[0001] This invention relates to an article of footwear, such as a shoe or slipper.
[0002] 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.
[0003] 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.
[0004] 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.
[0005] 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.
[0006] 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.
[0007] 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.
[0008] 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.
[0009] 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.
[0010] 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.
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.
