Skateboards have been ridden for over half of a century for recreation and as a convenient and entertaining form of transportation. Skateboards have an advantage over most other wheeled forms of transportation in that they can be easily picked up and carried at the destination, for example, into a building. In addition, skilled riders have learned how to perform many different tricks on skateboards and competitions have been held between skateboarders to demonstrate their skills. Skateboards have also been used for cross training and skills development for other balance-oriented sports such as surfing and snow boarding. Skateboards have been ridden on various surfaces including concrete sidewalks that contain various cracks including contraction joints or control joints and expansion joints. When a skateboard is ridden over such a crack, the wheels of the skateboard have descended into the crack and then popped back up when the wheels hit the other side of the crack. This has resulted in detrimental effects including noise, shock to the rider, and impacts on the handling of the skateboard. As a result, skateboard parks have been built that avoid or minimize cracks in the riding surface, among other things. In addition, skateboard wheels have been made larger, have been made from a softer material, or both, to reduce the amount of shock and noise generated when the wheels hit a crack or other irregularity in the riding surface. Room for improvement, however, or potential for benefit or improvement exists to make skateboards ride better over cracks in the sidewalk or riding surface. Needs or potential for benefit or improvement exist for skateboards that glide over cracks, that are inexpensive to manufacture, that utilize existing components to a greater extent, that roll with little friction, that are stable, that handle well, that are suitable for performing various tricks, that are less complex than alternatives, that can be readily manufactured, that are easy to use, that are reliable, that have a long life, that are compact, that can withstand extreme environmental conditions, or a combination thereof, as examples, in whole or in part. Other needs or potential for benefit or improvement may also be described herein or known in the skateboard field. Room for improvement exists over the prior art in these and other areas that may be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art having studied this document. Even an incremental improvement over the prior art can make a significant difference in the success of a product in this competitive industry.
These drawings illustrate, among other things, examples of certain aspects of particular embodiments of the invention. Other embodiments may differ. For example, in some embodiments, components or acts may be omitted, or acts may be performed in a different order. Various embodiments may include aspects shown in the drawings, described in the specification, shown or described in other documents that are incorporated by reference, known in the art, or a combination thereof, as examples.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds