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US 4,981,651 AGranted
Apparatus for sterilizing shoes
OwnerWen-Jenn Hornginventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for sterilizing a shoe includes a housing 1 mounting an elongate ultraviolet lamp 2, a heating element 3 and a ventilating fan 4. Exposure of the inner sole of the shoe to the ultraviolet rays and the heated air has a sterilizing effect, thus stopping the growth of bacteria and fungi in the shoe. The apparatus may be designed to sterilize a pair of shoes at the same time, or it may have some flexible parts to allow it to reach the inner sole of other footwear such as boots and the like.
Claims11
An apparatus for sterilizing shoes comprising:
- at least one ultraviolet means having a front end and two rear terminal ends;
- a first base including a plurality of first perforations, and receptacles for receiving the rear terminal ends of said ultraviolet means;
- a second housing base having a chamber therein and a plurality of air inlet perforations,
- means for joining said second housing base to said first base;
- an electric ventilating means mounted inside said chamber for drawing in air from the air inlet perforations of said second housing base and directing such air towards the front end of said ultraviolet means;
- at least one electric heating element mounted inside said chamber between said ultraviolet means and said ventilating means;
- and
- a casing attached to said first base to serve as a cover for each of said ultraviolet means, wherein the diameter of said first base is larger than that of said casing, creating an annular step portion between said first base and said casing, said first perforations being formed on said annular step portion.
5 more elements
An apparatus for sterilizing shoes comprising:
- at least one elongate ultraviolet means having a front end and two rear terminal ends;
- a first base including a plurality of first perforations, and receptacles for receiving the rear terminal ends of said ultraviolet means;
- a second housing base having a chamber therein and a plurality of air inlet perforations,
- means for joining said second housing base to said first base;
- an electric ventilating means mounted inside said chamber for drawing in air from the air inlet perforations of said second housing base and directing such air through said first perforations towards the front end of said ultraviolet means;
- at least one electric heating element mounted inside said chamber between said ultraviolet means and said ventilating means;
- and
- a casing attached to said first base, surrounding said first perforations, and serving as a cover for said ultraviolet means, wherein a plurality of holes are formed in a wall of said casing to enable the air directed through said first perforations by said ventilating means to pass through said casing.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.