CN110945176B - Shoe washing device - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a shoe washing device which can improve water saving performance. The shoe washing device (1) comprises: an ejection port (20) for ejecting a cleaning liquid to the shoes (S) in the storage chamber (11); a filter (25); a pump (29) for sending the cleaning liquid flowing out of the storage chamber (11) through the filter (25) to the jet port (20); a heater (18) composed of a flat heater which is flat up and down; and a heater cover (52). The storage chamber (11) is covered from the lower side (Z2) by a first bottom surface section (12A) formed with a recess (12C) having an outlet (12E) and a second bottom surface section (12B) extending laterally from the upper end of the recess (12C). The filter (25) is disposed at the outlet (12E) in the recess (12C), and collects foreign matter from the cleaning liquid flowing out of the storage chamber (11) from the outlet (12E). The heater (18) is disposed in the recess (12C) at a position further from the outlet (12E) than the filter (25). The heater cover (52) is disposed in the recess (12C) and covers the heater (18) from the upper side (Z1).

Description

Shoe washing device

Technical Field

The invention relates to a shoe washing device.

Background

In the shoe washing machine disclosed in patent document 1, a vertically extending rotary shaft is rotatably provided at the center of the bottom of an inner cylinder disposed in an outer tank. A circular blade, a so-called pulsator, is integrally provided at a lower portion of the rotating shaft. The main brush protruding transversely to the vicinity of the inner surface of the inner cylinder is provided over the circumferential side surface of the rotary shaft, and the auxiliary brush protruding upward is provided on the blade. When the rotating shaft is turned over in a state that water is supplied to the inner tub and the shoes are inserted between the rotating shaft and the inner surface of the inner tub, the shoes are washed by rubbing with the main brush and the auxiliary brush.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese Kokai publication Sho 62-120956

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

In a shoe washing device for washing shoes with a washing liquid such as water as in patent document 1, improvement of water saving performance is sought.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a shoe washing device capable of improving water saving performance.

Means for solving the problems

The invention is a shoe washing device, comprising: a storage chamber which is covered from the lower side by a first bottom surface part and a second bottom surface part, wherein the first bottom surface part is provided with a concave part which is concave towards the lower side and is provided with an outflow opening at the bottom, and the second bottom surface part transversely extends from the upper end of the concave part, so as to store shoes; a jet port for jetting a cleaning liquid to the shoes in the storage chamber; a filter disposed at the outlet in the recess and configured to collect foreign matter from the cleaning liquid flowing out of the storage chamber from the outlet; a pump for sending the cleaning liquid flowing out of the storage chamber through the filter to at least the injection port; a heater which is composed of a flat heater that is flat in the vertical direction and is disposed in the recess at a position that is farther from the outlet than the filter; and a heater cover disposed in the recess portion to cover the heater from above, wherein the second bottom surface portion is inclined so as to descend toward the recess portion, an inclined surface portion descending toward the outlet is provided at a bottom portion of the recess portion, an upper surface portion of the heater is disposed so as to be substantially flush with the inclined surface portion, and an inlet port of water supplied into the storage chamber is disposed in the recess portion at a position farther from the outlet than the heater.

In the present invention, the heater cover is provided with a plurality of through holes that vertically penetrate the heater cover.

In the present invention, the upper surface portion of the heater cover is disposed at a position substantially equal in height to the second bottom surface portion.

Effects of the invention

According to the present invention, in the shoe washing device, the shoes in the storage chamber are washed by the washing liquid ejected from the ejection port. The cleaning liquid is discharged from the outlet to the outside of the storage chamber and then sent to the discharge port by the pump, and is repeatedly discharged onto the shoes in the storage chamber. This enables the shoe to be washed with a small amount of washing liquid, thereby improving the water saving performance.

In the shoe washing device, the filter collects foreign matters in the washing liquid flowing out from the outlet to the outside of the storage chamber, and the heater arranged at a position farther from the outlet than the filter heats the washing liquid. The cleaning liquid which removes the foreign matter by heating can effectively clean the shoes.

The storage chamber is covered from below by a first bottom surface portion formed with a recess recessed downward and having the outlet at the bottom and a second bottom surface portion extending laterally from the upper end of the recess, the second bottom surface portion being at a position higher than the bottom of the recess. A filter, a heater, and a heater cover covering the heater from above are disposed in the recess. Since the heater is constituted by a planar heater and is flat in the vertical direction, the heater and the heater cover can be disposed so as not to protrude from the recess portion to the upper side.

In the configuration in which the filter, the heater, and the heater cover are disposed in the recess of the first bottom surface portion to raise the second bottom surface portion, the required amount of the cleaning liquid can be reduced as compared with a case in which the second bottom surface portion is at the same height as the bottom of the recess, and therefore, the water saving performance can be improved.

Further, according to the present invention, since the second bottom surface portion is inclined so as to descend toward the recessed portion, foreign matter such as gravel removed from the shoe can be guided toward the recessed portion along the inclined surface of the second bottom surface portion. Since the bottom of the recess is provided with the inclined surface portion that descends toward the outlet, foreign matter in the recess can be guided along the inclined surface portion toward the outlet and collected by the filter. In the recess, the heater and the inlet are disposed in this order close to the outlet, and the upper surface portion of the heater is disposed so as to be substantially flush with the inclined surface portion. In this case, the water flow flowing in from the inflow port when the water for the cleaning liquid is supplied falls onto the inclined surface portion, and passes through the upper surface portion of the heater at this time. Therefore, the foreign matters on the inclined surface part and the foreign matters attached to the upper surface part of the heater can be carried by the water and guided to the outlet at the same time, and are collected by the filter. Therefore, it is not necessary to add water only for removing foreign matter from the inclined surface portion and the upper surface portion of the heater, and therefore, the water saving performance can be improved.

Further, according to the present invention, since the heater cover covering the heater from above is formed with the plurality of through holes, the cleaning liquid can be caused to flow down to the heater from the through holes. Thus, the cleaning liquid is efficiently heated by the heater, and foreign matter adhering to the upper surface portion of the heater is efficiently removed by the water potential of the cleaning liquid flowing down from the through hole.

Further, according to the present invention, since the upper surface portion of the heater cover is disposed at a position having substantially the same height as the second bottom surface portion, the upper surface portion and the second bottom surface portion of the heater cover can be cleaned at the same time during maintenance.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a shoe washing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along line a-a of fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along line B-B of fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C of fig. 3.

Fig. 5A is a cross-sectional view taken along line D-D of fig. 4.

Fig. 5B is a bottom view of the shoe washing device.

Fig. 5C is a G-G sectional view of fig. 5B.

FIG. 5D is a rear view of the shoe washing device.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a plan view of a shoe washing device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, the vertical direction in fig. 1 is referred to as a horizontal direction X of the shoe washing device 1, the horizontal direction in fig. 1 is referred to as a front-rear direction Y of the shoe washing device 1, and a direction perpendicular to the paper surface in fig. 1 is referred to as a vertical direction Z of the shoe washing device 1. The left-right direction X includes a left side X1 corresponding to the upper side of fig. 1 and a right side X2 corresponding to the lower side of fig. 1. The front-rear direction Y includes a front side Y1 corresponding to the left side of fig. 1 and a rear side Y2 corresponding to the right side of fig. 1. The vertical direction Z includes an upper side Z1 corresponding to the near side on the paper surface of fig. 1 and a lower side Z2 corresponding to the far side on the paper surface of fig. 1. The lateral direction X and the front-back direction Y are included in the lateral direction, more specifically, the horizontal direction, and the vertical direction Z is the same as the vertical direction, in other words, the height direction of the shoe washing device 1.

