Walker attachment for in-line skates

• US 5,236,224 A
• Filed: 10/23/1992
• Issued: 08/17/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: James D. Anderson, James E. Anderson, John S. Anderson
• Original Assignee: James D. Anderson, James E. Anderson, John S. Anderson
• Inventors: Anderson, John S., Anderson, James E., Anderson, James D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Focarino, Margaret A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MAR, MICHAEL Y
• Application Number:
  US07/965,177
• Time in Patent Office: 298 Days
• Field of Search: 36/7.1 R, 36/7.3, 36/15, 36/100, 36/101, 36/115, 36/135, 36/132, 280/825, 280/11.22, 280/11.23, 280/11.19
• US Class Current: 280/825
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 17/002 Covers; Guards
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 17/18 convertible into ice or snow-running skates
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 17/20 with fixable wheels permitting the skates to be used for walking
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 3/00 Accessories for skates

Abstract

The invention is a removable wheel cover for an in-line-type skate. The cover includes a front boot designed to inwardly receive the skate'"'"'s front wheel. The cover also includes a rear boot designed to inwardly receive the skate'"'"'s rear wheel. A pair of flexible, resilient straps connect together the two boots of the cover. When not in use, the cover can be folded into a small volume and easily stored within a user'"'"'s pocket.

Claims

1. A cover for an in-line roller skate of the type having at least three wheels that are linearly aligned, said cover comprising:

a first boot portion sized to inwardly receive a leading wheel of an in-line type skate, said boot portion having a flat bottom surface sized to completely cover a bottom surface of said wheel and further having a portion that connects a top rear portion of the boot to a bottom rear portion of the boot and having side surfaces that are sized to cover opposite top side portions of said wheel, said first boot further having a first pull-on strap and a second pull-on strap, each of said pull-on straps being located on and secured to an opposite top edge of said first boot and are adapted to contact protruding portions located on respective sides of a roller skate;

a second boot portion sized to inwardly receive a trailing wheel of an in-line type skate, said second boot portion having a flat bottom surface sized to completely cover a bottom surface of said wheel and further having a portion that connects a top front portion of the boot to a bottom front portion of the boot, said second boot portion further comprising side surfaces that are sized to overlie opposite top side portions of said wheel; and

a resilient connecting means for connecting said first boot portion to said second boot portion wherein said connecting means is attached to upper portions of each of said first and second boot portions and wherein said first boot, said second boot, and said connecting means are made of a single, unitary piece of resilient material.

2. A cover for an in-line roller skate wherein said in-line skate has at least three linearly aligned wheels including a leading wheel located proximate a front portion of the skate, a trailing wheel located proximate a rear portion of the skate and at least one intermediary wheel located between the leading and trailing wheels, said wheels being rotatably attached to a frame that underlies an upper portion of the skate, said cover comprising:

a first boot sized to inwardly receive a single one of said wheels, said boot being open along a top portion thereof and having a flat bottom surface wherein when a wheel of an in-line skate is within the boot, the bottom surface of the boot will underlie said wheel, said first boot further having a first pull-on strap and a second pull-on strap, each of said pull-on straps being located on and secured to an opposite top edge of said first boot and are adapted to contact protruding portions located on respective sides of a roller skate;

a second boot sized to inwardly receive a single one of said wheels, said boot being open along a top portion thereof and having a flat bottom surface wherein when a wheel of an in-line skate is within the boot, the bottom surface of the boot will underlie said wheel; and

a resilient connecting means that extends between and connects the first and second boots, wherein said first boot, said second boot, and said connecting means are made of a single, unitary piece of resilient material.

3. The cover of claim 2 wherein the connecting means comprises two resilient straps wherein each strap extends between a top portion of the first boot and a top portion of the second boot and wherein each of said straps is attached to an opposite side of each of said boots.

4. The cover of claim 2 wherein each pull-on strap forms an arch above said first boot and defines an aperture between an inner surface of the strap and the to edge of the first boot.

5. The cover of claim 2 wherein the second boot has an upwardly extending portion designed to fit against a heel portion of an in-line skate.

6. The cover of claim 2 wherein the second boot has a rear aperture sized to receive a brake member of an in line skate.

7. The cover of claim 2 wherein the second boot has a rearwardly extending sock portion designed to inwardly receive a brake member of an in-line roller skate.

8. A combination of an in-line roller skate and a removable wheel cover for said roller skate, said combination comprising:

an in-line roller skate having at least three linearly aligned wheels including a leading wheel located proximate a front portion of the skate, a trailing wheel located proximate a rear portion of the skate and at least one intermediary wheel located between the leading and trailing wheels, said wheels being rotatably attached to a frame that underlies an upper portion of the skate; and

,

a wheel cover having a first boot sized .to inwardly receive the leading wheel of the skate, said first boot being open along a top portion thereof and having a flat bottom surface of a predetermined length wherein it can underlie the skate'"'"'s leading wheel without underlying any intermediary wheel of the skate, said first boot further having a first pull-on strap and a second pull-on strap, each of said pull-on straps being located on and secured to an opposite top edge of said first boot and are adapted to contact protruding portions located on respective sides of a roller skate, said cover further including a second boot sized to inwardly receive the trailing wheel of the skate, said second boot being open along a top portion thereof a flat bottom surface designed to underlie the skate'"'"'s trailing wheel without underlying any intermediary wheel of the skate, said cover also having a resilient connecting means that extends between and connects the first and second boots, wherein said first boot, said second boot, and said connecting means are made of a single, unitary piece of resilient material.

9. The cover of claim 8 wherein the connecting means comprises two resilient straps wherein each strap extends between a top portion of the first boot and a top portion of the second boot and wherein each of said straps is attached to an opposite side of each of said boots.

10. The cover of claim 8 wherein each pull-on strap forms an arch above said first boot and defines an aperture between an inner surface of the strap and the top edge of the first boot.

11. The cover of claim 8 wherein the second boot has an upwardly extending portion designed to fit against a heel portion of the skate.

12. The cover of claim 8 wherein the second boot has a rear aperture sized to receive a brake member of the skate.

13. The cover of claim 8 wherein the second boot has a rearwardly extending sock portion designed to inwardly receive a brake member of the skate.