WO2008140140A1

WO2008140140A1 - An inline-board-type roller-ski

Info

Publication number: WO2008140140A1
Application number: PCT/KR2007/002392
Authority: WO
Inventors: Byung Soo Jang; Byong Taek Jang
Original assignee: Trisports Co., Ltd.
Priority date: 2007-05-10
Filing date: 2007-05-16
Publication date: 2008-11-20
Also published as: KR100893678B1; KR20080099742A

Abstract

The roller ski of an incline board type comprises: a pair of shafts, each of which has a first side and a second side, the first sides being hingedly connected to a connecting element and the second sides being moved at angles symmetrical to each other; a pair of footings, each of which is coupled to the shaft and includes a support plate provided on its upper surface and a slope plate provided on its lower surface; a pair of caster means, each of which includes and the rear casters are voluntarily movable forward by the symmetrical movement of the shafts; steering support means including the connecting element of the shafts; a main handle bar, each of which is coupled to steering support means vertically and includes a rollable front caster mounted under the main handlebar, and a sub-handlebar mounted on the main handlebar to be moveable; and a horizontal handle which is coupled to the main handlebar and a pair of grip to control the rotational force of the rear casters.

Description

Description THE ROLLER-SKI OF INLINE-BOARD

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to a roller ski of an inline board type, and more specifically to a roller ski of an inline board type in which a pair of shafts can be moved at variable angles symmetrical to each other so that rear casters mounted under the respective shafts can be moved in a wave-like motion to enable voluntary forward movement of the roller ski, thereby simultaneously providing satisfactory riding and braking performance.

[2]

Background Art

[3] A conventional board is basically designed to move forward by a driving force generated when a rider pushes with his/her feet against the ground. The board, however, does not sufficiently create a feeling of speed and thrill.

[4] A rider of a currently available inline skate must position his/her legs behind or at a left or right side to push against the ground for forward movement while maintaining his/her balance. The inline skate allows the rider to enjoy its speed and thrill, but poses the risk that the rider may lose his/her balance and fall down to the ground.

[5] Further, since the rider must use his/her legs to move the inline skate forward, satisfactory exercise effects in all parts of the body cannot be attained.

[6] To avoid the above problems, many devices have been designed and proposed. For example, a device was developed wherein a rider manipulates a handle with his/her hands and moves his/her legs just like skiing to move forward. Although the device can give improved safety and flexibility to the rider, it does not give rise to a feeling of thrill and excitement.

[7] Furthermore, the inline skate is not equipped with any special brake system to control its riding speed, which forces the rider to step his/her foot on the ground for speed reduction.

[8] Thus, the rider fails to rapidly and safely cope with unexpected situations leading to accidents during riding.

[9]

Disclosure of Invention

Technical Problem

[10] It is a main object of the present invention to provide a roller ski of an inline board type in which a pair of shafts can be moved at variable angles symmetrical to each other to allow rear casters mounted under the respective shafts to be moved in a wave- like motion, thereby enabling voluntary forward movement of the roller ski.

[11] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a roller ski of an inline board type in which shafts and steering means responsible for the steering of the roller ski are foldable such that the steering means is maintained upright during riding and remains folded during delivery and storage to achieve improved portability of the roller ski.

[12] It is another object of the present invention to provide a roller ski of an inline board type in which elastic adhesive blocks or a fastening screw are/is selectively provided within a connecting element to prevent steering means from loosening from shafts after long-term use or when the coupling precision of the connecting element is reduced.

[13] It is another object of the present invention to provide a roller ski of an inline board type in which vibration-absorbing members are provided on sides facing each other of footings to minimize an impact or a frictional sound generated when symmetrically moving shafts collide with each other.

[14] It is another object of the present invention to provide a roller ski of an inline board type in which brake means is installed to control the rotational force of rear casters and grips are mounted at both ends of a handle to control the brake means so that the speed of the roller ski can be controlled to ensure more stable riding.

