Illumination – With wearing apparel or body support
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-06
2001-08-28
Husar, Stephen (Department: 2875)
Illumination
With wearing apparel or body support
C362S276000, C362S800000, C362S802000, C036S137000, C315S20000A
Reexamination Certificate
active
06280045
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to lighted footwear and, more particularly, to a lighting system that flashes a set of light sources after elapse of a random time delay generated in response to closure of a motion-responsive switch.
2. Description of the Related Art
Lighted footwear is popular with men, women and children for reasons of safety by rendering the wearers more visible at night, and for reasons of fashion. Such footwear typically includes at least one light source and preferably a plurality of light sources such as light emitting diodes, a source of power such as a battery, and a switch to connect the battery to the light sources to illuminate them.
The switch can be a simple manual switch as disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,158,922. The switch could be a mercury switch in which a ball of mercury runs back and forth along a tube between a pair of electrical contacts during motion of the footwear, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,848,009. The switch can be a pressure responsive switch which opens and closes in response to application of the wearer's weight on the switch as disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,285,586. The switch can be a spring switch in which a cantilevered spring in the form of a coil oscillates back and forth to make and break contact with an electrical terminal as, for example, shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,408,764. The switch may include a metal ball that moves when the footwear moves, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,572,760, or U.S. Pat. No. 5,438,493, or U.S. Pat. No. 5,483,759.
To increase battery life and to provide a more attractive eye-catching and safer display, it is desirable to cause the lights to flash on and off, rather than being maintained continuously illuminated while the switch is closed. This can be accomplished mechanically by the back and forth movement of the above-described mercury or metal balls, or by the oscillation of the aforementioned coil spring, or by the intermittent application of weight in a pressure responsive switch.
Another way to cause flashing is electronically by use of an oscillator or flasher, preferably at low speeds on the order of a few Hertz, as for example described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,158,922. The switch is then used not to make intermittent contact, but instead, a switch closure is employed to trigger an electronic component such as an integrated circuit, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,903,103, to initiate a flashing light sequence.
As advantageous as the known lighted footwear has been, experience has shown that improvements can still be made in their use. Thus, flashing sequences of known footwear are initiated immediately after a switch closure, or after a switch opening. The duration of these sequences is typically fixed. Although visually exciting at first, an immediate, predictable flashing sequence can become boring over time.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is a general object of this invention to improve the state of the art of lighted footwear.
More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a more visually stimulating, eye-catching display of lights.
FEATURES OF THE INVENTION
In keeping with the above objects and others which will become apparent hereafter, one feature of the present invention resides, briefly stated, in a lighting system for footwear, wherein a power source, such as a battery, and at least one light source, and preferably a plurality of light sources such as light emitting diodes, is mounted on the footwear. The system includes a motion-responsive switch for switching between open and closed states in response to motion of the footwear. For example, an electrically conductive rolling ball can be mounted in a housing to make or break electrical contact as the ball rolls in the housing.
In accordance with this invention, a delay circuit is mounted on the footwear for generating a random, unpredictable time delay when the motion-responsive switch has been switched to the closed state. A flashing circuit on the footwear is then operative for flashing the light sources after the random time delay has elapsed. Since the time delay is unpredictable in advance, the duration of the flashing sequence is likewise unknown in advance. This unpredictability in the onset and duration of the flashing sequence provides for a more visually stimulating light display as compared to known lighting systems in footwear.
In the preferred embodiment, the delay circuit includes a random number generator constantly powered by the battery for generating random numbers. A buffer connected to the number generator stores these random numbers. A control circuit connected to the buffer is operative for interrupting the storage of the random numbers when the motion-responsive switch is in the closed state. The control circuit includes a control switch, and a clock constantly powered by the battery for opening and closing the control switch to generate a control signal that is conducted to the buffer. The delay circuit further includes an astable multivibrator connected to the buffer for generating an actuation pulse whose duration is a function of the random number stored in the buffer when the control signal interrupted the storing of random numbers in the buffer.
In use, when the motion-responsive switch is closed, the light sources are maintained extinguished for a time delay whose duration is not known in advance since the duration depends on when the motion-responsive switch was closed and, in turn, the valve of the particular random number stored in the buffer at the time of the switch closure. After the elapse of the time delay, the flashing circuit causes the lights to flash for a time period after which the lights, once again, are extinguished.
The novel features which are considered as characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4848009 (1989-07-01), Rodgers
patent: 5483759 (1996-01-01), Silverman
patent: 5663614 (1997-09-01), Weng et al.
patent: 5969479 (1999-10-01), Wong
patent: 6012822 (2000-01-01), Robinson
Anteby Edward J.
Israel Alan
E. S. Originals, Inc.
Husar Stephen
Kirschstein et al.
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