US20140157632A1

US20140157632A1 - Illuminated shoe

Info

Publication number: US20140157632A1
Application number: US13/708,926
Authority: US
Inventors: Jill Kim
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2012-12-07
Filing date: 2012-12-07
Publication date: 2014-06-12

Abstract

In one embodiment, the Illuminated Shoe incorporates an Illumination Apparatus System. The base comprises a peripheral housing member and a sole. The PCB film upon which a plurality of individual LED lights are affixed and through which a battery is in communication. The PCB can also be used to assemble the LED lights for positioning on the sides of the shoes in a similar fashion as the soles. The peripheral housing member encases the sole. It should be noted that the illuminated shoe can be fabricated in a panoply of different styles such as high-top basketball shoes, or low-rise tennis shoes.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is in the area of shoes, and more specifically pertains to a shoe capable of emitting light from a plurality of regions.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Most people purchase shoes based upon two overarching criteria: fashion and function. For purchasers that place more emphasis on function, factors that can figure largely into their selection include safety, comfort, and how the personal morphologies of their feet match the shoe. And for the fashion-forward purchasers, style is the paramount characteristic.
One particularly fastidious type of functional purchaser are the joggers, athletically-inclined people, and those whose jobs require heavy-duty lifting and other strenuous activities. Among their chief concerns is alerting drivers at night their presence to avoid collisions. For this reason, many shoes are outfitted with reflective surfaces with the goal of safety in mind.
For the more fashion-forward types, shoes which embrace a certain amount of panache is desired. Accordingly, many shoe manufacturers have incorporated various lighting mechanisms within their shoes to offer a unique look for their shoes at night.
As such, what is needed in the marketplace is a shoe which offers both safety, and aesthetic qualities to appeal to a wide range of people. Such a shoe should offer the safety of jogging at night through illuminated means to alert oncoming cars of their presence. And along those same lines, such a shoe should also enable a unique way of emitting those lights.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In an embodiment, the Illuminated Shoe includes a series of light array areas. One light array area is disposed around the sole of a shoe and sheathed in PCB film around the periphery of a person's feet. Other arrays of lights may be disposed on regions above the sole, such as the mid-portions of the shoe.
The features and advantages described in this summary and the following detailed description are not all-inclusive. Many additional features and advantages will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in view of the drawings, specification, and claims thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of an element of an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a plan view an element of an embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of an element of an embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of an element of an embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of an element of an embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of an element of an embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of an element of an embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a schematic view of an element of an embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a plan view an element of an embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a plan view an element of an embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a plan view an element of an embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a plan view an element of an embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a plan view an element of an embodiment.

The figures depict various embodiments of the present invention for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following discussion that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the invention described herein.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a unique Illuminated Shoe is used to provide a series of illuminated lights around a shoe for the purpose of fashion, or safety precautions for joggers or pedestrians. The present system is described in enabling detail below.
FIG. 1 is an illustration of an Illuminated Shoe 100 in accordance with one embodiment. In one embodiment, the Illuminated Shoe 100 includes Shoe 101, and Illumination Apparatus System 102. The system is illustrated in FIG. 4
The shoe comprises a base 110, a first covering 111 and an upper covering 112. FIG. 2 illustrates that the base comprises a peripheral housing member 113 and a sole 114. Also illustrated in FIG. 2 is the PCB film 565 upon which a plurality of individual LED lights are affixed and through which a battery is in communication. FIG. 6 illustrates that PCB 575 can also be used to assemble the LED lights for positioning on the sides of the shoes in a similar fashion as the soles. The peripheral housing member encases the sole. It should be noted that the illuminated shoe can be fabricated in a panoply of different styles such as high-top basketball shoes, or low-rise tennis shoes.
As seen in FIG. 4, and in FIG. 1, the illumination apparatus system comprises a switch 115, a USB connection apparatus 116, at least one battery wire 117, at least one battery 118, at least one LED Function Controller 119, at least one LED Function Controller wire 120, a side panel LED series 121, at least one LED Series Wire 122, and a peripheral sole illumination apparatus 123. The switch controls when it is powered on or off. FIG. 5 illustrates in an embodiment how the LED lights are placed in communication with each other. FIG. 4 illustrates that in variations of an embodiment a plug 155 for battery recharging is in communication with the USB connection apparatus.
FIGS. 10-13 illustrate that the switch 115 is disposed within the tongue 785 of the shoe. The switch 115 contains an LED element 195 disposed therein and draws current from a wire 785 as it is in communication with the LED Function controller.
The LED Function controller controls the frequency of the pulses of light when the lights are illuminated in a flashing, or similar pulsating bursts. It should be noted that the LED Function controller may enable the peripheral LED lights to continuously illuminate as well. Various types of pulses can be ordered which may appear that the lights are moving or traversing from one end of the shoe to the opposite end. Other programmed rhythms may be incorporated as well.
FIG. 2 illustrates in one embodiment that the peripheral sole illumination apparatus comprises a film assemblage 125. The film assemblage comprises a series of sole LED lights 126 which are disposed on a film and spaced from each other on the film 127. The film is sandwiched between the peripheral housing member and the base. The film is comprised of a transparent material which enables the light from the LED lights to pass so that the lights are visible to people. In some embodiments, the film is made of plastic materials. In other embodiments, the film may be comprised of PCB.
FIG. 6 also illustrates that there may be several arrays 500, 501, 502 of lights. Two arrays 501, 502 of lights may be disposed on both sides of the upper covering and another array 500 of lights may be disposed onto the sole. Both arrays are sheathed in a transparent film. In other embodiments, the arrays of lights may be disposed in other areas of the shoe.
FIG. 8-9 illustrates that implementations of the Illuminated Shoe may include a power system substantially similar to the schematic. In an embodiment, the battery 527 is housed in the tongue 530 of the shoe. In one embodiment, the battery is in communication with a connector for battery recharging. And in various applications of the illuminated shoe, a battery IC chip 527 is used to prevent the battery from being overcharged.
The foregoing description of the embodiments of the invention has been presented for the purpose of illustration. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms herein disclosed. Persons skilled in the relevant art can appreciate that many modifications and variations are possible in light of the foregoing teachings. It is therefore intended that the scope of the invention be limited not by this detailed description, but rather by the claims appended hereto.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A Illuminated Shoe comprising:

a Shoe, and an Illumination Apparatus System;

the shoe comprises a base, a first covering and an upper covering;

the base comprises a peripheral housing member and a sole;

the peripheral housing member encases the sole;

the illumination apparatus system comprises a switch, at least one battery wire, at least one battery, at least one switch, at least one switch wire, a side panel LED series, at least one LED Series Wire, a peripheral sole illumination apparatus;

the peripheral sole illumination apparatus comprises a film assemblage,

the film assemblage comprises a series of sole LED lights which are disposed on a film and spaced from each other on the film;

the film is sandwiched between the peripheral housing member and the base.

2. The Illuminated Shoe of claim 1 further comprising a USB connection apparatus.

3. The Illuminated Shoe of claim 1 wherein the film assemblage is comprised of PCB Film.

4. The Illuminated Shoe of claim 1 further comprising a battery IC chip.

5. The Illuminated Shoe of claim 1 wherein the system is capable of emitting light from the LED's in bursts.

6. The Illuminated Shoe of claim 1 wherein the shoe further comprises a tongue; the switch is disposed within the tongue.