U.S. patent application number 10/010098 was filed with the patent office on 2002-05-23 for convertible wheel apparatus for a skating device.
Invention is credited to Cochimin, Jimmy.
Application Number | 20020060433 10/010098 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 23356527 |
Filed Date | 2002-05-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020060433 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Cochimin, Jimmy |
May 23, 2002 |
Convertible wheel apparatus for a skating device
Abstract
A convertible wheel apparatus for a skating device including a
pair of wheels, a pair of wheel supports, and a connector. Each
pair of wheels has an axle and defines a coplanar virtual center
and rotational plane, which are perpendicular to the axle. Each
wheel support engages a respective wheel and includes a pivotal
member defining a pivotal axis with at least one pivotal axis of
the pivotal members located at a measurable non-zero distance from
a respective virtual axis. The connector is attached to one of the
pivotal members of each wheel support and concurrently positions
the pivotal members. Control of the orientation of the rotational
planes of the wheels is achieved by positioning features attached
to a base element or by a biasing mechanism. Various skate
configurations can be obtained by a choice selection and
combination of connectors and axis constraints that characterize
the convertible wheel apparatus.
Inventors: |
Cochimin, Jimmy; (Ft. Wayne,
IN) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Kevin R. Erdman
Baker & Daniels
Suite 2700
300 North Meridian Street
Indianapolis
IN
46204
US
|
Family ID: |
23356527 |
Appl. No.: |
10/010098 |
Filed: |
November 8, 2001 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
10010098 |
Nov 8, 2001 |
|
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|
09345798 |
Jul 1, 1999 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
280/11.19 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63C 17/04 20130101;
A63C 17/06 20130101; A63C 2203/06 20130101; A63C 17/01 20130101;
A63C 17/013 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
280/11.19 |
International
Class: |
A63C 017/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A convertible wheel apparatus for a skating device comprising: a
first rotatable wheel and a second rotatable wheel, each of said
first and second rotatable wheels having an axle and defining a
virtual center plane and a rotational plane, said rotational plane
and said virtual center plane being generally coplanar and
generally perpendicular to said axle; a first wheel support and a
second wheel support, each of said first and second wheel supports
with a corresponding one of said rotatable wheels and defining a
virtual axis, each said wheel support including at least one
pivotal member defining a pivotal axis, each said pivotal member
attached to said wheel support for controlling rotation of said
wheel support relative to said pivotal member, at least one pivotal
axis of said pivotal members being offset from a respective virtual
axis; a connector connecting one of said pivotal members from each
of said first and second wheel supports, said connector and said
first and second wheel supports being structured and arranged to
allow the rotational planes of said first and second wheels to
remain coplanar when the reaction moment acting on the first wheel
support from a skating surface with respect to one of said pivotal
axes of said pivotal members of the first wheel support are
subtractive to the reaction moment acting on the second wheel
support from a skating surface with respect to one of said pivotal
axes of said pivotal members of the second wheel support, and to
allow the rotational planes of said first and second wheels to
rotate when the reaction moment acting on the first wheel support
from a skating surface with respect to one of said pivotal axes of
said pivotal members of the first wheel support are additive to the
reaction moment acting on the second wheel support from a skating
surface with respect to one of said pivotal axes of said pivotal
members of the second wheel support.
2. The convertible wheel apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of said
virtual axes is located at least 5 mm away from the virtual center
of a respective wheel.
3. The convertible wheel apparatus of claim 1 wherein one of said
pivotal axes is located at least 5 mm away from the virtual axis of
a respective wheel.
4. The convertible wheel apparatus of claim 1 wherein each said
wheel support includes a pair of pivotal members having pivotal
axes generally parallel to a respective virtual axis.
5. The convertible wheel apparatus of claim 4 wherein said pair of
pivotal members is located approximately the opposite sides across
said virtual axis.
6. The convertible wheel apparatus of claim 1 further including
means for controlling the orientation of the rotational planes of
said pair of wheels with a biasing mechanism.
7. The convertible wheel apparatus of claim 6 wherein said biasing
mechanism is attached to one of said connector and a base element
associated with said wheel support.
8. The convertible wheel apparatus of claim 1 wherein one of said
pivotal members further includes a pivot for rotatably attaching
said pivotal member to a base of a skating device.
9. A convertible wheel apparatus for a skating device comprising: a
pair of wheels, each said wheel having an axle and defining a
virtual center and a rotational plane, said virtual center being
located in a plane coplanar with said rotational plane, said
rotational plane and virtual center being generally perpendicular
to said axle; a pair of wheel supports, each said wheel support
engaging a said wheel and defining a virtual axis, each said wheel
support including at least one pivotal member defining a pivotal
axis parallel to said virtual axis, said pivotal member controlling
rotation of said wheel support with respect to said virtual axis at
least one pivotal axis being offset from a respective virtual axis;
and a connector attached to one of said pivotal members of each
said wheel support, said connector capable of concurrently
positioning said pivotal members.
10. The convertible wheel apparatus of claim 9 wherein the
concurrent positioning of said pivotal members involves rotation of
said pair of wheel supports with respect to said virtual axis of
each said wheel supports and results in rotation of the rotational
planes of said pair of wheels with respect to each said respective
virtual axis.
