BACKGROUND 1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to attachment of a rowing shoe to a rowing shoe binding structure. More specifically, the present invention relates to a rowing shoe binding structure, a rowing shoe, an adapter and a cleat that are configured to limit lateral movement of the rowing shoe relative to a cleat attachment structure.
2. Background Information
Traditionally, a footrest in a rowing boat is an angled surface upon which a rower can brace his or her feet. Recently, footrests have been provided with simple shoe retaining straps or mechanisms that hold a rower's shoe against the surface of the footrest.
SUMMARY One aspect presented in this disclosure is to provide one of a rowing shoe binding structure, a rowing shoe, an adapter and a cleat with an adapter or other structure for limiting lateral movement of a rowing shoe relative to a cleat attachment structure.
In view of the state of the known technology, a rowing shoe binding structure is proposed in one embodiment that basically comprises a cleat attachment structure and an adapter. The cleat attachment structure has at least one shoe sole facing surface. The shoe sole facing surface faces a shoe sole of a rowing shoe upon attaching the rowing shoe to the rowing shoe binding structure. The adapter is detachably coupled to the cleat attachment structure. The adapter includes at least one adapting portion that is configured to be disposed on the shoe sole facing surface of the cleat attachment structure.
These and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the disclosed rowing shoe binding structure, the disclosed rowing shoe, the disclosed adapter and the disclosed cleat will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses preferred embodiments.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Referring now to the attached drawings which form a part of this original disclosure:
FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a rowing boat with a rowing boat footrest assembly having a pair of adapters in accordance with a first embodiment;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial perspective view of a main footrest member of the rowing boat footrest assembly illustrated in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the main footrest member of the rowing boat footrest assembly illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, with the adapter coupled to a cleat attachment structure of the main footrest member;
FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the main footrest member of the rowing boat footrest assembly illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, with a cleat further coupled to the cleat attachment structure illustrated in FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the cleat attachment structure of the main footrest member illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4, with the adapter coupled to the cleat attachment structure;
FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of the cleat attachment structure of the main footrest member illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4, with the adapter coupled to the cleat attachment structure;
FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the cleat attachment structure of the main footrest member illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4, with the adapter removed from the cleat attachment structure;
FIG. 8 is a front elevational view of the cleat attachment structure of the main footrest member illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4, with the adapter removed from the cleat attachment structure;
FIG. 9 is a front elevational view of the cleat attachment structure of the main footrest member illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4 and a rowing shoe with the cleat, with the adapter coupled to the cleat attachment structure, and with the rowing shoe being attached to the cleat attachment structure via the cleat;
FIG. 10 is a top perspective view of the adapter of the rowing boat footrest assembly illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2;
FIG. 11 is a bottom perspective view of the adapter of the rowing boat footrest assembly illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2;
FIG. 12 is a top plan view of the adapter of the rowing boat footrest assembly illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2;
FIG. 13 is a bottom plan view of the adapter of the rowing boat footrest assembly illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2;
FIG. 14 is a rear elevational view of the adapter of the rowing boat footrest assembly illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2;
FIG. 15 is a front elevational view of the adapter of the rowing boat footrest assembly illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2;
FIG. 16 is a partial perspective view of the cleat attachment structure illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 and a front portion of a rowing shoe with a two-piece adapter in accordance with a second embodiment;
FIG. 17 is a partial front elevational view of the front portion of the rowing shoe with the two-piece adapter illustrated in FIG. 16;
FIG. 18 is a partial front elevational view of the front portion of the rowing shoe with the two-piece adapter illustrated in FIGS. 16 and 17, with the rowing shoe attached to the cleat attachment structure illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2;
FIG. 19 is a partial bottom plan view of the front portion of the rowing shoe with the two-piece adapter illustrated in FIGS. 16 to 18;
FIG. 20 is a partial side elevational view of the front portion of the rowing shoe, the cleat and one part of the two-piece adapter illustrated in FIGS. 16 to 19 in an unassembled state and with a portion of the sole of the rowing shoe broken away to show an attachment plate;
FIG. 21 is a partial side elevational view of the front portion of the rowing shoe, the cleat and one part of the two-piece adapter in an assembled state illustrated in FIGS. 16 to 20 and with a portion of the sole of the rowing shoe broken away to show the attachment plate;
FIG. 22 is a bottom perspective view of the front portion of the rowing shoe with the two-piece adapter illustrated in FIGS. 16 to 22, with resilient portions coupled to the each engagement part of the two-piece adapter;
FIG. 23 is a perspective view of the cleat attachment structure illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 and a front portion of a rowing shoe with an adapter in accordance with a third embodiment;
FIG. 24 is a partial front elevational view of the front portion of the rowing shoe with the adapter illustrated in FIG. 23;
FIG. 25 is a partial front elevational view of the front portion of the rowing shoe with the adapter illustrated in FIGS. 23 and 24, with the rowing shoe attached to the cleat attachment structure illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2;
FIG. 26 is a partial bottom plan view of the front portion of the rowing shoe with the adapter illustrated in FIGS. 23 to 25;
FIG. 27 is a partial side elevational view of the front portion of the rowing shoe with the adapter illustrated in FIGS. 23 to 26 and the cleat coupled to the sole of the rowing shoe and with a portion of the sole of the rowing shoe broken away to show the attachment plate;
FIG. 28 is a bottom perspective view of the adapter illustrated in FIGS. 23 to 27, as viewed from a front side of the adapter;
FIG. 29 is a bottom perspective view of the adapter illustrated in FIGS. 23 to 28, as viewed from a rear side of the adapter;
FIG. 30 is a top perspective view of the adapter illustrated in FIGS. 23 to 29, as viewed from the front side of the adapter;
FIG. 31 is a bottom plan view of the adapter illustrated in FIGS. 23 to 30;
FIG. 32 is a top plan view of the adapter illustrated in FIGS. 23 to 31;
FIG. 33 is a perspective view of the front portion of the rowing shoe with the adapter illustrated in FIG. 23 to 32, with resilient portions coupled to the each engagement part of the adapter;
FIG. 34 is a partial perspective view of the cleat attachment structure illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 and a front portion of a rowing shoe with a cleat in accordance with a fourth embodiment;
FIG. 35 is a partial front elevational view of the front portion of the rowing shoe with the cleat illustrated in FIG. 34; and
FIG. 36 is a partial front elevational view of the front portion of the rowing shoe with the cleat illustrated in FIGS. 34 and 35, with the rowing shoe being attached to the cleat attachment structure illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Selected embodiments will now be explained with reference to the drawings. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that the following descriptions of the embodiments are provided for illustration only and not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
Referring to FIG. 1, a rowing boat 10 is illustrated that is equipped with a rowing boat footrest assembly 12 having two adapters 14 in accordance with a first embodiment. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the rowing boat 10 has a longitudinal or lengthwise direction L and a lateral or widthwise direction W that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction L. The rowing boat 10 includes a stationary footrest mounting structure 16 for supporting the rowing boat footrest assembly 12.
