EP2658622B1

EP2658622B1 - In-line roller skate

Info

Publication number: EP2658622B1
Application number: EP11776919.0A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Simone Charlotte Heukers
Original assignee: Heukers Hendrik
Current assignee: DAUDEY, MARIA; HEUKERS HENDRIK
Priority date: 2010-09-27
Filing date: 2011-09-23
Publication date: 2017-04-26
Anticipated expiration: 2031-09-23
Also published as: CN103228325A; NL2005860C2; CN103228325B; RU2013119726A; WO2012057614A1; US20130207357A1; EP2658622A1; RU2599701C2

Description

Field of the invention.

The field of invention relates to a skeeler, comprising:

a boot, equipped with at least a first wheel,
a mounting bracket connected to the boot and intended for at least a second wheel;
a brake member connected to the boot and/or the mounting bracket,

a riding position, in which the at least second wheel is substantially running clear;
a braking position, in which the at least second wheel is in contact with a brake member,

Such a skeeler, amongst others, is disclosed in document DE 199 58 597 A1 .

State of the art.

A known skeeler - a roller skate having inline wheels - customarily comprises a boot for accommodating a person's foot, a frame connected to the boot and at least two wheels connected to the frame and having a mutual distance and intended for supporting the boot in skating action. A user, such as a sportsman, can skate with a pair of these skeelers on a track such as a road surface. It may be desired to brake while the skeelers are being used, for example because one comes near a road junction or because other road users are a hindrance to the free use of the road. Therefore, it is known that this skeeler is equipped with brakes. A known brake comprises a brake pad linked to the boot, where the brake pad is forced against the track by tipping the tip of the boot upward. The track then exerts a braking force on the brake pad in a direction opposite to the skating direction and thus on the boot and thus on the user of the skeeler. Not only is such a brake pad esthetically undesired, because of its customarily large size, but it also renders the skeeler unstable during the braking operation, because the skeeler is supported by only one wheel during the braking operation. This may lead to hazardous situations.
A skeeler of the type defined in the opening paragraph is known from EP 0 795 348 A1 . The mounting bracket portion that is movable relative to the boot of this known skeeler is connected by means of an axle to a mounting bracket portion fixedly attached to the boot. The axle is formed by a pin whose ends are slidable in slots which are provided in the two portions of the mounting bracket. The brake member in this known skeeler is formed by two conical discs which are present on the pin. The slots are positioned at an angle relative to each other so that, when portions of the mounting bracket are turned relative to each other during the braking operation, the pin slides relative to the two portions and so doing pushes the conical discs against one or two of the wheels connected to the movable portion.
Albeit this construction is advantageous compared to the state of the art described hereinbefore, this construction is disadvantageous at the same time. For example, during the braking operation the wheels may get stuck between the conical discs. In addition, this construction is relatively complex. The two conical discs are connected to each other by means of an elastic intermediate member and slots are to be provided in the portions of the mounting bracket. In addition, the conical discs can be removed from the mounting bracket, be it with some difficulty, after which the skeeler can be used for skating again. This is something young people like to do, but which is not a failsafe way.

