Abstract:
Illuminated shoes are provided with a switch having a fixed end for connection to one side of a battery and a movable end for contacting one of a plurality of selectable conducting members each connected to a separate terminal of a sub-circuit. Each sub-circuit contains a source of light or sound with a common terminal at the opposite end from the separate terminal and connected to the other side of said battery. The switch movable end moves substantially randomly or in random patterns under inertia to contact a conducting member to complete a sub-circuit.

Description:
This is a continuation of application 09/081,667 filed May 20, 1998 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,164,794, which is a continuation-in-part of application 08/969,307 filed Nov. 13, 1997 now abandoned. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to means for creating light or sound during the motion of a shoe. ‘Acceleration’ includes deceleration herein. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART 
     The closest prior art known to the applicant is represented by the U.S. Pat. No. 5,408,764 dated Apr. 25, 1995 to, WUT, Siu B. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,599,088 to CHIEN, Tseng L. Both show means for providing light sources for LED&#39;s which use inertially activated contact springs responsive to acceleration of the shoe to intermittently close the circuit to and illuminate the light sources. In such prior art patents the light source or sources illuminated with each switch closure are the same each time they come on. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of this invention to provide a switch closable to connect one or two of a plurality of sub-circuits, said switch having a fixed end for connected to one side of a battery and movable end to contact one plurality of selectable conducting members, each member for respective connection to the separate contact of a different sub-circuits on contact by the movable end of said switch. A sub-circuit contains a source of light or sound and in a common terminal remote from the conducting member, is connected to the other side of said battery. 
     The preferred circuit therefore comprises: a battery connected on one side to fixed end of a switch member and on the other side connected to a common terminal for the sub-circuits. If the sources in sub-circuits have a polarity (such as LED&#39;s) then they must conform to the battery polarity. 
     Although, for completeness, sources are spoken of as ‘light or sound’, a high proportion are light, since this is thought to produce a better effect with random activation. The light source will usually be an LED since this gives the best intensity relative to the voltage required. 
     Thus a shoe or boot will have the switch mounted to have its movable end vibrate therein and each time a conducting member is contacted by the switch movable end, the sub-circuit corresponding to the contacted conducting member will provide a light or sound output. The light will be sustained for the duration of the ‘dwell time’, being the interval of contact between conducting member and the switch movable terminal contacting it. Thereafter the resilience of the spring will move the movable end out of contact with the formerly contacted conducting member. 
     Given the switch design, the next contact of a conducting member by the movable end of the switch is usually a different member. Given the substantially random pattern of switch movable end movement, the lights will appear randomly or sound is heard randomly or in random patterns at various locations on the shoe for novel and striking effects. 
     ‘Source’ refers to a source of light or sound although the more striking effects are thought to occur with light sources. 
     One sub-circuit may use a completely different source or sources from another, but may also use a different combination of sources. For example a shoe with two LED&#39;s (sources A and B) may have three sub-circuits, containing respectively: source A, source B and sources A and B. 
     Preferably the switch will be mounted in the shoe with the longitudinal axis of the resilient stem approximately vertical, in the most common attitude of the switch. The bending stresses are in the resilient extent between the movable and fixed end and the largest one those about a horizontal axis and switch failure is thought to be reduced. Switch failure will often cause battery failure if there is a continued drain on the battery. 
     It is a feature of one facet of the invention that it is desirable to have variable dwell times that is a variable length of contact between the movable and a conducting member. This results in corresponding varying length of energization of the light or sound system activated during the dwell interval. A preferred way of accomplish thus, when the movable contacts are formed in a general circular ring about the switch stem, is to curve the conducting members so that their ends corresponding to the movable end are curving away from its rest position. Another preferred way is to shape the conducting member to be convex in section perpendicular to the longitudinal extent of the stem so that the movable contact again tends to move for varying distances along the convex surface extending the dwell time. Thus any surface, convex toward the movable contact will tend to produce variable dwell times as the surface is non-normal to the direction of the moving contact. Variable and sometimes extended dwell times are also obtainable with conducting members concave toward the stem. However the problems of construction are much greater. The switch being discussed will often be 7 mm high and about 7 mm wide to fit in a shoe and this limits design flexibility. Other means of extending dwell time are considered within the scope of the invention such as making the conducting member contact areas of a softer mechanical resistance but this is difficult within the scale provided and also it is noted that the design must be such as to avoid the risk of tangling. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention: 
     FIG. 1 is a somewhat schematic side view of a shoe in accord with the invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a plan view with parts of the shoe removed to show the location of the circuit elements. 
     FIG. 3 shows a printed circuit board with the battery. 
     FIG. 4 is a schematic circuit for the device of FIGS. 5 and 6. 
     FIG. 5 and 6 are side view and plan respectively for the device. 
     FIG. 7 shows a piezotronic speaker. 
     FIG. 8 shows a circuit with speaker and LED. 
     FIG. 9 shows a switch with three selections. 
     FIG. 10 shows a circuit using the switch of FIG 9 . 
     FIG. 11 shows the vertical section of a switch which is an alternate to that of FIGS. 5 and 6 although for the same purposes, and 
     FIG. 12 is a top view of the switch of FIG.  11 . 
