Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6497421
-
Patent Number
6,497,421
-
Date Filed
Tuesday, July 6, 199925 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, December 24, 200221 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
- Johnson; Brian L.
- Avery; Bridget
Agents
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 280 841
- 280 1119
- 280 11201
- 280 11204
- 280 11206
- 280 11207
- 280 11208
- 280 11209
- 280 11211
- 280 11212
- 280 11215
- 280 11216
- 280 11217
- 280 87042
- 188 112
- 188 5
- 188 4 R
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
A training roller skate has rollers or wheels and wheel mounts, at least one wheel mount being movable, preferably in a direction transverse to the wheel axis, to permit contact between a wheel associated surface and a motion inhibitor that inhibits rotary motion of the wheel. The skate has a front shoe part defining a forward platform portion to support a skater's foot and further defining a toe cap support with which a separately formed toe cap is snap-fittedly attached to permit toe caps of alternative shapes and forms to be selectively attached to the toe cap support. The forward platform portion may have an attached brake pad of frictional material that is engageable by a roller, the brake pad being provided integrally with a projection frictionally to engage the ground when the platform is tilted. At least one of the wheels or rollers has an associated surface provided with at least one projection or recess, and a main body of the skate is provided with at least one projection or recess, and a main body of the skate is provided with at least one recess or projection dimensioned for mating engagement with the surface projection or recess, the wheel mount being movable selectively to effect such mating engagement, to inhibit both forward skating and rearward skating and out of such mating engagement, to permit skating in at least the forward direction. The roller skate may further include a forward carriage and a rearward carriage, with a length adjustment connection between them.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to skating and other apparatus, particularly—but not exclusively—to roller skates, i.e. skates comprising platform means to support a skater, the platform being mounted on a pair of front wheels or rollers and a pair of rear wheels or rollers.
BACKGROUND ART
Although most conventional roller skates have both pairs of wheels continuously capable of free-wheeling in both directions (to permit both forward and rearward skating), trainer roller skates have recently become popular for learners, e.g. children. These trainer roller skates are selectively settable (a) to provide for bi-directional wheel rolling motion, i.e. for forward and rearward skating, and (b) to provide for uni-directional wheel rolling motion, i.e. to inhibit rearward skating. Some trainer roller skates are additionally settable (c) to provide for no wheel rolling motion, i.e. to inhibit both forward and rearward skating.
Examples of such trainer roller skates are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,943,676 and French Patent No. 2700705. Each has an axle upon which the front wheels are mounted, an axle upon which the rear wheels are mounted, and a fixed spacing between the two axles. Each also has setting means providing for the movement of a member (e.g. a pawl or a lever) in to or out of interference with at least one wheel.
The operation of the roller skates per U.S. Pat. No. 4,932,676 in, for example, state (b) is often noisy due to the ratcheting action required for its pawl. The operation of the roller skates per French No. 2700705 is in practice not wholly satisfactory as the intended frictional engagement between its parts in, for example, state (b) or (c) is sometimes insufficient so that the intended function cannot be wholly relied upon.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
With a view to overcoming or at least reducing the above-mentioned and/or other disadvantages of the prior art, the present invention, in one aspect thereof, provides a training roller skate comprising rollers or wheels and mounting means therefor, and further comprising motion inhibiting means for contacting a surface associated with at least one of said wheels to inhibit its rotary motion, characterised in that the mounting means for said at least one wheel is movable (preferably in a direction transverse to the wheel axis) to permit contact between the said wheel associated surface and the motion inhibiting means.
Preferably said mounting means is operably associated with setting means and is constrained in a first position, out of said contact, by setting of the setting means in a first positional setting, a second positional setting of the setting means permitting said contact to occur in use automatically upon a user's attempt to skate backwards.
In one preferred embodiment the trainer roller skate's setting means is additionally settable to a third positional setting in which rotation of the wheels is inhibited in both directions such as to inhibit both forwards skating and rearwards skating.
In one preferred embodiment of the trainer roller skate a platform is provided to support a skater's foot, said mounting means includes a carrier member carrying an axle upon which the said at least one wheel is mounted, and the skate comprises means mounting the carrier member for relative movement with respect to the platform—preferably in a direction transverse to the axis of said axle.
Preferably the setting means includes a rotatably mounted control element having an eccentric cam member engageable with a part of said carrier member such as to position and/or effect location of the axle carrying carrier member as aforesaid.
Advantageously the trainer roller skate comprises first and second motion inhibition means, the first motion inhibition means being engageable by said wheel associated surface when the setting means occupies said second position, and the second motion inhibition means being engageable by one or both said wheels (or a surface thereof) when the setting means occupies said third position.
Preferably the first motion inhibition means comprises a pad of frictional material. The pad may have an arcuate surface engageable by said wheel associated surface, and preferably has two such arcuate surfaces spaced apart laterally of the skate and engageable by surfaces associated with both said wheels.
Advantageously the pad comprises an integral projection directed forwardly of the skate to provide a so-called “toe brake”that can engage the skating surface (e.g. the ground) when in use the skate is tilted.
In one embodiment of the present invention the setting means is operable on the carrier member to position the axle, in said third position, for engagement of said at least one surface by both the first and second motion inhibition means. Preferably, in this case the second motion inhibition means comprises a friction pad.
In an alternative (and preferred) embodiment of the present invention the setting means is operable on the carrier member to position the axle, in said third position, for engagement of said at least one surface by the second motion inhibition means only. Preferably, in this case, the second motion inhibition means comprises a dog tooth clutch arrangement comprising a positionally fixed tooth engageable in one of a plurality of slots provided in the outer surface of a hub of one said wheel.
Advantageously a pair of such dog teeth are provided, one to each side of the trainer roller skates, to be engageable as aforesaid with a hub of each said wheel.
According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a roller skate comprising
a front shoe part defining a forward platform portion to support a skater's foot and further defining toe cap support means, and
a separately formed toe cap attached (e.g. removably) to said toe cap support means.
Such an arrangement permits toe caps of alternative shapes and forms (e.g. representing cartoon characters) to be selectively attached to the toe cap support means.
