SHOE FOR REDUCING AIR POLLUTION

Abstract

A shoe for reducing pollution in air outside the shoe while a wearer is walking includes a sole having an internal cavity with one or more ports for allowing ambient air to move in and out of the cavity. The cavity contains a catalyst that converts a pollutant such as, for example, ozone (O3) into a non-pollutant such as diatomic oxygen molecules (O2).

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to shoes and, more specifically, to a shoe providing a system for reducing air pollution.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Some running and walking shoes have flexible soles that absorb shock, converting much of the energy expended by the runner or walker into heat that can warm the user's feet. U.S. Pat. No. 7,251,907, issued Aug. 7, 2007 to Bondarchuk, describes a shoe having a cavity in its sole that alternately expands and compresses as the wearer walks. When the cavity expands, it draws ambient air in through inlet ports and when the cavity compresses, it expels air out through outlet ports extending into the interior of the shoe, thereby helping to cool a wearer's feet. Thus Bondarchuk's shoe sole uses some of the energy it absorbs to force cooling air into the shoe.

Walking or running in a city can be problematic when the air is polluted. Air pollution modifies the natural characteristics of the atmosphere by chemicals, particulate matter or biological agents. One pollutant in the lowest layer of atmosphere, the troposphere, is ozone, an unstable and highly reactive molecule of three oxygen atoms (O₃) commonly used as a bleaching, deodorizing or sterilizing agent. Ozone is produced naturally in small concentrations in the stratosphere when ultraviolet sunlight splits an oxygen molecule (O₂) in two oxygen atoms and a freed atom thereupon combines with another oxygen molecule. Ultraviolet light then breaks down the ozone molecule to form oxygen molecules. Thus ozone in the stratosphere absorbs much of the ultraviolet light that reaches the earth. While stratospheric ozone protects the Earth's surface from dangerous ultraviolet light, tropospheric ozone, a major component of smog, reduces respiratory functions increases the likelihood of respiratory infections. Vehicle and factory exhausts include nitrogen oxide gases (NO_x) and volatile organic compounds (VOC), by-products of burning hydrocarbons such as gasoline and coal. (NO_x) and VOC combine with oxygen to form ozone on warm, sunny days.

What is needed is a shoe that can use some of the energy it absorbs to reduce air pollution in the lower atmosphere.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The present invention relates to a shoe incorporating a system for reducing pollution in air outside the shoe while a wearer is walking. A shoe in accordance with the invention includes a flexible sole having an internal cavity having one or more ports for allowing ambient air to move in and out of the cavity. The cavity contains means for reducing pollutants in the air passing through the cavity. In the preferred embodiment of the invention the cavity contains a catalyst that converts the pollutant ozone (O₃) into diatomic oxygen molecules (O₂).

It is accordingly an object of the invention to reduce air pollution (smog).

The foregoing and other objects and advantages will appear from the description to follow. In the description reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments will be described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. In the accompanying drawings, like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is best defined by the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a shoe in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional side elevation view of the shoe of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are sectional rear elevation views of the shoe of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a sectional side elevation view of a shoe in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 6 and 7 are sectional rear elevation views of the shoe of FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates a shoe incorporating a system for reducing pollution in air outside the shoe while a wearer is walking. The following discussion describes in detail one embodiment of the invention, but should not be construed as limiting the invention to that particular embodiment since practitioners skilled in the art will recognize numerous other embodiments as well. For a definition of the complete scope of the invention the reader is directed to the appended claims.

