WO2014155382A1 - Adjustable pedals - Google Patents

Abstract

A pedal accessory for a crank arm and a pedal, the pedal including a threaded spindle, the pedal accessory including: (a) an inner plate; (b) an outer plate, parallel to said inner plate; (c) a receiving aperture formed in said outer plate having internal threads formed therein, adapted to receive threads of the threaded spindle of the pedal; (d) two spacer members, spacing apart said outer plate and said inner plate, and defining there between an aperture sized and proportioned to receive the crank arm there through; and (e) a plurality of fasteners, for coupling said outer plate to said inner plate and securing said pedal accessory to the crank arm.

Description

Title: ADJUSTABLE PEDALS

FIELD AND BACKGROUND OP THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a pair of adjustable bicycle pedals and, more particularly, to bicycle pedals that can each be positioned along the length of the crank arm of me pedal and fixed in a desired position so that the revolution of the pedal tracks a circle with a radius which is smaller than the radius of the circle tracked by the pedal when affixed at the edge of the crank arm .

A rider who has sustained an injury or is otherwise temporarily or permanently disabled may not be able to finely move one or both legs through the entire range of motion necessary to pedal a bicycle. For example, after knee surgery, a patient often experiences stiffness and/or pain when attempting to flex the leg at the knee. Such a person is usually unable to properly or comfortably ride a bicycle as the range of movement needed for the task can be great than the range of movement me patient is currently capable of.

It would be therefore be highly advantageous to have an apparatus which allows a rider to customize the size of the radius of the circle tracked by the revolution of the pedal of a bicycle or other velocipede or other human powered land vehicle. Furthermore, it would be advantageous to have pedals which are easily removable thereby protecting the vehicle from theft.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

There is provided a bicycle accessory for a bicycle used by temporarily or permanently handicapped riders. Pedals usually consist of a spindle mat threads into the end of the crank aim and a body, on which the foot rests or is attached, that is free to rotate on bearings with respect to the spindle. The innovative accessory of the immediate invention is a connector piece which fits between the pedal and crank arm. The connector piece allows the pedal to be positioned along the crank arm in positions other than the end of the crank arm. The ability to reposition the pedal allows the user to control the size of the ark of revolution of the pedal while riding the vehicle.

The adjustable pedals can also be easily removed from the crank arm as a security measure to prevent the theft of the vehicle. It is commonplace to remove the seat of a bicycle when stowing the bicycle in a public area. Removal of the seat provides a strong deterrent to a bicycle thief as it would be difficult and uncomfortable to ride the bicycle without a seat, as well as being a clear signal to passers-by that the bicycle is stolen. In a similar vein, removing the pedals of a bicycle makes it practically impossible to ride the bicycle. Pedals, even coupled to the innovative connector pieces, are relatively small and convenient to stow in a shoulder bag or the like (more convenient than stowing a bicycle seat, at any rate). Therefore, the connector pieces facilitate the relatively effortless procedure of removing the pedals to protect the vehicle against theft

Instead of the pedal being mounted at the end of the crank arm, the pedal can now be mounted anywhere along the length of the crank arm, thereby changing the arc of the revolution the leg has to make when pedaling, according to the specific needs of the user. No special equipment is needed to mount, move or remove the connector piece.

According to the present invention there is provided a pedal accessory for a crank arm and a pedal, the pedal including a threaded spindle, the pedal accessory including: (a) an inner plate; (b) an outer plate, parallel to said inner plate; (c) a receiving aperture formed in said outer plate having internal threads formed therein, adapted to receive threads of the threaded spindle of the pedal; (d) two spacer members, spacing apart said outer plate and said inner plate, and defining there between an aperture sized and proportioned to receive the crank arm there through; and (e) a plurality of fasteners, for coupling said outer plate to said inner plate and securing said pedal accessory to the crank arm.

According to further features in preferred embodiments of the invention described below the fasteners are screws. According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the fasteners are wingbolts. According to still further features the fasteners are quick release skewers.

According to still further features the internal threads are adapted to receive threads of the threaded spindle of the pedal in a clockwise direction and a second pedal accessory including said internal threads adapted to receive threads of the threaded spindle of a second pedal in an anti-clockwise direction.