The stationary footrest mounting structure 16 can be a relatively conventional structure, as shown, that is rigidly fixed or rigidly supported to an interior portion or gunwale portion of the hull of the rowing boat 10. The hull of the rowing boat 10 can have any of a variety of conventional shapes and configurations depending upon whether the type of boat. More specifically, the size and shape of the hull of the rowing boat 10 can have any size and shape that can accommodate the rowing boat footrest assembly 12. It should be apparent to those skilled in the rowing boat field from the drawings and the description herein that the stationary footrest mounting structure 16 can be a structure integrally formed with the hull of the rowing boat 10 or rigidly fixed to the hull of the rowing boat 10.
In this illustrated embodiment, the stationary footrest mounting structure 16 includes a pair of side rails 16a and a center rail 16b. In particular, the side rails 16a are fixedly arranged parallel to one another along sides of the hull of the rowing boat 10, with the center rail 16b being arranged parallel to the side rails 16a along a center of the floor of the hull of the rowing boat 10. In this illustrated embodiment, the side rails 16a are equidistant from the center rail 16b.
The rowing boat 10 also includes a sculling seat structure with a seat and a pair of parallel rails. One of the rails is disposed on each of the lateral sides of the rowing boat 10. The rails slidably support the seat to slide smoothly in the longitudinal (fore and aft) direction L relative to the hull of the rowing boat 10.
Furthermore, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the rowing boat footrest assembly 12 includes a first (right) shoe support structure 18 and a second (left) shoe support structure 20. The first and second shoe support structures 18 and 20 collectively constitute a shoe support or a foot stretcher support. As seen in FIG. 1, the first and second shoe support structures 18 and 20 are adjustably coupled to the stationary footrest mounting structure 16 in both the lateral direction W and the longitudinal direction L of the rowing boat 10 as explained below. In this illustrated embodiment, the right and left shoe support structures 18 and 20 are mounted to the side rails 16a of the stationary footrest mounting structure 16 by a lateral cross support bar 26 and mounted to the center rail 16b by a center support bar 28. In this illustrated embodiment, the lateral cross support bar 26 is adjustably mounted on the side rails 16a, while the center support bar 28 is adjustably mounted to the center rail 16b. In this way, the lateral cross support bar 26 and the center support bar 28 can be selectively position along the rails 16a and 16b. Thus, the longitudinal positions of the first and second shoe support structures 18 and 20 can be longitudinally adjusted with respect to the hull of the rowing boat 10.
As seen in FIG. 1, the right shoe support structure 18 of the rowing boat footrest assembly 12 basically includes a frame part 30, a support plate 32 and a pair of support pillars 34. The frame part 30 is adjustably fixed to the lateral cross support bar 26 and the center support bar 28 by clamps for lateral adjustment with respect to the lateral direction W. The support plate 32 is adjustably fixed to the frame part 30. The support pillars 34 are fixed to the upper surface of the support plate 32 for swingably supporting a main footrest member 36 about a pivot axis P1. Also a heal support member 38 is adjustably fixed to the support plate 32.
As seen in FIG. 1, the left shoe support structure 20 of the rowing boat footrest assembly 12 basically includes a frame part 40, a support plate 42 and a pair of support pillars 44. The left shoe support structure 20 constitutes an additional shoe support structure with respect to the shoe support structure 18. The frame part 40 is adjustably fixed to the lateral cross support bar 26 and the center support bar 28 by clamps for lateral adjustment with respect to the lateral direction W. The support plate 42 is adjustably fixed to the frame part 40. The support pillars 44 are fixed to the upper surface of the support plate 42 for swingably supporting a main footrest member 46 about a pivot axis P2. Also a heal support member 48 is adjustably fixed to the support plate 42.
In this illustrated embodiment, the main footrest members 36 and 46 are substantially identical. Thus, only the main footrest member 46 will be discussed herein for the sake of brevity. In this illustrated embodiment, the main footrest member 46 is a cleat type shoe attachment mechanism. In such a clipless type shoe attachment mechanism, a rowing shoe 50 includes an attachment part or cleat 52 and a shoe sole 54 with a cleat mounting recess 56 as illustrated in FIG. 9. The cleat 52 is detachably fixed to the shoe sole 54 within the cleat mounting recess 56. The cleat 52 is releasably retained by the main footrest member 46 in a conventional manner. The cleat 52 is a conventional well known part. Thus, a detailed description of the cleat 52 will be omitted for the sake of brevity. The shoe sole 54 is made of a resilient polymer or plastic material. The cleat mounting recess 56 is dimensioned to receive the cleat 52 and a part of the main footrest member 46.
