US20170143186A1

US20170143186A1 - Shoe cleaning assembly

Info

Publication number: US20170143186A1
Application number: US14/947,010
Authority: US
Inventors: Dawn Vasquez
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2015-11-20
Filing date: 2015-11-20
Publication date: 2017-05-25

Abstract

A shoe cleaning assembly includes a base including a bottom wall has a top side, a bottom side and a perimeter edge. The perimeter edge includes a first end edge, a second end edge, a first lateral edge and a second lateral edge. A perimeter wall is attached to and extends upwardly from the bottom wall. The perimeter wall is coextensive with the perimeter edge. A dividing wall extends between the first lateral edge and the second lateral edge to form a first compartment and a second compartment fluidly separated from each other. A first panel is positioned in the first compartment and is an absorbent material. The first panel has a fluid absorbed therein. A second panel is positioned in the second compartment and is also an absorbent material. The second panel is dry.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

Field of the Disclosure

The disclosure relates to shoe cleaning mat devices and more particularly pertains to a new shoe cleaning mat device for cleaning a person's shoes either before or immediately after they enter a dwelling.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a base including a bottom wall has a top side, a bottom side and a perimeter edge. The perimeter edge includes a first end edge, a second end edge, a first lateral edge and a second lateral edge. A perimeter wall is attached to and extends upwardly from the bottom wall. The perimeter wall is coextensive with the perimeter edge. A dividing wall extends between the first lateral edge and the second lateral edge to form a first compartment and a second compartment fluidly separated from each other. A first panel is positioned in the first compartment and is comprised of an absorbent material. The first panel has a fluid absorbed therein. A second panel is positioned in the second compartment and is also comprised of an absorbent material. The second panel is dry.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a shoe cleaning assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a top view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the disclosure taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the disclosure taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 5 thereof, a new shoe cleaning mat device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described.
As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 5, the shoe cleaning assembly 10 generally comprises a base 12 including a bottom wall 14 having a top side 16, a bottom side 18 and a perimeter edge 20. The perimeter edge 20 includes a first end edge 22, a second end edge 23, a first lateral edge 24 and a second lateral edge 26. A perimeter wall 28 is attached to and extends upwardly from the bottom wall 14. The perimeter wall 28 is coextensive with the perimeter edge 20. The perimeter wall 28 extends upwardly from the bottom wall 14 a distance of less than 2.0 inches. A dividing wall 30 extends between the first lateral edge 24 and the second lateral edge 26 to form a first compartment 32 and a second compartment 34 fluidly separated from each other. The first 32 and second 34 compartments may each be rectangular shaped and have a same size as each other. The bottom wall 14, perimeter wall 28 and dividing wall 30 may be of a unitary structure and comprised of a waterproof material such as a plastic or an elastomeric material. The dividing wall 30 has a same height as the perimeter wall 28. Each of the first 24 and second 26 lateral edges has a length which is greater than 1.5 feet and each of the first 22 and second 23 end edges has a width which is greater than 1.0 feet.
A first panel 36 is positioned in the first compartment 32 and is comprised of an absorbent material. The first panel 36 has a fluid absorbed therein and therefore is considered “wet.” The fluid comprises a disinfectant fluid or cleaning solution configured to inhibit bacterial growth. The first panel 36 is removable from the first compartment 32 so that it may be changed as needed. A second panel 38 is positioned in the second compartment 34 and is also comprised of an absorbent material. The absorbent material may comprise any conventional material which readily absorbs fluid and may include both natural and synthetic fibers. Additionally, the absorbent material may comprise what would be conventionally considered carpet material such that it may be positioned within a house or dwelling, adjacent to the carpeting of the dwelling, and thereby be inconspicuous with respect to the dwelling carpeting. Thus the user of the assembly 10 may not generally realize that it first 32 and second 34 panels are being used outside of the dwelling carpeting. The second panel 34 is dry in that it has no absorbed fluids therein. The second panel 34 may be removable for cleaning and drying as needed. The first 32 and second 34 panels each have an upper surface 42 that is substantially flush with the upper edge 40 of the perimeter wall 28. The term “substantially” herein is intended to mean within 0.5 inches of a plane of an upper edge 40 of the perimeter wall 28 and may be more specifically at least up to the upper edge 40 and over the upper edge 40 by at most 0.5 inches.
As can be seen in the Figures, and in particularly FIG. 2, the bottom wall 14 may include drainage apertures 44 in the first compartment 32. If the assembly 10 is used outside, such as in front of a door, the first compartment may 32 be wetted as needed, either with disinfectant or water, and any excess fluid will drain through the drainage holes 44. Anti-slippage grips 46 may also be added to bottom side 18 of the bottom wall 14.
In use, the assembly 10 is positioned so that as a person enters a dwelling they will step first on the first panel 36 to clean their shoes and then on the second panel 38 to dry their shoes. In this way their shoes will be clean and not track bacteria or soil throughout the dwelling thereafter. The first panel 36 may be removed for cleaning or replacement as needed.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.

