Cleat Base Assembly Blind Alignment via Conical Guides
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The engagement of footwear-mounted cleats with bicycle pedals is notoriously difficult due to the hidden nature of both components, requiring blind alignment and relying on tactile feedback, which is awkward and potentially dangerous, especially with smaller pedals that further complicate the process.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves a cleat and pedal assembly with forward and rearward cleat edges and guides extending at angles from the cleat edges, creating a larger landing region and frusto-conical shape to facilitate blind engagement, using materials with hardness greater than hardened steel for secure contact, and a base assembly with curved base edges to securely couple the cleat edges, allowing for easier alignment and engagement without precise positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If the cleat and pedal are made smaller to reduce weight and improve performance, then the engagement becomes more difficult due to reduced target area, but reducing size is necessary for performance optimization
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extends the engagement interface from a simple point contact to a three-dimensional frusto-conical geometry. The conical guides create a volumetric engagement zone rather than a planar contact surface, allowing smaller cleats to engage more easily through geometric guidance along the conical surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The conical guides act as an intermediary geometric feature between the cleat and pedal body. This intermediate structure provides a gradual engagement path that mediates the connection, allowing the cleat to be guided into proper alignment and engagement without requiring precise direct alignment between the cleat and pedal center.
2Measurement precision
If the rider looks down at the pedals to facilitate engagement, then alignment precision improves, but safety deteriorates due to distraction from the road
Solution Approach 1:
The frusto-conical guides provide self-aligning engagement that works automatically without rider intervention. The geometric shape of the guides naturally guides the cleat into proper alignment as it approaches the pedal, eliminating the need for the rider to visually monitor the engagement process while maintaining high alignment precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the engagement interface by introducing conical surfaces with specific angles. This geometric parameter change creates a self-guiding engagement mechanism that maintains precision alignment through shape complementarity rather than relying on rider positioning or visual feedback.
3Device complexity
If traditional flat engagement surfaces are used, then the structure is simple, but engagement requires precise alignment which is difficult to achieve blindly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces flat planar surfaces with curved conical surfaces for the engagement interface. The frusto-conical geometry provides curved guidance surfaces that naturally direct the cleat into proper alignment, eliminating the need for precise alignment while adding only moderate structural complexity compared to flat surfaces.
Data Source
AI summary
A cleat and base assembly for permitting blind alignment and engagement to one another. The cleat is disposed on an underside of a shoe sole and includes a forward cleat engagement edge and a rearward cleat engagement edge displaced at a distance along a longitudinal axis of the shoe sole. The base assembly can be provided on a bicycle pedal and includes a forward base engagement edge and a rearward base engagement edge configured to releasably retain or couple the forward and rearward cleat engagement edges, respectively. A pair of guides are disposed at angles relative to the longitudinal axis of the shoe sole, the pair of guides converging at opposing sides of one of the forward or rearward clear engagement edges to permit blind alignment and engagement of the cleat to the base assembly.