Bicycle pedal mounting device

Abstract

To provide a mounting device for a bicycle pedal, which allows the pedal to be attached and detached with a single operation and has a locking and retaining function of a locking body corresponding to the rotational movement and sliding movement of a stopper collar. [Solution] The mounting device for bicycle pedals is composed of a receiver that is attached to the pedal shaft attachment hole of the pedal crank, and a pedal shaft that has an engagement recess on its outer periphery into which an engagement body 6 engages. The receiver is composed of a threaded collar 5 into which the pedal shaft is inserted, an engagement body 6 that is attached to a through hole 7 formed in the threaded collar 5, and a stopper collar 8 and coil spring 13 that are slidably attached to the outside of the threaded collar 5 and engage and release the engagement body 6 with the pedal shaft. A spiral groove 12 is formed in the stopper collar 8, and the engagement between the engagement body 6 and the engagement recess of the pedal shaft is released by rotating the stopper collar as a protrusion 11 provided on the threaded collar moves.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] This invention relates to a mounting device for bicycle pedals. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventional bicycle pedals have threads on the pedal shaft and pedal crank, and are secured in place by tightening the threads on both. In this type of structure, only someone with bicycle maintenance skills can install the pedals. However, in recent years, bicycle sales routes have shifted from bicycle specialty stores to mass retailers, and there is a demand for mass retailers to eliminate the need for technicians. There is also a demand for products that allow purchasers without technical skills to install the pedals through mail order sales, and that allow products to be shipped with the pedals removed. Heavy bicycle users may wish to change pedals to suit their riding conditions, but conventional pedals require tools and time to attach and detach, and so pedals that can be easily attached and detached are desired.

[0003] To solve these problems, the applicant previously proposed a pedal mounting device that does not require tools (JP Patent Publication No. 2000-289680 and JP Patent Publication No. 2008-55935). These inventions are configured by combining a pedal shaft having a locking body protruding from the peripheral surface of a receiving device that is attached to the pedal shaft mounting hole of the pedal crank and a locking recess provided on the outer periphery into which the locking body engages.The receiving device has a threaded collar into which the pedal shaft is inserted and a locking body attached to a through hole formed in the threaded collar, and a stopper collar attached to the outside of the threaded collar for locking and releasing the locking body to the pedal shaft.

[0004] Here, in the invention of JP 2000-289680 A, in order to lock and release the locking body, the lock between the locking body and the locking recess is released by sliding a stopper collar. Since the locking body was held in place solely by the sliding of the stopper collar, there was a risk of the pedal coming off accidentally. In order to solve this problem, in the invention of JP 2008-55935 A, the stopper collar is rotated to align the position of the protrusion on the screw collar with the position of the groove on the stopper collar, and then the stopper collar is slid to release the engagement between the locking body and the locking recess. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2000-289680 [Patent Document 2] Patent Publication No. 2008-55935 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In the invention of JP 2008-55935 A mentioned above, the locking body is held in the locking position by the rotational movement and sliding of the stopper collar, eliminating the risk of the pedal accidentally falling off. However, when attaching or removing the pedal, two operations are required: rotating the stopper collar to align the protrusion on the screw collar with the groove in the stopper collar, and sliding the stopper collar. The object of this invention is to enable the pedal to be attached and detached with a single operation, and to obtain a locking and retaining function of the locking body which corresponds to the rotational movement and sliding movement of the stopper collar. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The pedal mounting device of this invention is constituted by combining a receiving device that is attached to the pedal shaft mounting hole of the pedal crank with a pedal shaft that has a locking recess on its outer periphery into which a locking body is locked. The receiving device is composed of a threaded collar having an inner diameter equal to the outer diameter of the pedal shaft, a locking body that is fitted into a through hole formed in the threaded collar and locks into a locking recess of the pedal shaft, a stopper collar that is fitted to the outside of the threaded collar, and a coil spring that is fitted between the threaded collar and the stopper collar.

[0008] The stopper collar is provided with an annular stopper protrusion that presses the locking body to hold the locking body in an engaged state in the locking recess of the pedal shaft, a protrusion is provided on the outside of the threaded collar, and a groove into which the protrusion fits is provided spirally on the inner wall of the stopper collar from the tip side to the back of the stopper collar, so that by rotating the stopper collar, the stopper collar moves in the direction of the threaded collar, guided by the protrusion fitted in the groove. The coil spring installed between the screw collar and the stopper collar is arranged to bias the stopper collar in the axial direction away from the screw collar, and also bias the stopper collar in the rotational direction away from the screw collar (the biasing directions are shown by arrows a and b in Figure 2). With this configuration, a bicycle pedal mounting device is created in which the locking body is engaged with the locking recess of the pedal and the lock is released by rotating the stopper collar to move the stopper collar into and out of engagement with the threaded collar.

[0009] It is considered appropriate for the spiral groove to have its base end open at the edge of the stopper collar and extend over an angle of about 90 degrees from the base end to the terminal end, but this is not limiting.

