Patent Publication Number: US-2011061491-A1

Title: Bearing device for bicycle pedal

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a bicycle pedal, and more particularly to a bicycle pedal including a tubular member for smoothly attaching or coupling or securing a pedal member onto a pedal shaft and for suitably centering the pedal member and for preventing the pedal member from being easily damaged. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Typical bicycle pedals comprise a pedal member including a central tube member, and a pedal shaft rotatably engaged through the central tube member and secured to the central tube member with fasteners or retaining rings. 
     For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,561,289 to Baginski discloses one of the typical bicycle pedals comprising a pedal body member supported on a pedal axle and a plastic bearing member which may be used to rotatably support the pedal body member on the pedal axle. 
     However, the pedal body member and the plastic bearing member are rotatably secured to the pedal axle with the plastic bearing member and the retaining ring, and the plastic bearing member may have a good chance to be disengaged from the pedal axle after use, and the plastic bearing member may have a good chance to be worn out after use such that the plastic bearing member may have a good chance to be tilted relative to the pedal axle after use. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,592,076 to Baginski discloses another typical bicycle pedal comprising a pedal axle rotatably engaged through the central aperture of a pedal body member with plastic bearing members. 
     However, the plastic bearing members may have a good chance to be worn out after use such that the pedal body member may have a good chance to be tilted relative to the pedal axle after use and may have a good chance to be disengaged from the pedal axle after use. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,445,397 to Shimano discloses a further typical bicycle pedal comprising a pedal shaft rotatably engaged through the central aperture of a pedal body member with bearing members. 
     However, the pedal body member may not be suitably centered relative to the pedal shaft after use and may have a good chance to be tilted relative to the pedal shaft after use. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,651,590 to Thun, U.S. Pat. No. 4,838,115 to Nagano, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,840,085 to Nagano disclose three further typical bicycle pedals each also comprising a pedal shaft rotatably engaged through the central aperture of a pedal body member with bearing members and bearing tubes or bushes or ring members. 
     However, similarly, the pedal body member also may not be suitably centered relative to the pedal shaft after use and may have a good chance to be inclined or tilted relative to the pedal shaft after use. 
     The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional foot pedals for the bicycles. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a bicycle pedal including a tubular member for smoothly attaching or coupling or securing a pedal member onto a pedal shaft and for suitably centering the pedal member and for preventing the pedal member from being easily damaged. 
     The other objective of the present invention is to provide a bicycle pedal including a pedal member firmly attached onto a pedal shaft for preventing the pedal member from being damaged from the pedal shaft. 
     In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a bicycle pedal comprising a tubular member including a bore formed therein, and including a compartment formed in an inner end portion thereof and having an inner diameter greater than that of the bore of the tubular member for forming a first inner peripheral shoulder between the bore and the compartment of the tubular member, the tubular member including a second inner peripheral shoulder formed in an outer end portion thereof, a pedal member engaged onto the tubular member and including an aperture formed therein for receiving the tubular member, a first cartridge engaged in the bore and engaged with the first inner peripheral shoulder of the tubular member, a second cartridge engaged with the second inner peripheral shoulder of the tubular member, and a pedal shaft engaged into the bore of the tubular member and engaged with the first and the second cartridges for rotatably attaching and mounting the pedal shaft to the tubular member, and the pedal shaft includes an outer thread formed in an outer end portion thereof for engaging with a lock nut or fastener which may be engaged with the second cartridge or the tubular member and for rotatably securing the pedal shaft to the tubular member. 
     The tubular member includes at least one flange provided on an outer peripheral portion thereof, and the pedal member includes at least one rib extended into the aperture of the pedal member and engaged with the rib of the pedal member for stably anchoring the tubular member in the aperture of the pedal member and for preventing the tubular member from being rotated relative to the pedal member. 
     The tubular member includes an enlarged head provided on the inner end portion thereof and having an outer diameter greater than that of the tubular member for forming an outer peripheral shoulder between the head and the tubular member and for engaging with the pedal member. 
     The pedal member includes an inner peripheral shoulder formed in an inner portion thereof and engaged with the outer peripheral shoulder of the tubular member and for anchoring the tubular member in the aperture of the pedal member. 
     A dust cap may further be provided and engaged onto the pedal shaft and engaged with the pedal shaft and engaged with the inner end portion of the tubular member for shielding the first cartridge. A cover may further be provided and engaged onto the outer end portion of the tubular member for shielding the bore of the tubular member. 
     The pedal shaft includes an enlarged protrusion extended radially and outwardly from an inner end portion thereof for forming a peripheral shoulder between the protrusion and the pedal shaft and for engaging with the dust cap. 
     Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded view of a bicycle pedal in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a top plan schematic view of the bicycle pedal; and 
         FIG. 3  is a cross sectional view of the bicycle pedal taken along lines  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2 ; illustrating the operation of the bicycle pedal. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to the drawings, and initially to  FIGS. 1 and 3 , a bicycle pedal  1  in accordance with the present invention comprises a pedal body member  10  including a chamber or aperture  11  longitudinally formed therein, and including an enlarged opening  12  formed in the one end or inner portion  13  thereof and having an inner diameter greater than that of the aperture  11  of the pedal body member  10  for forming an inner peripheral shoulder  14  between the aperture  11  and the enlarged opening  12  of the pedal member  10  ( FIG. 1 ), and including one or more longitudinal ribs  15  ( FIG. 3 ) longitudinally extended into the aperture  11  of the pedal member  10  and equally spaced from each other. 
