Patent Publication Number: US-9833687-B2

Title: Foot-deck-based vehicle with increased potential energy for ollie-type manoeuvers

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/115,977 filed Feb. 13, 2015, the contents of which are incorporated herein in their entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     This disclosure relates generally to the art of foot-deck based vehicles and more particularly to skateboards. 
     BACKGROUND 
     In the art of skateboarding, many tricks that are performed incorporate some variant of an ollie-type manoeuver. The ollie is a manoeuver in which the rider leaps into the air with the skateboard, without the use of his/her hands to hold the skateboard. Generally speaking, the ollie is considered a relatively important trick to master for those who wish to perform advanced skateboarding manoeuvers, and is fundamental to many of those manoeuvers. It is also generally considered to be difficult to learn. An important aspect of learning to perform an ollie successfully is to be able to get the board high enough off the ground in order to pass over an obstacle. Getting increased height from the ground is beneficial in order to permit the rider to pass over relatively high obstacles. It also permits the rider to pass over relatively long obstacles, since increased height off the ground during a jump (i.e. during an ollie) can result in increased length of the jump. It is therefore beneficial to provide a skateboard or other foot-deck based vehicle that facilitates relatively higher ollies. 
     SUMMARY 
     In an aspect, a foot-deck based vehicle is provided, comprising a foot-deck, a front wheel arrangement, a rear wheel arrangement and at least one first biasing member. The foot-deck has a front end and a rear end. The front wheel arrangement is proximate the front end. The rear wheel arrangement is proximate the rear end. The foot-deck has a first foot-deck portion and a second foot-deck portion that is rearward of the first foot-deck portion and that is movable relative to the first loot-deck portion. The second foot-deck portion extends rearward of the rear wheel arrangement. The at least one first biasing member biases the second foot-deck portion towards a home position relative to the first foot-deck portion. The second foot-deck portion is moveable from the home position downward to a biased position so as to store potential energy in the at least one first biasing member such that the at least one first biasing member urges the first foot-deck portion upward. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The foregoing and other aspects of the invention will be better appreciated with reference to the attached drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a side view of a foot-deck based vehicle, in a first position, in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of the foot-deck based vehicle shown in  FIG. 1 , in a second position; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view from underneath the foot-deck based vehicle shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a side perspective view showing a plurality of first biasing members that may be part of the foot-deck based vehicle in  FIG. 1 , and a plurality of second biasing members that optionally are also included with the foot-deck based vehicle shown in  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 5  is a side view of an alternative biasing arrangement to that which is shown in  FIGS. 1-4 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS 
       FIG. 1  shows foot-deck-based vehicle  10  in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure, on a ground surface  11 . The foot-deck-based vehicle  10  shown in the figures is a skateboard, however, it will be understood that any other suitable type of foot-deck-based vehicle may be provided, such as, for example, a kick scooter. 
     The foot-deck-based vehicle  10  may, for convenience, be referred to herein as a skateboard  10 . However, it is to be understood that it could be any other suitable foot-deck-based vehicle. 
     The skateboard  10  includes a foot-deck  12  that is elongate and has a front end  14  and a rear end  16 , and which defines a longitudinal direction D LG  for the skateboard  10 . The skateboard  10  further includes a front wheel arrangement  18  proximate the front end  12 , and a rear wheel arrangement  20  proximate the rear end  14 . The front and rear wheel arrangements  18  and  20  may be mounted to the foot-deck  12  in any suitable manner known in the art, such as by suitable first and second trucks  21  so as to permit a lean-to-steer functionality for the skateboard. 
     The foot-deck  12  has a first foot-deck portion  12   a  and a second foot-deck portion  12   b  that is rearward of the first foot-deck portion  12   a  and that is movable relative to the first foot-deck portion  12   a . As can be seen in  FIG. 1 , the second foot-deck portion  12   b  extends rearward of the rear wheel arrangement  20 . For greater clarity, it is not necessary for the entirety of the second foot-deck portion  12   b  to be rearward of the rear wheel arrangement  20 . It is only necessary that some portion of the second foot-deck portion  12   b  be positioned rearward of the rear wheel arrangement  20  in order to permit a rider  22  to press down on it so as to initiate an ollie-type manoeuvre, as described further below. A portion of the rider  22  (namely, the feet and lower portions of the legs) is shown at in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
     The skateboard  10  further includes at least one first biasing member  24  that biases the second foot-deck portion  12   b  towards a home position ( FIG. 1 ) relative to the first foot-deck portion  12   a . The second foot-deck portion  12   b  is moveable from the home position downward to a biased position ( FIG. 2 ) so as to store potential energy in the biasing member  24  such that the at least one first biasing member  24  urges the first foot-deck portion  12   a  upward. 
