Footwear with flashing lights

• US 5,303,485 A
• Filed: 02/05/1993
• Issued: 04/19/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Congress Financial Corporation (Wells Fargo & Company)
• Original Assignee: LA Gear Incorporated (ACI International)
• Inventors: Godinez, Mariamia, Bemis, Jon L., Goldston, Mark R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sewell, Paul T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KAVANAUGH, JOHN T
• Application Number:
  US08/013,839
• Time in Patent Office: 438 Days
• Field of Search: 36/137, 36/139, 200/60, 200/61.1, 200/310, 200/311, 200/317
• US Class Current: 36/137
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 1/0036 with fluorescent or phosphorescent parts
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 1/0072 made at least partially of transparent or translucent materials
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/34 with electrical or electronic arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/36 with light sources
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/40 Batteries
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/004 Reflective safety signalling devices attached on persons
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 19/00 Advertising or display means not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/802 Position or condition responsive switch

Abstract

Footwear (1) adapted to enhance the visibilty of the wearer contains a light source (12), a power source (14), circuitry (15, 16, 17) to connect the power source (14) to the light source (12) , and a pressure switch (18) disposed in the sole (5) of the footwear (1) between the wearer'"'"'s foot and the ground and adapted to turn the light source (12) off when the wearer'"'"'s foot is on the ground, and hence static, thereby conserving the power source (14), and to switch the light source (12) on when the wearer'"'"'s foot is off the ground, and usually moving, thereby providing enhanced visibility of the footwear (1) and its wearer.

Claims

1. Footwear for improving visibility of a wearer thereof, said footwear including an upper portion contacting an upper surface of a wearer'"'"'s foot and a sole portion that underlies a lower surface of the wearer'"'"'s foot and supports the wearer'"'"'s foot against the ground, the improvement comprising:

a light source mounted in said footwear such that light emitted from said source is visible exteriorly of said footwear;

a power source disposed in said footwear for energizing said light source;

circuit means disposed in said footwear for connecting said power source to said light source; and

,

switch means disposed in said footwear and operatively responsive to close when the wearer'"'"'s foot is removed from the ground for selectably connecting said power source to said light source to cause illumination of said light source, said switch means being operatively responsive to open when the wearer'"'"'s foot is applied to the ground, thereby extinguishing the illumination of said light.

2. The footwear of claim 1, wherein said switch means includes means, responsive to pressure from a wearer'"'"'s weight applied to the ground through the agency of said sole portion, for opening said switch means and for closing said switch means when pressure from the wearer'"'"'s weight is removed from the ground.

3. The footwear of claim 2, wherein said switch means includes:

an on-off switch that is in a normally closed condition, said switch having an actuator for opening said switch in response to a force exerted on said actuator and being disposed in said sole portion between the wearer'"'"'s foot and the ground, with said actuator in facing communication with the ground such that, when the wearer'"'"'s weight is applied to the ground through the agency of said sole portion, the ground exerts an upward force on said actuator, thereby opening said switch, and when the wearer'"'"'s weight is removed form the ground through said sole portion, the force exerted on said actuator is removed, thereby returning said switch to said normally closed condition.

4. The footwear of claim 2, wherein said switch means includes:

an on-off switch that is in a normally closed condition, said switch having an actuator for opening said switch in response to a force exerted on said actuator and being disposed in said sole portion between the wearer'"'"'s foot and the ground, with said actuator in facing communication with the lower surface of the wearer'"'"'s foot such that, when the wearer'"'"'s weight is applied to the ground through the agency of said sole portion, the lower surface of the wearer'"'"'s foot exerts a downward force on said actuator, thereby opening said switch, and when the wearer'"'"'s weight is removed from the ground through said sole portion, the force exerted on said actuator is removed, thereby returning said switch to said normally closed condition.

5. The footwear of claim 4, further comprising:

switch moderator means for controlling the amount of force applied to said actuator by the wearer'"'"'s foot said switch moderator means including a thickness of resilient material disposed between said switch actuator and the lower surface of the wearer'"'"'s foot.

6. The footwear of claim 1, wherein said light source comprises a light emitting diode.

7. The footwear of claim 6, wherein said circuit means includes:

a light emitting diode mounting and connector assembly, including a rigid, non-conductive base having a pair of distinct, conductive layers disposed on spaced, opposite surfaces thereof, each one of said conductive surfaces having a respective one of a pair of complementary electrical connectors attached thereto for connecting respective ones of said conductive surfaces to the balance of said circuit means,

said light emitting diode having a pair of leads, respective ones of which are electrically and mechanically connected to respective ones of said conductive surfaces such that said diode is both mechanically supported by said assembly and is electrically connected to the balance of said circuit means through said conductive layers, and

wherein said diode mounting and connector assembly is mounted in said sole portion of said footwear adjacent to a lateral sidewall thereof such that light emitted from said diode is visible exteriorly of said footwear through said lateral sidewall of said sole portion.

