Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Inline Skate/Ski and Snowboard Interface
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention provides an interface to allow inline skates to be converted
for use
with skis, snowboards and the like.
Inline skating has become a popular form of sport and recreation as well as an
enjoyable pastime. Inline skates are generally used in pairs and comprise a
boot, frame
and plurality of wheels. Prior art teaches that inline skates are
distinguished from
traditional quad skates by having wheels mounted in a common plane with the
axles of
the wheels in a parallel, spaced apart alignment. Inline skates having a
plurality of
wheels with a diameter of 2 to 3 1/4 inches (50 mm to 80 mm) mounted on an
elongated
frame and attached to a skate boot are well known in various forms from the
state of the
art. Examples include U.S. Pat. No. 5,913,526 to Olsen et al. dated Jun. 22,
1999 and
U.S. Pat. No. 6,135 464 to Borel dated Oct. 24; 2000.
Inline skating provides a skating motion that closely simulates both ice-
skating
and cross country skate skiing. Skating motions used when inline skating also
closely
simulate motions used while downhill skiing, skiboarding or snowboarding.
Inline skates
with polyurethane wheels are best suited for use on smooth hard surfaces such
as paved
streets and sidewalks. Such skates are hot easily used on other surfaces such
as ice nor
snow.
Certain designs have been suggested to provide means to adapt inline skate for
use on surfaces other than paved streets and sidewalks. For example: U.S. Pat.
No.
4,492,385 to Olson dated Jan.B, 1985 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,039,328 to Pawlowsli
et al.
dated Max. 21, 2000 teaches the use of an interchangeable ice-skate blade that
can be
substituted for inline skate wheels thereby allowing an inline skate boot and
frame to be
used for ice skating. It is not possible, however to use ice-skate blades
comfortably on
snow covered surfaces where the use of skis or a snowboard is preferable.
Downhill snow skiers and skiboarders (a skiboard is a type of snow ski which
is
short, typically %2 -1 m in length) use hard plastic shell ski boots with a
standardized toe
and heel portion. Snowboarders employ the use of either 'hard-boots' or 'soft-
boots'
according to preference. Snowboard 'hard-boots' have a standardized toe and
heel that
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closely resembles the toe and heel of downhill ski and skiboard boots. The
present
invention is designed to affix an inline skate boot and frame to downhill ski,
ski-board
or 'hard-boot' snowboard bindings.
OBJECTS AND STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION
One object of this invention is to provide an interface to allow inline skates
to be
readily converted for use as ski or snowboard boots.
Another object of the invention to provide an interface that allows a skier or
snowboarderto safely and comfortably attach an inline boot/frarne assembly to
downhill
skis, skiboards and snowboards using standard ski or snowboard bindings.
Another object of this invention is to make the interface compatible with a
substantial number of inline skates, ski, skiboard and snowboard bindings.
Another object of this invention is to provide an interface that is readily
interchangeable with inline skate wheels using the inline skate frame and
existing axle
components to securely fasten the interface.
Another object of this invention is to provide a means of attaching a light-
duty
inline skate boot and frame to a ski or snowboard to allow a skier or
snowboarder to
comfortably and efficiently use downhill skiing or snowboarding technique when
traversing downhill.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a means of attaching a
light-
duty inline skate boot and frame to a skiboard to allow a skier to comfortably
and
efficiently use cross country skating technique to negotiate up-hill terrain
and
comfortably and efficiently use downhill skiing, technique when traversing
downhill
using the same equipment.
Accordingly, the invention in one aspect provides a skate/ski and snowboard
interface that allows an inline skate boot and frame to be attached to a ski,
skiboard or
snowboard with bindings including a toe piece and a heel piece comprising a
boot
portion simulating a ski or snowboard boot and a mounting portion to allow the
interface
to be fixably attached to an inline skate frame; said boot portion including a
front part
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adapted to engage a binding toe piece and a rear part adapted to engage a
binding heel
piece.
