Clipless Pedal Adapter for Regular Shoes and Easy Release
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cycling with regular shoes on clipless pedals is inconvenient and unsafe due to the need for cleats, and existing solutions like the Fly Pedals are difficult to decouple and require additional cleats, limiting their usability and purpose.
Innovation Solution
A bicycle pedal adapter that can be easily and manually coupled and decoupled from clipless pedals, designed to be flat and wide for secure grip, with restraining members to prevent rotation and a simple manufacturing process using injection molding, allowing safe use with normal shoes without cleats.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a cleat adapter is mounted on a normal cleat (like Fly Pedals), then the adapter can be used with regular shoes, but the user has to buy extra cleats or change cleats between cycling modes, which undoes the purpose of the adapter
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the adapter functionality from the cleat system entirely. The adapter body (1) directly engages with the clamping members (14, 20) of the clipless pedal without requiring any cleat attachment. This eliminates the need for separate cleats or cleat changing, allowing continuous use with regular shoes while maintaining the ability to switch to cleated shoes when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The adapter serves multiple functions: it enables regular shoes to be used on clipless pedals, provides a flat stable platform for foot placement, maintains engagement with the pedal mechanism, and allows easy switching between cycling modes. The universal design eliminates the need for different cleat configurations for different shoe types.
2Ease of operation
If the adapter is designed to be manually decoupled from the pedal, then ease of operation is improved, but the coupling mechanism becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling mechanism is designed to be dynamic rather than static. The adapter body (1) can transition between engaged and disengaged states with simple manual manipulation. The geometry of the adapter allows it to snap into engagement with the clamping members and just as easily release when pressure is applied, providing both secure coupling and easy decoupling without complex mechanisms.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the adapter is made flat with large width-to-height ratio, then stability and grip are improved, but the adapter becomes more prone to rotation around its central axis
Solution Approach 1:
The adapter incorporates asymmetric features in the form of restraining members (25, 32) that extend laterally from the adapter body. These members create an asymmetric engagement geometry with the pedal mechanism that prevents rotational movement around the central axis while maintaining the flat stable platform needed for foot grip and placement.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a bicycle pedal adapter (1) configured to be clicked onto a bicycle pedal which is intended and constructed to be used for a bicycle shoe having a cleat, wherein the bicycle pedal adapter is configured to convert the bicycle pedal to a bicycle pedal suitable to be used with a normal shoe without a cleat. The bicycle pedal adapter (1) comprising a top wall comprising a foot support surface and a bottom surface, a coupling for connecting the pedal adapter to the bicycle pedal, the coupling comprising a front (13) and rear coupling part (19).