Skate with aligned wheels

• US 5,405,156 A
• Filed: 09/23/1993
• Issued: 04/11/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nordica SpA (Tecnica Group S.P.A.)
• Original Assignee: Nordica SpA (Tecnica Group S.P.A.)
• Inventors: Gonella, Mario
• Primary Examiner(s): Focarino, Margaret A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mattix, Carla
• Application Number:
  US08/119,182
• Time in Patent Office: 565 Days
• Field of Search: 280/11.28, 280/11.22, 280/11.23, 280/11.27, 280/11.2, 280/87.03, 280/87.041, 280/87.042, 280/7.13, 267/140.2, 267/141, 267/255, 267/257, 267/202
• US Class Current: 280/11.28
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 17/0046 with shock absorption or suspension system
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 17/062 with a pivotal frame or cradle around transversal axis for relative movements of the wheels

Abstract

A skate with aligned wheels, comprising a support for an item of footgear from which a frame protrudes downward. The ends of respective wheel supporting trucks are pivoted to the frame. The peculiarity of the invention resides in the fact that two movable sliders are interposed between the trucks and the respective supports. Advantageously, at least one rubber pad is interposed between each truck and support. The skate allows the user to preset the degree of shock-absorption during skating by varying the position of the slider.

Claims

1. A skate with a front tip and a rear heel, the skate comprising:

a support having an extension which extends substantially from said front tip to said rear heel;

a truck and means for pivotally connecting said truck at a pivot point below said support about an axis which is substantially perpendicular to the extension of the support, said truck having an extending portion which has an extension which extends from said pivot point substantially towards said front tip;

at least one wheel and means for pivotally connecting said at least one wheel to said extending portion of the truck;

a slider element and means for slidably connecting said slider element to said support thereby said slider element is slidable with respect to said support along a direction which is substantially parallel to the extension of said support, said slider element being arranged between said support and said extending portion of said truck; and

a resilient member connected to said slider element and engaging with said extending portion of the truck, the resilient member engaging with said extending portion at different selected points along the extension of said extending portion as a function of a selected position of said slider element with respect to said support.-

2. The skate of claim 1, further comprising a spring biasing member interconnected between said support and an end of said extending portion of the truck at a position distal from said pivot point, thereby said slider element and said resilient member being arranged between said spring biasing member and said pivot point.

3. A skate with a front tip and a rear heel, the skate comprising:

a support having an extension which extends substantially from said front tip to said rear heel;

a truck and means for pivotally connecting said truck at a pivot point below said support about an axis which is substantially perpendicular to the extension of the support, said truck having an extending portion which has an extension which extends from said pivot point substantially towards said rear heel;

at least one wheel and means for pivotally connecting said at least one wheel to said extending portion of the truck;

a slider element and means for slidably connecting said slider element to said support thereby said slider element is slidable with respect to said support along a direction which is substantially parallel to the extension of said support, said slider element being arranged between said support and said extending portion of said truck; and

a resilient member connected to said slider element and engaging with said extending portion of the truck, the resilient member engaging with said extending portion at different selected points along the extension of said extending portion as a function of a selected position of said slider element with respect to said support.

4. The skate of claim 3, further comprising a spring biasing member interconnected between said support and an end of said extending portion of the truck at a position distal from said pivot point, thereby said slider element and said resilient member being arranged between said spring biasing member and said pivot point.

5. A skate with a front tip and a rear heel, the skate comprising:

a support having an extension which extends substantially from said front tip to said rear heel;

a first truck and means for pivotally connecting said first truck at a first pivot point below said support about a first axis which is substantially perpendicular to the extension of the support, said first truck having a first extending portion which has an extension which extends from said first pivot point substantially towards said front tip;

at least one first wheel and means for pivotally connecting said at least one first wheel to said first extending portion of the first truck;

a first slider element and means for slidably connecting said first slider element to said support thereby said first slider element is slidable with respect to said support along a direction which is substantially parallel to the extension of said support, said first slider element being arranged between said support and said first extending portion of said first truck; and

a first resilient member connected to said first slider element and engaging with said first extending portion of the first truck, the first resilient member engaging with said first extending portion at different selected points along the extension of said first extending portion as a function of a selected position of said first slider element with respect to said support;

the skate further comprising;

a second truck and means for pivotally connecting said second truck at a pivot point below said support about a second axis which is substantially perpendicular to the extension of the support, said second truck having a second extending portion which has an extension which extends from said second pivot point substantially towards said rear heel;

at least one second wheel and means for pivotally connecting said at least one second wheel to said second extending portion of the second truck;

a second slider element and means for slidably connecting said second slider element to said support thereby said second slider element is slidable with respect to said support along a direction which is substantially parallel to the extension of said support, said second slider element being arranged between said support and said second extending portion of said second truck; and

a second resilient member connected to said second slider element and engaging with said second extending portion of the second truck, the second resilient member engaging with said second extending portion at different selected points along the extension of said second extending portion as a function of a selected position of said second slider element with respect to said support.

6. The skate of claim 5, further comprising a first spring biasing member interconnected between said support and an end of said first extending portion of the first truck at a position distal from said first pivot point, thereby said first slider element and said first resilient member being arranged between said first spring biasing member and said first pivot point, the skate further comprising a second spring biasing member interconnected between said support and an end of said second extending portion of the second truck at a position distal from said second pivot point, thereby said second slider element and said second resilient member being arranged between said second spring biasing member and said second pivot point.