According to another embodiment there is provided a method for adjusting the arc of revolution of a crank arm and a pedal, the method including: (a) unscrewing the pedal from the crank arm; (b) screwing said pedal into a receiving aperture of a connector piece; (c) positioning said connector piece along the crank arm in a selected position; (d) fastening said connector piece in said position- According to still further features the method further includes the steps of: (e) loosening said connector piece; and (f) adjusting said position of said connector piece along the crank arm.

According to still further feature the method further includes the steps of: (e) loosening said connector piece; and (f) removing said connector piece and the pedal from the crank arm.

According to still further features the method further includes the steps of: (g) unscrewing the pedal from said connector piece; and (h) screwing the pedal back onto the crank arm.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various embodiments are herein described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a pictorial depiction of an exemplary bicycle with a magnified area of the pedal and crank arm assembly with an exemplary innovative connector piece interposed between the pedal and crank arm

FIG. 2 is a pictorial depiction of bicycle with a magnified exploded view of the crank arm, pedal and connector piece;

FIG. 3A-B are cross-sectional views of an adjustable pedal of the immediate invention at different heights along the length of the crank arm;

FIG. 4 is a flow chart of the method of adjusting the arc of revolution of a crank arm and pedal assembly using the innovative connector pieces of the immediate invention. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The principles and operation of adjustable pedals according to the present invention may be better understood with reference to the drawings and the accompanying description.

While the embodiments described herein refer specifically to bicycle pedals, it is made clear that the inventive connector piece can be used in conjunction with other types of human-powered vehicles that utilize the crank arm and pedal arrangement to power the vehicle. Some exemplary vehicles that are pedal powered include, but are not limited to: velocipedes, hand cycles, paddle boats, pedal powered airplanes, kayaks, boats, machines (e.g. a pedal powered hacksaw) and the like. Stationary 'vehicles' that are used primarily for exercise (e.g. an exercise bike) are also included in the scope of the invention. Therefore, references made to bicycle pedals are merely exemplary and are intended to refer to any and all of the aforementioned vehicles.

Figure 1 is a pictorial depiction of an exemplary bicycle B with a magnified area of the pedal and crank arm assembly. Figure 2 is a pictorial depiction of bicycle B with a magnified exploded view of the crank arm, pedal and connector piece. Referring to both Figs- 1 and 2, the pedal and crank arm assembly consists of a crank arm C, a pedal P, where the pedal includes a threaded spindle SP. Neither pedal P nor crank arm C need to be modified in any way in order to be used with the innovative pedal accessory. An exemplary connector piece / pedal accessory 100 is shown in the figures interposed between the pedal and crank arm.

Exemplary pedal accessory 100, depicted in the Figures, includes a flat, rectangular inner plate 110 and a spaced apart, parallel outer plate 120 having substantially the same rectangular shape and size as inner plate 110. Inner plate 110 includes four drill holes 112 adapted for receiving four pins or screws 130. Inner plate 110 is adapted to be mounted on the sprocket-facing side of crank arm C (i.e. the side of the crank arm that faces the sprocket of the bicycle).

A bicycle crank arm is generally a substantially elongated bar which is coupled to the sprocket on the one end and a pedal on the other. The length, width and thickness of the crank arm usually fall within a common range. Some crank arms are stylized having a contoured external side (referred to herein as the 'spindle side* or 'pedal side' or variations thereof). To account for the varying thicknesses of the crank arm, the fasteners/pins 130 can be either loosened or tightened as needs be. Of course it is appreciated that crank arms come in many shapes and sizes, but in general almost all crank arms have dimensions which fit within a given length, width and thickness such that a connector piece of the immediate invention need only define a space having dimension sufficient to encompass the width and thickness of most crank arms.

The distance between the parallel inner and outer plates is made greater by loosening the fasteners and smaller by tightening the fasteners. For a standard, flat, crank arm, the fasteners are loosened slightly to lengthen the distance between the inner and outer plates to a length greater than the thickness of the crank arm. The connector piece is then slid over the crank arm to a desired position along the length of the crank arm. When in place, the pins / fasteners / screws are fastened, in order to secure the connector piece onto the crank arm. Of course, crank arms come in various other dimensions and shapes, but it is made clear that the connector pieces is proportioned in such a manner so as to be mountable on almost any type of crank arm for a bicycle and/or other human powered vehicle with pedals.