11. The convertible wheel apparatus of claim 9 wherein each said
wheel support includes at least a pair of pivotal members having
pivotal axes generally parallel to a respective virtual axis.
12. The convertible wheel apparatus of claim 11 wherein said pair
of pivotal members is located approximately opposite each other
across said virtual axis.
13. The convertible wheel apparatus of claim 12 wherein one of said
pair of pivotal members has a pivotal axis which coincides with a
line parallel to one said virtual axis and proximate to one said
virtual center.
14. The convertible wheel apparatus of claim 9 further including
means for controlling the orientation of said rotational planes of
said pair of wheels with a friction surface that makes contact with
said pair of wheels.
15. The convertible wheel apparatus of claim 9 further including
means for controlling the orientation of said rotational planes of
said a pair of wheels with an element having discrete number of
positioning features.
16. The convertible wheel apparatus of claim 9 further including
means for controlling the orientation of said rotational planes of
said a pair of wheels with a biasing mechanism.
17. The convertible wheel apparatus of claim 16 wherein said
biasing mechanism is attachable to one of said connector and a base
element associated with said wheel support.
18. The convertible wheel apparatus of claim 9 wherein said
concurrent positioning of said a pair of pivotal members involves
rotation of said pair of wheel supports with respect to said
connector while said rotational planes of said pair of wheels
remain parallel to a predetermined orientation.
19. The convertible wheel apparatus of claim 18 wherein said
connector further includes a rotational pivot for rotating said
connector about an axis located between its two ends and proximate
to a line defined between its two ends.
20. The convertible wheel apparatus of claim 18 wherein said
connector further includes a pivot for attaching said connector to
a base of a skating device.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to sporting goods, and
particularly to skating devices. The field of the invention is that
of roller skates, skateboards, and other devices having roller
wheels.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Arts
[0004] Roller skating devices having roller wheels are used for
sporting, exercising, and recreational activities. A variety of
roller wheels are well known and used on traditional quad skates,
in-line skates, and skateboards. These roller wheel constructions
for skates generally have fixed roller wheels having fixed
orientation with respect to a given reference integral of the
skating device. Some skates include a foot or shoe enclosure. The
wheel support portions of these skates are typically made from a
fixed frame that supports the axles of the roller wheels. Each type
of skate has its own particular and distinctively different frame
construction in order to facilitate its wheel arrangement.
[0005] Several known devices attempt to provide flexibility for a
skate type of device. One known device is a convertible running
shoe/roller skate. Another known device is a shoe assembly
including a flanged beam with a channel capable of bearing roller
skating trucks or a blade adapted for ice skating. Still another
known device is a roller skate having three control modes: one with
the front wheels freely rotatable; a second permitting rotation of
the fronts wheels in only a single direction; and a third where the
front wheels are restrained from moving in either direction.
Another variation is a known skate structure capable of interchange
of ice blades and in-like rollers. Further known is a roller skate
where the rollers can be installed on the shoes in several
configurations. Also known is an adjustable roller skate structure
with a latch on a guided track for adapting the skate to the size
of the user. A further convertible skate structure is known using
an adapter plate and a plurality of different attachments for
providing several distinct uses of the skate.
[0006] All the above referenced known devices present some kind of
skate device in one form or another. However, all of them failed to
arrive at a convenient and truly convertible skating device that
accomplishes conversion of the orientation of the roller wheels of
the skating device without adding or removing skate parts.
[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 5,524,911 describes the inventor's prior
innovative convertible in-line/parallel skates. This is the
historic first invention that demonstrated convenient and
convertible in-line/parallel roller skate configurations without
having to add or remove or reassemble the skate components. The
invention involves a skate that can be converted from an in-line
wheel configuration in which all of the skate wheels are coplanar
to a parallel or quad wheel configuration, and vice versa. The
skate includes a foot or shoe enclosure, a wheel chassis, a wheel
support, at least two wheels, and a tie rod which anchors the wheel
chassis at a center point and allows the wheel chassis to pivot the
wheels from an in-line to a parallel configuration. The foot
enclosure includes posts which support and secure the wheel
chassis, with a nut threadably engaging the post to rotatably
secure the wheel chassis relative to the foot enclosure. The tie
rods have a predetermined length which maintains the angular
position of the wheels relative to the foot enclosure regardless of
the angular position of the wheel chassis.
[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 5,775,705 describes the inventor's further
various innovative approaches to construct the various convertible
in-line/parallel skates based upon the invention disclosed under
the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,524,911. The invention involves
a skate that can be converted from an in-line wheel configuration
in which all of the skate wheels are coplanar to a parallel or quad
wheel configuration, and vice versa. The skate includes a foot or
shoe enclosure, a wheel chassis, a wheel support, at least two
wheels, and mechanisms which position the wheel chassis at a center
point and allows the wheel chassis to pivot the wheels from an
in-line to a parallel configuration. The positioning mechanisms
include tie rods, yokes, gear sets, and externally mounted rods or
panels. A post on the bottom of the enclosure may include a
threaded portion which is engaged by a nut to rotationally secure
the position of the wheel chassis, or the post may include a
portion of enlarged diameter supporting a spring which biases the
wheel chassis into the post. A brake is provided to allow the user
to slow or stop the skate in a controlled manner.
