U.S. patent application number 09/773805 was filed with the patent office on 2002-08-08 for spring activated wheel assembly for in-line walking shoes.
Invention is credited to Henselder, Markus.
Application Number | 20020105154 09/773805 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 25099358 |
Filed Date | 2002-08-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020105154 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Henselder, Markus |
August 8, 2002 |
Spring activated wheel assembly for in-line walking shoes
Abstract
A new inline skate wheel assembly for permitting conversion from
walking shoe to in-line skates through a spring release mechanism.
The inventive device includes a locking clip with arms that are
inserted into the spring loaded locking mechanism upon which the
wheel yoke and axle are attached. When the arms of the male
component locking clip are disengaged from the female component
notches in the spring loaded locking mechanism, the wheel assembly
may either be manually retracted into the cavity located in the
sole of the boot or extended by the touch of a button in an
instantaneous snap action due to the spring loaded locking
mechanism.
Inventors: |
Henselder, Markus; (Los
Angeles, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Eugene Oak
610 S. Van Ness Ave.
Los Angeles
CA
90005
US
|
Family ID: |
25099358 |
Appl. No.: |
09/773805 |
Filed: |
February 5, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
280/11.233 ;
280/11.26; 280/11.28 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63C 17/20 20130101;
A63C 17/008 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
280/11.233 ;
280/11.26; 280/11.28 |
International
Class: |
A63C 017/04 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A spring release wheel swivel hinge assembly for a convertible
shoe comprising: An upper having an underside; and A sole coupled
to the underside of the upper, the sole having a lower plane, and
having storage cavities formed therein; and An extendable and
retractable wheel mechanism operatively coupled to the underside of
the upper, and comprising at least of a wheel positionable to be
about perpendicular to the lower plane of the sole when the wheel
mechanism is in its extended position and same when it is in its
retracted position; and Means for locking swivel wheel assembly
into an extended position and into a retracted position; A spring
loaded locking mechanism with means for deploying such mechanism
and releasing the wheel assembly with a single touch; and Means for
retracting said swivel wheel assembly by disengaging said locking
system.
2. A spring release wheel swivel hinge assembly for convertible
inline skates, according to claim 1, wherein said means for
deploying is a device including but not limited to a button, key,
and pulley, wherein such said device is located on the exterior of
the boot including but not limited to the sides of the sole
portion, the toe, and the heel.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to inline skates, which can be
converted into walking shoes and more particularly pertains to a
new inline skate wheel assembly for permitting quick and easy
deployment of the wheels during conversion from shoes to
skates.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
[0002] The use of inline skates is known in the prior art. More
specifically, inline skates heretofore devised and utilized are
known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious
structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs
encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for
the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements. Known
prior art inline skates include U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,595,392;
5,193,827; 4,932,675; U.S. Pat. Des. 335,576.
[0003] While these devices fulfill their respective, particular
objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not
disclose a new inline skate assembly. The inventive device includes
a boot portion and a truck portion. The boot portion has a sole,
and heel and toe ends. The truck portion has a top, first and
second ends, a pair of sides, and a plurality of ground engaging
wheels rotatably mounted thereto. The sole of the boot portion has
an elongate channel therein. The length of the channel is extended
between the heel and toe ends of the boot portion. The top of the
truck portion is slidably insertable into the channel of the sole
of the boot portion to attach the truck portion to the base
portion.
[0004] In these respects, the inline skate assembly according to
the present invention substantially departs from the conventional
concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an
apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of permitting the
wearer to convert the skates into shoes by storing the wheels in
the sole of the boot.
[0005] Convertible shoes capable of converting from walking shoes
into in-line skates are known in the art. One type of known
convertible shoe comprises a shoe component, or upper, attached at
its underside to a wheel mechanism, and to a sole. The wheel
mechanism comprises wheels rotatably connected to an undercarriage,
the undercarriage being connected to the underside of the upper.
The wheel mechanism can be extended to allow a wearer to skate on a
skating surface, or retracted to allow a wearer to walk. When
extended, the wheel mechanism can provide clearance between the
sole and the skating surface, and can support the upper some
distance above the skating surface allowing the upper and sole to
ride on the wheels or rollers. When retracted, the wheel mechanism
provides no clearance between the upper and sole and the ground or
skating surface and can be enclosed by the sole. The sole contains
cavities that provide a storage enclosure for the retracted wheel
mechanism.
