Abstract:
A turnable wheeled skate having first and second wheels. The first and second wheels may be located fore and aft of the foot receiving portion of the skate and one, the other or both may be turnable. Several embodiments are disclosed including, but not limited to, a skate that is turnable by tilting the skate perpendicular to a line-of-direction or that provides turnable, paired wheels or that receives a users foot at a level below the top of the first and second wheels. The skate may provide a skating experience that more closely approximates ice-skating.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to roller skates, in-line skates, and other wheeled devices that couple to a person&#39;s feet. More specifically, the present invention relates to enhancing the turnability of a wheeled skate and/or providing a skating experience that more closely approximates ice-skating.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The prior art is replete with wheeled devices that couple to a user&#39;s feet. These include conventional roller skates, in-line skates, and wheeled devices for cross-country ski training, among others. Exemplary prior art devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos.: 6,425,586; 5,997,015; 5,401,040; 4,659,095; 4,138,127; and 3,442,523; among others.  
           [0003]    Most of the devices disclosed in these patents utilize a fixed position wheel arrangement that provides either no or very limited turnability. To execute a turn, a user typically lifts one skate over the other and places the raised skate down at an angle to the first. The position of the raised skate when once again placed on the ground constitutes the new line of direction. To execute a sharper turn, a user may lift his or her skate several times making small incremental turns each time. While this turning technique may also be practiced in ice skating, ice skating typically permits a higher degree of turning, without lifting a leg, due to a slightly curved blade and the more aggressive angle-of-attach that can be achieved between an ice skate blade and ice.  
           [0004]    One attempt to increase the turnability of a wheeled skate is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,442,523. FIG. 1 is a reproduction of FIG. 2 of this patent. The &#39;523 patent discloses a conventional roller skate having two pairs of wheels, each provided under the “shoe” of the skate. The wheel mount assembly includes a short angled shaft to which an axle is coupled. Rotation of the shoe relative to the shaft causes the axle to rotate thus changing the orientation of the attached wheels relative to the skate.  
           [0005]    [0005]FIG. 1 shows that there is little clearance between the shoe base or plate  2  and the top of wheel  3 . If a user executes a turn that is more than a “gentle” turn, the base contacts the wheel, stopping the wheel and potentially causing a fall. Thus, the device of the &#39;523 patent is both limited in turnability and dangerous. This and like skates are also disadvantageous in that they are relatively elevated imparting a “stilts-like” effect. Skate configurations in which the “shoe” is lower to the ground may be more inherently stable and may also more closely approach an ice-skating experience.  
           [0006]    A need thus exists for a wheeled skate that provides enhanced turnability, and that may also provide greater stability and an experience that more closely approximates ice-skating.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    The present invention is intended to overcome shortcomings of the prior art and positively contribute to the wheeled skate art. Among other aspects, the present invention provides a turnable skate with enhanced stability and that may afford a wheeled-skate experience that approaches ice-skating.  
           [0008]    In one aspect, the present invention includes a skate with a base and a member for releasably coupling a foot to the base. A first wheel may be provided substantially forward of a user&#39;s foot and a second wheel may be provided substantially rearward of a user&#39;s foot. Tilting the skate in a plane substantially perpendicular to the line-of-direction of the skate causes the at least one of the first and second wheel to change position relative to the base, thereby turning the skate.  
           [0009]    In another aspect, the present invention includes paired turnable wheels. In yet another aspect, the present invention includes a turnable wheel coupled to the skate by a substantially longitudinally disposed shaft that extends rearward or forward of the foot receiving region of the base. And in yet another aspect, the present invention includes fore and aft wheels that are smaller in combined length than a shoe mounted on the skate.  
           [0010]    The present invention discloses other aspects and embodiments, which are discussed or alluded to below.  
           [0011]    The attainment of the foregoing and related advantages and features of the invention should be more readily apparent to those skilled in the art, after review of the following more detailed description of the invention taken together with the drawings. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]    [0012]FIG. 1 is a rear view of a prior art skate.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a skate in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 3 illustrates a side view of the skate of FIG. 1 without the shoe.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 4 is a side view of the rear wheel assembly (with one wheel removed for clarity) of the skate of FIG. 1.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 5 illustrates an underside view of the skate of FIG. 1 in a turning position.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 6 is a side view of a skate having a braking mechanism in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a skate having two turnable wheel arrangements in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 8 is a side view of a skate having a motor in accordance with the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0020]    Referring to FIG. 2, a perspective view of a skate  5  in accordance with the present invention is shown. Skate  5  may have a shoe  8  or other foot receiving device (straps, Velcro®, laces, etc.) that is mounted to a supportive base  10 . FIG. 3 illustrates a side view of skate  5  without shoe  8 .  
