1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to the field of amusement and recreational devices. More specifically, the present invention relates to miniature finger-operated toy skateboards.
2. Background
Skateboarding as a sport was first started in the United States around the 1950s. Typically, it was a result of California surfers' desire to surf on the streets. Skateboards originated as wooden boxes or boards with roller skate wheels slapped to the bottom. Because of this rudimentary design, many skateboarders were injured during this period. Eventually, the boxes turned into other types of wood including pressed wood and the like.
However, after a decade, the popularity of skateboarding began to subside. Many toy experts assumed that the sport/toy was a fad and that the fad had run its course, whereby most young people weren't into the sport any longer. However, there were those that continued the tradition of skateboarding, although much fewer in numbers.
Later in the evolution of skateboarding, a development was made in skateboard technology, which saw the invention of the urethane skateboard wheel, which is still used today.
The skateboards also evolved from simple wooden boxes to shaped boards with accompanying tails. Boards that are in the market are now constructed to have no clear front or back side, thereby allowing a skateboarder to ride either way on the board more easily. The wheels of a skateboard began as metal roller skate wheels, to rubber wheels, and eventually to lighter and cheaper urethane wheels.
Boards have continued to evolve, as companies try to make them lighter and stronger, and continue to try to improve on their performance. As skateboards developed and improved in performance, the popularity of skateboarding began to grow again. One thing that has remained constant through the last fifty years is that skateboarding has always been about personal discovery and pushing oneself to the limit.
In addition to merely riding a skateboard, a primary objective for many skateboarders is learning and developing new tricks that incorporate the skateboard. One of the most popular types of skateboard trick, commonly referred to as an “ollie”, is a maneuver performed on the skateboard while skateboarding. This type of trick is a jumping move using the rider's legs and foot coordination to elevate the skateboard above the ground without the need for the rider to use their hands. Additionally, the ollie trick is to be performed without the need for any additional gear including straps or foot holding devices. Learning and perfecting new tricks derived from these “ollie” maneuvers is the major goal of many skateboarders.
Arising from the popularity of skateboarding, a miniaturized toy skateboard, also known as a fingerboard or fingerboard skateboard, has been developed in response to a perceived need in the toy market. The fingerboard generally incorporates similar components to the full-sized, rider-bearing skateboards such as a skateboard deck with opposing front and rear trucks attached to its undersurface. Each truck also includes an axle with a pair of associated wheels capable of rolling over underlying surfaces. However, unlike a full-sized skateboard that bears a rider's weight and provides sufficient surface area for both of the rider's feet and also gains its locomotive power primarily through a pedaling action, the fingerboard skateboard is maneuvered using one's fingers. In use, the user attempts to simulate with the fingerboard many of the same motions and tricks used by full-sized skateboard riders including rolling over flat underlying surfaces, sliding along ramps, rails, and curbs, and flipping and jumping. However, in particular, the ollie maneuver is very difficult to replicate with a hand while playing with a conventional fingerboard. The intricate motions afforded by a skateboard rider's leg and foot movements are practically impossible to replicate with a user's hand and/or finger movements. The inherent restrictions in hand and finger movements in performing the ollie with a fingerboard, lead to difficulty in maintaining traction with the finger as is done using the front foot on a full size skateboard.
Thus, a need exists for an improved, yet easy to use, finger-operated skateboard entertainment device that enables a user to simulate and perform common skateboard maneuvers and tricks normally produced on a traditional, full-sized skateboard, and, in particular, enhance the user's ability to simulate and perform traditional skateboard tricks on the finger-operated skateboard based upon a simulated “ollie” maneuver.
