COUPLING ELEMENT AND SPORTS SHOE HAVING SUCH A COUPLING ELEMENT

Abstract

A coupling element configured to connect an athletic shoe with a piece of sports equipment, the coupling element including a cleat configured to engage the piece of sports equipment and disengage from the piece of sports equipment; at least one fastener configured to fasten the cleat at a reaction bearing arranged in a sole of the athletic shoe, wherein the cleat includes exactly one rotation symmetrical pass through opening configured to receive the at least one fastener, wherein the exactly one rotation symmetrical pass-through opening includes at least one concentric shoulder that cooperates with an eccentrical rotatable element that is inserted in the pass-through opening in a form locking manner, includes a recess configured to receive the at least one concentric shoulder in a form locking manner, and that terminates flush with a surface of the cleat.

Claims

1. A coupling element configured to connect an athletic shoe with a piece of sports equipment, the coupling element comprising: a cleat configured to engage the piece of sports equipment and disengage from the piece of sports equipment; at least one fastener configured to fasten the cleat at a reaction bearing arranged in a sole of the athletic shoe, wherein the cleat includes exactly one rotation symmetrical pass through opening configured to receive the at least one fastener, wherein the exactly one rotation symmetrical pass-through opening includes at least one concentric shoulder that cooperates with an eccentrical rotatable element that is inserted in the pass-through opening in a form locking manner, includes a recess configured to receive the at least one concentric shoulder in a form locking manner, and that terminates flush with a surface of the cleat, wherein the at least one fastener includes exactly one fastening bolt that includes a head that terminates flush with the surface of the cleat in an operating condition.

2. A coupling element configured to connect an athletic shoe with a piece of sports equipment, the coupling element comprising: a cleat configured to engage the piece of sports equipment and disengage from the piece of sports equipment, at least one fastener configured to fasten the cleat at a reaction bearing arranged in a sole of the athletic shoe, wherein the cleat includes exactly one rotation symmetrical pass through opening configured to receive the at least one fastener, wherein the exactly one rotation symmetrical pass-through opening includes at least one concentric shoulder that cooperates with an eccentrical rotatable element that is inserted in the pass-through opening in a form locking manner, includes a recess configured to receive the at least one concentric shoulder in a form locking manner, and that terminates flush with a surface of the cleat, wherein the eccentrical rotatable element includes a longitudinal slot arranged above the recess and configured to receive a sliding plate, and wherein the eccentrical rotatable element includes a half open or closed slotted hole in a plane of the recess wherein edges of the half open or closed slotted hole protrude relative to lateral walls of the longitudinal slot.

3. The coupling element according to claim 2, wherein the sliding plate is inserted into the longitudinal slot, and wherein the sliding plate includes an eccentrically arranged pass-through opening configured to receive the at least one fastener.

4. A coupling element configured to connect an athletic shoe with a piece of sports equipment, the coupling element comprising: a cleat configured to engage the piece of sports equipment and disengage from the piece of sports equipment; at least one fastener configured to fasten the cleat at a reaction bearing arranged in a sole of the athletic shoe, wherein the cleat includes exactly one rotation symmetrical pass through opening configured to receive the at least one fastener, wherein the exactly one rotation symmetrical pass-through opening includes at least one concentric shoulder that cooperates with an eccentrical rotatable element that is inserted in the pass-through opening in a form locking manner, includes a recess configured to receive the at least one concentric shoulder in a form locking manner, and that terminates flush with a surface of the cleat, wherein the eccentrical rotatable element includes a receiver for a circular sliding plate above the recess, and wherein the receiver is circular and eccentrical with respect to the eccentrical rotatable element and at least partially enveloped by a circular segment shaped wall.

5. The coupling element according to claim 4, wherein a circular sliding plate is inserted into the receiver, and wherein the circular sliding plate includes an eccentrical pass-through opening configured to receive the at least one fastener.

6. The coupling element according to claim 2, wherein the at least one fastener includes exactly one fastening bolt, and wherein a head of the exactly one fastening bolt terminates flush with a surface of the cleat in an operating condition.

7. An athletic shoe, comprising: a coupling element according to claim 1; a sole, and a reaction bearing associated with the sole and including at least one receiver configured for form locking reception of a shaft of the exactly one fastening bolt.

8. The athletic shoe according to claim 7, wherein plural receivers are associated with the reaction bearing, and wherein unused receivers of the plural receivers are closed by sealing devices.

9. The athletic shoe according to claim 7, wherein the reaction bearing is inserted without clearance into a recess of the sole or encased by a material of the sole by injection molding so that the plural receivers are accessible from a bottom of the sole.

10. The athletic shoe according to claim 7, wherein a protrusion is arranged about the at least one receiver of the reaction bearing so that the protrusion forms a conical contact area for the cleat at the sole.

11. The athletic shoe according to claim 7, wherein the reaction bearing is configured as a thermal insulator.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] The invention is subsequently described based on embodiments with reference to drawing figures, wherein:

[0035] FIG. 1 illustrates a sole of an athletic shoe with a prior art coupling element in a perspective view;

[0036] FIG. 2 illustrates a detail of the prior art coupling element according to FIG. 1 in a perspective view;

[0037] FIG. 3 illustrates a sole of an athletic shoe with a coupling element according to the invention in a perspective view;

[0038] FIG. 4 illustrates the coupling element according to the invention showing a detail of FIG. 3 in a perspective view:

[0039] FIG. 5 illustrates the sole of the athletic shoe according to FIG. 3 in a partial sectional view of the sole including a perspective exploded view of the coupling element according to the invention; and

[0040] FIG. 6 illustrates a lateral cross-sectional view of the sole according to an embodiment of the invention including a conical protrusion.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0041] FIG. 1 illustrates a sole of an athletic shoe, in particular a cycling shoe that is known in the art. The sole 14 includes a coupling element 1 enabling a wearer of the shoe to interlock with the sole 14 in a bicycle pedal so that the wearer is comfortably and directly connected with pedals of the bicycle. Thus. FIG. 2 illustrates the coupling element 1 in detail showing that the coupling element 1 is supported in this case in two slotted holes that are introduced into the sole. Two bolts engage the slotted holes that cooperate with a reaction bearing beyond the slotted holes. A linear displacement along the slotted holes and a transversal displacement of the two bolts in the illustrated cleat implements a cross rail which also facilitates an angular orientation due to a certain amount of clearance. One the one hand side, the degrees of freedom of the arrangement are limited. On the other hand, side moisture and cold can enter an interior of the shoe through the slotted holes.

[0042] FIG. 3 illustrates a sole 14 according to the instant invention that includes a coupling element 1 according to the invention. In order to achieve a coupling at identical pedals, the coupling element 1 includes identical outer contours, the inner contour, however, is configured totally different. In particular only a single attachment bolt is provided to facilitate a polar eccentrical displacement of the coupling element 1. FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate a displacement of the coupling element 1 into a left upper position in FIG. 3. From a wearers point of view this corresponds to a right forward position under the foot.

[0043] FIG. 5 illustrates the configuration of the coupling element 1 according to the invention. It is appreciated that a recess is formed in the sole 14 of the athletic shoe wherein a reaction bearing 16 is inserted form locking or pressed into the recess. In particular a complete enclosure of the reaction bearing 16 by the sole material facilitates a minimum heat exchange with an interior of the shoe which can even be improved by selecting an insulator material for the reaction beaning 16. Externally the reaction bearing 16 includes three fastening receivers 19 where the coupling element 1 arranged there above can be alternatively attached. Depending on the desired positioning of the coupling element 1, a forward, center or rear fastening receiver 19 is selected and the remaining two fastening receivers 19 are respectively terminated by a sealing device 17, respectively configured as a set screw made from an insulating material.

