DESCRIPTION

Field of the invention

The invention concerns a footwear structure for luminous footwear, of the type comprising a connection unit for connecting with an outer electronic device, and a connection unit of the aforesaid type.

The invention further concerns luminous footwear comprising the aforesaid footwear structure.

State of the art

Luminous footwear used for increasing the visibility of those wearing it or for recreational purposes is known nowadays.

The luminous footwear provided in the known art essentially comprise an upper, a sole and an electronic light system which generally comprises a luminous display or a luminous strip, a battery, a control unit and a connection unit connected to the control unit and/or the battery by means of appropriate connecting cables.

The connection unit can be apt to recharge the battery and/or to act as a port for the exchange of data between the control unit and an outer electronic device, so as to allow, for example, to insert predetermined messages to be displayed in the electronic light system.

In known luminous footwear, the connection unit comprises a connection port, for example a USB port, and the aforesaid connecting cables, wherein the connection port and the connecting cables are arranged opposite to and aligned with each other.

In practice, in such connection unit, at junction points provided for the contact of the connecting cables at their ends that are proximal to the connection port, the same connecting cables have an orientation corresponding to the accessing direction of the connection port.

A connection unit of the aforesaid type is generally combined with the luminous footwear at the upper or at a tongue of the luminous footwear which can be made in one piece with the upper or can be combined therewith by sewing or gluing, and the connecting unit can particularly be arranged between the upper or the tongue and a lining of the luminous footwear combined with the upper or tongue, or can be arranged between different layers of the upper or tongue.

In particular, the known art provides solutions wherein the connection unit is facing inside the luminous footwear, for example at the mouth of the luminous footwear, and solutions wherein it is facing outside of the luminous footwear, for example at the tongue of the luminous footwear.

A connection unit that is facing inside the luminous footwear is however particularly uncomfortable for the user since, among other things, it involves an obstruction at the mouth of the luminous footwear with a consequent feeling of an undesired foreign body inside the luminous footwear for the user.

A connection unit that is facing outside of the luminous footwear at the tongue is just as uncomfortable for the user even though it does not involve the feeling of an undesired foreign body inside the footwear.

In fact, in this case, it should be noted that in order to allow the user to easily access the connection port of the connection unit, also while wearing the luminous footwear, the same connection unit is combined with the luminous footwear so that the connection port is faced by a cut provided on an outer upper portion of the tongue, wherein the cut is extended in a median position and substantially horizontally, i.e. transversely on the tongue.

In practice, the connection unit with the relative connecting cables substantially extends longitudinally on the tongue, i.e. from an upper portion towards a lower portion of the tongue.

The presence of the connection unit at the tongue as mentioned above, inconveniently determines a size increase of the tongue itself, in particular as regards its thickness.

Disadvantageously, a tongue with great thickness can annoyingly press on the neck of the user's foot, causing discomfort to the user himself.

Disadvantageously still, a tongue with great thickness constitutes an aesthetic constraint for the whole luminous footwear, with consequent limitations in the implementation of aesthetic variants of the luminous footwear.

It should also be noted that in the solutions which provide the connection unit combined with the tongue, as mentioned above, the luminous footwear generally comprises an appendix or strap made in portions which are integral respectively with the tongue and the lining or integral with different layers of the tongue, and which extends between the tongue itself towards a junction portion joining the upper with the sole, for containing the connecting cables.

Such appendix or strap disadvantageously involves an increase in the wearing of the material used to make the luminous footwear and particularly makes the assembling operations strenuous between the different layers of the tongue or between it and the lining, with increases in cost.

Moreover, the aforesaid appendix or strap makes a sort of "bridge" which contains the connecting cables and which extends inside the luminous footwear, which can be accidentally, but still rather easily, intercepted by the user, for example when inserting the foot inside the luminous footwear, with consequent damages to the connecting cables, for example by tearing.

Moreover, in known luminous footwear, a specific control button, active on the electronic light system to turn on and off the luminous display or luminous strip, is generally provided.

In some solutions provided in the known art, the control button is placed on board of the connection unit.

In practice, in such solutions, the control button is interposed between the connection port and the aforesaid junction points of the connecting cables.

The connection port, the control button and the connecting cables at the junction points of the connection unit are substantially aligned with each other.