The present invention relates to a finger-operated entertainment device operable to execute traditional skateboard maneuvers and tricks on a miniature level. The device may be provided in the form of a toy fingerboard skateboard with a miniature skateboard deck having at least a top surface adapted for engagement by the fingers of an individual and further including a plurality of wheels for rolling or sliding over underlying surfaces such that the fingerboard may be propelled and manipulated by the user's finger or fingers to perform skateboard tricks commonly performed using full-sized skateboards by substituting the user's fingers for the user's feet. The device incorporates a release agent located in one or more portions of the skateboard deck allowing for a downward pressure to be applied to one portion of the skateboard deck by a user's finger to increase the traction between another portion of the skateboard deck and a user's finger applied thereto and may further elevate a portion of the skateboard off an underlying support surface. The release agent may also assist in lifting off or launching the wheels from an underlying surface when the pressure is released from at least one portion of the skateboard deck. The increased traction and pressure between the skateboard deck and the user's fingers as well as the launch feature of the skateboard, as enhanced by the release agent, allows for the performance of different miniature skateboarding tricks with a visual authenticity matching or closely approximating the same tricks performed using a full-sized skateboard that would otherwise be difficult or impossible using a conventional fingerboard.
In accordance with principles of the present invention, the release agent may be in the form of a spring click mechanism, hinge, flexible fiber, spring, spring means, spring clip, spring mechanism, attachment mechanism, flexion mechanism, and/or similar mechanism allowing one portion of the skateboard deck to flex relative to another portion of the skateboard deck.
In at least one embodiment of the present invention, the release agent may be located in the front portion of the fingerboard, between the front and middle portions of the fingerboard, in the rear portion of the fingerboard, between the rear and front portions of the fingerboard, or between the rear and middle portions of the fingerboard. Such release agent may be used to attach adjacent portions of the fingerboard as well as to provide the flex feature. The release agent may be integrally built into portions of the fingerboard or coupled thereto.
In at least one exemplary embodiment, the device has a release agent that couples the rear portion of the skateboard deck to a front portion of the skateboard deck and that allows for flexion of the rear portion of the skateboard relative to the front portion of the skateboard.
In other exemplary embodiments, the device has a plurality of wheels that may be positioned on a bottom side of the board with a first set of wheels positioned beneath the bottom side of the front portion of the skateboard, and a second set of wheels may be positioned beneath the bottom side of the rear portion of the skateboard or all wheels may be positioned in the front portion of the skateboard. The wheels may be placed fore of the release agent or aft of the release or fore and aft of the release agent.
In at least one exemplary embodiment, the device has at least one axle attached to the plurality of wheels with the axles are selected to allow either independent movement of the wheels relative to one another or for preventing movement of a pair of wheels relative to one another.
In at least one exemplary embodiment, the device further has an attachment mechanism between the release agent and the side portion of the fingerboard skateboard.
Still another exemplary embodiment of the present invention is provided by a fingerboard skateboard whereby a hinge, spring click or similar mechanism may be incorporated into at least a portion of the board to allow for greater pressure to at least one portion of the board to increase traction and maneuverability of the board with the fingers of a user.
Yet another exemplary embodiment of the present invention is provided by a fingerboard skateboard whereby a hinge, spring click or similar mechanism may be incorporated into at least a portion of the board to increase and release the tension afforded to a finger, by the corresponding pressing and release of the finger on the spring clip, hinge or similar mechanism loaded portion or portion adjacent thereto.
Still another exemplary embodiment of the present invention is to provide a fingerboard skateboard with a hinge, and/or spring allowing for flexion of the board at a particular portion of the board thereby allowing for greater pressure at a set location on the fingerboard skateboard.
Yet another exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a fingerboard skateboard with a spring, hinge or other flexion mechanism whereby the spring, hinge or other flexion mechanism may allow for flexing and increased pressure to be placed on either the front portion or the rear portion of the fingerboard skateboard.
In yet another exemplary embodiment of the present invention a fingerboard skateboard is provided with a spring, hinge or other flexion mechanism whereby the spring, hinge or other flexion mechanism may be incorporated into the structure of the fingerboard skateboard and may be utilized by a single finger of a user to create more tension, pressure and friction which would closely simulate the tension, pressure and friction created by a real user utilizing a real skateboard.
