^ ^ H ^ I H ^ H ^ II ^ II ^ ^ ^ ^ HI H ^ ^ ^ ^ HI ^ ^ ^ ^ I ^ � European Patent Office Office europeen des brevets EP 0 753 453 A1 (12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION (43) Date of publication: (51) |nt CI.6: B62M 3/08 15.01.1997 Bulletin 1997/03 (21) Application number: 96305140.4 (22) Date of filing: 12.07.1996 (84) Designated Contracting States: (72) Inventor: Ueda, Yutaka, c/o Shimano Inc. DE FR GB IT Sakai, Osaka 590 (JP) (30) Priority: 12.07.1995 JP 176304/95 (74) Representative: Pacitti, Pierpaolo A.M. E. et al Murgitroyd and Company (71) Applicant: SHIMANO INC. 373 Scotland Street Osaka 590 (JP) Glasgow G5 8QA (GB) (54) Bicycle pedal (57) A bicycle pedal (1) includes front and rear cleat beber (31 , 31 b). The wide tread surface (49) provides sta- engaging members (30, 30b, 31 , 31 b) for engaging cor- ble contact between the cycling shoe (21 ) and the cleat responding front and rear portions of a cleat (22) affixed (2i(22) when the pedal is disengaged from the cleat en- to a bicycle shoe (21). A tread cage (5) having a rela- gagaging members, and the movable tread cage (5) allows tively wide tread surface (49) is coupled to the pedal for the tread surface to move away from the cleat engaging movement relative to at least one of the front cleat en- memembers so as not to interfere when the cyclist is in the gaging member (30, 30b) or rear cleat engaging mem- preprocess of engaging the cleat (22) with the cleat engag- inginc members. Figure 5 Printed by Jouve, 75001 PARIS (FR) 1 EP 0 753 453 A1 2 Description than clipless pedals. Such pedals have no cleat engage- ment members, but they provide a good grip to the BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION shoes. However, in either case, the cyclist does not have an optimum apparatus for pedaling the bicycle. The present invention is directed to bicycle pedals 5 For a clipless pedal to be usable in such muddy sit- and, more particularly, to a bicycle pedal that can be uations, it must be possible for the rider to step on the linked to a cleat affixed to a bicycle shoe. pedal stably even when the cleat is not engaged with The invention disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open the cleat engagement members. One possible means Patent Application 3-159893, called a clipless pedal, is for achieving this could be to provide a wider tread cage known as a bicycle pedal that can be linked with a bicy- 10 on the pedal around the outside of the cleat engagement cle shoe. This clipless pedal has a pedal spindle that members so that more tread surface can come into con- can be mounted on the crank of a bicycle, a pedal body tact with the shoe sole. As shown in Figure 7, however, that is rotatably supported on this pedal spindle, and a a mountain bike shoe 21 differs from a road shoe in that linking member comprising a pair of front and rear cleat the cleat 22 is recessed into the shoe sole 27 to make engagement members that are fixed on either side of is walking more comfortable. Thus, if a wide tread cage is the pedal body and are capable of engaging front and provided around the outside of the cleat engagement rear portions of a cleat. The pedal body has a tread sur- members, then the tread cage will interfere with the shoe face positioned so as to surround both sides of the link- sole 27 and get in the way when the cleat is being en- ing member. This tread surface has only a small surface gaged with the cleat engagement members. This, in area because the pedal body has as small a volume as 20 turn, limits the engagement direction of the shoe. Con- possible so that it will be lightweight. With this type of sequently, when the shoe is inserted from a direction clipless pedal, the shoe and the pedal are in a state of other than the engagement direction, it will be difficult to constant engagement when the cleat is engaged in the re-engage the cleat with the cleat engagement mem- cleat engagement members, so the pedalling force can bers quickly even if there is no mud clogging or the like. be transmitted efficiently to the pedals. As a result, clip- 25 less pedals are widely employed on racing bicycles SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION used in road racing and mountain bike racing. Downhill races, dual slalom races, cross-country The present invention is directed to a bicycle pedal races, and other such off-road races for mountain bikes wherein the pedalling force can be transmitted efficiently and BMX (bicycle motocross) have been widely staged 30 even if the cleat is not engaged, but wherein the cleat in recent years. In this type of off-road race, unlike in also can be engaged with ease. In one embodiment of road racing, the riders traverse an unpaved track. Fur- the present invention directed to a bicycle pedal for at- thermore, with this type of off-road racing the foot must tachment to a cleat fixed to a bicycle shoe, front and rear be repeatedly taken off the pedal during cornering and cleat engaging members are coupled to the pedal for replaced on the pedal after the corner has been exited. 