WO1998032504A1

WO1998032504A1 - Frame structure for skates with longitudinally aligned wheels

Info

Publication number: WO1998032504A1
Application number: PCT/EP1998/000434
Authority: WO
Inventors: Claudio De Bei; Dino Martignago
Original assignee: Everest S.P.A.
Priority date: 1997-01-28
Filing date: 1998-01-27
Publication date: 1998-07-30
Also published as: IT1292940B1; ITVI970013A1

Abstract

A structure for skates with longitudinally aligned wheels, characterised by comprising: a longitudinal frame (2) rigid with the boot; a plurality of forks (16, 60) with their arms facing downwards and pivoted to the frame on horizontal pins (14, 58); a plurality of wheels (22) mounted at the lower ends of the arms of said forks, the pins on which the forks are pivoted and the pins on which the wheels rotate not being vertically aligned; means (28, 30), associated with the frame, for limiting the rotation of the forks (16, 60) relative to the frame; damping elements (34, 76) interposed between the arms (17, 70) of said forks and at least part of the rotation means.

Description

Frame structure for skates with longitudinally aligned wheels.

This invention relates to a frame structure for skates with longitudinally aligned wheels.

Roller skates are known comprising a boot of substantially rigid plastic material, to the sole of which there is fixed a substantially inverted U-shaped frame, in the flanges of which there are mounted a plurality of horizontal pivot pins for longitudinally aligned wheeis.

These known skates have however certain limitations in that, during sporting activity, any ground roughness encountered by the wheels during their movement produces vibration which is transmitted to the boot and consequently to the skaters foot.

These continuous stresses cause muscular and/or osseous pain (spinal column), tiredness and consequent poor sensitivity during the sporting activity.

To obviate these drawbacks, it has been proposed to use cylindrical sleeves of elastomer material, positioned concentrically to the wheel pins.

This construction results however in greater constructional complication, which is not justified by the results obtained in that the vibration is hardly damped.

An object of the invention is to provide a frame for skates with aligned wheels, comprising a vibration damping device which is effective but at the same time simple from the constructional and functional viewpoint.

This and further objects which will be apparent from the ensuing description are attained according to the invention by a roller skate frame in accordance with claim 1. Some preferred embodiments of the invention are described in detail hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings on which Figure 1 is a schematic siαe view of a frame accorαing to the invention with relative boot Figure 2 shows it in the same view as Figure 1 but with the wheels stressed Figure 3 shows a different embodiment thereof in the same view as Figure 1 Figure 4 is a front view thereof without the boot

Figure 5 is a longitudinal section through that part of the frame which supports the boot Figure 6 in an exploded front view of a wheel support fork Figure 7 is a side view of a further embodiment of the frame Figure 8 is a partly sectional side view of a frame provided with a braking device Figure 9 is a partly sectional front view of a modification of the fork element and

Figure 10 is a side view thereof

As can be seen from the figures the skate frame according to the invention comprises a substantially inverted U-shaped structure 2 preferady of aluminium formed from flanges 4 a plate 6 for fixing the toe of the boot 8 and a plate 10 for fixing its heel

The flanges 4 comprise a plurality of holes 12 of horizontal axis for engagement by pins 14 on which corresponding inverted U-shaped forks 16 are pivoted and are provided at the free ends of their arms 17 with holes 18 for engagement by pivot pins 20 for the wheels 22 Each fork 18 is arranged within the U-shaped structure 2 substantially with its arms inclined so that the pins 14 20 by which the fork 16 is pivoted to the structure 2 and the wheels 22 are pivoted to the fork 16 respectively are not vertically aligned with each other The arm inclination can generally vary from 10° to 40°

Those upper portions of the arms 17 closest to the horizontal connection element of the fork 16 are housed in corresponding seats 26 provided on the inner surfaces of the structure 2 and bounded at the front and back by projections 28 30 Each fork arm 17 comprises a seat 32 for housing a block 34 constructed of elastomer material

As can be seen from Figure 2, the purpose of the block 34 is to damp the blow transmitted by the fork 16 to the frame following a stress undergone by the wheel during skate operation on encountering roughness 35 present on the ground

In a different embodiment shown in Figure 3 the rear wheels have their pivot pins 20 to the rear of the vertical passing through the pins 14 by which the corresponding fork 16 is pivoted to the frame, the term rear being understood with respect to the normal direction of advancement of the skate In the embodiment shown in Figure 7 the arms 17 of each fork 16 consist of two portions forming a contained angle such that again in this case the pin 20 by which the wheels 22 are pivoted to the fork 16 is not vertically aligned with the pin 14 by which the fork 16 is pivoted to the frame 2 From the aforegoing it is apparent that the roller skate frame enables vibration to be damped in an effective manner while being of simple and functional construction

Figure 8 shows a particular braking system for the described skate frame In said system each arm 17 is provided with a peg 36 connected by a slotted annular element 38 to a further peg 40 mounted on an appendix 42 projecting lowerly from a slide 50 longitudinally slidable in suitable horizontal seats provided on the facing inner surfaces of the skate structure

