Footwear Cleaning Device

Abstract

A device for cleaning footwear and other objects by supporting an object over a basin and automatically spraying water into the interior of the object. The object may be supported by a vertical post with a substantially perpendicular horizontal component mounted to a base in the basin. The post and horizontal component may have an exhaust hole and spray nozzle situated within the exhaust hole connected to a water pump. The stand may support the object such that it covers the exhaust hole and spray nozzles. The water pump may pump water through the apparatus by tubing and into the object by the spray nozzle to clean it.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to devices for automatically cleaning footwear that overcome barriers to cleaning the insides of footwear.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Boots and other footwear collect sweat, dirt and bacteria over time leading to unpleasant odors and potentially diseases of the feet. Foot fungus and athlete's foot can develop when footwear is used extensively and not properly cleaned. Certain types of footwear such as work boots, riding boots, ski boots, hiking boots, hunting boots, cleats, and skates that are worn when exerting energy are particularly susceptible to these odors and bacteria when not properly cleaned. Currently there is no efficient method for cleaning the inside of footwear automatically. Typically, users will have to place soap and water inside the footwear and manually scrub them to clean the interior. Smaller footwear may be washed in a conventional clothes-washing machine but there is not currently a device that automatically washes the inside of footwear. Automatic cleaning devices have been developed to clean the exterior of bulky footwear. These devices spray and scrape away mud and dirt from the exterior and may clean the treads of footwear or sanitize the footwear of those needing to work in sanitary environments, but none are designed to clean the interior of the footwear. Some current products are designed to eliminate odors inside footwear by ozone generators and powder. These products mask the smell but do not remove any dirt or sweat that has accumulated in the footwear and do not actually clean them. What is, therefore, needed is a device that would allow users to clean the interior of their footwear to prevent the buildup of sweat, dirt and bacteria. By cleaning the interior of their footwear users will be able to extend the lifetime of their footwear and better protect their feet from fungus, athlete's foot and other inflictions that develop from unsanitary footwear.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

An object of the invention is to provide a means of cleaning the inside of footwear to remove sweat, dirt, and bacteria that collect over time. Cleaning the inside of footwear can help prevent the buildup of unpleasant odors and bacteria that lead to foot issues such as foot fungus and athlete's foot. The present invention overcomes the difficulties in cleaning the inside of footwear by physically supporting inverted footwear and automatically pumping water through the inside.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the device comprises a basin or similar housing apparatus which houses a base for a vertical support post to be mounted to. A base platform may be mounted within the basin and the vertical post may be mounted to the base. The vertical support post may have a horizontal component connected to the vertical post at a substantially perpendicular angle to support the object desired to be cleaned. The post additionally may have an exhaust hole such that when supporting an object desired to be cleaned the object covers the exhaust hole. A water pump may be positioned to receive water from a source and pump water to the basin or housing apparatus. A tube may be connected from the water pump to carry water from the source to the vertical post. Additionally, a spray nozzle may be connected to the water pump and positioned within the exhaust hole to discharge water into an object positioned to cover the exhaust hole. The object may have a single opening to place over the vertical post and horizontal component such that when the device is in use water only enters and drains from one location.

The water source may be pretreated to bring desirable qualities to the water before it is pumped through the device to clean the desired object. The water source may be pretreated with a cleaning liquid to provide more desirable cleaning properties as opposed to water only. The apparatus may also have a water heater mounted within the base to heat the water after it has been drawn from the source to pump through the support. Additionally, the housing apparatus may contain a water filter mounted within to filter undesirable contaminants in the water before use. In a further embodiment the housing apparatus may retain a reservoir of water within it to be used as a source for the water pump.

In an embodiment the tubing may be flexible to provide easier construction when feeding the tube from the water pump through the vertical post and up to the exhaust hole. The vertical post may have a plurality of exhaust holes positioned on the vertical post, horizontal component or both. With flexible tubing it may be easier to distribute water to the plurality of exhaust holes within the narrow vertical post. With additional exhaust holes different size objects may be cleaned by the apparatus. When cleaning a smaller object with an embodiment having a plurality of exhaust holes, a shield may be provided to block water exiting the exhaust holes not covered by the object.

