AN INLINE SKATE

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates, in general, to inline skates and, more particularly, to an inline skate in which a wheel bracket is advanced from and retracted into a lower body of the inline skate by the rotation of rotators fitted over a rotating shaft. Background Art

[2] The inline skate of the present invention uses a rack gear mechanism. In detail, when a lever, which is provided at a predetermined position through a sidewall of a lower body of the inline skate, is rotated, rack gears are moved to the left and right, thereby wheel brackets and wheels are advanced from or retracted into the lower body of the inline skate.

[3] Such inline skates using rack gear mechanisms were proposed in Korean Utility

Model Registration Nos. 299864 and 0320202. However, in the case of the former technique, because the rotation of each wheel bracket is simultaneous with vertical movement of a stopper, practical application thereof is impossible. In the case of the letter technique, protrusions are provided on respective inner surfaces of sidewalls of each wheel bracket. Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem

[4] Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide an inline skate in which wheel brackets and wheels are smoothly advanced from and retracted into a lower body of the inline skate. Technical Solution

[5] In order to accomplish the above object, the present invention provides an inline skate, including: rack gears provided on a sidewall of a lower body of the inline skate and moved to the left and the right by rotation of a lever; pinions rotated by left and right movement of the rack gears; rotating shafts rotated by rotation of the respective pinions; wheel brackets advanced from or retracted into the lower body by rotation of the respective rotating shafts; stop pins provided under an upper surface of the lower body to lock the respective wheel brackets, each stop pin being movable upwards and downwards using a pin spring; and a first stop notch and a second stop notch formed in an upper end of each of the wheel brackets, the first stop notch maintaining the wheel bracket in a retracted state thereof, and the second stop notch maintaining the wheel bracket in an advanced state thereof.

[6] Each of the rotating shafts has a planar stop surface on an outer surface thereof, and the rotating shaft is inserted into a through hole of a rotator, which has a stop edge corresponding to the planar stop surface of the rotating shaft, so that the rotator is rotated by rotation of the rotating shaft.

[7] The rotator has a triangular shape and is rounded at corners thereof to push the stop pin upwards when the rotator is rotated.

[8] Stoppers are provided at opposite positions on a side surface of the upper end of each of the wheel brackets, and a distance between the stoppers is greater than a width of opposite side edges of the rotator by a distance that the rotator pushes the stop pin upwards from the stop notch, so that the rotators rotate the wheel bracket after the stop pin is removed from the stop notch.

[9] Preferably, two rotators is provided on respective opposite sides of each of the wheel brackets, two pinions is provided at the respective opposite sides of each of the wheel brackets, and one pinion is fastened to an end of the rotating shaft while the remaining pinion is fitted over an opposite end of the rotating shaft through an insertion hole formed in the pinion.

Advantageous Effects

[10] In the inline skate according to the present invention, wheel brackets and wheels can be advanced from and retracted into a lower body of the inline skate using rack gears, thus enhancing the portability of the inline skate. Furthermore, in the present invention, because the construction of the wheel brackets is simplified, malfunction of elements and damage thereto are minimized. As well, the inline skate according to the present invention is constructed such that anyone can easily advance and retract the wheel brackets and the wheels from and into the lower body of the inline skate. Brief Description of the Drawings

[11] Fig. 1 is side views showing a lower body of an inline skate to illustrate a retracted state and an advanced state of wheels, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[12] Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a wheel bracket unit according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[13] Fig. 3 is a view showing the assembled wheel bracket unit of FIG. 2 according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

[14] Fig. 4 is views showing a process of advancing the wheel and a process of retracting the wheel according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[15] <Description of the elements in the drawings>

[16] 100: lower body of inline skate

[17] 11: first pinion 12: second pinion

[18] 13: third pinion 21 : first wheel

[19] 22: second wheel 23: third wheel

[20] 31: first wheel bracket 32: second wheel bracket

[21] 33: third wheel bracket 32a, 32b: stopper

[22] 32c: first stop notch 32d: second stop notch

[23] 41 : first rack gear 42: second rack gear

[24] 50: rotating shaft 50a: planar stop surface

[25] 52: rotator 52a: stop edge

[26] 54: pin spring 56: stop pin

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[27] Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[28] Fig. 1 is side views showing a lower body of an inline skate to illustrate a retracted state and an advanced state of wheels, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 1(A) illustrates wheel brackets and wheels retracted into the lower body of the inline skate. Fig. 1(B) illustrates the wheel brackets and wheels advanced from the lower body of the inline skate.