[0009] What is needed is a generalized and improved convertible
wheel apparatus suitable for all variety of roller skating devices.
Also needed is a structure having convertible wheel arrangements by
way of simple repositioning of the components inherent to the
skating device without having to remove and reattach any parts or
components. A further need involves a structure capable of use on
multiple skating devices including the traditional quad skate, the
in-line skate and skateboards. A concurrent need is for such a
structure to be cost effective in manufacturing and
commercialization along with the already existing skating
devices.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] The convertible wheel apparatus for a skating device
includes a pair of wheels including a virtual center which is
defined by the wheel which also includes a rotational plane
perpendicular to its axle. The rotational plane and the virtual
center are coplanar. A pair of wheel supports engages a respective
one of the wheels. Each wheel support includes at least one pivotal
member for controlling rotation of the wheel support with respect
to a virtual axis parallel to the pivotal axis of the pivotal
member. Control of the orientation of the rotational planes of the
pair of wheels are achieved by positioning features attached to a
base element or by a biasing mechanism. Both are adapted to
function in connection with a friction surface that makes contact
with the wheels. Connection between the pair of wheel supports for
concurrent positioning of the pivotal members are facilitated by a
connector. Each pivotal axis of the pivotal members is offset and
located at a measurable non-zero distance from a respective virtual
axis.
[0011] To be effective for quick change of wheel orientations each
of the virtual axes is located at a noticeable non-zero distance
away from the vicinity of the virtual center of a respective wheel.
In the case of the free rotating wheel configuration in which all
the wheels and the connectors are free to rotate with respect to a
friction surface, there the virtual axis is preferred to be close
to the virtual center.
[0012] Concurrent positioning of the pivotal members results in
concurrent positioning of the wheel supports and the wheels
attached to them. This involves rotation of wheel supports with
respect to their respective virtual axis and results in rotation of
the rotational planes of the wheels with respect to their
respective virtual axis.
[0013] Each wheel support could include a single pivotal member or
a pair of pivotal members having their pivotal axes parallel to a
respective virtual axis. In the case of a pair of pivotal members
associated with each wheel support, the pivotal axes of the pivotal
members are located at approximately the opposite sides across said
virtual axis.
[0014] Since a skating device always involves a skating surface
that makes contact with the wheels, one method for controlling the
orientation of the rotational planes of the pair of wheels involves
the friction surface to provide stability.
[0015] For controlling the orientation of the rotational planes of
the wheels, a base element is introduced which has discrete number
of positioning features such as notches and raised protrusions and
other equivalent structures.
[0016] For controlling the orientation of the rotational planes of
the wheels, a biasing mechanism such as a spring or a resilient
polymer can be used. Such a biasing mechanism provides restoring
force to secure or return the wheels to desired position after a
conversion of the wheels from one configuration to another. For
connecting the pair of wheel supports, a connector having a ratio
for its overall length over its minimum thickness of greater than
three is desired. Short and fat connectors, though usable, will
tend to take up excessive space traditionally not available in the
existing skating devices.
[0017] In the case of a convertible in-line/parallel wheel
apparatus, the concurrent positioning of the pair of pivotal
members involves rotation of the pair of wheel supports with
respect to the connector while the rotational planes of the wheels
remain parallel to a predetermined orientation.
[0018] Each connector could include a provision for rotating the
connector about an axis located in between its two ends and in the
vicinity of a line drawn between its two ends. The connector could
include a provision for attaching itself to a base element of a
skating device in order for each connector to rotate with respect
to the base.
[0019] The pivotal member of a wheel support can also include a
provision for attaching the pivotal member to a base element of a
skating device in order that the pivotal members can be constrained
to rotate about a virtual axis fixedly attached to the base
element.
[0020] The present invention provides a generalized and improved
convertible wheel apparatus for a skating device which can be
converted from an in-line wheel configuration to a parallel wheel
configuration and vice versa. The present invention further
provides a convertible wheel apparatus using the same generalized
principles of operation for use on a skating device which can be
converted from a traditional quad skate to an innovative skate
configuration that allows the wheel to turn and simulate the
turning and spinning activities typically seen in a ice figure
skating device. In other words, the present invention provides a
roller skate that is suitable for performing all figure skating
activities without having to go to a ice skating rink. Similarly,
the same generalized and improved convertible wheel apparatus can
be used on a skateboard to achieve the same convertible
in-line/parallel wheel configurations and the same roller figure
skating activities. The only difference is that a typical
skateboard usually is consisted of a single large platform as the
base in lieu of a pair of skates used for roller skating.
[0021] The present invention provides a skate that can be converted
from an in-line wheel configuration in which all of the skate
wheels are coplanar to a parallel wheel configuration, and vice
versa. In a simple operation, the wheel configuration may be
manually converted using only repositioning of the equipment on the
skate itself.
