ES1162434U - Drying machine, odor removal and footwear disinfection by payment (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding) - Google Patents

Abstract

Machine for drying, eliminating odor and disinfection of footwear for payment whose structure will have an external appearance designed to resemble a decorative element belonging to domestic furniture and which will be divided into several prismatic compartments (1, 2, 3, 4), all of them sealed with the exterior (5), of which one or several will house the footwear (1), and which will be characterized because it comprises: - a system or mechanism to obtain from the user an economic consideration for the service provided for which the device will be equipped with a module operable by the user (6), which will be characterized by being able to receive any means of payment existing and legally valid . - a control module (2) with push buttons or actuators (7) that will allow the selection of the compartment (1) that will receive the service, and with timers with a display screen of the service time. - an air disinfection unit (16), a means for driving an air stream (17), an air heater device (18), an internal air duct system (13, 19); an air dehumidification system (14) equipped with a removable condensate tank and a conduit for connection to the sanitation network. (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding)

Description

DESCRIPTION

Machine for drying, removing odor and disinfection of footwear by payment.

1.- Technical sector 5

The machine described below has been designed to provide a shoe drying, deodorization and disinfection service that the user will pay by paying a consideration. It could be included within the sector of the technique that includes those devices and machines whose purpose is to obtain an economic consideration by means of physical payment, in exchange for offering a good or service to the user who operates it.

Said service will consist of eliminating the humidity and the smell of any type of footwear that has been worn in rainy conditions, or practicing sports, either by people with 15 problems of great perspiration in the feet, or in any other conditions that lead to Appearance of levels of humidity, odor and the proliferation of fungi and microorganisms, which make their subsequent use uncomfortable and unhealthy.

Nowadays there are footwear with waterproof and breathable membranes, with different compositions that do not allow moisture to penetrate so easily inside it, however it has been observed that, despite them, in conditions of heavy rain or sweating, The inside of the shoe ends wet or wet. This increases the probability that fungi and other microorganisms appear, causes the footwear to release unpleasant odors, and increases the risk of blisters on the foot 25 due to the slippage of the footwear inside the footwear. Therefore, those users who intend to reuse the footwear in a short time, will be interested in drying and disinfecting it, and will preferably use methods or techniques that do not damage any of the multiple layers that make up the footwear in question.

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The invention is mainly oriented to be located in public concurrence establishments, which have an interest in offering this service as an added value to their facilities, and especially in those whose clients are inclined to make a use of footwear that makes the appearance very likely of the aforementioned humidity and smell in it, such as hostels on the Camino de Santiago, 35 hotel establishments located in destinations that offer activities such as hiking, trekking or skiing.

2.- Background of the invention

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There are currently several devices for drying shoes on the market, whose operation is mainly based on boosting hot air into it, and expelling this air into the environment, and even some that also treat that air to disinfect footwear. But in all cases its operation causes moisture, odor, and the microorganisms in the footwear to disperse in the place where the machine is located, causing unpleasant odors, possible condensation and unhealthiness in the air.

This same operation is for example the one indicated in the utility models:

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- ES 1 039 616 U (Drying chamber for sports boots)

- ES 1 026 672 U (Apparatus for drying and cleaning footwear)

- ES 1 108 155 U (Ozone sanitizing shoe cabinet and / or shoe freshener)

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- ES 1 085 029 U (Shoe heating organizer)

- ES 1 139 641 U (Device for drying and disinfecting footwear)

- ES 1 064 925 U (Shoe dryer) 10

- ES 2 142 925 T3 (Frame for shoe treatment)

- ES 1 027 334 U (Improved dryer cabinet)

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As a case of a need not covered by any of the known artifacts or techniques, we will give as an example a hostel on the Camino de Santiago, which receives clients who have traveled tens of kilometers on foot every day. It is evident that at the end of the stage the footwear of these people will often be very wet due to sweating and on rainy days it will probably be soaked. These people, on the next 20, want to continue walking, and it is very uncomfortable and unhealthy to wear shoes that are wet, smelly and with a probable proliferation of fungi and microorganisms. Therefore, it is very likely that they value very positively that the establishment offers a service of drying, deodorization and disinfection of footwear. In turn, the establishment will be interested in obtaining an economic consideration for the service provided, and better if it is not necessary for its personnel to intervene to offer it. And at the same time, the establishment, and guests, will surely prefer that the place or place where the machine that provides the service is located does not emit a large amount of moist air, with a foul smell and full of microorganisms in suspension. 30

One of the usual solutions in this type of establishments is that customers introduce footwear in self-service clothes dryers. The high temperatures and the continuous friction with the dryer walls cause the footwear to deteriorate significantly, and in turn causes frequent damage to the dryer since the footwear 35 continuously hits the drum, destabilizing it and sometimes starting the blades in charge of moving the clothes.

3.- Description

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Next, the invention object of this report is detailed, for whose better understanding the figures in section 4 have been included in which the preferred embodiment is represented, which is in turn the one described.

