TWI838159B - Shoe care device and method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention discloses a shoe care device, which uses extension units to insert into shoes, and then a air supplied by an air supplier enters the shoe care device for circulation, and then dries the shoe; furthermore, deformable units are used to form the shape of foots or shoe trees after inflation, so as to prevent the problem of the shoes being deformed due to moisture.

Description

Shoe care device and method thereof

The present invention relates to a shoe care device and method thereof, and more specifically, to a shoe care device for treating shoes through air circulation.

When the rainy season comes, we often encounter shoes that get wet. Wet shoes are not only difficult to dry due to the humid weather, but may also cause the risk of mold or bacterial infection of the feet. In order to dry wet shoes quickly, some people use dehumidifiers, dryers or hair dryers, but these methods can easily cause wrinkles on the shoes and may cause deformation after drying. Therefore, a gentler way is needed to dry wet shoes to protect the quality of the shoes and avoid adverse effects on the feet. At the same time, excessively high temperatures will also accelerate the aging of shoes.

Shoes can get wet from sweat, external contaminants, or rain and snow, which can make the wearer feel uncomfortable. In this case, bacteria may grow on the shoes and emit odors. To solve this problem, shoe care devices can be used to pre-treat shoes to eliminate bacteria and odors, allowing users to wear shoes in a comfortable state.

Furthermore, each pair of shoes has different lengths (such as long boots, short boots, cloth shoes...), different materials (genuine leather, synthetic leather, mesh...), which leads to different internal spaces of the shoes. It is very important to maintain the shape of the shoes during the drying process after the shoes have been exposed to rain or snow to avoid deformation after drying.

However, because the shoes that need to be cared for are often wet (extremely high humidity), if too many devices that are not suitable for high humidity environments are used in the shoe conditioning environment, the service life may be shortened. Therefore, it is also very important to reduce or integrate the electronic and mechanical components required for conditioning devices.

To sum up, it is very important to keep the shoes in shape while keeping them dry.

Therefore, it is necessary to propose a shoe care device to solve the above technical problems.

In order to solve the above problems of the prior art, the present invention provides a shoe care device, which uses an extension piece to be inserted into the inside of the shoe, and then a gas supplier provides gas to enter the shoe care device for circulation, thereby drying the shoe; further, the deformable part is used to form the shape of a foot or a shoe tree after inflation, thereby avoiding the problem of deformation of the shoe due to moisture.

To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention provides a shoe care device, which includes a storage space, at least one extension piece and a gas supply. The storage space is used to accommodate a shoe and includes at least one first air hole. The at least one extension piece is arranged in the storage space and is used to insert the shoe and includes at least one second air hole. The gas supply is connected to the at least one extension piece and the storage space.

In a preferred embodiment, the shoe care device further includes a door, and an airtight strip is arranged around the door, and the shoe can be placed in the storage space when the door is opened.

In a preferred embodiment, the at least one extension member includes a fixed portion and a deformable portion.

In a preferred embodiment, after the deformable portion enters the interior of the shoe, the gas supplier drives the deformable portion so that the first deformation amount of the deformable portion in the first direction parallel to the at least one extension piece when the shoe is inserted is less than or equal to the second deformation amount of the deformable portion in the second direction not parallel to the first direction when the at least one extension piece is inserted into the shoe.

In a preferred embodiment, the first volume of the deformable portion before the at least one extension piece is inserted and before the gas is supplied by the gas supplier is smaller than the second volume of the deformable portion after the at least one extension piece is inserted and after the gas is supplied by the gas supplier.

In a preferred embodiment, the shoe care device further includes at least one deformable support member disposed outside the at least one extension member.

In a preferred embodiment, each of the at least one deformable support members also includes at least one through hole.

In a preferred embodiment, the shoe care device further includes at least one disposable porous material for replaceably covering the outside of the at least one extension member.

In a preferred embodiment, the shoe care device further includes at least one pressure detector disposed on the at least one extension member, for measuring the pressure when the at least one extension member and the shoe are in contact.

