EP0441779A4 - Heated and cooled boot and suit with forced air circulation - Google Patents

Abstract

A boot (10) has an internal forced air circulation system and an inflatable lining (64). The boot can also be used to circulate air through protective clothing and can have a footwarmer mechanism. In one embodiment, the footwarmer mechanism includes an electrical resistance heater (394), an electrical generator (64), a mechanical transducer (60) to translate vertical movements of the wearer's heel into unidirectional rotational movement of a flywheel (123), and a gear box (62) mechanically coupling the flywheel to the electrical generator. Optional features include a rechargeable storage battery (65) and a radio transmitter (67) for generating a signal useful for locating the wearer. In another embodiment (326, 328) the footwarmer mechanism can be a pair of sole plates which are in sliding frictional engagement and generate frictional heat.

Description

HEATED AND COOLED BOOT AND SUIT WITH FORCED AIR CIRCULATION

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a heat engine for shoes or boots, and a suit and, in particular, to a simple device for generating and transmitting heat within a shoe, boot, suit, gloves or helmet.

Brief Statement of the Prior Art

U.S. Patent 3,534,391 discloses an electrical generator which is mounted on the outside of a ski boot which is driven from a tether that is connected between the generator and a ski. The generated current is passed through heating elements located in the ski boot. The external mounting and tether render this device quite cumbersome and difficult to use.

French Patents 701,420 and 2365-973 and U.S. Patent 3,977,093 disclose shoes with batteries mounted in the heels, and with electric resistance heaters in the soles of the shoes. Batteries require frequent replacement, and are particularly inefficient in a cold environment.

U.S. Patent 1,506,282 discloses an electric generator mounted in a telescoping heel of a shoe which generates electricity for an electric lamp, heating coil, wireless outfit or a therapeutic appliance. A telescoping heel of this design would be very difficult to seal against water and mud, and the patented device would most likely be limited to indoor applications.

U.S. Patents 2,442,026 and 1,272,931 disclose air pumps which are located in the heels of shoes and operated during walking. In the first mentioned patent, alcohol vapors are mixed with the air stream and passed over a catalyst to generate heat. This system is cumbersome and difficult to use, and it requires replenishing the alcohol. Also, the heater elements are open in the shoe for air and gas circulation. In patent 1,272,931, the air is forced through constricted passageways to generate heat by compression. The heated air is openly discharged into the shoe, as there is no provision for a closed loop air path. U.S. Patent 382,681 discloses an armature which is mounted in a heel and manually rotated to generate heat by friction, which is dissipated in the shoe by metal conductors. U.S. Patent 3,493,986 discloses an inner sole for a shoe which is formed of piezoelectric or magnetostrictive material which generate heat while the user walks.

U.S. Patent 2,475,092 discloses a bouncing skate having spring coils on the bottom of its sole. German Patents 180866 and 620,963, and U.K. Patent 443,571 disclose springs mounted within a shoe for orthopedic purposes. None of these patents disclose shoe heaters.

U.S. Patent 4,507,877 discloses a heater for a ski boot which is mounted on the inner shoe of the boot and which includes rechargeable storage batteries, control switch and electrical heating coil. Products of this design have been marketed with chargeable and with non-rechargeable batteries. These units do not provide any sustained heating, but are useful only to provide monetary heating because of the limited storage capacity of small batteries and the low efficiencies which they experience at sub-freezing temperatures. All of the aforementioned attempts have failed to provide a practical self sustaining heater within a shoe which harnesses the movement between the wearer's heel and the heel of the shoe to generate heat. This relative movement can be sufficient, particularly when the wearer's weight is applied, to generate the necessary heat, provided a practical heat generator can be installed within the narrow confines of the shoe and heel, without significantly affecting its external appearance and comfort.

Air bags have been positioned in ski boots, over the instep and forefoot, and have been provided with inflation pumps to provide a variable control on the snugness of fit of the boots. U.S. patent 4,420,893 discloses an air pump which is operated by the flexing of the ankle during normal skiing actions to circulate fresh air through a ski boot. While this may be useful to reduce the humidity within a boot, it would not be suitable in very cold weather.

Brief Description of the Invention

This invention comprises a boot with a forced air circulation system which can be used alone, or in combination with protective clothing. An inflatable lining is provided for a shoe, which can be an inner shoe for the boot. The boot is used with a footwarmer mechanism, and three alternative mechanisms are disclosed, all of which are operated by the normal movements of the wearer of the boot. The boot is ideally suited for a ski boot and suit. The footwarmer mechanism is mounted entirely on an insert for the outer shoe or boot and is most preferably removably mounted on a bottom plate that is secured as an insert to the lower sole portion to the inner shoe. A heat engine, which is a compressible fluid engine operating on a quasi-Carnot cycle, can be used as the footwarmer mechanism. For this purpose the heat engine includes a compressor for compressing a gas, a condenser for condensing the gas into a liquid, an expansion and evaporator zone for expanding liquified gas into a gas and a return line to cycle the expanded gas to the compressor. Flow reversing valves can be provided whereby the heat engine can function reversibly, adding heat to the inner shoe in the winter, and cooling the inner shoe in the summer. Alternatively, the foot warmer mechanism can include an electrical resistance heater, an electrical generator, a mechanical transducer to translate vertical movements of the wearer's heel into uni-directional rotational movement of a flywheel, and a gear box mechanically coupling the flywheel to the electrical generator. Optional features include a rechargeable storage battery and a radio transmitter for generating a signal useful for locating the wearer. In another embodiment, the footwarmer mechanism can be a pair of sole plates which are in sliding contact and which generate frictional heat.

Brief Description of the Drawings The invention will be described with reference to the FIGURES, of which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational sectional view of a ski boot fitted with a heat engine and air circulation system to warm the shoe; FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the .inner shoe of the boot of FIGURE 1;

FIGURES 3 and 4 are elevational section views of the ski boot illustrating the raised and lowered positions of the inner sole of the shoe, with the heat engine connected for cooling the shoe;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the air pump used with the boot of FIGURES 3 and 4;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of the inner shoe of FIGURES 1 and 2 in partial cut away section; FIGURE 7 is an enlarged view of the area within the line 7- 7^« Of FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 8 is an exploded perspective view of the underside of the inner shoe of FIGURES 3 and 4 showing a heat engine module; FIGURE 9 is a diagrammatic view of the working elements of the heat engine used in the invention;

FIGURE 10 is an elevational sectional view along lines 10- 10' of FIGURE 11, of a suitable compressor for use in the invention; FIGURE 11 is a sectional view on line 11-11' of FIGURE 10; FIGURE 12 is a elevational sectional view of the heel of the inner shoe of the invention along lines 12-12* of FIGURE 13; FIGURE 13 is an elevational sectional view along lines 13- 13' of FIGURE 12; FIGURE 14 is a view along line 14-14' of FIGURE 13; FIGURE 15 is a perspective view of the upper end of the rear tab of the inner shoe;

FIGURE 16 is an elevational sectional view on line 16-16' of FIG. 17 of an alternative compressor for a reversible heat engine for use in the invention;

FIGURE 17 is a view along line 17-17' of FIGURE 16;

FIGURE 18 is an elevational sectional view of the alternative compressor along line 18-18' of FIG. 19;

FIGURE 19 is a view along line 19-19' of FIGURE 18; FIGURE 20 is a perspective view of the compressor shown in FIGURES 16-19;

