Patent Grant
6883811
The present invention relates generally to skating. More particularly, disclosed herein is a skate with a front carriage that is pivotally retained relative to a skate frame for improving the efficiency of each skating stroke.
During skating, whether it be in-line or on ice, propulsion is achieved most effectively when the entire ground-engaging base, such as all of the wheels or the entire blade, of the skate in contact with the ground surface on which the skater is propelled. With the entire ground-engaging base of the skate in contact with the ground, the skater's leg enjoys a stability that allows it to drive with virtually unlimited force with little or no effort required for stabilizing the skate.
However, the experienced skater will be aware that it is substantially impossible for the skater to keep the entire ground-engaging base of the skate in contact with the ground surface over the entire skating stroke. Doing so is particularly problematic during the final phase of leg extension. As the leg enters its final stage, the rear wheels of the skate or the rear portion of the skate blade inevitably will follow the skater's heel in lifting off of the ground surface. With this, since the wheels or the blade are fixed in position relative to the skater's foot, only the foremost wheel or blade portion remains in contact with the ground. Consequently, it becomes the skater's only means of applying a driving force to the ground and stabilizing the skater's leg. Disadvantageously, skaters are thus unable to transmit all available energy from their legs to the ground surface.
Ice skates have been disclosed with blades having convex edges so that an increased portion of the blade will have contact with the ice surface at the end of the skating stroke. Other ice skates have been developed that allow a pivoting of the skate blade relative to the skate boot whereby the skate blade exhibits improved contact with the ice surface over final phase of leg extension. As one knowledgeable regarding the sport of speed skating will be well aware, this construction has proven to be a decided advantage over prior art fixed blade constructions.
The present inventor has appreciated that attempting to produce a convex blade profile with in-line skate wheels would require superfluous weight in wheels that would have only relatively minimal contact with the ground and that attempting to provide an in-line skate with an all-wheel pivoting blade structure has proven to be unacceptable due to vibrations, undesirable weight and leg stress, and unmanageably complex mechanical requirements. With these things in mind and with his own U.S. Pat. No. 6,270,088, which is expressly incorporated herein by reference, the inventor has provided an advance in the art of in-line skates by disclosing an in-line skate construction wherein a carriage frame with a plurality of wheels is pivotally coupled to a skate body adjacent to an anterior or forward end of the skate body while a group of one or more fixed wheels is coupled to the skate body.
By employing such an arrangement, the skater can enjoy increased stability and an improved ability to impart propulsive force. With this, more efficient and comfortable skating can be achieved. Even further, in his U.S. application Ser. No. 09/699,149, which is also incorporated herein by reference, the present inventor disclosed and protected, among other things, a plurality of methods and arrangements for manipulating the location of an effective pivot axis that is physically displaced from a pivoting mechanism. Under such embodiments of the invention, the vertical and horizontal locations of the effective pivot axis can be controlled to produce a most efficient skating stroke.
It has nonetheless become apparent to the present inventor that the foregoing concepts and still further developments can find application relative to skates designed for use on ice and also relative to in-line skates.
The present invention, therefore, is founded on the basic object of providing ice and in-line skate constructions that provide advantages beyond those disclosed by the prior art. A more particular principal object of the invention is to provide ice and in-line skate constructions that provide an extended skating stroke. A further object of the invention is to provide in-line and ice skates that provide for an efficient transmission of force from a skaters leg to the ground or ice on which the skater is propelled. Certainly these and further objects and advantages of the present invention will be obvious both to one who reviews the present specification and drawings and to one who has an opportunity to make use of an embodiment of the present invention.
The foregoing discussion merely outlines the more important objects of the invention to enable a better understanding of the detailed description that follows and to instill a better appreciation of the inventor's contribution to the art. Before an embodiment of the invention is explained in detail, it must be made clear that the following details of construction, descriptions of geometry, and illustrations of inventive concepts are mere examples of the many possible manifestations of the invention.
In the accompanying figures:
To ensure that one skilled in the art will fully understand and, in appropriate cases, be able to practice the present invention, certain preferred embodiments of the broader invention revealed herein are described below and shown in the accompanying drawing figures.