The shoe washing device 1 is incorporated in a hollow base (not shown) mounted on a clothes washing machine, for example. The shoe washing device 1 comprises a box-like frame 2 and a body 3 forming the housing thereof. The frame 2 includes, for example, at least a metal top plate 2A, a left side plate 2B, and a right side plate 2C, and is fixed to the base (not shown) by fastening members such as bolts. The top plate 2A is disposed between the upper end edges of the left and right side plates 2B and 2C. The frame 2 has an internal space 2D covered by the top plate 2A from the upper side Z1 and covered by the left side plate 2B and the right side plate 2C from both sides in the left-right direction X. The internal space 2D is open at least to the front side Y1.

The main body 3 includes a door 4 and a wash tank 5, and is supported slidably in the front-rear direction Y by the frame 2. The main body 3 in fig. 1 is in the accommodated position, and in the main body 3 in the accommodated position, the wash bowl 5 is in a state of being accommodated in the inner space 2D of the frame 2. The door 4 is formed in a plate shape having a plate thickness direction that coincides with the front-rear direction Y, and is disposed on the front side Y1 of the frame 2. The door 4 is larger than the frame 2 in the left-right direction X, and both ends of the door 4 are disposed to protrude outward of the frame 2. An exhaust port 4A, a recess 4B, and an operation portion 4C are provided in this order from, for example, the left side X1 on the upper end surface of the door 4. The air outlet 4A is in a state of being communicated with the inside of the washing tub 5 through an air outlet duct (not shown) formed in the door 4, and the air in the washing tub 5 is discharged from the air outlet 4A to the outside of the shoe washing apparatus 1. The user can slide the main body 3 in the front-rear direction Y by holding the door 4 with a finger placed in the recess 4B. The operation unit 4C is composed of, for example, a plurality of buttons, and is operated by the user to operate the shoe washing device 1. The operation unit 4C may include a liquid crystal display unit, for example.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along line a-a of fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along line B-B of fig. 2. Referring mainly to fig. 2, cleaning tank 5 is a resin or metal container that is smaller than frame 2, is disposed on rear side Y2 of door 4, and is fixed to door 4. The wash tub 5 integrally has a front wall 6, a rear wall 7, a left wall 8, a right wall 9 (see fig. 3), and a bottom wall 10. The front wall 6 and the rear wall 7 are formed in a plate shape having a plate thickness direction substantially equal to the front-rear direction Y, and are disposed facing each other with a gap in the front-rear direction Y. The left wall 8 and the right wall 9 are formed in a plate shape having a plate thickness direction substantially identical to the left-right direction X, and are disposed facing each other with a gap in the left-right direction X. The bottom wall 10 is formed in a plate shape having a plate thickness direction substantially equal to the front-rear direction Y, and spans between lower end edges of the front wall 6 and the rear wall 7 and between lower end edges of the left wall 8 and the right wall 9.

An inner space formed by the front wall 6 and the rear wall 7 in the washing tub 5 being sandwiched in the front-rear direction Y, the left wall 8 and the right wall 9 being sandwiched in the left-right direction X, and the bottom wall 10 being covered from the lower side Z2 is referred to as a storage chamber 11. The upper surface portion of the bottom wall 10 is a bottom surface portion 12 that covers the storage chamber 11 from the lower side Z2. The storage chamber 11 is open to the upper side Z1 through an access opening 13 having the upper ends of the front wall 6, the rear wall 7, the left wall 8, and the right wall 9 as the edges.

In association with the doorway 13, the frame 2 is provided with a cover 14 that opens and closes the doorway 13. The cover 14 is formed in a plate shape having a size capable of covering the doorway 13, and is disposed directly below the top plate 2A of the frame 2. The cover 14 is supported by the frame 2 so as to be movable up and down via a known lifting mechanism (not shown) using a cam or the like. As shown in fig. 2, in a state where the main body 3 is at the storage position, the lid 14 is lowered to seal the access opening 13. When the user grips the door 4 and pulls it toward the front side Y1, the main body 3 is pulled out to a pulled-out position (not shown) where the wash bowl 5 is located at the front side Y1 of the frame 2. The lid 14 is lifted and separated from the doorway 13 by the operation of the lifting mechanism in conjunction with the operation of pulling out the main body 3 from the storage position to the pulled-out position. Thus, in washing tub 5 of main body 3 at the pulled-out position, access opening 13 is opened and exposed to upper side Z1. The lid 14 is lowered by operating the lifting mechanism in conjunction with the movement of returning the main body 3 from the pulled-out position to the accommodated position. Thereby, when the main body 3 is returned to the storage position, the access 13 is sealed by the cover 14.

The main body 3 includes a partition member 15, a holding portion 16, a filter unit 17, a heater 18, an injection mechanism 19, an injection port 20, a protection portion 21, a duct 22, an air blowing portion 23, and a water supply path 24. The partition member 15 is formed in a horizontally extending lattice shape by, for example, a wire made of resin or metal. The partition member 15 is disposed at a position offset to the lower side Z2 from the center of the housing chamber 11 in the vertical direction Z, thereby partitioning the housing chamber 11 into an upper space 11A on the upper side Z1 of the partition member 15 and a lower space 11B on the lower side Z2 of the partition member 15. The upper space 11A has a sufficient space for accommodating a pair of shoes S to be washed in the shoe washing apparatus 1. The lower space 11B is smaller than the upper space 11A in the up-down direction Z. It should be noted that fig. 2 collectively shows two types of shoes S, i.e., a low-top type shoe S1 in which the throat SH is close to the sole SZ as shown by a dotted line and a high-top type shoe S2 in which the throat SH is far from the sole SZ as shown by a dashed-dotted line.

The holding portion 16 is provided in a pair corresponding to a pair of shoes S. The pair of holding portions 16 are arranged in the left-right direction X in the upper space 11A. Each holding portion 16 integrally includes a root portion 16A, a tip portion 16B, and an intermediate portion 16C. Root portion 16A is fixed to storage chamber 11, and more specifically, to rear wall 7 of washing tub 5. The root 16A extends substantially horizontally from a portion where the upper side Z1 abuts the partition member 15 to the front side Y1 at the rear wall 7. The distal end portion 16B is disposed at a position higher than the root portion 16A, more specifically, substantially at the center of the upper space 11A in the front-rear direction Y and the vertical direction Z, and extends substantially horizontally in the front-rear direction Y. The intermediate portion 16C extends obliquely rearward Y2 and downward Z2 from the tip portion 16B toward the root portion 16A, and connects the root portion 16A to the tip portion 16B. The holding portion 16 is formed in a frame shape by a wire material.

In association with the filter unit 17 and the heater 18, a first bottom surface portion 12A forming a substantially right half of the bottom surface portion 12 and a second bottom surface portion 12B forming a substantially left half of the bottom surface portion 12 are provided on the bottom surface portion 12 of the housing chamber 11 (see also fig. 3). A recess 12C recessed toward the lower side Z2 is formed in substantially the entire area of the first bottom surface portion 12A. The second bottom surface portion 12B is inclined so as to extend from the upper end of the recess 12C to the left side X1 and descend toward the recess 12C (see fig. 3). The second bottom surface portion 12B is inclined at an angle of about 5 degrees with respect to the left-right direction X, for example. The bottom 12D of the recess 12C is located lower than the second bottom surface 12B. A concave outflow port 12E recessed downward and a housing recess 12F recessed further downward Z2 from the lower end of the outflow port 12E are formed at the front end of the bottom 12D. An opening 12G penetrating the bottom wall 10 is formed in the bottom surface or the side surface of the accommodation recess 12F (see also fig. 5C described later). The opening 12G may be formed so as to straddle the bottom surface and the side surface of the accommodation recess 12F. The bottom 12D is provided with an inclined surface portion 12H disposed on the rear side Y2 of the outlet 12E. Inclined surface portion 12H extends from the lower end of rear wall 7 of cleaning tub 5 to front side Y1, and gradually descends toward outlet 12E. The inclination angle of the inclined surface portion 12H with respect to the front-rear direction Y is, for example, about 5 degrees. The recess 12C, the outflow port 12E, and the accommodation recess 12F are part of the lower space 11B.

