GB2101943A - Toe clips for bicycles - Google Patents

Abstract

The clip is shaped and dimensioned to reduce drag when in use on a pedal 26 without the provision of one or more individually formed fairings, and comprises a mounting portion 11 to be attached to the front 25 of a pedal and at least one fairing portion 20, 21 extending upwardly from a lower part of the mounting portion and forwardly thereof when the mounting portion is attached to a pedal in overlapping relationship with said front, whereby to reduce drag in the region of the mounting portion 11 and the front 25 of the pedal. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Fittings for bicycles This invention concerns improvements relating to toe clip fittings for bicycles for sporting use.

Rules relating to bicycle racing preclude the use of fairings and like aerodynamically effective articles, so that, for many years racing cyclists have tried to minimise wind resistance (drag) by wearing suitably close fitting clothing and by, for example, using streamlined handlebar fittings.

In the last decade there were significant deveiopments for reducing the drag of racing and sporting bicycles, and for reducing the weight of such bicycles. However, the toe clip assemblies at present available are substantially identical to those available more than two decades ago, in that they each comprise a nose from which upper and lower portions extend in a divergent manner to receive the fore-parts of a user's shoe so that the upper portion abuts and closely conforms to an upper part and the lower portion abuts the sole part of the shoe, and the lower portion terminates at a downturned mounting flange which is secured to a front part of a pedal. The use of such toe clips thus adds little to the weight of the bicycle and incurs only a small increase in drag if they are adjusted correctly to follow closely and abut the contours of the user's shoes.

According to the present invention there is generally provided a toe clip shaped and dimensioned to reduce drag when in use on a bicycle pedal without the provision of one or more individually formed fairings, said toe clip comprising a mounting portion, to be attached to the front of a pedal, and at least one fairing portion extending upwardly from a lower part of the mounting portion and forwardly thereof when the mounting portion is attached to a pedal in overlapping relationship with said front, whereby to reduce drag in the region of the mounting portion and the front of the pedal.

The fairing portion may comprise a pair of flank portions which converge from the mounting portion to a nose portion of the clip, and/or may comprise a bottom portion which tapers from the mounting portion to the or a nose portion of the clip.

The present invention more especially provides an improved toe clip, for a bicycle pedal, comprising a mounting portion, a fairing portion and an upper portion, wherein the fairing portion is in the form of a base portion which tapers in width and depth from the mounting portion to a nose; wherein said upper portion extends in an inclined manner from the top of the nose and above the base portion and has a free upper end; and wherein the mounting portion is rigidly connected to the base portion so as to be upstanding at the end of the base portion remote from the nose, and is adapted to confront and be attached to a front of a pedal.

In preferred embodiments the base portion comprises a bottom portion which tapers in width from a maximum at the bottom of the mounting portion to a minimum at the nose, and flank portions which extend laterally from the bottom portion and taper in depth from a maximum adjacent the mounting portion to a minimum adjacent the nose.

In use, the sole part of the user's shoe is level with the upper edges of the base portion or flank portions thereof so that the base portion or bottom portion thereof diverges downwards, relative to the sole part, from the nose to level with the bottom of the pedal. The improved toe clip of the invention affords, in use, an overall reduction in drag when compared with known toe clips. This overall reduction in drag due to the improved toe clip is highly beneficial because the pedal's motion through the air is, at intervals when the pedal is moved forwards relative to the bicycle frame, equal to the sum of the forward speed of the bicycle and the rotational speed of the pedal.

The upper portion may be provided with means to engage a pedal strap, and may be partially bifurcated, in known manner.

The flank portions may each have an internal or external flange for engaging the sole part of a user's shoe.

The base portion may have an extension, which, in use, extends at least partially below the pedal.