In
First, second, and third wheels 30, 32, and 34 are rotatably coupled to the pivoting carriage frame 26 whereby the wheels 30, 32, and 34 comprise a pivoting wheel group. Each of the wheels 30, 32, 34, rotates about an axis 36. Fourth and fifth wheels 38 and 40 are rotatably coupled to the main skate frame 12 adjacent to the posterior end 16 of the main skate frame 12 whereby the fourth and fifth wheels 38 and 40 comprise a fixed wheel group. With the pivoting wheel group comprising three wheels 30, 32, and 34, the in-line skate 10 of this embodiment may be termed a competition in-line skate 10 as the traction and other performance characteristics that it would demonstrate would be most suitable for the performance requirements of a competition-level skater.
Under this arrangement, the pivoting wheel group can pivot with the carriage frame 26 relative to the main skate frame 12 to maintain contact with a ground surface (not shown) throughout a range of pivoting of the main skate frame 12 relative to the ground surface. As the astute observer will realize, the pivot axis 28 of the carriage frame 26 in this embodiment is anterior to the anterior end 20 of the skate boot 18, which has been found to extend the effective skating stroke as will be discussed in detail below.
An alternative in-line skate is indicated again generally at 10 in FIG. 2. This embodiment again has first, second, third, fourth, and fifth wheels 30, 32, 34, 38, and 40. However, in this arrangement, the carriage frame 26 retains only first and second wheels 30 and 32 such that the pivoting wheel group comprises only those first and second wheels 30 and 32. Third, fourth, and fifth wheels 34, 38, and 40 are coupled to the main skate frame 12 to comprise the fixed wheel group. One again sees that the pivot axis 28 of the carriage frame 26 is anterior to the anterior end 20 of the skate boot 18 again for enabling an extended skating stroke. With five wheels 30, 32, 34, 38, 40 provided, the in-line skate 10 of this embodiment again may be considered a competition in-line skate 10.
In
On a typical foot, the first metatarsophalangeal joint 102 is located three-tenths of the overall length of the foot 100 from the tip of the first toe 104. Since the length L of the open inner volume 42 normally will approximate the length of the skater's foot 100, the pivot axis 26 preferably will be located coincident with or anterior to a reference point that is three-tenths of the overall length of the open inner volume 42 from the anterior end of the open inner volume 42 but not necessarily anterior to the anterior end 20 of the skate boot 18. As will be discussed more fully hereinbelow, the pivot axis 26 will be even more preferably coincident with or anterior to a reference point that is two-tenths of the overall length of the open inner volume 42 from the anterior end of the open inner volume 42, although not necessarily anterior to the anterior end 20 of the skate boot 18.
Such a possible construction of an in-line skate 10 is shown in FIG. 3. In this embodiment, first and second wheels 30 and 32 comprise the pivoting wheel group as they are rotatably mounted to the carriage frame 26. Third and fourth wheels 34 and 38 comprise the fixed wheel group as they are rotatably retained in a fixed position relative to the main skate frame 12. This recreational in-line skate 10 has just four wheels 30, 32, 34, and 38. The pivot axis 28 of the carriage frame 26 is located anterior to the reference point that comprises the first metatarsophalangeal joint 102 but posterior to the anterior end 20 of the skate boot 18.
The invention's aforedescribed manipulation of what may be considered the horizontal position of the pivot axis 28 certainly provides significant advantage over prior art in-line skates. However, the inventor has further discovered that prior art inline skates could be improved on even more significantly by also altering the vertical position of the pivot axis 28. Prior art in-line skates with a pivoting front wheel structure historically have disposed the pivot axis 28 well below the sole 24 of the skate boot 18. With this, a careful consideration of the geometry of such skates will reveal that the pivot axis 28 actually moves rearward relative to the skater's foot 100 as the heel of the skate is lifted from the ground. This rearward movement further limits the effective length of the skating stroke.
