Bicycle Pedal Swing Mechanism for Foot Position Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing flat bicycle pedals do not allow cyclists to adjust the position of their feet without lifting them off the pedal, leading to discomfort and fatigue, especially in technical terrain.
Innovation Solution
A bicycle pedal design that enables the pedal body to swing relative to the pedal axle without lifting the foot, utilizing a slider bushing and pivot elements to allow controlled movement and maintain the chosen position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a cyclist uses a flat pedal without adjustment mechanism, then the pedal structure remains simple, but the cyclist experiences constant fatigue and discomfort due to inability to adjust foot position
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by enabling the pedal body to swing relative to the pedal axle through a controlled degree of freedom. The slider bushing mechanism allows the pedal body to dynamically adjust its position along the axial direction while maintaining rotational connection, providing continuous adaptability for foot position adjustment without complex locking or fixing mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the pedal assembly into distinct functional components: the pedal axle, the pedal body, and the slider bushing. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each component - the slider bushing handles the adjustment function while the pedal body and axle maintain their structural roles, achieving complexity reduction through functional separation.
2Ease of operation
If a cyclist lifts foot from pedal to reposition it, then foot position can be changed, but safety is compromised in technical terrain and the process is cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service by allowing the pedal body to automatically swing and adjust to the cyclist's foot position through the slider bushing mechanism. The system serves itself by converting the natural movement of the cyclist's foot into automatic pedal position adjustment, eliminating the need for manual intervention or foot lifting.
Solution Approach 2:
The dynamic swinging capability allows the pedal to continuously adapt to foot position changes during pedaling, providing real-time adjustment without requiring the cyclist to lift their foot. This dynamic adaptation maintains safety by keeping the foot firmly planted while enabling position optimization.
3Ease of operation
If clipless pedal allows heel movement for comfort, then pedaling comfort improves, but the pedal requires special shoes with cleats increasing complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing a pedal system that works with conventional shoes while providing adjustment functionality previously only available with specialized clipless systems. The slider bushing mechanism enables the pedal body to swing and adapt to different foot positions, making the advanced comfort feature universal across different shoe types.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the essential adjustment functionality from the complex clipless pedal system and implements it through the simpler slider bushing mechanism. By separating the adjustment function from the cleat-shoe connection system, the invention achieves comfort adjustment without requiring specialized footwear.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention concerns a flat bicycle pedal comprising: a pedal body housing (7), the pedal body housing (7) having a housing longitudinal axis (B) and holding therein: a pedal axle (1) having an axle longitudinal axis (A), an inner bushing assembly (3) rotatably attached to the pedal axle (1) at an inner end (16) of the pedal axle (1), the inner bushing assembly (3) holding the pedal axle (1) in a rotatable manner around the axle longitudinal axis (A), wherein the inner bushing assembly (3) is arranged in the pedal body housing (7) such as to allow the swinging of the pedal body housing (7) at least on a swing plane around a swing axis (X) at the inner end (16) of the pedal axle (1) from a neutral position, wherein the housing longitudinal axis (B) is coincident with the axle longitudinal axis (A), to a swung position, wherein the housing longitudinal axis (B) forms an angle with the axle longitudinal axis (A), and an outer bushing assembly (4) comprising: an axle member (5A) rotatably attached to the pedal axle (1) at an outer end (12) of the pedal axle (1), the outer end (12) of the pedal axle (1) being opposite to the inner end (16) of the pedal axle (1), and a brake shoe member (5B) seated in the pedal body housing (7) in a position facing the axle member (SA), wherein the brake shoe member (5B) frictionally engages the axle member (5A), such that the frictional engagement between the axle member (SA) and the shoe member (5B) restrains the movement of the pedal body housing (7) about the swing axis (X).