Abstract:
Psychoacoustic footwear includes a heel adapted to generate a sound during walking. The sound may be produced electronically or mechanically. In a mechanical implementation, the heel may include a chamber with an opening. A vibrating object within the heel, such as a tuning fork or key, emits an audible sound when the object is struck. A pendulum, hammer, or other mechanical device may be provided to controllably strike the object. Movement and contact with a hard surface during walking produces a distinctive sound that is subtle, yet audible to nearby bystanders. The sound draws attention of bystanders and may evoke favorable emotional reactions. The heel may be comprised of plastic, metal, wood or composites. Electrical implementations may include a speaker, sound producing and/or amplification circuitry, a power supply and a switch for generating or amplifying sound.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention generally relates to laced footwear, and more particularly, to shoes designed to produce audible sounds that attract attention and evoke emotional responses. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Sounds can arouse strong emotions. A certain sound may excite or relax one&#39;s body, exhilarate one&#39;s soul, bring enjoyment and evoke a whole range of emotions. Physiological responses in reaction to sound stimuli have long been observed. For instance, a soothing sound could lead to a decrease in the tension of muscles, respiration rate, and blood pressure. Sounds can also elicit strong motor responses from listeners such as a quick turn, a jump or a defensive reaction. Additionally, audible stimuli may alleviate physical distress and pain. Sounds are also believed to be capable of triggering the release of endorphins (an opiate-like substance in the brain), and induce increased release of the neurotransmitter serotonin. 
         [0003]    Clothing and cosmetic marketers have long appreciated the relationship between appealing to senses and boosting sales. An attractive silk suit harnesses the senses of sight and touch. The scent of a perfume possesses an uncanny power to conjure up memories. While the connection between sound and emotions is also well known, audible stimuli have not been integrated into mainstream fashion. 
         [0004]    As a consequence of the foregoing, there exists a longstanding need for an audible fashion. The invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems as set forth above. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    To solve one or more of the problems set forth above, in an exemplary implementation of the invention, footwear is provided with a heel that generates a sound during walking. The sound may be produced electronically, electromechanically or mechanically. 
         [0006]    In one aspect of exemplary footwear according to the invention, a heel includes a chamber with an opening. Contact with a hard surface during walking produces a distinctive sound that is subtle, yet audible to nearby bystanders. The sound draws attention of bystanders and may evoke favorable emotional reactions. The heel may be comprised of plastic, metal, wood or composites. 
         [0007]    In another aspect of the invention an exemplary heel is a bottom rear support structure for a shoe. The support structure includes an interior chamber and at least one aperture in the support structure leading to the interior chamber. A sound producing means is housed within the interior chamber and configured to produce an audible sound upon a determined action, such as lifting the heel, moving the heel downwardly or striking a surface with the heel. The sound is amplified by the chamber and emitted through the at least one aperture. 
         [0008]    In one embodiment, the sound producing means includes a mechanically vibrating element such as a tuning fork or key. In the case of a tuning fork, the tuning fork has a pair of tines. A pendulum may be contained in the housing and configured to swing and impact at least one of the pair of tines to generate an audible sound upon the impact. 
         [0009]    Alternatively, the sound producing means includes a pivoting hammer and a key. The pivoting hammer is configured to swing and impact the key as the heel is moved. The key produces an audible sound upon the impact. In one embodiment, the pivoting hammer includes a pivoting arm with a free end and pivotally mounted end, a tension spring generating a tensile force that produces a spring torque that resists pivoting of the pivoting arm in the first direction. A striking head attached to the free end of the pivoting arm. A counterweight is attached to a moment arm attached to the pivotally mounted end of the pivoting arm and configured to generate a weight torque that urges the pivoting arm in the first direction. The weight torque exceeds the spring torque during impact of the heel with a ground surface. The pivoting hammer swings in the first direction and impacts a key as the heel impacts the ground surface. The key produces an audible sound upon the impact. 