Said appendices 42 have their lower ends corresponding in shape to the shape of the wheels and are provided with brake shoes (not shown on the drawings)

Under conditions of normal skate use the distance between the pegs 36 and 40 is less than the distance between the ends of the slotted annular element 38 In this configuration the ends of the appendices 42 are spaced from the wheels If the user exerts a downward pressure on the plate 10 by means of his heel the arms 17 tend to rotate about the pins 14 the oegs 36 secured to them rotating in consequence

This peg rotation exerts traction on the annular element 38 so that its end engages the peg 40 to consequently cause the slide 50 to move in the direction indicated by the arrow F3

Between the front end of the slide and the wall of the seat into which it is inserted there is provided an elastic element 52 consisting for example of an elastomer pad the presence of which opposes the movement of the slide

The movement undergone by the slide causes the ends of the appendices 38 to make contact with the surface of the wheels to determine a braking action on them A similar device can be provided in correspondence with the front wheels

It is also possible to form the braking device such that the appendices interfere with the wheel hubs or directly with the ground if suitable levers are used

In the embodiment shown in Figures 9 and 10 the frame consists of a tubular metal section 54 fixed to the underside of the boot support plate

A plurality of suoport elements 60 for the wheels 22 are secured by pins 58 to the outer edges 56 of the tubular section said elements being in the shape of two opposing forks 62 74

The fork 62 wnich has its cavity facing downwards and supports the wheel pivot pins 64, has a first portion 66 which is vertical and a second portion 68 which is inclined to one side Between the upper surface of the horizontal portion rod 70 which connects together the arms 72 of the fork 74 pivoted to the tubular element and the tubular element itself there are provided two coil soπngs 76 positioned on opposite sides of the pin 58 and housed in corresponding seats 78 provided in the lower surface

It is apparent that in this embodiment the springs 76 act as the damping means for the movements of the wheels each time these encounter ground roughness To adjust the degree of damping there is interposed between the springs 76 and the horizontal surface of the fork a plate 82 rigid with a setscrew 84, so that on rotating the setscrew the plate is able to correspondingly compress the spring which it faces ln a different embodiment, the tubular section consists of a corresponding rib of rectangular cross-section projecting from the lower surface of the boot sole

Claims

C L A I M S

1 A structure for skates with longitudinally aligned wheels characterised by comprising

- a longitudinal frame (2) rigid with the boot - a plurality of forks (16 60) with their arms facing downwards and pivoted to the frame on horizontal pins (14 58)

- a plurality of wheels (22) mounted at the lower ends of the arms of said forks the pins on which the forks are pivoted and the pins on which the wheels rotate not being vertically aligned - means (28,30) associated with the frame for limiting the rotation of the forks (16,60) relative to the frame

- damping elements (34 76) interposed between the arms (17 70) of said forks and at least part of the rotation means

2 A structure as claimed in claim 1 characterised in that the frame is in the shape of an inverted U

3 A structure as claimed in claim 2 characterised in that those portions of the arms (17) which lie in correspondence with their joining horizontal crosspiece (24) are housed in corresponding seats (26) provided en the facing walls of the U-shaped frame and are bounded by projections (28 30) 4 A structure as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that each arm (17) comprises a seat (32) for housing a damping element (34) which interferes with at least one of said projections following the rotation of the arm caused by the wheel encountering ground roughness 5 A structure as claimed in claim 1 characterised in that the arms are inclined downwarαs in the direction of the toe of the boot 6 A structure as claimed in claim 1 characterised in that the arms are inclined downwards in the direction of the heel of the boot

7 A structure as claimed in claim 1 characterised in that the arms comprise a first portion which is vertical and a second portion which is downwardly inclined forwards or rearwards

8 A structure as claimed in claim 1 characterised in that between the arms (72) of the forks (74) there is interposed a bar (70) extending substantially parallel to the frame and slightly spaced from the lower surface thereof at least one damping element (76) being interposed between said bar and said frame

9 A structure as claimed in claim 8 characterised in that said damping element consists of a coil spring

10 A structure as claimed in claim 9 characterised in that said coil spring (76) is housed in a seat (78) provided on the frame and can be preloaded by operating a setscrew (84) rigid with a plate (82) acting thereon

1 1 A structure as claimed in claim 2 characterised in that a braking device is associated with at least one fork

12 A structure as claimed in claim 1 1 characterised by comprising at least one slide (50) movable longitudinally within a seat provided on the walls of the frame said slide extending lowerly into an appendix (42) provided with a brake shoe acting on the wheel with said appendix there being rigid a peg (40) inserted in an inextensible slotted annular element (38) within wnich there is inserted a further peg (36) rigid with an arm (17) of the fork (16) the annular element having dimensions such that under normal skating conditions the distance between the two pegs is less than the length of said slot a vertical stress exerted on the frame causing the arm (17) and the peg (36) associated with it to rotate, with the result that the other peg (40) is dragged to cause the slide to move in the direction such that the brake shoe approaches the wheel. 13 A structure as claimed in claim 1 characterised in that the frame consists of a rib rigid with the lower surface of the boot sole