Patent Publication Number: US-6902173-B2

Title: Frame for a skate, and a skate having such frame

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The invention relates to a roller skate, in particular a skate enabling its wearer to execute figures. 
   2. Description of Background and Relevant Information 
   A skate of the above-mentioned type is known for a so-called aggressive skating style in which the skater executes sliding or jumping figures, i.e., tricks, on obstacles that he or she encounters in the streets and otherwise, such as in urban or park areas, particularly curbs, the edges of sidewalks, concrete walls, stair railings, benches, and ramps for example. 
   European Patent Application 0 891 794, and its counterpart, U.S. Pat. No. 6,394,469, describe a skate for this type of skating style. 
   The skate includes a frame upon which a shell and a liner for the skater&#39;s foot are affixed. 
   The frame has two lengthy and parallel vertical flanges that form a groove in which four in-line wheels are mounted. Between the two middle wheels, the flanges of the frame are hollowed out so as to form a sort of arc oriented transversely with respect to the longitudinal direction defined by the frame. 
   The skater uses this arc, for instance, to slide along the edge of a sidewalk or a stair railing with the skate turned sideways. The arc is used as a guiding support during a sliding phase and as an impulse support when jumping. Two other support zones of the skate are also used for executing various tricks or figures. They are the two corner surfaces demarcated by the sole of the shell, or the support plate of the boot, and the flanges of the frame on the medial and lateral sides. Any time the skater slides, but does not roll with the wheels, with a part of the skate, it is called “grinding.” When this sliding occurs in the zone separating the two middle wheels, it is called “royal grinding.” 
   As for the arc, its dimensions in height and length are relatively reduced given its positioning between the middle wheels. As a result, the range of movement and the possibilities for movement for the skater are relatively limited and, therefore, the skater is restricted to a grind in which the skate is maintained transverse, generally perpendicular, to the railing or the edge of the obstacle. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   One object of the invention is to improve the aforementioned possibilities for movement and to give greater fluidity to the figures that the skater executes. 
   To this end, the invention proposes a frame, and a skate having such frame, with an elongated lower member for supporting the wheels which extends along the longitudinal direction defined by the frame, the elongated wheel-supporting member having a housing at each of its ends demarcated by two lateral walls between which is assembled a wheel mounted on an axle, and the elongated wheel-supporting member having between the wheel housings, or attached thereto, a lower arc demarcated by a surface, such as a curved surface, extending inwardly of the skate with respect to a line defined by the contact points of the two wheels on a planar surface, wherein the arc extends over a length equal to or greater than a third of the distance between the axes of the two wheel axles. Furthermore, the geometry of the arc ensures a deflector function such that, when the skater is in the position to grind, a turn of 180° or more can be accomplished, including “circular” grinds, while having the frame remaining in contact with the railing or other obstacle and without the wheels touching it. 
   In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the deflector function is ensured by the presence of extensions, or fairings, provided at the ends of the arc and that cover the lower part of the wheels located toward the inside of the lower wheel-supporting member of the frame. 
   In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the geometry of the arc is such that if one were to imagine extending the arc in the direction toward each of the two wheels, the imaginary line thus made passes underneath the wheels. Preferably, the imaginary line is substantially tangential to the periphery of the wheels while passing underneath. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
     The invention will be better understood with reference to the following description and attached drawings of non-limiting embodiments of the invention, in which: 
       FIG. 1  shows a side view of a skate according to a first embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a bottom view of the elongated member of the frame for supporting the wheels; 
       FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the wheel-supporting member of  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 4  shows a side view of the wheel-supporting member according to another embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 5  is a bottom view of the wheel-supporting member of  FIG. 4 ; 
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view of an elongated wheel-supporting member according to a third embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the shoe associated with the elongated member of  FIG. 6 ; and 
       FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view of the assembly of the shoe and the elongated member of FIGS.  6  and  7 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   The skate  1  shown in  FIG. 1  has, in its upper portion, a shell  2  provided to receive a boot. 
   The shell has a support plate  3  provided to receive a boot sole and an upper  4  that extends upwardly along the skater&#39;s ankle. As shown, particularly because the invention is directed to an “aggressive” skate, the support plate preferably extends along a single horizontal plane to be mounted upon a mating planar surface of the frame, the frame being further described below. 
   The skater&#39;s foot and boot are immobilized in the shell by a metatarsal strap  7 , a lower leg strap  8 , and an instep strap  9 . The straps  7 ,  8 ,  9  can be fitted with padded cushions if desired. It is within the scope of the invention to immobilize the foot and boot by other means, instead of or in addition to straps, such as buckles, for example. 
   The shell is made of any appropriate material, particularly plastic that, optionally, can be fiber-reinforced. 
