Personal Locomotion

Abstract

A method of personal locomotion including stepping onto first and second wheeled shoe accessories and engaging the first wheeled shoe accessory against a support surface to roll on the second wheeled shoe accessory in a desired direction at an angle to a normal walking direction. The wheeled shoe accessory includes a rigid board having a length sufficient to span a width of a shoe placed sideways across the board, with the board supporting at least an arch region of the shoe. At least one axle assembly is secured to a lower surface of the board. The user experience is similar to that of a skateboard, but with decoupled feet for individual maneuverability of each wheeled shoe accessory.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This U.S. patent application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §120 to U.S. application Ser. No. 11/202,957, filed Aug. 12, 2005, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/847,242, filed May 17, 2004, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/081,388, filed Feb. 20, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,764,082. The entire contents of the above prior applications are hereby incorporated by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to personal locomotion on wheeled devices.

BACKGROUND

There have been several proposals over the last century, and earlier, for walking shoes that can be readily converted to function temporarily as roller skates. A principal advantage to such shoes is the enhanced flexibility in transportation modes that they afford. Most are familiar with the rigid skate frames from several years ago that strapped to the underside of practically any normal walking shoe to permit the wearer to roll upon four wheels arranged two forward, two rear, in a forward or normal walking direction as in a standard roller skate. There is at least one walking shoe on the market that contains wheels that can be retracted into the sole of the shoe for walking, and then extended for rolling. Of course, such shoes require soles with thicknesses sufficient to fully contain such rollers when retracted, but have the advantage of not requiring their rolling parts to be carried separately while walking.

In a rolling mode with these and standard roller skates, the wearer generally is able to propel himself along with alternating forward thrusts with each foot, in a motion similar to ice skating. The direction of travel is generally determined by the fore-aft or toe-heel axis of the foot. In-line skates have their wheels aligned along the fore-aft center line of the shoe, and can provide some directional control by tilting the skate to change the camber of the wheels. Some in-line skates have been employed for sliding down railings in a direction perpendicular to the fore-aft shoe centerline, either by sliding down the railing with the railing positioned between a middle pair of rollers, or on skid plates between the wheels.

There is another shoe that has a removable roller mounted in a cavity the heel of the sole. For walking, the roller can be completely removed from its cavity. In a rolling mode, the wearer can, with practice and balance, roll in a forward direction upon the cylindrical roller with ankle locked and shin flexed. To obtain forward momentum, the wearer is instructed to run on the forward portions of the soles, and then lean back to engage only the heel rollers of both shoes with the ground for sustained rolling in the fore-aft direction as determined by the roller geometry and orientation.

Skateboarding is yet another mode of transportation and sport popular with young people. Skateboards are generally characterized as boards supported by forward and rear “trucks,” each having a pair of wheels mounted upon a tiltable axle. While rolling forward on the board, side-to-side weight fluctuations tilt the board and cause a shift in the rolling direction of the wheels to provide controllable steering of the board. The rolling direction is thus determined by the orientation of the wheel axles, although the normal rolling direction is along a major fore-aft axis of the board. It is common for the skateboarder to place her feet at an angle with respect to the major board axis, with one foot behind the other, similar to the stance of a surfer on a surfboard.

SUMMARY

In one aspect, s method of personal locomotion includes supporting oneself on a pair of separately movable wheeled devices to roll along a rolling direction at an angle to a normal walking direction defined by a user. Each wheeled device supports a respective foot and includes a device body and at least one roller secured to the device body. The roller is mounted to rotate about an axle defining a primary axis of rotation extending at an angle to the walking direction, as viewed from above the wheeled device. The method includes accelerating in a desired direction corresponding to the normal walking direction by engaging the wheeled devices against a support surface, repositioning the wheeled devices to engage the rollers against the support surface, and then rolling in the desired direction, at an angle to the normal walking direction, supported by the rollers.

In some implementations, accelerating in the desired direction includes walking or running upon a forward region of the device body. Repositioning of the wheeled devices may include lifting each wheeled device from the support surface, rotating the wheeled device away from the direction of acceleration, and then engaging the roller upon the support surface. In some instances, repositioning the wheeled devices includes moving the wheeled devices along the support surface while rotating the wheeled devices away from the direction of acceleration, where the wheeled devices continuously maintain contact with the support surface. In some examples, repositioning the wheeled devices includes repeatedly moving the wheeled devices in opposite directions along the normal walking direction to continue rolling in a desired direction at an angle to the normal walking direction.

The wheeled devices are repositioned to roll in a direction substantially perpendicular to the normal walking direction defined by a user. The wheeled device may be a shoe including a sole defining a forward region positioned beneath toes and at least part of a ball of a foot received within the shoe and having a lower surface exposed across the forward region to engage a supporting surface for walking thereon, and at least one roller secured to the sole and disposed rearward of the forward region. The roller is mounted to rotate about an axle defining a primary axis of rotation extending at an angle to the walking direction, as viewed from above the shoe. The shoes may include at least two rollers laterally spaced across the sole. The centers of the two rollers have a lateral spacing of about 20 percent of an overall length of the sole. The shoes may include at least two rollers spaced apart along the walking direction. The mid-planes of the two rollers are spaced apart along the walking direction by a distance of about 30 percent of an overall length of the sole. The axle is secured to the sole through a compliant mount that resiliently deforms as the axle is rotated about its kingpin axis. The axle carries two rollers, one disposed on either side of the kingpin axis. The rollers are mounted for rotation about the axle through separate bearings containing rolling elements.