Preferably inter-engageable snap-fit means are associated with the toe cap and the toe cap support means to permit their mutual attachment in a snap-fitted manner.
According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a roller skate including
a platform to support a skater's foot,
at least one roller mounted movably with respect to the platform, and
a brake pad of frictional material attached to said platform and engageable by said roller, said brake pad being provided integrally with a projection frictionally to engage the skating surface, e.g. the ground, when the platform is tilted.
Preferably the projection is directed forwardly of the skate to constitute a so-called “toe brake”.
Preferably the skate is a training skate and the brake pad, when engaged by said roller, serves to inhibit rearward motion of the skate. member bestrides this pair of surfaces such that the latter resist laterally inward motion of the fingers and their laterally directed tabs or barbs such as to prevent disengagement of the lock members from the said other carriage.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention there is provided a fastening arrangement (preferably, but not exclusively, for a roller skate—e.g. a training roller skate), the fastening arrangement comprising:
a strap having (preferably between edges of the strap) a plurality of recesses in a major surface of the strap; and
a buckle having a body member in the form of an arched structure through which the strap is to extend and further having a pawl member disposed between said major surface of the strap—when the latter is in the buckle—and a facing wall of the body member, said pawl member having a tip end for entry into any selected one of said recesses,
characterised in that one of said members is provided with a laterally-extending element (e.g. a rib or a wall), and the other of said members is provided with a laterally-extending channel to accommodate the element and define therewith a pivot axis for the pawl member.
In one preferred arrangement the pawl member is molded of plastics material integrally with a pair of side wings that, when displaced or deformed, provide a resilient restoring force to urge the tip end of the pawl member towards said major surface and for engagement into a selected one of said recesses.
Advantageously each of side wings is provided at its free end with a depending foot to be accommodated between a side wall of the body member and an adjacent edge of the strap when the latter extends through the body member.
Preferably said fastening arrangement is incorporated in a skate, e.g. an ice skate or a roller skate (e.g. a training or a conventional two-axle roller skate or a training or a conventional in-line roller skate).
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided a training roller skate comprising a main body, rollers or wheels and mounting means therefor, wherein at least one of said wheels has a surface associated therewith provided with at least one projection or recess, said body is provided with at least one recess or projection dimensioned for mating engagement with the (or at least one of the) said surface projection or recess, and wherein the mounting means for said at least one wheel is movable selectively to effect such mating engagement—to inhibit both forwards skating and rearwards skating—and out of such mating engagement—to permit skating in at least the forwards direction.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention there is provided a roller skate comprising:
a forward carriage and a rearward carriage,
length adjustment means interconnecting the first and second carriages; and
locking means to lock the interconnected first and second carriages in a selected one of a plurality of predetermined relative positions;
wherein the locking means comprises, to each side (of the skate's longitudinal central axis):
an elongate channel having one said wall thereof formed with a plurality of slot-like openings depending from one of said carriages; and
a lock member mounted for pivoting motion on the other of said carriages, said lock member having a first finger to extend through an opening in a wall of said other carriage and abut against the opposite wall of said recess, and having a second finger to extend through the same or another opening in said carriage wall and to engage into a selected one of the slot-like openings.
Preferably the two first fingers are laterally resilient and have laterally directed tabs or barbs to resist passage of the first fingers through the first-mentioned openings.
Preferably one of said carriages has an elongate beam provided with a pair of upwardly directed surfaces and, when the said carriages are interconnected, the lock
According to a seventh aspect of this invention there is provided a fastening arrangement (preferably, but not exclusively, for a roller skate—e.g. a training roller skate), the fastening arrangement comprising a strap and a buckle releasably engageable with the strap, wherein the strap has a major surface provided with a plurality of recesses therein and the buckle comprises a pawl member mounted on a body member—through which passes the strap to be fastened—and such as to be movable into and out of an engaged state in which the pawl member is in selective engagement of one or more individual recesses, wherein one of said members is molded of plastics material integrally with at least one inherently resilient limb that is engageable of the other of said members to provide a restoring force countering disengagement of the pawl member from its said state of recess engagement.
It is considered that fastening means according to the last two mentioned aspects of the present invention may be used in a wide range of varied applications where a length-adjustable, quick-release binding is required. Such applications include luggage straps, rucksack shoulder straps, ankle straps for footwear, e.g. sandals and skates (such as roller skates and in-line skates) and toe straps for footwear, e.g. orthopaedic shoes. Preferably however, said fastening arrangement is incorporated in a skate, e.g. an ice skate or a roller skate (e.g. a training or a conventional two-axle roller skate or a training or a conventional in-line roller skate).
