Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63C—SKATES; SKIS; ROLLER SKATES; DESIGN OR LAYOUT OF COURTS, RINKS OR THE LIKE
  • A63C17/00—Roller skates; Skate-boards
  • A63C17/04—Roller skates; Skate-boards with wheels arranged otherwise than in two pairs
  • A63C17/06—Roller skates; Skate-boards with wheels arranged otherwise than in two pairs single-track type
  • A63C17/061—Roller skates; Skate-boards with wheels arranged otherwise than in two pairs single-track type with relative movement of sub-parts on the chassis
  • A63C17/064—Roller skates; Skate-boards with wheels arranged otherwise than in two pairs single-track type with relative movement of sub-parts on the chassis comprising steered wheels, i.e. wheels supported on a vertical axis

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a skate with aligned wheels.
• Skates which have mutually aligned wheels are currently known; their use is aimed, to an increasingly specific extent, at the sports practice of speed skating or slalom.
• the athlete changes direction of motion by means of the movements of the foot transmitted directly to the skate.
• the aim of the present invention is therefore to eliminate the disadvantages described above in known types by providing a skate with aligned wheels wherein it is possible to achieve a curving radius which is very tight and as uniform as possible.
• Another important object is to provide a skate wherein curving is easily obtainable for the athlete, requiring very small efforts.
• Another important object is to provide a skate which allows to achieve a curving radius which is as much as possible continuous and not discrete.
• Another important object is to provide a skate which i structurally simple and can be obtained with conventiona known machines and facilities.
• Not least object is to provide a skate which associates with the preceding characteristics that of being reliable and safe in use.
• a skate comprising at least two aligned wheels and a supporting plate for an item of footwear, characterized in that it has an articulated frame, composed of at least two forks which are rotatably associated with said plate and support said at least two wheels, at least one resilient tab protruding at said plate and interacting with said at least two forks at one end.
• figure 1 is a perspective exploded view of the skate
• figure 2 is a top view of the skate according to the preceding figure
• figure 3 is a sectional view, taken along a longitudinal median sectional plane, of a different embodiment of the skate
• figure 4 is a plan view of the plate according to the preceding embodiment
• figure 5 is a view of a detail of a further embodiment
• figure 6 is a perspective view of a skate according to still a further object of the invention
• figure 7 is a sectional view according to the line VII- VII of figure 6
• figure 8 is a bottom view of the skate of figure 6
• figure 9 is a sectional view according to the line IX- IX of figure 8
• figure 10 is a perspective view of a portion of a skate according to a further aspect of the invention
• figure 11 is a detailed sectional view of a portion of the skate of figure 10.
• the reference numeral 1 indicates the skate, which comprises, in the particular embodiment, two aligned wheels, indicated by the reference numerals 2 and 3, and a plate 4 for supporting an item of footwear or for connecting thereto.
• the skate 1 comprises an articulated frame 5 which is constituted by two separate elements, such as a first fork and a second fork, respectively indicated by the reference numerals 6 and 7.
• Said first and second forks which are mutually identical, are essentially U-shaped and are arranged longitudinally with respect to the plate 4; each is slightly shorter than half of the longitudinal extension of the plate 4.
• the first fork and the second fork have, at one end, wings which protrude toward the ground and are indicated by the reference numerals 8 and 9; the wheels 2 and 3 are pivoted between said wings by means of adapted first screws, indicated by the reference numerals 10 and 11, which can be secured by means of adapted complementarily threaded nuts.
• Each of said first and second forks is rotatably associated at the lower surface 12 of the plate 4: a pivot, indicated by the reference numerals 14a and 14b, in fact protrudes from the base 13 which connects the wings 8 and 9 proximate to the end which is opposite to the end at which the wheels 2 and 3 are pivoted.
• Said pivots which have a preferably cylindrical configuration, can be accommodated at a complementarily shaped seat, indicated by the reference numerals 15a and
• the skate furthermore comprises rotation guiding means with which the forks are associable; said means are constituted by second screws, indicated by the numerals 16a and 16b, which pass within adapted slots 17a and 17b defined on the plate 4; said slots 17a and 17b have an arc shape, with the concavity directed toward the pivots 14a and 14b respectively.