[15] It is still another object of the present invention to provide a roller ski of an inline board type in which freely flexible brake connecting members are introduced into brake members mounted on caster means from a handle through the inner circumferences of shafts to minimize the interference of a rider with the brake connecting members.

[16]

Technical Solution

[17] According to the present invention, the main object can be accomplished by the provision of a roller ski of an inline board type, comprising: a pair of shafts, each of which has a first side and a second side, the first sides being hingedly connected to a connecting element and the second sides being moved at angles symmetrical to each other; a pair of footings, each of which is coupled to the outer circumference of the second side of the shaft and includes a support plate provided on its upper surface and a slope inclined in a direction opposite to the forward movement direction of the roller ski on its lower surface; a pair of caster means, each of which includes a main steering shaft having a bearing and coupled in an upright position to the slope of the footing, a fork bracket pivotably coupled to the main steering shaft and a rear caster rollably coupled to the fork bracket, so that the rear casters are voluntarily movable forward by the symmetrical movement of the shafts; steering support means including a hinge block formed with a coupling recess and fixed to the front side of the connecting element of the shafts to rotatably couple a handle block having a connection hole to the coupling recess, and an upwardly extending handle connecting shaft coupled to the connection hole; steering means including a main handlebar coupled within the handle connecting shaft to be rotatable independently from the handle connecting shaft, a rollable front caster mounted under the main handlebar, and a sub-handlebar mounted on the main handlebar to be vertically slidablerelative to the main handlebar; and a horizontal handle whose center is coupled to the upper side of the sub-handlebar to control the steering of the roller ski and including a pair of grips mounted at its both sides and a pair of brake means installed at the respective grips to control the rotational force of the rear casters of the caster means.

[18] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the brake means includes: brake connecting members, each of which is composed of a freely flexible wire having one end connected to the grip of the handle, being introduced into the shaft and penetrating the main steering shaft so that its other end is exposed inside the fork bracket and a covering surrounding the wire to allow the wire to be independently moveable therein; and brake members, each of which has a fixing pivot traversing the fork bracket and accommodating a spring and a brake panel turnably installed to the fixing pivot and whose one side surface is located close to an outer circumferential surface of the rear caster mounted under the shaft, the wire being connected to the other side surface of the brake panel such that the brake panel is elastically turned about the fixing pivot by the movement of the wire to allow the one side surface of the brake panel to press the rear caster.

[19] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the handle block is turnably coupled to the open coupling recess in front of the hinge block to allow the steering support means to be foldable with respect to the shafts, a fixing pin having a spring is installed in the hinge block to arrange one or more fixing holes at regular angles on the handle block so that the steering support means can be maintained upright or remain folded with respect to the shafts when the fixing pin is coupled to one of the fixing holes.

[20] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a pair of self-elastic adhesive blocks are coupled to the coupling recess of the hinge block and the coupled portion of the handle block, respectively, to conform to each other so that when the position of the steering support means is converted to an upright position with respect to the shafts, the pair of adhesive blocks are pressed and adhered to each other to prevent the steering support means from loosening from the handle block.

[21] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the steering support means further includes a fastening hole formed at a rear of the handle block to be in communication with the coupling recess and a pressing screw fastened to the fastening hole so that the hinge block is pushed in a forward direction depending on the fastening state of the pressing screw to prevent the steering support means from loosening from the handle block.

[22] According to an embodiment of the present invention, gears are provided at the first sides of the pair of shafts hingedly connected by the connecting element and are engaged with each other to allow the shafts to be moved in directions symmetrical to each other; and the engaging state of the gears is maintained by the hinge block and a plate.

[23] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a main clamp having a semicircular-arc guide groove formed at its front side is coupled to the upper end of the sub-handlebar, a sub-clamp having a communication groove matching the shape of the guide groove is secured integrally to the main clamp so as to allow the handle to be coupled in a horizontal direction by the combination of the guide groove and the communication groove, and a reference pin protruding from the center of the guide groove is coupled to a reference hole formed at the center of the handle to assemble the sub- handlebar and the handle in an easy and accurate manner.

