WO1997045180B1

WO1997045180B1 - In-line skate and wheel

Info

Publication number: WO1997045180B1
Application number: PCT/US1997/009184
Authority: WO
Filing date: 1997-05-22
Publication date: 1997-12-31

Abstract

An in-line skate (12) and wheel (10) particularly useful on a skating surface made of ice are provided. The in-line skate (12) of the present invention includes a series of wheels (10) aligned in a single row. The wheel (10) of the present invention includes a circular body (26) with a concave contact surface (86) formed around the outer circumference of the circular body (26) such that the concave contact surface (86) and the wheel body (26) form a pair of skating edges (88) which engage the ice surface during skating. The wheels (10) can be removed from the in-line roller skate (12) and be replaced by a series of conventional rubber wheels for use on pavement.

Claims

AMENDED CLAIMS

[received by the International Bureau on 19 November 1997 (19.11.97); original claims 2, 3, 6, 8, 10, 15 and 16 cancelled; original claims 1, 4, 5, 11-13 and 18 amended; new claims

22-25 added; remaining claims unchanged (4 pages)] 1. An in-line roller skate for use on an ice skating surface, said in-line roller skate comprising: a skating boot having an upper portion and a sole; an elongated wheel bracket extending along a longitudinal axis and fixed to the sole of said skating boot; and a plurality of spaced wheels rotatably mounted to said wheel bracket, each of said wheels rotating about a distinct axis transverse to the longitudinal axis, each wheel comprising: a metallic circular body having an axial center, the metallic circular body defined by first and second flat face surfaces extending radially from said axial center and terminating at an outer circumference; first and second bearing mounting elements integral with and extending laterally from a distinct face surface, each bearing mounting member including a bearing receipt cavity therein; first and second rotatable bearings, each rotatable bearing mounted in said distinct bearing receipt cavity; a concave outer surface along the outer circumference of the circular body, said concave outer surface being positioned between said first and second face surfaces along the outer circumference of the wheel; and first and second skating edges, each skating edge formed at a point of intersection between said concave outer surface and a distinct face surface, the skating edges engaging the ice skating surface during use of the skate.

4. The in-line skate of claim 1 , wherein each of said plurality of wheels includes a plurality of voids therein, each of said voids being formed in the circular body.

5. The in-line skate of claim 1 , wherein each of the rotatable bearings is frictionaily retained within the distinct corresponding bearing receipt cavity of the bearing mounting elements of each wheel.

7. The in-line skate of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of wheels and said plurality of wheel axles are demountably attached to said wheel bracket. - 14-

9. The in-line skate of claim 1 , wherein each of said plurality of wheels are constructed from stainless steel.

11. The wheel of claim 18, further comprising a central mounting portion about the axial center of said circular body, said central mounting portion extending laterally from each of said pair of face surfaces.

12. The wheel of claim 11 , wherein the central mounting portion includes first and second bearing receipt cavities therein.

13. The wheel of claim 11 , further comprising first and second rotatable bearings, each rotatable bearing mounted in a distinct bearing receipt cavity in said central mounting portion of said body.

14. The wheel of claim 11 , further comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced spokes extending from the central mounting portion to the outer circumference of said body.

17. The wheel of claim 13, wherein each of said bearings are press fit into said distinct bearing receipt cavity in said central mounting portion.

18. A wheel for use with an in-line skate on an ice skating surface, the skate having a wheel bracket securely fixed to the sole of a skating boot, the wheel comprising: a metallic circular body having an axial center and an outer circumference; first and second flat face surfaces extending radially from said axial center; first and second bearing mounting members, each bearing mounting member extending laterally from a distinct face surface and including a bearing receipt cavity therein; first and second rotatable bearings, each rotatable bearing mounted in said distinct bearing receipt cavity; a concave outer surface, said concave outer surface being positioned between said first and second face surfaces along the outer circumference of the wheel; and first and second skating edges, each skating edge formed at a point of - 15-

intersection between said concave outer surface and a distinct face surface, the skating edges engaging the ice skating surface during use of the skate.

19. The wheel of claim 18, wherein said metallic circular body is stainless steel.

20. The wheel of claim 18, further comprising a plurality of spokes extending radially from the axial center of the circular body toward the outer circumference of said circular body.

21. The wheel of claim 20, wherein the plurality of spokes are circumferentially spaced within the circular body.

22. A wheel for use with an in-line skate on an ice skating surface, the skate having a wheel bracket securely fixed to the sole of a skating boot for rotatably supporting the wheel, the wheel comprising: a central mounting portion having an axial center, the central mounting portion having a predetermined width and diameter; a circular body extending radially outward from the central mounting portion, the circular body having a first face surface spaced from a second face surface, the width of the circular body between the first face surface and the second face surface being substantially less than the width of the central mounting portion; a concave outer surface formed along the outer circumference of the circular body between the first face surface and the second face surface; and a pair of skating edges, each of the skating edges being formed at a point of intersection between the concave outer surface and the first and second face surfaces, the skating edges engaging the ice skating surface during use of the skate.

23. The wheel of claim 22 wherein the central mounting portion and the circular body are formed from a metallic material.

24. The wheel of claim 22 wherein the central mounting portion includes a pair of bearing receipt cavities formed therein. - 16-

25. A wheel for an in-line skate, comprising: a generally cylindrical central hub extending along a longitudinal axis and defining an external cylindrical surface, the central hub terminating at first and second, opposite end surfaces, each end surface including a bearing receipt cavity of predetermined diameter extending toward the interior of the central hub, the central hub further including an axle passageway extending between and communicating with each bearing receipt cavity, the axle passageway having a diameter less than the diameter of each bearing receipt cavity; and a circular blade integrally formed with and extending radially from the external cylindrical surface of the central hub, the blade defined by first and second side surfaces, each side surface longitudinally displaced from a corresponding end surface of the central hub, the blade further defined by a concave outer surface having a first end intersecting one of the side surfaces to form a first contact edge, and a second end intersecting the second of the side surfaces to form a second contact edge.