Patent Publication Number: US-2007102891-A1

Title: Foot movable mechanism and brake in skating

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
      The present invention relates to, in a sporting gear such as a roller skate or in-line skate, connection of a frame which supports wheels and a shoe or a plate for mounting the shoe, and a brake.  
     BACKGROUND ART  
      Conventionally, a shoe or a plate for mounting the shoe, and a frame which supports wheels are connected mainly integrally. As a brake mechanism, one is mainly used in which stationary rubber members are attached to the front and rear portions of a sporting gear to urge the sporting gear against the ground. Another brake mechanism is also known with which the skater bends his ankle forward or backward to brake.  
      With such a sporting gear, particularly a beginner often loses his balance during skating to fall. Even when the skater loses his balance only slightly, the wheels rotate undesirably and the skater&#39;s leg slides forward or backward, leading to a fall. To prevent the fall, the slight loss of balance must be detected. When the wheels are to rotate whether forward or backward against the skater&#39;s will, the rotation must be stopped immediately to prevent the skater from falling, which is the problem.  
     DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION  
      In order to solve this problem, according to the present invention, first, as a multi-shaft mechanism, two or more shafts are provided to a shoe or a plate for mounting the shoe, or a frame which supports wheels. The shoe or plate and the frame are connected to each other through the shafts. The mechanism is incorporated which enables the shoe or plate to move like a pendulum, in other words, like a see-saw relative to the frame about the shafts as fulcrums.  
      With the multi-shaft mechanism, the skater can lower his two heels simultaneously, or open his legs apart forward and backward and lower and raise the heels of the front and rear legs respectively, to brake with the two feet simultaneously.  
      When the skater raises the heel of his rear leg, he may raise the heel to a predetermined angle or more and then brake, so that he can brake with his barycenter being lowered as in the telemark style of ski jump.  
      With the multi-shaft mechanism, preferably, the shafts are divided into the front and rear portions of the foot such that the front shaft is located near the ball of the foot or on its front side. Then, the skater can raise his heel and strike strongly with the ball of the foot. Also, stability during skating can be ensured.  
      The rear shaft is located at such a position that the skater can brake by lowering his heel about the shaft as the fulcrum. Preferably, the rear shaft is located near the ankle of the foot or on its rear side. Then, stability during skating can be ensured.  
      A link mechanism, or a belt, chain, wire, or the like is provided to connect and interlock front and rear brakes with each other. Part of the link mechanism or the like is pushed or pulled by raising and lowering the heel to render the front and rear brakes operative simultaneously.  
      The mechanism in which the front and rear brakes are connected to each other by the link mechanism, or by the belt, chain, wire, or the like in this manner so that the front and rear brakes are braked simultaneously will be referred to as a brake interlocking mechanism hereinafter.  
      With the multi-shaft mechanism and brake interlocking mechanism, when the skater loses his balance or intends to brake, he can brake with his two feet simultaneously by lowering or raising his heels.  
      Even when the brake of one foot wears and does not work effectively, the skater can brake with the other foot.  
      In the brake interlocking mechanism, a brake shoe is urged against the wheels, or drums or disks integral with the wheels, thus enabling braking. The shape of the brake portion is not limited. The brake interlocking mechanism can perform adjustment so that braking is rendered operative even with a slight loss in balance or by foot operation.  
      In this manner, the front and rear wheels can be braked simultaneously by the brake interlocking mechanism. Thus, all the wheels can be braked, so that braking can be rendered operative more reliably. The front or rear wheels alone can be braked as a matter of course.  
      With the brake interlocking mechanism, the shoe or the plate for mounting the shoe, and the frame can be connected to each other through one shaft and be functioned. If the shoe or plate is connected and interlocked with part of the brake interlocking mechanism at a position closer to the toe than this one shaft, when the skater lowers his heel about one shaft as a fulcrum, part of the brake interlocking mechanism can be pulled up at the connecting portion and part of the brake interlocking mechanism can be pushed down by the heel to brake the front and rear wheels simultaneously.  
      In the mechanism in which the front and rear brakes are interlocked with each other by using the belt, chain, or wire, the tension of the brakes to act on the front and rear wheels, or drums or disks interlocked with the wheels can be easily applied to them evenly. Thus, braking can be performed stably.  
      Braking can be functioned also when the front brake is connected to the toe portion of the shoe or the plate for mounting the shoe by using a belt, chain, wire, or the like, and the rear brake is connected to the heel portion. In this case, springs may be incorporated which adjust the tension of the front and rear brakes.  
      With the brake mechanism which uses the belt, chain, or wire, further weight reduction can be achieved.  
      In this manner, when the multi-shaft mechanism and brake interlocking mechanism are incorporated together, even if the skater loses his balance during skating, his feet will not slide undesirably but he can maintain his posture. Thus, a very stable sporting gear can be obtained. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1 : embodiment; a side view of a state during skating  
       FIG. 2 : embodiment; a view showing a state wherein the heel is lowered to brake 
    