[24] According to an embodiment of the present invention, vibration-preventing members are provided on sides facing each other of the pair of footings to minimize a frictional sound generated when the shafts collide with each other during their symmetrical movement.

[25] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a latch held by a leaf spring is coupled to an inner circumferential surface of the sub-handlebar, which is slidably coupled to the outside of the main handlebar, to be exposed to the outside of the main handlebar, so that the movement of the sub-handlebar in conjunction with the main handlebar can be controlled by the push of the latch.

[26] According to an embodiment of the present invention, each of the brake panels is formed with a plurality of friction projections on the surface adhered to the rear caster and a through-hole in a position opposite to the surface adhered to the rear caster; the wire introduced from the main steering shaft is passed through the through-hole, bent several times along the surface opposite to the surface adhered to the rear caster and coupled to a stop recess formed at a rear of the through-hole; and a fastening member is fastened to an opposite end of the surface adhered to the rear caster to press the wire inserted into the through-hole, thereby achieving maximized fixing strength between the wire and the brake panel.

[27]

Advantageous Effects

[28] The roller ski of the present invention offers the following advantageous effects. [29] The pair of shafts can be moved at variable angles symmetrical to each other without pushing against on the ground to allow the rear casters mounted under the respective shafts to be moved in a wave-like motion, thereby enabling voluntary forward movement of the roller ski.

[30] In addition, the shafts and the steering means responsible for the steering of the roller ski are foldable such that the steering means is maintained upright during riding and remains folded during delivery and storage to achieve improved portability of the roller ski.

[31] Further, the elastic adhesive members or the fastening screw are/is selectively provided within the connecting element to prevent the steering means from loosening from the shafts after long-term use or when the coupling precision of the connecting element is reduced.

[32] Further, the vibration-absorbing members are provided on sides facing each other of the footings to minimize an impact or a frictional sound generated when the symmetrically moving shafts collide with each other.

[33] Furthermore, the brake means is installed to control the rotational force of the rear casters and the grips are mounted at both ends of the handle to control the brake means so that the speed of the roller ski can be controlled to ensure more stable riding.

[34] Moreover, the freely flexible brake connecting members are introduced into the brake members mounted on the caster means from the handle through the inner circumferences of the shafts to minimize the interference of a rider with the brake connecting members.

[35] Although the present invention has been described herein with reference to the foregoing embodiments and the accompanying drawings, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments and drawings. Therefore, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that various substitutions, modifications and changes are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.

[36]

Brief Description of the Drawings

[37] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a roller ski of an inline board type according to the present invention;

[38] FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view illustrating a roller ski of the present invention;

[39] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating caster means of a roller ski according to the present invention;

[40] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating steering means and steering support means of a roller ski according to one embodiment of the present invention; [41] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating steering means and steering support means of a roller ski according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[42] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the coupling state of a handle of a roller ski according to the present invention;

[43] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the coupling state of a main handlebar and a sub-handlebar of a roller ski according to the present invention;

[44] FIG. 8 shows views sequentially illustrating the forward movement of a roller ski according to the present invention; and

[45] FIG. 9 is a side view illustrating caster means of a roller ski according to the present invention. [46]