The filter unit 17 is fitted into the accommodation recess 12F, and is disposed at the outlet 12E in the recess 12C of the first bottom surface portion 12A. The filter unit 17 includes a sheet-like filter 25 made of a mesh or the like and having a thin upper and lower sides. The filter 25 is disposed across the outflow port 12E. As the heater 18, a flat heater having a built-in electric heater and being flat in the vertical direction is used. The heater 18 is disposed in the recess 12C at a position farther from the outlet 12E than the filter unit 17 toward the rear side Y2.

The spray mechanism 19 includes a rotary nozzle 26, a side nozzle (side nozzle)27, a heel nozzle 28, and a pump 29. The rotary nozzle 26 includes a tower nozzle (tower nozzle)30 and a horizontal nozzle 31, and is disposed in the storage chamber 11. The tower nozzle 30 is disposed between the pair of holding portions 16 at substantially the center of the storage chamber 11 in a plan view. The tower nozzle 30 is a tubular hollow body whose upper end is covered, and extends from the second bottom surface portion 12B of the storage chamber 11 to the front of the entrance 13 of the storage chamber 11 toward the upper side Z1 through between the pair of holding portions 16. The lower end of the tower nozzle 30 is supported by the bottom surface 12, and the entire rotary nozzle 26 can rotate about an imaginary longitudinal axis J passing through the center of the tower nozzle 30. Referring to fig. 3, hereinafter, a circumferential direction around the longitudinal axis J is referred to as a circumferential direction T, and a radial direction around the longitudinal axis J is referred to as a radial direction R. The side of the radial direction R remote from the longitudinal axis J is referred to as a radially outer side R1, and the side close to the longitudinal axis J is referred to as a radially inner side R2. The horizontal nozzle 31 is a hollow body that is flat in the vertical direction and extends from the lower portion of the tower nozzle 30 to the radially outer side R1. The plurality of horizontal nozzles 31 are disposed in the lower space 11B of the storage chamber 11 so as to be rotationally symmetrical about the longitudinal axis J. The two horizontal nozzles 31 of the present embodiment are arranged in a straight line with the tower nozzle 30 interposed therebetween.

The pair of side nozzles 27 are disposed in the cleaning tank 5 so as to be spaced from the tower nozzle 30 and the pair of holding portions 16 in the left-right direction X. Each side nozzle 27 is a hollow body which is flat in the left-right direction X and long in the front-rear direction Y. Of the pair of side nozzles 27, side nozzle 27L on left side X1 is fixed to the right side of left wall 8 of washing tub 5, and side nozzle 27R on right side X2 is fixed to the left side of right wall 9 of washing tub 5. When viewed from the left-right direction X side, substantially the front half of each side nozzle 27 overlaps the tip portion 16B and the middle portion 16C of each holding portion 16 (see fig. 2).

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C of fig. 3. The pair of heel nozzles 28 are provided on the front surface of the rear wall 7 of the washing tub 5 at a position higher than the root 16A of each holding portion 16 in a state of being arranged in the left-right direction. The pair of heel nozzles 28 and the pair of holding portions 16 are located at the same positions in the left-right direction X. Each heel nozzle 28 is a hollow body extending in the left-right direction X. Of the pair of heel nozzles 28, the left end portion of the heel nozzle 28L of the left side X1 is connected to the rear end portion of the side nozzle 27L, and the right end portion of the heel nozzle 28R of the right side X2 is connected to the rear end portion of the side nozzle 27R. The internal space of the heel nozzle 28 and the internal space of the side nozzle 27 connected to the heel nozzle 28 are in a state of communication. The side nozzle 27 and the heel nozzle 28 on the same side in the left-right direction X may be separate (independent) parts that are present and combined, or may be integrally formed as 1 part that is L-shaped in plan view.

Fig. 5A is a cross-sectional view taken along line D-D of fig. 4. Fig. 5B is a bottom view of the shoe washing device 1. Fig. 5C is a G-G sectional view of fig. 5B. Fig. 5D is a rear view of the shoe washing device 1. As the pump 29, a centrifugal pump or the like incorporating a rotating impeller (not shown) can be used. Pump 29 is fixed to the rear end of bottom wall 10 of washing tub 5. The pump 29 and the opening 12G of the accommodation recess 12F of the bottom surface portion 12 of the accommodation chamber 11 are connected to each other by the tubular first flow path 32 disposed on the lower side Z2 of the bottom wall 10 (see fig. 2, 5B, and 5C). The pump 29 and the lower end portion of the tower nozzle 30 of the rotary nozzle 26 are connected to each other by a tubular second flow path 33 disposed below the bottom wall 10 at Z2 (see fig. 3 and 5B).

The pump 29 and the rear end portions of the side nozzles 27 are connected to each other through the tubular third flow path 34 and the tubular fourth flow path 35 disposed on the rear side Y2 of the rear wall 7 of the cleaning tub 5. Specifically, the pump 29 is connected to a connection pipe 36 provided at the rear end of the side nozzle 27L through the third flow path 34, and the connection pipe 36 is connected to the rear end of the side nozzle 27R through the fourth flow path 35 (see fig. 5A and 5D). The connection pipe 36 integrally includes a circular pipe-shaped inlet pipe portion 36A extending vertically, a circular pipe-shaped first outlet pipe portion 36B (see fig. 4) extending from the upper end of the inlet pipe portion 36A to the front side Y1, and a circular pipe-shaped second outlet pipe portion 36C extending from the upper end of the inlet pipe portion 36A to the upper right side (upper left side in fig. 5A and 5D). The lower end of the inlet pipe portion 36A is connected to the upper end of the third flow channel 34, the front end of the first outlet pipe portion 36B is connected to the rear end of the side nozzle 27L, and the upper end of the second outlet pipe portion 36C is connected to the left end (right end in fig. 5A and 5D) of the fourth flow channel 35. The first to fourth channels 32 to 35 and the connection pipe 36 are included in the injection mechanism 19.

One end of the tubular drain line 37 is connected to the pump 29. The pump 29 can suck the water present in the first flow path 32 and discharge the water only to the second flow path 33 and the third flow path 34 or only to the drain path 37. The other end of the water discharge passage 37 may merge with a water discharge passage of a washing machine (not shown) disposed on the upper side Z1 of the shoe washing apparatus 1.

Referring to fig. 2 to 4, the ejection opening 20 includes an ejection opening 20A of a tower nozzle 30 and each horizontal nozzle 31 provided in the rotary nozzle 26, a side ejection opening 20B provided in each side nozzle 27, and a heel ejection opening 20C provided in each heel nozzle 28. The plurality of ejection ports 20A are provided at the upper end 30A of the tower nozzle 30 and the upper surface portion of each horizontal nozzle 31. The plurality of injection ports 20A of the upper end portion 30A are disposed at different positions in each of the circumferential direction T and the vertical direction Z, for example, and communicate with the inside of the tower nozzle 30. Referring to fig. 4, the plurality of ejection ports 20A of each horizontal nozzle 31 are arranged in 1 row in the radial direction R, and communicate with the inside of the horizontal nozzle 31. Among the plurality of injection ports 20A of at least 1 horizontal nozzle 31, at least a part of the injection ports 20A' located at the end of the radially outer side R1 is in a state of facing one side in the circumferential direction T.

