NL1041437B1

NL1041437B1 - Brake assembly for inline roller skates.

Info

Publication number: NL1041437B1
Application number: NL1041437A
Authority: NL
Inventors: Hanemaaijer Leendert
Original assignee: Hanemaaijer Leendert
Priority date: 2015-08-20
Filing date: 2015-08-20
Publication date: 2017-03-07
Also published as: WO2017030438A1; EP3337584A1

Abstract

The in line roller skate brake assembly according to the present invention comprises a solution that requires bending the lower leg forward. Since this can only be achieved properly by the skater by bending his knees, i.e. by squatting, and hence by lowering his center of gravity, the skater will increase his stability during braking, which is a very significant advantage compared to the posture when using one of the prior art inline roller skate brake systems.

Description

BRAKE ASSEMBLY FOR INLINE ROLLER SKATES

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Skate brake systems according to the prior art generally require an action from the skater that may compromise the skater's stability. Since skates with a brake are mainly used by inexperienced or less experienced skaters the stability of the skater is one of the last things that should be affected during braking. For various of the prior art brake solutions the skater has to lean on the rear end of one of his feet and sometimes even lift the front end of the foot, which results in balancing on only one wheel, the wheel at the rear end, of the skate. This will result in the center of gravity of the skater moving backwards with an increased risk of him falling on his back. The brake for inline skates according to patent US 6,217,038 is an example of a brake system that needs the back of the foot to be pressed down in order to activate the brake. This is a brake system that works by pressing a brake pad on the tread of the rear wheel of the skate. Apart from the possible negative effect on the balance of the skater such a brake system may also result in excessive wear of the rear wheel of the skate.

Therefore, there are also prior art skate brake assemblies that comprise a brake pad or block, for example made of rubber, that is rigidly fixed at the rear end of the skate and that is operated by inclining the skate backwards and, hence, pressing the pad or block onto the surface on which the skate is rolling, for example the pavement of a street. While the above prior art brake systems are direct brake system, meaning that the brake force applied by the skater is transferred directly to the tread of a wheel or to the surface on which the skate is rolling, there are also prior art brake systems involving levers or other types of components to transfer the force exerted by the skater. All of these prior art systems involve moving one's center of gravity over the back of the foot or bending the lower leg backwards.

The skate brake assembly according to the invention comprises a solution that requires bending the lower leg forward. Since this can only be achieved properly by the skater by bending both knees to the same extent, i.e. by squatting, and hence by lowering his center of gravity, the skater will increase his stability during braking, which is a very significant advantage compared to the posture when using one of the prior art brake systems.

The inline roller skate brake assembly according to the invention will be described and clarified by means of two drawings. In the drawings and the description the same or similar reference number refers to the same or a similar feature.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1(a) shows a schematic side view of an inline roller skate with an embodiment of the brake assembly according to the invention; FIG. 1(b) shows a schematic rear view of the inline roller skate shown in FIG 1(a) with an embodiment of the brake assembly according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1(a) shows a schematic side view of an inline roller skate with an embodiment of the brake assembly according to the invention. The inline roller skate shown schematically in FIG. 1(a) is of the type having a wheel support frame 1 connected to the bottom of a boot 2, having a shaft 2a and a shaft reinforcement sleeve 2b. The latter, being connected with the shaft of the boot, may also be referred to as the shaft 2b. Hereinafter, an inline roller skate may also be referred to as a skate.

The skate shown in FIG. 1(a) has a brake assembly according to the invention comprising a brake pad 3 that is rigidly incorporated in a first braking force transmission assembly comprising a first lever 4 with an integrated essentially semicircular gear 4a on one end. The first braking force transmission assembly has a lever 4 and an integrated semi-circular gear 4a on each longitudinal side of the boot 2. Each of the two first levers 4 is rotatably connected to the wheel support frame 1. The point of rotation essentially coincides with the center of the semi-circular gear 4a. Further, the brake system according to the invention comprises a second braking force transmission assembly comprising a second lever 5 with an integrated essentially semicircular gear 5a on one end. The second lever 5 is rotatably connected to the wheel support frame 1. The point of rotation essentially coincides with the center of the semi-circular gear 5a. With respect to the geared end of the first lever 4 and the second lever 5, the teeth of the semi-circular gear 4a of the first lever 4 face upwards and the teeth of the semi-circular gear 5a of the second lever 5 face downwards. The rotational points of the first lever 4 and the second lever 5 are positioned such that the teeth of the semi-circular gear 4a engage the teeth of the semi-circular gear 5a as illustrated in the detail shown at the left upper corner of FIG. 1(a). As a result of this the non-geared end of the second lever 5 will move upwards when the non-geared end of the first lever 4 is moved downwards. The non-geared end of the first and the second braking force transmission assemblies may also be referred to as the free end. The brake system according to the invention further comprises a pull and push bar 6 of which a first end is connected to essentially the middle of a connecting bar of the second braking force transmission assembly which connects the non-geared end of the second lever 5 on the first longitudinal side of the boot 1 to the non-geared end of the second lever 5 on the second longitudinal side of the boot 2. The use of essentially semi-circular gears 4a and 5a at the end of the levers 4 and 5 is not imposed by a functional requirement but is merely a way of limiting the amount of material and therefore limiting the weight of the levers 4 and 5 and the space used by these levers. From a functional point of view the gears may also comprise fully circular gears, even though the majority of such a gear would not have an actual contribution to the required function. FIG. 1(b) is a schematic rear view of the inline roller skate shown in FIG 1(a) with an embodiment of the brake assembly according to the invention. FIG. 1(b) shows the position of the connecting bar 5b to which the first end of the pull and push bar 6 is connected. The second end of the pull and push bar 6 is connected to a lug 7 on the shaft reinforcement sleeve 2b. In the embodiment schematically shown in FIG. 1(a) and FIG. 1(b) the pull and push bar 6 comprises adjustable attachment means at both ends. In another embodiment the push and pull bar 6 only has adjustable attachment means on one end.