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
By way of example embodiments of this invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings of which:
FIG. 1
is a side view, from the left, of a right-foot training roller skate according to the present invention, an ankle strap being shown broken away,
FIG. 2
is a longitudinal section through the skate of
FIG. 1
when viewed from the right,
FIG. 3
is an enlarged perspective view of the underside of part of the front of the skate shown in
FIG. 1
,
FIG. 4
is a plan view of a portion of the front of the skate of
FIG. 1
with some parts omitted for clarity of illustration,
FIG. 5
is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the part shown in
FIG. 1
,
FIG. 6
is a cross-sectional view on the line V—V of
FIG. 5
in a first relative position of parts shown therein,
FIG. 7
is a cross-sectional view on the line V—V of
FIG. 5
in a second relative position of parts shown therein,
FIG. 8
is a cross-sectional view on the line V—V of
FIG. 5
in a third relative position of parts shown therein,
FIG. 9
is a perspective view of the underside of parts of both the front and rear of the skate (with some parts omitted for clarity of illustration),
FIG. 10
is a perspective view from above of a lock member shown in
FIG. 9
,
FIG. 11
is an underneath plan view of the parts shown in
FIG. 9
,
FIG. 12
is a cross-sectional view on the line XII—XII of
FIG. 11
,
FIG. 13
is a cross-sectional view on the line XIII—XIII of
FIG. 11
,
FIG. 14
is a perspective view of a fastening arrangement (strap and buckle) inter alia for the skate of
FIG. 1
,
FIG. 15
is a plan view of the fastening arrangement of
FIG. 14
,
FIG. 16
is a cross-sectional view on the line XVI—XVI of
FIG. 15
,
FIG. 17
is a cross-sectional view on the line VXII—XVII of
FIG. 15
FIG. 18
is a perspective view of another strap and buckle fastening arrangement inter alia for the skate of
FIG. 1
,
FIG. 19
is a plan view of the fastening arrangement of
FIG. 18
,
FIG. 20
is a cross-sectional view on the line XX—XX of
FIG. 19
,
FIG. 21
is a cross-sectional view on the XXI—XXI of
FIG. 19
,
FIG. 22
is a top perspective view of one part of the two-part buckle shown in
FIGS. 18-21
,
FIG. 23
is a top perspective of the other part of the two-part buckle shown in
FIGS. 18-21
,
FIG. 24
is a bottom perspective view of the part shown in
FIG. 23
,
FIG. 25
is a bottom perspective view of the two parts shown in
FIGS. 22-24
when coupled to one another.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLES(S) OF THE INVENTION
The illustrated roller skate
10
is a trainer roller skate comprising a front carriage
11
and a rear carriage
12
interconnected with one another by means
13
(
FIG. 9
, described below) permitting adjustment of the overall skate length and setting the skate to that adjusted length. The front carriage
11
comprises a front shoe part
14
defining a front sole plate or platform provided with a plurality of longitudinally directed parallel ribs of channels
9
to aid friction between the top platform surface and the under surface of the shoe worn by the user of the skate. The front shoe part
14
is also provided with an upturned lip
16
around its forward tip and two sides. The upturned lip
16
is integrally molded at its forward tip or toe end with a rearwardly directed tab
17
and is also integrally molded with a cross-over band
18
adjacent the rear end of shoe part
14
to interconnect the two sides of the shoe part
14
.
Each side of shoe part
14
is provided adjacent its rear end with an elongate, somewhat pear-shaped, aperture
19
. A toe cap
20
, formed as a separate molding, is snap-fitted into the open cavity formed by the upturned lip
16
and cross-over band
18
of shoe part
14
. For this, the toe cap
20
is provided at its forward end with an elongate slot to receive fittingly the shoe part's rearwardly directed tab
17
. The toe cap
20
is also provided at its sides with rearwardly directed fingers
21
that are inherently resilient and urged laterally outwardly of the toe cap
20
, the external surface of each finger
21
being formed with an elongate, somewhat pear-shaped tab
22
corresponding to the shape of apertures
19
in the shoe part
14
. The inherent resiliency of the toe cap's integrally molded fingers
21
urges their tabs
22
into snap-fitting engagement of the shoe part's apertures
19
whereby, with forward tab
17
and cross-over band
18
, the toe cap
20
is held captive in and by the shoe part
14
. Nevertheless, the toe cap
20
can be readily removed, for interchange with one having a different colour and/or surface formation in either two-dimensional or three-dimensional form (e.g. portraying a cartoon character). Such interchange is readily achieved by simply depressing the fingers
21
inwards and pulling the toe cap
20
rearwardly out of the shoe part
14
.
The underside of shoe part
14
is integrally molded with a depending boss
24
that extends through a bore in a brake pad
25
. The brake pad
25
is molded of frictional plastics material to provide, on each side, an arcuate frictional surface
26
(
FIG. 3
) for braking engagement of the roller skate's front wheels (in a manner to be described below). The brake pad
25
is also provided, at the front, with a forwardly and downwardly directed integral projection
28
for braking engagement of the skating surface (e.g. the ground or a shaped skating structure supported thereon), such braking engagement being achieved when the skater tilts the skate. The one-piece molding of brake pad
25
, to provide the braking surfaces
26
and
28
for the two different functions of wheel braking and of conventional skate braking, reduces the skate's manufacturing and assembly costs.
A molded carrier assembly
30
for the front axle
32
is mounted beneath the front shoe part
14
. The carrier assembly
30
comprises an axle carrier
40
(
FIG. 4
) disposed within an outer housing
34
that is attached to the shoe part
14
. Such attachment is by a pair of laterally spaced rear screws
37
and by a single front screw
38
(FIG.
2
). The head of front screw
38
sits within an integrally molded boss
39
that is in axial alignment with the boss
24
depending from the underside of shoe part
14
, and the one front screw
38
serves to interconnect and retain together the shoe part
14
, the carrier assembly
30
and the dual function brake pad
25
.
Each of the side walls
33
of outer housing
34
is provided with an elongate horizontal slot
35
having semi-circular ends, the two slots
35
being in registry with one another in side view. The front axle
32
extends through the two slots
35
and also through a vertical slot
41
in the side walls
42
of the axle carrier
40
. The overlying slots
35
,
41
to each side of the skate functionally serve as bearings that locate the axle
32
in a position (relative to the outer housing
34
) that is set or determined by the position of the inner axle carrier
40
in relation to the housing
34
.
The axle carrier
40
is mounted in housing
34
such as to be slidable therein in an inclined forwards and rearwards direction (as shown by arrow B in FIG.
5
), the limits of such motion being at least in part defined by the semi-circular ends of the two slots
35
in housing
34
. A low force, coiled compression spring
44
acts between a main rear wall
31
a
of housing
34
and an upper rear wall
43
a
of axle carrier
40
to urge the carrier
40
forwardly. A control knob
45
molded of plastics material is mounted for rotation in a circular-aperture
47
the bottom under surface of the carrier assembly's housing
34
. Control knob
45
is molded integrally with an arrow-like rib on its outer surface to provide an indicator of its angular position and has an integrally molded cam member
46
located eccentrically of its inner surface. The eccentric cam member
46
has a predominantly three-lobed surface offset from the rotational axis of knob
45
and is positioned between, and to be engageable with, a lower rear wall
43
b
and a lower forward wall
43
c
of the axle carrier
40
. In this way rotation of the control knob
45
in the directions indicated by arrows A controls the forward and aft position of the axle
32
and controls its movability to those fore and aft positions indicated by the arrows E in
FIGS. 3 and 4
.
