SKATEBOARD BRAKE PEDAL ADAPTER

Abstract

A skateboard brake pedal adapter is provided for conversion of a string pull-type hand activation method to a pedal-type foot activation method for a skateboard with a pull-type brake. The pedal adapter comprises a lever pivotally connected to a fulcrum pedestal with a foot pedal at the lever front, a fulcrum interface at the lever center and a tether attachment point at the lever rear. The fulcrum interface connects the lever to the fulcrum pedestal by way of a spring-loaded resilient linkage that returns the lever to its deactivated at-rest position. The resilient linkage is also biased toward this at-rest position to dampen rattles from vibration. The fulcrum interface includes an alignment method to maintain the pedal's orientation. The fulcrum pedestal mounting holes match up with the skateboard deck hole pattern and shares common fastening hardware for convenient installation above the pull-type brake truck. In use, depressing the foot pedal results in rotation of the lever about a fulcrum axis which pulls the tether attachment point upward activating the skateboard brake.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application No. 63/618,333, filed Jan. 7, 2024 which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments of the present invention relate to pull-type braking apparatus for skateboards, scooters, and other rideable vehicles. More particularly, embodiments, relate to the conversion of a skateboard with a string pull-type braking method to a foot pedal braking method that a rider can operate to reduce speed or stop a vehicle. Still more particularly, embodiments relate to a means of brake activation that can be easily mounted on an existing skateboard with string pull-type braking apparatus to enable foot pedal activation.

BACKGROUND

Conventional skateboards consist of an elongated planar deck with steering mechanisms known as trucks mounted underneath at the front and rear ends. Each truck includes a pair of wheels mounted on a supported axle. Trucks provide steering whereby a rider laterally tilting the deck opposably twists the axles causing the skateboard to turn. Trucks also resist the lateral tilting of the deck by means of spring-loaded resilient linkages, commonly urethane bushings that stabilize the skateboard, returning the deck to its normal horizontal position when a turn is completed. Conventional skateboards are free-wheeling vehicles that generally do not provide any mechanical means of bringing the vehicle to a controlled stop.

Recently there has been a renewed interest in skateboards with brakes. U.S. Pat. No. 10,058,767 B2 entitled “Braking System For A Recreational Riding-Board” issued to Haddleton and Ackermann on Aug. 28, 2018, is an example of a brake method that uses a pliable tether attached to the rear of the skateboard to activate a brake. While this string pull-type hand operated brake method is excellent for beginners, a deficiency with method, and any brake method that solely relies on it, is that it interferes with a riders ability to propel the skateboard along by pushing it with their foot, a mode of operation where tethers can obstruct and entangle the rider. Another method attempts to overcome this entanglement problem by using a retractable tether as illustrated in US Pat. No. 2006/0108753 A1 entitled “Truckin Board” issued to Harnden on May 25, 2006. However one benefit of having a brake is to avoid unexpected collisions and this benefit is unavailable whenever the pliable tether is retracted or detached. As beginner riders increase skills by learning skateboard foot pushing and free riding techniques, the suitability and utility of string pull-type skateboard brakes rapidly diminishes.

Accordingly, there exists a need for a pedal adapter that can easily convert a string pull-type hand activated method to a pedal-type foot activated method for skateboards with brakes, all while having a low part count; where parts utilize low cost mass production methods that can be efficiently assembled, so the additional cost of adding the brake pedal adapter to a string pull-type skateboard brake is marginal.

SUMMARY

In an embodiment a skateboard brake pedal adapter comprises a lever with a foot pedal at a first end, a fulcrum interface proximal to the lever center and a tether attachment at a second opposing end. The fulcrum interface pivotally connects the lever to a fulcrum pedestal by way of a spring-loaded resilient linkage. The resilient linkage is biased toward holding the lever in a deactivated at-rest position which also helps to dampen rattles from vibration. The fulcrum interface includes an alignment method to maintain the pedal's orientation. The fulcrum pedestal includes mounting holes for fastening the fulcrum pedestal to a skateboard deck above a string-pull brake truck. Depressing the foot pedal results in rotation of the lever about a fulcrum axis which pulls the tether attachment of the pull-type brake upward activating the brake. In an embodiment the alignment method is provided by a key-way.

In another embodiment, the skateboard brake pedal adapter replaces the resilient linkage with a hinge, where a lateral pin also acting as the alignment method pivotally connects a hinge knuckle at the fulcrum interface of the lever to a pair of opposing hinge knuckles on the fulcrum pedestal.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Some of the embodiments, will be described in detail, with reference to the following figures like designations denote like members, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a skateboard brake pedal adapter in accordance with embodiments, of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view the skateboard brake pedal adapter of FIG. 1 at a deactivated at-rest position in accordance with embodiments, of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a side view the skateboard brake pedal adapter of FIG. 1 at an activated and engaged position in accordance with embodiments, of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of additional components of the skateboard brake pedal adapter of FIG. 1 in accordance with embodiments, of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of components of the skateboard brake pedal adapter of FIG. 1 in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the invention solve the drawbacks of the conventional art with respect to the suitability and utility of pull-type skateboard brakes for riders of progressive skill levels with minimal part count, cost and installation complexity while maintaining similar performance characteristics.

Referring first to the Figures generally, an overview of embodiments is provided. Embodiments of the present invention provide a skateboard brake pedal adapter 10 for a pull activated brake truck such as brake truck 11 as shown in FIG. 1. The brake pedal adapter 10 may include a lever such as lever 12 pivotally connected to a fulcrum pedestal such as fulcrum pedestal 13 at a fulcrum interface such as fulcrum interface 14 proximal to the lever 12 center. The fulcrum interface 14 may include an alignment method 15 to maintain the lever's 12 orientation as shown in for example in FIG. 2. A foot pedal such as foot pedal 16 may be situated at a first end 17 of the lever 12 and a brake trigger 18 attachment point such as attachment point 19 may be situated at a second end 21 of the lever 12. The brake trigger 18 such as a pliable tether 20 is used to activate the pull-type brake truck 11.