   The construction that has just been described is not limiting and, instead of a shell provided to receive a boot, one could provide the skate with a rigid cradle having a flexible liner in which the skater directly places his/her foot. Other constructions are also considered to be within the scope of the invention. 
   With reference to  FIG. 1 , the frame of the skate includes a lower elongated member  10  for supporting the wheels  16 ,  17  beneath the shell  2  of the skate. 
   The elongated member  10  extends longitudinally along the shell  2  and in a continuous manner substantially over its entire length. At each of its ends, the elongated member  10  has a housing demarcated by two lateral walls or flanges  11 ,  12  and  13 ,  14 . A wheel  16 ,  17  is housed in each of the housings, respectively, and it is mounted on an axle, respectively, extending along axes  18 ,  19 , supported by the side walls of the elongated member  10 . The wheels  16 ,  17  can be of any appropriate type. It is preferred that the diameter of the wheels be relatively small. Good results can be achieved with wheels having a diameter of 54-58 millimeters, although this particular dimension is not to be considered as limiting. Because there are only two wheels for supporting the skater rather than four, the surface available for the grind is larger, as much as 50% larger or more. 
   Further, the top surface of the elongated member  10  preferably extends along a single horizontal plane, parallel to the axes of the wheels of the skate, to mate with the above-mentioned support plate of the boot. It is contemplated that the elongated member  10  can additionally include front and rear horizontally and outwardly projecting portions  10   a ,  10   b  for supporting the boot, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,394,469, for example, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference thereto for this purpose. Such support portions could be made unitarily with the remainder of the elongated member  10  or each such portion could be separately affixed thereto, such as by means of longitudinal grooves and ribs on the upper regions at the ends of the elongated member  10  and the supporting portions, respectively. As mentioned in the aforementioned patent, the lower surfaces of the projecting portions would provide sliding surfaces for the skater, which extend along a common plane. 
   As seen in  FIG. 1 , the height of the lower elongated member  10  is slightly less than the diameter of the wheel  16  or  17 , and the axles of the wheels are preferably placed toward the middle of the height of the elongated member  10 , in the area of a protuberance of the side walls so that the wheels are clear of the elongated member  10  toward the front and rear of the skate. 
   Also, in a preferred manner, the elongated member  10  of the frame includes lower extensions  20 ,  21 , or fairings, that are flush with, or substantially flush with, the surface defined by the contact lines between the wheels and the ground. See  FIG. 1 , e.g., in this regard. In this manner, the elongated member  10  offers a ground clearance that is minimized toward the two ends of the elongated member  10 . More specifically for the embodiment shown, the extensions  20 ,  21  extend the elongated member to the wheels so as to surround the lower portions of the wheels that are located toward the inside of the elongated member  10 , in the nature of a fairing on a motorcycle, particularly a lower fairing of a motorcycle, for example. These extensions then function as deflectors that avoid wheel contact with the grinding surface, such as a railing, for example. Preferably, on each side of the wheels, the extensions have beveled sides  20   a ,  20   b ,  21   a ,  21   b , respectively, to avoid contact between the extensions  20 ,  21  and the ground or sliding surface if the skate is inclined. 
   Between the two extensions  20  and  21 , the lower surface  24  of the elongated member  10  defines an arc, or arch, demarcated by a lower surface, preferably a smooth surface, and preferably curved in total or in part, the surface extending inwardly toward the remainder of the skate, and facing a line defined by the contact points of the two wheels when supported on a planar surface as shown in FIG.  1 . 
   According to the embodiment of  FIGS. 1-3 , the curvature of the arc  24  is not constant. The arc has a curved surface in its median portion, and inclined and planar, or substantially planar, surfaces extending toward each of the ends of the arc. However, this is not limiting, and the radius of curvature could vary along the length of the arc or it could be constant along the length thereof. Likewise, the arc could be asymmetrical with respect to its median portion. For example, the apex of the arc could be located at other than precisely in the middle of the elongated member  10  of the frame. 
   According to the embodiment shown, the curved surface of the median portion of the arc corresponds to the apex  24   a  of the arc, which is located slightly below the axes  18 ,  19  of the wheels. This geometry favors the positioning of the skater on the railing; when the skate is exactly perpendicular to the rail, the skate/ramp contact occurs in the area of the apex  24   a  of the arc. 
   Seen from the top, the elongated member  10  preferably has two lateral curved surfaces  26  and  27  that converge toward each other toward the middle of the length of the elongated member. As with the surface  24 , the surfaces  26  and  27  can have a constant or non-constant curvature and be symmetrical or asymmetrical. In fact, these lateral surfaces  26 ,  27  can themselves form lateral arcs. 
   In a preferred manner, a beveled zone  28 ,  29  is located at the junction of the arc  24  and the two lateral surfaces  26  and  27 . Instead of one bevel, there could be a plurality of successive bevels with various orientations or yet a rounded junction surface. 
