Patent Application
20110271558
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is a lighted panel for an article of footwear. The lighted panel includes a translucent display panel and diffused lighting means that illuminate substantially the entire display panel in a relatively uniform and even manner without any concentrated points of light. The lighted panel may be located anywhere that illumination is desired on footwear and its to display panel may be relatively large.
2. Description of the Related Art
Prior art devices include United States Patent Application Publication No. US 2006/0221596 A1 to Chang, U.S. Pat. No. 5,860,727 to Chien and U.S. Pat. No. 6,112,437 to Lovitt. While Chang, Chien and Lovitt each involve the use of lighted display panels in connection with footwear unlike the present invention, they do not involve illuminating a relatively large display panel in a relatively uniform manner through the use of various means of light diffusion.
One of the principal shortcomings of prior art lighted display panels is the occurrence of concentrated points of light. The instant invention seeks to eliminate such concentrated points of light through the use of various light diffusing means—a translucent display panel, a foam sheet, at least one primary light diffuser, and a reflective sheet—which together act to distribute light—and therefore illuminate the display panel—more uniformly and evenly.
The primary light diffuser or diffusers themselves also differ from prior art light diffusers. Prior art light diffusers typically diffuse light by a single means such as a faceted surface. By using only one means of diffusion, however, such diffusers are limited in their ability to diffuse light. Typically, they are effective at diffusing light only over a relatively small area. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,930,921 to Sorofman et al. By using multiple means of diffusion instead of a single means of diffusion, the primary light diffuser(s) in the instant invention provide uniform and even diffusion of light over a relatively large area such as the panel depicted in
The present invention is a lighted panel for footwear wherein light emanates from the panel in a relatively uniform manner without any concentrated points of light. Moving from a location outside the footwear in a direction into the footwear, a typical lighted panel includes, respectively, a translucent display panel, a foam sheet, a primary light diffuser or diffusers, a light source within the primary light diffuser(s), and a reflective sheet. When the light source receives power, light emanates from the light source into the primary light diffuser(s) and diffused light then emanates from the primary light diffuser(s). The light source is powered by a power source.
In a typical embodiment, the footwear is a shoe having a tongue, a closure flap with a hook and loop fastener to secure the shoe to the wearer's foot, and a translucent display panel incorporated in the closure flap. The translucent display panel may include any graphic image such as that of a cartoon character, person, animal, inanimate object or the like. The translucent display panel may also be in any shape, including any irregular shape and any shape where the panel's shape itself is in the form of a character, person, animal, or object. The translucent display panel may also be in the shape of at least one number and/or at least one letter.
A foam sheet between the translucent display panel and the primary light diffuser(s) provides two means of further diffusing the diffused light that emanates from the light source. First, the porosity of the foam sheet assists in light diffusion. Second, the foam sheet provides spacing to keep the primary light diffuser(s) at some distance from the translucent display panel. This spacing assists in diffusion by preventing the occurrence of concentrated points of light that would occur if the light source made contact with the panel. This spacing also assists diffusion by allowing the diffused light to be spread over a broader area than would be the case if the light source were in contact with the panel.
The primary light diffuser(s) are located between the foam sheet and a reflective sheet. The primary light diffuser(s) are made from any translucent material and are typically in the overall shape of a wafer. The primary light diffuser(s) have a top surface, an opposing bottom surface, and a connecting surface that connects the top surface to the bottom surface. The primary light diffuser(s) typically use two or more means to diffuse light that emanates from the light source located within the primary light diffuser. First, the connecting surface may have serrations or other means that diffuse light as it emanates from the primary light diffuser(s). Second, at least the top surface of the primary light diffuser(s) carry a translucent vinyl sheet that diffuses light that emanates from the light source.
The reflective sheet is spaced apart from the translucent display panel due to the presence of the foam sheet and the primary light diffuser(s). The reflective sheet further diffuses light that emanates from the primary light diffuser(s) in two primary ways. First, the reflective sheet's spacing from the translucent display panel allows light that is reflected from the reflective sheet to pass through the foam sheet and to be more broadly spread across the translucent display panel than would be the case if the reflective sheet were closer to the translucent display panel. Second, the reflective sheet is smooth and flexible so that, due to variations in the respective orientations of its reflective surface, it can reflect light in a number of different directions through the foam sheet and across the translucent display panel instead of in a single direction as would be the case if the reflective sheet were smooth, flat and rigid.
