Patent Publication Number: US-6217038-B1

Title: Integral wheel support and brake for in-line skate

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to in-line roller skates and particularly to braking apparatus used therein. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In-line skates have experienced a nearly phenomenal growth and increase in popularity in recent years. Such in-line skates differ from conventional roller skates in that the rolling wheels, usually four, are supported in a straight line front to back arrangement rather than the “four corner” arrangement of a conventional roller skate. This in-line wheel arrangement provides a skating characteristic which is, in many respects, a cross between ice-skating characteristics and conventional roller skating characteristics. The in-line arrangement of rolling wheels also provides substantial speed, control, maneuverability and ease of movement. Skilled users are able to enjoy long graceful gliding maneuvers similar to those enjoyed by ice skaters as well as high speed racing and maneuvering. A substantially greater agility is provided by in-line skates over conventional roller skates. The agility and similarity to ice-skating characteristics has resulted in a new sport in which the game of ice hockey is played with minor rule changes on in-line skates. 
     Historically, as the popularity and interest in in-line skates grew, practitioners in the art endeavored to provide ever improved and evermore appealing in-line skates. There resulted the application of substantial sophistication and technology to provide bearings and wheels which further increased the speed, control, and maneuverability potential of in-line skates. As a result, most commercially available in-line skates are capable of speeds which are often well beyond the skating capabilities and skills of the average user. One particular problem which has arisen is the problem of stopping on in-line skates. Unlike ice skates which allow the skater to stop in a variety of braking actions, in-line skates do not inherently lend themselves to good controlled stopping action. 
     Confronted with the problem of stopping on in-line skates, practitioners in the art initially employed braking apparatus similar to that utilized on four wheel skates of the type generally referred to as “toe stops” and a further similar variant often referred to as “heel stops”. Toe stops provide a high friction material such as rubber or the like supported ahead of the skate toe which is dragged upon the skating surface to achieve braking action. Correspondingly, heel stops utilize a similar high friction material apparatus supported at the rear portion of the skate which is also applied to the skating surface to achieve a frictional stopping action. 
     While such toe stops and heel stops provided some braking action, they have for the most part proven inadequate due to reduced control and maneuverability. As practitioners in the art continued the development of braking apparatus on in-line skates, apparatus for providing a braking action by displacing one of the skate wheels with respect to the remaining wheels upwardly against a braking surface was provided. U.S. Pat. No. 5,501,474 sets forth a BRAKING DEVICE FOR IN-LINE SKATES having a skate frame supporting an in-line plurality of wheels and a body pivotally mounted to the frame between two of the wheels. Biasing means are provided for resiliently biasing the body toward a cruising configuration relative to the frame and braking means are provided for frictionally interacting with two of the wheels in a tilted braking configuration relative to the frame. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,478,094 sets forth a VARIABLE BRAKING SYSTEM having an in-line skate providing a plurality of wheels supported in an in-line arrangement by a frame. A swing arm is pivotally secured to the frame and supports the rearmost wheel while a spring biases the pivoting arm toward an in-line arrangement. A braking surface is supported above the pivotally supported wheel such that the user is able to tilt the skate and overcome the spring bias to drive the rearmost wheel upwardly against the braking surface. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,486,011 sets forth a SPRING BIASED BRAKING DEVICE FOR IN-LINE ROLLER SKATES having a plurality of wheels supported by a frame in an in-line arrangement. The frame supports an axle carried by a pivoting arm which is spring-biased to a cruising position and which is pivotable upwardly to force the pivotally supported wheel against a brake surface on the underside of the skate boot. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,397,138 sets forth a BRAKING MECHANISM FOR IN-LINE SKATE having a boot together with an elongated base plate secured thereto. A plurality of wheel assemblies are attached in-line to the base plate underside and a braking assembly is further supported by the frame. 
     While the foregoing described prior art devices have provided improvement in many instances over the basic toe stop and heel stop braking apparatus, they tend to be unduly complex and therefore unduly costly for practical mass production use. Further, many of the devices set forth above result in compromise of the high speed characteristic or potential of in-line skates. As a result, there remains a continuing unresolved need in the art for an improved, more reliable, less complex and lower cost braking apparatus for in-line skates. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved braking device for in-line skates. It is a more particular object of the present invention to provide a reliable, low cost, relatively simple and integral wheel-operative braking apparatus which safely provides a braking action which relatively unskilled skaters can utilize without compromising the high speed, maneuverability and control characteristics of the in-line skate. 
