U.S. patent application number 10/059986 was filed with the patent office on 2003-07-31 for powered roller skates.
This patent application is currently assigned to WAYNE-DALTON CORP.. Invention is credited to Mullet, Willis J..
Application Number | 20030141124 10/059986 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 27609942 |
Filed Date | 2003-07-31 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030141124 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Mullet, Willis J. |
July 31, 2003 |
POWERED ROLLER SKATES
Abstract
A skate (10) includes a base plate (11) pivotally carrying a
platform plate (14) which can be the sole of a shoe (16). There is
an aperture (18) in the base plate (11) so that when the platform
plate (14) is adjacent to the base plate (11), a pad (17) on the
platform plate (14) extends through the aperture (18) so that the
user may walk on the skate (10). A frame (23) carries a drive shaft
(20) which carries drive wheels (19). The drive shaft (20) is
journalled in unidirectional bearings (21) and has a gear (32)
which engages a threaded motor shaft (31) of a motor (27). A collar
(38) has threads (37) which engage the threads (36) of a motor
housing (33). When the motor (27) rotates in the one direction
permitted by the unidirectional bearings (21), the drive wheels
(19) will power the skate (10). When, upon voice command, the motor
(27) attempts to rotate the shaft (31) in the other direction, the
motor (27) rotates so that the collar (38) moves relative to the
housing (33) to move the pad (17) through the aperture (18).
Inventors: |
Mullet, Willis J.; (Gulf
Breeze, FL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Phillip L. Kenner
Renner, Kenner, Greive,
Bobak, Taylor & Weber
1610 First National Tower
Akron
OH
44308-1456
US
|
Assignee: |
WAYNE-DALTON CORP.
|
Family ID: |
27609942 |
Appl. No.: |
10/059986 |
Filed: |
January 29, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
180/181 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63C 17/12 20130101;
A63C 17/20 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
180/181 |
International
Class: |
A63C 017/12 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A skate comprising a base plate, drive wheels carried by said
base plate, a platform plate pivotally connected to said base
plate, an aperture in said base plate, a pad on said platform
plate, and a motor to drive said wheels, said pad extending through
said aperture when said platform plate is adjacent to said base
plate.
2. The skate according to claim 1, said motor having a housing with
external threads and further comprising a collar having threads
engaging said threads of said housing such that when said motor is
powered in one direction said wheels are rotated and when powered
in the other direction said collar is lowered relative to said
housing so that said platform plate may pivot relative to said base
plate.
3. The skate according to claim 1, said motor having a threaded
shaft and further comprising a drive shaft journalled in
unidirectional bearings and carrying said wheels, said drive shaft
having a gear engaging said threaded shaft, said unidirectional
bearings allowing said drive shaft to turn in one direction to
rotate said wheels when said motor is activated in one direction,
and when said motor is activated in the other direction, said
platform plate is pivoted relative to said base plate.
4. The skate according to claim 1 wherein said platform plate is
the sole of a shoe.
5. The skate according to claim 1 wherein the base plate carries
front wheels.
6. The skate according to claim 1 wherein said motor drives said
wheels upon voice command.
7. A skate comprising a base plate, drive wheels carried by said
base plate, a platform plate pivotally connected to said base
plate, a motor having a housing with external threads, and a collar
having threads engaging said threads of said housing, said motor
when powered in one direction rotating said wheels and when powered
in the other direction rotating to move said collar relative to
said housing so that said platform plate may pivot relative to said
base plate.
8. The skate according to claim 7, said motor having a threaded
shaft and further comprising a drive shaft journalled in
unidirectional bearings and carrying said wheels, said drive shaft
having a gear engaging said threaded shaft, said unidirectional
bearings allowing said drive shaft to turn in said one
direction.
9. The skate according to claim 7, further comprising a frame
carrying said collar.
10. The skate according to claim 9 wherein said frame includes a
tab which can engage said platform plate.
