Rolling ball-controlled light emitting device for shoes

• US 5,438,493 A
• Filed: 06/08/1994
• Issued: 08/01/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Shen-Ko Tseng
• Original Assignee: Shen-Ko Tseng
• Inventors: Tseng, Shen-Ko
• Primary Examiner(s): Lazarus, Ira S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sember, Thomas M.
• Application Number:
  US08/255,693
• Time in Patent Office: 419 Days
• Field of Search: 362/103, 362/394, 362/802, 362/276, 36/137, 273/58 G, 200/62.51, 200/62.52, 200/62.48
• US Class Current: 362/103
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 1/0036 with fluorescent or phosphorescent parts
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/36 with light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/04 the elements being switches safety devices F21V25/00

Abstract

A light emitting device installed in the sole of a shoe, including a circuit board, a light emitting element controlled by the a circuit board to give light, a battery cell connected to the circuit board through a switch, and a steel ball moved in a curved sliding way to control the switch, wherein when the steel ball passes through the highest point in the middle of the curved sliding way as the shoe is moving, the circuit board is electrically connected to turn on the light emitting element causing it to give light.

Claims

1. A light emitting device adapted to be installed in the sole of a shoe comprising:

a casing covered with a cover and having a battery chamber to hold a battery cell and a sliding way at one side of the casing alongside the battery chamber,

a circuit board disposed above said battery chamber,

a light emitting element disposed inside said casing and controlled by said circuit board to give light,

a first contact metal element having one end connected to a negative terminal of said battery cell and an opposite end connected to a negative terminal of said circuit board,

a second contact metal element having one end connected to a positive terminal of said battery cell and an opposite end attached to a negative terminal of the circuit board,

a third contact metal element having one end connected to the positive terminal of said circuit board and an opposite end attached to a first end of the sliding way, and

a steel ball that moves between the first end of the sliding way and a second opposing end of the sliding way, and wherein

when the shoe is moved, said steel ball is forced to pass through a gap between said second and third contact metal elements causing said circuit board to turn on said light emitting element.

2. The light emitting device of claim 1 wherein:

said third contact metal element is mounted on a raised surface portion along the second side of said sliding way, said third contact having a wing located between the first and second opposing ends of the sliding way and spanning said sliding way, said wing being substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the sliding way.

3. The light emitting device of claim 2 wherein:

said wing of said third contact metal element has a raised portion, which forces said steel ball to contact said second contact metal element when said steel ball passes from the first end of said sliding way to the second end of said sliding way.

4. The light emitting device of claim 1 wherein:

said third contact metal element is a metal spring having one end attached to the positive terminal of said circuit board and an opposite end terminating in a head suspended inside and partially projecting into a middle portion of said sliding way.