In some implementations, the wheeled device includes a rigid board having upper and lower surfaces and defining a longitudinal axis configured to be oriented along the rolling direction of the wheeled device. The upper surface of the board has a length along the longitudinal axis sufficient to span a width of a piece of footwear placed sideways across the board, with the board supporting at least an arch region of a piece of footwear. At least one axle assembly is secured to the lower surface of the board and includes an axle and at least one roller rotatably mounted on the axle for rolling in the rolling direction. The board is sized to fit entirely under the piece of footwear. The wheeled device may also include at least one releasable fastener configured to secure the board to an underside of the piece of footwear to retain the wheeled device to the piece of footwear during use. The releasable fastener includes a projection extending upwardly from the upper surface of the board. The projection is configured to be received by a receptacle defined by a sole of the piece of footwear. The releasable fastener is configured to permit the piece of footwear to be selectively positionable on the board in either of two positions, each with the piece of footwear angled with respect to the rolling direction. The axle assembly of the wheeled device includes a compliant mount resiliently deformable and secured to the lower surface of the board. The compliant mount defines a canted kingpin axis. The axle is secured to the compliant mount and rotatable about the canted kingpin axis for inducing yaw with respect to the rolling direction. The method may include first and second axle assemblies with the compliant mounts secured to the lower surface of the board such that their canted kingpin axes are in opposing directions to one another.

In another aspect, a personal locomotion device includes a pair of separately movable wheeled devices to roll along a rolling direction at an angle to a normal walking direction defined by a user. Each wheeled device supports a respective foot and includes a device body and at least one roller secured to the device body. The roller is mounted to rotate about an axle defining a primary axis of rotation extending at an angle to the walking direction, as viewed from above the wheeled device.

In yet another aspect, a personal locomotion device includes a pair of separately movable wheeled devices to roll along a rolling direction at an angle to a normal walking direction defined by a user. Each wheeled device supports a respective foot and includes a device body and at least one roller pivotally secured to the device body to swivel among multiple positions under the device body. The roller is mounted to rotate about an axle defining a primary axis of rotation extending at an angle to the walking direction in each swivel position, as viewed from above the wheeled device.

In another aspect, a method of personal locomotion includes supporting oneself on a pair of separately movable wheeled devices to roll along a rolling direction at an angle to a normal walking direction defined by a user. Each wheeled device supports a respective foot and includes a device body defining a grinding portion on an underside of the device body for sliding along surface edges and at least one roller secured to the device body. The roller is mounted to rotate about an axle defining a primary axis of rotation extending at an angle to the walking direction, as viewed from above the wheeled device. The method includes positioning the grinding portion of at least one wheeled device on a surface edge so that the corresponding foot of the user is substantially parallel with the walking direction, as viewed from above the wheeled device, and a longitudinal axis of the surface edge, and then allowing the grinding portion of the wheeled device to slide along the surface edge.

In another aspect, a method of personal locomotion includes supporting oneself on a pair of separately movable wheeled devices to roll along a rolling direction at an angle to a normal walking direction defined by a user. Each wheeled device supports a respective foot and includes a device body defining a grinding portion on an underside of the device body for sliding along surface edges and at least one roller secured to the device body. The roller is mounted to rotate about an axle defining a primary axis of rotation extending at an angle to the walking direction, as viewed from above the wheeled device. The method includes positioning the grinding portion of at least one wheeled device on a surface edge, the rolling direction of the wheeled device being at an angle with a longitudinal axis of the surface edge, and then allowing the grinding portion of the wheeled device to slide along the surface edge.

According to another aspect of the invention, a wheeled shoe accessory includes a rigid board having upper and lower surfaces and defining a longitudinal axis configured to be oriented along a rolling direction of the wheeled shoe accessory, the upper surface of the board having a length along the longitudinal axis sufficient to span a width of a piece of footwear placed sideways across the board, with the board supporting an arch region of the piece of footwear. In some implementations, the board is sized to fit entirely under the piece of footwear. Preferably, the board is of a length, measured along the longitudinal axis, of between about 8 and 14 inches, and is of a width, perpendicular to its longitudinal axis, of between about 2½ and 4 inches.

At least one axle assembly is secured to the lower surface of the board. The axle assembly includes an axle and at least one roller rotatably mounted on the axle for rolling in the rolling direction. Preferably, the axle assembly includes a compliant mount resiliently deformable and secured to the lower surface of the board, the compliant mount defining a canted kingpin axis. The axle is secured to the compliant mount and rotatable about the canted kingpin axis for inducing yaw with respect to the rolling direction. In some configurations, the wheeled shoe accessory includes first and second axle assemblies with their compliant mounts secured to the lower surface of the board such that their canted kingpin axes are in opposing directions to one another.

The wheeled shoe accessory also has at least one releasable fastener configured to secure the board to an underside of the piece of footwear to retain the wheeled shoe accessory to the piece of footwear during use. In some implementations, the releasable fastener is a projection extending upwardly from the upper surface of the board and configured to be received by a receptacle defined by a sole of the piece of footwear. In one example, the projection is of a shape selected to prevent rotation of the board about an axis normal to the board with the projection received in the piece of footwear. Preferably, the projection is elongated with its length extending along the longitudinal axis of the board. In a presently preferred implementation, the releasable fastener is a substantially rectangular mounting boss having a height of about ¾ inch, a length of about 1⅛ inch, and a width of about ¾ inch. Preferably, the releasable fastener is configured to permit the piece of footwear to be selectively positionable on the board in either of two positions, each with the piece of footwear angled with respect to the rolling direction. For example, the releasable fastener may be securable to the board in either of at least two angular orientations. In one example, the releasable fastener defines a center axis and opposing undercuts on either side of the center axis for receiving an attachment mechanism embedded in an underside of the piece of footwear. Preferably, the undercuts defined by the releasable fastener are of an elongated shape spanning the width of the releasable fastener and have a height of about ⅛ inch and a depth of about 3/16 inch.

