FR2512771A1 - DEVICE FOR FIXING THE BASE OF A CYCLIST ON A PEDAL, WITH AUTOMATIC RELEASE - Google Patents

Abstract

THIS DEVICE INCLUDES A FIRST ELEMENT 3 HAVING A BALL HEAD 12 FIXED TO THE END OF THE GUARD 4 OF A BICYCLE PEDAL AND A SECOND ELEMENT 6 HAVING AN APPENDIX 14 FIXED AT THE END OF A BELT 8 ATTACHING THE FOOT OF THE CYCLIST ON THE PEDAL, AND AN INTERNAL CAVITY HAVING AN OPENING NECK 11 WHOSE DIAMETER IS SLIGHTLY LOWER THAN THAT OF THE SPHERE 12. THE SPHERE 12 CAN BE RECEIVED BY SNAP IN THE CAVITY 7 OF THE SECOND ELEMENT 6. THE TWO ELEMENTS 3 AND 6 MAY SEPARATE UNDER THE ACTION OF LATERAL PRESSURE BY THE CYCLIST'S FOOT.

Description

The present invention relates to a device

  for cyclists who, if necessary

  sity and by means of a push of both feet towards the ex-

  as well as by natural and instinctual movements

  the cyclist, allow him to immediately detach himself from the bicycle, this device comprising a mechanism that the cyclist can operate manually to adjust the operation of the

security device.

  Io For a long time cyclists have used to fix their feet on the bicycles pedals by manual movements which must be carried out for each

  pedal by means of quick-release belts

  ropes improve the propulsion conditions of the cyclist, I 5 but they cause difficult situations when he has to face a danger In fact, when the cyclist is in danger, he cannot use his hands to cancel the action of the belts and falls are frequent in

  because of the dangerous attachment to the bicycle.

  The fixing of his feet to the bicycle is by

  therefore necessary for the cyclist, but it is also

  essential that he can free his feet quickly-

  because when he is in difficulty he does not have time to coordinate his movements in order to perform the

  effort needed to break free.

  The situation in which the cyclist finds himself-

  even when in danger is the reason for the

  development of the safety device according to the invention

  tion which provides a mechanism capable of putting itself

in action or out of action.

  This object is achieved in a device comprising two elements which can engage with each other under the pressure of the fingers, to remain in position if the cyclist so desires, but being mainly adapted to separate themselves and release the foot. of the cyclist when he is in danger and pushes his feet apart

pedals.

  The first of these elements is an oblong-shaped body comprising at one of its ends a spherical cavity. This body is firmly connected to the end of the belt leaving the loop and located after the

closing date.

  The second element has the shape of a pivot which

  is securely attached by its external part to the periphery

  metal laugh of the pedal This second element ends IO by a sphere which is adapted to be able to penetrate and to connect by itself by snap-fastening in the cavity of the first element In fact, the sphere of the second element is forced to penetrate into the cavity of the first element whose periphery of the opening of said cavity which must be crossed is made with dimensions a little smaller than those of said sphere. It follows that the latter can penetrate into said cavity, or Separate from it by itself when the two elements must be separated) under the action of the pressure exerted by the

feet.

  As a variant, the first element of the device comprises

  te a mechanism which can be controlled by hand by means of a small lever, this mechanism comprising a series of small balls gathered inside this mechanism so as to be able to ensure the engagement in engagement and the automatic separation of the two aforementioned elements, or rather so as to ensure the conditions necessary for their mutual locking which, to allow the

  unlocking these items, should be prepared.

  In this embodiment of the device according to the invention

  tion in which said mechanism is incorporated into the first

  element, the cyclist has the possibility of freeing himself

  even of the bicycle safely and without delay when he feels himself in danger, and this also has a psychological effect on the cyclist, since the device can be used in two ways according to the need and

  the circumstances -The device according to the invention pre-

  serve the shape and layout of existing pedals,

straps and buckles.