As shown in FIG. 1(b) the non-geared end of the first lever 4 on the first longitudinal side of the boot and the non-geared end of the first lever 4 on the second longitudinal side of the boot are interconnected by a bracket 4b, whereby the brake pad 3 is fixed to this bracket. A skater wearing an inline roller skate with a brake assembly according to the invention can activate the brake by bending his lower leg such that the shaft of the boot bends in the direction of the arrow 8. This movement of the shaft of the boot relative to the wheel support frame 1 will pull the pull and push bar 6 upwards, in the direction of the arrow 9. Consequently, the connecting bar 5b and therefore the non-geared ends of the second lever 5 on either longitudinal side of the boot will be pulled upwards. Hereinafter this will also be referred to as the second braking force transmission assembly being pulled upwards.

The resulting counter clockwise (in the side view of FIG. 1(a)) rotation of the semicircular gear 5a will cause the first semi-circular gear 4a of the levers 4 on either longitudinal side of the boot with the interconnecting bracket 4b and the brake pad 3 to rotate clockwise. Hereinafter this will also be referred to as the first braking force transmission assembly being pushed downwards.

At a certain degree of bending of the lower leg forward the downward movement of the first braking force transmission assembly will cause the brake pad 3 to touch the surface on which the wheels of the skate are rolling, resulting in friction between the brake pad and the surface. This surface will hereinafter also be referred to as the skating surface.

By bending the lower leg further forward the friction can be increased resulting in a stronger braking action. A skater wearing a skate which incorporates a brake system according to the invention on each foot will have to be aware of the fact that the difference between the braking force exerted on respectively the left side and the right side should be minimized in order to prevent a spinning tendency. A possible way in which the skater can keep this difference limited is by pressing the inside of his knees against each other before bending his knees in order to achieve the forward rotation of his lower legs.

The novel principle of the brake assembly or brake system according to the invention comprises the conversion of a forward movement of the shaft of the boot of a skate into a downward movement of a brake pad. The components that can be used to achieve this conversion may hereinafter, separately or jointly, also be referred to as the force transmission means. For example by using a pull and push bar 6 as described, the forward movement of the shaft of the boot translates into an upward movement of the pull and push bar. Instead of a pull and push bar for example a pull cable in combination with a spring that performs the push function may be used. Therefore, where the term pull and push bar 6 is used in the claims it may also refer to another mechanism, such as for example a pull cable and a spring which can perform an identical function.

The brake assembly according to the invention can be particularly attractive for inexperienced and less experienced inline skaters since the required squatting for activation of the brake increases the stability of the skater due to the inherent lowering of his gravitational center.

The brake pad 3 may be made of any suitable material. Rubber is an example of a suitable material for this purpose. If deemed useful the rubber may contain one or more wear resistant filler materials in order to extend the lifetime of the brake pad.

The brake system according to the invention is not necessarily restricted to skates with a shaft reinforcement sleeve and may also be incorporated in a skate through any other suitable means of attaching the pull and push bar to the shaft of the boot.

It is to be understood that the embodiments of the invention herein described are merely illustrative of the principles of the brake assembly according to the invention.

Reference herein to details of the illustrated embodiments is not intended to limit the scope of the claims, which themselves recite those features regarded as essential to the invention.

Claims

A brake assembly for an inline roller skate, characterized in that the brake assembly comprises force transmission means which are connected to each other and to the inline roller skate or engage each other such that a forward movement of the shaft (2a, 2b) of the boot (2) of the inline roller skate results in a brake block (3) moving in the direction of the skating surface.

A brake assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the force transmission means comprise the following means: - a first brake force transmission assembly which comprises a lever (4) and a gear (4a) on either side; a second braking force transmission assembly comprising on both sides a lever (5) and a gear (5a); - a pull and push rod (6) connected to a first end with the second braking force transmission assembly.

Brake assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that the first braking force transfer assembly and the second braking force transfer assembly engage each other by means of the gear wheels (4a, 5a).

Brake assembly according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the second end of the pull and push rod (6) is connected in an adjustable manner to the shaft of the boot of the inline roller skate.

Brake assembly according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the brake block (3) is located on the side of the first braking force transmission assembly facing the skating surface.

Brake assembly according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one of the sprockets (4a, 5a) comprises a semi-circular sprocket.

Brake assembly according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first braking force transmission assembly is rotatable in the center of the gear wheels (4a) of the levers (4) located on either side of the braking force transmission assembly. the chassis (1) of the inline roller skate is connected.

Brake assembly according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second braking force transmission assembly is rotatable with the gears (5a) of the levers (5) located on either side of the braking force transmission assembly. the chassis (1) of the inline roller skate is connected.

An inline roller skate which comprises a brake assembly according to one or more of the preceding claims.