     FIG. 13 shows a preferred oscillator chip. 
     FIG. 14 shows in perspective and 
     FIG. 15 shows in vertical section a novel form of the switch for achieving variable dwell times. 
     FIG. 16 shows a spring (movable contact) for the switch of FIGS. 14 and 15. 
     FIG. 17 shows a preferred form for the conducting member and FIG. 18 shows the preferred ‘form or basket’ for holding the conducting members. 
     FIGS. 18 and 19 indicate the means for attaching and connecting the spring. 
     FIG. 20 shows a housing for the switch in accord with the invention. 
     FIG. 21 shows an alternate form of switch in plan view. 
     FIG. 22 shows the alternate form of switch in side view. 
     FIG. 23 shows a section along the lines  23 — 23  of FIG.  22 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     In the drawings FIGS. 1 and 2 show a running shoe having seven LED&#39;s  1 ,  2 , . . .  7  and one sound source speaker  8 . FIG. 3 shows a printed circuit board (‘PCB’) with battery  10 , battery clip  12  and conducting trace  14  to the fixed end  16 F of switch  16 , and movable end  18  at the free end of stem  19  formed by a helical spring and traces S 1  to S 8  connected to common negative  21  (FIG. 4) (not shown in FIG. 3 since it is on the back of the PCB), which common negative is connected to the battery negative  23 . 
     The circuit arrangement is shown in  4  indicating that the connected traces S 1 -S 7  are LED—containing while trace S 8  is connected to the speaker circuit. 
     FIGS. 5 and 6 show the preferred arrangement of the selection switch. 
     The selective contacts ST 1 -ST 8  respectively connected to traces or sub-circuits S 1 -S 8  are preferably in the form of arcuate conducting plates upstanding from the PCB shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 and connected as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. Between the plates is the helical spring  19  whose axis is usually centred in the ring defined by ST 1  -ST 8  here whose end defines eight ‘strike’ points E 18 . The terminal stem  19  formed by  9  helical spring and its movable end terminal  18  are preferably designed to deflect due to acceleration and their inertia in a random azimuthal direction and to contact one of the contacts ST 1 -ST 8 . Each contact ST 1 -ST 8  thus corresponds to a sub-circuit. 
     Thus, in accord with the randomly selected contact ST 1 -ST 8  an LED is lit or the speaker  8  activated for the duration of the dwell time of the movable end  18  on the conducting member from ST 1 -ST 8 . As the shoe continues to move the movable switch end  18  will vibrate over a locus and strike a successive number of conducting members so that corresponding sources of light or sound are lit or sounded. 
     Although the embodiment shows a separate source for each sub-circuit, it will be obvious that a sub-circuit could have two or more sources in it (usually in parallel) and two sub-circuits could use the same source. 
     Thus a source may be part of two or more sub-circuits. This is demonstrated in FIGS. 9 and 10. FIG. 9 shows a flexible stem  18 C with a moving end vibratable over 360° of azimuthal directions and whose movable end  18 A loci include three terminals STA 1 , STA 2 , STA 3  connected respectively to circuits SA 1 , SA 2 , SA 3 . It will readily be seen that electrical connection of  18 A to STA 1 , STA 2  or STA 3  will light LED&#39;s A 1  or A 2  respectively. Electrical connection of  18 A with STA 2  will cause battery currents to flow through (ordinary) diodes D 1  and D 2  lighting both LED&#39;s A 1  and A 2 . Thus two LED&#39;s: A 1  and A 2  provide three sub-circuits each differently constituted. The same logic would provide different combinations of LED&#39;s or LED&#39;s and speakers. FIG. 8 demonstrates a sub-circuit where an LED and a speaker  8  are connected in parallel in a sub-circuit. FIGS. 4 and 6 show that the speaker  8  is connected to ST 8  and to the power source through the oscillator chip OC. The speaker is preferably of the piezotronic type as hereinafter described. The preferred oscillator chip OC is hereinafter described. The chip OC is omitted from FIG. 5 because of where the section is taken. FIG. 8 shows an alternate form of the oscillator circuit which contains an LED in parallel with an oscillator chip OC so that both will be energized simultaneously. 
     It is thus seen that LED&#39;s (or other sources), may be connected in more than one sub-circuit and that, for example, the boot of FIGS. 1 and 2 could have had a sub-circuit in which simultaneously allowed all the lights to be lit. In fact the only limits on the number of sub-circuits or the variety is expense and the physical capacity of the shoe or boot. FIGS. 11 and 12 show a flexible center stem switch wherein a cylindrical shell  29  of plastic is mounted on the PCB on a vertical axis while the movable switch end  18 B on a resiliently flexible conducting stem  19 B is centred in the cylinder. Each selective conducting member  31 A- 31 H of which eight are shown, is a metal ridge and connector mounted on the cylinder, shaped and arranged to connect at contact member  31 A to  31 H to a different sub-circuit (not shown) on the PCB. In fact the electrical connections for contacts  31  may be respectively the same as those for the contacts ST 1  to ST 8 , in FIGS. 3-6. 