     In the example shown, the at least one first biasing member  24  includes first and second first biasing members  24   a  and  24   b  ( FIG. 3 ) that are spaced laterally from one another and that together make up a biasing arrangement  26 . Each first biasing member  24  is, in the example shown, a torsion spring and has a first end  25   a  that is releasably connectable to the first foot-deck portion  12   a  and a second end  25   b  that is releasably connectable to the second foot-deck portion  12   b . In the example shown, the first end  25   a  is a first tang that is generally snugly received in a first end receiving aperture  26  in a first tube  28  that forms part of the first foot-deck portion  12   a.  A plurality of first end set screws  29  ( FIG. 4 ) pass through the wall of the first tube  28  and capture the first end  25   a  locking it in the first end receiving aperture  26 . Similarly, the second end  25   b  is a second tang that is generally snugly received in a second end receiving aperture  30  in a second tube  32  that forms part of the second foot-deck portion  12   b.  A plurality of second end set screws  33  pass through the wall of the second tube  32  and capture the second end  25   b,  locking it in the second end receiving aperture  30 . 
     It will be noted that, in  FIG. 4 , the second foot-deck portion  12   b  is shown as having the feature of being generally square at its rear end instead of having a rounded rear end as shown in  FIG. 3 . Either configuration is contemplated. 
     As can be seen in  FIG. 3 , in the example shown the biasing member  24  is part of a biasing arrangement  36  that includes two of the biasing member (i.e. first and second ones of the biasing member  24 ) that each apply a biasing force between the first and second foot-deck portions  12   a  and  12   b . The biasing forces applied by the biasing members in the biasing arrangement may all be the same, or alternatively they may be different for each biasing member. In  FIG. 3 , the two ones of the biasing member are shown at  24   a  and  24   b  respectively. While two of the biasing member are shown in  FIG. 3 , it will be understood that the biasing arrangement could alternatively have three or more ones of the biasing member  24 . In embodiments where more than one of the biasing member  24  is provided in the biasing arrangement, the biasing members  24  making up the biasing arrangement may all the substantially identical (as shown in  FIG. 3 ), or alternatively they may be different from one another. 
     With reference to  FIG. 4 , the at least one first biasing member  24  (e.g. the first and second first biasing members  24   a  and  24   b ) has a first spring rate associated therewith. In some embodiments, the skateboard  10  further includes at least one second biasing member  42 . In the example shown in  FIG. 4 , there are first and second, second biasing members shown at  42   a  and  42   b  respectively. Each of the second biasing members  42  has a first end  43   a  that is releasably connectable to the first foot-deck portion  12   a  and a second end  43   b  that is releasably connectable to the second foot-deck portion  12   b . The at least one second biasing member  42  has a second spring rate that is different from the first spring rate. The at least one first biasing member  24  is removable from the first and second foot-deck portions  12   a  and  12   b  and is replaceable with the at least one second biasing member  42 . 
     The second spring rate may, for example, be selected to be lower than the first spring rate, such that the at least one first biasing member  24  may be usable by a first person who is relatively heavier, and the at least one second biasing member  42  may be usable by a second person who is relatively lighter, thereby making the skateboard  10  usable by riders covering a range of different weights. 
     The at least one second biasing member  42  may be dimensionally similar to the at least one first biasing member  24 , but may be made from a different material so as to have a different spring rate. Alternatively, the at least one second biasing member  42  may be dimensionally different than the at least one first biasing member  24 , and may thus be made from thicker or thinner material than the at least one first biasing member  24 , but the first and second ends  43   a  and  43   b  may be similar dimensionally to the first and second ends  25   a  and  25   b  so that they all fit similarly to one another in the receiving apertures  26  and  30 . 
     While first and second biasing members  24  and  42  are shown in the example embodiment in  FIG. 4 , it will be understood that it is possible for the skateboard  10  to only include at least one first biasing member  24 . 
     In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1-4 , it can be seen that the second foot-deck portion  12   b  is spaced from the first foot-deck portion  12   a  and is connected to the first foot-deck portion  12   a  only through the at least one biasing member  24  (or  42 ). For example, a longitudinal gap (G) is shown on the foot-deck riding surface (i.e. the surface of the foot-deck that supports the rider  22 ), between a first portion  48   a  and a second portion  48   b  (on the first and second foot-deck portions respectively  12   a  and  12   b ). 
     Alternatively, however, the second foot-deck portion  12   b  may be connected to the first foot-deck portion  12   a  via a suitable type of connection that permits the second foot-deck portion to travel between the home and biased positions as needed based on the force applied by the rider  22 . 
