Shoe or boot provided with tank chambers

• US 5,230,249 A
• Filed: 08/07/1991
• Issued: 07/27/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Ono, Yoshio, Sasaki, Ken, Nakajima, Etsuro, Okuyama, Masayoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): WOODIEL, DONALD
• Application Number:
  US07/741,753
• Time in Patent Office: 720 Days
• Field of Search: 73/172, 73/862.58, 73/178 R, 73/379, 73/714, 73/756, 73/715, 73/706, 128/DIG. 12, 128/779, 606/192, 604/141, 604/151, 36/132, 36/114, 36/29
• US Class Current: 73/714
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/203 provided with a pump or valve
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/34 with electrical or electronic arrangements

Abstract

A footwear of the present invention is provided with tank chambers which are disposed to be in contact with an instep, sole and ankle of the user for applying pressure thereto to protect his foot from shocks. The tank chambers are filled with air and air pressure within the tank chambers can be adjusted. The footwear is further provided with a pressure sensor for measuring air pressure within the tank chambers to generate a pressure signal, and a pressure data displaying device for indicating pressure data on the basis of the pressure signal generated by the pressure sensor. Therefore, the user can make sure on the pressure data display device a pressure level at which the most suitable pressure for his foot is obtained. The user is also allowed to extremely easily adjust the air pressure at the above pressure level, watching an indication on the pressure data display device.

Claims

1. A footwear comprising:

a tank member formed inside said footwear, to be in contact with a foot of a user, and for applying a pressure to said foot of said user;

air pumping means for externally filling said tank member with air;

pressure measuring means, mounted on said footwear, for measuring an air pressure within said tank member, when said tank member is filled with air by said air pumping means, to obtain pressure data;

pressure data storing means for storing said pressure data obtained by said pressure measuring means; and

pressure data indicating means for indicating said pressure data measured by said pressure measuring means and said pressure data stored in said pressure storing means.

2. A footwear according to claim 1, wherein said tank member comprises a flexible material.

3. A footwear according to claim 1, wherein said tank member is positioned inside said footwear to be in contact with a part of at least one of a toe, an instep and an ankle of said user.

4. A footwear according to claim 1, wherein said pressure measuring means, said pressure data storing means and said pressure data indicating means are detachably mounted on said footwear.

5. A footwear according to claim 1, further comprising:

externally operable switch means adapted to be operated to cause said pressure measuring means start an operation for measuring an air pressure within said tank member; and

timer means responsive to said operation of said externally operable switch means for causing said pressure measuring means to perform an operation for measuring said air pressure within said tank member after at least a given time interval.

6. A footwear according to claim 1, wherein said pressure data indicating means comprises digital display means for digitally indicating said pressure data measured by said pressure measuring means and said pressure data stored in said pressure data storing means.

7. A footwear according to claim 1, wherein said air pumping means comprises:

a valve member provided on apart of said tank member; and

wherein;

said valve member is connectable with an external air pump for allowing air to be pumped into said tank member.

8. A footwear according to claim 1, wherein:

said air pumping means comprises an air pump mounted on said footwear; and

said air pump is connected with said tank member.

9. A footwear according to claim 1, further comprising:

comparing means for comparing pressure data measured by said pressure measuring means with pressure data stored in said pressure data storing means; and

announcing means for announcing a result of said comparison made by said comparing means.

10. A footwear according to claim 1, further comprising:

time counting means for counting a present time; and

indication control means for controlling said pressure data indicating means to indicate said present time counted by said time counting means.

11. A footwear according to claim 1, further comprising externally operable switch means for causing said pressure data storing means to store pressure data obtained by said pressure measuring means.

12. A footwear comprising:

a tank member formed inside said footwear, to be in contact with a foot of a user, and for applying a pressure to said foot of said user;

pressure measuring means, mounted on said footwear, for measuring an air pressure within said tank member to obtain pressure data;

pressure data storing means, mounted on said footwear for storing a plurality of said pressure data obtained by said pressure measuring means in accordance with a foot motion by said user; and

pressure data indicating means for indicating said plurality of pressure data stored in said pressure data storing means.

13. A footwear according to claim 12, further comprising pressure changing means for changing an air pressure within said tank member by permitting air to be pumped into said tank member.

14. A footwear according to claim 12, further comprising:

time data storing means for storing time data representative of a plurality of times at which said plurality of pressure data were respectively stored in said pressure data storing means; and

indication control means for controlling said pressure data indicating means to indicate said time data stored in said time data storing means.

15. A footwear according to claim 12, wherein said tank member comprises a flexible material.

16. A footwear according to claim 12, wherein said tank member is positioned inside said footwear to be in contact with at least one of a toe, an instep and an ankle of said user.

17. A footwear according to claim 12, wherein said pressure measuring means, said pressure data storing means and said pressure data indicating means are detachably mounted on said footwear.

18. A footwear according to claim 12, wherein said pressure measuring means performs a measurement of pressure at given time intervals.

19. A footwear comprising:

a tank member formed inside said footwear, to be in contact with a foot of a user, and for applying pressure to said foot of said user;

pressure measuring means, mounted on footwear, for measuring an air pressure within said tank member to obtain pressure data;

still pressure data storing means mounted on said footwear, for storing pressure data obtained by said pressure measuring means while said foot of said user is not moving; and

means, mounted on said footwear, for obtaining a plurality of exercise-volume data from a pressure obtained by said pressure measuring means in accordance with afoot motion by said user and said pressure data stored in said still pressure data storing means.

