EP1523375B1 - In-line skate frame - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a skate comprising a sole plate consisting of a lower wheel-bearing longitudinal member (10) which extends in the longitudinal axis of the sole plate. According to the invention, each end of the aforementioned longitudinal member (10) is provided with a housing which is defined by two lateral walls (11, 12, 13, 14) and a wheel (16, 17) is assembled therebetween, mounted on an axle (18, 19). In addition, the longitudinal member is provided with a lower arch (24) which is disposed between the above-mentioned wheel housings and which is defined by a dished surface that is set back in relation to the line defined by the points of contact between the two wheels and a level bearing surface. The invention is characterised in that the length of the arch (24) is equal to or greater than a third of the distance between the two wheel axles which are disposed at either end of the longitudinal member.

Description

The invention relates to a roller skate, in particular a pad adapted to make figures.

Such a skate is known for a so-called aggressive practice where the skater realizes figures of gliding or jumping on obstacles that puts at his disposal the street and the urban furniture, in particular the edges of pavement or concrete walls, the ramps of stairs, benches.

The patent application EP 891 794 describes a skate for such a practice and GB 2 315 880 A describes a skate with springs for better jumping behavior.

It includes a frame surmounted by a shell and a slipper for the foot of the skater.

The chassis has two elongated and parallel wings forming a groove in which are mounted four wheels arranged in line. Between the two middle wheels, the wings of the frame are recessed to form a kind of arch oriented transversely to the longitudinal direction defined by the frame.

The skater uses this arch to slide for example along a sidewalk or a banister with its skate across. The arch is used as guiding support during a gliding phase and as an impulse during a jump. Two other support zones of the pad are also used to make figures. These are the two corner surfaces delimited by the sole of the shell, or the support plate of the shoe, and the wings of the frame on the outer and inner side. Whenever the skater does not roll, but slips with one of the parts of the skate, it is called 'grind'. When this slip is in the area between the two central wheels, it is called 'royal grind'.

Regarding the arch, its length and height dimensions are relatively small given its location between the wheels in the middle. As a result, the skater's possibilities of evolution are relatively limited and in general the skater slides while maintaining his skate transversely to the edge or the ramp.

An object of the invention is to improve these possibilities of evolution and to give more fluidity in the figures realized by the skater.

For this the invention provides a pad having a frame with a lower support beam of wheels extending in the longitudinal direction defined by the frame, the spar having a housing at each of its ends bounded by two side walls between which is assembled a wheel mounted on an axis, and the spar having between the wheel housings a lower arch defined by a curved surface set back from a line defined by the contact points of the two wheels on a flat surface, such as the arch extends over a length equal to or greater than one third of the distance between the two wheel axes, characterized in that the longitudinal extension V of the arch (24) is greater than the distance L subtracted from the diameter D of the wheel: V> LD. On the other hand the vault is characterized by its geometry which ensures a deflector function so that when the skater is in position of 'grind' it can perform a rotation of 180 ° while remaining in contact with the ramp and without the wheels do not touch this one.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the function of the deflector is ensured by the presence of extensions formed at the end of the roof and which cover the lower part of the wheels located towards the inside of the spar.

In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the geometry of the vault is such that if one fictively extends it in the direction of each of the two wheels, the line thus produced passes below the wheels. Preferably, the dummy line is substantially tangent to the periphery of the wheels, while passing below.

• La figure 1 représente en vue de côté un patin selon un premier mode de mise en oeuvre de l'invention.
• La figure 2 est une vue de dessous du longeron de support des roues.
• La figure 2a est une vue de face du longeron de support des roues.
• La figure 3 est une vue en coupe du longeron de la figure 2.
• La figure 4 représente en vue de côté un longeron selon un autre mode de mise en oeuvre de l'invention.
• La figure 5 est une vue de dessous du longeron de la figure 4.
• La figure 6 est une vue en perspective d'un longeron selon un troisième mode de mise en oeuvre de l'invention.
• La figure 7 est une vue en perspective du sabot associé au longeron de la figure 6.
• La figure 8 est une vue en coupe de l'assemblage du sabot et du longeron des figures 6 et 7.

The invention will be better understood by reference to the description below and attached drawings attached thereto.