     In accordance with the present invention, there is provided for use in combination with an in-line skate having a skate frame and a plurality of wheels secured thereto, an integral wheel support and brake comprising: a wheel having a wheel bearing; a channel spacer coupled to the wheel bearing defining a vertical channel; a wheel support constructed to be attached to the skate frame and slidably received within the vertical channel; spring means applying a bias force to urge the wheel downwardly with respect to the wheel support; and a brake surface above the wheel. 
     The present invention also provides for use in combination with an in-line skate having a skate frame and a plurality of wheels secured thereto, an integral wheel support and brake comprising: a brake shoe having a brake surface; a wheel having a wheel bearing; a sliding support, coupled to the bearing, supporting the wheel upon the skate frame such that the wheel is movable between a first position against the brake surface and a second position spaced from the brake surface; and spring means coupled between the sliding support and the wheel bearing for urging the sliding support toward the second position. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The features of the present invention, which are believed to be novel, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in the several figures of which like reference numerals identify like elements and in which: 
     FIG. 1 sets forth a partially sectioned side elevation view of an in-line skate utilizing the present invention braking device; 
     FIG. 2 sets forth a partial section view of the present invention braking device supported within a cooperating in-line skate wheel; 
     FIG. 3 sets forth a rear view of the braking device and in-line skate wheel of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 4 sets forth a partial section view of the present invention braking device and in-line skate wheel of FIG. 2 showing the braking apparatus in the normal skating configuration; 
     FIG. 5 sets forth a section view of the present invention braking device and in-line skate wheel of FIG. 2 showing the braking device during braking action; and 
     FIG. 6 sets forth a perspective assembly view of the present invention braking device assembleable within a cooperating in-line skate wheel. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     FIG. 1 sets forth a partially sectioned side elevation view of an in-line skate generally referenced by numeral  10  which supports a brake assembly constructed in accordance with the present invention and generally referenced by numeral  30 . In-line skate  10  includes a boot  11  supporting a frame  12  on its underside having conventional fabrication for receiving and securing a human foot. In further accordance with conventional fabrication techniques, frame  12  supports a plurality of rolling wheels  13 ,  14  and  15  secured to frame  12  by axles  20 ,  21  and  22  in accordance with conventional fabrication techniques which allow wheels  13  through  15  to be rollable and supported by high speed bearing upon a skating surface  17 . 
     In accordance with the present invention, brake assembly  30  is operative upon a rear wheel  16  which completes the plurality of wheels supported by frame  12 . It will be understood that different numbers of in-line wheels may be utilized in providing rolling support for skate  10  without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Brake assembly  30  supports rear wheel  16  within frame  12  in a movable support described below in which the user is able to shift wheel  16  upwardly within frame  12  to force wheel  16  against a braking surface thereby providing a braking action. 
     More specifically, wheel  16  includes a tire  25  secured to a rim  26 . A bearing  27  having an inner race  28  completes the structure of wheel  16 . In accordance with the present invention, a channel spacer  31  defining an interior channel  32  is received within inner race  28 . In further accordance with the present invention, channel spacer  31  receives a generally rectangular axle block  35  in a sliding engagement of channel  32 . Axle block  35  in turn supports a cylindrical axle boss  33  defining an axle bore  36 . As is set forth below in greater detail, axle bore  36  receives an axle  47  which secures one side of brake assembly  30  to frame  12 . As is better seen in FIG. 2, axle block  35  is vertically supported by a spring  43  (seen in FIG.  2 ). As is also described below in greater detail, spring  43  operates to bias wheel  16  downwardly with respect to frame  12  and boot  11  in the absence of a sufficient force upon wheel  16 . 
     In further accordance with the present invention, a brake shoe  45  formed of a suitably friction producing material defines a brake surface  46  conforming generally to the outer surface of tire  25 . In an alternate fabrication of the present invention, brake shoe  45  may be integrally formed with frame  12  to avoid the use of a separate brake shoe member in place of brake shoe  45 . In either event, the essential function of brake shoe  45  is to provide a static brake surface  46  which conforms sufficiently to the outer surface of tire  16  to provide frictional engagement therewith and thereby provide braking force when needed. 
