Wheeled platform apparatus and method for use with wheeled footwear

Abstract

In a preferred embodiment a wheeled platform apparatus and method for use in combination with a wheel-in-the-heel “heeling” apparatus, or other footwear, for rolling on a surface are provided. The apparatus includes a platform having a top surface, a bottom surface, a front portion, a center portion, a rear portion, and a first wheel and a second wheel that interface with or are positioned below the bottom surface of the platform to facilitate rolling movement of the platform. The apparatus may further include an attachment structure interfacing with the top surface for mating with a foot, or footwear, including a heeling apparatus, as well as a foot rest to support the forefoot of another foot, or footwear, including a heeling apparatus, while rolling.

1 . A wheeled platform apparatus comprising:
 a platform having a front portion, a center portion, a rear portion, a top surface, a bottom surface, and a longitudinal centerline;   a first wheel and a second wheel interfacing with the wheeled platform apparatus and extending partially below the bottom surface of the platform to facilitate rolling movement of the platform;   an attachment structure extending above the top surface for mating with a first foot, wherein the attachment structure is operable to position the first foot primarily along the longitudinal centerline of the platform; and   a foot rest positioned adjacent the rear portion of the apparatus for resting a forefoot portion of a second foot.   
     
     
         2 . The wheeled platform apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a first footwear is worn on said first foot. 
     
     
         3 . The wheeled platform apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein said first footwear includes no wheel. 
     
     
         4 . The wheeled platform apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein said first footwear includes a wheel and is operable to roll. 
     
     
         5 . The wheeled platform apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first wheel and the second wheel is illuminated. 
     
     
         6 . The wheeled platform apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first wheel and the second wheel is removably attached to the wheeled platform apparatus. 
     
     
         7 . The wheeled platform apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first wheel and the second wheel are positioned along the longitudinal centerline of the platform. 
     
     
         8 . The wheeled platform apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the first footwear comprises a sole having a forefoot portion, an arch portion, a heel portion, a bottom surface, and an opening in the bottom surface, and wherein said attachment structure interfaces at least partially with the opening in the bottom surface. 
     
     
         9 . The wheeled platform apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the opening in the bottom surface is at least partially in the arch portion. 
     
     
         10 . The wheeled platform apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein said first footwear is a heeling apparatus, and said attachment structure further comprises a projection for interfacing with a recess extending into a heel portion of the heeling apparatus. 
     
     
         11 . The wheeled platform apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein said attachment structure further comprises a projection for mating with a wheel extending from the first footwear. 
     
     
         12 . The wheeled platform apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein said attachment structure further comprises a recess for mating with a projection extending from the first footwear. 
     
     
         13 . The wheeled platform apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein said attachment structure further comprises a recess for mating with the wheel extending from the first footwear. 
     
     
         14 . The wheeled platform apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein said attachment structure further comprises a magnetic surface for magnetically mating with the first footwear. 
     
     
         15 . The wheeled platform apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a strap positioned to removably couple the first foot to the platform. 
     
     
         16 . The wheeled platform apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the platform has a bottom portion and a top portion removably coupled to create said platform. 
     
     
         17 . The wheeled platform apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said attachment structure is operable to receive an axle. 
     
     
         18 . The wheeled platform apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein said axle passes through an opening in said attachment structure. 
     
     
         19 . The wheeled platform apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein said axle is at least partially secured to said attachment structure by a tensioner. 
     
     
         20 . The wheeled platform apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein said attachment structure further comprises a sleeve for receiving said tensioner. 
     
     
         21 . The wheeled platform apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said attachment structure is operable to be displaced relative to the surface of the platform to allow the first foot to be positioned at varying angles to the longitudinal centerline of the platform. 
     
     
         22 . The wheeled platform apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein said attachment structure is coupled to said platform by a fastener passing through an opening in said attachment structure. 
     
     
         23 . The wheeled platform apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein said opening is non-circular to allow for displacement of the attachment structure relative to the fastener. 
     
     
         24 . The wheeled platform apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein said attachment structure further includes a projection for interfacing with a recess in the top surface of the platform to facilitate rotation of the attachment structure relative to the longitudinal centerline of the platform. 
     
     
         25 . The wheeled platform apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a recess for storing objects is formed adjacent the top surface. 
     
     
         26 . The wheeled platform apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said center portion of said bottom surface further comprises a grind plate. 
     
     
         27 . The wheeled platform apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a second footwear is worn on the second foot. 
     
     
         28 . The wheeled platform apparatus of  claim 27 , wherein the second footwear includes a wheel and is operable to roll behind the wheeled platform apparatus, and wherein the second footwear that includes a wheel is one from the group consisting of a heeling apparatus, an inline skate, a quad skate, and an external wheel assembly. 
     
     
         29 . The wheeled platform apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the foot rest extends downward at an angle less than 180 degrees from a plane that is substantially parallel to a level ground and passing substantially through the surface of the wheeled platform apparatus positioned above the level ground. 
     
