Cycling shoe closure mechanism

A cycling shoe comprising:

• a sole and an upper attached to the sole, wherein the sole comprises a bottom surface that defines part of an exterior bottom surface of the cycling shoe;
• screw holes in the sole with openings that are exposed at the bottom surface of the sole, wherein each screw hole is configured to receive and engage a screw to hold a cycling cleat onto the bottom surface of the sole at a cleat portion of the sole;
• a projection portion that extends off a bottom surface of the shoe behind the cleat portion of the sole;
• an adjustable closure panel that extends across an opening in the upper;
• and
• a lever assembly exposed at an outer, rear surface of the upper, wherein the lever assembly is movable about a hinge between a first position and a second position;
• and
• one or more passages through the projection portion of the cycling shoe, wherein each passage comprises:
• a rear opening on a heel end of the projection portion of the cycling shoe at least half a length of the lever assembly below the hinge of the lever assembly, wherein the position of the rear opening remains constant with respect to the hinge regardless of whether the lever assembly is in the first position or the second position, and
• a front opening in the projection portion near a middle to rear third of a side of the cycling shoe and lower than the closure panel,
• wherein the one or more passages accommodate one or more cables for connecting the lever assembly to the adjustable closure panel,
• one or more cables passing through the one or more passages and connecting the lever assembly to the adjustable closure panel;
• wherein the lever assembly is configured such that moving the lever assembly between the first position and the second position causes the one or more cables, if connected between the lever assembly and the adjustable closure panel, to tighten or loosen the closure panel relative to the upper, and the lever assembly is configured to work as an over-center mechanism to hold the lever assembly in place when it is in the first position and tightening the closure panel against a foot,
• wherein each of the one or more cables extends through the projection portion of the sole of the cycling shoe, and
• wherein loosening the one or more cables that connect the lever assembly to the adjustable closure panel facilitates lifting the closure panel away from the upper so that a foot can be inserted or removed from the cycling shoe.

A cycling shoe comprising:

• a sole wherein the sole comprises a bottom surface that defines part of an exterior bottom surface of the cycling shoe;
• screw holes in the sole with openings that are exposed at the bottom surface of the sole, wherein each screw hole is configured to receive and engage a screw to hold a cycling cleat onto the bottom surface of the sole at a cleat portion of the sole;
• an upper attached to the sole to define an interior space between the upper and the sole, wherein the upper has an edge that defines and completely surrounds an opening in the upper, wherein the opening provides access from outside the cycling shoe into the interior space;
• an adjustable closure panel outside of the interior space and extended across a portion of the opening in the upper to cover the portion of the opening in the upper;
• and
• a lever assembly exposed at an outer, rear surface of the upper, wherein the lever assembly is movable about a hinge between a first position and a second position;
• and
• a projection portion that extends off the exterior bottom surface of the cycling shoe behind the cleat portion of the sole;
• one or more passages through the projection portion of the cycling shoe to accommodate one or more cables for connecting the lever assembly to the adjustable closure panel;
• one or more cables passing through the one or more passages through the projection portion of the cycling shoe, wherein the one or more cables are connected to the lever assembly and to a cable connector at each respective one of first and second lateral edges of the adjustable closure panel;
• wherein the lever assembly is configured such that moving the lever assembly between the first position and the second position causes the one or more cables connected between the lever assembly and the adjustable closure panel, to tighten or loosen the closure panel relative to the upper,
• wherein loosening the one or more cables that connect the lever assembly to the adjustable closure panel facilitates lifting the adjustable closure panel from a first location to a second location, wherein the adjustable closure panel is farther away from the upper in the second location than in the first location, so that a foot can be inserted or removed from the cycling shoe,
• wherein the lever assembly comprises a cable carriage for coupling the one or more cables to the lever assembly,
• wherein the cable carriage defines one or more openings, or anchors, through which the one or more cables pass or to which the one or more cables are attached, to be coupled to the lever assembly, and
• wherein the cable carriage further comprises:
• a guide that extends along the lever assembly between a proximal part of the lever assembly and a distal part of the lever assembly,
• wherein the cable carriage is coupled to and is movable along the guide between the proximal part of the lever assembly and the distal part of the lever assembly.