[0044] Initially the cleat 2 is placed onto the sole 14 in order to attach the coupling element 1 at the sole 14. The cleat 2 includes interlocking devices at a bottom side that engage the material of the sole 14 as soon as the locking device is tightened. The cleat 2 further includes a pass-through opening 3 with a circular inner contour that includes shoulders so that a shoulder 4 is formed that provides a contact area for an eccentrical rotatable element 5. Thus, the inner contour of the cleat 2 facilitates a support for the eccentrical rotatable element on the shoulder 4 of the cleat 2 while the eccentrical rotatable element terminates flush with its upper edge with the cleat 2 so that the eccentrical rotatable element does not protrude beyond a surface of the cleat 2.

[0045] The eccentrical rotatable element is supported freely rotatable in the pass-through opening 3 of the cleat 2 and includes a semi-open slotted hole 8, which extends from one edge beyond a center of the eccentrical rotatable element 5 in a plane of a recess 6 formed by the eccentrical rotatable element 5, wherein the recess 6 receives the shoulder 4. A longitudinal slot 7 is formed parallel to the longitudinal extension of the slotted hole 8 in the plane above the recess 6 wherein the longitudinal slot 7 forms a longitudinal guide for a slide element 9. The slide element 9 is displaceable in a linear manner along the longitudinal slot 7 to boundaries of the inner contour of the pass-through opening 3 of the cleat 2 and in turn includes an eccentrical pass through opening 10 which facilitates a positioning of an attachment bolt 11 from a center position to an edge position within the eccentrical rotatable element 5 and thus within the cleat 2. Thus, the attachment bolt 11 includes a shaft 13 which can be threaded into the fastening receiver 19 that is free from the sealing devices 17 so that the shaft 13 seals the fastening receiver 19 and provides a form locking connection of the cleat 2, the eccentrical rotatable element 5 and the sliding element 9 at the reaction bearing 16 with the sole 14 arranged there between. Before tightening the attachment bolt 11, a position of the coupling element 1 about the fastening receiver 19 and an angular orientation of the coupling element 1 can be determined at will by rotating the eccentrical rotatable element 5 in the pass-through opening 3 of the cleat 2 and by a longitudinal displacement of the sliding element 9 in the longitudinal slot 7 of the eccentrical rotatable element 5. Eventually the fastening bolt 11 is tightened so that the position of the coupling element is fixed.

[0046] FIG. 6 shows an embodiment of the invention after tightening the fastening bolt 11. It is appreciated that a head 12 of the fastening bolt 11 does not extend beyond a surface of the cleat 2 in this position so that a flush surface of the coupling element 1 is achieved, wherein flush means also being arranged below a level of the surface of the cleat. The embodiment according to FIG. 6 shows a conical protrusion 18 that is configured about each of the fastening receivers 19. It is evident that interlocking devices below the cleat 2 engage material of the sole 14 wherein this effect is more pronounced about the fastening receiver 19. This improves support on the surface of the sole 14 and simultaneously increases sealing about the fastening receiver.

[0047] Thus, a coupling element and an athletic shoe with the coupling element are described which combine good sealing and good insulation properties with a high level of flexibility of positioning and alignment of the cleat at the sole.

REFERENCE NUMERALS AND DESIGNATIONS

[0048] 1 coupling element [0049] 2 cleat [0050] 3 pass-through opening [0051] 4 shoulder [0052] 5 eccentrical rotatable element [0053] 6 recess [0054] 7 longitudinal slot [0055] 8 slotted hole [0056] 9 sliding element [0057] 10 pass-through opening [0058] 11 fastening bolt [0059] 12 head [0060] 13 shaft [0061] 14 sole athletic shoe [0062] 15 recess [0063] 16 reaction bearing [0064] 17 sealing device [0065] 18 protrusion [0066] 19 receiver