Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A43—FOOTWEAR
  • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
  • A43B5/00—Footwear for sporting purposes
  • A43B5/14—Shoes for cyclists

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a cycling shoe of the type comprising a locking wedge intended to cooperate with a suitable pedal of a bicycle.
• the locking of the cleat on the pedal takes place automatically in a manner known per se.
• this wedge is attached to the sole in a removable manner by means of a rigid insert, adjustable in position, integrated into said sole, an insert on which said wedge is mounted by fixing means.
• French patent application No. 2 620 002 describes a shim of this type intended for a shoe in the sole of which is housed an insert on which the shim intended to cooperate with the pedal is screwed.
• This request describes a device requiring a reservation or recess in the sole intended to accommodate the insert and the wedge, having the consequence of having to consider, as indicated in this request, a sole thickness greater than that of cycling shoes usual.
• the problem to be solved in relation to the known devices in the matter lies in the fact of seeking a provision of the insert intended for fixing the wedge which is always as close as possible to the foot of the user in order to optimize performance.
• Optimization of the weight / rigidity ratio is also sought, that is to say the search for a sole having maximum rigidity for a minimum thickness and weight.
• the object of the present invention is to provide a solution to the problems posed above and to this end relates to a cycling shoe of the type comprising a rod, a sole and a locking wedge intended to cooperate with a pedal. adapted from a bicycle and attached to the sole in a removable manner by means of a rigid insert adjustable in position, integrated into said sole and on which insert is mounted said wedge by fixing means, characterized in that the insert intended for fixing the wedge is integrated into the sole by means of a reinforcement plate of the sole which it passes through and which is fixed on the internal surface thereof, to constitute a sub-assembly on which is fixedly attached to a first fitting after interposition of a peripheral rim of the shoe upper, the thickness of which defines a mounting grip volume, inside which is housed the insert of substantially corresponding thickness, so as to be as close as possible to the foot of a cyclist in order to optimize the efficiency of his effort on a pedal.
• the insert intended for fixing the wedge is immediately behind the first assembly, therefore, apart from this, almost in contact with the foot and the metatarsophalangeal joint area of the cyclist.
• the insert, and therefore the axis of the pedal could not be placed closer to the cyclist's foot, which reduces parasitic couples and consequently makes it possible to increase the efficiency of the force exerted on the pedal as much as possible.
• the advantage of the solution lies in the fact that the thickness of the sole can be reduced to the maximum since its rigidity is obtained by the presence of the reinforcement plate which is not overmolded but fixed on it. , which avoids the extra thicknesses required when this reinforcing plate is on the contrary flooded, as known in the prior art.
• the present invention also relates to the characteristics which will emerge during the description which follows and which should be considered in isolation or according to all their possible technical combinations.
• FIG. 1 is a view in longitudinal section of a cycling shoe according to the invention
• FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view along the line II-II in FIG. 1,
• FIG. 3 is a plan view of a reinforcing plate conforming to that included in the composition of the shoe according to Figure 1.
• the cycling shoe 1 generally designated in FIG. 1, is constituted in a known manner by a sole 2 surmounted by a rod 3 and on the lower face of which is mounted a locking wedge 4, intended to cooperate with a suitable pedal (not shown) of a bicycle.
• This wedge 4 is attached to the sole 2 in a removable manner, by means of a rigid insert 5, adjustable in position, and integrated into said sole 2, insert 5 on which said wedge 4 is mounted by means of fastening means 6.
• the insert 5 is constituted by a plate 5a of substantially rectangular shape provided with two threaded barrels 13 extending from said plate 5a.
• the cycling shoe 1 is mounted in the traditional way, that is to say that the upper 2 is mounted on a form (not shown in the drawing) using a first assembly 8, and that the the whole is then glued to the sole 2.
• the pedal of the bicycle has not been shown and the cleat 4 has been shown only schematically as known per se.
• the sole 2 is provided on its upper face with a reinforcement plate 7 extending over the major part of said sole 2 and fixed, for example by gluing, on said sole 2, and the insert 5 intended for the fixing of the wedge 4 is integrated into the sole 2 by means of said reinforcement plate 7 of the sole 2 which it crosses by its threaded barrels 13, its upper plate-shaped part 5a remaining applied against the upper face of the sole 2.
• this subassembly consisting of the sole 2, the reinforcement 7 and the insert 5, is bonded to the rod 3 / first assembly 8 assembly, with the interposition of a peripheral rim 3a of the rod 3 of shoe 1 glued to the same first mounting 8, and called "mounting socket".