A cycling shoe comprising:

• a sole and an upper attached to the sole;
• an adjustable closure panel that extends across an opening in the upper;
• and
• a lever assembly exposed at an outer, rear surface of the upper, wherein the lever assembly is movable about a hinge between a first position and a second position;
• and
• one or more passages through the cycling shoe to accommodate one or more cables for connecting the lever assembly to the adjustable closure panel,
• wherein the lever assembly is configured such that moving the lever assembly between the first position and the second position causes the one or more cables, if connected between the lever assembly to the adjustable closure panel, to tighten or loosen the closure panel relative to the upper,
• wherein the lever assembly comprises a cable carriage for coupling the one or more cables to the lever assembly,
• wherein the cable carriage defines one or more openings, or anchors, through which the one or more cables can pass or to which the one or more cables can be attached, to become coupled to the lever assembly, and
• wherein the cable carriage further comprises:
• a guide that extends along the lever assembly between a proximal part of the lever assembly and a distal part of the lever assembly,
• wherein the cable carriage is coupled to and is movable along the guide between the proximal part of the lever assembly and the distal part of the lever assembly;
• further comprising:
• a strip of material attached to a side surface of the cycling shoe and that extends to the opening of the upper and contacts a portion of the closure panel that extends over the upper,
• wherein the strip of material is thereby configured to urge the opening of the upper into a more open position by pushing the closure panel away from the upper.

A cycling shoe comprising:

• a sole, wherein the sole comprises a bottom surface that defines part of an exterior bottom surface of the cycling shoe;
• screw holes in the sole with openings that are exposed at the bottom surface of the sole, wherein each screw hole is configured to receive and engage a screw to hold a cycling cleat onto the bottom surface of the sole;
• an upper attached to the sole;
• an adjustable closure panel that extends across an opening in the upper;
• and
• a lever assembly exposed at an outer, rear surface of the upper, wherein the lever assembly is movable about a hinge between a first position and a second position;
• a projection portion that extends off the exterior bottom surface of the cycling shoe behind the cleat portion of the sole;
• and
• one or more passages through the projection portion that extends off the exterior bottom surface of the cycling shoe, wherein each of the passages comprises:
• a first opening on a heel end of the projection portion that extends off the exterior bottom surface of the cycling shoe, wherein a position of the first opening remains constant with respect to the hinge regardless of whether the lever assembly is in the first position or the second position or anywhere between the first position and the second position, and
• a second opening in the projection portion near a middle to rear third of a side of the cycling shoe and lower than the closure panel,
• wherein the one or more passages are configured to accommodate one or more cables for connecting the lever assembly to the adjustable closure panel,
• one or more cables passing through the one or more passages and connecting the lever assembly to the adjustable closure panel;
• wherein the lever assembly is configured such that moving the lever assembly between the first position and the second position causes the one or more cables connected between the lever assembly and the adjustable closure panel, to tighten or loosen the closure panel relative to the upper, and
• wherein loosening the one or more cables that connect the lever assembly to the adjustable closure panel facilitates lifting the closure panel away from the upper so that a foot can be inserted or removed from the cycling shoe.

A cycling shoe comprising:

• a sole, wherein the sole comprises a bottom surface that defines part of an exterior bottom surface of the cycling shoe;
• screw holes in the sole with openings that are exposed at the bottom surface of the sole, wherein each screw hole is configured to receive and engage a screw to hold a cycling cleat onto the bottom surface of the sole;
• an upper attached to the sole to define an interior space between the upper and the sole, wherein the upper has a top edge that has a closed shape and defines and completely surrounds an opening in the upper, wherein the opening provides access from outside the cycling shoe into the interior space;
• an adjustable closure panel outside of the interior space and that extends across a portion of the opening in the upper, wherein the adjustable closure panel is movable between a first position held tight against the upper and a second position lifted away from the upper;
• a first cable connector at a first lateral edge of the adjustable closure panel;
• a second cable connector at a second lateral edge of the adjustable closure panel;
• a projection portion coupled to, in direct physical contact with, and beneath the sole, wherein the projection portion is located behind a cleat portion of the sole, wherein the projection portion defines:
• a first internal passage that extends through the projection portion from a first hole in a first lateral side surface of the projection portion to a second hole at a rear surface of the projection portion;
• and
• a second internal passage that extends through the projection portion from a third hole in a second lateral side surface of the projection portion to a fourth hole at the rear surface of the projection portion;
• an extension at a rear portion of the upper;
• a lever assembly physically coupled to the extension via a hinge at a heel portion of the wherein the lever assembly comprises:
• a pivoting support arm, wherein the pivoting support arm is configured to pivot about the hinge, relative to an entirety of the extension and the upper, between a closed position and an open position, wherein the hinge is behind a heel of the cycling shoe;
• a guide formed along the pivoting support arm;
• and
• a cable carriage in direct physical contact with and movable along the guide;
• a cable connected to the first cable connector at the first lateral edge of the adjustable closure panel and to the second cable connector at the second lateral edge of the adjustable closure panel,
• wherein the cable extends from the first cable connector at the first lateral edge of the adjustable closure panel to the first hole in the first lateral side surface of the projection portion, through the first hole into the first passage in the projection portion, through the first passage, out of the first passage in the projection portion via the second hole at the rear surface of the projection portion, from the second hole to the cable carriage, from the cable carriage to the fourth hole at the rear surface of the projection portion, through the fourth hole into the second passage, through the second passage, out of the second passage via the third hole in the second lateral side surface of the projection portion, and from the third hole to the second cable connector at the second lateral side surface of the adjustable closure panel,
• wherein the lever assembly is configured such that moving the pivoting support arm from the open position to the closed position tightens the cable which causes the cable to pull the adjustable closure panel in a downward direction toward and against the upper, and wherein moving the pivoting support arm from the closed position to the open position loosens the cable facilitating lifting the closure panel away from the upper, and
• wherein moving the pivoting support arm of the lever assembly between the open position and the closed position does not change a physical configuration of any portion of the upper or any portion of the sole or a size or shape of the opening defined by the top edge of the upper.