In one preferred form the boot portion includes a sole which presents a toe
portion
and a heel portion, each of which portions having a lip which is adapted to
engage ski,.
skiboard and snowboard bindings.
In another preferred form the mounting portion of the interface includes at
least
one mounting block adapted to fit between the spaced apart sidewalls of an
inline skate
frame with mounting apertures on the block adapted to be aligned with the
inline skate
wheel axle apertures on the inline skate frame, allowing the interface to be
fixably
mounted to the skate frame by placing the skate wheel axles transversely
through the
skate frame and mounting block.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Various other objects, advantages and features of this invention will become
apparent to those skilled in the art from the following discussion, taken in
conjunction
with the following drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a preferred embodiment of the interface in
accord
with the present invention, shown in relation to an inline skate boot and
skate frame
(depicted in phantom view);
FIG 2 is a side view of one embodiment of the interface according to the
invention allowing the interface to be adjusted relative to the skate frame
mounting holes
which can vary between types of inline skates and according to the
manufacturer;
FIG. 2A is another side view of the interface fully extended;
FIG. 3 is a bottom view of one embodiment of the interface according to the
invention;
FIG. 3A is a bottom view of the interface fully extended;
FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the toe component of the interface;
FIG. 4A is a side view of the toe component alone SECTION GG of FIG. 4;
FIG. 4B is an additional side view of the toe component along SECTION HH of
FIG. 4;
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FIG. 4C is a section detail taken along SECTION II of FIG 4;
FIG. 4D is a bottom plan view of the toe component of the interface;
FIG: 4E is a.front elevation view of the toe component of the interface
according
to END VIEW I of FIG 4D;
FIG. 4F is a back elevation view of the toe component of the interface
according .
to END VIEW 2 of FIG. 4D;
FIG. 4G is a side view of the toe component of the interface;
FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the heel component of the interface;
FIG. 5A is a side view of the heel component along SECTION JJ of FIG. 5;
FIG. 5B is an additional side view of the heel component along SECTION KK
of FIG. 5;
FIG. SC is a section detail taken along SECTION LL of FIGS;
FIG. SD is a bottom plan view of the heel component of the interface;
FIG. SE is a front elevation view of the heel component of the interface
according
to END VIEW I of FIG. 5B;
FIG. SF is a back elevation view of the heel component of the interface
according
to END VIEW 2 of FIG. 5B;
FIG. SG is a side view of the heel component of the interface;
FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the slide component of the interface;
FIG. 6A is a side view of the slide according to FIG. 6;
FIG. 6B is an end view of the slide according to FIG. 6;
FIG. 6C is a bottom view of the slide according to FIG. 6;
FIG. 6D is a section detail taken along SECTION MM of FIG. 6C; and
FIG. 6E is a section detail taken along SECTION NN of FIG. 6C.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring firstly to FIG. 1, which illustrates one embodiment of the
invention,
there is shown a skate/ski and snowboard interface 10 fixably mounted to an
inline skate
1 where the inline skate wheels have been removed from the skate frame 3 and
replaced
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by the interface 10 using the inline skate wheel axles 2 and associated
hardware to fasten
the interface 10 to the skate frame 3.
The skate/ski and snowboard interface in accordance with this embodiment
generally comprises an interface 10 simulating a ski or snowboard boot. The
sole 5 of
interface 10 has a front part 6 adapted to engage the toe piece of a ski or
snowboard
binding and a rear part 7 adapted to engage the heel piece of a ski or
snowboard binding.
The sole is preferably shaped in accordance with the International Standards
Organization
(ISO) specifications for ski and snowboard boots. These specifications call
for the width
of the sole as well as the radius and other dimensions of the heel and toe.
