WO2021028586A1

WO2021028586A1 - Monolithic cycling shoe sole

Info

Publication number: WO2021028586A1
Application number: PCT/EP2020/072926
Authority: WO
Inventors: Pascal Nobile
Original assignee: Alpirace
Priority date: 2019-08-14
Filing date: 2020-08-14
Publication date: 2021-02-18
Also published as: CN114786523A; FR3099872A1; US20220312885A1; CA3147438A1; FR3099872B1; JP2022552059A; EP4013259A1

Abstract

Monolithic sole for a road cycling shoe with a front cleat and a rear cleat suitable for cooperating with an automatic pedal. The monolithic sole comprises, on its bottom face, a front cavity (6) and a rear cavity (7) located respectively in the front and rear of the zone of contact (9) with the pedal and substantially in the middle of the width of the sole (2). The rear cavity (7) opens onto the inner side of the sole (2). The front and rear cleats (4, 5) are placed respectively within the front and rear cavities (6, 7) such that they do not project from the sole (2), thus allowing the user to walk easily without the cleats causing discomfort, unlike conventional road cycling shoes equipped with standard cleats.

Description

MONOLITHIC CYCLING SHOE SOLE

Technical area

The present invention relates to a monolithic cycling shoe sole intended to cooperate with a cycling pedal provided with an attachment device, called an automatic pedal. The automatic pedal makes it possible to create a detachable mechanical connection with the shoe in order to efficiently transmit the force of the shoe to the automatic pedal, in particular in the upward phases of the pedaling cycle. A wedge fixed under the sole and comprising connecting means allows the shoe to hook and unhook from the automatic pedal. This cleat is therefore an interface part between the automatic pedal and the shoe.

Said monolithic sole is made of plastic or a composite material and offers great rigidity so that its deformation under the action of pedaling is as low as possible.

The monolithic sole according to the invention can be used with all devices requiring pedaling action but it is particularly suitable for road cycling, cycling on gravel tracks and cycle touring.

Prior art

In general, in the field of modern cycling where performance is sought after, the use of automatic pedals is generalized and their design is distinguished into two types: road pedals for the practice of road cycling and pedal pedals. MTB for the practice of Mountain Biking. These pedals have a similar operation, they are equipped with at least one attachment device comprising a front part, most often fixed, and a movable rear part which comprises an elastic element tending to push the rear part towards the front part, the two parts thus forming a clamp. The attachment device of an automatic pedal is intended to be hooked to a cleat fixed under the sole of the shoe, said cleat comprising a front linkage means and a rear linkage means.

Pedals, cleats and shoes, for road cycling and mountain biking, are different on several characteristics and have different advantages and disadvantages:

- The automatic road pedals are equipped with a single attachment device and are designed to have a large surface in contact with the cleat so that pedaling forces are transmitted and distributed as well as possible. The cleats for automatic road pedals are generally made of plastic and of large size, comprise a front connection means and a rear connection means making it possible to hook onto the pedal and include protuberances called “tread stud” which protect said connecting means during the walking phases. They are fixed under the sole of the shoe generally by three screws. Road cycling shoes have plastic or composite material soles to be as rigid as possible in order to best transmit the pedaling forces from the shoe to the pedal. They are light and do not have crampons because the thickness of the wedge attached to the sole is such that contact with the ground during the walking phases is made on the "tread blocks" of the wedge.

- MTB automatic pedals have an attachment device on each of its faces to facilitate the operation of hooking the boot in steep terrain where the user, in unstable balance, often has very little power. time to hang the shoe on the pedal. They have a very small contact surface with the cleat in order to allow the shoe to be hooked up even when the sole, cleat or pedal is clogged with impurities (mud, stones, leaves, etc.). MTB cleats are generally metallic, small in size, thin, and are secured under the sole of the shoe, usually with two screws. MTB shoes have soles of less rigidity than road shoes and have the underside covered with a non-slip and abrasion resistant coating on almost the entire surface. A recess is present in said non-slip coating where the wedge is housed in the depth of said recess so that it does not touch the ground during the walking phases.

The downside to road shoes is that it is practically impossible to walk, mainly because of the wedge placed under the sole, in the metatarsal area, making a prominent protrusion at the sole. Users of these shoes can walk only a few meters. They are obliged to put on another pair of shoes dedicated to walking if they wish to make more extensive journeys on foot, or for example to drive their car to go to their pedaling place, or even simply to ride. 'they want a comfortable shoe when traveling on foot during their cycle touring activity. In addition, traveling on foot with road shoes can be dangerous as there is a risk of slipping due to the hard plastic wedge with little grip.

