Psychoacoustic footwear

Abstract

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

1 . A heel comprising
 a bottom rear support structure for a shoe, said support structure including an interior chamber and at least one aperture in the support structure leading to the interior chamber, and   a sound producing means housed within said interior chamber and configured to produce an audible sound upon a determined action, said sound being amplified in said chamber and emitted through said at least one aperture.   
     
     
         2 . A heel according to  claim 1 ,
 said sound producing means comprising a mechanically vibrating element.   
     
     
         3 . A heel according to  claim 1 ,
 said sound producing means comprising a tuning fork.   
     
     
         4 . A heel according to  claim 1 ,
 said sound producing means comprising a tuning fork having a pair of tines and further comprising a pendulum configured to swing and impact at least one of the pair of tines, said tines being configured to produce an audible sound upon said impact.   
     
     
         5 . A heel according to  claim 1 ,
 said sound producing means comprising a tuning fork having a pair of tines and further comprising a pendulum configured to swing and impact at least one of the pair of tines as the heel is moved, said tines being configured to produce an audible sound upon said impact.   
     
     
         6 . A heel according to  claim 1 ,
 said sound producing means comprising a pivoting hammer and further comprising a key, said pivoting hammer being configured to swing and impact the key as the heel is moved, said key being configured to produce an audible sound upon said impact.   
     
     
         7 . A heel according to  claim 1 ,
 said sound producing means comprising a pivoting hammer, said pivoting hammer comprising a pivoting arm with a free end, a striking head attached to the free end, and   further comprising a key, said pivoting hammer being configured to swing and impact the key as the heel is moved, said key being configured to produce an audible sound upon said impact.   
     
     
         8 . A heel according to  claim 1 ,
 said sound producing means comprising a pivoting hammer, said pivoting hammer comprising a pivoting arm with a free end and pivotally mounted end, a tension spring restraining the pivoting arm from pivoting in a first direction, a striking head attached to the free end of the pivoting arm, and a counterweight attached to a moment arm attached to the pivotally mounted end of the pivoting arm and configured to urge the pivoting arm in the first direction, and   further comprising a key, said pivoting hammer being configured to swing in the first direction and impact the key as the heel is moved, said key being configured to produce an audible sound upon said impact.   
     
     
         9 . A heel according to  claim 1 ,
 said sound producing means comprising a pivoting hammer, said pivoting hammer comprising a pivoting arm with a free end and pivotally mounted end, a tension spring generating a tensile force that produces a spring torque that resists pivoting of the pivoting arm in the first direction, a striking head attached to the free end of the pivoting arm, and a counterweight attached to a moment arm attached to the pivotally mounted end of the pivoting arm and configured to generate a weight torque that urges the pivoting arm in the first direction, said weight torque exceeding the spring torque during downward acceleration of the heel, and   further comprising a key, said pivoting hammer being configured to swing in the first direction and impact the key as the heel is accelerated downward, said key being configured to produce an audible sound upon said impact.   
     
     
         10 . A heel according to  claim 1 ,
 said sound producing means comprising a pivoting hammer, said pivoting hammer comprising a pivoting arm with a free end and pivotally mounted end, a tension spring generating a tensile force that produces a spring torque that resists pivoting of the pivoting arm in the first direction, a striking head attached to the free end of the pivoting arm, and a counterweight attached to a moment arm attached to the pivotally mounted end of the pivoting arm and configured to generate a weight torque that urges the pivoting arm in the first direction, said weight torque exceeding the spring torque during impact of the heel with a ground surface, and   further comprising a key, said pivoting hammer being configured to swing in the first direction and impact the key as the heel impacts the ground surface, said key being configured to produce an audible sound upon said impact.   
     
     
         11 . A heel according to  claim 1 ,
 said sound producing means comprising a cantilevered leaf spring and a striking head mounted on a free end of the cantilevered leaf spring,   further comprising a key,   said striking head being configured to impact the key as the cantilevered leaf spring is released and move apart from the key as the cantilever leaf spring is deflected, said key being configured to produce an audible sound upon said impact.   
     
     
         12 . A heel according to  claim 1 ,
 comprising a bottom heel piston compartment and a heel piston within said compartment, said heel piston being configured for reciprocating motion within the heel piston compartment from a closed position to an extended position,   a biasing means configured to urge the heel piston from the closed position to the extended position when the heel is lifted from a ground surface,   said sound producing means comprising
 a striker comprising a cantilevered leaf spring with a striking head and ferrous joint mounted on a free end of the cantilevered leaf spring, a magnetic retainer configured to magnetically engage the ferrous joint, and a drive shaft coupling the heel piston to the magnetic retainer, and 
 a key, 
   said striking head being configured to impact the key as the cantilevered leaf spring is released and move apart from the key as the cantilever leaf spring is deflected, said key being configured to produce an audible sound upon said impact.   
     
