Shoe with an EL light strip

• US 5,611,621 A
• Filed: 03/23/1995
• Issued: 03/18/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tseng-Lu Chien
• Original Assignee: Tseng-Lu Chien
• Inventors: Chien, Tseng-Lu
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US08/409,925
• Time in Patent Office: 726 Days
• Field of Search: 362/84, 362/103, 362/276, 362/802, 36/136, 36/137, 36/45
• US Class Current: 362/84
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 1/0036 with fluorescent or phosphorescent parts
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 1/0054 provided with magnets, magnetic parts or magnetic substances
• 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 3/38 with power sources
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 33/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/802 Position or condition responsive switch

Abstract

A lighted shoes having a EL light strip incorporated with D.C. power battery, circuit, function interface, transformer. The EL light strip can put inside of transparent parts of heel or/fix on the shoes surface to get bright light for dark environment application. The flexible strip have transformer to convert the D.C. power into certain specification of A.C. electric pulse to trigger the light strip for illumination.

Claims

1. In a shoe, comprising:

a shoe bottom;

an soft upper shoe surface connected to the shoe bottom;

a lighting arrangement; and

a DC power supply;

the improvement comprising;

an EL strip;

means including a DC-AC converter connected to the DC power supply for converting direct current supplied by the DC power supply into an alternating current having a frequency capable of activating the EL strip;

a function interface connected between the DC-AC converter and the EL strip;

a switch for controllably disconnecting the EL strip from the power supply;

means for enclosing the DC power supply, the DC-AC converter, the function interface, and the switch within the shoe bottom; and

means for attaching the EL strip to the soft upper surface of the shoe.

5. A shoe as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of additional EL strips of different colon.

6. A shoe as claimed in claim 1, wherein the switch is a mechanical switch.

7. A shoe as claimed in claim 1, wherein the switch is an electrical switch.

8. A shoe as claimed in claim 1, further comprising means including a transformer for converting the DC power to a signal having a predetermined voltage.

9. A shoe as claimed in claim 1, wherein the function interface includes means for providing pulse signals to the EL strip in order to provide special effects selected from the group consisting of random flashing, and study state, chasing, sequential and fade in-out effects.

10. A shoe as claimed in claim 1, wherein the EL strip attaching means comprises double-sided tape.

11. A shoe as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an outside housing connected to the upper shoe surface for receiving at least one of the DC power supply, the circuit, the function interface, and the switch.

2. A shoe as claimed in claim 2, wherein the EL strip is enclosed in a soft transparent sleeve.

3. A shoe as claimed in claim 2, wherein the transparent sleeve has transparent ink screen-printed thereon.

4. A shoe as claimed in claim 2, wherein the transparent sleeve has non-transparent ink screen-printed thereon.