The drying, odor and disinfection machine proposed by the invention 45 fully and satisfactorily solves the problem set forth above, constituting a solution that combines different existing techniques taking advantage of each of them in order to give a solution to the need described.

First, since the machine is designed to be in common areas of 50 establishments and public buildings, it is designed so that its

external appearance is of a cabinet type furniture, so that it does not constitute a distorting element of the decoration of the room and therefore has an acceptable aesthetic in an enabled environment.

Given its considerable volume and height, and taking into account that it can be installed in 5 places with irregular pavement, the structure will be provided with 4 or more supports (10) with independent height adjustment that allow a stable installation on any type of surface .

The structure of the machine will be divided into several prismatic compartments: 10

- One or more compartments for footwear (1), 5 in the case of the machine shown in the figures, with sufficient capacity to accommodate at least one pair of footwear each. They will have dimensions that allow to accommodate the vast majority of types of footwear, and commercial sizes. fifteen

- A compartment with restricted access, sealed with the rest of the compartments, which will house the control module (2) with the mechanisms for the introduction of coins, tokens, cards or other means of payment (6), timers, screens or numerical indicators indicating the remaining time, and the buttons or actuators for activating the service in each compartment (7). This compartment will be located at a comfortable height so that the user can easily handle and operate the different controls.

- A machinery compartment (3), also with restricted and watertight access with the outside, which will house the dehumidifying device (14) and which will be divided into two watertight areas, one that will receive moist air from the footwear (8), and another to which dry air will be expelled that will be driven back into it (9).

- A compartment for the storage of condensates (4) produced by the dehumidifier (14) that may have a condensate tank (15) that will need to be emptied periodically, or with a collector and a drain pipe for condensate evacuation to the sanitation network (20).

Inside each shoe compartment (1) two ducts (13) with a double function will be located, to channel the dry and treated air inside the footwear, and in turn to support the footwear.

Once the user enters the footwear in the compartment, he will close the watertight door (5) that will prevent the smell from coming out of the machine. Subsequently, you must enter the payment method in the coin selector, tokens or other means of payment (6), which will allow the user to press the corresponding button to the same numbering as the compartment in which the shoe has been placed (7) , and said action will begin the cycle of drying, odor elimination and disinfection of footwear in the selected compartment, the duration of which will be indicated on the screen or adjacent numerical indicator. Four. Five

The shoe treatment cycle will consist of a disinfection unit (16) that will provide the air with substances and compounds intended to eliminate the maximum amount of microorganisms, causes and origin of the bad smell and unhealthy footwear. Once treated, the air will be driven by a fan (17) that will circulate through a thermal resistance or heating device (18), which will raise its temperature to

promote moisture absorption once the air reaches the inside of the shoe. Subsequently, the supply air manifold (19) will conduct the treated air to the support ducts of the footwear (13) that will introduce it and distribute it inside the footwear. This hot and dry air will absorb the moisture inside the footwear, and the disinfectant agents suspended in it will progressively eliminate most of the microorganisms. Drying will be carried out from the inside to the outside, so that part of the air flow will come out of the footwear through the cane, and another part will pass through the different layers of the shoe, dragging the moisture from them to the outside, which will accelerate the drying and the disinfection that will also be more efficient in the inner layer of footwear, which is the one in contact with the foot. The passage grid (11) will open at the beginning of the cycle, allowing this moisture-laden air to pass to the watertight humid air compartment (8) where it will be subjected to a dehumidification process and sent to the treated air watertight compartment (9 ). Once here, the cycle will begin again, the duration of which will be the one programmed in the timer.

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The air disinfection unit (16) will be in charge of eliminating the microorganisms that the air carries in suspension after passing through the footwear, and providing the air with suspended disinfectants that will be transported inside the footwear, for this purpose The unit may be equipped with 3 disinfection systems, which may be combined or installed individually depending on the specific requirements or needs of the type of footwear to be treated or the establishment in which it is located. These methods will be:

a) Ozone generator: by means of an electric device, an amount of ozone will be generated enough so that its concentration in the air that is impelled inside the footwear is capable of eliminating most of the microorganisms and fungi that produce the smell and can cause pathologies in the feet. It will be checked that this concentration is always lower than that indicated in Royal Decree 102/2011, of January 28, regarding the improvement of air quality.

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b) Liquid disinfectant: by a very fine spray or mist, a controlled dose of liquid disinfectant will be released in the air that is pushed into the footwear. The dose, frequency of application and concentration will be determined according to the disinfectant to be used.

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c) Ultraviolet light lamps: ultraviolet lamps can be installed in an air circuit, preferably inside the support ducts of the footwear, so that the ultraviolet light acts inside it eliminating the microorganisms. It will also be possible to place these lamps in the dry air compartment, so that the air coming from the footwear is disinfected before it is pushed back into the interior.

