MXPA97001235A - Patin in li - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a roller skate, characterized in that it comprises: a body, a wheel mounted on the body for rotation in a forward direction and an opposite, opposite direction, and having an outer turning surface and an inner surface positioned substantially concentrically, and radially inwardly of the outer surface, a ratchet tooth coupled to the wheel on the inner surface and projecting radially inwardly with respect to the inner surface to an inner radius of the ratchet tooth; a guide portion, a detent arm and a coupling end, means for guiding the detent along a detent path defined between a first position in which the coupling end is spaced radially inward from the inner radius of the tooth of ratchet, and a second detent position in which the coupling end is placed radially towards the from the inside ratchet tooth radius, the detent guide means is at least partially positioned within the inner surface and engages the guide portion, and a detent adjuster positioned at least partially out of the surface outer, which can move between a first and second retainer positions, and which engages the detent arm to move the detent along the detent path, the first and second retainer positions correspond to the first and second positions of the detent, respectively, the detent adjuster in the second position allows the movement of the detent along the detent path away from the second detent position, in a ratchet motion to allow the wheel to rotate in one direction only forward or in rever

Description

The invention relates to an inline wheel skate and specifically to an in-line roller skate for use by children that selectively provides improved lateral stability and user control of the direction of skate movements. The skate has a configurable wheel assembly between a normal mode in which both halves of a wheel are butted, and a stable mode, in which the halves are separated to improve lateral stability of the skate. The skate also has a roller assembly that is configurable to rotate freely, only forwardly or for a complete stopping configuration, thus limiting the direction of a skate-movement. The roller skates usually consist of a boot portion attached to a sole portion supported by a set of wheels. Conventional four-wheeled roller skates have a pair of front wheels that share an axis of rotation, and a pair of rear wheels that share a second axis of rotation, which is parallel to the first axis of rotation of the front wheels. Since the wheels of each pair are displaced REF: 24177 transversely of the longitudinal center line of the wheel skate, the conventional wheel skate inherently provides substantial lateral stability. In contrast, in-line skids usually have three to six wheels arranged in longitudinal alignment along the longitudinal centerline of the skid. Each wheel has a single axis of rotation that is parallel to the axes of rotation of the other wheels. Since none of the wheels travel transversely from its longitudinal centerline of the skate, the inline skate provides very little inherent lateral stability. Roller skating on inline skates, which simulates the feel and movement of skates on ice while using a conventional ice skate, has become very popular. However, as described, since the in-line skate has a row of longitudinally aligned wheels, it has no inherent stability of a conventional four-wheel skate skate. As a result, many people, especially children, have difficulty maintaining balance while using roller skates online. In addition, ice skating is usually carried out on a substantially flat surface while skating on wheels takes place on the ground, which may include mounts that have a wide range of gradients so they return the mastery of roller skating online more difficult. One proposed method for generating additional lateral stability in an inline skate is to place a wheel in a position that is transversely displaced from the longitudinal centerline of the skate. This can be done by moving an existing wheel or by adding an additional wheel in the desired position. Although this method provides improved stability, the skate tilts toward the transversely displaced wheel, and additional stability is not provided which can tip the skate away from the wheel. Therefore, this method provides improved lateral stability only in one direction with respect to the longitudinal centerline of the skate. Several such in-line roller skates have been proposed which provide additional lateral stability to the skate. U.S. Patent No. 5,295,701 to Reiber et al. discloses an inline skate having a central wheel that can alternatively be placed in a longitudinally aligned position relative to the front and rear wheels, or in a position transversely displaced relative to the other wheels. Therefore, the lateral stability of the skate is increased by moving the center wheel out of alignment with respect to the other wheels. As described above, however, the stability of the skate is improved only in the direction in which the center wheel has moved. The American patent No. 5, 183,276 for Pratt describes an inline skate that has a removable training wheel. The wheel is housed in a U-shaped training bracket so that the training wheel has an axis of rotation which is parallel to the axis of rotation of the other wheels and which is transversely displaced from the longitudinal centerline of the skate. The training wheel engages the travel surface when the skate engages the travel surface at an acute angle. Therefore, the design provides increased stability only when the skate tilts towards the travel surface in the direction of the training roll, for example when a rough turn is made. In addition, this device requires a significant mounted and disassembled for the change between the normal inline skate configurations and the training skate. The skate disclosed in US Pat. No. 3,901,520 to McMahan can be configured as a two-wheeled in-line skate or as a conventional four-wheeled skateboard. To perform the conversion of an inline skate to a conventional one, the operator moves the wheel 17 between the walls 16 of the channel and installs two wheels 17, one placed on the outside of each wall 16 of the channel, as shown in the figure 4. The reconfiguration of the skate requires the elimination of the entire assembly of wheels and therefore requires more time and effort than most children want to spend. U.S. Patent No. 87,225 to Topliff and Ely discloses a bicycle having two rear wheels that can be placed apart from each other to increase stability, or together they constitute a single rear wheel. The configuration of the wheel is carried out by rotating a V-shaped rear axle. When the middle part of the axle is larger than its ends, the rear wheels move towards the middle part of the axle so that they act like a wheel only. When the axle is rotated so that its ends are greater than the middle part, the wheels slide along the axle towards the ends to provide greater stability of the tricycle. As can be seen in Figure 2, the system works best when each half of the axis is substantially longer than the thickness of the wheel. This design can not be easily adapted to a roller skate due to the small diameter of the wheels which can make the change in the height of the skateboard noticeable to the user.

