CYCLING PEDAL DEVICE
The present invention provides in one aspect a cyclic pedal device comprising a sole portion comprising a first portion for reversible engagement with the foot of a cyclist and a second portion for reversible engagement with a pedal such that the device is fastened around the user's feet and footwear by means of a trivalent ankle fastening system. The device allows for practical bicycling performance. The device may allow cyclists to pursue a cycling activity and another non-cycling activity without the use of specialized bicycle footwear.
The rising use of bicycles for daily transport, recreation and sport coupled with increased general awareness of the environmental impact of some alternatives, has led to the renaissance of the bicycle. Cyclists often proceed by bicycle and then dismount to pursue various other activities. There continues to be a need for a way for bicyclists to readily swap between cycling and other means, such as walking or running while maintaining the greater effectiveness of riding which results from attaching the feet in some way to the pedals.
As a whole the bicycling community is supplied with a variety of bicycling footwear and associated bicycle pedal systems however all have practical limitations. Previously various segments of the bicycling community have been described as these groups tend to employ different types of bicycle pedals, fastenings and shoes.
The limitations of specialized clipless bicycle shoes is that they are designed for bicycling performance and not for any other daily activity. Proceeding on foot in specialized clipless bicycle shoes is uncomfortable dangerous and destructive to sensitive surfaces.
Bicycle pedals equipped with toe straps are an older generation of bicycle technology largely replaced by the superior technology of clipless bicycle pedals. Previous specialized bicycle shoes and pedals commonly equipped with toe straps required the user to actuate a fastening mechanism by hand.
A bicycle pedal and shoe-fastening device that requires actuation by hand is inherently dangerous. Bicycle pedals with toe straps are hazardous to actuate, unreliable and offer limited performance improvements. A bicyclist using bicycle pedals equipped with toe straps to fasten over standard shoes gains only marginal bicycling performance improvements as standard shoes do not have inflexible soles, a core feature of specialized bicycle shoes. Standard shoes fastened to a bicycle's pedals by toe straps readily detach, as only the tapering forefoot of the bicyclist's foot is fastened causing serious accidents. In order to actuate bicycle pedal toe straps to both attach and detach their shoes a bicyclist must perform a sequence of actions requiring skill and attention. To attach their shoes the bicyclists must, in turn for both sides of their bicycle, tilt their bicycle in order to lean down on either side of their bicycle so as to actuate the bicycle pedal's toe strap fasteners into a tight closed position around their shoes. While the bicyclist actuates the bicycle pedal toe straps they must also maintain balance, avoid getting clothing or body parts, particularly fingers, caught in the potentially moving parts of the bicycle, such as chain rings or rotating wheels and avoid other vehicles or objects in their path. In order to detach their shoes the bicyclist must actuate the bicycle pedal toe straps in a similar manner as to when attaching them, but actuate the straps into an open position.
In practice it is often impossible for a bicyclist to detach their shoes from their toe straps and pedals in an emergency situation. Bicyclists forcing their bicycle's pedals, whilst using toe straps, may suddenly detach from their toe straps and therefore their bicycles pedals thus leading to a risk of serious high speed accidents.
Bicycle pedals and toe straps do allow the user to wear standard shoes, and this can be attractive to users interested in either fashion or practical performance, however when employing bicycle toe straps to fasten standard shoes to a bicycle's pedals limited performance improvements are gained as standard shoes usually do not have inflexible soles, central to specialized bicycle shoes. Bicycle pedal toe straps are difficult to use. Bicycle pedal toe straps are hazardous to the user leaving a bicyclist exposed to a variety of physical risks, particularly fastening failure at speed or being struck by other vehicles whilst actuating bicycle pedal toe strap fastenings. Bicycle pedals and toe straps offer limited performance improvements.
Hybrid bicycle shoes have similar common traits with specialized clipless bicycle shoes. Hybrid bicycle shoes have cleats that are fastened onto their soles. Specialized bicycle shoes have inflexible soles, whilst hybrid bicycle shoes have similar, but semi-flexible soles intended to both facilitate improved cycling performance whilst flexing enough to allow reasonable performance whilst proceeding on foot.
