Roller ski board

• US 6,435,558 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2000
• Issued: 08/20/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kazuo Osawa
• Original Assignee: Kazuo Osawa
• Inventors: Osawa, Kazuo
• Primary Examiner(s): VANAMAN, FRANK BENNETT
• Application Number:
  US09/517,200
• Publication Number:
  US 20020011728A1
• Time in Patent Office: 901 Days
• Field of Search: 280/842, 280/843, 280/844, 280/11.221, 280/11.222, 280/11.223, 280/11.225, 280/11.232, 280/11.27, 280/11.28, 280/87.042, 301/5.3, 301/5.7
• US Class Current: 280/842
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 17/004 with auxiliary wheels not contacting the riding surface during steady riding
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 17/006 with wheels of different size or type
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 17/01 Skateboards A63C17/02 - A63C17/28 take precedence; rolling devices on skis A63C5/035
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 17/016 with wheels arranged in one track
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 17/045 Roller skis

Abstract

A roller ski board similar to an ordinary snow ski board having a board body with bending elasticity and repellant property, and having at least one of single roller at its central portion and with or without smaller twin rollers at its front and rear edge portions, pivoted rotatively on an under surface of the board body along its longitudinal axis. The rollers have a lubricity and wear proof property with repellant elasticity so as to absorb the vibrations and shock added to the board from or to the ground during sliding. The rollers are arranged such that each external side periphery of the rollers is gradually wider from the central portion to a front and rear edge so that the external side peripheries of each roller does not protrude over the contour curvature of the board body. The rollers are also arranged consecutively from both the front and rear edges to the central portion such that each running surface of the rollers contacts with an arc curvature slightly curved upwardly over the ground. The single rollers have different diameters and the twin rollers the same diameter, and therefore are arranged at different ground contact levels so as to reduce frictional resistance during sliding. The vertical sectional surface of each single roller forms a small concave curvature with the contacting ground to achieve edging effects similar to an ordinary snow ski board.

Claims

1. A roller ski board comprising:

a board body having a central portion and a longitudinal extent defined by respective side edges from a front edge portion to a rear edge portion, the board body having an under-surface having a longitudinal axis;

means forming a plurality of rotatable rollers, the plurality of rollers comprising a plurality of single rollers of substantially the same diameter disposed consecutively on the under-surface of the board body in the central portion;

means forming adjacent each respective front and rear edge portions a rotatable roller means comprising a pair of rollers arranged respectively consecutively along the longitudinal axis with the single rollers;

the board body having a curved contour extending from the front edge portion to the rear edge portion, the contour being concave with respect to a ground surface; and

the single rollers and the pair of roller means having a radial periphery forming a tangential arc of an upward concave curvature with respect to the ground surface and wherein the arc extends between the front edge portion and the rear edge portion and has an orientation substantially opposite to the curved contour of the board body.

2. The roller ski body of claim 1 wherein the board body supports the single roller means by bearing portions, the board body and the bearing portions being formed from a light material, wherein the material is synthetic resin, glass fiber, metal or plywood, and wherein the material has a desired bending elasticity and the roller means having a core portion formed from a resin material wherein the resin material is hard plastics, semi-hard plastics or soft plastics.

3. The roller ski board of claim 1 wherein each roller means pivots so that a roller surface conforms to an arc curvature slightly curved upwardly over the contacting ground surface from the central portion to the front and rear edge portions.

4. The roller ski board of claim 1 wherein a vertical section through the single roller means has a running contact surface which forms a concave curvature relative to the contacting ground surface.

5. The roller ski board of claim 1 wherein a cross frame construction portion is formed at the under-surface of the board body at both the front and rear edges to increase the strength of the board body.

6. The roller ski board of claim 1 wherein the rollers have a wheel portion having various shapes comprising a spoke, car-wheel, or block.

7. The roller ski board of claim 1 wherein the roller means has a rotary shaft portion of a first material having a given hardness for supporting a roller bearing and a portion surrounding the rotary shaft portion of a second material having a lesser hardness than the first material.

