Roller board with one or more user-maneuverable trucks and north-seeking return mechanism
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
A63C-017/01
B62K-003/00
출원번호
US-0897943
(2018-02-15)
등록번호
US-10238952
(2019-03-26)
발명자
/ 주소
Clos, Dave
Vetter, William Charles
Pongratz, Troy A.
출원인 / 주소
Roll, Inc.
대리인 / 주소
DeWitt LLP
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
0인용 특허 :
11
초록▼
A roller board device like a skateboard or scooter operated by a user with one or more user-maneuverable wheel assemblies that are automatically returned to their “true north” position is provided according to the invention. The roller board device comprises an elongated deck, at least one wheel ass
A roller board device like a skateboard or scooter operated by a user with one or more user-maneuverable wheel assemblies that are automatically returned to their “true north” position is provided according to the invention. The roller board device comprises an elongated deck, at least one wheel assembly, a rotation assembly operatively engaging and extending through the opening in the deck, one end of the rotation assembly being connected to the wheel assembly positioned below the deck, the other end of the rotation assembly being connected to a user interface member extending upward beyond the top surface of the deck, and a north-seeking return mechanism secured to the deck containing an engagement member movable along a linear axis within a housing and engaging a spring disposed between the engagement member and an interior wall of the housing, the rotation assembly operatively connected to the engagement member to convert rotational movement of the rotation member into linear movement of the engagement member. When the user applies rotational force to the user engagement member to turn it to the left or right, the rotation assembly and wheel assembly are rotated in the same direction and degree to allow the roller board device to be turned, the rotated rotation assembly interacting with the engagement member of the north-seeking return mechanism to move the engagement member along its linear axis to a retracted position to compress the spring. But, when the user releases the rotational force upon the user interface member, the spring extends from its compressed state to its elongated state to move the engagement member of the north-seeking return mechanism back along the linear axis from its retracted position to its standby position, counter interacting with the rotation assembly to return the wheel assembly of the roller board device to its true north position.
대표청구항▼
1. A roller board device operated by a user with one or more user-maneuverable wheel assemblies that are automatically returned to their “true north” position, comprising: (a) an elongated deck having a longitudinal axis and one or more openings extending through the deck, the deck having a top surf
1. A roller board device operated by a user with one or more user-maneuverable wheel assemblies that are automatically returned to their “true north” position, comprising: (a) an elongated deck having a longitudinal axis and one or more openings extending through the deck, the deck having a top surface and a bottom surface;(b) at least one wheel assembly comprising a truck and axle with at least one wheel rotatably mounted to the axle;(c) a rotation assembly operatively engaging and extending through the opening in the deck, one end of the rotation assembly being connected to the wheel assembly positioned below the deck, the other end of the rotation assembly being connected to a user interface member extending upward beyond the top surface of the deck;(d) a north-seeking return mechanism secured to the deck, the north-seeking return mechanism having a housing containing at least one piston rod along which a Scotch yoke is moved along a linear axis between a standby position and a retracted position within the housing and engaging a spring disposed between the Scotch yoke and an interior wall of the housing, the rotation assembly operatively connected to the Scotch yoke to convert rotational movement of the user interface member into linear movement of the Scotch yoke;(e) a pre-load enhancer positioned inside the housing along the piston rod for shortening the length of the spring when it is in a standby state;(f) wherein in its true north position, the axle of the wheel assembly is substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis of the deck with the Scotch yoke in its standby position along the linear axis inside the north-seeking return mechanism housing;(g) wherein when the user applies rotational force to the user interface member to turn it to the left or right, the rotation assembly and wheel assembly are rotated in the same direction and degree to allow the roller board device to be turned, the rotated rotation assembly interacting with the Scotch yoke of the north-seeking return mechanism to move the Scotch yoke along its linear axis to a retracted position to compress the spring; and(h) wherein when the user releases the rotational force upon the user interface member, the spring extends from its compressed state to its elongated state to move the Scotch yoke of the north-seeking return mechanism more forcefully back along the linear axis from its retracted position to its standby position due to the preload applied to the spring by the pre-load enhancer, counter interacting with the rotation assembly to return the wheel assembly of the roller board device to its true north position. 2. The roller board device of claim 1, wherein the preload enhancer comprises a spacer. 3. The roller board device of claim 1, wherein the preload enhancer comprises an adjustable nut. 4. The roller board device of claim 1, wherein the spring comprises a compression spring. 