Summary of the invention

It is an object of the present invention to provide a skeeler of the type defined in the opening paragraph, which is safe to use and nevertheless simple. For this purpose the skeeler according to the invention is defined by the features of one or more of the appended claims. Preferably, the brake member has a smooth brake surface. The brake member is for example a metal plate. Since during the braking operation the brake member is pressed against the rear wheel, this wheel cannot block but it always remains possible for slip to occur between the brake member and the wheel. Further it is impossible to remove portions of the brake construction and no longer exert a braking force. If the brake member were removed, the rear part of the mounting bracket portion fixedly attached to the boot or of the sole of the boot would be pressed against the rear wheel, so that there is still a braking effect. For terminating the braking effect, the entire movable portion of the mounting bracket should be removed, but then it would no longer be possible to skeeler. Since the brake member may be configured as a simple brake pad or plate and the position of the axle between the two portions of the mounting bracket is fixed, the construction of the skeeler according to the invention is very simple indeed. For example, the mounting bracket is formed by (a portion of) a frame, or it may comprise (a portion of) a frame. In the following the terms mounting bracket and frame are used one for the other.
Basically, the skeeler according to the invention can be manufactured in various ways. The second wheel is movably connected to the boot and the brake pad is fixedly connected to the boot. Preferably, the brake member forms part of or is attached to a sole or a heel of the boot. The first wheel may be located in the vicinity of the tip of the boot and may be connected, for example, to the non-movable portion of the mounting bracket. The movable portion of the mounting bracket may further include a plurality of wheels, for example depending on the weight to be carried by the skeeler.
An additional advantage is that no relatively large brake pad is needed, so that the design of the skeeler may be more compact and more attractive esthetically. Showy brake pads are further regarded as unprofessional mostly by young users who see them as a reason for removing them. As a result, the skeelers become unbraked and thus hazardous, a disadvantage also outweighed by the present invention.
In a braking position the member increasing the resistance of friction exerts a force on the second wheel in a direction opposite to the skating direction. Thus, a user can easily generate a force increasing the resistance of friction as a result of a variation of the orientation of the boot.
The member increasing the resistance of friction may be embodied in various ways. For example, the member increasing the resistance of friction may comprise a brake pad where hydraulic pressure in a brake line is increased in that the first and second frame portions are mutually displaced and the brake pad is forced against a brake disc of at least one wheel. In a simple embodiment the member increasing the resistance of friction comprises a brake pad connected to the first frame portion, where in the braking position the at least one wheel connected to the second frame portion pushes against the brake pad. This is simple from a construction engineering point of view. Although the brake pad and/or the wheel will then wear down during use, these component parts are easy to replace. A user may also verify in a simple manner to what extent the brake pad and/or wheel have worn down. In an embodiment a braked wheel comprises a sturdier durable synthetic material so that fast wearing down is counteracted.
The (brake) member increasing the resistance of friction is fitted over a rear wheel of the skeeler, for example in one of the portions of the mounting bracket. Both these measures individually lead to the fact that no obstruction is experienced from a brake extending outside the regular contour of the skeeler, both from a point of view of safety and esthetics. The member increasing the resistance of friction may also form part of the sole of the boot. The first and second frame portions mutually rotate around a frame shaft extending substantially transverse to the skating direction. This is not just simple from a construction point of view, but a user can also mutually rotate the first and second frame portions and thus obtain a braking effect by merely tipping the boot. A tipping of this kind is experienced as a natural braking movement.
To this end the movable portion of the mounting bracket may be rotary relative to a mounting bracket portion rigidly connected to the boot, where the two mounting bracket portions are mutually coupled by means of a guide.
The coupling to the guide may be located for example between the centre of rotation of the mounting bracket portions and a front side of the skeeler and consist of a slot for a pin to be guided in it, which pin may be formed for example by an axle.
The frame shaft may have various locations. The frame shaft may extend for example in a projected plane of the shaft of the boot. It turns out that such a location of the frame shaft enables a user to tip the boot by shifting the body weight in a direction opposite to the skating direction, without there being a risk of an undesired tipping of the boot or a risk of the user having to apply a relatively large force and/or shift of the body weight.
In another embodiment the frame shaft can be shifted in the skating direction. This increases the flexibility of the skeeler. For example, by shifting the frame shaft more to the front, that is to say, in the skating direction, by means of a slight shift of the bodyweight, a user can cause a tipping of the boot and thus a mutual displacement of the first and second frame portions. This may be advantageous to a beginning user of the skeeler in that a braking force is obtained by a slight shift of the bodyweight. A more advanced user can shift the frame shaft more to the rear, that is to say, in a direction opposite to the skating direction. This requires a relatively large shift of the user's bodyweight for a desired tipping of the boot. Although such a relatively large shift of the user's bodyweight may be annoying, the risk of an undesired braking force, for example caused by the user's temporarily stretching out and thus shifting his bodyweight to the rear, is minimized. In the case of a shiftable shaft, a locking device may be provided for detachably fitting the shaft at a desired position. A device of this kind may be designed in a very simple embodiment as is customary in for example water pump pliers. The wheel shaft of the at least one wheel connected to the second frame portion is located behind the frame shaft seen in the skating direction. By lifting the tip of the boot, the wheel connected to the second frame portion and the brake pad are then moved towards each other.
In yet another embodiment two, three or four wheels are connected at mutual distances to the second frame portion seen in the skating direction. Such a number of wheels enhances the skeeler's stability during the braking operation, whereas the length of the second frame portion remains limited. Although the number of wheels of the first frame portion may vary as well, preferably the number of wheels connected to the first frame portion is limited to one or two wheels.
In an advantageous embodiment the sides of the wheels turned away from the boot extend substantially in one plane. This measure not only enhances the stability during use of the skeeler, but also causes the wear of the wheels to be reduced. The frame is arranged for avoiding a force being exerted by the boot on at least one wheel in a direction opposite to the skating direction. Since the first frame portion and the second frame portion can be shifted mutually, there is a risk of at least one wheel making undesired contact with a portion of the frame and/or the boot, as a result of which a force increasing the resistance of friction may be exerted on that wheel. This is an undesired effect. The frame comprises a stop for reducing the mutual shift of the first and the second frame portion. This is a simple and strong solution from a construction engineering point of view.
Although it is not excluded for the member increasing the resistance of friction to be part of the boot of the skeeler, in one embodiment the frame is equipped with the member increasing the resistance of friction, such as a brake pad.
A construction that has turned out to be simple and robust may be obtained when the movable mounting bracket portion, at any rate in the riding position, is enclosed by the portion rigidly attached to the boot. In this way the sideways load is increased. In a simple embodiment of this the two mounting bracket portions comprise substantially U-profiles that can be put together.