The front axle
32
has a front roller or wheel
50
mounted on each axle end. Each wheel
50
is molded of plastics material and has a laterally outermost rolling surface
52
to engage the skating surface (e.g. the ground). Laterally inwards of rolling surface
52
, each front wheel has a stepped hub
55
providing a laterally innermost surface
54
and an intermediate surface
56
of diameter less than that of rolling surface
52
but greater than that of surface
54
. The surface
56
is randomly roughened or provided with a plurality of specific surfacial disturbances, e.g. in the form of surface knurling, ribs, or (as is preferred) axially directed narrow and wide grooves
57
. These grooves
57
provide a good frictional reaction when, to effect wheel braking, the wheel surfaces
56
are brought into contact with the arcuate surfaces
26
of the positionally fixed braking pad
25
(see FIG.
3
).
The laterally innermost surface
54
of each front wheel
50
is provided with a plurality of axially directed slots or notches
58
—preferably, in this embodiment, staggered radially from the grooves
57
of braking surface
56
. The notches
58
are for engagement by motion lock means
60
(see
FIG. 3
) provided on each side wall of housing
34
. The motion lock means
60
comprises a pair of arcuately spaced pins or dog teeth
62
directed laterally outwards of each housing wall
33
, these dog teeth
62
being fittingly engageable into two of the wheel notches
58
when axle
32
is moved rearwardly to bring the wheel
50
into engagement of the wheel surface
54
and its notches
58
.
With the control knob
45
in a first rotary position (A), the cam member
46
is positioned as shown in FIG.
6
and fully occupies the space between walls
43
b
and
43
c
so as to provide zero clearance between them. The degree of offset of the eccentric cam is such that, in this position for the control knob
45
, the front axle
32
is held, on each skate side, in a fixed position midway between the two semi-circular ends of slot
35
. In this fixed or locked axle position, the two wheels
50
at the axle ends are free of engagement both of the brake pad's arcuate frictional surface
26
and of the dog teeth
62
. Thus the roller skate can be used for both forward and rearward skating.
With the control knob
45
in a second rotary position (B), the cam member
46
is positioned as shown in
FIG. 7
in which the axle carrier
40
can float freely or move forwardly and rearwardly by a limited clearance C (e.g. of approximately 2 or 3 mm) defined by the distance between walls
43
b
and
43
c
minus the distance across the cam
46
(in this position) through the axis of the control knob
45
.
Normally, with the cam
46
in the position of FIG.
7
and during forwards skating motion, the forwards rolling motion of wheels
50
urges the front wheels rearwardly to bring the axle carrier's lower rear wall
43
c
into engagement of the cam
46
so that all of the clearance C is located forwardly of the cam, i.e. between it and the wall
43
b.
However, if—with the cam in this same position—the skater attempts to skate backwards, the reverse rolling motion of wheels
50
automatically urges the front wheels
50
and axle
32
forwardly of the skate and moves the axle carrier
40
in a forwards direction. Such forwards motion—which is permitted by the elongate slots
35
in side walls
33
of housing
34
—continues until the braking surfaces of the two front wheels
50
engage against surfaces
26
defined by the two arcuate overhanging wings of braking pad
25
. It is the frictional engagement between surfaces
26
,
56
that inhibits rearward skating, and it will be appreciated that such engagement is automatically induced immediately upon commencement of any rearwards skating.
To assist in frictional engagement, the arcuate surface
26
on each skate side may be provided with a pair of laterally directed ribs
67
(
FIG. 3
) that tend to engage positively into two of the grooves
57
providing the frictional surfacial disturbances for surface
56
. Furthermore, the arcuate surface
26
is positioned to be forwardly and upwardly eccentric with respect to the axis of axle
32
(in its forward position) such as to tend to lock the surface
56
into the narrowing space between it and the surface
26
.
With the control knob
45
in the third rotary-position (C), the cam member
46
is positioned as shown in FIG.
8
and again fully occupies the space between walls
43
b
and
43
c
so as to provide zero clearance between them. However in this knob position, the distance from wall
43
b
to the rotational axis of knob
45
is less than in the first rotary position (A) of FIG.
6
. Accordingly, the axle carrier
40
is pulled rearwardly to a position in which two notches
58
in the surface
54
of each wheel
50
come into interfitting “dog clutch”engagement of the two teeth
62
provided on the associated side wall
33
of housing
34
. In this positively engaged condition, rotary motion of the front wheels
50
is prevented in each rotational direction so that skating motion is inhibited both in a forwards direction and in a rearwards direction.
The rotary knob
45
is easy to operate (and is considered easier to use than a click-stopped adjusting slide of the prior art). In addition, its camming action controls the relative position of the wheels
50
such that the condition of forwards only motion of the skate, (i.e. inhibited rearwards motion) is without any ratcheting or like noise.
The skate length adjusting means
13
comprises a beam
63
of generally rectangular cross-section (see also
FIGS. 9-13
) that is telescopically slidable in a bore
73
of mating rectangular cross-section molded in a rear shoe part
74
of the rear carriage
12
, and the two telescoping parts
63
,
73
are locked in any desired one of a plurality of relative positions by a lock member
70
. The beam is integral with, and extends rearwardly of, the front shoe part
14
of front carriage
11
. The beam
63
has a planar top surface
64
and, perpendicular thereto, two outer side walls
66
. The latter have planar exterior surfaces but inner surfaces that are provided with a plurality of inwardly facing, vertically directed ribs
68
that define open-ended vertical slots or channels
65
. Advantageously, as shown, the ribs
68
are equi-spaced longitudinally of the beam
63
and define equi-spaced vertical slots or channels
65
. The beam
63
is molded additionally to provide, on its underside, an integral elongate reinforcing element
69
of generally rectangular cross-section, the sides
61
of element
69
being parallel to and spaced from the bight surfaces of the vertical slots or channels
65
.
The lock member
70
is molded of plastics material to provide a bowed plate
72
integral with a pair of locking limbs
75
that extend away from the concave side of bowed plate
72
, a similarly extending pair of longer, part-arcuate, retainer limbs
80
, and with a pair of rearwardly directed limbs
76
having an undercut notch
77
(FIG.
