Apparatus and method for treating shoes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12520992-B2
Application number	US-202418901959-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2024
Priority date	Jun 24, 2020
Publication date	Jan 13, 2026
Grant date	Jan 13, 2026

Abstract

A shoe treating apparatus includes an upper cabinet, a lower cabinet disposed below the upper cabinet, an electronic component part disposed below the lower cabinet, a sensor part, and a processor electrically connected to the electronic component part and the sensor part. The processor may identify at least one of a material, a type, and a condition of at least one shoe in the upper cabinet, and based on the identification, perform normal treatment on the at least one shoe in the upper cabinet through the electronic component part. The processor may identify at least one of a material, a type, and a condition of at least one shoe in the lower cabinet, and based on the identification, perform intensive treatment on the at least one shoe in the lower cabinet through the electronic component part. A method of operating the shoe treating apparatus is also provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A shoe treating apparatus, comprising:
a first cabinet; a second cabinet; an electronic component compartment; at least one sensor; and a processor electrically connected to the electronic component compartment and the at least one sensor, wherein the processor is configured to:
identify at least one of a material, a type, or a condition of at least one shoe in at least one of the first cabinet or the second cabinet; and
based on the identification of the at least one of the material, the type, or the condition of the at least one shoe in the first cabinet, treat at least one shoe in at least one of the first cabinet or the second cabinet through the electronic component compartment.

2 . The shoe treating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to perform a normal treatment or an intensive treatment to the at least one shoe based on the at least one of the material, type, or condition of the at least one of the first cabinet or the second cabinet, and
wherein the normal treatment comprises controlling at least one of a temperature or a humidity inside the at least one of the first cabinet or the second cabinet.

3 . The shoe treating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to perform a normal treatment or an intensive treatment to the at least one shoe based on the at least one of the material, type, or condition of the at least one of the first cabinet or the second cabinet, and
wherein the intensive treatment comprises performing at least one of a foreign substance removal function, a sanitizing and deodorizing function, a steaming and sanitizing function, a dehumidifying and drying function, or a nourishing and water-repellent coating function for the at least one shoe in the at least one of the first cabinet or the second cabinet based on the at least one of the material, type, or condition of the at least one shoe in the at least one of the first cabinet or the second cabinet.

4 . The shoe treating apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising:
a suction tube disposed inside the second cabinet; and at least one of a discharge tube disposed inside the second cabinet or a rolling brush disposed at a lower portion of the second cabinet, wherein the foreign substance removal function comprises:
discharging air through the discharge tube and suctioning the foreign substances dislodged from the at least one shoe in the second cabinet due to the discharged air through the suction tube; and
causing foreign substances attached to a lower portion of the at least one shoe in the second cabinet to be dislodged therefrom by rolling the at least one rolling brush and suctioning the foreign substances dislodged from the lower portion of the shoe.

5 . The shoe treating apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising:
a light emitter disposed inside the second cabinet; and an emitter disposed inside the second cabinet, wherein the sanitizing and deodorizing function comprises:
emitting ultraviolet light by the light emitter; and
emitting at least one of a photocatalyst and a deodorizer through the emitter.

6 . The shoe treating apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising a discharge tube disposed inside the second cabinet,
wherein the steaming and sanitizing function comprises discharging steam through the discharge tube.

7 . The shoe treating apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising a discharge tube disposed inside the second cabinet,
wherein the dehumidifying and drying function comprise discharging low-temperature hot air through the discharge tube.

8 . The shoe treating apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising a discharge tube disposed inside the second cabinet,
wherein the nourishing and water-repellent coating function comprises emitting at least one of mist or air through the discharge tube.

9 . The shoe treating apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the processor is further configured to treat the at least one shoe in the second cabinet through the electronic component compartment for a predetermined amount of time for each of the foreign substance removal function, the sanitizing and deodorizing function, the steaming and sanitizing function, the dehumidifying and drying function, and the nourishing and water-repellent coating function.

10 . The shoe treating apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising:
a suction tube disposed inside the second cabinet; a discharge tube disposed inside the second cabinet; a rolling brush disposed at a lower portion of the second cabinet; a light emitter disposed inside the second cabinet; and an emitter disposed inside the second cabinet.

11 . The shoe treating apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first door to open and close the first cabinet; and a second door to open and close the second cabinet, wherein the processor is further configured to:
detect, through the at least one sensor, whether the first door or the second door is closed and whether at least one shoe is present in a corresponding one of the first cabinet or the second cabinet; and
based on detecting whether the first door or the second door is closed and whether the at least one shoe is present in the corresponding one of the first cabinet or the second cabinet, operate each of the first cabinet and the second cabinet in a treatment mode corresponding thereto through the electronic component compartment.

12 . The shoe treating apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured to, when a shoe is not detected inside the second cabinet, perform a sanitizing and deodorizing function and a steaming and sanitizing function at a higher strength compared to when the at least one shoe is detected inside the second cabinet through the electronic component compartment to disinfect the inside of the second cabinet.

13 . The shoe treating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first cabinet comprises a plurality of storage spaces, and
wherein the processor is further configured to, based on the at least one of the material, type, or condition of the at least one shoe disposed in each of the plurality of storage spaces included in the first cabinet, control the at least one of the temperature or the humidity for each of the plurality of storage spaces differently through the electronic component compartment to perform the normal treatment.

14 . The shoe treating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second cabinet comprises a plurality of storage spaces, and
wherein the processor is further configured to, based on the at least one of the material, type, or condition of the at least one shoe disposed in each of the plurality of storage spaces included in the second cabinet, perform the at least one of the foreign substance removal function, the sanitizing and deodorizing function, the steaming and sanitizing function, the dehumidifying and drying function, or the nourishing and water-repellent coating function for each of the plurality of storage spaces through the electronic component compartment to perform the intensive treatment.

15 . The shoe treating apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a camera,
wherein the second cabinet comprises a storage space and at least one discharge tube located in the storage space, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a distance measurement sensor, and wherein the processor is further configured to:
identify a position of the at least one shoe in the storage space of the second cabinet through at least one of the camera and the distance measurement sensor; and
adjust an angle of the at least one discharge tube disposed insid

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

• A61L2103/50

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

• A61L2/10

  Ultraviolet [UV] radiation · CPC title

• A61L2202/17

  Combination with washing or cleaning means · CPC title

• A61L2202/14

  Means for controlling sterilisation processes, data processing, presentation and storage means, e.g. sensors, controllers, programs · CPC title

• A61L2202/122

  Chambers for sterilisation · CPC title