FIGURE 21 is a diagrammatic illustration of the arrangement of tubular air passageways in a suit which can be worn by a skier and connected to the shoe of the invention; FIGURE 22 is a diagrammatic illustration of an air passageway arranged in a glove or a mitten which can be worn by a skier and connected to the suit of FIGURE 21;

FIGURE 23 is a perspective view of a tab at the upper rear of the inner shoe of the invention showing the heat engine reversing controls;

FIGURE 24 is a view of a suitable valve and connector used to connect the air passages of the boot to external elements such as the suit of FIGURE 21;

FIGURE 25 is a view along lines 25-25' of FIGURE 24; FIGURE 26 is a view along lines 26-26' of FIGURE 24;

FIGURE 27 is a view along lines 27-27' of FIGURE 24;

FIGURE 28 is a view of the inflatable lining of the inner shoe shown in FIGURES 1, 2, 3, and 4;

FIGURE 29 is a view of an alternate inflatable lining for the inner shoe with an air pump included with the lining;

FIGURE 30 is a view of an alternative inflatable lining of the inner shoe with air pump and air bag;

FIGURE 31 is another alternative inflatable lining of the inner shoe with an air pump and air bags; FIGURE 32 illustrates the inflatable lining of FIGURE 31 installed in a shoe; FIGURE 33 illustrates an inflatable sole lining for a shoe;

FIGURE 34 is a rear perspective view, partially in cross section of the shoe of the invention with a frictional heat generator; FIGURE 35 is a perspective view ofthe underside of the shoe of the invention partially in exploded view;

FIGURE 36 is an elevational sectional view of the heel area of the shoe of the invention;

FIGURES 37 and 38 are illustrations of the torsion cable spring used in the embodiment of FIGURES 34-36;

FIGURE 39 is a perspective view, in partial cross-section, of the inner shoe fitted with an electrical generator and resistance heater;

FIGURE 40 is a perspective view of the inner shoe of FIGURE 40 in partial cut away section;

FIGURE 42 is an elevational sectional view of the electrical generator of the shoe of FIGURE 40;

FIGURE 43 is a sectional view along line 43-43' of FIGURE 42; FIGURE 44 is a view along line 44-44' of FIGURE 42;

FIGURE 45 is a view along line 45-45' of FIGURE 42; and FIGURE 46 is an electrical schematic of the foot warmer circuits for the shoe of FIGURE 42.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The invention is described and illustrated in FIGURE 1 with reference to a ski boot. Although this is the preferred embodiment, the features of the invention can be likewise applied to other boots and shoes. The ski boot has a molded plastic outer shell 10 which is shown in phantom lines. The ski boot has an integrally molded sole 12 and upper portion 14. The forward and rear upper portions are typically split and can be spread to open the boot, permitting insertion of the inner shoe 16 and the wearer's foot. These members are retained together by clamps or bindings 18 of various designs. ^" - > ^•■' ^"i

The inner shoe 16 is received within the outer shell 10 of the boot and generally conforms closely to the inner surfaces of the boot. In the conventional outer ski boot 10, the outer sole 12 is hollow form with reinforcing ribbing (not shown) which extends longitudinally and transversely across the outer sole 12, subdividing its hollow interior into a number of recesses or compartments. In the application of my invention to this boot, this ribbing is reduced in height, or eliminated entirely, to provide an open hollow interior to house the lower part of the inner shoe 16 with the foot warmer mechanism.

The inner shoe 16 is also molded of plastics and has an outer sole 20 and inner sole 24 with upper portions 22 that extend above the ankle and cover the lower portions of the weearer's leg. As described hereinafter, the inner shoe has an inflatable lining 64 which extends about the upper portions of the inner shoe and which is integral with the non- inflatable upper portion 22. In accordance with this invention, the inner shoe 16 is provided with an inner sole 24 which is formed of the lining 58 and lower sole plate 28, which is secured to the outer sole of the inner shoe at its toe end 29. This can be provided by integrally molding the inner and outer soles to provide a solid toe portion 32 that connects these two soles. The lower sole plate 28 is formed of a relatively stiff sheet layer and can function as a leaf spring. Additionally, or alternatively, a coil spring 36 which is described hereinafter, can be used. The mechanism used with the coil spring 36 includes brackets 46 which are mounted at opposite sides on the undersurface of plate 28 and which have slots that slidably receive shaft 59 which bears against bearing plate 49.

The compartment 38 formed between the inner sole 24 and outer sole 20 of the shoe can be enclosed or sealed with a suitable diaphragm 40 that can be corrugated, bellows fashion, as illustrated. The heat engine components which are located completely in the outer sole 20 are; compressor 25, condenser coil 67, evaporator coil 70, and insulated plate 31, which is permanently molded around compressor 25 and between condenser coil 67 and evaporator coil 70. These elements are also illustrated in FIGURE 6.

The insulated plate 31 has a peripheral groove ^v which receives a seal 99 to separate compartment 42 from compartment 38. This seal is compressed by fasteners 97 to maintain the air tight seal about compartment 38. Compartment 42 is in open communication with the atmosphere outside of the boot through flexible conduit 53 and flexible bulb 44 which provide circulation between compartment 42 and the outside environment. A seal 52 is provided about compartment 42 and the lower cover plate 23 of the outer sole is removably secured in the assembly by fasteners 50.

The inner shoe 16 also includes an inner sole 24 which is a stiff, or relatively non-flexible plate that is pivotally secured to the lower sole 20 of the inner shoe 16 at its toe end. Preferably the upper and lower soles are molded together of the same plastic, thereby providing an integral hinge 29 at the toe of the inner shoe 16. At the instep area, spring 36 has arms 34 and 37 which provide a resilient upward bias to the U-shaped arms 47 that urge the inner sole 24 in an upward direction. The ends of spring arms 34 and 37 are bend laterally outwardly and are resiliently biased against the lower edges of arms 47. This structure provides a resilient lift to the inner sole 24 while stabilizing it against tilting side to side. The compressor 60 has an upright post 48 which extends from the internal piston of the compressor. At its upper end the post 48 has a bearing plate 49 which is received against the undersurface 28 of the inner sole 24. The post 48, as hereinafter described, is attached at its lower end to the piston of compressor 60, to translate reciprocating vertical motion to compression of the working fluid of the heat engine. At its heel end, the inner sole 24 has a rearwardly projecting tab 76 which extends into a brake compartment 78 which is formed as a pocket behind the heel of the inner shoe 16 and which is closed with a removable cover plate 79. The lower sole 20 has a raised integral block at its heel end, which receives a machine screw fastener 135 for pivotal attachment of the brake latch, described in greater detail with reference to FIGURES 12-15. An actuator cable 80 extends from the brake compartment 78 through a flexible conduit 82 which is mounted on a rear, vertically extending tab 84 of the shoe. The cable terminates in a pull ring 112 to actuate the brake mechanism. The tab 84 has lateral porions 81 which extend forwardly, about the wearer's ankles. Preferably, the inside surface of tab 84 and portions 81 have a Teflon coating to provide for ease of sliding movement of these elements. The lateral portions 81 are cut at 83 to permit bending of the inner shoe 16. The upper rear portion of the outer boot 10 can be provided as a cover 19 which has a hinge 17 attaching it to the boot 10 so that it can be pivoted open for access to the pull ring 112 and any other controls which are mounted on the upper end of tab 84. As hereinafter described, the brake is functional to provide a releasable locking of the inner sole 24 against vertical displacement, thereby providing for engagement and disengagement of the heat engine. Preferably, the shoe of the invention also has an air bag 68 which overlies the instep area, and has a shape that is generally outlined in the phantom lines of FIGURE 1. Tubular passageways 60 of the sole lining 58 and wall lining 64 communicate with a distributor 65 at the toe end of the shoe through connectors 72 and 73 (see also FIGURE 2) and the distributor 65 is in open communication with air bag 68 through connectors 75. Preferably at least three such tubular members are provided.

