Portable footwear illuminated

• US 5,664,346 A
• Filed: 11/25/1996
• Issued: 09/09/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dale E. Barker
• Original Assignee: Dale E. Barker
• Inventors: Barker, Dale E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kavanaugh, Ted
• Application Number:
  US08/756,191
• Time in Patent Office: 288 Days
• Field of Search: 36/137, 36/136, 36/132, 36/2.6, 362/103, 362/32, 362/800, 24/713.1
• 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: G02B 6/001 the light being emitted along at least a portion of the lateral surface of the fibre

Abstract

A self-contained portable illumination unit removably attachable to a wide variety of footwear having a body assembly capable of housing and securely holding a power source, a switching circuit for selectively illuminating the light source, and one end portion of a linear side-glow optical conduit capable of emitting light conducted therethrough radially outwardly from its circumferential periphery substantially along its entire surface area, the one end portion of the linear optical conduit being positioned and located in close proximity to the light source so as to receive light therefrom when illuminated. The body assembly further includes a removable cover member for providing access to the power source and a removably adjustable mounting clip for removably attaching the body assembly to the footwear. When attached to footwear, the linear optical conduit extends exteriorly thereof so as to be visible when illuminated, the linear optical conduit being illuminated substantially along its entire length when the light source is selectively illuminated.

Claims

1. Illumination means on footwear removably attachable to the footwear wherein the footwear includes front, rear and opposed side portions, said illumination means comprising a power source, at least one light source operatively connected to said power source, at least one side-glow fiber optic conduit having opposed end portions, a body assembly including means for holding and retaining said power source and said light source, said side-glow fiber optic conduit being capable of emitting light conducted therethrough radially outwardly along substantially its entire surface area, at least one end portion of said side-glow fiber optic conduit being positioned and located adjacent to said light source, means for holding the one end portion of said side-glow fiber optic conduit adjacent said light source for directing light thereto, said side-glow fiber optic conduit being illuminated substantially along its entire surface area when said light source is illuminated, and means for removably attaching said body assembly to the footwear, said side-glow fiber optic conduit extending adjacent to at least a portion of one side portion of the footwear when said body assembly is attached thereto, an end to end length of said side glow fiber optic conduit being less than a front to rear length of the footwear.

2. The illumination means defined in claim 1 including switch means operatively connected to said light source and said power source for selectively controlling illumination of said light source.

3. The illumination means defined in claim 1 wherein the means for holding one end portion of said side-glow fiber optic conduit adjacent to said light source includes at least a pair of tab means associated with one end portion of said body assembly for engaging the outer circumferential surface of the fiber optic conduit when positioned therebetween.

4. The illumination means defined in claim 1 wherein said means for removably attaching said body assembly to the footwear includes clip means removably attachable to said body assembly, said clip means having a downwardly extending flange portion associated therewith adaptable for engaging the upper edge side portion of the footwear.

5. The illumination means defined in claim 4 wherein said body assembly includes means for enabling said clip means to be removably attachable to said body assembly in two different orientations, one orientation enabling said clip means to engage the upper edge side portion of the footwear when said body assembly is positioned exteriorly adjacent one side portion of the footwear, the other orientation enabling said clip means to engage the upper edge side portion of the footwear when said body assembly is positioned exteriorly adjacent the opposed side portion of the footwear.

6. The illumination means defined in claim 1 including means slidably movable along at least a portion of said side-glow fiber optic conduit for attaching said optical conduit to the footwear when said body assembly is attached thereto.

7. The illumination means defined in claim 6 wherein said slidably movable attachment means includes a slotted tab portion positioned to allow a lace associated with the footwear to be looped therethrough during the lacing process.

8. The illumination means defined in claim 1 including a reflective cap member engageable with one end portion of said side-glow fiber optic conduit.

9. The illumination means defined in claim 1 wherein said body assembly includes a circuit enclosing portion and a mating battery enclosing portion.

10. The illumination means defined in claim 9 wherein said battery enclosing portion is removably attachable to said circuit enclosing portion for accessing said power source.

11. Illumination means removably attachable to footwear wherein the footwear includes front, rear and opposed side portions, said illumination means comprising a power source, at least one light source operatively connected to said power source, at least one side-glow fiber optic conduit having opposed end portions, a body assembly including means for holding and retaining said power source and said light source, said side-glow fiber optic conduit being capable of emitting light conducted therethrough radially outwardly along substantially its entire surface area, at least one end portion of said side-glow fiber optic conduit being positioned and located adjacent to said light source, means for holding the one end portion of said side-glow fiber optic conduit adjacent said light source for directing light thereto, said side-glow fiber optic conduit being illuminated substantially along its entire surface area when said light source is illuminated, and clip means for removably attaching said body assembly to the footwear, said clip means being removably attachable to said body assembly and having a downwardly extending flange portion associated therewith adaptable for engaging the upper edge side portion of the footwear, said side glow fiber optic conduit extending adjacent to at least a portion of one side portion of the footwear when said body assembly is attached thereto, said body assembly further including means for enabling said clip means to be removably attachable to said body assembly in two different orientations, one orientation enabling said clip means to engage the upper edge side portion of the footwear when said body assembly is positioned exteriorly adjacent one side portion of the footwear, the other orientation enabling said clip means to engage the upper edge side portion of the footwear when said body assembly is positioned exteriorly adjacent the opposed side portion of the footwear.