8. The footwear of claim 7, further comprising:

master switch means disposed in said footwear for deactivating said circuit means.

9. The footwear of claim 8, wherein said light source comprises:

a battery disposed within said circuit means, said battery having a given polarity therein necessary to light said diode, and wherein said master switch means further comprises;

means for reversing said given polarity of said battery within said circuit means.

10. The footwear of claim 9, wherein said battery and said polarity of said battery within said circuit means are plug-in replaceable and reversible, respectively, from outside of said footwear.

11. The footwear of claim 1, further comprising:

means for causing said light source to blink on and off when said switch means are closed.

12. Footwear with means for increasing visibility of a wearer thereof, comprising:

a flexible upper for enclosing an upper portion of a wearer'"'"'s foot;

a sole portion for underlying a lower surface of the wearer'"'"'s foot and supporting the wearer'"'"'s foot against the ground, said sole portion being attached to said upper portion and having an upper surface defining a footbed for supporting the lower surface of the wearer'"'"'s foot, and an outsole surface for contacting the ground;

an electric light source mounted in said footwear such that light emitted from said source is visible exteriorly of said footwear;

a battery disposed in said footwear for energizing said light source;

an electrical circuit disposed in said footwear for connecting said battery to said light source; and

a pressure switch, disposed in said sole portion of said footwear between said footbed and said outsole surface for selectably connecting and disconnecting said light source to and from said battery, said pressure switch being in a normally closed state such that said light source is connected to said battery,

said pressure switch including means, operatively responsive to pressure of a predetermined level, for changing said pressure switch from said normally closed state to an open state, and for returning said pressure switch to the closed state when said pressure is reduced below said predetermined level.

13. The footwear of claim 12, wherein said sole portion comprises:

a resilient midsole portion disposed between said upper portion and said outsole surface of said sole portion,

said midsole portion having an upper surface and a cavity formed therein that open to said midsole upper surface and the lower surface of the wearer'"'"'s foot, and

wherein said pressure switch is disposed within said cavity.

14. The footwear of claim 13, further comprising:

a layer of resilient material disposed above said cavity between said pressure switch and the lower surface of the wearer'"'"'s foot for moderating and controlling the amount of pressure applied to said switch by the wearer'"'"'s foot and the ground.

15. The footwear of claim 12, further comprising:

deactivation switch means disposed in said footwear and within said circuit for selectably disconnecting said battery from said light source independently of the state of said pressure switch.

16. The footwear of claim 15, wherein:

said light source is a light emitting diode, whereby said battery requires a given polarity within said circuit in order to light said diode, and wherein said deactivation switch means includes;

means for reversing said polarity of said battery within said circuit.

17. The footwear of claim 15, wherein:

said battery and said polarity of said battery within said circuit are plug-in replaceable and reversible, respectively, from outside of said footwear.

18. The footwear of claim 12, further comprising:

a light source mounting and connector assembly, including a base of a rigid, non-conductive material, said base having a length and a pair of separate, conductive layers disposed on spaced, opposite surfaces thereof, each one of said conductive surfaces having a respective one of a pair of complementary electrical connectors attached thereto for connecting respective ones of said conductive surfaces to the balance of said electrical circuit,

said light source having a pair of leads, respective ones of which are electrically and mechanically connected to respective ones of said conductive surfaces such that said light source is both mechanically supported by said assembly and is electrically connected to the balance of said circuit means through said conductive layers, and

wherein said assembly is mounted in said sole portion of said footwear adjacent to a lateral sidewall thereof such that light emitted from said light source is visible exteriorly of said footwear through said lateral sidewall.

19. The footwear of claim 18, wherein:

said conductive layers each comprise a layer of cooper,

said light source comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes, each of said diodes having a pair of leads, with respective ones of said leads being connected to respective ones of said copper layers such that said diodes are electrically connected in parallel within said circuit and mechanically supported at intervals along the length of said base with said diodes facing away from said base, and

wherein said assembly is shaped to conform to a segment of said sidewall of said sole portion such that said diodes are conformably positioned and supported along said sidewall segment.

20. The footwear of claim 12, further comprising:

oscillator circuit means disposed in said circuit for causing said light source to flash periodically when said pressure switch is in said closed state.