Shoe management device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11931471-B2
Application number	US-202017073532-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 19, 2020
Priority date	Jan 17, 2020
Publication date	Mar 19, 2024
Grant date	Mar 19, 2024

Abstract

A shoe management device may have a housing having a body to define an inner space and a cover to open or close the body to allow access to the inner space. Agitators may be provided at a bottom of the body, which may be configured to hold shoes, and the agitators may remove foreign matter from the shoes. An upper portion of the body may have an air generator configured to blow air toward the shoes to remove foreign matter. In addition, moisture and germs inside the shoe may be removed by hot air, ultraviolet light, and plasma ions provided by a care assembly provided inside of the body and configured to be at least partially inserted into the shoes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A shoe management device comprising:
a housing having an inner space configured to store at least a pair of shoes;
an air flow generator provided in the inner space and configured to blow air toward the shoes; and
a shoe dryer provided in the inner space and configured to be inserted into each of the pair of shoes,
wherein the shoe dryer discharges:
ultraviolet (UV) light to sterilize the shoes, and
plasma ions to disinfect the shoes, and

wherein the shoe dryer includes a body coupled to a rear of the housing and at least a pair of forward extensions protruding forward and configured to be inserted into the pair of shoes, respectively, each of the forward extensions having a UV light emitter and at least one discharge channel configured to discharge at least one of the plasma ions or hot air.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the UV light emitter is provided at a front end of the forward extension, and the at least one discharge channel includes a first discharge channel provided on an upper surface of the forward extension and a second discharge channel provided on a lower surface of the forward extension.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the first and second discharge channels are configured to discharge hot air and plasma ions simultaneously or sequentially.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the body of the shoe dryer is U-shaped so as to have downward extensions extending downward, the forward extensions extending forward from the downward extensions, and the body further includes a handle protruding forward from a center of an upper portion.

5. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a holding column mounted to the rear of the housing, the body of the shoe dryer being hung on the holding column, wherein the holding column is configured to have an adjustable height such that a height of the shoe dryer is adjusted.

6. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of agitators provided at a bottom of the inner space and configured to rotate under the shoes, each of the agitators having a plurality of ribs provided at predetermined angular intervals on an outer circumferential surface, the ribs being made of a deformable material.

7. The device of claim 6 , further comprising a tray provided under the agitators to collect foreign matter falling from the shoes, wherein the agitators are provided in at least a pair of columns to correspond to the pair of shoes, and the tray is configured to be inserted into and withdrawn from the housing to discard the collected foreign matter.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein the ribs extend between opposite ends of each of the agitators, each of ribs having a predetermined curvature.

9. The device of claim 6 , further comprising an internal frame provided in the inner space to surround the agitators, a first support extending between opposite sides of the internal frame, and a second support extending between opposite ends of the internal frame to intersect with the first support, the first and second supports being configured to support the shoes.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein the agitators are provided in at least a pair of columns to correspond to the pair of shoes, curved portions are formed in the first support, which extends in a longitudinal direction of the columns in which the agitators are arranged, each of the curved portions being provided between adjacent agitators in a same column.

11. The device of claim 9 , wherein curved grooves are formed in a bottom portion of the internal frame, the curved grooves being configured to avoid interference with the agitators.

12. The device of claim 6 , wherein adjacent agitators are configured to rotate in opposite directions so as not to move the shoes in a single direction.

13. A shoe management device comprising:
a housing having an inner space configured to store a plurality of shoes;
a shoe dryer provided in the inner space and having a plurality of forward extensions configured to be inserted into the plurality of shoes, respectively, and to emit at least one of ultraviolet (UV) light or plasma ions to an inside of the shoes; and
a plurality of agitators provided at a bottom of the inner space and configured to remove foreign matter from the shoes.

14. The device of claim 13 , wherein the forward extensions include a UV light emitter provided at a front end, a first discharge port provided on an upper surface, and a second discharge port provided on a lower surface, the first and second discharge ports being configured to emit hot air and plasma ions simultaneously or sequentially.

15. The device of claim 13 , wherein the shoe dryer comprises:
a body, the plurality of forward extensions protruding forward from the body;
a plurality of downward extensions extending downward from the body; and
a handle protruding forward from a center of the body.

16. The device of claim 13 , wherein the agitators are arranged in a plurality of columns to correspond to the plurality of shoes, and a tray is provided under the agitators to collect foreign matter, the tray being configured to be inserted into and withdrawn from the housing.

17. The device of claim 13 , further comprising:
an internal frame provided in the inner space to surround the agitators,
a first support provided on the internal frame and extending in a forward-rearward direction, and
a second support provided on the internal frame and extending in a left-right direction to intersect with the first support, the first and second supports being configured to support the plurality of shoes.

18. The device of claim 13 , further comprising a blower configured to blow air toward the shoes to remove foreign matter from the shoes.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• An Seong Woo
• Kang Seok Kyu
• Yang Heesu
• Oh Min Kyu
• Lee Suyoung
• Kim Ja Yoen
• Choi Hwayun

Classifications

• A61L2103/50

  Textiles, e.g. bedwear or towels · CPC title

• A61L2/14

  Plasma, i.e. ionised gases · CPC title

• A61L2202/17

  Combination with washing or cleaning means · CPC title

• A61L2/20

  Gaseous substances, e.g. vapours · CPC title

• A61L2/10 Primary

  Ultraviolet [UV] radiation · CPC title