MTB shoes can overcome this disadvantage because they allow easy walking, but their lack of rigidity and the cleats used do not achieve as good transmission of pedaling efforts and as good comfort as road shoes.

Patent No. FR3016153B1 provides a solution to the problem posed with an assembly consisting of a shoe and a specific two-part cleat. This solution consists of the sole of the shoe being made flexible over its entire width in the metatarsal area, between the front attachment means and the rear attachment means of the cleat. The cleat is split into two distinct pieces: a front cleat and a rear cleat so that the flexible area of the sole can maintain freedom of flexion. In addition, the front and rear wedges are embedded in the studs of the sole so as not to protrude so that the wedges do not touch the ground when walking. The advantage of this solution is that the unrolling of the shoe is close to a shoe dedicated to walking, which answers the problem. On the other hand, in return this solution has the following drawbacks:

- The shoe equipped with such a sole is less rigid than a conventional road shoe comprising a rigid monolithic sole, so it is less efficient in transmitting the forces during the pedaling phases.

- The device to make the sole flexible adds additional weight to the shoe.

This solution therefore allows walking while offering the possibility of using automatic road pedals, but it is not efficient for pedaling. The field of use will therefore rather be cycling dedicated to urban travel. For road cycling and cycle touring this solution is not suitable.

For road cycling and cycle touring activities, there is therefore to date no high performance shoe during the pedaling phases capable of allowing easy, comfortable and safe walking.

Object of the invention

The monolithic cycling shoe sole according to the invention makes it possible to provide a solution to the problem posed by walking with conventional cycling shoes because the wedge does not protrude from the underside of said monolithic sole. Walking is therefore comfortable and secure, and the stiffness and weight remain the same as current road cycling shoes. The shoe equipped with the monolithic sole according to the invention thus retains good performance and comfort characteristics during the pedaling phases.

According to the invention, this object is achieved by an assembly composed of a rigid monolithic sole made of plastic or of a composite material of a cycling shoe, of a front cleat comprising a front connection means capable of cooperating with a device for 'front attachment of an automatic pedal and a rear cleat comprising a rear connection means capable of cooperating with a rear attachment device of said automatic pedal, said cleats being fixed to the underside of said monolithic sole. The assembly is remarkable in that the monolithic sole comprises on its underside a front hollow situated between the front end of the sole and the zone of contact with the automatic pedal and substantially in the middle of the width of said monolithic sole; and a rear hollow positioned substantially in the middle of the length and the width of said monolithic sole and opening onto at least one of the lateral sides of said monolithic sole; said front and rear hollows are dimensioned to receive respectively the front and rear attachment device of said automatic pedal and to respectively receive the front and rear cleat so that they are fully integrated into the depth of said front and rear hollows.

According to other characteristics of the invention:

- the front wedge is positioned in contact with the rear edge of the front hollow, and the connecting means of said front wedge is oriented towards the front of the monolithic sole;

- the rear wedge is positioned in contact with the front edge of the rear hollow, and the connecting means of said rear wedge is oriented towards the rear of the monolithic sole; - The front hollow and the rear hollow each comprise at least one hole passing through the thickness of the monolithic sole, said hole being able to cooperate with the fixing element of the front and rear wedges;

- The front edge of the rear hollow comprises a protrusion projecting into said rear hollow, located between the rear wedge and the lateral side of the monolithic sole where the rear hollow opens, said protuberance being able to push back the rear attachment device of the automatic pedal towards the rear of the monolithic sole during a phase of unhooking the shoe;

- the distance between the rear edge and the front edge of the front hollow is dimensioned to allow the passage of the front attachment device of the automatic pedal during the hooking phase of the shoe in said pedal;

the distance between the lateral edges of the front hollow is greater on the front side of the monolithic sole than that on the rear side of said monolithic sole;

- the underside of the monolithic sole is covered with an adherent and abrasion resistant coating except for the front hollow, the rear hollow and the area in contact with the automatic pedal during the phases of pedaling, hooking up and unhooking the shoe.

According to variants:

- the front hollow opens onto the front end of the sole.

- the sole has two side walls, a front wall covering the toes and a rear wall covering the heel, the whole being in one piece.

The subject of the invention is also a kit which facilitates the transmission of forces between the foot and the pedal during the pedaling phases.

