Shoe having automatic step counter

• US 4,402,147 A
• Filed: 05/27/1981
• Issued: 09/06/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/1981
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Chyuan-Jong Wu
• Original Assignee: Chyuan-Jong Wu
• Inventors: Wu, Chyuan-Jong
• Primary Examiner(s): Lawson, Patrick D.
• Application Number:
  US06/267,630
• Time in Patent Office: 832 Days
• Field of Search: 36/136, 235/105
• US Class Current: 36/136
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 1/0054 provided with magnets, magnetic parts or magnetic substances
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/00 Footwear characterised by the shape or the use
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/34 with electrical or electronic arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/50 with sound or music sources
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/006 Pedometers

Abstract

In the sole the invention assembles a piece of electronic counter which can automatically accumulate the steps when walk. It includes a piece of touch stick which will be compressed for the action of walking with interval, apiece of knowing stick which compresses with interval to produce electronic sign, a set of apparatus which arranges above every electronic sign to be a stable electric circuit of pulse, and a set of apparatus can make electronic counter select the above-number or below-number.

Claims

1. A shoe comprising a sole and an upper, switch means operatively arranged to produce an electrical signal in response to a user taking a step, an electronic counter means for counting electrical signals from said switch means, and electronic display means responsive to output from said counter means.

2. A shoe according to claim 1, wherein said counter means includes selecting means for setting said counter means to count up or count down.

3. A shoe according to claim 1 or 2, including multiplying means responsive to each signal from said switch means for producing two signals for each signal received from said switch means.

4. A shoe according to claim 3, including further switch means for selectively bypassing said multiplying means.

5. A shoe according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said display means is a digital display.

6. A shoe according to claim 5, wherein said digital display is of the seven segment type.

7. A shoe according to claim 1 wherein said switch means comprises:

a resilient deformable cavity formed in said sole;

a protruding portion of said sole, underlying said cavity; and

adapted to temporarily deform said cavity during a step with said shoe;

at least first and second electrically conductive contacts, disposed within said cavity such that said contacts are electrically separated when said cavity is undeformed and an electrical connection between said contacts is effected by deformation of said cavity.

8. A shoe according to claim 7 wherein said first contact is disposed on the upper portion of said cavity, and said second contact is disposed on the lower portion of cavity overlying said protruding portion of said sole.

9. The shoe of claim 7 or 8 wherein said switch means further comprises a resilient member disposed within said cavity to facilitate separation of said contacts.

10. The shoe of claim 7 or 8 wherein said switch means further includes an insulative member disposed in said cavity for mounting said first contact.

11. The shoe of claim 10 wherein said switch means further comprises a resilient member disposed within said cavity to facilitate separation of said contacts.

12. A shoe according to claim 10 wherein said switch means includes a third electrically conductive contact disposed on said insulative member, offset from said first contact, but at least partially overlying said second contact, whereby said second contact selectively completes an electrical connection between said first and third contacts.

13. The shoe of claim 12 wherein said switch means further comprises a resilient member disposed within said cavity to facilitate separation of said contacts.

14. The shoe of claim 1 or 7 wherein said electronic counter means comprises a BCD counter including a plurality of elements, each counter element corresponding to a decimal digit;

and

said electronic display means comprises a plurality of seven segment display elements, each coupled to an associated BCD counter element.

15. The shoe of claim 7 or 8 wherein said switch means further comprises a pulse shaping circuit connected to at least one of said first and second contacts.

16. Apparatus comprising:

switch means, adapted for disposition on a shoe, for generating a pace signal in response to each step with said shoe; and

an electronic device, responsive to said pace signal and including;

BCD counter means, responsive to said pace signals including a plurality of elements, each element corresponding to a decimal digit, for generating a BCD count indicative of the number of paces taken with said shoe; and

display means, including at least one display element corresponding to each said BCD counter elements, for providing visual indicia of said count.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said BCD counter means comprises a presetable down-counter, adapted to initially contain a predetermined count said predetermined count being decremented in response to each said pace signal.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 or 17 wherein said electronic device further comprises:

multiplier means, for generating two output signals in response to each input signal applied thereto; and

means for selectively interposing said multiplier means between said switch means and said BCD counter means, to vary said BCD count by two units in response to every pacer signal.

19. The apparatus of claims 16 or 17 wherein said switch means is formed as an integral part of said shoe.