In some implementations, the wheeled shoe accessory also includes an orientation plate secured to the upper surface of the board and configured to receive the releasable fastener. The orientation plate defines a protrusion along its upper surface to align the received releasable fastener in a particular orientation with respect to the board's longitudinal axis.

In another aspect, an article of footwear includes a sole, an upper portion joined to the sole, and an attachment mechanism embedded in the sole for securing a wheeled shoe accessory to the sole. The attachment mechanism includes a body defining an elongated receptacle and a longitudinal axis, the receptacle defining a center axis and configured to receive a mounting boss of a wheeled shoe accessory. In some implementations, the receptacle defines a substantially rectangular opening. The attachment mechanism also includes at least one manually operable lock control device configured to engage and retain the received mounting boss within the receptacle. For example, in some implementations, the lock control device includes a button actuator disposed in the body along the longitudinal axis of the body and accessible from the side of the sole. A retainer arm is disposed in the body and joined to the button actuator, the retainer arm configured to engage and retain the received mounting boss in the receptacle with the retainer am in an engagement position. A spring is disposed in the body and biases the retainer arm toward its engagement position. Preferably, the lock control device includes two oppositely directed buttons joined to respective retainer arms configured to engage the mounting boss from opposite directions.

Some other aspects of the invention feature a rigid board for a wheeled shoe accessory, the board having upper and lower surfaces and defines a longitudinal axis configured to extend along a rolling direction of the wheeled shoe accessory. The upper surface of the board has a length along the longitudinal axis sufficient to span a width of a piece of footwear placed sideways across the board, with the board supporting an arch region of the piece of footwear.

According to one such aspect, the board defines mounting holes arranged to mount at least one axle assembly on the lower surface of the board, and includes a projection extending from its upper surface and configured to selectively secure a releasable fastener in either of two selectable orientations with respect to the longitudinal axis of the board. In some implementations, the projection his two elongated ribs oriented at different angles with respect to the longitudinal axis of the board, and a central post defining a threaded hole therein for receiving a threaded fastener to secure the releasable fastener to the board.

According to another such aspect, the board defines a generally square recess in the upper surface along the longitudinal axis for receiving an orientation plate for selectively positioning a releasable fastener secured to the upper surface of the board in a particular orientation with respect to the board's longitudinal axis. Preferably, the recess has a side length of about 1¼ inches and a depth of about 0.2 inch. In some implementations, the board further defines a hole therethrough at a center of the recess of about ¼ inch in diameter.

Various implementations of the concepts disclosed herein enable an enhanced user experience resulting from rolling in a direction other than a walking direction, while allowing individual foot maneuverability. Unlike skateboarding and surfing, the user's feet are decoupled to permit individual foot angulations and travel paths, while allowing the user to face at an angle to the general direction of motion. As a result, wheeled shoe accessory users can perform complex foot movements while rolling sideways. In addition, the disclosed wheeled show accessories can be employed for other purposes when not secured to footwear, such as by serving as hand-held toys for play. For example, decorative covers may be placed over the releasable fasteners, such as to simulate miniature characters “riding” the boards. Alternatively, the releasable fastener may be replaced with a flat plate that enables the board to be ridden by smaller children, or by larger children on only one foot in standard footwear. Hand grips may also be releasably secured to the fasteners, enabling a user to roll on either one or two pairs of such wheeled shoe accessories, at least partially supported on his or her arm or arms.

The details of one or more implementations of the disclosure are set fourth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate sidewalk “surfing” and grinding, respectively, with shoes having rollers in their soles.

FIGS. 3-5 are side, back and bottom views, respectively, of a first shoe.

FIGS. 5A and 5B are alternate bottom views of the first shoe.

FIGS. 6 and 7 are side and bottom views, respectively, of a second shoe.

FIG. 8 is a partial bottom view of a third shoe.

FIG. 9 is a back view of the third shoe.

FIGS. 10-12 are side, back and bottom views, respectively, of a fourth shoe.

FIGS. 13 and 14 are side and bottom views, respectively, of a fifth shoe.

FIGS. 15 and 16 are partial side and bottom views, respectively, of a sixth shoe.

FIGS. 17 and 18 are partial side and bottom views, respectively, of a seventh shoe.

FIGS. 19 and 20 are side and bottom views, respectively, of an eighth shoe.

FIGS. 21-23 are side, bottom and back views, respectively, of a right shoe equipped with a steerable truck assembly.

FIG. 24 is a back view of a left shoe equipped with a steerable truck assembly.

FIG. 25 is a bottom view of a second shoe with a truck assembly.

FIG. 26 is a cross-sectional view, taken along line 26-26 in FIG. 25.

FIG. 27 is a side view of the truck assembly of the shoe of FIG. 25.

FIGS. 28-29 are bottom and back views, respectively, of a third shoe with a truck assembly.

FIG. 30 is a side view of the truck assembly of the shoe of FIG. 28.

FIGS. 31-32 are side and bottom views, respectively, of a shoe equipped with a double truck assembly.

FIG. 33 is a rear view of the shoe of FIG. 31, with the double truck assembly shown in cross-section.

FIGS. 34 and 35 are back views of a shoe with a retractable wheel assembly in the arch region of the sole, with the wheel assembly shown in its extended and retracted positions, respectively, and the sole shown in cross-section.