[47] * Explanation of essential parts of the drawings

[48] 100: Roller ski of inline board type, 110: Shafts,

[49] 110a: Gears, 111: Connecting element,

[50] 11 Ia: Plate, 120: Footings,

[51] 121: Support plates, 122: Slopes,

[52] 123: Vibration-absorbing members, 130: Caster means,

[53] 131: Main steering shaft, 131a: Bearing,

[54] 132: Fork brackets, 133: Rear casters,

[55] 140: Steering support means, 141: Hinge block,

[56] 141a: Coupling recess, 141c: Fixing pin,

[57] 142: Handle block, 142a: Connection hole,

[58] 142b: Fixing holes, 142c: Fastening hole,

[59] 142d: Pressing screw, 143: Handle connecting shaft,

[60] 144: Adhesive blocks, 150: Steering means,

[61] 151: Main handlebar, 152: Front caster,

[62] 153: Sub-handlebar, 153a: Leaf spring,

[63] 153b: Latch, 154: Main clamp,

[64] 154a: Guide groove, 154b: Reference pin,

[65] 155: Sub-clamp, 155a: Communication groove,

[66] 160: Handle, 160a: Reference hole,

[67] 161: Grips, 170: Brake means,

[68] 171: Brake connecting members, 171a: Wires,

[69] 171b: Coverings, 172: Brake members,

[70] 172a: Fixing pivot, 172b: Springs,

[71] 172c: Brake panels, 172d: Friction projections,

[72] 172e: Through-holes, 172f: Stop recesses,

[73] 172g: Fastening members Mode for the Invention

[75] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[76] It should be noted that whenever possible, the same reference numerals will be used throughout the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts. In describing the present invention, detailed descriptions of related known functions or configurations are omitted in order to avoid making the essential subject of the invention unclear.

[77] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a roller ski of an inline board type according to the present invention; FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view illustrating the roller ski of the present invention; FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating caster means of the roller ski according to the present invention; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating steering means and steering support means of the roller ski according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating steering means and steering support means of the roller ski according to another embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the coupling state of a handle of the roller ski according to the present invention; FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the coupling state of a main handlebar and a sub- handlebar of the roller ski according to the present invention; FIG. 8 shows views sequentially illustrating the forward movement of the roller ski according to the present invention; and FIG. 9 is a side view illustrating caster means of the roller ski according to the present invention.

[78] As shown in FIGs. 1 through 9, the roller ski 100 of the present invention comprises a pair of shafts 110, each of which has a first side and a second side, the second sides being moved closer or farther away at angles symmetrical to each other relative to the first sides, a pair of footings 120, each of which is coupled to the second side of the shaft 110, a pair of rollable caster means 130 mounted below the respective footings 120, steering support means 140 foldably coupled in an upright position to the hingedly connected sides of the shafts 110, upwardly extending steering means 150 coupled to the steering support means 140 and including a front caster 152 mounted at its lower side, and a handle 160 coupled in a horizontal direction to the upper end of the steering means 150 to control the steering of the roller ski 100.

[79] In the pair of shafts 110, the first sides are hingedly connected to a connecting element 111 and the second sides are moved at angles symmetrical to each other.

[80] That is, gears 110a are provided on facing outer circumferential surfaces of the hingedly connected sides of the shafts 110 and engaged with each other such that the second sides of the shafts 110 are moved closer or farther away at the same angles symmetrical to each other.

[81]

[82] *The engaging state of the gears 110a provided at the respective shafts 110 can be maintained by a hinge block 141 and a plate 11 Ia to allow the pair of shafts 110 to be moved in a pair and be fixed to the hinge block 141 of the steering support means 140.

[83] The steering means 140 is connected to the shafts 110 via the steering support means

150. If needed, the steering means 150 is foldable at a variable angle of 180 or 90 with respect to the shafts 110 to minimize the volume of the roller ski 100, making the delivery and storage of the roller ski 100 convenient and easy.

[84] That is, in the steering support means 140, the hinge block 141 has a coupling recess

141a and is fixed to the front side of the connecting element 111 of the shafts 110 to allow a handle block 142 having a connection hole 142a to be rotatably coupled to the coupling recess 141a and an upwardly extending handle connecting shaft 143 to be coupled in the connection hole 142a.

[85] Particularly, the handle block 142 is turnably coupled to the open coupling recess

141a in front of the hinge block 141 to allow the steering support means 140 to be foldable with respect to the shafts 110, a fixing pin 141c having a spring is installed in the hinge block 141 to arrange one or more fixing holes 142b at regular angles on the handle block 142 so that the steering support means 140 can remain folded or be maintained upright with respect to the shafts 110 when the fixing pin 141c is coupled to one of the fixing holes 142b.

