# US 2018/0020768 A1 · Ventilation Apparatus For Footwear > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0020768 A1 - Document ID: US20180020768A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/700,413 - Filed: 2017-09-11 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2014-01-13 - Inventors: Alexander Litvinov - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180020768A1 ## CPC - A43B 7/084: {characterised by the location of the holes} - A43B 3/38: with power sources - A43B 3/40: Batteries - A43B 7/081: {the air being forced from outside} - A43B 7/082: {the air being expelled to the outside} - A43B 7/085: {in the upper} - A43B: CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR ## Abstract A ventilation apparatus including at least one flexible energy storage device (FESD), a switching unit, a pump, and a fluid diffuser is provided. The FESD flexibly conforms to varying contours of footwear. The FESD positioned at one or more locations of the footwear supplies electrical energy to the pump via the switching unit. The switching unit in communication with the FESD and the pump selectively changes modes of operation of the pump. The pump attached to the footwear pumps fluid into and exhausts fluid from a cavity of the footwear. A feed pipe of the fluid diffuser connected to the pump, within the cavity of the footwear, transfers the fluid pumped from the pump to the cavity of the footwear during a pump mode and transfers the fluid in the cavity of the footwear to an ambient environment external to the footwear during an exhaust mode for ventilating the footwear. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A ventilation apparatus for footwear, said ventilation apparatus comprising: at least one flexible energy storage device positioned at one or more of a plurality of preconfigured locations of said footwear, said at least one flexible energy storage device configured to flexibly conform to varying contours of said footwear, said at least one flexible energy storage device further configured to store electrical energy; a switching unit, in electric communication with said at least one flexible energy storage device and a pump, for selectively changing modes of operation of said pump, said modes of operation comprising a pump mode for pumping fluid into a cavity of said footwear and an exhaust mode for exhausting said fluid from said cavity of said footwear; said pump fixedly attached to a predefined section of said footwear and operably connected to said switching unit for pumping said fluid into and exhausting said fluid from said cavity of said footwear on receiving said electrical energy from said at least one flexible energy storage device via said switching unit; and a fluid diffuser operably connected to said pump and positioned within said cavity of said footwear, said fluid diffuser comprising: a feed pipe fixedly connected to and extending from said pump into said cavity of said footwear for transferring said fluid pumped from said pump to said cavity of said footwear during said pump mode and transferring said fluid in said cavity of said footwear to an ambient environment external to said footwear during said exhaust mode, for ventilating said footwear. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The ventilation apparatus of claim 1, wherein said at least one flexible energy storage device comprise one or more substantially thin electric power layers that flexibly conform to said varying contours of said footwear and sustain deforming forces that arise during usage of said footwear. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The ventilation apparatus of claim 1, wherein said at least one flexible energy storage device is rechargeable and usable over extended periods of time. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The ventilation apparatus of claim 1, wherein said preconfigured locations for accommodating said at least one flexible energy storage device comprise a location between an inner rear surface and an outer rear surface of said footwear and a location on an outer surface of said footwear. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The ventilation apparatus of claim 1, wherein said fluid diffuser further comprises a diffusing member in fluid communication with said feed pipe, wherein said diffusing member is positioned and attached proximal to a front end of said footwear in said cavity of said footwear, and wherein said diffusing member comprises one or more openings for allowing said fluid pumped from said pump through said feed pipe to be transferred into said cavity of said footwear during said pump mode and for allowing said fluid in said cavity of said footwear to be transferred through said feed pipe to said ambient environment external to said footwear during said exhaust mode, for ventilating said footwear. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The ventilation apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an energy converter, in electric communication with said at least one flexible energy storage device, said switching unit, and said pump, for converting direct current received from said at least one flexible energy storage device to an alternating current to be supplied to said pump via said switching unit to actuate said pump. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The ventilation apparatus of claim 1, wherein said predefined section of said footwear for fixedly attaching said pump is an upper section of said footwear. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The ventilation apparatus of claim 1, wherein said modes of operation of said pump further comprise a termination mode for terminating said operation of said pump.