1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to improved brakes for in-line roller skates. In-line roller skates have a plurality of wheels rotatable in a common plane and carried by a frame secured to a skate boot or shoe. In order to permit safe, controlled skating, these skates must enable the skater to brake for slowing and stopping in an effective manner.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In-line roller skate braking has most frequently been effected by one or more of four well-recognized techniques. A common brake assembly for in-line skates comprises a heel brake attachment on one or both of the skates. The heel brake includes a brake pad connected to a brake pad support located at the rear of the skate frame, behind the rear wheel. Examples of this conventional arrangement are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. D315,941; 5,052,701; and, 5,067,736. Heel brakes such as these are actuated by the skater pivoting the foot rearwardly to tip the toes upward and swing the skate from a normal coasting position to a position in which the brake pad drags the skating surface. Typically, a skater must pivot the skate boot through an angle of twelve or more degrees to engage the brake. Pivoting of the foot in this manner jeopardizes the skater's balance and may lead to a fall and serious bodily injury. As a result, braking with the heel brakes has proven particularly difficult for inexperienced skaters, who find it intimidating to pivot the foot rearwardly. Furthermore, use of the heel brake requires a skater to shift and maintain his weight towards the rear and away from the direction of motion and thus positions him poorly in preparation for any subsequent skating action or maneuver. Another disadvantage of prior art heel brakes resides in their tendency to snag or catch on certain inclines or in irregular cracks in the skating surface. Therefore, heel braking with prior art heel brakes has not proven satisfactory.
A second prior art technique for in-line skate braking utilizes toe brakes or stops. These brakes typically comprise a friction pad located at a forward portion of the boot or frame. Examples of this second conventional arrangement include U.S. Pat. Nos. D326,700; and 3,287,023. The structure and location of these prior art toe brakes require the skater to lean forward to engage the brake and thus may adversely affect the skater's balance and even cause a fall. The location of these prior art brakes increases the likelihood that the boot or frame will sustain damage in braking actions and renders it difficult to quickly engage a large brake pad area for rapid braking. Thus, toe braking with prior art toe brakes also has not proven satisfactory.
A third prior art technique for in-line skate braking is called the T-stop. The T-stop is effected by placing the rear skate perpendicular to the direction of forward motion and dragging an instep braking surface while pressing downward. The instep braking surface may be a braking pad or pads as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,273,345, or it may comprise only the inner edges of one or more of the wheels, without a brake pad. A similar braking action is involved in a fourth, related prior art technique called the power stop, in which the front skate is placed sideways at a sharp angle so as to similarly engage an instep braking surface which may be a braking pad or pads or which may comprise only the inner edges of one or more wheels. T-stop braking or power braking without a brake pad causes uneven wear of the in-line skate wheels and may damage the instep side of the expensive boot, frame, and rails. The motions required to bring and maintain the skate wheels into braking action position may lead to a fall and bodily injury or to a turned ankle. On the other hand, prior art in-line skate brakes for T-stop and power braking as embodied in U.S. Pat. No. 4,273,345, are complex and not generally adaptable for use with the vast majority of in-line skates currently in use or marketed. Attachment of these side brakes to in-line skate frames requires special provisions for fasteners on the frames or rails of the skate. Wear of the brake pads in use requires replacement of complex assemblies or parts. Thus, the in-line skate side brakes of the prior art have not proven effective or popular. For these reasons, both T-stop and power braking have not proven fully satisfactory in prior practice, and prior art brakes usable in T-stop and power braking have not proven practical.