FIG. 36 is a side view of a two-wheeled truck assembly, with the wheels shown in dashed outline.

FIG. 37 is an exploded view of the truck assembly of FIG. 36, without the wheels.

FIGS. 38 and 39 are perspective views of the axle and mounting bracket, respectively, of the truck assembly of FIG. 36.

FIGS. 40 and 41 are back views of left and right shoes, respectively, equipped with both steerable truck assemblies and non-steerable wheels.

FIG. 42 is a bottom view of the shoe of FIG. 41.

FIG. 43 is a perspective view of a wheeled shoe accessory secured to a shoe.

FIG. 44 is an exploded view of the components of FIG. 43.

FIG. 45 is an exploded view of the board with assembled releasable fastener, with the fastener oriented to place the heel-toe shoe axis perpendicular to the rolling direction.

FIG. 46 is a bottom perspective view of the portion of the fastener embedded in the footwear.

FIG. 47 is a perspective view of an axle assembly.

FIG. 48 is a perspective view of the board of the accessory.

FIG. 49 is a perspective view of the board with assembled releasable fastener.

Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate that many of the attitudes or stances assumed by surfers and skateboarders may also be obtained with shoes having rollers in their soles, with the rollers specifically adapted to roll along in a direction other than the walking direction, in accordance with several aspects of the present invention. For example, FIG. 1 shows a user 10 rolling along a concrete sidewalk 12 with his feet oriented generally perpendicular to his direction of motion. Shoes 14 have rolling elements 16 in the arch region of their soles, enabling the user to balance his or her weight directly on the rolling elements for lateral motion. Preferably, there is sufficient room in the toe region of the flexible shoe soles, beyond the rolling elements 16, to allow the user to run or walk on the toe regions without engaging the rollers. This can be useful for obtaining a running start before jumping into a surfing position on the rollers for continued motion. In some instances, the rollers may enable surfing along an edge 18 of a curbstone, as shown in FIG. 2, or an inclined railing or hand rail.

Referring first to the implementation illustrated in FIGS. 3-5, shoe 20 has an upper portion 22 and a sole 24. Not much detail is shown on upper 22, as the shoe upper may be in any suitable form known in the art. Upper 22 may extend upward to cover the wearer's ankle, as illustrated, or may be of a lower cut. Alternatively, upper 22 may extend up the wearer's calf in the form of a boot. Upper 22 may be of a flexible material or may be of rigid form, as employed in ski and skate boot shells, for example. Likewise, sole 24 may be flexible or rigid, depending on the application. In one preferred implementation, sole 24 is molded of a flexible elastomer with a forward region 26, an arch region 28 and a heel region 30. The flexibility of forward region 26, which covers the toe and ball portions of the foot, and the flexibility of the transition between forward region 26 and arch region 28, enable sole 24 to flex during normal walking and during “toe-walking,” in which the wearer walks only upon the forward portions of their feet, as called “tip-toeing” by children.

A cylindrical roller 32 is mounted within a cavity 34 in arch region 28. Roller 32 is mounted for rotation about an axle pin 36 that extends in the fore-aft direction of the shoe, such that roller 32 is free to rotate as indicated by arrows in FIG. 4. In this illustration, roller 32 is only about 1.0 inch (25 millimeters) long and about 1.25 inches (32 millimeters) in diameter, with a cylindrical outer surface. Examples of other roller configurations are discussed below. A rigid axle mount cup 38, or other support, is insert-molded into sole 24 to provide the mounting structure to which axle pin 36 is releasably secured. The ends of axle pin 36 snap into corresponding recesses at the forward and aft edges of cup 38, and can be released from their recesses manually by pulling roller 32 from its cavity. Thus, roller 32 can be easily removed by the wearer, without the use of hand tools and without having to remove the shoes.

As can be seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the outer surface of roller 32 extends below the lowermost part of sole 24, so that the wearer can engage roller 32 against a flat supporting surface, such as a sidewalk, without engaging any other portion of the sole. Additionally, as seen in FIG. 4, the lateral edges of sole 24 are chamfered or otherwise relieved to provide ground clearance when the shoe is tipped to either side on roller 32. Preferably, the sole is relieved give a tilt clearance θ of at least about 10 degrees in at least one direction, with the roller sufficiently embedded to only have an exposed height ‘h’, below the lowest surrounding sole surface, of no more than about 0.5 inch (13 millimeters).

In the implementation of FIGS. 5A and 5B, axle pin mounting cup 38a defines four axle pin mounting recesses 40, one set in its fore and aft edges for mounting roller 32 in the side-rolling orientation of FIG. 5A, and another set in its side edges for mounting roller 32 in a forward rolling direction as shown in FIG. 5B. Again, roller 32 is conveniently removed for normal walking, but can be quickly snapped into place in either illustrated orientation, enabling the wearer to selectively configure the shoes for skating or surfing modes.

In the implementation of FIGS. 6 and 7, shoe 20a has an hourglass-shaped roller 42 positioned in its arch region, with a maximum outer diameter of about 2.0 inches (51 millimeters) and a central diameter of about 1.0 inch (25 millimeters). By its shape, roller 42 defines a central channel 44 for receiving a laterally extending support surface feature, such as an edge of a curbstone (see FIG. 2), or a stair railing for extreme sports maneuvers. When rolling along a flat supporting surface, roller 42 engages the surface only on its two, spaced-apart maximum diameter regions 46, providing low rolling contact area and corresponding rolling resistance, while also providing a relatively long extent “L” of contact for stability. In this case, longitudinal rolling extent “L” is about 2.75 inches (70 millimeters), or about 25 percent of the overall length of the sole 24a. The curvature shown in these views of the rolling surface of roller 42 at its two ends, beyond rolling extent “L”, gives some steering effect when the shoe is tilted fore-aft to place only one end of the roller in contact with the ground.