The connection units comprising the control button are thus greater in size with respect to the connection units devoid of the control button and thus, in the solutions described above with connection unit combined with the tongue of the luminous footwear, inconveniently further increase the thickness of the tongue or anyhow increase the tongue portion with greater thickness.

Moreover, in the solutions described above, the control button is near laces or closure straps that are generally provided on luminous footwear and, thus, whenever the tongue is lowered, also modestly, during the use of the luminous footwear, the control button can be crushed and thus accidentally pressed by the laces or closure straps.

In order to partly solve the drawbacks mentioned above, the known art has provided a further solution described in the Japanese document JP 3210703 U, wherein, in luminous footwear, a connection unit of the type considered above, comprising a control button, is combined with a band movable and flippable over the tongue, of the tear-off closure strap type.

In detail, unlike the solutions described above, in the embodiment of JP 3210703 U, comprising the aforesaid band, when the band itself is fixed, i.e. closed above the tongue, the connection unit extends substantially transversely with respect to the tongue and longitudinally on the band.

However, in this case, the connecting cables, past the band, extend along sides of the upper at which the footwear adheres more to the user's foot, thus creating discomfort, i.e. annoyance and inconvenience, for the user himself.

Moreover, such solution can involve the problem of sewing of upper portions with the risk of damaging the cables.

Summary of the Invention

The technical problem underlying the present invention was to provide luminous footwear with structural and functional characteristics so as to overcome one or more of the drawbacks mentioned above with reference to the known art.

According to a first aspect of the invention, the aforesaid problem is solved by a connection unit, particularly but not exclusively for luminous footwear, which is apt to be combined with an upper of the luminous footwear or with a tongue of the luminous footwear made in one piece or constrained to the aforesaid upper, for example by sewing or gluing, which comprises a main body and connecting cables that extend from the aforesaid main body to connect the aforesaid connection unit to a control unit and/or a battery of an electronic light system of the luminous footwear, wherein the aforesaid main body is provided with a connection port to connect the aforesaid connection unit to an outer electronic device and with junction points for the contact of the aforesaid connecting cables at their ends that are proximal to the aforesaid connection port, wherein the aforesaid connection port has an accessing direction and the aforesaid connecting cables have an extending direction at the aforesaid junction points, wherein the aforesaid accessing direction and the aforesaid extending direction are neither aligned nor parallel to each other, the aforesaid accessing direction and the aforesaid extending direction forming an angle different from 180°.

Preferably, the aforesaid accessing direction and the aforesaid extending direction are lying on a same plane or on planes substantially parallel to each other.

Preferably, the aforesaid accessing direction and the aforesaid junction points are lying on a same plane or on planes substantially parallel to each other.

Preferably, the aforesaid accessing direction, the aforesaid extending direction and the aforesaid junction points are lying on a same plane or on planes parallel to each other, wherein the aforesaid plane is parallel, or the aforesaid planes are parallel, to the aforesaid main body.

This way, the overall dimensions of the present connection unit with respect to the connection units according to the known art is advantageously reduced, thus whenever combined with the upper or the tongue of the luminous footwear, the extension of the upper or tongue portion of greater thickness due to the presence of the connection unit is reduced, thus improving the comfort felt by the user.

Moreover, a reduction of the extension of the area with greater thickness of the upper or tongue is advantageously positively reflected on the possibility to implement aesthetic variants of the luminous footwear.

Preferably, the aforesaid accessing direction and the aforesaid extending direction form an angle of less than 180° and more preferably form an angle equal to about 90°, the possibility to provide a different value of the aforesaid angle not however being excluded.

Preferably, the aforesaid main body comprises a first length at which the aforesaid connection port is arranged, and a second length at which the aforesaid junction points are arranged, wherein, more preferably, the aforesaid second length extends from the aforesaid first length.

Preferably, the aforesaid accessing direction, the aforesaid extending direction and the aforesaid junction points are lying on a same plane or on planes parallel to each other, wherein the aforesaid plane is parallel, or the aforesaid planes are parallel, to the aforesaid first length and/or the aforesaid second length.

Preferably, the aforesaid first length and the aforesaid second length form with each other an angle different from 180°, more preferably an angle equal to about 90° and, thus, the aforesaid main body preferably has a "T" or "L" shape, the possibility to provide other forms, for example a "V" shape, not however being excluded.