35 engaging corresponding front and rear portions of the Unfortunately, since the racing is performed on unpaved cleat. A tread cage having a relatively wide tread surface roads, mud clings to the pedals and tends to clog the is coupled to the pedal for movement relative to at least cleat engagement members. Once the cleat engage- one of the front cleat engaging member or rear cleat en- ment members become clogged with mud, the cleat gaging member. The wide tread surface provides stable cannot be engaged in the cleat engagement members, 40 contact between the cycling shoe and the pedal when and the shoe cannot be attached to the pedal. the cleat is disengaged from the cleat engaging mem- When a cleat cannot be engaged with the cleat en- bers, and the movable tread cage allows the tread sur- gagement members because of mud clogging, or when face to move away from the cleat engaging members the feet are frequently removed from the pedals, the rid- so as not to interfere when the cyclist is in the process er must often step on the pedal without the cleat being 45 of engaging the cleat with the cleat engaging members. engaged in the cleat engagement members. However, In a more specific embodiment, the tread cage is since the pedal body of the above-mentioned conven- coupled to the pedal for movement relative to both the tional clipless pedals has as small a volume as possible front cleat engaging member and rear cleat engaging and has only a small tread surface, the foot would slip member, and the front cleat engaging member and rear around to the left and right when the cleat was not en- so cleat engaging member are coupled together for moving gaged with the cleat engagement members. As a result, as a unit relative to the tread cage. A longitudinally ex- the pedalling force is not transmitted efficiently to the tending stopper member may be fixed relative to at least pedals, and the speed of the bicycle drops. Lower speed one of the front or rear cleat engaging members, and is a critical problem for a racer. Accordingly, when it is the tread cage may include an abutment for contacting expected that the pedals will become clogged with mud 55 the stopper member and limiting movement of the stop- or the shoes will be taken off and replaced on the pedals per member relative to the tread cage. A biasing means frequently in this type of off-road race, more and more may be provided for biasing the front cleat engaging riders are using ordinary double-sided pedals rather member upwards relative to the tread surface of the 2 3 EP 0 753 453 A1 4 tread cage so that the cleat may be easily guided into the base end of the pedal spindle 3. the front cleat engaging member. As shown in Figures 1 through 4, the linking mem- In a somewhat modified embodiment, the tread ber 4 has an outer tube 15 that is rotatably supported cage may be fixed relative to the front cleat engaging by the pedal spindle 3 and on the inside of which is fitted member, and the rear cleat engaging member may be 5 the outer ring 1 2, an inner tube 1 6 that is fitted into the coupled to the pedal for movement relative to the tread outertube 15 such that its end is in contact with the outer cage. A stopper member may be fixed relative to the ring 12, and a cleat engagement mechanism 17. The rear cleat engaging member, and the tread cage may outer tube 15 and the inner tube 16 are concentrically include an abutment for contacting the stopper member arranged around the outside of the pedal spindle 3. The and limiting movement of the stopper member relative 10 base end of the inner tube 1 6 projects out from the outer to the tread cage. In this embodiment, a tongue may be tube 1 5 on the crank 2 side at the same diameter as the fixed relative to the rear cleat engaging member so as outertube 15. A pair of stopper members 20 that extend to extend toward the front cleat engaging member, and forward and backward are provided around the outside the front cleat engaging member may be the tread sur- of the outer tube 15 on opposite sides of the cleat en- face.