     In the alternative of the invention shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 it will be noted that the movable end  18 B may strike a single conducting member, here e.g.  31 G or may strike two conducting members, say  31 B and  31 C, simultaneously; in the latter event, simultaneously energizing two sub-circuits. 
     Given that the movable contact  18 B preferably has a stem  19 B movable over 360° of azimuthal direction the physical form of the conducting members does not matter, so long as they are located within the locus of movement of the movable switch end during vibrations. 
     FIGS. 7 and 8 show a piezotronic speaker  8 ′ where leads  65 ,  67  from the oscillator chip connect on opposite sides of the piezotronic diaphragm  61  which vibrates in accord with the voltages received from the oscillator chip OC. Plastic panels  63  on each side of the diaphragm protect it without interfering with sound transmission from the diaphragm. 
     The speaker  8 ′ may be actuated to give the desired note by any suitable oscillator. I prefer to use the oscillator chip OC which preferably comprises a National Semi-Conductor Chip 3909 connected as shown in FIG. 13 as an oscillator. 
     The basic multi-vibrator circuit of oscillator OC is modified by the capacitor CM to produce the desired sound frequency. 
     The speaker  8  or  8 ′ may be replaced by a sound synthesizer. 
     When power appears at the leads  65 ′ and  67 ′ due to the dwell of the end terminal  18  on contact ST 8 , a quartz crystal in chip OC vibrates to cause power to be applied periodically (as selected) to the chip inputs  65 ,  67 . The rate of vibration and hence the tone can be varied by changing the value of capacitor CM connected between terminals  2 T and  8 T of chip OC (FIG.  13 ). 
     Before introducing improved variable dwell models, it is desired to review the general approach, taken herein to the circuitry already described in FIGS. 3-6 and  9 - 10 . A switch, in accord with the invention, permits, under vibration electrical contact with one of a plurality of conducting members. Each conducting member is connected to one separate terminal of a sub-circuit. The sub-circuit will normally contain a source for emitting light or sound when the circuit conducts. The other respective terminals of the plurality of sub-circuits are connected to a common terminal, see for example  16 F in FIGS. 3 and 4 and  16 A in FIG. 10 The movable switch end is connected to one side of the battery while the other side of the battery is connected to the common terminal of the sub-circuits. 
     Thus the light or sound source is visible or audible for the duration of contact between the movable switch end and the respective conducting member, i.e. the ‘dwell time’. 
     There is hereafter discussed switch variations wherein the dwell time varies to a greater degree than with the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1-13. 
     In FIGS. 14 and 15, in the plastic basket or surface of revolution  71 , the conducting members ST 1 B, ST 2 B, . . . ST 8 B are curved outwardly when viewed in vertical sections to resemble sections of a horn of a trumpet. Preferably these conducting members are shaped so that their main body  70  rides in complementary grooves in the ‘basket’  71  which, with the eight main bodies  70  filling the respective grooves, presents a substantially smooth surface of revolution facing the spring  19 A. The spring  19 A may be a helix of slightly decreasing diameter, with height. The upper ends of the bodies  70  have bent over portions  76  to the upper edge of the basket, which is crenellated at areas  74  for this purpose. The bodies  70  preferably taper downwardly, as shown, to reach the eight spindles  1 A,  2 A . . .  8 A which seat in sockets SP 1 A, SP 2 A . . . SP 8 A which connect to the light or sound circuits not shown. Because of the curve in the conducting members, there tends to be a ‘wrapping’ effect of the spring about the convex inward shape presented to it. This in some cases will increase the dwell time, and, at times will create a wider variation of the dwell time. A variation in the dwell time could also have been obtained by a concave inward shaped conducting member. However the cost of construction would, it is thought, be higher than desired. 
     A preferred method of constructing the spring is shown in FIGS. 19 and 15 where a metal clamp  80  which may be electrically connected to terminal  16 F, is fitted about the dome  82  and may be attached to the lower one or two turn spring by soldering or the like. FIG. 20 shows a casing for the basket  71  where the cover  73  makes a friction fit with the base  75 . The base  75  may be made small and the sub-circuits located elsewhere. 
     In the alternative of FIGS. 21,  22  and  23  the switch contains a cylindrical holder  83  with the conducting members shaped to form conducting members  86  which are convex toward the movable switch end  85  in horizontal section (FIG.  21 ). The movable switch end  85  is the free end of the helical spring  19 B which is shaped like the spring  19 A of FIG.  15 . The stem  85 G is connected to one side of the battery (not shown). The conducting members  86  are each connected over a spindle  86 S in platform  87  to the respective individual terminals of sub-circuits (not shown) but whose common terminal (similar to  16 F) is connected to the other side of the battery. 
     On the holder  83  the outer extents  89  of the conducting members may be connected to the spindles  86 S, as shown or the inner ends connected to the spindle  86 S as are the conducting members of the variant in FIG.  15 . 
     In the embodiments of FIGS. 14 to FIG.  20  and FIGS. 21-25 the conducting members often are met by the moving switch end  85  with a glancing or non-normal impact, which tends to create widely varying dwell times which are sometimes short and sometimes sustained.