Another desirable feature of an inline skate adapted for use in children or adults who do not have experience is to incorporate a motion limiting device. By limiting the rotation of one or more wheels to a single direction of rotation (corresponding to the forward movement of the skate), the friction forces provided by the skate cause the skate to be driven in the backward direction, which allows the user generates the desired propulsion by pushing straight back on the skate (instead of having to make an angle with the skate to one side). In addition, this configuration allows the user to skate up on an inclined travel surface without the risk of inadvertently moving backwards, downwards of the slope. Also, by configuring the skate so that one or more wheels can not turn in any direction prevents movement of the skate in the forward or backward direction. In this configuration the user can "walk" on the skates to acquire more comfort with their use and maintain their balance on the skates. Unlike a conventional roller skate, the movement limiting mechanism in an inline skate must be laterally compact so that the components arranged do not reduce the aesthetics of the skate. More importantly, a laterally compact design reduces the exposure of the components, thereby reducing vulnerability and increasing the reliability of the mechanism. With respect to the rotational motion control of the skid wheels, U.S. Patent No. 4,932,676 to Klamer discloses a design for a conventional skid that is configurable between the freewheeling, forward only or total stop configurations, cln pair of wheels have gear-like teeth 80 on the interior cylindrical surfaces of the wheels. The cam member 130 places the ratchet 100 to selectively engage the teeth 80 and thereby control the movement of the wheels. Since the pawl extends through the body of the skid to engage both wheels, and the cam member couples the pawl to the middle of the wheels, this design is not suitable for use in an inline skid. Another known design for the control of movement of the wheels in an inline skate is to assemble a rod with grooves for selective coupling with the outer turning surface of one of the wheels. The rod can be moved manually between a position in which the rod fixes the wheel and prevents backward rotation, while allowing forward rotation, and a position in which the rod does not engage with the wheel. This design does not provide coupling for the wheel and prevents rotation in both directions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE IM ^ CIQW The drawbacks of the prior art are not solved by the present invention, which provides an inline skate for, use by lines, the skate has a stability improvement mechanism and a motion limiting mechanism. The mechanism that increases stability includes two wheels, mounted on an axle, which can be selectively placed side by side in a normal or separate mode in a stable mode. A combination arm, mounted on a pivot axis, has two fingers that rotate downward to cam the wheels inward, along the axis from the stable to the normal mode. Alternatively, a spacer arm, mounted on the pivot axis, rotates downward to slide the two wheels apart along the axis from the normal mode to the stable mode. The combination arm has a combination control lever and the separator arm has a separator control lever that extend backwards from the axis of rotation. A control knob, rotatably mounted on the rear chassis of the skid, has control slots that receive the combination control lever and the separating control lever. The rotation of the knob controls the movement of the combination arm and the separating arm, and therefore allows the user to select the normal or stable mode. The motion limiting mechanism includes a roller mounted on an axis, having a tooth formed on the radially inner surface of the cylindrical outer portion. A ratchet has a ratchet arm that extends into the cylindrical portion of the wheel to selectively engage the tooth and a ratchet tongue that extends into the ratchet adjuster. The ratchet adjuster has a detent groove and is slidably positioned in a hole in the front of the skid frame to raise the pawl upwardly to a non-engaging position corresponding to the freewheeling movement. The ratchet adjuster can also be placed to allow the pawl to move over the teeth of the wheel, which corresponds to the forward only mode, or to restrict the pawl in the mating position, which corresponds to the stopping mode total. The inline skate of the present invention allows the user to quickly and easily change the configuration of a conventional in-line skid-normal mode-to an online mode that has improved lateral stability -mode stable-. The change in modes does not require assembly or disassembly and is easy enough to allow a child to make the change in modes. Similarly, the movement limiting mechanism is easily operable to allow a child to switch between free-forward, solo-only, or total-stop modes.

OF THE DRAWINGS Figures IA and B are top and bottom perspective views of an inline wheel skate incorporating the principles of the present invention. FIGS. 2A and B are top and bottom exploded perspective views of the front mount of the inline skate of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a front roller assembly of the skate in FIG. 1, with a retainer of FIG. cover removed. Figures 4A-C are side views of the front roller assembly of Figure 1 with the end portion of the retaining cap separated along line II of Figure 9, with the front roller assembly in the configurations, respectively, freewheeling, forward only or total stop.

Figure 5A is a cross-sectional view of the front wheel of Figure 3. Figure 5B is a partial cross-sectional view of the front roller assembly of Figure 3 taken along line II-II. Figures 6A-E are perspective, top, side, end and bottom views of the ratchet adjuster of Figure 3, and Figure 6F is a cross-sectional view of the ratchet adjuster of Figure 3, taken along of figure III-III of figure 6E. Figures 7A-C are perspective views as front and side of the ratchet in Figure 3. Figures 8A-D are perspective, top, bottom and side views of the front or front frame of the front assembly of Figure 2. The figures 8A and 8F are side and end cross sectional views of the front frame taken along line IV-IV and VV, respectively, in FIG. 8B. Figures 9A and B are end and side cross-sectional views of the retaining cap of the front assembly of Figure 2. Figure 10 is a cross-sectional side view of the axle cap of the front roller assembly of the figure 2 Figures 11A-B are top and bottom exploded perspective views of the rear mount of the skate of Figure 1. Figures 12A-B are partial perspective views of the rear roller assembly of the skate of Figure 1 in the normal mode and in FIG. the stable mode. Figures 13A-F are perspective, top, bottom, front, rear and side views of the combination arm of the rear wheel assembly of Figures HA and B. Figures 14A-G are perspective, top, bottom, front views. , rear, left side and right side of the spacer arm of the rear wheel assembly of Figures HA and B. Figures 15A-D are perspective views, from the outer end, of the inner and side end of the rear wheel assembly knob of Figures HA and B and Figure 15E is a cross-sectional view of the knob of the rear wheel assembly of Figures HA and B taken along line VI-VI in Figure 15C. Figures 16A-F are perspective, top, bottom, end, left side and right side views of the rear frame of Figures HA and B, Figure 16G is a cross-sectional view of the rear frame of Figures HA and B taken along line VII-VII in Figure 16B. Figures 17A-C are perspective, end views and interior views of the wheels of the rear wheel assembly of Figures HA and B, and Figures 17D is a cross-sectional view of the wheels of the rear wheel assembly of the Figures HA and B taken along line VIII-VIII in Figure 17C. Figure 18 is a rear wheel mounting top view of Figure 12A. Figure 19 is a top view of the rear wheel assembly of Figure 12B. Figure 20A is a cross-sectional view of the rear wheel assembly of Figure 18 taken on line IX-IX. Figure 20B is a cross-sectional view of the rear wheel assembly of Figure 19 taken around the X-X line. Figures 21A-C are partial cross-sectional end views of the rear wheel assembly taken along lines XI-XI in Figure IA.