  Other characteristics and advantages of the invention

  will appear during the description which follows,

  made with reference to the accompanying drawing given solely by way of example and in which: FIG. 1 is a view of a pedal for a racing bicycle comprising the safety device according to the invention; Fig 2 is a sectional view of a first embodiment of the security device; Fig 3 is a sectional view of the device along line D-D in the direction of B, showing the blocking mechanism I 5; Fig 4 is a sectional view along the line CC of the device in the direction of A. The position of the safety device relative to the pedal 2 appears in Fig l in which the first element 3 of the device is connected to the guard 4 of the pedal by means of a nut 1 opposite the thread 5 by means of which the pedal is articulated on the crank arm

  of the bicycle, while the second element 6 of the provision

  sitive with its partially spherical cavity 7 (Fig 2) is connected to the strap 8 at a point thereof located after the clasp 9 and the loop 10 of the toe clip by means of an appendage 14, rivets 13 and d 'a reinforcing plate 13'. As seen in Fig 1, the device connects the outer end of the belt 8 to the pedal 2 and the

  connection (shown in Fig 2) is performed by intro-

  duction with snap of a sphere 12 in the cavity 7 of the second element 6 The introduction of the sphere 12 with snap must be carried out through an annular neck 11 of the cavity 7 This introduction is carried out by hand, pushing the element 6 on element 3 which is fixed rigidly and securely to the pedal 2 The immediate separation of elements 6 and 3 is obtained, as indicated above, by the pressure of the foot fixed on the pedal, which exerts its force in the direction indicated by the arrow e against the reinforced appendix 14 of the element 6. The separation of the two elements of the device releases the foot of the pedal, giving the cyclist the possibility of detaching himself from the bicycle L invention can be carried out in different ways and with different materials, the elements of the device possibly being hollow elements made of plastic or metal or of plastic and metal, while the sphere 12 with the pedal is preferably made of metal

or a treated metal alloy.

  I 5 According to a second embodiment of the invention shown in Fig 3 and 4, we added to the device a

  mechanism that can make it active and inactive in order to give

  ner to the cyclist who uses it more tranquility and confidence As seen in the drawing, the element 15 fixed

  on guard 4 of pedal 2 is not modified compared to

  port to the element 3 shown in FIG 2 The shape of the second element 16 of the safety device is however modified compared to the previous embodiment, and

  includes appendix 14 ensuring the connection with the court-

  roie 8 Element 16 includes an elastic ring 17

  carrying tongues 18, four small steel balls 19, a pressure spring 20, an adjustment screw 21, a control lever 22 having a button 23, an elastic retaining ring 24 which holds said members on a hollow body 25 in metal which is movable in a shoemaker which has projecting support legs 31, 32 and

two cavities 27 and 28.

  The cavity 26 of the metal body 25 constitutes a seat for the sphere 12 of the element 15 The introduction and the

  separation with snap-fit of the sphere 12 in the cavi-

  tee 26, or rather the blocking thereof in said cavity

  depends on the positions in which the small

  your balls 19 in their housings 33 ordered by the

  shoemaker 30 The housings 33 of the balls 19 are all

  placed at equal distance from each other, and have their axes converging towards the center and also arranged in the

  same plane perpendicular to the axis F of the element.

  By operating the hollow metal body as shown

  by means of the button 23 of the lever 22, which can be placed

  cer in depressions 27 and 28 (so that the I O 23 button is kept in the position desired by the cyclist),

  the metal body 25 arranges itself differently

  rent relative to two small internal and longitudinal depressions 29 of the elastic ring 17 The ring 17, open and not rotatable, fixed on the tongues 18 in I 5 the space delimited between the support legs 31 and 32, exerts a more tightening or less narrow around the body 25 by means of the adjusting screw 21 which pushes the tabs 18 towards each other When the sphere 12 is housed in its seat 26 and the body 25 is turned so that the button 23 reaches depression 27, the small balls 19 are all in the tightest position,

  fact that ring 17 keeps them fixed in their lodge-

  respective parts 33 Thus the small balls limit the space through which the sphere 12 must pass. In the position described, the mechanism keeps the safety device blocked because the sphere 12 cannot come out of its housing on its seat as indicated in Fig 3 and 4. When the body 25 is held in the position adjusted by the button 23 stopped in the cavity 28, the small balls 19 are located in a larger space because the longitudinal cavities 29 are aligned with the housings 33 In in this case, the sphere 12 is retained without being locked in its housing and the device

  is therefore in a safe position.