By way of example only, the present invention is described below in the context of a selected embodiment. Each such description refers to a particular figure (“FIG.”) which shows the described matter. All such figures are shown in drawings that accompany this specification. Each such figure includes one or more reference numerals that identify one or more part(s) or element(s) of the invention. Variations and alternative embodiments of the invention and its components are also described below.
The invention will now be described with reference to the embodiment shown in
The lighted panel 83 comprises a translucent display panel 84, a foam sheet 85, a reflective sheet 86, and a lighting unit 40. A portion of the lighted panel 83 and a portion of the lighting unit 40 are both shown in
The lighting unit 40, as shown in
A typical circuit 70 for a lighting unit 40 is shown in
In the embodiment shown in
As shown in
Any first means 15 of light diffusion, any second means 35 of light diffusion, and any third means 25 of light diffusion can each be any means of light diffusion. A primary light diffuser 5 that has two means of light diffusion can have those two means of light diffusion on any two surfaces 10, 20, 30 of the primary light diffuser 5. A primary light diffuser 5 that has three means of light diffusion can have those three means of light diffusion on any three surfaces 10, 20, 30 of the primary light diffuser 5.
The primary means 15, 25, 35 of light diffusion by the primary light diffuser 5 comprise (a) the shape of a surface 10, 20, 30, (b) the texture of a surface 10, 2030, and/or (c) any coating applied to a surface 10, 20, 30. A surface 10, 20, 30 that enables light diffusion by its shape is defined herein as a “shaped” surface. Such shaped surfaces 10, 20, 30 may have shapes in the form of serrations, waves, facets, projections, grooves, ridges, irregularities, or other shapes or any combination thereof. When surfaces 10, 20, 30 are shaped, the shape of the surface 10, 20, 30, by itself, enables diffusion. In addition to or in lieu of the shape of a surface 10, 20, 30, the texture of a surface 10, 20, 30 may also enable light diffusion. When the texture of a surface 10, 20, 30 is something other than smooth, the texture of the surface 10, 20, 30, by itself, enables diffusion. A surface 10, 20, 30 that enables diffusion due to the texture of the surface 10, 20, 30 is defined herein as a “textured” surface. A textured surface 10, 20, 30 is any surface that is something other than smooth. For example, surface 10, 20, 30 may be roughened, frosted, sanded, etched, pitted or the like or any combination thereof in order to make it something other than smooth. A surface 10, 20, 30 may become textured by the use of one or more solvents, chemicals, sandpaper, sandblasting, and/or lasers, or the like or some combination thereof. In addition to, or in lieu of, using a shaped surface 10, 20, 30 and/or a textured surface 10, 20, 30 to enable diffusion of light, light diffusion may also be enabled by applying a coating, film, ink, pigment, dye, lacquer, paint, resin, plastic or other composition of matter to a surface 10, 20, 30. Additionally, instead of applying any such composition of matter to a surface 10, 20, 30, the surface 10, 20, 30 may be impregnated with any such composition of matter. Light diffusion enabled by the use of any such applied or impregnated composition of matter is referred to herein as “coating,” “coated” or any form thereof.
A primary light diffuser 5 may have a plurality of light diffusing means that overlap one another on a single surface 10, 20, 30 or that are adjacent to one another on a single surface 10, 20, 30, or a combination thereof. Any means 15, 25, 35 of light diffusion may be used on an entire surface 10, 20, 30. Alternatively, any means 15, 25, 35 of light diffusion may be used on only some portion or portions of a surface 10, 20, 30.
In the embodiment shown in
Each primary light diffuser 5 is made from any material or materials through which light can be transmitted. Such materials include clear or translucent plastic, glass or a combination thereof.
Although the primary light diffuser 5 discussed above has the overall shape of a wafer, the primary light diffuser 5 may be formed in practically any shape including shapes with more than three sides and shapes with only two sides such as a dome or a saucer as shown in
Any given article of footwear may have one or more lighted panels 83. Each such lighted panel must have at least one primary light diffuser 5. Each such lighted panel may be in any shape or size and may be located anywhere on the article of footwear.
While the foregoing detailed description sets forth a selected embodiment of a lighted panel in accordance with the present invention, the above description is illustrative only and not limiting of the disclosed invention. Each one of the following claims encompasses a nearly infinite number of embodiments that are within the scope and spirit of the present invention.
