Retractable cleat protector for cleated bicycle shoes

Abstract

A retractable cleat protector for cleated bicycle shoes. It has a cleat protector body with a lower ground facing surface, and an upper cleat facing surface having recesses formed therein for engaging with a cleat. A cleat retention loop of flexible and elastic material is connected to the cleat protector body for retaining the cleat protector to the bottom of a cleated bicycle shoe. A mode selection loop of flexible and elastic material is connected to the cleat protector body for selectively retaining the cleat protector body in a first orientation wherein the cleat protector body covers a cleat on a bottom of a cleated bicycle shoe, and a second orientation wherein the cleat protector body is retained away from the cleat on the bottom of a cleated bicycle shoe.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A retractable cleat protector for cleated bicycle shoes, comprising:
 a cleat protector body;   a cleat retention means for retaining the cleat protector body to the bottom of a cleated bicycle shoe; and   a mode selection means for selectively retaining the cleat protector body in a first orientation wherein the cleat protector body covers a cleat on the bottom of a cleated bicycle shoe, and a second orientation wherein the cleat is uncovered by cleat protector body.   
     
     
         2 . The retractable cleat protector of  claim 1 , wherein the cleat retention means comprises a cleat retention loop of flexible and elastic material connected to the cleat protector body. 
     
     
         3 . The retractable cleat protector of  claim 1 , wherein the mode selection means comprises a mode selection loop of flexible and elastic material connected to the cleat protector body. 
     
     
         4 . The retractable cleat protector of  claim 1 , wherein the cleat protector body comprises a body with a lower ground facing surface, and an upper cleat facing surface having recesses formed therein for engaging with a cleat. 
     
     
         5 . The retractable cleat protector of  claim 4 , wherein the cleat protector body is generally triangular shaped and the upper cleat facing surface has a wider lower ridge with a recess formed therein for engagement of a wider end of a cleat, and a cupped portion with a recess formed therein at an apex of the generally triangular cleat protector body which is engaged with a narrower end of the cleat, and wherein the cleat protector body has a cleat cover face that covers a bottom surface of the cleat protector body and which covers a cleat the cleat protector body covers. 
     
     
         6 . The retractable cleat protector of  claim 4 , wherein the cleat protector body is generally triangular and the upper cleat facing surface has a wider lower ridge with a recess formed therein for engagement of a wider end of a cleat, and a cupped portion with a recess formed therein at an apex of the generally triangular cleat protector body which is engaged with a narrower end of the cleat, and wherein the wider lower ridge and the cupped portion are connected together with flexible arms. 
     
     
         7 . The retractable cleat protector of  claim 4 , wherein protrusions are formed on the lower ground facing surface of the cleat protector body. 
     
     
         8 . The retractable cleat protector of  claim 4 , wherein the cleat protector body is generally rectangular shaped and the upper cleat facing surface has a lower ridge with a recess formed therein for engagement of a lower end of a cleat, and a cupped portion with a recess formed therein at an upper end of generally rectangular cleat protector body which is engaged with an upper end of the cleat, and wherein the cleat protector body has a cleat cover face that covers a bottom surface of the cleat protector body and which covers a cleat the cleat protector body covers. 
     
     
         9 . The retractable cleat protector of  claim 1 , wherein the cleat retention means comprises a cleat retention loop of flexible and elastic material connected to a first end of the cleat protector body and the mode selection means comprises a mode selection loop of flexible and elastic material connected to a second end of the cleat protector body, and wherein the cleat retention loop and the mode selection loop extend away from the cleat protector body in opposite directions. 
     
     
         10 . The retractable cleat protector of  claim 9 , wherein the cleat retention loop is sized to be looped around a cleat on the bottom of a cleated bicycle shoe, and the mode selection loop is sized to be looped around a toe box of a cleated bicycle shoe to retain the cleat protector body on the cleat when the retractable cleat protector is used in a walking mode, and in a riding mode the cleat protector body is flipped backward into contact with the bottom of the cleated bicycle shoe and the mode selection loop is looped around a heel of the cleated bicycle shoe to retain the cleat protector body away from the cleat so that the cleated bicycle shoe can be connected with cleated pedals. 
     
     
         11 . The retractable cleat protector of  claim 9 , wherein the cleat retention loop is connected with flexible aims to the cleat protector body. 
     
     
         12 . The retractable cleat protector of  claim 1 , wherein the cleat protector body has a lower ground facing surface and an upper cleat facing surface, and wherein the cleat retention means comprises a cleat retention loop of flexible and elastic material connected to a first end cleat protector body and the mode selection means comprises a mode selection loop of flexible and elastic material connected to a second end of the cleat protector body, and wherein the cleat retention loop and the mode selection loop extend away from the cleat protector body in the same direction and outwardly away from the upper cleat facing surface. 
     