     In operation, as the user employs skate  10  in accordance with normal skating posture, the skater&#39;s weight is distributed simultaneously between wheels  13 ,  14 ,  15  and  16  upon surface  17 . Under such circumstance, the biasing spring within brake assembly  30  provides sufficient spring force to position wheel  16  away from brake surface  46  thereby allowing wheel  16  to rotate freely along with wheels  13  through  15 . FIG. 4 described below shows the normally biased skating position of brake assembly  30  and wheel  16 . Thus, as the skater rolls along on all four wheels of skate  10 , no braking action is provided. 
     In operation of brake assembly  30  and in accordance with the present invention, the user simply shifts the user&#39;s weight upon skate  10  to be largely imposed upon wheel  16  by lifting the frontal portion of skate  10  and raising wheels  13 ,  14  and possibly  15  out of contact with surface  17 . With skate  10  so positioned, the user&#39;s weight exerts a force downwardly upon frame  12  which is applied to brake assembly  30  and which is sufficient to overcome the bias force of spring  43  (seen in FIG.  4 ). As spring  43  is compressed, and in accordance with an important aspect of the present invention, wheel  16 , rim  26 , bearing  27 , inner race  28  and channel spacer  31  are moved upwardly with respect to frame  12  as the compression of spring  43  (seen in FIG. 4) allows a downward relative motion of axle block  35 , axle boss  33  and axle  34 . The net effect is the upward movement of wheel  16  with respect to frame  12  as indicated by arrow  50  bringing frame  12  downwardly as indicated by arrow  51  and forcing tire  25  upwardly against brake surface  46  of brake shoe  45 . The friction between brake surface  46  and the cooperating surface of tire  25  provides a braking action rapidly slowing the skater. Once the braking action is no longer needed, the skater simply pivots forwardly on skate  10  restoring the contact of wheels  13  through  15  with surface  17  and redistributing the skater&#39;s weight between all four wheels. With the skater&#39;s weight thus redistributed, the force of spring  43  (seen in FIG. 4) again biases wheel  16  away from brake surface  46  into general alignment with wheels  13  through  15 . This in turn restores normal skating action. 
     FIG. 2 sets forth a partially sectioned side elevation view of the present invention brake assembly within wheel  16 . In the configuration shown in FIG. 2, brake assembly  30  supports wheel  16  in the normal or freely rolling nonbreaking position. Thus, as described above, wheel  16  includes a tire  25  coupled to a rim  26  which in turn receives a bearing  27 . Bearing  27  includes an inner race  28  and completes the structure of wheel  16 . In further accordance with the present invention, brake assembly  30  includes a channel spacer  31  received within the interior of inner race  28  and defining a channel  32 . An axle block  35 , which as is better seen in FIG. 6 is supported by hub  40 , also seen in FIG. 6, is slidably received within channel  32  and further supports an axle boss  33 . Axle boss  33  is received within an aperture  42  formed in hub  41  and in turn defines a threaded axle bore  36  which receives axle  47 . As described above, axle block  35  is slidably supported within channel  32  of channel spacer  31  and is biased toward the upper end of channel  32  by a spring  43 . Under normal circumstances, spring  43  provides sufficient upwardly exerted biasing force to maintain the normal concentric alignment between axle  47  and wheel  16 . Thus, the configuration of brake assembly  30  shown in FIG. 2 corresponds to the configuration shown in FIG.  4 . When the skater undertakes the above-described tilting or pivoting of skate  10  (seen in FIG. 1) to increase the proportion of the skater&#39;s weight applied to wheel  16 , the force of spring  43  is overcome allowing a relative movement of wheel  16  upwardly with respect to axle  47  thereby producing the braking position of brake assembly  30  shown in FIGS. 1 and 5. 
     FIG. 3 sets forth a rear view of wheel  16  having tire  25  showing wheel  16  supported between hubs  40  and  41 . It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the shape of tire  25  of wheel  16  is largely a matter of design choice. The shape of tire  25  shown for purposes of illustration is not intended in any way to limit the present invention braking device to any particular tire shape. In accordance with general fabrication techniques, the shape of tires used for in-line skates varies as practitioners design wheels and tires to meet different operating conditions. The most typical in-line skate tire utilizes a crowned surface such as crowned surface  49  shown in dashed-line representation in FIG.  3 . However, virtually any shaped wheel and tire combination may be used in combination with the present invention braking device. 