         [0010]    In another embodiment, the heel includes a bottom heel piston compartment and a heel piston within the compartment. The heel piston is configured for reciprocating motion within the heel piston compartment from a closed position to an extended position. A compression spring urges the heel piston from the closed position to the extended position when the heel is lifted from a ground surface. A sound producing within the heel compartment includes a striker and a key. The striker includes a cantilevered leaf spring with a striking head and an attached ferrous joint coupled to a free end of the cantilevered leaf spring. A magnetic retainer magnetically engages the ferrous joint. A drive shaft couples the heel piston to the magnetic retainer. The striking head impacts the key as the cantilevered leaf spring is released. The magnetic retainer exerts a magnetic retaining force on the ferrous joint. The cantilevered leaf spring exerts a striking force on the striking head and the attached ferrous joint. The striking force increases with deflection of the cantilevered leaf spring. The magnetic retainer releases the ferrous joint when the striking force exceeds the magnetic retaining force. The deflection increasing as the heel piston moves to an extended position. The increasing deflection increases the striking force to exceed the magnetic retaining force and thereby cause the magnetic retainer to release the ferrous joint, and thereby allow the striking head to impact the key. The key produces an audible sound upon the impact. 
         [0011]    In another aspect of the invention, a method of evoking an emotional response using a shoe is provided. An exemplary method entails associating a synthetic sound with a determined emotion through repeated advertising, and providing shoes with heels having interior compartments and sound producing means configured to produce the synthetic sound during walking. Each of the heels is a bottom rear support structure for a shoe. The support structure includes an interior chamber and at least one aperture in the support structure leading to the interior chamber, and a sound producing means housed within the interior chamber and configured to produce the synthetic sound during walking. The sound is amplified by the chamber and emitted through the aperture. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]    The foregoing and other aspects, objects, features and advantages of the invention will become better understood with reference to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings, where: 
           [0013]      FIG. 1  shows a first perspective of an exemplary conventional woman&#39;s shoe; and 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  shows a second perspective of an exemplary conventional woman&#39;s shoe; and 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  shows a third perspective of an exemplary conventional woman&#39;s shoe; and 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  shows a perspective view of a portion of an exemplary heel according to principles of the invention; and 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  shows a cutaway perspective view of an exemplary heel without internal components according to principles of the invention; and 
           [0018]      FIG. 6  shows a side plan view of an exemplary heel without internal components according to principles of the invention; and 
           [0019]      FIG. 7  shows a cutaway perspective view of an exemplary heel with an internal tuning fork according to principles of the invention; and 
           [0020]      FIG. 8  shows a cutaway perspective view of an exemplary heel with an internal tuning fork and striker according to principles of the invention; and 
           [0021]      FIG. 9  shows a cutaway side plan view of an exemplary heel with an internal key and striker according to principles of the invention; and 
           [0022]      FIG. 10  shows a cutaway perspective plan view of an exemplary heel with an internal key and striker according to principles of the invention; and 
           [0023]      FIG. 11  shows a cutaway side plan view of an exemplary heel with an alternative internal key and striker according to principles of the invention; and 
           [0024]      FIG. 10  shows a cutaway perspective plan view of an exemplary heel with an alternative internal key and striker according to principles of the invention. 
       
    
    
       [0025]    Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the figures are not intended to be drawn to any particular scale; nor are the figures intended to illustrate every embodiment of the invention. The invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments depicted in the figures or the types of shoes, heels, shapes, relative sizes, ornamental aspects or proportions shown in the figures. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0026]    Referring to the Figures, in which like parts are indicated with the same reference numerals, various views of exemplary shoes with exemplary shoelace retainers according to principles of the invention are shown. The term “shoe” is used herein for convenience to refer to any footwear with a heel. The invention is not limited to high heel footwear as shown in the Figures. Instead, the invention may be utilized with any type of footwear with a heel adequately sized to house a sound producing chamber and one or more sound producing elements therein. 
         [0027]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 through 3 , a woman&#39;s shoe  100  is shown. The shoe  100  includes an insole  115 , i.e., an interior bottom of the shoe, which sits directly beneath the foot; an outsole  125 , i.e., a layer in direct contact with the ground; a midsole  120 , i.e., a layer between the outsole and the insole that is typically there for shock absorption; a heel  110 , i.e., the bottom rear support of a shoe; and an upper  105 , i.e., the part that receives a foot and helps hold the shoe onto the foot. 
         [0028]    The invention comprises sound producing elements integrated with the heel of a shoe  100 . For clarification, a portion of an exemplary heel, such as the portion below line  200  is discussed more fully below. The remainder of the shoe  100  may be conventional shoe components. 
         [0029]    Referring now to  FIG. 4 , an exemplary heel  400  includes a sound producing chamber  420  with one or more sound emitting openings  405 ,  410 . The heel may optionally include a heel protector  415  attached to the bottom of the heel  400 , such as with tacks  425 ,  430 , nails or other attachment means. During walking, contact between a hard surface and the heel  400  produces audible pressure waves in the chamber  420 . The one or more openings  405 ,  410  in the heel  400  lead to the chamber  420  and allow sounds generated therein to escape. The shape and configuration of the chamber  420  and the opening(s)  405 ,  410  influence the resulting sound. The material comprising the heel  400 , such as wood, plastic and/or composite, also influences the sound. By way of example and not limitation, the heel  400  may be made of tone woods, such as spruce or cedar, chosen for both strength and ability to transfer mechanical energy from the heel to the air within the chamber  420 . Sound is projected through the opening(s)  405 ,  410 . Air inside the body vibrates as the internal sound producing elements discussed more fully below vibrate, and a sound is emitted. The response of the chamber  420  is characterized by resonance modes at which the heel  400  responds strongly. The purpose of these features is to produce a sound that is readily perceptible to bystanders and evokes a favorable reaction. However, the invention is not limited to any specific heel material, chamber configuration or opening configuration. 
         [0030]    Sound is generated within the chamber by percussion. A striker (discussed below) impacts a sound emitting element such as a tuning fork, key, membrane, or string. By way of illustration and not limitation, embodiments comprising a tuning fork  700  are shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 . The tuning fork  700  is an acoustic resonator in the form of a two-pronged fork with the tines  710 ,  715  formed from a U-shaped bar of elastic metal such as spring steel. The tines are supported by a deflector  705 , mounted within the heel. The tuning fork  700  resonates at a determined constant pitch when set vibrating by striking it against a surface or with an object, and emits a pure musical tone after waiting a moment to allow some high overtones to die out. The pitch that the tuning fork generates depends on the material and geometry of the prongs. In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 7 , shock from impact of the heel  400  on the ground during walking is transmitted to the tuning fork and causes the tines  710 ,  715  to vibrate within the chamber  420 . The impact causes the tines  710 ,  715  to vibrate within the chamber  420 , which produces an audible sound. Optionally, a mechanical damper (not shown) may be accessible through an opening  405 ,  410  and manually actuated to prevent vibration of the tines  710 ,  715  where silence is desired. 
         [0031]    In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 8 , a striker impacts tines  710 ,  715 . The striker comprises a pendulum with a striking head  800  suspended by a spring  805 . Adequate movement of the heel  400  during a stride overcomes inertia of the spring  805  causing the striking head  800  to swing towards and impact a tine  710 ,  715 . The impact causes the tines  710 ,  715  to vibrate within the chamber  420 , which produces an audible sound. The spring  805  may feature a spring constant adequate to resist appreciable lateral movement during small gentle steps and to allow sufficient lateral movement for the head  800  to impact a tine  710 ,  715  during a stride. Optionally, a mechanical latch (not shown) may be accessible through an opening  405 ,  410  and manually actuated to prevent striking motion of the head  800  against a tine  710 ,  715  where silence is desired. 
