This invention relates to devices that can clean, polish and shine shoes.
Prior to the disclosed invention, there was no comprehensive theory for using a portable device to shine shoes. Rather, shoes have been shined manually for hundreds of years. In the 1960's, larger machines that stood on the ground and were located in a central location. See U.S. Pat. No. 3,339,219 issued to Bast. Bast and its progeny teach that alternating current (AC) systems are necessary to shine shoes. However, AC systems are not as portable as direct current (DC) systems that are taught in the present invention.
A handheld electric shoe polisher can quickly polish shoes in a compact device. The handheld electric shoe polisher comprises a housing mechanically coupled to hand grip. The housing is further mechanically coupled to universal service bus port and a switch. The housing is mechanically coupled to a drive shaft; the drive shaft is mechanically coupled to gear box. The gear box is mechanically coupled to a motor. The motor is electrically coupled to a battery. The drive shaft is further mechanically coupled to a shoe shine attachment. In this manner a user, can charge the battery by electrically coupling the universal service bus port to a power source and the user can engage the battery with the switch to power the motor, turning the drive shaft and causing the shoe shine attachment to rotate. The user can utilize the shoe shine attachment to shine shoes.
Having thus described the invention in general terms, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:
Embodiments of the present invention overcome many of the obstacles associated with shining shoes with direct current (DC) machines, and now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings that show some, but not all embodiments of the claimed inventions. Indeed, the invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.
Regardless of the shoe shine attachment selected, the handheld electric shoe polisher works in the following manner. Drive shaft 20 is mechanically coupled to gear box 28. Gear box 28 is mechanically coupled to motor 26. Motor 26 is electrically coupled to battery 24 with an integrated circuit as shown in
The MOSFET is a dual n-channel enhancement mode MOSFET such as the HI-SINCERITY 8205A IC. Drain pin 1 is electrically coupled to drain pin 8. Second source pin 6 and second source pin 7 are electrically coupled to ground pin 6 on the battery protection IC and battery 24 in an RC circuit with capacitor C3 in series with resistor R4 and power supply pin 5. Second gate pin 5 on the MOSFET is electrically coupled to MOSFET gate connection pin 1 for discharge control. Likewise, first gate pin 4 on the MOSFET is electrically coupled to MOSFET gate connection pin 3 for discharge control. First source pin 2 and first source pin 3 are electrically coupled to input pin 2 for current sense and charger detection and resistor R5.
Second source pin 6 and second source pins 7 are electrically coupled to battery 24. Battery 24 is electrically coupled in parallel with two capacitors C2 and in series with switch 14. Collectively, this is the switching circuit.
Second source pin 6 and second source pin 7 are further electrically coupled to battery charging IC ground pin 2 and input supply voltage pin 5. The battery charging IC charging pin 3 is electrically coupled to a testing circuit, the switching circuit and battery 24. The testing circuit comprises resister R1 electrically coupled to a first diode and a second diode where the first diode is further electrically coupled to battery pin 1 and second resistor R2. The second diode and second resistor R2 are electrically coupled to gate Q2, where gate Q2 is further electrically coupled to battery charging IC ground pin 2.
USB port 16 is electrically coupled to program pin 4 and input supply voltage pin 5. Program pin 5 simply detects a current difference between USB port 16 and ground. If there is a difference the user desires to charge battery 24. If not, the user is content with the current level of charge in battery 24. If the user desires to charge battery 24 then battery charging IC ground pin 2, and battery charging IC charging pin 3 discern whether there is a difference in voltage between USB port 16 and battery 24, if so, then USB port 16 charges battery 24, if not, the batter 24 is charged and the battery protection integrated circuit prevents damage to battery 24 by using the MOSFET to redirect the current to ground. In this matter the MOSFET can efficiently detect whether battery 24 is charged and whether the user wants to charge battery 24, enabling efficient battery charging without risk of battery damage.
Shoes can be shined in the following manner: first, the user can apply wax to the shoe. After covering the shoe with wax the user can polish the wax into the shoe with detachable sponge 30 as shown in
The user can buff out scuffs on the shoe with detachable brush 22 as shown in
Finally, the user can buff the wax from detachable wax pad 32 onto the shoe with detachable buffer 34. The user can buff wax into a shoe with detachable buffer 34 as shown in
In some embodiments, a user can user detachable wax pad 32. To do this the user can remove the show shine attachment and insert detachable wax pad 32 onto drive shaft 20. The present invention teaches that it is not necessary to engage drift shaft 20 with switch 14 in order to apply wax from detachable wax pad 32 onto the shoe. Rather, the user can simply rub detachable wax pad 32 against the shoe to apply wax to the shoe
Of course the present invention is not limited to dress shoes and can be used to polish any kind of leather including tennis shoes, boots and other items of personal apparel and accessories.
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