FR2660205A1 - High-performance skate with two wheels - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a skate with two wheels, equipped with a certain number of devices and accessories making it more highly performing than the conventional skate with four wheels in terms of handling and speed, and more comfortable and safer. It consists of - two wheels (denoted 1), 8 to 12 cm in diameter (even slightly greater), with two ball-bearings, a non-backslip "ratchet" device, and a tyre which may be equipped with an air chamber; - a plate receiving the bearing of the foot including . a guided pivoting sole plate (denoted 3) equipped with a rod mounted open and with adjustable attachments for fastening (binding) the boot . the means for linking with the wheels (denoted 7, 8) equipped with a "shock-absorbing" system (denoted 9); . optionally, a pivoting support foot for ensuring the stability of the skate on stopping (denoted 11); - a braking system: small plate under the platform rubbing directly on the ground or conventional brakes acting on a wheel with control via a flexible link raised to the level of the hand. A pair of sticks can complete the skater's equipment in order to ensure supplementary propulsion with the aid of the arms. This skate must constitute a new device for participating in sports, which is similar to an ice skate or to a cross-country ski.

Description

 The present invention relates to a roller skate comprising two wheels (instead of four casters) placed in the longitudinal axis thereof and a certain number of devices and accessories determining its characteristics of use in terms of maneuverability, speed, comfort, and safety.

 Conventional skates generally have four small diameter casters without special accessories. Mainly used by children, these skates offer relatively limited possibilities of use and require for their practice a good quality rolling area in uniform, flatness, and regularity.

 The skate according to the invention makes it possible to significantly widen the field of use of these conventional skates and must constitute a new sport practice device on paved land tracks similar to ice skating (speed, figures, acrobatics) or skiing long distance (endurance race).

The skate is designed as follows:
1 - WHEELS
Two wheels with a diameter of 8 to 12 cm (or even slightly more) are placed in the longitudinal axis of the skate; these wheels mainly include:
- the wheel body (rim, hub),
- an axle fitted with clamping nuts for fixing the wheel to the fork on the chainring,
- 2 "simple oblique" type ball bearings mounted in opposition between the axis and the hub,
- a "ratchet" anti-recoil device playing between the central part of the axis and the hub on which the toothed crown is formed,
- a solid tire made of rubber (or other material) or with an inner tube,
- possibly on the rear wheel and depending on the type of braking that can be selected: a disc or a complete brake drum.

Note:. the anti-rollback device can be mounted either on two wheels or on only one (front or rear): to be determined,
Similarly, braking can only equip one of the two pads.

2 - TRAY
Body receiving the support of the foot and ensuring the connection with the wheels the plate includes:
- a shoe fixing device which must ensure the best lateral locking of the skater's leg at the ankle and allow a certain latitude of pivoting of the foot in the longitudinal plane. This fixing device can:
be of the "cross-country" or "ski touring" type with a suitable special boot;
or be made up of a pivoting sole (pivot axis secured to the platform at the front of the foot) provided with an open rising rod and adjustable fasteners to ensure the firm hold of a non-special shoe (sports or other ). To improve the lateral blocking between the foot and the shoe of the guiding devices (interlocking, slide) playing between the base of the plate and the pivoting soleplate can be provided (see sketch) .Moreover, a hook or locking pin condemning the pivoting of the sole may be provided to allow, at the option of the skater, certain specific practices (for example: no skater or springboard);
- the connecting members with the wheels fitted with a shock absorber: anchor on the chainring, axle, forks, spring block;
- depending on the braking mode selected:
brake mechanism and control
or a special device consisting of a rubber, Teflon, or other material plate attached laterally under the plate to ensure braking by direct friction on the ground; the pad / ground contact being made by tilting each pad (retraction of the skater's knees). The pad, a fast-wearing part, must be provided for easily interchangeable;
- a device for holding the skate off when it is easier to put on and take off. This device could consist of a pivoting support fixed under the tray, retractable, maneuverable using sticks, achieving in its raised position three support points with one of the wheels. As an alternative to this, the skates could be equipped with a laterally fixed hooking system, operable by the skater's footwork, making it possible to make these integral with one another, thus giving a relative stability on four wheels.

