AU644045B2 - Truck for skateboard - Google Patents

Description

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AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 199u *L to 6000 0 Name of Applicant Actual Inventor(s) Address for Service S FAR GREAT PLASTICS INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.

S TING-HSING CHEN GRANT ADAMS COMPANY, Patent Trade Mark Attorneys Level 9, National Mutual Centre, 144 Edward Street, BRISBANE. QLD. 4000

AUSTRALIA.

"TRUCK FOR SKATEBOARD" Invention Title Details of Associated Provisional Applications Numbers The following statement is a full description of the invention including the best method of performing it known to me.

-1A- TITLE: 'TRUCK FOR SKATEBOARD' BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of Invention THIS INVENTION relates to a truck, and more particularly to a truck for a skateboard, roller skate or the like.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART Trucks for skateboards or roller skates have been devised for mounting wheels to a skateboard or roller skate, and also for providing a resilient cushion to the riders when riding on uneven surfaces.

Conventional trucks for skateboards have seldom addressed the need for high maneuverability, such as when performing figure eights or the like.

Some trucks have the ability to maneuver through sharp turns. However, too many metal parts are required to form such a truck. Its structure may change due to wear or fatigue with possible harmful outcomes to riders.

20 The inventor, in view of this, has invented the present invention which minimizes parts and provides a higher degree of maneuverability as well as stability.

a OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a truck for a skateboard which solves the problem with conventional trucks consisting .of too many complicated parts.

SIt is a further object of the present invention to provide a truck for a skateboard which permits a degree of movement of an axle by deflection of a suspension beam.

;It is another object of the present invention to provide a truck for a skateboard which maintains improved stability and maneuverability.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention achieves its objects in -2provision of a truck for a skateboard comprising: a mounting means whereby the truck can be mounted beneath a skateboard, roller skate, and the like, said mounting means being extended between first and second ends; a beam mounted to the mounting means adjacent the first end, projected therefrom and angled towards the second end; an axle hub mounted on the beam; an attachment means on the mounting means adjacent to the axle hub; and a resilient means attached to the attachment means and providing a resilient cushion to the axle hub.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a skateboard in accordance with the present invention with a part shown in sectional form; FIG. 2A is a side cross-sectional view of the skateboard of FIG. 1; FIG. 2B is a similar view to that of FIG. 2 20 but illustrating the skateboard when weight is evenly loaded thereon; FIG. 3A is a sectional view taken transverse to the front to rear axis of the skateboard of FIG. 1 and showing a left turning action; and FIG. 3B is a similar view to that of FIG. 3A but illustrating a right turning action.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED I EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings and in 30 particular to FIG. 1 thereof, the skateboard 1 which comprises a pair of identical trucks 2 being detachably anchored to the undersurface of the rearward and forward ends, respectively, by means of bolts and nuts 221 and 222 or as will be appreciated, the trucks 2 may be formed as an integral unit with the base plate 1, out of a single piece of material. Since the construction of the two trucks 2 is identical, a description of one will suffice for both. The truck 2 is composed of an integral suspension beam 21 having one end mounted with the truck base and the other end formed with an axle hub 23, perpendicularly as shown. The axle hub 23 has a I passageway along its longitudinal axis, and an integral circular bracket 24 is mounted thereon. There is formed at the centre of the truck 2, a boss 22 extending downwardly and provided with a recess 2211 defining an inner generally circular flange 2212 about the central opening 2213 for the projection therethrough or an elastomeric member which is generally of semispherical in shape, having a circular groove 31 at a top end thereof and a blind bore 32 in the middle top portion as shown in FIG. 2A. The groove 31 is sized to be engaged with the flange 2212 and having its bottom portion seated on top of the bracket 24 when clamped by

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i 20 the flange 2212.

S. When a rider's weight is evenly distributed on Sthe base plate 1, as shown in FIG. 2B, the two suspension beams 21 will be bent inwardly, relative to the axle hubs. The two elastomeric members 3 permit by 25 deformation a limited deflection of the suspension beams 21 in response to the weight of the rider. The elastomeric members 3 prevent the suspension beams from *deflecting too much. Likewise, when a rider is shifting his weight to one side or the other, for instance, as 30 shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the base plate 1 will tilt *toward the same direction which causes the elastomeric member 3 to transform, which permits a limited deflection of the axle relative to the suspension beam 21.

When skating on a bumpy surface, the 4 elastomeric members 3 will absorb part of any shock as a supplementary shock absorber to the suspension beam 21 so that the base plate 1 is more stable relative to the movements of wheels 6404 ~4 4 S 4 4.

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Claims (8)

1. A truck for skateboards, roller skates, and the like comprising: a mounting means whereby the truck can be mounted beneath a skateboard, roller skate, and the like, said mounting means being extended between first and second ends; a beam mounted to the mounting means adjacent the first end, projected therefrom and angled towards the second end; an axle hub mounted on the beam; an attachment means on the mounting means adjacent to the axle hub; and a resilient means attached to the attachment means and providing a resilient cushion to the axle hub.

2. A truck as claimed in claim 1 wherein the attachment means is a hollow boss on the mounting means with an opening therein, the opening formed with a •flange thereabout for engagement with a resilient means.

A truck as claimed in claim 2 wherein the resilient means is a block of resilient material with an 20 attachment end for insertion in the opening of the boss with a groove thereabout to capture a respective flange therein.

4. A truck as claimed in claim 3 wherein the •resilient material has a blind bore extended into the block of resilient material through the attachment *means.

A truck as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the resilient means is semi-spherical at a point engaged with a concave abutment plate mounted to the axle housing.

6. A truck as claimed in any one of claims 1 to wherein the beam is a cantilevered extension of the material of the base plate extended to an integral axle hub.

7. A truck as claimed in claim 6 wherein the cantilevered beam has a width dimension across the truck which is greater than its thickness therealong.

8. A truck for skateboards, roller skates, and the like substantially as hereinbef ore described, with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this Twentieth day of September, 1993. FAR GREAT PLASTI CS INDUSTRIAL.I CO LTD By its Patent Attorneys GRANT ADAMS COMPANY a a 0 I ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A truck for a skateboard is composed of a beam having one end being formed integral with the truck and the other end being formed integral with an axle hub. The truck has further comprising a boss extending downward having an inner recess defining a circular flange and an opening. The beam has integral at its top with a circ ~ar bracket which is in align with the opening of the boss. An elastomeric member is generally semi-spherical in shape having a groove at top end and a blind bore in top middle portion. The outer diameter of the groove of the elastomeric member equals to the diameter of the flange of the boss 0* allowing the groove to be clampped by the flange and 15 the bottom portion of the elastomeric member seats on the bracket providing limited deflection of the beam relative to the axle. 4 e* 4 4 4*