Claims
- 1. A wheel for an in-line roller skate, the wheel having an outer, peripheral surface comprising first and second adjacent portions extending about the wheel,the first portion comprising a first material, and the second portion comprising a second material having a lower coefficient of friction than the first material and arranged in multiple, discrete regions spaced apart about the circumference of the wheel to define a series of alternating spaces therebetween, the discrete regions of second material arranged such that the proportion of the peripheral surface of the wheel formed of second material decreases toward said first portion, to provide variable traction as a function of wheel angle.
- 2. The wheel of claim 1 wherein said second portion is comprised of said first material with said discrete regions of second material surrounded by said first material occupying said alternating spaces.
- 3. The wheel of claim 1 wherein said first and second materials have about the same hardness.
- 4. The wheel of claim 3 wherein the hardnesses of both the first and second materials are between about 75 and 95 Shore A.
- 5. The wheel of claim 1, wherein said discrete regions of second material are equally spaced about the entire circumference of the wheel.
- 6. The wheel of claim 1 wherein the first material has a coefficient of friction of about 0.45 to 1.5, and the second material has a coefficient of friction of about 0.1 to 0.45.
- 7. The wheel of claim 1, wherein said high friction surface material comprises a castable thermoset polymer resin containing an isocyanate-reactive functional group, and said low friction surface material comprises a thermoplastic polymer resin containing an isocyanate-reactive functional group.
- 8. The wheel of claim 1, wherein said wheel comprisesa hub; a ring of said first material molded about the hub; and a series of floating insets of said second material within the ring of first material, the floating insets having inner ends spaced apart from the hub, and outer ends defining said discrete regions of second material at the peripheral surface of the wheel.
- 9. The wheel of claim 8 wherein said floating insets extend over at least half the radial distance from the peripheral surface of the wheel to the hub.
- 10. The wheel of claim 9 wherein the insets are angled with respect to the wheel radius.
- 11. The wheel of claim 1 wherein the discrete regions of second material are tapered, as viewed end-on, and oriented such that the taper narrows with distance from the center of the wheel.
- 12. A wheel for an in-line roller skate, the wheel having a peripheral surface and comprisinga hub; a high friction material molded about the hub; and multiple pieces of a low friction material molded as individual floating insets within the high friction material, the insets forming discrete areas of low friction material arranged about a skating portion of the peripheral surface of the wheel; wherein said low and high friction materials have about the same hardness.
- 13. The wheel of claim 12 wherein the hardnesses of both the low and high friction materials are between about 75 and 95 Shore A.
- 14. The wheel of claim 12 wherein said discrete areas of low friction material are equally spaced about the entire circumference of the wheel.
- 15. The wheel of claim 12 wherein the high friction material comprises a castable thermoset polyurethane and the low friction material comprises a thermoplastic polyurethane, the low and high friction materials being durably joined by covalent bonds.
- 16. The wheel of claim 12 wherein the peripheral surface of the wheel includes a braking portion adjacent said skating portion, the braking portion being substantially void of said low friction material.
- 17. A wheel for an in-line roller skate, the wheel having an outer, peripheral surface comprising first and second adjacent portions extending about the wheel,the first portion comprising a first material, and the second portion comprising a second material having a lower coefficient of friction than the first material and arranged in discrete regions, the discrete regions of second material arranged such that the proportion of the peripheral surface of the wheel formed of second material decreases toward said first portion, to provide variable traction as a function of wheel angle, wherein said first and second materials have about the same hardness.
- 18. A wheel for an in-line roller skate, the wheel having an outer, peripheral surface comprising first and second adjacent portions extending about the wheel,the first portion comprising a first material, and the second portion comprising a second material having a lower coefficient of friction than the first material and arranged in discrete regions, the discrete regions of second material arranged such that the proportion of the peripheral surface of the wheel formed of second material decreases toward said first portion, to provide variable traction as a function of wheel angle, wherein said wheel comprises a hub; a ring of said first material molded about the hub; and a series of floating insets of said second material within the ring of first material, the floating insets having inner ends spaced apart from the hub, and outer ends defining said discrete regions of second material at the peripheral surface of the wheel.
- 19. A wheel for an in-line roller skate, the wheel having an outer, peripheral surface comprising first and second adjacent portions extending about the wheel,the first portion comprising a first material, and the second portion comprising a second material having a lower coefficient of friction than the first material and arranged in discrete regions, the discrete regions of second material arranged such that the proportion of the peripheral surface of the wheel formed of second material decreases toward said first portion, to provide variable traction as a function of wheel angle, wherein the discrete regions of second material are tapered, as viewed end-on, and oriented such that the taper narrows with distance from the center of the wheel.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continustion of Ser. No. 08/730,469 filed Oct. 11, 1996 now Pat. No. 5,829,757.
US Referenced Citations (12)
Foreign Referenced Citations (3)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0 714 682 A2 |
Jun 1996 |
EP |
WO 9620030 |
Jul 1996 |
WO |
PCTUS9717209 |
Feb 1998 |
WO |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
08/730469 |
Oct 1996 |
US |
Child |
09/185409 |
|
US |