Machine element or mechanism – Elements – Cranks and pedals
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-05
2001-01-09
Fenstermacher, David (Department: 3682)
Machine element or mechanism
Elements
Cranks and pedals
C074S594400
Reexamination Certificate
active
06170357
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a pedal assembly, more particularly to a bicycle pedal assembly.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional bicycle pedal assembly is adapted to be mounted on a bicycle pedal shaft for engaging a cleat unit which has forward and rearward ends and which is fixed to a bottom surface of a sole of a cyclist's shoe.
Referring to
FIGS. 1 and 2
, the conventional bicycle pedal assembly
10
is shown to include a rectangular pedal body
11
having front and rear portions
11
F,
11
R, and a central tubular portion
13
adapted to be mounted on the bicycle pedal shaft (not shown) around a first axis. The tubular portion
13
extends in a longitudinal direction parallel to the first axis in order to define front and rear accommodating spaces
12
at front and rear sides of the tubular portion
13
. The pedal body
11
has upper and lower surfaces
11
U,
11
L opposite to each other in a transverse direction relative to the longitudinal direction. Two forward anchor members
26
, in the form of elongate plates, are mounted transversely on the upper and lower surfaces of the tubular portion
13
in such a manner that the forward anchor members
26
are in symmetry relative to the first axis. Two rearward anchor members
22
are mounted in the front and rear accommodating spaces
12
respectively by means of two axles
23
that extend in the longitudinal direction in such a manner that the rearward anchor members
22
are in symmetry relative to the first axis. Each of the rearward anchor members
22
has a grip portion
22
G disposed to be brought toward a respective one of the forward anchor members
26
and adapted to clamp the cleat unit
31
(see
FIG. 3
) in a transverse direction relative to the longitudinal direction in cooperation with the respective forward anchor member
26
. Two units of biasing members
21
are sleeved around the axles
23
to bias the rearward anchor members
22
respectively so as to urge the grip portions
22
G to move toward the forward anchor members
26
.
A disadvantage of the conventional pedal assembly resides in that the forward anchor members
26
are in the form of elongate plates, and have lateral arms
261
that extend in the longitudinal direction and that cover the front and rear accommodating spaces
12
such that once the cleat unit
31
is engaged by the forward and rearward anchor members
26
,
22
, dirt that attaches thereto cannot drop through the front and rear accommodating spaces
12
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, the object of this invention is to provide a bicycle pedal assembly that is adapted to be mounted on a bicycle pedal shaft and that can overcome the aforementioned disadvantage that is associated with the conventional bicycle pedal assembly.
Accordingly, the bicycle pedal assembly of this invention is adapted to be mounted on a bicycle pedal shaft for engaging a cleat unit which has forward and rearward ends and which is fixed to a bottom surface of a sole of a cyclist's shoe. The bicycle pedal assembly includes a one-piece pedal body, two forward anchor members, two rearward anchor members, two biasing force adjusting members, two adjustment bolts, and left and right coil springs. The one-piece pedal body includes a tubular portion that is adapted to be mounted rotatably on the bicycle pedal shaft around a first axis, and that has front and rear end walls in a longitudinal direction parallel to the first axis, right and left pairs of front and rear lateral walls which extend respectively from the front and rear end walls rightward and leftward in a first transverse direction relative to the longitudinal direction to form rightmost and leftmost pairs of front and rear end portions, respectively. Each of the lateral walls has upper and lower surfaces opposite to each other in a second transverse direction relative to both the first transverse and longitudinal directions. The forward anchor members are respectively mounted between the rightmost front and rear end portions in the longitudinal direction and proximate to the upper surfaces thereof, and between the leftmost front and rear end portions in the longitudinal direction and proximate to the lower surfaces thereof such that the forward anchor members are in symmetry relative to the first axis. The rearward anchor members are respectively mounted between the leftmost front and rear end portions in the longitudinal direction and proximate to the upper surfaces thereof, and between the rightmost front and rear end portions in the longitudinal direction and proximate to the lower surfaces thereof such that the rearward anchor members are in symmetry relative to the first axis. The biasing force adjusting members are respectively disposed between the right pair of front and rear lateral walls in the longitudinal direction and proximate to the upper surfaces thereof, and between the left pair of front and rear lateral walls in the longitudinal direction and proximate to the lower surfaces thereof and inboard to the forward anchor members, respectively. The adjustment bolts are inserted threadedly in the first transverse direction through the forward anchor members and are fastened threadedly to the biasing force adjusting members. Each of the rearward anchor members further includes a grip portion which projects uprightly to an elevation beyond one of the upper and lower surfaces, a spring rest member spaced from the grip portion, and an axle mounted between respective ones of the left and right pairs of front and rear lateral walls in the longitudinal direction for pivotally mounting the grip portion thereon such that the axle is disposed proximate to a respective one of the biasing force adjusting members. The left and right coil springs are sleeved around the axles of the rearward anchor members respectively and are spaced from the tubular portion in the first transverse direction. Each of the coil springs has a first end that urges the spring rest member of a respective one of the rearward anchor members to move the grip portion toward a corresponding one of the forward anchor members so as to be adapted to clamp the cleat unit in the first transverse direction in cooperation with the corresponding one of the forward anchor members. A second end of each of the coil springs urges a respective one of the biasing force adjusting members in the first transverse direction toward the tubular portion such that rotation of the adjustment bolts relative to the biasing force adjusting members will vary a distance therebetween, thereby resulting in variable biasing force of the coil springs.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5003841 (1991-04-01), Nagano
patent: 5203229 (1993-04-01), Chen
patent: 5557985 (1996-09-01), Nagano
patent: 5685202 (1997-11-01), Chen
patent: 5755144 (1998-05-01), Ueda
patent: 5787764 (1998-08-01), Peyre
Fenstermacher David
Fish & Richardson P.C.
Kim Chong H.
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