Braking assembly for a roller skate

Abstract

A braking assembly for use with a roller skate, the roller skate being wearable by an intended user having a leg, a foot extending from the leg and a hand. The roller skate has a frame, a foot receiving portion coupled to the frame for receiving the foot of the user and first and second wheels rotatably mounted to the frame, the first and second wheels defining respectively a first wheel radius and a second wheel radius. The first and second wheels further define respectively a first wheel circumferential surface and a second wheel circumferential surface. The braking assembly includes a brake shoe defining a wheel contacting surface, the wheel contacting surface including a first arc segment and a second arc segment for respectively abutting against a portion of the first and second wheel circumferential surfaces, the brake shoe being mountable to the roller skate such as to be movable between a released position and an engaged position, wherein in the released position, the brake shoe is substantially spaced apart from the first and second wheel circumferential surfaces and in the engaged position, the first arc segment frictionally abuts against a portion of the first wheel circumferential surface and the second arc segment frictionally abuts against a portion of the second wheel circumferential surface; and an actuator operatively coupled to the brake shoe for selectively moving the brake shoe between the released and engaged positions.

1 . A braking assembly for use with a roller skate, the roller skate being wearable by an intended user having a leg, a foot extending from the leg and a hand, the roller skate having a frame, a foot receiving portion coupled to the frame for receiving the foot of the intended user and first and second wheels rotatably mounted to the frame, the first and second wheels defining respectively a first wheel radius and a second wheel radius, the first and second wheels further defining respectively a first wheel circumferential surface and a second wheel circumferential surface, said braking assembly comprising: 
 a brake shoe defining a wheel contacting surface, said wheel contacting surface including a first arc segment and a second arc segment for respectively abutting against a portion of the first and second wheel circumferential surfaces, said brake shoe being mountable to the roller skate such as to be movable between a released position and an engaged position, wherein in said released position, said brake shoe is substantially spaced apart from the first and second wheel circumferential surfaces and in said engaged position, said first arc segment frictionally abuts against a portion of the first wheel circumferential surface and said second arc segment frictionally abuts against a portion of the second wheel circumferential surface; and    an actuator operatively coupled to said brake shoe for selectively moving said brake shoe between said released and engaged positions.    
   
   
       2 . A braking assembly as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said first arc segment defines a first radius of curvature, said first radius of curvature being substantially equal to the first wheel radius.  
   
   
       3 . A braking assembly as defined in  claim 2 , wherein second arc segment defines a second radius of curvature, said second radius of curvature being substantially equal to the second wheel radius.  
   
   
       4 . A braking assembly as defined in  claim 2 , wherein said first arc segment extends over an angle of from about 20 degrees to about 180 degrees.  
   
   
       5 . A braking assembly as defined in  claim 4 , wherein said first arc segment extends over an angle of from about 90 degrees to about 150 degrees.  
   
   
       6 . A braking assembly as defined in  claim 5 , wherein said first arc segment extends over an angle of about 120 degrees.  
   
   
       7 . A braking assembly as defined in  claim 2 , wherein said first arc segment has the shape of an arc segment of a circumferential portion of a torus.  
   
   
       8 . A braking assembly as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said first arc segment extends over a first angle and said second arc segment extends over a second angle, said second angle being substantially smaller than said first angle.  
   
   
       9 . A braking assembly as defined in  claim 8 , wherein the skate defines a front end and a rear end, said first arc segment being located forwardly with respect to said second arc segment.  
   
   
       10 . A braking assembly as defined in  claim 9 , wherein said second angle is from about 15 percent to about 70 percent of said first angle.  
   
   
       11 . A braking assembly as defined in  claim 10 , wherein said second angle is about one third of said first angle.  
   
   
       12 . A braking assembly as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said brake shoe is translated when moved between said released and engaged positions.  
   
   
       13 . A braking assembly as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising a biasing element operatively coupled to said brake shoe and to the frame for biasing said brake shoe towards said released position.  
   
   
       14 . A braking assembly as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said actuator includes a slave bladder operatively coupled to said frame and to said brake shoe to move said brake shoe between said released and engaged positions in response to said slave bladder being deflated and inflated, said brake shoe moving towards said engaged position when said slave bladder is inflated and said brake shoe moving towards said released position when said slave bladder is deflated.  
   
   
       15 . A braking assembly as defined in  claim 14 , further comprising a master bladder in fluid communication with said slave bladder, wherein a deformation of said master bladder causes a deformation of said slave bladder.  
   
   
       16 . A braking assembly as defined in  claim 15 , wherein said master bladder is graspable and deformable by the hand of the intended user.  
   
   
       17 . A braking assembly as defined in  claim 16 , further comprising a harness securable to the intended user, said master bladder being attached to said harness.  
   
   
       18 . A braking assembly as defined in  claim 17 , wherein said harness includes a harness base and a strap extending therefrom for encircling the leg of the intended user, said master bladder being attached to said harness base.  
   
   
       19 . A braking assembly as defined in  claim 18 , wherein said slave and master bladders are interconnected by a substantially flexible tube, said tube including a tube first portion in fluid communication with said slave bladder and a tube second portion in fluid communication with said master bladder, said tube first portion being reversibly attachable to said tube second portion, said tube first and second portions being in fluid communication when said tube first portion is attached to said tube second portion.  
   
   
       20 . A braking assembly as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said wheel contacting surface includes wood.  
   
   
       21 . A braking assembly as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said first wheel contacting surface wears off more rapidly than said first wheel in response to frictional forces between said first wheel contacting surface and said first wheel.  
   
   
       22 . A roller skate, said roller skate being wearable by an intended user having a leg, a foot extending from the leg and a hand, said roller skate comprising: 
 a frame;    a foot receiving portion coupled to said frame for receiving the foot of the intended user;    first and second wheels rotatably mounted to said frame, said first and second wheels defining respectively a first wheel radius and a second wheel radius, said first and second wheels further defining respectively a first wheel circumferential surface and a second wheel circumferential surface; and    a braking assembly including 
 a brake shoe defining a wheel contacting surface, said wheel contacting surface including a first arc segment and a second arc segment for respectively abutting against a portion of said first and second wheel circumferential surfaces, said brake shoe being mounted to said roller skate such as to be movable between a released position and an engaged position, wherein in said released position, said brake shoe is substantially spaced apart from said first and second wheel circumferential surfaces and in said engaged position, said first arc segment frictionally abuts against a portion of said first wheel circumferential surface and said second arc segment frictionally abuts against a portion of the second wheel circumferential surface; and  
 an actuator operatively coupled to said brake shoe for selectively moving said brake shoe between said released and engaged positions.