Brief description of the drawings

The invention will now be described in more detail based on examples of embodiment while reference is made to the appended drawing figures. In the drawing figures like parts are identified with like reference numerals, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a side view of a skeeler according to the invention, where the first and second frame portions are shown in a riding position;
Fig. 2 shows a side view of a skeeler according to the invention, where the first and second frame portions are shown in a braking position;
Fig. 3 shows a side view of an embodiment of the skeeler as shown in Fig. 1, where the first and second frame portions are shown in a riding position; and
Fig. 4 shows a side view of a skeeler according to the invention, where the first and second frame portions are shown in a braking position;

Detailed description of the drawings

With reference to Figs. 1 and 2 a skeeler referred to as 1 is shown. The skeeler comprises a boot 2 for accommodating a person's foot. The boot comprises a lip 3 assumed to be known and fastening means 4 arranged as buckles. The boot 2 comprises a shaft 5 ending at the heel 2a of the boot, which shaft is defined by the heel of the boot and the broken line 2b. A frame 6 is connected to a synthetic sole 2c of the boot 2. The frame 6 comprises a first frame portion 6a which is rigidly connected to the sole 2c near the tip 2d of the boot 2. The frame 6 also comprises a second frame portion 6b which is connected to the sole 2c near the heel 2a of the boot 2. To the first frame portion 6a is connected a wheel 7 and to the second frame portion 6b are connected, in the skating direction and in line with the arrow P1, wheels 8 at mutual distances. All wheels 7, 8 support the boot 2 on a ground surface 12 in the embodiment shown here. The first frame portion 6a and the second frame portion 6b are mutually rotatable around a frame shaft 9. The frame shaft 9 extends in a projected plane of the shaft 5 of the boot 2. The second frame portion 6b is connected to the boot 2 via a brake pad 10 made from a synthetic material. Furthermore, the second frame portion 6b comprises a part shaped as a flat surface 11 of the stop of the second frame portion 6b for limiting the mutual displacement of the first frame portion 6a and the second frame portion 6b. This reduces the risk of the front wheel 8 of the second frame portion 6b, seen in the skating direction, pushing against the first frame portion 6a and/or against the sole 2c of the boot 2.
With reference to Fig. 2 the skeeler is shown as represented in Fig. 1, where the first frame portion 6a and the second frame portion 6b are depicted in a braking position. The tip 2d of the boot 2 is tipped upward in this case. The wheel 7 connected to the first frame portion 6a then comes free from the ground surface 12. The four wheels 8 support the boot 2 on the ground surface 12. The brake pad 10 and the wheel 8 located on the side of the frame shaft 9 opposite to the skating direction P1 are then forced against each other. The brake pad 10 then exerts a force increasing the resistance of friction on the wheel 8 located on the side of the frame shaft 9 opposite to the skating direction P1. As a result, the skeeler will be braked.
With reference to Fig. 3 an embodiment is shown of the skeeler 1 as shown in Fig. 1, where the first frame portion 6a and the second frame portion 6b are located in a skating position. In the embodiment shown here two wheels 7 are connected to the first frame portion 6a and three wheels 8 are connected to the second frame portion 6b. The operation of the skeeler is equal to that of the skeeler shown with reference to Figs. 1 and 2, where both wheels 7 extend above the ground surface 12 while the frame portions 6a and 6b are in a braking position.
With reference to Fig. 4 the skeeler 40 comprises a boot equipped with a first wheel 44 that has an axle 43 located at a fixed position relative to the boot. In the embodiment shown the axle 43 is connected to a part of the mounting bracket 41 rigidly connected to the boot. The skeeler further includes a movable mounting bracket portion 42 connected to the boot for the respective shafts 45, 46, 47, 48 of the wheels 49, 50, 51, 52, where at least a portion 42 of the mounting bracket is movable relative to the boot by means of rotation around shaft 57, movable between at least a riding position (not shown) in which the at least second wheel 52 runs substantially clear , and a braking position (shown) in which the at least second wheel 52 is in contact with the brake member 58.
The two mounting brackets 41 and 42 are mutually coupled by means of a plurality of guides 53, 54, 55, 56. The guides comprise a slot in the frame portion 41 through which pins glide which are formed by the wheel shafts 45, 46, 47, 48. In this manner the frame portions 41 and 42 are connected to each other and capable of offering resistance to sideways forces that occur during skeelering. In addition to the configuration shown in Fig. 4 it is equally possible for the movable portion 42 of the mounting bracket to be attached to the inside of the mounting bracket portion 41 rigidly attached to the boot.
It may be apparent that the invention is not limited to the embodiments depicted and described in this context, but that within the framework of the appended claims a great many variants are possible which will be obvious to the expert in this field.

