U.S. patent number 3,800,133 [Application Number 05/352,591] was granted by the patent office on 1974-03-26 for illuminated shoe.
Invention is credited to Henri Joseph Duval.
United States Patent |
3,800,133 |
Duval |
March 26, 1974 |
ILLUMINATED SHOE
Abstract
An illuminated shoe having a heel provided with an upwardly
opening cavity which is covered by a springy insole portion. The
cavity accepts an illumination assembly including an electric light
bulb connectable in circuit, through a normally open pressure
switch, with a dry cell battery. The switch is adapted to be closed
by the springy insole when the latter is deflected under pressure
of a wearer's heel so as to effect intermittent energizing of the
light bulb whenever heel pressure is applied.
Inventors: |
Duval; Henri Joseph (New
Westminster, British Columbia, CA) |
Family
ID: |
23385742 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/352,591 |
Filed: |
April 19, 1973 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
362/103; 362/394;
36/137; 362/802 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A43B
1/0036 (20130101); A43B 1/0072 (20130101); A43B
3/001 (20130101); Y10S 362/802 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A43B
3/00 (20060101); F21v 033/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;240/6.4W,10.61,10.68,59 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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|
|
|
|
|
|
444,392 |
|
Mar 1936 |
|
GB |
|
246,634 |
|
Apr 1926 |
|
IT |
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334,041 |
|
Jun 1936 |
|
IT |
|
Primary Examiner: Peters, Jr.; Joseph F.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Jones; Owen J.
Claims
I claim:
1. An illuminated shoe apparatus comprising:
a. a shoe having an insole and a transparent heel having an
upwardly opening cavity,
b. the insole having a springy removeable portion bridging the
cavity,
c. a switch and circuit arrangement adapted to fit in the cavity,
the arrangement including:
i. a metallic base member having a central threaded socket for
receiving a light bulb,
ii. a pair of metallic arms extending upwards in spaced diametric
relationship from the base plate for clasping the battery, the
latter having a lower pole adapted to make contact with the light
bulb, an upper end of one of the arms being bent inwardly to
overlie an upper end of the battery, the upper end of the other arm
being bent inwardly for contacting an upper pole of the battery,
said second mentioned arm end being normally above said battery
pole and being adapted to be deflected downwards to contact the
said battery pole and establish an electrical circuit through the
light bulb under pressure of the springy insole portion when said
portion deflects under heel pressure when the wearer places his
weight on the shoe.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to electrically illuminated footwear.
2. Prior Art
The use of illuminated footwear for both decorative and safety
purposes is old. The shoes usually are provided with permanent
circuitry and switches which when connected to a battery and bulb
disposed in the shoe can provide either a steady or intermittent
light. Due to the corrosive action of salt in normal perspiration
of the foot, circuitry, particularly the switches, corrode very
rapidly and are prone to failure when they are most needed.
Furthermore shoes of this nature having built-in circuitry are
rather expensive as normal shoe fabricating procedures must be
altered and great care must be taken in placement of electrical
conductors and the like.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides illuminated shoe apparatus which
requires little departure from conventional shoe fabricating
procedures and which, therefore, can be relatively inexpensive.
The illuminated shoe apparatus of the present invention,
furthermore, provides a construction where the circuitry, power
source and electrical bulb are substantially unitized so that all
of the illuminating components can be removed when illumination is
not required and replaced when so required. Corrosion is thus not a
problem as circuitry components can easily be cleaned.
The instant apparatus, furthermore, by a very simple adjustment can
be arranged to provide steady illumination or intermittent
illumination wherein the electric light bulb is energized whenever
pressure is applied to the shoe so that unusual effects can be
achieved for dancing purposes and the like.
The illuminated shoe apparatus includes a shoe having a heel of
transparent material and having an upwardly opening cavity which is
covered by a removable insole portion of springy material which
deflects under pressure of the heel thereon. An illunination
assembly including a dry cell battery, in circuit through a
pressure closed switch in circuit, with a light bulb is disposed in
the cavity, the switch being located beneath the insole portion for
closure when the insole portion flexes inwardly of the cavity.
