Patent Publication Number: US-5890723-A

Title: Gliding element such as an in-line roller skate

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relate to a gliding element such as a roller skate, in-line roller skate, or ice skate. This type of skate is generally constituted by a longitudinal frame on a lower portion of which the gliding elements are arranged, i.e., a plurality of wheels or a skating blade, and by a boot whose sole in associated with the frame, directly or via an upper plate of the frame. 
     2. Background and Material Information 
     This type of skate can be adapted to the training of the skater on ice, outside of a skating rink, but also for any athletes eager to maintain or perfect, on a hard or tarred ground, the techiques used in gliding sports such as trail skiing, cross country skiing, ice skating, etc. 
     In known skates of this type, the linkage of the boot on the frame is generally fixed and without possibility of disassembly by the skater. 
     As a result, it is necessary to replace this assembly, in fact the entire skate, when the frame or the boot are damaged. 
     It is understood that a substantial expense is incurred whereas replacing either of the elements would be sufficient to restore a partially damaged skate. 
     furthermore, another drawback encountered with the currently available skate lies in the fact that the morphology of the skater&#39;s foot is not necessarily adapted to the orientation of the boot with respect to the frame of the skate. 
     In fact, no angular adjustment means enable such adaptation. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the invention is to propose an improved and easier arrangement for assembling the frame on the boot, and to also enable an angular adjustment of the boot with respect to this frame. 
     To remedy these various disadvantages, the present invention relates to a gliding element such as a skate, constituted by a longitudinal frame on a lower portion of which the gliding element(s) is(are) arranged, and by a boot constituted by a sole or shell capable of being associated with the frame, wherein a detachable linkage is interposed between the frame and the boot sole, and wherein it is constituted by at least one lateral flange having ramp-shaped surfaces obtained on an upper portion of the frame and capable of cooperating with corresponding ramp-shaped surfaces of the sole, by means of a transverse tightening mechanism in order to obtain a linkage by progressive wedging effect between the flange of the frame and the sole. 
     A rapid and easily accessible assembly or disassembly of a boot on a frame is obtained without it being necessary to disassemble other elements such as wheels, blades, etc. This is obtained because the tightening action to perform the linkage or disassembly of the frame with respect to the boot occurs in a direction transverse to the latter due to the effect of the ramps. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The present invention is also related to the features which will become apparent along the following description, and which must be considered separately or according to all of their possible technical combinations. 
     This description, provided by way of a non-limiting example, will help to better understand how the invention can be embodied, with reference to the annexed drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a transverse cross-sectional view of a lower portion of a skate according to the invention, showing the means arrangement for linking a frame to a boot, according to a first embodiment; 
     FIG. 2 is a transverse cross-sectional view of a, lower portion of a skate according to the invention, showing the arrangement for linking a frame to a boot, according to a second embodiment; 
     FIG. 3 is a top view according to one of FIGS. 1 or 2. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The in-line roller skate generally designated by reference numeral 1 and shown in FIG. 1 includes a boot 2 adapted to be affixed, through a shell portion or external sole 4, to a frame 5 on which the wheels 6 are arranged. 
     The rigid seal 4 is affixed to the frame 5 via a linkage assembly, mentioned above as relating to an object of the present invention. 
     This linkage assembly is detachable and is interposed between the frame 5 and the shell 4. 
     This assembly is constituted by two lateral flanges 7 having ramp-shaped surface obtained on an upper portion of the frame 5 and capable of cooperating, in view of a wedging effect, with one of the complementary ramp-shaped portions 8 provided on an element affixed to the shell 4. This is done by means of a tightening mechanism 9 enabling the ramps to progressively come closer to one another in order to obtain a linkage by progressive wedging effect, as well as an automatic backlash elimination, between the flanges 7 of the frame 5 and the shell 4. 
     According to the example shown in FIG. 1, the frame 5 is constituted by two lateral flanges 10 and 11, each including, at its upper portion, a flange 7 having a wedge-shaped zone having one lower ramp 7a and one upper ramp 7b, ascending and descending, respectively, and capable of cooperating with associated ramps, 12a, 4a, respectively, of a dovetail-shaped element 12 provided beneath the shell 4 and of a lower plane 4a of the latter. 
     The coupling of the two lateral flanges 10 and 11 occurs by means of a tightening screw 9 extending transversely through the flange 10 being screwed into the flange 11, its action resulting into bringing the flanges 10 a 11 closer, together through the progression of the lower raps 7a of the flanges 7 on the corresponding ramps 12a framed by the wings of the dovetail 12, until upper ramps 7b of the flanges 7 come into contact, then into wedging on corresponding zones of the plane 4a of the shell 4, constituting upper ramps of the wedging zone. As can be seen in the Figures, the head of the screw 9 is manipulable at one of the flanges 7. 
     Thus, as shown in the Figure, contact points or zones D and E are first created until upper contact points or zones C and B corresponding to a definitive immobilization of the frame on the shell are created. 
     As also seen in FIG. 1, the two lateral flanges 10 and 11 include a parting line A. The sizing of the various constituent portions of these flanges is such that when they enter into contact in the zone A, the upper flanges 7 tighten on the zones D and E, then C and B by elastic deformation. Of course, the flanges 10 and 11 are in this case made out of a material that allows such deformation. 
     Nevertheless, if the flanges were made of a non-deformable material, it would suffice to eliminate the parting line A so as to enable the same tightening of the flanges 7 in the zones D, E, and C, B, naturally through the translation of one of the flanges to the other. 
     The example of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 essentially differs from the previous in that one of the lateral flanges 11A constituting the frame 5A includes a flange portion 7A that is attached on such flange 11A by means of the same screw 9 for tightening the flanges 10 and 11A to one another. 
     Such an arrangement is more particularly adapted to a frame whose flanges are rigid. Nevertheless, the functioning of this device according to FIG. 2 is identical to that of FIG. 1. 
     One can very well imagine that the dovetail-shaped element 12 is fixed with respect to the shell 4. 
     Nevertheless, and preferably, the dovetail-shaped element 12 is retained axially on the shell 4 by means of an axle or other retaining element 13 extending freely through a transverse slot or through hole 14 of such shell 4, and being screwed into such dovetail elements 12 so as to allow for an essentially angular lateral movement, along an angle &#34;α&#34; determined by the position of the axle 13 in the slot 14, of the boot 2 with respect to the frame 5 thus ensuring a self-adaptation of the morphology of a user&#39;s foot to the skate 1, such adaptation occurring before the definitive tightening of the linkage member. 
     Preferably, the dovetail element 12 angularly adjustable along the angle &#34;α&#34; and constituting the means for linking the frame 5 with the shell 4, is arranged along the longitudinal axis plane XX&#39; of the skate 1 in the zone of the metatarsal bones of the skater&#39;s foot. Nevertheless, this device can be obtained in the heel zone. 
     Another advantage of the invention, such as has just been described, consists in that it is possible to obtain the aforementioned angular adjustment, without dismounting the wheels as required currently by simply displacing the dovetail element with respect to the shell 14 of the boot after unscrewing, then screwing back the axle 13. 
     The instant application is based upon French Priority Patent Application No. 96.03566, filed on Mar. 18, 1995, the disclosure of which is hereby expressly incorporated by reference thereto, and the priority of which is hereby claimed under 35 U.S.C. §119.