     FIG. 4 sets forth a partially sectioned view of wheel  16  supporting brake assembly  30  in the normal cruising or freely rotating position which the brake assembly assumes in the absence of the above-described braking action by the skater. As set forth above, wheel  16  includes a tire  25  coupled to a rim  26  which in turn is rotatably supported by a bearing  27 . Bearing  27  includes an inner race  28  which supports a channel spacer  31 . A channel  32  is formed within spacer  31  and receives an axle block  35  in a sliding engagement. Axle block  35  is supported by and preferably integrally formed with a hub  40 . Axle block  35  further supports an axle boss  33  extending therefrom which in turn defines an axle bore  36 . A hub  41  defines an annular member having an aperture  42  formed therein which receives axle boss  33 . Axle block  35  further defines a recess  44  on the underside thereof within which a coil spring  43  is captivated and extends downwardly against inner race  28  of bearing  27 . A frame  12 , which as is better seen in FIG. 1 is secured to the underside of boot  11  of skate  10 , extends on each side of brake assembly  30  and is secured to hubs  40  and  41  by a pair of axles  48  and  47 . In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, axles  47  and  48  threadably engage hubs  41  and  40  respectively to secure hubs  40  and  41  to frame  12 . However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that different types of axle attachment may be utilized to secure hubs  40  and  41  to frame  12  without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
     In accordance with an important aspect of the present invention, channel spacer  31  is fitted within the interior surface of inner race  28  of bearing  27  such that channel  32  formed therein is downwardly open in the position shown. In further accordance with the present invention, the width of axle block  35  is slightly greater than the width of channel spacer  31  thereby supporting hubs  40  and  41  close to but slightly spaced from channel spacer  31 . This allows the combined assembly of hub  40 , axle block  35 , axle boss  33 , and hub  41  to be slidably movable with respect to channel spacer  31  and the remainder of wheel  16 . As a result, the secure attachment of hubs  40  and  41  to frame  12  provided by axles  48  and  47  respectively permits wheel  16  and channel spacer  31  to move vertically as axle block 35 slides within channel  32  of channel spacer  31 . The degree of motion provided by this sliding support is illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 and ranges between the normal concentric free-wheeling arrangement shown in FIG. 4 to the offset braking position shown in FIG.  5 . 
     The captivation of spring  43  between the bottom interior surface of inner race  28  and recess  44  biases wheel  16  downwardly with respect to frame  12  until axle block  35  abuts the end surface of channel  32  within channel spacer  31 . In the preferred fabrication of the present invention, the spring force of spring  43  is selected to be greater than the proportionate part of the skater&#39;s weight applied to wheel  16  when all skate wheels are on the ground and to be less than the force produced when the skater&#39;s weight is all or largely imposed upon wheel  16  during the tilted position of the skate illustrated in FIG.  1 . Thus, under normal skating conditions with weight equally distributed among the skate wheels, spring  43  biases wheel  16  downwardly with respect to frame  12  creating a space between brake shoe  45  and the outer surface of tire  25 . With increased force as described above, spring  43  collapses reconfiguring brake assembly  30  to the braking position shown in FIG.  5 . 
