In-line skate

Abstract

An in-line skate having at least a front roller, a rear roller and an intermediate roller carried by a beam. The beam is canted outwardly at the top so that the beam will flex outwardly and at an angle to downward/outward pressure exerted by the skater's foot, creating an arc and resulting in a turn. All of the rollers are mounted to the outer side of the beam. In a preferred embodiment, there are two intermediate rollers that are offset outwardly from the front and rear rollers so that when the skater leans into a turn the intermediate rollers of the outer skate move out of contact with the ground, allowing the beam to flex outwardly at an angle to the force applied to it producing the arc that results in a curved turn. The inner skate rides on the intermediate rollers only, for improved maneuverability.

1 . A skate comprising: a boot for receiving a wearer's foot and having a sole defining a plane below the foot in use, the boot having an inner side and an outer side corresponding to inner and outer sides respectively of the foot; a beam extending longitudinally of and below the sole and having a first and second end portions; means coupling the beam to the sole intermediate said end portions; and at least three rollers coupled to the beam in positions spaced along the beam and corresponding respectively to a front roller, an intermediate roller and a rear roller; wherein the beam is flexible with respect to said attachment means both in a first plane generally towards and away from the sole and in a second plane generally laterally with respect to the first plane, wherein the beam is oriented with said first plane angled upwardly and outwardly towards said outer side of the boot so that the beam will flex laterally in response to lateral forces exerted on the boot by a skater in use, and wherein the front and rear rollers are disposed in a common plane parallel to the beam and the intermediate roller is offset outwardly from the plane containing the front and rear rollers.  
   
   
       2 . A skate as claimed in  claim 1 , having two said intermediate rollers coupled to the beam in a common plane parallel to the plane containing the front and rear rollers, said intermediate rollers being spaced outwardly along the beam from said means coupling the beam to the sole of the boot.  
   
   
       3 . A skate as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein said intermediate rollers are wider than the front and rear rollers.  
   
   
       4 . A skate as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein all of said rollers are disposed at an outer side of the beam.  
   
   
       5 . A skate as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said beam comprises a rail of rectangular cross-section which has an upper edge and is canted outwardly towards said upper edge.  
   
   
       6 . A skate as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein said beam is a glass fiber reinforced resin beam.  
   
   
       7 . A skate as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said first plane is angled upwardly and outwardly with respect to said plane defined by the sole of the boot, at an angle of approximately 110°.  
   
   
       8 . A skate as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the beam has greater flexibility in said second plane than in said first plane.