Dual axle skateboard and truck with outboard secondary wheels and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11944895-B2
Application number	US-202117461577-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 30, 2021
Priority date	Sep 16, 2014
Publication date	Apr 2, 2024
Grant date	Apr 2, 2024

Abstract

Improved skateboards and methods of obtaining or providing skateboards with improved trucks. Trucks have two axles or axes, two primary wheels, and two secondary wheels, and skateboards have eight wheels, four in front and four at the rear portion of the skateboard. The four primary wheels support most or all of the weight of the skateboard when the skateboard is on a flat surface, and the two secondary wheels support the weight of one portion of the skateboard (e.g., front or rear) when the primary wheels cross a crack (e.g., a sidewalk contraction joint). In various embodiments, the secondary wheels are located outboard of the primary wheels. Further, in a number of embodiments, the axis of rotation or axle of the primary wheels remains parallel to that of the secondary wheels, whether the skateboard is going straight or turning.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A truck for a skateboard, the truck comprising:
a mounting surface for attaching the truck to a body of the skateboard;
a primary axle;
two primary wheels rotatably mounted on the primary axle;
at least one secondary axle that is parallel to the primary axle; and
two secondary wheels rotatably mounted on the at least one secondary axle;
wherein:
the two primary wheels each have a primary wheel diameter;
the two secondary wheels each have a secondary wheel diameter; and
an axle spacing distance between the primary axle and the at least one secondary axle is less than a sum of the primary wheel diameter and the secondary wheel diameter divided by two.

2. The truck of claim 1 , wherein the secondary wheel diameter is less than the primary wheel diameter.

3. The truck of claim 1 , wherein the secondary wheel diameter is greater than the primary wheel diameter.

4. The truck of claim 1 , wherein the primary axle is positioned so that the two primary wheels extend further from the mounting surface of the truck than the two secondary wheels.

5. The truck of claim 1 , wherein the primary axle is positioned so that the two secondary wheels extend further from the mounting surface of the truck than the two primary wheels.

6. The truck of claim 1 , wherein:
the two primary wheels each have a primary wheel width;
the two secondary wheels each have a secondary wheel width; and
the primary wheel width is greater than the secondary wheel width.

7. The truck of claim 1 , wherein the mounting surface is attached to a rear portion of the body of the skateboard.

8. The truck of claim 1 , wherein the mounting surface is attached to a front portion of the body of the skateboard.

9. The truck of claim 8 , wherein:
the primary axle is located in front the at least one secondary axle.

10. The truck of claim 8 , wherein:
the at least one secondary axle is located in front of the primary axle.

11. A skateboard comprising:
a front truck attached to a front portion of a body of the skateboard, comprising:
a primary front axle with two primary front wheels rotatably mounted on the primary front axle;
at least one secondary front axle parallel to the primary front axle, with two secondary front wheels rotatably mounted on the at least one secondary front axle;
wherein
the two primary front wheels each have a primary front wheel diameter;
the two secondary front wheels each have a secondary front wheel diameter; and
an axle spacing distance between the primary front axle and the at least one secondary front axle is less than a sum of the primary front wheel diameter and the secondary front wheel diameter divided by two; and

a rear truck attached to a rear portion of the body of the skateboard, comprising:
a primary rear axle with two primary rear wheels rotatably mounted on the primary rear axle;
at least one secondary rear axle parallel to the primary rear axle, with two secondary rear wheels rotatably mounted on the at least one secondary rear axle; wherein
the two primary rear wheels each have a primary rear wheel diameter;
the two secondary rear wheels each have a secondary rear wheel diameter; and
an axle spacing distance between the primary rear axle and the at least one secondary rear axle is less than a sum of the primary rear wheel diameter and the secondary rear wheel diameter divided by two.

12. The skateboard of claim 11 , wherein the secondary rear wheel diameter is less than the primary front wheel diameter.

13. The skateboard of claim 11 , wherein the secondary rear wheel diameter is greater than the primary front wheel diameter.

14. The skateboard of claim 11 , wherein:
the primary front axle is positioned in front of the at least one secondary front axle; and
the at least one secondary rear axle is positioned in front of the primary rear axle.

15. The skateboard of claim 11 , wherein:
the at least one secondary front axle is positioned in front of the primary front axle; and
the primary rear axle is positioned in front of the at least one secondary rear axle.

16. The skateboard of claim 11 , wherein:
the two primary front wheels each have a primary front wheel width;
the two secondary front wheels each have a secondary front wheel width;
the two primary rear wheels each have a primary rear wheel width; and
the two secondary rear wheels each have a secondary rear wheel width; wherein
the primary front wheel width is greater than the secondary front wheel width; and
the primary rear wheel width is greater than the secondary rear wheel width.

17. The skateboard of claim 16 , wherein:
the primary front wheels are 1.25 times wider than the secondary front wheels and the primary rear wheels are 1.25 times wider than the secondary rear wheels.

18. The skateboard of claim 16 , wherein:
the primary front wheel width is equal to the primary rear wheel width, and the secondary front wheel width is equal to the secondary rear wheel width.

19. The skateboard of claim 11 , wherein:
the two secondary front wheels are located closer together than the two primary front wheels;
the two secondary rear wheels are located closer together than the two primary rear wheels;
the two secondary rear wheels extend between the two primary front wheels; and
the two secondary rear wheels extend between the two primary rear wheels.

20. A truck for a skateboard, the truck comprising:
a mounting surface for attaching the truck to a body of the skateboard;
a primary axle;
two primary wheels rotatably mounted on the primary axle;
at least one secondary axle that is parallel and rearward to the primary axle; and
two secondary wheels rotatably mounted on the at least one secondary axle;
wherein:
a distance measured between the two secondary wheels is less than a distance between the two primary wheels;
the two primary wheels each have a primary wheel diameter;
the two secondary wheels each have a secondary wheel diameter;
the secondary wheel diameter is equal to the primary wheel diameter; and
an axle spacing distance between the primary axle and the at least one secondary axle is less than a sum of the primary wheel diameter and the secondary wheel diameter divided by two.

Assignees

• Karsten Mfg Corp

Inventors

• Marusiak John R
• Solheim John A
• Cole Eric V

Classifications

• A63C17/012 Primary

  with a truck, i.e. with steering mechanism comprising an inclined geometrical axis to convert lateral tilting of the board in steering of the wheel axis · CPC title

• A63C17/004

  with auxiliary wheels not contacting the riding surface during steady riding · CPC title

• A63C17/0093

  Mechanisms transforming leaning into steering through an inclined geometrical axis, e.g. truck (A63C17/011 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A63C17/014

  Wheel arrangements · CPC title

• A63C17/00 Primary

  Roller skates; Skate-boards · CPC title