Footwear with a power generator

• US 6,744,145 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2002
• Issued: 06/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Chih-Jung Chang
• Original Assignee: Chih-Jung Chang
• Inventors: Chang, Chih-Jung
• Primary Examiner(s): Ponomarenko, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US10/144,275
• Publication Number:
  US 20030208933A1
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• Field of Search: 290/1.R, 290/1.A, 322/3, 322/4, 322/9, 219/211
• US Class Current: 290/1.00R
• 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: A43B 3/42 where power is generated by conversion of mechanical movement to electricity, e.g. by piezoelectric means

Abstract

A footwear includes an outsole defining a reference plane, a stand projecting from the outsole and having an inclined upper surface that is inclined relative to the reference plane, a power generator mounted on the outsole and including a rotor, and a driving unit including a weight that has a pivot end mounted pivotally on the inclined upper surface, and a free end opposite to the pivot end. The weight is connected to the rotor, and is swingable by virtue of gravity as a result of swinging of the inclined upper surface of the stand so as to drive the rotor.

Claims

1. A footwear comprising:

an outsole having a heel portion and defining a reference plane that is adapted to form an angle with a ground surface when said heel portion is lifted above the ground surface and that is adapted to be parallel to the ground surface when said heel portion is in contact with the ground surface;

a stand projecting upwardly from said outsole and having an inclined upper surface that is inclined relative to the reference plane;

a power generator mounted on said outsole and including a rotor that is rotatable about an axis, and a stator magnetically associated with said rotor for generating power upon rotation of said rotor; and

a driving unit including a weight that has a pivot end mounted pivotally on said inclined upper surface, and a free end opposite to said pivot end, and that is connected to said rotor, said free end of said weight being swingable by virtue of gravity when said inclined upper surface of said stand is swung back and forth as a result of upward and downward movements of said heel portion within said angle, thereby driving said rotor to rotate back and forth so as to permit actuation of said power generator to generate power.

2. The footwear of claim 1, further comprising an upper that has an insole cooperating with said outsole to define a cavity therebetween, a casing, a pivot shaft, and a bearing, said stand being disposed in said cavity, said casing being securely mounted on said inclined upper surface of said stand and including cylindrical upper and lower halves that confine a mounting space therebetween, each of said upper and lower halves having an open end and a closed end that is opposite to said open end and that has a center, said center of said closed end of said lower half being formed with a threaded hole in communication with said mounting space, said pivot shaft projecting from said center of said closed end of said upper half into said mounting space and threadedly engaging said threaded hole, said bearing being securely sleeved on said pivot shaft, said weight having a sector-shaped plate portion that has opposite inner and outer ends, a sleeve portion that projects from said inner end of said plate portion in an axial direction relative to said plate portion and that defines said pivot end of said weight, and a flange portion that projects from said outer end of said plate portion in said axial direction and that defines said free end of said weight, said sleeve portion being rotatably sleeved on said bearing so as to permit free swinging of said weight about said pivot shaft, said rotor being coaxially and securely mounted on said sleeve portion so as to permit co-rotation therewith about said pivot shaft.

3. The footwear of claim 2, wherein said open end of said lower half of said casing has an end face that is formed with a radial groove, said footwear further comprising a light source that is mounted in said radial groove and that is electrically connected to said power generator.

4. The footwear of claim 2, wherein each of said upper and lower halves of said casing has an annular peripheral portion that extends between said open end and said closed end and that is formed with a pair of opposing slots extending between said open end and said closed end, said stand being formed with a pair of locking pins that project upwardly from said inclined upper surface and that are fittingly and respectively inserted into said slots in said peripheral portions of said upper and lower halves so as to permit positioning of said casing on said stand.