Referring now to FIGURE 2, there is depicted a front and top isometric view of the shoe. This illustration shows the shape and position of the air bag 68 which overlies the instep of the shoe. It also shows distributor 65 with connectors 75 and 72 which extend between the air bag 68 and the internal tubular lining 64 of the shoe. The rear, vertically extending tab 84 is shown partially in sectional view to reveal that the inner shoe also has an insulating outer lining 86. This insulation could be a thin sheet of plastic such as polypropylene which is laminated between reflecting layers of aluminum foil. Preferably the insulating outer lining 86 extends substantially the entire vertical height of the upper portion of the inner shoe and the air bag.

The shoe has a conventional tongue 88 and the upper portion 90 of the tubular lining is flared outwardly, in a conventional manner. The diaphragm 40 which encloses the compartment 38 between the inner sole 24 and the outer sole 20 of the inner shoe is also illustrated, with fold lines to provide a bellows.

Referring now to FIGURES 3 and 4, the shoe is illustrated in a simplified view to show the function and operation of the air pressurization and circulation system. As previously mentioned, the air bag 68 forms a confined chamber which is in open communication with the lining 64 through the distributor 65 and the tubular connectors 73 and 62. The latter are in open communication with the compartment 38 through openings 100, and with the tubular passageways 60 in the lining 64 on the inside surfaces of the uppers of the shoe, and with the lining 58 on the inner sole 24. An air pump 92 is provided to permit the wearer to adjust the air pressure within the compartment 38, inflatable lining 64 and 58, and air bag 68. The pump applies air through flexible conduit 93 directly into the compartment 38.

As shown in FIGURE 28, the shoe can be provided with a single lining which includes the lining 64 and lining 58. This lining is formed of an upper and a lower sheet of plastic which are laminated together by bonding a continuous seal about their peripheral edges and which are interconnected by the tubular passageway 62. The channels are formed in the air bag 68 maintains pressure on the instep. The normal movement of the wearer's foot within the shoe creates a force circulation of air through the lining 64 and the compartment 38 which is heated (as described hereafter) . This forced 5 circulation increases the heat transfer throughout the shoe.

FIGURES 3 and 4 also illustrate heat engine components compressor 25, condenser coil 67, evaporator coil 70, expansion valve 94 and insulated plate 31 which is permanently

10 molded around compressor and between condenser coil 67 and evaporator coil 70. The insulated plate 31 has a peripheral groove which receives a seal 99. This whole unit is located into outer sole 20 and forms additional compartment 42 which is in open communication with the atmosphere outside of the

15 boot. Flexible bulb 44 with check valve 96 and 98 which provides circulation and exchange air from compartment 42, is illustrated in both working positions. On FIGURES 3 and 4, the condenser coil 67 is illustrated in the compartment 42 (see also FIGURE 8) , whereby the heat engine will cool

20 interior of the boot 16.

Referring now to FIGURE 5 , the air pump 92 comprises a flexible bulb 95 which is received over the end of conduit 93. The bulb 95 receives air through the inlet valve 89 and discharges the air under pressure through outlet valve 87.

25 The air system is also provided with a relief valve 85, which when depressed will relieve the air pressure within the air bag system.

Referring now to FIGURE 6, the inner shoe 16 of the ski boot is shown with a portion of the side of the inner shoe 16 cut

30 away to reveal its interior and the major components of the heat engine. Preferably, the side walls of the upper portion of the inner shoe are covered with a lining 64. The sole 24 of the inner shoe 16 is also covered with a lining 58. These linings are formed of a sheet material which contains

35 internal tubular passageways 66. The lining 64 and 58 entirely covers the internal side walls of the inner sole 16. Preferably the tubular passageways 66 of the sole lining 58 and side wall lining 64 are interconnected to provide open passageways therebetween. This can be provided by a tubular connector 62 between the side wall lining 64 and the sole lining 58 and by interconnecting all of the side lining tubular passageways together, preferably vertically along the heel of the shoe by providing open ports 66 between the tubular passageways. This construction is also described with reference to FIGURE 28. The upper surface of the inner sole 24 is illustrated in FIGURE 7, and can be seen to be lined or covered with a multiple channel layer 58 which has a plurality of tubes which provide passageways for air flow.

Referring now to FIGURE 8, the heat engine components are shown in an exploded view. As there illustrated, the cover 23 of the outer sole 16 of the shoe is removed from the shoe and is sectioned through the insulating layer. The removable cover 23 has a plurality of peripheral apertures which receive fasteners 50 such as screw fasteners that extend into the outer sole 20 of the shoe. Preferably the mating surfaces of the outer sole 20 and the removable cover 23 of the inner shoe have a peripheral groove which receives a seal 52 such as an O-ring or caulking whereby the interior of the shoe is maintained fluid tight. The entire heat engine mechanism can be manufactured as an integral unit which can be inserted into the shoe, as illustrated. This will provide ease in manufacturing and in servicing, as defective or malfunctioning units can easily be replaced. At the instep area, springs 36 are shown, which provide the resilient upward bias to the U- shaped arms 47 that urge the inner sole 24 in an upward direction. The arms 47 have a crossbar 56 and pivot about the axis of this crossbar. The springs 36 have rearwardly directed arms 34 which have lateral tips that are received under the arms 47 to urge them upwardly under the force of the springs 36. The U-shaped structure of arms 47 prevents side- to-side tilting of the inner sole 24. Referring now to FIGURE 9, the heat engine of the invention will be briefly described. As there illustrated, the heat engine comprises a closed circulation system comprising compressor 25 with check valves 54 and 56. Tubing 63 discharges the compressed working fluid into the condenser coil 67, and the condensed fluid is discharged through the capillary coil 69. The capillary coil 69 discharges the expanded fluid into the evaporator coil 70. The expanded and evaporated gas from this coil is discharged by tubing 61 through valve 56 into compressor 25.

The compressor 25 is illustrated in greater detail in FIGURES 10 and 11 and includes a piston 30 that is mounted on the end of post 48 and reciprocally received in cylinder 125. Post 48 is received through a suitable packing gland 55 in cylinder 125. Piston 30 has a valve, such as a flapper valve 57, which functions with ports 33 to permit free upward movement of piston 30. The cylinder 125 is also provided with the aforementioned check valves 54 and 56 which can be simple check valves such as flapper valves or spring biased ball valves.