[0022] Both in-line and quad skates are used for sporting and
recreational purposes. The traditional quad skate has enjoyed
long-standing popularity, while wide-spread commercialization of
the in-line skate is relatively recent. The quad skate is
particularly suitable for use in places such as roller rinks, while
the in-line skate tends to prevail in outdoor use. Generally, the
places and uses of the two types of skates are characteristic to
each skate. A skater's choice of an in-line or a quad skate then
often depends on the type of activity in which the skater wishes to
engage. Thus, a skating enthusiast would require more than one pair
of skates to fulfill all skating activities in which the skater
might wish to engage. The skater would thus incur the expense of
buying more than one pair of skates, and the inconvenience of
having to change skates depending on the activity in which the
skater desires to engage at a given time.
[0023] The present invention utilizes wheel support adapted for
mounting either on a base element attachable to the bottom of a
skateboard or a foot or shoe enclosure for a skating device. The
wheel support positions the wheel and is rotatable about a virtual
axis each of which is parallel to the pivotal axis of the pivotal
member. A connecting mechanism connects two wheels which are
supported by the pair of wheel supports. Each of the pivotal
members is rotatable between at least two positions, and the
connection of the wheels to the pivotal member through the
connecting mechanism ensures that the positioning of the wheels are
concurrent.
[0024] Each connecting mechanism, namely a connector, has a
predetermined position relative to the respective pivotal member
and the wheels so that the wheels are angularly positioned relative
to the pivotal member via the positioning of the pivotal member.
Thus, the connector can be constructed to keep the wheels always
parallel to a given predetermined orientation, or that which the
wheels can be turned to different angles relative to the
predetermined orientation.
[0025] By rotating the connector, the wheels may be positioned
either in an in-line arrangement, wherein the rotational planes of
the wheels are coextensive, and a parallel arrangement, wherein the
wheels are parallel and coaxial. By rotating the wheel supports,
the wheels may be turned and allowing the skate to turn and spin as
desired. Using the improved convertible wheel apparatus many
different varieties of foot or shoe enclosures may be utilized with
the invention. The wheel supports, in conjunction with the pivotal
members and the base element, provide support for the foot or
shoe.
[0026] In one construction, a pair of pivotal members are used with
each corresponding wheel support and each wheel support supports
one wheel. This allows for a pair of in-line roller wheels to be
employed, which may be readily changed to a two by two parallel
wheel arrangement. One method of effecting the change is by
lowering the connectors which engages a base element and then
turning the connector, and releasing the connector. This in
conjunction with various positioning features ensures the proper
alignment with a given desired wheel orientation. Another method
involves a biasing mechanism for releasing and securing the
connectors. Another feature of the invention involves an aligning
positioning feature attachable to the base element which secures
the orientations of the wheel rotational planes relative to the
base element and may define a plurality of discrete aligned
positions for the wheels relative to the base.
[0027] One form of the present invention comprises a generalized
and improved wheel apparatus having a pair of wheels, and each
wheel engages a corresponding wheel support which is attached to a
pivotal member and rotatably supports the wheels. The reaction
forces necessary for a figure skate to propel forward or backward
toward the direction of skating can be acquired by arranging the
pair of wheels so that when both wheels are pushed by forces
parallel to the direction of skating, the torques produced about
the virtual axes prevent the wheel supports from turning or
spinning. The wheels are oriented by the controlling mechanism in
order to allow the turning of the wheels from an orientation
parallel to a predetermined direction to an orientation pointing to
the skating direction of the skater. In this arrangement, each of
the pivotal members is attached to a base element and suited for
rotating the rotational planes of the wheels about the respective
virtual axis of a wheel. Such a skating device further comprises a
biasing mechanism that can be used to provide a restoring force and
to control the orientation of the wheels so that the wheels will
tend to return to their original predetermined orientation after a
turning or a spinning skating activity.
[0028] The connectors may also include several portions of varied
dimensions and are not restricted to any particular shape or form.
However, the predetermined length to thickness ratio is desired to
have a ratio for the overall length over the minimum thickness of
the connector of greater than three.
[0029] One of the orientation controlling mechanisms includes a
friction surface with which the wheels make direct contact. A
skater can then control the direction of the rotational planes of
the wheels by dragging the wheels against the friction surface. The
connector has a predetermined length which joins in to control the
angular position of the wheels relative to the pivotal member
according to the desire of a skater and regardless of the initial
orientation of the wheels.
[0030] The present invention can be easily arranged to include a
typical brake for a skating device. The present invention also can
be easily constructed using belts, gears, yokes or other equivalent
mechanical connecting means to achieve the same purpose of
connecting the pair of wheels and concurrent rotation of the
orientation planes of the wheels. Detail of using such positioning
mechanism are presented in U.S. Pat. No. 5,775,705 issued to the
inventor, the disclosure of which is explicitly incorporated by
reference.
[0031] An advantage of the present invention is that a simplified
generalized and improved convertible wheel apparatus can be used on
all skating devices such as the traditional quad skates, the
in-line skates and skateboards.
[0032] Another advantage of the present invention is that the
wheels of the present invention can easily and quickly be converted
from an in-line to a quad skate and vice versa, or from a wheel
orientation longitudinal to the base element of a skating device to
a position angled at a different orientation according to the
skater's choice
[0033] An important advantage of the present invention is that the
convertible wheel apparatus can be converted between various wheel
configurations without removing or adding any equipment.
[0034] A further advantage of the innovative convertible wheel
apparatus is that the present invention can be used in a variety of
locations and under a variety of different conditions calling for
skates of different type with dramatically different
construction.