         [0021]    Base  10  has a shoe or like device mounting region  12 . A front wheel arrangement  20  is provided forward of mounting region  12  and a rear wheel assembly  30  is provided rearward of mounting region  12 . Rear wheel assembly  30  as shown is turned slightly. The mounting region is preferably provided in a plane that is substantially parallel to the ground, though the base may rise upward toward the rear or have other configurations without departing from the present invention. In the embodiment of FIGS.  2 - 3 , two integrally formed forks  15  extend from mounting region  12  to receive a front wheel  22 . Note that other configurations for mounting a front wheel may be utilized.  
         [0022]    Referring to FIG. 4, a side view of the rear wheel assembly (with one wheel removed for clarity)  30  is provided. Rear wheel assembly  30  may be mounted to base  10  via an extender  18  which serves to position wheel assembly  30  rearward of shoe  8  and mounting region  12 . The extender may be mounted to base  10  via screws or weld or be formed together with the base as one integral piece. Rear wheel assembly  30  of the embodiment of FIGS.  2 - 8 , preferably has two wheels  32  (only one of which is shown in FIG. 4). By providing wheel assemblies  20 , 30  forward and rearward of the base, respectively, the overall height of the skate may be reduced relative to conventional roller skates.  
         [0023]    Suitable wheels  22 , 32  for the front and rear assemblies  20 , 30  as illustrated in FIG. 2- 8  are commercially available 4″ wheels. It should be recognized that larger wheels tend to afford a smoother ride. Thus larger wheels, from 4″ up to a foot or more may be used. Wheels smaller than 4″ may also be used without departing from the present invention, as may wheels of different sizes. A trade-off may occur between a smooth ride and ease-of-portability. Smaller wheels, for example, approximately 6″ or 7″ or less may permit a skate to be more readily placed and carried in a day-pack or other similarly sized bag or pack.  
         [0024]    Extender  18  includes a cylindrical opening  19 . Axle mounting member  34  also has a cylindrical or like opening  31 . Mounting shaft (or screw)  36  is provided through openings  19  and  31  and effectively mounts wheel assembly  30  to extender  18 . An axle  38  is provided in member  34  which is coupled to and supports rear wheels  32 .  
         [0025]    A change in vertical angle of the skate in a plane perpendicular to the line-of-direction causes shaft  36  to rotate. Since shaft  36  is provided at an angle, α, from horizontal, rotation of the shaft causes a rotation of axle  38  relative to the line-of-direction which causes a rotation of the attached wheels  32 , thus turning the skate. The greater the change in vertical angle of the shoe, the greater the turning provided by the skate. The angle, α, of shaft  36  may be set by trial and error to any angle that achieves a desired amount of turning. This angle may be between 10 and 20 degrees or between 5 and 30 degrees or other. If two turnable wheel assemblies are used (as shown in FIG. 7), then the angle of each shaft may be reduced. If more acute turning is desired, the shaft angle may be increased.  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 4 also illustrates a vertical heel-line  61 , a rearward extending horizontal toe-line  62  and a base-line  63 . The vertical heel-line  61  is intended to be a line running vertically downward from the interior surface of the shoe that the contacts the back of a user&#39;s heel  9  in use. FIG. 4 illustrates that axle  38  is rearward of the vertical heel-line  61 . The rearward extending horizontal toe-line  62  is a line running substantially horizontally from the interior surface that receives a user&#39;s big toe in use. The base-line  63  is a line extending substantially horizontally from the top of base  10 . In determining base-line, a shoe heel or equivalent structures (for example, the plastic or like forms used in newer skates) are not part of the base. FIG. 4 shows that the top  33  of wheel  32  is above the horizontal tow-line  62  and base-line  63 .  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 5 illustrates an underside view of skate  5  (without shoe  8 ) in a turning position. Note that wheels  32  are also slightly turned in FIG. 2. FIG. 5 illustrates that axle mounting member  34  supports a pin  41  that is received in a groove  42  in extender  18 . Pin  41  limits the range of rotation of the wheel assembly around shaft  36 , thus assuring that when the skate is placed down the wheels contact the ground in a proper position for rolling. FIG. 5 also shows the bottom side of the braking mechanism discussed with reference to FIGS. 6 and 8.  
