Cycle pedal with reflector and method of manufacturing same

Claim 2

A reflective ''''rat trap'''' cycle pedal comprising a pedal frame including a pair of substantially parallel, spaced apart leg members, each leg member having an integral, elongate, reflector-receptive recess means formed therein, elongate reflector means in said recess means, and integral, bendable reflector retaining tab means on each leg member at said recess means, said bendable tab means bent inwardly against an adjacent peripheral portion of said reflector means permanently fixing said reflector means in said recess means.

Claim 3

A pedal, as called for in claim 1, wherein said elongate reflector receptive recess means comprises a bottom wall and a pair of laterally spaced side walls.

Claim 4

A pedal as called for in claim 2, wherein at least one reflector retaining lip is on each said leg member at said recess and said lips have a reflector engaging surface disposed in spaced relationship with the plane of the bottom wall of said recess.

Claim 5

A pedal as called for in claim 2, wherein each leg member includes abutment means which engage opposite ends of a reflector housed within said recess.

Claim 6

A pedal as called for in claim 4, wherein said abutment means is disposed in spaced relationship with the plane of the bottom wall of said recess and in alignment with an end of a reflector housed within the said recess.

Claim 7

A pedal as called for in claim 4, wherein said abutment means are disposed in the plane of the reflector retaining tab means and reflector retaining lip.

Claim 8

A pedal as called for in claim 4, wherein at least one of said abutment means comprises said tab means and is defined by the outer, terminal end of a tongue struck from a frame leg adjacent an end of said elongate recess.

Claim 9

A pedal as called for in claim 7, wherein said tongue is initially deflected whereby to provide access of a reflector to said recess.

Claim 10

A pedal as called for in claim 3, wherein pairs of retaining lips are on each leg member and said pairs of lips engage outer peripheral Portions of the reflector adjacent the ends thereof.

Claim 11

A pedal as called for in claim 1, wherein the reflector is elongate and has lips projecting from its side edges which define elongate notches in and along the outer side surfaces thereof, and wherein the reflector retaining tab means engage and are seated within said notches.

Claim 12

A pedal as called for in claim 2, wherein the reflector is housed within said recess with its rear surface in contacting relationship with the bottom wall of the recess.

Claim 13

A pedal as called for in claim 2, wherein the recess is open ended and has a depth greater than the thickness of the reflector so as to locate the outer surface of a reflector received therein in a plane below the peripheral portions of the leg member adjacent said recess.

Claim 14

A pedal as called for in claim 2, wherein the recess is open ended, and wherein the reflector retaining tab means are located beyond an end of the recess, spaced outwardly from the bottom wall thereof and in engagement with the end adjacent portions of the outer surface of the reflector.

Claim 15

A pedal as called for in claim 13, wherein the ends of the reflector terminate beyond the ends of said recess and beneath said retaining means.

Claim 16

A pedal as called for in claim 13, wherein the ends of the reflector engage abutment means integral with the leg member.

Claim 17

A pedal as called for in claim 3, wherein the outer surface of the reflector includes lips projecting from its side edge and wherein the reflector engaging surface of the retaining lip is spaced from the bottom wall of the recess a distance approximating the thickness of said lips on said reflector.

Claim 20

A method as in claim 17, including the steps of forming integral lips on said frame projecting into said recess, forming an opening through said frame leg members communicating with said recess, inserting said reflector through said opening from the rear of said leg member and at an angle to the leg member and into the recess, tilting the reflector into engagement with the leg member, and then bending said tab means into engagement with the reflector to retain the reflector in the recess.

Claim 21

A method as in claim 18, including the steps of forming said recess with a depth approximating the thickness of the reflector, forming said opening at one end of the recess, forming another opening through the frame at the other end of the recess, and forming the integral retaining portions as a consequence of forming the openings.

Claim 22

A method as in claim 17, including the steps of forming an opening through said frame leg members in opposite ends of said recess and as a consequence thereof forming integral lips projecting inwardly into said recess at opposite ends thereof, inserting said reflector endwise into said recess from the front of said leg member and beneath said lips at one end of the recess, and then sliding the reflector toward the other end of the recess and beneath the lips thereat.

Claim 23

A method, as in claim 19, wherein the reflector has an essentially uniform cross section, the forming step includes forming the recess with a depth spacing it from the opposed inner face of the leg member a distance approximating the thickness of said lips and forming said openings in the non-recessed portions of the member with pairs of retaining lips which extend inwardly of the outer endS of said openings in spaced apart relation approximating the width of the outer surface of said reflector and further forming the deflected retaining portion as an outwardly deflected tongue struck from said member as an extension of the outer end of said one opening, and the positioning step further includes shifting said reflector along said recess, after it has been advanced into engagement therewith, to engage one end of the reflector with the retaining means at said other opening and bring its adjacent lip portions beneath the ledges thereat, and the deforming step includes bending the tongue into abutting relation with the other end of the reflector.