According to the invention, this object is achieved by a kit comprising an automatic pedal and an assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the front hollow and the rear hollow respectively receive the front attachment device and the locking device. rear attachment of said automatic pedal, the automatic pedal having a support zone arranged between the front attachment device and the rear attachment device and facing a rotation shaft of the automatic pedal, the contact zone being supported on the support area.

The subject of the invention is also a method for fixing between an assembly according to one of the preceding configurations and an automatic pedal to form a connection ensuring better transmission of forces during pedaling.

The method of securing an assembly according to any of the configurations with an automatic pedal is remarkable in that the automatic pedal has a support area disposed between a front attachment device and a rear attachment device and facing away from it. a rotation shaft of the automatic pedal and in that the method comprises the following steps:

- provide the assembly and the automatic pedal,

- fix the front chock with the front attachment device, - fix the rear cleat with the rear attachment device, the metatarsal zone of the sole coming into direct contact with the support zone of the automatic pedal.

Brief description of the drawings

Other advantages and characteristics will emerge more clearly from the following description of particular embodiments and implementation of the invention given by way of non-limiting examples and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

- Figure 1 shows a three-dimensional view from below and from the inside of an assembly consisting of a shoe with the monolithic sole according to the invention equipped with front and rear wedges with their fixing elements, the assembly being hooked to an automatic pedal in the pedaling position;

- Figure 2 is a three-dimensional view of the top face of the clipless pedal showing the front and rear hooks of the clipless pedal;

- Figure 3 is a three-dimensional view of the underside and the outer side of the monolithic sole according to the invention equipped with the front and rear wedges with their fasteners. The contact zone of the sole on the pedal is delimited by the dashed lines;

- Figure 4 is a three-dimensional view of the underside of the front wedge with its fixing element;

- Figure 5 is a three-dimensional view of the underside of the rear wedge with its two fasteners;

- Figure 6 shows a bottom view of the monolithic sole according to the invention equipped with the rear wedge with its fixing elements, enlarged on the area of the rear hollow;

- Figure 7 shows a three-dimensional view from below and from the outer side of an assembly consisting of the boot with the monolithic sole according to the invention equipped with front and rear wedges with their fixing elements and the automatic pedal; the assembly being shown in an intermediate phase of unhooking the boot;

- Figure 8 shows a three-dimensional view from below and from the inside of an assembly consisting of the shoe with the monolithic sole according to the invention equipped with the front and rear cleats with their fixing elements and the automatic pedal; the assembly being shown in an intermediate phase of hooking the shoe into the automatic pedal;

- Figure 9 is a three-dimensional view from above and from the inside of the monolithic sole according to the invention;

- Figure 10 shows a three-dimensional view of the underside and the inner side of the monolithic sole according to the invention equipped with front and rear wedges with their fasteners and partially coated with rubber studs;

- Figure 11 shows a variant of the invention seen in three dimensions of the top face and the inner side of the monolithic sole comprising two side walls, a front wall and a rear wall.

Description of embodiments

Figure 1 shows a road cycling shoe (1) comprising the monolithic sole (2) according to the invention and equipped with a front cleat (4) and a rear cleat (5), the assembly being hooked to an automatic pedal (3).

Referring to Figures 1 to 3, the monolithic sole (2) according to the invention is made of plastic or a composite material and its rigidity is such that its deformation is as low as possible under the force exerted by the user during a pedaling action. Said monolithic sole (2) comprises on its underside:

- a front hollow (6) located between the front end of the monolithic sole (2) and the contact zone (9) with the automatic pedal (3), and substantially in the middle of the width of said monolithic sole (2) .

- a rear hollow (7) positioned substantially in the middle of the length and the width of said monolithic sole (2) and opening onto the internal lateral side of said monolithic sole (2). The inner side is the side that is on the crank side of the bike when the user is pedaling. The front hollow (6) is therefore located in the region of the phalanges and the rear hollow (7) in that of the arch of the foot. Said front and rear hollows (6, 7) are dimensioned to receive respectively the front attachment device (10) and the rear attachment device (11) of the automatic pedal (3) and to respectively receive the front cleat (4). ) and the rear wedge (5) so that they are fully integrated into the depth of said front and rear hollows (6, 7). The front and rear wedges (4, 5) are therefore not protruding from the monolithic sole (2), which allows the user to be able to walk without said wedges (4, 5) hindering the unwinding of the sole. On the ground.