     
         13 . A heel according to  claim 1 ,
 comprising a bottom heel piston compartment and a heel piston within said compartment, said heel piston being configured for reciprocating motion within the heel piston compartment from a closed position to an extended position,   a biasing means configured to urge the heel piston from the closed position to the extended position when the heel is lifted from a ground surface,   said sound producing means comprising
 a striker comprising a cantilevered leaf spring with a striking head and ferrous joint mounted on a free end of the cantilevered leaf spring, a magnetic retainer configured to magnetically engage the ferrous joint, and a drive shaft coupling the heel piston to the magnetic retainer, and 
 a key, 
   said striking head being configured to impact the key as the cantilevered leaf spring is released and move apart from the key as the cantilever leaf spring is deflected, said key being configured to produce an audible sound upon said impact.   
     
     
         14 . A heel cording to  claim 1 ,
 comprising a bottom heel piston compartment and a heel piston within said compartment, said heel piston being configured for reciprocating motion within the heel piston compartment from a closed position to an extended position,   a biasing means configured to urge the heel piston from the closed position to the extended position when the heel is lifted from a ground surface,   said sound producing means comprising
 a striker comprising a cantilevered leaf spring with a striking head and ferrous joint mounted on a free end of the cantilevered leaf spring, a magnetic retainer configured to magnetically engage the ferrous joint, and a drive shaft coupling the heel piston to the magnetic retainer, and 
 a key, 
   said striking head being configured to impact the key as the cantilevered leaf spring is released and move apart from the key as the cantilever leaf spring is deflected, said key being configured to produce an audible sound upon said impact.   
     
     
         15 . A heel cording to  claim 1 ,
 comprising a bottom heel piston compartment and a heel piston within said compartment, said heel piston being configured for reciprocating motion within the heel piston compartment from a closed position to an extended position,   a compression spring configured to urge the heel piston from the closed position to the extended position when the heel is lifted from a ground surface,   said sound producing means comprising
 a striker comprising a cantilevered leaf spring with a striking head and an attached ferrous joint coupled to a free end of the cantilevered leaf spring, a magnetic retainer configured to magnetically engage the ferrous joint, and a drive shaft coupling the heel piston to the magnetic retainer, and 
 a key, 
   said striking head being configured to impact the key as the cantilevered leaf spring is released and move apart from the key as the cantilever leaf spring is deflected, said magnetic retainer exerting a magnetic retaining force on the ferrous joint, said cantilevered leaf spring exerting a striking force on the striking head and the attached ferrous joint, said striking force increasing with deflection of the cantilevered leaf spring, said magnetic retainer being configured to release said ferrous joint when the striking force exceeds the magnetic retaining force.   
     
     
         16 . A heel cording to  claim 1 ,
 comprising a bottom heel piston compartment and a heel piston within said compartment, said heel piston being configured for reciprocating motion within the heel piston compartment from a closed position to an extended position,   a compression spring configured to urge the heel piston from the closed position to the extended position when the heel is lifted from a ground surface,   said sound producing means comprising
 a striker comprising a cantilevered leaf spring with a striking head and an attached ferrous joint coupled to a free end of the cantilevered leaf spring, a magnetic retainer configured to magnetically engage the ferrous joint, and a drive shaft coupling the heel piston to the magnetic retainer, and 
 a key, 
   said striking head being configured to impact the key as the cantilevered leaf spring is released and move apart from the key as the cantilever leaf spring is deflected, said magnetic retainer exerting a magnetic retaining force on the ferrous joint, said cantilevered leaf spring exerting a striking force on the striking head and the attached ferrous joint, said striking force increasing with deflection of the cantilevered leaf spring, said magnetic retainer being configured to release said ferrous joint when the striking force exceeds the magnetic retaining force, said deflection increasing as the heel piston moves to an extended position, said increasing deflection causing the striking force to exceed the magnetic retaining force and thereby causing the magnetic retainer to release the ferrous joint, and thereby allow the striking head to impact the key, and   said key being configured to produce an audible sound upon said impact.   
     
     
         17 . A heel according to  claim 1 , said sound producing means comprising a sound generating circuit within the chamber, a speaker within the chamber operably coupled to the sound generating circuit, a power supply within the chamber operably coupled to the sound generating circuit and a switch operably coupled to the heel, said switch being adapted to controllably activate the circuit and cause the speaker to emit a programmed sound upon contact of the heel with a surface. 
     
     
         18 . A heel according to  claim 1 , said sound producing means comprising an amplifier circuit within the chamber, a speaker within the chamber operably coupled to the amplifier circuit, a microphone within the chamber operably coupled to the amplifier circuit, a power supply within the chamber operably coupled to the amplifier circuit and a switch operably coupled to the heel, said switch being adapted to controllably activate the circuit and cause the microphone to receive sounds within the chamber and the speaker to emit an amplified version of the sound. 
     
     
         19 . A method of evoking an emotional response using a shoe, said method comprising steps of associating a synthetic sound with a determined emotion through repeated advertising, and providing shoes with heels having interior compartments and sound producing means configured to produce the synthetic sound during walking. 
     
     
         20 . A method of evoking an emotional response using a shoe according to  claim 19 , each of said heels comprising a bottom rear support structure for a shoe, said support structure including an interior chamber and at least one aperture in the support structure leading to the interior chamber, and
 a sound producing means housed within said interior chamber and configured to produce the synthetic sound during walking, said sound being amplified in said chamber and emitted through said at least one aperture.