With regular pedals P the terminal edge of the spindle SP of the pedal is provided with external threads configured to engage internal threads formed in the receiving aperture of the respective crank arm C. In one exemplary embodiment of the invention, the terminal edge of a normal, unmodified spindle is provided with external threads, which are configured to engage internal threads formed in a receiving aperture 124 formed in outer plate 120. In order to compensate for the length of the threaded edge of the spindle, receiving aperture 124 is slightly raised, relative to the outer face of outer plate 120. The raised lip 126 of the aperture prevents the spindle edge of the pedal from extending through the receiving aperture 124 and into the crank arm aperture. If the spindle edge was to protrude through receiving aperture 124, the crank arm could be scratched or otherwise damaged when the connector piece 100 is affixed on the crank arm. Pedal P is screwed onto connector piece 100 in the same way that a pedal is normally screwed onto a crank arm. Outer plate 120 is adapted to be mounted on the pedal-facing side of crank arm C (i.e. the side of the crank arm that faces the pedal), for obvious reasons. It is noted that the right and left pedals are threaded in opposite directions. The right pedal is screwed onto the right-hand crank - an in the immediate invention, the right-hand connector piece - in the clockwise direction, which is the direction of pedaling on the right side, so that the act of pedaling will not inadvertently unscrew the pedal. On the left-hand crank arm, the pedal is screwed onto the crank-arm - and hence the left connector piece - in the anti-clockwise direction, which is the direction of pedaling on the left side.

Outer plate 120 further includes spacer members 122 formed on either edge of the length of the inner face of the rectangular plate. The spacer members, in the immediate embodiment, have a thickness or height (which defines the distance of separation between the inner plate and the outer plate) which is at least equal to, but preferably less than, the thickness of a standard crank arm. Spacer members 122 cause the inner and outer plates to be spaced apart by a distance at least equal to, or slightly greater than, the thickness of the spacer members. The spaced apart inner and outer plates and spacer members define between them an aperture that is sized and proportioned to receive crank arm C mere through. In the immediate exemplary embodiment, spacer members 122 have internally threaded bore holes (not shown) for receiving fasteners 130. In the depicted embodiment, fasteners 130 are screws. Drill holes 112 on the inner plate correspond to the bore holes on the spacer members such that screws 130 can be threaded through drill holes 112 and into the bore holes of the spacer members. In use, fasteners 130, couple inner plate 110 to outer plate 120 on either side of crank arm C, thereby securing the pedal accessory to the crank arm of the bicycle.

In other embodiments of the invention, the spacer members are not formed on the outer plate 120 but rather on the inner plate 110. In still further embodiments, the spacer members are not formed on either plate but rather free standing or otherwise operationally coupled.

In other embodiments, the space members include boreholes transecting the entire thickness of the members (i.e. the boreholes run from one side of the spacer members to the other side). In some embodiments, the boreholes are not internally threaded. In some embodiments, the outer plate also includes drill holes, located in corresponding positions to drill holes 112 on inner plate 110.

In some embodiments of the invention, the fasteners 130 are quick release skewers. A quick release skewer is a mechanism usually used for attaching a wheel to a bicycle. It consists of a rod threaded on one end and with a lever operated cam assembly on the other. Any other variation or modification, having a substantially similar result, and which would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, is considered to be within the scope of this invention. In some embodiments, fasteners 130 are wingbolts. In some embodiments the plates are contoured to better conform to the shape of a crank arm. In some embodiments, raised lip 126 is lowered or removed so that the threaded edge of the pedal spindle protrudes into the crank arm aperture, in order to apply additional pressure to the crank arm, so as to better secure the connecting unit in place.

Preferably, the plates and spacer members are formed from rugged material such as metal or hardened plastic. In some embodiments, the pedal accessory is specifically designed for quick and easy adjustment and or removal. Examples

One example which necessitates quick and easy adjustment of the pedal is when the pedal accessories are used on a hand cycle. During long races, a hand cyclist may wish to adjust the arc of revolution of the pedals (which are actually handles in this context, but the term pedal refer equally to handles in the context of this document and in the claims) for some reason, such as to improve comfort One example where quick and easy removal of the pedals is desired has been discussed above, with regards to removing the pedals for security reasons (i.e. to prevent or discourage theft of the bicycle).

Another example of use of the immediate invention is as therapeutic device. Patients who have a restricted range of movement of the leg or legs, particularly from the knee down, can sometimes be treated by a physiotherapist to improve the range of movement. The adjustable pedals of the immediate invention can be employed as part of a therapeutic regimen on an exercise bike or real bicycle. The position of the pedal is determined based on the patient's range of movement, with the goal of gradually and incrementally lengthening the arc of revolution by consistently adjusting the position of the pedal.