[0006] There are inconveniences and problems associated with this
type of known convertible shoes. Wheel diameter is limited to about
1 inch or less because the wheels must fit in the enclosing space
provided by the sole. When the wheel mechanism is retracted, the
wheels remain roughly perpendicular to the underside of the upper,
so that their rolling axes are parallel to the upper's underside.
Therefore, wheel diameter can generally be no greater than the
thickness of the enclosing sole. The smaller the wheels' diameter,
the greater the number of revolutions a wheel must make to travel a
given distance, and the greater a wheel's wear. Small wheels are
also generally less able to negotiate bumps and undulations in the
skating surface. Further, small wheels can limit the clearance
between the upper or sole and the skating surface, making skating
more hazardous and preventing more aggressive skating. Examples of
this type of convertible shoe are taught in U.S. Pat. No. 3,983,643
to Schreyer, U.S. Pat. No. 4,333,249 to Schaefer, U.S. Pat. No.
5,797,609 to Fichepain, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,785,327 to Gallant.
[0007] Another type of known convertible shoe is similar to the
convertible shoe just described except that the sole is detachable.
In this type of convertible shoes, the sole is generally attached
to the upper when the wheel mechanism is retracted, thus covering
and enclosing the retracted wheel mechanism, and allowing a wearer
to walk in the convertible shoes. When the wheel mechanism is to be
extended, the sole is removed and either must be set aside or
carried separately by the wearer. In addition to the problems
arising from small wheel diameters, having to remove and set aside,
or carry, the sole is inconvenient for the wearer. An example of
this type of convertible shoes is described in U.S. Pat. No.
3,979,842 to Texidor.
[0008] Still another type of known convertible shoes provides wheel
mechanisms wherein the wheels are mounted at the sides of the sole
and protrude therefrom. When used for skating, the wheels may be
lowered, or extended downwards, to contact the skating surface and
provide clearance between the sole of the shoe and the ground. When
used for walking the wheels are raised by the sides of the shoe
allowing the sole to contact the ground. An example of this is
described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,398,970 to Tucky. In an alternative
design, the wheels are attachable to axles embedded in the sole.
The wheels are attached to the axles when the shoe is to be used
for skating and protrude from the sides of the sole. When used for
walking, the wheels are removed. An example of this design is found
in U.S. Pat. No. 5,511,824 to Kim. This type of convertible is not
suitable for in-line skates because the wheels must be mounted on
both sides of the sole. The Kim convertible shoe is also
inconvenient because the wheels are not integrated with the shoe,
and they must be set aside or carried when the user is skating.
[0009] Known convertible shoe wheels that are integral with and
fixed to the convertible shoe can be subject to uneven wheel wear.
The wheels' orientation is generally fixed in a plane parallel to
the direction of in-line skate travel, and the orientation cannot
easily be reversed or rotated through 180 degrees. With prolonged
skating, wheel wear can be uneven if, for example, the wearer's
feet tilt inwards or outwards while skating. Unevenly worn wheels
are undesirable because they are difficult to skate with.
[0010] Perhaps the most close in likeness to the present invention
is U.S. Pat. No. 6,120,039 to Clementi, which is still another type
of convertible shoe capable of reversibly converting from a walking
shoe to an in-line skate by extending a wheel mechanism located in
the shoe's sole. Though Clementi shares many of the same advantages
as the present invention, its disadvantage lies in the wheel
mechanism, which is difficult to deploy and easily damaged due to
its location with respect to the boot. As is commonly known, after
a short period of wear on roller skates, the undersides of them are
covered by the dirt, gravel and other lose material that may be on
the ground on which the skate rolls over while in use. As the front
wheel spins against the ground, the friction between the ground and
the wheel induces substantial amounts of dirt to be kicked up. Such
a build up of material on the underside of the skate will cause the
wheel release mechanism on Clementi's in-line skate shoe to
malfunction before the rest of the boot undergoes any wear and
tear. Since the Clementi shoe's wheel release mechanism is located
in the cavity underneath the shoe very close to the wheels
themselves, even more build up of dirt and substances will occur
when the wheels are in retracted position and the user is walking
through gravel, mud, grass, etc. Furthermore, it is inconvenient
for the user to have to reach underneath the soles of the boot in
order to release the wheels as the hands will become dirty from
fumbling around in the cavity where the mechanism is located.
