Footwear with optical fiber illuminating display areas and control module

• US 5,813,148 A
• Filed: 06/21/1996
• Issued: 09/29/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rafael J. Guerra
• Original Assignee: Rafael J. Guerra
• Inventors: Guerra, Rafael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kavanaugh, Ted
• Application Number:
  US08/668,405
• Time in Patent Office: 830 Days
• Field of Search: 36/137, 36/136
• 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 23/24 Ornamental buckles; Other ornaments for shoes without fastening function
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/0078 provided with logos, letters, signatures or the like decoration A43B23/24 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/34 with electrical or electronic arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/36 with light sources

Abstract

Footwear with optical fiber illuminating display areas provides emphasis on illuminating certain features of the footwear, such as trademarks, logos, team sports, cartoon characters, and other artistic designs primarily for advertising, decoration and enhancing the visibility of the wearer. Footwear with optical fiber illuminating display areas includes: an optical fiber panel(s) made visible through an opening, window, or transparent material on the sole, upper, or tongue portions of the footwear; a light emitting device(s) which transmits light into the optical fiber panel(s); components and circuits for making the light emitting device(s) and the illuminating optical fiber display areas intermittently flash, alternate flash, alternate colors, sequence in motion, activate by pressure or motion switching, activate by manual switching, or any combination thereof; and batteries for supplying power to the light emitting device and the components and circuits aforementioned. A control module combines the light emitting device(s), components and circuits, and batteries into a housing which is positioned in the heel, sole, upper, or tongue portion of the footwear, depending on the embodiment employed. Such footwear embodiments include and are not limited to athletic shoes (e.g. Tennis, Basketball, aerobic, cross trainers, walking, jogging, running), casual and formal dress shoes, roller skates, Ice skates, and Ski boots.

Claims

1. A shoe having an illuminating device formed integral therewith, said device comprising:

a reflective substrate panel affixed to said shoe;

a plurality of optical fibers having a first end and a second end with a longitudinal length therebetween with at least a portion of said longitudinal length affixed to said substrate panel;

light means coupled to said optical fibers;

a removable translucent cover placed in parallel arrangement with respect to said substrate panel, said optical fibers disposed between said cover and said panel, said cover including indicia;

component and circuit means for activation of said light means; and

battery means for supplying power to said component &

circuit means and said light means, whereby said shoe is useful for advertising, decoration, and enhancing the visibility of the footwear.

2. The illuminating device according to claim 1 wherein said optical fibers have at least one light emitting portion located along said longitudinal length surface.

3. The illuminating device according to claim 2 wherein said light emitting portion has been treated by a method selected from the group consisting of marring, abrasion, heating, stamping, refractive coatings, cladding, and engraving.

4. The illuminating device according to claim 1 wherein said optical fibers are woven to form a light emitting fabric.

5. The illuminating device according to claim 1 whereby said optical fibers are subgrouped into a plurality of fiber bundles and respectively coupled into a plurality of light means, providing a subdivided optical fiber display panel.

6. The illuminating device according to claim 1 wherein said footwear includes a plurality of substrate panels whereby their optical fibers are respectively coupled into a plurality of light emitting devices.

7. The illuminating device according to claim 1 wherein said transparent cover is available for placement of color filters.

8. The illuminating device according to claim 1 wherein said transparent cover is available for placement of an advertisement thereon.

9. The illuminating device according to claim 1 wherein said transparent cover is available for placement of decoration thereon.

10. The illuminating device according to claim 1 wherein said transparent cover is available for placement of a picture or photograph.

11. The illuminating device according to claim 1 wherein said transparent cover is available for placement of a trademark or logo.

12. The illuminating device according to claim 11 wherein said transparent cover is constructed of impact resistant thermoplastic polymer.

13. The illuminating device according to claim 1 wherein said light means includes incandescent lamps, fluorescent lamps, light emitting diodes (LED'"'"'s), and electroluminescent lamps.

14. The illuminating device according to claim 1 wherein said battery means includes a removable cover means to allow battery replacement.

15. The illuminating device according to claim 1 wherein said component and circuit means includes a pressure switch whereby said light means and optical fiber display is activated upon weight applied by the wearer of the footwear.

16. The illuminating device according to claim 15 wherein said pressure switch is further defined as a pressure sensitive membrane switch placed in the sole portion of the footwear.

17. The illuminating device according to claim 1 wherein said component and circuit means includes a sealed switch positioned in the shoe, whereby said switch provides user-directed control of said electronic components and circuits, pressure switch, and motion switch, allowing said optical fiber display to activate a mode selected from the group consisting of on-off mode, flash mode, alternate color mode, alternate flash mode, motion activate mode, pressure activate mode, and sequence in motion mode.