Referring to Figure 3, the area (9), located in the metatarsal region, between the front and rear hollows (6,7), is smooth and dedicated to direct contact with the upper face of the automatic pedal (3) in order to directly transmit the forces of the shoe (1) to the automatic pedal (3), thus increasing the performance during the pedaling phases. The other advantage of this direct contact is that the distance between the monolithic sole (2) and the automatic pedal (3) is consequently zero, which is a characteristic (called "bio position") sought to increase pedaling performance. .

Referring to Figures 3 to 5, the front wedge (4) is positioned in contact with the rear edge (12) of the front hollow (6) and oriented with the front connecting means (14) towards the front of the monolithic sole (2). The rear wedge (5) is positioned in contact with the front edge (13) of the rear hollow (7) and oriented with the rear connecting means (15) towards the rear of said monolithic sole (2).

The front hollow (6) has a hole passing through the monolithic sole (2) capable of receiving the fixing element (16) for fixing the front wedge (4). The rear hollow (7) has two holes passing through the monolithic sole (2) capable of receiving the fixing elements (16) for fixing the rear wedge (5). The fasteners (16) are inserted into nuts, attached from the inside of the shoe (1) or embedded in the material of the monolithic sole (2).

Referring to Figure 6, the front rim of the rear hollow (7) comprises a protrusion (8) projecting into said rear hollow (7). Said protuberance (8) is located between the rear wedge (5) and the lateral side of the monolithic sole (2) into which the rear hollow (7) opens. The protuberance (8) is suitable for push the rear attachment device (11) of the automatic pedal (3) towards the rear of the monolithic sole (2) during a gesture of rotation of the shoe

(I) out of the cycle.

The rear hollow (7) opens onto the internal lateral side of the monolithic sole in order to allow the passage of the rear attachment device (11) of the automatic pedal (3) during the unhooking phase of the boot (1) (described in the next paragraph).

According to the illustration in FIG. 7, during a phase of unhooking the shoe from the pedaling position, the user makes a gesture of rotation of the foot, the heel going towards the outside of the bike (gesture represented by the big arrow). During this movement, the rear attachment device (11) of the automatic pedal (3) moves in the rear hollow (7) of the monolithic sole (2). During this movement relative to the monolithic sole (2), the rear attachment device

(II) will come into contact with the protuberance (8) which will then push the rear attachment device (11) towards the rear of the monolithic sole (2) (displacement represented by the small arrow). The rear attachment device (11) being prestressed by an elastic element, its movement will then create a force resistant to the unhooking of the boot (1). During this first phase, the shoe (1) is still hooked to the automatic pedal (3), and, by continuing the movement of the foot, the shoe (1) will come loose when the rear hooking device (11) is 'will escape from the rear wedge (5). The front attachment device (10) will release naturally from the front cleat (4) when the rear attachment device (11) is unhooked from the rear cleat (5). Referring to Figures 2 and 3, the distance between the rear edge (12) and the front edge of the front hollow (6) is dimensioned to allow the passage of the front attachment device (10) of the automatic pedal (3) during of the hooking phase (described in the following paragraph) of the boot (1) in said pedal (3). The distance between the side edges of the front recess (6) is greater on the front side than that on the rear side. The front hollow (6) thus forms a narrower channel in the rear part in order to facilitate the engagement and guidance of the front attachment device (10) during the hooking phase of the boot (1) in the automatic pedal. (3). Referring to Figure 8, the hooking operation is done by a relative movement of the shoe (1) relative to the automatic pedal (3), from the rear to the front of the pedal (direction indicated by arrow) while maintaining contact between the underside of the monolithic sole (2) and the face of the clipless pedal (3) where the front and rear attachments (10, 11) are located until engaged of the front connection means (14) of the front cleat (4) in the front attachment device (10), followed by a movement of the heel (indicated by the small arrow) from top to bottom which causes the insertion of the rear wedge (5) in the rear attachment device (11) of said automatic pedal (3).

Figure 9 shows that the front and rear hollows (6, 7) respectively form a front bump (17) and a rear bump (18) on the top face of the monolithic sole (2). The rear bump (18) is located at the natural hollow of the user's arch of the foot and the front bump (17) is located in the natural hollow of the user's phalanges. The contact between the foot and the front and rear bumps (17, 18) is thus not very disturbing, which preserves the comfort of the user. Referring to Figure 10, the monolithic sole (2) according to the invention is partially covered by a coating (19) of rubber or similar type, adherent and resistant to abrasion. The support zones of the monolithic sole (2) on the automatic pedal (3) during the pedaling phase and during the shoe hooking and unhooking phases (1) are spared by the coating (19).