[29] Referring to Fig. 1, in the state of Fig. l(A), when a lever (not shown), which is coupled to a second pinion 12 and extends outside, is rotated in a counterclockwise direction, the second pinion 12 is also rotated in a counterclockwise direction. Then, a first rack gear 41 is moved to the right, and a second rack gear 42 is moved to the left. By such movement of the rack gears 41 and 42, a first pinion 11 is rotated in a clockwise direction, and, simultaneously, a third pinion 13 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction.

[30] When the lever is rotated further, as shown in Fig. l(B), a first wheel 21 and a first wheel bracket 31 are advanced forwards, and a second wheel 22, a second wheel bracket 32, a third wheel 23 and a third wheel bracket 33 are advanced backwards.

[31] The rack gears 41 and 42 and the pinions 11, 12 and 13 are provided on each of opposite sidewalls of the lower body 100 of the inline skate. In other words, racks and pinions which have the same constructions as those of the rack gears 41 and 42 and the pinions 11, 12 and 13 are provided on the sidewall of the lower body opposite the sidewall shown in the drawing. Thanks to this construction, the wheel brackets and the wheels can be smoothly advanced or retracted.

[32] Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a wheel bracket unit according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 3 is a view showing the assembled wheel bracket unit of FIG. 2.

[33] In Figs. 2 and 3, only a second wheel bracket unit which is disposed at a medial

position is shown, but a first wheel bracket unit and a third wheel bracket unit have the same construction as that of the second wheel bracket unit and are operated according to the same principle.

[34] Referring to Fig. 2, the pinion 12 is coupled to an end of a rotating shaft 50, and an opposite pinion 12a is fitted over the opposite end of the rotating shaft 50. The rotating shaft 50 is rotated by rotation of the pinions 12 and 12a. The rotating shaft 50 has a planar stop surface 50a on an outer surface thereof. Rotators 52 are fitted over the rotating shaft 50 at opposite sides of the wheel bracket 32. Each rotator 52 has a through hole 52b at a lower position thereof. A stop edge 52a, corresponding to the stop surface 50a of the rotating shaft 50, is defined in the through hole 52b of each rotator 52. Therefore, the rotators 52 are rotated by rotation of the rotating shaft 50.

[35] Each rotator 50 has a triangular shape. The rotator 50 is rounded at comers thereof such that, when rotating, it pushes a stop pin 56 upwards.

[36] The stop pin 56, which locks the wheel bracket 32, is provided under the upper surface of the lower body 100 of the inline skate. The stop pin 56 is movable upwards and downwards using a pin spring 54. In an upper end of the wheel bracket 32, a first stop notch 32c, which maintains the retracted state of the wheel bracket 32, is formed, and a second stop notch 32d, which maintains the advanced state of the wheel bracket 32, is formed. The rotation of the wheel bracket 32 is stopped by the stop pin 56. That is, when the stop pin 56 is inserted into the first stop notch 32c or the second stop notch 32d, the rotation of the wheel bracket 32 is stopped.

[37] Meanwhile, stoppers 32a and 32b are provided at opposite positions on each of opposite side surfaces of the upper end of the wheel bracket 32, so that each rotator 52 is stopped by the stopper 32a or 32b. The distance between the stoppers 32a and 32b is greater than the width of the opposite side edges of the rotator 52, such that the rotators 52 rotate the wheel bracket 32 after the stop pin 56 has been removed from the stop notch 32c or 32d of the wheel bracket 32. That is, after the stop pin 56 has been pushed upwards by rotation of the rotators 52 such that the stop pin 56 is completely removed from the stop notch 32c or 32d, the rotators 52 come into contact with the stoppers 32a or 32b so that the wheel bracket 32 is rotated along with the rotators 52. As such, a time interval exists between the moment that the rotation of the wheel bracket starts and the moment that the rotation of the rotators starts, so that the wheel bracket is rotated by the rotation of the rotators after the stop pin has been moved upwards by the rotation of the rotators.

