Abstract:
A brake assembly for inline skates having a boot portion with right and left downwardly directed frame members. The frame members support at least three axles. Right and left carrier plates are positioned along an inner face of the downwardly directed frame members. At least two diabolos are supported by the right and left carrier plates. The diabolos each contact two wheels and are forced outwardly to provide a friction rubbing action against the carrier plates when the carrier plates have moved from a disengaged position to an engaged position.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application is a continuation in part of applicant&#39;s application Ser. No. 10/766,600 filed Jan. 27, 2004 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,948,723, which is incorporated by reference herein. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The field of the invention is Inline Skate Brakes and the invention relates more particularly to Inline Skate Brakes of a type which have at least two “diabolos.” The term “diabolo” is intended to mean a roller which has two halves and a center portion having a reduced diameter. An example of such a diabolo is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,639,104. Such diabolos can put substantial braking force on one or more wheels to the extent where such wheels are subject to lock up. This is undesirable and a system which distributed the braking force among all four wheels would be beneficial. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is for a brake assembly for Inline Skates having at least three wheels supported by a downwardly directed frame member. A right and a left carrier plate are positioned on inner surfaces of the frame members inwardly of the wheels. The carrier plates support two diabolos. A forward diabolo contacts two forward-most wheels and a rearward diabolo contacts the two rearward most wheels. In this way a braking force is exerted on all four wheels greatly reducing the chance of a wheel lock up. The carrier plates are moved upwardly or downwardly by being linked to a pivotal collar position around the ankle portion of the boot of the inline skate. They are moved upwardly if the diabolos are positioned below the axis of the wheels and downwardly if the diabolos are positioned above the axis of the wheels. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a side view of the skate brake assembly of the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view thereof. 
       FIG. 3  is an enlarged front view of one of the diabolos of the assembly of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 4  is a side view of an alternate embodiment of the skate brake assembly of the present invention. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   The brake assembly in the present invention is shown in side view in  FIG. 1 . The inline skate has a boot portion  10  which supports a frame  11 . Frame  11  has a right downwardly directed member  12  and a left downwardly directed member  13  shown in  FIG. 2 . 
   Frame  11  supports four axles:  14 ,  15 ,  16  and  17 . These axles support front wheel  18 , second wheel  19 , third wheel  20 , and rear wheel  21 , respectively, as shown in  FIG. 2 . Each axle, for instance, axle  17  is supported by a pair of openings  22 . Each opening being surrounded by an inwardly directed protrusion  23  which extends inwardly from the inner face  24  of left downwardly directed member  13 . Each axle opening has a similar protrusion which is clear from viewing  FIG. 2 . While four wheels are shown in the drawing it is to be understood that the skate may have three wheels or five wheels. 
   A right carrier plate  25  has an elongated cutout  26  which surrounds the protrusion which surrounds axle  15 . Similarly, an elongated cutout  27  surrounds the protrusion which surrounds axle  16 . These cutouts and protrusions guide and position right carrier plate  25  and permit it to move up and down, but inhibit a back and forth motion. The left carrier plate  28 , similarly, has elongated cutouts  29  and  30  as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
   Carrier plates  25  and  28  hold two diabolos  31  and  32 . The forward diabolo  31  is held in a pair of slots  33 . These slots permit a centering of a diabolo between front wheel  18  and second wheel  19  when the carrier plates are moved downwardly. This equalizes the force applied between the diabolos to wheels  18  and  19 . Similarly, slots  34  hold diabolo  32  and permit it to become centered between third wheel  20  and rear wheel  21  when the carrier plates are lowered. 
   One way of moving the carrier plates up and down is indicated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . A pair of actuating levers  35  and  36  are pivotally held to the downwardly directed frame members  12  and  13  by lever pin  37  which is secured in openings  38  shown best in  FIG. 2 . The actuating levers  35  and  36  are positioned inwardly with respect to carrier plates  25  and  28 . 
   The actuating levers  35  and  36  are pivoted in a forward direction during normal skating by a cable/spoke actuator  39  on the right hand side and  40  on the left hand side. These cables/spoke members comprise force conveying members between a collar  41  which is pivoted by a pair of collar pivots  42 . The cables  39  and  40  are connected to an adjuster knob  43  which easily permits the user to adjust the position of actuating lever  35  as desired. 
   Each actuating lever is operationally connected to one of the carrier plates by a cam and cam rider type of arrangement. Specifically, a lever cam member pin  44  passes through a carrier plate cam member slot  45 . As the collar pivots in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in  FIG. 1 , the cable  39  rotates the actuating lever  35  in a counterclockwise direction about lever pin  37 . This causes lever cam member pin  44  to ride rearwardly in slot  45  pushing the carrier plate  25  downwardly. Carrier plate  35  has an elongated opening  46  so that the up and down movement of the carrier plate is not inhibited by contact with the lever pin  37 . Similarly, actuating lever  36  has a lever cam member pin moving the left carrier plate  28  up and down. 
   The result is an exceptionally smooth braking action applied to all four wheels. The likelihood of a wheel lock up is greatly reduced. 
   A front view of diabolo  31  is shown in  FIG. 3  where it can be seen that diabolo  31  has an axle  50  which rides in slots  33  in the right and left carrier plates. The carrier plates  25  and  28  are held within the right and left downwardly directed members  12  and  13  of the frame. The diabolo of  FIG. 3  has a right half  51  and a left half  52 , each of which have a tapered surface  53  and  54 . Each diabolo half has a friction inducing surface  55  and  56  which rub against the carrier plates  28  and  25 , respectively when the surfaces  53  and  54  are brought into contact with the wheel surface causing the diabolo to rotate. The surfaces  53  and  54  are fabricated from a material which does not significantly cause any wear on the wheel. The friction inducing surfaces  55  and  56  are preferably made of a different material that the surfaces  53  and  54  which cause a braking action when brought into contact with the inner surface of the adjacent carrier plate. The actuating levers  35  and  36  are also shown in  FIG. 3  to be positioned inwardly with respect to the carrier plates. Thus, as the diabolo halves  51  and  52  contact wheels  19  and  18 , they are forced outwardly so that the friction surfaces  55  and  56  rub against carrier plates  28  and  25 . This friction force is translated to wheels  18  and  19  causing them to exert a braking force. The diabolo shown in  FIG. 3  has two separate halves but it is to be understood that the diabolo may be a flexible one-piece diabolo as shown in the parent application which has been incorporated by reference herein. 
   An alternate method of moving the carrier plates up and down is shown in  FIG. 4 . A right brake member  60  is pivoted with respect to frame  11 . The rear end  61  of lever  60  is connected to a force conveying member or push bar  62 . Push bar  62  is connected through an adjuster  63  to the rear of collar  41 . Thus, when collar  41  is rotated counterclockwise as viewed in  FIG. 4 , the lever  60  also moves in a counterclockwise direction. Lever  60  is connected through pivot member  64  to a pair of carrier plates. The right hand carrier plate being indicated by reference carrier  65 . The right hand carrier plate  65  has a pair of elongated cutouts  26  and  27  similar to those shown in  FIG. 1  which surround protrusions surrounding axles  15  and  16 . Thus, as collar  41  pivots rearwardly, the rear end  61  of lever  60  moves downwardly. This downward movement is translated through pivot member  64  to both carrier plates. Diabolos  31  and  32  move downwardly to contact wheels  18 - 19  and  20 - 21 , respectively, as described for the construction of  FIG. 1 , a smooth four wheel braking action result. Because the braking action is transferred to all four wheels, the amount of wear caused by contact between the diabolos and the wheels is also proportionally reduced.