Preferably, the width of the aforesaid second length is less than the width of the aforesaid first length.

Preferably, the aforesaid connection unit comprises a flexible cannula in which the aforesaid connecting cables are at least partially housed.

Preferably, the aforesaid cannula is movable with respect to the aforesaid connecting cables, between the aforesaid cannula and the aforesaid connecting cables, a relative sliding movement, for example a translation and/or a rotation movement, being allowed. Advantageously, the cannula protects the connecting cables and a relative movement between the cannula and the connecting cables is simultaneously ensured.

Thus, whenever combining the present connection unit with the upper or the tongue of the luminous footwear, the cannula prevents the connecting cables from remaining glued on possible traces of glue that could remain after some processing steps of the luminous footwear and, thus, the cannula prevents the connecting cables from remaining entangled or being torn, thus with a risk of being damaged.

Still whenever combining the present connection unit with the tongue of the luminous footwear, it should be said that the presence of the cannula advantageously prevents the need to provide an appendix of the tongue, of the strap type, for containing the connecting cables and, thus, allows to save material when implementing the luminous footwear according to the present invention and simplifies some assembling operations of the luminous footwear.

Advantageously, the presence of the cannula, by preventing, as mentioned above, the need to provide the aforesaid strap-like appendix of the tongue, also prevents the formation of a "bridge" for containing the connecting cables inside the luminous footwear, which could be easily intercepted by the user when inserting the foot inside the luminous footwear with consequent damages to the connecting cables.

Preferably, the aforesaid connection unit comprises a wing combined with the aforesaid main body, wherein the aforesaid wing more preferably is arranged opposite to the aforesaid connection port.

Preferably, the thickness of the aforesaid wing is smaller with respect to the thickness of the aforesaid main body.

Advantageously, whenever combining the present connection unit with the upper or the tongue of the luminous footwear, the wing allows to particularly stably fix the connection unit to the upper or tongue, thus increasing the contact surface thereof but without widening the extension of the portion with greater thickness due to the presence of the connection unit.

Moreover, the wing can be provided of pierceable material to facilitate its sewing to the upper or tongue.

Preferably, the aforesaid connection unit comprises a control button, for example apt to be active on the aforesaid electronic light system to turn on and off a relative luminous display.

Preferably, the aforesaid control button is arranged on the aforesaid main body and is more preferably misaligned from the aforesaid extending direction of the aforesaid connecting cables.

Preferably, with respect to a plane extended substantially along the extending direction of the aforesaid connecting cables at the aforesaid junction points, the aforesaid control button is arranged on a first side and the aforesaid connection port is arranged on a second side opposite to the aforesaid first side.

In practice, with respect to the aforesaid second length of the aforesaid main body, the aforesaid control button and the aforesaid connection port are preferably arranged on the aforesaid first length on opposite sides.

Preferably, the aforesaid connection port, which according to the invention can be a so-named male port or a so-named female port, is a female connection port and is more preferably a USB port or the like.

According to a second aspect of the invention, the aforesaid problem is solved by a footwear structure for luminous footwear, comprising an upper and a connection unit of the aforesaid type combined with the aforesaid upper.

Preferably, the aforesaid footwear structure comprises a tongue, wherein the aforesaid tongue is made in one piece with, or is constrained to, the aforesaid upper, for example by sewing or gluing, wherein the aforesaid main body is combined with the aforesaid tongue.

Preferably, the aforesaid tongue comprises a cut extended substantially vertically, i.e. in a longitudinal direction on the aforesaid tongue, wherein the aforesaid connection port is facing from the aforesaid cut. Preferably, the aforesaid cut is extended outside on the aforesaid tongue.

Preferably, on the aforesaid tongue, the aforesaid connection unit is oriented so that the aforesaid connection port is arranged towards the foot outside of the aforesaid footwear structure, and possibly so that the aforesaid control button is arranged towards the foot inside of the aforesaid footwear structure.

Preferably, with respect to a median axis extended longitudinally on the aforesaid tongue, the aforesaid control button is arranged at one side towards the foot inside of the aforesaid footwear structure.