 Note: the plate will be placed as low as possible relative to the wheel axis (the lowest possible ground clearance compatible with the various uses of the skate) so as to minimize the bending moment at the ankle.

3 - BRAKES
As indicated, the skate can be equipped with different types of brake
the particular brake described above consisting of a brake pad under the plate,
- conventional brakes (mechanism and control) preferably mounted on the rear wheel:
"bicycle" type brakes (pads on jaw acting on the rim of the wheel),
"drum" brake (jaws acting on the wheel hub),
motorcycle type "disc" brake with caliper and pads.

 The control of these brakes (mechanical, hydraulic, even electric) provided with flexible connections could be raised and fixed, using straps, on a part of the body (upper leg, waist) or on the handle of one sticks to be operated directly by hand.

4 - STICKS
Two sticks with wrist strap and rubber tip on the ground support side can complete the skater's equipment to ensure:
- additional propulsion using the arms,
- maintaining balance (especially when stopped)
This overall design with its specific accessories and equipment must give the machine:
- better handling: 2 wheels instead of 4, swivel sole, support on sticks,
- greater speed: larger wheel diameter, propulsion by direct support on the wheels with the "anti-recoil" device and pushed using the arms via the sticks,
- better comfort: tires with inner tube, shock absorbers, reduced lateral flexion on the ankle (lowered plate, pivoting sole with guide devices),
- increased safety: brakes, sticks
set of features which should make the skate more efficient (compared to the classic 4-roller skate) and allow access to more varied tracks.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention; these drawings represent:
- FIG. 1: elevation of the whole skate (model with integral swivel sole)
- FIG. 5: top view of the same model,
- FIG. 6: cutting a wheel,
- FIG. 8,9,13: elevation / section of the plate / wheel connecting members, three types of shock absorbers shown,
- FIG. 2,3,4,7,10,11,12: various design details.

 Note: - the standard "cross-country ski" or "ski touring" binding is not shown.

 - in braking system only the types "disc brake" and friction pads under the plate are sketched.

 These drawings obviously have no execution value; they define the principle of the design of the whole skid and present one or more possible technical solutions in front of a determined function in particular as regards the wheel, shock absorbers, brakes3 the pivoting sole ...

With reference to these drawings, the skate includes:
1 - TWO WHEELS (rep. 1) with its constituent elements marked FIG. 6:
- the wheel body (rep. la): hub and rim,
- the axis (rep. lb) with the "ratchet" device (rep. lddetail FIG. 7), in the central part, ensuring anti-recoil,
- the nuts (ref. lc) for fixing the wheel to the fork (ref. 8),
- two ball bearings (rep. le), type "single oblique" mounted in opposition on the axis (rep. lb); these bearings can withstand axial forces,
- two threaded parts (ref.If) for adjusting the clearance of the ball bearings and keeping them on the hub,
- two spacers (rep. lg) to resume the support of the fork (rep. 8) on the wheel axle,
- a tire (rep. lh) full of rubber (or other material) or with an inner tube,
- a disc (possibly) (rep. li) for braking.

2 - A TRAY made up of the following elements:
- the base of the plate (ref. 2) or support sole,
- a sole (rep. 3) pivoting around an axis (rep. 4) secured to the support sole. This sole (ref. 3) has an open rigid rising upper and adjustable fasteners (FIG. 2 cut) to receive the skater's shoe and ensure its maintenance. The inside of the riser can be padded like ski boots (better comfort). On the soles (rep. 2 and 3) a form of interlocking is provided, at least over a certain length starting from the axis (rep. 4), so as to improve the lateral connection acting between them ( cuts FIG. 3 and 4). For the same purpose a guide / stop (rep. 5) on which slides a heel with adjusted groove formed at the rear of the pivoting sole is provided, rigidly fixed to the support sole (detail FIG. 2). At the head of this guide, a widening forming a stop is formed to limit the pivoting of the sole (rep. 3). This same pivoting could possibly be condemned, to allow certain particular practices of the skate, using a pin (rep. 6) playing between the heel block and the guide / stop (rep. 5),
- the connecting elements with the wheels:
the support piece (ref. 7) anchoring to the sole (ref. 2),
the fork (ref. 8) articulated on the previous part,
the shock absorber (ref. 9) with its counter-fork and its adjustable tension spring block welded to the support (ref. 7).