[0010] When the spiral groove is open to the edge of the stopper collar, it is preferable to provide a locking recess in the edge of the stopper collar adjacent to the opening of the groove, into which the protrusion of the threaded collar can be locked. When the pedal is fixed, the protrusion of the threaded collar can be locked in the locking recess, which more reliably prevents the stopper collar from rotating accidentally.

[0011] The spiral groove may be closed at the end, in which case the projection of the threaded collar may be supported by a spring so as to be movable in and out of the groove.

[0012] The locking body is preferably a sphere, but any shape can be adopted as long as it can enter and exit through a through hole formed in the threaded collar and can be locked into the locking recess of the pedal shaft. The number of through holes or locking bodies is preferably more than one, and in particular, if the locking bodies are spherical, it is preferable that there are four or more, but there is no restriction on the number. The locking recess of the pedal shaft is not limited to being annular, but may be discontinuous. Effect of the Invention

[0013] (Pedal installation) First, attach the receiving device to the pedal crank. In a normal state, the stopper collar is in a position separated from the thread collar by the force of the coil spring (locking position A in Fig. 3). At this time, the stopper protrusion of the stopper collar is in a position facing the locking body, and the locking body is pressed down by the stopper protrusion and protrudes from the through hole of the thread collar. When the stopper collar is pressed in the opposite direction of the arrow a and rotated in the opposite direction of the arrow b, the protrusion on the threaded collar and the spiral groove on the stopper collar cause the stopper collar to approach the threaded collar (release position B in Figure 3). This movement moves the locking body into the recess formed on the rear of the stopper collar, and the locking body is released from being pressed down by the stopper protrusion.

[0014] In this state, when the pedal shaft is inserted into the threaded collar through the opening of the stopper collar and the stopper collar is released, the force of the coil screw causes the stopper collar to move in the directions of the arrows a and b. This movement causes the stopper collar to move away from the threaded collar (locking position A in Figure 3), and the locking body is pushed down by the stopper protrusion and locks into the locking recess of the pedal, fixing the pedal in place.

[0015] At this time, the force of the coil spring acts on the stopper collar in the axial direction and in the rotational direction in a direction away from the threaded collar, so that the stopper collar will not move accidentally and release the engagement between the locking body and the locking recess of the pedal.

[0016] (Removing the pedals) When the stopper collar is pushed in the opposite direction of the arrow a and rotated in the opposite direction of the arrow b to bring the stopper collar closer to the threaded collar, the locking body moves into the recess of the stopper collar and the locking body is released from the protrusion of the stopper. In this state, the pedal can be pulled out. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of an outline of an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the receiver in the unlocked state. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THEINVENTION

[0018] An embodiment of this invention will be described below.

[0019] In the figure, a locking recess 2 is formed in an annular shape on the pedal shaft 1 of the pedal A, and this locking recess 2 is releasably engaged with a receiving device 4 fixed to a pedal crank 3 so that the pedal A is fixed to the pedal crank 3.

[0020] The specific configuration of the receiving tool 4 is as follows. A mounting hole is provided at the tip of the pedal crank 3 into which the pedal shaft is attached, and a threaded groove is provided on the inner wall of this mounting hole. A cylindrical threaded collar 5 is attached to this threaded groove by screwing into a threaded groove 5a provided on the outer wall of its base. The peripheral wall of the threaded collar 5 has four through holes 7 for mounting the locking bodies 6 formed at equal intervals on the same circumference, and a spherical locking body 6 is mounted in each of these through holes 7.

[0021] A stopper collar 8 is attached to the outside of the threaded collar 5. A stopper protrusion 9 for pressing the locking body 6 toward the locking recess 2 of the pedal shaft 1 is formed in an annular shape on the pedal side of the stopper collar 8, and a recess 10 is formed behind the stopper protrusion 9 (pedal side) to allow the locking body 6 to escape from the locking recess 2. The recess 10 is sized so that the locking body 6 does not fall out of the through hole 7 of the threaded collar 5 when the stopper collar 8 is slid towards the crank. The screw collar 5, the locking body 6, the stopper collar 8, and the coil spring 13 mounted between the screw collar 5 and the stopper collar 8 constitute the receiver 4.

[0022] A protrusion 11 is provided on the thread groove 5a side of the screw collar 5, and a groove 12 in which the protrusion 11 can move is provided in a spiral shape on the crank side peripheral wall of the stopper collar 8 to enable axial movement of the stopper collar 8 to be guided. The base end of this groove 12 opens at the tip edge of the stopper collar 8, and the terminal end is located on the rear side of the stopper collar 8, and is formed over an angle of approximately 90 degrees. A slightly recessed locking recess 14 is provided adjacent to the opening of the groove 12, into which the protrusion 11 of the screw collar 5 is locked.