The device will be equipped with the necessary control and safety mechanisms for compliance with current regulations that affect the manufacture, operation and public use of the same. It will be ensured that the level of ozone in the air does not exceed the values 45 regulatory limits by means of a sensor, a control unit, and an actuator capable of maintaining the level of ozone at the desired value and stopping the operation of the system if necessary. The temperature of the air flow will be controlled by means of a sensor, a control unit and an actuator that will modulate the amount of heat that the resistance will generate and may disconnect the system in case of an excess of 50 temperature or failure thereof. Each compartment will have a closing sensor

door to the outside, so that only if the door is properly closed can the cycle be started by means of the button.

The Model, within its essentiality, can be put into practice in other embodiments that differ in detail from that indicated by way of example in the description, and 5 which will also achieve the protection sought. It may, therefore, be constructed in any shape and size with the most suitable materials, since all of this is included in the spirit of the claims.

4.- Description of the drawings 10

To complement the description made and in order to help a better understanding of the features of the invention, the present descriptive report of a set of drawings is attached based on whose figures the innovations and advantages of the device object of the invention will be more easily understood. invention. The plans 15 are as follows:

- FIGURE 1: Shows a front view of the structure and main components of the preferred embodiment of the device object of the invention.

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- FIGURE 2: Shows a detail of the functional part operable by the user, including the representation of an example of use, with the door of an open compartment and footwear placed to be treated.

- FIGURE 3: It is a section called AA which in turn is a perspective view of a horizontal section of the device, which describes the circulation of the air flow inside the device and the function of the different components in said flow.

- FIGURE 4: This is a perspective view of a vertical section B-B in which you can see the inside of the device seen from its rear and without closing the structure. The status of all the internal components of the device can be observed.

5.- Preferred embodiment of the invention 35

As stated above, the object of the invention will preferably be located inside a public access establishment or premises, therefore a preferred embodiment would be characterized by a contained volume, which facilitates its location. In the preferred case its dimensions will not exceed 2000x1000x500 mm (height 40 X width X depth)

It will also have a sufficient number of compartments for footwear to ensure that whoever has the exploitation rights obtains sufficient benefits to make the acquisition profitable. In this example, 5 45 compartments that can be used simultaneously are contemplated.

The method to obtain the user's consideration will be, in the preferred embodiment, by the introduction of coins. These will be received by a selector that will determine their authenticity and value. Once the control module determines that 50

the payment is sufficient will allow the treatment cycle to begin in the compartment that the user selects using the buttons.

The duration of the service should not exceed 30 minutes in order to ensure that in times of high demand users do not suffer long waits that 5 impair the perception of the service offered by the establishment. This time will be indicated on the screens corresponding to each compartment, which will start a countdown at the moment when the user presses the button that starts the treatment cycle.

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In the case described, the frame and the main structure will be made of a material whose exterior appearance is wood, that is water-repellent and with an acceptable mechanical resistance, such as phenolic marine board. The closure of each compartment will be tight thanks to perimetral rubber joints on the door leaf, which in turn will have a translucent glass that allows the vision of the footwear from the outside. fifteen

In the preferred example, the process of disinfection of air and footwear will be carried out by installing an ozone generator for each compartment, which will treat the flow of air channeled into it.

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The extraction of water from the air flow will be carried out by means of a desiccant dehumidifier, whose contribution of heat will cause the thermal resistances to generate a lower consumption of electricity. This will have a condensate collection tray equipped with an outlet duct outside the machine that facilitates the connection to the establishment's sanitation network. 25

Claims (3)

1. Machine for drying, removing odor and disinfection of footwear by payment whose structure will have an external appearance designed to resemble a decorative element belonging to domestic furniture and that will be divided into several 5 prismatic compartments (1, 2, 3, 4 ), all of them watertight with the outside (5), of which one or more will house the footwear (1), and that will be characterized because it comprises: • A system or mechanism to obtain from the user an economic consideration 10 for the service provided for which the device will be provided with a module operable by the user (6), which will be characterized by being able to receive any existing and valid means of payment legally. • A control module (2) with push-buttons or actuators (7) that will allow the selection of the compartment (1) that will receive the service, and with timers with a display of the service time. • An air disinfection unit (16), an air flow actuation means (17), an air heating device (18), an internal system of 20 air ducts (13, 19); an air dehumidification system (14) equipped with a removable condensate tank and conduit for connection to the sewerage network. 2. Machine for drying, removing odor and disinfection of footwear by payment according to claim 1, characterized in that its construction will be such that the air used for the treatment of footwear will not go outside the device during the operating cycle, but which will circulate inside in a closed and tight circuit with the outside of the machine (8, 9). 3. Machine for drying, removing odor and disinfection of footwear by payment 30 according to claims 1 and 2, characterized by having an air disinfection unit (16) capable of generating ozone in a constant concentration, with the ability to add to the sprayed liquid disinfectant air, by atomization or fogging or similar process, and with capacity to disinfect the treated air by means of ultraviolet light lamps. 35