• The figure 1 represents in side view a pad according to a first embodiment of the invention.
• The figure 2 is a bottom view of the wheel support spar.
• The figure 2a is a front view of the wheel support spar.
• The figure 3 is a sectional view of the spar of the figure 2 .
• The figure 4 is a side view of a spar according to another embodiment of the invention.
• The figure 5 is a bottom view of the spar of the figure 4 .
• The figure 6 is a perspective view of a spar according to a third embodiment of the invention.
• The figure 7 is a perspective view of the shoe associated with the spar of the figure 6 .
• The figure 8 is a sectional view of the shoe and spar assembly of Figures 6 and 7 .

The shoe 1 represented in figure 1 comprises in its upper part a shell 2 provided for receiving a shoe.

The shell has a support plate 3 which is provided to receive a shoe sole and a rod 4 which goes up along the skater's ankle.

The skater's foot and shoe are immobilized in the shell by a meta strap 7, a lower leg strap 8 and an instep strap 9. The straps 7, 8 and 9 are optionally filled with cushioning cushions.

The shell is made of any suitable material, and in particular plastic optionally filled with fibers.

The construction that has just been described is not limiting, and instead of a shell provided to receive a shoe, one could have a rigid cradle with a soft boot in which the skater puts the foot directly. Other modes of construction may still be suitable.

Referring to the figure 1 under the hull is a spar 10 for supporting the wheels.

The spar 10 extends longitudinally along the hull continuously over substantially its entire length. At each of its ends, the spar 10 has a housing limited by two side walls 11, 12 and 13, 14. A wheel 16, 17 is housed in each housing, and is mounted on an axis 18, 19 carried by the side walls of the spar. The wheel is of any suitable nature. Preferably its diameter is relatively small. Good results have been obtained with wheels 54 to 58 millimeters in diameter, but this is not limiting. Since there are only two wheels and not four, the area available for grind is larger.

As can be seen in the figure 1 , the height of the spar is slightly less than the diameter of the wheel and the axis of the wheel is preferably placed towards the middle of the height of the spar at a forward of the side walls so that the wheels are released from the spar to the front and back of the skate.

In addition, preferably, the spar has lower extensions 20, 21 which are flush with the surface defined by the contact lines between the wheels and the ground. In this way the spar provides reduced ground clearance to both ends of the spar. More specifically for the illustrated embodiment, the extensions extend to the wheels so as to envelop the lower part of the wheels located towards the inside of the spar. These extensions are deflectors that avoid the contact of the wheels with the surface of 'grind', it can be for example a ramp. Preferably, the extensions have on each side of the wheels chamfered sides 20a, 20b, 21a, 21b, respectively to avoid the contact between these extensions and the ground during the inclination of the pad.

The figure 2a shows a front view of the beam 10 showing the angle of inclination of the chamfered panels 20a, 20b. Their inclination is close to the tangent 60 defined by the extension of the line of possible contacts between the wheel and the ground. Thus the transition between a ground / wheel contact and a ground / surface grind contact is much softer. In this case the chamfered panels are substantially parallel to the tangent line 60 but have an elevation greater than this so as not to interfere with angle taps during driving.

Between the two extensions 20 and 21, the lower face 24 of the spar describes a vault delimited by a curved surface set back from a line defined by the contact points of the two wheels on a flat surface.

According to the illustrated embodiment, the curvature of the vault 24 is not constant, it has a curved surface in its middle part and flat surfaces, or substantially flat, and inclined towards each of its ends. However this is not limiting and the radius of curvature could vary along the vault or be constant throughout it. In the same way the vault could be non-symmetrical with respect to its median part.

According to the illustrated embodiment, the curved surface of the median part of the vault corresponds to the apex 24a of the vault which is slightly below the level of the axes 18, 19 of the wheels. This geometry favors the positioning of the skater on the ramp, when the pad is exactly perpendicular to the ramp, the contact pad / ramp is at the top 24a of the vault.

Seen from above, the spar preferably has two curved lateral surfaces 26 and 27 which converge towards one another towards the middle of the length of the spar. As for the surface 24, the surfaces 26 and 27 may be of constant curvature or not and be symmetrical or not. These lateral surfaces form somehow side vaults.

Preferably, a chamfer zone 28, 29 is located at the junction of the vault 24 with the two lateral surfaces 26 and 27. Instead of a chamfer one could have several successive chamfers with different orientations or a rounded junction surface. .

The side vaults and the chamfered areas leave at the level of the lower vault 24 a flat area which is of the order of 20 millimeters at the top 24a. The flat area extends from the top 24a to the two extensions 20 and 21.