In another embodiment, the thickness of the monolithic sole (2) is such that its top surface is smooth. The front and rear hollows (6, 7) are embedded in the thickness of said monolithic sole (2) and the bumps (17, 18) are therefore no longer present in this embodiment.

In a different embodiment, the protrusion (8) is integrated into the rear wedge (5), the rear connecting means (15) and the protrusion (8) then forming a single piece.

According to another embodiment, the rear hollow does not open out and stops near the internal lateral side of the monolithic sole (2), the distance between the two lateral edges of the rear hollow (7) is such as to allow the boot to be released.

According to another embodiment, the front hollow (6) opens onto the front end of the sole.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 11, the monolithic sole (2) according to the invention comprises two side walls (20), a front wall (21) completely or partially covering the toes and a rear wall (22) covering. in whole or in part the heel, the whole being in one piece.

The other cited embodiments can be combined or replace certain features described in the main embodiment.

The invention described is particularly well suited to the practice of sport cycling on roads and on gravel paths, including cycle tourism.

As indicated above, the sole, the assembly and the shoe possibly in association with the automatic pedal are mainly intended for road or "gravel" cycling. The sole must be rigid in order to transmit the cyclist's efforts on the pedals as efficiently as possible. The sole is therefore more rigid than the equivalent sole found in mountain biking or mountain biking with the exception of "cross-country" shoes.

Today, road cycling shoes for competition and for the discerning enthusiast are almost all formed by a rigid sole which defines on its surface three or more holes which are fixing holes for a triangular cleat also called a delta cleat. This configuration allows for a monolithic sole that is sufficiently rigid to ensure good power transfer. The cleat is mounted projecting from the underside of the sole to be fixed on the pedal.

Unfortunately, this configuration is not optimal. In order to increase the efficiency of the power transmission between the rider and the crankset, it is particularly advantageous that the distance between the foot and the axis of rotation of the pedal is as weak as possible so that the maximum power is transmitted during the rotation of the pedal.

Consequently, it is of particular interest to modify the configurations of the soles of the prior art in order to obtain a sole of low thickness while being sufficiently rigid for its use in road cycling.

An alternative sole embodiment has been disclosed in document US Pat. No. 4,893,420 which proposes to use a single triangular wedge disposed in a cavity hollowed out inside the sole. However, it appears that this embodiment is difficult to implement and does not provide the desired advantages.

In fact, in classic road cycling shoes, the nuts are embedded in the thickness of the sole under the metatarsal area so that the sole thickness is conventionally equal to or greater than 6 mm to ensure good fixation of the cleat. triangular on the sole. Document US 4,893,420 using a conventional integration of the cleat fixing nuts, it emerges that the thickness of the sole facing the metatarsal zone of the foot is substantially equal to that of conventional shoes and that the sole is thicker all around of the hold. This integration may be interesting for cycle touring where the user can walk regularly, but it does not improve the efficiency of the power transmission between the foot and the crankset.

It also appears that the more rigid the sole, the more difficult it is to walk because the shoe does not bend much and the triangular wedge forming the front and rear wedges is particularly slippery, which can lead to falls. With conventional shoes of the prior art, the wedge mounted under the metatarsal area of the foot forms the main point of contact between the ground and the cyclist so that during the walking operation the plastic wedge forms the pivot point which can slip. In order to reduce the risk of falling, it is classic to integrate crampons under the sole.

As indicated above, to improve the transmission of forces between the rider and the pedal, it is preferable to reduce the thickness of the the interface between the foot and the pedal and in particular between the axis of rotation of the pedal and the metatarsal zone of the foot.

The sole has a lower face intended to bear on an upper face of the pedal. The sole has an upper face intended to receive the cyclist's foot and opposite the lower face. The upper side can be covered with one or more layers of comfort. The sole also has opposing inner and outer faces.

The sole defines a first so-called front hollow cavity 6 which is intended to receive a front wedge 4. The sole defines a second so-called rear hollow cavity 7 which is intended to receive a rear wedge 5. The front wedge 4 and the rear wedge 5 can be made of metal or polymer material or composite material. As illustrated in Figures 1, 3, 5, 7, 8 and 9, it is particularly advantageous that the bearing surface on the pedal is formed by the sole. The metatarsal zone 9 of the cleat bears against the upper surface of the pedal so as to form a contact zone ensuring good power transfer. It is particularly advantageous for the curvature of the sole to be identical or substantially identical to that of the upper face of the pedal in order to have an extended contact zone between the sole and the pedal and thus facilitate the transmission of forces.