         [0032]    In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , a spring-retained pivoting striker impacts a key  920  attached at one end  915  to the heel  400 . The striker comprises a pivoting arm  930  with a striking head  925  restrained by a tension spring  940  and counter balanced by a weight  900 . Couplings  935 ,  945  join the spring  940  to the heel  400  and the pivoting arm  930 . A moment arm  905  extends from the pivoting arm  930  at the pivot point  910 . At rest, the rotational force attributed to the weight  900  equals the product of the weight  900  and the length of the moment arm  905 . The spring  940  resistance equals the product of a spring constant for the spring  940  and the stretch of the spring  940 ; thus it varies linearly with elongation of the spring. The rotational force caused by tension of the spring  940  equals the product of the spring resistance and the length of the pivoting arm from the pivot point  915  to the spring coupling  935 . The rotational force caused by tension of the spring  940  counteracts the rotational force caused by the weight  900 , at rest. Adequate movement of the heel  400  during a stride generates a downward acceleration and momentum acting on the weight  900 , and overcoming the rotational force caused by tension of the spring  940 . This causes the striking head  925  to swing towards and impact the key  920 . The impact causes the key  920  to vibrate within the chamber  420 , which produces an audible sound. The spring  940  may feature a spring constant adequate to resist appreciable lateral movement during small gentle steps and to allow sufficient lateral movement for the head  925  to impact the key  920  during a stride. Optionally, a mechanical latch (not shown) may be accessible through an opening  405 ,  410  and manually actuated to prevent striking motion of the head  925  against the key  920  where silence is desired. 
         [0033]    In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 11 and 12 , a magnetically-retained striker impacts a key  1105  attached at one end to the heel  400 . The striker comprises a cantilevered leaf spring  1110  with a striking head  1115  attached to the free end. The striking head  1115  is connected to ferrous joint  1125  by a connecting rod  1120 . In an open position, the ferrous joint  1115  is attracted to a magnet  1130 , which deflects the leaf spring  1110  away from the key  1105 . The magnet  1130  is attached to a drive shaft  1135  which undergoes linear reciprocating motion. A movable spring actuated heel piston  1145  is urged downwardly in a heel compartment  1155  by a compression spring  1150  when the heel  400  is lifted. The spring  1150  is restrained between a retainer  1140  and the heel piston  1145 . The drive shaft  1135  and spring  1150  are concentric. The drive shaft  1135  extends from the magnet  1130  to the heel piston  1145 . As the heel piston  1145  moves downwardly, the magnet  1130  deflects the leaf spring  1110  downwardly until the upward force generated by the leaf spring  1110  exceeds the magnetic force. Thereupon, the leaf spring  1110  urges the head  1115  into the key. The impact causes the key  1115  to vibrate within the chamber  420 , which produces an audible sound. Optionally, a mechanical latch (not shown) may be accessible through an opening  405 ,  410  and manually actuated to prevent striking motion of the head  1115  against the key  1105  where silence is desired. 
         [0034]    In another embodiment, the sound may be produced electronically using an embedded sound generating circuit, a speaker, power supply and switch. Upon activation of the switch, the circuit causes the speaker to emit a programmed sound. In yet another embodiment the chamber may contain a microphone, amplifier circuit, power supply, speaker and switch. Upon activation of the switch, the microphone receives sounds from within the chamber, and the amplifier circuit magnifies and possibly alters the sound and causes the speaker to emit a sound. The amplifier circuit may be configured to amplify only certain sounds within a programmed range of sound properties. 
         [0035]    A method of deployment according to the invention may entail associating the produced sound with a determined emotion through advertising, promotion and marketing. The sound is a synthetic sound, i.e., a sound other than the natural sound of the heel striking a ground surface during walking. By way of example and not limitation, it may be an amplified sound and/or a musical sound may be, for example, a standard tuning pitch for music of 440 Hz, or some other pleasant recognizable sound. The emotion may be love, lust, curiosity or ecstasy. Eventually, consumers will relate the sound to the emotion. Then, shoes configured to produce the sound will draw attention and trigger the taught emotional response. 
         [0036]    While an exemplary embodiment of the invention has been described, it should be apparent that modifications and variations thereto are possible, all of which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum relationships for the components and steps of the invention, including variations in order, form, content, function and manner of operation, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. The above description and drawings are illustrative of modifications that can be made without departing from the present invention, the scope of which is to be limited only by the following claims. Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents are intended to fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.