     
         30 . The wheeled platform apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the foot rest further comprises a braking surface. 
     
     
         31 . The wheeled platform apparatus of  claim 27 , wherein the foot rest magnetically mates to the forefoot portion of the second footwear. 
     
     
         32 . The wheeled platform apparatus of  claim 27 , further comprising a foot rest mating structure for mating the foot rest to the forefoot portion of the second footwear. 
     
     
         33 . The wheeled platform apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the platform has a right side and a left side, and further comprising: one or more projections extending adjacent from at least one of the sides of the platform for resting a second foot during use of the wheeled platform apparatus. 
     
     
         34 . The wheeled platform apparatus of  claim 33 , wherein a second footwear is worn on the second foot. 
     
     
         35 . The wheeled platform apparatus of  claim 34 , wherein the second footwear includes a wheel and is operable to roll. 
     
     
         36 . The wheeled platform apparatus of  claim 34 , wherein the one or more projections magnetically mate with the second footwear. 
     
     
         37 . The wheeled platform apparatus of  claim 34 , further comprising a projection mating structure for mating the second footwear to the one or more projections of the wheeled platform apparatus. 
     
     
         38 . The wheeled platform apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a deckplate positioned adjacent to the top surface of the platform. 
     
     
         39 . The wheeled platform apparatus of  claim 38 , wherein the deckplate is removably attached to the top surface of the platform. 
     
     
         40 . The wheeled platform apparatus of  claim 38 , further comprising a shock absorbing material positioned adjacent to the deckplate. 
     
     
         41 . The wheeled platform apparatus of  claim 38 , further comprising a suspension member positioned between the deckplate and the platform. 
     
     
         42 . The wheeled platform apparatus of  claim 38 , further comprising a light source positioned below the deckplate. 
     
     
         43 . A method for use of a wheeled platform apparatus on a surface by a user, the method comprising:
 positioning a first foot on a wheeled platform apparatus operable to roll on the surface;   positioning a second foot in a wheeled footwear operable to roll on the surface, wherein the wheeled footwear has a wheel mounted adjacent to, under, or partially within a sole of the footwear, in contact with the surface;   rolling on the surface in generally a first direction using the first foot positioned on the wheeled platform apparatus and the second foot in the wheeled footwear; and   transitioning from rolling on the surface to slowing rolling on the surface by contacting at least a portion of a non-rolling component of the wheeled footwear with the surface.   
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein rolling on the surface includes elevating a forefoot of the wheeled footwear relative to the surface such that either none or an insubstantial portion of the weight of the user is supported by the forefoot of the wheeled footwear. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the wheeled footwear is one from the group consisting of a heeling apparatus, an inline skate, a quad skate, and an external wheel assembly. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein rolling on the surface includes placing the wheeled footwear in front of the wheeled platform apparatus. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein rolling on the surface includes placing the wheeled footwear behind the wheeled platform apparatus. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the wheeled platform apparatus has a front portion, a center portion, and a rear portion and at least a portion of the forefoot of the wheeled footwear is positioned adjacent to a foot rest located adjacent the rear portion of the wheeled platform apparatus. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the wheeled platform apparatus has a front portion, a center portion, and a rear portion and at least a portion of the wheeled footwear is positioned adjacent to a projection located adjacent to the front portion of the wheeled platform apparatus. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the wheeled platform apparatus has a front portion, a center portion, and a rear portion and at least a portion of the wheeled footwear is positioned adjacent to a projection located adjacent to the center portion of the wheeled platform apparatus. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the wheeled footwear is a heeling apparatus and further comprising inserting a removable wheel in the opening in the heel portion of the sole of the heeling apparatus prior to rolling on the surface. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 43 , further comprising slowing rolling by contacting at least a portion of a forefoot portion of the sole of the wheeled footwear with the surface. 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 43 , further comprising slowing rolling by contacting at least a portion of a heel portion of the sole of the wheeled footwear with the surface. 
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 43 , further comprising slowing rolling by contacting at least a portion of a foot rest of the wheeled platform apparatus with the surface. 
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the wheeled platform apparatus includes a bottom surface, and a front wheel and a rear wheel that extend partially below the bottom surface. 
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein a second footwear is worn on the first foot. 
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 56 , wherein the second footwear is a heeling apparatus. 
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 56 , wherein the second footwear is removably attached to the wheeled platform apparatus. 
     
     
         59 . A wheeled platform apparatus comprising:
 a platform having a front portion, a center portion, a rear portion, a top surface, a bottom surface, and a foot rest;   a first wheel and a second wheel interfacing with the wheeled platform apparatus and extending below the bottom surface of the platform to facilitate rolling movement of the platform; and   an attachment structure extending above the top surface for mating with footwear having an opening extending at least partially into the heel of the footwear;   wherein said foot rest is positioned adjacent the rear portion of the apparatus; and   wherein the first wheel and the second wheel are positioned adjacent a longitudinal centerline of the platform.