Clipless Bicycle Pedal Structure for Lower Foot-to-Pivot Distance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing clipless bicycle pedals suffer from inefficiencies in power transmission due to the distance between the cyclist's foot and the pedal's pivot point, often requiring adapter plates that increase discomfort and hinder natural foot motion.
Innovation Solution
A bicycle pedal design featuring a rotating shaft with an annular groove and a body that rotates around it, with primary and secondary connectors that minimize translational movement, allowing direct contact between the shoe sole and the pedal body, and a shoe sole with recesses for connectors to reduce distance and enhance power transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a rotating shaft passes completely through the pedal body with a locking mechanism, then the pedal body can be securely fixed to the shaft, but the structure becomes non-compact and increases the distance between the foot and the pivot point
Solution Approach 1:
The pedal body is received within a cavity of the pedal shoe, with the rotating shaft extending into this cavity. The shaft has an annular groove that receives a retention element, creating a nested arrangement where the shaft is nested within the body cavity rather than passing through the entire structure. This nesting approach secures the shaft while maintaining structural compactness.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism (retention element) is extracted from the traditional through-shaft configuration and repositioned to engage with the annular groove on the shaft within the body cavity. This extraction allows the shaft to be secured without extending through the entire pedal structure, reducing overall complexity and improving compactness.
2Ease of operation
If adapter plates are used to connect the shoe sole to the pedal body, then connection is achieved, but the distance between the foot and the pedal's pivot point increases, reducing power transmission efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The adapter plate function is merged directly into the pedal body structure. The pedal body itself is configured with a cavity that receives the rotating shaft and provides surfaces for direct contact with the shoe sole. This eliminates the need for separate adapter plates, reducing the distance between the foot and pivot point while maintaining secure connection.
Solution Approach 2:
The pedal body cavity acts as an intermediary structure that directly interfaces with both the rotating shaft and the shoe sole. This intermediary design allows direct power transmission from the shoe through the body to the shaft without requiring additional adapter components, thereby improving power transmission efficiency.
3Speed
If the pedal body rotates freely around the shaft without translational constraints, then rotation is smooth, but the body can separate from the shaft along the longitudinal axis
Solution Approach 1:
The retention element is preliminarily positioned to engage with the annular groove on the shaft before the pedal body is fully assembled. This preliminary engagement prevents longitudinal separation while allowing the body to rotate smoothly around the shaft, as the retention element constrains only the translational movement, not the rotation.
Solution Approach 2:
The constraint function is segmented from the rotational function. The retention element specifically addresses translational separation along the longitudinal axis, while the annular groove geometry allows free rotation. This segmentation of constraints enables independent optimization of both rotation smoothness and separation prevention.
Data Source
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AI summary
An automatic cycling pedal (1) comprising a spindle (2) intended to be secured to a cycle. The spindle (2) extends in a longitudinal direction. A body (3) is rotatably mounted about the spindle (2). The body (3) defines a cavity designed to receive the spindle (2). At least first and second primary connectors (4a, 4b) are designed to cooperate with the at least two secondary connectors of a sole of a cycling shoe to secure the cycling shoe onto the body (3). The spindle (2) has an annular groove. The body (3) has an orifice arranged to open facing the annular groove. A rod (8) is inserted into the orifice and into the annular groove to limit the translational motion of the body (3) relative to the spindle in the longitudinal direction.