EP0410560A2 - Article of footwear - Google Patents

Article of footwear Download PDF

Info

Publication number
EP0410560A2
EP0410560A2 EP90304346A EP90304346A EP0410560A2 EP 0410560 A2 EP0410560 A2 EP 0410560A2 EP 90304346 A EP90304346 A EP 90304346A EP 90304346 A EP90304346 A EP 90304346A EP 0410560 A2 EP0410560 A2 EP 0410560A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
footwear
article
pressure
light
wearer
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP90304346A
Other languages
German (de)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0410560A3 (en
Inventor
Peter James Towns
Will Kim
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
GNAT FOOTWEAR Ltd
Original Assignee
GNAT FOOTWEAR Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by GNAT FOOTWEAR Ltd filed Critical GNAT FOOTWEAR Ltd
Publication of EP0410560A2 publication Critical patent/EP0410560A2/en
Publication of EP0410560A3 publication Critical patent/EP0410560A3/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A43—FOOTWEAR
    • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
    • A43B3/00—Footwear characterised by the shape or the use
    • A43B3/10—Low shoes, e.g. comprising only a front strap; Slippers
    • A43B3/101—Slippers, e.g. flip-flops or thong sandals
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A43—FOOTWEAR
    • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
    • A43B1/00—Footwear characterised by the material
    • A43B1/0027—Footwear characterised by the material made at least partially from a material having special colours
    • A43B1/0036—Footwear characterised by the material made at least partially from a material having special colours with fluorescent or phosphorescent parts
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A43—FOOTWEAR
    • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
    • A43B3/00—Footwear characterised by the shape or the use
    • A43B3/34—Footwear characterised by the shape or the use with electrical or electronic arrangements
    • A43B3/36—Footwear characterised by the shape or the use with electrical or electronic arrangements with light sources

Definitions

  • This invention relates to an article of footwear, such as a shoe or slipper.
  • an article of footwear having at least one light-emitting element mounted thereon, and energising means to energise the or each light-emitting element intermittently in accordance with pressure exerted by the foot of the wearer.
  • the energising means comprises a power source (such as a battery) and a pressure-operated switch, the switch desirably being normally off but being turned on by pressure of the wearer's foot.
  • the energising means may include a piezo-electric element.
  • a pressure-sensitive element of the energising means e.g. the above-mentioned switch or piezo-electric element
  • a pressure-sensitive element of the energising means is located in a sole or heel of the article of footwear.
  • an upper of the article of footwear takes the form of an animal or other creature, part of the anatomy of which (e.g. eyes, teeth or antennae) is formed by or contains the light-emitting elements.
  • the upper can take the form of an inanimate object, such as a vehicle whose headlights are formed by or contain the light-emitting elements.
  • the or each light-emitting element is preferably in the form of an incandescent bulb, but can take other forms instead such as a light-emitting semiconductor device.
  • an article of footwear in the form of a slipper whose upper 10 is formed from a soft, padded material and which takes the form of an animal or other creature, in this case a cat.
  • Each eye 11 of the cat is formed so as to include a low-power light bulb 12 (only one shown), and these bulbs are connected in series to a battery pack 13 which typically comprises two 1.5V dry cell batteries and a resistor 14.
  • the circuit between the bulbs 12 and the battery pack 13 is completed by means of a pressure-sensitive switch 15 which is incorporated into a heel 16 of the slipper.
  • the switch 15 is normally off, but is closed or turned on by pressure of the foot of the wearer.
  • the bulbs 12 will be energised intermittently as pressure is alternately placed on and removed from the switch 15, thus giving the appearance that the cat's eyes 11 are flashing.
  • the battery pack 13 can be made accessible through a side of the upper 10, and may be located for example in a zipped pocket in the upper.
  • the upper can take the form of many other animals or creatures, and the bulbs or other light-emitting elements can form other parts of the animal's or creature's anatomy, such as teeth or antennae.
  • the upper can be formed instead as a variety of inanimate objects, one example being a vehicle whose headlights are formed by the bulbs or other light-emitting elements.
  • the upper of the article of footwear can be of generally conventional appearance, but can mount e.g. a simulated neon sign incorporating the light-emitting elements.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
  • Footwear And Its Accessory, Manufacturing Method And Apparatuses (AREA)

Abstract

An article of footwear such as a slipper has its upper 10 formed in the shape of an animal or other creature, such as a cat. Eyes 11 of the animal each incorporate a light bulb 12 connected to a power source 13 and to a pressure-operated switch 15 located in the heel 16. As a wearer is walking, the bulbs 12 are caused to be energised intermittently as pressure is alternately placed on and removed from the switch 15.