While the configurations of the prior art provide that the pedal is fixed to the sole by one or more fixing wedges which separate the sole and the pedal, the illustrated configuration provides that the metatarsal zone of the pedal comes to bear directly on the foot. pedal, that is to say without the force supplied by the foot on the pedal passing through the cleat in the downward phases of pedaling.

The metatarsal area 9 of the sole is located between the front hollow 6 and the rear hollow 7. The metatarsal area is preferably devoid of any fixing means, and for example of the nuts that are conventionally encountered in the soles of the art. prior. It is then possible to form a metatarsal zone whose thickness is less than in the prior art, for example less than 4mm, preferably less than 2mm.

Preferably, the front hollow 6 and the rear hollow 7 are separated by the metatarsal zone 9 of the sole intended to come into vis-à-vis the metatarsals. of the foot of a user, the metatarsal zone forming the contact zone 9 with the automatic pedal 3. The metatarsal zone is devoid of fixing element 16 of the front cleat 6 and of the rear cleat 7, the zone thickness metatarsal being less than or equal to 4mm.

In a privileged manner, the metatarsal zone is formed by a constant thickness.

In order to have a thin and rigid metatarsal area, it is particularly advantageous to offset the front wedge and the rear wedge from the positions conventionally used. It is advantageous to shift the front cleat towards the front of the foot until it comes in front of the knuckles. It is advantageous to shift the rear wedge towards the back of the foot to face the arch of the foot.

It is particularly advantageous to lean on the metatarsal zone 9 instead of leaning on a wedge mounted to project from the sole because this makes it possible to reduce the distance between the foot and the pedal. However, it is also interesting to choose a sole configuration that allows you to keep a low sole thickness as well as a low mass.

It is advantageous to provide that the first cavity or front hollow 6 is located opposite the phalanges and forms a first protuberance on the upper face of the sole. The first protuberance is in front of the phalanges, that is to say in an area where the support of the foot during the force transmission phase is weak. It is also advantageous to provide that the second cavity or rear hollow 7 is located facing the arch of the foot. Here again, the possible second protuberance formed on the upper face of the sole and linked to the second cavity fills part of the hollow formed by the arch of the foot. The second cavity opens out only on the internal face of the sole.

The protuberances linked to the integration of the wedges in the thickness of the sole are formed in suitable areas of the sole.

In order to reduce the height of the first protuberance and / or of the second protuberance, it is advantageous to form a top wall of the cavity with a thickness less than the adjacent thickness of the sole around the hollow. Since the top wall of the cavity has little effect on the mechanical strength of the associated wedge, the thickness of the top wall can be reduced by at least 30% in relation to the thickness of the sole around the hollow. It is even more advantageous to divide the thickness by at least a factor of two.

Preferably, the sole is rigid, that is to say, it is dimensionally stable when walking with a shoe comprising said sole. In order to maintain a rigid sole and low weight, it is preferable that the sole is not perforated over its entire width, which prevents deformation of the sole and therefore reduces the transmission of forces.

In order to ensure good transmission of forces, when pedaling, it is advantageous for the area under the heel to have a rib, which increases rigidity.

In this construction, the foot is only separated from the upper face of the pedal by the sole and possibly a few comfort layers mounted on the upper face of the sole. The configuration presented makes it possible to form a metatarsal zone whose thickness is less than 4mm, that is to say much less than the conventional thickness of a nut which secures the wedge.

In an advantageous configuration, the metatarsal zone 9 can optionally be covered with a reinforcing layer intended to protect the metatarsal zone 9 when the user walks with the sole. The reinforcing layer may optionally connect the front wedge to the rear wedge. The backing layer can also facilitate the sliding of the metatarsal area relative to the pedal. It is also possible to integrate the reinforcing layer directly into the sole, for example by overmolding. Advantageously, the thickness of the reinforcing layer is less than 1 mm.

As illustrated in Figures 1, 3, 5, 7, 8 and 9, it is particularly advantageous for the underside of the sole 2 to be curved or substantially planar. By "curve" is meant that the underside of the sole rises from the metatarsal area to the front tip of the sole.

It is also preferable that the lower surface of the front wedge is flush with the lower surface of the sole or even be slightly sunk into the thickness of the sole. It is also advantageous that the lower surface of the wedge rear or inside the sole, that is to say that it protrudes from the lower surface of the sole outside the rear hollow or even is mounted flush.

The front wedge is held in the sole by means of a fixing system, for example a screw. It is preferable that the front wedge comes to rest on the side faces of the first cavity, that is to say along the width of the sole without necessarily resting on the bottom wall.

