Bicycle safety pedal

Abstract

A bicycle safety pedal including a toe element for receiving a front end of the cleat and a rear fastening device, which is suitable for engaging the rear end of the cleat when the rear end of the cleat is pressed over the rear fastening device. The cleat is released by moving the rear end laterally. The resting surface of the cleat on the pedal includes a cam surface for lifting the side of the cleat, which is moved away from the centre of the pedal when the releasing rotation is imposed on the cleat. The cam surface is only arranged on the side of the pedal facing outwards (with reference to the fitting condition of the bicycle), so to be operative only when the rear end of the cleat is moved laterally outwards, i.e., distanced with respect to the bicycle, starting from the engaged position.

1 . Safety pedal for bicycles for quick coupling to a cleat fastened to the sole of a shoe, the cleat having a front end, a rear end having an upper cam surface, a laterally-extending base foot and a chamfered lower cam surface, and a longitudinal axis extending from the front end to the rear end, said pedal comprising: 
 a) a generally planar pedaling surface having an inset defining an area having a perimeter that has substantially arcuate corners;    b) a base plate having a perimeter that has substantially arcuate corners fixed to say pedaling surface sized and shaped to fit within the planar pedaling surface's inset;    c) a first seat for removably locking the front end of the cleat on said pedal;    d) a second seat for removably locking the rear end of the cleat on said pedal, said second seat including bias means cooperatively engaged with the upper cam surface, said bias means movable between a locking position preventing movement of said cleat upward relative to the pedaling surface and a releasing position allowing movement of said cleat upward relative to the pedaling surface;    e) means for opposing rotation on only a side of said base plate for resisting movement of the cleat in a direction laterally outward with respect to the bicycle, said means for opposing rotation rotating said cleat about its longitudinal axis when said cleat is moved in the laterally outward direction;    wherein an upper inclined surface of the means for opposing rotation urges said bias means from the locking position to the releasing position when the rear end of said cleat is moved sidewardly in either direction relative to the plane of the pedaling surface.    
   
   
       2 . The pedal recited in  claim 1 , wherein said means for opposing rotation engages the lower cam surface of said cleat.  
   
   
       3 . The pedal recited in  claim 1 , wherein said bias means has a shape which compliments the shape of said upper cam surface.  
   
   
       4 . The pedal recited in  claim 1 , wherein said bias means retracts and locks when the rear end of the cleat is moved downwardly relative to the plane of the pedaling surface and is engaged with said second seat.  
   
   
       5 . The pedal recited in  claim 4 , wherein said bias means is retracted by the lower cam surface of the cleat.  
   
   
       6 . The pedal recited in  claim 5 , wherein said bias means engages the base foot in the locking position.  
   
   
       7 . The pedal recited in  claim 1 , further including a stop means positioned on said base plate for limiting movement of the rear end of said cleat in a laterally inward direction relative to the bicycle.  
   
   
       8 . The pedal recited in  claim 7 , wherein said stop means comprises a tab inclined perpendicularly relative to and integrally formed with said base plate.  
   
   
       9 . The pedal recited in  claim 1 , wherein said means for opposing rotation is positioned on said base plate to resist movement of the rear end of the cleat in an outward direction relative to the bicycle.  
   
   
       10 . The pedal recited in  claim 9 , further including a stop means positioned on said base plate for limiting movement of the rear end of said cleat in an inward direction, opposite the outward direction, relative to the bicycle.  
   
   
       11 . The pedal recited in  claim 1 , wherein said means for opposing rotation is integral with and upwardly inclined with respect to said base plate.  
   
   
       12 . A cyclist safety pedal combination for use with a bicycle, the combination comprising: 
 a) a cleat for fastening to a sole of a cyclist's shoe, said cleat including a front end, a rear end having an upper cam surface, a laterally-extending base foot and a chamfered lower cam surface, and a longitudinal axis extending from the front end to the rear end;    b) a pedal comprising: 
 i) a generally-planar pedaling surface with an inset cavity sized and shaped to receive a base plate having means for fastening to said pedal surface;  
 ii) a front seat for removably locking the front end of the cleat on said pedal;  
 iii) a rear seat for removably locking the rear end of the cleat on said pedal, said rear seat including bias means cooperatively engaged with the upper cam surface of said cleat, said bias means movable between a locking position preventing movement of said cleat upward relative to a plane of said pedaling surface and a releasing position allowing movement of said cleat upward relative to the plane of said pedaling surface; and,  
 iv) means on only one side of said base plate for resisting movement of the rear end of the cleat in a laterally outward direction relative to the plane of said pedaling surface, said cam means rotating said cleat about its longitudinal axis when said cleat is moved in the laterally outward direction;  
   wherein said upper cam surface urges said bias means from the locking position to the releasing position when the rear end of said cleat is moved relative to the plane of said pedaling surface.    
   
