Inline Skate Frame With Curvilinear Chassis Sections

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing roller skate designs fail to replicate the balance and muscle activation of ice hockey skates, leading to inefficient training and reduced transferability of fitness and speed training to ice skating, as they do not adequately mimic the arch-shaped blade of ice hockey skates, resulting in difficulties with acceleration, turning, and balance.

Innovation Solution

An inline skate frame with a curvilinear upper chassis section and a flat lower chassis section connected via a coupling and spring-back element, allowing for relative rotation and adjustable contact surfaces to emulate the balance and properties of an ice hockey blade, including the option for a reduced contact area with the ground for easier directional changes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stability of the object's composition

If a traditional inline skate frame with a long flat contact plane is used, then stability and control are improved, but balance element and transferability to ice hockey training deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovestabilityVSAvoidtransferability to ice hockey training
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies curvature by replacing the traditional flat contact plane with an arch-shaped contact surface that follows the contour of the foot. This curved design reduces the contact area to specific pressure points, mimicking the blade's interaction with ice and enabling proper balance element and muscle activation patterns for ice hockey training transferability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements local quality by concentrating the contact area at specific locations (toe and heel regions) rather than distributing it across the entire foot length. This creates distinct functional zones that replicate the localized pressure points of ice skate blades, improving both balance element and directional control while maintaining stability through strategic contact point placement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Ease of operation

If the contact area is reduced to improve balance element and directional control, then acceleration and turning ability are improved, but stability and control deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedirectional controlVSAvoidstability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The arch-shaped contact surface provides curvature that naturally distributes pressure along the foot's contour, maintaining stability through the extended contact path while keeping the effective contact area small at any given moment. This enables smooth transitions and directional changes without sacrificing overall stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs dynamic pressure distribution where the contact points shift along the arch-shaped surface as the foot moves and rotates. This dynamic adaptation allows the skate to maintain stability during static phases while enabling easy directional changes and acceleration through controlled pressure point migration.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This design allows ice hockey players to maintain balance and muscle activation similar to ice skating, improving training efficiency and enabling the transfer of fitness and speed training effects to ice skating, while facilitating smoother transitions and easier direction changes, thus enhancing overall skating performance.

Implementation Method 1

The coupling and spring-back element allows for the upper chassis section and the lower chassis section to be rotated relative to each other

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP2533867B1Roller skate
Publication Date: 2019.10.23 FLOW MOTION TECH AB
  • EP2533867B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2533867B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP2533867B1 patent drawingFigure 5A~5C

AI summary

The present invention relates to an inline frame (1) for an inline skate, designed to mimic the properties of an ice hockey skate blade on ice. The inline frame (1) includes at least one first connection part (8) intended to be connected to a boot (2) and at least two wheels positioned essentially in the inline frame's (1) longitudinal direction. The unique thing about the inline frame is that it includes an upper chassis section (5) and a lower chassis section (6) which via a coupling element (7) are arranged to be rotatable in the inline frame's (1) longitudinal direction, and that the upper chassis section (5) includes at least one first contact surface (11) and that the lower chassis section (6) includes at least one second contact surface (19), where at least one of the first contact surface and the second contact surface is curvilinear.