Patent Application
20110278332
This invention relates to the field of automated shoe covering devices. More particularly, this invention relates to an accessory for an automatic shoe cover removal apparatus.
The outer surfaces of shoes collect many undesirable substances such as dirt and mud while worn by a person on any given day. Many industries such as construction, farming, and manufacturing involve work environments in which the collection of undesirable materials on shoes is particularly substantial. The collection of such substances on shoes and the subsequent transfer of such substances to the interior of homes, buildings, or other structures by foot traffic is undesirable and may raise concerns regarding the cleanliness of the interior of such structures. Shoes may be removed before entering a home, building, or other similar structure to avoid such problems. However, in environments where such a practice of removing shoes from feet before entering such structures is not common or otherwise impractical, shoe coverings are often used.
Disposable shoe covers are commonly employed to avoid the need for persons to remove their shoes before entering homes, buildings, or other structures. However, placing shoe covers on shoes (particularly, unclean shoes) is inconvenient and may require a person to use hands to place a shoe cover over a shoe, thereby exposing the user's hands to the substances on the shoe. In addition to adding shoe covers to the feet or shoes of a user, the shoe covers that are put on must be removed. Therefore, there is a need for a mechanically reliable and simplified automatic shoe cover removal apparatus that is capable of automatic removal of a shoe cover from a user's shoe.
There is also a need to perform the automatic removal of shoe covers in a manner that leaves little or no dirt, dust, germs, bacteria, fungus, viruses, toxins, drugs, small particulate matter, and/or other contaminants near or around the shoe cover removal apparatus. For example, certain activities in certain industries require what are often referred to as “clean rooms.” Often, shoe covers are used in a clean room and then must be removed in the clean room because much of the work done in clean rooms includes the handling of material (both non-living and living) that is desirably kept isolated and contained in such rooms. Accordingly, in some applications of an automatic shoe cover remover, it is desirable to collect and store the removed shoe covers containing the contaminants in an area remote from the shoe cover removal apparatus.
Many different rooms in a building (or floor of a building), such as a hospital, will often preferably contain multiple shoe cover removal apparatuses in various rooms and/or sections of the building. In addition to collecting the removed shoe covers in an area remote from the shoe cover removal apparatus, it would also be beneficial to collect the shoe covers from a plurality of shoe cover removal apparatuses in a central location.
What is needed, therefore, is an apparatus capable of efficiently removing a shoe cover from the appendage of a wearer. Additionally, it is desirable that such a device is able to be connected a central system for collecting the removed shoe covers from a plurality of shoe cover removal apparatuses and storing/disposing of the removed shoe covers in an area remote from the shoe cover removal apparatuses.
The above and other needs are met by an apparatus which includes a shoe cover removal vacuuming system for removing a shoe cover from a user's shoe. The system includes a shoe cover removal apparatus and a central vacuuming system. The shoe cover removal apparatus includes a trough for receiving a user's shoe, the trough including a removal portal. The central vacuuming system includes a central vacuum unit having a suction motor, a collection container disposed in a room remote from the shoe cover removal apparatus for collecting shoe covers removed by the shoe cover removal apparatus, and tubing for connecting the removal portal of the shoe cover removal apparatus to the central vacuum unit and the collection container.
According to another embodiment, the shoe cover removal vacuuming system includes a plurality of shoe cover removal apparatuses and a central vacuuming system. The shoe cover removal apparatuses each include a trough for receiving a user's shoe, each trough including a removal portal. The central vacuuming system includes a central vacuum unit having a suction motor, a collection container disposed in a room remote from the plurality of shoe cover removal apparatus for collecting shoe covers removed by the plurality of shoe cover removal apparatuses, and tubing for connecting the removal portals of the plurality of shoe cover removal apparatuses to the central vacuum unit and the collection container.
According to some embodiments, the shoe cover removal apparatuses each include an actuator for triggering a signal causing the central vacuum unit to activate, the activation of the vacuum unit being capable of causing a shoe cover to be removed from the shoe of a user when a user places a shoe covered by a shoe cover into one of the troughs. The shoe cover removal apparatuses may also include a transmitter for wirelessly sending the signal to the central vacuum unit.