Description

  • This invention relates to an article of footwear, such as a shoe or slipper.
  • According to the present invention, there is provided an article of footwear having at least one light-emitting element mounted thereon, and energising means to energise the or each light-emitting element intermittently in accordance with pressure exerted by the foot of the wearer.
  • Preferably, the energising means comprises a power source (such as a battery) and a pressure-operated switch, the switch desirably being normally off but being turned on by pressure of the wearer's foot. Alternatively, the energising means may include a piezo-electric element.
  • Advantageously, a pressure-sensitive element of the energising means (e.g. the above-mentioned switch or piezo-electric element) is located in a sole or heel of the article of footwear.
  • Conveniently, an upper of the article of footwear takes the form of an animal or other creature, part of the anatomy of which (e.g. eyes, teeth or antennae) is formed by or contains the light-emitting elements. Alternatively, the upper can take the form of an inanimate object, such as a vehicle whose headlights are formed by or contain the light-emitting elements.
  • The or each light-emitting element is preferably in the form of an incandescent bulb, but can take other forms instead such as a light-emitting semiconductor device.
  • The invention will now be described, by way of example only, by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
    • Figure 1 is a perspective view of an article of footwear according to the present invention; and
    • Figure 2 is a schematic sectional side view of the article of footwear shown in Figure 1.
  • In the drawings, there is shown an article of footwear in the form of a slipper whose upper 10 is formed from a soft, padded material and which takes the form of an animal or other creature, in this case a cat. Each eye 11 of the cat is formed so as to include a low-power light bulb 12 (only one shown), and these bulbs are connected in series to a battery pack 13 which typically comprises two 1.5V dry cell batteries and a resistor 14. The circuit between the bulbs 12 and the battery pack 13 is completed by means of a pressure-sensitive switch 15 which is incorporated into a heel 16 of the slipper. The switch 15 is normally off, but is closed or turned on by pressure of the foot of the wearer. Thus, when the wearer is walking, the bulbs 12 will be energised intermittently as pressure is alternately placed on and removed from the switch 15, thus giving the appearance that the cat's eyes 11 are flashing.
  • For replacement of the batteries, the battery pack 13 can be made accessible through a side of the upper 10, and may be located for example in a zipped pocket in the upper.
  • The invention has been described above in relation to a slipper whose upper is in the form of a cat. However, the upper can take the form of many other animals or creatures, and the bulbs or other light-emitting elements can form other parts of the animal's or creature's anatomy, such as teeth or antennae. Furthermore, the upper can be formed instead as a variety of inanimate objects, one example being a vehicle whose headlights are formed by the bulbs or other light-emitting elements. Alternatively, the upper of the article of footwear can be of generally conventional appearance, but can mount e.g. a simulated neon sign incorporating the light-emitting elements.

Claims (5)

1. An article of footwear, characterised in that it has at least one light-emitting element (12) mounted thereon, and energising means (13,15) to energise the or each light-emitting element (12) intermittently in accordance with pressure exerted by the foot of the wearer.
2. An article of footwear as claimed in claim 1, wherein the energising means comprises a power source (13) such as a battery, and a pressure-operated switch (15).
3. An article of footwear as claimed in claim 2, wherein the pressure-operated switch (15) is normally off but is turned on by pressure of the wearer's foot.
4. An article of footwear as claimed in claim 1,2 or 3, wherein a pressure-sensitive element (15) of the energising means is located in a sole or heel (16) of said article of footwear.
5. An article of footwear as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the or each light-emitting element (12) is in the form of an incandescent bulb.
EP19900304346 1989-06-24 1990-04-23 Article of footwear Withdrawn EP0410560A3 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB8914559 1989-06-24
GB898914559A GB8914559D0 (en) 1989-06-24 1989-06-24 Flashing eye slipper

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0410560A2 true EP0410560A2 (en) 1991-01-30
EP0410560A3 EP0410560A3 (en) 1992-01-15

Family

ID=10659019

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP19900304346 Withdrawn EP0410560A3 (en) 1989-06-24 1990-04-23 Article of footwear

Country Status (2)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0410560A3 (en)
GB (1) GB8914559D0 (en)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN105023417A (en) * 2015-07-28 2015-11-04 桂林电子科技大学 Device with wireless remote control switch

