Shoe positioning plate for bicycle shoes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9795184-B2
Application number	US-63694309-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2009
Priority date	Dec 14, 2009
Publication date	Oct 24, 2017
Grant date	Oct 24, 2017

Abstract

A shoe positioning plate has a shoe facing side surface, a sole surface and a shoe positioning member. The sole surface is configured to be a part of a shoe sole when the shoe facing side surface is attached the shoe sole. The shoe positioning member includes at least one abutment disposed on an opposite side of the shoe positioning plate from the shoe facing side surface and extending in an elongated direction of a shoe when the shoe positioning plate is attached the shoe sole.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A shoe positioning plate comprising:
a shoe facing side surface;
a sole surface configured to be a part of a shoe sole when the shoe facing side surface is attached to the shoe sole; and
a shoe positioning member including at least one abutment disposed on the sole surface and extending in an elongated direction of a shoe when the shoe positioning plate is attached to the shoe sole, the shoe positioning member being configured and dimensioned to be inserted between a first cleat engagement member and a second cleat engagement member of a cleat engagement mechanism from a direction generally perpendicular to the shoe sole, and the at least one abutment being configured to abut one of the first cleat engagement member and the second cleat engagement member so as to limit forward movement of the shoe positioning plate,
the cleat engagement mechanism being arranged on a pedal body of a pedal,
the first cleat engagement member having a first stop surface that limits movement of the shoe positioning member or a shoe cleat in a first direction when the shoe positioning member or the shoe cleat is engaged with the cleat engagement mechanism, and a first pedal body facing surface that faces generally toward the pedal body,
the second cleat engagement member having a second stop surface that limits movement of the shoe positioning member or the shoe cleat in a second direction when the shoe positioning member or the shoe cleat is engaged with the cleat engagement mechanism, and a second pedal body facing surface that faces generally toward the pedal body,

the shoe positioning member being configured such that it does not engage with the first pedal body facing surface or the second pedal body facing surface when the shoe positioning member is inserted between the first cleat engagement member and the second cleat engagement member.

2. The shoe positioning plate according to claim 1 , wherein
the at least one abutment of the shoe positioning member includes a first abutment and a second abutment facing in an opposite direction from the first abutment, the first and second abutments being arranged to face the first stop surface of the first cleat engagement member and the second stop surface of the second cleat engagement member, respectively, when the shoe positioning member is inserted between the first and second cleat engagement members.

3. The shoe positioning plate according to claim 1 , wherein
the shoe positioning member has at least one fastener opening extending between the shoe facing side surface and the sole surface for attaching the shoe positioning member to the shoe sole.

4. The shoe positioning plate according to claim 2 , wherein
the first abutment is a forward abutment facing in a frontward direction of the shoe when the shoe positioning plate is attached to the shoe sole, and the second abutment is a rearward abutment facing in an opposite direction as the forward abutment,
the forward and rearward abutments being spaced apart by a prescribed cleat body distance that corresponds to a prescribed cleat body portion of a shoe cleat that is configured to engage with the cleat engagement mechanism such that the cleat body portion is disposed between the front and rear cleat engagement members,
the shoe cleat being configured to be attached to the shoe sole and including the cleat body portion having a front cleat body stop surface and a rear cleat body stop surface facing in opposite directions in the elongated direction of the shoe when the shoe cleat is attached to the shoe sole, a front retaining portion having a front coupling surface that faces toward the shoe sole when the shoe cleat is attached to the shoe sole, and a rear retaining portion having a rear coupling surface that faces toward the shoe sole when the shoe cleat is attached to the shoe sole,
the front and rear cleat body stop surfaces being perpendicularly arranged with respect to the front and rear coupling surfaces and separated by the prescribed cleat body distance,
the front and rear coupling surfaces being configured to engage with the first and second pedal body facing surfaces of the first and second cleat engagement members such that the shoe is fixed to the cleat engagement mechanism when the shoe cleat is engaged with the cleat engagement mechanism.

5. The shoe positioning plate according to claim 2 , wherein
the sole surface has a first recess that defines the first abutment, and a second recess that defines the second abutment.

6. The shoe positioning plate according to claim 1 , wherein
the abutment has a convex face.

7. The shoe positioning plate according to claim 1 , wherein
the sole surface has an overall convex profile.

8. A shoe assembly including the shoe positioning plate according to claim 3 , further comprising
a shoe including an upper part and a sole, with the sole having at least one attachment opening,
at least one fastener securing the shoe positioning plate to the shoe sole, with the at least one fastener passing through the at least one fastener opening of the shoe positioning plate and passing through the at least one attachment opening of the sole.

9. The shoe positioning plate according to claim 2 , wherein
the first abutment and the second abutment have tip end portions spaced apart by a prescribed cleat body distance in the elongated direction of the shoe, the prescribed cleat body distance corresponding to a longest dimension of the shoe positioning member with respect to the elongated direction of the shoe.

10. The shoe positioning plate according to claim 9 , wherein
the prescribed cleat body distance is substantially 33.3 millimeters.

11. The shoe positioning plate according to claim 4 , wherein
the prescribed cleat body distance is substantially 33.3 millimeters.

12. The shoe positioning plate according to claim 4 , wherein
the forward abutment is a most forward portion of the shoe positioning member with respect to the elongated direction of the shoe while the shoe positioning plate is attached to the shoe sole, and the rearward abutment is a most rearward portion of the shoe positioning member with respect to the elongated direction of the shoe when the shoe positioning is attached to the shoe sole.

13. The shoe positioning plate according to claim 2 , wherein
the first abutment is configured to mate with the first stop surface and the second abutment is configured to mate with the second stop surface.

Assignees

• Ueda Yutaka
• Kikuta Junichi
• Aoki Toshiaki
• Shimano Kk

Inventors

• Ueda Yutaka
• Kikuta Junichi
• Aoki Toshiaki

Classifications

• Y10T74/217

  with toe or shoe clips · CPC title

• A43B13/14

  characterised by the constructive form · CPC title

• A43B5/14 Primary

  Shoes for cyclists · CPC title