The functioning of the heat engine is in accordance with conventional heat engine cycles. A suitable working fluid such as Freon, ammonia, etc., is circulated through the heat engine in a refrigeration and heating cycle. The working fluid is compressed by compressor 25 and is transferred through line as compressed, mixed liquid and gas phases. The working fluid, under compression from compressor 25 condenses into a liquid in the condenser coil 67, releasing its latent heat of evaporation. The condensed working liquid thus releases its latent heat to the compartment 38, warming the interior of the shoe. The working fluid passes through capillary coil 69 where it expands as it undergoes a frictional pressure drop through the capillary coil 69. The frictional flow pressure drop is sufficient to reduce the pressure of the working fluid and cause evaporation of the liquid, forming a gas phase in the evaporator coil 70. As it evaporates, the working fluid absorbs heat from the surrounding area to provide the necessary latent heat of vaporization of the liquid. The heat is absorbed from the lower compartment of the sole 20, which is in heat exchange relationship with the exterior of boot 10. The evaporated gas is then transferred through check valve 56 into compressor 25 for continuous circulation in the system. As can be seen from the preceding description, heat is liberated by the condenser coil 67 and is absorbed by evaporator coil 70. The condenser coil 67 is plurality of serpentine tubes which are on the upper side of insulator plate 31. The condenser coil receives the compressed, working fluid through tubing 63. The coil discharges the working fluid through either a capillary 69 or an expansion valve -94 which functions similarly to the capillary tube. The evaporator coil 70 receives the depressured working fluid. This coil is shown in FIGURES 1 and 6 as a continuous serpentine tubing on the downside of insulator plate 31 which discharges the evaporated gas through tubing 61 to the compressor 25. Referring now to FIGURES 12 through 15, the brake mechanism will be described in greater detail. As previously described, the lower sole 20 supports, at its heel end, the vertical tab 84 which has a vertical slot 132 to receive the tab 76 at the heel end of the inner sole 24. The length of this vertical slot 132 provides the limits of vertical travel for the heel end of the inner sole 24. The brake mechanism includes a latch 108 that is pivotally secured by screw 135 which is received in the rear of the sole 20. The latch 108 has a latch hook 110 to lock onto the projecting tab 76 on the heel of the inner sole 24. Latch 108 has a spring arm 134 and an actuator arm 136 with a latching hook 110. A spring 138 resiliently biases the latch into an unlatched position, which is shown by the solid lines in FIGURE 14. When the release cable 80 is pulled upwardly, the latch hook 110 is rotated into engagement with tab 76, thereby locking the tab 76 and its dependent inner sole 24 in the depressed position, all as shown by the phantom lines in FIGURES 12 and 14. FIGURE 12 also illustrates insulator plate 31 which is covered on both sides with thin sheets of plastic 35 and 41, such as a thermal insulating plastic laminate formed of a thin sheet of polypropylene laminated between reflecting layers of aluminum foil.

Referring now to FIGURES 16 and 17, there is illustrated an alternative compressor for use in the invention. The alternative compressor 120 is formed with an outer cylindrical casing 130 which receives the concentric sleeve 115 and cylinder 125. Cylinder 125 is similar to that previously described and includes an aperture in its top wall with a packing gland 55 that reciprocally receives post 48. Piston 30 is distally carried on post 48 for sliding movement within cylinder 125 and includes seal means such as 0-ring 43, and valve 57 previously described. The external cylindrical casing 130 has four apertures in which are mounted check valves 101, 103, 105 and 107, which are aligned with the apertures 221, 223, 225 and 227 of cylinder 125. In this illustrated embodiment, the check valves 101 and 103 and also 105 and 107 are operable to control the fluid flow in the direction indicated by the arrowhead lines.

Sleeve 115 is rotatably received between cylinder 125 and casing 130. The assembly is supported by stationary plate 165 which provides clearance for tabs 164 and 162 to which cables 126 and 128 are attached (see FIGURE 20) . The cylinder 125 and casing 130 are stationary. Sleeve 115 has a set of apertures 230 and 240; see also FIGURES 18 and 19. Apertures 230 and 240 are in open communication with fluid check valves 103 and 101, permitting fluid flow in the direction indicated by the dashed arrowhead lines (shown on FIGURE 20) . The fluid flow is directed from the circulation lines 61 and 63 to the compressor cylinder 125 through tees 232 and 234 and branch conduits 236 and 238, depending on the position of the rotatable sleeve 115. In the configuration illustrated in FIGURES 18 and 19, the concentric sleeve 115 has been rotated from its position shown in FIGURES 16 and 17 to align its set of apertures 230 and 240 with check valves 107 and 105 of casing 130 and apertures 227 and 225 of cylinder 125. This will direct flow in the opposite direction from that of FIGURES 16 and 17, all as indicated by the solid arrowhead lines on FIGURE 20.

The alternative compressor is shown in perspective view in FIGURE 20. In this illustration, tabs 162 and 164 project downwardly from the rotatable sleeve 115. Cables 126 and 128 are attached to respective tabs 162 and 164. As shown in FIGURE 23, the cables extend to the upper end of vertical tab 84 through flexible conduits 188 and 190, where they terminate in pull rings 122 and 123. The cables 126 and 128 can be locked in positions by two pairs of clamp blocks 124 and 131, and 127 and 133. The lowermost clamp blocks 124 and 127 have a narrow slit to receive the cables. The clamp blocks have a diameter to fit within the pull rings, thus permitting locking of the pull ring on its respective upper or lower clamp block. In this manner, remote control of the position of the cylinder 115 in the compressor can be controlled, permitting the wearer to rotate this cylinder, and reverse the heat engine between heating and cooling of the shoes. The compressor shown in FIGURES 16-20 is thus effective in reversing the operation of the heat engine in the shoe. This permits the shoe to be operated with a heating cycle for warming the wearer's foot and toes during cold weather applications with the coil 67 functioning as the condenser section of the heat engine. When the concentric sleeve 115 is rotated to the position shown in FIGURES 16 and 17, however, the cycle is reversed and the coil 67 then functions as the evaporator portion of the heat engine. This absorbs heat from the interior cavity of the shoe, cooling the wearer's foot and toes during hot weather applications. In this manner, the mechanism can be used for warming or cooling the wearers foot at the discretion of the wearer. During use, the working fluid may need to be recharged to the compressor. This can be accomplished by adding fresh working fluid through port 77. This port can be closed by a conventional valve, not shown. As previously mentioned, the shoe can also be used to pump warm air from the compartment 38 to an inflated suit, or to a suit lined with an inflated lining similar to lining 58. For this purpose, flexible conduits 148 and 150 (see FIGURES 12, 13 and 14) are provided. These conduits are provided with check valves 149 and 151 so that conduit 148 supplies air from the shoe to the suit, and conduit 150 returns air from the suit to the shoe. The conduits extend along channels 156 on the inside surface of tab 84 (see FIGURE 13) and exit at the top of the tab 84, terminating in conduit connectors 158 and 160.

As previously mentioned, a suit with air passageways can be used with the shoes of the invention. For this purpose, a suit 166 such as diagrammatically illustrated in FIGURE 21 can be employed. The suit 166 can have a continuous serpentine flexible conduit 168, typically formed of extruded plastic, which extends from an inlet connector 170 at the lower cuff of a leg 172 of the suit 166, extending along the leg and body portion 174 and the arm 176 of the suit 166. At the wrist cuff 178, the flexible conduit can be joined to a second, generally parallel conduit 180 for returning cooled air to the shoe. If desired, branch connectors 182 and 184 can be provided adjacent the neck area of the suit 166 to permit passing of the warm air through the helmet or cap 186 of the wearer and returning this to the cool line return conduit 180. The flexible conduit inside the suit is designed to permit installation of a zipper through legs, arms, and body of the suit.

Referring now to FIGURE 22, there is diagrammatically illustrated a glove or mitten 212 which can be used with the suit 166 shown in FIGURE 19. The outline of this glove 212 is shown in phantom lines of FIGURE 22. It has an internal, continuous tubular passageway that can be formed by suitable flexible tubing 214. The tubing preferably runs along each of the fingers 216 and has a branch 218 that extends across the palm of the glove. This glove is attached with connectors 170 to the ends of conduits 168 and 180 of the suit shown in FIGURE 21.