[0011] The present invention eliminates these disadvantages while
retaining all of the advantages of the prior art. In these
respects, the inline skate wheel assembly according to the present
invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and
designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus
primarily developed for the purpose of facilitating one touch
release of the wheels from the sole of the boot and easy retraction
thereof.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0012] In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known
type of inline skate wheel assembly now present in the prior art,
the present invention provides a new inline skate wheel assembly
construction wherein the same can be utilized for permitting quick
and convenient spring release of the wheels as well as easy
retraction without the need for getting the hands dirty in the
process.
[0013] The general purpose of the present invention, which will be
described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new
inline skate wheel assembly, which has many of the advantages of
the inline skates mentioned theretofore and many novel features
that result in a new inline skate wheel assembly which is not
anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of
the prior art inline skates, either alone or in any combination
thereof. To attain this, the present invention generally comprises
a boot portion and an instantly deployable wheel mechanism located
inside the boot. The boot portion has a sole, and heel and toe
ends. The present invention relates to a convertible shoe capable
of reversibly converting from a walking shoe to an in-line skate by
pressing a control button which controls a brake member to release
the wheel mechanism located in the shoe's sole. The convertible
shoe comprises an upper, a sole connected to the underside of the
upper, and an extendable and retractable wheel mechanism connected
to the underside of the upper. The sole has storage cavities
capable of enclosing and storing the retracted wheel mechanism. In
one embodiment the wheel mechanism comprises at least two wheels
rotatably mounted on one or more undercarriages that permit wheels
connected thereto to be extended by swiveling about and axis
perpendicular to the wheels' rolling axis. Swiveling can be
achieved by mounting each wheel on an undercarriage via, for
example a swivel hinge mounting. There are several possible
undercarriage configurations. For example, each wheel can be
mounted on a separate undercarriage, which undercarriage extendibly
connected to the underside of the upper. When the wheel mechanism
is extended the swivel-hinge mounting can be locked in a position
such that its wheel is held parallel to the direction of skating
motion and about perpendicular to the sole. In another embodiment
of the present invention, the wheel mechanism can comprise at least
two removable undercarriages having rotatable wheels. Each
undercarriage can be mounted onto the convertible shoes so that the
undercarriage and the wheel connected thereto can be held in at
least two different orientations. For example, the undercarriage
can be mounted in an extended orientation with its wheel parallel
to the skating direction and about perpendicular to the sole of the
shoe, or the undercarriage can be mounted in a retracted
orientation with its wheel about parallel to the sole of the
convertible shoe. To change the wheel orientation the undercarriage
can be dismounted from the bushing then remounted with wheels in a
different orientation.
[0014] One advantage of the convertible shoe with the spring
release wheels of the present invention is that the she is
integrally constructed so that no accessories need to be attached
or removed from the convertible shoe in converting the shoe from a
walking shoe to an in-line shoe. Another advantage of the present
invention is that the wheels do not needed to be folded twice as in
Clementi's shoe. Furthermore, the present invention allows the
wheels to be thick to ensure a stable ride, even allowing a
plurality of small thick wheels so that a larger portion of the
sole is supported by wheels.
[0015] These together with other objects of the invention are
pointed out clearly in the claims annexed to and forming a part of
this disclosure. For a better understanding of the present
invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects
attained by its use, references should be made to the accompanying
drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated
preferred embodiments of the invention.
BRIEF DECRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] For a better understanding of the nature of the present
invention, reference should be made to the following detailed
description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings
wherein:
[0017] FIG. 1 is a side partial sectional view of the present
invention with the wheel mechanism extended;
[0018] FIG. 2 is a front sectional view of the spring release wheel
mechanism;
[0019] FIG. 3 is a back sectional view of the spring release wheel
mechanism.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0020] The preferred embodiment of the present invention is a
convertible shoe having a spring loaded retractable and extendable
wheel mechanism, wherein the convertible shoe is useable as a
in-line skate when the wheel mechanism is extended, as shown in
FIG. 1, and is useable as a walking shoe when the wheel mechanism
is retracted. The convertible shoe comprises an upper 11 and a sole
12 attached to the underside of the upper 11 to form an upper/sole
assembly. The upper/sole assembly can further comprise an insole
13, a plate 14 located under the insole 13 and a heel pad located
under the posterior of the plate 14, attached to the underside of
the upper 11 and above the sole 12.