[86] With this configuration, the roller ski 100 can be stored or delivered in a more convenient manner. Depending on the state of use of the roller ski 100, a user withdraws the fixing pin 141c from one of the fixing holes 142b and converts the angle of the steering support means 140 such that the steering support means 140 is completely folded on the shafts 110 to minimize the volume of the roller ski 100, making the delivery and storage of the roller ski 100 convenient and easy.

[87] When the user wishes to ride the roller ski 100, he/she withdraws the fixing pin 141c from one of the fixing holes 142b positioned at an angle corresponding to the folded position and converts the angle of the steering support means 140 to an angle corresponding to an upright position. By this angle conversion, the fixing pin 141c is elastically and automatically inserted into one of the fixing holes 142b positioned at an angle corresponding to an upright position by a spring (not shown) so that the steering support means 140 can be maintained in an upright position with respect to the shafts 110.

[88] A latch 153b held by a leaf spring 153a is coupled to an inner circumferential surface of a sub-handlebar 153, which is slidably coupled to the outside of the main handlebar 151, to be exposed to the outside of the main handlebar 151, so that the coupling or decoupling of the main handlebar 151 and the sub-handlebar 153 can be selectively controlled by the push of the latch 153b.

[89] If the roller ski 100 is used for a long time or the fixing pin 141c is not accurately coupled to one of the fixing holes 142b, the steering support means 140 tends to swing in forward and backward directions.

[90] To overcome this problem, a pair of self-elastic adhesive blocks 144 are coupled to the bottom of the coupling recess 141a of the hinge block 141 and the coupled portion of the handle block 142, respectively, so that when the position of the steering support means 140 is converted to an upright position with respect to the shafts 110, the pair of adhesive blocks 144 are pressed and adhered to each other to prevent the steering support means 140 from loosening from the handle block 142.

[91] In an alternative embodiment, the steering support means 140 further includes a fastening hole 142c formed at a rear of the handle block 142 to be in communication with the coupling recess 141a and a pressing screw 142d fastened to the fastening hole 142c so that the hinge block 141 is pushed in a forward direction depending on the fastening state of the pressing screw 142d to prevent the steering support means 140 from loosening from the handle block 142.

[92] Each of the footings 120 is coupled to the outer circumference of the second side end of the shaft 110 and includes a planar support plate 121 provided on its upper surface, a plurality of sliding-pre venting projections are arranged at regular intervals on the support plate 121, and a slope 122 inclined in a direction opposite to the forward movement direction of the roller ski 100 on its lower surface.

[93] Particularly, vibration-absorbing members 123 are provided on sides facing each other of the pair of footings 120 to minimize a frictional sound and an impact generated when the footings 120 collide with each other by the symmetrically moving shafts 110.

[94] Each of the caster means 130 includes a main steering shaft 131 having a bearing

131a and coupled in an upright position to the slope 122 of the footing 120, a fork bracket 132 pivotably coupled to the main steering shaft 131 and a rear caster 133 rollably coupled to the fork bracket 132 so that the rear casters 133 are voluntarily movable forward by the symmetrical movement of the shafts 110.

[95] The steering means 150 coupled to the steering support means 140 includes a main handlebar 151 coupled within the handle connecting shaft 143 to be rotatable independently from the handle connecting shaft 143, a rollable front caster 152 mounted under the main handlebar 151, and a sub-handlebar 153 mounted on the main handlebar 151 to be vertically slidablerelative to the main handlebar 151.

[96] The center of the handle 160 is coupled to the upper side of the sub-handlebar 153 to control the steering of the roller ski 100, and the handle 160 includes a pair of grips 161 mounted at its both sides and a pair of brake means 170 installed at the respective grips 161 to control the rotational force of the rear casters 133 of the caster means 130.