DEfiCRTPCTpW r > B? TAT, TAnA In Figures IA and IB a roller skate 1 is illustrated in line. The skate 1 has a front 2 assembly and a rear 20 assembly. In this embodiment, the front wheel assembly 100 incorporates a movement limiting mechanism and is mounted on the front assembly 2 and the rear wheel assembly 200 incorporates a mechanism that improves stability and is mounted on the rear assembly 20. The front assembly 2 and the rear assembly 20 engage for selective, slidable relative movement to adjust the spacing between the two assemblies to accommodate different sized feet. The adjustment mechanism is conventional.

MBAMISMP TiTMTT? NTB DB MQVIlgBHEQ With reference to Figures 2A and B, the front assembly 2 includes a bead 3 and a tip stop 4, a front chassis 6 and a front wheel assembly 100 (which is also shown in Figure 3). The front wheel assembly 100 has a wheel 110 rotatably mounted on the shaft 148 and held in place by a latch cap 140 and a shaft cap 149, and a vertically moving ratchet 120 controlled by an adjuster 150 ratchet. With reference also to Figures 4A-C and 5A-B, the wheel 110 is mounted rotatably on the shaft 148 which extends through the shaft bore 114. The wheel 110 has teeth 112 formed on the right radially inner surface of the cylindrical outer portion 111. The shaft 148 of the front wheel assembly 100 is maintained in the front chassis 6 by pressure adjustment of the shaft 148 in the latch cap 140 and the shaft cap 149 (shown in FIG. 10) which passes through the shaft. the corresponding left and right chassis openings 5 and 7. The ratchet adjuster 150, shown in Figures 2A-B, 3, 4A-C and 6A-F, controls the vertical position of the pawl 120 and is slidably positioned in the hole 8 of the front chassis 6 (which is shown in FIGS. 8A-F) of the skate 1 in any conventional manner to allow the ratchet adjuster 150 to slide back and forth along a path that is parallel with the longitudinal centerline of the skate. The retaining groove 155, which is defined by the channel in the trolley adjuster 150, the surface of the hole 8 and the underside of the heel 3 includes a central portion 160, a ratchet cam surface 163, an upper slot 165 , and a lower slot 170. The ratchet adjuster 150 has a flexible tab 151 with a finger 151 extending downward and selectively engaging one of three slots 9 in the surface of the hole 8 in the front chassis 6 to hold the ratchet adjuster 150 in a position selected of three. The ratchet adjuster 150 also has an actuator 152 which includes a hole 153. The actuator 152 is separated from the body of the ratchet adjuster 150 by a slot 154 that engages in the hole in the wall 10 of the hole 8 of the chassis 6 for guide and retention of the ratchet adjuster 150. The visual indication of the position of the ratchet adjuster 150 is provided by observing a number (1, 2 or 3, which are in the front chassis 6 shown in FIGS. 8A and D) through the hole 153. In this mode, a "1" visible through the hole 153 of the actuator 152 indicates to the user that the skate is in full stop mode, a "2" indicates the forward only mode, a "3" indicates the free spin mode . The ridges on the lower part of the heel 3 are coupled to the upper part of the ratchet adjuster 150 and to the stiffening heel 3. The ratchet 120 (shown in Fig. 7A-C) has a ratchet arm 125, which extends in the detent groove 155, a ratchet tongue 130, which extends into the right side of the wheel 110. The ratchet tongue 130 has a teeth engaging side 135 with a tooth engaging end 136., a guide side 138 and an upper side 139 formed in a semicircular shape. The ratchet 120 is mounted for vertical movement, slidable between a first non-engaging position, in which the engagement end 136 of the ratchet 120 does not contact the teeth 112 of the wheel 110, a second, lower engaging position in the wherein the coupling end 136 of the ratchet 120 is received on the teeth 112 of the wheel 110. With reference to FIGS. 2A-B, the latch cap 140 is fitted on the front wheel side 148 to retain the wheel 110 on the front. shaft 148. The retainer cap 140, shown in Figures 9A-B, includes an end portion 141 and a body portion 143 having an upper portion 142 (which is formed in a semicircular shape), a portion 144. bottom and side portions 145 and 146 substantially flat. The body portion 143 of the latch cap 140 is shaped to coincide with the ratchet tongue 130 to hold the ratchet 120 in the same vertical path (thereby preventing the ratchet 120 from moving laterally) with respect to the wheel 110 and shaft 148. Vertical ribs 11 on the inside of front chassis 6 further guide and support ratchet 120. The mechanism limiting movement of front wheel assembly 100 is shown in the free-spin mode in the figure 4A. The ratchet adjuster 150 is placed in its forward position (the attachment of the arrow A) in the hole 8 of the front chassis 6. Accordingly, the ratchet arm 125 has a ratchet cam surface 163 slid up and into the top slot 165 so that the ratchet 120 is held in its non-engaging position in which the teeth engage the end 136 of the ratchet cam. ratchet 120 which are out of engagement on the teeth 112. In this configuration, the wheel 110 is free to rotate about the axis 148 in any direction since it is not impeded by the tooth engaging end 136 of the ratchet 120. Figure 4B shows the mechanism in the forwardly only configuration in which the ratchet adjuster 150 has slid in the direction of the arrow B (with respect to its position in Figure 4A) and is placed in the center of the hole 8. The arms 125 of ratchet therefore extend into the central portion 160 of the retention slot 155. Ratchet 120 driven downward by gravity, but not held in this vertical position by ratchet adjuster 150, is placed in its lower engaging position. The tooth engaging end 136 of the pawl 120 is therefore housed on the tooth 112. Each tooth 112 has a first side 112A and a second side 112B. The teeth 112 are not symmetrical about their apex, but have a sharper angle between the tooth center line and the second side 112B compared to the angle between the tooth center line and the first side 112A. When the skate is driven in the backward direction (indicated by the arrow B), the wheel 110 is urged to rotate in the direction of the arrow R. Consequently, the second side 112B of adjacent tooth 112 impinges on the outer side of the end 136 of teeth coupling. The force applied to the end 136 by the second side 112B of the tooth 112 is a lateral force, transverse to the longitudinal centerline of the pawl 120. Since the shaft 148, the retaining cap 140 and the rims 11 of the front chassis 6 prevent the ratchet 120 moves laterally, the end 136 prevents the second side 112B from rotating beyond the end 136 and therefore prevents the wheel 110 from rotating in the direction of the arrow R. If the skate moves in a forward direction (indicated by arrow A), wheel 110 will be urged to rotate in the direction of arrow F. Accordingly, first side 112A of teeth 112 will impinge on the underside of tooth engaging end 136. The force applied to the end 136 by the first side 112A of the teeth 112 is substantially a longitudinally upward force parallel to the center line of the pawl 120. Since the pawl 120 is not restricted in the mating position, the ratchet arm 120 will slide upwards, guided by the sides of the retaining cap 140 and the ridges 11, and the ratchet arm 125 will move towards the upper position of the central portion 160 in the retaining groove 155. The ratchet 120 will be mounted on the teeth 112 which will be lifted upwardly by the first side 112A of the teeth 112 until the teeth have rotated out of engagement with the end 136, at which time the end 136 will drop down (due to gravity) ) on the first side 112A of the next tooth 112 to the position shown in Figure 4B. The mounting cycle on the first side 112A of a tooth 112 and the downward fall on the next tooth will be repeated continuously to the extent that the wheel 110 rotates in the forward direction. Since the direction of rotation of this wheel indicates the direction of movement of the skate (as described above), this configuration of the front wheel assembly allows the skate to rotate forward, but not backward.