Referring to fig. 2, a plurality of side injection ports 20B are provided in each side nozzle 27. These side injection ports 20B are provided in the right side portion of the side injection nozzle 27L and the left side portion of the side injection nozzle 27R. The plurality of side injection ports 20B of each side nozzle 27 are arranged vertically in the front-rear direction in two vertical rows extending in the front-rear direction Y, and communicate with the inside of the side injection port 20B. Of the upper and lower rows, row L1 at the upper side Z1 is formed by, for example, 6 side injection ports 20B arranged in tandem, and row L2 at the lower side Z2 is formed by, for example, two side injection ports 20B arranged in tandem at the lower side Z2 at the rear of row L1. The rows L1 and L2 are horizontally adjacent to each other, but are arranged obliquely upward and forward. In each side nozzle 27, a portion where the row L1 and the row L2 are arranged vertically is larger in the vertical direction Z than a portion where only the row L1 is arranged on the front side Y1 of the portion.

Referring to fig. 4, the heel ejection opening 20C is provided with 1 at the right end of the heel nozzle 28L and 1 at the left end of the heel nozzle 28R, but a plurality of heel ejection openings 20C may be provided in each heel nozzle 28. The heel ejection opening 20C is in a state of communicating with the inside of the heel nozzle 28. A positioning portion 38 is provided in the vicinity of the heel ejection opening 20C of each heel nozzle 28, for example, directly below the heel ejection opening 20C. That is, the positioning portion 38 has a pair of left and right. Each positioning portion 38 has a plate thickness direction that coincides with the left-right direction X, and is formed in a triangular plate shape that becomes narrower in the vertical direction toward the front side Y1 and has a rounded tip (see fig. 2). The rear end of the positioning part 38 is fixed to the heel nozzle 28 or the rear wall 7 of the wash bowl 5.

Referring to fig. 2, the protector 21 is formed in a cylindrical shape by a wire. The protection portion 21 is placed on the partition member 15, is disposed in the upper space 11A of the storage chamber 11, and surrounds a part of the turret nozzle 30 of the rotary nozzle 26. Specifically, the protection portion 21 is disposed between the lower portion 30B of the tower nozzle 30 located below the upper end portion 30A where the ejection opening 20A is provided Z2 and each of the pair of holding portions 16, thereby surrounding and protecting the lower portion 30B (see also fig. 3). The protective portion 21 may be a member separate from the partition member 15, or may be integrated with the partition member 15.

Duct 22 is formed in a tubular shape extending in vertical direction Z, and is fixed from rear side Y2 with respect to rear wall 7 of washing tub 5. An outlet 22A is formed at the lower end of the duct 22. The outlet 22A is disposed at a lower portion of the front surface portion of the rear wall 7, which is an example of the inner wall portion of the housing chamber 11, and communicates with the lower space 11B in the housing chamber 11 from the rear side Y2.

Air blowing unit 23 is a so-called fan, and is disposed outside washing tub 5 and fixed to the upper end of duct 22 from upper side Z1. An intake port 23A is formed in the rear surface of the blowing unit 23, and an exhaust port 23B facing the internal space of the duct 22 from the upper side Z1 is formed in the lower surface of the blowing unit 23 (see fig. 5A).

The water supply passage 24 is a pipe extending from a valve plug (not shown) such as a faucet, and is connected from the left side X1 to a portion below Z2 of the portion connected to the discharge port 23B of the blower 23 in the duct 22 (see fig. 5A). The water supply path 24 may be branched from a water supply path of a washing machine (not shown) disposed at the upper side Z1 of the shoe washing apparatus 1 and connected to the duct 22, without being directly connected to a valve plug (not shown). A water supply valve 39 (see fig. 5A) including an electromagnetic valve and the like is mounted in the middle of the water supply path 24. The water supply path 24 and the water discharge path 37 are set to be somewhat longer in accordance with the slidable movement of the main body 3.

The main body 3 is provided with a control unit 40 (see fig. 1) including a microcomputer or the like. Control unit 40 is electrically connected to each of operation unit 4C, heater 18, blower 23, pump 29, and water supply valve 39 through wiring (not shown). Therefore, control unit 40 can receive user operation of operation unit 4C, or control operations of heater 18, blower 23, and pump 29, and opening and closing of water supply valve 39.

Next, the operation of washing the shoes S by the shoe washing apparatus 1 will be described. The cleaning operation includes: a cleaning step of cleaning the shoes S with a cleaning solution; a rinsing step of rinsing the shoe S with a cleaning solution after the cleaning step; and a dehydration step of removing water from the shoes S after the rinsing step. The cleaning liquid in the cleaning step is tap water in which a detergent is dissolved, and the cleaning liquid in the rinsing step is tap water containing no detergent component. In the washing step, bath water may be used instead of tap water.

Before starting the washing operation, the user pulls out the main body 3 of the shoe washing apparatus 1 to a pull-out position (not shown), opens the access opening 13 of the washing tub 5, and stores a pair of shoes S in the upper space 11A of the storage chamber 11 from the access opening 13. At this time, the user inserts the distal end portion 16B of each holding portion 16 from the lower side Z2 to the throat SH of the shoe S and then inserts it into the internal space SN of the shoe S so as to face the toe ST side. Thus, in the upper space 11A, a pair of shoes S are arranged in the left-right direction X, and each shoe S is held by the holding portion 16 in a reversed posture substantially horizontal to the front-rear direction Y. The shoe S in the reversed posture is in a state where the toe ST faces the front side Y1, the sole SZ faces the upper side Z1, and the upper SU and the welt SH covering the instep face the lower side Z2. When the user stores the shoes S in the storage chamber 11, the detergent is put into the storage chamber 11. Thereafter, the user returns the main body 3 to the accommodated position shown in fig. 2 to 4. This completes the preparation for the cleaning operation.

In the shoe washing device 1 prepared for the completion of the washing operation, the turret nozzle 30 of the rotary nozzle 26 is disposed between the pair of shoes S held in the inverted posture in the housing chamber 11. The upper end 30A of the tower nozzle 30 is disposed so as to protrude toward the upper side Z1 of the sole SZ of the shoe S. Thus, at least 1 of the plurality of ejection ports 20A provided in the upper end portion 30A is disposed at a position higher than the sole SZ. The horizontal nozzles 31 of the rotary nozzle 26 are disposed at a position lower than the shoe S, and the ejection port 20A of each horizontal nozzle 31 is disposed facing the shoe upper SU and the shoe throat SH of the shoe S from the lower side Z2.

The pair of side nozzles 27 are disposed on both sides of the pair of shoes S in the storage chamber 11, that is, on both outer sides in the left-right direction X. The side injection port 20B of the side injection nozzle 27L faces the side portion SS of the left side X1 of the shoe S from the left side X1 in a state of being aligned substantially in the longitudinal direction of the shoe S of the left side X1. The side injection port 20B of the side injection nozzle 27R faces the side portion SS of the right side X2 of the shoe S from the right side X2 in a state of being aligned substantially in the longitudinal direction of the shoe S of the right side X2. In a side view, the side injection ports 20B of the row L1 of the upper side Z1 of each side injection nozzle 27 are arranged in the side portion SS so as to overlap with a portion near the sole SZ. In particular, the side injection ports 20B at the front end of the row L1 are disposed so as to overlap the portion closer to the toe ST at the side portion SS, and the side injection ports 20B at the rear end of the row L1 are disposed so as to overlap the portion closer to the heel SK at the side portion SS. The side injection ports 20B in the row L2 of the lower side Z2 are arranged so that the side portion SS overlaps with a portion shifted toward the side of the ejection port SH in a side view.

The pair of heel nozzles 28 are disposed on the rear sides Y2 of the pair of shoes S. The heel ejection port 20C of the heel nozzle 28L faces the heel SK of the shoe S of the left side X1 from the rear side Y2, and the heel ejection port 20C of the heel nozzle 28R faces the heel SK of the shoe S of the right side X2 from the rear side Y2. The front end of the positioner 38 of the left side X1 contacts the heel SK of the shoe S of the left side X1 from the rear side Y2, and the front end of the positioner 38 of the right side X2 contacts the heel SK of the shoe S of the right side X2 from the rear side Y2. Thus, the heel section SK of the shoe S on the left side X1 is positioned by the positioning portion 38 so as to be spaced apart from the heel ejection opening 20C on the left side X1 by a predetermined gap 41 in the front-rear direction Y. The heel portion SK of the shoe S of the right side X2 is also positioned by the positioning portion 38 so as to be spaced apart by the gap 41 with respect to the heel jetting port 20C of the right side X2.