10
). A pair of elongate openings
78
(
FIG. 9
) are provided in the bottom wall
71
of the rear shoe part
74
. The two pairs of limbs
75
,
80
of the lock member
70
can extend through the openings
78
to project into the bore
73
as the lock member
70
is pivoted about an axis defined by the engagement of each undercut notch
77
with a forward end
79
of its associated opening
78
.
The locking limbs
75
are of generally rectangular cross-section and dimensioned to fit snugly into a selected slot or channel
65
in the beam
63
(see FIG.
12
). The transverse end surface
75
a
of each limb
75
is inclined such that it can slide over, and/or displace slightly, a rib
68
in the event that the slot
65
is not fully aligned with the path of movement of the limb
75
. This inclined end surface
75
a
not only serves to provide a chamfered lead into the selected slot or channel
65
, but also provides a clearance (when the lock member
70
is pivoted to the open position) for the beam
63
to move longitudinally of the bore
73
during skate length adjustment.
The retainer limbs
80
serve to retain the lock member
70
to the rear shoe part
74
and limit its pivotal motion about the pivot provided by inter-engaged features
77
,
79
. To this end each limb
80
is provided with an end tab or barb
81
directed laterally outwards, and with a similarly directed (but to a lesser extent) intermediate tab or barb
82
.
When, with the beam
63
of front carriage
11
fully withdrawn or removed from bore
73
, the lock member
70
is initially fitted pivotally (via interengaged features
77
,
79
as already described) to the rear carriage
12
, the retainer limbs
80
flex resiliently in a laterally inwards direction to permit each of the barbs
81
,
82
to pass through openings
78
and snap back behind the bottom wall
71
of the rear shoe part
74
. The retainer limbs
80
thereby occupy the space between the beam-integral reinforcing element
69
and the facing vertical edges of the slot-defining ribs
68
, and the planar inner surfaces of the retainer limbs
80
thereby fit snugly and slidingly against the side surfaces
61
of the reinforcing element
69
.
When the beam
63
is then slid into the rear shoe part's bore
73
, the limbs
80
extending from bowed plate
72
adopt a position in which they bestride (snuggly and fittingly) the reinforcing element
69
which then prevents the free ends of the retainer limbs
80
from flexing inwards. The reinforcing element
69
thus prevents the tabs or barbs
81
on limbs
80
from being pulled out through the elongate openings
78
when the bowed plate
72
is pivoted away from bottom wall
71
, e.g. to adjust the skate's overall length. In other words the co-operable parts
69
,
80
and
81
serve to retain the manually operable lock member
70
pivotably movable with respect to the skate but nevertheless held against full removal therefrom.
However, since the lateral extent of the tabs or barbs
82
is less than the lateral extent of the tabs or barbs
81
, the tabs or barbs
82
can still snap past the bounding edge of each elongate opening
78
as the lock member
70
is pivoted towards or away from the bottom wall
71
of rear shoe part
74
. It will be appreciated that when lock member
70
is pivoted towards the bottom wall
71
, the tabs or barbs
82
snap through to lie immediately behind the wall
71
and thus serve to resist return opening (i.e. pivoting away from wall
71
) of lock member
70
. These tabs or barbs
82
of lock member
70
thus serve to retain the locking limbs
75
in engaged condition with the selected pair (one to each side of the skate) of the slots or channels
65
(see
FIGS. 12
,
13
). It will also be appreciated that when the lock member
70
is forcibly pivoted away from bottom wall
71
, the tabs or barbs
82
are forcibly pulled (in snap-like fashion) through the openings
78
and the locking limbs
75
are simultaneously withdrawn out from their engagement of the slots or channels
65
. The overall length of the skate can then be varied to that desired and can then be locked in the (revised) adjusted position by returning the locking member
70
to its closed position, i.e. pivoting it back towards the bottom wall
71
and forcing the barbs
82
back through the openings
78
.
As best seen in
FIG. 2
, the rear skate carriage
12
comprises rear shoe part
74
with a flexible boot
73
therein held to the shoe part
74
by a tread plate
83
attached thereto by screws
84
.
The illustrated roller skate
10
also comprises a strap and buckle arrangement (
FIGS. 14-17
) to provide a fastening for the skate around the front of a user's ankle. The arrangements's strap
85
is molded of plastics material integral with one side of the rear shoe part
74
and such as to provide its upper surface with a plurality of recesses
86
of uniform rectangular cross-section (with their longer side length transverse to the longitudinal extent of the strap
85
). The arrangement's buckle
90
—with which the strap
85
co-operates—is attached to the other side of the rear shoe part
74
.
The buckle
90
comprises two separate parts
88
and
92
. Part
88
is a housing molded of plastics material to provide a bottom wall
94
, two side walls
96
, and a top wall
98
(the opposed ends of housing
88
being open for the strap
85
to pass through). Part
92
is a plastics-molded pawl member located for pivotal motion within housing
88
.
The housing
88
is fastened, e.g. by a rivet
91
through a hole
93
in bottom wall
94
(FIG.
1
), to an upper lobe-like extension of said other side of the rear shoe part
74
. The bottom wall
94
may have a slightly concave outer face to facilitate its pivotal movement about the fastener's axis. The internal face of bottom wall
94
is integrally provided with a pair of upstanding resilient limbs
99
that serve to permit the snap-fitted insertion of pawl member
92
longitudinally into the housing
88
from one of its open ends, and restrain its subsequent removal. The top wall
98
of housing
88
is of substantially smaller dimension than the bottom wall
94
, and is provided internally with a transverse rib
100
of generally rectangular cross-section.
This rib
100
sits within a channel-like groove
102
in the pawl member
92
, the groove
102
being of similar rectangular cross-section—preferably of marginally greater width than the width of rib
100
. The co-operation between rib
100
and groove
102
defines a pivotal axis for the pawl member
92
—even although there is no specific axle for such pivoting motion.
The pawl member
92
is molded of plastics material integrally with a depending tip
106
to engage a selected recess
86
of the strap
85
, and also with a pair of outwardly splayed side wings
104
(
FIG. 16
) that are provided with short, downwardly directed fingers
108
at the free ends of the wings. With the pawl member
92
snap-fit inserted into housing
88
, the fingers
108
engage the housing's bottom wall
94
and they (plus the wings
104
) support the pawl member in position with its top groove
102
accommodating the housing's integral rib
100
.
