[0001] The invention relates to device for cleaning dirty shoe soles, using a dry method
of cleaning. The device can be positioned at the entrance of rooms and areas, where
the depositing of dirt from outside is undesirable, such as residential dwellings,
offices, doctors' surgeries, hospitals, business premises, shopping areas, schools,
communal areas, historical buildings, industrial premises, etc.
[0002] It is general custom at present, where the bringing of outside dirt into the interior
of a building is undesirable, to provide doormats composed either of rigit, brush-like
bristles or a series of rigit strips, running either parallel to each other or organized
into a pattern. This are made from various materials, the commonly used being rubber,
metal or plastic. The drawback of using a doormat consists chiefly in insufficient
contact between shoe and doormat, while walking across the doormat. Pepole in a hurry
or unconcerned about wiping their feet bring the dirt on their shoes in.
Futher known devices for cleaning shoe soles incorporate moveable parts, which have
the function to dislodge and remove dirt from the shoe soles. From EP 1 066 790 we
have a device with cleaning parts located on a revolving shaft, which in addition
performes a horizontal to and fro movement, whereas the CZ 29805 patent and the FR
74 02967 document describe devices in which the cleaning parts are fitted on continuous
side by side placed belts, all moving in the same direction. The dirt remaining on
the cleaning parts of the above described devices, unless acidentally dropping into
the space below cannot be removed and is therefore re-circulated with each subsequent
use. DE 101 29 435 A1 has produced a device where the cleaning parts, fitted on parallel
equidistant running belts, rub against an inside bar. Even this device does not prevent
the dirt, particularly dry power, from being dispersed into the surrounding area.
Also known are devices, where the cleaning parts are washed before each use. RU 2096017
produced a device with parallel runnings belts, whose cleaning equipment passes throught
a liquid bath located in the lower part of the device. Downside of this is a wet shoe
sole liable to slip acidentally and thus being potentially dangerous. From US 6,406,549
B1 is known a device with parallel running belts, the cleaning parts of which pass
throught first washing unit and then a drying unit. CZ PV 1069-92 produced a device
where following a wet unit, equipped with special in disinfectant saturated belts,
moving between the grid in an alternating fashion, is situated a dry unit for the
drying of the lower part of the shoes. A common disadvantage of all devices, using
liquid washing as part of their operation, is the complexity of the apparatus and
hence the high price of the device. There is futher the need to connect the apparatus
to a water supply and discharge pipes. For the reason mentioned, the device are mostly
build into the floor and predominantly located only in places busy with people.
A common downside of all devices, where the cleaning parts are moving in one direction
only, is the limited speed of the parts, in order not to push the shoe being cleaned
away from the cleaning area. This results in insufficient cleaning of the shoes. The
cleaning of grooved surfaces on these devices is also not performed thoroughly.
[0003] The above mentioned disadvantages are solved by a device for cleaning the shoe soles,
in which the body of the cleaner houses a mechanism for ensuring a shifting motion
of the cleaning parts and where the cleaning parts are fitted on at least two side
by side placed continuous belts. Coninuous belts are in contact with supporting wheels
and driving wheels and both wheels belonging to the same continuous belt are placed
on shafts paralel to each other. The basis of invention is, that at least two continuous
belts are moveable, one to each other, in a opposite directions and each continuous
belt for the first direction of movement has the driving wheel, firmly fitted to the
second shaft and the supporting wheel, loosely rotating on the first shaft, and each
continuous belt for the second direction of movement has the driving wheel firmly
fitted to the first shaft and the supporting wheel, loosely rotating on the second
shaft. The first shaft is equipped with the first toothed wheel, which is in contact
whith the teeth on the first side of two-sided toothed belt and the second shaft is
equipped with the second toothed wheel, which is in contact with the teeth of the
second side of two-sided toothed belt. The two-sided toothed belt is connected to
the drive unit. Inner space of the body of the cleaner is connected to the opening
of suction apparatus, which consists of ventilator and filter.
The advantage of this device is that the power generated by the motion of the cleaning
parts in one direction is compansated by the force generated by the cleaning parts
moving in the opposite direction and the shoe being cleaned is not, even under hight
speed friction, pulled away from its position. A further advantage of the two-way
system is that by slightly altering the position of shoe to belt, even a highly textured
shoe sole with deep cut grooves can be thoroughly cleaned. The advantage of using
a two sided toothed belt for a two way system considerably simplifies the manufacture
of this device, reduces the noise level and ensures reliability in an even highly
polluted enviroment. There is no need to connect the apparatus too a watersupply or
discharge pipes and devices is not depend on sutably constructed floor space. A further
advantage, which has to do with the built in suction mechanism, is that the inner
area of the device is being kept free of circulating dust despite the dry cleaning
parts moving in opposite direction to each other. The device can be constructed as
fully portable and can be used in less or highly frequented areas and positioned in
close proximity to the space required to be kept clean.
