Patent Publication Number: US-6213484-B1

Title: Skateboard with a foot brake

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a skateboard and a foot brake therefor. 
     Conventional skateboards consist of an elongated board and normally two pairs of rollers, of which one pair is secured to the under side of the board at the rear part thereof, and the other at front part thereof. A drawback of these known skateboards is that a beginner has considerable difficulties in learning to ride such a board. As a rule, this learning involves a few falls and the corresponding risk of injury. 
     In a skateboard according to French Patent FR-A-2 564 411, a three-part board is provided, which has at the front and back, respectively, an elevated board part and a central board part therebetween, on which the user may stand. These three board parts are connected to each other by way of tubular frame. This necessitates a complicated manufacture, and with it a limited support surface for the user is provided. 
     A known skateboard according to U.S. Pat. No. 4,707,884 is equipped with a hand-bar, which is fixed to the front of the board via a joint such that it can extend in an upright position, and can be folded down onto the board. With this skateboard, a person standing on the board can hold onto this hand-bar, but he/she cannot use this hand-bar as a control lever, because no flexible members are provided in the mounting of the pairs of rollers. Furthermore, since the pairs of rollers are located below the board, the board should not be articulated, or only to a very limited extent, at right angles to is longitudinal extent with respect to these pairs of rollers. Otherwise the board would touch the rollers, which could lead to falling of the person riding on this board. 
     In the skateboard according to German Patent DE-U-8 517,109, a short board is provided, which offers only a limited foot support surface for a user. The rear pair of rollers is located below this short board, due to which this board cannot be articulated, or only to a very limited extent, at right angles to its longitudinal extent with respect to this pair of rollers. 
     In a further known skateboard according to U.S. Pat. No. 4,179,134, secured to the front side of a skateboard with two pairs of rollers is an upwardly extending flat bar, which at the upper end is provided with horizontal handles on both sides. For securing this flat bar to the board, the bar is bent at the bottom and at this bent portion is secured to the board by means of a second flat bar arranged parallel thereto. This type of attachment is relatively complicated and therefore expensive to manufacture. 
     This skateboard is further provided with a wheel brake, which can be actuated by means of a hand brake located on the flat bar below the handles. This hand brake is connected by way of a cable or the like to a brake lever pivoting on the under side of the board, with the brake lever acting on the rear wheels at the time of braking. This brake likewise has a complicated construction. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In comparison therewith, it is an object of the present invention to provide a skateboard according to the aforementioned type, which has a simple construction, and therefore is economical to produce, so that this skateboard can be converted into a compact state for transportation. This skateboard also offers the guarantee of improved rideability, in particular for a beginner. Furthermore, the skateboard is equipped with a simple brake, which is reliable in operation. 
     The object is achieved according to the invention due to the fact that a longitudinal element or steering element is kept in a pivotable position by means of a joint located above the board, and can be fastened in an upright position by a retaining device. 
     Thus, a person who is unpracticed is able to ride on a skateboard. In addition, this longitudinal or steering element has the advantage that the skateboard can be controlled by a corresponding pivoting movement of the longitudinal element at right angles to the direction of travel, and thus any change of direction can be undertaken. It is therefore suitable as an extremely practical means of travel, which can be carried without problems and without requiring a great deal of space on public transport or the like. 
     The longitudinal element is enabled to be pivoted by a joint located in the front region of the board. By means of this joint the longitudinal element may be tilted parallel to the board or lowered into a recess provided in the board. Thus this skateboard can be carried very easily and it can also be used in a conventional manner. 
     As a further construction according to the invention, this skateboard comprises a foot brake operating in conjunction with the rear pair of rollers, by means of which foot brake a further improvement of skateboarding safety is guaranteed. 
     Embodiments of the invention as well as further advantages thereof are described in detail hereafter with reference to the drawings, in which: 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a side view with partial sectional illustration of a skateboard according to the invention, 
     FIG. 2 is a side view of the skateboard according to FIG. 1, in which a longitudinal element is shown in a retracted state, 
     FIG. 3 is a plan view of the skateboard according to FIG. 1, 
     FIG. 4 is a view from below of the foot brake and of the rear pair of rollers of the skateboard according to FIG. 1, and 
     FIG. 5 shows a variation of a skateboard in longitudinal, section. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIG. 1 shows a skateboard  10  with a board  15  having a conventional shape, on the under side of which two pairs of rollers are mounted to rotate. These pairs of rollers  16 ,  17 , arranged with the axes parallel to each other, are located respectively approximately at the front and the rear end of the board  15 . These pairs of rollers  16 ,  17  consist respectively of two rollers  16 ,  17  and an axle connecting the rollers of each pair to one another. Each axle is mounted to rotate respectively on a retaining part  26 ,  36  fastened to the under side of the board  15 . 
     According to the invention, secured to the front side  15 ′ of the board  15  is a longitudinal element  20  held on the board and extending upwards with respect to the board, which element has such a length that a person on this skateboard  10  can remain in an upright position by grasping this longitudinal element  20 . The longitudinal element  20  is therefore appropriately constructed in the form of a bar having at the upper end thereof a holding knob  20 ′ or the like. This longitudinal element  20  is in this case retained on a joint  11  located directly above the board  15 . This joint  11  comprises a joint pin  13  fastened in the board  15  by means of a screw connection  23  or the like, a matching joint fork  21  formed at the lower end of the longitudinal or steering element  20 , as well as a transverse bolt  12  connecting the joint pin to the longitudinal or steering element  20 . To reinforce the board  15 , washers  37  supporting the pin  13  provided, which are fastened to the board  15  by way of screws. 
