Dual-purpose roller skate

[0002] The present invention relates generally to a roller skate, and more particularly to a dual-purpose roller skate which can be converted for use as an ordinary shoe.

[0003] As shown in FIG. 1, a dual-purpose roller skate of the prior art comprises a bottom plate 1 which is attached to the underside of a main body (not shown in the drawing). The bottom plate 1 is provided in the underside thereof with two protrusions 2 corresponding in location to the toe portion and the heel portion of the bottom plate 1. The bottom plate 1 is disposed in an outsole 3 which is provided therein with two receiving cells 4 for receiving the two protrusions 2. Two roller sets 5 are fastened with the two protrusions 2 by a plurality of fastening screws. The roller sets 5 are formed of a fastening seat 6, a pivoting seat 7, and a wheel 8 which can be extracted from or retracted into the receiving cell 4. The two wheels 8 are extracted to enable the dual-purpose roller skate to be used as a roller skate. The two wheels 8 are retracted into the receiving cells 4 of the outsole 3 at such time when the dual-purpose roller skate is to be used as an ordinary footwear.

[0004] Such a prior art dual-purpose roller skate as described above is defective in design in that the outsole 3 is so thick as to accommodate the two roller sets 5 at the expense of the pliability of the outsole 3. In addition, the excessive thickness of the outsole 3 gives an added weight to the roller skate. Moreover, the extraction or retraction of the wheel 8 is done with finger which is apt to be soiled with dirt or even injured.

[0005] The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a dual-purpose roller skate free from the drawbacks of the dual-purpose roller skate of the prior art.

[0006] In keeping with the principle of the present invention, the foregoing objective of the present invention is attained by a dual-purpose roller skate comprising a boot, a sole plate provided in the underside thereof with two receiving compartments, and two wheel sets, with each comprising a wheel seat, a wheel frame, a wheel, an adjustment device, and a locating device. The wheel seat is mounted in the receiving compartment. The wheel frame is fastened pivotally with the wheel seat by the adjustment device. The wheel is pivoted to the wheel frame which can be actuated to swivel by an external force exerting on the adjustment device. The locating device is used to locate the wheel frame in the wheel seat.

[0007] FIG. 1 shows an exploded view of a dual-purpose roller skate of the prior art.

[0008] FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of a dual-purpose roller skate of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0009] FIG. 3 shows a longitudinal sectional view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0010] FIGS. 4-6 show schematic views of the preferred embodiment of the present invention in action.

[0011] As shown in FIGS. 2-6, a dual-purpose roller skate embodied in the present invention comprises a boot 12, a sole plate 14, and two wheel sets 16.

[0012] The boot 12 is mounted on the sole plate 14 which is made of a foam material and is provided in the underside thereof with two receiving compartments 22 corresponding respectively in location to the toe portion and the heel portion of the sole plate 14. The toe portion and the heel portion are provided with a through hole 24 in communication with the receiving compartment 22.

[0013] The wheel sets 16 are formed respectively of a wheel seat 28, a wheel frame 30, a wheel 32, an adjustment device 34, and a locating device 36.

[0014] The wheel seat 28 has a top plate 38 and two side plates 40 extending from two longitudinal ends of the top plate 38 and perpendicular to the top plate 38. The wheel seat 28 is lodged in the receiving compartment 22.

[0015] The wheel frame 30 is fastened pivotally between the two side plates 40 of the wheel seat 28 by an adjusting member 46 and a pivoting member 48.

[0016] The wheel 32 is mounted on an axle which is fastened with the wheel frame 30.

[0017] The adjustment device 34 comprises the adjusting member 46 and a locking member 54. The adjusting member 46 has a tip which is provided with a hexagonal adjustment slot 56. The tip may be replaced by a slotted tip or phillips tip. The locking member 54 is a sleeve which is provided in one end thereof with an inner threaded hole 58 and in other end thereof with a hexagonal inner hole 60. The locking member 54 is put through the through hole 24 such that the locking member 54 presses against the side plate 40, and that the inner threaded hole 58 is engaged with the adjustment member 46.

[0018] The locating device 36 includes two first retaining portions 42 of the side plates 40 of the wheel seat 28, and two second retaining portions 50 and 52 of the wheel frame 30, which are recesses or projections engageable with the first retaining portions 42 which are projections or recesses.

[0019] As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the present invention is used as a roller skate by first loosening the locking member 54 to result in the formation of a gap between the wheel frame 30 and the side plates 40 of the wheel seat 28. Thereafter, the wheel frame 30 is turned by a hexagonal wrench which is engaged with the hexagonal adjustment slot 56 of the adjusting member 46. As a result, the wheel 32 is extracted out of the receiving compartment 22 such that the wheel 32 is located by the first retaining portions 42 and the second retaining portions 52. Finally, the locking member 54 is tightened up.

[0020] As illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, the present invention is used as an ordinary footwear by loosening the locking member 54 so as to retract the wheel 32 back into the receiving compartment 22 by turning the wheel frame 30 in reverse such that the first retaining portions 42 are engaged with the second retaining portions 50.

[0021] The embodiment of the present invention described above is to be regarded in all respects as being merely illustrative and not restrictive. Accordingly, the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without deviating from the spirit thereof. The present invention is therefore to be limited only by the scopes of the following appended claims.