In a preferred embodiment, the shoe care device further includes a control unit electrically connected to the gas supply to adjust the operation of the gas supply.

In a preferred embodiment, the shoe care device further includes a replacement mechanism connected to the control unit for replacing the at least one disposable porous material.

In a preferred embodiment, the shoe care device also includes a humidity detection unit for monitoring the humidity of the containing space.

To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention also provides a shoe care method, which includes: first, using a storage space to accommodate a shoe, the storage space includes at least one first air hole; then, inserting at least one extension piece into the shoe, the at least one extension piece includes a deformable portion; then, using a gas supplier to provide gas to the at least one extension piece, so that the deformable portion is deformed; then, using the gas supplier to provide gas to at least one second air hole of the at least one extension piece and leaving the storage space through the at least one first air hole.

In a preferred embodiment, a pressure detector is used to measure the pressure when the at least one extension member and the shoe are in contact, and the size of the deformable portion is adjusted according to the size of the pressure.

Compared with the prior art, the shoe care device of the present invention uses an extension piece to be inserted into the inside of the shoe, and then the gas supplier provides gas to enter the shoe care device for circulation, thereby drying the shoe; further, the deformable part is used to form the shape of the foot or shoe after inflation, thereby avoiding the problem of deformation of the shoe due to moisture.

100: Shoe care device

110: Accommodation space

115: First air hole

120: Extension piece

122: Fixed part

124: Deformable part

125: Second air hole

126: Pressure detector

130: Gas supply

140: Shoes

150: Door

160: Replacement mechanism

170: Control unit

180: Humidity detection unit

190: Deformable support parts

195: Perforation

200: Disposable porous material

210: Gas adjustment unit

V1, V2: volume

X: Second direction

△X: first deformation

Y: First direction

△Y: Second deformation

FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a shoe care device according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention; FIG2 is a top view of a shoe care device according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention; FIG3 is a schematic diagram of an extension piece according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention before being inserted into a shoe; FIG4 is a schematic diagram of an extension piece according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention after being inserted into a shoe; FIG5 is a gas flow route diagram according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention; FIG6 is a schematic diagram showing a top view of the extension piece before being inserted into the shoe according to the third preferred embodiment of the present invention; FIG7 is a schematic diagram showing a side view of the extension piece after being inserted into the shoe according to the third preferred embodiment of the present invention; FIG8 is a schematic diagram showing the extension piece after being inserted into the shoe according to the third preferred embodiment of the present invention; FIG9 is a diagram showing a gas flow route according to the third preferred embodiment of the present invention; and FIG10 is a flow chart showing a shoe care method according to the present invention.

The following descriptions of the embodiments are referenced to the drawings to illustrate specific embodiments in which the present invention can be implemented. The directional terms mentioned in the present invention, such as "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "left", "right", "inside", "outside", "side", etc., are only reference to the directions of the drawings. Therefore, the directional terms used are used to illustrate and understand the present invention, rather than to limit the present invention.

It should also be noted that the first air hole 115 and the second air hole 125 in the present invention are hollow semicircles in some views and through blanks in other views. This is mainly for identification and has no functional difference.

Please refer to Figures 1-2. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a shoe care device 100 according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a top view of the shoe care device 100 according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention. The shoe care device 100 includes a accommodating space 110, at least one extension member 120 and a gas supplier 130. The accommodating space 110 is used to accommodate a shoe 140 and includes at least one first air hole 115. The at least one extension member 120 is disposed in the accommodating space 110 and is used to insert the shoe 140 and includes at least one second air hole 125. The gas supplier 130 is connected to the at least one extension member 120 and the accommodating space 110. The gas supplier 130 can be a device that can generate airflow, such as a blower or an air pump.

Preferably, the shoe 140 in the present invention is described as a pair of shoes. That is, there are two of the at least one extension member 120. There are also two elements corresponding to the at least one extension member.

In the preferred embodiment, the exterior of the at least one extension member 120 directly contacts the interior of the shoe 140.

