Abstract:
A heel brake integrated with a skate truck for a roller skate shoe is formed integrally with a skate truck body portion from which axles laterally project. A brake knob made of rubber is attached to the distal end of the brake. Thus, the brake is formed as a part of the truck and not as a part of the skate chassis. A combined skate shoe and wheel truck assembly is likewise formed integrally, optionally comprising braking means, an axle, and a wheel.

Description:
[0001]    This application incorporates by reference the entire disclosure of prior copending U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/315,307, filed Aug. 27, 2001, the priority of which is claimed.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    The present invention relates to roller skates, more particularly to four-wheeled roller skates, and epsecially to skate trucks and heel brakes.  
           [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art  
           [0005]    A roller blader (a person using roller blade shoes—shoes each having a row of wheels—to roll on a street or sidewalk) may slow or stop by dragging a heel or toe of a roller blade shoe. A roller blade shoe, for example, may have a heel brake (a rearwardly and downwardly extending heel portion covered with hard rubber) or a toe brake (a forwardly and downwardly projecting toe portion covered with hard rubber) for this purpose. The roller blader points the toe portion of one skate shoe toward the sidewalk and is slowed or stopped by friction. Alternatively, the roller blader elevates one or both toes, engaging one or both heel portions with the sidewalk.  
           [0006]    Like a roller blade shoe, a four-wheeled roller skate shoe may also have a toe brake or a heel brake. However, unlike a roller blade shoe, a four wheeled roller skate may include front and rear skate trucks, each truck having a left wheel and a right wheel and each being movably attached to bottom of the roller skate shoe. In a four wheeled roller skate shoe, the front skate truck is located beneath bottom of the roller skate shoe, approximately midway between the toe and the arch portion of the roller skate shoe. Because there is plenty of space for the toe brake and because the toe brake is short and compact, it is not difficult to attach a toe brake to the bottom of the roller skate shoe between the front skate truck and the toe.  
           [0007]    The rear skate truck, however, is located relatively close to the rear end of the roller skate shoe. A heel brake attached to the heel portion of the roller skate shoe might interfere with the rear skate truck. Additionally, a heel brake attached to the heel portion of the roller skate shoe might require an elongated structure to extend a relatively long distance from the heel portion to engage the sidewalk when the skater elevates his or her toe. Because this structure must bear a heavy load, it must be relatively massive. Finally, a reinforced heel portion might be needed in order to transmit the heavy load into the roller skate shoe. All of these changes tend to increase the weight and cost of the roller skate shoe.  
           [0008]    What is needed is an improved heel brake for a four-wheeled roller skate shoe having skate trucks. Especially desirable in such a heel brake would be low mass, reduced stress, reduced crowding, and reduced manufacturing cost.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0009]    It is an object of the present invention to provide, for a four-wheeled roller skate shoe having skate trucks, a heel brake having low mass and reduced stress under mechanical load.  
           [0010]    It is an additional object of the present invention to provide such a heel brake which does not crowd the rear portion of the roller skate shoe  
           [0011]    It is an additional object to reduce the manufacturing cost of a complete roller skate shoe product comprising a skate shoe, skate trucks, and a heel brake.  
           [0012]    In accordance with these objects and with others which will be described and which will become apparent, an exemplary embodiment of an integral heel brake in accordance with the present invention comprises a truck body portion having a forwardly projecting truck mounting portion for attachment to a roller skate shoe chassis, a stabilizing prong for insertion into a stabilizing bore in the roller skate shoe chassis, a rearwardly projecting brake tongue formed integrally with the truck body portion, and a rubber brake knob attached to a bottom surface of the distal end of the brake tongue.  
           [0013]    It is an advantage of the present invention that the brake tongue is formed integrally with the truck body, thereby eliminating the separate assembly of the brake tongue with the truck body.  
           [0014]    It is an additional advantage that, because the truck body is closer to the skating surface than the skating shoe chassis, this integral formation of the brake tongue and the truck body allows the tongue to be shorter than a comparably tongue extending from the skate chassis.  