• the stems of the second screws are associable at complementarily threaded seats defined on protrusions 18a and 18b which protrude from the plate 4 at the wheel pivoting ends.
• the ends 19a and 19b of the first and second forks which constitute the frame 5 are not associated with the wheels 2 and 3 and are curved along an axis which is transverse to said forks so as to allow interaction with an interconnection element 20 constituted by a third screw 21 the stem whereof can be interposed between said ends 19a and 19b.
• Said third screw 21 can be tightened by means of a ring 22 and of a nut 23; resilient elements, such as pads 25a and 25b, are interposed between the ring 22 and the lateral surfaces of the ends 19a and 19b and between said surfaces and the head 24 of the third screw 21.
• the rotation of the forks is thus allowed while at the same time adjusting the degree of contrast to rotation.
• two pairs of resilient tabs protrude from the lower surface 12 of the plate 4 and at the region adjacent to the ends 19a and 19b of the forks 6 and 7 and interact with the lateral surfaces of the underlying forks.
• skate is thus as follows: during a rotation imparted to the frame 5 of the skate, the presence of the two pairs of tabs and of the pads provides an elastic contrast to the rotation of the wheels 2 and 3 and a consequent return to neutral position once the curve has ended.
• FIG. 3 illustrates a skate 101 which again comprises two aligned wheels, indicated by the reference numerals 102 and 103, and a plate 104 for supporting an item of footwear or for connecting thereto.
• the skate 101 furthermore comprises an articulated frame 105 which is constituted by two separate elements, such as a first fork and a second fork, which are respectively indicated by the reference numerals 106 and
• Said first and second forks which are identical, are essentially U-shaped and are arranged longitudinally to the plate 104? each fork is slightly shorter than half of the longitudinal extension of said plate 104.
• the first and second forks furthermore have, at one end, wings which protrude toward the ground and are indicated by the reference numerals 108 and 109; the wheels
• Each one of said first and second forks is rotatably associated at the lower surface 112 of the plate 104; the fork 106 has, proximate to the end which is adjacent to the wheel 102, a spherical lug 128 which protrudes therefrom at the longitudinal median axis. Said lug can be inserted in a snap-together manner within a complementarily shaped seat 129 defined on the lower surface 112 of the plate 104.
• a rivet 130 which is interposed between the base 113a of the fork and the plate 104; a first slot 117a, with its concavity directed toward the lug 128, is defined on said plate 104.
• the fork 107 has, proximate to the end which is adjacent to the wheel 103, a fourth screw 131 the head whereof slides in an adapted second slot 117b which has its concavity directed toward the lug 128.
• the stem of the fourth screw is associated with a spherical nut 132a which is accommodated within a complementarily shaped seat defined on the base 113b of the fork 107, and a hemispherical protrusion 118a protrudes thereat toward the lower surface 112 of the plate
• the fork 107 is furthermore associated with the plate 104 by means of a fifth screw 134 which passes within an adapted hole defined on said plate; said fifth screw is similar to the fourth screw 133, and also has a stem with which a spherical nut 132b is associated; said nut 132b is accommodated within a complementarily shaped seat 133b defined on the base of the fork, and a hemisphe ⁇ : cal protrusion 118b protrudes thereat toward the lower s -face
• a pair of tabs protrudes from the lower surface 12 of the plate 104 at the region adjacent to the adjacent ends of the forks 106 and 107; said tabs are resilient and interact with the lateral surfaces of the underlying forks.
• Figure 5 illustrates a second embodiment, wherein the skate comprises a frame which is constituted by a first fork and a second fork, respectively indicated by the reference numerals 206 and 207, which are rotatably associated with one another at the ends 219a and 219b which are not associated with the wheels.
• Said ends are in fact perforated and partially mutually superimposed so as to allow mutual interconnection by means of a third screw 221, coaxially to which a resilient element, such as a pad 225, is arranged.
• Said pad can be compressed as a consequence of the tightening of the third screw 221, which occurs by means of a rotation imparted to a nut 223, thus achieving a different degree of adjustment of the elastic contrast to the rotation of the wheels and the consequent return thereof to a neutral position once the curve has ended.
• the reference numeral 301 indicates a skate according to still a further aspect of the invention, which comprises three aligned wheels: a central wheel, indicated by the numeral 302, and two outer wheels, indicated by the numerals 303 and 304.