In an embodiment the water pump may be controlled by an electronic timer to set a predetermined washing cycle. The pump would be configured to shut off after a set amount of time had elapsed to properly clean a desired object. Additionally, the device may be used to clean a variety of objects requiring a variety of different wash cycles. The electronic timer may be connected to a control panel and configured to run the pump for different predetermined cycles as selected by a user operating the control panel. The control panel may be configured to selectively activate the spray nozzles desired to be used in a particular wash cycle. When a smaller object is cleaned on a configuration of the device with a plurality of exhaust holes, the user may selectively deactivate certain spray nozzles that aren't covered by the object when it is supported by the vertical post.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an illustration of a right-side cutaway view of a footwear cleaning device, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is an illustration of a right-side perspective view of a footwear cleaning device, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating a method of cleaning footwear, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

These and other features of the present embodiments will be understood better by reading the following detailed description, taken together with the figures herein described. In the drawings, each identical or nearly identical component that is illustrated in various figures may be represented by a like numeral. For purposes of clarity, not every component may be labeled in every drawing. Furthermore, as will be appreciated in light of this disclosure, the accompanying drawings are not intended to be drawn to scale or to limit the described embodiments to the specific configurations shown.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Aspects and embodiments of the proposed cleaning device, according to the present invention will be described in conjunction with FIGS. 1-3 It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized, and logical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. The flowing detailed description, therefore, is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined by the claims.

FIG. 1 is an illustration of a right-side view of an embodiment of the footwear cleaning device 5. FIG. 1 shows a housing apparatus 10, a base 20, a vertical post 30 mounted to the base 20, a horizontal component 40, exhaust holes 90, a spray nozzle 80, a water supply 60 and a water pump 50. Tubing 70 is connected to the water supply 60 and leads into the vertical post 30. The base 20 is mounted within the housing apparatus 10 to provide a platform for the vertical post 30 mounted thereon. In an embodiment of the present invention, the housing apparatus 10 may be a basin or other similar apparatus designed to retain a reservoir of water. The housing apparatus 10 may be made of plastics such as polyethylene, polycarbonate, polyvinyl chloride, or any other suitable material capable of retaining water. The housing apparatus 10 material is preferably able to be formed into a container that can hold the necessary components of the cleaning device and not deteriorate from retaining the water. The housing apparatus 10 may be of any shape and size capable of holding the components of the cleaning device. Different sizes may be provided for varying uses of the footwear cleaning device. Smaller footprints for compact storage may be desired for individual users and those with limited storage space while larger devices may be constructed for commercial uses that require additional vertical posts to clean multiple pairs of footwear at once and take up a larger footprint.

FIG. 1 depicts a vertical post 30 rising out of the connection to a base 20 in a housing apparatus 10. The vertical post 30 may be a PVC pipe or other similar hollow component capable of transporting water. While the fluid contained in the housing apparatus may be water, other fluids useful for cleaning objects, or mixtures of water and cleaning solution may be used without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The vertical post 30 rises from an opening 100 in a base 20 and may be mounted mechanically, adhesively, frictionally, or other conventional ways of stabilizing a pipe through a hole. A length of tubing 70 may be fed through the opening 100 and into the vertical post 30 to put the vertical post 30 in fluid communication with a pump 50. In an embodiment, the tubing 70 may be fed up through the vertical post 30 and communicate directly with an exhaust hole 90 or spray nozzle 80. In an embodiment, the tubing 70 may communicate with the vertical post 30 directly. An additional opening 110 in the vertical post 30 is configured to receive a horizontal component 40.

The horizontal component 40 is connected to the vertical post 30 and is substantially perpendicular relative to the vertical post 30. Substantially perpendicular may be between 45 and 135 degrees relative to the vertical post 30. In a preferred embodiment, substantially perpendicular relative to the vertical post 30 may be between 75 and 105 degrees. The angular relation of the vertical post 30 and the horizontal component 40 allows an object with an opening and an angular shape, such as a boot, to be supported by the horizontal component 40 and maintain a position over the vertical post 30 to cover at least one spray nozzle 80 positioned within an exhaust hole 90. By positioning the object over the vertical post 30, the water pumped through the spray nozzles 80 may drain back into the housing apparatus 10. The horizontal component or the vertical posts may include stand-off tabs disposed on an outside surface to help center the footwear on the footwear cleaning device.