           [0015]    It is an additional advantage that a shorter brake tongue experiences smaller bending loads at its proximal end and therefore may be made thinner and lighter. Likewise, the structure to which the brake tongue is attached may be made lighter, for it, too, will experience smaller bending loads.  
           [0016]    It is an additional advantage that, because the brake tongue is attached to the truck body rather than directly to the skate chassis, the dynamic loads are cushioned by the rubber washers and grommet that serve to stabilize the truck relative to the skate chassis.  
           [0017]    Finally, the shorter length of the brake tongue and its formation on the truck body instead of the rear portion of the skate shoe chassis is helpful in avoiding crowding in the rear region of the completely assembled product. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0018]    For a further understanding of the objects and advantages of the present invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which like parts are given like reference numbers and wherein:  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 1 is a bottom view of an integrated heel brake in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 2 is a top view of an integrated heel brake in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 3 is a left side view of an integrated heel brake in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 4 is a left side view of an integrated heel brake mounted on a roller skate shoe in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 5 is a bottom view of an integrated heel brake in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 6 is a top perspective view of an integrated heel brake in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0025]    FIGS.  7 - 11  are perspective views of an integrated heel brake mounted on a roller skate shoe in accordance with the present invention.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0026]    The invention will now be described with reference to FIG. 1, which shows a bottom view of a preferred embodiment of an integrated heel brake in accordance with the present invention shown generally by the reference number  40 . The integrated heel brake  40  comprises a steel axle  50 , a cast or forged metal truck body portion  52  disposed about the axle  50 , and a brake tongue  56  projecting rearwardly and upwardly from the truck body portion  52 . The axle has a length of approximately one hundred millimeters and a diameter of approximately seven millimeters and is threaded at both ends. The brake tongue  56  includes a brake tongue proximal end  58  formed integrally with the truck body portion  52 , a rearwardly and upwardly projecting brake tongue distal end portion  60 , and a knurled brake tongue distal end bottom surface  62 . A brake knob mounting bore  64  is formed through the brake tongue distal end portion  60  and has a diameter of approximately six millimeters. A protrusion  63  is formed in the knurled brake tongue distal end bottom surface  62  and has a height of approximately one millimeter, a width of approximately two millimeters, a length of approximately eight millimeters, and a roughly triangular cross section as viewed from the front or rear.  
         [0027]    With reference to FIG. 2, which shows a top view of a preferred embodiment of an integrated heel brake in accordance with the present invention, a stabilizing prong  72  projects rearwardly and upwardly from the truck body portion  52  over the brake tongue top surface  70 . A riser is formed between the stabilizing prong  72  and the brake tongue top surface  70  and supports the stabilizing prong  72  from the truck body portion  52  to appriximately nine millimeters proximal of the stabilizing prong distal end  76 . Stabilizing prong distal end  76  has a rounded form and a diameter of approximately seven millimeters.  
         [0028]    A truck mounting portion  54  projects forwardly and upwardly from the truck body portion  52  and forms a two-faced washer seating ring portion  98  having an inner diameter of approximately twelve millimeters and a raised periphery  97  having a diameter of approximately twenty-five millimeters.  
         [0029]    With reference to FIG. 3, which shows a left side view of a preferred embodiment of an integrated heel brake in accordance with the present invention, the stabilizing prong  72  projects upward at an angle above the riser  74  and the brake tongue top surface  70 . A truck mounting bolt  86  with bolt head  92  is shown passing through the washer seating ring portion  98  of the truck mounting portion  54 .  