After the preparation for the washing operation is completed, the user operates the operation unit 4C (see fig. 1) to instruct the shoe washing device 1 to start the washing operation. In this way, the controller 40 starts the cleaning process, and first opens the water supply valve 39 to supply water into the storage chamber 11. Accordingly, water from the valve plug (not shown) flows into the duct 22 through the water supply passage 24 by the water pressure, flows down from the outlet 22A to the storage chamber 11, and is stored in the lower space 11B of the storage chamber 11. Such a pipe 22 doubles as at least a part of the water supply path 24. Further, although the tap water flowing from the outlet 22A of the pipe 22 to the lower space 11B passes through the outlet 12E, the opening 12G, and the first flow path 32 and reaches the pump 29 (see thick solid arrows in fig. 5B and 5C), the control unit 40 stops the pump 29, so that at least the water in the first flow path 32 does not flow into the drainage path 37. Accordingly, the water level of the water in the lower space 11B rises corresponding to the supply of the water.

When the water level W in the lower space 11B rises to a predetermined level lower than the horizontal nozzle 31 of the rotary nozzle 26, the controller 40 closes the water supply valve 39 to stop the water supply. Since the detergent is fed into the storage chamber 11 in advance as described above, the cleaning liquid generated by dissolving the detergent in water is accumulated in the lower space 11B. A part of the cleaning liquid in the lower space 11B spreads over the first flow path 32. The shoe washing device 1 may be provided with a detergent storage chamber (not shown) connected to the water supply passage 24, and the detergent stored in the detergent storage chamber may be loaded into the storage chamber 11 by tap water during water supply.

Next, the control unit 40 drives the pump 29 so that the cleaning liquid in the lower space 11B of the storage chamber 11 is sucked from the first flow path 32 and discharged to the second flow path 33 and the third flow path 34 while maintaining the state in which the first flow path 32 and the water discharge path 37 are continuously blocked by the pump 29. Thus, the cleaning liquid (see the thick-dotted line arrow in fig. 5B) discharged from the first flow path 32 to the second flow path 33 flows into the tower nozzle 30 of the rotary nozzle 26, rises in the tower nozzle 30, and spreads into the horizontal nozzles 31.

In this way, the cleaning liquid is ejected from the ejection openings 20A' (see fig. 4) among the plurality of ejection openings 20A arranged in a line in each horizontal nozzle 31 toward one side in the circumferential direction T. As a result, each horizontal nozzle 31 receives a thrust force in the circumferential direction T, and the entire rotary nozzle 26 rotates about the vertical axis J. The ejection ports 20A' for generating thrust for rotating the rotating nozzle 26 may be other than the 1 ejection ports 20A located at the end of the radial outer side R1 in the horizontal nozzle 31, or may be other ejection ports 20A. During the rotation of the rotating nozzle 26, the left and right holders 16 that hold the shoes S are arranged at substantially equal intervals in the left-right direction X from the turret nozzle 30, and therefore the shoes S are arranged so as to be spaced apart from the turret nozzle 30 to such an extent that they do not contact the turret nozzle 30 during rotation (see fig. 3).

In each horizontal nozzle 31 of the rotating rotary nozzle 26, as indicated by thick solid line arrows, the cleaning liquid is ejected from the ejection openings 20A other than the ejection opening 20A' toward the shoe upper SU and the shoe throat SH of each shoe S in the upper space 11A from the lower side Z2. As indicated by thick broken line arrows, the cleaning liquid rising in the tower nozzle 30 of the rotating rotary nozzle 26 is ejected from the ejection ports 20A of the upper end 30A of the tower nozzle 30 toward the sole SZ and the side SS of each shoe S from the upper side Z1.

The cleaning liquid (see thick dashed arrows in fig. 5B and 5D) flowing from the first flow path 32 into the third flow path 34 flows through the inlet pipe portion 36A and the first outlet pipe portion 36B (see fig. 4 and 5D) of the connection pipe 36 into the side nozzle 27L and into the heel nozzle 28L. The cleaning liquid flowing through the third flow path 34 flows into the fourth flow path 35 (see fig. 5A) through the inlet pipe portion 36A and the second outlet pipe portion 36C of the connection pipe 36, and then flows into the side nozzle 27R and the heel nozzle 28R.

Thus, referring to fig. 4, in the side nozzle 27L, as indicated by the thick chain line arrow, the cleaning liquid is ejected from the side ejection port 20B to the side portion SS of the left side X1 of the shoe S on the left side X1. As shown by the thick dashed arrow in fig. 4, in the heel nozzle 28L, the cleaning liquid is ejected from the heel ejection port 20C to the heel SK of the shoe S on the left side X1. As indicated by the thick chain line arrow, in the side nozzle 27R, the cleaning liquid is ejected from the side ejection port 20B to the side portion SS of the right side X2 of the shoe S on the right side X2. As indicated by the thick dashed arrow, in the heel nozzle 28R, the cleaning liquid is ejected from the heel ejection port 20C to the heel SK of the shoe S on the right side X2.

The cleaning liquid flowing through the third flow path 34 into the inlet pipe portion 36A of the connection pipe 36 changes its direction substantially at right angles in the first outlet pipe portion 36B and flows into the side nozzle 27L, but flows through the third flow path 34 into the side nozzle 27R with almost no change in direction in the second outlet pipe portion 36C. In this case, the water potential of the cleaning liquid flowing into the side nozzle 27L is weaker than the water potential of the cleaning liquid flowing into the side nozzle 27R.

Therefore, the inner diameter of the first outlet pipe portion 36B is set larger than the inner diameter of the second outlet pipe portion 36C. Further, since the internal space of the first outlet pipe portion 36B is directly connected to the internal space of the side nozzle 27L from the rear side Y2, and these internal spaces are arranged in the longitudinal direction of the side nozzle 27 so as to overlap each other when viewed from the front-rear direction Y, the hydraulic resistance of these internal spaces can be reduced. As a result, as shown by the solid arrows in fig. 4, the flow rate of the cleaning liquid in the first outlet pipe portion 36B can be increased, and the cleaning liquid in the first outlet pipe portion 36B can reach the tip portion in the side nozzle 27L without reducing the water potential. Therefore, the cleaning liquid having substantially the same water potential is ejected from the side ejection ports 20B of the left and right side ejection nozzles 27 to the left and right shoes S.

The shoes S sprayed with the cleaning liquid at high pressure are cleaned by removing dirt such as mud and gravel by the water potential of the cleaning liquid or by chemically decomposing the dirt with the cleaning liquid. In particular, the cleaning liquid ejected from the respective ejection ports 20A of the horizontal nozzle 31 of the rotating rotary nozzle 26 is poured without omission onto the corners of the outer surface portion on the front surface side of the respective shoes S in the inverted posture, that is, the toes ST, the uppers SU, the welts SH, and the heel SK. Accordingly, even in the case of various shoes S having different surface portion shapes, the entire surface portion of the shoe S can be cleaned by the cleaning liquid entering the interior space SN from the throat SH, not only in the entire region of the surface portion of the shoe S, but also in the entire region of the interior of the shoe S.

Further, the side ejection ports 20B of the pair of side nozzles 27 eject the cleaning liquid from the left-right direction X to the side portions SS of the shoes S, and the heel ejection ports 20C of the pair of heel nozzles 28 eject the cleaning liquid from the rear side Y2 to the heel portions SK of the shoes S. Thus, the side portion SS and the heel portion SK are cleaned with the cleaning liquid at the outer surface portion on the front surface side of the shoe S, and the upper portion SU and the welt SH are also cleaned with the cleaning liquid that has flowed down to the upper portion SU along the side portion SS and the heel portion SK.

