FOOT WEAR DRYING APPARATUS

APPAREIL DE SECHAGE DE CHAUSSURES

English Abstract

The inventive idea refers to an apparatus that provides
divided air flows through flexible tubings to the inner
volume of moistured foot wear in order to dry them.

French Abstract

Cette invention concerne un dispositif à flexibles multiples servant à acheminer de l'air à l'intérieur de plusieurs chaussures humides pour les sécher.

Claims

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY OR
PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. An electrically operated footwear dryer having: an elongated
housing, the housing adapted to be positioned on or near the floor of
a room; a fan in the housing near one end of the housing; a motor in
the housing for operating the fan; switch means for controlling
operation of the motor; air inlet means in the housing adjacent the
one end of the housing; at least two pair of air outlets at the other
end of the housing; and a flexible hose attached to each outlet of
each outlet pair, each hose long enough for insertion into a footwear
member resting on the floor, whereby operation of the fan will draw
air into the housing through the inlet means and force it out of each
air outlet pair through the hoses attached to the outlets in the
outlet pair and into a footwear pair the hoses are inserted in.
2. A dryer as claimed in claim 1 wherein the elongated housing is
constructed to stand on the one end on the floor.
3. A dryer as claimed in claim 1 including means for selectively
preventing air from exiting each pair of hoses not used to dry
footwear while at least one pair of hoses are drying footwear.
4. A dryer as claimed in claim 3 wherein the selective preventing
means comprise connector means on the end of one of the hoses of each
pair of hoses, the connector means allowing each pair of hoses to be
selectively connected to each other to prevent air from exiting the
hoses.
5. A dryer as claimed in claim 2 including means for selectively
preventing air from exiting each pair of hoses not used to dry
footwear while at least one pair of hoses are drying footwear.
6. A dryer as claimed in claim 5 wherein the selective preventing
means comprise connector means on the end of one of the hoses of each
pair of hoses, the connector means allowing each pair of hoses to be
selectively connected to each other to prevent air from exiting the
hoses.
3.

7. A dryer as claimed in claim 1 including air heating means in the
housing for heating the air blown through the housing.
8. A dryer as claimed in claim 2 including air heating means in the
housing for heating the air blown through the housing.
9. A dryer as claimed in claim 7 including means for selectively
preventing air from exiting each pair of hoses not used to dry
footwear while at least one pair of hoses are drying footwear.
10. A dryer as claimed in claim 9 wherein the selective preventing
means comprise connector means on the end of one of the hoses of each
pair of hoses, the connector means allowing each pair of hoses to be
selectively connected to each other to prevent air from exiting the
hoses.
11. A dryer as claimed in claim 8 including means for selectively
preventing air from exiting each pair of hoses not used to dry
footwear while at least one pair of hoses are drying footwear.
12. A dryer as claimed in claim 11 wherein the selective preventing
means comprise connector means on the end of one of the hoses of each
pair of hoses, the connector means allowing each pair of hoses to be
selectively connected to each other to prevent air from exiting the
hoses.
4.

Description

21~&'83
SPECIFICATION
This inventive idea relates to a domèstic apparatus for
drying out the interior volume of foot wear.
The prior art includes a variety of devices for drying
the interior of one or more pairs of ski boots or other
foot wear. Some are rack type, dedicated to ski resorts
(Patent No.1270636 Jannach, 4136464 Hay, 4145602 Lee,
4200993 Blanc), some are applicable to a single boot
~Patent No.4768293 Kaffka), or a single pair of boots
(Patent No.2037447 Chu, 41715 80 Vabrinskas).
Eacl; prior boot dryer inv~lltion has its inconveniences
such as handling and turning the boots in a specific
position, or precisely locate the device with respect to
the boot and moving it from boot to boot, or the need to
hang the device in order to be operational, or to place
the device over a floor register, impairing the visual
impression of the room.
I-t is th~ primary object of the inventiv~ idea to
provide an improved foot wear drying apparatus for
domestic purpose, easy to use, low current consumer, and
free of the above disadvantages.
The device of the inventive idea is a self contained
unit, floor siting, or wall mounted in the foot wear
storage area.
The apparatus is electrically operated by a Hi/Low
speed fan for fast/slow drying rate.
The air flow created by the said fan is discharged
through at least two ports and directed into at least a
pair of foot wear through flexible tubes. The flexible
tubes are easily inserted into boots stored in a normal
position, without the risk of damaging the inner lining
of shoes.
The tubes are organised in pairs, so one of the two
tubes consLdered a pair has removably attached a plastic
connector. The pair of tubes not in use, can be easily
connected via the connector, to close a loop and not
waste the blown air.
The device can contain an electric heater to provide
warm air.

CA 02l30883 l998-08-l2
2.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In drawings which illustrate embodiments of the
inventive idea, Figure 1 is a view in perspective showing
the stand up version of the dryer in conjunction with two
pairs of boots.
Figure 2 is a view in perspective showing the wall
mounted version of the said dryer in conjunction with two
pairs of boots.
The drying apparatus illustrated in Figures 1 and 2
comprise a housing 10, having a cylindrical or any other
ergonomical shape and is preferably a rigid injection-
molded plastic product as polypropylene, ABS, or other
suitable material.
The housing 10 is provided with air inlets 14, a three
position switch 15, for LOW-OFF-HI fan speed, and a line
cord 11.
The housing 10 is carrying at one end an electrical
motorized fan 16, which creates an air pressure inside
the said housing.
At the other end the housing includes at least four
fitting like discharge ports 17.
Flexible tubings 18, made of suitable flexible material
such as a 10 mm (3/8") inside diameter commercial vinyl,
are removably clamped onto ports 17.
Dotted lines 18' indicate the respective tubing portions
within boots 19, 20 and each tube will be understood to
have an open end for discharge the air flow toward but at
some clearance from the toe end of the boot in which it
is inserted.
Half of the tubings 18 have removably attached plastic
connectors 12. The said tubings not used are connected in
pairs via connectors 12 to save the air flow.
In the embodiment shown in Figure 2 the housing 10 is
supported by the holding clamps 21 in the wall mounted
version, but otherwise, the construction may be the same
as that described above.
As many changes can be made to the disclosure herein
without departing from the scope of the invention, it is
intended that all material contained herein be
interpreted as illustrative, and this invention to be
limited only by the appending claims.

Representative Drawing