Figure 4C shows the mechanism in the total stopping mode in which the pawl adjuster 150 has slid back to its most rearward position in the hole 8 of the front chassis 6 (indicated by the arrow B). The ratchet arm 125 has slid into the lower groove 170 of the retaining slot 155. With the pawl 120 in the mating position, the wheel 110 can not rotate in the direction of the arrow R for the same reasons as set forth above. Further, since the lower groove 170 of the pawl adjuster 150 retains the pawl arm 125 in the mating position (and prevents the pawl 120 from moving up), the pawl 120 can not be lifted up the first side 112A of tooth 112, as previously described. Therefore, in this configuration, wheel 110 can not rotate in the direction of arrow F either. Accordingly, the ratchet adjuster 150 in the rearward position, the wheel 110 can not rotate in any direction and therefore the skate 10 can not rotate or slide forward or backward. The components of this modality (except for the ratchet) are made of plastic, although any material sufficiently rigid will be sufficient. Due to the ratchet resistance requirements, the ratchet of this mode is made of metal. The motion limiting mechanism of the present embodiment is laterally compact since the ratchet, ratchet adjuster and other components are placed almost completely within the lateral wrap defined by the skate edges, and completely within the lateral extension of the ends. outside of the axle cover. This is accomplished by placing the ratchet adjuster 150 (and the ratchet arm 125) radially outwardly from the outer surface of the wheel 110 substantially laterally within the lateral wrapper defined by the edges of the wheel 110 and that further configure the pawl so that the pawl tab is inside the side wrapping and the pawl body (which connects the pawl tab to the pawl arm) is laterally compact and is as close to the outer edge of the wheel as it's possible. Although the motion limiting mechanism in a conventional four-wheeled skate can be similarly considered to be within this side wrapping, it is placed above the axle between the two wheels. However, in an inline skate, which has only one wheel, the side wrapping is only slightly wider than the wheel itself, and the known motion limiting mechanisms can not be accommodated within this side wrapping. Therefore, the laterally compact appearance of the described design is particularly suitable for use in an inline skate. If the mechanism were placed on one side of the side wrapping, its components would be exposed to damage and therefore would be less reliable. In the preferred mode, the motion limiting mechanism is used only for the front wheel assembly of each skate. The friction between the wheel and the sliding surface will be sufficient to provide the desired frictional forces. However, the mechanism can be adapted to any of the wheels or to more than one wheel if greater frictional force is desired. In the present embodiment, the pawl moves vertically and is diverted by gravity downward so as to change the teeth on the inner surface of the wheel and the ratchet adjuster slides along the axis perpendicular to the axis of the ratchet movement and It has a cam surface to move the ratchet. However, the present invention can also be used in other embodiments, for example those having a ratchet with horizontal movement that is deflected by a spring, a ratchet adjuster that moves along a path that is parallel with the direction of travel. ratchet movement, a wheel having teeth on the outside of the wheel hub, or a ratchet and ratchet adjuster that move in a pivotal or rotating manner.