As seen in FIG. 2 to 9, basically, the main footrest member 46 includes a swing member 60, a base 62 and a cleat attachment structure 64. The adapter 14 is detachably coupled to the cleat attachment structure 64 to limit lateral movement of the rowing shoe 50 relative to the cleat attachment structure 64. The cleat attachment structure 64 and the adapter 14 basically form a rowing shoe binding structure. The swing member 60 is pivotally attached to the support pillars 44 by a pair of pivot pins 70. The base 62, the cleat attachment structure 64 and the adapter 14 are all mounted on the swing member 60 to pivot about the pivot axis P2. In this way, the left shoe support structure 20 pivotally supports the base 62, the cleat attachment structure 64 and the adapter 14 about the pivot axis P2, which extend in the lateral (transverse) direction W relative to a longitudinal axis of the rowing boat footrest assembly 12. Thus, the base 62 and the cleat attachment structure 64 pivots about the pivot axis P2 in a prescribed pivotal rowing range during a rowing with the cleat 52 (see FIG. 9) retained to the cleat attachment structure 64.
As seen in FIG. 2, a release lever plate 66 is mounted on the support plate 42 such that the rower can release the cleat 52 (see FIG. 9) from the cleat attachment structure 64 by swinging the main footrest member 46 outside of the prescribed pivotal rowing range. In particular, when the rower swings the main footrest member 46 outside of the prescribed pivotal rowing range, a portion of the cleat attachment structure 64 contacts the release lever plate 66 to release the cleat 52 from the cleat attachment structure 64.
As seen in FIGS. 2 to 4, the cleat attachment structure 64 basically includes a first or front cleat retaining portion 72, a second or rear cleat retaining portion 74 and a pair of biasing elements 76. The first cleat retaining portion 72 is fixed to the base 62 of the main footrest member 46. While the second cleat retaining portion 74 is pivotally coupled to the base 62 of the main footrest member 46 by a pivot pin 78. The biasing elements 76 are torsion springs that are mounted on the pivot pin 78 of the second cleat retaining portion 74 for urging the second cleat retaining portion 74 to a cleat engaging position. Thus, the first and second cleat retaining portions 72 and 74 and the biasing elements 76 constitute a step-in attachment structure of the main footrest member 46. A similar clipless type shoe attachment mechanism is disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/186658 assigned to Shimano Inc. Other examples of clipless type shoe attachment mechanisms are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,119,551 assigned to Shimano Inc. and U.S. Pat. No. 6,925,908 assigned to Shimano Inc.
The first and second cleat retaining portions 72 and 74 face towards each other to restrain the cleat 52 (see FIGS. 4 and 9) in the longitudinal direction L. The first and second cleat retaining portions 72 and 74 define a cleat receiving area therebetween. The cleat retaining portion 72 has a first cleat restraining surface 72a and a first cleat abutment surface 72b. The second cleat retaining portion 74 has a second cleat restraining surface 74a and a second cleat abutment surface 74b. The first and second cleat abutment surfaces 72b and 74b are curved surfaces that are arranged to define a virtual pivot VP of the cleat 52 relative to the cleat attachment structure 64.
The adapter 14 also limits a movement of the rowing shoe 50 in the lateral direction W with respect to the cleat attachment structure 64. As illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 4, the adapter 14 is provided at a location on the first cleat retaining portion 72 of the cleat attachment structure 64. The adapter 14 is releasably or detachably coupled to the first cleat retaining portion 72 of the cleat attachment structure 64. As illustrated in FIGS. 10 to 15, the adapter 14 includes at least one adapting portion 82 (e.g., intervening portion). Specifically, in this embodiment, the adapter 14 includes two separate adapting portions 82. Furthermore, the adapter 14 includes fixing flanges 84 (i.e., fixing portions) that extend perpendicularly from edges of the adapting portions 82, respectively. As illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 9, the fixing flanges 84 define a receiving space therebetween that receives the first cleat retaining portion 72. The receiving space has a transverse dimension that is equal to or slightly larger than that of the first cleat retaining portion 72. Thus, the adapter 14 is securely coupled to the first cleat retaining portion 72, and is prevented from loosely moving in the lateral direction W with respect to the cleat attachment structure 64. The fixing flanges 84 have snap-fit projections 88 on inner faces 84a of the fixing flanges 84, respectively, to form a pair of cantilever snap fit structures. The snap-fit projections 88 are releasably fixed to the first cleat retaining portion 72. Specifically, as illustrated in FIGS. 4, 6 and 8, the base 62 has a pair of recesses 62a on opposite side surfaces 62b such that the recesses 62a receive the snap-fit projections 88, respectively. The snap-fit projections 88 are engaged with edge portions of a bottom surface 72d of the first cleat retaining portion 72 within the recesses 62a of the base 62, respectively. Thus, the adapter 14 is securely coupled to the first cleat retaining portion 72, and is prevented from loosely moving in an upward direction perpendicular to both the lateral direction W and the longitudinal direction L with respect to the cleat attachment structure 64. The fixing flanges 84 further have releasing levers 86 (i.e., releasing portions) on an outer faces 84b of the fixing flanges 84, respectively. The releasing levers 86 extend perpendicularly from the outer faces 84b of the fixing flanges 84, respectively. With this arrangement, the adapter 14 is releasably coupled to the first cleat retaining portion 72. In particular, if the releasing levers 86 are lifted upward while the snap-fit projections 88 are engaged with the first cleat retaining portion 72, then couplings between the snap-fit projections 88 and the first cleat retaining portion 72 are released. The adapter 14 is integrally formed as a one-piece, unitary member. The adapter 14 is made of synthetic resin, such as plastic.