         [0028]    Referring to FIG. 6, a side view of skate  5  having a braking mechanism  50  in accordance with the present invention is shown. Braking mechanism  50  includes a support member  51  that fits over axle mounting member  34  and a brake pad  52 . A cable  54  is attached to brake pad  52  via stopper  55  and runs through the interior of shaft  36  (also shown in FIG. 4) which is formed as a hollow cylinder. A bias mechanism such as coil springs or foam rubber or the like  58  (shown in FIG. 5) is provided in a recess in support member  51  and biases brake pad  52  off of wheels  32 .  
         [0029]    The opposite end of cable  54  is attached to a handle or like activation device  60 . This handle may attach to the waist of a user or to their hands via wrist guards or the like. To activate, the user pulls the trigger  64  towards the stay  65  (in the direction of arrows A) which causes cable  54  to pull pad  52  into contact with wheels  32 , thereby braking the skate. Note that other braking scenarios could be implemented on a skate in accordance with the present invention, including but not limited to braking arrangements with activation handles located on the skate.  
         [0030]    Referring to FIG. 7, a perspective view of a skate  5  having two turnable wheel assemblies in accordance with the present invention is shown. Front wheel assembly  130  includes an extender  118  and paired wheels  122  that are similar to extender  18  and rear wheels  32 , respectively, Note that the angle of the rotation shaft of wheel assembly  130  is preferably opposite that of rotation shaft  36  such that wheels  122  turn in a manner complementary to wheels  32 , enhancing skate turning. FIG. 7 shows that axle  138  is forward of a vertical toe-line  161  that extends vertically from the interior surface of shoe  8  in front of a user&#39;s big toe, and the top  133  of wheel  122  is above a forward extending horizontal toe-line  162  that extends from the interior surface of shoe  8  that receives a user&#39;s big toe.  
         [0031]    It should be noted that while FIG. 2 illustrates a single wheel in the front and paired wheels in the front, the wheel assemblies of FIG. 2 could be reversed, i.e., the turning assembly being placed in front (as in FIG. 7) and a single wheel in the rear, without departing from the present invention. An embodiment having a single wheel in front and a single wheel in the back with shaft and axle or like turning provided to one of said single wheels is also within the present invention. Furthermore, wheels may also be added beyond those shown in FIGS.  2 - 8  without departing from the present invention.  
         [0032]    Referring to FIG. 8, a side view of a skate having a motor in accordance with the present invention is shown. Skate  5  in FIG. 8 is similar to skate  5  as presented in FIG. 2, et al., though in the embodiment of FIG. 8 the skate include a motor assembly  70 . Motor assembly  70  may include a friction drive wheel  71 , a drive-shaft or the like  72 , a motor  74 , a battery  75  and a housing  76 . Housing  76  is slideably coupled to base  10  and biased by spring  78  such that drive wheel  71  contacts front wheel  22 . Drive shaft  72  incorporates a miter gear, but any suitable drive mechanism (many of which are known) may be used. Motor  74  may be a DC electric motor and battery  75  may be a nickel metal hydride battery, though any suitable motor or battery may be used. Housing  76 , shown in cross-section, includes a resealable panel that permits access the motor assembly components and particularly to battery  76  for changing.  
         [0033]    The motor assembly is preferably configured, in one representative embodiment, to function as follows. Motor  74  is configured to turn-on when wheel  22  is being turned at a speed above a threshold, for example, 3 mph. The motor then runs at a given speed which is sufficient to propel a person (i.e., to operate under load) until battery  75  runs out of power or the motor is turned-off. Turn-off occurs when drive wheel  71  runs above a threshold speed for a given period of time, for example, 2-5 seconds. The turn-off conditions may occur when wheel  22  is lifted off the ground (no longer under load) or cable  79  (similar to and possibly coupled with brake cable  54 ) is pulled which compresses bias spring  78  and pulls drive wheel  71  off of front wheel  22  (thereby removing the load from the drive wheel). Motor assemblies that turn-on at a given speed and turn-off at a given speed are known in the art.  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 8 also shows fasteners  81  which bind shoe  8  to base  10 , though glue and other fastening means may be used, and spring  58  (mentioned with reference to FIG. 6 that biases break pad  52  off of wheel  32 ).  
         [0035]    Suitable materials for skate manufacture are known in the art. Nonetheless, for shoe manufacture they may include leather and plastic and other materials, and for base or support structure they may include metals or plastics. The wheels may be made of rubber, polyurethane or other suitable material.  
         [0036]    While the invention has been described in connection with specific embodiments thereof, it will be understood that it is capable of further modification, and this application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention following, in general, the principles of the invention and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which the invention pertains and as may be applied to the essential features hereinbefore set forth, and as fall within the scope of the invention and the limits of the appended claims.