   
       13 . The pedal combination recited in  claim 12 , wherein said front seat is integrally formed with said base plate.  
   
   
       14 . A quick coupling safety pedal and shoe combination, the combination comprising: 
 a shoe having a sole with a cleat fastened to it, the cleat having a front end, a rear end having an upper cam surface, a laterally-extending base foot and a chamfered lower cam surface, and a longitudinal axis extending from the front end to the rear end; and,    a pedal comprising:    a) a generally planar pedaling surface;    b) a base plate of a certain thickness fixed to the pedaling surface;    c) a first seat for removably locking the front end of the cleat on the pedal;    d) a second seat for removably locking the rear end of the cleat on the pedal, the second seat including bias means cooperatively engaged with the upper cam surface, said bias means movable between a locking position and a releasing position;    e) means on a selected side of the base plate for resisting movement of the cleat in a laterally outward direction relative to the pedaling surface and rotating the cleat about its longitudinal axis when the cleat is moved in the laterally outward direction, said means extending from the base plate and having a thickness greater than the thickness of the base plate;    wherein said upper cam surface urges the bias means from the locking position to the releasing position when the rear end of said cleat is moved laterally outward relative to the plane of the pedaling surface.    
   
   
       15 . The combination of  claim 14  wherein the first seat is integrally formed with the base plate.  
   
   
       16 . The combination of  claim 14  wherein the means for resisting engages the lower cam surface of the cleat.  
   
   
       17 . The combination of  claim 14  wherein the bias means is shaped to compliment the shape of the upper cam surface.  
   
   
       18 . The pedal combination recited in  claim 12 , wherein the front seat is U-shaped having two joining members formed integral with said pedaling surface, and a substantially open area between the joining members.  
   
   
       19 . A cleat contact plate for a bicycle safety pedal that engages with a cleat fastened to a rider's shoe, the safety pedal having a front portion, a rear portion, an inward portion and an outward portion which define an outline of the pedal and an upper plane; the cleat having a front portion, a rear portion, an inward portion and an outward portion which define an outline of the cleat and a lower plane; the cleat's outlines fits within the pedal's outline and its lower plane opposes the pedal's upper plane; and the pedal's upper plane includes a upwardly extending locking member which releasable engages the rear portion of the cleat to retain the cleat in the pedal, and an area adjacent to the locking member for fixing a cleat contact plate, the cleat contact plate comprising: 
 a base plate of a predetermined thickness having inward and outward portions and means for fixing the cleat contact plate to the pedal's upper plane, the base plate's outward portion includes a protuberance from the base plate that is thicker than the thickness of the base plate and positioned to contact a rear outward portion of the cleat when the cleat is rotated outwardly and to release the cleat from the locking member.    
   
   
       20 . A safety pedal for a bicycle comprising: 
 a device for quick coupling to a cleat fastened to a sole of a shoe, including a toe element for receiving a front end of the cleat and a rear fastening device for engaging a rear end of the cleat when the rear end of the cleat is pressed over said rear fastening device and for releasing the cleat when the rear end of the cleat is rotated in a general plane of the pedal so the rear end of the cleat is moved laterally, said pedal comprising a resting surface for the cleat including means for opposing said releasing rotation of the cleat, and for lifting a side of the cleat, which is moved away from a center of the pedal when said releasing rotation is imposed on the cleat,    wherein the means for opposing is arranged on a side of the pedal facing outwards relative to a mounted condition on the bicycle, so as to be operative when the rear end of the cleat is moved laterally outwards, with respect to the bicycle, starting from the engaged position;    wherein a stop is defined by a projection integral with the pedal that prevents the cleat from moving laterally inwards with respect to the bicycle; and    wherein the stop projects substantially perpendicular to the pedal.    
   
   
       21 . A cleat contact plate for a bicycle safety pedal that engages with a cleat fastened to a rider's shoe, the cleat contact plate comprising: 
 a substantially flat planar surface having at least two protuberances extending upwardly therefrom.    
   
   
       22 . The cleat of  claim 21  wherein the at least two protuberances are different sizes.  
   
   
       23 . The cleat of  claim 21  wherein the at least two protuberances are different shapes.  
   
   
       24 . The cleat of  claim 21  wherein the at least two protuberances are different sizes and shapes.  
   
   
       25 . The cleat of  claim 21  wherein one of the protuberances is a stop and the other is a ramp.  
   
   
       26 . The cleat of  claim 21  wherein the at least two protuberances have a thickness greater than a thickness of the plate.