[0035] A further advantage is that the same wheel and support
system of the present invention can be used regardless of the style
of the foot or shoe enclosure, or the style of the base and frame
of the skating device.
[0036] Yet another advantage of the present invention is that the
skate constructed according to that adapted for turning the wheels
in different directions is capable of turning and spinning skating
activities that are only achievable in the past by ice skates.
[0037] The present invention provides a convertible wheel apparatus
for a skating device including a first rotatable wheel and a second
rotatable wheel, a first wheel support and a second wheel support,
and a connector connecting one of the pivotal members from each of
the first and second wheel supports. Each of the first and second
rotatable wheels have an axle and define a virtual center plane and
a rotational plane, with the rotational plane and the virtual
center plane being generally coplanar and generally perpendicular
to the axle. Each of the first and second wheel supports are with a
corresponding one of the rotatable wheels, define a virtual axis,
and include at least one pivotal member defining a pivotal axis.
Each pivotal member is attached to the wheel support for
controlling rotation of the wheel support relative to the pivotal
member, with at least one pivotal axis of the pivotal members being
offset from a respective virtual axis. The connector and the first
and second wheel supports are structured and arranged to allow the
rotational planes of the first and second wheels to remain coplanar
when the reaction moment acting on the first wheel support from a
skating surface with respect to one of the pivotal axes of the
pivotal members of the first wheel support are subtractive to the
reaction moment acting on the second wheel support from a skating
surface with respect to one of the pivotal axes of the pivotal
members of the second wheel support. The connector and the first
and second wheel supports are structured and arranged to allow the
rotational planes of the first and second wheels to rotate when the
reaction moment acting on the first wheel support from a skating
surface with respect to one of the pivotal axes of the pivotal
members of the first wheel support are additive to the reaction
moment acting on the second wheel support from a skating surface
with respect to one of the pivotal axes of the pivotal members of
the second wheel support.
[0038] The present invention further provides a convertible wheel
apparatus for a skating device including a pair of wheels with each
wheel having an axle and defining a virtual center and a rotational
plane, a pair of wheel supports with each wheel support engaging a
wheel and defining a virtual axis and including at least one
pivotal member defining a pivotal axis parallel to the virtual
axis, and a connector attached to one of the pivotal members of
each the wheel support and capable of concurrently positioning the
pivotal members. The virtual center being located in a plane
coplanar with the rotational plane, the rotational plane and
virtual center being generally perpendicular to the axle. The
pivotal member controlling rotation of the wheel support with
respect to the virtual axis at least one pivotal axis being offset
from a respective virtual axis.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0039] The above mentioned and other features and objects of this
invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more
apparent and the invention itself will be better understood by
reference to the following description of embodiments of the
invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings,
wherein:
[0040] FIG. 1 is a perspective, exploded view of a convertible
wheel apparatus suitable for use for a skating device with
in-line/parallel skate converting ability. A single wheel along
with a pair of pivotal members and a pair of connectors are
shown.
[0041] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing one form of a
connector with varied cross sectional thickness.
[0042] FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the positioning features
with two connectors constrained in a parallel position.
[0043] FIG. 4 is a perspective, exploded view of the convertible
wheel apparatus suitable for use for a skating device with the
ability to turn or spin the wheels according to the skater's
choice. A single wheel along with a single pivotal member and a
single connector is shown. A biasing mechanism is also
included.
[0044] FIG. 5A is another perspective, exploded view of a
convertible wheel apparatus suitable for use for a skating device
with in-line/parallel skate converting ability. In this view a pair
of wheels are shown with their respective pivotal members and
connectors. A base element adapted for attaching to the connectors
is also shown.
[0045] FIG. 5B is a similar perspective, exploded view of a
convertible wheel apparatus as shown in FIG. 5A, except for the
wheels being in an in-line position.
[0046] FIG. 6 is a series of top plan views of rotational
configurations of the wheel assemblies shown in FIGS. 5A and
5B.
[0047] FIG. 7 is a perspective, exploded view of the convertible
wheel apparatus suitable for use for a skating device showing a
pair of wheels adapted for turning and spinning.
[0048] FIG. 8 is a series of top plan views of the skating device
embodiment of the present invention showing the turning of the
rotational planes of the wheels.
[0049] FIG. 9 is a series of top plan views similar to FIG. 8
except for the original orientation of the wheels and the addition
of a biasing mechanism.
[0050] FIG. 10 is a series of top plan views of the convertible
wheel apparatus suitable for use for a skating device with the
ability to turn or spin. In this presentation the pivotal members
of each wheel is constrained with respect to a respective one of
the pivotal axes.
[0051] FIG. 11 is a series of top plan views similar to FIG. 10
except for the original orientation of the wheels.
[0052] FIG. 12 is a series of top plan views of the convertible
wheel apparatus suitable for use for a skating device with
extensive freedom to turn or spin.
[0053] FIG. 13 is a series of top plan views similar to FIG. 12
except for the original orientation of the wheels.
[0054] FIGS. 14A and 14B show two plain views of two methods of
constructing positioning features for securing the orientation of
the wheel.
[0055] FIG. 15A is a top plan view of a skateboard having a pair of
wheel supports.