As illustrated in FIG. 3 to 9, the first cleat retaining portion 72 of the cleat attachment structure 64 has at least one shoe sole facing surface 72c as a part of an upper surface of the first cleat retaining portion 72. More specifically, the first cleat retaining portion 72 has two separate shoe sole facing surfaces 72c that face two separate bottom parts 54a (e.g., binding facing surface) of the shoe sole 54 of the rowing shoe 50, respectively, upon attaching the cleat 52 of the rowing shoe 50 to the cleat attachment structure 64 of the rowing shoe binding structure. As illustrated in FIGS. 3, 5, 6 and 9, the adapting portions 82 of the adapter 14 are disposed on the shoe sole facing surfaces 72c, respectively. Specifically, each of the adapting portions 82 is sandwiched between the shoe sole 54 of the rowing shoe 50 and corresponding one of the shoe sole facing surfaces 72c upon attaching the cleat 52 of the rowing shoe 50 to the cleat attachment structure 64. As a result, upon attaching the cleat 52 of the rowing shoe 50 to the cleat attachment structure 64 of the rowing show binding structure, each of the adapting portions 82 abuts both the shoe sole 54 and the corresponding one of the shoe sole facing surfaces 72c. The cleat attachment structure 64 and the rowing shoe 50 are configured such that the shoe sole facing surfaces 72c either do not touch, or slightly contact the bottom parts 54a of the shoe sole 54, when the rowing shoe 50 is attached to the cleat attachment structure 64 without the adapter 14.
On the other hand, each of the adapting portions 82 of the adapter 14 has a thickness that is dimensioned such that the shoe sole 54 of the rowing shoe 50 is deformed by the adapting portions 82 upon attaching the cleat 52 of the rowing shoe 50 to the cleat attachment structure 64. As a result, the adapting portions 82 of the adapter 14 create strong friction between the shoe sole 54 and the shoe sole facing surfaces 72c of the first cleat retaining portion 72 by installing the adapter 14 to the first cleat retaining portion 72. The friction prevents the rowing shoe 50 from moving in the lateral direction W with respect to the cleat attachment structure 64. Thus, the rower can selectively adjust the amount of lateral play of the rowing shoe 50 with respect to the cleat attachment structure 64 by installing the adapter 14 to the first cleat retaining portion 72. By providing a rower with various adapters, similar to the adapter 14, but having different heights of the adapting portions 82, the rower can selectively control the friction for adjusting the amount of lateral play of the rowing shoe 50 with respect to the cleat attachment structure 64.
Second Embodiment Referring now to FIGS. 16 to 21, a rowing shoe 150 with a two-piece adapter 114 in accordance with a second embodiment will now be explained. The rowing shoe 150 is identical to the rowing shoe 50 of the first embodiment, except that the two-piece adapter 114 is fixedly coupled to the rowing shoe 150. Of course, two rowing shoes 150 are used as a pair. The rowing shoes 150 are identical to one another except that they are mirror images of one another. Accordingly, referring to FIGS. 16 to 21, description will be provided for only one of the rowing shoes 150 (i.e., left rowing shoe 150), but applies equally to the other of the rowing shoes 150 (i.e., right rowing shoe 150).
In view of the similarity between the first and second embodiments, the parts of the second embodiment that are identical to the parts of the first embodiment will be given the same reference numerals as the parts of the first embodiment. Also, parts of this second embodiment that are functionally identical and/or substantially identical to parts of the first embodiment will be given the same reference numerals but with “100” added thereto. In any event, the descriptions of the parts of the second embodiment that are substantially identical to the parts of the first embodiment may be omitted for the sake of brevity. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that the descriptions and illustrations of the first embodiment also apply to this second embodiment, except as discussed and/or illustrated herein.
As illustrated in FIGS. 16 to 21, the rowing shoe 150 includes a shoe sole 154 with a cleat mounting recess 156. The adapter 114 and the cleat 52 are both fixedly attached to the shoe sole 154 to essentially become a part of the rowing shoe 150. In particular, the cleat mounting recess 156 is configured such that the cleat 52 is mountable therein. As best illustrated in FIGS. 20 and 21, the shoe sole 154 is made of a rubber, resilient polymer or plastic material. Also as illustrated in FIGS. 19 and 20, the shoe sole 154 includes an attachment plate or part 158. The attachment plate 158 is preferably embedded within the shoe sole 154. The attachment plate 158 includes a pair of threaded holes 159 (only one shown in FIGS. 19 and 20) into which a pair of fasteners 160 are threaded to secure the cleat 52 to the shoe sole 154. The cleat mounting recess 156 is dimensioned to receive the cleat 52 with a surrounding space that accommodates a portion of the cleat attachment structure 64 of the shoe binding structure with no interference from the remainder of the shoe sole 154, as illustrated in FIG. 18. As illustrated in FIGS. 16 to 19, the shoe sole 154 has at least one (two in FIG. 16) binding facing surface 154a as a part of a bottom surface of the shoe sole 154. The binding facing surface 154a are located on each side of the cleat mounting recess 156 in the lateral direction W. The binding facing surfaces 154a face the shoe sole facing surfaces 72c of the first cleat retaining portion 72, respectively, upon attaching the cleat 52 of the rowing shoe 150 to the cleat attachment structure 64 of the rowing shoe binding structure.
