Machine element or mechanism – Elements – Cranks and pedals
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-08
2001-03-27
Bucci, David A. (Department: 3682)
Machine element or mechanism
Elements
Cranks and pedals
Reexamination Certificate
active
06205885
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A number of clipless pedal designs have been made commercially available. The first clipless pedals were single side entry because they had latch and release mechanisms on only one side of the pedal. The next clipless pedals were double side entry because they had latch and release mechanisms on opposite sides of the pedal. The advantage of double side entry is that it is easier for the rider to clip into the pedal without looking. The disadvantage is that double side entry pedals are generally more complex and heavier than single side entry pedals.
A cleat is attached to the bottom of each cycling shoe and when the rider steps onto the clipless pedal and applies force, the latch mechanism opens to accept the cleat and then latches shut to lock the cleat to the pedal. The rider releases himself or herself from the pedal by twisting their shoe past a given angle. Pedal/cleat designs can allow float or not depending on the pedal and cleat design. Float is when the cleat is free to pivot through some angle such as 5 degrees each direction before making contact with the release mechanism. Some riders prefer to have float because of knee comfort and others prefer no float. Some pedals offer one cleat that allows float and a different cleat that allows no float.
Clipless pedals either have the latch mechanism in the pedal or in the cleat which is attached to the shoe. Designs with the latch mechanism in the cleat are generally lighter but perform poorly in muddy conditions because cleats are usually larger and have moving parts and are prone to getting clogged with mud and dirt from occasional walking on the ground. Also, because they are usually larger, they can interfere with walking. Designs with the latch mechanism in the pedal generally consist of a relatively large number of components making them complex to manufacture and maintain, and relatively bulky and heavy. Also, while designs with latch mechanisms in the pedal are less prone to clogging with mud than designs with the latch mechanism in the cleat, most are still susceptible to clogging under certain conditions which makes some pedals difficult to lock into and others difficult to clip out of.
In order to prevent release while pulling upwards while pedaling, either the spring(s) that holds the mechanism closed needs to be very strong or the geometry must be designed such that when the cleat is pulled straight up, there is not a component of force to cause the mechanism to release.
Spring loaded latch mechanisms on existing pedal designs have clasps that pivot about axes that are not coincident with the axis of pedal rotation. There is some distance between the pedal axis and the clasp axis or axes. Because of this, existing pedal designs have a framework to support the clasp axle and this causes the pedal to be relatively bulky in size.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a clipless pedal for bikes which is made with four sides which can engage the cleat.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a clipless bike pedal system which is sturdy enough to meet the rigorous demands of mountain biking yet is easy to use.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a cleat for use with clipless bike pedals which is easy to engage and disengage and is resistant to effects of dirt or debris which might otherwise damage or incapacitate a locking mechanism.
Another advantage of the present invention is to provide a cleat for use with clipless pedals which is small enough to be substantially retained within the recessed area in the soles of commercially-available mountain bike shoes so that it is generally protected from impact and does not interfere with walking.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a clipless bike pedal system which minimizes the distance from bottom of the cycling shoe to the centerline of the pedal to lower the rider's center of gravity and make pedaling more stable.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a clipless bike pedal system which minimizes the distance from the centerline of the pedal to the bottom of the pedal for improved ground clearance while pedaling.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a clipless bike pedal which has easy maintenance including easy disassembly and reassembly.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a clipless bike pedal system which is relatively light in weight.
Another object of the present invention is to provide, by virtue of its simplicity, a clipless bike pedal that is highly resistant to clogging with mud.
The foregoing and other objects are attained, according to the present invention, by a pedal including a spindle with a thread on one end for attachment to a bicycle crank arm, a substantially cylindrical housing that rotates about the spindle on bushings or bearings, two substantially U-shaped members that are made from bent wires that are affixed to opposite sides of the housing, two sleeves that slip over opposite ends of the housing allowing the sleeves to rotate concentrically about the axis of the spindle, two substantially U-shaped members that are made from bent wires that are affixed to opposite sides of the sleeves, a torsion spring that is concentrically positioned over the housing such that it holds the U-shaped members that are attached to the housing perpendicular to the U-shaped members that are affixed to the sleeves, and a cleat for mounting on the bottom of a bicycling shoe that can releasibly engage between any of the four adjacent pairs of substantially U-shaped members. The spring has a coil axis that is coincident with the spindle axis. A threaded plug retains the housing assembly on the spindle. An O-ring seals the housing against the Spindle on one end and another O-ring seals the housing against the plug on the other end. A spacer holds the spring in position. The housing, sleeves, bent wire members, spindle, and cleat are made of stainless steel, titanium, or some other material that has the strength and corrosion resistance required. The cleat has two shoulders that can engage under the bent U-shaped members.
When assembled, the housing spins freely on the spindle via either bushings or bearings. The spring holds the bent U-shaped member pairs generally perpendicular to each other but allows relative rotation in both directions between them when enough force is applied to overcome the spring. In this way the cleat can snap into any of four sides of the pedal. The cleat is released from the pairs of bent U-shaped members when the cleat is sufficiently twisted. The cleat can be designed to spread the bent U-shaped member pairs which causes at least one of the two cleat shoulders to release from the pedal. This design requires the rider to twist the shoe hard enough to overcome the spring pressure that holds the bent U-shaped member pairs perpendicular. Alternatively, the cleat can be designed so that upon sufficient rotation of the shoe, one or both cleat shoulders are no longer engaged with the bent U-shaped member pairs. This design does not require the rider to overcome spring pressure. A third variation of cleat allows a certain amount of freeplay (float) prior to the cleat beginning to spread the bent U-shaped member pairs.
By virtue of the simplicity and openness of the pedal's structure, it is unlikely that mud will clog the pedal. Also, because the cleat has no moving parts, mud is less likely to cause problems when locking into the pedal.
The spring loaded locking mechanisms herein described are applicable to any number of releasable attachment applications and are not limited to use on clipless bicycle pedals. The locking mechanism provides easy engagement, a durable attachment which allows a limited amount of relative motion and easy disengagement by cleat rotation.
A typical double side entry prior art clipless pedal, U.S. Pat. No. 5,203,229, has 40 components including the cleat. Conversely, the pedal herein has only 16 components including the cleat and only 11 independent
Hermansen Frank
Winefordner Carl
Bucci David A.
Kim Chong H.
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