Claims

1. A shoe cleaning system configured to clean a sole of a shoe before the shoe comes in contact with flooring in a dwelling, said system including:

a base including a bottom wall having a top side, a bottom side and a perimeter edge, said perimeter edge including a first end edge, a second end edge, a first lateral edge and a second lateral edge, a perimeter wall being attached to and extending upwardly from said bottom wall, said perimeter wall being coextensive with said perimeter edge, a dividing wall extending between said first lateral edge and said second lateral edge to form a first compartment and a second compartment fluidly separated from each other;

a first panel being positioned in said first compartment, said first panel being comprised of an absorbent material, said first panel having a fluid absorbed therein;

a plurality of drainage apertures extending through said bottom wall such that each of said drainage apertures is in fluid communication with said first compartment; and

a second panel being positioned in said second compartment, said second panel being comprised of an absorbent material, said second panel being dry.

2. The shoe cleaning system according to claim 1, wherein said perimeter wall extends upwardly from said bottom wall a distance of less than 2.0 inches.

3. The shoe cleaning system according to claim 2, wherein said dividing wall has a same height as said perimeter wall.

4. The shoe cleaning system according to claim 3, wherein each of said first and second lateral edges has a length being greater than 1.5 feet, each of said first and second end edges having a width greater than 1.0 feet.

5. The shoe cleaning system according to claim 1, wherein said fluid comprises a disinfectant fluid.

6. The shoe cleaning system according to claim 1, wherein said first panel is removable from said first compartment.

7. The shoe cleaning system according to claim 1, wherein said first and second panels have an upper surface being within 0.5 inches of a plane of an upper edge of said perimeter wall.

8. The shoe cleaning system according to claim 4, wherein said first and second panels have an upper surface being within 0.5 inches of a plane of an upper edge of said perimeter wall.

9. A shoe cleaning system configured to clean a sole of a shoe before the shoe comes in contact with flooring in a dwelling, said system including:

a base including a bottom wall having a top side, a bottom side and a perimeter edge, said perimeter edge including a first end edge, a second end edge, a first lateral edge and a second lateral edge, a perimeter wall being attached to and extending upwardly from said bottom wall, said perimeter wall being coextensive with said perimeter edge, said perimeter wall extending upwardly from said bottom wall a distance of less than 2.0 inches, a dividing wall extending between said first lateral edge and said second lateral edge to form a first compartment and a second compartment fluidly separated from each other, said dividing wall having a same height as said perimeter wall, each of said first and second lateral edges having a length being greater than 1.5 feet, each of said first and second end edges having a width greater than 1.0 feet;

a first panel being positioned in said first compartment, said first panel being comprised of an absorbent material, said first panel having a fluid absorbed therein, said fluid comprising a disinfectant fluid, said first panel being removable from said first compartment;

a second panel being positioned in said second compartment, said second panel being comprised of an absorbent material, said second panel being dry, said first and second panels having an upper surface being within 0.5 inches of a plane of an upper edge of said perimeter wall.