11. The skate according to claim 9 further comprising a second
frame carried by said base plate and carrying said drive
wheels.
12. The skate according to claim 11 wherein the second frame
carries at least one detent and said frame includes at least one
ear, said detent acting against said ear to maintain said collar
positioned relative to said housing.
13. The skate according to claim 7 wherein the powering of said
motor in said one direction or said other direction is controlled
by voice command.
14. A skate comprising a base plate, a drive shaft, drive wheels
carried by said drive shaft, a platform plate pivotally connected
to said base plate, a motor having a threaded shaft, and a gear on
said drive shaft engaging said threaded shaft, said drive shaft
being journalled in unidirectional bearings allowing said drive
shaft to turn in one direction to rotate said wheels when said
motor is activated in one direction and when said motor is
activated in the other direction, said platform plate is pivoted
relative to said base plate.
15. The skate according to claim 14 further comprising a frame
carrying said unidirectional bearings.
16. The skate according to claim 15 further comprising a motor
bearing support carried by said frame and receiving one end of said
threaded shaft.
17. The skate according to claim 16 further comprising an arch
connected to said frame, and a second motor bearing support carried
by said arch and receiving the other end of said threaded
shaft.
18. The skate according to claim 14 wherein the powering of said
motor in said one direction or said other direction is controlled
by voice command.
19. A skate comprising a base plate, a drive shaft, drive wheels
carried by said drive shaft, a platform plate pivotally connected
to said base plate, an aperture in said base plate, a pad on said
platform plate, a motor having a housing with external threads and
having a threaded shaft, a collar having threads engaging said
threads of said housing, and a gear on said drive shaft engaging
said threaded shaft of said motor, said drive shaft being
journalled in unidirectional bearings allowing said drive shaft to
turn in one direction to rotate said wheels when said motor is
activated in the one direction, and when said motor is activated in
the other direction said collar moves relative to said housing so
that said platform plate may pivot relative to said base plate so
that said pad extends through said aperture when said platform
plate is adjacent to said base plate.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] This invention relates to motorized roller skates or the
like. More particularly, this invention relates to such skates
which upon a voice command may be transformed from a powered
skating configuration to a walking configuration.
BACKGROUND ART
[0002] Many attempts have been made at powering items such as
roller skates, skate boards and the like. Essentially, all such
attempts have involved strapping a motor, or even a small
combustion engine, to the body of the user, and through some type
of drive cable, powering the wheels of the skates. These devices
are, for the most part, not only heavy and uncomfortable, but also
they involve numerous components which are difficult and costly to
produce and assemble. As a result, the costs to the user far
outweigh the benefit enjoyed by the utilization of powered
skates.
[0003] In addition, in most of the prior art motorized devices, the
user had very little, if any, braking or speed control. Of more
importance, the skates could not be converted to walking devices at
the whim of the user.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
[0004] It is thus an object of the present invention to provide
roller skates or the like which can be selectively powered at the
desire of the user or which can be transformed for walking.
[0005] It is another object of the present invention to provide
roller skates, as above, in which a shoe platform is pivotable from
a walking configuration to a motorized skating configuration.
[0006] It is a further object of the present invention to provide
roller skates, as above, which can be powered by a motor which is
voice controlled to start, accelerate, decelerate, stop or convert
to the walking configuration.
[0007] It is an additional object of the present invention to
provide roller skates, as above, which can be powered without the
need for the user to carry heavy motor components and without the
need for drive cables.
[0008] It is yet another object of the present invention to provide
roller skates, as above, which are constructed of a minimal number
of components which are easily assembled and economically
affordable for the user.
[0009] These and other objects of the present invention, as well as
the advantages thereof over existing prior art forms, which will
become apparent from the description to follow, are accomplished by
the improvements hereinafter described and claimed.
[0010] In general, a skate made in accordance with one aspect of
the present invention includes a base plate which carries drive
wheels. A platform plate is pivotally connected to the base plate
and has a pad thereon. An aperture is formed in the base plate. A
motor is provided to drive the wheels. When the platform plate is
adjacent to the base plate, the pad extends through the aperture of
the base plate.