MEOttpSMD THAT INCREASES STABILITY As shown in Figures HA and B, the rear assembly 20 includes a boot 21, a rear frame 30 or a rear wheel assembly 200 and a center wheel assembly 80, both of which are mounted to the bottom of the chassis 30 rear. The rear wheel assembly 200, shown in Figures 12A and B, includes a shaft assembly 202 and a control assembly 204. The axle assembly 202 includes a left wheel 210 and a right wheel 220, which are mounted on the wheel axle 280 for rotation about the axle 280 and for sliding around the axle. The wheels are separated by an axle flange 281 which protrudes at the midpoint of the axle 280 to prevent the wheels from traversing the centerline of the skate on the axle 280. The axle 280 extends through the perforations 215, 225 and it is coupled to the left and right side walls 31, 32 of the rear frame 30 (which is shown in detail in Figures 16A-G) by means of shaft covers 149, which are snapped onto the shaft 280 and placed in the holes 33, 34 of the side walls 31, 32. The control assembly 204 includes a spacer arm 230 and a combination arm 250 which are housed together and rotated concomitantly on the pivot shaft 288 and are operated by the control knob 270. The turning shaft 288 also engages the left and right side walls 31, 32 of the rear frame 30. The control knob 270, shown in Figures 11A-B, is rotatably mounted on the rear wall 35 of the rear chassis 30 in a control knob orifice 36. As shown in Figures 13A-F, the combination arm 250 has a body portion 251 with a pivot shaft bore 252 extending laterally therethrough. A combination control lever 258 extends rearwardly from the body portion, while symmetrical right or left combination fingers 254, 255 extend forwardly from the body portion. The combination fingers 254, 255 include shaft recesses 256, 257 and lid recesses 264, 265, directed inwardly to the combination cam surfaces 260, 261 and the inner edges 262, 263, respectively. A generally rectangular spacer lever opening 253 is formed in the body portion 251 to allow passage of the spacer control lever 235 therethrough. As shown in Figures 12A and B, the combination arm 250 is mounted rotatably on the pivot shaft 288 which extends through the pivot shaft bore 252. As shown in Figures 14A-G, the spacer arm 230 has a body portion 231 with a bore 237 extending laterally therethrough. The spacer control lever 235 extends rearwardly from the body portion 251 while the coupling end 245 extends forwardly of the body portion 251. The coupling end 245 includes shaft recesses 238, 239, outer surfaces 242, 243, a flange spacer 232 and surfaces 240, 241 of spacer cams directed outwardly. The spacer arm 230 is rotatably mounted on the pivot shaft 288 in the spacer lever opening 253 of the combination arm 250 as shown in FIGS. 12A and B. The control knob 270, shown in FIGS. 15A -E includes a separator control groove 276 for receiving the separator control lever 235 of the separator arm 230 and the combination control groove 271 for receiving the combination control lever 258 of the combination arm 250. Each groove 271, 276 has an upper end 272, 277, a lower end 273, 278 and a corner portion 274, 279. The knob 270 is rotatably mounted to the rear frame 30 (which is shown in detail in the figures). 16A-G) by any conventional means suitable for example by a screw (shown in Figures 11A-B), which extends into the screw bore 299 of the knob 270. As shown in Fig. 11B, the control knob 270 is received in the control knob hole 36 in the rear wall 35 of the rear chassis 30, which includes a groove 37 in which a tongue 298 of the control knob 270 is mounted. The control knob orifice 36, which is also shown in Figures 16A-G, is joined by the peripheral wall 38 that surrounds a lower surface 39. The control knob orifice 36 also includes generally vertical control lever slots 40, 41 formed in the lower surface 39, through which the combination control levers and separators 258 protrude into the grooves 271, 276 of combination control and separator, respectively. As shown in Figure 17, the wheels 210, 220 each have an inner corner 211, 221, an outer corner 212, 222, an inner edge 214, 224 and an outer hub 216, 226, a support surface 213, 223 and a shaft bore 215, 225. The inner side of the wheels 210, 220 has spike-like flanges 217, 227, while the outer side of the wheels 210, 220 has an annular wall 218, 228, which is dimensioned and shaped to receive the shaft covers 149. The aggregate thickness of the two wheels 210, 220 is approximately equal to that of the front and central wheels 110, 81. The mechanism that increases the stability of the rear wheel assembly 200 can be configured in a normal mode, as shown in Figures 12A, 18 and 20A, or in a stable mode, as shown in Figures 12B, 19 and 20B. In the normal mode, the left wheel 210 and the right wheel 220 are placed in the center of the shaft 280 and act as a single rear wheel, and the fingers 254, 255 of the combination arm 250 rotate downwardly on the turning shaft 288 so that the shaft recess 256, 257 is adjacent the axis 280 and the shaft cap recesses 264, 265 are adjacent the shaft caps 149. Therefore, the left finger 254 and the right finger 255 are placed on the outside of the wheels 210 and 220, respectively, so that the inner edges 262, 263 of the fingers 254, 255 prevent the wheels from sliding outwardly. , to their positions in a stable way. The coupling end 245 of the spacer arm 230 is turned upwardly on the pivot shaft 288 so that it is out of contact with the wheels 210, 220.