[0056] FIG. 15B is a side view taken along view lines 15B-15B of
FIG. 15A showing one pair of wheels.
[0057] FIG. 15C is a side view taken along view lines 15C-15C of
FIG. 15A showing one pair of wheels.
[0058] FIG. 16A is a top plan view of an in-line parallel skate
wheel apparatus showing the particular manner in which the pivotal
members are constructed.
[0059] FIG. 16B is a component drawing of the device of FIG.
16A.
[0060] Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding
parts throughout the several views. Although the drawings represent
embodiments of the present invention, the drawings are not
necessarily to scale and certain features may be exaggerated in
order to better illustrate and explain the present invention. The
exemplifications set out herein illustrate embodiments of the
invention, in several forms, and such exemplifications are not to
be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any
manner.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0061] The embodiments disclosed below are not intended to be
exhaustive or limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed in
the following detailed description. Rather, the embodiments are
chosen and described so that others skilled in the art may utilize
their teachings. The present invention shown in some of the
drawings illustrates skate configurations using a pair of wheel
supports and a pair of wheels. Other drawings presented illustrates
skate configurations using two pairs of wheel supports and four
wheels. Alternatively, a skate defined by the present invention
could have virtually any combination of skate wheels, for example
combinations of 2.times.1 parallel and 1.times.2 in-line, or
2.times.3 parallel and 1.times.6 in-line, or even combinations of
odd numbers of wheels for each skating device, such as 1+2.times.1
parallel and 1.times.3 in-line wheel configurations. Thus, other
numbers and combinations of wheels are possible within the scope of
the present invention.
[0062] The present invention involves mechanisms which position
roller wheels so that the roller wheels maintain a generally
parallel relative orientation, while allowing for non-parallel
orientations, for facilitating forward motion and maneuvering of
the device to which the roller wheels are attached. The present
invention allows for movement of the wheels, and may be used on a
variety of structures on which roller wheels may be mounted. The
connectors of the invention are associated with the wheels so that
the desired orientation is preserved. While reference to the
inventor's earlier work may provide insight into the arrangement of
the present invention, the configurations illustrated in the
drawings show the versatility of the present invention. Both the
virtual axis and the connector axis can be constrained to rotate
with respect to a base element associated with a pair of wheels.
They also can be free to change their spatial positions with
respect to the same base element. Selection and combination of such
constraints serve as controlling means for a generalized
convertible wheel apparatus. For a free skate configuration the
connector axis would be constrained. For a figure skate
configuration both of the virtual axes would be constrained. For an
in-line parallel skate configuration both of the two connector axes
would be constrained. The table 1 below summarized these
alternative methods for constraining the generalized convertible
wheel apparatus to achieve different skate configurations.
1TABLE 1 Controlling Means For A Generalized Convertible Wheel
Apparatus Constraining A Pair ofConvertible Wheels Connector Axes
Configuration Virtual Axis Axis Connectors Constrained Free Skate
No Yes 1 1 Figure Skate Yes No 1 2 In-line Parallel No Yes 2 2
[0063] FIGS. 1-5 show a wheel support configuration including base
element 35, connectors 75, pivotal members 40, wheel supports 35,
and biasing mechanism 70. The ends of a connector 75 are shown as
90A and 90B. Axis 85 associated with pivoting member 100 adapted to
engage aperture 80. A line drawn between 90A and 90B is marked 95.
Virtual center 25 is seen in the proximity of the theoretical
center 30 of a wheel 10. Virtual axis 45 and pivotal axis 50 are
marked along their respective theoretical center lines. Axle 20
supports the wheel 10 through two openings 30 in the wheel support
35. The rotational plane and virtual center plane of the skate
wheel 10 is depicted with a plane 15 across the mid section of the
wheel 10. These two planes are generally coplanar and generally
perpendicular to the wheel axle. Arrow 78 points to the direction
of skating which is generally in parallel to the longitudinal
direction of a skate shoe. The distance between the virtual center
25 and the virtual axis 45 is marked as 52. Two pivotal members 40
on the wheel support located opposite each other across virtual
axis 45 are marked 40A and 40B while the base element 60 is shown
with its other side marked 110. A skating surface 55 is shown in
FIG. 4. The overall length of a connector 75 is marked 76 while its
thickness at the end 77 In FIG. 2. The virtual center of a wheel is
defined at 25 as the center of the space volume occupied by wheel
10. The virtual axis 45 is defined as an axis parallel to a pivotal
axis of pivotal member 40 which determines the orientation of
wheels 10.
[0064] Since the forward or backward propelling forces are
generated by the reaction forces from the wheels, in order for the
figure skate configuration to work properly, there is a need of a
balancing torque to prevent the wheel supports from turning when
turning or spinning is not intended. This is accomplished by
locating each virtual axis at a non-zero distance from a respective
virtual center. As the majority of skate wheels are sized from 50
mm to 80 mm in diameter, a reasonable and effective choice of such
a non-zero distance or offset would be something in the
neighborhood of 5 mm. A distance of less than 5 mm may not be
sufficient to yield a torque strong enough to achieve the turning
and spinning functions. Equally important is such a non-zero
distance or offset between the virtual center and the virtual axis
in order that the magnitude of the torque couple for the pair of
wheels may generate easy and smooth turning and spinning
activities. The same understanding could be applied to the
relationship between a pivotal axis and a respective virtual axis
in that a balancing torque is needed to prevent the wheel supports
from turning when not intended, thus each pivotal axis is located
at least 5 mm from a respective virtual axis.
