Shoe management apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12256880-B2
Application number	US-202117356336-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 23, 2021
Priority date	Jun 24, 2020
Publication date	Mar 25, 2025
Grant date	Mar 25, 2025

Abstract

A shoe management apparatus includes a first management apparatus, including a first inner space and an electric compartment disposed below the first inner space for dehumidifying air introduced into the electric compartment, and removing foreign matter from the shoes stored in the first inner space; and a second management apparatus disposed above the first management apparatus, including a second inner space for storing a shoe, and for adjusting humidity of the second inner space using air discharged from the electric compartment.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A shoe management apparatus, comprising:
a first management apparatus, including:
a first inner space for storing shoes; and
an electric compartment disposed below the first inner space, the electric compartment configured to:
dehumidify air introduced into the electric compartment, and
discharge dehumidified air to the first inner space to remove foreign matter from the shoes stored in the first inner space; and

a second management apparatus disposed above the first management apparatus, including a second inner space for storing shoes, and configured to:
receive the dehumidified air from the first management apparatus, and
adjust humidity of the second inner space using the received dehumidified air,

wherein air, which is supplied from the electric compartment to the first inner space, is sprayed directly toward the shoes stored in the first inner space to remove foreign matter from the shoes,
wherein air, which is supplied from the electric compartment to the second inner space, is not sprayed directly toward the shoes, but flows inside the second inner space, and
wherein the first management apparatus and the second management apparatus are coupled to each other so that air discharged from the electric compartment is supplied to the second management apparatus.

2. The shoe management apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first management apparatus includes:
a first cabinet defining an exterior of the first management apparatus and defining the first inner space, the first cabinet including the electric compartment; and
a first partition extending vertically across the first inner space to divide the first inner space into a first side and a second side.

3. The shoe management apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the electric compartment includes:
a main fan configured to draw in air by creating a vacuum and discharge the drawn-in air;
a housing disposed at a first lateral side of the main fan and configured to dehumidify air therein and to allow the dehumidified air to be drawn into the main fan;
a steam generator disposed at the first lateral side of the main fan and configured to generate steam by heating water;
a water supply container disposed at a second lateral side of the main fan, opposite to the first lateral side of the main fan, to supply water to the steam generator, the water supply container being detachably coupled to the first cabinet; and
a drain container disposed at the second lateral side of the main fan to collect moisture removed in the housing.

4. The shoe management apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the electric compartment further includes an air distributor configured to:
receive the air discharged from the main fan, and distribute the received air to the first inner space and to the second inner space.

5. The shoe management apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the first management apparatus further includes:
a first exhaust port disposed at an upper surface of the first cabinet and configured to discharge air to outside of the first management apparatus; and
a longitudinal connection pipe connected between the main fan and the first exhaust port and configured to guide the air discharged from the main fan to the first exhaust port.

6. The shoe management apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the longitudinal connection pipe is at least partially disposed inside the first partition.

7. The shoe management apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first management apparatus further includes:
an inner panel disposed at a rear portion of the first inner space with an upper end of the inner panel located further forward than a lower end of the inner panel; and
a blower fan disposed between the inner panel and an inner surface of the first cabinet and configured to force air to the first inner space.

8. The shoe management apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first management apparatus performs at least one operation selected from contaminant removal, sterilization, deodorization, dehumidification, drying, and coating of the shoe stored in the first inner space.

9. The shoe management apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second management apparatus includes:
a cabinet defining an exterior of the second management apparatus and defining the second inner space; and
an exhaust port disposed at a bottom surface of the cabinet and configured to receive the air discharged from the electric compartment and guide the received air to the second inner space.

10. The shoe management apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the second management apparatus further includes at least one partition extending vertically across the second inner space to divide the second inner space into a first side and a second side, and
wherein the at least one partition includes a rear end at least partially spaced apart from an inner surface of the cabinet to allow air to flow between the rear end of the at least one partition and the inner surface of the cabinet.

11. The shoe management apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the second management apparatus further includes a circulation filter disposed on an inner surface of the cabinet and configured to remove contaminants from air in the cabinet.

12. A shoe management apparatus, comprising:
an electric compartment configured to:
dehumidify air introduced into the electric compartment,
generate steam by heating water, and
discharge the dehumidified air and the steam;

a first cabinet including the electric compartment and a first inner space for storing shoes disposed above the electric compartment, the first inner space being supplied with the air discharged from the electric compartment; and
a second cabinet disposed on an upper surface of the first cabinet and including a second inner space for storing shoes, the second inner space being supplied with the air discharged from the electric compartment,
wherein the steam discharged from the electric compartment is supplied only to the first inner space,
wherein the first cabinet and the second cabinet are coupled to each other so that air discharged from the electric compartment is supplied to the second inner space, and
wherein the electric compartment includes:
a main fan configured to draw in air by creating a vacuum and discharge the drawn-in air;
a housing disposed at a first lateral side of the main fan and configured to dehumidify air therein and to allow the dehumidified air to be drawn into the main fan;
a steam generator disposed at the first lateral side of the main fan and configured to generate the steam by heating water;
a water supply container disposed on a second lateral side of the main fan, opposite to the first lateral side of the main fan, to supply water to the steam generator, the water supply container being detachably coupled to the first cabinet; and
a drain container disposed at the second lateral side of the main fan to collect moisture removed in the housing.

13. The shoe management apparatus according to claim 12 , further comprising:
a first exhaust port disposed at the upper surface of the first cabinet and configured to discharge air to outside of a first management apparatus; and
a second exhaust port disposed at a bottom surface of the second cabinet and configured to receive the air discharged from the electric compartment and guide the received air to the second inner space.

14. The shoe management apparatus according to claim 13 , further comprising:
a first partition extending vertically across the first inner space to divide the first inner space into a first side an

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Yoo Hyunsun
• Choi Jeong Guen
• Oh Joohyeon
• Lim Jae Myung
• Han Byoungjoon
• Lee Sang Yoon
• Kim Hyunju
• Seong Jeaseok

Classifications

• A61L2/07

  Steam · CPC title

• A47B61/04

  for shoes, hats, umbrellas, or the like {(shoe racks as an implement for the manufacture of shoes A43D117/00)} · CPC title

• A47L2601/04

  Steam · CPC title

• A47L2601/20

  Other treatments, e.g. dry cleaning · CPC title

• A47L23/205

  with heating arrangements · CPC title