[97] A main clamp 154 having a semicircular- arc guide groove 154a formed at its front side is coupled to the upper end of the sub-handlebar 153, a sub-clamp 155 having a communication groove 155a matching the shape of the guide groove 154a is secured integrally to the main clamp 154 so as to allow the handle 160 to be coupled in a horizontal direction by the combination of the guide groove 154a and the communication groove 155a, and a reference pin 154b protruding from the center of the guide groove 154a is coupled to a reference hole 160a formed at the center of the handle 160 to easily assemble the sub-handlebar 153 and the handle 160 in an accurate position.

[98] Herein, the brake means 170 includes freely flexible brake connecting members 171 to apply brake signals from the grips to the caster means 130 and brake members 172 turned by the brake connecting members 171 to be adhered to the respective rear casters 133 so that the speed of the roller ski 100 can be controlled.

[99] Each of the brake connecting members 171 is introduced into the shaft 110 from the grip 161 of the handle 160 and penetrates the main steering shaft 131 to be exposed inside of the fork bracket 132.

[100]

[101] *Each of the brake connecting members 171 is composed of a wire 171a and a covering 171b surrounding the wire 171a to allow the wire 171a to be independently slidable therein.

[102] Each of the brake members 172 has a fixing pivot 172a traversing the fork bracket

132 and accommodating a spring 172b and a brake panel 172c turnably installed to the fixing pivot 172a and whose one side surface is located close to an outer circumferential surface of the rear caster mounted under the shaft 110, the wire 171a being connected to the other side surface of the brake panel 172c such that the brake panel 172c is elastically turned about the fixing pivot 172a by the movement of the wire 171a to allow the one side surface of the brake panel 172c to press the rear caster 133.

[103] The brake means 170 is configured to introduce each of the brake connecting members 171 into an inner circumferential surface of the shaft 110 to perform a brake function, so that the user can be prevented from interfering with the brake means 170 and falling down to the ground.

[104] Each of the brake panels 172c is formed with a plurality of friction projections 172d on the surface adhered to the rear caster 133 and a through-hole 172e in a position opposite to the surface adhered to the rear caster 133; the wire 171a introduced from the main steering shaft 131 is passed through the through-hole 172e, bent several times along the surface opposite to the surface adhered to the rear caster 133, and coupled to a stop recess 172f formed at a rear of the through-hole 172e; and a fastening member 172g is coupled to an opposite end of the surface adhered to the rear caster 133 to press the wire 171a inserted into the through-hole 172e, thereby achieving maximized fixing strength between the wire 171a and the brake panel 172c.

[105] The user can directly control the rotational force of the rear casters 133 by the manipulation of the grips 161 mounted at both ends of the handle 160 to effectively prevent the occurrence of accidents during riding.

[106] The operations of the roller ski according to the present invention will be described below.

[107] First, as shown in FIGs. 8 and 9, an user grasps the handle 160 with his/her hands and places his/her feet on the footings 120 of the roller ski 100. Thereafter, the user repetitively widens and narrows the distance between the second sides of the shafts 110, i.e. moves the pair of footings 120 closer or farther away, to allow the pair of shafts 110 engaged with the gears 110a to be moved in a direction symmetrical to each other.

[108] The shafts 110 are moved in a symmetrical fashion, and at the same time, the angles of the caster means 130 with respect to the main steering shafts 131 vary to render the rear casters 133 rollable on the ground.

[109] Specifically, when the user spreads his/her legs at the initial stage (a) of the roller ski 100 to convert position (a) to position (b), the second sides of the pair of shafts 110 are widened and the directions of the rear casters 133 are directed symmetrically to each other toward the outside of the shafts 110. By these operations, the rear casters 133 begin to roll.

[110] The pair of rear casters 133 generate two components F (F cos ) and F (F cos ) of force in oblique directions to allow the roller ski 100 to move in a forward direction.

[I l l] After the roller ski 100 begins to move by the forward force, the user narrows the distance between the pair of shafts 110 in a symmetrical fashion to convert the angle of the shafts 110, and as a result, the rear casters 133 are directed symmetrically to each other toward the inside of the shafts 110. By these operations, the rear casters 133 continue to roll.