     
         13 . The retractable cleat protector of  claim 11 , wherein the cleat retention loop and the mode selection loop are sized to be looped around a toe box of a cleated bicycle shoe to retain the cleat protector body positioned to cover the cleat when the retractable cleat protector is used in a walking mode, and in a riding mode the cleat protector body is flipped backward into contact with the bottom of the bicycle shoe and the mode selection loop is looped around a heel of the bicycle shoe to retain the cleat protector body away from the cleat so that the cleated bicycle shoe can be connected with cleated pedals. 
     
     
         14 . The retractable cleat protector of  claim 1 , wherein the cleat retention means and the mode selection means are formed of flexible and elastic material. 
     
     
         15 . The retractable cleat protector of  claim 14 , wherein the cleat protector body is formed of a stiffer and more rigid material than the cleat retention means and the mode selection means. 
     
     
         16 . A retractable cleat protector for cleated bicycle shoes, comprising:
 a cleat protector body for covering a bicycle shoe cleat;   a cleat retainer connected to the cleat protector body for retaining the cleat protector to the bottom of a cleated bicycle shoe; and   a mode selector connected to the cleat protector body for selectively retaining the cleat protector body in a first orientation wherein the cleat protector body covers the bicycle shoe cleat, and a second orientation wherein the cleat protector body is retained away from the bicycle shoe cleat and on the bottom of the cleated bicycle shoe.   
     
     
         17 . The retractable cleat protector of  claim 17 , wherein the cleat protector body has an upper cleat facing surface with a lower ridge with an elongate recess formed therein for engagement of a wider end of the bicycle shoe cleat, and an upper cupped portion with a recesses formed therein at an upper end of the cleat protector body which is engaged with an upper end of the bicycle shoe cleat. 
     
     
         18 . The retractable cleat protector of  claim 16 , wherein the cleat retainer connects to the cleat on the bottom of the cleated bicycle shoe without interfering with its function, and in a walking mode, the mode selector connects to a toe box of a cleated bicycle shoe to position the cleat protector body over the bicycle shoe cleat, and in a riding mode, the cleat protector body is moved away from the bicycle shoe cleat and the mode selected is connected to a heel of the bicycle shoe to retain the cleat protector body away from the bicycle shoe cleat so that the cleated bicycle shoe can be connected with cleated pedals. 
     
     
         19 . The retractable cleat protector of  claim 16 , wherein the cleat protector body has a lower ground facing surface and an upper cleat facing surface, and wherein the cleat retainer comprises a cleat retention loop of flexible and elastic material connected to a first end of the cleat protector body, and the mode selector comprises a loop of flexible and elastic material connected to a second end of the cleat protector body, and wherein the cleat retention loop and the mode selection loop extend outwardly away from the cleat protector body in the same direction. 
     
     
         20 . The retractable cleat protector of  claim 16 , wherein the cleat protector body has a lower ground facing surface and an upper cleat facing surface, and wherein the cleat retainer comprises a cleat retention loop of flexible and elastic material connected to a first end of the cleat protector body and the mode selector comprises a loop of flexible and elastic material connected to a second end of the cleat protector body, and wherein the cleat retention loop and the mode selection loop extend outwardly away from the cleat protector body in different directions. 
     
     
         21 . The retractable cleat protector of  claim 16 , wherein the cleat protector body is formed of a stiffer and/or more rigid material than the cleat retention loop and the mode selection loop. 
     
     
         22 . A retractable cleat protector for bicycle shoes having a cleat fixed to its sole, comprising:
 a cleat protector body;   means for pivotally connecting the cleat protector body to the cleat; and   means for selectively retaining the cleat protector body either away from the cleat and near the shoe's sole or over the cleat.   
     
     
         23 . The retractable cleat protector for bicycle shoes of  claim 22 , wherein the means for pivotally connecting the cleat protector body to the cleat comprises an engagement loop of flexible material connected to the cleat protector body, which loop of flexible material loops around a perimeter of a cleat without interfering with its function. 
     
     
         24 . The retractable cleat protector for bicycle shoes of  claim 22 , wherein the means for pivotally connecting the cleat protector body to the cleat comprises a hinge connecting the cleat protector body to the cleat. 
     
     
         25 . The retractable cleat protector for bicycle shoes of  claim 22 , wherein the means for selectively retaining the cleat protector body either away from the cleat and near the shoe's sole or over the cleat comprises the cleat protector body having an engagement which selectively detachably connects to a retention clip which is attached to the sole of the shoe, or to the cleat. 
     
     
         26 . The retractable cleat protector for bicycle shoes of  claim 22 , wherein the means for selectively retaining the cleat protector body either away from the cleat and near the shoe's sole or over the cleat comprises a mode selection loop of flexible and elastic material connected to the cleat protector body, which mode selection loop selectively loops around a front of the shoe to position the cleat protector body over the cleat when in a walking mode, or loops around a back of the shoe to position the cleat protector body off of the cleat when in a riding mode.