The base and flank portions may be of panel form, and the flank panels may be inclined to meet the base panel at an obtuse angle. Alternatively the base and flank portions may be curved, e.g. to have the shape or part of the surface of a conic frustum or prolate or oblate spheroid.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figures 1, 2 and 3 are similar perspective views of three embodiments of toe clip of the invention; Figures 4 and 5 show longitudinal and transverse vertical cross sections through the first embodiment, shown in Figure 1, on the line IV-IV and V-V respectively, and Figure 6 is a part sectional diagram showing the toe clip shown in Figure 4 in an in use condition upon a bicycle pedal.

The three embodiments shown comprise a base portion 10, a mounting portion 11 at one end of the base portion 10, and a nose 12 at the other end of the base portion 10, and an upper portion 13.

The base portion 10 comprises a bottom portion 20, of panel form which increases in width from the nose 12 to the mounting portion 11, and the base portion 10 is provided with flank portions 21, of panel form. The flank portions 21 rise from the lateral margins of the bottom panel 20 at an obtuse angle so as to diverge upwardly from each other, and extend upwards to a nominally horizontal plane 23. Each flank portion 21 carries a flange 22 which extends in said plane from the upper edge of the flank portion 21 to overlie the inside face of the flank portion. The flanges 22 may be omitted, may extend further in said plane to overlie the lateral margins of the bottom panel 20, or may be outwardly directed as indicated in broken lines by the flange 22A in Figure 5.

The bottom panel 20 is inclined to said plane so as to extend downwards and rearwards from the nose 12tothe bottom of the mounting portion 11,which mounting portion extends upwards so as to be approximately perpendicular to said plane, and terminates at or adjacent to said plane. The mounting portion has apertures 24 for bolts to secure the mounting portion to the front of a front member 25 of a pedal 26 (Figure 6).

In the first embodiment (Figure 1), the nose 12 is of solid curved form and the upper portion 13 comprises an elongate tongue 30 which extends upwards and rearwards from the nose 12 to terminate in a strap engagement loop 31. This form of toe clip is intended for racing cyclists having shoes fitted with means for engaging the pedals to prevent the toes of the shoes slipping sideways out of engagement with the tongue 30.

In the second embodiment (Figure 2) the nose 12 is of divided form, and the upper portion comprises a tongue 32 which is bifurcated to leave a toe opening 33, which opening extends from the nose to part way towards the loop 31, in a known manner.

In the third embodiment (Figure 3) the nose is divided and is bridged by short arch 34, which constitutes the upper portion, to leave a toe opening 35 at the nose. The strap loop 31 is omitted.

Referring to Figure 6, in use the mounting portion is secured to the pedal 26 so that said plane 23 is level with the top surfaces of the pedal which are abutted by the sole 40 of a user's shoe, so that the margins of the sole 40 adjacent the toe of the shoe can rest on the flanges 22 and the upper extremities of the flank panels whilst the uppers of the shoe abut the upper portion 13. A strap 41 determines the inclination of the upper portion to said plane 23.

The improved toe clips offer many advantages, for example: (a) The base portion 10 constitutes an integral fairing portion of the toe clip, so that, in use, air is deflected by the base portion 10 below and to the sides of the pedal 26 to minimise drag especially in the region of the front member 25.

(b) The hitherto essential horizontally directed main member of known toe clips, which member joins the mounting and nose and serves to support the central longitudinal portion of the sole, is obviated, so that the "breathing" (ventilation) holes 42 in the sole are not obstructed.

(c) The base serves to protect the sole and holes 42 from spray and rain, thus minimising weight increase and discomfort.

(d) The clips are easily manufactured in an inexpensive manner especially from sheet metal, and where some slight additional cost can be accepted, can be easily modified, e.g. to provide stiffening ribs 43 shown in broken lines in Figures 4 and 5, orto provide bent over lugs on the mounting portion which are rivetted to the flank panels or vice versa, to provide additional stiffness for the base portion.

(e) The collection of mud, or even bits of weed or wire, upon the pedals and toe clips is minimised by the deflection of mud from the pedal by the toe clips, by the smooth contours of the base portion, and by the shielding by the base portion of the mounting portion and bolts thereon.