     With reference to  FIG. 5 , another optional feature of the connection between the at least one first biasing member  24  and the first and second foot-deck portions  12   a  and  12   b,  is for the at least one first biasing member  24  to be adjustably connected to the foot-deck  12  in a plurality of positions, so as to adjust a force-deflection relationship for the second foot-deck portion  12   b.  This feature may be achieved in any suitable way. For example, in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 5 , the at least one first biasing member includes at least one first helical tension spring  50 . Each of the first and second ends (shown at  52  and  54  respectively) of the tension spring  50  may include a hook, which are releasably received in first and second end receiving apertures  55  and  56  on the first and second foot-deck portions  12   a  and  12   b  respectively. On the second foot-deck portion  12   b  there are a plurality of end receiving apertures  56  (shown individually at  56   a,    56   b,    56   c  and  56   d ). As can be seen, the spring  50  will be stretched to a different length and will therefore have a different amount of preload in it depending on which of the apertures  56   a - 56   d  that its second end  54  is hooked into. Thus, when the spring  50  is in the aperture  56   d,  the preload in the spring  50  will be higher and so the spring force urging the second foot-deck portion  12   b  to remain at the home position (shown in  FIG. 5 ) will be higher, than when the spring  50  is in the aperture  56   a,  for example. As a result, the aperture  56   d  may be used for instances when the rider  22  ( FIG. 1 ) is relatively heavier and the aperture  56   a  may be used for instances when the rider  22  is relatively lighter. 
     It will be noted that, in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 5 , the second foot-deck portion is connected hingedly to the first foot-deck portion  12   a  by means of a first arm  60  on the first foot-deck portion  12   a  that is connected by a pin joint  61  to a second arm  62  on the second foot-deck portion  12   b,  while the spring  50  extends between the first and second arms  60  and  62 . While a single first arm  60  and a single second arm  62  may be provided, it is preferable that a first arm  60  is provided on each of the left and right sides of the first foot-deck portion  12   a  and a second arm  62  is provided at each of the left and right sides of the second foot-deck portion  12   b.  Providing two such first arms  60  and two such second arms  62  pivotally connected to the first arms  60  renders the connection between the first and second foot-deck portions  12   a  and  12   b  more resistant to twisting deformation and better constrains the movement of the second foot-deck portion  12   b  relative to the first foot-deck portion  12   a  to be in the vertical and longitudinal directions and not in the lateral direction. 
     In all the positions for the spring  50  (i.e. regardless of which hole  56  the second end  54  of the spring  50  is in), there is some tension in the spring  50  and the spring  50  holds the second arm  62  in abutment with a limit surface  64  on the first arm  60 . This defines the home position for the second foot-deck portion  12   b.    
     Constraint of the second foot-deck portion  12   b  from lateral movement relative to the first foot-deck portion  12   a  in the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1-4  may be achieved through the stiffness of the torsion springs  24  or  42  themselves. 
     It is optionally possible for the at least one biasing member  24  (or  42 , or  50 ) to include a single biasing member. In such an embodiment, the biasing member  24 , or  42 , or  50  may be positioned generally along the longitudinal centerline of the skateboard  10 . Preferably, the second foot-deck portion  12   b  would, in all embodiments, be constrained sufficiently to substantially prevent substantially any lateral movement relative to the first foot-deck portion  12   a  during movement of the second foot-deck portion  12   b  between the home and biased positions. Thus, for example, the pin joints  61  between the first and second arms  60  and  62  may prevent any lateral play. 
     The rider  22  performs an ollie-type manoeuvre substantially as they would with a traditional skateboard. The rider  22  has a first foot  22   a  on the first foot-deck portion  12   a  and a second foot  22   b  on the second foot-deck portion  12   b . When the rider  22  pushes down with the second foot  22   b  on the second foot-deck portion  12   b  to bring the second foot-deck portion  12   b  away from the home position to a biased position ( FIG. 2 ), while maintaining a portion of their weight on the first foot-deck portion  12   a  with their first foot  22   a,  potential energy is stored in the at least one biasing member  24  (or  42 , or  50 ), such that the at least one biasing member  24 ,  42  or  50  urges the first foot-deck portion  12   a  upward. The rider  22  jumps using the known technique for performing an ollie. Upon release of the rider&#39;s first foot  22   a  from the first foot-deck portion  12   a,  the at least one biasing member  24 ,  42  or  50  releases its stored potential energy and drives the first foot-deck portion  12   a  upwards with greater energy than can be had with a similar skateboard that does not include the at least one biasing member  24 ,  42  or  50 . This facilitates achieving a greater height above the ground surface  11  for the ollie-type manoeuvre. 
     While the description contained herein constitutes a plurality of embodiments of the present invention, it will be appreciated that the present invention is susceptible to further modification and change without departing from the fair meaning of the accompanying claims.