Patent Application
20100225080
The present invention relates to sporting boards and in particular to two piece wheeled sporting boards.
Wheeled sporting boards include boards with vertical handles, such as scooters, and boards without vertical handles, such as skateboards and mountain boards. The most common wheeled sporting board is a skateboard. Known skateboards comprise a one piece elongated board, usually made of layers of laminated wood, with trucks attached to the underside of the board at opposite ends, each truck having two wheels. Riders typically stand on the board with feet pointing perpendicular to board's length.
Known skateboards are turned either by leaning the board in the direction of the turn, or for a quicker turn, by lifting up one set of wheels or the entire board and pivoting on the remaining wheels or in the air. Maneuverability with all four wheels on the ground is somewhat limited because amount the wheels turn when the board is leaned, is limited by the structure of the trucks.
The present invention addresses the above and other needs by providing two-piece articulated skateboard which includes two sections connected by a connector. Known skateboard trucks and wheels are attached to the sections at opposite ends of the articulated skateboard and swiveling casters are attached to the bottom of each section and positioned towards the connector. When riding like a one-piece skateboard, the rider's feet are placed over the trucks and the swiveling casters do not touch the ground. The connector only allows enough vertical movement around the lateral axis so that when the rider shifts his weight towards the connector, the swiveling casters are lowered to the ground and engaged, enabling the two-piece articulated skateboard to slide sideways. The connector provides for a small amount of left-to-right motion around the vertical axis, providing the ability to bend the board while in a slide and to facilitate turns and stops.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided an articulated skateboard having two board sections connected by connector having limited flex. The connector is designed to freely allow left-to-right (e.g., yaw) movement of one of the board sections with respect to the other board section (about a vertical axis), but resist vertical movement (e.g., pitch) of one board section with respect to the other (around the lateral axis) to provide a stiff but springy platform.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided an articulated skateboard having two board sections. Each section has a regular set of skateboard trucks with wheels, and in addition, each section has a swivelling caster positioned on each board section near the connector. Bending the connector and pointing the front section to the right or the left changes the direction of travel from a straight line to the direction the front section is pointing. Bending the connector a greater amount allows the rider to turn in tighter circles than known skateboards to perform new tricks. When the rider moves his weight from the front and rear ends of the articulated skateboard towards the center, the rider's weight deflects the connector slightly downward, engaging the swivelling casters and allowing the articulated skateboard to move sideways or in a direction not limited by the skateboard trucks and wheels. Thus, the present invention gives the rider three degrees of increased manoeuverability over known skateboards—the left-right flex of the connector for increased turning, the increased vertical springiness for more energy entering into tricks, and the ability to ride sideways by engaging the 360 degree swivelling casters.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, there is provided an articulated skateboard which provides more opportunities for tricks and enjoyment by having a flexible connector joining two sections. The articulated skateboard is more maneuverable than known skateboards due to the flexible connection between the two sections providing a different type of articulated skateboard to ride. The articulated skateboard allows the rider to ride in a direction other than that of the fixed wheels.
In accordance with still another aspect of the invention, there is provided an articulated skateboard which may be turned more easily and more quickly than known skateboards without the need to lift one or more wheels off of the ground providing greater maneuverability than the known skateboard. The articulated skateboard further provides the ability to do new tricks such as turn tighter circles and slide sideways on the swivelling casters. The connector of the articulated skateboard provides additional springiness over existing skateboards, providing the ability to jump higher when doing tricks on the board.
The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following more particular description thereof, presented in conjunction with the following drawings wherein:
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding components throughout the several views of the drawings.
The following description is of the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of describing one or more preferred embodiments of the invention. The scope of the invention should be determined with reference to the claims.
A top view of an articulated skateboard 30 according to the present invention is shown in
The connector 22 is attached to sections 21a and 21b preferably with a clamp 58a and 58b fastened with a bolt 57a and 57b, respectively, and bolts or screws 55, although any method of connection may be used. For example, the ends of the connector 22 may be fastened directly to the sections 21a and 21b, or the connector 22 may be overmolded with a plastic and then the overmolding affixed to the sections 21a and 21b with glue or fasteners. The distance between section 21a and section 21b, determined by the length and position of the connector 22, is preferably between approximately ¼ inch and approximately six inches, and more preferably between approximately ¼ inch and approximately two inches, and most preferably the distance between section 21a and 21b is approximately ½ inch. The connector 22 preferably has a diameter between approximately 0.25 inches and approximately two inches, and more preferably has a diameter of approximately one inch.
In an alternative embodiment, the trailing edges 27a and 27b are rounded and the separation of the between section 21a and section 21b is approximately ⅛ inch.
As seen in the bottom view of the articulated skateboard 30 in
Caster assemblies 41a and 41b are located on the bottom surfaces 36a and 36b, respectively, each preferably positioned close to the trailing edges 27a and 27b, respectively. The caster assemblies 41a and 41b are preferably swivel casters which can rotate 360 degrees, as opposed to a fixed, rigid caster. The caster assemblies 41a and 41b each preferably comprise wheel holders 45a and 45b, axles 46a and 46b and wheels 47a and 47b, respectively. However, any functionally dependable method of attaching a wheel can be used. The wheels 54 which are attached to the trucks 40a and 40b are preferably the primary wheels in contact with the ground during straight and level riding of the articulated skateboard 30. The rider can shift his weight towards the trailing edges 27a and/or 27b in order to additionally engage the wheel 47a and/or 47b, respectively, to provide different riding characteristics, such as the ability to move sideways or at an angle on the swiveling caster wheels 47a and 47b.