In other embodiments, the central vacuum unit includes a vacuum unit suction portal operably connected to the suction motor and the collection container includes a first suction portal and a second suction portal, the tubing including a first hose for connecting the vacuum unit suction portal to the first suction portal of the collection container, a second hose for connecting the second suction portal of the collection container to a wall inlet portal, and in wall tubing connecting the plurality of shoe cover removal apparatuses to the wall inlet portal. The collection container may include a first section having the first suction portal and a second section having the second suction portal, the division between the first section and second section being porous so that air is able to flow through the container while removed shoe covers are prevented from being sucked into the first section.
According to some embodiments, the plurality of shoe cover removal apparatuses are operable to be disposed in a plurality of rooms of a building and the central vacuum unit is operable to be disposed in a central location of the building. The collection container may be operable to be disposed adjacent the central vacuum unit. In other embodiments, the collection container and central vacuum unit are a single unit.
In another embodiment, an apparatus for removing a shoe cover from a user's shoe includes a trough for receiving a user's shoe. The trough includes a removal portal. The apparatus includes flexible hose having a first end for connecting to a wall inlet portal of a central vacuuming system and a second end for connecting to the removal portal. An actuator is triggered by the placement of an object in the trough, the triggering of the actuator causing the central vacuuming system to activate. The vacuum activation causes the shoe cover to be sucked through the removal portal and the hose into the wall inlet portal of the central vacuuming system.
According to some embodiments, the actuator further includes a motion detection system including a motion detecting sensor, wherein power delivered to the apparatus from the central vacuuming system is controlled by the motion detection system. The motion detection system may include a transmitter for sending a wireless signal to the central vacuuming system causing the central vacuuming system to activate. A manual override may be provided switch for cutting power to the apparatus.
In some embodiments, a secondary collection container may be connected to in-wall tubing of the central vacuuming system, the collection container for collecting removed shoe covers and preventing removed shoe covers from being deposited in a main collection container of the central vacuuming system.
Further features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood by reference to the following detailed description, appended claims, and accompanying figures, wherein elements are not to scale so as to more clearly show the details, wherein like reference numbers indicate like elements throughout the several views, and wherein:
In alternate embodiments, tubing 34 of apparatus 20 may be connected directly to the in-wall tubing 14 of the central system 10 without the use of flexible hose 26. In this embodiment, the apparatus 20 is more permanently connected to the system 10. Further, apparatus 20 may include a “booster” motor within its frame 24 for providing additional suction to the removal portal 30 and assisting in removing shoe covers from a user's shoe.
Referring to
Referring to
The first suction portal 42 is preferably disposed adjacent the bottom 48 of the container 11. As shown in
In alternate embodiments, the container 11 may include a bag or carrier for collecting the removed shoe covers when they enter container 11. The carrier would preferably be porous, allowing for air to flow through the container 11 but prohibiting shoe covers from escaping the carrier. The carrier may be removed from the container 11 when the lid 54 is in an open position, thereby facilitating the removal of shoe covers from the system 10. The carrier may also be replaceable so that new clean carriers may be inserted into the container 11, and the removed shoe covers may be easily disposed of along with the replaceable carrier.
The arrangement between the container 11 and vacuum unit may vary. For example, according to another embodiment shown in
In some embodiments, the central vacuum unit 12 is automatically powered when the flexible hose 26 of a shoe cover removal apparatus 20 is connected to a wall inlet portal 16. However, in preferred embodiments, the central vacuum unit 12 is in rest mode until the actuator 28 detects when a user places an object in the trough 22. The actuator 28 may take various forms. For example, as shown in
After the central vacuum unit 12 is activated, a vacuum is created within the in-wall tubing 14, through the flexible hose 26 and tubing 34 of the apparatus 20 connected thereto, and ultimately within the trough 22 at the removal portal 28 such that the shoe cover is removed from the shoe of the user. The removed shoe covers are sucked through the removal portal 30, tubing 34, and flexible hose 26 of apparatus 20 into the wall inlet portal 16 and in-wall tubing 14 of the shoe cover vacuuming system 10. The removed shoe covers then travel through the in-wall tubing 14 to the collection container 11. Booster motors may also be provided within the in-wall tubing 14 for providing extra suction power.