5. The roller board device of claim 1, wherein the user interface member comprises a disk-shaped foot pad for engagement by a foot of the user. 6. The roller board device of claim 4 further comprising at least one low-friction pad attached to the bottom surface of the foot pad to reduce friction and enhance lateral stability as the foot pad is turned with respect to the deck of the roller board. 7. A roller board device operated by a user with one or more user-maneuverable wheel assemblies that are automatically returned to their “true north” position, comprising: (a) an elongated deck having a longitudinal axis and one or more openings extending through the deck, the deck having a top surface and a bottom surface;(b) at least one wheel assembly comprising a truck and axle with at least one wheel rotatably mounted to the axle;(c) a rotation assembly operatively engaging and extending through the opening in the deck, one end of the rotation assembly being connected to the wheel assembly positioned below the deck, the other end of the rotation assembly being connected to a user interface member extending upward beyond the top surface of the deck;(d) a north-seeking return mechanism secured to the deck, the north-seeking return mechanism having a planar crank shaft and a connecting rod movable along a linear axis with respect to a pivot block, and engaging a spring disposed between the connecting rod and the pivot block, the rotation assembly operatively connected to the connecting rod via the planar crank shaft to convert rotational movement of the user interface member into linear movement of the connecting rod with respect to the pivot block;(e) wherein in its true north position, the axle of the wheel assembly is substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis of the deck with the connecting rod in a standby position along the linear axis inside the north-seeking return mechanism;(f) wherein when the user applies rotational force to the user interface member to turn it to the left or right, the rotation assembly and wheel assembly are rotated in the same direction and degree to allow the roller board device to be turned, the rotated rotation assembly interacting with the connecting rod of the north-seeking return mechanism to move the connecting rod along its linear axis to a retracted position to compress the spring; and(g) wherein when the user releases the rotational force upon the user interface member, the spring extends from its compressed state to its elongated state to move the connecting rod of the north-seeking return mechanism back along the linear axis from its retracted position to its standby position, counter interacting with the rotation assembly to return the wheel assembly of the roller board device to its true north position. 8. The roller board device of claim 7 further comprising a shoulder on the connecting rod for providing a bearing surface for interacting with the spring. 9. The roller board device of claim 7, wherein the spring comprises a compression spring. 10. The roller board device of claim 7, wherein the rotation assembly comprises: (a) a rotary crank shaft;(b) a rotary crank shaft receptor;(c) the planar crank shaft connected at its first end to the rotary crank shaft, and at its second end to the rotary crank shaft receptor;(d) wherein when the rotation assembly is turned by the user force applied to the user interface member, the crank shaft and crank shaft assembly are rotated in the same direction and degree as the user interface member to turn the wheel assembly of the roller board device, and the planar crank shaft bears against the pivotably connected end of the connecting rod of the north-seeking return mechanism to move it along the linear axis to its retracted position; and(e) wherein when the user ceases to apply rotational force to the user interface member and the spring in the north-seeking return mechanism housing expands from its compressed state to its elongated state, the leading edge of the connecting rod bears against the pivotably connected planar crank shaft to counter-rotate the rotary crank shaft and rotary crank shaft receptor to their standby positions, thereby returning the wheel assembly to its true-north position. 11. The roller board device of claim 7, wherein the rotation assembly further comprises at least one roller bearing. 12. The roller board device of claim 7, wherein the roller board device comprises a skateboard. 13. The roller board device for claim 7, wherein the roller board device comprises a scooter. 14. The roller board device of claim 7, comprising a first user-maneuverable wheel assembly operatively mounted to a forward position along the deck, and a second user-maneuverable wheel assembly operatively mounted to a rearward position along the deck. 15. The roller board device of claim 7, wherein the user interface member comprises a disk-shaped foot pad for engagement by a foot of the user. 16. The roller board device of claim 13, wherein the user interface member comprises a handle bar connected to a vertical shaft extending above the deck. 17. The roller board device of claim 16, where the vertical shaft is raked to extend at an angle above the deck from the front end of the deck towards a user riding the scooter. 18. The roller board device of claim 14, wherein the two user-maneuverable wheel assemblies may be turned by the user independently of each other. 19. The roller board device of claim 7, wherein the elongated deck comprises a small front deck and a small rear deck connected to each other by means of a tubular structure, a first wheel assembly being rotatably connected to front deck, and a second wheel assembly being rotatably connected to the rear deck.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (11)
Chi Hong (WuHan Hydraulic/Electric Power Int. ; c/o Faculty\s Residence ; No. 5-7 WuHan CNX), Apparatus for exercise and recreation.
Smith Eric O. M. (P.O. Box 650228 Benmore ; 2010 ZAX) Fisher James (P.O. Box 650228 Benmore ; 2010 ZAX) King Simon (P.O. Box 650228 Benmore ; 2010 ZAX), Skateboards.
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