[0023] The coil spring 13 mounted between the threaded collar 5 and the stopper collar 8 is biased in the axial and rotational directions (arrows a, b) so that the threaded collar 5 and the stopper collar 8 move away from each other. In the normal state, the force of the coil spring causes the stopper collar 8 to have its stopper protrusion 9 facing the locking body 6, which is pressed down by the locking body 6 and is locked in the locking recess 2 of the pedal shaft. At this time, the projection 11 of the threaded collar 5 is located at the opening edge of the locking recess 14 of the stopper collar 8.

[0024] When the stopper collar 8 is pushed in the opposite direction of the arrow a while being rotated 90 degrees in the opposite direction of the arrow b, the protrusion 11 moves through the groove 12 formed in the peripheral wall of the stopper collar 8, the stopper collar 8 moves in a direction approaching the screw collar 5, and the stopper convex portion 9 moves from its position facing the locking body 6, causing the locking body 6 to enter the recess 10 and releasing the recessed pressure on the locking body 6.

[0025] In the figure, reference numeral 15 denotes a groove for mounting the coil spring, and 16 denotes a C-ring for regulating the position of the stopper collar.

[0026] A method of using the mounting device of this embodiment will now be described. When attaching the pedal A, the stopper collar 8 is rotated while being pushed in against the coil spring 13. This operation brings the stopper collar 8 close to the screw collar 5, and the stopper protrusion 9 of the stopper collar 8 moves toward the crank, releasing the pressure applied by the stopper protrusion 9 to the locking body 6. In this state, the pedal shaft 1 is inserted into the threaded collar 5, and then the stopper collar 8 is released and the force of the coil spring 13 returns the stopper collar 8 to its original position, whereupon the locking body 6 is pressed by the stopper protrusion 9 and locks into the locking recess 2 of the pedal shaft. At this time, the projection 11 of the threaded collar 5 is positioned at the opening edge of the locking recess 14 of the stopper collar 8.

[0027] When the rider is riding the bicycle with the pedals attached, if the rider's shoe hits stopper collar 8 and a force is applied to the stopper collar in a direction that releases the pedal (which is almost unthinkable), protrusion 11 will engage with locking recess 14, preventing rotation of the stopper collar and preventing the pedal from coming off.

[0028] When removing the pedal A, the stopper collar 8 is pressed and rotated to release the pressure on the locking body 6, and then the pedal shaft 1 is pulled out, as described above.

[0029] In the above, the pedal can be attached or detached simply by pressing and rotating the stopper collar 8. On the other hand, the stopper collar 8 is biased by the coil spring 13 with axial and rotational forces in a direction away from the screw collar 5. Axial and rotational forces are required to release the locked state. And since it is difficult to imagine that forces in both directions would be accidentally applied, it is difficult to imagine that a pedal attached by this device would come off due to an accidental force during use. [Industrial Applicability]

[0030] According to this device, a coil spring attached between the screw collar and the stopper collar applies axial and rotational forces between them, so that when removing an attached pedal, it is necessary to apply forces in both directions simultaneously. Therefore, the risk of the pedal coming off due to an unexpected force is eliminated as much as possible, and the device has industrial applicability as an easy-to-remove and safe pedal attachment device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0031] A Pedal 1 Pedal shaft 2 Locking recess 3. Crank 4. Receiving tool 5 Screw collar 6 Locking body 7 Through hole 8 Stopper Color 9 Stopper protrusion 10 Recess 11 Protrusions 12 grooves 13 Coil spring 14 Locking recess

Claims

1. The pedal crank is provided with a pedal shaft mounting hole, and the pedal shaft has a locking recess on its outer periphery, into which the locking body is locked. The receiving tool is The pedal shaft is made up of a threaded collar having an inner diameter equal to the outer diameter of the pedal axle, a locking body attached to a through hole formed in the threaded collar, a stopper collar slidably attached to the outside of the threaded collar, and a coil spring attached between the threaded collar and the stopper collar. the stopper collar is provided with an annular stopper protrusion for pressing the locking body to hold the locking body in an engaged state with the locking recess of the pedal shaft, A protrusion is provided on the outside of the thread collar, and a groove into which the protrusion fits is provided on the inner wall of the stopper collar in a spiral shape from the tip side of the stopper collar toward the back, so that by rotating the stopper collar, the stopper collar moves toward and away from the thread collar, guided by the protrusion fitted in the groove, The coil spring biases the stopper collar in the axial direction away from the threaded collar, and biases the stopper collar in the rotational direction away from the threaded collar, The stopper collar is rotated to separate the stopper collar from the threaded collar, whereby the locking body is locked to the locking recess of the pedal, and the locking is released. A mounting device for bicycle pedals.

2. 2. The bicycle pedal mounting device according to claim 1, wherein the groove has a base end that opens into the edge of the stopper collar and extends over an angle of approximately 90 degrees to its terminal end.

3. 3. The bicycle pedal mounting device according to claim 2, wherein an engaging recess is provided on an end edge of the stopper collar adjacent to an opening of the groove, into which the protrusion of the threaded collar engages.

4. 3. The bicycle pedal mounting device according to claim 1, wherein the locking member is a sphere.

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