In a preferred embodiment, the central vacuum unit 12 shuts off when a user removes the shoe from the trough 22. In alternate embodiments, the central vacuum unit 12 shuts off automatically after a pre-determined period of time programmed in the control logic or when the flexible hose 26 is disconnected from the wall inlet portal 16. In certain embodiments, the apparatus 20 also includes a manual override control that is capable of cutting power to the central vacuum unit 12.
In another embodiment, certain components of system 10, including apparatus 20 for removing shoe covers, are connectable to an existing central vacuuming system of a building. In other words, the flexible hose 26 of apparatus 20 for removing shoe covers may be configured for connecting to wall inlet portals of an existing central vacuuming system. In this embodiment, the removed shoe covers travel through the wall inlet portal and the in-wall tubing due to the vacuum created by the vacuum unit of the existing central vacuuming system. A collection container 11 is preferably provided that is connectable to the in-wall tubing and central vacuum unit of the existing central vacuuming system so that removed shoe covers may be collected in a separate collection container than the collection container of the existing central vacuuming system.
In other embodiments, as shown in
The secondary collection container 60 may also be provided within the in-wall tubing 14 of the central vacuuming system to collect removed shoe covers. In this embodiment, the secondary collection container 60 fits within the in-wall tubing 14 and is porous, allowing for air to flow through the container 60 but prohibiting shoe covers from escaping the container 60 after being sucked through the wall inlet portal 66a. Preferably, the porosity of the secondary collection container 60 allows other dust, particles, and smaller debris to continue through the in-wall tubing to the collection container of the central vacuum unit. Thus, the secondary collection container 60 would be able to remain in the in-wall tubing even if a vacuum unit was used at the wall inlet portal 66a instead of the apparatus 20 for removing shoe covers. In preferred embodiments, the secondary collection container 60 is easily removable within the in-wall tubing so that the secondary collection container 60 may be removed when the apparatus 20 is not being used.
All of the connections between portals and hoses/tubing of the shoe cover removal vacuuming system 10 provide flow communication between the respective connected units, portals, and/or system components. The connections are preferably substantially hermetically sealed so that the operation of the system 10 is effective to suck shoe covers off of the shoe of a user and to prevent debris and contaminants from escaping the system 10. Gaskets are preferably used with all interconnections of various portions of the system 10. Such gaskets are preferably made from synthetic rubber, synthetic rubber and flouropolymer elastomer (e.g., Viton® from DuPont Performance Elastomers, LLC, of Wilmington, Del.), polysiloxane, or flouropolymers (e.g., Teflon® from E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, of Wilmington, Del.).
The trough 22 is preferably made from polymers such as polyvinylchloride (PVC). The collection container 11 is preferably made from metal or a metal alloy (e.g., aluminum, steel, iron). The flexible hoses and tubing are preferably a flexible vacuum hose or flexible polyvinyl chloride PVC tubing, respectively. While the term “flexible hose” is generally used when a flexible vacuum type hose is preferred and the term “tubing” is used when flexible polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is preferably used, it should be understood that the term “tube” and “hose” are generally synonymous as either material may be used for the respective hose or tubing identified. However, in various embodiments of the invention, other suitable materials may be used for each of the system components.
The foregoing description of preferred embodiments for this invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Obvious modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiments are chosen and described in an effort to provide the best illustrations of the principles of the invention and its practical application, and to thereby enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the invention as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly, legally, and equitably entitled.
This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to provisional application No. 61/368,041 filed Jul. 27, 2010, and is a continuation-in-part of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/852,070, filed Aug. 6, 2010, and a continuation-in-part of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/412,095, filed Mar. 26, 2009, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61368041 | Jul 2010 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 12852070 | Aug 2010 | US |
| Child | 13192145 | US | |
| Parent | 12412095 | Mar 2009 | US |
| Child | 12852070 | US |