To explain more completely, the shoe care device 100 further includes a door 150, a replacement mechanism 160, a control unit 170, a humidity detection unit 180 and a gas adjustment unit 210. An airtight strip is arranged around the door 150, and the shoe 140 can be placed in the receiving space 110 when the door 150 is opened. The control unit 170 is a computer or PLC including a processor, a memory, and a storage device. The humidity detection unit 180 is used to detect the ambient humidity of the receiving space 110 and/or the humidity inside the shoe 140. The gas regulating unit 210 is connected to the gas supply 130, and can have functions such as exchanging air with the outside of the shoe care device 100 (ventilation), direct dehumidification (dehumidifier), heating (accelerated drying), etc., but it is not within the scope of the present invention and will not be described in detail.

In the preferred embodiment, the at least one extension piece 120 is inserted into the inside of the shoe 140. Since the at least one extension piece 120 is in the shape of a foot or a shoe, it supports the shape of the shoe 140 from the inside, so that the shoe 140 can maintain its shape during the drying process. It should be particularly noted that the shape of the shoe vamp and shoe toe, which are easily deformed in a wet state, is mainly maintained.

Refer to Figures 3 and 4. Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram of the extension piece 120 before being inserted into the shoe 140 according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram of the extension piece 120 after being inserted into the shoe 140 according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention. Please also refer to the component numbers in Figure 1, which will not be repeated. The difference between this preferred embodiment and the first preferred embodiment is that: the at least one extension piece 120 includes a fixed portion 122 and a deformable portion 124; at least one disposable porous material 200 is used to replaceably cover the outside of the at least one extension piece 120.

Since ordinary shoes are in an "L" shape, the extension piece 120 in the first preferred embodiment is in a fixed shape, and it is necessary to manually insert the extension piece 120 into the shoe 140. However, if the shoe 140 is placed on the shoe care device 100, and if the extension piece 120 maintains a fixed shape, it will be difficult to insert the extension piece 120 into the shoe without fixing the shoe 140, because the extension piece 120 is in an "L" shape. If the mechanism is used alone, it will be necessary to face the movement mechanism (movement of the extension piece) and the alignment mechanism (alignment of the extension piece with the entrance of the shoe) before the extension piece 120 or the shoe 140 can be achieved.

To solve this problem, the "L" shape of the extension piece 120 is divided into two "I" shapes in the preferred embodiment. The deformable portion 124 is a smaller shape before being inserted into the shoe 140; it will become larger (conforming to the internal shape of the shoe 140) after being inserted into the shoe 140 due to the action of the gas supply 130. Preferably, the fixing portion 122 is a rod-shaped object; the deformable portion 124 is an air bag, which is in the shape of a foot or a shoe. After being inflated, the upper of the shoe can be propped up to prevent the shoe 140 from being deformed after drying. In other words, before the gas is injected (before insertion), the shape of the deformable portion 124 will be smaller than the shoe opening of the shoe for easy insertion; after the air is injected (after insertion), the deformable portion 124 will change to a shape that conforms to the inside of the shoe 140.

Specifically, after the deformable portion 124 enters the shoe 140, the gas supply 130 drives the deformable portion 124 so that the first deformation amount △Y (Y2-Y1) in the first direction Y parallel to the at least one extension member when the shoe 140 is inserted is less than or equal to the second deformation amount △X (X2-X1) in the second direction X not parallel to the first direction Y when the at least one extension member is inserted into the shoe. It should be noted here that the initial first distance X1 will make the at least one extension member 120 smaller than the entrance of the shoe 140.

Alternatively, before the deformable portion 124 is inserted into the at least one extension member 120, the first volume V1 of the deformable portion 124 before the gas is supplied by the gas supplier 130 is smaller than the second volume V2 of the deformable portion 124 after the at least one extension member 120 is inserted into the deformable portion 124 after the gas is supplied by the gas supplier 130.

In the preferred embodiment, the shoe 140 is laid flat and the at least one extension piece 120 is placed into the shoe's entrance (shoe opening), and then the deformable portion 124 is inflated, thereby making the at least one extension piece 120 into an "L" shape. However, the shoe can also be hung upside down on the at least one extension piece 120, and the invention is not limited thereto.