     FIG. 5 sets forth a partial section view of the present invention brake assembly operative within wheel  16  during the application of braking action illustrated in FIG.  1 . As described above, wheel  16  includes a tire  25  coupled to a rim  26  which in turn is rotatably supported by a bearing  27 . Bearing  27  includes an inner race  28  which supports a channel spacer  31 . A channel  32  is formed within spacer  31  and receives an axle block  35  in a sliding engagement. Axle block  35  is supported by and preferably integrally formed with a hub  40 . Axle block  35  further supports an axle boss  33  extending therefrom which in turn defines an axle bore  36 . A hub  41  defines an annular member having an aperture  42  formed therein which receives axle boss  33 . Axle block  35  further defines a recess  44  on the underside thereof within which a coil spring  43  is captivated and extends downwardly against inner race  28  of bearing  27 . A frame  12 , which as is better seen in FIG. 1 is secured to the underside of boot  11  of skate  10 , extends on each side of brake assembly  30  and is secured to hubs  40  and  41  by a pair of axles  48  and  47 . In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, axles  47  and  48  threadably engage hubs  41  and  40  respectively to secure hubs  40  and  41  to frame  12 . However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that different types of axle attachment may be utilized to secure hubs  40  and  41  to frame  12  without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
     FIG. 5 shows the braking action of brake assembly  30  as the skater employs the tilting of skate  10  illustrated in FIG.  1  to apply sufficient force to brake assembly  30  to collapse spring  43 . As mentioned above, the sliding engagement of axle block  35  within channel  32  of channel spacer  31  allows the combined structure of hub  40 , axle block  35 , axle boss  33  and hub  41  to remain secured to frame  12  while the combination of channel spacer  31  and wheel  16  is movable with respect to frame  12 . In the position shown in FIG. 5, sufficient weight has been applied to overcome the bias force of spring  43  and collapse spring  43  allowing channel spacer  31  and wheel  16  to move upwardly with respect to frame  12  in the direction indicated by arrow  55 . This upward movement forces the outer surface of tire  16  against brake shoe  45  to produce frictional drag and braking action which slows the skater. When the braking force is no longer desired, the user again reorients the skate to bring all wheels in contact with the skating surface and allows the force of spring  43  to drive wheel  16  and channel spacer  31  downwardly to the free-rolling position shown in FIG.  4 . Thus, an effective and efficient braking system is provided which avoids the need to articulate pivotal arm supports and the like which prior art systems have heretofore required. The entire braking assembly is received within a specially cooperating wheel to provide an integral wheel support and brake assembly which does not interfere or specially modify the skate frame or skating characteristics. 
     FIG. 6 sets forth a perspective assembly view of the present invention brake assembly generally referenced by numeral  30  and a cooperation wheel generally referenced by numeral  16 . Wheel  16  includes a tire  25  coupled to a rim  26  which in turn is coupled to a bearing  27 . Bearing  27  includes an inner race  28  which in accordance with conventional bearing fabrication allows race  28  to be freely rotatable with respect to the remainder of bearing  27 , rim  26  and tire  25 . In accordance with the preferred fabrication of the present invention, the diameter of inner race  28  is sized to receive a channel spacer  31  having a largely cylindrical outer surface in a secure precision fit. Channel spacer  31  defines a channel  32  and is received within inner race  28  in the above-described tight precision fit. Thus, for all practical purposes, channel spacer  31  becomes joined to inner race  28 . This in turn allows the combined structure of tire  25  and rim  26  to rotate with respect to inner race  28  through the action of bearing  27 . Brake assembly  30  further includes a hub  40  having an axle block  45  joined thereto which in turn supports a cylindrical axle boss  33 . In the preferred fabrication of the present invention, hub  40 , axle block  35  and axle boss  33  are integrally formed as a single common member. As is better seen in FIG. 4, axle block  35  defines a recess  44  on the undersurface thereof. Recess  44  receives the upper end of a coil spring  43 . The bottom end of spring  43  is forced against the inner race  28  and captivated between axle block  35  and inner race  28  following the assembly of channel spacer  31  into inner race  28  and the insertion of axle block  35  into channel  32 . With axle block  35  thus assembled, axle boss  33  extends beyond channel spacer  31 . Hub  41  defines an aperture  42  sized to fit upon axle boss  33  and thereby allow assembly of hub  41 . 
     With the assembly of channel spacer  31  into inner race  28  and the assembly of hub  40  and axle block  35  to spacer  31  captivating spring  43  as described, the assembly of hub  41  upon axle boss  33  completes the combined assembly of wheel  16  and brake assembly  30 . At this point, the combined assembly is secured to the in-line skate frame using for example threaded axles as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. 
     What has been shown is an integral wheel support and brake for in-line skate which is extremely simple and low cost and which is nonetheless safe and reliable in use. The entire brake assembly utilizes a cooperating wheel to provide a highly reliable and highly effective brake mechanism which is low in cost and which requires no alteration of the in-line skate frame. 
     While particular embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects. Therefore, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.