• the thickness "e" of the peripheral rim 3a defines, with the first mounting 8 and the sole 2, a volume 9 called a mounting socket inside which is housed, in the metatarsophanlangeal articulation zone, the upper part 5a of the insert 5 which has a thickness substantially corresponding to the thickness "e" of the mounting socket volume 9.
• the sole 2 is provided in its central zone with a large recess 2a and in fact only has a peripheral edge 2b, comprising walking pads or spikes, as the case may be, and the reinforcing plate 7 is in visible part under the sole 2 through the recess 2a, at least in the area of the metatarsals, in which the setting is made on a pedal.
• This construction has the advantage of ensuring better sliding during the fitting of the pedal compared to traditional plastic soles, when the reinforcement 7 is metallic since it is on this that the sliding will take place during the fitting.
• the reinforcing plate 7 of the sole 2 locally comprises, in predetermined zones, stiffening elements 10, so as to produce said plate 7 from a material of small thickness and therefore low weight for equivalent rigidity.
• these stiffening elements 10 consist first of all of a rib extending longitudinally in a central zone of the reinforcement plate 7 extending substantially from the rear end of the arch to the end of the sole 2.
• this rib 10 constituting a first stiffening element is obtained by localized deformation of the reference plane P of the reinforcement plate 7, defined by a longitudinal boss directed downwards, relative to the plane of the shoe 2.
• the longitudinal boss forming the rib 10 of the reinforcing plate 7 is obtained by stamping a metal blank constituting the latter.
• high performance aluminum alloy which is a material having the advantage of being light and stainless, and having good aging.
• an aluminum alloy reinforcement 7 also has the advantage, compared to traditional plastic soles, of reducing the kick of the soil, that is to say the accumulation of soil against the sole. , especially in mountain bike use and is therefore particularly advantageous.
• the longitudinal rib 10 of the reinforcing plate 7 is obtained during the same operation of molding a plastic material constituting the latter.
• the material may be loaded with reinforcing fibers.
• the longitudinal boss or stiffening rib 10 of the reinforcement plate directed downwards, is locally counter-deformed upwards in the area of the metatarsals where the insert 5 intended to fixing the wedge 4, to form a flat boss 11 substantially finding the reference plane P of the original plate 7, and which is crossed by the two longitudinal slots 12 arranged symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal axis of the sole , so as to allow, on the one hand, the insert 5 to be housed in the free volume 9 of free thickness "e" defined by the mounting socket 3a and as close as possible to the first mounting 8 , and on the other hand, with two threaded barrels 13 which result therefrom, through the openings 12 made in the plane boss 11 of the reinforcing plate 7, with a view to fixing the wedge 4 by screws 6, after adjustment in position of said shim in said s longitudinal lights 12.
• the counter-deformation constituting the flat boss 11 is obtained by a double stamping carried out around each of the longitudinal slots 12 in order to increase its rigidity.
• the flatness of the boss 11 on which the insert 5 can be moved, for the purpose of adjusting the position of the shim 4 is particularly advantageous since it allows such adjustment to be made while keeping the height of said shim relative to the sole, or in other words, while retaining constant the difference in height between said wedge 4 and the heel support, which is not the case in known soles where any variation in position of the wedge in the longitudinal direction induces a variation in position in height thereof, linked to the curvature of the sole at the level of the attachment zone of said shim.
• the reinforcement plate 7 comprises, in predetermined areas, inserts 15 force fitted therein and extending through the soleplate by threaded barrels 16 intended for the fixing of studs (not shown).
• a metal reinforcement 7 is advantageous for the spring effect which it can provide, which improves the performance and the sensations of the cyclist.
• the present invention is of course intended for any bicycle application, and in particular road, city, all terrain bicycle application, etc.

Landscapes

• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Physical Education & Sports Medicine (AREA)
• Footwear And Its Accessory, Manufacturing Method And Apparatuses (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=9523832

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Families Citing this family (31)

Family Cites Families (16)

• 1998
  • 1998-03-02 FR FR9802869A patent/FR2775424B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 1999
  • 1999-01-14 US US09/403,049 patent/US6260291B1/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1999-01-14 WO PCT/FR1999/000053 patent/WO1999044455A1/fr not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1999-01-14 EP EP99900917A patent/EP0991332A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1999-01-14 JP JP54430199A patent/JP2001523148A/ja active Pending

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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