Referring to fig. 2, the sole SZ, that is, the outer surface portion on the back side of the shoe S, is present at the position where the cleaning liquid ejected from the ejection ports 20A of the horizontal nozzle 31 hits the cap 14, which is the ceiling portion of the storage chamber 11, and falls. The respective ejection ports 20A at the upper end portion of the tower nozzle 30 of the rotating nozzle 26 are rotated integrally with the tower nozzle 30, and thereby the cleaning liquid can be ejected from the upper side Z1 to a wide range of the sole SZ of each shoe S. By these cleaning liquids, the entire area of the shoe sole SZ can be effectively cleaned.

As described above, even if the shoes S are not brushed with a brush or the like, the entire inside and outside of the shoes S can be washed without any damage by maintaining the same washing force as in the case of rubbing the shoes S with a brush or the like with the high-pressure washing liquid injected from the injection ports 20 to the shoes S in the storage chamber 11. Therefore, the cleaning force can be improved without damaging the shoes S.

In particular, the plurality of side spray ports 20B arranged in the upper-lower direction in each side spray nozzle 27 can reliably spray the washing liquid to the side SS of the shoe S regardless of the low-top type shoe S1 or the high-top type shoe S2. Therefore, even in any shoe S having a different position of the throat SH, the cleaning force can be improved without causing damage.

Since the heel jetting port 20C jets the cleaning liquid to the heel portion SK of the shoe S in addition to the side jetting port 20B jetting the cleaning liquid to the side portion SS of the shoe S, the entire outer surface portion of the shoe S can be cleaned without omission. The heel section SK is positioned with respect to the heel ejection port 20C by the positioning section 38. Thus, even in any shoe S having a heel section SK of a different shape, the positional relationship between the heel ejection opening 20C and the heel section SK is the most suitable positional relationship for ejecting the cleaning liquid from the heel ejection opening 20C to the heel section SK, so that the predetermined gap 41 can be secured. Thus, the heel ejection port 20C can effectively eject the cleaning liquid to the heel SK of the shoe S in the storage chamber 11, and thus the cleaning force can be further improved.

Since the holding portion 16 inserted into the internal space SN of the shoe S has a frame shape with a large number of gaps, the cleaning liquid flowing from the respective injection ports 20A of the horizontal nozzle 31 toward the throat SH can smoothly flow into the internal space SN from the throat SH without being blocked by the holding portion 16, and can smoothly flow out of the shoe S from the throat SH after flowing. Like the shoe S1 of the low top type, if the entire shoe S is inclined such that the sole SZ is offset from the toe ST side toward the heel SK side toward the lower side Z2, the washing liquid in the internal space SN can flow out of the shoe S from the throat SH more smoothly.

In the cleaning step, the controller 40 may turn ON (ON) the heater 18 to heat the cleaning liquid in the lower space 11B. In this case, the cleaning force can be increased by the hot cleaning liquid poured from the respective injection ports 20 to the shoes S, and therefore, the shoes S can be cleaned more effectively.

Further, a partition member 15 is provided between the shoes S and the horizontal nozzle 31 of the rotary nozzle 26 in the storage chamber 11. Thereby, the following can be prevented: the dropped shoes S are accidentally detached from the holding portion 16, and the shoelaces (not shown) of the shoes S come into contact with the horizontal nozzles 31, thereby preventing the rotation of the rotary nozzles 26 and the ejection of the cleaning liquid from the respective ejection ports 20 of the horizontal nozzles 31. Further, since the partition member 15 is in a lattice shape, the cleaning liquid ejected from each ejection port 20 can reliably reach the shoe S through the holes of the lattice of the partition member 15. Therefore, even if the partition member 15 is present, the shoes S can be reliably washed by the washing liquid ejected from the respective ejection openings 20 of the horizontal nozzle 31.

The detergent used for the cleaning solution is preferably a low foaming detergent for shoe washing, which contains a surfactant as a soap component at a ratio of usually not more than half and not more than 10% by mass. In this case, abnormal foaming of the cleaning liquid can be suppressed, clogging of each ejection port 20 due to foaming of the cleaning liquid can be prevented, and a decrease in the rotation speed of the rotary nozzle 26 due to the resistance of the foaming can be prevented.

In the cleaning step, the cleaning liquid that has been ejected from the ejection ports 20 into the upper space 11A of the storage chamber 11 and then has overflowed from the shoes S, and the cleaning liquid that has been ejected from the ejection ports 20 into the upper space 11A but has not been ejected onto the shoes S, pass through the holes of the lattice of the partition member 15, fall into the lower space 11B, and are accumulated in the bottom surface portion 12. During the cleaning process, the pump 29 is continuously driven. Therefore, the cleaning liquid in the lower space 11B flows into the first flow path 32 through the outlet 12E and the opening 12G of the bottom portion 12, and then flows through the second flow path 33, the third flow path 34, and the fourth flow path 35 to be ejected into the upper space 11A from the ejection ports 20 of the rotary nozzle 26, the side nozzle 27, and the heel nozzle 28. Thereby, the cleaning liquid circulates between the upper space 11A and the lower space 11B. Therefore, the shoes S can be washed by recycling the washing liquid even with a small amount of washing liquid, and thus the water saving performance can be improved.

Foreign matter such as gravel removed from the shoes S by the injection of the cleaning liquid is carried on the cleaning liquid that is about to flow out of the storage chamber 11 from the outflow port 12E. When the cleaning liquid passes through the outlet port 12E, the filter 25 of the filter unit 17 collects foreign matter from the cleaning liquid. This prevents the foreign matter from circulating together with the cleaning liquid and blocking the pump 29 and the ejection port 20. The shoe washing device 1 may include a second filter 42 formed of a mesh or the like having a mesh finer than that of the filter 25 and having a sheet shape. The second filter 42 is disposed in the middle of the cleaning liquid having passed through the filter 25 before reaching the opening 12G, for example, immediately below the filter 25. The second filter 42 traps fine foreign matter contained in the cleaning liquid that has passed through the filter 25. The cleaning liquid flowing out of the storage chamber 11 through the filter 25 and the second filter 42 is sent to the respective ejection ports 20 by the pump 29 and ejected from the respective ejection ports 20 into the storage chamber 11, thereby circulating as described above.

After the circulation of the cleaning liquid continues for a predetermined time, the control unit 40 switches the operation of the pump 29 so that the cleaning liquid in the first flow path 32 flows to the drainage path 37. Thereby, the cleaning liquid in the lower space 11B is forcibly discharged to the outside of the machine through the first flow path 32 and the water discharge path 37. After such drainage, the control unit 40 stops the pump 29. Thereby, the cleaning process is ended. A drain valve (not shown) that is opened during drainage and opened by the control unit 40 may be provided in the middle of the drain passage 37.

When the washing step is completed, the control unit 40 starts the rinsing step and supplies water again to store tap water in the lower space 11B. When the water level W passing through the water supply lower space 11B reaches a predetermined water level lower than the horizontal nozzles 31 of the rotary nozzles 26, the controller 40 drives the pump 9 to circulate the tap water as the rinse water between the upper space 11A and the lower space 11B. Thus, the rinsing water from the injection ports 20 of the rotary nozzle 26, the side nozzle 27, and the heel nozzle 28 is injected into the shoes S in the upper space 11A at high pressure, and the shoes S are rinsed with the rinsing water. At this time, the controller 40 may turn on the heater 18 to heat the rinse water in the lower space 11B. In this case, hot rinsing water is poured from the injection ports 20 to the shoes S, so that the shoes S can be effectively rinsed.