Under this first embodiment of the present invention, however, the pivot axis 28 of the in-line skate 10 is displaced to a position nearly coincident with the upper edge of the main skate frame 12 as is shown in
Where possible, however, possibly greater advantage can be achieved by locating the pivot axis 28 even higher than the position shown in
For greatest clarity, the in-line skate 10 of
In any event, from
In a similar manner, a spacer block 52 projects downwardly from adjacent to the anterior end 14 of the main skate frame 12 and is pivotally coupled thereto at the pivot axis 28. Mounting plates 54 and 56 sandwich the spacer block 52 and the first and second wheels 30 and 32. The mounting plates 54 and 56 thus act as the means by which the third and fourth wheels 30 and 32 are pivotally retained relative to the main skate frame 12 by axles (not shown). The mounting plates 54 and 56 are fixed in place relative to the spacer block 52 by bolts (not shown) or any other appropriate fastening means.
Bearings 60 and 62 surround the pivot axis 28 for enabling a smooth pivoting of the mounting plates 54 and 56. The pivot axis 28 projects from each side of the spacer block 52 an amount equal to the length of the bearings 60 and 62. The mounting plates 54 and 56 have axle apertures 64 and 66 into which the pivot axis 28 and the surrounding bearings 60 and 62 are received. Since a user might wish to adjust the horizontal location of the carriage frame 26 relative to the main skate frame 12, a plurality of attaching holes 55 can be provided on the main skate frame 12 to act as a means for adjusting the location of the carriage frame 26 relative to the main skate frame 12. Although not shown, the carriage frame 26 typically will be fixed in place by bolts in combination with the attaching holes 55.
To ensure that the pivoting wheel group is properly disposed for the beginning of each skating stroke, a biasing means in the form of a compression spring 58 may be interposed between the main skate frame 12 and the spacer block 52 for biasing the first and second wheels 30 and 32 into the disposition shown in FIG. 7. Of course, a wide variety of alternative biasing means will be obvious to one skilled in the art. For example, the inventor has further discovered that one could bias the carriage frame 26 toward the disposition of
Above the illustrated pivot axis 106, one sees for each possible location of the pivot axis 28 (with corresponding reference numbers) where the pivot axis 106 or ankle joint 106 would be if the main skate frame 12 were rotated a given angle relative to the ground surface 200 with the first and second wheels 30 and 32 maintaining contact with the ground surface 200. As the astute observer will realize, location 3-1, which is below the sole 24 of the skate boot 18 and not far in advance of the pivot axis 102 of the first metatarsophalangeal joint 102, would appear to yield the shortest effective increase in skating stroke length. On the other hand, location 1-3, which is well above the sole 24 of the skate boot 18 and well anterior to the anterior end of the skate boot 18, clearly yields the longest effective increase in skating stroke length.
The actual advantages in distance between a reference point F on the ground surface 200 and the pivot axis 106 of the subject's ankle are graphically shown in
Based on this present understanding of the advantages of his invention, the instant inventor has determined that the pivot axis 28 would be located most preferably in what may be termed a Preferred Axis Location PAL area of FIG. 13. This PAL area is defined as the area between a vertical line drawn upwardly from the reference point 3-1 and a line extending along a downward angle α. The angle α has been determined to approximate most advantageously twenty-five (25) degrees below horizontal as determined when the in-line skate 10 is disposed in full contact with a ground surface.
In the preferred embodiment of
As was mentioned previously, the vertical location of the reference point 3-1 also has a direct effect on the skating stroke. Accordingly, the preferred reference point 3-1 will be located at least vertically coincident with or above a position three-quarters of an inch below the sole 24 of the skate boot 18. More preferably, the reference point 3-1 will be located at least vertically coincident with or above a position one-half of an inch below the sole 24 of the skate boot 18. Most preferably based on the present analysis, the reference point 3-1 will be located substantially coincident with or above the sole 24 of the skate boot 18.
Looking next to
The main skate frame 12 has a base plate 74 that is generally solid except for the second fastening aperture 72. A first side plate 80 is disposed in a plane generally perpendicular to the base plate 74 along a first side thereof, and a second, substantially identical side plate 82 is disposed in a plane generally perpendicular to the base plate 74 along a second side thereof. Consequently, the first and second side plates 80 and 82 are disposed in generally parallel planes, and the first and second side plates 80 and 82 and the base plate 74 together form what may be considered C-shaped channel. As one will appreciate, the first and second side plates 80 and 82 could extend slightly or even significantly above the base plate 74 distal to the third, fourth, and fifth wheels 34, 38, and 40 to cause the first and second side plates 80 and 82 and the base plate 74 to present an I-beam configuration.
