Footwear snow melting device using heated air
OwnerVictor F. Narvaezinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus melts snow off a person's footwear without the need for the wearer to take off the footwear. In particular, the apparatus is for melting ice and snow off the footwear, for example shoes, boots or sneakers, of the wearer by a directed and accurately disseminated heat flow. The heat flow is directed in a manner which facilitates the removal, deposition and collection of melting snow and ice from shoes of a wearer at a desired location, e.g., in a threshold or landing, adjacent an entry/exit door of a residence or commercial building before such snow and ice and any contaminant therein can be tracked into the building.
Claims16
A footwear snow-melting device comprising:
- a housing having a first and a second section;
- an opening in at least a portion of a top side of the first section of the housing;
- a lattice covering the opening;
- at least a main pipe conduit extending from the second section of the housing into the first section of the housing for supplying air flow through the lattice;
- an air flow source for directing air through at least one opening in the pipe conduit, located in the second section of the housing and connected to the pipe conduit;
- a heating means for heating air prior to entering the pipe conduit;
- a drain extending from the first section of the housing to the exterior of the housing for removing water and debris;
- a power switch for controlling the air flow source;
- and
- wherein a plurality of secondary outlet conduits communicate at a substantially 90 degree angle with the main pipe conduit, each outlet conduit further defining the opening at a free end of the outlet conduit located closer to the lattice than to the pipe conduit to provide a specifically directed air flow through the lattice and onto a user's footwear.
A footwear snow-melting device comprising:
- a housing containing a blower for developing an air flow;
- a heating element for heating the air flow and a series of main conduits communicating with the blower for relaying the heated air flow to a desired location;
- a plurality of exhaust openings formed in the series of main conduits directing the heated air flow towards a ventilated platform upon which footwear is positioned;
- a catch basin aligned below the ventilated platform to capture any material removed from the footwear and direct such material to a drain;
- and
- wherein each of the exhaust openings comprises an outlet conduit extending from one of the series of main conduits, each outlet conduit having a free end spaced from the main conduit and located closer to the ventilated platform than to the main conduit to provide a specifically directed air flow at about 45 degrees through the ventilated platform and onto the footwear.
A method for removing snow and ice from footwear comprising:
- forming a housing having a first and a second section;
- placing the housing in front of a doorway;
- creating an opening in at least a portion of a top side of the first section of the housing;
- placing a lattice over the opening;
- creating at least a main pipe conduit extending from the second section of the housing into the first section of the housing;
- heating air prior to entering the pipe conduit;
- directing heated air through at least an opening in the pipe conduit via an air flow source located in the second section of the housing and connected to the pipe conduit;
- controlling the air flow source via a power switch;
- removing water and debris from the second section of the housing via a drain;
- and
- defining the opening in the pipe conduit at a free end of a secondary outlet conduit extending from the main pipe conduit, and locating the free end of the outlet conduit closer to the lattice than to the main pipe conduit in order to provide a specifically directed air flow through the lattice and onto a user's footwear.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.