Patent Application
20080179844
U.S. Patent Documents
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the trucks for a skateboard. Specifically, this present invention relates to various truck configurations involving unique roller designs and thus providing additional degrees of pivoting motion.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Several skateboard innovations for truck assemblies and designs have been provided in prior art and some of them will be described. Although these prior innovations are suitable for their intended purposes, they differ in the design intent of the present invention.
A FIRST EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 6,761,369 to Anderson teaches a skateboard truck design that incorporates a cylindrical roller of singular outside diameter pivoting on a common axle component which is attached via six ball bearings, multiple thrust washers, an internal tubular spacer, dual end caps, and dual snap-rings, to a yoke-shaped truck. The primary axle also mounts dual industry standard wheels, bearings, and locknuts.
A SECOND EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,515,379 to Pasques teaches a skateboard truck design that incorporates a cylindrical roller of singular outside diameter pivoting on a common axle component. The cylindrical roller is primarily a metal hollow bar with a polymer coating over its entire outside diameter and length. No bearings are present within the roller assembly. There are dual roller bearings mounted in the yoke-shaped truck body which provide the pivoting motion for the roller assembly. The primary axle also mounts dual industry standard wheels, bearings, and locknuts.
A THIRD EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 6,019,382 to Bouden teaches a skateboard truck design that incorporates an innovative coaxial three-wheeled assembly with convex outside diameter configurations pivoting on a common axle and with dual roller bearings mounted within each of the wheels and housed in a yoke-shaped truck. The primary emphasis is on enhanced turning of the skateboard during its intended use. No industry standard wheels and ball bearings are used in the invention.
A FOURTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 6,343,803 to Johnston teaches a skateboard truck design that incorporates a singular convex shaped roller mounted coaxially to the primary axle and pivoted by dual ball bearing separated by an inner tubular spacer housed within a yoke-shaped truck with dual bushings. The primary axle is secured by dual locknuts. No industry standard wheels and ball bearings are used in the invention.
According to the present invention, the concept is comprised of a custom designed base, custom designed trucks, custom designed rollers, custom designed pivot pin, custom axle, and the use of industry standard urethane bushings, grade 5 bolt, locknut, cup washers, and various assembly techniques utilizing roller bearings, thrust washers, bushings, and fasteners, which can be mounted via industry standard bolt hole patterns. The combination of the various components enables several assemblies to be created thus enabling the user to have several capabilities with each of the design configurations. The various combinations can also be marketed and priced accordingly from the basic configuration to the complex configuration. The innovative truck assemblies will enable those users skilled in the art to negotiate uneven terrain and provide rolling motion verses scraping motion on the skateboard surfaces thus reducing damage to the rider, the equipment, and to private and public property.
The figures of the drawings are briefly described as follows:
The basic overall design intent of the present invention can best be understood from
A custom base 10, cast or machined from a zinc-aluminum alloy, is assembled to the custom truck 11, cast or machined from a zinc-aluminum alloy, by means of a custom main pivot pin 14, steel alloy, and fastened by the following industry standard components: a single grade five steel bolt 4, one large aluminum cup washer 5, one cylindrical urethane bushing 6, one trapezoidal urethane bushing 7, one small aluminum cup washer 8, and one locknut 9.
Coaxially mounted to the custom main pivot pin 14 is a roller 13a, all steel sealed roller bearing, with a thrust washer 15, steel alloy, and seated in a polymer cup 16. Flanking this roller provides a full compliment configuration with dual rollers 13b, all steel sealed roller bearings, mounted via dual shoulder bolts 18, steel alloy.
A custom roller 12 (a, b, or c), cast or machined from a zinc-aluminum alloy, comprised of one of three configurations (cylindrical 12a, concave 12b, or grooved 12c) assembled with press-fit bushings 17 (polyamide, polymer, or oil-impregnated metallic composition) at each end is mounted coaxially via a steel axle 2 and bound by a variety of industry standard urethane wheel and steel roller bearing assemblies 1 and secured in place by steel locknuts 3.
Two innovative truck assemblies 100 are required per skateboard in order for this present invention to function as intended. The truck assemblies 100 can be mounted to a variety of industry standard skateboard decks utilizing the pre-established bolt-hole patterns common to the industry using standard steel alloy fastener hardware. It is also compatible with the industry standard polymer risers (shock absorption plates).
By varying the assembly of the aforementioned components of the present invention, alternate configurations are possible and have been shown in the subsequent drawings listed in this embodiment. Specifically, one can have three versions of the zinc-aluminum alloy coaxial roller 12a, 12b, or 12c only, or add the steel transverse roller bearings 13a and/or 13b to make various combinations stated in this present invention. Each series can be identified for marketing reasons as “TR-TRUX Series”, “QX-TRUX Series”, and the “MX-TRUX Series”.
The “TR-TRUX Series” configuration will only be comprised of one of the three coaxial roller designs (plain, concave, or grooved). The next higher level of configuration is the “QX-TRUX Series” which is comprised of one the three coaxial roller designs (plain, concave, or grooved) and a single transverse roller bearing. The highest level of configuration is the “MX-TRUX Series” which is comprised of one of three coaxial roller designs (plain, concave, or grooved) and three transverse roller bearings.
Each series mentioned above will enable the user skilled in the art to perform various skateboarding tricks with greater ease and reduced damage to their equipment. It will also help to reduce the damage done to public property such as curb edges, handrails, park benches and tables, and many other items. It can eliminate the use of waxes which the users apply to the above mentioned public property due to its design of strategically placed bearings and rollers. (Wax is applied as a friction reducing agent). Each configuration is custom designed for the skill level of the user and is upgradeable to higher assembly configurations as the user's skill level increases. It is also the intention to provide the skateboarding marketplace with a new and innovative truck design that will enable easier and safer tricks and help to reduce the damage caused to public and private property.
