object of the present invention to provide an ice skating trainer device that permits a user to readily steer it. 
   It is yet another object of this invention to provide such a device that is inexpensive to manufacture and maintain while retaining its effectiveness. 
   Further objects of the invention will be brought out in the following part of the specification, wherein detailed description is for the purpose of fully disclosing the invention without placing limitations thereon. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     With the above and other related objects in view, the invention consists in the details of construction and combination of parts as will be more fully understood from the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
       FIG. 1  represents an isometric view of one of the preferred embodiments for the ice skating trainer object of the present application. 
       FIG. 1   a  is an exploded isometric view of the transversal V-shaped plate member and portions of the flattened ends. 
       FIG. 2  shows a partial isometric view of one rear portions of the frame with its handle. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a partial isometric view of one of the ice skating trainer, showing its lower portion and the corresponding leg member. 
       FIG. 3   a  is a detail cross-sectional view of the telescopic mechanism. 
       FIG. 3   b  is an enlarged front elevational view with a partial cross-section of the adjusting member. 
       FIG. 3   c  is an enlarged front elevational view of the hook member. 
       FIG. 4  is an isometric view of one of the ice skate assemblies wherein a portion of one of its lateral walls was removed to show the brake assembly. 
       FIG. 5  is a rear view of the ice skate assembly represented in the previous figure, showing the brake plate. 
       FIG. 6  is a bottom view of the ice skate assembly represented in the previous figure, showing the brake assembly. 
       FIG. 7  is an isometric view of one of the rear wheel assemblies as an accessory to be mounted to the rear leg assemblies. 
       FIG. 8  is a rear isometric view of one of the rear wheel assemblies as an accessory to be mounted to the rear leg assemblies. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Referring now to the drawings, where the present invention is generally referred to with numeral  10 , it can be observed that it basically includes front leg assembly  20 , rear leg assemblies  40  and  60 , frame assembly  80 , rear portions  50  and  70 , brake mechanism  110 , wheel assembly  120  and blade assemblies  140  and  160 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 1 , front leg assembly  20  includes lower and upper ends  22  and  24 , respectively. Upper end  24  is removable mounted to frame assembly  80  with transversal V-shaped plate member  23 . V-shaped plate member  23  is mounted to front leg assembly  20  at a point between lower  22  and upper end  24 . As best seen in  FIG. 1   a , V-shaped plate member  23  includes arms  25  and  27 . Arm  25  includes through openings  28  and  28 ′ and arm  27  includes through opening  29  and  29 ′. As seen in  FIG. 1 , front leg assembly  20  also includes telescopic mechanism  26  to cooperatively increase or decrease the effective length of leg assembly  20  depending on the user&#39;s needs. Wheel assembly  120  is mounted to lower end  22  to provide a support point for the structure. 
   As shown in  FIG. 1 , rear portions  50  and  70  have preferably the same size and configuration. Rear portions  50  and  70  include handle  52  and  72 , respectively. Rear portions  50  and  70  are releasably mounted to frame assembly  80 . Locking assemblies  180  keep portions  50  and  70  releasably mounted to frame assembly  80 . Rear portion  70  (and similarly rear portion  50 ) has elongated leg  60  (and  40 ) releasably mounted thereto. As seen in  FIGS. 1 and 3 , elongated leg  60  (and  40 ) includes lower end  62  (and  42 ) and upper end  64  (and  44 ). Rear leg  60  (and  40 ) has telescopic mechanism  66  (and  46 ) to cooperatively increase or decrease its effective height depending on the user&#39;s requirements. An enlarged cross-section of telescopic mechanism  66  (or  46 ) is shown in  FIG. 3   a , which represents one of the preferred embodiments. Other similar telescopic mechanisms can also be utilized. Skating blade assemblies  140  and  160  are releasably mounted to lower ends  42  and  62 , respectively, as seen in  FIG. 1 . 
   As best seen in  FIG. 1 , frame assembly  80  is made of tubular members and has a substantially double V-shape in the preferred embodiment. Frame assembly  80  includes spacer rear members  82  and  83 , transversal reinforcement member  84  and transversal reinforcement assembly  86 , lower frame members  85  and  87  and upper frame members  88  and  89 . Spacer rear member  82  is mounted substantially adjacent to the rear ends of frame members  85  and  88 . Spacer rear member  82  is mounted substantially adjacent to the rear ends of frame members  87  and  89 . Rear ends of frame members  85  and  88  removably receive rear portion  50 . Rear ends of frame members  87  and  89  removably receive rear portion  70 . Transversal reinforcement assembly  86  has a substantially T-shape with arms  96  and  96 ′, lower end  81  snugly and removably received by en  24  of front leg assembly  20 . As best seen in  FIG. 1   a , flattened end  98  of frame member  88  includes through opening  98 ′ and pin member  198 . Through opening  28 ′ of arm member  25  receives therethrough pin member  198 . Through opening  28  is aligned with through opening  98 ′ permitting fastening member  138  to go through and mate with thumb nut  138 ′. Flattened end  99  of frame member  89  includes through opening  99 ′ and pin member  199 . Through opening  29 ′ of arm member  27  receives therethrough pin member  199 . Through opening  29  is aligned with through opening  99 ′ permitting fastening member  139  to go through and mate with thumb nut  139 ′. Arms  96  and  96 ′ of transversal reinforcement assembly  86  are removably mounted to frame members  88  and  89 , respectively. The flattened ends of transversal reinforcement member  84  are also removably mounted to frame members  88  and  89  at a point next to spacer rear members  82  and  83 , respectively. 