Each length of tubing 70 receives water under pressure from the pump 50 at a proximate end of the tubing 70. A distal end of each length of tubing 70 may be connected to one of the exhaust holes 90. With a single spray nozzle 80, boots and large footwear as well as other larger objects intended to be cleaned may not be sufficiently sprayed. If pressurized water cannot reach all of the interior locations, then dirt and germs may still be left behind. The distal end of each length of tubing 70 may be connected to one of the spray nozzles 80 positioned within one of the exhaust holes 90. The spray nozzles 80 may release water under pressure at varying angles to clean multiple surfaces within an object. The spray nozzles 80 may have a liquid-tight connection with the vertical post 30 or the horizontal component 40 at the exhaust holes 90. Some exhaust holes 90 may contain spray nozzles 80, while other exhaust holes 90 may be open.

The base 20 is mounted to the bottom of the housing apparatus 10 to provide a location to mount the vertical posts 30. The base 20 may be opaque, so one does not see the tubing fed through the base 20 and into the vertical posts 30, providing a clean, organized look for the cleaning device. The base 20 may be mounted to the housing apparatus 10 by adhesive, fastener, hook-and-loop or other method to mount and connect one object upon another. The base 20 sits within the housing apparatus 10 and in some embodiments may be in constant contact with water. The base 20 may be made of the same, or similar material to the housing apparatus 10 to resist deterioration from contact with water.

FIG. 2 illustrates another embodiment of the footwear cleaning device 5. As shown in FIG. 2, there may be two sets of vertical posts 30 mounted to the base 20 and two sets of horizontal components 40 connected to the vertical posts 30 within the housing apparatus 10. Users may clean multiple objects at once including both the left and right footwear intended to be cleaned. The housing apparatus 10 may need a bigger footprint to accommodate the additional openings 100 where the additional vertical post 30 can be integrated, but multiple vertical posts with a plurality of spray nozzles 80 promotes efficiency of cleaning multiple objects at once.

FIG. 1 depicts the connection of multiple tubes 70 to the water supply 60 and the water supply 60 is connected to the pump 50 via a feeder tube 120. In an embodiment, the water supply 60 may be in direct communication with the pump 50. The tubing 70 may be made of polyethylene or other similar material capable of fluid transfer and flexibility. The feeder tube 120 may be made of polyethylene or other similar material capable of fluid transfer and flexibility. The flexibility of the tubing helps pack the vertical components with multiple tubes to feed different spray nozzles 80 from the same water pump 50. The flexibility allows the tubing 70 to be packed such that they are not visible when the device is in use.

The water supply 60 and water pump 50 may be located externally and connected to the device by the tubing 70. They may also be housed within the housing apparatus 10 as shown in FIG. 1. The housing apparatus 10 may be sized to accommodate the water pump 50 and a sufficient volume of water to keep the water pump 50 submerged and serve as the water supply to the footwear cleaning device 5. This allows the device to clean the object without having to run tubing 70 from an external water source to the housing apparatus 10 and to create a compact useable device.

The water may be heated prior to running the water pump 50. The water pump 50 may also work to heat the water prior to pumping it through the vertical post 30. Hot water may be desired to clean the interior of objects better. The housing apparatus 10, base 20, and tubing 70 material may need to be adjusted to account for the increased temperature of water. The housing apparatus 10 may contain liquid detergent, soap, or other similar additive that is miscible with water to promote further cleaning of the object. When water is added it will combine with the detergent to create a cleaning solution to be pumped though the tubing 70 and vertical post 30 and out the spray nozzle 80. The device may have an electric power cord that feeds the water pump 50 and exits the housing apparatus 10 through a rubber grommet 130 to be plugged into a traditional power outlet. Other sources of power such as a portable battery or other conventional method of running a pump may be used.

