Dually operable roller skate

Abstract

A dually operable roller skate includes a sole member having a pair of rear wheels transversely rotatably secured to a rear portion of the sole member, a steering base steerably secured on a front bottom portion of the sole member, a pair of front wheels transversely rotatably secured on the steering base, and a looking device adjustably or detachably mounted on the steering base and releasably locking the steering base to the sole member to shift a steerable skating to a straightforward non-steerable skating.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

U.S. Pat. No. 6,926,290 issued to the same inventor of this application disclosed a steerable roller skate, which may be steerably skated by the player either rightwardly or leftwardly. Whenever lifting his or her foot, the magnetic attraction between the two magnets 4a, 4b will automatically restore the steering base 25 to allow the front axis 31 of the front wheels 3 to be perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 10 of the sole member 1 for resetting a straightforward direction.

However, such a magnetic attraction is a temporary attraction to keep the front axis 31 to be perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 10 of the sole member to keep a straightforward orientation temporarily.

If it is intended to make such a steerable roller skate to be a conventional roller skate which is not steerable, a locking means or mechanism should be further provided.

The present inventor has found this situation, and invented a roller skate which can be dually operable including a steerable skating, and a non-steerable skating, of which the latter allows a front axis of the front wheels to be perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the sole member for a stable straightforward skating.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide a dually operable roller skate including a sole member having a pair of rear wheels transversely rotatably secured to a rear portion of the sole member, a steering base steerably secured on a front bottom portion of the sole member, a pair of front wheels transversely rotatably secured on the steering base, and a looking device adjustably mounted on the steering base and releasably locking the steering base to the sole member to shift a steerable skating to a straightforward non-steerable skating.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a bottom-view illustration of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional drawing of the present invention when viewed from Line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an illustration showing the locking of the steering base on the sole member of the present invention for a non-steerable skating.

FIG. 4 is an illustration of the present invention when unlocked from FIG. 3 for steerable skating.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION:

As shown in the drawing figures, the present invention comprises:

• • a sole member 1 having a pair of rear wheels 5 transversely rotatably secured to a rear bottom portion of the sole member 1, a steering base 2 steerably secured on a front bottom portion of the sole member 1 by a bolt 21 vertically secured to the sole member 1 about a vertical axis 20 which is projectively perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 10 of the sole member 1, a pair of front wheels 3 transversely rotatably secured on the steering base 2, and a locking means 4 adjustably mounted on the steering base 2 for releasably locking the steering base 2 to the sole member 1 to shift a steerable skating to a straightforward non-steerable skating.

The front wheels 3 are rotatably secured to the steering base 2 by a front axle 31 along a transverse axle axis 30 which is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis 10 defined at a longitudinal center of the sole member 1 when the front wheels 3 and steering base 2 are not steerable, adapted for a straightforward skating. The steering base 2 is steerably rotated about the vertical axis 20 of the bolt 21.

The locking means 4 may include: a screw, a bolt, a latch, a nail, a pin, or a locking member, which may lock the steering base 2 to the bottom portion 12 of the sole member 1 for locking the steering base 2 for a straightforward skating; or may unlock the steering base 2 for a rightward or leftward steerable skating. A clamp or fastener may be provided on the steering base 2 for fastening the locking means 4 on the steering base, when the steering base 2 is not locked to the sole member 1.

The locking means 4 may include a preferred embodiment as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 to be a U-shaped locking member, which may be locked into the sole member 1 (FIGS. 2, 3) or unlocked from the sole member 1 (FIG. 4).

The locking means 4 includes: a pair of pins 43 protruding upwardly (or outwardly) from a handle portion 41 to form a U-shaped locking member, each pin 41 insertable into a pin hole 13 recessed in the bottom portion 12 of the sole member 1 for locking the steering base 1 on the sole member 1, or for unlocking the steering base 1 from the sole member 1.

Each pin 42 is slidably secured on a sleeve 44 fixed on the steering base 2, preferably on a side wall of the base 2, having an adjusting bolt 43 rotatably held on the sleeve 44 for selectively locking the bolt 43 in a first recess 421 formed on a lower portion of the pin 42 for locking the pin 42 into the pin hole 13 of the sole member (FIG. 3), or selectively locking the bolt 43 in a second recess 422 formed on an upper portion of the pin 42, thereby unlocking the pin 42 from the pin hole 13 of the sole member 1 (FIG. 4).

The two pin holes 13 are projectively linked to be a linking line 40 projectively perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 10 of the sole member 1 and projectively parallel to the axle axis 30 of the two front wheels 3 when not steerable as shown in FIG. 1.

A handle stopper 45 is formed on the steering base 2 for limiting a downward or outward movement of the handle portion 41 of the locking means 4 (FIG. 4) when unlocking the pin 42 from the pin hole 13 of the sole member 1.

The locking means 4 as shown in the drawing figures may be modified or simplified to be a single pin member as removably held on the base 1, and adjustably lockable in the sole member 1 or unlockable from the sole member 1.

The present invention may be dually operable by either locking the steering base 2 on the sole member 1 for a non-steerable skating; or unlocking the steering base 2 from the sole member 1 for a steerable skating for an interesting playing selection for the user or skater.

The steering base 2 may also be installed with a magnet thereon to be magnetically attracted to another magnet with opposite polarity secured on the bottom portion of the sole member 1 as disclosed in the inventor's prior patent, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,926,290.

The present invention may be further modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A roller skate comprising:

a sole member having a pair of rear wheels transversely rotatably secured to a rear bottom portion of the sole member, a steering base steerably secured on a front bottom portion of the sole member by a bolt vertically secured to the sole member about a vertical axis which is projectively perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the sole member, a pair of front wheels transversely rotatably secured on the steering base, and a locking means releasably mounted on the steering base for locking the steering base to the sole member to shift a steerable skating to a non-steerable skating.

2. A roller skate according to claim 1, wherein said locking means includes: a screw, a bolt, a latch, a nail, a pin, or a locking member, for locking the steering base to a bottom portion of the sole member, or for unlocking the steering base from the sole member.

3. A roller skate according to claim 1, wherein said locking means includes: a pair of pins protruding upwardly from a handle portion to form a U-shaped locking member, each said pin insertable into a pin hole recessed in a bottom portion of the sole member for locking the steering base on the sole member, or for unlocking the steering base from the sole member.

4. A roller skate according to claim 3, wherein each said pin is slidably secured on a sleeve fixed on the steering base, having an adjusting bolt rotatably held on the sleeve for selectively locking the bolt in a first recess formed on a lower portion of the pin for locking the pin into the pin hole of the sole member, or selectively locking the bolt in a second recess formed on an upper portion of the pin for unlocking the pin from the pin hole of the sole member 1.

5. A roller skate according to claim 4, wherein two said pin holes are projectively linked to be a linking line projectively parallel to an axle axis of the two front wheels when said axle axis is projectively perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the sole member.

6. A roller skate according to claim 3, wherein said locking means includes a handle stopper formed on the steering base for limiting an outward movement of the handle portion of the locking means, when unlocking the pin from the sole member.