Advantageously, the configuration and arrangement of the connection unit described above allow to move the control button, whenever provided, away from the closure region of the luminous footwear, for example from laces or closure straps that can be provided with the luminous footwear, thus preventing the accidental crushing of the control button whenever the tongue, while using the luminous footwear, should lower itself, thus preventing the accidental crushing of the control button against the laces or closure straps.

Moreover, considering that while using the luminous footwear the tongue moves towards the outside of the foot, the configuration and arrangement of the connection unit described above advantageously decrease the possibility that the control button, whenever provided, is accidentally crushed and thus pressed by the upper.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the aforesaid problem is solved by luminous footwear comprising a sole, a battery, a luminous display and a footwear structure of the aforesaid type combined with the aforesaid sole.

Brief description of the figures

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will be better highlighted by considering the following detailed description of some preferred, but not exclusive, embodiments illustrated by way of example only and without limitations, with the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which:

- figure 1 is a schematic and partially transparent upper and front perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a footwear structure for luminous footwear of a right foot, comprising an upper, a tongue made in one piece with, or combined with, the aforesaid upper, and a connection unit combined with the tongue, according to the present invention;

- figure 2 is a schematic and partially transparent view of a detail of the footwear structure of figure 1 ;

- figure 3 is a schematic and partially transparent upper and front perspective view of luminous footwear comprising a sole and the footwear structure of figure 1 , according to the present invention.

Detailed description of the invention

With reference to figures 1 and 2, 1 generally denotes a footwear structure for luminous footwear according to the present invention.

The footwear structure 1 essentially comprises an upper 2, a tongue 3 combined with, or made in one piece with, the upper 2, and a connection unit 4 intended to be connected on one side to a control unit and/or a battery of an electronic light system of the luminous footwear, and on the other side, as needed, to an outer electronic device.

As shown in the examples of the aforesaid figures, the connection unit 4 is combined with the tongue 3, the possibility, according to the present invention, to provide the aforesaid connection unit combined with the upper in a portion different from the tongue of the luminous footwear not however being excluded.

In detail, the connection unit 4 essentially comprises a main body 5 and connecting cables 6 extending from the main body 5 to achieve the connection with the aforesaid control unit and/or the aforesaid battery, which are not shown in the examples of the figures.

With regard to this, in a known way, at ends distal from the main body 5, the connecting cables 6 can be provided directly constrained to the aforesaid control unit and/or the aforesaid battery, or can be constrained to an electric connector not shown in the examples of the figures and, thus, in the examples of the aforesaid figures, the connecting cables 6 are limitedly shown at their portion proximal to the main body 5.

In particular, the main body 5 is provided with a connection port 7 and junction points 8 for the contact of the connecting cables 6 with the circuitry of the connection unit 4, which is arranged in a known way in the main body 5.

As shown in the examples of the aforesaid figures, the connection port 7 is of the so-named female type and particularly is a female USB port, the possibility to provide, according to the invention, a female connection port of a different type or a so-named male USB connection port, or the like, not however being excluded.

As shown in the examples of the aforesaid figures, the junction points 8 and the connecting cables 6 are two in number, but it is understood that, according to the present invention, they can be of a different number, for example three or more.

According to the invention, the connection port 7 has an accessing direction denoted by the arrow A, and the connecting cables 6, at the junction points 8, have an extending direction denoted by the arrow E, wherein the accessing direction A and the extending direction E are neither aligned nor parallel to each other.

In practice, according to the examples of the aforesaid figures, the accessing direction A, which is univocal for the connection port 7, and the extending direction E, which is also univocal when the connecting cables 6 are fixed on the junction points 8, are lying on a same plane or on planes substantially parallel to each other, thus forming an angle different from 180° and, preferably, the accessing direction A and the junction points 8 are lying on a same plane or on planes substantially parallel to each other.

Still according to the examples of the aforesaid figures, it should be said that the accessing direction A, the extending direction E and the junction points 8 are preferably lying on a same plane or on planes parallel to each other, wherein the aforesaid plane is parallel, or the aforesaid planes are parallel, to the main body 5 of the connection unit 4.

According to the examples of the aforesaid figures, thus according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the accessing direction A and the extending direction E form an angle equal to about 90°, the possibility to provide a different value of the aforesaid angle not however being excluded.