A cycling shoe comprising:

• a sole, wherein the sole comprises a bottom surface that defines part of an exterior bottom surface of the cycling shoe;
• screw holes in the sole with openings that are exposed at the bottom surface of the sole, wherein each screw hole is configured to receive and engage a screw to hold a cycling cleat onto the bottom surface of the sole;
• an upper attached to the sole to define an interior space between the upper and the sole, wherein the upper has a top edge that has a closed shape and defines and completely surrounds an opening in the upper, wherein the opening provides access from outside the cycling shoe into the interior space;
• an adjustable closure panel outside of the interior space and extended across a portion of the opening in the upper to cover the portion of the opening in the upper;
• an adjustable closure panel that extends across a portion of the opening in the upper, wherein the adjustable closure panel is movable between a first position held tight against the upper and a second position lifted away from the upper;
• a first cable connector at a first lateral edge of the adjustable closure panel;
• a second cable connector at a second lateral edge of the adjustable closure panel;
• a projection portion coupled to, in direct physical contact with, and beneath the sole, wherein the projection portion is located behind a cleat portion of the sole, wherein the projection portion defines:
• a first internal passage that extends through the projection portion from a first hole in a first lateral side surface of the projection portion to a second hole at a rear surface of the projection portion;
• and
• a second internal passage that extends through the projection portion from a third hole in a second lateral side surface of the projection portion to a fourth hole at the rear surface of the projection portion;
• an extension at a rear portion of the upper;
• a lever assembly physically coupled to the extension via a hinge at a heel portion of the wherein the lever assembly comprises:
• a pivoting support arm, wherein the pivoting support arm is configured to pivot about the hinge, relative to an entirety of the extension and the upper, between a closed position and an open position, wherein the hinge is behind a heel of the cycling shoe;
• a guide formed along the pivoting support arm;
• and
• a cable carriage in direct physical contact with and movable along the guide;
• a first cable connected to the first cable connector at the first lateral edge of the adjustable closure panel;
• and
• a second cable connected to the second cable connector at the second lateral edge of the adjustable closure panel,
• wherein the first cable extends from the first cable connector at the first lateral edge of the adjustable closure panel to the first hole in the first lateral side surface of the projection portion, through the first hole into the first passage in the projection portion, through the first passage, out of the first passage in the projection portion via the second hole at the rear surface of the projection portion, from the second hole to the cable carriage,
• wherein the second cable extends from the cable carriage to the fourth hole at the rear surface of the projection portion, through the fourth hole into the second passage, through the second passage, out of the second passage via the third hole in the second lateral side surface of the projection portion, and from the third hole to the second cable connector at the second lateral side surface of the adjustable closure panel,
• wherein the lever assembly is configured such that moving the pivoting support arm from the open position to the closed position tightens the first and second cables which causes the first and second cables to pull the adjustable closure panel in a downward direction toward and against the upper, and wherein moving the pivoting support arm from the closed position to the open position loosens the cable facilitating lifting the closure panel away from the upper, and
• wherein moving the pivoting support arm of the lever assembly between the open position and the closed position does not change a physical configuration of any portion of the upper or any portion of the sole or a size or shape of the opening defined by the top edge of the upper.