This configuration is mechanically more resistant than a wedge mounted on the sole.

The rear wedge is held in the sole by means of a fixing system, for example a screw. It is preferable that the rear wedge comes to bear on the side faces of the first cavity.

In the illustrated configuration, the front and rear wedges take advantage of the lateral faces of the cavities to increase the mechanical strength imparted by the sole and thus ensure better shear resistance during the separation operations between the sole and the pedal.

In this way, part of the pedal fits into the thickness of the sole. When the thickness of the sole is low, it is possible that the front hollow and / or rear hollow have a height greater than the thickness of the sole. In this case, the lower face of the sole in the front and / or rear hollow is located in a plane above the plane defined by the upper face of the sole around the associated protuberance. In other words, the metatarsal area has a thickness between the upper surface and the lower surface that is less than or equal to the depth of the rear hollow. The protuberance makes it possible to reinforce the sole.

Part of the thickness of the protuberance can be compensated by the comfort layer (s) which are arranged on the upper face of the sole to separate the foot and the sole.

As indicated above, it is advantageous for the sole to be in one piece, that is to say formed by a single piece. It is also advantageous for the sole to include only the front cavity and the rear cavity.

In the various exemplary embodiments illustrated, the integration of the front and rear wedges inside the thickness of the sole makes it possible to have a zone metatarsal without insert, wedge or other protruding elements. The metatarsal zone of the sole is preferably flat or flat in order to allow the formation of a larger contact zone with the pedal.

In one embodiment, the sole is made entirely of a composite material, for example of carbon fiber. It is also possible to provide a molded sole.

The sole may include means for adjusting the front cleat along the longitudinal axis of the sole so as to bring the front cleat towards the front tip of the sole or towards the heel of the sole. The sole may include means for adjusting the rear wedge along the longitudinal axis of the sole so as to bring the rear wedge towards the front tip of the sole or towards the heel of the sole.

The sole cooperates with a so-called automatic pedal pedal which has front and rear attachment devices 10, 11 which are intended to cooperate respectively with the front cleat 4 and the rear cleat 5. The pedal has a body with a rotation shaft which is intended to attach to the bike. The body revolves around the rotating shaft.

The body defines a support surface which receives the metatarsal zone 9. During pedaling, the metatarsal zone 9 presses on the support surface which turns the crankset. The front attachment device and the rear attachment device are separated by the support surface and by the rotating shaft.

Preferably, the metatarsal zone of the sole comes to rest on the support surface and a front part of the sole comes to bear on a front part of the body. It is also advantageous for the rear part of the sole to rest against a rear part of the body.

Advantageously, the body defines a cradle with the front and rear attachment devices 10, 11 mounted protruding. The body is preferably curved with a curvature identical or substantially identical to that of the front part of the sole. In this way, when the sole presses on the pedal, it has a larger bearing surface than the configurations of the prior art. which facilitates the transmission of a significant force on the rotation shaft and therefore on the crankset.

The illustrated configuration makes it possible to form a rigid sole while being thin, of low mass. By way of example, the application of a force of 25N applied to 170mm from the metatarsal zone facing the rotation shaft of the pedal results in a displacement less than or equal to 10mm, the metatarsal zone 9 being embedded . The effort and displacement are applied and measured at 170mm towards the heel to represent pedaling effort.

The automatic pedal and the assembly formed by the sole and the front and rear cleats form a kit that facilitates the transmission of pedaling forces.

The front hollow 6 and the rear hollow 7 respectively receive the front attachment device 10 and the rear attachment device 11 of the automatic pedal 3. The automatic pedal has a support area disposed between the front attachment device 10 and the rear attachment device 11 and facing a rotation shaft of the automatic pedal 3, the contact area 9 resting on the support area.

The particular configuration of the sole with the front and rear cleats allows a more efficient fixation on the automatic pedal. The fixing kinematics remain conventional in order to facilitate their acceptance by the public. The process comprises the following steps:

- provide the assembly and the automatic pedal,

- fix the front chock with the front attachment device,

- fix the rear cleat with the rear attachment device, the metatarsal area of the sole coming into direct contact with the support area of the automatic pedal.