Hybrid bicycle shoes have similar robust fasteners to those of specialized bicycle shoes, intended to firmly attach such shoes to the feet of the user so as to safely conduct and contain the forces involved whilst in use on a bicycle. Hybrid bicycle shoes are often well ventilated, similar to specialized bicycle shoes, designed to facilitate cooling of the users feet during robust activities.
As is common with compromise design solutions, hybrid bicycle shoes excel in neither of the functions which they are intended to perform. Hybrid bicycle shoes are inferior when compared to specialized bicycle shoes in terms of improving bicycling performance. By having semi-flexible soles hybrid bicycle shoes transfer less force less efficiently than specialized bicycle shoes. Hybrid bicycle shoes require greater skill to locate into clipless bicycle pedals, owing to their recessed cleats. When compared to standard shoes, hybrid bicycle shoes are problematic when performing tasks other than bicycling. Hybrid shoe's semi-flexible soles are uncomfortable when proceeding on foot for any distance. Hybrid bike shoes easily become wet as their ventilating materials offer little water resistance. Hybrid bicycle shoes still have cleat surfaces exposed which can easily damage floor surfaces as well as offering less grip than most standard shoes.
There are two common bicyclist's responses to the limitations of all current specialized bicycle pedal and shoe systems. The first is to carry two pairs of shoes, a pair of bicycle shoes and a pair of standard shoes. Cyclists who carry two pairs of shoes change between each pair of shoes where the respective merits of each pair of shoes best fit the user's activities, hence bicycle shoes for bicycling and standard shoes for other activities. Switching between pairs of shoes is inconvenient and cumbersome, requiring the bicyclist to secure and account for one pair of their shoes at all time, whilst the user is wearing their other pair of shoes.
The second common bicyclist's response to the limitations of all current specialized bicycle pedal and shoe systems is to simply avoid all current specialized bicycle pedal and shoe systems. Cyclists who make do with standard treadle bicycle pedals and standard shoes may well be interested in enhancing their bicycling performance. Cyclists who make do with standard treadle bicycle pedals and standard shoes may be most interested in practical performance yet find all specialized bicycle pedals and shoes unpractical, insecure, unsafe or unfashionable and so simply avoid using all bicycle shoes and specialized pedals.
Clipless bicycle pedals have been known in the art. Most of them however require the fastening system to be held in constant tension around the user's foot or footwear, thereby making such a device uncomfortable, inefficient and dangerous having substantial potential for the user's feet and footwear to disengage when not desired. For example, FR 2888205 discloses a clipless bicycle pedal comprising of a device with front and rear fasteners that are fastened to inflexible plates that can fasten bicycle clipless pedal cleats; such that the fastening system must be held in constant tension around the rear of the user's ankles. However, this allows the user's feet and footwear to dislocate approximately tangentially to the axis making such a device uncomfortable, inefficient and dangerous having substantial potential for the user's feet and footwear to disengage when not desired.
Another clipless bicycle pedal devise is described by patent NL10161151 comprising an inflexible sole plates that clipless pedal cleats can be fastened, with toe covers and backstops at right angles to the ankle areas of inflexible sole plates, with fasteners that are held in constant tension around the user's feet and footwear. Again, since this relies on the user's feet and footwear being held in constant tension along a single axis it is found that when force is applied approximately tangentially to the axis that the device is fastened that great potential exists for dislocation pinching and disengagement of the user's feet and footwear from the device.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,055,005 discloses a clipless bicycle pedal comprising of inflexible sole plates that bicycle pedal cleats can be attached with toe covers and backstops at right angles to the ankle areas of the described device's inflexible sole plates and fasteners that are held in constant tension around the user's feet and footwear. This is found to be uncomfortable and dangerous as the potential exists for accidental disengagement of the user's feet and footwear.
