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.

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.

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.