18 patents in this list
Updated: August 24, 2024
Conventional skateboards are not very good at performing complex tricks or getting about quickly in confined locations.
For this reason, both pros and amateurs alike place great importance on inventions that enhance skateboard maneuverability.
This page examines current developments in technology intended to improve skateboard mobility, with an emphasis on novel designs and features that offer increased comfort, control, and versatility.
Joseph L. PIKULSKI, 2023
Skateboard with a single-wheel truck that improves ride comfort and performance compared to traditional four-wheel skateboards. The single-wheel truck provides a smoother ride by reducing the number of wheel impacts when crossing cracks in the ground. The single wheel also has a V groove for grinding rails without damaging the skateboard. The skateboard can have an internal motor in the wheel for powered versions.
Karsten Manufacturing Corporation, 2023
A skateboard truck that reduces wheel interaction when the skateboard rolls over uneven surfaces like cracks. The truck has arms that pivot on a central hanger. Rotation-inhibiting structures limit how far the arms can rotate.
AO23 Ltd., 2023
A device that provides improved foot stability on a one-wheeled electric board for better control, jumping and carving. It attaches to the front and/or rear edges of the board and has flanges that contact the sides of the rider's feet. This prevents foot slippage and allows leverage to steer, jump and maneuver the board better than the standard footpads.
Stephan Augustin, Stefan Rolf Habermann, 2021
A skateboard axle assembly with a connection plate to mount the axle to a skateboard deck and a wheel axle with wheels. The axle has articulated arms that allow the wheels to pivot and tilt on the axle. This creates a four-bar linkage mechanism that enables the wheels to turn and lean independently for tight turns. The articulated arms are supported with pivot pins on the wheel axle and connection plate. This allows precise turning ability and pumping motion to propel the skateboard without pushing off the ground.
Hasegawa Corporation, 2021
A skateboard deck design that allows the front and rear wheels to stably contact a 3D road surface while ensuring usability and operability. The deck has multiple board materials with a central wood board narrower in width than the outer wood boards. The narrower central wood board reduces torsional rigidity. Fiber reinforced plastic boards are added above and below the wood core. The plastic boards extend fully but the wood boards narrow at the center. This reduces torsional rigidity at the center, allowing twist while maintaining overall deck width and stability. The plastic boards also fill remaining gaps around the wood core.
Shenzhen Dongboshi Technology Co., LTD., 2021
Four-wheel skateboard with simplified control that uses load-assisted drive to reduce power consumption compared to traditional electric skateboards. The skateboard has a built-in motor in the driving wheel and an embedded induction switch in the pedal to detect wheel rotation. The controller starts the motor when the skateboard is pushed and stops it after a distance. This allows continuous sliding without remote or body-sensing controls.
Aaron Benjamin Aders, 2020
A powered skateboard that can replicate the lateral sliding movement of a snowboard on flat terrain. It uses an omnidirectional rotating roller assembly with elastic biasing along with powered trucks and a ducted fan for propulsion. The rotating roller assembly provides lateral sliding capability similar to a snowboard. The powered trucks and ducted fan provide forward propulsion. The elastic biasing helps maintain contact with the ground during turns.
Shenzhen Dongboshi Technology Co., LTD., 2020
A four-wheel skateboard with improved energy efficiency and reduced battery requirements. The skateboard has a motorized wheel, induction switch, controller, and battery built into the pedal. The motor is in the driving wheel. The induction switch detects when the wheels are rotating due to pushing and activates the motor to assist sliding. The controller stops motor drive after a certain distance. This load-assisted driving allows sliding with less power and batteries than continuously powered electric skateboards.
Cross Wing Technology Holdings, LLC, 2020
Skateboard design to enable high-performance freestyle tricks and potentially elevate skateboarding to Olympic-level competition. The design features reinforced kicktails for improved durability and responsiveness during tricks.
Future Motion, Inc., 2019
Suspension system for one-wheeled self-balancing vehicles like electric skateboards, that allows the board to move vertically relative to the wheel in response to bumps. The suspension uses a shock absorber and linkage assembly to isolate the frame from terrain impacts. This prevents jolts and improves ride comfort compared to rigid one-wheelers. The suspension has swingarm or bell crank linkages connecting the shock absorber between the wheel axle and board.
Future Motion, Inc., 2019
A self-balancing electric skateboard with a resilient suspension system to absorb shocks from uneven terrain. The skateboard has one wheel, sensors to detect board orientation, and a motor to propel it. The wheel is connected to the board through a linkage assembly and a shock absorber. The linkage allows the wheel to move vertically relative to the board. This isolates the board from bumps, providing a smoother ride while maintaining stability.
Rasyad Chung, Stephen F. Sporer, 2019
A skateboard truck with adjustable return-to-center bias for improved steering and stability. The truck has a kingpin assembly with a pivot pin that secures the truck to the skateboard deck. A return mechanism biases the truck to its centered position after turning. The return mechanism includes a torsion spring that wraps around the pivot pin and provides a rotational force to the truck. The torsion spring is adjustable to change its force on the truck. This allows fine tuning of the truck's stability and steering characteristics by adjusting the return spring force.
Yoshijiro MATSUI, 2019
A skateboard driven by both feet without needing to kick the ground like a traditional skateboard. It has a gear box in the center of the board that connects the foot board to the wheels. The foot board is attached to the gear box with a rotating shaft so it can pivot. The gear box has rotating shafts with pulleys on them. Belts are wound around the pulleys to create a mechanism that converts the pivoting of the foot board into rotational motion of the wheels.
Young Jin Choi, 2019
A skateboard with a brake system to improve stability and control. The brake is activated by a lever mounted on a handle that is attached to the skateboard truck. This allows the rider to squeeze the lever to engage the brake and slow down the skateboard.
AMPSTICK, INC., 2018
An auxiliary motorized propulsion system for skateboards and other human-powered vehicles that provides additional speed and torque without permanently modifying the vehicle. The system consists of a handheld pole with a motorized wheel on one end and controls on the other end. The rider can hold the pole while riding a skateboard and apply the wheel for on-demand electric propulsion. The pole allows the rider to engage/disengage the wheel from the ground as needed, unlike permanently attached motors. This provides better control and efficiency. The separate pole also decouples the motorized force from the vehicle, avoiding imbalance and drag issues.
Raman Sargis, 2018
A motorized wheel assembly that can be attached to the front of a skateboard and provides propulsion without modifying the rear wheels. The assembly uses a motorized front wheel to move the skateboard forward or backward. A weight transfer mechanism allows the rider to shift their weight to the front wheel to generate traction for propulsion. The motorized front wheel can be added as an accessory to existing skateboards. The assembly can be easily attached/removed and adapted to different skateboard designs.
Stephen Hardy Pielstick, 2018
A roller assembly attachment for a skateboard that allows the skateboard to slide sideways on railings, curbs, and other structures without damaging the deck. The attachment consists of a rotatable roller that is mounted under the center of the skateboard. The roller is positioned longitudinally on the board, perpendicular to the sideways sliding motion.
In Tae Kang, 2018
A self-propelled skateboard that changes direction with a user's foot movement instead of kicking the ground. The skateboard has a center rotation portion for turning and two footrest portions on either side of the center. The user moves their feet back and forth on the footrests to propel the skateboard.
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The skateboard design innovations that are the subject of this discussion represent a major advancement in meeting the demands of contemporary skateboarders. Skateboards are now more comfortable and perform better due to advancements in single-wheel trucks, suspension systems, and control mechanisms.