DE 4241270 discloses inflexible sole plates that are adjustable in length that fasten a fastening system consisting of toe fasteners and ankle fasteners and backstops at right angles to the ankle areas of inflexible sole plates, sole plates that can fasten clipless bicycle pedal cleats. The ankle fasteners are held in constant tension around the user's feet and footwear forcing the user's feet and footwear against backstops.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe invention relates to a cyclic pedal device comprising a sole portion, a first portion for reversible engagement with the foot of a cyclist and a second portion for reversible engagement with a pedal such that the device is substantially fastened around the user's feet and footwear by means of a trivalent ankle fastening system. The ankle fastening system in accordance with the present invention may comprise of a number of integrated aspects which in concert form the devices ankle fastening system.
In one embodiment of the invention, the ankle fastening system comprises of two sides positioned along two separate axis from two points that extend from either sides of the sole plates to the center of rotation of the users ankle.
The two sides of the ankle fastening system may be fastened to the sole plates at approximately right angles on each side of the sole plate.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the ankle fastening system comprises two portions that form arcs around the user's ankle such that, in an engaged position, one arc fastens the user's feet and footwear in the front of the user's ankle over the user's forefoot and the other aspect forms an arc that fastens the user's feet and footwear behind the users ankle.
Preferably, the sole plate is substantially inflexible
In another embodiment, the cyclic pedal device further comprising cutouts or holes in the sole plates.
The cyclic pedal devices in accordance with the invention may be used for any suitable type of cycle, but most preferably a bicycle.
DESCRIPTIONThe invention relates to a cyclic pedal device comprising a sole portion, a first portion for reversible engagement with the foot of a cyclist and a second portion for reversible engagement with a pedal such that the device is substantially fastened around the user's feet and footwear by means of a trivalent ankle fastening system. The ankle fastening system in accordance with the present invention may comprise of a number of integrated aspects which in concert form the devices ankle fastening system.
In one aspect of the invention, the ankle fastening system comprises of two sides that are fastened to the sole plates at approximately right angles, on the right and left sides of each of the sole plates. The two sides of the ankle fastening system are positioned along two separate axis from two points that extend from the sole plates to the center of rotation of the users ankle's. The two sides of the device's ankle fastening system provide an integrated brace between sole plates and the other aspects of the ankle fastening system.
In another aspect of the invention, the ankle fastening system comprises of a fastening system which further comprises of two portions which form arcs around the user's ankle such that, in an engaged position, one arc fastens the user's feet and footwear in the front of the user's ankle over the user's forefoot and the other aspect forms an arc that fastens the user's feet and footwear behind the users ankle.
The toe fastening system is preferably fastened towards the front of the sole plate. In another preferred embodiment, the fastening closure allows the user to easily engage and disengage their feet and footwear.
The closures and fasteners in accordance to the present invention can be selected from but not limited to lacing, velcro or various clipping and locking mechanisms. Preferably, the device in accordance with this invention ankle fastening system integrates the aspects that brace the user's feet and footwear at approximately 90 degrees on both left and right sides of the sole plates. Both the aspects of the ankle fastening system form two arcs that fasten around the user's ankles at approximately 120 degree divisions around the rotational center of the user's ankles.
In another preferred embodiments, the device may be readily reversibly disengaged from one or both of the foot or pedal for continued use.
In some embodiments, the device may be worn engaged with the foot while disengaged from the pedal.
Any suitable engagement may be used between the device and a foot. For example, in some embodiments, the device engages with footwear worn by the user. In these embodiments, engagement may be effected for example by straps, laces, Velcro, clips, slot mechanisms or in any other suitable way.
Similarly, any suitable engagement may be used between the device and the pedal. For example, in some embodiments comprise a cleat, straps, laces, Velcro, clips, slot mechanisms or in any other suitable way.
The various components of the invention may be made from any suitable materials. In some embodiments, the inflexible sole plate is made from materials selected from but not limited to sheet metal, plastics, velcro, carbon fiber, kevlar or fiber glass. In another preferred embodiments, the sole plate in accordance with the invention is substantially inflexible
In another aspect of the invention, there is provided a cycling pedal device comprising an inflexible sole with a cleat attached to the base of the inflexible sole.