[112] At this time, the pair of rear casters 133 generate two components F (F cos ) and F (F cos ) of force in oblique directions to allow the roller ski 100 to move in a forward direction.

[113] The speed of the roller ski 100 during riding is controlled by means of the brake means 170.

[114] In other words, when the user grasps and draws the grips 161 in close to the handle 160 to pull the wires 171a of the brake connecting members 171 connected to the respective brake members 172 of the brake means 170, each of the brake members 172 spaced apart from the outer circumference of the rear caster 133 by the spring 172b at regular intervals turns about the fixing pivot 172a to allow the friction projections 172d of the brake panel 172c to press the outer circumferential surface of the rear caster 133. This pressing reduces the rotational force of the pair of the rear casters 133 to perform a brake function. When the grasping force of the grips 161 is removed, each of the brake members 172 is turned to return to its original position by the restoration forceof the spring 172b of the brake means. That is, the brake panel 172c is spaced apart from the rear caster 133, and as a result, the brake function is not performed any more.

[115] Particularly, each of the brake connecting members 171 is composed of the wire 171a and the covering 171b and is freely flexible. Each of the brake connecting members 171 is introduced into an inner circumferential surface of the shaft 110 to prevent the user from interfering therewith, which protects the user from falling down to the ground and accidents during riding.

[116] When the user wishes to store or carry the roller ski 110, he/she pulls out the fixing pin 141c from the steering support means 140 to separate the fixing pin 141c from the fixing holes 142b of the handle block 142 and unlocks the upright state of the steering support means 140 with respect to the shafts 110 to completely fold the steering means 150 on the shafts 110.

[117] On the other hand, when the user wishes to ride the roller ski, he/she separates the fixing pin 141c from the corresponding fixing hole 142b and turns the steering support means 140 uprightly from the shafts 110 to allow the fixing pin 141c to be automatically introduced into one of the fixing holes 142b positioned at an angle corresponding to the upright position by the elastic force of the spring 172b so that the steering means 150 can be maintained in an upright position with respect to the shafts 110.

[118] If the outer circumference of the fixing pin 141c is not accurately coupled to the inner circumference of the fixing hole 142b, there is the problem that the fixing pin 141c may swing in the fixing hole 142b.

[119] To overcome this problem, a pair of adhesive blocks 144 is installed in the region where the steering means 150 is coupled to the shafts 110. When the upright position of the steering means 150 with respect to the shafts 110 is maintained, the adhesive blocks are pressed and adhered to each other to prevent the fixing pin 141c from swing in the fixing hole 142b, thereby protecting the steering means 150 in an upright position with respect to the shafts 110 from loosening.

[120] In an alternative embodiment, the pressing screw 142d is tightly fastened to the hole 142c formed in the handle block 142. By this tight fastening, the front end of the pressing screw 142d presses the hinge block 141 of the steering support means 140 in a forward direction to prevent the steering means 150 in an upright position with respect to the shafts 110 from loosening.

Claims

[1] A roller ski of an inline board type, comprising: a pair of shafts, each of which has a first side and a second side, the first sides being hingedly connected to a connecting element and the second sides being moved at angles symmetrical to each other; a pair of footings, each of which is coupled to the outer circumference of the second side of the shaft and includes a support plate provided on its upper surface and a slope inclined in a direction opposite to the forward movement direction of the roller ski on its lower surface; a pair of caster means, each of which includes a main steering shaft having a bearing and coupled in an upright position to the slope of the footing, a fork bracket pivotably coupled to the main steering shaft and a rear caster rollably coupled to the fork bracket, so that the rear casters are voluntarily movable forward by the symmetrical movement of the shafts; steering support means including a hinge block formed with a coupling recess and fixed to the front side of the connecting element of the shafts to rotatably couple a handle block having a connection hole to the coupling recess, and an upwardly extending handle connecting shaft coupled to the connection hole; steering means including a main handlebar coupled within the handle connecting shaft to be rotatable independently from the handle connecting shaft, a rollable front caster mounted under the main handlebar, and a sub-handlebar mounted on the main handlebar to be vertically slidablerelative to the main handlebar; and a horizontal handle whose center is coupled to the upper side of the sub- handlebar to control the steering of the roller ski and including a pair of grips mounted at its both sides and a pair of brake means installed at the respective grips to control the rotational force of the rear casters of the caster means.