Another feature of this implementation is that the axle pin supporting structure 38a embedded in sole 24a defines multiple sets of axle pin receivers 40 defining axle axes arranged at different angles, allowing roller 42 to be inserted in any of three distinct positions. In the center position, as shown, roller 42 rolls only about a fore-aft axis 170 aligned with the normal walking direction “D”, such that the user may roll exactly sideways. At other times, the user may wish to roll in a direction slightly angled from the sideways direction. If such is the case, the user may quickly snap roller 42 from its central position and reinsert it in one of the other two positions, with rolling axes displaced from the fore-aft direction by an angle α of about 15 degrees. For surfing stability, it may be desired to place the roller 42 of a forward shoe in a skewed position while leaving the roller of a rearward shoe in a centered position.

For even more stability, one or both shoes may be equipped with twin rollers spaced apart along the width of the shoe. For example, FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate a shoe with two rollers 42 mounted in parallel in the arch region of the shoe sole. In this case, both rollers 42 roll about parallel axes running fore-aft along the shoe, with their central channels 44 aligned. As with the above-described implementations, rollers 42 are removable for walking or running. The rollers contact the ground at points separated a distance “X” along the direction of rolling travel, giving enhanced stability for each shoe. This can be particularly important for reducing inner thigh stress during prolonged use. Preferably, distance “X” is at least about 2.0 inches (51 millimeters).

The shoe illustrated in FIGS. 10-12 has four rolling elements 48 arranged at four corners of a rectangle. Two rollers 48 are arranged in parallel in the heel region of the shoe, while the other two rollers 48 are arranged in parallel just forward of the arch region of the shoe, such that the pattern of rollers encompasses the arch region. This arrangement of rollers provides excellent stability as the ground contact points define and encompass a broad planar area of length L₁ of about 3.0 inches (76 millimeters) and width W₁ of about 2.0 inches (51 millimeters). Each roller 48 rolls about a fore-aft axis and is of barrel shape, with the barrel curvature enabling some steering by tilting the shoe forward or aft for rolling contact on only either the rear wheels or the front wheels.

Other side-rolling roller arrangements are also envisioned. For example, FIGS. 13 and 14 shoe a shoe with four rollers 48 arranged in an offset pattern, with their ground contact points defining corners of a planar parallelogram. This enables the use of rollers with large rolling diameters while keeping their lateral separation W₂ narrower than if the rollers were placed side-by-side. Rollers 48 may be mounted for easy removal for walking, as discussed above, or securely mounted in the sole for use only as a rolling shoe, as shown. Preferably, the forward rollers 48 are mounted far enough from the toe of the shoe to enable toe-walking.

Side-rolling elements 48 may also be combined with arch rollers or skid plates for both side-rolling and grinding. FIGS. 15 and 16 show a shoe with the four-roller arrangement of the shoe of FIG. 10, but with the addition of a grinding roller 50 in the arch region of the shoe sole, between the fore and rear rollers 48. Rollers 48 project farther from the sole than does grinding roller 50, such that for side-rolling, only rollers 48 engage the ground. However, the user may jump from a side-rolling mode onto a railing to grind on arch roller 50, with the railing received in the central reduced diameter portion 51 of the grinding roller. Each of the rollers 48, 50 in this implementation may be removed for walking mode or for replacement, by snapping the forward end of each roller axle out of a corresponding recess in supporting structure 38b, and then tilting the axle away from the sole and pulling the other end of the axle out of a corresponding socket in the supporting structure.

As an alternative to a grinding roller, a grinding plate 52 can be employed, embedded in the sole along the centerline of the shoe, as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18. Grind plate 52 has a concave central portion for receiving and sliding along a railing or such. In this particular implementation, the shoe is also equipped with slide plates 54 overlaying the sides of the sole in the arch region of the shoe, for engaging a rail in combination with grind plate 52 for certain maneuvers.

In another quad roller arrangement shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, four elongated, concave rollers 50 are arranged in two parallel rows, with two rollers in the heel region and two rollers forward of the arch region. Together, the rollers provide eight discrete ground contact points upon which the shoe can roll in sideways manner, and define two separate grinding channels.

Steering control may also be accomplished by mounting the rolling members to the sole with compliant mounts, such as by incorporating a desired amount of compliance in the axle-pin mounting structure within the shoe sole.

More aggressive maneuverability is provided with a roller or wheel mount that induces a change in the wheel axle orientation in response to a steering input. For example, the shoe 82 in FIGS. 21-23 is equipped with a full axle truck assembly 84, of a similar type to those commonly employed in pairs on skateboards. The base 86 of truck assembly 84 is securely attached to the sole of the shoe in its arch region. Truck assembly 84 carries an axle 88 about which two generally cylindrical rollers 90 rotate independently, of a construction similar to skateboard wheels. As shown in FIG. 23, axle 88 has a pin 92 that is received in a socket of base 86 and can freely rotate within the socket. Axle 88 is also secured to base 86 by canted shoulder bolt 94, between two compliant bushings 96a and 96b. This arrangement causes axle 88 to slightly rotate in a steering sense (i.e., in the plane of FIG. 22) when it is tilted in the plane of FIG. 21 by compression of bushings 96a and 96b, providing intuitive directional (i.e., yaw) control.