   As represented in  FIG. 1 , brake mechanisms  110  are mounted to rear portions  50  and  70 , so that the user can easily manipulate trainer  10  by reducing the velocity when skating. As seen in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , brake mechanism  110  includes lever  112 , transmission cable  114  with sleeve or cover  124 , adjusting member  116  and hook member  118 . Upper end  113  of transmission cable  114  is mounted to lever  112 , as best seen in  FIG. 2 . As best seen in  FIG. 3 , lower end  115  of sleeve  124  is mounted to spring member  125 . Form this point on, transmission cable  114  passes through the center of spring member  125  to engage through opening  117  next to the upper end of adjusting member  116 . Spring member  125  keeps brake mechanism  110  in no-braking position when the user is not actuating lever  112 . As best seen in the enlarged view of  FIG. 3   b , adjusting member  116  includes lower end  126  with threaded through opening  127 . Threaded portion  128 ′ of eyebolt  128  passes through opening  127 . Wing nut  129  is used as a collar to adjust the relative position of eyebolt  128  with respect to connector member  111  of adjusting member  116 . The user adjust member  116  with eyebolt  128  to keep brake mechanism  110  tensed. Eyebolt  128  cooperatively engage hook member  118 , as shown in  FIG. 3 . As best seen in  FIG. 3   c , hook member  118  includes locking mechanism  130  to keep hooked end  119  in place. Locking mechanism  130  includes spring member  132  and sleeve  134 . Hook member  118  releasably engages brake assembly  150  mounted to ice skate assemblies  140  and  160 . 
   Skating blade assemblies  140  and  160  have substantially the same size and configuration. As seen in  FIG. 4 , skating blade assembly  140  (or  160 ) includes housing  142 , blade member  148  and brake assembly  150 . Cylindrical member  145  is mounted to the upperside of housing  142  and removably receives end  42  of leg  40 . The user actuates brake mechanism  110  with lever  112 . The user&#39;s pulling action actuates brake assembly  150 . Brake assembly  150  includes actuating member  152 , which in turn actuates pivotally mounted elongated bar members  153  and  154 . The distal ends of bars  153  and  154  are mounted to teethed plate member  156  that in turn include teeth  157 . When the user actuates brake mechanism  110  by pressing lever  112 , actuating member  152  moves up urging teethed plate member  156  to go down sinking teeth  157  on the ice surface so that movements of actuating lever  112  result in causing teethed plate member  156  to sink against the ice surface. 
   As best seen in  FIG. 2 , locking assembly  180  includes latch member  182  with lever  184 . Latch member  182  is hingedly mounted to lever  184 , which in turn is hingedly mounted to spacer member  83  through pin  185 . Hook terminations  58  and  78  mounted to rear portions  50  and  70 , removably receive latch members  182 , as shown in  FIG. 1 . The user cooperatively mount rear portions  50  and  70 , inserts latch members  182  in hook terminations  58  and  78  and pulls levers  184  to completely lock rear portions  50  and  70  to frame assembly  80 . 
   Trainer device  10  is preferably made out of a rigid and light material, such as aluminum. The user steers ice skating trainer  10  with front leg assembly  20  through gripping handles  52  and  72  and actuating brake mechanism  110  and maintain the equilibrium. 
   The user steers ice skating trainer  10  by applying his/her weight on handles  52  and  72  and/or actuating brake mechanisms  110 . 
   As shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 , rear wheel assembly  240  can be optionally mounted to rear leg assemblies  40  and  60  when the user wants to be trained with wheel skating instead of ice skating. Rear wheel assembly  240  includes housing  242 , wheel member  248  and brake assembly  250 . Cylindrical member  245  is mounted to the upperside of housing  242  and removably receives end  42  of leg  40  (or end  62  of leg  60 ). Brake assembly  250  includes actuating member  252  removably mounted to hook member  118 . Actuating member  252  actuates pivotally mounted brake plate  256 , as best seen in  FIG. 8 . When a user actuates brake mechanism  110  by pressing lever  112 , actuating member  252  moves up urging teethed plate member  156  to go down making contact with wheel member  248  resulting in braking action. 
   The foregoing description conveys the best understanding of the objectives and advantages of the present invention. Different embodiments may be made of the inventive concept of this invention. It is to be understood that all matter disclosed herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.