These wings
104
are inherently resilient and, when a user manually presses down the smooth, upper operating surface
105
of pawl member
92
(located to the opposite side of rib
100
to the pawl tip
106
), the pawl member
92
executes a pivot-like motion about the interengaged rectangular-section features
100
,
102
(see
FIG. 17
) and its tip
106
rises and disengages from engaged strap recess
86
—such motion being against the restoring force provided by the resilient wings
104
provided integrally with the pawl member
92
. It will be appreciated that the production and assembly of such a two-part buckle (having no separate axle and no separate restoring spring) is very economical.
In an alternative arrangement the illustrated roller skate
10
may comprise the somewhat different strap and buckle fastening arrangement
180
of
FIGS. 18-25
to provide a fastening for the skate around the front of a user's ankle. The fastening arrangement
180
likewise provides a quick-release, length-adjustable fastening arrangement comprising a strap
185
and a two-part buckle
190
.
The arrangement's strap
185
is molded of plastics material integral with or otherwise attached to one of the two parts to be fastened together. The upper surface of strap
185
is molded—at least adjacent its leading end
183
—with a plurality of recesses
186
each extending laterally of the strap and each of uniform flat-bottomed trapezium-shaped cross-section. The length of each recess
186
(directed transversely of the strap) is less than the strap's width so as to leave to each side of the strap a non-recessed flat-surfaced selvedge
187
.
The arrangement's buckle
190
—with which the strap
185
co-operates—comprises two separate parts
188
and
192
. Part
188
is a housing molded of plastics material to provide a bottom wall
194
, two side walls
196
, and a top wall
198
(the opposed ends of housing
188
being open for the strap
185
to pass through). Part
192
is a separate pawl member located for rocking or pivotal motion within housing
188
.
The housing
188
has a hole
93
in its bottom wall
194
and a rivet (not shown) through hole
193
pivotably attaches the housing
188
of buckle
190
to the other of the two parts that are to be releasably fastened to one another by the fastening arrangement
180
. The housing's bottom wall
194
may have a slightly concave outer face to facilitate its pivotal movement about the rivet's axis, and may be molded with a depending protuberance
195
to provide a reaction point against forces tending to uncouple the fastening.
In addition, this bottom wall
194
is integrally provided with a pair of upstanding resilient limbs
199
that serve to permit the snap-fitted insertion of pawl member
192
longitudinally into the housing
188
from one of its open ends, and restrain its subsequent removal. These resilient limbs
199
also provide a restoring force on the pawl member
192
when the latter is manually depressed and urged out of its latching engagement of a recess
186
of strap
185
.
The top wall
198
of housing
188
is of substantially smaller dimension than the bottom wall
194
, and is of generally arcuate form, this arrangement limiting strains within the plastics material molding and providing for a more robust structure. This top wall
198
sits within a channel-like groove
202
in the pawl member
192
, the groove
202
being of similar arcuate form—preferably of marginally greater width than the width of top wall
198
(see FIGS.
9
and
10
). The co-operation between top wall
198
and groove
202
defines a pivotal or rocking ‘axis’ for the pawl member
192
—even although there is no specific axle for such pivoting or rocking motion.
The pawl member
192
is molded of plastics material integrally with a depending tip
206
to engage a selected recess
186
of the strap
185
, and also with a pair of downwardly directed side limbs
204
each provided internally with a step or shoulder
203
(
FIG. 11
) for abutting engagement of a horizontally directed tab-like finger
208
at the free end of each limb
199
of the buckle's housing part
188
(see encircled portion ‘A’ in FIG.
8
). With the pawl member
192
snap-fit inserted into housing
188
with its top groove
202
accommodating the housing's top wall
198
and with its side limbs
204
encompassing and guiding the side edges of the strap
185
(when the latter is inserted into the buckle), the fingers
208
engage the steps or shoulders
203
such that they act as stops to rocking movement of the pawl member
192
and prevent it trapping the strap
185
.
Furthermore, as indicated above, the limbs
199
are inherently resilient and, when a user manually presses down the substantially smooth, upper operating surface
205
of pawl member
192
(located to the opposite side of top wall
198
to the pawl tip
206
), the pawl member
192
executes a pivot-like motion about the interengaged projection-and-channel features
198
,
202
(see
FIG. 7
) and its tip
206
rises and disengages from the engaged strap recess
186
. This motion is against the restoring force provided by the resilient limbs
199
which are molded integrally with the housing part
188
. The inter-relationship between these resilient limbs
199
, the inclined interior face of the housing part
188
and the pawl member
192
is such that the pawl member
192
is correctly held in a generally flat attitude within the housing part
188
, the limbs
199
holding the pawl member
192
within the housing part
188
both when the strap
185
extends through the housing part
188
and when that strap is absent.
It will be appreciated that the production and assembly of a two-part buckle
90
or
190
(having no separate axle and no separate restoring spring) is very economical.
It will further be appreciated that the fastening arrangement
80
(of strap
85
and buckle
90
) and the fastening arrangement
180
(of strap
185
and buckle
190
) can each be provided otherwise than as described above. It may be provided to hold a person's ankle in a different footwear article, for example a different training two-axle roller skate, a conventional two-axle roller skate or a training or conventional in-line roller skate, or at the toe of a skate (e.g. to replace cross-over band
18
, where it and toe cap
20
are omitted), or as part of some other footwear article (e.g. to provide for adjustable width, say, on an article of orthopaedic footwear). Indeed, it is considered that a fastening arrangement such as
80
or
180
might be applied to many situations (including non-footwear articles) where a conventional buckle and strap fastening is required or has hitherto been employed.
It will thus be appreciated that the present invention is not limited to the particular embodiments illustrated and that other modifications and embodiments of the invention, which will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, are to be deemed within the ambit and scope of the invention. For example, the housing
88
or
188
may be attached in a fixed, non-pivotal manner, to the part to which the strap
85
or
185
is to be releasably fastened. Alternatively, the buckle
90
or
190
may be provided at one end of the strap
85
or
185
, remote from the end having recesses
86
or
186
to be engaged by the buckle's pawl member, so that the strap and its attached buckle can be used as a free-standing wrap-around binding. Alternatively or additionally the recesses
86
in the strap
85
may alternatively be of saw-tooth or trapezoidal cross-section (rather than the uniform rectangular cross-section illustrated).