The vault 24, the lateral surfaces 26, 27 are provided to serve as guide support during sliding of the pad, for example along a ramp, with different orientations of the pad relative to the ramp. Because of the long stride of the vaults in relation to the length of the spar the skater has more ease of evolution during a figure and support during a jump. The difference between the distance L between the two axes 18, 19, and the longitudinal extension V of the roof 24, is smaller than the average diameter of the wheels, D. Thus the extensions 20 and 21 cover part of the wheels. Reduced ground clearance also improves the possibilities of evolution by facilitating the passage of the wheels over the ramp. The amplitude of the vault considerably increases the possible slip angle. The skater is no longer limited to the transverse positioning of the pad relative to the ramp. A 180 ° rotation of the pad with respect to the ramp is even possible without the wheels touching the rail. Indeed extensions 20 and 21 provide the role of a deflector when the orientation of the spar is close to that of the ramp.

The extensions 20, 21, covering a portion of the wheels located towards the inside of the spar, provide a function of wheel fairing which also serves to facilitate the transition between the rolling phases, when the wheels are in contact with the ground and the "grind" phases, when the spar is in contact with the ground or the "grind" surface (rail, ramp, ridge, etc ......). The line 61 of fictitious extension of the contour of the vault 24 is close to being tangent with the line of the possible contacts ground / wheel so as to make the transition between the phases of rolling and "grind" softer. In practice, so as not to hinder the rolling phases, the wheel / ground contact is located under line 61 extending from the vault 24.

According to the embodiment shown, the extensions 20, 21 cover the lower part of the wheels located towards the inside of the spar. However, this is not limiting and the extensions can also be constituted by downward extensions of the side walls 11, 12, 13, 14, ensuring as for the mode shown the deflector function.

The spar is made of any suitable material, and in particular plastic optionally filled with fibers and molded. As illustrated by figure 3 for example, the spar can be constructed with a section "U" which defines the wall of the various vaults, with connecting struts 31, 32 and 33 near the wheels and towards the middle. Other construction methods may also be suitable.

The spar is assembled to the shell 2 or if necessary to a shoe by any appropriate means. For example, as shown, the spar is equipped on the front and rear of two shouldered housing 36, 37 located in the spacer zones 31 and 33 near the wheels. These housings are provided for assembly screws of the shell on the upper part of the spar, possibly in cooperation with complementary forms of interlocking. This method of assembly advantageously allows to exchange the element of the pad that receives the foot or the shoe of the skater. But it is not limiting and other methods of assembly could also be suitable, for example the spar and the shell could form a one-piece assembly.

The Figures 4 and 5 illustrate an alternative construction of the frame according to the invention.

As in the previous case, the frame has a spar 40 equipped with a wheel 41, 42 at each of its ends. The spar has a lower arch 45, two side arches 46, 47 and two chamfered areas 48, 49 junction.

Unlike the previous mode of construction, the vault extends over only a portion of the length of the spar. The vault however remains more extensive than the arches used until now for figure skates and the chassis only supports two wheels. To achieve the results expected by the invention, the vaults must extend over a distance greater than one third of the distance between the axes of the wheels and preferably greater than half this distance.

Despite the absence of lower extensions as in the previous embodiment, the deflector function is provided by the particular geometry of the vault. The vault has a constant curvature and its extension towards both ends of the spar traces a fictitious line 43 which is substantially tangent to the periphery of the wheels while being lower than this. It is also possible for the lower arch to have, as in the previous embodiment, a curved central zone surrounded by two planar, or substantially flat and inclined zones.

The lateral arches 46, 47 extend longitudinally as much as the lower vault. This is however not limiting and it can be expected that the side vaults extend a distance different from that of the lower arch.

The Figures 6, 7 and 8 show a third embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, the chassis provided for fixing two wheels at each of its ends comprises two main parts, a spar 50 and a shoe 51.

The figure 6 presents a perspective of the spar 50. As in the previous embodiments, it extends longitudinally and has at each of its ends a housing limited by two side walls. Openings are provided in these side walls, which allow the fixing of the wheels. Each of the side walls is also equipped with a vertical dovetail mortice 53. The central part of the spar consists of an arch 52. The spar is made of a plastic material filled with fiberglass to increase its strength.