  In this case, the sphere 12 can come out of its cavity 26 under the pressure of the foot fixed on the pedal. To go out, the sphere 12 must push the small balls 19 against the ring 17 so that the latter increases in size. necessary The foot must therefore exert the force necessary to compress the compression spring 20 which, housed in a seat formed in the support tab 32 in

  projection, acts on one of the tabs 18 of the elastic ring-

tick 17.

  The force required is proportional to the force

  IO exerted by the spring 20 on the tongue 18 This form

  this is adjusted by means of the screw 21 which also acts with respect to the ring 17 The spring 20 and the screw 21 do not limit the movement of the balls 19 outwards,

  but act in such a way that the displacement towards the ex-

  I 5 térieur can occur under different pressures than the

cyclist may wish to exercise.

  The device shown and described allows to obtain ideal safety conditions for a cyclist without

  require modifications or replacement of the organ-

  nes to which it can be applied.

Claims (8)

CLAIMS -   1. Automatic safety device for cyclist   including elements adapted to immediately detach   the feet of the pedals when they are attached to them by means of belts, a device characterized in that it comprises two elements (3, 6, 15, 16) which   are connected by a fixed link adapted to resist   ter to the force exerted by the foot on the pedal (2) and   the belts (8), but can be separated if necessary   re by a pressure exerted by the foot, when this IO pressure is applied horizontally outwards and caused by an instinctive movement of the cyclist wishing to leave the bicycle.   2. Safety device according to claim 1, characterized in that one of the elements (3, 15) of the device is a small pivot whose end has the shape of a sphere (12).   3. Safety device according to any one   claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the second   element (6, 16) is a head having a shaped cavity   suitable for receiving and retaining the snap-on end   spherical mite (12) of the first element (3, 15).   4. Safety device according to any one   claims 1, 2 and 3, characterized in that the   two elements (3, 15, 6, 16) which constitute the device are adapted to engage in engagement and to separate one from the other, from themselves. 5. Safety device according to any one   claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it comprises   te a mechanism (17, 22, 24, 25) adapted to allow engagement in engagement and separation of said elements (3, 15, 6, 16).   6. Safety device according to any one   of the preceding claims, characterized in that   said mechanism is contained in said head or housing   (14,30) which has a cavity (7, 26).   7. Safety device according to any one   of the preceding claims, characterized in that   said mechanism comprises four small balls (19).   8. Safety device according to any one   of the preceding claims, characterized in that the   four balls (19) are each housed in a housing (33) so that they can be made to reduce the space required in the cavity (26) to receive the   spherical head of the first element (3, 15).   IO 9 Safety device according to any one   of the preceding claims, characterized in that the   seats (33) of the small balls (19) of the mechanism are f Qr-   mes in said second element constituted by a hollow body mobile (25).   I 5 IO Safety device according to any one   of the preceding claims, characterized in that the   seats (33) balls (19) are arranged on spokes, which converge towards the center and are located & the same distance from each other.   11 Safety device according to any one   of the preceding claims, characterized in that the   housings (33) balls (19) are aligned with the same   number of depressions (29) formed in a cylindrical seat   that constituted by an elastic ring (17) coaxial with   said cavity of said second element (6, 16).   12. Safety device according to any one   of the preceding claims, characterized in that it   includes a lever adapted to move the whole body   relative to said elastic ring (17).   13 Safety device according to any one   of the preceding claims, characterized in that the   lever (22) driving the body comprises a button (23) adapted to be sated in depressions C 27, 28) located in reference positions.   14 Safety device according to any one   of the preceding claims, characterized in that the   balls (19) arranged in said housings of the second element (6, 16) are retained to prevent passage of the spherical end of the first element (3, 15) by the elastic ring (17) under the action of the pressure exerted by a spring (20). 15. Safety device according to any one   of the preceding claims, characterized in that the   spring (20) acts against the pressure exerted by foot.   Io 16 Safety device according to any one   of the preceding claims, characterized in that a   screw (21) exerts a prestress on the pressure spring sion (20).