The two piece adapter 114 includes a first adapter part 114a and a second adapter part 114b. While both the first and second adapter parts 114a and 114b are used in this embodiment, it will be apparent that only one of the first and second adapter parts 114a and 114b could be used if needed and/or desired. The first and second adapter parts 114a and 114b are provided at a pair of locations on the shoe sole 154 of the rowing shoe 150 at positions corresponding to the lateral sides of the cleat mounting recess 156. The first and second adapter parts 114a and 114b are releasably or detachably coupled to the shoe sole 154. Specifically, each of the first and second adapter parts 114a and 114b basically is an L-shaped piece. The first and second adapter parts 114a and 114b are disposed along a pair of inner side edges 156a of the cleat mounting recess 156 and extend along a pair of binding facing surfaces 154a. As illustrated in FIGS. 16 to 19, each of the first and second adapter parts 114a and 114b includes an adapting portion 182a or 182b (i.e., intervening portion). Furthermore, each of the first and second adapter parts 114a and 114b includes a fixing portion 184a or 184b that extends perpendicularly from an edge portion of corresponding one of the adapting portions 182a and 182b. The adapting portions 182a and 182b are disposed on the binding facing surfaces 154a of the shoe sole 154, respectively. The fixing portions 184a and 184b are releasably fixed to the shoe sole 154 within the cleat mounting recess 156. Specifically, the fixing portions 184a and 184b are fastened to the inner side surface 156a (e.g., adapter fixing inner surface) of the cleat mounting recess 156 by a pair of fasteners 188. Each of the fixing portions 184a and 184b includes two receiving holes 184c (see FIG. 20) through which the fasteners 188 are disposed, respectively. The fixing portions 184a and 184b of the first and second adapter parts 114a and 114b are fastened to the inner surface 156a of the cleat mounting recess 156 such that the fixing portions 184a and 184b face each other in the lateral direction W with a spacing therebetween. As illustrated in FIG. 18, the spacing between the fixing portions 184a and 184b are dimensioned such that the fixing portions 184a and 184b contact outboard side surfaces of upward curved parts 72e of the first cleat retaining portion 72. Thus, the first and second adapter parts 114a and 114b prevent the rowing shoe 150 from loosely moving in the lateral direction W with respect to the cleat attachment structure 64. Each of the first and second adapter parts 114a and 114b is integrally formed as a one-piece, unitary member. The adapters 114 are made of synthetic resin, such as plastic.
As mentioned above, the adapting portions 182a and 182b of the first and second adapter parts 114a and 114b are disposed on the binding facing surface 154a of the shoe sole 154. Furthermore, as illustrated in FIG. 18, each of the adapting portions 182a and 182b is sandwiched between corresponding one of the binding facing surfaces 154a and corresponding one of the shoe sole facing surfaces 72c upon attaching the cleat 52 of the rowing shoe 150 to the cleat attachment structure 64. As a result, upon attaching the cleat 52 of the rowing shoe 150 to the cleat attachment structure 64, each of the adapting portions 182a and 182b abuts both the corresponding one of the binding facing surfaces 154a of the shoe sole 54 and the corresponding one of the shoe sole facing surfaces 72c. The cleat attachment structure 64 and the rowing shoe 150 are configured such that the shoe sole facing surface 72c does not touch or slightly contacts the shoe sole 154 of the rowing shoe 150 when the rowing shoe 150 is attached to the cleat attachment structure 64 without the first and second adapter parts 114a and 114b. On the other hand, the adapting portions 182a and 182b of the first and second adapter parts 114a and 114b have a thickness that is dimensioned such that the shoe sole 154 of the rowing shoe 150 is deformed by the adapting portions 182a and 182b upon attaching the cleat 52 of the rowing shoe 150 to the cleat attachment structure 64. As a result, the adapting portions 182a and 182b of the first and second adapter parts 114a and 114b create strong friction between the binding facing surfaces 154a of the shoe sole 154 and the shoe sole facing surfaces 72c of the first cleat retaining portion 72 by installing the adapter 114 to the shoe sole 154. The friction prevents the rowing shoe 150 from moving in the lateral direction W with respect to the cleat attachment structure 64. Thus, the rower can selectively adjust the amount of lateral play of the rowing shoe 150 with respect to the cleat attachment structure 64 by installing the first and second adapter parts 114a and 114b to the shoe sole 154. Preferably, the rower is provided with several sets of first and second adapter parts that are similar to the first and second adapter parts 114a and 114b, but having different heights of the adapting portions 182 so that the rower can selectively control the friction for adjusting the amount of lateral play of the rowing shoe 150 with respect to the cleat attachment structure 64.
In this embodiment, vertical portions (i.e., the fixing portions 184a and 184b) of the first and second adapter parts 114a and 114b, which face the inner surfaces 156a, respectively, are fastened to the shoe sole 154 by the fasteners 188. Alternatively or additionally, horizontal portions (i.e., the adapting portions 182a and 182b) of the first and second adapter parts 114a and 114b can also be fastened to the shoe sole 154 by fasteners. In this case, the adapting portions 182a and 182b includes two receiving holes through which the fasteners are disposed, respectively, and the adapting portions 182a and 182b are fastened to the binding facing surfaces 154a of the shoe sole 154, respectively.