[2] The roller ski of claim 1, wherein the brake means includes: brake connecting members, each of which is composed of a freely flexible wire having one end connected to the grip of the handle, being introduced into the shaft and penetrating the main steering shaft so that its other end is exposed inside the fork bracket and a covering surrounding the wire to allow the wire to be independently moveable therein; and brake members, each of which has a fixing pivot traversing the fork bracket and accommodating a spring and a brake panel turnably installed to the fixing pivot and whose one side surface is located close to an outer circumferential surface of the rear caster mounted under the shaft, the wire being connected to the other side surface of the brake panel such that the brake panel is elastically turned about the fixing pivot by the movement of the wire to allow the one side surface of the brake panel to press the rear caster.

[3] The roller ski of claim 1, wherein the handle block is turnably coupled to the open coupling recess in front of the hinge block to allow the steering support means to be foldable with respect to the shafts, a fixing pin having a spring is installed in the hinge block to arrange one or more fixing holes at regular angles on the handle block so that the steering support means is maintained upright or remain folded with respect to the shafts when the fixing pin is coupled to one of the fixing holes.

[4] The roller ski of claim 1, wherein a pair of self-elastic adhesive blocks are coupled to the coupling recess of the hinge block and the coupled portion of the handle block, respectively, to conform to each other so that when the position of the steering support means is converted to an upright position with respect to the shafts, the pair of adhesive blocks are pressed and adhered to each other to prevent the steering support means from loosening from the handle block.

[5] The roller ski of claim 1, wherein the steering support means further includes a fastening hole formed at a rear of the handle block to be in communication with the coupling recess and a pressing screw fastened to the fastening hole so that the hinge block is pushed in a forward direction depending on the fastening state of the pressing screw to prevent the steering support means from loosening from the handle block.

[6] The roller ski of claim 1, wherein gears are provided at the first sides of the pair of shafts hingedly connected by the connecting element and are engaged with each other to allow the shafts to be moved in directions symmetrical to each other; and the engaging state of the gears is maintained by the hinge block and a plate.

[7] The roller ski of claim 1, wherein a main clamp having a semicircular- arc guide groove formed at its front side is coupled to the upper end of the sub-handlebar, a sub-clamp having a communication groove matching the shape of the guide groove is secured integrally to the main clamp so as to allow the handle to be coupled in a horizontal direction by the combination of the guide groove and the communication groove, and a reference pin protruding from the center of the guide groove is coupled to a reference hole formed at the center of the handle to assemble the sub-handlebar and the handle in an easy and accurate manner.

[8] The roller ski of claim 1, wherein vibration-preventing members are provided on sides facing each other of the pair of footings to minimize a frictional sound generated when the shafts collide with each other during their symmetrical movement.

[9] The roller ski of claim 1, wherein a latch held by a leaf spring is coupled to an inner circumferential surface of the sub-handlebar, which is slidably coupled to the outside of the main handlebar, to be exposed to the outside of the main handlebar, so that the movement of the sub-handlebar in conjunction with the main handlebar is controlled by the push of the latch.

[10] The roller ski of claim 2, wherein each of the brake panels is formed with a plurality of friction projections on the surface adhered to the rear caster and a through-hole in a position opposite to the surface adhered to the rear caster; the wire introduced from the main steering shaft is passed through the through-hole, bent several times along the surface opposite to the surface adhered to the rear caster and coupled to a stop recess formed at a rear of the through-hole; and a fastening member is fastened to an opposite end of the surface adhered to the rear caster to press the wire inserted into the through-hole, thereby achieving maximized fixing strength between the wire and the brake panel.