[0011] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention,
the motor has a housing with external threads. A collar is provided
with threads to engage the threads of the motor housing. When the
motor is powered in one direction, the wheels are rotated, and when
powered in the other direction, the motor rotates to lower the
collar relative to the housing so that the platform plate may pivot
relative to the base plate.
[0012] According to yet another aspect of the present invention,
the wheels are carried by a drive shaft having a gear thereon. The
motor has a threaded shaft which engages the gear of the drive
shaft. The drive shaft is journalled in unidirectional bearings
which allow the drive shaft to turn only in one direction to rotate
the wheels when the motor is activated in one direction, and when
the motor is activated in the other direction, the platform plate
is pivoted relative to the base plate.
[0013] A preferred exemplary powered skate incorporating the
concepts of the present invention is shown by way of example in the
accompanying drawings without attempting to show all the various
forms and modifications in which the invention might be embodied,
the invention being measured by the appended claims and not by the
details of the specification.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a skate made in
accordance with the present invention and being shown in the
unpowered walking configuration with a shoe portion thereof being
shown in phantom.
[0015] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the components of
the skate made in accordance with the present invention.
[0016] FIG. 3 is a bottom perspective view of the skate shown in
the walking configuration of FIG. 1.
[0017] FIG. 4 is a rear elevational view of the skate shown in the
walking configuration of FIG. 1.
[0018] FIG. 5 is a partially broken away side elevational view of
the skate shown in the walking configuration of FIG. 1.
[0019] FIG. 5A is an enlargement of a portion of the skate shown in
FIG. 5.
[0020] FIG. 6 is a top perspective view of the skate of FIG. 1
shown in the powered configuration.
[0021] FIG. 7 is a bottom perspective view of the skate shown in
the powered configuration of FIG. 6.
[0022] FIG. 8 is a rear elevational view of the skate shown in the
powered configuration of FIG. 6.
[0023] FIG. 9 is a partially broken away side elevational view of
the skate shown in the powered configuration of FIG. 6.
PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
[0024] A skate made in accordance with the present invention is
indicated generally by the numeral 10 in the drawings. Skate 10
includes a base plate 11 which is generally in the shape of a sole
of a shoe and which carries rotatable front wheels 12. The front or
toe of plate 11 carries a portion of a hinge-like assembly 13 so
that a shoe platform plate 14 may be connected to plate 11 by a pin
15 of hinge assembly 13 for pivoting movement on pin 15 relative to
plate 11. Shoe platform plate 14 is preferably the sole of a shoe
16 shown in phantom only in FIG. 1 for convenience, but it could be
a stand alone plate to which any type of shoe of a user could be
attached by any conventional means, such as straps or the like.
[0025] Shoe platform plate 14 includes a heel portion 17 which can
extend through an aperture 18 formed in base plate 11 to serve as a
walking pad when skate 10 is in the walking configuration shown in
FIGS. 1 and 3-5. Thus, in the walking configuration, walking pad 17
is in contact with the ground. In this configuration, the larger,
powerable, rear drive wheels 19 are off of the ground and
inoperable to move skate 10 as will hereinafter be described.
[0026] Wheels 19 are carried on a drive shaft 20 which is
journalled in unidirectional bearings 21 which are positioned in
the opposed upright branches 22 of a U-shaped frame generally
indicated by the numeral 23 and carried by base plate 11. As is
known to one skilled in the art, unidirectional bearings 21 will
permit the rotation of drive shaft 20 in only one direction, in
this instance, the forward direction, but will prohibit rotation in
the other, backward, direction. U-shaped frame 23 also includes a
base member 24 which interconnects the bottoms of upright branches
22 and carries a lower bearing support 25 for a shaft 26 of an
electric motor 27 (FIG. 2). The upper end of motor shaft 26 is
carried by an upper bearing support 28 formed in an arch 29 which
is connected to the top of branches 22, as by screws 30. Bearing
supports 25 and 28 thus prevent vertical movement of motor 27. A
portion of motor shaft 26 is threaded to form a worm 31 which, as
will hereinafter be more fully discussed, drives a wormgear 32
formed on drive shaft 20. The worm/wormgear is designed with a low
lead angle to resist any tendency of the wormgear 32 to turn the
worm 31.