In the stable mode, which is shown in Figures 19 and 20B, the wheels 210, 220 are spaced apart on the axis 280. The fingers 254, 255 of the combination arm 250 rotate upwardly on the turning shaft 288 so that they are out of contact with the wheels 210, 220. The coupling end 245 of the spacer arm 230 is rotated downwardly on the axis of rotation 288 so that the shaft recesses 238, 239 are adjacent the axis 280 and the flange 281 of axis which is placed in flange spacing 232. Therefore, the spacer arm 230 is mounted on the axle 280 between the wheels 210, 220 to prevent the wheels from slipping towards the center of the axle 280, in the normal way. The wheels 210, 220 can not be slid apart further apart on the shaft 280 because the outer hubs 216, 226 of the wheels 210, 220 come up against the shaft caps 149. With reference to Figures 21A-C, the separator control lever 235 of the separator arm 230 and the combination control lever 258 of the combination arm 250 extend rearwardly of the rotation shaft 288 and are received by the grooves 276 and 271 of knob 270, respectively. Figure 21A shows the knob 270 rotated so that the rear wheel assembly 200 is in the normal mode. The spacer control lever 235 is positioned downward, below the centerline of the pivot shaft 288 at the upper end 277 of the spacer control groove 276 of the knob 270. Accordingly, the coupling end 245 of the arm 230 of spacer extends upwards above the center line of the axis of rotation 288 so that the cam surfaces 240, 241 of the spacer arm 230 do not contact the wheels 210, 220, as shown in FIG. 20A . The transition of the mechanism from the normal to the stable mode configuration, the knob 270 is rotated in the direction of arrow D. The lever 235 of the separator control initially remains substantially in the same position while the combination control lever 258 of the combination arm 250 will be urged down the sides of the lower end 273 of the combination control groove 271 to the positions illustrated in Figure 21B, wherein the separator control lever 235 and the control lever 258 of combination are placed in portions 279, 274 corner, respectively. Since the spacer control lever 235 and the combination control lever 258 are below the center line of the rotating shaft 288, the coupling end 245 of the spacer arm 230 and the fingers 254, 255 of the arm 250 of FIG. combination extend up out of contact of the wheels 210, 220. Although the wheels 210, 220 are free to slide on the shaft 280 without interference from the spacer arm 230 or the combination arm 250, the shoulder flange 281 prevents the The wheel slides inadvertently through the longitudinal center line of the skate on the axis 280. As the knob 270 is rotated further in the direction of the arrow D, the separator control lever 235 is driven. upwardly on the sides of the lower end 278 of the separator control groove 276 to be retained above the center line of the rotation shaft 288 in the position shown in Figure 21C. Accordingly, this movement causes the coupling end 245 of the arm 230 of the spacer to make a downward arc, to a position below the center line of the turning shaft 288. As the coupling end 245 of the arm 230 of the spacer performs a downward arc, the cam surfaces 240, 241 bump into the corners 211 and 221 of the wheels 210, 220, respectively. The downward movement of the coupling end 245 of the spacer arm 230 therefore results in a lateral force on the wheels 210, 220 by the cam surfaces 240, 241, in the directions of the arrows E and F in the figure 18. Accordingly, the wheels 210, 220 slide along the axis 280 in the directions of the arrows E and F respectively, urged to separate over the length of the cam surfaces 240, 241 until the edges 214, 224 interiors of the wheels 210, 220 are outside the outer edges 242, 243 of the spacer arm 230. The flanges 217, 227 on the inner edges 214, 224 of the wheels 210, 220 abut against the outer edges 242, 243 of the coupling end 245 so that the wheels 210, 220 do not slip inadvertently toward the end 245 of coupling of spacer arm 230 in the middle part through the descending part. Therefore, the flanges 217, 227 of the wheels 210, 220 allow the coupling end 245 to descend without incident on the inner hubs of the wheels 210, 220. The coupling end 245 of the spacer arm 230 continues downward, towards the shaft 280 and up to the recess 238, 239 of the shaft that is housed on the shaft 280 as shown in figure 19 and 20B. In this configuration, the outer edges 242, 243 of the separator arm 230 bump against the hub of the inner edges 214, 224 of the wheels 210, 220 to hold the wheels and prevent inward sliding, in the normal mode. To change from the stable to the normal configuration, the knob 270 shown in Fig. 21C in the stable mode is rotated in the direction of the arrow C. The combination control lever 258 initially remains substantially in the same position while the separator control lever 235 of the separator arm 230 will be urged down the sides of the lower end 278 of the separator control groove 276 to the positions illustrated in FIG. 21B, in which the lever 235 of FIG. Separator control and combination control lever 258 are placed in corner portions 279 and 274, respectively. Since in the separator control lever 235 as the combination control lever 258 are below the center line of the rotation shaft 288, and the coupling end 245 of the separator arm 230 and the fingers 254, 255 of the arm 250 of combination extend upwardly out of contact with the rollers 210, 220. Therefore, the rollers 210, 220 are free to slide on the shaft 280 without interference from the arm 230 of the separator or the combination arm 250. Nevertheless, as described above, although the wheels 210, 220 are free to slide on the axle 280, the flange 281 of the axle prevents the wheels from inadvertently slipping through the longitudinal center line of the skate on the axle 280. In the measure in that the knob 270 is rotated further in the direction of the arrow C, the combination control lever 258 is urged upwardly by the sides of the lower end 273 of the groove 271 to be retained above the axis centerline 288 in the position shown in Figure 21A. Accordingly, the fingers 254, 255 of the combination arm 250 describe a downward arc, at a position below the center line of the turning shaft 288. Insofar as the fingers 254, 255 of the combination arm 250 make a downward arc, the surfaces 260 and 261 perform a cam movement over the outer corners 212 and 222 of the wheels 210, 220, respectively. The downward movement of the fingers 254, 255 of the combination arm 250 results in a lateral force on the wheels 210 and 220 by the cam surfaces 260, 261 in the directions of the arrows G and H, respectively, in the figure 19. Accordingly, the wheels 210, 220 will slide along the axis 280 in the directions of the arrows G and H, respectively and will be joined by the cam surfaces 260, 261 of the combination arm 250 until the inner edges 214, 224 of the wheels 210, 220 are contiguous. The fingers 254, 255 of the combination arm 250 continue downward toward the axis 280 until the recesses 256, 257 of the shaft are mounted on the shaft 280, as shown in FIG. 20A. In this configuration, the inner edges 262, 263 of the fingers 254, 255 of the combination arm 250 bump against the outer hubs 216, 226 of the wheels 210, 220 to keep the wheels in stable mode, as shown in the figure 19 The position indicator marks 42, 43 can be formed on the outer surface of the peripheral wall 38 which are indicated by the arrow 297 on the control knob 270. In this embodiment, the knob 270 is rotated so that the arrow 297 aligns with the indication 42 to indicate to the user that the rear wheel assembly is in the normal mode (wheels together) or is rotated so that arrow 297 is aligned with indication 43 to indicate to the user that the rear wheel assembly is in stable mode (separate wheels). The combination arm 250 and the spacer arm 230 remain fixed in any manner that is established by the user. Since both have substantially the same weight, both will apply a substantially equal upward force on the knob 270 through the combination control lever 258 and the separator control lever 235. However, since these two forces are opposed in rotating directions, they act to cancel each other out and prevent unwanted movement of the combination arm 250 and the separator arm 230. In addition, the knob 270 can be mounted so that the frictional forces impede rotation or a fastening mechanism can be used to hold the pivoting members in place.

