Articulating skateboard with springable connector
First Claim
1. An articulated skateboard having two sets of wheels with each wheel set having wheels rotatable about a respective horizontal axis when the skateboard is resting on a flat horizontal surface, said horizontal axes being parallel to each other and perpendicular to a normal direction of rolling movement of the skateboard with the wheels tracking on said surface when the board is without a rider thereon,said skateboard having platform means for a rider to place his feet on while using the board,said platform means comprising two relatively articulated platform sections,each platform section having a broad area on which the rider can place at least one of his feet,each platform section having one of said wheel sets attached to the under side thereof to provide rolling support during movement of the respective platform section,said skateboard having articulating means interconnecting said platform sections whereby each platform section has means defining a normal line of orientation biased by said articulating means parallel to said normal direction of rolling movement and transverse to the axis of the respective set of wheels during said rolling movement of the respective platform section without a rider on the skateboard,said articulation means being spaced along said normal direction from each wheel set and interconnecting said platform sections to enable a rider to angularly change the directions of said normal lines of orientation of the platform sections with respect to each other during maneuvering of the skateboard.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An articulated skateboard having two or three separate platform sections connected end-to-end with conventional skate wheel trucks under the end platform sections. The articulation structure between platform sections comprises a combination of pivoting and resilient spring members enabling universal angular flexing which absorb and return heavy vertical forces during jumping skateboard maneuvers and provide relatively lighter resilient flexibility to permit relative horizontal angular movement between platform sections to facilitate steering maneuvers in response to foot actuation of the platform sections. Pivoting action in the articulation structure is about a pivot axis at an angle of 45 degrees to the horizontal and in a vertical plane containing the front-to-rear direction of the skateboard.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. An articulated skateboard having two sets of wheels with each wheel set having wheels rotatable about a respective horizontal axis when the skateboard is resting on a flat horizontal surface, said horizontal axes being parallel to each other and perpendicular to a normal direction of rolling movement of the skateboard with the wheels tracking on said surface when the board is without a rider thereon,
said skateboard having platform means for a rider to place his feet on while using the board, said platform means comprising two relatively articulated platform sections, each platform section having a broad area on which the rider can place at least one of his feet, each platform section having one of said wheel sets attached to the under side thereof to provide rolling support during movement of the respective platform section, said skateboard having articulating means interconnecting said platform sections whereby each platform section has means defining a normal line of orientation biased by said articulating means parallel to said normal direction of rolling movement and transverse to the axis of the respective set of wheels during said rolling movement of the respective platform section without a rider on the skateboard, said articulation means being spaced along said normal direction from each wheel set and interconnecting said platform sections to enable a rider to angularly change the directions of said normal lines of orientation of the platform sections with respect to each other during maneuvering of the skateboard.
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19. An articulated skateboard having two sets of wheels with each wheel set having wheels rotatable about a respective horizontal axis when the skateboard is resting on a flat horizontal surface, said horizontal axes being parallel to each other and perpendicular to a normal direction of rolling movement of the skateboard with the wheels tracking on said surface when the board is without a rider thereon,
said skateboard having multiple platform means for a rider to place his feet on while using the board, said platform means comprising at least two relatively articulated platform sections including two end platform sections, each platform section having a broad area on which the rider can place at least one of his feet, each end platform section having one of said wheel sets attached to the under side thereof to provide rolling support during movement of the respective end platform section, said skateboard having articulating means interconnecting said end platform sections whereby each end platform section has a normal line of orientation biased by said articulating means parallel to said normal direction of rolling movement and transverse to the axis of the respective set of wheels during said rolling movement of the respective platform section without a rider on the skateboard, said articulation means being spaced along said normal direction from each wheel set and comprising spring means flexibly interconnecting said platform sections to enable a rider to angularly change the directions of said normal lines of orientation of the end platform sections with respect to each other during maneuvering of the skateboard.
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21. An articulated skateboard having two sets of wheels with each wheel set having wheels rotatable about a respective horizontal axis when the skateboard is resting on a flat horizontal surface, said horizontal axes being parallel to each other and perpendicular to a normal direction of rolling movement of the skateboard on said surface when the board is without a rider thereon,
said skateboard having platform means for a rider to place his feet on while using the board, said platform means comprising two relatively articulated separate platform sections each with a primary direction of orientation parallel to said normal direction of rolling skateboard movement, each platform section having a broad area on which the rider can place at least one of his feet, each platform section having one of said wheel sets attached to the under side thereof to provide rolling support during movement of the respective platform section, articulation means interconnecting said platform sections to enable a rider to angularly change the primary direction of one platform section relative to another platform section during maneuvering of the skateboard, said articulation means including a pivoting means having a pivot axis oriented at an angle of about 45 degrees with respect to the horizontal in a vertical plane including said normal direction of rolling movement, said pivoting means including a fixed portion secured to one of said platform sections and a pivotable portion movable about said pivot axis relative to the fixed portion, said articulation means further includes a means interconnecting said pivotable portion to the other platform section.
Specification