Looking in combination at FIGS. 23 and 24, both of a pair of shoes can each be equipped with a truck assembly 84, for independent turning control of each foot in a sideways rolling, “surfing” mode. In the illustrated arrangement, the left foot truck axle 88 has its pin 92 extending to the left, while the right foot truck axle 88 has its pin 92 extending to the right, such that the truck axles pivot in opposite sense when their respective shoes are tilted in the same sense, for turning the truck axles out of phase with one another.

Truck assemblies 84 can be mounted to the shoe sole for quick removal to transition to a walking or running mode. In FIGS. 25-27, truck assembly 84a has four quick release fasteners 98 for releasably securing the base of the truck assembly to the shoe sole. In FIGS. 28-30, on the other hand, the entire truck assembly 84b is secured to the shoe sole with a single quick release pin 100 that is readily grasped and pulled from the shoe sole by ring 102. When in place, pin 100 extends through a hole 104 in a mounting boss 106 extending from the base of truck assembly 84b, enabling the truck assembly to be mounted in either of two opposite orientations as desired for particular rolling directions and steering modes.

Referring to FIGS. 31-33, shoe 108 has a double truck assembly 110 mounted beneath in the arch region of the sole. Truck assembly 110 supports two independently tiltable wheel axles 112, each with a corresponding pivot pin 92 rotatable within a corresponding socket of the joint truck assembly base 114. Truck axles 112 are arranged in opposition for more aggressive steering sensitivity, giving shoe 108 all of the steering capability of a traditional skateboard, all within the width W₂ of the shoe sole rather than requiring a long board on which both feet are placed. Preferably, the overall wheelbase WB of double truck assembly 110 is about 2.0 inches (51 millimeters) or less. In one preferred implementation, the wheelbase WB is about 2.0 inches (51 millimeters), and the fore-aft distance T_B between wheel midplanes is about 3.0 inches (76 millimeters), in a men's size 9 shoe with an overall sole length L_S of about 12 inches (30.5 centimeters). Thus, the wheel center track width T_B and wheelbase WB were about 30 percent and 20 percent of the shoe length, respectively. With two such shoes 108, a wearer can relatively position his or her feet in any number of positions while rolling sideways and steering, enabling maneuvers impossible with skateboards. As with some of the other implementations described above, the toe and ball region 113 of the sole of shoe 108 is unobstructed by the truck assembly and its wheels 90, enabling the wearer to toe-walk on the front portion of the sole when not rolling. Heel-walking is also possible on the exposed heel surface 111 of the sole. Preferably, the sole is flexible forward of the arch region, for more comfortable walking. As with the above truck implementations, double truck assembly 110 can be releasably mounted to the shoe sole.

The shoe 116 of FIGS. 34 and 35 has a two-wheeled roller assembly 118 mounted in its arch region for rolling in a sideways direction (similar to the shoe of FIG. 31), but configured to be readily retractable into the sole of the shoe for walking. In its extended position (FIG. 34), wheels 90 are partially disposed below the lower surface 120 of the shoe sole, and held in that position by a manually operable latch 122. When retracted (FIG. 35), the entire roller assembly 118 is contained within the recess 124 defined in the shoe sole. Latch 122 and axle 126 are both mounted to the shoe to pivot about respective pins 128 and 130, and biased by torsion springs (not shown) toward the positions shown in FIG. 35. It will be understood that such retractability is readily incorporated into several of the above-described roller configurations.

FIGS. 36-39 illustrate a steerable roller truck assembly 132 for use in skates, skateboards, or the like. The illustrated example can be constructed with an advantageously low overall height “H_T” of less than about 1.0 inch (25 millimeters), for example, for incorporation into the sideways-rolling shoe implementations shown above. The three primary components of the assembly are a rigid mounting bracket 134, two compliant wedge-shaped bushings 136, and an axle 138 that carries two wheels 90. To assemble the truck assembly, the two wedge-shaped bushings are first placed into corresponding compartments on either side of a central web 140 of bracket 134. Next, axle 138 is slid over a rigidly mounted pin 142 of bracket 134 until it contacts the angled front surfaces of the bushings. In place, axle 138 cooperates to retain bushings 136 in their compartments. Axle 138 is axially retained on pin 142 by a retaining clip 144 or other fastener means. An adjustable locknut (not shown) at the distal end of pin 142, for example, may be employed to maintain a bushing preload over time, if the axle is configured to leave a gap between the axle and bracket at inner end of the axle as shown. This arrangement also allows bushing compliance to slightly cushion normal wheel loads, as well, and a secondary bushing washer (not shown) may be placed between the axle and the bracket at the inner end of pin 142 if desired. Alternatively, axle 138 may be configured to slide along pin 142 until it contacts a rigid stop surface of bracket 134. During use, torque applied to axle 138 about bracket pin 142 resiliently compresses one or the other of the bushings to enable steering of the axle about pin 142. Bushings 136 can be molded of polyurethane, with a hardness of about 50 to 95 shore A, for example.

Referring to FIG. 38, axle 138 has a central body 146 that defines an open circular slot 148 for receiving the pin of the bracket. Slot 148 encompasses, in cross-section, more than 180 degrees of a defined circle, so as to radially retain the pin. The open side of slot 148 accommodates the central web of the bracket. Surfaces 150 adjacent slot 148 bear against the angled surfaces of the bushings in use. An axle pin 152 of about 0.25 inch (6 millimeters) in diameter is rigidly secured within a bore of body 146, and is configured as known in the art to carry the wheels.