[0065] Several variations of the present invention are shown in
detail below. In the construction suitable for conversion between
in-line and parallel configurations, the rotational planes of the
wheels are maintained parallel to each other throughout the
conversion. In the construction suitable for turning and spinning
the wheels in different directions, the rotational planes of the
wheels are allowed to turn with respect to a given predetermined
orientation, such as the longitudinal direction of a skate
shoe.
[0066] To obtain the in-line skate wheel configuration shown in
FIGS. 5A, 5B, and FIG. 6, the connector is rotated to a position
parallel to the in-line orientation. As the wheel connector is
rotated, the pivotal member pivots about the pivotal axis
contemporaneously pivoting wheels to a position parallel to in-line
orientation. Optionally, the base element may include a notch or
other such structural feature to engage the connector in a given
position for securing the skate configuration desired.
[0067] To obtain the figure skate wheel configuration shown in
FIGS. 7, 8, and 9, each pivotal member may be attached to a base
element and is rotatable about a respective virtual axis with
respect to the base element. The connector is adapted to rotate
with the pivotal member to a new position parallel to its original
orientation. As each wheel is turned against a friction surface the
wheel support pivots about the virtual axis contemporaneously
pivoting the pivotal member and the connector to a new position and
a new wheel orientation according to the actions and desire of the
skater.
[0068] FIG. 1 shows wheel 10 with wheel support 35 and a pair of
pivotal members 40A and 40B associated with a pair of connectors
75. FIG. 2 shows the configuration and general profile of connector
75. FIG. 3 shows a positioning method utilizing a series of
positioning features attached to a base element. Such features can
be in the form of simple notches 65A and protrusions 65B as shown
or more elaborate mechanical shapes that fulfill the positioning
purpose. This is in contrast to the virtual axis shown in FIG. 1
which is not constrained to rotate about its own axis with respect
to the base element.
[0069] The embodiment of FIG. 4 is similar to the embodiment of
FIG. 1 described above, except for pivotal member 40 having only a
single connector 75. In addition, base member 110 has a pivoting
provision 120 which constrains the rotation of pivotal member 40
with respect to a virtual axis.
[0070] FIG. 5A depicts a parallel configuration of a convertible
in-line/parallel skate wheel assembly. The embodiment of FIG. 5B is
similar to the embodiment of FIG. 5A described above, except for
that wheels 10 are aligned in an in-line configuration. To obtain
such a construction one could selectively utilize a base element,
two pairs of connectors and two pairs of pivotal members for each
wheel support according to the present invention.
[0071] FIG. 6 shows an overhead profile of a convertible
in-line/parallel skate wheel assembly in procession. As pivotal
members 40A and 40B of each wheel support rotate with respect to
the pivotal axis, the pivotal members and the wheel supports 35
rotate together. Such rotation implicitly can be carried out by
temporarily dislodge the engagement of the pair connectors with a
base element using the positioning features and then release them
when a desired position has been secured. Biasing mechanisms such
as a spring or a resilient plastic cushion can be used to provide
self restoring force to reposition the connections and may be
connected to either the connector or the base element of the wheel
support. During the entire rotation the rotational planes of the
pair of wheels remain parallel to a predetermined orientation.
[0072] FIG. 7 presents perspective views of a pair of roller wheels
10 each in conjunction with a respective pivotal member 40, a
respective wheel support 35, a respective connector 75, and a
biasing mechanism 70. FIG. 7 shows how by implicitly turning the
wheels against a friction surface 55, a skater can turn to a
skating direction of his or her choice. The pair of wheels 10 are
so constructed so that during such turning action, the positioning
of pivotal members 40 and the resulting change of the orientation
of wheels 10 are concurrent. Biasing mechanism 70 allows wheels 10
to return to their original predefined orientation once a turning
or spinning activity has been completed.
[0073] FIGS. 8 and 9 depict in more detail the procession of the
turning of a roller skating device composed of two pairs of wheels
constructed according to the present invention. FIG. 8 shows the
concurrent turning of the wheels 10 with respect to the connectors
75 and results in the wheels being turned a slanted position then
all the way to a position ninety degrees away from their original
position then turned back to the original position. This innovative
turning feature is a major departure from existing skate
constructions that all have their wheels arranged to travel along
the longitudinal direction of a skate shoe. In so doing one could
notice that each pair of wheels 10 are connected through a
connectors 75 in such a way that their virtual centers 25 are
located both on the opposite sides of their virtual, or
constraining, axis 45 or both on the same sides of their
constraining axis. In FIG. 8 these two virtual centers are shown
pointing away from each other with respect to connector 75. In FIG.
9 these virtual centers are shown closer together between the two
ends of the connector. When the wheels are rotated with respect to
their constrained axes 45 against a skating friction surface, the
rotation of each pair of wheels are so that they turn in the same
direction, either clockwise together or counter clockwise together,
with respect to their axis of rotation 45. Thus allowing a skater
to turn and spin as part of skating maneuver.