The third, fourth, and fifth wheels 34, 38, and 40 are interposed between the first and second side plates 80 and 82, which essentially form the opposing jaws of the C shape. With this, the third, fourth, and fifth wheels 34, 38, and 40 contribute to the structural rigidity of the main skate frame 12. Although it is hidden in
An elevated mounting plateau 76 comprising a raised plate supported by a pair of side legs is disposed adjacent to the posterior end 16 of the main skate frame 12 for providing a heightened position for the first fastening aperture 70. In a similar manner, the anterior end 14 of the main skate frame 12 has an elevated retaining plateau 78 that rises above the base plate 74. By being located within the elevated retaining plateau 78, the pivot axis 28 is also disposed well above the base plate 74. With this and in light of the foregoing discussion of the benefits to be gained by advantageously locating the pivot axis 28, one will realize that the pivot axis 28 in
Since the main skate frame 12 is formed by an extrusion-and-cutting process, one will appreciate that it is initially formed as a structure with a uniform cross section. That cross section is outlined by sides comprising the first and second side plates 80 and 82 and a top comprising what will ultimately form the elevated mounting plateau 76 the elevated retaining plateau 78. The base plate 74 will be disposed below and parallel to the top of the structure. Similarly, the reinforcement plate will be disposed below and parallel to the base plate 74. From this structure the ultimate main skate frame 12 will be cut. Certainly the main skate frame 12 could be formed from a variety of materials that would provide the required structural rigidity and durability. However, it presently appears preferable to form the main skate frame 12 and the carriage 26 from an aluminum alloy chosen for combined properties of strength, durability, and lightness. For example, 2024 and 7075 aluminum alloys presently appear desirable.
Much like the preferred main skate frame 12 of
Although the foregoing discussion certainly makes clear that measurable advantages are to be gained by the present invention's advantageous locating of the pivot axis 28 of the carriage 26, one can gain an even more particular understanding of the nature of the advantages gained by reference to FIG. 15 and the ensuing discussion and formulae. In
In
An angle γ (not shown) is the angle between the in-line skater's 250 foot and shinbone with a prior art, non-pivoting in-line skate 300 when the skate is in a push-off position as shown in FIG. 15. The angle γ+d γ in
One will appreciate that there is a forward gain in the position of the in-line skater's 250 ankle joint 106 along the line of travel A, which results in part from the angle β. In
HRP is a projection of the distance between the point HR and the point F in a horizontal plane. Point H is the location of the most distal point on the rearmost wheel on the prior art, non-pivoting in-line skate 300. Point HR is the location of that same point on a pivoting in-line skate 10b according to the present invention. Point HP is the projection of point HR in a horizontal plane.
In an attempt to produce greatest clarity, the plurality of lines in
In any event, one will further realize that the ankle joint 106 is moved forward an additional distance by the increase dγ in the angle γ. This distance can be readily calculated in a similar manner as the distance Zβf was calculated above from the values given by dγf, the distances between the ankle joint 106 and the pivot axis 28 and between the ankle joint 106 and F, the orientation of the ankle joint 106 relative to the knee joint C, and the angles δ and ε.
There is a further distance, S, to be considered, which is the additional distance that the present in-line skate 10 is able to travel along a ground surface due to the pivoting of the first and second wheels 30 and 32. One will appreciate that this distance S is a factor of the in-line skater's 200 velocity dV and the increased stroke time dT. The distance S can be given as the product of (dV)(dT). The distance S has a forward component SF, which is equal to (sinε)(S). With this distance S, one sees that the in-line skate 10b of the present invention will actually have a final skating stroke position at the point T in FIG. 15. The in-line skates 300 and 10b are shown generally aligned in
With this, the cumulation of the distance gains by the pivoting in-line skate 10 according to the present invention can be symbolized by E, which is the result of adding the variable and interrelated improvements (Zβf)+(Ldγf)+(X)+(S) where X is the distance given in FIG. 14. The astute observer will realize that the distances (Zβf)+(Ldγf)+(X)+(S) are indications of the gains that are available to one who makes use of the present invention. Of course, the corresponding dimensional gains that can be realized by each individual skater will depend on a plurality of factors including size, ability, strength, and effort.