    
     EXPLANATION On REFERENCE NUMERALS  
     
         
           10 : shoe  
           11 : plate from which the shoe can be removed  
           12 : frame  
           13 : front shaft  
           14 : rear shaft  
           15 : guide groove  
           16 : guide groove  
           17 : shaft  
           18 : shaft  
           1 A: front wheel  
           1   a : rear wheel  
           1 B: drum  
           1   b : drum  
           1 F: roller  
           1   f : roller  
           1 N: braking rubber member or brake shoe  
           1   n : braking rubber member of brake shoe  
           1   u : roller for guiding belt  1   w    
           1   w : belt  
       
    
     BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION  
      An embodiment will be described wherein two shafts are attached to a plate, and front and rear brakes are interlocked with each other by using a belt. Regarding  FIGS. 1 and 2 ,  FIG. 1  is a side view of a state during skating, and  FIG. 2  is a side view showing a state wherein the heel of  FIG. 1  is lowered to brake.  
      Referring to  FIG. 1 , front and rear brake portions are connected to each other through a belt  1   w . The belt is lightly strained.  
      A shoe  10  has such a shape that it can be mounted on and removed from a plate  11 . The plate  11  has shafts  13  and  14  integrally, and rollers  1 F at its toe portion and rollers  1   f  at its heel portion. A frame  12  fixes shafts  17  and  18  of wheels  1 A and  1   a , and has grooves  15  and  16  to guide the shafts  13  and  14  and rollers  1   u  to guide the belt  1   w.    
      The shafts  13  and  14  are combined with the grooves  15  and  16  so the frame  12  supports the plate  11 .  
      When two shafts are provided as in this embodiment, the plate  11  can be moved like a pendulum relative to the frame  12 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , when the heel is to be lowered, the shaft  14  serves as a fulcrum, and when the heel is to be raised, the shaft  13  serves as a fulcrum. The plate  11  for mounting the shoe has the rollers  1 F in two levels at its front portion and the rollers  1   f  in two levels at its rear portion. When the heel is raised and lowered, the rollers  1 F and  1   f  pull or push the belt  1   w  to render the front and rear brakes operative. In  FIG. 2 , the rollers  1   f  at the heel portion push the belt  1   w  and the rollers  1 F at the toe portion pull the belt  1   w , thus rendering the front and rear brakes operative.  
     INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY  
      To use a sporting gear such as a conventional roller skate or in-line skate, advanced techniques and skills are required. Because of the characteristics of the sporting gear that the wheels freely rotate anytime, it is difficult to adjust the balance while skating. Even to stop motionless at the spot is unstable and requires sufficient practice.  
      The present invention solves these drawbacks. When the brake interlocking mechanism according to the present invention is incorporated, anyone can adjust the balance and stop easily without requiring advanced techniques and skills. A sporting gear is thus provided which can be used by people of a larger number of age groups than before.