The skate itself may also be varied (without departing from the scope and ambit of the invention). For example, the dog teeth
62
of the skate may be replaced by a frictional pad to inhibit forward (and rearward) skate motion.
It will thus be appreciated that the particular embodiment(s) hereinbefore described may be varied in construction and detail, e.g. interchanging (where appropriate or desired) different features of each, without departing from the scope of the patent monopoly claimed.
Claims
- 1. A training roller skate comprising rollers or wheels and mounting means therefor, and further comprising motion inhibiting means for contacting a surface associated with at least one of said wheels to inhibit its rotary motion, characterised in that the mounting means for said one wheel is movable to permit contact between said wheel associated surface and the motion inhibiting means, and wherein said mounting means is operably associated with setting means selectively settable to a first positional setting and a second positional setting, wherein setting of the setting means in said first positional setting constrains said mounting means to a first position out of said contact and wherein setting of the setting means in said second positional setting permits said contact to occur in use automatically upon a user's attempt to skate backward.
- 2. A training roller skate according to claim 1 wherein said mounting means is movable in a direction transverse to the wheel axis.
- 3. A training roller skate according to claim 1 wherein said setting means is addittionally settable to a third positional setting in which rotation of the wheels inhibited in both direction such as to inhibit both forwards skating and rearwards skating.
- 4. A training roller skate according to claim 1 wherein a platform is provided to support a skater's foot, said mounting means includes a carrier member carrying an axle upon which said one wheel is mounted, and the skate comprises means mounting the carrier member for relative movement with respect to the platform.
- 5. A training roller skate according to claim 1 and further comprising:a front shoe part defining a forward platform portion to support a skater's foot and further defining toe cap support means; and a separately formed toe cap attached to said toe cap support means.
- 6. A training roller skate according to claim 1 includinga platform to support a skater's foot, at least one roller mounted movably with respect to the platform, and a brake pad of frictional material attached to said platform and engageable by said roller, said brake pad being provided integrally with a projection frictionally to engage the skating surface when the platform is tilted.
- 7. A training roller skate according to claim 1, the skate comprising a main body, rollers or wheels and mounting means therefor, wherein at least one of said wheels has a surface associated therewith provided with at least one projection or recess, said body is provided with at least one recess or projection dimensioned for mating engagement with at least one of the said surface projection or recess, and wherein the mounting means for said at least one wheel is movable selectively to effect such mating engagement—to inhibit both forwards skating and rearwards skating—and out of such mating engagement—to permit skating in at least the forwards direction.
- 8. A training roller skate according to claim 1 and comprising:a forward carriage and a rearward carriage, length adjustment means interconnecting the first and second carriages; and locking means to lock the interconnected first and second carriages in a selected one of a plurality of predetermined relative positions; wherein the locking means comprises, to each side (of the skate's longitudinal central axis): an elongate channel having one said wall thereof formed with a plurality of slot openings depending from one of said carriages; and a lock member mounted for pivoting motion on the other of said carriages, said lock member having a first finger to extend through an opening in a wall of said other carriage and abut against the opposite wall of said recess, and having a second finger to extend through the same or another opening in said carriage wall and to engage into a selected one of the slot openings.
- 9. A training roller skate according to claim 1 incorporating a fastening arrangement comprising:a strap having (preferably between edges of the strap) a plurality of recesses in a major surface of the strap; and a buckle having a body member in the form of an arched structure through which the strap is to extend and further having a pawl member disposed between said major surface of the strap—when the latter is in the buckle—and a facing wall of the body member, said pawl member having a tip end for entry into any selected one of said recesses, characterised in that one of said members is provided with a laterally-extending element (e.g. a rib or a wall), and the other of said members is provided with a laterally-extending channel to accommodate the element and define therewith a pivot axis for the pawl member.
- 10. A training roller skate according to claim 1 incorporating a fastening arrangement comprising:a strap and a buckle releasably engageable with the strap, wherein the strap has a major surface provided with a plurality of recesses therein and the buckle comprises a pawl member mounted on a body member—through which passes the strap to be fastened—and such as to be movable into and out of an engaged state in which the pawl member is in selective engagement of one or more individual recesses, wherein one of said members is molded of plastics material integrally with at least one inherently resilient limb that is engageable of the other of said members to provide a restoring force countering disengagement of the pawl member from its said state of recess engagement.
- 11. A training roller skate according to claim 3 comprising first and second motion inhibition means, the first motion inhibition means being engageable by said wheel associated surface when the setting means occupies said second position, and the second motion inhibition means being engageable by at least one wheel surface when the setting means occupies said third position.
- 12. A training roller skate according to claim 4 wherein said mounting means mount the carrier member for relative movement with respect to the platform in a direction transverse to the axis of said axle.
- 13. A training roller skate according to claim 4 wherein the setting means includes a rotatably mounted control element having an eccentric cam member engageble with a part of said carrier member such as to position and/or effect location of the axle carrying carrier member as aforesaid.
- 14. A training roller skate according to claim 5 wherein inter-engageable snap-fit means are associated with the toe cap and the toe cap support means to permit their mutual attachment in a snap-fitted manner.
- 15. A training roller skate according to claim 6 wherein the brake pad, when engaged by said roller, serves to inhibit rearward motion of the skate.
- 16. A training roller skate according to claim 11 wherein the first motion inhibition means comprises a pad of frictional material.
- 17. A training roller skate according to claim 11 wherein a platform is provided to support a skater's foot, said mounting means includes a carrier member carrying an axle upon which the said at least one wheel is mounted, the skate comprises means mounting the carrier member for relative movement with respect to the platform, and wherein the setting means is operable on the carrier member to position the axle, in said third position, for engagement of said at least one surface by the second motion inhibition means only.
- 18. A training roller skate according to claim 11 wherein a platform is provided to support a skater's foot, said mounting means includes a carrier member carrying an axle upon which said one wheel is mounted, the skate comprises means mounting the carrier member for relative movement with respect to the platform, and wherein the-setting means is operable on the carrier member to position the axle, in said third position, for engagement of said at least one surface by both the first and second motion inhibition means.