In the preferred embodiment, the first direction Y and the second direction X are perpendicular. This limitation is to allow the extension 120 to be smaller than the entrance of the shoe when inserted into the shoe 140. In this way, as long as the deformable portion 124 can be inserted into the shoe 140 before it becomes larger, the shoe 140 can be inserted into the extension 120 without additional fixation and the extension only needs to perform simple movement (straight or arc) to achieve the purpose of supporting the shape of the shoe.

In addition, a pressure detector 126 is also included, which is arranged on the at least one extension member 120 and is used to measure the pressure when the at least one extension member 120 and the shoe 140 are in contact. Although the shape of the air bag of the deformable part 124 will conform to the shape of most shoes, for shoes of special sizes (especially large or small), if the air bag is too large, the shoe may be enlarged; if the air bag is too small, the shape of the shoe may not be fixed. In other words, the contact condition between the extension member 120 and the shoe 140 can be understood based on the measured pressure. For larger shoes 140, the inflation amount (deformation amount) can be increased; for smaller shoes 140, the inflation amount (deformation amount) can be reduced.

Furthermore, the control unit 170 can change the deformation amount of the deformable portion 124 according to the information of the pressure detector 126 to achieve a better drying effect.

Traditionally, in order to speed up the drying process, absorbent materials (such as newspapers) are stuffed into shoes. However, when the absorbent material reaches its water absorption limit, it needs to be replaced, otherwise it will slow down the drying process.

To solve the above problem. The disposable porous material 200 can be understood as non-woven fabric or similar material (which can absorb water/deodorize). When the deformable part 124 becomes larger, the disposable porous material 200 will directly contact the shoe 140, and the disposable porous material 200 that is saturated with water can be replaced by the replacement mechanism 160, which can effectively accelerate drying. The detailed replacement process is as follows: the deformable part 124 becomes smaller; the extension 120 is pulled out of the shoe 140; the replacement mechanism 160 replaces the disposable porous material 200; the extension 120 is inserted into the shoe 140; the deformable part 124 becomes larger.

Refer to FIG5 , which shows a gas flow route diagram according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention. Please also refer to the component numbers of FIG1-4 , which will not be repeated here. First, the positions of the gas supplier 130 and the gas adjustment unit 210 can be reversed as needed, and are not limited to this figure. The explanation is as follows: The gas supplier 130 provides gas to the deformable portion 124 and the second air hole 125 (that is, two independent gas channels). The first part: The deformable portion 124 will become a shape as shown in FIG4 . The air bag in this part can be selectively filled in accordance with the size of the shoe 140 and the drying process, and can be stopped when the required amount is reached. The second part: the main gas flow line (for drying), the gas passes through the second air hole 125, the disposable porous material 200, the shoe 140, the storage space 110, the first air hole 115 and the gas adjustment unit 210 in sequence, and finally returns to the gas supplier 130 to form a cycle. The disposable porous material 200 can also be selectively not used.

Refer to Figures 6-8. Figure 6 is a top view of the extension member 120 according to the third preferred embodiment of the present invention before being inserted into the shoe 140; Figure 7 is a side view of the extension member 120 according to the third preferred embodiment of the present invention after being inserted into the shoe 140; Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the extension member 120 according to the third preferred embodiment of the present invention after being inserted into the shoe 140. Please refer to the component numbers of Figures 1-5 at the same time, and no further description is given. The difference between this preferred embodiment and the second preferred embodiment is that at least one deformable support member 190 is added and arranged on the outside of the at least one extension member 120. And each of the at least one deformable support members 190 also includes at least one through hole 195. Because the extension piece 120 in the second preferred embodiment is close to the shoe 140, the flow of gas is poor, and the drying can be accelerated by setting each of the at least one deformable support piece 190. The at least one deformable support piece 190 is also an air bag, which is deformed by the gas provided by the gas supplier 130.