In another aspect there is provided a cycling pedal device comprising a cleat fastening mechanism that may fasten into the soles of cycling pedal devices or into special fasteners most suitable for a variety of cleats.
In another preferred embodiment, the device in accordance with this invention comprises cutouts in the substantial inflexible sole plates. The said cutouts facilitate the securing of the device with any locking systems. This allows the device to be easily stowed whilst the user pursues activities other than cycling, thus relieving the user from the burden of carrying the device with them when the device is not in use.
In one such embodiment, the sole plates comprise a series of holes or cut outs in the ball of the foot so that various types of cleats can be fastened to cycling pedal devices, including, but not limited to, threading in the device itself, or by employing specialized fasteners.
Devices according to the present invention may be used for any suitable type of cycle, but most preferably a bicycle.
Cycling pedal devices in accordance with this invention bridge the disparate performance requirements of various cycling pedals and shoe systems, and standard footwear. The said devices in accordance with this invention are conveniently unfastened and removed from the bicyclist's feet once the bicyclist has dismounted from their bicycle, affording the cyclist the free use of standard shoes whilst proceeding on foot.
The devices in accordance with this invention, the ankle fastening system is sufficient to conduct the user's force whilst forcing clipless pedals as well as to allow the user to pivot their feet, footwear and device around the center of clipless pedal cleats so as to disengage the user's feet, footwear and device from clipless pedals, this functionality allows for considerable flexibility within the device's toe fastening system. The ankle fastening system and substantially inflexible sole plates in concert, are at once mechanically locked around the users ankle in a manner that requires no constant mechanical tension to remain fastened whilst providing firm support so as to facilitate the transfer of force from the user into a bicycles clipless pedals throughout the complete 360 degree rotation of a cyclists feet and footwear whilst the user forces a bicycle's pedals.
A device in accordance with this invention allows considerable flexibility within its fastening systems, particularly within the device's toe fasteners relative position whilst engaged, allowing for a variety of user's feet sizes and footwear to b e comfortably, efficiently and safely fastened around the user's feet and footwear and fastened into clipless pedals whilst being easily disengaged, from bicycle clipless pedals, and disengaged from around the users feet and footwear.
Throughout this specification (including any claims that follow), unless the context requires otherwise, the word ‘comprise’, and variations such as ‘comprise’ and ‘comprising’, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps.
Referring to
It is convenient to describe the invention herein in relation to particularly preferred embodiments relating to clipless bicycle pedal devices. However, the invention is applicable to a wide range of clipless bicycle pedal devices and it is to be appreciated that other constructions and arrangements are also considered as falling within the scope of the invention. Various modifications, alterations, variations and or additions to the construction and arrangements described herein are also considered as falling within the ambit and scope of the present invention.
Claims
1. A cyclic pedal device comprising a sole portion comprising a first portion for reversible engagement with the foot of a cyclist and a second portion for reversible engagement with a pedal such that the device is fastened around the user's feet and footwear by means of a trivalent ankle fastening system.
2. A cyclic pedal device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ankle fastening system comprises of two sides positioned along two separate axis from two points that extend from either sides of the sole plates to the center of rotation of the users ankle
3. A cyclic pedal device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the two sides of the ankle fastening system are fastened to the sole plates at approximately right angles on each side of the sole plate.
4. A cyclic pedal device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ankle fastening system comprises of a fastening system comprising two portions that form arcs around the user's ankle such that, in an engaged position, one arc fastens the user's feet and footwear in the front of the user's ankle over the user's forefoot and the other aspect forms an arc that fastens the user's feet and footwear behind the users ankle.
5. A cyclic pedal device of claim 1, wherein the sole plate is substantially inflexible
6. A cyclic pedal device of claim 1 further comprising cutouts or holes in the sole plates.
7. A cyclic pedal device of claim 1, where Devices according to the present invention may be used for any suitable type of cycle, but most preferably a bicycle.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 16, 2011
Publication Date: Nov 28, 2013
Inventor: Rohan Donald (Glen Waverley)
Application Number: 13/813,330
International Classification: A43B 5/14 (20060101);