The invention is not confined to the precise details of the foregoing examples and many variations are possible within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. For instance, drain holes may be provided in the lowermost parts of the base portion. The base portion may have a rearwardly directed extension to underlie the or part of the pedal. The mounting portion may be joined to the flank portions or the bottom and flank portions.

Fastening studs may be fixedly or adjustably mounted on the mounting portion.

The toe clip may be made so that the nose and upper portion have a flange or flanges which extend rearwards in or adjacent to said plane, and are adjustably or selectively securable to the flanges on the flank portions so that the spacing between the nose and the mounting portion can be adjusted or pre-selected, the flanges on the flank portions being shaped to leave a parallel sided slot therebetween.

Alternatively, the mounting portion may be a part which is adjustably or selectively securable to the bottom portion or flank portions, e.g. by releasable fasteners or by rivets inserted through selected ones of several apertures.

The clips may be made primarily from metal by pressing, or from a tough plastics material, with or without metal reinforcement, by moulding, but the clips are preferably formed from a single piece of sheet metal so that the nose and upper, base and mounting portions are integral.

The external contours and shape of the base portion may be varied, e.g. may be rounded, so that the flank and bottom portions merge at rounded junctions, and said portions may be curved to further reduce drag when the pedal is moved downwards across the flow of air caused by forward movement of the bicycle, i.e. minimise the effect of the toe clip as a paddle in the air flow.

If the flanges are omitted from the flank portions, a friction bead may be provided on the top edges of the flank portions. The flanges on the flank portions or flank panels of the base portion may be widened, especially in the third embodiment, for leisure or touring use.

The mounting portion 11 may comprise the part upstanding from the bottom portion 20 as described together with extensions of the flank portions or flanges thereof, which extensions are parallel with the part upstanding from the bottom portion so as to lie against or be secured to said part, and said extensions may be provided with apertures to register with the apertures 24. Alternatively said part may be omitted so that said extensions serve as mounting portions, especially in the cases wherein the bottom portion is curved or is wholly or partially omitted.

Claims (10)

1. A toe clip shaped and dimensioned to reduce drag when in use on a bicycle pedal without the provision of one or more individually formed fairings, said toe clip comprising a mounting portion to be attached to the front of a pedal and at least one fairing portion extending upwardly from a lower part of the mounting portion and forwardly thereof when the mounting portion is attached to a pedal in overlapping relationship with said front, whereby to reduce drag in the region of the mounting portion and the front of the pedal.

2. A toe clip as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the fairing portion comprises a pair of flank portions which converge from the mounting portion to a nose portion of the clip.

3. A toe clip as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein the fairing portion comprises a bottom portion which tapers from the mounting portion to the or a nose portion of the clip.

4. A toe clip for a bicycle pedal, comprising a mounting portion, a fairing portion and an upper portion, wherein the fairing portion is in the form of a base portion which tapers in width and depth from the mounting portion to a nose; wherein said upper portion extends in an inclined manner from the top of the nose and above the base portion and has a free upper end; and wherein the mounting portion is rigidly connected to the base portion so as to be upstanding at the end of the base portion remote from the nose, and is adapted to confront and be attached to a front of a pedal.

5. A toe clip as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the base portion comprises a bottom portion which tapers in width from a maximum at the bottom of the mounting portion to a minimum at the nose, and flank portions which extend laterally from the bottom portion and taper in depth from a maximum adjacent the mounting portion to a minimum adjacent the nose.

6. A toe clip as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the flank portions each have an internal or external top flange for engaging the sole part of a user's shoe.

7. Atoe clip as claimed in Claim 5 or 6, wherein the bottom and flank portions are of panel form, the flank panels being inclined to the base panel at an obtuse angle.

8. Atoe clip as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the fairing and mounting portions are formed integrally.

9. A toe clip as claimed in any one of Claims 4 to 7, wherein the nose and upper, base and mounting portions are formed from a single piece of sheet metal.

10. A toe clip substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1,4,5 and 6 or Figure 2 or 3 of the accompanying drawings.