It should be noted that in this preferred embodiment, it is only necessary that the at least one deformable support member 190 or the deformable portion 124 is in the shape of a foot or shoe. In this preferred embodiment, the deformable portion 124 is in a straight line shape and the at least one deformable support member 190 is in the shape of a foot or shoe, so that the space between the two is increased, which can accelerate drying.

Please refer to FIG. 9, which shows a gas flow route diagram according to the third preferred embodiment of the present invention. Please also refer to the component numbers of FIG. 1-8, which will not be repeated. The difference between this route diagram and FIG. 5 is that: the gas supplier also needs to provide gas to the at least one deformable support member 190 (adding an independent gas channel); the gas flows through the at least one second air hole 125 and then passes through the at least one through hole 195 before passing through the at least one disposable porous material 200.

Please refer to Figure 10, which shows a flow chart of the shoe care method according to the present invention. Please also refer to the component numbers of Figures 1-9, which will not be repeated. First, execute step S01, use a storage space 110 to accommodate a shoe 140, the storage space 110 includes at least one first air hole 115; then, execute step S02, insert at least one extension piece 120 into the shoe 140, the at least one extension piece 120 includes a deformable portion 124; then, execute step S03, use a gas supply 130 to provide gas to the at least one extension piece 120, so that the deformable portion 124 is deformed; then, execute step S04, use the gas supply 130 to provide gas to at least one second air hole 125 of the at least one extension piece 120 and leave the storage space 110 through the at least one first air hole 115.

It should be noted that this flowchart can also be adjusted with reference to the preferred embodiments of Figures 1-8, but is not limited thereto.

Compared with the prior art, the present invention inserts the extension piece into the shoe, and the gas supplier provides gas to enter the shoe care device for circulation, thereby drying the shoe; further, the deformable part is used to form the shape of the foot or shoe after inflation, thereby avoiding the problem of deformation of the shoe due to moisture.

The above is only the best implementation method of the present invention. It should be pointed out that technicians familiar with this technical field can make some improvements and modifications without departing from the principle of the present invention. These improvements and modifications should also be regarded as the protection scope of the present invention.

100: Shoe care device

110: Accommodation space

115: First air hole

120: Extension piece

125: Second air hole

126: Pressure detector

130: Gas supply

140: Shoes

150: Door

160: Replacement mechanism

170: Control unit

180: Humidity detection unit

210: Gas adjustment unit

Claims (8)

A shoe care device comprises: a storage space for accommodating a shoe and comprising at least one first air hole; at least one extension piece, disposed in the storage space and used to insert the shoe and comprising at least one second air hole; a gas supplier, which is connected to the at least one extension piece and the storage space; at least one pressure detector, disposed on the at least one extension piece, used to measure the pressure when the at least one extension piece contacts the shoe and then adjust the amount of gas provided by the gas supplier to the at least one extension piece according to the pressure. The shoe care device as described in claim 1, wherein the at least one extension member includes a fixed portion and a deformable portion. A shoe care device as described in claim 2, wherein the first volume of the deformable portion before the at least one extension piece is inserted and before the gas supply is provided by the gas supplier is smaller than the second volume of the deformable portion after the at least one extension piece is inserted and after the gas supply is provided by the gas supplier. The shoe care device as described in claim 3 further includes at least one deformable support member disposed outside the at least one extension member. A shoe care device as described in claim 4, wherein each of the at least one deformable support member further includes at least one through hole. The shoe care device as described in claim 5 further includes at least one disposable porous material for replaceably covering the outside of the at least one extension member. The shoe care device as described in claim 1 further includes a control unit electrically connected to the gas supply to adjust the operation of the gas supply. A shoe care method, comprising: accommodating a shoe in a storage space, the storage space comprising at least one first air hole; inserting at least one extension piece into the shoe, the at least one extension piece comprising a deformable portion; using a gas supplier to supply gas to the at least one extension piece, so that the deformable portion is deformed; using the gas supplier to supply gas to at least one second air hole of the at least one extension piece and leaving the storage space through the at least one first air hole; and at least one pressure detector to measure the pressure when the at least one extension piece contacts the shoe and then adjust the amount of gas provided by the gas supplier to the at least one extension piece according to the pressure.

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