Shoe storage device

Abstract

This technology provides ways to improve the usability of shoe storage devices. [Solution] The shoe storage device 10 is configured to include a hollow case section 20 having an opening 22 on its side 21, a movable shelf section 30 housed inside the case section 23 in a state that it can be pulled out through the opening 22 and which has at least one mounting plate 31 on which shoes 5 are placed, and legs 40 that can extend downward from the bottom 32 of the movable shelf section 30.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a shoe storage device, and particularly to a technique for improving the usability of a shoe storage device.

Background Art

[0002] In many cases, a shoe box is installed for users of a building near the entrance of the building where people enter and exit. Particularly for Japanese people who generally take off their shoes indoors, it has become a habit to use the above shoe box and take off and put on shoes each time they go out or return home. Therefore, the shoe box is a very familiar storage device at the entrance, etc., and its usability and aesthetics are likely to be important points. Therefore, as a conventional technique related to the above shoe box, for example, a shoe box (Patent Document 1) has been proposed, which collects selected footwear in a specific open area, facilitates the selection and taking in and out of the footwear, and stores non-regularly used footwear in a storage section inside the door to keep the appearance inside the entrance nice.

[0003] This technique relates to a shoe box (1) in which shelf boards (2) are provided in multiple upper and lower stages inside a shoe box body (1A), and the front surface is openable and closable by a door body (3). A part of the front surface of the shoe box body (1A) has an opening (4) that is always open forward without the presence of the door body (3). Inside the opening (4), a tray (5) is equipped, which can be pulled forward from inside the shoe box body (1A) with footwear placed on the tray (5).

[0004] In addition, in response to the conventional situation where when going outside in rainy weather, etc., one has to wipe the footwear left outside and wet by rain or the like, or bring dry footwear from the entrance, etc., a shoe case (Patent Document 2) has been proposed that prevents footwear from getting wet in rainy weather and does not get in the way during storage.

[0005] This technology relates to a shoe case that is designed to be fixed to back doors, sliding windows, etc., using double-sided tape, suction cups, magnets, screws, etc. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2001-057913 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2005-344488 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] As mentioned above, while it has become a habit to take off and put on shoes in front of the shoe box, using such a shoe box requires stepping down to the entrance area using sandals or other footwear to retrieve the desired shoes. This is something that shoe box users find inconvenient on a daily basis and is an issue that needs improvement. On the other hand, simply altering the structure of the shoe box to solve this problem may instead create other problems, such as a decrease in the usability or durability of the shoe box.

[0008] Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its objective is to provide a technology that improves the usability of shoe storage devices. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The above problems are solved by the shoe storage device of the present invention, which has a configuration comprising: a hollow case section having an opening on its side; a movable shelf section housed in the case section in a state that it can be pulled out through the opening and which has at least one mounting plate on which shoes are placed; and a leg section that can extend downward from the bottom of the movable shelf section.

[0010] The shoe storage device of the present invention, configured as described above, makes it possible to improve the usability of the shoe storage device.

[0011] Furthermore, it is preferable that the shoe storage device described above further includes an adjustment unit that adjusts the amount of extension of the leg portion according to the user's operation. The above configuration allows users of the shoe storage device to extend their legs at will. This, in turn, improves the usability of the shoe storage device.

[0012] Furthermore, in the shoe storage device described above, it is preferable that the legs can be fully or partially stored inside the movable shelf by adjusting the extension amount in the adjustment section. With the above configuration, the legs can be freely retracted into the case in response to user operation. This, in turn, makes it possible to further improve the usability of the shoe storage device.

[0013] Furthermore, in the shoe storage device described above, it is preferable that the movable shelf section is equipped with a sensor that senses the state of the movable shelf section being pulled out from the opening of the case section, and that the adjustment section extends or retracts the legs when the sensor's detection result indicates that the movable shelf section is not pulled out from the opening. With the above configuration, the extension and retraction of the legs can be performed only when the movable shelf in the case is not extended, i.e., in the stored state. This prevents the movable shelf from being pulled out of or retracted into the case without the support of the legs, thereby maintaining the structure and stability of the movable shelf appropriately. Ultimately, this makes it possible to further improve the usability of the shoe storage device.