- 19. A training roller skate according to claim 17 wherein the pad has an arcuate surface engageable by said wheel associated surface.
- 20. A training roller skate according to claim 17 wherein the pad comprises an integral projection directed forwardly of the skate to provide a toe brake” that can engage the skating surface when in use the skate is tilted.
- 21. A training roller skate according to claim 18 wherein said second motion inhibition means comprises a dog tooth clutch arrangement comprising a positionally fixed tooth engageable in one of a plurality of slots provided in the outer surface of a hub of one said wheel.
- 22. A training roller skate according to claim 19 wherein the second motion inhibition means comprises a friction pad.
- 23. A training roller skate according to claim 21 wherein a pair of such dog teeth are provided, one to each side of the trainer roller skates, to be engageable as aforesaid with a hub of each said wheel.
- 24. A roller skate comprising:a forward carriage and a rearward carriage, length adjustment means interconnecting the first and second carriages; and locking means to lock the interconnected first and second carriages in a selected one of a plurality of predetermined relative positions; wherein the locking means comprises, to each side of the skates's longitudinal central axis: an elongate channel having one side wall thereof formed with a plurality of slot openings depending from one of said carriages; and a lock member mounted for pivoting motion on the other of said carriages, said lock member having a first finger to extend through an opening in a bottom wall of said other carriage and abut against an opposite side wall of said channel, and having a second finger to extend through the same or another opening in said carriage bottom wall and to engage into a selected one of the slot openings.
- 25. A training roller skate according to claim 24 incorporating a fastening arrangement comprising:a strap and a buckle releasably engageable with the strap, wherein the strap has a major surface provided with a plurality of recesses therein and the buckle comprises a pawl member mounted on a body member—through which passes the strap to be fastened—and such as to be movable into and out of an engaged state in which the pawl member is in selective engagement with one or more individual recesses, wherein one of said pawl member and said body member is molded of plastics material integrally with at least one inherently resilient limb that is engageable with the other of said pawl member and said body member to provide a restoring force countering disengagement of the pawl member from its said state of recess engagement.
- 26. A training roller skate according to claim 24 incorporating a fastening arrangement comprising:a strap having (preferably between edges of the strap) a plurality of recesses in a major surface of the strap; and a buckle having a body member in the form of an arched structure through which the strap is to extend and further having a pawl member disposed between said major surface of the strap—when the latter is in the buckle—and a facing wall of the body member, said pawl member having a tip end for entry into any selected one of said recesses, characterised in that one of said members is provided with a laterally-extending element (e.g. a rib or a wall), and the other of said members is provided with a laterally-extending channel to accommodate the element and define therewith a pivot axis for the pawl member.
- 27. A roller skate according to claim 24 wherein the two first fingers are laterally resilient and have laterally directed tabs or barbs to resist passage of the first fingers through the first-mentioned openings.
- 28. A roller skate according to claim 27 wherein one of said carriages has an elongate beam provided with a pair of upwardly directed surfaces and, when the said carriages are interconnected, the lock member bestrides this pair of surfaces such that the latter resist laterally inward motion of the fingers and their laterally directed tabs or barbs such as to prevent disengagement of the lock members from the said other carriage.
- 29. A training roller skate apparatus comprising rollers or wheels and mounting means therefor, and further comprising motion inhibiting means for contacting a surface associated with at least one of said wheels to inhibit its rotary motion, characterized in that the mounting means for said one wheel is moveable to permit contact between the wheel associated surface and the motion inhibiting means, and the roller skate further including a front shoe part defining a forward platform portion to support a skater's foot and further defining an enclosure having an inside and an outside and to accommodate, on the inside, a skater's toes; said enclosure comprising toe cap support means having an aperture therein, and the apparatus including a plurality of separately formed toe caps each provided with different decorative indicia, a selected one of said separately formed toe caps being snap-fittingly attached from inside of the enclosure to said toe cap support means such as to extend across and close said aperture in fixed position and without protruding therethrough and thus to present the decorative indicia of said selected one toe cap to be viewed in said aperture when viewed from outside the enclosure.
- 30. A training roller skate comprising rollers or wheels and mounting means therefor, and further comprising motion inhibiting means for contacting a surface associated with at least one of said wheels to inhibit its rotary motion,the mounting means for said one wheel being movable to prevent contact between the wheel associated surface and the motion inhibiting means, and further comprising: a forward carriage and a rearward carriage, length adjustment means interconnecting the forward and rearward carriage, locking means for locking the interconnected forward and rearward carriages in a selected one of a plurality of predetermined relative positions, the locking means comprising to each side of a longitudinal central axis of the skate: an elongate channel having one side wall formed with a plurality of slot openings depending from one of said carriages, and a lock member mounted for pivoting motion on the other of said carriages, said lock member having a first finger to extend through an opening in a bottom wall of said other carriage and abut against an opposite side wall of said channel, and having a second finger to extend through the same or another opening in said carriage bottom wall and to engage into a selected one of the slot openings.
- 31. A roller skate, comprising:a platform to support a skater's foot, at least one roller mounted movably with respect to the platform, a brake pad of frictional material attached to said platform and engageable by said roller, the brake pad being provided integrally with a projection frictionally to engage the skating surface when the platform is tilted, the roller skate further including a forward carriage and a rearward carriage, length adjustment means interconnecting the forward and rearward carriages, and locking means to lock the interconnected forward and rearward carriages in a selected one of a plurality of predetermined relative positions, and wherein the locking means comprises, to each side of a longitudinal central skate axis: an elongate channel having one side wall formed with a plurality of slot openings depending from one of said carriages, and a lock member mounted for pivoting motion on the other of said carriages, the lock member having a first finger to extend through an opening in a bottom wall of said other carriage and abut against an opposite side wall of said channel, and having a second finger to extend through the same or another opening in said carriage bottom wall and to engage into a selected one of the slot openings.
Priority Claims (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
9814741 |
Jul 1998 |
GB |
|
9824943 |
Nov 1998 |
GB |
|
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