[0027] A motor housing 33 is received over motor 27 and attached
thereto by fasteners (not shown) which extend through apertures 34
on the top of housing 33 and into apertures 35 (FIG. 2) on the top
of motor 27. The external surface of housing 33 is provided with
threads 36 for engagement with internal threads 37 (FIG. 2) on a
collar 38. It should be appreciated that threads 36 could be formed
directly on the exterior of motor 27, but it is preferred that a
separate housing 33 be provided. Collar 38 is formed at the top of
opposed branches 39 of a U-shaped frame generally indicated by the
numeral 40. Frame 40 includes a base member 41 which interconnects
the bottom of branches 39. Base member 41 includes a tab 42
extending laterally therefrom. As probably best shown in FIG. 5A,
tab 42 underlies the heel end of shoe platform plate 14 and, as
will hereinafter be described, assists in the lifting of plate 14
to pivot it from the FIG. 1 to the FIG. 6 position and to
thereafter hold it in the FIG. 6 position. The top of each branch
39 of frame 40 is provided with an ear 43. The opposed ears 43 are
adapted to engage spring loaded ball detents 44 formed in branches
22 of frame 23 at various times during the operation of motor 27 as
will hereinafter be described.
[0028] Electric motor 27 may be battery powered with the batteries
conveniently carried by the user, as on his shin guards or the
like. In addition, it is preferred that motor 27 be voice activated
by means of a conventional voice control module associated with
motor 27. Thus, as one skilled in the art would appreciate, the
module can be programmed to recognize such words as "start,"
"stop," "faster," "slower" and the like so that the user can
control motor 27 accordingly.
[0029] When the pivoting plate 14 is in the lower position shown in
FIGS. 1 and 3-5, the user may walk with skates 10, pad 17 engaging
the ground and maintaining wheels 19 off of the ground. Plate 14 is
assisted in being maintained in the lower position by virtue of the
fact that detents 44 are positioned just above ears 43 of frame 40,
as shown in FIG. 4. When plate 14 is in the upper position, as
shown in FIGS. 6-9, pad 17 is off of the ground and wheels 19 are
on the ground, allowing the user to move by means of the power
provided by motor 27 to wheels 19. Detents 44 assist in maintaining
this position in that they are now positioned just below ears 43 of
frame 40 as shown in FIG. 8.
[0030] When the user is moving on skates 10, threaded worm 31 of
motor shaft 26 acts on wormgear 32 so that shaft 20 is rotating in
the forward direction permitted by unidirectional bearings 21. When
the command is given to stop, motor 27 momentarily reverses
direction, but because bearings 21 will not allow shaft 20 to
rotate in the reverse direction, motor 27 and its threaded housing
33 will actually rotate one revolution causing collar 38 to
overcome detents 44 and move downwardly to lower pivoting plate 14
to position pad 17 on the ground.
[0031] When the voice command is given to start motor 27, housing
33 will rotate when some friction is exerted on wheels 19, as by
the user leaning forward and/or tilting the skate to either side to
pivot plate 14 relative to plate 11 and to raise pad 17 so that at
least one of the wheels 19 touches the ground. In addition, the
initial rotation of motor 27 overcomes the retention force of
detents 44, with the motor 27 and housing 33 rotating within collar
38 to move collar 38 upwardly to the FIG. 8 position.
[0032] It should thus be evident that a powered skate constructed
as described herein accomplishes the objects of the present
invention and otherwise substantially improves the art.
* * * * *