The placement of the connector 22 on the top surfaces 35a and 35b in order to connect sections 21a and 21b to one another, respectively is shown in
Connector 22, as shown in
The flexure of connector 22 will be the result of the combined flexure characteristics of hose 70, filler 71 and plates 62. The various flexures of the connector 22 provide a different ride or feel for the rider, and a connector 22 with less flexure may be more desirable for some conditions or riders, and a connector 22 with more flexure may be more desirable for other conditions or riders. The connector 22 is preferably substantially non-compressible in length, although a small amount of compression is allowable as long as the sections 21a and 21b do not contact as a result of compression of the connector 22. An example of suitable hose 70 for connector 22 is a length of reinforced hydraulic hose such as Parker Hannifin® 471 ST-16 hose or similar hose having two braids of steel wire. However, the present invention is not limited to a specific hose type, and another example of a suitable hose is Parker Hannifin® 721ST-16; suitable hoses may have zero to four braids of steel wire, and may be other hydraulic hose, air-conditioning hose, pneumatic hose, and the like, including any connector that is molded, such as one of rubber or plastic, and has similar characteristics. Any two-piece articulated skateboard with a connector having physical characteristics similar to the characteristics of the Parker Hannifin® 471ST-16 hose with an internal set of blades 62 oriented vertically on edge, is intended to come within the scope of the present invention. An alternate embodiment of connector 22 would be vertical plates 62 attached directly to sections 21a and 21b without the hose 70.
The connector 22 preferably allow the articulated skateboard 30 to flex horizontally (i.e., right/left) between zero and preferably about 15 degrees at preferably one degree per one to four ft/lbs of torque, and more preferably one degree per two to three ft/lbs of torque. The connector 22 preferably allow the articulated skateboard 30 to flex vertically (i.e., up/down) sufficiently to shift at least half the weight of the articulated skateboard 30 from a pair of trucks at opposite ends of the articulated skateboard 30 to a pair of castors attached to the sections between the trucks and the connector, for the rider. Because the weight of riders can vary significantly, riders of different weight and different skill level may prefer connectors having different flex characteristics.
An articulated skateboard 30 rider places a first foot on the top surface 35a of section 21a and a second foot on the top surface 35b of 21b, preferably, with feet at angles to the longitudinal axis in a stance similar to that used by traditional skateboarders. While riding, the connector 22 allows some lateral (right or left) flex around the vertical axis, but preferably has limited vertical (up and down) flex. This characteristic is provided primarily by the action of the vertical plates 62, which flex left-to-right, but not up-and-down. It is also controlled by the hose 70, which not only acts as a container for the blades 62, but also provides flex characteristics which contribute to the total flex characteristics of the connector 22.
The connector 22b shown in
The preferred and alternate embodiments may have any arrangement of wheels on the bottom surface of the articulated skateboard, and the descriptions herein are not intended in any way to restrict the position or type of wheels used, but are only meant to demonstrate some of the possible combinations. For example, any of the caster assemblies (whether swivelling caster assembly or a fixed caster assembly), and/or any of the trucks with wheels, can be replaced with a truck with two wheels, or with a swivelling caster assembly or with a fixed caster assembly (either caster assembly can be either plate mounted or stem mounted), or any type of wheel or truck that is currently available for any articulated skateboards on the market or which will become available for any articulated skateboards in the future.
Further, the types of wheels are not restricted to the descriptions herein. In the same manner, the position of the wheels can vary and may be placed farther from or closer to the leading edges 26a and 26b or the trailing edges 27a or 27b, or may be placed off-center rather than on the center line as depicted in the drawings herein. Additionally, more wheels or fewer wheels may be added in any arrangement or number or placement to the bottom surfaces 36a or 36b of sections 21a and 21b, respectively. Specifically, the sport boards 30, 32, 33a and 33b in
It may be desirable to easily connect and disconnect the sections. To this end, the connector can be secured with removable pins or bolts. In an alternative embodiment for commercial production and use, the connector end can be connected in a way that is easily disconnected and reconnected such as a removable pin, clamp or snap-in device.
The performance characteristics of the invention can be modified by using connectors that differ in length, diameter or ease of flexing. In addition, connectors can be varying lengths to accommodate the stride of different sized riders.
Accordingly, those skilled in the art will recognize that, due to its two-piece, articulated construction and the stiff but flexible connector with restricted vertical flex, this invention offers a rider capabilities not heretofore experienced. Maneuverability and the ability to perform new tricks and enjoy new riding styles are enhanced by the two-piece construction, the flexibleness of the connector and the various options for wheel type and placement.
The connector can be constructed with a universal connection apparatus so that sections and connectors can be easily interchanged, giving a rider a wide variety of performance choices, as well as the advantage of being able to easily dismantle the invention into sections and connector for easy transport and storage.
The advantage of this invention over previous articulated skateboards are as follows:
two piece construction provides increased maneuverability and riding options and tricks;
semi-rigid, flexible connector provides increased maneuverability and riding options and tricks;
swiveling casters located towards the connector provides the ability to ride sideways, increasing maneuverability; and
restricted vertical (up and down) movement of the connector provides a springy board and more energy for tricks.
While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means of specific embodiments and applications thereof, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention set forth in the claims.
The present application claims the priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/209,587 filed Mar. 9, 2009, which application is incorporated in its entirety herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61209587 | Mar 2009 | US |