In light of the advantages that they produce, it will certainly be appreciated that the enlarged portion 44 of
Advantageously, the inventor has conceived of even further embodiments of the invention that are able to manipulate the location of the pivot axis 28 while eliminating all need for structures such as the enlarged portion 44 and the elevated retaining plateau 78 that would otherwise be necessary for adjusting the vertical and horizontal locations of the pivot axis 28. In each such embodiment, the in-line skate 10 incorporates a pivoting mechanism that acts as a means for creating a physically displaced effective pivot axis, with the pivot axis again indicated at 28. As its name would suggest, the pivoting mechanism for creating a physically displaced effective pivot axis enables the in-line skate 10 to create an effective pivot axis 28 that is physically displaced from the moving contacts between the main skate frame 12 and the carriage frame 26. Indeed, these embodiments of the invention can allow the effective pivot axis 28 to be moved to locations physically displaced from, preferably vertically above, the carriage frame 26 and the main skate frame 12 without requiring that actual physical structure be located at the location of the effective pivot axis 28.
A first such embodiment of the invention is shown in side elevation in
Under this arrangement, as
An alternative means for creating a physically displaced effective pivot axis 28 is depicted in the exploded perspective view of FIG. 19. There, the spacer block 52 again is interposed between the mounting plates 54 and 56. However, in this embodiment, first and second pivot support plates 158 and 160 are fixed to opposite sides of the main skate frame 12. Indeed, the first and second pivot support plates 158 and 160 are integrally formed with the main skate frame 12 from a single piece of material. With this, the first and second pivot support plates 158 and 160 are disposed on opposite sides of the spacer block 52 to retain the pivot block 52 and thus the carriage frame 26 in a pivoting relationship relative to the main skate frame 12. To accomplish this pivoting relationship, the pivot block 52 has an arcuate passage 164 extending laterally therethrough. Cylindrical pivot support rollers 162 are rotatably retained on axles 163. Each axle 163 passes through the arcuate passage 164 and has first and second ends received in corresponding apertures in the first and second pivot support plates 158 and 160 respectively. With this, the pivot support rollers 162 can rotate about their respective axles 163 thereby to roll along the arcuate passage 164.
In this embodiment, three pivot support rollers 162 with corresponding axles 163 are provided. The pivot support rollers 162 and axles 163 are disposed in a triangular arrangement that has a given effective height measured from the upper peripheral edge of the what may be considered the upper pivot support roller 162 of the triad and a tangential line along the lower peripheral edges of what may be considered the base pivot support rollers 162. The arcuate passage 164 is just slightly wider along the curve of the arcuate passage than the height of that triangle in which the pivot support rollers 162 are arranged. With this construction, the carriage frame 26 can be pivoted relative to the main skate frame 12 about an effective pivot axis 28 that is displaced above the main skate frame 12 and the carriage frame 26. As the carriage frame 26 is so pivoted, the pivot support rollers 162 will tend to roll along the peripheral surfaces of the arcuate passage 164.
In an alternative embodiment, which is not expressly shown in the drawings, the pivot support rollers 162 could have substantially identical outside diameters and the arcuate passage 164 could be just slightly wider than the diameters of the pivot support rollers 162. With this, the invention could incorporate two or more pivot support rollers 162 configured to mirror the shape of the arcuate passage 164 to allow the carriage frame 26 to pivot relative to the main skate frame 12 by having the pivot support rollers 162 roll and possibly slide within the arcuate passage 164.
Still another embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 20. There, the pivoting of the carriage frame 26 relative to the main skate frame 12 is accomplished in substantially the same way as in FIG. 19. However, in this case, the first and second pivot support plates 158 and 160 are formed integrally with the main skate frame 12. With this, the first and second pivot support plates 158 and 160 effectively comprise sides to the main skate frame 12. The spacer block 52 is again interposed between the first and second pivot support plates 158 and 160.
