The invention relates to bicycle pedals comprising means for limiting a movement of a foot.

Various means for locking driver’s leg on a bicycle pedal are known from the art. For instance, the US Patent No.4103563 published on 01.08.1978 discloses a bicycle pedal comprising means for limiting a movement of a foot in the form of an arc-shaped element and a plate. The arc-shaped element is pivotally secured on the side surface of the pedal and characterized by an open position when a driver’s foot is not on the pedal and a closed position when a driver’s foot is on the pedal. The said element locks the front part of the foot extending around it and thereby obstructing its movement transversally, upwards and forwards. The plate is arranged to move vertically on the back surface of the pedal and in a raised position projects above the upper surface of the pedal obstructing, in this way, a backward movement of the foot.

The foot can be easily removed from underneath of the arc-shaped element by applying a pressure by it on the said element from the bottom upwards, however, the most complicated part is to fix both of the said arc-shaped elements on both feet when determining cycling posture. Further, the vertical movement of the plate is ensured by the structure that comprises a number of additional structural elements such as springs, an additional plate, rods, seats, an L-shaped element etc. Thus, the structure is complex and unreliable.

A bicycle pedal comprising an elastic foot strap secured by its both ends on rotatable elements arranged on both sides over the length of the pedal is known from the PRC patent document No.1082028828 published on 26.06.2018. Such a pedal does not limit a transverse movement of the driver’s foot. Besides, contrary to what is claimed in the description of the document it is still unclear how a driver’s foot can be easily removed from the foot strap, where necessary. A pedal disclosed in the US Patent No.4856211 published on 15.08.1989 has been chosen as the closest prior art of the claimed invention. The said pedal comprises means for limiting a movement of a foot in the form of a holder of the front part of the foot and a heel holder. The latter is coupled to the holder of the front part of the foot by means of a hook and loop fastener. The foot, as in the prior art, can be easily removed from underneath of the heel holder. This is accomplished by means of disruption of a connection between parts of the hook and loop fastener through applying a greater force in an attempt to remove the foot from the pedal. However, such a hook and loop fastener loses its initial properties over time owing to its being clogged with tiny particles of dust, dirt and other rubbish. Further, the complicated part is to fix both holders on both feet when determining cycling posture since when one foot has already been locked the driver rests on the second leg, and when positioning it on the pedal the driver needs time and hand helping to insert the foot in the holder by pulling the heel holder on the heel or by fastening the hook and loop fastener.

The object of the invention is to provide such a pedal comprising means for limiting a movement of a foot the structural design of which ensures achievement of the technical result consisting in easy removal of the driver’s foot from means for limiting a movement during a planned stop as well as in an emergency situation or in any other situation, when it is necessary, and at the same time being easy to use and reliable in operation.

The object is achieved through development of a bicycle pedal comprising means for limiting a movement of a foot, wherein said means comprise two side brackets with lead- in sections, each being provided with at least one tooth, and a flexible tube, ends of which are engaged on the lead-in sections of the brackets.

In this description the brackets should be understood as a backing member with the first rigidly secured end (wherein said end may be secured on one of the surfaces of the pedal, for instance, on the side, upper or bottom surface), including with an end integral with any of the pedal elements, the second free end (this end is an end of a lead-in section of the bracket at the same time) being designed for securing the tube. The bracket can be designed as a single (not composed of the separate interconnected elements) member or vice versa.

The lead-in sections of the brackets should be understood as those parts of the brackets that directly determine spatial position of the tube, guide it.

Thus, the said tube is a foot movement limiter that interlocks the corresponding teeth on the lead-in sections of the brackets. In this case, in an emergency situation such tube can be removed from the teeth by applying to it a force greater than the one created by a driver’s leg during typical movement of a vehicle and thereby by overcoming a force of interlocking between the tube and the teeth. Being flexible allows the tube to seek to attain its original shape when it is engaged onto the teeth and to attain its previous shape when it has been removed from the teeth thereby providing for a possibility of multiple use of the tube without losing its own properties. Besides, the said member can easily be shortened or replaced, where necessary. Thus, the structure is easy to use and reliable in operation. In addition to the above, the design of means for limiting a movement of a foot, including those in the form of brackets, as rigid elements provides for a possibility of taking easily the foot out, moving it forwards and upwards or backwards and upwards (depending on that, in what direction the corresponding means limit movement) during the anticipated stop of the bicycle and without removing the tube from the brackets. Furthermore, the brackets also limit a transverse movement of the foot.