FIG. 39 illustrates the structure of mounting bracket 134. Pin 142 is of about 0.25 inch (6 millimeters) in diameter, pressed into a hole in the lower portion of the bracket and soldered to central web 140 for added support. A rear wall 154 of the bracket extends from the central web around the rear corners of the bracket, to define the cushion compartments 156. A groove 158 at the distal end of pin 142 receives the retaining clip.

FIGS. 40-42 show a pair of shoes 160L and 160R, each with a steerable truck assembly 84 as well as a non-steerable wheel 162. In each shoe, the non-steerable wheels are shown inboard of the truck assemblies 84 and provide a third contact wheel for added stability of each shoe, as compared with the implementation of FIGS. 23 and 24. Wheels 162 are each mounted about for rotation about their own axle 164, laterally spaced from the truck assemblies 84 and supported between rigid flanges 166 extending from a common base 168 of the truck assembly.

FIGS. 43 illustrates one implementation of a wheeled shoe accessory 200 attached to the sole 210 of an article of footwear 220. Referring to FIGS. 44-45, wheeled shoe accessory 200 includes a board 300, at least one axle assembly 370 secured to the lower surface of board 300, an orientation plate 310 secured to board 300, and a releasable fastener 320 configured to secure board 300 to the sole of the article of footwear. Board 300 is generally rigid and defines a center axis 302 and a longitudinal axis 304 along a rolling direction. In one aspect, board 300 has a length along the longitudinal axis 304 of 11 inches and a width of 2.75 inches. Board 300 also defines a mounting portion 306 for mounting orientation plate 310 and is located along the longitudinal axis 304. In one aspect, mounting portion 306 defines a generally square recess in the upper surface of board 300 and centered on the center axis 302, the recess having a width of 1.25 inches and a depth of 0.2 inches. Mounting portion 306 also defines a hole 308 of 0.3 inch diameter through the center of the recess along the center axis 302 for securing orientation plate 310. Finally, board 300 defines a plurality of holes 309 (eight shown) for mounting at least one axle assembly 370 on the lower surface of board 300. In one aspect, board 300 defines two sets of four holes 309, positioned on either side of the center axis 302 for mounting two axle assemblies 370 centered on the longitudinal axis 304 and equal distances from the center axis 302.

FIG. 45 illustrates one implementation of a board assembly 201 of a wheeled shoe accessory. Orientation plate 310 is received by the recess defined by mounting portion 306 and is secured to board 300 by a fastener 318 inserted from the lower side of board 300 through the hole 308 defined by mounting portion 306. Orientation plate 310 is configured to receive releasable fastener 320 in two or more orientations and defines a center axis 312. In the illustrated implementation, orientation plate 310 is configured to receive releasable fastener 320 such that their center axes 312 are co-linear and the longitudinal axis 324 defined by releasable fastener 320 is selectively oriented at 0, +45 or −45 degrees with respect to the center axis 304 of board 300. In other implementations, orientation plate 310 is configured to receive releasable fastener 320 at other desired angles. In this example, orientation plate 310 defines two aligned, parallel half-round protrusions 316 along its upper surface to align releasable fastener 320 in one orientation, and two other sets of protrusions 316a and 316b that are received in common, linear slots defined in the lower end of the releasable fastener, for mounting the fastener in two other respective angular orientations about the center axis of the board.

Referring to FIGS. 44 and 46, releasable fastener 320 is received by an attachment mechanism 340 embedded in the sole 220 of an article of footwear 210. As shown in FIGS. 46, attachment mechanism 340 includes a body 350 defining a center axis 342 and a longitudinal axis 344. Attachment mechanism 340 is embedded in the sole of the article of footwear such that the longitudinal axis 344 of body 350 is perpendicular to a direction of walking (i.e., perpendicular to the longitudinal, heel-toe axis of the footwear). Body 350 defines along the center axis 342 a cavity 360 configured to receive releasable fastener 320. As shown, two buttons 352 are disposed in the body along the longitudinal axis 344 and biased by springs 354 such that the buttons 352 are accessible for actuation on either side of the sole of the shoe. The buttons 352 actuate respective retainer arms 356 disposed in body 350 to operate in opposing directions along the longitudinal axis 344. Each retainer arm 356 is configured to engage a corresponding retention feature of the releasable fastener as the fastener inserted into the cavity 360. The springs 354 also bias the retainer arms 356 to engage and retain the inserted releasable fastener. A cover 358 encloses the retainer arms 356 in the body 350.

FIG. 47 illustrates one implementation of an axle assembly 370. The axle assembly 370 includes a compliant mount 376 resiliently deformable and defining a canted kingpin axis 372. An axle 378 is secured to the compliant mount 376 and rotatable about the canted kingpin axis 372 for inducing yaw with respect to the rolling direction. At least one roller 380 is rotatably mounted on the axle 378 for rolling in the rolling direction.

The wheeled board assembly described above is convertible into a miniature skateboard-like toy, by replacing the releasable fastener and orientation plate with a flat plate 390, as shown in FIGS. 48 and 49. Plate 390 fits flush inside recess 306, and is retained by the same threaded fastener 318 that is shown securing orientation plate 310 in FIG. 41. With plate 390 in place (FIG. 49), the upper surface of plate 390 is coplanar with the upper surface of board 300. For at least smaller children, board 300 so configured is of ample size to enable at least portions of both feet to be placed upon the upper board surface for play.

