Abstract:
A replaceable bicycle shoe cleat assembly includes a first cleat member and a second cleat member, which can be replaced independently from a bicycle shoe when worn out. Therein, the new cleat member can get positioned by the remained member and thus be accurately fixed to the bicycle shoe at a position where the replaced cleat member was formerly installed.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to bicycle accessories, and more particularly, to a cleat assembly to be installed onto a bicycle shoe, so as to removably combine the bicycle shoe with a clipless pedal, wherein the cleat assembly is composed of two cleat members that can be independently replaced. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    As bicycling has become the order of the day, more and more after-hours cyclists are so fond of purchasing and using professional bicycles and accessories thereof. Among others, clipless pedals are popular with cyclists for possessing the advantages of facilitating long-term riding and improving pedaling efficiency because clipless pedals also apply driving force to gears when pulled upward. Generally speaking, clipless pedals can help to improve pedaling efficiency by about 20 to 30 percent. When choosing accessories of clipless pedals, consumers&#39; top concern is focused on safety, namely the structural reliability of the products. For cyclists to safely operate clipless pedals, the key factor is doubtlessly a reliable shoe cleat. 
         [0005]    With consideration of manufacturing costs and product weight, the existing cleats are typically in the form of a one-piece structure made of plastic through an injection-molding process, as the element numbered as  100  in  FIG. 1 . After repeatedly assembled to and disassembled from clamping members of a clipless pedal (not shown) that are mainly made of metal, such a cleat is unavoidably worn at the interface it contacts the rear clamping member and the worn cleat has to be immediately replaced so as to ensure the cyclist&#39;s riding safety. However, while it is normal that the cleat gets unevenly worn at the front and rear edges, the known one-piece cleat cannot be partially renewed. In other words, once the traditional cleat is worn at any part thereof, the whole cleat has to be discarded, thus being uneconomical. 
         [0006]    In addition, referring to  FIG. 2 , for allowing adjustment between the cleat and a shoe sole  90  where the cleat is attached to, the sole  90  is provided with a plurality of slots  91 ,  92  and  93 . During reinstallation of a new cleat, it is important to accurately fix the new cleat with respect to the slots  91 ,  92  and  93  on the sole  90  in the manner that the new cleat is placed right at the position where the old cleat was positioned, so as to ensure the new cleat is installed to meet the cyclist&#39;s pedaling posture and habit. In some prior-art approach, a positioning aid  101  shaped to mate a cleat  100 ′ is provided as an aim for alignment of the cleat  100 ′, as the concept disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,219,451. The positioning aid  101  includes a feature to ensure that the cleat  100 ′ is assembled thereto in only one orientation. Thereby, in the course of replacing the cleat  100 ′, the undetached positioning aid  101  helps to pose the cleat  100 ′ in position, so that after the cleat  100 ′ and the positioning aid  101  are put together, and the cleat  100 ′ is fastened to the sole  90  by means of a screw, it is ensured that the new cleat  100 ′ is placed right on the position where the old cleat  100 ′ was positioned. However, this solution depends on the additional positioning aid  101 , which needs additional costs for making molds, forming and assembling the additional part, thus being imperfect. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    In view of this, for remedying the shortcomings of the conventional bicycle shoe cleats, the present invention provides a replaceable bicycle shoe cleat assembly. 
         [0008]    A primary objective of the present invention is to provide a cleat assembly which allows selective replacement of only a part that has been worn and unusable, thereby facilitating saving resources and reducing costs for purchasing spares. 
         [0009]    Another objective of the present invention is to provide a cleat assembly that can be accurately positioned without the need for any additional positioning aid as used in the prior-art solution, so as to save additional costs for making molds, forming and assembling the additional part, thereby improving competitiveness. 