After such a circulation of the rinse water continues for a predetermined time, controller 40 switches the operation of pump 29 so that the water in first flow path 32 flows to drain path 37. As a result, the rinse water in the lower space 11B is discharged to the outside of the machine through the first flow path 32 and the drain path 37. Thereafter, the control unit 40 stops the pump 29. This completes the rinsing step, i.e., the entire cleaning step.

After the washing step, the control unit 40 starts the dehydration step by driving the air blowing unit 23. Thereby, the air outside the machine is sucked into duct 22 through suction port 23A and discharge port 23B of blower 23. The air sucked into the duct 22 is blown as wind to the outlet 22A and sent into the storage chamber 11 from the outlet 22A. Such duct 22 doubles as at least a part of an air blowing path for blowing air to the outlet 22A, and in the present embodiment doubles as the entire air blowing path.

The air fed into the storage chamber 11 is blown to the outer surface portion of each shoe S in the upper space 11A or flows into the inner space SN of the shoe S from the shoe throat SH in a high-pressure state pressurized by the blowing section 23, and thereby moisture such as a cleaning liquid is leaked from the shoe S. The seeped water is spilled from the shoes S. Therefore, by blowing air from the duct 22 to each shoe S, the washed shoe S can be efficiently dehydrated. The air sent into the storage chamber 11 is finally discharged to the outside of the apparatus through an exhaust port 4A (see fig. 1) of the door 4 of the main body 3. In the dehydration step, the controller 40 may turn on the heater 18 to generate hot air in the storage chamber 11. In this case, the shoes S can be dehydrated more effectively by the hot wind.

When a predetermined time has elapsed after the start of driving of the blowing section 23, the control section 40 stops the blowing section 23 and ends the dehydration step. This ends the cleaning operation. The controller 40 may drive the pump 29 at the end of the dehydration step to discharge the moisture dropped from the shoes S during the dehydration step to the outside of the machine. After the washing operation is completed, the user pulls out the main body 3 to a pull-out position (not shown), opens the access opening 13 of the washing tub 5, and takes out the shoes S in the storage chamber 11 from the access opening 13.

As described above, in the shoe washing device 1, after the shoes S are first stored in the storage chamber 11 and held by the holding portion 16, a series of washing operations can be performed without moving the shoes S in the storage chamber 11. In the shoe washing device 1, since the holding portion 16 holds the shoes S in the storage chamber 11 in the inverted posture, the height dimension of the storage chamber 11 can be controlled to be smaller than that in the case where the shoes S are held in the vertical posture, and thus the entire shoe washing device 1 can be downsized.

Next, the filter unit 17 and the heater 18 accommodated in the recess 12C of the first bottom surface portion 12A of the accommodation chamber 11 will be described in detail. Referring to fig. 2, the filter unit 17 includes, for example, a holder 75 made of resin and a filter cover 76 in addition to the filter 25. The holder 75 is formed in a frame shape that is long in the left-right direction X and thin in the up-down direction Z, and the filter 25 is disposed in an inner space thereof. The outer edge portion of the retainer 75 is placed on the step portion 12I at the boundary between the outflow port 12E of the recess 12C and the accommodation recess 12F, whereby the filter unit 17 in the recess 12C is positioned in the vertical direction Z (see also fig. 3). A front portion of a boundary 12J between the first bottom surface portion 12A and the second bottom surface portion 12B protrudes in a convex shape to the left side X1 in plan view, and surrounds a left end portion of the filter unit 17 (see fig. 4). Thereby, the filter unit 17 in the recess 12C is positioned in the left-right direction X and the front-rear direction Y.

The filter cover 76 is formed in a substantially rectangular plate shape substantially the same as the retainer 75 or smaller than the retainer 75 in a plan view. The plurality of through holes 76C penetrating the filter cover 76 vertically are arranged in a matrix, for example, and are distributed in the filter cover 76 (see fig. 4). The filter cover 76 is disposed directly above the filter 25 with a predetermined gap V in a posture substantially parallel to the filter 25, and covers substantially the entire area of the filter 25 from the upper side Z1. Thus, foreign matter trapped by the filter 25 and present in the gap V of the filter 25 is shielded by the filter cover 76. Therefore, the foreign matter on the filter 25 is less likely to enter the field of vision of the user who has entered the housing chamber 11 to take out the shoes S and the like. Therefore, the appearance of the foreign matter removed from the shoe S can be improved. The filter cover 76 is supported by the holder 75 to be rotatable up and down. The filter unit 17 is removable from the housing chamber 11. In a state where the filter unit 17 is removed from the storage chamber 11, when the user opens the filter cover 76 by rotating the filter cover 76 from the closed position shown in fig. 2 to the upper side Z1, the filter 25 is exposed to the upper side Z1. This allows the user to easily remove foreign matter on the filter 25 and perform maintenance on the filter 25.

The upper surface portion of the filter cover 76 in the closed position is disposed substantially on the same plane at a position substantially at the same height as the second bottom surface portion 12B (see fig. 3). Accordingly, since there is no large unevenness between the second bottom surface portion 12B and the filter cover 76, the operability can be improved when cleaning the bottom surface portion 12.

As described above, the heater 18 formed of the planar heater is formed in a disk shape having a circular outline in a plan view (see fig. 4), and is disposed in the recess 12C at a position in the middle of the inclined surface portion 12H of the bottom portion 12D of the recess 12C. A rear portion of a boundary 12J between the first bottom surface portion 12A and the second bottom surface portion 12B is formed so as to bulge in an arc shape to a left side X1 corresponding to the disk shape of the heater 18 in a plan view (see fig. 4).

A recess 12K recessed downward Z2 is formed in the middle of the inclined surface portion 12H in the front-rear direction Y, and the heater 18 is accommodated in the recess 12K. The heater 18 in the pit 12K is connected to the second bottom surface portion 12B via the filler 51. Since the filler 51 blocks the gap around the heater 18 in the pit 12K, the cleaning liquid in the storage chamber 11 can be prevented from leaking to the bottom of the pit 12K through the gap. The filler 51 is a heat insulating filler. Therefore, the filler 51 insulates heat between the heater 18 and the second bottom surface portion 12B around the heater 18, and therefore, when the second bottom surface portion 12B is made of resin, the second bottom surface portion 12B can be prevented from being melted by the heat of the heater 18. The upper surface 18A of the heater 18 is exposed from the recess 12K to the bottom 12D. Since the heater 18 in the pit 12K is disposed to be slightly inclined with respect to the horizontal direction so as to be shifted to the upper side Z1 as it goes to the rear side Y2, the upper surface portion 18A of the heater 18 is disposed to be substantially flush with the surrounding inclined surface portion 12H. The upper surface portion 18A may be arranged slightly higher than the inclined surface portion 12H.

In association with the heater 18, the shoe washing device 1 further includes a heater cover 52. The heater cover 52 is formed in a plate shape having a plate thickness direction that coincides with the vertical direction Z. The heater cover 52 has a size (see fig. 4) substantially corresponding to the area of the rear side Y2 of the filter unit 17 in plan view of the recess 12C, is disposed in the recess 12C, and covers the inclined surface portion 12H and the heater 18 from the upper side Z1. The upper surface portion 52A of the heater cover 52 is disposed at a position having the same height as the second bottom surface portion 12B (see fig. 3). Similarly to the upper surface portion of the filter cover 76, if the upper surface portion 52A of the heater cover 52 is also disposed substantially flush with the second bottom surface portion 12B, the entire bottom surface portion 12 is simply configured to be substantially flat. Therefore, during maintenance, the upper surface portion 52A of the heater cover 52, the second bottom surface portion 12B, and the filter cover 76 can be collectively cleaned. Further, as in the case of the filter cover 76, since there is no large irregularity between the second bottom surface portion 12B and the heater cover 52, the operability can be improved when cleaning the bottom surface portion 12.