20. A footwear according to claim 19, further comprising indicating means for indicating said plurality of exercise-volume data.

21. A footwear according to claim 19, further comprising pressure changing means for changing an air pressure within said tank means by permitting air to be pumped into said tank member.

22. A footwear according to claim 19, wherein said tank member comprises a flexible material.

23. A footwear according to claim 19, wherein said tank member is positioned inside said footwear to be in contact with at least one of a toe, an instep and an ankle of said user.

24. A footwear according to claim 19, wherein said means for obtaining said plurality of exercise-volume data comprises:

detecting means for making a determination whether said pressure data measured by said pressure measuring means in accordance with said foot motion by said user represents a pressure that is greater than a pressure represented by said pressure data stored in said still pressure data storing means; and

step-number counting means for obtaining step-number data that is representative of a number of steps taken by said user from the determination made by said detecting means.

25. A footwear according to claim 19, further comprising:

indicating means for indicating step-number data that is representative of a number of steps taken by said user.

26. A footwear comprising:

a tank member formed inside said footwear so as to be in contact with a part of at least one of a toe, an instep and an ankle of a user, and for applying a pressure to said part of at least one of said toe, said instep and said ankle of said user;

air pumping means for externally filling said tank member with air;

pressure measuring means, mounted on said footwear, for measuring an air pressure within said tank member, when said tank member is filled with air by said air pumping means, and for generating a pressure signal; and

pressure data indicating means, mounted on said footwear, for indicating pressure data that corresponds to said pressure signal generated by said pressure measuring means.

27. A footwear according to claim 26, wherein said pressure data indicating means is detachably mounted on said footwear.

28. A footwear according to claim 26, further comprising externally operable switch means for causing said pressure measuring means to start a measuring operation for measuring said air pressure within said tank member.

29. A footwear according to claim 26, wherein:

said pressure data indicating means comprises a plurality of indicating members; and

said pressure data indicating means converts said pressure signal into digital data that indicates said pressure data with said plurality of indicating members.

30. A footwear according to claim 26, further comprising timer means for causing said pressure measuring means to perform an operation for measuring said air pressure within said tank member, after at least a given time interval.

31. A footwear according to claim 26, wherein:

said air pumping means comprises a valve member provided on a part of said tank member; and

said valve member is connectable to an external air pump for allowing air to be pumped into said tank member.

32. A footwear according to claim 26, wherein said air pumping means comprises an air pump that is mounted on said footwear and is connectable with said tank member.

33. A footwear comprising:

a tank member formed inside said footwear so as to be in contact with a part of at least one of a toe, an instep and an ankle of a user, for applying a pressure to said part of at least one of said toe, said instep and said ankle of said user;

air pumping means for externally filling said tank member with air;

pressure measuring means, mounted on said footwear, for measuring an air pressure within said tank member, when said tank member is filled with air by said air pumping means, and for generating a pressure signal; and

pressure data indicating means, mounted on said footwear, for indicating pressure data that corresponds to said pressure signal generated by said pressure measuring means.

34. A footwear according to claim 33, wherein said pressure measuring means and said pressure data indicating means are detachably mounted on said footwear.

35. A footwear according to claim 33, further comprising externally operable switch means for causing said pressure measuring means to start a measuring operation for measuring said air pressure within said tank member.

36. A footwear according to claim 33, wherein:

said pressure data indicating means comprises a plurality of indicating members; and

said pressure data indicating means converts said pressure signal into digital data that digitally indicates said pressure data with said plurality of indicating members.

37. A footwear according to claim 33, further comprising timer means for causing said pressure measuring means to perform a measurement operation for measuring said air pressure within said tank member after at least a given time interval.

38. A footwear according to claim 33, wherein:

said air pumping means comprises a valve member provided on a part of said tank member; and

said valve member is connectable with an external air pump for allowing air to be pumped into said tank member.

39. A footwear according to claim 33, wherein said air pumping means comprises an air pump, mounted on said footwear, that is connectable with said tank member.

40. A footwear comprising:

a tank member formed inside said footwear so as to be in contact with a foot of a user, for applying a pressure to said foot of said user;

air pumping means for externally filling said tank member with air;

pressure measuring means, mounted on said footwear, for measuring an air pressure within said tank member, when said tank member is filled with air by said air pumping means, and for generating a pressure signal;

externally operable switch means for causing said pressure measuring means to start a measuring operation of said air pressure within said tank member; and

pressure data indicating means for indicating pressure data corresponding to said pressure signal generated by said pressure measuring means, said pressure measuring means starting a measuring operation upon an actuation of said externally operable switch means.

41. A footwear according to claim 40, wherein:

said pressure data indicating means comprises a plurality of indicating members; and

said pressure data indicating means converts said pressure signal into digital data that indicates said pressure represented by said pressure signal with said plurality of indicating members.

42. A footwear according to claim 40, wherein said pressure measuring means and said pressure data indicating means are detachably mounted on said footwear.

43. A footwear according to claim 40, further comprising timer means for causing said pressure measuring means to perform a measurement operation after an operation of said externally operable switch means, to measure said air pressure within said tank member after at least a given time interval.

44. A footwear according to claim 40, wherein:

said air pumping means comprises a valve member provided on a part of said tank member; and

said valve member is connectable to an external air pump for allowing air to be pumped into said tank member.

45. A footwear according to claim 40, wherein:

said air pumping means comprises an air pump, mounted on said footwear;

member; and

said air pump is connected to said tank member.