Referring now to FIGURES 24 through 27, there are depicted the preferred connectors 158 and 160 for attachment of the air passage conduits 148 and 150 of the boot to the conduits 168 and 180 of the wearing apparel. FIGURE 24 is a plan view of the typical assembly connector 158 and shutoff valve 152. As shown in FIGURE 25, the connector 158 is provided with a flow control or shutoff valve 152 having a flexible valve operator 194 that can be depressed by rotating a thumb wheel 196 carried on the end of a threaded post 198. This connector 158 has an annular rim 200 and a second annular rim 203 which are separated by radial slots 202 and 204 to permit reception of the connector 170. This connector has a radial tab 206 which is received beneath annular rim 200 (see FIGURES 24 and 25) , and a connector sleeve 208 which is received beneath annular rim 203. The connectors 158 and 170 are sealed together with compressible seal rings 167 and 169. The connector sleeve 208 receives the end of flexible conduit 168 of the suit 166. The connectors 158 and 170 are secured together by placing the connector 170 in the position indicated by the phantom lines of FIGURES 24-27. The connector 170 is then rotated as shown by the arrowhead arc 210 of FIGURE 24.

As previously mentioned, the lining with the channels for air circulation can be formed as a laminate of two flexible sheets of plastic, and a third sheet of radiant barrier glued on the outside sheet as shown in FIGURE 28. The sole lining has apertures 100 on thelower sheet which is glued on top of inner sole 24. The lining can be provided as an insert for shoes other than the specific inner shoe shown in this application. For this purpose, the lining will not have apertures 100 and can have an air pump 92 on the base 22 on the upper rear part of the lining, as shown in FIGURE 29. On the sole lining 58, bonded seams 109 are interrupted to provide an unseamed area 91 which will form an arch-supporting air pillow. A second unseamed area 71 can be provided to form an air pillow for shock absorbance and wearer comfort. Air from sole lining 58, especially from air pillow 71, when pressured by wearer's foot, will flow between the air bag 68 and the lining 58. The lining is seamed together in a flat sheet configuration, as shown, and then folded into a shape conforming to the inner shoe. For this purpose, a triangularly shaped cutout 74 is made in the lining 64 to permit bending it to be folded across the toe portion of the inner shoe. If desired, the lining for the inner shoe can be provided without the lining 64 for the sides of the shoe. This embodiment is shown in FIGURE 30, and comprises sole lining 58 which communicates with an air bag 68 and a passageway 193 which communicates with an air pump 92 to provide an inflatable lining for a shoe. The air pump is substantially the same as that shown in FIGURE 5 and includes a flexible bulb 92 mounted on a base 102 with the same check valves as previously described such as 89 and release valve 85. As described with reference to FIGURES 28, 29 and 30, the lining can have one or more bonded seams 109 which provide channels for air passage, and can have an unseamed area 91 and 71 at the instep to provide an air pillow for wearer comfort. Referring now to FIGURE 31, sole lining 58 is similar to that shown in FIGURE 30 except that it is provided with two air pillows 114 and 116 which are formed on top of two lateral wings 117 and 119. This lining would be very useful for any shoe, particularly for sporting shoes such as tennis, or basketball, for the purpose of comfort.

If desired, the linings which are shown in FIGURES 28-31 can be provided with a radiant heat barier such as a laminate of a film of polypropylene film bonded between outer layers of aluminum foil. This barrier can also be glued inside the shoe or just inserted into the shoe, rather than being bonded to the outside of the air inflatable linings.

FIGURE 32 illustrates the lining of FIGURE 31 folded together and positioned within a shoe. In this installation, the lateral wing 117 is folded and under the instep, and lateral wing 119 is folded over the arch of the wearer. The vertical tab extends upwardly to the top of the shoe to provide access to the air pump 92. If desired, the inflatable lining can be provided only for the sole of a shoe, as shown in FIGURE 33. In this embodiment, the sole 58 is substantially as previously described, however, it does not communicate with the lateral wings such as shown in FIGURES 30 and 31. Instead, it only communicates with an air pump 92 which is mounted on a vertical tab at the heel end of the inflatable sole lining. As with the previously described embodiments, the tab has a passageway 193 formed therein which communicates between the sole 58 and air pump 92. As previously mentioned, alternative heat generators can be used in the shoe of the invention. One alternative, which is a frictional heat generator is shown in FIGURES 34 through 39. In this embodiment, the heat engine shown in FIGURES 1-20 is replaced with a frictional heat generator. Referring now to FIGURE 34, the inner shoe is shown in partial sectional view. A portion of the insulating outer lining 86 of the toe is cut out to illustrate the connector 72 between the forward portion of the tubular inner liner 60 and the distributor 65 which communicates through the connectors 75 with the air bag 68. The lower sole plate 28 also serves as the spring carrier. As with the previously described embodiment, the sole plate 28 is foraminous with a plurality of through apertures 100. The apertures 100 are aligned with apertures 102 which extend through the upper sole plate 26 and aligned apertures 104 in the lining 58 and into the tubular channels within this lining, thereby establishing air communication between the enclosed compartment 38 surrounded by the bellows diaphragm 40 and the tubular passageways 60 in the covering 58 on the inner sole of the shoe.

Resilient springs 36 are twisted wire cables that are rigidly secured to the inside surface of the cover 23 and are secured on their oppoiste sides to the underside of the lower sole plate 28. The lower sole plate 28 is pivotally supported by a crank arm 106 which is generally U-shaped and which is pivotally secured to the opposite sides at the rear or heel end of the cover 23. This embodiment also has the same brake compartment and air pump as previoulsy described.

FIGURE 35 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the inner sole showing the upper sole plate 26 and lower sole plate 28. As shown in this view, the opposed surfaces 25 and 27 of these plates are in sliding frictional contact, for as the inner sole is depressed, the lower sole plate 28 is forced downwardly and pivots forward along the arc defined by the crank arm 106, thereby sliding against the undersurface of the upper sole plate 26. The plates can be removable to allow for replacement as necessary to compensate for wear or to change the frictional surfaces. For this purpose, ribs 29 are provided on the plates which snap into receiving grooves 25 and 27 of the supporting plates. Preferably the opposed surfaces 25 and 27 of these sole plates 26 and 28 bear a roughened, frictional material such as a coating of metal oxides, or organic coatings capable of generating substantial frictional heat when rubbed together. The amount of frictional heat which can be generated with these coatings during normal walking, running or skiing activities is sufficient to warm the wearer's foot. For a simple case of a 150-pound person walking at a moderate pace, e.g. , two strides per second with a total heel movement of one inch vertically per stride, the total available work applied to the heel of each shoe would be 150 inch-pounds with each two strides. In the case of a leather upper sole rubbing on a lower metal plate, a typical coefficient of friction will be 0.56, and this can be greatly increased by selection of suitable coatings such as previously mentioned. The force required to cause the leather sole to slide against the metal lower plate would be 150 x 0.56 or 83 pounds. This force would be exerted over the relative displacement of the upper and lower soles or over a distance of approximately 0.5 inch. The frictional energy, or work dissipated for this movement would be 41.5 inch-pounds and the power available would thus be 41.5 inch-pounds per second or 3.5 foot-pounds per second. Each foot-pound per second is equivalent to 1.356 watts, and accordingly, the available power would be 4.7 watts. Thus, the total available power applied to the heel of each shoe during a moderately paced walk would be 4.7 watts, all of which would be dissipated or released as thermal energy from the frictional engagement of the two soles. In addition to this frictional heat release from the sliding plates 26 and

28, heat is also generated by the flexing of the wire cable used for the springs 36.