         [0010]    To achieve the above objectives, the replaceable bicycle shoe cleat assembly of the present invention comprises a first cleat member having: a first fastening portion including at least one first through hole, the first through hole allowing a screw to pass therethrough and then engage with a slot formed on a shoe sole, so as to fasten the first cleat member to the shoe sole; and a first positioning portion; and a second cleat member having: a second fastening portion including at least one second through hole and at least one third through hole, the second through hole and the third through hole allowing screws to pass therethrough and then engage with two other slots formed on the shoe sole, so as to fasten the second cleat member to the shoe sole; and a second positioning portion for mating the first positioning portion; wherein, the first positioning portion of the first cleat member and the second positioning portion of the second cleat member are configured to ensure that the first and second positioning portions are mated and put together in only one orientation, and when any of the combined first and second cleat members receives a horizontal driving force, the horizontal driving force is transmitted to the other of the first and second cleat members. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    The invention as well as a preferred mode of use, further objectives and advantages thereof will be best understood by reference to the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0012]      FIG. 1  is a schematic drawing showing a known cleat to be assembled to a shoe sole; 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a schematic drawing showing another known cleat to be assembled to a shoe sole; 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a replaceable bicycle shoe cleat assembly according to the present invention; 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is an exploded view of the replaceable bicycle shoe cleat assembly according to the present invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6  are applied views of the replaceable bicycle shoe cleat assembly according to the present invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 7  is an exploded view of another embodiment of the replaceable bicycle shoe cleat assembly according to the present invention; and 
           [0018]      FIG. 8  and  FIG. 9  provide different concepts of a rear engaging edge of the replaceable bicycle shoe cleat assembly of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0019]    The present invention provides a replaceable bicycle shoe cleat assembly. Referring to  FIGS. 3 to 4 , it has a first cleat member  10  and a second cleat member  20 . The first cleat member  10  has a first fastening portion  11 , a first positioning portion  13 , and at least one first through hole  111  formed therebetween. The first through hole  111  allows a screw  15  to pass therethrough and then engage with a slot  91  formed on a shoe sole  90  (referring to  FIG. 5 ), so as to fasten the first cleat member  10  to the shoe sole  90 . The first fastening portion  11  has a front end, namely the end opposite to the first positioning portion  13 , formed with a front engaging edge  113  for engaging a front clamping member  81  of a clipless pedal  80  (referring to  FIG. 8 ). The second cleat member  20  has a second fastening portion  21  and a second positioning portion  23  for mating the first positioning portion  13 . The second fastening portion  21  includes at least one second through hole  211  and at least one third through hole  213 . The second through hole  211  and the third through hole  213  allow screws  25 ,  27  to pass therethrough and then engage with two other slots  92 ,  93  formed on the shoe sole  90 , so as to fasten the second cleat member  20  to the sole  90 . The second fastening portion  21  has its rear end, namely the end opposite to the second positioning portion  23 , formed with a rear engaging edge  215  for engaging a rear clamping member  82  of the clipless pedal  80  (referring to  FIG. 8 ). Therein, the first positioning portion  13  of the first cleat member  10  and the second positioning portion  23  of the second cleat member  20  are configured to couple with each other only in one orientation, and when any of the mated first cleat member  10  and second cleat member  20  receives a horizontal driving force, the driving force can be transmitted to the other thereof. Therefore, when the first cleat member  10  and the second cleat member  20  are fastened by the screws  15 ,  25  and  27  screwed into the slots  91 ,  92  and  93  of the shoe sole  90 , the first cleat member  10  and the second cleat member  20  are vertically positioned by the shoe sole  90  and the screws  15 ,  25  and  27 , and are horizontally driven by each other. Thereby, the first cleat member  10  and the second cleat member  20 , as a whole cleat assembly, are positioned in all directions with respect to the shoe sole  90 . 
         [0020]    Since the cleat assembly, after frequently engaging and disengaging a clipless pedal, often has the second cleat member  20  worn more than the front one, the second cleat member  20  can be independently replaced while the first cleat member  10  is remained for further use. This is favorable for saving resources and reducing costs for purchasing spares. 
         [0021]    As shown in  FIG. 5 , for replacing the second cleat member  20 , the screws  25 ,  27  are first unscrewed from the second through hole  211  and the third through hole  213 , and then the second cleat member  20  can be separated from the shoe sole  90 . Afterward, the new second cleat member  20  is such placed that the second positioning portion  23  thereof mates the first positioning portion  13  of the first cleat member  10 . Since the first positioning portion  13  of the first cleat member  10  and the second positioning portion  23  of the second cleat member  20  are designed to be coupled with each other in the only orientation, the newly installed second cleat member  20  can be properly posed basing on the unmoved first cleat member  10 , and thus reach a position identical to that of the old second cleat member  20  on the shoe sole  90 . On the contrary, when it is necessary to replace the first cleat member  10 , the screw  15  is first unscrew from the first through hole  111 , and then the worn first cleat member  10  is taken apart from the sole  90 . Afterward, the new first cleat member  10  is such posed that the first positioning portion  13  mates the second positioning portion  23  of the second cleat member  20 . Since the first positioning portion  13  of the first cleat member  10  and the second positioning portion  23  of the second cleat member  20  are designed to be coupled with each other in the only orientation, the newly installed first cleat member  10  can be properly posed basing on the unmoved second cleat member  20 , and thus reach a position identical to that of the old first cleat member  10  on the shoe sole  90 , as shown in  FIG. 6 . 