 Figure N. 8 gives the details of the connecting members with the wheels corresponding to Figures N. 1 and N. 5.

 Figure N. 9 shows a variant with a different type of shock absorber.

 - the braking mechanism (ref. 10 FIG. 5): caliper with piston and plates acting on the disc (ref. li) fixed to the rear wheel of one of the pads.

 The brake control (pump) raised by flexible connections at hand height is sketched FIG. 5.

 The sketch FIG. 10 shows a variant of the braking system by rubber pad (or other material), fixed under the plate, rubbing directly on the ground; the pad / ground contact operating by steep inclination of the pad.

 - the skid holding device when stopped (ref. 11) consisting of a pivoting, retractable support leg, producing in its raised position three support points with one of the wheels. In its lowered position (skater in action) the support will be held in a stable position by a return spring. Figure N. 11 gives the design principle of the holding support.

 The variant with the pivoting support (ref. 11) (lateral hooking system) making it possible to secure the pads to ensure relative stability on four wheels is shown diagrammatically in FIG. 12.

 Note: with a view to reducing the distance between the wheels and ensuring better maneuverability of the pad 3, the plate / wheel connection member, as a variant to the systems shown in FIG. 8 and 9, could be designed as shown diagrammatically in FIG. 13: wheel mounted directly on the shock absorber rod placed vertically on the wheel axle.

As an indication, the main bodies would be made up of the following materials:
- metal for mechanical parts: wheels, "plate / wheel" connections, shock absorbers, ...

 - plastic material for the other elements, in particular for the pivoting sole with its rising rod.

Claims (7)

 1) Roller skate characterized in that it comprises two wheels of approximately 8 to 12 cm in diameter (or even slightly more) placed in the longitudinal axis of the skate and the following devices and accessories making it more efficient than the conventional skate with 4 casters in terms of maneuverability and speed, more comfortable and safer:  - wheels (rep. 1) with:  ball bearings (rep. le),  tires (rep. lh) full of rubber (or other material) or possibly fitted with an inner tube,  anti-recoil system (rep. ld) "ratchet" to allow propulsion of the skater by direct support on the wheel;  - endowed tray ::  plate / wheel connecting members (item 7,8,9) with a damping system (item 9),  a shoe fixing device (rep. 3) ensuring the lateral blocking of the leg at the ankle and allowing the foot to pivot in the longitudinal plane,  a conventional braking system (disc, drum, etc.) acting on the rear wheel of one of the pads, or the like (systems shown in the drawings: classic "disc" (rep. 10) and special "with friction pads" (FIG. 10) as an alternative),  a pivoting, retractable support (ref. 11) to ensure the stability of the pad when stopped;  - sticks with wrist strap and rubber tip on the ground side to allow additional propulsion using the arms.  2) Device according to claim 1) characterized in that the attachment of the shoe consists of a pivoting sole (rep. 3) (pivot axis (rep. 4) integral with the support sole (rep. 2) to the 'front of the shoe) provided with an open, padded rising rod and adjustable fasteners to ensure the maintenance of a non-special shoe.  3) Device according to claim 2) characterized in that the lateral connection between the foot and the shoe is improved by a form of interlocking acting between the pivoting sole (rep. 3) and the support sole (rep. 2) (cut FIG. 4) and by a guide rod (rep.5) fixed to the support sole constituting a slide on which slides a heel with adjusted groove formed at the rear of the pivoting sole.  4) Device according to claim 3) characterized in that the guide rod (rep. 5) has at the top a widening forming a stop to limit the pivoting of the sole.  5) Device according to claim 3) characterized in that the pivoting sole includes a pin (ref. 6) or a hook playing between the heel and the guide rod to prevent its pivoting and allow certain specific practices of the skate.  6) Device according to claim 1) characterized in that the brake control (disc or other) is raised by flexible connections and fixed to a part of the body (upper leg or waist) or even on a stick handle to be actuated directly from the hand.  7) Device according to claim 1) characterized in that the stability of the skates when stationary is obtained as a variant with the pivoting support by a lateral hooking system, operable by the skater's leg play, ensuring a relative fastening of the skids and , thus, stability on four wheels. Diagram FIG. 12.