FR2500658A1 - Bicycle pedal toe clip moulded from plastics material - to simplify production and minimise weight - Google Patents

Abstract

A toe clip for a bicycle pedal is moulded from a plastics material to simplify the prodn. process and reduce wt. compared with mfr. and assembly of an equivalent metal clip. The profile of the plastics clip has ribs along the concave face to increase the stiffness. The top of the clip has a longitudinal slot to accept a small metal insert, these parts having lateral slots for an anchorage strap to pass through: the metal insert inhibits abrasion of the adjacent plastic tip by accidental scraping on the ground. No specific moulding material is quoted.

Description

 The present invention relates to accessories for cycles of the toe clip type.

 In known devices of this kind, a piece made of cut sheet metal, fixed to the pedal in general by means of screws, envelops the tip of the cyclist's shoe. Two articles characterize these devices: -One sometimes called "dee" or sometimes also "initiation", is content to marry the tip of the shoe. In this case, the shoe resting on the pedal abuts inside the calf at the bottom, the essential function of which is then to position the foot in the longitudinal direction for more efficient pedaling.

 -The other, the most common, wraps the shoe from the tip to the kick where it ends with a loop that crosses a strap called "toe-clip." This strap also crosses the pedal and surrounds the shoe. foot strap is tight, the foot is no longer only correctly positioned on the pedal, but also secured to it. This solidarity of the pedal and the foot allows the cyclist to pedal by pressing simultaneously on one pedal and pulling on each other.

These devices made of metal have the tendency to cut the leather of shoes which has led to attaching on some models protectors in rubber or plastic.

The toe clips are generally delivered with a washer and screws and nuts for fixing on the pedal.

The list of operations necessary to make a pair of notebooks is, for these devices quite long and, in general and not exhaustive, it is possible to cite: cutting the sheet, folding this cutting, surface protection either by chrome plating either by anodic oxidation, possibly, cutting, bending, surface protection and assembly by rivets of the buckle allowing the passage of the toe strap, cutting of fixing washers, condition screws, nuts and fixing washers, etc. ...

On the other hand, the search for lightness in the area of the notebook, finds its limits in the density of the metals used.

The toe clip according to the invention eliminates and reduces these drawbacks.

 I1 is indeed, made of molded plastic which allows to significantly reduce the number of operations necessary for its manufacture, avoids the break of protectors for shoes and allows by the significantly lower density of the materials used, a weight gain.

 In a first variant corresponding to known devices known as "lady's" or "initiation", the footrest consists of a molded plastic part which, taking up the general forms of these devices also includes ribs on its convex face in order to give it rigidity.

 In a second variant corresponding to the most common known devices, the toe clip also consists of a plastic molded part which, taking up the general shapes of these devices, has ribs on its convex face and its loop is crossed, in the longitudinal direction, by a groove in which it is possibly possible, and without this being compulsory, to engage an oblong metal washer which is traversed and held in place by the toe strap. Thus, when the cyclist moves without having engaged his foot in the toe clip, this toe clip is protected from excessive erosion which can be caused by friction with the eol.

 The accompanying drawings are: a side view - Figure 1; a top view - Figure 2; a front view - Figure 3; a cross section li of the loop intended for the passage of the toe strap - Figure 4; a cross section 3B of the body of the treadmill - Figure 5.

 As it is presented, and without this having a limiting character, the toe clip comprises a part molded in a plastic material which can, for example, be a reinforced polyamide. This part is separable according to a notch (1) provided for this purpose in an assembly washer- (2) and the body proper of the toe clip (3).

This arrangement has the advantage of avoiding conditioning the fixing washer with the hardware which is usually delivered with the toe clip and also prevents the risk of forgetting this same washer during delivery. The body of the toe clip has ribs (4) on its convex face for the purpose of rigidity and a groove (5) which shares its loop (6) in the longitudinal direction and which serves as a housing for an oblong metal washer (7 ). This washer has the same profile as the toe loop in which it fits exactly allowing the toe strap to pass through its light (8) at the same time as the lights (9) formed by the loop and located opposite. The passage of the belt through these slots (8,9) keeps the washer (7) in place a
So that it protects, possibly, to the heart, the toe clip, from erosion by friction against the ground.

 The device which is the subject of the invention can be used in all cases where lightness is sought or a lower manufacturing cost in the areas of the cycle and the like.

Claims (2)

CLAIMS.  1. Device making it possible to reduce the number of operations necessary for the manufacture of a toe clip for cycle and therefore to reduce the cost and to lighten it, characterized in that there is a plastic body comprising ribs on its convex face.  2. Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the body comprises a loop shared in the longitudinal direction by a groove in which can be inserted an oblong metal washer. The loop and the washer include oblong lights placed one opposite the other and allowing the passage of the toe strap which assembles them.