The components of the rear assembly in this mode are made of plastic, however, any material rigid enough to build the components can be used. The mechanism that increases stability is incorporated only in the rear wheel assembly of each skate since the added stability provided when used on a single wheel assembly provides sufficient stability for the child to make specialized and safe use of the skate. However, the mechanism can be adapted for any wheel on the front and rear wheels to more closely simulate a conventional four-wheel skate. Improved stability is obtained by laterally displacing the wheels, relative to one another to generate separate contact points with the ground and resist the tilting force. By displacing the contact points of the wheel with respect to the ground on both sides of the longitudinal center line of the skate, additional lateral stability is generated to resist tilting to both sides. Accordingly, any suitable mechanism that selectively moves the wheels relative to each other is considered to be within the scope of the invention.

The described embodiment illustrates a mechanism with a single control actuator that simultaneously drives the combination and separator arms. Other modes may have separation controls for each arm, using a sliding movement (instead of a rotary movement) for the arms to slide the wheels, or using one arm for each wheel in order to independently control the wheels so that the improved stability can be reduced or eliminated in the lateral directions in which the user no longer has difficulty maintaining balance. Although the illustrated embodiment describes an element that increases the stability of two rotating members (the separator arm 230 and the combination arm 250), the invention can also work with a member that is alternatively placed between the wheels or outside of the wheel. the wheels. Also, the knob 270 can be replaced with a sliding cam member to switch between normal and stable modes.

It is noted that in relation to this date, the best method known by the applicant to carry out the aforementioned invention, is the conventional one for the manufacture of the objects to which it relates. Having described the invention as above, property is claimed as contained in the following:

Claims (28)

ra: praro? C? C? aNES

1. A roller skate, characterized in that it comprises: a body; a wheel mounted on the body for rotation in a forward direction and in an opposite, reverse direction, having an outer turning surface, and an inner surface; a ratchet tooth coupled to the wheel on the inner surface; a ratchet having a guide portion, a ratchet arm and a coupling end; a rail guide positioned at least partially within the inner surface and engaging with the guide portion to allow movement of the pawl along a ratchet path defined between the first position in which the mating end is separated from the ratchet teeth, and a second ratchet position in which the coupling end can be coupled with the ratchet tooth; and a ratchet adjuster positioned at least partially outside the outer surface, movable between a first and second detent positions, and engaging the ratchet arm to move the pawl along the ratchet path, the first and second retainer positions correspond to the first and second ratchet positions, respectively, the ratchet adjuster in the second position allows movement of the ratchet along the ratchet path away from the second ratchet position in one motion of ratchet to allow the wheel to rotate only in a forward and reverse direction.

2. The roller skate according to claim 1, characterized in that it additionally comprises means for guiding the pawl along the ratchet path.

3. The roller skate according to claim 2, characterized in that the ratchet guide means includes two opposite, generally parallel, lateral ratchet guide faces, oriented generally parallel to the ratchet path; and the ratchet further includes a guide portion having two generally parallel arms that engage slidably to the ratchet guide side faces, the coupling end is positioned at one end of one of the arms of the portion of the ratchet portion. guide.

4. The roller skate according to claim 2, characterized in that it additionally comprises an axle on which the wheel is mounted concentrically, the ratchet guide means is mounted on the axle.

5. The roller skate according to claim 1, characterized in that: the body has a signal portion having an indication for each of the positions of the retainer; and the ratchet adjuster includes a body and an actuator having an opening therethrough positioned adjacent to the signal portion with one of the signals corresponding to the position of the ratchet adjuster selected at that time which is visible through of the opening.

6. The roller skate according to claim 1, characterized in that: the body has a plurality of slots, one corresponding to each of the positions of the retainer; and the ratchet adjuster has a flexible tongue engageable with the slots to prevent movement of the ratchet adjuster away from one of the positions of the selected retainer.

7. The roller skate according to claim 1, characterized in that the ratchet adjuster includes a cam surface for driving the ratchet from the second position to the first position.

8. The roller skate according to claim 1, characterized in that it additionally comprises a flange-coupled to the body parallel to the path of the pawl for guiding the pawl along the ratchet path.

9. The roller skate according to claim 1, characterized in that: the ratchet adjuster can be moved to a third detent position, the ratchet adjuster in the third retainer position prevents movement of the ratchet away from the second retainer position to prevent the wheel from moving in any direction, forward or reverse, in this way.

10. The roller skate according to claim 1, characterized in that the pawl moves along a vertical, substantially linear ratchet path.

11. The roller skate according to claim 1, characterized in that the ratchet adjuster moves along a substantially linear horizontal path between the first and second positions.

12. An in-line roller skate having a wheel assembly, characterized in that it comprises: a body; an axis coupled to the body; first and second wheels rotatably mounted on the shaft; the first axle is slidably mounted on the axle for lateral movement between a first position adjacent to the second wheel, and a second position separated from the second wheel; a spacer arm for moving the first wheel from the first position to the second position; and a combination arm for moving the first wheel from the second position to the first position.

13. The in-line roller skate according to claim 12, characterized in that the separating arm and the combination arm are mounted for rotary or pivotal movement.

14. The in-line roller skate according to claim 12, characterized in that: the separating arm includes a first outwardly directed cam surface selectively engageable with the corner laterally inside and radially outwardly of the first wheel to drive the first wheel to the second position.

15. The in-line roller skate according to claim 12, characterized in that the combination arm includes a first inwardly directed cam surface selectively engageable with the laterally outer and radially outer corner of the first wheel to drive the first wheel to the first position.

16. The in-line roller skate according to claim 15, characterized in that it additionally comprises: an axle cover coupled to the axle, which limits the lateral movement towards the outside of the first wheel on the axle; and the combination arm has an axle cover recess to receive the axle cover and an axle recess to receive the axle.

17. The inline wheel skate according to claim 12, characterized in that the axle includes a rim of radial axis, the laterally inner side of the first wheel abuts the rim in the first position.