Referring now to FIGURE 36, the spring mechanism is shown in an exploded view. As there illustrated, the cover 23 of the outer sole 20 of the shoe is removed from the shoe and is sectioned along the row of apertures 114 which receive adjustment screws 116 that have, at their upper ends, the worm gears 44 which engage the spur gears 42 (see FIGURE 37) to provide variable adjustment of the tension on the torsion cable springs 36. Each of the torsion springs 36 is formed as a loop of the twisted wire cable. As previously mentioned, each of these loops has a permanently attached ,gear 42 which is meshed with a worm gear 44 that is supported on the end of each adjustment screw 116. The rotation of the adjustment screws 116 applies a preload in torsion to the wire cables, thereby altering their spring response; increasing the torsion will decrease the deflection of the springs for the same loading. Preferably a plurality of torsion springs 36 is provided, spaced in equal incremental positions along the length of the soles of the shoe. FIGURE 36 also illustrates the elongated slots 102 in the inner sole 24 which provide the communication to the air channels or tubular passages within the tubular covering 58.

Referring now to FIGURE 37, the resilient torsion springs 36 will be described in greater detail. As there illustrated, the torsion springs 36 are resiliently biased against the underside of the lower sole plate 28. This plate is pivotally mounted to the base of the outer sole 20 by the crank arm 106, previously described. The plate 28 and springs 36 are shown in their extended or most upright position in solid lines and in the depressed or contracted positions in the phantom lines of FIGURE 37. Each of the torsion springs 36 has an eyelet 120 centrally located along its upper extremity and each eyelet 120 receives a rivet 122 or other fastener that firmly secures the torsion spring to the sliding lower plate 28. A gear 42 is permanently attached to each loop of the springs 36 and this gear is meshed with a worm gear 44 that is supported on the end of each adjustment screw 116. The assembly of gears and worms gears is mounted within a housing case 46 with a cover 49 which has apertures in which the adjustment screws 116 are mounted. Preferably each adjustment screw 116 is surrounded by a seal ring 45 which is retained by a threaded plug 47. As previously mentioned rotation of the adjustment screws 116 applies a preload in torsion to the wire cables, thereby altering their spring response. The forward component of the arc movement of the crank arm 106 during up and down movements is shown as A on FIGURE 37. The distance of the sliding movement between plates 26 and 28 is shown as B on FIGURE 37. The distances A and B are equal. The sliding movement of the plates generates frictional heat. The spring 36 will twist through an angle twice the included angle between its up position (solid lines) and down position (dashed lines) . Additionally, it will flex to a different configuration, and this twisting and flexing will also generate heat.

Referring now to FIGURES 38 and 39, the torsion springs 36 will be described. A typical torsion spring 36 is shown in FIGURE 38 as including a central spur gear 42 which is permanently attached to the middle of the cable 36. Each of the ends 128 and 130 of cable 36 is wound in a reverse direction, as indicated by the direction of the lines of the individual wires within these cables. The opposite ends of the cables are permanently attached to an eyelet 120. The aforementioned torsion cable assembly is assembled into a loop by interconnecting the two eyelets as illustrated in FIGURE 39. Each of the resulting torsion springs 36 can then be secured independently in the previously discussed assembly. FIGURES 40-46 illustrate an alterantive footwarmer for the invention. The inner shoe is shown in perspective views in FIGURES 40 and 39. In both views, a portion of the side of the inner shoe 22 is cut away to permit viewing into the confined space between the inner sole 24 and lower sole 28. FIGURE 40 is a perspective view of the rear end under surface of the inner shoe 22. The inner shoe 22 is formed of a molded, compressible plastic foam which is integrally sealed to a stiff plate which forms the inner sole 24. Preferrably this is a metal plate 44 that is part of a leaf spring 26. The lower sole 28 is integrally attached to the inner sole 24 at its toe end and is coextensive with the length and width of the inner sole 24. As with the other embodiments, the air bag 27 extends laterally across the instep of the inner shoe from side to side and communicates with the tubes 53 and 58 in the inflatable lining 55 through tubing connectors such as 32 which communicate between the air bag 27 and the collector 47. The interior cavity 33 of the inner shoe 22 between inner sole 24 and lower sole 28 is open to compartment 56 which houses the footwarmer mechanisms, to permit air circulation about these mechanisms. Cavity 33 is in communication with the inflatable lining 55 through one or more apertures 50 in the walls of tubes 53. This footwarmer is installed in the inner shoe 22 by molding compartments 56 in the lower sole 28 of the inner shoe 22 to receive the major components of the electrical generating mechanism. These compartments are received within the hollow interior of the outer sole 14 of the ski boot 10.

Preferably, compartment 56 is closed by a removable cover 59 which is secured by fastening screws 61. most preferably, the compartment 56 is sealed by 0-ring 63 which seats in a peripheral groove that extends around the compartment. Located within compartment 56 are: the mechanical transducer 60, the gear box 62, the electrical generator 64, a rechargeable electrical storage battery 65, and a radio frequency transmitter 67 in the form of an annular ring. The aforementioned major components are located at the heel and instep of the inner shoe 22 in the aforementioned molded compartments 56.

The inner sole 24 has a bracket 42 on its undersurface, centrally located in the heel area, which receives the upper end of post 48 which is mounted for sliding, reciprocal movement in the transducer 60 which translates reciprocating vertical motion of the post 48 to unidirectional rotation of a horizontal flywheel within the mechanical transducer.

At the heel end, the plate 44 on the inner sole 24 has a distal tab 66 which projects into a brake compartment 68, which is the same as previously described. Also, at the heel end of the shoe, is an electrical block 400 which is mounted at the upper end of the vertical tab 84. This block removably receives the connector plug 106 which is attached to a conductor that can extend to heating elements in other wearing apparel such as mittens, pants, jackets and the like. The connector plug can also be used to attach an emergency light. As described in greater detail in regard to FIGURE 46, the block 400 also has a switch to apply electrical energy to the heater 394 within the shoe, only, or to both the electrical plug 106 and the shoe heater 394. - > ^•-^{' ""} - 27

Referring now to FIGURE 42, there is illustrated an elevational sectional view through the heel and instep of the inner shoe 22, depicting the major components of the electrical footwarmer mechanism. The inner sole 24 has an integrally molded dependent bracket 42 on its undersurface having a longitudinal slot 110 which receives pin 112 that extends through the upper end of the vertical post 48. The large compartment 56 is partially covered by plate 54 which retains the transducer 60. The lower end of the post has lateral pins 114 which project into a helical groove 116 in the wall of sleeve 118 which is mounted for free rotational movement between upper bearing 120 and lower thrust bearing 122. Flywheel 123 is mounted and rotationally received on sleeve 118 with a needle roller bearing 124 to provide free rotational movement.

The outer periphery of the flywheel 123 has gear teeth 125 which engage the driven gear 126 that is fixedly mounted on the shaft 127 of the gear box 62. The flywheel 123 has a downwardly dependent annular skirt 128 within which is nested a coiled helical spring 129 that provides a resilient mechanical linkage to the inner sleeve 130 which is also rotationally mounted on the drive sleeve 118. The drive sleeve 118 is connected to the inner sleeve 130 by rotational clutch mechanisms 98 and 132 which provide unidirectional rotation of the inner sleeve 130.

The remainder of the electrical generator mechanism is illustrated in block diagram and constitutes the gear box 62 that is mounted above the electrical generator 64 and connected thereto by generator shaft 134 which extends upwardly into a driven relationship within the gear box.