[0021] The upper 11 is capable of receiving a user's or wearer's
foot and can be made of materials including but not limited to
leather, fiber, and synthetic materials. The insole 13 cushions a
wearer's foot, and can be made of, for example, a resilient
synthetic material. The plate 14 can be made of, for example,
non-corrosive metal or rigid synthetic material capable of
providing structural support for the wheel mechanism. The heel pad
15 acts as a spacer, and provides support for the wearer's heel at
the posterior end of plate 13. The sole 12, is located below plate
11 and is connected to the underside of upper 11. The sole 12 can
be made of, for example, rubber or synthetic material, or other
material known in the art to be a suitable material for a sole for
this type of footwear. The sole 12 is capable of storing and
enclosing the retracted wheel mechanism in cavities 16 and 17. The
wheel mechanism is connected to the underside of plate 13, and
comprises one or more swivel hinge assemblies. In the preferred
embodiment, the plate 13 is connected to anterior and posterior
swivel hinge assembly. Each swivel hinge assembly includes a base
housing 20, a swivel wheel yoke 21, and a pair of wheel 22. The
swivel hinge assembly can be connected to the plate 14 by, for
example, bolts 24, that pass through pre-drilled or formed holes in
plate 13 and are screwed into the base housing 20.
[0022] Referring to FIG. 1 through FIG. 3, the pair of wheels 22
can be of materials such as, for example, molded rubber, metal, or
synthetic material. The cumulative thickness of the pair of wheels
22 including the space between the two wheels preferably has a
width greater than 1 inch, which increases the stability of the
ride and allows safer skating. The wheels 22 are rotatably mounted
on axle 25 via wheel bearings 26 that support the pair of wheels 22
on the axle 25. With the wheels 22 and the bearings 26 mounted, the
axle 25 can be connected to a wheel yoke 27 having side members 27A
by, for example, screws 28 that run through a hole 27B in each side
member 27A of the yoke 27 and into the ends of the axle 25.
[0023] Referring to FIG. 2, the sole 12 includes anterior and
posterior cavities 16 and 17, posterior and anterior lock release
buttons 39 located on the boot exterior, and a lower plane that
defines a walking surface 18. These cavities extend from the
walking surface of the sole 18 to the plate 13. Anterior assembly
cavity 16 and posterior assembly cavity 17 house or store the
anterior and posterior swivel hinge assemblies, respectively.
[0024] Lock release buttons 39, which may be located anywhere on
the boot's exterior may be pushed in order to release the spring
loaded wheel axle 25 and yoke 27. Button 39 is connected to locking
nut 37, which is joined to push rod 38, which passes through the
retention mechanism 36 and swivel yoke 21. On the other side of the
yoke, push rod 38 is connected to locking clip 41, which is
fastened to the push rod by another locking nut 37A. Locking clip
41 is circularly flat piece of metal with a cut out center circle
resembling a washer and has two arms, located opposite to each
other, extending out from the outer edge of the circle. The arms 43
extend a few millimeters from the edge of the circle at which point
they curve at a 90 degree angle perpendicular to the flatly
disposed circular surface. The curved portion of the arms 43 are
able to fit securely and snugly into the locking mechanism in order
to prevent the wheel assembly from moving when it is either
completely retracted or fully extended. When force 29 is applied to
push button 39, the entirely connected rod assembly is pushed in
the direction of the force. Moving in a lateral motion parallel to
the sole of the boot maintained by the wheel axle 25. Retention
mechanism 36, which is integrally joined with yoke 21, has two
square notches cut into the side which makes direct contact with
locking clip 41. The square notches 42 is just large enough for the
folded arms 43 of locking clip 11 to be inserted into it. Spring
loaded wheel yoke and wheel axle connected thereto is retained in
the retracted position inside the cavities of the sole by the
insertion of arms 43 into notches 42. When the wearer pushes button
39, the connected rod induces locking clip to move away from the
locking mechanism thereby disengaging the bent arms 43 from its
inserted position in notches 42 and resulting in the locking
mechanisms snapping into the extended position due to the spring
loaded nature of the wheel assembly. In order to retract the
wheels, the wearer must push the button 39 in order to disengage
the insertion of the locking clip once more while manually rotating
the wheel yoke by rotating into the cavity in the sole until the
arms 43 are in position to be inserted into the notches 42 thereby
keeping the wheels fixed in the closed position.
[0025] While particular embodiments of the present invention have
been illustrated and described herein, the present invention is not
limited to such illustrations and descriptions. It is apparent that
changes and modifications may be incorporated and embodied as part
of the present invention within the scope of the following
claims.
* * * * *