8. The roller ski board of claim 1 comprising means for supporting a shaft for the respective roller means, the means for supporting comprising a bushing set portion connected to a bearing portion of the board, the bushing set portion comprising a material for absorbing vibrations and shocks.

9. The roller ski board of claim 1 wherein circular holes are disposed in the roller means about an outer surface of a rotary shaft of the roller means.

10. The roller ski board of claim 1 wherein the roller means has a plurality of holes.

11. The roller ski board of claim 1 wherein the roller means has an uneven peripheral pattern on a roller surface.

12. The roller ski board of claim 1 wherein the external periphery of the roller means does not extend laterally beyond the respective side edges of the board body.

13. The roller ski board of claim 1 wherein the board body with respect to the ground surface has a convex curvature in the central portion and upward convex curvature at the respective front and rear edge portions.

14. The roller ski board of claim 1 wherein the board body gradually widens from the central portion to the front edge portion and to the rear edge portion, respectively.

15. The roller ski board of claim 1 wherein the single rotatable roller means are disposed consecutively along the longitudinal axis on the under-surface of the board body and rotatable pair of roller means is respectively disposed at the front and rear edge portions and spaced from the central portion.

16. The roller ski board of claim 15 wherein the roller pair means disposed at the front and rear edge portions are vertically spaced from the ground surface.

17. The roller ski board of claim 1 wherein the front and rear edge portions have respective roller means on the under-surface of the board body and a diameter which is smaller than a diameter of the roller means disposed at the central portion.

18. The roller ski board of claim 1 wherein the single rotatable roller means are disposed consecutively along the longitudinal axis on the under surface of the board body, without any twin rotatable roller means interposed between any of the single rotatable roller means.

19. The roller ski board of claim 1 wherein the single rollers have respective external side peripheries forming a tangential arc of opposite orientation with respect to each other, which external side peripheries of the single rollers does not protrude beyond the side edges of the board body.

20. The roller ski board of claim 1 wherein the plurality of single rollers is rotatably mounted on respective shafts, the respective side edges of the board body extending downwardly to the shaft.

21. The roller ski board of claim 1 wherein the horizontal radial cross-section dimension through the plurality of rollers in the direction of the longitudinal axis is not the same for all of the plurality of rollers.

22. The roller ski board of claim 21 wherein the plurality of rollers comprises at least three rollers, and the horizontal cross-section dimension of a middle roller is different than the horizontal cross-section dimension of the remaining rollers.

23. The roller ski board of claim 1 wherein a bearing portion for each single roller extends downwardly from each respective side edge of the board body, each single roller being disposed between the bearing portions.

24. The roller ski board according to claim 1 wherein each single roller and each pair of rollers is rotatable about a respective shaft, the shafts being in substantially parallel relationship to each other.

25. A roller ski board comprising:

a plurality of single rollers of substantially the same diameter consecutively arranged along a central portion of a board body having a longitudinal extent defined by front and rear portions, the board body having an under-surface having a longitudinal axis;

a bearing portion of like plurality to the plurality of the single rollers extending downwardly from respective side edges of the board body;

the single rollers being supported to the board body by a respective shaft extending through a roller and between the bearing portions;

means forming a roller disposed adjacent the front and rear portions, the means forming a roller being arranged along the same longitudinal axis as the single rollers;

the outer periphery of the each single roller and each roller means forming a tangential arc extending between the front and rear portions having a curvature opposite to a curvature of the board body; and

an external one side periphery of the single rollers forming a first tangential arc which is of opposite orientation to a second tangential arc formed by the other external side periphery of the single rollers wherein the external side peripheries do not protrude beyond the respective side edges of the board body.

26. The roller ski board according to claim 25 wherein each single roller and each means forming a roller is rotatable about a respective shaft, the shafts being in substantially parallel relationship to each other.

27. The roller ski board according to claim 25 wherein the curvature of the tangential arc is concave relative to a ground surface.

28. The roller ski board according to claim 25 wherein the first and second tangential arcs have a concave curvature with respect to the respective side periphery.