Internally illuminated footwear component

• US 9,015,965 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2014
• Issued: 04/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Shoes by Firebug LLC
• Original Assignee: Roy Robert Smith III
• Inventors: Smith, Roy Robert III
• Primary Examiner(s): Mohandesi, Jila M
• Application Number:
  US14/268,789
• Publication Number:
  US 20150052780A1
• Time in Patent Office: 361 Days
• Field of Search: 361/37, 361/32, 361/36, 36/25.R, 361/12, 362/103, 362/276, 362/806, 362/249.02, 362/231
• US Class Current: 36/137
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 1/0027 made at least partially from a material having special colours
• 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 13/00 Soles; Sole-and-heel integral units
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/0078 provided with logos, letters, signatures or the like decoration A43B23/24 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/36 with light sources

Abstract

The sole section of a shoe includes a midsole and an outsole, with the midsole being made from a translucent material. An illumination system is located inside the translucent midsole, causing the translucent midsole to be internally illuminated when the illumination system is active. Due to the translucent nature of the midsole light from the illumination system reflects internally throughout the midsole, increasing illumination. The light will also illuminate adjacent translucent components, such as the outsole if it is also made from a translucent material. Light from the illumination system can be blocked, such as by an opaque outsole or colored mold injection, and used to form an illuminated design or logo. By blacking out or covering sections of the translucent midsole, shapes and letters of visible light can be created in the negative space of the obstruction sections. This allows illuminated designs to easily be incorporated into footwear.

Claims

1. An internally illuminated footwear component comprises:

a sole section;

the sole section comprises a translucent midsole and a translucent outsole;

the translucent midsole and the translucent outsole being integrally molded to form a translucent sole section;

the sole section comprises a translucent tread pattern along a bottom surface;

an illumination system;

the illumination system comprises a power source, a plurality of electrical wires, and a plurality of illumination sources;

an illumination housing;

the power source being electrically connected to the plurality of illumination sources;

the illumination housing being positioned internally within the sole section;

the illumination system being located within the illumination housing, wherein the plurality of illumination sources internally illuminates the sole section and translucent tread pattern; and

the illumination system being permanently encapsulated internally within the sole section.

2. The internally illuminated footwear component as claimed in claim 1 comprises:

the illumination housing comprises a power section, a plurality of channels, and a plurality of illumination sections;

the power source being positioned within the power section;

the plurality of illumination sources being positioned within the plurality of illumination sections;

the plurality of electrical wires being positioned in the plurality of channels;

the plurality of channels traversing from the power section to the plurality of illumination sections; and

the power source being electrically connected to the plurality of illumination sources through the plurality of electrical wires.

3. The internally illuminated footwear component as claimed in claim 1 comprises:

the translucent midsole and the translucent outsole being integrally molded to form the sole section.

4. The internally illuminated footwear component as claimed in claim 3 comprises:

an upper; and

the translucent midsole and the translucent outsole being further integrally molded with the upper to form a singularly molded translucent footwear.

5. The internally illuminated footwear component as claimed in claim 3 comprises:

the sole section being a singularly molded translucent sole section.

6. The internally illuminated footwear component as claimed in claim 1 comprises:

the translucent midsole comprises a plurality of open interior sections, a plurality of internal walls, and a plurality of external walls, wherein the translucent midsole is of a skeleton design or a partial skeleton design;

the plurality of open interior sections being delineated by the plurality of internal walls within the translucent midsole;

the plurality of open interior sections and the plurality of internal walls being laterally enclosed by the plurality of external walls.

7. The internally illuminated footwear component as claimed in claim 1 comprises:

the plurality of illumination sources illuminates the translucent outsole;

the translucent outsole comprises a plurality of outsole design sections;

the plurality of translucent outsole design sections being a plurality of opaque sections;

the plurality of opaque sections traversing through the translucent outsole.

8. The internally illuminated footwear component as claimed in claim 1 comprises:

the translucent outsole partially or completely laterally enclosing the translucent midsole; and

the translucent outsole comprises a plurality of outsole design sections;

the plurality of translucent outsole design sections being positioned into the translucent outsole, wherein designs may be incorporated into a side surface of the footwear.

9. The internally illuminated footwear component as claimed in claim 1 comprises:

the translucent midsole forming part of a bottom surface of the sole section, wherein sections of the translucent midsole are flush with the translucent outsole.