Battery 65 is also mounted within compartment 56, and the radio frequency transmitter 67 is mounted at the base of the mechanical transducer 60.

The spring mechanism is also shown as including the torsion coils of spring 40 which are received within laterally disposed compartments 90 and the forwardly projecting spring arms 35 and rearwardly projecting spring arms 34. Brackets 41 are mounted at each side on the undersurface of the plate 44 of the inner sole 24 and shaft 46 extends between and is slidably received in the slots of these brackets. A pivot arm 45 is positioned at each side of the assembly, linking shaft 43 to shaft 46 which is received in the coils of spring 40. The two side mounted pivot arms 45 and the shaft 43 thereby form an inverted U-shaped hinged support (see also FIGURE 41) . The rear ends of spring arms 34 have outwardly bent ends (best illustrated in FIGURE 41) which are received beneath the lower edges of arms 45, to resiliently bias these arms upwardly. The forwardly projecting arms 35 also have an integral lateral leg 36, thereby also forming an inverted U-shaped support at the mid-portion of the plate 24 (see FIGURE 40) As previously mentioned, this support structure prevents any side to side tilting of plate 24.

FIGURE 43 illustrates the aforementioned elements of. the footwarmer mechanism along lines 43-43' of FIGURE 42. As there illustrated, the lower sole 28 has an integrally molded compartment 56 which is formed with a vertically channeled wall 136 surrounding the mechanical transducer 60, the gear box 62 and the electrical generator 64. The channels in this wall are desirable as they permit air circulation over and about the mechanical and electrical elements, thereby cooling these elements and recovering heat for transfer to the wearer's foot. At the instep area, the outer sole 28 has two pockets 90 which are laterally disposed and which receive the helical windings of the torsion springs 40 that provide the resilient upward bias to the arms 34 and 35 that urge the inner sole 24 in an upward direction.

Referring now to FIGURE 44, there is illustrated a view of the mechanical transducer 60 taken along lines 44-44' of FIGURE 42. As there illustrated, the inner sleeve 130 is illustrated in a resilient interconnection to the annular skirt 128 of the flywheel 123 by the coiled helical spring 129. This resilient interconnection provides a shock absorbency to the mechanical transducer 60 so that in the event that the heel is driven downwardly in an abrupt movement as experienced during jumping, the mechanical shock of this movement is absorbed by the spring and is hot directly transmitted to the flywheel 123. The view of FIGURE 44 illustrates the needle roller bearings 124 which provide the free rotational mounting of the flywheel 123 on the drive sleeve 118 and also illustrates the helical groove 116 in the sidewall of the drive sleeve 118. The gear box 62, which is a commercially available unit, is shown in solid view. The preferred embodiment uses a gearbox with a gear ratio from 200/1 to 500/1; preferably with a 300/1 gear ratio. The selection of the gear ratio depends somewhat on the weight and anticipated activities of the wearer. The gearbox is permanently lubricated is driven by the mechanical transducer, thereby multiplying the rotational speed of the unit. Motors, or generators can be clipped to the housing for easy assembly, permitting simple and quick interchange of generator or gearbox, or both. Referring now to FIGURE 45 there is illustrated a sectional view along lines 45-45' of FIGURE 42, through the escapement clutch mechanism 132 of the mechanical transducer 60. . This clutch mechanism 132 is a conventional unit which is pressed into inner sleeve 130, and which functions by transmitting unidirectional rotational force from the rotational movements of the drive sleeve 118. The preferred embodiment uses a Torrington drawn cup roller clutch. Since the drive sleeve 118 is keyed to the vertical post 48 which undergoes reciprocal up and down movement, the drive sleeve 118 will rotate in opposite rotational directions. Only the clockwise rotational movement of the drive sleeve 118, however, will be transmitted to the inner sleeve 130 which surrounds the lower end of the drive sleeve 118 as the clutch mechanism effectively transmits only clockwise rotational movement. This occurs since the cam surfaces 148 in the clutch mechanism 132 are only engaged by rollers 150 when they become wedged against the inclined cam surfaces 148. The opposite or counter-clockwise rotation as viewed in FIGURE 45, is effective to move the rollers 150 out of their wedged relationship, freeing the drive sleeve 118 for rotation without movement of the inner sleeve 130.

A second escapement clutch mechanism 98 is also provided and is frictionally seated in wall 70 of the transducer 60 to prevent rotation of the inner sleeve 130 in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIGURE 45. The illustrated clutch mechanisms are preferred for compactness and ease of operation. It is apparent, however, that they could readily be substituted by other conventional clutch mechanisms, e.g., those having ratchet and pawl elements.

The electrical generator mechanism is a conventional electrical direct current motor which is capable of operation as a generator. A wide variety of electrical motors can be used for this purpose; generally motors which can generate from 1 tσ 10 watts at speeds of from 4000 to 12000 revolutions per minute are quite suitable. The generator can be a dc, or ac, generator. An example of a useful generator is a dc motor having a 12 pole ferrite magnet. This motor generates approximately 2 watts at 7000 rpm. As this is a conventional unit, it is simply shown In the sectional view as a solid body. The electrical storage. battery 65 is mounted in compartment 56 and is a conventional rechargeable dry cell, e.g., a conventional rechargeable battery, e.g. , a nine-volt, nickel-cadmium battery. The battery is useful to store energy from the generator and distribute a steady voltage, even during periods when the wearer is not active. FIGURE 46 illustrates an electrical schematic of the circuit in which the power developed from the electrical generator 64 is transmitted by the power conductors 170 to the connector block 100 and from there is transmitted through switch lever 104 to conductors 172 that extend along the lower sole 28 to electrical contact with the serpentine windings 94 in the toe of the shoe. The switch also includes lever 103 which is in circuit to receptacles 102 to provide electrical power to those receptacles. Switch levers 103 and 104 are shown in open positions. The rechargeable electrical storage battery 65 is in circuit to the electrical generator through diode 97 and Zener diode 99, which, respectively, prevent the battery from driving the electrical generator as a motor, and prevent overcharging of the battery. The radio frequency transmitter is a low voltage and low power transmitter having a limited broadcast range. The transmitter can be continuously in circuit to the power supply, as illustrated. Alternatively, a manual switch can be placed in conductor 171 to permit disabling of the transmitter when it is not needed. The transmitter is intended for use as an emergency locator transmitter, to locate a skier or hiker who may be injured, or trapped by a rock or snow slide.

Claims

^{' ■}** ~~ ~ 32

1. A boot having an internal, sealed air system with forced air circulation which comprises: a. a sole formed of an outer sole and an inner sole pivotally attached together at the toe of the shoe; 5 b. a first compartment between said outer and inner soles; c. a flexible diaphragm extending between said inner and outer soles, enclosing and sealing said first compartment; 10 d. at least a second compartment located within said shoe and above the inner sole thereof; and e. an air passageway means open to said first and second compartments and extending therebetween to permit free air flow between said compartments.

2. The boot of claim 1 including an outer shell receiving an inner shoe which includes said outer and inner soles.

3. The boot of claim 1 wherein said shoe has an inside lining continuous with its upper portions which is formed of a layer having internal and interconnecting tubular cavities, with said air passageway means defined by a tubular connector

5 communicating between said first compartment and said tubular cavities.

4. The boot of claim 1 wherein said inner sole is covered with a lining formed of a layer having internal and interconnecting tubular cavities and including air passages open between said first compartment and said tubular cavities. 5. The boot of claim 2 wherein said inner shoe has a sole which is formed with a central plate having an open recess at its heel and instep region and a continuous bottom plate which is sealingly secured on the bottom thereof.

