WO2005089622A2

WO2005089622A2 - Apparatus for cleaning shoes, particularly soccer, rugby, golf shoes and other similar sports shoes

Info

Publication number: WO2005089622A2
Application number: PCT/EP2005/001996
Authority: WO
Inventors: Pietro Dani
Original assignee: Lavajet S.R.L.
Priority date: 2004-03-15
Filing date: 2005-02-25
Publication date: 2005-09-29
Also published as: ITVI20040054A1; WO2005089622A3; EP1725159A2

Abstract

An apparatus for cleaning shoes, such as soccer, rugby, golf shoes and other sports shoes, including a main structure (3) that supports supporting members (4a) that perform a translational motion and are accommodated on the bottom of channels formed by the main structure. The channels accommodate a plurality of nozzles (7) that wash the soles of the shoes and are provided with brushes (15A, 15B) for cleaning the upper and for containing the sprays. The apparatus includes a transformer for transforming the normal mains voltage into a low voltage in order to supply power to the translational supporting means. The transformer is accommodated in a second structure separate from the main structure.

Description

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING SHOES, PARTICULARLY SOCCER, RUGBY, GOLF SHOES AND OTHER SIMILAR SPORTS SHOES The present invention relates to an apparatus for cleaning shoes, particularly for soccer, rugby, golf shoes and other similar sports shoes. Washing devices are known which are capable of washing boots while worn by a user, by means of jets of water and brushes. Because of the difficulty of limiting the sprays and controlling the regions where the water jets act, the use of these devices is generally limited to the industrial field and in particular to those fields of industry that usually use rubber footwear, waterproof protective trousers or boots, without for example being able to use them in the sports field, where they would be very useful for cleaning the shoes of athletes before they return to their locker rooms. The above problem was partially overcome by a device for cleaning shoes, disclosed in the Italian Patent Application No. MN00A00O010, adapted to wash sports shoes provided with studs, such as for example soccer shoes. According to such device, a user wearing the shoes to be cleaned climbs onto a sort of treadmill, where the shoes undergo the combined action of spray-shielding brushes and of water jets that are positioned appropriately in order to wash the sole and the lower region of the upper of the shoes without wetting the socks and legs of the athlete. A first major problem of such device is the safety of the user because an electric pump, used to supply the water jets, and an electromechanical traction device, which is indispensable to produce the advancement motion, are in fact arranged inside the main structure of the apparatus and both operate with normal mains voltage. It can be easily understood that any electrical dispersion caused by any malfunction may seriously endanger the user, also because of the constant presence of water, which is an excellent electric conductor. A further drawback of such device is the considerable consumption of water that occurs during the shoe washing cycle. Continuous drawing from the normal water mains caused by constant operation of the jets, even without the actual presence of a user, in fact causes unnecessary waste and in some cases an erratic operation of the entire apparatus, caused by insufficient water supply. The aim of the present invention is to solve the problems described above, by providing an apparatus for cleaning shoes, particularly soccer, rugby, golf shoes and the like, which effectively cleans the shoes and is also absolutely safe for its user. A particular object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for cleaning shoes that has a continuous and economical operation without causing unnecessary water waste. This aim and this and other objects that will become better apparent hereinafter are achieved by an apparatus for cleaning shoes, particularly for soccer, rugby, golf shoes and other sports shoes, comprising a main structure that supports supporting members that perform a translational motion, the supporting members being accommodated on the bottom of channels formed by the main structure, said channels accommodating a plurality of nozzles adapted to wash the soles of the shoes and being provided with brushes for cleaning the upper and for containing the sprays, characterized in that it comprises a means for transforming the normal mains voltage into a low voltage, the transformer means being adapted to supply power to the translational supporting means and being accommodated in a second structure that is separate from the main structure. Further characteristics and advantages will become better apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of an apparatus for cleaning shoes according to the invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of the shoe cleaning apparatus according to the invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of a detail of part of the invention during operation, with some members shown in phantom lines; Figure 3 is a side view, with some members shown in phantom lines, of the same part of the invention shown in Figure 2; Figure 4 is a schematic sectional view, taken along the line IV-IV of Figure 2; Figure 5 is a front view of the device shown in operation; Figure 6 is a view of a detail of Figure 2. With reference to the cited figures, an apparatus for cleaning shoes according to the invention, generally designated by the reference numeral 1 , comprises a main structure 3, preferably made of a metal that is not subject to oxidation or made of plastics and which is provided, in its upper part, with two handrails 16a and 16b and, in its lower part, with wheels 21a, 21b, 21c and 21 d, which are at least partly steerable and can be braked by pads 22a and 22b. The main structure 3 acts as a support for translational supporting members 4a and 4b, which are provided by two conveyor belts that have a rubber-covered surface and are moved by a gearmotor 5 that is supplied at low voltage and is arranged inside it. The two conveyor belts are arranged on the bottom of channels 6a and 6b formed by the main structure 3, which have on their walls brushes 15a and 15b that are suitable to clean the upper and contain the sprays. The transverse cross-section of each side of the channels 6a and 6b includes an upper portion 17, which is substantially perpendicular to the plane formed by the surface of the conveyor belts, and a lower portion 18, which is shorter than the upper portion 17 and is arranged transversely both to the plane and to the upper portion 17, so as to form with them a specific angle that has been studied during testing. The sides of the channels 6a and 6b accommodate a plurality of nozzles 7, which are fitted on each side of the channel on a manifold 23 that is preferably provided monolithically by machining from the solid, and are arranged so as to produce water jets that are propelled onto the portion of space occupied by the studs that protrude from the soles of some types of sports shoe, in a manner similar to that shown in Italian Patent Application No. MN00A000010, assumed included herein by reference. The nozzles are fed, by means of one or more substantially flexible hoses 20, by a means for increasing the pressure of a fluid 8, which can be provided by an electric pump, and are arranged inside a second structure, generally designated by the reference numeral 2, which is separate from the main structure 3 and is substantially shaped like a cabinet. Inside the second structure 2 there is also an accumulation tank 9, adapted to ensure a correct and constant water supply of the means for increasing the pressure of a fluid 8. According to the invention, a transformer means for transforming the normal mains voltage to a low voltage, generally designated by the reference numeral 10, is contained inside the second structure 2 and in a protected and isolated position with respect to the accumulation tank 9. The transformer means comprises an electric control panel 12 which is connected to a power supply 11 and converts the normal mains voltage into a low voltage and stabilizes it. The electrical control panel 12, which also includes a device for varying the advancement speed of the two conveyor belts, is connected to an interface device 13 for using keys or cards. With a photocell device 14, the interface device controls the washing operations, avoiding the operation of the apparatus when empty, with consequent unnecessary waste. The apparatus also includes a dryer device for drying the shoes 19, arranged inside the main structure 3 and provided with drying slots, which are arranged with an angle that has been studied so as to remove completely the residual water. The dryer device is constituted by a low-voltage fan. The operation of the apparatus according to the invention is as follows. When the power supply 11 is connected to the mains and the user inserts a key or card in the interface device 13, the shoe cleaning apparatus is preset for use. Simultaneously with the passage of the user in front of the photocell device 14, the conveyor belts are activated and the means for increasing the pressure of a fluid 8 is also activated and, by drawing pure water or water mixed with detergent from the accumulation tank 9, spray it through the nozzles 7. During the advancement of the user, who undergoes passively the action of the two conveyor belts, but holds onto to the handrail 16a and 16b, the shoes are washed by the combined action of the jets generated by the nozzles 7 and by the brushes 15a and 15b. The washing operations are completed by a drying step, which is performed by the dryer device 19 for drying the shoes by blowing air jets. In practice it has been found that the shoe cleaning apparatus according to the invention fully achieves the intended aim and object, ensuring complete safety of the user as well as saving water. The shoe cleaning apparatus thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, within the scope of the appended claims. All the details may be replaced with other technically equivalent elements. In practice, the materials used, so long as they are compatible with the speci-fic use, as well as the contingent shapes and dimensions, may be any according to requirements and to the state of the art.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. An apparatus for cleaning shoes, particularly soccer, rugby, golf shoes and other sports shoes, comprising a main structure that supports supporting members that perform a translational motion, said supporting members being accommodated on the bottom of channels formed by said main structure, said channels accommodating a plurality of nozzles adapted to wash the soles of the shoes and being provided with brushes for cleaning the upper and for containing the sprays, characterized in that it comprises a means for transforming the normal mains voltage into a low voltage, said transformer means being suitable to supply power to said translational supporting means and being accommodated in a second structure separate from said main structure.

