Flexing base skate
First Claim
1. A skate having a shoe portion for receiving a skater'"'"'s foot and a plurality of wheels, comprising:
- a base having an upper surface securable to an underside of the shoe portion for supporting the received skater'"'"'s foot, the base including a heel region and a forefoot region having a metatarsal head portion, the base being adapted to flex at the metatarsal head portion during skating;
a frame secured to an underside of the base at the forefoot region of the base and rotatably receiving the plurality of wheels, the heel region of the base hearing on the frame in a lower position and elevating away from the frame to an upper position upon flexure of the base during skating, wherein the forefoot region of the base and the frame are fixedly secured together at a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart locations;
a guide secured to one of the frame and the heel region of the base and projecting toward and slidably engaging the other of the frame and the heel region of the base during flexure of the base; and
a brake arm carrying a ground engageable brake pad, the brake arm being fixedly attached to the heel region of the base and extending rearwardly therefrom.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A first embodiment of a flexing base skate (10) includes an upper shoe portion (12) mounted on a base (14). The base includes a forefoot region (20) secured to a forward frame segment (26) carrying forward wheels (18a, 18b). A heel region (24) of the base is secured to a rearward frame segment (28) that carries rearward wheels (18c, 18d). The base defines and flexes at a reduced thickness metatarsal head portion (22), with the skater'"'"'s heel and the rearward frame segment elevating freely relative to the forward frame segment. A spring (72) incorporated into the base biases the skate to the unflexed configuration. The forward frame section overlaps the rearward frame section for lateral stability. An alternate embodiment provides a rigid full length frame (112) and a flexible base (104) mounted only at the forefoot region (106) to the frame. The base (104) flexes at a metatarsal head portion (108), and is constructed to form an integral spring biasing the base against the frame. The base includes a guide (118) for lateral alignment of the heel region (110) with the frame.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. A skate having a shoe portion for receiving a skater'"'"'s foot and a plurality of wheels, comprising:
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a base having an upper surface securable to an underside of the shoe portion for supporting the received skater'"'"'s foot, the base including a heel region and a forefoot region having a metatarsal head portion, the base being adapted to flex at the metatarsal head portion during skating;
a frame secured to an underside of the base at the forefoot region of the base and rotatably receiving the plurality of wheels, the heel region of the base hearing on the frame in a lower position and elevating away from the frame to an upper position upon flexure of the base during skating, wherein the forefoot region of the base and the frame are fixedly secured together at a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart locations;
a guide secured to one of the frame and the heel region of the base and projecting toward and slidably engaging the other of the frame and the heel region of the base during flexure of the base; and
a brake arm carrying a ground engageable brake pad, the brake arm being fixedly attached to the heel region of the base and extending rearwardly therefrom. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A skate having a shoe portion for receiving a skater'"'"'s foot and a plurality of wheels, comprising:
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a base having an upper surface securable to an underside of the shoe portion for supporting the received skater'"'"'s foot, the base including a heel region and a forefoot region having a metatarsal head portion, the base being adapted to flex at the metatarsal head portion during skating;
a frame nonpivotably secured to an underside of the base at the forefoot region of the base at a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart locations and rotatably receiving the plurality of wheels, the heel region of the base bearing on the frame in a lower position and elevating away from the frame to an upper position upon flexure of the base during skating;
a biasing member coupled to the base to bias the heel region of the base to the lower position and that preloads the heel region of the base against the frame when the heel region is in the lower position; and
a brake arm carrying a ground engageable brake pad, the brake arm being fixedly attached to the heel region of the base and extending rearwardly therefrom.
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12. A skate having a shoe portion for receiving a skater'"'"'s foot and a plurality of wheels, comprising:
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a base having an upper surface securable to an underside of the shoe portion for supporting the received skater'"'"'s foot, the base including a heel region and a forefoot region having a metatarsal head portion, the base being adapted to flex at the metatarsal head portion during skating;
a frame non-pivotally secured to an underside of the base at the forefoot region of the base and rotatably receiving the plurality of wheels, the heel region of the base bearing on the frame in a lower position and elevating away from the frame to an upper position upon flexure of the base during skating, wherein the forefoot region of the base and the frame are fixedly secured together;
a shock absorption member secured to one of the frame or base to absorb shock between the frame and base when the heel region of the base is moved to the lower position; and
a brake arm carrying a ground engageable brake pad, the brake arm being fixedly attached to the heel region of the base and extending rearwardly therefrom.
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Specification