• the skate furthermore comprises a supporting or connecting plate 305, for an item of footwear, and a pair of U-shaped forks, indicated by the numerals 306 and 307; the outer wheels 303 and 304 are pivoted between the wings of said forks, indicated by the numerals 308a, 308b, 308c and 308d, which are directed toward the ground 309, by using adapted first screws, indicated by the numerals 310a and 310b, which can be secured by means of adapted complementarily threaded nuts.
• the forks 306 and 307 are rotatably associated at the lower surface 411 of the plate 305 and have such a longitudinal extension as to approximately affect the interspace between the outer wheels and the central wheel, said central wheel not interacting with said flaps.
• the outer wheels 303 and 304 are pivoted to the end of the respective forks which is not adjacent to the central wheel.
• An articulated pivot indicated by the numerals 313 and 314, is associated, at the end which is not adjacent to the central wheel 302, between the connecting base 312 of the wings of each of the forks 306 and 307 and the plate 305, and constitutes a means for rotatable interconnection between the forks and the plate.
• Said pivots are articulated by virtue of the presence of a pad, indicated by the numerals 315a and 315b, which is arranged coaxially therebetween.
• T-shaped protrusions indicated by the numerals 317a and 317b, furthermore protrude from the upper surface 316 of the plate 305 and constitute means for guiding the forks with respect to the plate; said protrusions in fact slide freely within adapted arc guides, indicated by the numerals
• Said guides naturally define an arc of a circumference centered at the respective axes of the pivots 313 and 314.
• One or more resilient flaps indicated by the numerals
• 319a, 319b, 319c and 319d furthermore protrude from the lower surface 311 of the plate 305 at the underlying ends of the forks which are adjacent to the fixed wheel.
• the free end of said flaps interacts with the lateral surfaces of the wings 308a and/or 308b and/or 308c and/or 308d of the forks.
• the central wheel 302 is fixed with respect to the plate, since it is pivoted to a pair of shoulders 320 which protrude below the plate 305.
• the use of the skate is therefore as follows: during a rotation imparted to the skate, it is possible to impart a rotation to the forks with respect to the plate, so as to allow the athlete to define the curve correctly.
• the presence of the flaps 319a, 319b, 319c and 319d provides an elastic contrast to the rotation of the outer wheels 303 and 304 and the consequent return into neutral position once the curve has ended.
• the central wheel is fixed and thus acts as "pivot" during rotation, so as to allow to perform a curve in an optimum manner, since better stability and precision, which are especially useful during the practice of slalom, are achieved.
• Means suitable for allowing to lock the rotation of the forks, in order to be able to use the skate for high speeds, can be provided.
• the rotatable connection of the forks to the plate and the presence of the flaps in fact allows to arrange the outer wheels so as to follow the radius of curvature in a gradual manner and according to the specific requirements, said fixed central wheel facilitating this operation.
• Figures 10-11 show a skate 401 according to a further aspect of the invention, wherein two aligned wheels 402 and 403 are respectively supported by a first fork 406 and a second fork 407.
• Forks 406 and 407 are connected by an interconnection element 420 constituted by a screw bolt 421 and by a resilient member 425, preferably constituted by a rubber pad.
• Resilient elements 426, 427 protrude downwardly from the supporting plate (not illustrated) of the skate.
• Resilient elements 426 and 427 lie at both sides of, respectively, first fork 402 and second fork 403, and operate as stop members for the rotation of both forks.

Landscapes

• Footwear And Its Accessory, Manufacturing Method And Apparatuses (AREA)
• Medicines Containing Plant Substances (AREA)
• Medicines Containing Material From Animals Or Micro-Organisms (AREA)
• Acyclic And Carbocyclic Compounds In Medicinal Compositions (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Publications (1)

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Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

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• 1991
  • 1991-12-19 WO PCT/EP1991/002447 patent/WO1992011908A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1991-12-19 CA CA 2077087 patent/CA2077087A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1991-12-19 EP EP19920901283 patent/EP0516784A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1991-12-19 JP JP50139292A patent/JPH05504706A/ja active Pending
  • 1991-12-19 AU AU91081/91A patent/AU641582B2/en not_active Ceased

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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