[38] The two rotators 52 are provided on respective opposite sides of the wheel bracket.

Furthermore, the two pinions 12 and 12a are provided on respective opposite sides of the wheel bracket. The pinion 12, which is disposed at one side of the wheel bracket, is fixed to the rotating shaft, and the pinion 12a, which is disposed at the opposite side of

the wheel bracket, is fitted over the rotating shaft.

[39] Fig. 4 is views showing a process of advancing the wheel and a process of retracting the wheel according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[40] Figs. 4(A) through 4(C) are views illustrating the process of advancing the wheel and the wheel bracket from the lower body of the inline skate. Figs. 4(D) through 4(F) are views illustrating the reverse process. In Fig. 4, the second wheel bracket unit is mentioned as an example for illustrating the advancing and retracting processes. However, the operational principle of the third wheel bracket unit is equal to that of the second wheel bracket unit. Furthermore, the operational principle of the first wheel bracket unit is equal to that of the second wheel bracket unit, except for the direction in which it is advanced.

[41] First, as shown in Fig. 4(A), the wheel and the wheel bracket are in the state of being inserted into the body. In this state, the stop pin 56 is in the state of being inserted in the first stop notch 32c of the wheel bracket 32, so that the wheel 22 and the wheel bracket 32 are in a locked state.

[42] In this state, when the lever (not shown) is rotated in a counterclockwise direction, the rotators 52 are rotated in a counterclockwise direction so that the stop pin 56 is pushed upwards by the rotators 52 and, thus, removed from the first stop notch 32c. Here, the stop pin 56 is biased downwards by the elasticity of the pin spring 54.

[43] Thereafter, the stop pin 56 is removed from the first stop notch by the above- mentioned operation and enters the state of Fig. 4(B). In the state of Fig. 4(B), when the rotators 52 are further rotated in a counterclockwise direction, the left side edges of the rotators 52 come into contact with the stopper 32a so that the rotators 52 rotate the wheel bracket 32.

[44] Subsequently, the wheel bracket 32 is advanced by the continuous rotation of the rotators 52, and the stop pin 56 is inserted into the opposite second stop notch 32d (the state of Fig. 4(C)). Thereby, the rotation of the wheel bracket 32 is stopped and the wheel bracket 32 is maintained in the locked state.

[45] Conversely, the process of retracting the wheel bracket 32, which has been in the advanced state, into the lower body of the inline skate is shown in Figs. 4(D) through 4(F). In the state of Fig. 4(D), when the rotators 52 are rotated in a clockwise direction, the stop pin 56 is pushed upwards by the rotators 52 so that the stop pin 56 is removed from the second stop notch 32d, and the rotators 52 come into contact with the stopper 32b of the wheel bracket 32 (the state of Fig. 4(E)). Thereafter, when the rotators 52 are further rotated in a clockwise direction, the wheel bracket 32 is retracted into the lower body of the inline skate, and, finally, the wheel bracket 32 enters the state of Fig. 4(F). At this time, the stop pin 56 is inserted into the first stop notch 23a, so that the rotation of the wheel bracket 32 is stopped by the stop pin 56 and the wheel bracket 32

is maintained in the locked state.

[46] As such, in the present invention, the distance between the stoppers is greater than the width of the opposite side edges of the rotator by the distance that the rotators 52 push the stop pin 56 from the stop notch 32c or 32d, such that a time interval exists between the moment that the rotation of the rotators starts and the moment that the rotation of the wheel bracket starts. Furthermore, each rotator 52 is rounded at comers thereof such that the stop pin 56 can be pushed upwards from the stop notches 32c and 32d by the rotation of the rotators 52. Industrial Applicability

[47] The present invention relates to an inline skate comprising a rack gear mechanism.

In the present invention, wheel brackets and wheels can be advanced from and retracted into a body of the inline skate by rotators that contact stoppers of the wheel brackets, thus it has many advantages. Therefore, the present invention is regarded as a technique having high applicability.