12. Illumination means removably attachable to footwear wherein the footwear includes front, rear and opposed side portions, said illumination means comprising a power source, at least one light source operatively connected to said power source, at least one side-glow fiber optic conduit having opposed end portions, a body assembly including means for holding and retaining said power source and said light source, said side-glow fiber optic conduit being capable of emitting light conducted therethrough radially outwardly along substantially its entire surface area, at least one end portion of said side-glow fiber optic conduit being positioned and located adjacent to said light source, means for holding the one end portion of said side-glow fiber optic conduit adjacent said light source for directing light thereto, said side-glow fiber optic conduit being illuminated substantially along its entire surface area when said light source is illuminated, means for removably attaching said body assembly to the footwear, said side glow fiber optic conduit extending adjacent to at least a portion of one side portion of the footwear when said body assembly is attached thereto, and means slidably movable along at least a portion of said side-glow fiber optic conduit for attaching said optical conduit to the footwear when said body assembly is attached thereto.

13. Portable illumination means removably attachable to a shoe having front, rear and opposed side portions, said portable illumination means comprising a body assembly and a linear optical conduit, said body assembly being configured to house therewithin light means, switch means connected to said light means, and battery means for providing electrical power to said light means, said battery means being connected to said light means and said switch means, said switch means enabling said light means to be selectively energized by said battery means, said body assembly further including means for attaching one end portion of said linear optical conduit to said body assembly such that said one end portion of said linear optical conduit lies in close proximity to said light means, said body assembly further including removable cover means for providing access to the interior of said body assembly to facilitate battery removal and replacement, and mounting means for enabling said body assembly to be removably attachable to the shoe, said mounting means including a clip member having at least one finger segment which is cooperatively engageable with corresponding means on said body assembly for removably attaching said clip member thereto, said linear optical conduit being capable of emitting light conducted therethrough radially outwardly along substantially its entire surface area, said linear optical conduit being illuminated along substantially its entire surface area when said light means is illuminated.

14. Portable illumination means removably attachable to a shoe having front, rear and opposed side portions, said portable illumination means comprising a body assembly and a linear optical conduit, said body assembly being configured to house therewithin light means, switch means connected to said light means, and battery means for providing electrical power to said light means, said battery means being connected to said light means and said switch means, said switch means enabling said light means to be selectively energized by said battery means, said body assembly further including means for attaching one end portion of said linear optical conduit to said body assembly such that said one end portion of said linear optical conduit lies in close proximity to said light means, said body assembly further including removable cover means for providing access to the interior of said body assembly to facilitate battery removal and replacement, mounting means for enabling said body assembly to be removably attachable to the shoe, said linear optical conduit being capable of emitting light conducted therethrough radially outwardly along substantially its entire surface area, said linear optical conduit being illuminated along substantially its entire surface area when said light means is illuminated, and at least one linear conduit support member for securing said linear conduit to the shoe, said conduit support member including a tubular portion configured for slidable movement along at least a portion of said linear optical conduit and having a tab portion having a slot formed therein dimensioned to allow a lace of the shoe to pass therethrough, said conduit support member being slidably positioned on the linear optical conduit at a location therealong compatible for allowing the lace associated with the shoe to be passed through the tab slot during the lacing process.

15. Illumination means on footwear removably attachable to the footwear wherein the footwear includes front, rear and opposed side portions, said illumination means comprising a power source, at least one light source operatively connected to said power source, at least one side-glow fiber optic conduit having opposed end portions, a body assembly including means for holding and retaining said power source and said light source, said side-glow fiber optic conduit being capable of emitting light conducted therethrough radially outwardly along substantially its entire surface area, at least one end portion of said side-glow fiber optic conduit being positioned and located adjacent to said light source, means for holding the one end portion of said side-glow fiber optic conduit adjacent said light source for directing light thereto, said side-glow fiber optic conduit being illuminated substantially along its entire surface area when said light source is illuminated, and means for removably attaching said body assembly to the footwear, said side-glow fiber optic conduit extending adjacent to at least a portion of one side portion of the footwear when said body assembly is attached thereto, an end to end length of said side glow fiber optic conduit being less than a perimeter length of the footwear.

16. The illumination means defined in claim 15 wherein said side-glow fiber optic conduit extends substantially around the front portion of the footwear such that the other opposed end portion thereof is positioned adjacent a second light source, said second light source having a second power source associated therewith.