US 5,473,963 AGranted

Magnetic bicycle pedal foot retainer

OwnerJames F. Aeschbachinventor

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Abstract

A bicycling shoe has a ferromagnetic backing plate positionably connected to its sole. A nonmagnetic support plate has a plurality of through holes, and is fixed to the backing plate. NdFeB magnets of alternating polarity are attached by epoxy to the sidewalls of the through holes and make magnetic contact with the backing plate. A similar backing plate, support plate and alternating polarity magnet assembly is fixed to a bicycle pedal. A post extends from the pedal to position the shoe laterally. When the shoe is in a pedaling position, the polarity of the pedal magnets is opposite to the polarity of the shoe magnets, and the shoe is gripped to the pedal to permit transmission of power on the up stroke. To disengage, the shoe is rotated about the post, until like magnets are brought into opposition and the shoe is ejected from its position on the pedal.

Claims24

Dependent claims

An apparatus for selectably connecting a wearer's shoe to a sport device;

the apparatus comprising:
a) a first backing plate which is mountable to the shoe;
b) a first support plate having portions which define a plurality of through holes, wherein the first support plate is connected beneath the first backing plate;
c) a plurality of first magnets, positioned within said plurality of through holes of the first support plate to make contact with the first backing plate, wherein each one of said plurality of first magnets is of an opposite polarity from an adjacent one of said plurality of first magnets;
d) a second backing plate which is mountable to the sport device;
e) a second support plate having portions which define a plurality of through holes, wherein the second support plate is connected above the second backing plate;
and
f) a plurality of second magnets, positioned within said plurality of through holes of the second support plate to make contact with the second backing plate, wherein the polarity of each one of said plurality second magnets is opposite to the polarity of a superposed one of said plurality of first magnets when said shoe is positioned on said sport device, the second support plate being thereby connected to the first support plate, and wherein rotation of the first support plate with respect to the second support plate will rotate said plurality of first magnets so that the polarity of each one of said plurality of second magnets is the same as the polarity of a superposed one of said plurality of first magnets;
for ejection of the shoe from the sport device.

6 more elements

A bicycling assembly, comprising:

a) a shoe having a sole;
b) a shoe backing plate mounted to the sole of the shoe;
c) a shoe support plate having portions which define a plurality of through holes, wherein the shoe support plate is connected to the shoe backing plate and is positioned beneath the shoe backing plate;
d) a plurality of shoe magnets, positioned within said plurality of through holes of the shoe support plate to make contact with the shoe backing plate, wherein each one of said plurality of shoe magnets is of an opposite polarity from an adjacent one of said plurality of shoe magnets, the plurality of shoe magnets facing downwardly;
e) a bicycle pedal;
f) a pedal backing plate which is mounted to the pedal;
g) a pedal support plate having portions which define a plurality of through holes, wherein the pedal support plate is connected above the pedal backing plate;
and
h) a plurality of pedal magnets, positioned within said plurality of through holes of the pedal support plate to make contact with the pedal backing plate, wherein the polarity of each one of said plurality of pedal magnets is opposite to the polarity of a superposed one of said plurality of shoe magnets when said shoe is positioned on said pedal for bicycling, the pedal support plate being thereby connected to the shoe support plate, and wherein rotation of the shoe support plate with respect to the pedal support plate will rotate said plurality of shoe magnets so that the polarity of each one of said plurality of pedal magnets is the same as the polarity of a superposed one of said plurality of shoe magnets for ejection of the shoe from the pedal.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.