Figures 3A and 3B depict cross-sectional views of an adjustable pedal of the immediate invention at different heights along the length of the crank arm. Fig. 3A shows pedal P coupled to connector piece 100 and attached to crank C at a height HI. Fig. 3B shows pedal P coupled to connector piece 100 and attached to crank C at a height H2. At height HI the pedal defines an arc of revolution which has a shorter diameter than the arc of revolution defines by the pedal at height H2.

Using the context of the previous example, a pedal positioned at height HI could be used by a patient at an early stage of therapy. As the patient's range of movement increases, the pedal is moved to title position of height H2. Finally, once the patient regains sufficient range of movement, the connector piece 100 can be removed altogether and the pedal reattached to the crank arm. For individuals who have a more permanent handicap, the use of the connector piece may be a permanent solution, as opposed to the temporary described above.

Figure 4 is a flow chart of the method of adjusting the arc of revolution of a crank arm and pedal assembly using the innovative connector pieces of the immediate invention.

Step 400 entails unscrewing the pedal from the crank arm (and repeating the step for the other pedal and crank arm).

Step 402 entails screwing said pedal into a receiving aperture of a connector piece. The left pedal must be screwed onto the left connector piece and the right pedal onto the right connector piece, as discussed above.

Step 404 entails positioning the connector piece along the length of the crank arm at a desired / selected position.

Step 406 entails fastening the connector piece in the selected position.

Step 408 is an optional step for readjusting the length of the arc of revolution of the pedal, including loosening the connector piece and (Step 410) adjusting the position of the connector piece along the crank arm. This step may be repeated numerous times over a given period, such as a period of recuperation from an operation, a period of acclimatization to a new prosthetic leg, a period of rehabilitation after an accident or the like.

In some cases, after loosening the connector piece in Step 408 the connector piece and pedal are removed from the crank arm in Step 412. This step may be an end in and of itself, for example, as a security measure to prevent or discourage theft as discussed above. In some cases, the connector piece is then replaced, going back to step 404.

When the user no longer has a need for the connector piece, the pedal can be reattached to the crank arm in the following steps: Step 414 entails unscrewing the pedal from the connector piece; and Step 416 entails screwing the pedal back onto the crank arm. It is clear that all the steps can be performed for both pedals, although in some cases, the pedal connector piece is only needed for one side of the bicycle and not for the other. Also, it is also made clear that the connector pieces can be positioned independently of each other, according to the user's comfort, needs, a combination of the two or a compromise between the two.

While the invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, it will be appreciated that many variations, modifications and other applications of the invention may be made, as discussed above. Therefore, the claimed invention as recited in the claims that follow is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS

1. A pedal accessory for a crank arm and a pedal, the pedal including a threaded spindle, the pedal accessory comprising:

(a) an inner plate;

(b) an outer plate, parallel to said inner plate;

(c) a receiving aperture formed in said outer plate having internal threads formed therein, adapted to receive threads of the threaded spindle of the pedal;

(d) two spacer members, spacing apart said outer plate and said inner plate, and defining there between an aperture sized and proportioned to receive the crank arm there through; and

(e) a plurality of fasteners, for coupling said outer plate to said inner plate and securing said pedal accessory to the crank arm.

2. The pedal accessory of claim 1 , wherein said fasteners are screws.

3. The pedal accessory of claim 1 , wherein said fasteners are wingbolts.

4. The pedal accessory of claim 1, wherein said fasteners are quick release skewers.

5. The pedal accessory of claim 1, wherein said internal threads are adapted to receive threads of the threaded spindle of the pedal in a clockwise direction and a second pedal accessory including said internal threads adapted to receive threads of the threaded spindle of a second pedal in an anti-clockwise direction.

6. A method for adjusting the arc of revolution of a crank arm and a pedal, the method comprising:

(a) unscrewing the pedal from the crank arm;

(b) screwing the pedal into a receiving aperture of a connector piece;

(c) positioning said connector piece along the crank arm in a selected position;

(d) fastening said connector piece in said position.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the steps of: (e) loosening said connector piece; and

(f) adjusting said position of said connector piece along the crank arm.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

(e) loosening said connector piece; and

(f) removing said connector piece and the pedal from the crank arm.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

(g) unscrewing the pedal from said connector piece; and

(h) screwing the pedal back onto the crank arm.