         [0030]    With reference to FIG. 4, which shows a left side view of a preferred embodiment of an integrated heel brake mounted on a roller skate shoe in accordance with the present invention, the truck mounting bolt  86  passes through the washer seating ring portion  98  of the truck mounting portion  54 . An upper rubber washer  88  and a lower rubber washer  90  are held firmly against the upper and lower faces  98  of the washer seating ring portion  98  by upper washer claimp  94  and lower washer clamp  96 , respectively. A nut  84  is held between the upper washer clamp  96  and at the truck mounting bore  82  of the skate shoe chassis bottom surface  80 . The bolt head  92  firmly holds the lower washer clamp  96 . A threaded brake knob mounting bolt  66  is inserted and tightened within threaded brake knob mounting bore  64  and holds brake knob  68  firmly against the knurled brake tongue distal end bottom surface  62 . The skate shoe chassis  79  is rigidly attached to the skate shoe outsole  81 .  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 5 shows a bottom view image of a preferred embodiment of an integrated heel brake in accordance with the present invention as described above with reference to FIG. 1  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 6 shows a top perspective view image of a preferred embodiment of an integrated heel brake in accordance with the present invention as described above with reference to the top view of FIG. 2.  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 7 shows a perspective view image of a preferred embodiment of an integrated heel brake mounted on a roller skate shoe in accordance with the present invention. The stabilizing prong  72  is inserted into the stabilizing bore  78  of the skate shoe chassis bottom surface  80 . Stabilizing bore grommet  99  firmly cushions the stabilizing prong  72  in the stabilizing bore  78 .  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 8 shows a perspective front left side view image of a preferred embodiment of an integrated heel brake mounted on a roller skate shoe in accordance with the present invention as described above with reference to FIG. 4. In particular, FIG. 8 shows how the structures recited with reference to FIG. 4 are held together on the truck mounting bolt  86 .  
         [0035]    [0035]FIG. 9 shows a perspective rear view image of a preferred embodiment of an integrated heel brake mounted on a roller skate shoe in accordance with the present invention. The riser  74  and brake knob mounting bore  64  are shown. The stabilizing prong is not visible, being inserted within the stabilizing orifice from an angle which is obscured in this image.  
         [0036]    [0036]FIG. 10 shows a perspective bottom view image of a preferred embodiment of an integrated heel brake mounted on a roller skate shoe in accordance with the present invention. The truck mounting bold head  92  and the brake knob mounting bore  64  are shown in relation to the wheels mounted on the axle  50 .  
         [0037]    [0037]FIG. 11 shows a perspective left rear side view image of a preferred embodiment of an integrated heel brake mounted on a roller skate shoe in accordance with the present invention. The brake knob  68  and brake knob mounting bolt  66  are shown disassembled from the brake knob mounting bore  64 . An arrow indicates how they would be assembled.  
         [0038]    Held firmly on the truck mounting bolt  86  by the upper and lower washer claimps  94  and  96 , the upper and lower rubber washers  88  and  90  cooperate with truck mounting bolt to stabilize the truck body portion  52  about the axis of the truck mounting bolt  86 , which projects downward and slightly rearward from the skate shoe chassis bottom surface  80  and is rigidly aligned with the axis of the truck mounting bore  82 . However, the truck body portion  52  is not completely stabilized: the rubber washers  88  and  90  are hard, but slightly elastic.  
         [0039]    Likewise, the stabilizing bore grommet  99  cushions the stabilizing prong  72  within the stabilizing bore  78 . The stabilizing prong  72  and stabilizing bore  78  cooperate to limit the yaw rotation of the truck body  52  to a very small angle relative to the skate shoe chassis  79 , thereby giving the skate directional stability while allowing the skater to turn the skate by applying pressure about the roll axis of the skate chassis  79 . The axis of the stabilizing bore  78  and the axis of the truck mounting bore  82  intersect at an angle of approximately forty-five degrees. As a result, the truck body portion  52  has very little freedom to rotate, but operates in the manner explained above to permit turning.  
         [0040]    A skater uses the integrated heel brake by elevating the toe portion of the roller skate shoe while applying weight to the rear wheels, thereby tilting the brake tongue distal end  60  downward and forcing the rubber brake knob  68  into sliding contact with the skating surface.  
         [0041]    While the foregoing detailed description has described several embodiments of an integrated heel brake in accordance with the present invention, it is to be understood that the above description is illustrative only and not limiting of the disclosed invention. Indeed, it will be appreciated that the embodiments discussed above and the virtually infinite embodiments that are not mentioned could easily be within the scope and spirit of the present invention. Thus, the present invention is to be limited only by the claims as set forth below.