Still according to the invention and according to the examples of the aforesaid figures, the main body 5 comprises a first length 9 at which the connection port 7 is arranged, and a second length 10 at which the junction points 8 are arranged, wherein the second length 10 extends from the first length 9.

According to the above and as shown in the examples of the aforesaid figures, the accessing direction A, the extending direction E and the junction points 8 are thus preferably lying on a same plane or on planes parallel to each other, which is parallel or which are parallel to the first length 9 and/or the second length 10 of the main body 5.

According to the above, the first length 9 and the second length 10 form with each other an angle different from 180° and preferably form an angle equal to about 90°, thus giving a "T" shape to the main body 5, the possibility to provide the aforesaid main body with a different configuration, for example "L" or "V" shaped, not however being excluded.

Moreover, according to the invention, the width of the second length 10 is smaller than the width of the first length 9.

According to a preferred embodiment shown in the aforesaid figures, the present connection unit further comprises a control button 11 active on the aforesaid electronic light system for turning on and off a relative luminous display, not shown in the figures.

The control button 11 is advantageously arranged on the main body 5 and is preferably misaligned from the extending direction E of the connecting cables 6 and aligned with the accessing direction A of the connection port 7, thus the control button 11 is preferably arranged on the first length 9 of the main body 5, while the control button 11 , with respect to a plane extended substantially along the extending direction E of the connecting cables 6 at the junction points 8, is arranged on a first side and the connection port 7 is arranged on a second side opposite the first side.

In practice, preferably and as shown in the examples of the aforesaid figures, the control button 11 and the connection port 7 are arranged on opposite sides of the first length 9 with respect to the second length 10 of the main body 5.

Still, as far as the connection unit 4 is concerned, it should be said that it preferably comprises a flexible cannula 12, in which the connecting cables 6 are at least partially housed so that to be movable therein.

In particular, a relative sliding movement, for example a rotation and/or translation movement, is allowed between the cannula 12 and the connecting cables 6.

According to the invention and as shown in the examples of the aforesaid figures, the connection unit 4 further comprises a wing 13 combined with the main body 5, which is preferably arranged opposite the connection port 7, i.e. that the connection port 7 and the wing 13 are arranged at opposite ends of the main body 5.

Advantageously, the thickness of the wing 13 is smaller than the thickness of the main body 5 of the present connection unit.

As far as the combining of the connection unit 4 with the tongue 3 is concerned, it should be said that the footwear structure according to the present invention, according to the examples of the aforesaid figures, is provided with a cut 14 extending outwards and substantially in a longitudinal direction (vertical) on the tongue 3, from which the connection port 7 is facing to be accessible to a user.

In detail, on the tongue 3, the connection unit 4 is oriented so that the control button 11 is arranged towards the foot inside of the footwear structure 1, and the connection port 7 is arranged towards the foot outside of the footwear structure 1.

Moreover, as shown in the examples of the figures, with respect to a median axis extending longitudinally on the tongue 3 and denoted by X-X, the control button 11 is arranged on a side towards the foot inside of the footwear structure 1.

The footwear structure 1 , which according to the examples of the aforesaid figures comprises closure straps 15 combined with the upper 2, is intended to be combined with a sole 16 when implementing luminous footwear according to the present invention and which is shown in the example of figure 3, where it is generally denoted by 17.

The luminous footwear 17 further comprises a battery and a luminous display of the known type which are thus not shown in the figures.

As shown in the example of figure 3, the connection port 7 of the connection unit 4 is easily accessible to a user of the luminous footwear, while the connecting cables 6 advantageously extend from an upper portion towards a lower portion of the tongue 3.

The aforesaid accessing direction A for accessing the connecting port 7 and the extending direction E of the connecting cables 6 at the junction points 8 are also denoted in the example of figure 3.

The advantages of the present invention, which were made clear in the description above, can be summarized by remarking that a connection unit, preferably but not exclusively intended for luminous footwear, which is particularly versatile and of reduced overall dimensions, which allows to make luminous footwear particularly comfortable for the user, without involving particular limitations for the implementation of aesthetic variants of the luminous footwear and which allows to make the luminous footwear through simplified processing steps, is provided.

In order to meet incidental and specific requirements, several variations and modifications could be made by a field technician to the illustrated and described embodiments of present invention, provided that all are included in the scope of protection of the invention as defined by the following claims.