US20030126769A1

US20030126769A1 - Shoe sole having detachable or changeable light device

Info

Publication number: US20030126769A1
Application number: US10/041,113
Authority: US
Inventors: Bor Chen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-01-10
Filing date: 2002-01-10
Publication date: 2003-07-10

Abstract

A shoe sole includes one or more openings formed in the peripheral portion for receiving one or more light devices. The light device each includes a circuit board received in a casing and having a switch, and one or more light bulbs. One or more batteries are coupled to the light bulbs for energizing the light bulbs. A cap is detachably secured to each of the casings with peripheral flanges or ribs or with threads, and includes a tube for being forced to engage with the switch and to actuate and energize the light bulbs when the cap is depressed.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a shoe or a shoe sole, and more particularly to a shoe or a shoe sole having one or more detachable or changeable light devices.

2. Description of the Prior Art

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the typical shoes comprise a

shoe sole

10 attached to the bottom of a shoe upper 13 by such as the adhesive materials, or by welding processes. The shoe sole 10 includes a recess 15 formed or provided in the upper portion thereof for receiving the bottom portion of the shoe upper 13, and includes a cavity 101 formed therein for receiving a circuit board or one or more batteries or a control casing 11 therein. The control casing 11 includes one or more light devices, such as the light bulbs, or the light crystal displayers, or the light emitting diodes 111 coupled thereto with electric wires 112. The shoe sole 10 should include one or more depressions or recesses formed therein for receiving the light bulbs 111 and the electric wires 112, and should be formed with the cavity 101 therein for receiving the control casing 11. While manufacturing, either of the electric wires 112 is cut off, or either of the light bulbs 111 is disengaged from the position, the shoe sole 10 will be determined as the defective product and should be discarded.

In addition, the

control casing

11 and the electric wires 112 and the light bulbs 111 are solidly received and embedded within the shoe sole 10 and may not be disengaged or removed from the shoe sole 10, such that the light bulbs 111 and the batteries may not be changed with the other ones, particularly the new ones, when the light bulbs 111 and the batteries have been damaged or have been consumed. Furthermore, the control casing 11 and the electric wires 112 and the light bulbs 111 or the other electric parts may be damaged while washing the shoes, because the electric parts may not be removed or disengaged from the shoe sole. The typical, light devices are typically actuated by the typical spring-actuating type switches which will be easily damaged and will continuously energize the light devices inadvertently.

The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional light devices for shoes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a shoe or a shoe sole including one or more detachable or changeable light devices.

The other objective of the present invention is to provide a shoe or a shoe sole including one or more detachable or changeable light devices having one or more batteries and/or one or more light bulbs that may be changed with the others or the new ones.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a shoe sole comprising a peripheral portion having at least one opening formed therein and opened outward of the peripheral portion of the shoe sole, and at least one light device engaged in the opening of the shoe sole, the light device including a circuit board having a switch member provided thereon, at least one light bulb attached to the circuit board, means for energizing the light bulb, and means for actuating the switch member to actuate the light bulb.

The light device includes a casing engaged in the opening of the shoe sole for receiving the circuit board therein and for allowing the circuit board to be changed with the other ones.

The energizing means includes at least one battery received in the casing.

The light device includes a cap detachably secured to the casing for retaining the circuit board and the battery in the casing and for allowing the circuit board and the battery to be disengaged or removed from the casing when the cap is disengaged from the casing.

The actuating means includes a rod extended from the cap, and a tube engaged onto the rod and directed toward the switch member for being forced to engage with the switch member when the cap is depressed.

The casing includes an open end having a peripheral flange extended therein, the cap includes a duct extended therefrom for engaging into the open end of the casing and includes a peripheral rib extended from the duct for engaging with the peripheral flange and for detachably securing the cap to the casing.

Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of a detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1 and 2 are exploded views showing the typical light device for the shoe sole; [0016]
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a shoe having a light device in accordance with the present invention; [0017]
FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken along lines [0018] 4-4 of FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a partial exploded view of the shoe sole; [0019]
FIG. 6 is a partial exploded view similar to FIG. 5, illustrating the other arrangement of the shoe sole; [0020]
FIG. 7 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 3, illustrating the other arrangement of the shoe; [0021]
FIG. 8 is an exploded and cross sectional view of the light device for the shoe; [0022]
FIGS. 9, 10 are cross sectional views illustrating the operation of the light device for the shoe; [0023]
FIG. 11 is an exploded and cross sectional view illustrating the other arrangement of the light device for the shoe; and [0024]
FIGS. 12, 13 are cross sectional views illustrating the operation of the light device as shown in FIG. 11.[0025]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. [0026] 3-5, a shoe in accordance with the present invention comprises a shoe sole 3 including one or more openings 30 formed in the outer peripheral portion and opened outward for receiving the light devices 2 therein respectively, best shown in FIG. 4. The light devices 2 each includes a casing 20 engaged and secured in each of the openings 30, by such as the force-fitted engagement. The shoe sole 3 is normally made of rubber or resilient materials which may suitably clamp the casing 20 and solidly retain the casing 20 within the opening 30 of the shoe sole 3. The casings 20 each includes a peripheral flange 25 extended radially inward from the open end thereof (FIGS. 8, 9, 10), and each includes one or more batteries 27 received therein.
A [0027] circuit board 22 is received in each of the casings 20 and includes one or more light bulbs 24, such as the light crystal displayers or the light emitting diodes attached thereto, and includes a switch portion or a switch member 221 (FIG. 5) or a depress type switch member 231 (FIG. 6) provided thereon. The batteries 27 are electrically coupled to the light bulbs 24 and the switch member 221 (or 231), for energizing the light bulbs 24 and/or the other electric members, such as the buzzers (not shown). A cap 21 includes a duct 23 extended therefrom (FIGS. 8, 9, 10) for engaging into the casing 20, and includes a peripheral rib 26 extended from the duct 23 for engaging with the peripheral flange 25 of the casing 20 and for detachably securing the cap 21 to the casing 20.
Alternatively, as shown in FIGS. 11, 12, [0028] 13, the casing 20 may include an inner thread 70 formed or provided therein, and the cap 21 may include an outer thread 71 formed or provided thereon for threading with the inner thread 70 of the casing 20 and for detachably securing the cap 21 to the casing 20. The circuit board 22 and/or the batteries 27 may thus be engaged into or removed from the casing 20 for changing purposes or the like. It is preferable that the cap 21 is made of resilient and/or transparent or semi-transparent materials for allowing the light emitted by the light bulbs 24 to be emitted through the cap 21. The cap 21 includes a rod 28 extended therefrom. The cap 21 may be formed into various kinds of shapes, such as the heart, the star or the like, or areas or configurations as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5-7. As shown in FIG. 7, the cap 21 may include a height large enough to engage with or to cover a portion of the shoe upper 13.
A [0029] tube 211 is engaged onto and secured to the rod 28 with such as the force-fitted engagement, the adhesive materials, or by welding processes, etc., and directed toward the switch member 221 (or 231) such that the tube 211 may be forced to engage with the switch member 221 (or 231) and to actuate the light devices 24 by depressing the cap 21 (FIGS. 10, 13). The tube 211 is made of electric conductive materials when the switch member 221 includes a configuration as shown in FIG. 5, for electrically coupling the electric circuits of the circuit board 22, and is not required to be made of electric conductive materials when the switch member 221 includes a depress type configuration as shown in FIG. 6.
It is to be noted that the [0030] light devices 2 are not solidly retained within the shoe sole 3 and include a cap 21 that may be disengaged from the casing 20 for allowing the batteries 27 and/or the circuit board 22 and/or the light bulbs 24 to be changed with the other ones, such as when the batteries 27 and/or the circuit board 22 and/or the light bulbs 24 are consumed or are damaged. The light devices 2 may also be disengaged from the shoe sole 3 while washing the shoe sole 3. In addition, the light devices 2 may be engaged into any of the shoe soles, and may be used or actuated independently when the light devices 2 are disengaged from the shoe sole.
Accordingly, the shoe in accordance with the present invention includes a shoe sole having one or more detachable or changeable light devices and having one or more batteries and/or light bulbs that may be changed with the others or the new ones. [0031]
Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed. [0032]

Claims

I claim:

1. A shoe sole comprising:

a) a peripheral portion having at least one opening formed therein and opened outward of said peripheral portion of said shoe sole, and

b) at least one light device engaged in said at least one opening of said shoe sole, said at least one light device including:

i) a circuit board having a switch member provided thereon,

ii) at least one light bulb attached to said circuit board,

iii) means for energizing said at least one light bulb, and

iv) means for actuating said switch member to actuate said at least one light bulb.

2. The shoe sole according to claim 1, wherein said at least one light device includes a casing engaged in said at least one opening of said shoe sole for receiving said circuit board therein.

3. The shoe sole according to claim 2, wherein said energizing means includes at least one battery received in said casing.

4. The shoe sole according to claim 3, wherein said at least one light device includes a cap detachably secured to said casing for retaining said circuit board in said casing.

5. The shoe sole according to claim 4, wherein said actuating means includes a rod extended from said cap, and a tube engaged onto said rod and directed toward said switch member for being forced to engage with said switch member when said cap is depressed.

6. The shoe sole according to claim 4, wherein said casing includes an open end having a peripheral flange extended therein, said cap includes a duct extended therefrom for engaging into said open end of said casing and includes a peripheral rib extended from said duct for engaging with said peripheral flange and for detachably securing said cap to said casing.

7. A shoe comprising:

a) a shoe sole including a peripheral portion having at least one opening formed therein and opened outward of said peripheral portion of said shoe sole, and

i) a circuit board having a switch member provided thereon,

ii) at least one light bulb attached to said circuit board,

iii) means for energizing said at least one light bulb, and

8. The shoe according to claim 7, wherein said at least one light device includes a casing engaged in said at least one opening of said shoe sole for receiving said circuit board therein.

9. The shoe according to claim 8, wherein said energizing means includes at least one battery received in said casing.

10. The shoe according to claim 9, wherein said at least one light device includes a cap detachably secured to said casing for retaining said circuit board in said casing.

11. The shoe according to claim 10, wherein said actuating means includes a rod extended from said cap, and a tube engaged onto said rod and directed toward said switch member for being forced to engage with said switch member when said cap is depressed.

12. The shoe according to claim 10, wherein said casing includes an open end having a peripheral flange extended therein, said cap includes a duct extended therefrom for engaging into said open end of said casing and includes a peripheral rib extended from said duct for engaging with said peripheral flange and for detachably securing said cap to said casing.

13. A light device comprising:

a casing,

a circuit board having a switch member provided thereon,

at least one light bulb attached to said circuit board,

at least one battery received in said casing and coupled to said at least one light bulb for energizing said at least one light bulb,

a cap detachably secured to said casing for retaining said circuit board and said at least one battery in said casing, and

means for actuating said switch member to actuate said at least one light bulb.

14. The light device according to claim 13, wherein said actuating means includes a rod extended from said cap, and a tube engaged onto said rod and directed toward said switch member-for being forced to engage with said switch member when said cap is depressed.

15. The light device according to claim 14, wherein said casing includes an open end having a peripheral flange extended therein, said cap includes a duct extended therefrom for engaging into said open end of said casing and includes a peripheral rib extended from said duct for engaging with said peripheral flange and for detachably securing said cap to said casing.