Citations (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3008038A (en) * 1959-07-29 1961-11-07 Milton L Dickens Shoe with electric bulb providing illumination
FR2161426A5 (en) * 1971-11-17 1973-07-06 Stojcic Milan
US3893247A (en) * 1974-07-31 1975-07-08 Iii Alfred Dana Illuminated soles and heels
US3946505A (en) * 1974-07-31 1976-03-30 Dana Alfred Iii Shoe with detachable illuminated heel
US4020572A (en) * 1976-02-17 1977-05-03 Chiaramonte Jr Gasper Illuminated footwear
DE2715100A1 (en) * 1977-04-04 1978-10-12 Rainald Von Dr Gizycki Shoe with lamp in transparent toe - has batteries in heel connected to lamp across length of sole
US4130951A (en) * 1977-09-09 1978-12-26 Aaron Powell Illuminated dancing shoes
FR2420932A1 (en) * 1978-03-27 1979-10-26 Disco Enterprises SHOE WITH A LIGHTING DEVICE
FR2440701A3 (en) * 1978-11-10 1980-06-06 Ippoliti Augusto Publicity advertising shoe with luminous base attachments - has hollow heel housing micro-lamp and mini-cassette player, with power supplied by electric battery
US4324054A (en) * 1980-06-25 1982-04-13 Step-Lite Footwear Inc. Night light slipper
FR2556190A1 (en) * 1983-12-08 1985-06-14 Humeau Beaupreau Article of footwear for signalling road users at night

Patent Citations (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3008038A (en) * 1959-07-29 1961-11-07 Milton L Dickens Shoe with electric bulb providing illumination
FR2161426A5 (en) * 1971-11-17 1973-07-06 Stojcic Milan
US3893247A (en) * 1974-07-31 1975-07-08 Iii Alfred Dana Illuminated soles and heels
US3946505A (en) * 1974-07-31 1976-03-30 Dana Alfred Iii Shoe with detachable illuminated heel
US4020572A (en) * 1976-02-17 1977-05-03 Chiaramonte Jr Gasper Illuminated footwear
DE2715100A1 (en) * 1977-04-04 1978-10-12 Rainald Von Dr Gizycki Shoe with lamp in transparent toe - has batteries in heel connected to lamp across length of sole
US4130951A (en) * 1977-09-09 1978-12-26 Aaron Powell Illuminated dancing shoes
FR2420932A1 (en) * 1978-03-27 1979-10-26 Disco Enterprises SHOE WITH A LIGHTING DEVICE
FR2440701A3 (en) * 1978-11-10 1980-06-06 Ippoliti Augusto Publicity advertising shoe with luminous base attachments - has hollow heel housing micro-lamp and mini-cassette player, with power supplied by electric battery
US4324054A (en) * 1980-06-25 1982-04-13 Step-Lite Footwear Inc. Night light slipper
FR2556190A1 (en) * 1983-12-08 1985-06-14 Humeau Beaupreau Article of footwear for signalling road users at night

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN105023417A (en) * 2015-07-28 2015-11-04 桂林电子科技大学 Device with wireless remote control switch

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0410560A3 (en) 1992-01-15
GB8914559D0 (en) 1989-08-16

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
EP0638254B1 (en) Pressure-activated light emitting module and athletic shoe comprising said module
EP0121026A1 (en) Soft-soled safety shoe
EP0686006B1 (en) Footwear with flashing lights
US10995943B2 (en) Lighted footwear
US3893247A (en) Illuminated soles and heels
US5704706A (en) Plug-in light module
US3946505A (en) Shoe with detachable illuminated heel
US5357697A (en) Safety illuminated shoe
WO1999004195A1 (en) Elongated, decorative, flexible, light-transmitting assembly
US5644858A (en) Inertially responsive footwear lights
US4020572A (en) Illuminated footwear
US5419061A (en) Lighted insert for footwear and method
US20080019120A1 (en) Lighting systems for attachment to wearing apparel
CZ219690A3 (en) System for footwear fitting
WO2007033361A2 (en) Motion-responsive illuminated garment
US20160174649A1 (en) Light emitting footwear
EP0410560A2 (en) Article of footwear
US20040098884A1 (en) Shoe night light
JP2009515646A (en) Lighted footwear and lighting assemblies
GB2195228A (en) Heel protector
KR900007749Y1 (en) Shoes inner radiation diode
IL103443A (en) Athletic shoe having plug-in module
JP3038468U (en) Footwear with luminous body
JPS58126012U (en) Shoes with luminous heels
JPS6480301A (en) Shoes cover

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
PUAI Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: A2

Designated state(s): DE FR GB IT SE

PUAL Search report despatched

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009013

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: A3

Designated state(s): DE FR GB IT SE

RHK1 Main classification (correction)

Ipc: A43B 7/04

STAA Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent

Free format text: STATUS: THE APPLICATION IS DEEMED TO BE WITHDRAWN

18D Application deemed to be withdrawn

Effective date: 19920716