In another embodiment, there may be two or more water sources. One water source may be contained within the housing apparatus while another water source may use water that did not originate from the housing apparatus. The device may pump water from the housing apparatus to do a first cleaning of the object disposed onto the apparatus and then the device may pump water from the second water source to do a final cleaning of the object disposed onto the apparatus. This allows the device to provide a clean rinse for the object disposed onto the apparatus.

FIG. 3 provides a flow chart 200 that illustrates one method of utilizing the cleaning device. A step illustrated in the flow chart 200 requires inverting an object with an opening (block 210). Another step is placing the opening of the object over the vertical post and horizontal component, wherein the horizontal component and a portion of the vertical post are positioned within the object (block 220).

Another step is pumping a fluid through at least one tube connected to at least one spray nozzle fixed to a surface of the horizontal component (block 230). The fluid flows through the at least one spray nozzle and onto an interior surface of the object, cleaning the interior surface of the object. In some cases, the fluid may drip from the interior surface of the object and collect in a basin beneath the object.

The foregoing description of example embodiments has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present disclosure to the precise forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of this disclosure. It is intended that the scope of the present disclosure be limited not by this detailed description. Future-filed applications claiming priority to this application may claim the disclosed subject matter in a different manner and generally may include any set of one or more limitations as variously disclosed or otherwise demonstrated herein.

Claims

1. A cleaning device comprising: a housing apparatus;a base mounted within the housing apparatus;a vertical post with an exhaust hole mounted to the base;a horizontal component connected to the vertical post at a substantially perpendicular angle and configured to support an object over the exhaust hole;a water pump positioned to receive water from a source and configured to pump water through the vertical post and horizontal component; anda spray nozzle positioned in contact with the exhaust hole, and configured to discharge the water out of the exhaust hole.

2. The cleaning device of claim 1 wherein the housing apparatus is configured to retain a reservoir of water as the source for the water pump.

3. The cleaning device of claim 2 wherein the water pump is within the housing apparatus and is configured to be surrounded by the reservoir of water.

4. The cleaning device of claim 1, further comprising: a water supply configured to be in fluid communication with the water pump; anda tube connected to the water supply and configured to carry water to the vertical post.

5. The cleaning device of claim 4, wherein the tube is flexible.

6. The cleaning device of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of exhaust holes located at different locations on the horizontal component and vertical post.

7. The cleaning device of claim 6 further comprising a plurality of spray nozzles in contact with the plurality of exhaust holes on the vertical post and configured to discharge water.

8. The cleaning device of claim 1 further comprising a water heater mounted within the housing apparatus and configured to warm the water source.

9. The cleaning device of claim 1 further comprising a water filter mounted in the housing apparatus and configured to filter the water source.

10. The cleaning device of claim 1 wherein the water source contains a cleaning liquid.

11. The cleaning device of claim 1 further comprising an electronic timer to automatically shut off the water pump after a predetermined washing cycle.

12. The cleaning device of claim 11 wherein the electronic timer is connected to a control panel and configured to run the pump for different predetermined washing cycles as selected by a user.

13. The cleaning device of claim 1 further comprising shields configured to block water from exiting the plurality of exhaust holes when not covered by the object.

14. The cleaning device of claim 12 wherein the control panel is configured to allow users to select which spray nozzles to discharge water for a washing cycle.

15. The cleaning device of claim 1 further comprising stand-off tabs configured to center the footwear over the vertical posts.

16. A method of cleaning an object using the cleaning device of claim 1 comprising: inverting an object with an opening;placing the opening of the object over the vertical post and horizontal component, wherein at least a portion of the horizontal component is positioned within the object;pumping a fluid through at least one tube connected to at least one spray nozzle fixed to a surface of the horizontal component, whereby the fluid flows through the at least one spray nozzle and onto an interior surface of the object.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the fluid drips from the interior surface of the object and collects in a basin.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of pumping the fluid further comprises pumping the fluid from the basin through the at least one tube.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of heating the fluid before the step of pumping the fluid.