In embodiments, the fulcrum pedestal 13, may include a bracket such as bracket 22, and may have mounting holes 23 to affix the fulcrum pedestal 13 to a skateboard deck 24. In embodiments, as shown for example in FIG. 1, the fulcrum pedestal 13 mounting holes 23 may align with the existing mounting holes the deck 24 and share common mounting hardware 25. In some embodiments, the fulcrum pedestal 13 bracket 22 may include a linkage bolt receiving hole 26, and a key-way 27 slot 28 for alignment 15 to maintain the lever's 12 orientation. In an alternative embodiment, as shown for example in FIG. 4, the fulcrum pedestal 13, may include a pair of laterally opposed hinge knuckles 29 for receiving a hinge pin 30 which also functions the alignment method 15.

In an embodiment, as shown for example in FIG. 5, the fulcrum interface 14 of the lever 12 may include an oversized through-hole 31 surrounded concentrically by a bushing seat 32 for receiving a spring-loaded resilient linkage such as resilient linkage 33. Adjacent to the bushing seat 32, the fulcrum interface 14 may include a key-way projection 27 for alignment 15, as shown for example in FIG. 2. In an alternative embodiment, as shown for example in FIG. 4, the fulcrum interface 14 may include a hinge knuckle 29 for receiving the hinge pin 30.

In an embodiment, as shown for example in FIG. 2, the spring-loaded resilient linkage 33 may connect the fulcrum interface 14 of the lever 12 to the fulcrum pedestal 13 and hold the lever 12 in a deactivated at-rest position 34. The resilient linkage 33 may be further biased to hold the lever 12 in the at-rest position 34 to dampen rattles from vibration. The resilient linkage 33 may comprise a pair of bushings 35, a washer 36, a bolt 37, and locking-nut 38 as shown for example in FIG. 5. The linkage bolt 37 passes through the washer 36, a first bushing 35, the oversized through-hole 31 at the fulcrum interface 14 of the lever 12, a second bushing 35, and then into the receiving hole 26 of fulcrum pedestal 13 bracket 22, where it is secured by the captive locking-nut 38. The lever 12 connected to the fulcrum pedestal 13 via the resilient linkage 33 is rotatable relative to the fulcrum pedestal 13 about a lateral fulcrum axis 39. The resilient linkage of the bushings 35 pressed by the bolt 37 against the bushing seats 32 restricts rotational motion of the lever 12 relative to the fulcrum pedestal 13 and biases the lever 12 towards the at-rest position 34 where the brake 11 is disengaged. As would be recognized by one skilled in the art, alternative embodiments of spring-loaded resilient or pliable linkages with similar effect may be substituted to rotate the lever 12 about the fulcrum axis 39. For example, in an alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the lever 12 hinge connected by the hinge pin 30 to the hinge knuckles 29 of the fulcrum pedestal 13 is rotatable relative to the fulcrum pedestal 13 about a lateral fulcrum axis 39.

In embodiments, the pull-type brake trigger 18 may comprise a wire loop 20, a braided line or other pliable tether or a metal rod 41 or other solid linkage, all with similar effect. In an embodiment, a wire loop pliable tether 20 may be attached 19 to the end 21 of the lever 12 by a receiving channel 42 and retaining screw 43. In an alternative embodiment, a rod linkage 41 may be attached 19 to the end 21 of the lever 12 by a retaining pin 45. In embodiments, the pull-type brake trigger 18 attached 19 to the end 21 of the lever 12 is used to activate or cause the activation of the pull-type brake truck 11.

In embodiments, the pedal adapter 10 may be operated by depressing the foot pedal 16 which is configured to rotate the lever 12 about the fulcrum axis 39 of the pedestal 13 raising the attachment point 19 of the brake trigger 18 upward to an engaged position 46, activating the skateboard brake truck 11, as shown for example in FIG. 3. In embodiments, the pedal adapter 10 may be disabled by releasing the foot pedal 16 and allowing the resilient linkage 33 to return the lever 12 to its original at-rest position 34, deactivating the skateboard brake 11. In alternative embodiments the released pedal adapter 10 may be returned to the at-rest position 34 by spring tension internal to the skateboard brake 11 itself.

Although the foregoing description is specific, it should not be considered as a limitation of scope, and serves as example embodiments of the present invention. Obvious modifications to the embodiments, set forth above, could be readily made by those skilled in the art without meaningfully departing from the principal, spirit and scope of this invention.

Claims

1. A skateboard brake pedal adapter, comprising:

a skateboard brake activated by pulling a trigger mechanism;

a lever with a foot pedal at a first end, a fulcrum proximal to the center and an attachment point for the trigger mechanism at a second end; and

a fulcrum pedestal about which the lever is configured to rotate;

wherein a rotation of the lever about a fulcrum axis activates the skateboard brake by pulling the trigger mechanism attached to the lever.

2. The skateboard brake pedal adapter of claim 1, wherein the fulcrum pedestal has a means of attachment to a skateboard deck.

3. The skateboard brake pedal adapter of claim 1, wherein the lever and the fulcrum pedestal have a method of alignment to maintain the pedal orientation.

4. The skateboard brake pedal adapter of claim 1, wherein a resilient linkage provides the fulcrum about which the lever rotates.

5. The skateboard brake pedal adapter of claim 1, wherein a hinge pin provides the fulcrum about which the lever rotates.