A number of implementations of the invention have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, other implementations are within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A method of personal locomotion, the method comprising:

supporting oneself on a pair of separately movable wheeled devices to roll along a rolling direction at an angle to a normal walking direction defined by a user, each wheeled device supporting a respective foot and comprising: a device body; and at least one roller secured to the device body, the roller mounted to rotate about an axle defining a primary axis of rotation extending at an angle to the walking direction, as viewed from above the wheeled device;

accelerating in a desired direction corresponding to the normal walking direction by engaging the wheeled devices against a support surface;

repositioning the wheeled devices to engage the rollers against the support surface; and then

rolling in the desired direction, at an angle to the normal walking direction, supported by the rollers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein accelerating in the desired direction comprises walking or running upon a forward region of the device body.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein repositioning the wheeled devices comprises lifting each wheeled device from the support surface, rotating the wheeled device away from the direction of acceleration, and then engaging the roller upon the support surface.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein repositioning the wheeled devices comprises moving the wheeled devices along the support surface while rotating the wheeled devices away from the direction of acceleration, wherein the wheeled devices continuously maintain contact with the support surface.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein repositioning the wheeled devices comprises repeatedly moving the wheeled devices in opposite directions along the normal walking direction to continue rolling in a desired direction at an angle to the normal walking direction.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the wheeled devices are repositioned to roll in a direction substantially perpendicular to the normal walking direction defined by a user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the wheeled device comprises a shoe, the shoe comprising:

a sole defining a forward region positioned beneath toes and at least part of a ball of a foot received within the shoe and having a lower surface exposed across the forward region to engage a supporting surface for walking thereon; and

at least one roller secured to the sole and disposed rearward of the forward region, the roller mounted to rotate about an axle defining a primary axis of rotation extending at an angle to the walking direction, as viewed from above the shoe.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the shoes further comprises at least two rollers laterally spaced across the sole.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein centers of the two rollers have a lateral spacing of about 20 percent of an overall length of the sole.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the shoes comprises at least two rollers spaced apart along the walking direction.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein mid-planes of the two rollers are spaced apart along the walking direction by a distance of about 30 percent of an overall length of the sole.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the axle is secured to the sole through a compliant mount that resiliently deforms as the axle is rotated about its kingpin axis.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the axle carries two rollers, one disposed on either side of the kingpin axis.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the rollers are mounted for rotation about the axle through separate bearings containing rolling elements.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the wheeled device comprises:

a rigid board having upper and lower surfaces and defining a longitudinal axis configured to be oriented along the rolling direction of the wheeled device, the upper surface of the board having a length along the longitudinal axis sufficient to span a width of a piece of footwear placed sideways across the board, with the board supporting at least an arch region of a piece of footwear; and

at least one axle assembly secured to the lower surface of the board and comprising an axle and at least one roller rotatably mounted on the axle for rolling in the rolling direction.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the board is sized to fit entirely under the piece of footwear.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the wheeled device further comprises at least one releasable fastener configured to secure the board to an underside of the piece of footwear to retain the wheeled device to the piece of footwear during use.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the releasable fastener comprises a projection extending upwardly from the upper surface of the board, the projection configured to be received by a receptacle defined by a sole of the piece of footwear.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the releasable fastener is configured to permit the piece of footwear to be selectively positionable on the board in either of two positions, each with the piece of footwear angled with respect to the rolling direction.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the axle assembly of the wheeled device further comprises a compliant mount resiliently deformable and secured to the lower surface of the board, the compliant mount defining a canted kingpin axis, the axle secured to the compliant mount and rotatable about the canted kingpin axis for inducing yaw with respect to the rolling direction.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising first and second axle assemblies, the compliant mounts secured to the lower surface of the board such that their canted kingpin axes are in opposing directions to one another.

22. A personal locomotion device comprising:

a pair of separately movable wheeled devices to roll along a rolling direction at an angle to a normal walking direction defined by a user, each wheeled device supporting a respective foot and comprising: a device body; and at least one roller secured to the device body, the roller mounted to rotate about an axle defining a primary axis of rotation extending at an angle to the walking direction, as viewed from above the wheeled device.

23. A personal locomotion device comprising:

a pair of separately movable wheeled devices to roll along a rolling direction at an angle to a normal walking direction defined by a user, each wheeled device supporting a respective foot and comprising: a device body; and at least one roller pivotally secured to the device body to swivel among multiple positions under the device body, the roller mounted to rotate about an axle defining a primary axis of rotation extending at an angle to the walking direction in each swivel position, as viewed from above the wheeled device.

24. A method of personal locomotion, the method comprising: allowing the grinding portion of the wheeled device to slide along the surface edge.

supporting oneself on a pair of separately movable wheeled devices to roll along a rolling direction at an angle to a normal walking direction defined by a user, each wheeled device supporting a respective foot and comprising: a device body defining a grinding portion on an underside of the device body for sliding along surface edges; and at least one roller secured to the device body, the roller mounted to rotate about an axle defining a primary axis of rotation extending at an angle to the walking direction, as viewed from above the wheeled device;

positioning the grinding portion of at least one wheeled device on a surface edge so that the corresponding foot of the user is substantially parallel with the walking direction, as viewed from above the wheeled device, and a longitudinal axis of the surface edge; and then

25. A method of personal locomotion, the method comprising:

supporting oneself on a pair of separately movable wheeled devices to roll along a rolling direction at an angle to a normal walking direction defined by a user, each wheeled device supporting a respective foot and comprising: a device body defining a grinding portion on an underside of the device body for sliding along surface edges; and at least one roller secured to the device body, the roller mounted to rotate about an axle defining a primary axis of rotation extending at an angle to the walking direction, as viewed from above the wheeled device;

positioning the grinding portion of at least one wheeled device on a surface edge, the rolling direction of the wheeled device being at an angle with a longitudinal axis of the surface edge; and then

allowing the grinding portion of the wheeled device to slide along the surface edge.