Claims

1. Assembly composed of a monolithic sole (2) rigid plastic or composite material of a cycling shoe (1), a front cleat (4) comprising a front connecting means (14) adapted to cooperate with a front attachment device (10) of an automatic pedal (3) and a rear cleat (5) comprising a rear connection means (15) capable of cooperating with a rear attachment device (11) of said automatic pedal (3), said wedges being fixed to the underside of said monolithic sole (2) characterized in that said monolithic sole (2) comprises on its underside a front hollow (6) located between the front end of said monolithic sole (2) and the contact zone (9) with the automatic pedal (3) and substantially in the middle of the width of said monolithic sole (2); and a rear hollow (7) positioned substantially in the middle of the length and the width of said monolithic sole (2) and opening out on at least one of the lateral sides; said front hollow (6) and said rear hollow (7) are dimensioned to receive respectively the front attachment device (10) and the rear attachment device (11) of said automatic pedal (3) and to respectively receive the cleat front (4) and the rear wedge (5) so that they are fully integrated into the depth of said front and rear hollows (6, 7).

2. Assembly according to the preceding claim characterized in that the front wedge (4) is in contact with the rear edge (12) of the front hollow (6) and in that the front connecting means (14) of said front wedge ( 4) is oriented towards the front of said monolithic sole (2).

3. Assembly according to one of the preceding claims characterized in that the rear wedge (5) is in contact with the front edge (13) of the rear hollow (7) and in that the rear connecting means (15) of said rear wedge (5) is oriented towards the rear of said monolithic sole (2).

4. Assembly according to one of the preceding claims characterized in that the front hollow (6) and the rear hollow (7) each have at least one hole passing through the thickness of the monolithic sole (2), said hole being able to cooperate with the fixing element (16).

5. Assembly according to one of the preceding claims characterized in that the front edge of the rear hollow (7) comprises a protrusion (8) projecting into said rear hollow (7) and located between the rear wedge (5) and the side. side of the monolithic sole (2) into which said rear hollow (7) opens out; said protuberance (8) being adapted to push the rear attachment device (11) of the automatic pedal (3) towards the rear of said monolithic sole (2) during a phase of unhooking the shoe (1).

6. Assembly according to one of the preceding claims characterized in that the underside of the monolithic sole (2) is covered with an adherent coating (19) except the front hollow (6), the rear hollow (7) and the zone in contact with the automatic pedal (3) during the phases of pedaling, hooking up and unhooking of the shoe (1).

7. Assembly according to one of the preceding claims characterized in that the front hollow (6) and the rear hollow (7) are separated by the metatarsal zone (9) of the sole intended to come into vis-à-vis the metatarsals of the foot of a user, the metatarsal area forming the contact area (9) with the automatic pedal (3) and in that the metatarsal area is devoid of the fixing element (16) of the front cleat (6) and of the rear wedge (7), the thickness of the metatarsal zone being less than or equal to 4mm.

8. Assembly according to one of the preceding claims characterized in that the underside of the front wedge (4) and the underside of the rear wedge (5) are flush with the underside of the sole or is in the thickness of the sole and in that the front wedge (4) and the rear wedge (5) are separated by the metatarsal zone of the sole intended to come opposite the metatarsals of the foot of a user, the metatarsal zone forming the contact zone (9) with the automatic pedal (3).

9. Assembly according to one of the preceding claims characterized in that the front hollow (6) is intended to come into vis-à-vis the phalanges of the foot of a user and in that the rear hollow (7) is intended to come vis-à-vis the arch of the foot of a user.

10. Assembly according to the preceding claim characterized in that the front hollow (6) and the rear hollow (7) respectively form a first protuberance and a second protuberance on the upper face of the sole, the first protuberance being intended to come into view. -à -vis the phalanges of the foot of a user and the second protuberance being intended to come into vis-à-vis the arch of the foot of a user.

11. Assembly according to the preceding claim characterized in that the metatarsal zone has a thickness between the upper face and the lower face which is less than or equal to the depth of the rear hollow (7).

12. Kit comprising an automatic pedal and an assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the front hollow (6) and the rear hollow (7) respectively receive the front attachment device (10) and the device. rear attachment (11) of said automatic pedal (3), the automatic pedal having a support area arranged between the front attachment device (10) and the rear attachment device (11) and facing a rotation shaft of the automatic pedal (3), the contact area (9) resting on the support area.

13. A method of fixing an assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 11 with an automatic pedal (3) having a support area disposed between a front attachment device (10) and a rear attachment device ( 11) and facing a rotation shaft of the automatic pedal (3), the method comprising the following steps:

- provide the assembly and the automatic pedal (3),

- fix the front chock (4) with the front attachment device (10),

- fix the rear cleat (5) with the rear attachment device (11), the metatarsal area (9) of the sole (2) coming into direct contact with the support area of the automatic pedal (3).