         [0022]    Thereby, the disclosed structural feature ensures the first positioning portion  13  of the first cleat member  10  and the second positioning portion  23  of the second cleat member  20  to be mated in only one posture and to position each other, so that the replaced cleat member  10  or  20  can be correctly posed and positioned without the assistance from the positioning aid used in the prior art. Thus, as compared with the prior art, the present invention helps to save additional costs for making molds, forming and assembling the additional part, thereby improving competitiveness. 
         [0023]    In the below description,  FIGS. 3 through 4  are referred to illustrate one embodiment of the present invention. In the following paragraphs, configurations of the first cleat member  10  and the second cleat member  20  are discussed to show how the first positioning portion  13  and the second positioning portion  23  are mated and put together in only one orientation, and when any of the combined first and second cleat members  10 ,  20  receives a horizontal driving force, the horizontal driving force is transmitted to the other. 
         [0024]    As shown, the first positioning portion  13  of the first cleat member  10  is in a W-like shape bilaterally formed with paired arms  131 . Each of the arms  131  is terminated with an anchor  133  extending in a direction perpendicular to an axis of the arm  131 . The first positioning portion  13  is centrally formed with a promontory  135  between the two arms  131 . On the other hand, the second positioning portion  23  is shaped as a recessed portion for fittingly receiving the first positioning portion  13 . In other words, the second positioning portion  23  has arm recesses  231  for fittingly receiving the arms  131 , anchor recesses  233  for fittingly receiving the terminal anchors  133  of the arms  131 , and a promontory recess  235  for receiving the promontory  135 . Under such design, the first positioning portion  13  and the second positioning portion  23  can be only mated in a single posture. 
         [0025]    When it is needed to disassemble the replaceable bicycle shoe cleat assembly of the present invention from the clipless pedal  80 , a user may horizontally swing his/her thenar in a shoe above the shoe sole  90  against a joint between the front end of the first fastening portion  11  of the first cleat member  10  and the front clamping member  81  of the clipless pedal  80 , so as to depart the rear end of the second fastening portion  21  of the second cleat member  20  from the spring-controlled rear clamping member  82  of the clipless pedal  80 . At this time, the arms  131  and the anchors  133  of the first cleat member  10  jointly act as a pushing force to transmit the swing force to a pushed force composed of the arm recesses  231  and anchor recesses  233  of the second cleat member  20 . Since the force is transmitted between the first cleat member  10  and the second cleat member  20  in an inter-surface manner, the first positioning portion  13  and the second positioning portion  23  are unlikely to break or deform under stress acts thereon. 
         [0026]    In another embodiment, the first positioning portion of the first cleat member  10  and the second positioning portion of the second cleat member  20  may be shaped into a pair of noncircular mortise and tenon, such as a pair of tightly mating rectangular tenon  137  and mortise  237  as shown in  FIG. 7 . With such configurations, the cleat members  10 ,  20  can also be limited to mate each other in only one orientation and can drive each other horizontally. 
         [0027]    In one aspect of the present invention, as shown in  FIG. 8 , the rear engaging edge  215  of the second fastening portion  21  for engaging the rear clamping member  82  of the clipless pedal  80 , may have a width W 1  greater than a width of the rear clamping member  82 , so that when the rear engaging edge of the second cleat member  20  is coupled with the rear clamping member  82  of the clipless pedal  80 , the user is allowed to slightly swing his/her thenar on the clipless pedal  80  to finely adjust his/her pedaling posture, so as to improve pedaling comfortableness. Alternatively, as shown in  FIG. 9 , the width W 2  of the rear engaging edge of the second fastening portion may be sized to tightly fit the rear clamping member  82 , so as to ensure firm combination therebetween for enhancing the cyclist&#39;s safety in riding. 
         [0028]    The present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments and it is understood that the embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Moreover, as the contents disclosed herein should be readily understood and can be implemented by a person skilled in the art, all equivalent changes or modifications which do not depart from the concept of the present invention should be encompassed by the appended claims.