Claims

A roller skate having inline wheels (skeeler) (1 ; 40), comprising:
- a boot (2),

- a frame (6) connected to the boot (2) having a first frame portion (6a; 41) rigidly connected to the boot (2), and a second frame portion (6b; 42) rotatable relative to the boot (2),

- a frame shaft (9; 57) extending transverse to skating direction, around which frame shaft (9; 57) the second frame portion (6b; 42) is rotatable relative to the first frame portion (6a; 41) and the boot (2),

- a first wheel (7; 44) connected to the first frame portion (6a;41),

- at least two second wheels (8;49;50;51;52) connected to the second frame portion (6b;42), with one wheel (8;52) of the at least two second wheels (8;49;50;51;52) being connected to the second frame portion (6b;42) with its wheel shaft located in skating direction behind the frame shaft (9; 57); and

- a brake member (10; 58) connected to the boot (2) and/or the first frame portion (6a; 41),
wherein the second frame portion (6b; 42) is rotable relative to the boot (2) around the frame shaft (9; 57) between at least:
- a riding position, in which the one wheel (8;52) of the at least two second wheels (8;49;50;51;52) is free to rotate; and

- a braking position, in which the one wheel (8;52) of the at least at least two second wheels (8;49;50;51;52) is in contact with the brake member (10; 58) to cause the brake member (10;58) to exert friction on the one wheel (8;52) of the at least two second wheels (8; 49;50;51;52), and wherein the first wheel (7;44) includes an axle (43) located at a fixed position relative to the boot (2), characterised in that the brake member (10;58) is fixedly connected relative to the boot (2) above the one wheel (8;52) of the at least two second wheels (8; 49;50;51;52), in that the other wheel (8;49) of the at least two second wheels (8;49;50;51;52) is located in skating direction in front of the frame shaft (9; 57), and in that a stop (11) of the frame (6) limits movement of the second frame portion (6b; 42) in respect of the first frame portion (6a; 41) in the riding position to avoid the other wheel (8;49;50;51) of the at least two second wheels (8;49;50;51;52) connected to the rotatable second frame portion (6b; 42) coming into contact with the boot (2) or with the first frame portion (6a;41).
A roller skate having inline wheels (skeeler) (1; 40) as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the brake member (10; 58) forms part of or is attached to a a heel (2a) of the boot (2).
A roller skate having inline wheels (skeeler) (1; 40) as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the brake member (10; 58) is incorporated in the first frame portion (6a; 41).
A roller skate having inline wheels (skeeler) (1; 40) as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, characterised in that the rotatable second frame portion (6b; 42) of the frame comprises at least one second wheel (8;50;51) in-between the other wheel (8;49) and one wheel (8;52) of the at least two second wheels (8;49;50;51;52).
A roller skate having inline wheels (skeeler) (1;40) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the two frame portions (41,42) are mutually coupled by means of a guide (53-56).
A roller skate having inline wheels (skeeler) (1;40) as claimed in claim 5, characterised in that the coupling to the guide (53-56) is located between a point of rotation of the frame portions (41,42) and a front side of the skeeler.
A roller skate having inline wheels (skeeler) (1;40) as claimed in claim 5, characterised in that the coupling comprises a slot for guiding a pin therein.
A roller skate having inline wheels (skeeler) (1; 40) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the rotatable frame portion (6b; 42) is enclosed by the rigidly connected frame portion (6a; 41).
A roller skate having inline wheels (skeeler) (1; 40) as claimed in claim 8, characterised in that the two frame portions (6a, 6b; 41, 42) comprise U-profiles that can be put together.
A roller skate having inline wheels (skeeler) (1; 40) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the stop (11) comprises a flat surface of the rotatable second frame portion (6b; 42).
A roller skate having inline wheels (skeeler) (1; 40) as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that the brake member (10; 58) has a smooth brake surface.
A roller skate having inline wheels (skeeler) (1; 40) as claimed in claim 11, characterised in that the brake member (10; 58) is configured as a metal plate.
A roller skate having inline wheels (skeeler) (1; 40) as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the frame shaft (9) extends in a projected plane of a shaft (5) of the boot (2).
A roller skate having inline wheels (skeeler) (1; 40) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the first wheel (7; 44) is located in vicinity of a tip of the boot.
A roller skate having inline wheels (skeeler) (1; 40) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the braked one wheel of the at least two second wheels (8; 52) is provided in a sturdy, durable synthetic material to counteract wear.