   In the preferred embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , although also within the scope of other embodiments of the invention, the two beveled zones  28 ,  29  are spaced apart a distance of approximately 20 millimeters at least in the region of the apex  24   a  of the arc  24 . At least in the central region of the arc  24 , i.e., at least in the area of the apex  24   a  and possibly as far as the housings  36 ,  37  (further described below) or as far as the two extensions  20 ,  21 , i.e., possibly throughout the entirety of the arc, the arc is flat at least in vertical transverse cross section. That is, in cross section, the aforementioned flat regions of the arc  24  would be represented by a straight horizontal line. This flatness provides the skater with stability and control as he/she is positioned on the sliding obstacle. The arc  24  as shown in  FIG. 2  is laterally centered on the elongated member  10  of the frame, that is, it extends on either side of a longitudinal vertical median plane of the elongated member. 
   The arc  24  and the lateral surfaces  26 ,  27  are provided to serve as a guiding support during the sliding of the skate along a rail, for instance, while the orientation of the skate might vary with respect to the rail, i.e., with respect to the grind surface. Given the wide span of the arcs with respect to the length of the elongated member  10 , the skater has greater ease of movement when executing a trick, such as a grind, and greater support when jumping. The difference between the distance L between the axes of the two axles  18 ,  19  and the longitudinal extension V of the arc  24  is less than the average diameter of the wheels D. Thus, the extensions  20  and  21  cover part of the wheels in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , for example. The ground clearance that is minimized in the area of the wheels also improves the possibilities of movement by facilitating the passage of the wheels above the rail, ledges, or other grinding surface or obstacle. The amplitude of the arc substantially increases the possible sliding angle. The skater is no longer limited to the transverse positioning of the skate with respect to the ramp or sliding surface. A turn with the skate up to 180° and greater with respect to the ramp is even possible without the wheels touching the railing. As a matter of fact, the extensions  20  and  21  ensure the role of a deflector when the orientation of the beam approaches that of the rail. 
   According to the embodiment shown, the extensions  20 ,  21  cover the lower portion of the wheels located toward the inside of the elongated member  10 . However, this is not limiting, and the extensions can also be constituted by downward extensions of the side walls  11 ,  12 ,  13 ,  14 , ensuring the deflector function, as with the embodiment shown. 
   By providing for the aforementioned extensions  20 ,  21 , the arc of the grinding surface is maximized, that is, the length of the grinding area is increased from that of traditional flat frames, for example. In other words, because the middle of the frame is an arc, rather than a straight line, it creates more area for grinding than that of a traditional frame, even without middle wheels, because an arc between two points is longer than a straight line. 
   Therefore, because the grinding surface is made longer by means of the extensions, traditional/linear grinds, i.e., frontsides, backsides, royales, backslides, fastslides, and any other grinds where at least one of the skaters two frames are grinding/sliding sideways are accentuated. Further, the invention makes possible new “circular” grinds, in which a skater can switch his/her footing and grinding stance without having the frames of the skates leave the grinding obstacle, but also allows the skater to combine these two types of grinds, viz., linear to circular or circular to linear, without having the frames of the skates leave the grinding surface. 
   As mentioned above, the extensions, or fairings, are not exclusively extensions of the bottom arc, but include the aforementioned sides  26 ,  27 . In other words, the side of the frame and the arc  24  are connected by another surface, viz., the side of the extension/fairing. This new surface allows skaters to transition more smoothly from “cess slides” (sliding on the side of the boot) to traditional grinds (such as souls, makios, and pornstars). Further, the sides of the frame, i.e., the sides of the elongated member  10  include beveled (or carved out) areas  28 ,  29  to minimize friction on grinds that utilize the sole of the boot, such as soul grinds, makios, acids, mizous, topsoles, and fishbrains. 
   The elongated member  10  can be made from any appropriate material, particularly plastic that can be fiber-reinforced and molded, preferably as a one-piece construction, as shown in the embodiment of  FIGS. 1-3 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , for example, the elongated member can be manufactured with a U-shaped section having lateral and lower walls defining surfaces of the lower and lateral arcs, with connecting spacers  31 ,  32 , and  33  internally connecting the walls in the proximity of the wheels and toward the middle. Other constructions could also be used. 
   The elongated member  10  is assembled to the shell  2  or to a boot, depending on the case, by any appropriate means. For example, as it is shown, the elongated member is equipped at the front and rear with two shoulder housings  36 ,  37  located in the spacer zones  31  and  33  in the proximity of the wheels. These housings  36 ,  37  are provided for screws for assembling the shell to the upper portion of the elongated member, possibly in cooperation with complementary nesting forms. This assembly method advantageously allows exchanging the skate element that receives the skater&#39;s foot or boot. Nevertheless, it is not limiting, and other assembly methods could also be used. For instance, the elongated member  10  and the shell could form a one-piece assembly. 