2. The shoe cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 , characterized in that said transformer means comprises at least one power supply and at least one electrical control panel that is connected to said power supply.

3. The shoe cleaning apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that said electrical control panel comprises an interface device for using keys or cards.

4. The shoe cleaning apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that said electrical control panel comprises a photocell device, which is associated with said main structure and is suitable to adjust the washing operations.

5. The shoe cleaning apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that said electrical control panel comprises a device for varying the advancement speed of said movable supporting members.

6. The shoe cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 , characterized in that said second structure comprises a pressure increasing means for increasing the pressure of a fluid, said pressure increasing means being connected to said nozzles by at least one substantially flexible hose.

7. The shoe cleaning apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that said means for increasing the pressure of a fluid comprises at least one electric pump.

8. The shoe cleaning apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that said second structure comprises at least one accumulation tank for collecting the fluid for supplying said pressure increasing means and then said nozzles.

9. The shoe cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 , characterized in that said translational supporting members comprise two conveyor belts that have a rubber- covered surface and can engage the studs of sports shoes, said conveyor belts having a rubber-covered surface being moved by at least one gearmotor that is supplied at low voltage by said transformer means.

10. The shoe cleaning apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that said gearmotor is accommodated inside said main structure.

11. The shoe cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 , characterized in that the transverse cross-section of the sides of said channels comprises an upper portion that lies transversely to the plane formed by said translational supporting members and a lower portion that is substantially transverse with respect to both said upper portion and said plane.

12. The shoe cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 , characterized in that it comprises a shoe drying device.

13. The shoe cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 , characterized in that it comprises a plurality of wheels that are connected to said main structure, are at least partly able to rotate and be braked, and are interposed with respect to the floor.

14. The shoe cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 , characterized in that it comprises at least one manifold that is associated with each side of said channels, said manifold supporting said plurality of nozzles and being connected to said substantially flexible hose.