To still greater advantage, the present inventor has devised of what may be considered a preferred manner of eliminating all play between the carriage frame 26 and the main skate frame 12 so that the two can be moved relative to one another smoothly and with no undesirable up and down or other disadvantageous movement therebetween. One such still further embodiment is depicted in
In the embodiment of
More particularly described, the in-line skate of
The first and second upper surface engaging rollers 178 and 180 are disposed inboard of the first and second lower surface engaging rollers 174 and 176 and inboard of the arcuate channel 164 such that the upper surface engaging rollers 178 and 180 cannot contact the lower boundary surface 172. The upper surface engaging rollers 178 and 180 are larger than the lower surface engaging rollers 174 and 176 such that they prevent the lower surface engaging rollers 174 and 176 from contacting the upper boundary surface 170. Also, the sum of the radius of each lower surface engaging roller 174 and 176 plus the radius of its corresponding upper surface engaging roller 178 and 180 substantially equals the height of the arcuate channel 164.
With this, constant contact is ensured between the upper surface engaging rollers 178 and 180 and the upper boundary surface 170 and between the lower surface engaging rollers 174 and 176 and the lower boundary surface 172 such that all play between the carriage frame 26 and the main skate frame 12 is avoided as the rollers 174, 176, 178, and 180 roll in opposite rotational directions along the upper and lower boundary surfaces 170 and 172 respectively. In light of the complementary nature of the radii of the upper and lower surface engaging rollers 174, 176, 178, and 180, one will appreciate that the radii can be proportionately varied so long as they add to the height of the arcuate channel 164. To be complete, one will note that, although
Under any of these arrangements incorporating an arcuate passage 164, the location of the effective pivot axis 28 can be controlled by a manipulation of the orientation and the radius of curvature of the arcuate passage 164. With this, the location of the effective pivot axis 28 can be moved forward, backward, up, and down by a proper shaping of the arcuate passage 164. For example, the effective pivot axis 28 can be moved farther away from the arcuate passage 164 and related pivoting structures by forming the arcuate passage 164 with a larger radius of curvature. Also, the effective pivot axis 28 can be moved forward along the in-line skate 10 by rotating the orientation of the arcuate passage clockwise when viewed in right side elevation. Of course, the effective pivot axis 28 can be moved proximally by lessening the radius of curvature of the arcuate passage 164 or rearwardly by rotating the orientation of the arcuate passage counter-clockwise again when viewed in right side elevation.
In any of the foregoing embodiments, one will appreciate that a means for biasing the carriage frame 26 to a non-pivoted orientation could be provided. For example, one or more tension springs or bands (not shown) could each have a first end coupled to the main skate frame 12 and a second end coupled to the carriage frame 26. Alternatively, one or more compression springs or other resiliently compressible structures could be appropriately interposed between the main skate frame 12 and a forward portion of the carriage frame 26. Of course, the biasing means could assume a wide variety of additional forms that would be readily obvious to one skilled in the art after reading this disclosure. Each such embodiment is well within the scope of the present invention.
Even further demonstrating that many different constructions would be well within the scope of the present invention is the embodiment of the in-line skate 10 of FIG. 23. There, the carriage frame 26 pivots relative to the main skate frame 12 by use of first and second pivot arms 182 and 184. As
The astute observer will appreciate that this embodiment further illustrates that, under the present invention, the location of the effective axis of rotation of the carriage frame 26 need not necessarily be constant. Indeed, under the pivot arm embodiment of
Even further, one should be aware that, although the arcuate channel 164 is depicted as being in the carriage frame 26 and the axles 163 retained in place by the first and second pivot support plates 158 and 160 of the main skate frame 12, it is well within the scope of the invention for the structures to be reversed. Stated alternatively, as is shown in
Similarly, the invention's scope includes the embodiment of
Turning to
Adjacent to the anterior end 414 of the main skate frame 412, the first and second side plates 480 and 482 form first and second pivot support plates 458 and 460, which pivotally support the runner carriage frame 426. A locking projection 402 extends from the lower surfaces of the first and second side plates 480 and 482 of the main skate frame 412 while a corresponding locking depression 402 is disposed on the upper surface of a ground engaging element runner tube 406. With this, inadvertent lateral movement of the main skate frame 412 relative to the runner carriage frame 426 is prevented while the two are in a non-pivoted configuration.