Furthermore, resilient portions can be additionally disposed between the shoe sole 154 and the first and second adapter parts 114a and 114b and/or between the first and second adapter parts 114a and 114b and the cleat attachment structure 64. The resilient portions are made of resilient material, such as rubber sheet. As illustrated in FIG. 22, resilient portions 190 are attached to bottom faces of the adapting portions 182a and 182b of the first and second adapter parts 114a and 114b with adhesive or other suitable manners. The resilient portions 190 are sandwiched between the adapting portions 182a and 182b and the shoe sole facing surfaces 72c upon attaching the cleat 52 of the rowing shoe 150 to the cleat attachment structure 64 of the rowing show binding structure. The resilient portions 190 abut the shoe sole facing surfaces 72c, respectively. With this arrangement, the adapting portions 182a and 182b of the first and second adapter parts 114a and 114b and the resilient portions 190 can create stronger friction between the shoe sole 154 and the first cleat retaining portion 72. Thus, the friction prevents the rowing shoe 150 from moving in the lateral direction W with respect to the cleat attachment structure 64. The resilient portions 190 are preferable when the shoe sole 154 is made of hard material such as carbon composite. Of course, alternatively or additionally, resilient portions can be attached to top faces of the adapting portions 182a and 182b of the first and second adapter parts 114a and 114b, or to the binding facing surfaces 154a of the shoe sole 154.
Third Embodiment Referring now to FIGS. 23 to 32, a rowing shoe 250 with a modified adapter 214 in accordance with a third embodiment will now be explained. The rowing shoe 250 is identical to the rowing shoe 50 of the first embodiment, except that the rowing shoe 250 has a substantially flat shoe sole 254, and that the modified adapter 214 is fixedly coupled to the rowing shoe 250. Of course, two rowing shoes 250 are used as a pair. The rowing shoes 250 are identical to one another except that they are mirror images of one another. Accordingly, referring to FIGS. 23 to 32, description will be provided for only one of the rowing shoes 250 (i.e., left rowing shoe 250), but applies equally to the other of the rowing shoes 250 (i.e., right rowing shoe 250).
In view of the similarity between the first and third embodiments, the parts of the third embodiment that are identical to the parts of the first embodiment will be given the same reference numerals as the parts of the first embodiment. Also, parts of this third embodiment that are functionally identical and/or substantially identical to parts of the first embodiment will be given the same reference numerals but with “200” added thereto. In any event, the descriptions of the parts of the third embodiment that are substantially identical to the parts of the first embodiment may be omitted for the sake of brevity. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that the descriptions and illustrations of the first embodiment also apply to this third embodiment, except as discussed and/or illustrated herein.
As illustrated in FIGS. 23 to 27, the rowing shoe 250 includes the shoe sole 254 with a flat bottom face. The adapter 214 and the cleat 52 are both fixedly attached to the shoe sole 254 to essentially become a part of the rowing shoe 250. Here, the term “flat bottom face” does not necessarily mean that the bottom face of the shoe sole 254 is a plain surface without a slope or curvature, rather merely means that the bottom face of the shoe sole 254 does not have a cleat mounting recess that can accommodates a cleat therein. Thus, the rowing shoe 250 has a shoe sole that is conventionally used for road bike shoes.
As best illustrated in FIG. 27, the shoe sole 254 is made of a resilient polymer or plastic material. Furthermore, the shoe sole 254 has a binding facing surface 254a as a part of a bottom surface of the shoe sole 254. The binding facing surface 254a faces the first cleat retaining portion 72 of the cleat attachment structure 64 upon attaching the cleat 52 of the rowing shoe 250 to the cleat attachment structure 64 of the rowing shoe binding structure. Also as illustrated in FIG. 27, the shoe sole 254 includes an attachment plate or part 258. The attachment plate 258 is preferably embedded within the shoe sole 254. The attachment plate 258 includes three threaded holes 259 (only one shown in FIG. 27) into which a fastener 288 and a pair of fasteners 260 are threaded to secure the cleat 52 and the adapter 214 to the shoe sole 254.
The adapter 214 is provided at a location on the shoe sole 254 of the rowing shoe 250. The adapter 214 is releasably or detachably coupled to the binding facing surface 254a of the shoe sole 254. As illustrated in FIGS. 28 to 32, the adapter 214 includes at least one (two in this embodiment) adapting portion 282 (i.e., intervening portion). Furthermore, the adapter 214 includes a fixing plate 284 (e.g., fixing portion). The adapting portions 282 extend perpendicularly from side edge portions of the fixing plate 284, respectively, to form a U-shaped piece. The adapting portions 282 face each other in the lateral direction W to define a cleat mounting recess 256 therebetween. The fixing plate 284 is releasably fixed to the shoe sole 254. Specifically, the fixing plate 284 is fastened to the binding facing surface 254a by the fastener 288 and the fasteners 260. The fixing plate 284 includes a first receiving hole 284b and a pair of second receiving holes 284c. The first fastener 288 is disposed through the first receiving hole 284b, and the fasteners 260 are disposed through the second receiving holes 284c, respectively. The adapter 214 is integrally formed as a one-piece, unitary member. The adapter 214 is made of synthetic resin, such as plastic.
The cleat 52 is detachably coupled to the fixing plate 284 of the adapter 214 within the cleat mounting recess 256. The cleat mounting recess 256 is dimensioned to receive the cleat 52 with a surrounding space that accommodates a portion of the cleat attachment structure 64 of the shoe binding structure, as illustrated in FIG. 25. The cleat 52 has two apertures that receive the fasteners 260, respectively. The cleat 52 is disposed on the fixing plate 284 such that the fixing plate 284 is sandwiched between the cleat 52 and the binding facing surface 254a of the shoe sole 254. In particular, the fasteners 260 are inserted through the apertures of the cleat 52 and the second receiving holes 284c of the fixing plate 284, and then threaded into the threaded holes 259 of the attachment plate 258. Furthermore, the first fastener 288 is inserted through the first receiving hole 284b of the fixing plate 284, and then threaded into the threaded hole 259 of the attachment plate 258.