A detail description following, related to the drawings, gives
exemplification of a preferred embodiment of the invention which
however, is capable of expression in structure other than that
described and illustrated.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a central sectional view of the illuminated shoe
apparatus of the present invention, a shoe being only partially
shown,
FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a switch and circuit
arrangement.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring to the drawings, and in particular to FIG. 1, a portion
of the conventional ladies shoe 10 is shown. The shoe has a sole 12
and an insole 13 and a transparent heel 14 which is formed of a
suitable thermoplastic e.g. material produced under the trademark
"Lucite" is acceptable.
The heel has an upper cylindrical cavity 15 which opens upwards out
of the heel and a lower cylindrical cavity 16 of smaller diameter
than the upper cylindrical cavity which opens upwardly and
centrally of base 17 of the upper cavity. A portion of the sole
overlying the upper cavity is removed and the opening thus formed
is closed by a flap 19 which is formed of a suitably springy
material, e.g., a suitable thermoplastic. The flap 19 is hinged at
one edge 20 so that it can be swung from a closed, solid outline,
position to an open, broken outline, position to permit access to
the cavities. The flap 19 is of sufficient thickness that it will
flex inwardly, slightly, under pressure of the wearer's heel when
weight is applied to the wearer's foot.
Mounted in the upper and lower cavities is an illuminiation
assembly 22 which includes a switch and circuit arrangement 23
which encloses a conventional dry cell battery 24 of the flashlight
or penlight type having a central upper pole 24.1 and a lower base
pole 24.2 An electric light bulb 25 is removably secured to the
switch and circuit arrangement.
The switch and circuit arrangement which can be stamped from a
sheet of suitably springy metallic sheet stock, e.g., a coppy
alloy, see FIG. 2, has a circular base plate 28 from which two
diametrically opposed arms 29 and 30 extend. The base plate has a
central threaded socket 31 into which the electric light bulb 25
can be firmly secured. The arm 29 is bent inwardly at its upper end
providing restraining lug 32 which overlies the upper end of the
battery. The arm 30 is also bent, at its upper end, inwardly over
the battery to provide a switch arm 33 which overlies the central
pole of the battery. The end of the switch arm is forked and bent
to provide a lower contact arm 34 and a pair of upper operating
arms 35--35.
The base pole 24.2 of the battery, see FIG. 1 is spaced from the
base plate 28 by an annular non-conductive, centrally apertured
washer 38 which prevents contact between the battery and the plate
28. The bulb which is threaded into the plate socket 31 extends
slightly above the upper surface of the washer to make electrical
contact with the base of the battery.
The assembly 22, see FIG. 1, is disposed in the cavities with the
base plate 28 resting on the bottom of the upper cavity and with
the light bulb projecting into the lower cavity. The diameter of
the upper cavity is such that the assembly 22 has a relatively
tight slidable fit therein so as to prevent its movement relative
to the heel when the wearer is walking or dancing. Further, the
walls of the upper socket are painted with a suitable decorative
paint which renders the battery and switch and circuit arrangement
invisible to the eye. The lower cavity is not painted so that the
electric light bulb is visible.
The switch and circuit arrangment can be adjusted to provide
selectively, constant light or an intermittent light when heel
pressure is applied. For a constant light the switch arm is bent
sufficiently so that the contact arm 34 is normally spaced slightly
away from the upper pole of the battery so that contact is made
only when the flap deflects under heel pressure. Spacing of the
contact arm and operating arms, it is seen, prevents application of
undue weight on the battery when contact is made so as to avoid
damage to the battery.
Construction as above described provides for easy removal of the
entire illumination assembly by simply swinging the springy flap
upwards and then lifting the illumination assembly out of the heel
cavity. When the illumination is required the illumination assembly
can readily be re-inserted. The illumination assembly can,
therefore, be readily cleaned, whenever necessary, and as it is
only infrequently used, corrosion does not become a problem.
* * * * *