     A tubular member  30  is engaged into or through the aperture  11  of the pedal member  10 , or relatively, the pedal member  10  is attached or secured or engaged onto the tubular member  30 , and the tubular member  30  includes an enlarged head  31  formed or provided on the one end or inner end portion  32  thereof and having an outer diameter greater than that of the tubular member  30  for forming an outer peripheral shoulder  33  between the head  31  and the tubular member  30  and for engaging with the inner peripheral shoulder  14  of the pedal member  10  and for solidly or stably anchoring or securing the tubular member  30  in the aperture  11  of the pedal member  10 , and for reinforcing the inner portion of the pedal member  10 . 
     The tubular member  30  includes one or more longitudinal flanges  34  formed or provided on the outer peripheral portion thereof for engaging with the longitudinal ribs  15  of the pedal member  10  and for stably anchoring or securing the tubular member  30  in the aperture  11  of the pedal member  10 , and for preventing the tubular member  30  from being rotated relative to the pedal member  10 . For example, the pedal member  10  may be made of plastic, carbon fiber, or other synthetic materials and molded onto the tubular member  30  for forming the ribs  15  of the pedal member  10  and for engaging with the flanges  34  of the tubular member  30 . The tubular member  30  includes a bore  35  longitudinally formed therein, and includes an enlarged compartment  36  formed in the head  31  or formed in the inner end portion  32  thereof and having an inner diameter greater than that of the bore  35  of the tubular member  30  for forming an inner peripheral shoulder  37  between the bore  35  and the enlarged compartment  36  of the tubular member  30 , and for receiving or engaging with a cartridge  20 . 
     The tubular member  30  further includes another inner peripheral shoulder  38  formed in the other end portion  39  of the tubular member  30  for receiving or engaging with another cartridge  21 , and for stably receiving or anchoring or securing or retaining the cartridges  20 ,  21  within the enlarged compartment  36  and the inner peripheral shoulder  38  of the tubular member  30  respectively. A pedal shaft  50  is engaged into or through the bore  35  of the tubular member  30  and engaged with the cartridges  20 ,  21  for rotatably attaching or mounting or securing the pedal shaft  50  to the tubular member  30  and then to the pedal member  10 . 
     The pedal shaft  50  includes an outer thread  51  formed in the one end or outer end portion  52  thereof for engaging with a lock nut or fastener  53  which is engaged with the cartridge  21  and for rotatably and stably securing the pedal shaft  50  to the tubular member  30 . It is to be noted that the tubular member  30  includes a one-integral-piece preferably made of metal or plastic or other strong materials for suitably reinforcing the pedal member  10  and for allowing the pedal shaft  50  to be solidly and stably attached or secured to the pedal member  10  with the tubular member  30  and the cartridges  20 ,  21  and for suitably centering the pedal shaft  50  in the pedal member  10 . 
     The pedal shaft  50  includes an enlarged flange or protrusion  54  extended radially and outwardly from the other or inner end portion  55  thereof for forming a peripheral shoulder  57  between the protrusion  54  and the pedal shaft  50 , and an annular ring or dust cap  60  is engaged onto the pedal shaft  50  and engaged with the protrusion  54  of the pedal shaft  50  and the cartridge  20  or the inner end portion  32  of the tubular member  30  or the inner portion  13  of the pedal member  10  for covering or shielding the space between the pedal shaft  50  and the cartridge  20  or the inner end portion  32  of the tubular member  30  or the inner portion  13  of the pedal member  10  and for preventing dust or dirt from entering into the space between the pedal shaft  50  and the cartridge  20  or the tubular member  30  and for preventing the cartridge  20  from being damaged by the dust or dirt. 
     The pedal shaft  50  further includes an outer thread  56  formed in the other or inner end portion  55  thereof for engaging with the cranks of the bicycles (not shown) and for attaching or coupling or securing the pedal shaft  50  to the cranks of the bicycles. As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the outer end portion  52  of the pedal shaft  50  and the lock nut or fastener  53  are preferably disposed or located or engaged in the bore  35  of the tubular member  30 , and are not extended out of the tubular member  30 , and another dust cap or cover  61  is attached to the other end portion or the outer portion  16  of the pedal member  10  and/or to the other end portion  39  of the tubular member  30  for covering or shielding the bore  35  of the tubular member  30  and/or the aperture  11  of the pedal member  10  and for preventing dust or dirt from entering into the bore  35  of the tubular member  30  and/or the aperture  11  of the pedal member  10 , and for preventing the cartridge  21  from being damaged by the dust or dirt. 
     In operation, as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the tubular member  30  includes a one-integral-piece structure, and the pedal shaft  50  may be solidly and stably attached or secured to the pedal member  10  with the tubular member  30  and the cartridges  20 ,  21  such that the pedal shaft  50  may be suitably centered in the tubular member  30  and the pedal member  10 , the pedal member  10  may be made of plastic, carbon fiber, or other synthetic materials and wrapped and/or formed or molded onto the tubular member  30  for forming the ribs  15  of the pedal member  10  and for engaging with the flanges  34  of the tubular member  30  and for stably anchoring or securing the pedal member  10  onto the tubular member  30  and for preventing the pedal member  10  from being disengaged from the tubular member  30  and the pedal shaft  50 . 
     It is to be noted that the pedal member  10  is preferably made of plastic, carbon fiber, or other synthetic or plastic materials which may be wrapped or molded onto the tubular member  30  for forming the pedal member  10 , or the tubular member  30  may be forced or engaged into the pedal member  10  after the pedal member  10  has been molded or formed, and for preventing the pedal member  10  from being damaged by hitting or striking, and for allowing the weight of the bicycle pedal  1  to be suitably reduced. 
     Accordingly, the bicycle pedal in accordance with the present invention includes a tubular member for smoothly attaching or coupling or securing a pedal member onto a pedal shaft and for suitably centering the pedal member and for preventing the pedal member from being easily damaged, and the pedal member may be firmly attached onto the pedal shaft for preventing the pedal member from being damaged from the pedal shaft. 
     Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.