Composite wheels for in-line roller skates.

摘要

In-line roller skates whose wheels make it possible for a skater to stop without the need for a braking pad or other special expedients for this purpose. Each skate includes a boot to accommodate the skater's foot and a frame secured to the underside of the boot supporting a series of in-line wheels having a composite structure. Each composite wheel includes a center section formed of hard material, such as high-density polyethylene, having a low coefficient of friction, the center section being flanked by side sections formed of relatively soft material, such as cast polyurethane, having a high coefficient of friction. In order to stop or reduce speed, the skater turns the in-line skates away from the direction of travel as he would when braking ice skates. This maneuver causes a portion both of the hard and a soft section of the composite wheels, now angled with respect to the direction of travel, to frictionally engage the ground to effect a braking action.