GB2219514A

GB2219514A - Roller skate

Info

Publication number: GB2219514A
Application number: GB8912421A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Atsushi Mishio; Kohei Tsuru; Kazuhiko Hirai; Masato Yamaguchi
Original assignee: Gakken Co Ltd; Gakushu Kenkyusha KK
Current assignee: Gakushu Kenkyusha KK; Gakken Holdings Co Ltd
Priority date: 1988-06-08
Filing date: 1989-05-31
Publication date: 1989-12-13
Also published as: JPH01180276U; GB8912421D0; DE3918617A1; KR900000102A

Abstract

A roller skate for street and indoor use includes a shoe 12, a frame 22 fixed to the shoe, and a linear array of six rollers rotatably supported on the frame. The roller array includes a pair of central running rollers 30, a pair of turning rollers 34 disposed forwardly and rearwardly of the running rollers, and a pair of safety rollers 38 positioned near the front and rear ends of the shoe. The roller pairs are supported by respective shafts at different positions on the frame. The shafts of the running rollers 30 are lowest in position. When the roller skate is placed on a ground or floor surface with the shoe held horizontally, only the running rollers 30 are held against the ground or floor surface. In a second embodiment the rollers 30 may be of larger diameter than the other rollers or may be thicker in the axial direction thereof. <IMAGE>

Description

ROLLER SKATE The present invention relates to a roller skate for use on

streets, paved roads, or for.indoor use, and more particularly to a roller skate for figure skating.

Some roller skates have a linear array of four or five rollers on the sole of the shoe, the roller array extending in the direction in which the roller skate runs.

As shown in FIG. 4A of the accompanying drawings, one such roller skate has five rollers of the same diameter which are rotatably supported on a frame fixed to the shoe sole. These five rollers include a central running roller, a pair of front and rear turning rollers positioned forwar dly and rearwardly, respectively, of the central roller, a front safety roller disposed in front of the front turning roller, and a rear safety roller disposed behind the rear turning roller. With the shoe held in a horizontal position, the rotatable shaft of the central running roller is in a lowest position, and those of the front and rear turning rollers and the front and rear safety rollers are progressively higher in position in the order named. When the roller skate runs forwardly, as shown in FIG. 4B, the running roller and the front turning roller are held in con tact with ground, and the skate shoe is inclined forwardly since the rotatable shaft of the running roller is pos itionally lower than that of the front turning roller. The inclined skate shoe however puts the body of the skate user in an unbalanced condition, posing an undue physical strain on the ankle of the user. While the roller skate is - running, the skate shoe tends to seesaw or move back and forth about the shaft of the running roller since the roller skate has only one running roller. This seesawing motion makes the roller skating unstable. The front and rear turn ing rollers wear rapidly because they double as running rollers.

2 it is an object of the present invention to provide a roller skate which is stable in use and capable of running highly straight.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a roller skate which is highly durable.

According to the present invention, there is provided a roller skate comprising a shoe having a sole, a frame fixed to the sole, and a linear array of rollers rotatably supported on the frame and arranged longitudinally along the frame, the linear array of rollers including a pair of first rollers positioned substantially centrally on the sole, a pair of second rollers positioned forwardly and rearwardly, respectively, of and adjacent to the first rollers, and a pair of third rollers positioned respectively near front and rear ends of the sole, the arrangement being such that the third, second, and first rollers have lowermost portions which are progressively lower in position in the order named when the shoe is held horizontally.

In one embodiment, the first, second, and third rollers are equal in diameter to each other, and are rotatably supported by-respective shafts thereof on the frame, the shafts of the third, second, and first rollers being progressively lower in position in the order named. When the roller skate runs normally on a ground surface, the two first or running rollers are held against the ground surface. Therefore, the roller stake runs more stably and more straight than a roller skate with only one running roller held against the ground surface.

In another embodiment, the first rollers are larger in diameter than the second and third rollers to allow the roller skate to run more straight and at a higher speed. in still another embodiment, the first rollers are larger in thickness than the second and third rollers for stabler running.

The above and further objects, details and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the 1 following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a roller skate according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of a roller skate according to another embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of a roller skate according to still another embodiment of the present invention; FIGS. 4A and 4B are side elevational views of a conventional roller skate.

As shown in FIG. 1, a roller skate 10 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention has a shoe 12 having a substantially flat bottom or sole. A frame 14 is fixed to the lower surface of the sole of the shoe 12, and an array 16 of six rollers is rotatably supported on the frame 14, the six rollers being equal in diameter to each other.

The frame 14 comprises a pair of laterally spaced, narrow metallic support members 18 of symmetrical shape which may be interconnected by a connector 20 (see FIG. 3). The support members 18 are fixed to the sole of the shoe 12 by means of a plurality of screws (not shown), but may be fixed by other fastener means such as rivets or the like, Each of ihe support members 18 has a lower edge slightly arcuately curved downwardly, and a pair of longitudinally spaced recesses 22 defined in an upper region thereof. The recesses 22 make the roller stake 10 lightweight. Each of the support members 18 is longer than the shoe 12 and has front and rear ends projecting beyond the front and rear ends of the shoe 12 and having upper slanted surfaces.