6. The boot of claim 5 wherein said bottom plate is removably secured to said central plate and including a resilient seal member captured between said central and bottom plates, entirely surrounding and sealing said recess.

7. The shoe of claim 2 wherein said second compartment is an air bag which is positioned above the instep of the wearer's foot and between the inner shoe and shell.

8. The shoe of claim 1 including an air pump with an inlet port open to receive fresh air and a discharge port open to fluid passageway means communicating with said compartment and air bag, whereby the pressure of air within said compartment and air bag can be adjustably controlled.

9. The shoe of claim 8 wherein said air pump comprises a chamber having at least one collapsible wall with button means engaging said collapsible wall, and with check valve means in said inlet and discharge ports to induce air circulation.

10. The shoe of claim 1 including resilient means positioned within said first compartment and biased against the underside of said inner sole to urge said inner sole upwardly, against the applied weight of the wearer. 34 ^" - > -r ^~"

11. An inflatable sole lining for a shoe which comprises a laminate of upper and lower sheets of plastic having the size and shape of the sole of said shoe and bonded together about their^* peripheral edges and provided with a plurality of seams traversing their opposed surfaces to define tubular passageways therebetween, including passages communicating between adjacent tubular passageways.

12. The improvement of claim 25 wherein said lining also includes a side lining of the size and shape of the inside walls of said shoe and including at least one tubular passageway communicating therewith from said sole lining.

13. The lining of claim 26 including an air pump with a tubular passage connecting the discharge of said air pump with the tubular passageways of said lining whereby said air pump can be used to provide a controlled inflation pressure in said lining.

14. The lining of claim 27 wherein said seams across said sole lining are discontinuous in the arch area of said sole lining to provide an arch inflatable pillow.

15. The lining of claim 27 including at least one air bag having an inlet port which is in communication with said tubular passageways of said sole lining.

16. The lining of claim 29 including a pair of said air bags, one each located at opposite sides of said sole lining. 17. The improvement of claim 10 including a mechanical translator located in said open compartment of said heel and mechanically linked to the reciprocal vertical movement of said inner sole and electrical generation means seated in said compartment within said heel and including a gearbox and a mechanically interconnected electrical generator and electrical heating means within said shoe in circuit to said electrical generator.

18. The improvement of claim 11 wherein the side walls of said open compartment are lined with vertical grooves to form channels permitting the circulation of air through and about said open compartment and over said mechanical translator and electrical generator.

19. The improvement of claim 11 including: a. a flywheel mounted for rotational movement on a vertical axis in the heel of said shoe; b. a sleeve also mounted in the heel of said shoe coaxial with said flywheel; and c. a resilient helical coil spring with its inner end secured to said sleeve and its outer end secured to said flywheel, whereby rotational movement of said sleeve is resiliently transmitted to said flywheel, and said spring absorbs the shock from impacts applied to said sleeve by rapid and forceful movements of said inner sole.

20. The improvement of claim 13 wherein said sleeve has a spiral track along its wall and said inner sole supports a vertical post with an orthogonal pin which is received within said sleeve with an end of said pin projecting into said spiral groove, whereby reciprocal vertical movements of said integral sole are translated to rotational movements of said sleeve. 21. The improvement of claim 14 including a resilient spring mounted within said shoe, beneath said inner sole to bias said inner sole upwardly against the foot of the wearer of the shoe.

22. The improvement of claim 15 wherein said resilient spring comprises a U-shaped spring structure with laterally disposed arms pivotally mounted on said outer sole and received in slots of brackets laterally disposed on the undersurface of said inner sole.

23. The ski boot of claim 11 wherein said lower sole supports a vertical tab at its heel which extends upwardly to the top of said shell.

24. The ski boot of claim 17 including a brake compartment in the lower end of said vertical tab.

25. The ski boot of claim 17 including a vertical slot in said vertical tab opening into said brake compartment, and including a distal tab on the heel of said integral sole which projects into said brake compartment.

26. The ski boot of claim 19 including a latch within said brake compartment and pivotally mounted on said vertical tab between a recessed position and an advanced position engaging said distal tab.

27. The ski boot of claim 20 including a cable extending along from the upper end of said vertical tab to said brake compartment where it is fixedly secured to said latch, thereby serving as a remote cable actuator for said latch. 28. The ski boot of claim 17 including a switch mounted on the upper end of said vertical tab, and first electrical conductor means extending from said electrical generator to said switch, and an electrical resistance heater in the toe of said boot with second electrical conductor means extending from said switch to said electrical resistance heater.

29. The ski boot of claim 22 including an electrical connector block with electrical receptacles to receive a removable electrical plug and third electrical conductor means extending from said switch to said electrical receptacles.

30. The ski boot of claim 20 including a cable extending from the upper end of said vertical tab to said brake compartment where it is secured to said brake means, thereby serving as a remote cable actuator for said brake means.

31. The shoe of claim 1 including a foot warmer mounted within the shoe which comprises: a. a first, upper sole plate within said shoe and [beneath] pivotally secured to the toe end of the sole of said shoe; b. a second, lower sole plate mounted within said shoe and beneath said upper sole plate and in substantial longitudinal and lateral coextensive, sliding frictional contact with the undersurface thereof; c. pivotal support means including lever arm means pivotally engaged between said lower sole plate and the sole of said shoe, and located at the rear of said shoe; and d. resilient lift means secured to said pivotal support means to resiliently bias said lower and upper sole plates upwardly, against the applied weight of the wearer of the shoe, whereby said lower sole plate is caused to move in bearing frictional contact against the undersurface of said upper sole plate, generating heat, when said upper and lower sole plates are depressed and released.

32. The foot warmer mechanism of claim 1 wherein said mechanism comprises an assembly adapted to be inserted into a shoe and including a bottom plate, and wherein said upper plate is pivotally attached to the toe end of said bottom plate and said lever arm means is pivotally attached to a mid portion of said bottom plate.

33. The shoe of claim 10 wherein said resilient means comprises a torsion cable formed of a plurality of twisted resilient wires preloaded with a predetermined degree of torsion and looped between the underside of said inner sole and said bottom plate.

34. The shoe of claim 11 including a plurality of loops of said torsion cable positioned between said inner sole and said bottom plate.

35. The shoe of claim 11 including spring adjustment means to apply rotational torsional stress to said torsion cable, thereby providing a controllable degree of resiliency to said cable.

36. The shoe of claim 12 wherein said loops of said torsion cable are secured to a support frame mounted on said bottom plate and including a drive gear permanently secured to each loop of said cable, with means to rotate each of said drive gears and thereby provide a predetermined degree of torsional loading on said loops of torsion cable.

37. The shoe of claim 14 wherein said means to rotate each of said drive gears comprises a worm gear rotatably mounted on said support frame. 38. The shoe of claim 12 wherein said plurality of loops are discontinuous.

39. The shoe of claim 1 including a tubular air passageway supported on the upper of said shoe and communicating with a tubular connector for the removable attachment of a tubing connector externally of said shoe.

40. The combination of the shoe of claim 17 and wearing apparel having at least a lining which includes at least one tubular passageway with a terminal connector thereof in engagement with said tubular connector communicating with the sealed internal air system of said shoe.

41. The combination of claim 18 wherein said wearing apparel includes a suit having legs and arms to receive the legs and arms of a wearer.

42. The combination of claim 18 wherein said wearing apparel includes hand coverings with linings having tubular sealed passageways with connector means to communicate with said connector.