In any event, one will appreciate that the runner carriage frame 426 is founded on an elongate runner member 406. The runner member 406 retains a blade member 408 for contacting an ice surface. The runner member 406 and the blade member 408 could, of course, be formed integrally. Alternatively, they can be formed as separate members and joined by any appropriate means including, for example, mechanical fasteners, welding, and/or any other appropriate arrangement.
For enabling most efficient propulsion, the ice skate frame 400 provides a pivoting mechanism with a means for creating a physically displaced effective pivot axis, which pivot axis is again indicated at 428 in, for example,
Looking more particularly to the drawings,
The runner carriage frame 426 is pivotally coupled to the main skate frame 412 through a main housing 452 that is interposed between the first and second pivot support plates 458 and 460. In this case, the first and second pivot support plates 458 and 460 are integrally formed with the main skate frame 412 from a single piece of material. The main housing 452 has an arcuate passage 464 extending laterally therethrough. Two axles 463 pass through the arcuate passage 464 and have first and second ends received in corresponding apertures in the first and second pivot support plates 458 and 460 respectively. As with the in-line skate 10 of previous embodiments, the ice skate frame 400 eliminates play between the runner carriage frame 426 and the main skate frame 412 by an opposing bearing roller arrangement 474 that is essentially identical to the arrangement of
Although the opposing bearing roller arrangement 474 certainly is an effective means for carrying out embodiments of the invention, further research and development has demonstrated to the present inventor that the pivoting arrangement can be carried out as shown in the embodiment of FIG. 36. It will be understood that the arrangement of
It has become apparent that this embodiment is workable due to the physics involved in a typical skating stroke. As is depicted in
As before, the location of the effective pivot axis 428 can be controlled by a manipulation of the orientation and the radius of curvature of the arcuate passage 464. With this, the location of the effective pivot axis 428 can be moved forward, backward, up, and down by a proper shaping and orientation of the arcuate passage 164. For example, the effective pivot axis 428 can be moved farther away by use of a larger radius of curvature and forward by rotating the orientation of the arcuate passage 464 clockwise when viewed in right side elevation.
A means for biasing the carriage frame 26 to a non-pivoted orientation could again be provided. Of course, many different biasing means could be readily devised by one skilled in the art after reviewing the present disclosure. In the embodiment of
One will again note that, although the arcuate channel 464 is depicted as being in the runner carriage frame 426 and the axles 463 retained in place by the first and second pivot support plates 458 and 460 of the main skate frame 412, it is well within the scope of the invention for the structures to be disposed oppositely. As in
In
In
Although
A locking projection 402 again extends from the main skate frame 412 adjacent to the posterior end 416 thereof while a corresponding locking depression 404 is again provided on the upper surface of the runner member 406. The locking projection 402 and the locking depression 404 cooperate to act as a means for preventing the main skate frame 412 from pivoting relative to the runner member 406 until a given amount of dorsal pivoting of the main skate frame 412 has occurred.
It should be appreciated that the lateral pivoting concepts and embodiments of the present invention are not limited to ice skate frames. For example,
This embodiment deviates most markedly from the previously described embodiments in that dorsal and lateral pivoting are enabled in a most simple manner by a tilting of the arcuate channel 464 in the main housing 452 along which the axles 463 travel. As shown in the cross sectional view of
With this tilting of the arcuate channel 464, the main skate frame 412 will undergo a lateral pivoting through a lateral pivoting angle a as the main skate frame 412 undergoes a dorsal pivoting through a dorsal pivoting angle β. Under this arrangement, the lateral and dorsal pivoting angles α and β are dependent on one another and on the shape of the arcuate channel 464. Therefore, for a given degree of dorsal pivoting there will be a corresponding degree of lateral pivoting. Advantageously, the relative degrees of pivoting can be controlled by a proper shaping and angling of the arcuate channel 464 to suit, among other things, the needs of different users, ergonomic concerns, and different types of usage.