The heater 18 is constituted by a planar heater as described above, and has a thickness of about several cm and is flat in the vertical direction. In this case, the heater 18 itself can be formed thinner than the case of using the jacket heater, and therefore, the heater 18 and the heater cover 52 can be disposed so as not to protrude from the recess 12C beyond the upper side Z1. This can ensure a large height of the upper space 11A in which the shoes S are actually placed in the storage chamber 11. The heater cover 52 has a plurality of through holes 52B that penetrate the heater cover 52 vertically, and the through holes 52B are regularly arranged in a staggered or matrix arrangement pattern on the upper surface portion 52A (see fig. 4).

The shoe washing device 1 further includes a guide member 53 disposed in the storage chamber 11. The guide member 53 integrally has a plate-like opposed portion 53A and an extended portion 53B. Opposing portion 53A is inclined so as to extend and descend from a portion having an upper end of outlet 22A as an edge toward front side Y1 on rear wall 7 of washing tub 5. Facing portion 53A faces outlet 22A from front side Y1, the lower end of facing portion 53A is disposed directly above heater 18 in recess 12C, and the right end of facing portion 53A is connected to right wall 9 of cleaning tub 5 (see also fig. 4). The extension portion 53B has a plate thickness direction that coincides with the left-right direction X, and is formed in a substantially triangular shape in a side view. The extension portion 53B extends from the left end of the facing portion 53A to the rear side Y2, and is connected to a portion around the left end of the outlet 22A at the rear wall 7. The extended portion 53B is formed with, for example, a substantially triangular suction port 53C penetrating the extended portion 53B in the left-right direction X. In the dehydration step, the air sucked into the duct 22 from the outside flows out from between the outlet 22A and the facing portion 53A, and then is sent into the storage chamber 11 through the suction port 53C.

An inlet 53D having the lower ends of the facing portion 53A and the extended portion 53B, the rear wall 7, and the right wall 9 as edges is formed at the lower end portion of the guide member 53. The inlet 53D is disposed in the recess 12C at a position farther from the outlet 12E than the heater 18 toward the rear side Y2, specifically, at the rear end portion of the recess 12C, and faces at least a part of the upper surface portion 18A and the inclined surface portion 12H of the heater 18 from directly above. The heater cover 52 is disposed so as to avoid the lower end of the guide member 53 (see fig. 4). Water flowing into the duct 22 through the water supply passage 24 during water supply flows out of the outlet 22A, collides with the facing portion 53A, is guided downward, and flows down from the inlet 53D to the recess 12C to be supplied into the housing chamber 11. Water first accumulates in the concave portion 12C and fills the concave portion 12C, and then also accumulates on the second bottom surface portion 12B.

As described above, in the configuration in which the filter 25, the heater 18, and the heater cover 52 are disposed in the recess 12C of the first bottom surface portion 12A to raise the second bottom surface portion 12B (see also fig. 3), the required amount of the cleaning liquid in the cleaning operation can be reduced as compared with the case where the second bottom surface portion 12B is located at the same height as the bottom portion 12D of the recess 12C, and therefore, the water saving performance can be improved. Further, since the space P can be secured just below the second bottom surface portion 12B by raising the second bottom surface portion 12B, the space P can be effectively used for arranging the first flow path 32, the second flow path 33, and the like (see fig. 3).

Further, since the second bottom surface portion 12B is inclined so as to descend toward the recessed portion 12C as described above, foreign matter such as mud and gravel removed from the shoe S can be guided toward the recessed portion 12C along the inclined surface of the second bottom surface portion 12B (see fig. 3). Since the bottom 12D of the concave portion 12C is provided with the inclined surface portion 12H that descends toward the outlet 12E, foreign matter in the concave portion 12C can be guided along the inclined surface portion 12H toward the outlet 12E and collected by the filter 25. In the concave portion 12C, the heater 18 and the inflow port 53D are disposed in this order to be close to the outflow port 12E. The water flow supplied from the inlet 53D for the cleaning liquid falls onto the inclined surface portion 12H, and passes through the upper surface portion 18A of the heater 18 at this time. This allows foreign matter on the inclined surface portion 12H and foreign matter adhering to the upper surface portion 18A to be carried on the water and guided to the outlet 12E below while supplying water, and to be collected by the filter 25 at the outlet 12E. Therefore, it is not necessary to add water only for removing foreign matters from the inclined surface portion 12H and the heater 18, and therefore, the water saving performance can be improved. Further, according to the above, the foreign matter can be collected actively at the outlet 12E by the filter 25 without being accumulated on the bottom surface portion 12 or the heater 18.

Further, since the plurality of through holes 52B (see fig. 4) are formed in the heater cover 52 covering the heater 18 from the upper side Z1, the cleaning liquid can be caused to flow down to the heater 18 from the through holes 52B. This enables the cleaning liquid to be efficiently heated by the heater 18, and foreign matter adhering to the heater 18 to be efficiently removed by the water potential of the cleaning liquid flowing down from the through-holes 52B.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the claims.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the shoe washing device 1 is used by being incorporated into a base (not shown) of a washing machine, but may be incorporated into the washing machine itself, and in such a case, the control unit 40 of the shoe washing device 1 may execute the washing operation by receiving an instruction from the control unit of the washing machine. Of course, the shoe washing device 1 may be provided separately without being assembled to a base of a washing machine or the washing machine, and in this case, the frame 2 may be omitted and the main body 3 may be non-slidable.

In the above embodiment, the substantially right half of the bottom surface portion 12 is the first bottom surface portion 12A, and the substantially left half of the bottom surface portion 12 is the second bottom surface portion 12B, but the left and right positions of the first bottom surface portion 12A and the second bottom surface portion 12B may be reversed. Further, a substantially front half of the bottom surface portion 12 may be one of the first bottom surface portion 12A and the second bottom surface portion 12B, and a substantially rear half of the bottom surface portion 12 may be the other of the first bottom surface portion 12A and the second bottom surface portion 12B.

Description of the reference numerals

1, a shoe washing device;

11a storage chamber;

12A first bottom surface portion;

12B a second bottom surface portion;

a 12C recess;

12D bottom;

12E outflow port;

12H inclined plane part;

18a heater;

18A upper surface part;

20 jet ports;

25, a filter;

29 a pump;

52a heater shield;

52A upper surface portion;

52B through holes;

a 53D inflow port;

s, shoes are worn;

upper side of Z1;

the lower side of Z2.

Claims (3)

1. A shoe washing device, comprising:

a storage chamber which is covered from the lower side by a first bottom surface part and a second bottom surface part, wherein the first bottom surface part is provided with a concave part which is concave towards the lower side and is provided with an outflow opening at the bottom, and the second bottom surface part transversely extends from the upper end of the concave part, so as to store shoes;

a jet port for jetting a cleaning liquid to the shoes in the storage chamber;

a filter disposed at the outlet in the recess and configured to collect foreign matter from the cleaning liquid flowing out of the storage chamber from the outlet;

a pump for sending the cleaning liquid flowing out of the storage chamber through the filter to at least the injection port;

a heater which is composed of a flat heater that is flat in the vertical direction and is disposed in the recess at a position that is farther from the outlet than the filter; and

a heater cover disposed in the recess and covering the heater from above,

the second bottom surface portion is inclined so as to descend toward the recess,

an inclined surface portion descending toward the outflow port is provided at the bottom of the concave portion,

the upper surface portion of the heater is arranged to be substantially flush with the inclined surface portion,

an inlet of the water supplied into the housing chamber is disposed in the recess at a position farther from the outlet than the heater.

2. The shoe washing apparatus of claim 1,

the heater cover is formed with a plurality of through holes that vertically penetrate the heater cover.

3. The shoe washing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 2,

the upper surface portion of the heater cover is disposed at a position substantially equal in height to the second bottom surface portion.

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