     FIGS. 4 and 5  show an alternative construction of the frame according to the invention. 
   As in the previous case, the frame has a lower supporting member  40  equipped with a wheel  41 ,  42  mounted in respective housings at each of its ends. The elongated member  40  has a lower arc  45 , two lateral arcs  46 ,  47 , and two beveled junction zones  48 ,  49 . 
   Contrary to the previous construction, the arc  45  extends only over a portion of the lower length of the elongated member  40 . The arc  45 , however, is longer than arcs used up until now for skates, and the frame supports only two wheels. In order to achieve the results expected by the invention, the arc must extend over a distance that is greater than a third of the distance between the axes of the wheels and, preferably, greater than one-half of this distance. 
   In spite of the lack of lower extensions as in the preceding embodiment, the deflector function of the construction according to  FIGS. 4 and 5  is ensured by the particular geometry of the arc. The arc has a constant curvature and its extension toward the two ends of the elongated member  40  defines an imaginary line  43  that is substantially tangent to the periphery of the wheels while remaining lower than this periphery. It is also possible that the lower arc  45  has, as in the preceding embodiment, a curved median zone surrounded by two planar, or substantially planar and inclined zones. 
   The lateral arcs  46 ,  47  extend longitudinally as much as the lower arc. However, this is not limiting, and one can provide that the lateral arcs  46 ,  47  extend over a distance that is different from that of the lower arc  45 . 
     FIGS. 6 ,  7  and  8  show a third embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, the frame provided for attaching the two wheels to each of its ends has two main parts, an upper-positioned elongated member  50  and a lower-positioned shoe  51 . 
     FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the elongated member  50 . As in the previous embodiments, the elongated member  50  extends longitudinally and has at each of its ends a housing limited by two lateral walls. Openings are provided in these lateral walls, which allow the attachment of the wheels. Each of the lateral walls is also equipped with a dovetailed vertical slot  53 . The central portion of the elongated member  50  is constituted by an arc  52 . The elongated member  50  is made from plastic reinforced with glass fiber in order to increase its strength. Like the embodiments described above, the elongated member  50  can additionally include front and rear horizontally and outwardly projecting portions (not shown in  FIG. 6 ) for supporting the boot for providing sliding surfaces for the skater. 
     FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the shoe  51 . The shoe  51  has two lateral sides  54  and  55  that are connected together on their lower sides by a lower part  56  of the shoe which has a lower surface which defines an arc. The longitudinal extension V of the arc is greater than a third of the distance L separating the axes of the two wheel axles. In addition, as shown in  FIG. 8 , the arc of the lower shoe portion  56  is extended at each of its ends by extensions  57  and  58  adapted to cover a lower portion of the wheels. These extensions  57  and  58  ensure the aforementioned deflector function and prevent wheel contact with the rail, e.g., during a maneuver executed on the rail. The shoe  51  is made of a material that promotes sliding, such as DELRIN®, for example. This is not limiting and another material could be selected. 
   With the embodiment of  FIGS. 7 ,  8 , taken together with the aforementioned embodiments, it can be said that, with regard to any of the embodiments, the longitudinal extension V of the lower arc of the invention is greater than the distance L separating the axes of the two wheels minus the diameter D of the wheels, i.e., V&gt;L−D. 
     FIG. 8  shows a cross-sectional view of the assembled frame of the third embodiment before it is attached to the boot. The two wheels are mounted in the housings of the elongated member  50 . Then the shoe is inserted from underneath into the elongated member  50 . As shown in  FIG. 7 , tenons  59  that project from the inner surfaces of the lateral sides of the shoe  51  cooperate with slots  53  provided in the elongated member  50  to position and maintain the shoe  51  in the elongated member. Cylindrical shafts  60  are made in the shoe which serve to insert two attaching means (not shown) for attaching the shoe  51  and the elongated member  50  to the boot. 
   In this embodiment of the invention, all of the parts of the frame which come into contact with the surfaces for grinding are constituted by the shoe  51  of the frame, which is interchangeable. The shoe could thus be easily replaced if it is worn out or if the skater desires to modify the sliding properties of the skate. As an example, an inexperienced skater will prefer a shoe with limited sliding capabilities. Another advantage of this embodiment lies in the fact that the wheel axles (not shown) are completely hidden by the shoe  51 . Thus, there is no risk of damaging the screw heads that serve to attach the wheels. Furthermore, unscrewing of the wheels and the loss of a wheel when skating are prevented. The profile of the arc is that of a “V”, two substantially planar surfaces encompassing a curved median portion. Such a profile gives the skater a reference position, that of a grinding direction perpendicular to the alignment of the two wheels, and that of a contact between the frame and the ramp occurring in the innermost portion of the arc, i.e., in its curved median portion. 
   The present description is given only as an example, and other embodiments of the invention could be used without leaving the scope thereof.