     Provided as the retaining device is a sleeve  22  surrounding the longitudinal element  20  and being axially displaceable thereon, which in the retained state surrounds in a form-locking manner both the lower part of the vertical longitudinal element  20  as well as the joint pin  13  projecting above the board, such that the longitudinal element  20  is fixed with respect to the board  15 . Advantageously, this sleeve  22  is biased downward with its inner ring  22 ′ by a spring  41  or the like, in order that the sleeve  22  does not slide automatically upward during travel. 
     Advantageously, the mountings of the pairs of rollers  16 ,  17  are equipped with flexible members, for example rubber rings, and in addition with corresponding bearings  26 ′, in order that these pairs of rollers have a limited articulation at least at right angles with respect to the board. As a result, when riding this skateboard  10 , due to corresponding hand pressure on the longitudinal element  20  at right angles to the direction of travel, the flexible members become compressed such that the skateboard is caused to travel along a curved path. This additionally improves the skateboarding properties of the skateboard. 
     A belt  40 , which can be adjusted in length by means of a retaining part  44 , is appropriately held on a flap  42  on the sleeve  22 , which belt extends to the upper end of the longitudinal element  20  at which point it is held on a flap  43 . This belt arrangement makes it possible to pull the sleeve  22  upward without the rider having to bend to do so. 
     According to FIG. 2, after sleeve  22  is pulled up, the longitudinal element  20  can be swung down onto the board  15 . As a further advantage within the scope of the invention, an engagement hook  45  is fastened to the longitudinal element  20 , which hook is positioned with respect to a lever  33  of a brake  30  so that when the longitudinal element  20  is swung downwards, the hook  45  engages this lever  33  and then the skateboard  10  can be grasped by hand and hung via the belt  40  on the rider&#39;s shoulder. The skateboard  10  can be carried in a compact arrangement in this position. Also, this longitudinal element  20  can be disengaged from the lever  33  by pushing the lever downwards, whereby the lever tilts downwards and is released from the hook  45 . 
     FIG. 3 is a plan view of the skateboard  10  with the longitudinal element swung upwards. According to the invention, the front as well as the rear rollers  16 ,  17  are arranged to project laterally from the board  15  so that the board  15  is able to tilt at right angles to its longitudinal extent by a certain angle, without coming into contact with the rollers  16 ,  17 . Due to this tilting of the board  15 , steering with a change of direction can be produced. 
     According to FIG. 4, the foot brake operating in conjunction with the rear pair of rollers  17  is located on the rear part of the board  15 . This foot brake  30  has as an essential component the brake lever  33  advantageously made from a bent steel wire, which extends above the board  15 , transversely thereacross, and on both sides of the board to the under side thereof. The brake lever  33  is pivotally mounted on the retaining part  36  of the rear pair of rollers  17 . The brake lever  33  may be pressed from the initial position, by foot pressure, into a braking position  33 ′ as shown in FIG.  1 . 
     This brake lever  33  is bent on the under side of the board  15  in such a way that its two ends  34 ′,  35 ′ are inserted in boards  34 ″,  35 ″ in a retaining pat  36 , which bores are staggered with respect to each other and arranged parallel to the wheel axle. These bores  34 ″,  35 ″ are respectively located at the same distance from the board  15 . The U-shaped lever  33  is flexible to a limited extent. Due to the staggered arrangement of the two ends  34 ′,  35 ′ with respect to each other, it is ensured that in the unloaded state illustrated, the lever  33  always moves back from the two rollers  17  into an initial position. 
     Furthermore, the lever  33  is bent so that it forms brake parts  34 ,  35  extending parallel to the rollers, which parts  34 ,  35  in the braking position  33 ′, come into contact with the rollers, and accordingly exerts a corresponding braking action on the respective rollers. These brakes  34 ,  35  act simultaneously and by the same contact pressure on the rollers  17 . 
     FIG. 5 also shows a variation of a skateboard  60  according to the invention, in which a recess  48  for receiving a longitudinal or steering element  50  is provided in the board  58 . This recess  48  is preferably formed in the board  58  along its center and has such a depth that the longitudinal element  50  can be received therein. For this purpose, on the front side of the skateboard the longitudinal element  50  is pivotably held in this recess by a hinge pin  46 . In the countersunk position of the longitudinal or steering element  50 , this skateboard  60  can be used in the conventional manner. In the erect position of the longitudinal element  50 , once again comprising a handle  51  at the upper end, the element can be fixed by way of a retaining device  55  illustrated diagrammatically. This retaining device comprises, for example, a bolt  56  displaceably guided on the board  58 , which in the position illustrated retains the longitudinal element  50  in its erect position, and by pushing it back releases the longitudinal element  50  for folding down. 
     The invention is adequately illustrated with the above embodiments. Naturally further variations could be added, for example the longitudinal element could be releasably fastened directly to the board by means of a wing nut or a snap closure. 
     In principle, the foot brake  30  according to the invention could also be used for a normal skateboard without the longitudinal element  20 .