The roller array 16 is linearly disposed between the support members 18 and rotatably supported thereon. The roller array 16 includes a pair of first or running rollers 4 rotatably supported by respective shafts 32 on substantially central regions of the support members 18, a pair of second or front and rear turning rollers 34 rotatably supported by respective shafts 34 and disposed forwardly and rearwardly of the running rollers 36 at positions adjacent thereto, the front and rear turning rollers 34 serving as pivots about which the roller skate 10 can revolve when it makes spinning motion or similar rotating motions, and a pair of third or front and rear safety rollers 38 rotatably supported by respective shafts 40 and disposed forwardly and rearwardly of the turning rollers 34, i.e., near the front and rear ends of the support members 18, the safety rollers 38 serving to prevent the roller skate 10 from falling over.

The roller array 16 is rotatably supported on the support members 18 near their lower edges. Since the lower edges of the support memhers IS are arcuately curved downwardly, as described above, the shafts and hence the lowermost portions of the third rollers 38, second rollers 34, and first rollers 30 are progressively lower in position in the order named. Therefore, when the roller skate 10 runs normally on a ground surface G such as a road, paved surface, or indoor floor, as shown in FIG..1, only the first rollers 30 are held in contact with the ground surface G, with the other rollers lifted off the ground surface G, i.e., the second and third rollers 34, 38 progressively higher away from the ground surface G. Since the two rollers 30 are held against the ground surface G while the roller skate 10 is in use, the skate shoe 10 is held substantially horizontally as a whole. Therefore, the roller stake 10 runs stably and does not pose an undue physical strain on the ankle of the roller stake user. The rollers 30, 34, 38 serve their own purposes, i.e., running, turning, and safety, respectively. Consequently, the roller skate 10 is more durable than the conventional roller skate (see FIG. 4B, for example) in which each of the turning rollers double as a running roller.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show roller skates according to other embodiments of the present invention. Those components shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 which are identical to those of FIG. 1 are denoted by identical reference numerals. According to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, rurining rollers So are larger in diameter than the other rollers 34, 38. The larger-diameter running rollers So improve the abilities of the roller skate to run straight and to run at speed. According to the embodiment of FIG. 3, runner rollers 60 are larger in thickness than the other rollers 34, 38 for allowing the roller skate to run more stably.

in each of the above embodiments, if the shoe of the roller skate has a heel, the rear end of the frame 14 may be fixed to the heel. The shoe, the frame, and the rollers may have any of various different configurations, and may be made of any of various different materials.

Although there have been described what are at present considered to be the preferred embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood that-the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all aspects as illustrative, and not restrictive. The scope of the invention. is indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description.

:1 6

Claims

CLAIMS:

1.,A roller skate comprising:

shoe having a sole; frame fixed.to said sole; linear array of rollers rotat'ably supported on said frame and arranged longitudinally along said frame; and said linear array of rollers including a pair of first rollers positioned substantially centrally on said sole, a pair of second rollers positioned forwardly and rearwardly, respectively, of and adjacent to said first rollers, and a pair of third rollers positioned respectively near front and rear ends of said sole, the arrangement being such that when the shoe is held horizontally, said third, second, and first rollers have lowermost portions which are progressively lower in position in the order named.

2. A roller skate according to claim 1, wherein said first, second, and third rollers are equal'in diameter to each other, and are rotatably supported by respective shafts thereof on said frame, said shafts of said third, second, and first rollers being progressively lower in position in the order named.

3. A roller skate according to claim 1, wherein said first rollers are larger in diameter than said second and third rollers.

4. A roller skate according to claim 1, wherein said first rollers are larger in thickness than said second and third rollers.

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5. A roller skate comprising:

shoe having a sole; frame fixed to said sole; 1 1 7 - a linear array of rollers rotatably supported on said frame; and said linear array of rollers including a pair of running rollers positioned substantially centrally on said sole, a pair of turning rollers positioned forwardly and rearwardly, respectively, of and adjacent to said running.rollers, and a pair of safety rollers positioned respectively near front and rear ends of said sole, the arrangement being such that when the roller skate is put on a surface with said shoe held horizontally, only said running rollers are held in contact with said surface, and said turning rollers and said safety rollers are progressively higher, in the order named, away from said surface.

6. A roller skate according to claim 5, wherein said running rollers are larger in diameter than said turning and safety rollers.

7. A roller skate according to claim 5, wherein said running rollers are larger in thickness than said turnIng and safety rollers..

8. A roller skate substantially as herein described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 of the accompanying drawings.

Published 1989atThe Patent Office, State HouBe,66/71 Rtgh Ho1bom, LondonWC1R4TP.Further copies Maybe obtained froM The Patent OfLae. Sales Branch, St M917 Cray, Orpington, Rent BF.5 M.,Printed by Multiplex techniques ltd, St Mary Cray, Rent, COIL 1187