The figure 7 has a perspective view of the shoe 51. It comprises two side flanks 54 and 55 connected to each other on the lower side by a vault 56. The longitudinal extension V of the vault is greater than one third of the distance L separating the two wheel axles. In addition the vault is extended at each of its ends by extensions 57 and 58 for covering a lower part of the wheels. These extensions 57 and 58 provide the function of deflector and prevent contact of the wheels with the ramp during a maneuver performed on it. The shoe 51 is made of a material facilitating sliding such as Delrin®. This is not limiting and we can choose another material

The figure 8 shows a sectional view of the assembled frame before it is attached to the shoe. Both wheels were mounted in the spar housing. Then the shoe is slipped from below on the spar. Studs 59 protruding from the inner faces of the side flanks of the shoe cooperate with the mortises 53 formed in the spar to position and maintain the shoe on the spar. Cylindrical chimneys 60 are made in the shoe which serve for the insertion of two fastening means (not shown) for attaching the shoe and the spar to the boot.

In this embodiment of the invention, all the parts of the chassis that come into contact with the surfaces to be grinded are constituted by the shoe, which is interchangeable. The shoe can easily be replaced if it is too worn or if you want to change the sliding properties of the pad. For example, an inexperienced skater will prefer a shoe with limited gliding capabilities. Another advantage of this embodiment lies in the fact that the wheel axles (not shown) are completely hidden by the shoe. There is thus no risk of damaging the screw heads used to attach the wheels. In addition, inadvertent unscrewing of these and the loss of a wheel during practice is excluded. The profile of the vault is that of a "v", two substantially flat surfaces frame a curved median portion. Such a profile gives the skater a reference position, that of a direction of grind perpendicular to the alignment of the two wheels and a contact between the frame and the ramp being in the deepest part of the vault, that is, ie in its curved median portion.

Naturally, the present description is given only as an indication, and other embodiments of the invention could be adopted without departing from the scope thereof.

Claims (15)

1. Skate having a frame with a lower support member (10, 40) which extends in the longitudinal direction defined by the frame, the support member (10, 40) including, at each of its ends, a housing delimited by two lateral walls (11, 12, 13, 14) between which a wheel of diameter D mounted on an axle (18, 19) is assembled, a distance L separating the two axles from one another, the support member having, between the wheel housings, a lower arch (24) delimited by a surface curved inwardly with respect to a line defined by the contact points of the two wheels on a planar surface, the longitudinal extension V of the lower arch (24) being greater than a third of the distance L between the two axles (18, 19): V > L / 3,
   characterized in that the longitudinal extension V of the lower arch (24) is greater than the distance L minus the diameter D of the wheel: V > L - D.
2. Skate according to Claim 1, characterized by the fact that the support member has two lateral arches (26, 27, 46, 47) that extend over a distance equal to or greater than a third of the distance between the two wheel axles present at each end of the support member.
3. Skate according to Claim 2, characterized by the fact that the lower arch (24) and the lateral arches (26, 27) are connected by bevelled areas (28, 29).
4. Skate according to Claim 1, characterized by the fact that the support member (10) has lower extensions (20, 21) extending towards each of its ends.
5. Skate according to Claim 4, characterized by the fact that the extensions (20, 21) extend to the level of the wheels (41, 42) and surround the lower portion thereof.
6. Skate according to Claim 5, characterized by the fact that the extensions (20, 21) have bevelled sides (20a, 20b, 21 a, 21 b) on each side of the wheels.
7. Skate according to Claim 1, characterized by the fact that the arch (24) has a continuous curvature.
8. Skate according to Claim 1, characterized by the fact that the curvature of the arch (24) varies along its length.
9. Skate according to Claim 1, characterized by the fact that the support member has shouldered housings (36, 37) provided for assembly thereof with a shell (2) or with a boot.
10. Skate according to Claim 2, characterized by the fact that it has a U-shaped cross section which defines the surface of the various arches (24, 26, 27) with connecting spacers (31, 32, 33).
11. Skate according to Claim 8, characterized in that the arch comprises a curved surface in its central portion, and planar and inclined surfaces extending towards each of its ends.
12. Skate according to Claim 1, characterized in that the imaginary line (43) extending the arch towards the two ends of the support member passes underneath each of the two wheels.
13. Skate according to Claim 1, characterized by
    a shoe (51) fixed underneath the support member (50), covering at least the lower portion of the support member (50), situated between the first wheel and the second wheel and comprising a lower arch (56) which during use may come into contact with a 'grinding' surface external to the skate, the longitudinal extension V of the lower arch (56) being greater than a third of the distance L: V > L / 3.
14. Skate according to Claim 13, characterized in that the longitudinal extension V of the lower arch (56) is greater than a third of the distance L minus the diameter of the wheel: V > L - D.
15. Skate according to Claim 14, characterized in that the shoe (51) and the support member (50) are attached to the remainder of the skate with the aid of two attachment means.

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