[0004] Particular embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the
acompanying drawing in which:
Figure 1. is a lateral view of inner arrangement of the device for cleaning shoe soles
as it is seen in cross section A-A in Figure 3.
Figure 2 is a view of one of the shafts with the supporting and driving wheels and
Figure 3 is a plan view of the device.
[0005] Device for cleaning shoe soles consists of a body
1 of the cleaner, of which cleaning parts
2, brushes, in this particular example, are protruding on the upper side, and of mechanism
3 to provide for the cleaning parts
2 shifting motion. The cleaning parts
2 are located on side by side placed six continuous belts
4,4'. The adjacent continuous belts
4,4' move in the direction opposite to each other. Each continuous belt
4,4' is taken in contact with the supporting wheel
5 and the driving wheel
7. Wheels
5,7 pertaining to the same continuous belt
4,4' are fitted on shafts
6,6' in parallel each to other. The driving wheel
7 of the continuous belt
4 dedicated for the first direction of motion is connected to the second shaft
6', while the supporting wheel
5 is rotating on the first shaft
6. The driving wheel
7 of the continuous belt
4' dedicated for the second direction of motion is connected to the first shaft
6, while the respective supporting wheel
5 is rotating on the second shaft
6'. The first shaft
6 has got a first toothed wheel
8, fitted at one end. First toothed wheel
8 is in mesh with the second side
12 of a two-sided toothed belt
9. Second shaft
6' has got a second toothed wheel
8' fitted at the end. Second toothed wheel
8' is in mesh with the first side
12 of the two-sided toothed belt
9. The two-sided toothed belt
9 is connected to the drive
10. Below the continuous belts
4,4' there are collecting trays
18, between which a mechanical partition
17 is located. The inner space
13 of the body
1 of the cleaner is connected to the opening
14 of suction apparatus, which consist of ventilator
15 located inside the body
1 of the cleaner and driven by a motor
19, and a filter
16 connected to the ventilator
15 outlet. Filter
16 is located outside the body
1 of the cleaner.
[0006] The device for cleaning shoe soles having been switched on, the shafts
6,6', driving wheels
7 connected to them included, rotate in mutually opposite sense. As the driving wheels
7 of adjacent continuous belts
4,4' are connected to different shafts
6,6', the adjacent belts
4,4' will shift in mutually opposite directions. Coarse dirt is removed from the cleaning
parts
2 by scrubbing the same against the mechanical partition
17 and falls down in the dirt collecting trays
18, from which it should be removed periodically. Airborne dirt is exhausted from the
inner space
13 of the body
1 by the fan
15 and trapped in the filter
16.
[0007] The invention may also be applied to tyre cleaning, for example, prior to the treatment
of a car in a carwash or before a tyre is taken apart from the wheel, or to other
objects with textured surface.
1. A device for cleaning the shoe soles, in which the body (1) of the cleaner houses
a mechanism (3) for ensuring a shifting motion of the cleaning parts (2) and where
the cleaning parts (2) are fitted on at least two side by side placed continuous belts
(4,4') and coninuous belts (4,4') are in contact with supporting wheels (5) and a
driving wheels (7) and both wheels (5,7) belonging to the same continuous belt (4,4')
are placed on shafts (6,6') paralel to each other, characterisied in that at least two continuous belts (4,4') are moveable one to each other in a opposite
directions and each continuous belt (4) for the first direction of movement has the
driving wheel (7), firmly fitted to the second shaft (6'), and the supporting wheel
(5), loosely rotating on the first shaft (6), and each continuous belt (4') for the
second direction of movement has the driving wheel (7) firmly fitted to the first
shaft (6) and the supporting wheel (5) loosely rotating on the second shaft (6'),
and the first shaft (6) is equipped with the first toothed wheel (8), which is in
contact whith the teeth on the first side (12) of two-sided toothed belt (9), and
the second shaft (6') is equipped with the second toothed wheel (8'), which is in
contact with the teeth of the second side (11) of two-sided toothed belt (9) and the
two-sided toothed belt (9) is connected to the drive unit (10), and the inner space
(13) of the body (1) of the cleaner is connected to the opening (14) of suction apparatus,
which consists of ventilator (15) and filter (16).
