Pre-pressurized in-line skate wheel
First Claim
1. An in-line shock absorbing pre-pressurized skate wheel comprising:
- a hard urethane hub formed with a drop center and radially projecting axially spaced apart flanges, said flanges being formed interiorly with a predetermined number of angularly spaced apart axial openings;
a tube pressurized with compressible gas disposed concentrically about said hub;
a predetermined number of compressible bladder rods interposed between said tube and said hub and formed with respective oppositely disposed axial ends received in the respective said openings;
respective webs connecting the said bladder rods to said tube; and
a relatively soft urethane tire body formed between said flanges, surrounding said tube and at least a portion of the respective bladder rods, said tire body projecting partially outwardly from said flanges to be further formed with an arcuate tread surface.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A pre-pressurized in-line skate wheel including a hard polyurethane hub having a drop center formed between radially projecting guide flanges formed with axially projecting windows as spaced equidistant thereabout in an annular array. A bladder device includes a plurality of pressurized hollow cross rods nested at their opposite ends in such windows and surmounting on their radially outward sides a pressurized annular tube arranged concentric with the drop center. A soft polyurethane wheel body is formed in such drop center and projects radially outwardly to encapsulate the annular tube and form an elliptical annular tread surface. The method of manufacturing the tire includes blow molding the cross rods and the annular tube and pressurizing them to the desired individual pressures so that the resultant tire will exhibit the combined benefits of polyurethane cushioning and shock absorption associated with compressible gases.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. An in-line shock absorbing pre-pressurized skate wheel comprising:
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a hard urethane hub formed with a drop center and radially projecting axially spaced apart flanges, said flanges being formed interiorly with a predetermined number of angularly spaced apart axial openings; a tube pressurized with compressible gas disposed concentrically about said hub; a predetermined number of compressible bladder rods interposed between said tube and said hub and formed with respective oppositely disposed axial ends received in the respective said openings; respective webs connecting the said bladder rods to said tube; and a relatively soft urethane tire body formed between said flanges, surrounding said tube and at least a portion of the respective bladder rods, said tire body projecting partially outwardly from said flanges to be further formed with an arcuate tread surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An in-line shock absorbing skate wheel comprising:
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a hard urethane hub formed with a drop center having a radially inner annular wall and radially projecting axially spaced apart flanges; a soft urethane bladder device including a plurality of radially projecting spacer rods disposed equidistant about said annular wall and an annular tube carried at the radially outer ends of the respective said rods; a soft urethane tire body formed with a radially inwardly projecting rib received in said drop center and bonded to said flanges, said tire body encapsulating said tube and being bonded thereto and formed radially distally of said tube with an annular wall defining a polyurethane cushion configured with an elliptically shaped annular tread surface for cushioning shock loads applied radially inwardly to said tire; and
a compressible gas charge in said tube whereby said annular cushion and pressurized tube will cooperate to withstand loads applied to said tread wall during operation at high speed over uneven terrain to cushion and absorb at least some of the consequent shock loads.
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Specification