18. A wheel assembly for an in-line skate, characterized in that it comprises: an axle assembly having an axle; and first and second wheels mounted rotatably on the shaft for movement along the axis between a normal mode, when the first and second wheels are adjacent, and a stable mode when the first and second wheels are separated; and a control assembly having a combination arm for transporting the wheel assembly from a stable mode to a normal mode; and a spacer arm for transporting the wheel assembly from the normal mode to the stable mode.

19. The wheel according to claim 18, characterized in that: each of the first and second wheels has an outer turning surface; the control assembly further includes a pivot or pivot shaft separate from the wheel axle; the spacer arm includes a spacer body portion and a coupling end, the body portion is pivotally coupled to the shaft, the coupling end is moved between a first position in which the coupling end is placed adjacent to the wheel axis and between the wheels, and a second position in which the coupling end is positioned radially outside the outer turning surfaces of the wheels; and the combination arm includes a combination body portion and a combination finger, the body portion is pivotally coupled to the axis of rotation, and the combination finger moves between a first position in which the combination finger is placed adjacent to the shaft, and a second position in which the combination finger is positioned radially outwardly of the outer turning surfaces of the wheels.

20. The wheel according to claim 19, characterized in that: the combination finger is in the second position and the coupling end is in the first position when the wheel is in the stable mode; and the coupling end in the second position and the combination finger is in the first position when the wheel is in the normal mode.

21. The in-line skate according to claim 19, characterized in that: the combination arm has a combination control lever; the separating arm has a separator control lever; and the control assembly additionally includes an actuator coupled to the control levers and movable between a first actuator position, corresponding to the stable mode, in which the coupling end is in the first combination and the finger of combination is in the second position, and a second actuator position corresponding to the normal mode, in which the combination finger is in the first position and the coupling end is in the second position, the movement of the actuator between the first and second actuator positions drive the coupling end and the combination finger to the respective positions.

22. An in-line roller skate, characterized in that it comprises: a first wheel assembly having only a first single wheel which rotates in a first forward direction and a second reverse direction; and elements for controlling the rotation of the wheel, the control elements have a first free rotation mode in which the control element allows the rotation of the first wheel in the forward and backward directions, and a second mode only forward in which the control element prevents the rotation of the first wheel in the reverse direction; and a second wheel assembly that it has; an axis; and second and third wheels mounted on the shaft and moving between a first configuration in which the second and third wheels are adjacent to each other, and a second configuration in which the second and third wheels are separated.

23. The in-line roller skate according to claim 22, characterized in that the control element additionally comprises a third stopping mode in which the control element prevents rotation of the first wheel in any forward or backward direction .

24. A roller skate, characterized in that it comprises: a body; an axis coupled to the body; a wheel mounted on the shaft for rotation in a forward direction and in a reverse, opposite direction, and having an outer turning surface, a surface concentric with the outer turning surface, a left edge and a right edge; a ratchet tooth coupled to the wheel and placed between the left and right edges and radially within the outer turning surface; a ratchet and a ratchet tongue and a ratchet arm, the ratchet moves between a first position in which the ratchet tongue does not engage the tooth, and a second position in which the ratchet tongue engages with the tongue. tooth; the ratchet tongue is placed between the left and right edges of the wheel and radially inside the inner surface; the ratchet arm is placed between the left and right edges of the wheel and radially outward from the outer turning surface; and a ratchet adjuster coupled to the ratchet arm and controlling the movement of the ratchet, the ratchet adjuster allows ratchet engagement of the ratchet tongue with the tooth when the ratchet is in the second position, thereby allowing the ratchet to engage with the ratchet. Wheel rotate only in a forward and reverse direction.

25. The wheel assembly according to claim 24, characterized in that the ratchet adjuster is placed substantially between the left and right edges of the wheel and radially outside the outer turning surface.

26. A method for varying the lateral stability of a skate in line, the method is characterized in that it comprises the steps of: placing two wheels having an outer turning surface on an axis for rotation about the axis, and lateral movement along the axis, the wheels are placed adjacent to each other; placing a spacer arm in a radially outward position of the outer turning surfaces; and moving the spacer arm to a position between the wheels and radially within the turning surfaces to drive the wheels apart on the axle to keep the wheels apart.

27. An in-line roller skate having a wheel assembly, characterized in that it comprises: a body; an axis coupled to the body; first and second wheels mounted rotatably on the shaft; the first wheel is slidably mounted on the axle for lateral movement between a first position adjacent to the second wheel, and a second position separated from the second wheel; elements for moving the first wheel from the first position to the second position; and elements to move the first wheel from the second position to the first position.

28. A wheel for an inline skate, characterized in that it comprises: a left portion; a right portion; the wheel is in a normal mode when the left portion and the right portion are contiguous; the wheel is in a stable mode when the left portion and the right portion are separated; a combination arm to convert the wheel from the stable mode to the normal mode; and a separating arm to convert the wheel from the normal mode to the stable mode. REgMEN OF THE INVENTION An in-line roller skate is provided for use by children that has a stability improvement mechanism and a movement limiting mechanism. The stability improvement mechanism includes two wheels, mounted on an axle, which are selectively placed side by side in a normal mode, or separated in a stable mode. A combination arm that has two fingers rotates downward to cam the wheels inward from the stable to normal mode. Alternatively, the spacer arm alternates or rotates down to slide the two wheels apart on the axle from the normal mode to the stable mode. The motion limiting mechanism includes a wheel, mounted on an axle, having teeth formed on the radially inner surface of the cylindrical outer portion. A ratchet has a ratchet arm that extends into the inside cylindrical portion of the wheel to engage the teeth and a ratchet tongue that extends into the ratchet adjuster. The ratchet adjuster has a detent groove and slidably positioned in a hole in the front chassis of the skid to raise the ratchet by cam to a non-engaging position, which corresponds to the free-spin mode. The ratchet adjuster can also be positioned to allow the ratchet to be mounted on the teeth of the wheel, which corresponds to the forward only mode, or to restrict the ratchet in the engaging position, which corresponds to the total stopping mode.