Referring to FIGS. 1-4, the present invention is a shoe 10 having a flexible sole 12 including an internal cavity 14 and a set of ports 16 extending through sole 12 between cavity 14 and the external surface of sole 12. As the wearer walks, cavity 14 compresses when the wearer presses on sole 12 as shown in FIG. 3, thereby reducing the volume of air it holds, and expands when the wearer stops pressing on sole 12 as shown in FIG. 4, thereby increasing the volume of air it holds. When cavity 14 expands, it draws ambient air from outside shoe 10 in through ports 16 and when cavity 14 compresses, it expels air out through ports 16. Cavity 14 contains means for converting at least one pollutant compound in the air entering the cavity into non-pollutant material. In the preferred embodiment of the invention a catalyst 18 for converting the pollutant ozone (O₃) into diatomic oxygen (O₂) coats the internal surface of cavity 14. Sole 12 includes a set of bumps or fingers 20 extending into cavity 14 to increase the cavity's surface area. Catalyst 18 may be, for example, a proprietary base metal oxide formulation manufactured under the trade name Premair. Those of skill in the art will appreciate that other catalysts or combinations of catalysts may be used. Ports 16 on one side of shoe 12 may include one-way inlet valves 22 while ports 16 on the other side of shoe 12 may include one-way outlet valves 24. When cavity 20 expands, air enters the cavity through inlet valves 22 and when the cavity compresses, air exits the cavity through valves 24. Alternatively valves 22 and 24 may be omitted so that air both enters and exits through all ports 16. Filters 26 may optionally reside in ports 16 to prevent particles or water vapor from entering cavity 20.

FIGS. 5-8 show an alternative embodiment of the invention, a shoe 30 that is generally similar to shoe 10 of FIGS. 1-4 except that in lieu of providing fingers 20 extending into cavity 14 to increase the surface area of the cavity, cavity 14 of shoe 30 contains a porous mesh 32 of material of aluminum or, any other suitable material, coated or impregnated with catalyst 18. The surface of the material forming mesh 32 is preferably roughened to increase its surface area, thereby increasing the surface air of the catalyst residing on the material.

Although in the preferred embodiment of the invention the catalyst 18 coating the surface of cavity 14 converts ozone into diatomic oxygen, those of skill in the art will appreciate that cavity 14 may contain other catalysts or other means for breaking down or capturing other types of pollution in air passing though the cavity.

Claims

1. A shoe for reducing pollution in air outside the shoe while a wearer walks, the shoe comprising:

a flexible sole having a cavity therein including at least one port for allowing the air from outside the shoe to enter the cavity when the cavity expands and for allowing the air to exit the cavity when the cavity compresses, and

means within the cavity for converting at least one pollutant in the air passing through the cavity into a non-pollutant.

2. The shoe in accordance with claim 1 wherein the sole compresses, expelling air through the at least one port, when the wearer steps on the sole and expands, drawing air in through the at least one port, when the wearer stops pressing on the sole.

3. The shoe in accordance with claim 1 wherein the means for converting the at least one pollutant comprises a catalyst for chemically modifying the at least one pollutant.

4. The shoe in accordance with claim 3 wherein the catalyst converts ozone into diatomic oxygen.

5. The shoe in accordance with claim 4 wherein the catalyst resides on a surface of the cavity.

6. The shoe in accordance with claim 5 wherein fingers of the sole material extend into the cavity, thereby increasing a surface area of the cavity upon which the catalyst resides.

7. The shoe in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a one-way valve residing in one of the ports for permitting air to flow through the port in only one direction.

8. The shoe in accordance with claim 1 further comprising:

a first one-way valve residing in one of the ports for permitting air to flow through said one of the ports only into the cavity, and

a second one-way valve resided in another of the ports for permitting air to flow through said another of the ports only out of the cavity.

9. The shoe in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a filter residing in at least one of the ports for filtering air entering the cavity through the port.

10. The shoe in accordance with claim 1 wherein the means for reducing pollution in the air comprises:

material residing within the cavity, and

a catalyst residing on the porous material for chemically modifying the pollutant.

11. The shoe in accordance with claim 10 wherein the material forms a mesh.

12. The shoe in accordance with claim 10, wherein a surface of the material has been roughened and then coated with the catalyst.

13. The shoe in accordance with claim 10 wherein the material comprises aluminum.

14. The shoe in accordance with claim 10 further comprising a one-way valve residing in one of the ports for permitting air to flow through the port in only one direction.

15. The shoe in accordance with claim 10 further comprising:

a first one-way valve residing in one of the ports for permitting air to flow through said one of the ports only into the cavity, and

a second one-way valve resided in another of the ports for permitting air to flow through said another of the ports only out of the cavity.

16. The shoe in accordance with claim 11 further comprising a filter residing in at least one of the ports for filtering air entering the cavity through the port.