In-Line Skates, Skate Wheels and Wheel Hubs

Abstract

A skate wheel for an in-line skate has a skate wheel hub with an inner hub, an outer rim, and a plurality of blade-form spokes extending therebetween, and a skate tire mounted upon an outer surface of the skate wheel hub. Opposed surfaces of adjacent spokes, in cooperation with opposed surfaces of the inner hub and outer rim, define airflow passageways through the skate wheel. Each blade-form spoke has a radially-aligned first spoke-edge surface exposed at a first face of the skate wheel, a radially aligned opposite, second spoke-edge surface exposed at an opposite, second face of the skate wheel, and a blade-form body extending smoothly therebetween. The first and second spoke-edge surfaces are offset in a direction of travel of the skater by a predetermined arc of rotation of the skate wheel and hub. Also described are in-line skates with skate wheels of the disclosure, and skate wheel hubs for such skates.

1 . A skate wheel for an in-line skate, comprising: a skate wheel hub comprising:
 an inner hub,   an outer rim, and,   extending therebetween, a plurality of blade-form spokes, opposed surfaces of adjacent blade-form spokes, in cooperation with opposed surfaces of the inner hub and the outer rim, defining airflow passageways through the skate wheel, each blade-form spoke having a radially-aligned first spoke-edge surface exposed at a first face of the skate wheel, a radially aligned opposite, second spoke-edge surface exposed at an opposite, second face of the skate wheel, and a body extending smoothly therebetween, said first spoke-edge surface and said second spoke-edge surface being relatively offset in a direction of travel of the in-line skate by a predetermined arc of rotation about a skate wheel axis, and   a skate tire mounted upon an outer surface of the outer rim of the skate wheel hub.   
     
     
         2 . The skate wheel of  claim 1 , wherein the skate wheel hub has between six and twelve blade-form spokes. 
     
     
         3 - 6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . The skate wheel of  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined arc of rotation is between about 25°and about 180°. 
     
     
         8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . The skate wheel of  claim 1 , wherein each blade-form spoke intersects the opposed surface of the inner hub at an angle of between about 15°and about 85°, measured from a plane of a face of the skate wheel hub generally perpendicular to the wheel axis. 
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . The skate wheel of  claim 1 , wherein each blade-form spoke intersects the opposed surface of the outer rim at an angle of between about 15°and about 85°, measured from a plane of a face of the skate wheel hub generally perpendicular to the wheel axis. 
     
     
         12 - 13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . The skate wheel of  claim 1 , wherein the first spoke-edge surface is recessed from a plane of an associated first end of the inner hub. 
     
     
         15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . The skate wheel of  claim 1 , wherein the second spoke-edge surface is recessed from a plane of an associated, opposite second end of the inner hub. 
     
     
         17 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A skate wheel hub for an in-line skate, comprising
 an inner hub,   an outer rim having an outer surface constructed and arranged for mounting of skate tire thereupon, and,   extending between the inner hub and the outer rim, a plurality of blade-form spokes, opposed surfaces of adjacent blade-form spokes, in cooperation with opposed surfaces of the inner hub and outer rim, defining airflow passageways through the skate wheel, each blade-form spoke having a radially-aligned first spoke-edge surface exposed at a first face of the skate wheel, a radially aligned opposite, second spoke-edge surface exposed at an opposite, second face of the skate wheel, and a body extending smoothly therebetween, said first spoke-edge surface and the second spoke-edge surface being offset in a direction of travel of the in-line skate by a predetermined arc of rotation about a skate wheel hub axis.   
     
     
         22 . The skate wheel hub of  claim 21 , wherein the skate wheel hub has between six and twelve blade-form spokes. 
     
     
         23 - 26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . The skate wheel hub of  claim 21 , wherein the predetermined arc of rotation is between about 25°and about 180°. 
     
     
         28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . The skate wheel hub of  claim 21 , wherein each blade-form spoke intersects an opposed surface of the inner hub at an angle of between about 15°and about 85°, measured from a plane of the skate wheel hub generally perpendicular to the skate wheel hub axis. 
     
     
         30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . The skate wheel hub of  claim 21 , wherein each blade-form spoke intersects the opposed surface of the outer rim at an angle of between about 15°and about 85°, measured from a plane of the skate wheel hub generally perpendicular to the skate wheel hub axis. 
     
     
         32 . (canceled) 
     
     
         33 . The skate wheel hub of  claim 21 , wherein the inner surface of the outer rim has a substantially constant diameter. 
     
     
         34 . The skate wheel hub of  claim 21 , wherein the outer surface of the outer rim is substantially convex in shape. 
     
     
         35 . The skate wheel hub of  claim 34 , wherein the outer surface of the outer rim defines an upstanding, generally circumferential ridge. 
     
     
         36 . The skate wheel hub of  claim 35 , wherein the outer surface of the outer rim defines a generally circumferential flat ring in a region adjacent to the generally circumferential ridge. 
     
     
         37 . The skate wheel hub of  claim 21 , wherein the first spoke-edge surface is recessed from a plane of an associated first end of the inner hub. 
     
     
         38 . The skate wheel hub of  claim 21 , wherein the first spoke-edge surface is recessed from a plane of an associated first end of the outer rim. 
     
     
         39 . The skate wheel hub of  claim 21 , wherein the second spoke-edge surface is recessed from a plane of an associated, opposite second end of the inner hub. 
     
     
         40 . The skate wheel hub of  claim 21 , wherein the second spoke-edge surface is recessed from a plane of an associated, opposite second end of the outer rim. 
     
     
         41 - 43 . (canceled) 
     
     
         44 . An in-line skate comprising:
 a skate boot or shoe,   a skate wheel frame mounted to a sole surface of the skate boot or shoe, and   a plurality of skate wheels mounted to the skate wheel frame,
 each skate wheel comprising:
 a skate wheel hub comprising:
 an inner hub, 
 an outer rim, and, extending therebetween, 
 a plurality of blade-form spokes, opposed surfaces of adjacent blade-form spokes, in cooperation with opposed surfaces of the inner hub and the outer rim, defining airflow passageways through the skate wheel, each blade-form spoke having a radially-aligned first spoke-edge surface exposed at a first face of the skate wheel, a radially aligned opposite, second spoke-edge surface exposed at an opposite, second face of the skate wheel, and a body extending smoothly therebetween, said first spoke-edge surface and the second spoke-edge surface being relatively offset in a direction of travel of the in-line skate by a predetermined arc of rotation about a skate wheel axis, and 
 
 a skate tire mounted upon an outer surface of the outer rim of the skate wheel hub. 
 
   
     
     
         45 . The in-line skate of  claim 44 , wherein the skate wheel hub has between six and twelve blade-form spokes. 
     
     
         46 - 49 . (canceled) 
     
     
         50 . The in-line skate of  claim 44 , wherein the predetermined arc of rotation is between about 25°and about 180°. 
     
     
         51 . (canceled) 
     
     
         52 . The in-line skate of  claim 44 , wherein each blade-form spoke intersects the opposed surface of the inner hub at an angle of between about 15°and about 85°, measured from a plane of the skate wheel generally perpendicular to the skate wheel axis. 
     
     
         53 . (canceled) 
     
     
         54 . The in-line skate of  claim 44 , wherein each blade-form spoke intersects the opposed surface of the outer rim at an angle of between about 15°and about 85°, measured from a plane of the skate wheel generally perpendicular to the skate wheel axis. 
     
     
         55 - 63 . (canceled)