The front part
6 and the rear part 7 of the interface 10 have an adjustable spacing to
simulate different
sizes of ski boots and align the skate frame axle apertures 8 with mounting
apertures 9
in mounting blocks 4a and 4c. Mounting blocks 4a, 4b and 4c have the same
width as
standard inline skate wheels, and take the place of skate wheels when
positioned between
the parallel and spaced apart sidewalk 12a and 12b of skate frame 3. The
inline skate
wheel axles 11 and associated hardware are used to securely fasten the
interface 10 to the
skate frame 3. Mounting aperatures 9a and 9c in mounting blocks 4a and 4c are
round so
as to provide minimal tolerance around skate wheel axles 11 when the axles 11
are
positioned through apertures 9a and 9c to fasten the interface 10 to the skate
frame 3,
while mounting aperature 9b in mounting block 4b may take the form of an
elongated
slot in order to accommodate a wide variety of inline skates as the spacing of
skate frame
axle aperatures 8 may vary according to skate manufacturer.
Adjustment of the front part 6 and rear part 7 of the interface 10 is
accomplished
by loosening knob 13 to permit relative telescoping movement between the front
part 6
and the rear part 7, following which knob 13 is tightened.
Referring now to FIGS. 4, 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4e, 4f and 4g of the drawings, the
front
part 6 of the interface 10 has a U-shaped section as best shown in FIG. 4c
including a
base 14, side walls 15, 16 and upper sole plate 17. Referring now to Figs. 5,
Sa,Sb, Sc,
Sd, Se and Sf of the drawings, the rear part 7 has a T-shaped section best
shown in Fig.
5c, including lower sole plate 18 and stem 19. At the bottom of the lower sole
plate 18
there are teeth 20 (best shown in Figs. 5 and Sb) which mate with teeth 21 on
the upper
sole plate 21 of front part 6 (best shown in Figs. 4b and 4c).
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Reference will now be had to Figs: 6, 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d and 6e illustrating slide
22
in some detail. A standard hex bolt 29 is positioned through hole 23 in slide
22 (best
shown in Fig.6d) and hole 26 in front part 6 (best shown in Figs.4, 4c and
4d), with the
bolt head captivated by hex depression 24 in slide 22. Slide 22 has a T-shaped
section
NN of Fig. 6c with external walls 26a, 27a and 28a that allow slide 22 to fit
in and
cooperate with walls 26, 28 and shelf 27 of slot 25 (best shown in Fig.Sc).
Slide 22 is
movable length-wise along slot 25 in rear part 7. Knob 13 (best shown in Figs.
2 and 2a)
is threaded on hex bolt 29 and may be loosened to allow relative telescoping
of front and
rear parts 6 and 7 to permit alignment of skate frame axle apertures 8 with
mounting
apertures 9 in mounting blocks 4a and 4c, and then tightened causing external
wall 27a
of slide 22 to compress against shelf 27 of slot 25, thereby causing a
substantial number
of teeth 20 on rear part 7 and teeth 21 on front part 6 to be firmly
interlocked. It is
preferred that the front part 6 and rear part 7 have at least 100 mm of
telescoping
movement with 1 mm to 2 mm incremental adjustment (depending on the size of
teeth
20 and 21 ). Rear part 7 has a T-shaped section including lower sole plate 18
and stem
19. At the bottom ofthe lower sole plate 18 there are teeth,20 (best shown in
FIGS. 5 and
Sb) which mate with teeth 21 on the upper sole plate 17. It is preferred that
at least
100mm of potential adjustment with 2mm increments as successive teeth are
engaged.
A standard hex bolt is positioned through hole 23 in slide 22 and hole 26 in
front part 6
with the bolt head being captivated by hex depression 24 in slide 22. Knob 13
may be
tightened to compress front part 6 and rear part 7 together between knob 13
and slide 22.
Knob 13 may be loosened to permit adjustment of boat size and align the skate
frame
axle apertures 8 with mounting apertures 9 in mounting blocks 4a and 4c, and
then
tightened to maintain firm interlocking of front and rear parts 6 and 7. Slide
22 is
movable along a slot 25 in rear part 7.
A preferred embodiment of the invention has been described by way of example.
Those skilled in the art will realize that various modifications and changes
may be made
while remaining within the spirit and scope of the invention. Hence the
invention is not
to be limited to the embodiment as described but, rather, the invention
encompasses the
full range of equivalencies as defined by the appended claims.