As mentioned above, the adapting portions 282 of the adapter 214 are disposed on the binding facing surface 254a of the shoe sole 254. Furthermore, as illustrated in FIG. 25, each of the adapting portions 282 is sandwiched between the binding facing surface 254a and corresponding one of the shoe sole facing surfaces 72c of the cleat retaining portion 72 upon attaching the cleat 52 of the rowing shoe 250 to the cleat attachment structure 64. As a result, upon attaching the cleat 52 of the rowing shoe 250 to the cleat attachment structure 64, each of the adapting portions 282 abuts both the binding facing surface 254a of the shoe sole 254 and the corresponding one of the shoe sole facing surfaces 72c. The cleat attachment structure 64 and the rowing shoe 250 are configured such that the shoe sole facing surfaces 72c does not touch the shoe sole 254 of the rowing shoe 250 when the rowing shoe 250 is attached to the cleat attachment structure 64 without the adapter 214. On the other hand, the adapting portions 282 of the adapter 214 have a thickness or height that is dimensioned such that the shoe sole 254 of the rowing shoe 250 is deformed by the adapting portions 282 upon attaching the cleat 52 of the rowing shoe 250 to the cleat attachment structure 64. As a result, the adapting portions 282 of the adapter 214 create strong friction between the binding facing surface 254a of the shoe sole 254 and the shoe sole facing surfaces 72c of the first cleat retaining portion 72 by installing the adapter 214 to the shoe sole 254. The friction prevents the rowing shoe 250 from moving in the lateral direction W with respect to the cleat attachment structure 64. Thus, the rower can selectively adjust the amount of lateral play of the rowing shoe 250 with respect to the cleat attachment structure 64 by installing the adapter 214 to the shoe sole 254. Preferably, the rower is provided with several adapters that are similar to the adapter 214, but having different heights of the adapting portions 282 so that the rower can selectively control the friction for adjusting the amount of lateral play of the rowing shoe 250 with respect to the cleat attachment structure 64.
Furthermore, resilient portions can be disposed between the shoe sole 254 and adapter 214 and/or between the adapter 214 and the cleat attachment structure 64. The resilient portions are made of resilient material, such as rubber sheet. As illustrated in FIG. 33, resilient portions 290 are attached to bottom faces of the adapting portions 282 of the adapter 214 with adhesive or other suitable manners. The resilient portions 290 are sandwiched between the adapting portions 282 and the shoe sole facing surfaces 72c upon attaching the cleat 52 of the rowing shoe 250 to the cleat attachment structure 64 of the rowing show binding structure. The resilient portions 290 abut the shoe sole facing surfaces 72c, respectively. With this arrangement, the adapting portions 282 of the adapter 214 and the resilient portions 290 can create stronger friction between the shoe sole 254 and the first cleat retaining portion 72. Thus, the friction prevents the rowing shoe 250 from moving in the lateral direction W with respect to the cleat attachment structure 64. Of course, alternatively or additionally, the resilient portions 290 can be attached to a top face of the adapter 214, or to the binding facing surface 254a of the shoe sole 254. The resilient portions 290 are preferable when the shoe sole 254 is made of hard material such as carbon composite.
Fourth Embodiment Referring now to FIGS. 34 to 36, a rowing shoe 350 with a modified cleat 352 in accordance with a fourth embodiment will now be explained. The rowing shoe 350 is identical to the rowing shoe 250 of the third embodiment, except that the modified cleat 352 is fixedly coupled to the rowing shoe 350. Of course, two rowing shoes 350 are used as a pair. The rowing shoes 350 are identical to one another except that they are mirror images of one another. Accordingly, referring to FIGS. 34 to 36, description will be provided for only one of the rowing shoes 350 (i.e., left rowing shoe 350), but applies equally to the other of the rowing shoes 350 (i.e., right rowing shoe 350).
In view of the similarity between the third and fourth embodiments, the parts of the fourth embodiment that are identical to the parts of the third embodiment will be given the same reference numerals as the parts of the third embodiment. Also, parts of this fourth embodiment that are functionally identical and/or substantially identical to parts of the third embodiment will be given the same reference numerals but with “100” added thereto. In any event, the descriptions of the parts of the fourth embodiment that are substantially identical to the parts of the third embodiment may be omitted for the sake of brevity. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that the descriptions and illustrations of the third embodiment also apply to this fourth embodiment, except as discussed and/or illustrated herein.
As illustrated in FIGS. 34 to 36, the rowing shoe 350 includes the shoe sole 354 with a flat bottom face. The cleat 352 is fixedly attached to the shoe sole 354 to essentially become a part of the rowing shoe 350. Here, the term “flat bottom face” does not necessarily mean that the bottom face of the shoe sole 354 is a plain surface without a slope or curvature, rather merely means that the bottom face of the shoe sole 354 does not have a cleat mounting recess that can accommodates a cleat therein. Thus, the rowing shoe 350 has a shoe sole that is conventionally used for road bike shoes. The shoe sole 354 is made of a resilient polymer or plastic material. Furthermore, the shoe sole 354 has a binding facing surface 354a as a part of a bottom surface of the shoe sole 354. The binding facing surface 354a faces the first cleat retaining portion 72 of the cleat attachment structure 64 upon attaching the cleat 352 of the rowing shoe 350 to the cleat attachment structure 64 of the rowing shoe binding structure. Although not illustrated, the shoe sole 354 includes a reinforcement part. The reinforcement part is preferably embedded within the shoe sole 354. The reinforcement part includes two threaded holes into which fasteners 360 are threaded to secure the cleat 352 to the shoe sole 354.