[0074] FIGS. 10 and 11 depict top plan views of two different
methods for connecting a pair of wheels 10 that also allows turning
of the wheel rotational planes according to the present invention.
FIG. 10 starts with the pair of wheels positioned asymmetric to the
connector and end up in a position where the pair of wheels are
turned ninety degrees and are extended outwardly from their
respective pivotal member. FIG. 11 starts with the pair of wheels
positioned in parallel to each other and are perpendicular to a
line drawn between the two pivotal axes of the pivotal members.
These views show how the turning of the wheels resulted in their
rotational planes being perpendicular to that of the original
position. Both FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 demonstrated the option for the
pair of wheels to turn in either of the clockwise or the counter
clockwise direction. Thus the freedom of the wheels are sufficient
to accomplish typical turning and spinning actions as generally
observed during the turns involved in a figure skating.
[0075] In FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 one could see a first rotatable wheel
10 and a second rotatable wheel 10 are associated with each of the
two pairs of the skating device mounted under the base 110.
Referring back to FIGS. 1-5, each of the wheels are implicitly
associated with a wheel support with at least one pivoting member
40. Each of the first and second rotatable wheels having an axle
and defining a virtual center plane and a rotational plane. The
rotational planes and the virtual center plane are generally
coplanar and generally perpendicular to the wheel axle. Each of the
first and second wheel supports are with a corresponding one of a
pair of rotatable wheels and a pair of virtual axes. Each pivotal
member is attached to the wheel support for controlling rotation of
the wheel support relative to the pivotal member. The pivotal axis
of the pivotal members is offset from a respective virtual axis. A
connector connects the pivotal member from each of the first and
second wheel supports.
[0076] Looking at the very left pair of wheels in FIG. 8 and FIG.
9, when the pair of wheels are pushed against the skating friction
surface by the skater in a direction parallel to the wheel axle,
the contacting points directly under the virtual centers of each
wheel will exert moment with respect to the pivotal axes. While one
wheel will exert a moment that is counterclockwise with respect to
its pivotal axis, the other wheel will exert a moment that is
clockwise with respect to its pivotal axis. Therefore, the two
moments are subtractive and work against each other. Providing
these two moments are approximately equal in magnitude, since they
are subtractive in nature they will prevent the wheels from being
rotated and thus allowing the skater to receive a reaction force
that propels the skater in a direction approximately perpendicular
to the rotational planes of the wheels. Whenever the direction of
skating and the longitudinal direction of a skate is at a non-zero
angle a skater can use a fraction of such a reaction force to skate
forward in a left push and right push alternative fashion.
[0077] In this invention the connector and the first and second
wheel supports are structured and arranged to allow the rotational
planes of the first and second wheels to remain coplanar when the
reaction moment acting on the first wheel support from a skating
surface with respect to one of the pivotal axes of the pivotal
members of the first wheel support are subtractive to the reaction
moment acting on the second wheel support from a skating surface
with respect to one of the pivotal axes of the pivotal members of
the second wheel support. In this invention the connector and the
first and second wheel supports are also structured and arranged to
allow the rotational planes of the first and second wheels to
rotate when the reaction moment acting on the first wheel support
from a skating surface with respect to one of the pivotal axes of
the pivotal members of the first wheel support are additive to the
reaction moment acting on the second wheel support from a skating
surface with respect to one of the pivotal axes of the pivotal
members of the second wheel support.
[0078] This feature described above is a major departure from
existing roller skate constructions that all have their wheels
arranged to travel along the longitudinal direction of a skate
shoe. The old traditional quad skates do so by fixing their wheels
to a fix frame chassis. The newer convertible in-line/parallel
skates do so by keeping the wheels parallel to the longitudinal
direction of the skate shoe while allowing the chassis to rotate
and reposition. This invention thus demonstrated the inventive
steps in arriving at a new and useful skating device which is
capable of spinning and turning like what could be done with a ice
figure skate.
[0079] FIGS. 12 and 13 illustrate a method of composing the pair of
wheels with the respective pivotal members and the connector. The
connector may be attached to a base element of a skating device and
is adapted to rotate with respect to an axis 85 located in the
vicinity of a line drawn between the two ends of a connector. Such
a wheel assembly has more freedom for turning and spinning of the
pair of wheels. Concurrent positioning of the pair of wheels are
maintained although the rotational planes of the wheels are not
necessarily maintained in parallel to each other.
[0080] FIGS. 14A and 14B show two methods of constructing
positioning features for securing positions of a pair of wheels
through the constraining of the pair of connectors for an
in-line/parallel wheel assembly according to the present
invention.
[0081] According to the present invention, the connectors are not
limited to any particular geometry. The locations of the virtual
axis and the pivotal axis and the rotational axis of a connector
all can be located at any reasonable location within the general
space defined by the wheel assembly. No symmetry is required for
any of these components and their rotating axes. With the summary
of the versatility of the present invention given in Table 1 in
view a special case thus can be arrived by putting all these
rotation axes at the respective geometry center of each
component.
[0082] While this invention has been described as having a
preferred design, the present invention may be further modified
within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is
therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of
the invention using its general principles. Further, this
application is intended to cover such departures from the present
disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to
which this invention pertains.
* * * * *