Another embodiment of the ice skate frame 400 is shown in
Although the sloped member 475 could certainly be fixed at a given angle, it may be preferable to allow the angle of the sloped member 475 to be varied to suit the needs of a particular user or application. Of course, that adjustment could be carried out in a number of ways that one skilled in the art would find obvious after reading this disclosure. One presently preferred embodiment is shown in FIG. 35 and then in an enlarged view in FIG. 37. There, one sees that the sloped member 475 is pivotable about a pivot 477 and is disposed adjacent to a wedge-shaped lateral support block 471. A threaded member 473, such as a screw, is threadedly engaged with the support block 471. A first end of the threaded member 473 has a head, such as an Allen, Phillips, or other head, for being engaged by a driver (not shown). A second end of the threaded member 473 engages the proximal surface of the sloped member 475. With this, the angle of the sloped member 475 can be varied by a selective rotation of the threaded member 473. Under this arrangement, as the tilting of the sloped member 475 is increased or decreased, the proportional degree of lateral pivoting of the main skate frame 412 for each degree of dorsal pivoting will be correspondingly increased or decreased.
From the foregoing, it will be clear that the present invention has been shown and described with reference to certain preferred embodiments that merely exemplify the broader invention revealed herein. Certainly, those skilled in the art can conceive of alternative embodiments. For instance, those with the major features of the invention in mind could craft embodiments that incorporate those major features while not incorporating all of the features included in the preferred embodiments.
With this in mind, the following claims are intended to define the scope of protection to be afforded the inventor, and the claims shall be deemed to include equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. A plurality of the following claims may express certain elements as a means for performing a specific function, at times without the recital of structure or material. As the law demands, these claims shall be construed to cover not only the corresponding structure and material expressly described in the specification but also equivalents thereof.
This Application is a continuation in-part of application Ser. No. 09/699,149, filed Oct. 28, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,431,559, which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 09/344,589, filed on Jun. 25, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,270,088, which claimed the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/090,804, filed Jun. 26, 1998.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 576106 | Frankenberg et al. | Feb 1897 | A |
| 628433 | Finch | Jul 1899 | A |
| 1228544 | Falstrem et al. | Jun 1917 | A |
| 1751692 | Fruhbeis | Mar 1930 | A |
| 2093915 | Klevstad | Sep 1937 | A |
| 3152812 | Cummings | Oct 1964 | A |
| 3649038 | Huckenbeck | Mar 1972 | A |
| 4272090 | Wheat | Jun 1981 | A |
| 4396204 | Smirnykh | Aug 1983 | A |
| 5135244 | Allison | Aug 1992 | A |
| 5257793 | Fortin | Nov 1993 | A |
| 5342071 | Soo | Aug 1994 | A |
| 5405156 | Gonella | Apr 1995 | A |
| 5503413 | Belogour | Apr 1996 | A |
| 5634648 | Tonel et al. | Jun 1997 | A |
| 5704620 | Oliemans et al. | Jan 1998 | A |
| 5732957 | Yu | Mar 1998 | A |
| 5816588 | Nicoletti | Oct 1998 | A |
| 5823543 | Burns et al. | Oct 1998 | A |
| 5842706 | Chang | Dec 1998 | A |
| 5890724 | Gignoux et al. | Apr 1999 | A |
| 5904359 | Caeran et al. | May 1999 | A |
| 5957470 | Powell | Sep 1999 | A |
| 5979916 | Gatel et al. | Nov 1999 | A |
| 6007075 | Shum | Dec 1999 | A |
| 6017041 | Gignoux | Jan 2000 | A |
| 6056299 | Soo | May 2000 | A |
| 6082744 | Allinger et al. | Jul 2000 | A |
| 6116620 | Gabrielli | Sep 2000 | A |
| 6152458 | Edauw et al. | Nov 2000 | A |
| 6193243 | Johannes Meester et al. | Feb 2001 | B1 |
| 6217036 | Rowledge | Apr 2001 | B1 |
| 6270088 | Tlucko | Aug 2001 | B1 |
| 6398229 | Saylor | Jun 2002 | B1 |
| 6431559 | Tlucko | Aug 2002 | B1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 78733 | Jan 1894 | DE |
| 0 795 348 | Feb 1997 | EP |
| WO 9637269 | Nov 1996 | WO |
| WO 9732637 | Sep 1997 | WO |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20030052463 A1 | Mar 2003 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60090804 | Jun 1998 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 09699149 | Oct 2000 | US |
| Child | 10218062 | US | |
| Parent | 09344589 | Jun 1999 | US |
| Child | 09699149 | US |