Methods of constructing and using a finger operated skateboard entertainment device relating to the sport of skateboarding and performing common skateboard tricks on a miniature scale is also provided herein.
One object of at least one embodiment of the present invention is to provide a miniature finger-operated skateboard, commonly known as a fingerboard, whereby a common skateboard trick referred to as an ollie may be easily performed on the miniature fingerboard skateboard by utilizing a release agent in the tail portion or section of the fingerboard thereby giving greater traction between the skateboard deck and the user's finger during use.
Another object of at least one embodiment of the present invention is to provide a miniature finger operated skateboard whereby the fingerboard skateboard may allow for increased pressure to be applied to the rear section of the fingerboard thereby allowing the user to more closely duplicate the traditional tricks that may be performed or executed by a standard traditional, full size skateboard.
Another object of at least one embodiment of the present invention is to provide a fingerboard skateboard whereby the toy may allow for a similar result to the performance of a skateboard trick as may result from a real full size board.
Another object of at least one embodiment of the present invention to provide a fingerboard skateboard toy whereby the toy may allow for a more substantial and authentic feel to performing a traditional skateboard trick on a miniature scale.
Various objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention, along with the accompanying drawings in which like numerals represent like components.
Referring now to
As shown in
With continued reference to
With the use of the release agent 21, the rear portion 5 is able to flex with the pressure that may be applied by a user's finger or fingertip to utilize the fingerboard skateboard to perform certain tricks with the skateboard 1 while in use. It will be appreciated that the release agent enhances the range and effectiveness of available trick options available to the user. The release agent 21 may allow for sufficient flexion of the rear portion 5 relative to the front portion 3 and/or middle portion 6 whereby the rear portion 5 may pivot vertically under pressure from a user's finger which may cause the front portion 3 and middle portion 6 of the fingerboard skateboard 1 to elevate off of a flat surface corresponding to the pressure on the rear portion 5 of the board 1. It will be appreciated the front portion 3 and middle portion 6 may be positioned fore of the release agent may be collectively referred to as the front portion of the fingerboard while the rear tail kick portion 7 or portion aft of the release agent may be referred to the rear portion.
As further illustrated, the fingerboard skateboard 1 may have a first and second wheel, together the front wheels 25, 27, respectively, which are coupled together on the bottom side 35 of the front portion 3 or middle portion 6 of the fingerboard 1. Moreover, the third and fourth wheel, together the rear wheels, 29, 31, respectively, may be coupled together on the bottom side 35 at or near the rear edge 15 of the front portion 3 of the fingerboard skateboard 1 such as in
The spring mechanism 55 is further illustrated in
Specific embodiments and applications of the release agent in the form of a spring click mechanism, spring means, spring mechanism, attachment mechanism, hinge, flexion mechanism, flexible fiber, and/or spring as described herein or similar mechanism have been disclosed with the release agent acting as a loading device and/or as an attachment device or means for attaching one portion of the skateboard deck to another. However, it should be apparent, to those skilled in the art that many more modifications besides those already described are possible without departing from the inventive concepts herein. For example, as explained above, the release agent may be located along any portion of the skateboard deck such as between the nose section and middle section as the fingerboard may be operated in either direction. The inventive subject matter, therefore, is not to be restricted except in the spirit of the appended claims. Moreover, in interpreting both the specification and the claims, all terms should be interpreted in the broadest possible manner consistent with the context. In particular, the terms “comprises” and “comprising” should be interpreted as referring to elements, components, or steps in a non-exclusive manner, indicating that the referenced elements, components, or steps may be present, or utilized, or combined with other elements, components, or steps that are not expressly referenced.
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 12/030,753, filed on Feb. 13, 2008, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,931,519, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/889,846, filed on Feb. 14, 2007, both of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.
Number | Date | Country | |
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60889846 | Feb 2007 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 12030753 | Feb 2008 | US |
Child | 13094614 | US |