Most preferably, each of the lead-in sections of the brackets comprises multiple teeth such that multiple degrees of force application that allows to remove the tube from a lead-in section(s) of the brackets are created. For instance, the tube can be engaged onto all teeth (a design for adults) or onto one tooth (a design for children). Such force can be, for instance, a jerk force applied by a driver intentionally or unintentionally, for instance, to avoid an accident or at the instant of accident.

The inner and outer diameters of the tube depend on the dimensions of the teeth and the lead-in sections of the brackets and should be such as to allow for the tube to be capable of being engaged onto the said lead-in sections of the brackets with teeth, as well as to be capable of being removed from them when applying a force greater than the one created by a driver’s leg during typical driving of a vehicle. Any material suitable in terms of its properties, for instance, polymer material, can be used as a tube material. An example of such material can be silicone.

Preferably the lead-in sections of the brackets are mounted at an angle with respect to a plane of an upper surface of the pedal. Most preferably the said angle is acute. Thus, means for limiting a movement provide the direction of the tube for limiting a movement of a foot backwards and forwards.

In one of the most preferred embodiments of the invention the lead-in sections of the brackets extend in a direction of the driver’s heel thereby facilitating the limiting of backward movement of the foot. Such a structure is most suitable for bicycles with back-and-forth moving foot pressure levers since the pedal structures facilitating the limiting of the forward movement of the foot (locking toe) might lead to loss of foot contact with the pedal, which is particularly relevant for those drivers who are not experienced in riding such bicycles.

There exists an embodiment of the invention where the brackets are adapted to rotate and perform further locking (providing a rigid securing of the bracket end in a required position). Thus, they can be positioned such that they limit both the backward and forward movements of the foot.

In one of the most preferred embodiments of the invention the flexible tube keeps its shape under gravity. This allows to overcome a disadvantage of the prior art consisting in the difficulty of fixing both holders on both feet when determining cycling posture (when the means for limiting a movement limit the backward movement of the foot). In the described preferred embodiment of the claimed pedal the driver may not use his hands to fix the holders on his feet: the tube seeking to attain its original shape will on its own be put on the ankle joint on the side of the heel. When the means for limiting a movement limit the forward movement of the foot, the foot will easily find a passage defined by the tube and will easily extend into it. In such case it is also possible not to use hands.

Preferably the planes in which the brackets lie are perpendicular to an axis of the pedal, besides, preferably the brackets are generally parallel, although the embodiments where the said planes are at a slight angle with respect to the axis, for instance, up to ± 15° (both planes will be oblique inwards or both will be oblique outwards) will also allow for performing by the means for limiting a movement of a foot their main functions and will not hinder achievement of the claimed technical result.

In one of the preferred embodiments of the invention the brackets have the same dimensions. There also exists an embodiment where the brackets have different dimensions, however in such case most preferably their ends (the ends of lead-in sections) lie on a straight line which is parallel to the axis of the pedal, although the embodiments where the brackets have different dimensions and their ends do not lie on such straight line, will also allow for performing by the means for limiting a movement of a foot their main functions and will not hinder achievement of the claimed technical result.

Preferably the tooth in the cross section has a rectangular shape, its width being equal to or less than the width of the lead-in section of the bracket. Such design of the teeth provides the greatest ease in terms of manufacture as well as the greatest compactness of the structure as a whole: the diameter of the tube engaged onto the lead-in sections of the brackets with teeth will be minimal, the tube, thus, will occupy minimal space on the side of the inner part of the brackets and, consequently, the pedal length (along the axis) will not have to be increased.

The flexible tube, ends of which are engaged on the lead-in sections of the brackets has an arc shape.

The length of the tube is chosen based on the foot size of the driver, in this case, if necessary, the tube can be shortened, for instance, by cutting a part of the tube.

In one of the preferred embodiments of the invention the brackets are adapted to be secured on the axis of the pedal and/or on a side surface of the pedal. Thus, the brackets can be made detachable.