The cleat 352 is provided at a location on the shoe sole 354 of the rowing shoe 350. The cleat 352 is releasably or detachably coupled to the binding facing surface 354a of the shoe sole 354. As illustrated in FIGS. 34 to 36, the cleat 352 includes front and rear engaging parts 352a and 352b, at least one (two in this embodiment) adapting portion 382 (i.e., intervening portion). Furthermore, the cleat 352 includes a fixing body 384 (e.g., fixing portion). The front and rear engaging part 352a and 352b are engaged with the first and second cleat retaining portions 72 and 74 of the cleat attachment structure 64 upon attaching the cleat 352 of the rowing shoe 350 to the cleat attachment structure 64. The adapting portions 382 extend perpendicularly from side edge portions of the fixing body 384, respectively, to form a U-shaped piece. Specifically, the adapting portions 382 extend toward the shoe sole facing surfaces 72c of the first cleat retaining portion 72 upon attaching the cleat 352 of the rowing shoe 350 to the cleat attachment structure 64. The adapting portions 382 face each other in the lateral direction W. The fixing body 384 is releasably fixed to the shoe sole 354. Specifically, the fixing body 384 is fastened to the binding facing surface 354a by the fasteners 360. The fixing body 384 includes two receiving holes 384c through which the fasteners 360 are disposed, respectively. Specifically, the fasteners 360 are inserted through the receiving holes 384c of the fixing body 384, and then threaded into the threaded holes of the reinforcement part embedded within the shoe sole 354.
As mentioned above, each of the adapting portions 382 is disposed between the binding facing surface 354a and corresponding one of the shoe sole facing surfaces 72c of the cleat retaining portion 72 upon attaching the cleat 352 of the rowing shoe 350 to the cleat attachment structure 64 of the rowing show binding structure. Specifically, upon attaching the cleat 352 of the rowing shoe 350 to the cleat attachment structure 64 of the rowing show binding structure, the adapting portions 382 abut the shoe sole facing surfaces 72c, respectively. The adapting portions 382 of the cleat 352 have a thickness that is dimensioned such that the shoe sole 354 of the rowing shoe 350 is deformed by the adapting portions 382 upon attaching the cleat 352 of the rowing shoe 350 to the cleat attachment structure 64. As a result, the cleat 352 creates strong friction between the binding facing surface 354a of the shoe sole 354 and the shoe sole facing surfaces 72c of the first cleat retaining portion 72 by installing the cleat 352 to the shoe sole 354. The friction prevents the rowing shoe 350 from moving in the lateral direction W with respect to the cleat attachment structure 64. Thus, the rower can selectively adjust the amount of lateral play of the rowing shoe 350 with respect to the cleat attachment structure 64 by installing the cleat 352 to the shoe sole 354. Preferably, the rower is provided with several cleats that are similar to the cleat 352, but having different heights of the adapting portions 382 so that the rower can selectively control the friction for adjusting the amount of lateral play of the rowing shoe 350 with respect to the cleat attachment structure 64.
Furthermore, resilient portions can be disposed between the shoe sole 354 and cleat 352 and/or between the cleat 352 and the cleat attachment structure 64. The resilient portions are made of resilient material, such as rubber sheet. Specifically, the resilient portions can be attached to bottom faces of the adapting portions 382 of the cleat 352 with adhesive or other suitable manners. The resilient portions are sandwiched between the adapting portions 382 and the shoe sole facing surfaces 72c upon attaching the cleat 352 of the rowing shoe 350 to the cleat attachment structure 64 of the rowing show binding structure. The resilient portions abut the shoe sole facing surfaces 72c, respectively. With this arrangement, the adapting portions 382 of the cleat 352 and the resilient portions can create stronger friction between the shoe sole 354 and the first cleat retaining portion 72. Thus, the friction prevents the rowing shoe 350 from moving in the lateral direction W with respect to the cleat attachment structure 64. Of course, alternatively or additionally, the resilient portions can be attached to a top face of the fixing body 384 of the cleat 352, or to the binding facing surface 354a of the shoe sole 354. The resilient portions are preferable when the shoe sole 354 is made of hard material such as carbon composite.
In understanding the scope of the present invention, the term “comprising” and its derivatives, as used herein, are intended to be open ended terms that specify the presence of the stated features, elements, components, groups, integers, and/or steps, but do not exclude the presence of other unstated features, elements, components, groups, integers and/or steps. The foregoing also applies to words having similar meanings such as the terms, “including”, “having” and their derivatives. Also, the terms “part,” “section,” “portion,” “member” or “element” when used in the singular can have the dual meaning of a single part or a plurality of parts. As used herein to describe the above embodiment(s), the following directional terms “forward”, “rearward”, “above”, “downward”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, “below” and “transverse” as well as any other similar directional terms refer to those directions of a boat equipped with the rowing shoe binding structure, the rowing shoe, the adapter, and the cleat. Accordingly, these terms, as utilized to describe the rowing shoe binding structure, the rowing shoe, the adapter, and the cleat should be interpreted relative to a boat equipped with the rowing shoe binding structure, the rowing shoe, the adapter, and the cleat as used in the normal rowing position. Finally, terms of degree such as “substantially”, “about” and “approximately” as used herein mean a reasonable amount of deviation of the modified term such that the end result is not significantly changed.
While only selected embodiments have been chosen to illustrate the present invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that various changes and modifications can be made herein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. For example, the size, shape, location or orientation of the various components can be changed as needed and/or desired. Components that are shown directly connected or contacting each other can have intermediate structures disposed between them. The functions of one element can be performed by two, and vice versa. The structures and functions of one embodiment can be adopted in another embodiment. It is not necessary for all advantages to be present in a particular embodiment at the same time. Every feature which is unique from the prior art, alone or in combination with other features, also should be considered a separate description of further inventions by the applicant, including the structural and/or functional concepts embodied by such feature(s). Thus, the foregoing descriptions of the embodiments according to the present invention are provided for illustration only, and not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
