OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The present invention falls within the technical field of methods for detecting animals that are potentially dangerous to human beings. More specifically, the object of the invention relates to a method for detecting arachnids and reptiles inside footwear, offering the user of said method the security of not being attacked by said animals.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The existence of insect repellent compositions as well as insect detectors, as described in patent US7071829 B1 , is known in the state of the art; however, on the other hand there are neither devices nor methodologies for detecting arachnids and reptiles in general.

There is the need in the state of the art to develop a methodology for detecting reptiles and arachnids that enter inside footwear and could attack the individual that is going to put on said footwear.

Until now, insoles for footwear have been developed with the purpose of providing comfort to the user. In the last few years, insoles with different purposes have been developed, from storing electrical charges (US20060021261 A1 ) to the so- called smart insoles able to detect plantar pressure and the position of the individual that wears them (CN104146712 A), as well as analyzing and calculating the data of the state of the human body by including heart rate, weight, walking postures and walking speed (CN105380342 A). DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a method for detecting arachnids and/or reptiles inside footwear by means of an insole that is inserted inside the footwear, where said insole comprises a pressure and motion sensor matrix that is located throughout the entire surface of the insole, and that when said sensors are activated by the presence of an arachnid and/or reptile, or any other animal, a warning device is activated, that can preferably be luminous and/or acoustic, indicating the presence of said animal inside the footwear.

The insole used in the method of the invention further has a power system that provides the necessary energy both to the set of sensors and to the warning system, and where said power system is able to store the energy produced by the subject when in motion, for example, while walking, running, jumping, etc. The insole used in the method of the invention will be manufactured in different sizes and shapes, in order to adapt to the different sizes and shapes of each type of footwear present on the market.

Thus, one aspect of the invention relates to a method for detecting arachnids and reptiles inside footwear that comprises the following steps:

(i.) inserting an insole inside the footwear, each insole comprising (a) a pressure and/or motion sensor matrix, (b) a power system, and (c) a warning system, where said elements are connected to each other by means of connecting elements; and

(ii.) detecting the arachnid or reptile by means of the activation of at least one set of the pressure and/or motion sensors of the matrix; and

(iii.) emitting an alarm signal by means of the activation of the warning device indicating the presence of the arachnid or reptile inside the footwear.

In a more preferred embodiment, the pressure and/or motion sensors of the insole are located throughout the entire surface thereof. In an even more preferred embodiment, when one set of sensors is activated, not the entirety thereof, it is indicative of the presence of an arachnid and/or reptile inside the footwear. Alternatively, when all the sensors present in the insole are activated, it is indicative of the presence of the foot of the subject that wears the footwear, not of the presence of an arachnid and/or reptile.

In another preferred embodiment of the method of the invention, this is characterized in that the power system that the insole comprises stores energy, which is used for the correct operation of the sensor matrix and of the warning device, obtained from the individual upon performing their routine physical activity, such as walking, running, jumping, etc. To this end, by not needing an alternative battery, the cost of the insole used in the method of the invention is reduced.

In another more preferred embodiment of the method of the invention, when a set of sensors of the matrix is activated by the presence of an arachnid and/or reptile inside the footwear, it makes the warning device activate which is responsible for emitting a signal able to warn the individual of the presence of said animals inside the footwear. Thus, in the insole, the sensor matrix is connected by means of connecting elements, known by an expert in the technical field, to the warning device.

In another more preferred embodiment, the warning device can be a luminous device, an acoustic device and/or a device connected via Bluetooth and/or Wi-Fi with an electronic device or gadget.

In another even more preferred embodiment, the luminous device is a set of lights, preferably LED. In another more preferred embodiment, the LED luminous device will emit an alarm signal by means of a Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) type signal, thus emitting an intermittent warning light.

In another more preferred embodiment the acoustic device is a horn, speaker or buzzer that will emit an auditory alarm signal.

In another more preferred embodiment, the electronic device to which the warning device is connected via Bluetooth and/or Wi-Fi can be a smart phone, computer, tablet, etc., to which the warning signal is sent by means of information protocol that is collected in an application present in said electronic devices.

In summary, given the design of the insole described in the present invention, the detection and warning of the presence of arachnids and/or reptiles inside the footwear is enabled in order to prevent undesired effects of stings or injuries to the individual caused by said organisms.

As mentioned previously, the insole can be designed in any shape and/or size in order to adapt to all footwear. Therefore, the method described in the present invention is suitable for detecting the presence of arachnids and/or reptiles inside any type of footwear. Furthermore, due to the characteristics of the insole, energy savings are enabled by the effects of the battery that recharges itself with the energy produced by the individual upon performing their daily routine activity.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The figures show the following by way of illustration and not limitation:

FIG. 1 shows a view of the pressure sensors located throughout the complete surface of the insole.

FIG. 2 shows the presence of the auditory warning device in the insole.

FIG. 3 shows the presence of the luminous warning device exemplified by means of a LED light strip that is arranged longitudinally in the insole.

FIG. 4 shows the warning device connected via Bluetooth and/or Wi-Fi with an electronic device and the arrangement thereof in the insole.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

A detailed description of a preferred exemplary embodiment of the method for detecting arachnids and/or reptiles inside footwear is provided below with the help of the aforementioned Figures 1 -4.

The method for detecting arachnids and/or reptiles inside footwear is carried out by means of inserting an insole in said footwear (FIG. 1 and 2) which comprises a set of pressure and motion sensors (1 ), preferably located on the entire surface of the insole (2), where said sensors are connected by means of connecting elements to an autonomous power system, which stores energy obtained from the individual wearing the footwear upon performing their routine physical activity, such as walking, running, jumping, etc. Said energy stored in the power system is used for the operation of the sensor matrix and the warning device.

Additionally, as seen in FIGs. 3 and 4, the insole of the invention comprises a warning device, preferably an acoustic device (3), and/or a luminous device (4), also connected by means of connecting elements known in the state of the art to both the sensor matrix (1 ) and the autonomous power system.

The warning device can be a luminous device (4) in the form of LED strips that are arranged longitudinally (5) in the insole, that, when they receive the activation signal, they are turned on and emit an intermittent warning light by means of a PWM- type signal; or an acoustic device (3) that, when it receives the activation signal, it is turned on and emits a sound that alerts the individual of the presence of an arachnid and/or reptile inside the footwear.

Thus, when an arachnid and/or reptile enters inside the footwear, it exerts pressure on a specific set of sensors present in a specific area of the insole, this pressure activates the warning device, whether it be the luminous device (4) and/or the acoustic device (3), which emits an alarm signal and informs the individual of the presence of at least one arachnid and/or reptile inside the footwear.

If, on the other hand, all the pressure and/or motion sensors are activated simultaneously, the warning device will not be activated nor will it emit any alarm signal since the simultaneous activation of all the sensors is indicative that the foot of the subject has been inserted into the footwear.

FIG. 5 shows an electronic warning device (6) and the arrangement (7) thereof in the insole. This device (6) can send the signal of the presence of an arachnid and/or reptile inside the footwear via Wi-Fi and/or Bluetooth to an electronic device.