In another preferred embodiment the brackets are made integrally with the pedal, i.e. the brackets with the pedal, for instance, are cast as a single member. The claimed invention is described in more detail with reference to the following figures:

Fig. 1 is a general view of a pedal of a bicycle mounted on a pressure lever and comprising means for limiting a movement of a foot in accordance with one of the embodiments of the invention; Fig. 2 is a side view of a pedal of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a front view of the pedal of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of the area A of the pedal of Fig. 2.

Fig. 1, 2 and 3 illustrate a general view of a bicycle pedal 1 mounted on a pressure lever 2 and comprising means for limiting a movement of a foot, a side view and a front view of the pedal 1, respectively. The said means comprise two side brackets 3 with lead-in sections 4, each being provided with at least one tooth 5. Besides, the said means comprise a flexible tube 6, ends of which are engaged on the lead-in sections 4 of the brackets 3.

As can be seen in Fig. 1 and 2, the illustrated pressure lever 2 is a lever performing back- and-forth movement around the axis 7, the pedal 1 is a left bicycle pedal, the lead-in sections 4 of the brackets 3 extend in a direction of the driver’s heel. Thus, the described brackets limit the movement of the driver’s foot transversally and together with the tube 6 backwards.

As can be seen more clearly in Fig. 2, the lead-in sections 4 of the brackets 3 extend in a direction of the driver’s heel under an acute angle with respect to the plane of the upper surface 8 of the pedal 1. The said angle is designated on the said figure as angle a. Furthermore, the pedal in Fig. 2 is illustrated in a partial section, this area on the said figure being encircled and designated as A. Furthermore, Fig. 2 shows one of the embodiments of the pedal 1, where the said pedal 1 on its lateral side adjacent to the pressure lever 2 comprises a magnet 9. Wherein the pressure lever 2 on which the said pedal 1 is mounted on its lateral side adjacent to the pedal 1 comprises a magnet 10. Adjacent sides of the magnets 9 and 10, as shown in the figure, are characterised by opposite polarity and, thus, are attracted positioning the pedal 1, when the driver’s foot is not on the pedal.

As can be seen in Fig. 3, the planes in which the brackets 3 lie are perpendicular to an axis of the pedal 1. This perpendicularity in Fig. 3 is illustrated through designating angle b between the straight line parallel to the axis of the pedal 1 (the axis of the pedal 1 is shown with the dotted line) and the straight line extending in the plane in which the bracket 3 lies.

Fig. 4 schematically shows an enlarged view of the area A of the pedal 1 according to Fig. 2. The elements identical to the elements in other figures are designated accordingly It can be seen that the wall of the tube 6, when the latter is engaged onto the lead-in section 4 of the bracket 3, fills the space between the teeth 5 thanks to its flexibility and it is interlocked with the tooth, the most distant from the free end of the bracket 3.

The invention as exemplified in the illustrated embodiment operates as follows.

The feet are placed in sequence on the pedals 1 of the bicycle, the tubes 6 being positioned on the side of the driver’s heel. To move the bicycle the pedals 1 are pressed such that they perform the back-and- forth movement, each of the feet being held on the pedal using the means for limiting a movement of feet in the form of two side brackets 3, which obstruct the transverse movement of the feet and comprise lead-in sections 4, each being provided with two teeth 5, and a flexible tube 6, ends of which are engaged on the lead-in sections 4 of the brackets 3, the tube together with the brackets 3 obstruct the backward movement of the foot. In case of the planned stop of the bicycle the foot is removed from the pedal 1 through the consecutive or concurrent movement of the foot forwards and upwards (in this case the concurrent movement is to be understood as a movement of a foot at an acute angle with respect to the plane of the upper surface of the pedal). In case of the emergency situation when the foot should be removed from the pedal 1 as quick as possible, a force capable of overcoming the force of interlocking between the tube 6 and teeth 5 is applied intentionally or unintentionally, then one or both ends of the tube 6 are removed from the lead-in sections 4 of the brackets 3. Thus, the invention is a pedal comprising means for limiting a movement of a foot the structural design of which ensures achievement of the technical result consisting in easy removal of the driver’s foot from means for limiting a movement during a planned stop as well as in an emergency situation or in any other situation, when it is necessary, and at the same time being easy to use and reliable in operation.

It is to be understood that the claimed bicycle pedal as set forth in the appended claims of the invention is not necessarily limited to the specific features and embodiments described above. Rather, the specific features and embodiments described above are disclosed as examples implementing the claims, and other equivalent features can fall within the scope of the claims of the invention.