[0014] Furthermore, in the shoe storage device described above, it is preferable that the movable shelf section further includes a locking mechanism that controls whether or not the drawer can be pulled out, and that the locking mechanism is unlocked or locked in accordance with the completion of the extension or retraction of the legs by the adjustment section. According to the above configuration, for example, in response to the situation where the legs are in a grounded state on the entrance dirt floor (i.e., the extension is completed), the pulling out of the movable shelf part can be permitted, or in response to the situation where the legs are stored in the inner space of the movable shelf part (i.e., the storage is completed), the pulling out of the movable shelf part can be prohibited. Such control becomes possible. This can more accurately suppress operations such as pulling out the movable shelf part from the case part without the support of the legs or storing it in the case part, and can appropriately maintain the structure and movable stability of the movable shelf part. As a result, the usability of the shoe storage device can be further improved.

Effect of the Invention

[0015] According to the shoe storage device of the present invention, the usability of the shoe storage device can be further improved.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0016] [Figure 1] It is a diagram showing an installation example of the shoe storage device in the present embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a diagram showing an operation example of the shoe storage device in the present embodiment. [Figure 3] It is a diagram showing an operation example of the shoe storage device in the present embodiment. [Figure 4] It is a diagram showing an operation example of the shoe storage device in the present embodiment. [Figure 5] It is a diagram showing a configuration example of the adjustment part in the shoe storage device of the present embodiment. [Figure 6] It is a diagram showing a configuration example of the information processing device in the shoe storage device of the present embodiment. [Figure 7] It is a diagram showing an interlocking example of the switch activation sensor and the hook mechanism in the shoe storage device of the present embodiment. [Figure 8] It is a diagram showing an operation example of the hook mechanism in the shoe storage device of the present embodiment. [Figure 9] It is a diagram showing an operation example of the switch activation sensor and the hook mechanism in the shoe storage device of the present embodiment. [Figure 10]This is a diagram showing an example of the operation flow of the switch activation sensor and the hook mechanism in the shoe storage device of the present embodiment. [Figure 11] This is a diagram showing an example of the operation flow of the switch activation sensor and the hook mechanism in the shoe storage device of the present embodiment.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] <<Shoe Storage Device According to an Embodiment of the Present Invention>> Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter, this embodiment) will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, each member is illustrated in a somewhat simplified and schematic manner for easy understanding of the explanation. Also, the sizes (dimensions) of each member and the intervals between members of the shoe box 10, which is the shoe storage device shown in the drawings, are different from the actual ones.

[0018] In the following description, a general entrance configuration in the building 1 is adopted as a specific premise, and the technology regarding the appropriate form and operation of the shoe box 10 provided on the wall surface 4 of the entrance dirt floor 2 in the building 1 will be described. However, the building 1 for installing the shoe box 10 of the present invention is applicable not only to ordinary houses but also to accommodation facilities such as hotels, various facilities equipped with an entrance and a living room (medical facilities, rest facilities such as hot springs, moving means such as ships and trains where staying is possible), etc.

[0019] In FIG. 1, the configuration when the shoe box 10 of the present embodiment is installed on the entrance wall surface 4 of the entrance dirt floor 2 in the building 1 is shown. Also, in each of FIGS. 2 to 4, the operation mode of the shoe box 10 in the present embodiment is shown as it sequentially changes according to the extension situation of the legs. First, as shown in FIG. 1, the shoe box 10 of the present embodiment is a shoe storage device used by users who come and go across the frame 3 between the entrance dirt floor 2 and the indoor space 6.

[0020] Such a shoe box 10 can meet the needs of users who want to store shoes 5 in the shoe box 10 or take shoes 5 out of the shoe box 10 without entering the entrance hall 2. Therefore, the movable shelf section 30, which has multiple shelves 31 (storage plates) on which shoes 5 are placed and stored, has a configuration that allows it to be repeatedly switched between a state where it is housed in the inner space 23 of the case section 20 and a state where it extends outward from the inner space 23, that is, beyond the frame 3, toward the interior space 6, according to the user's needs.

[0021] In this embodiment, the shoe box 10 comprises a case section 20, a movable shelf section 30, a leg section 40, and an adjustment section 50. The case section 20 is a hollow housing having an opening 22 on its side 21. The movable shelf section 30 is housed in the interior space 23 of the case section 20 and can be pulled out and re-stored through the opening 22 of the case section 20. The movable shelf section 30 also has at least one shelf board 31 (storage plate) on which shoes 5 are placed. The movable shelf section 30 has a protruding section 34 facing the interior space 6. At least the leg section 40 can be housed in the interior space 33 of this protruding section 34.

[0022] Furthermore, the protruding portion 34 is equipped with a switch activation sensor 35, a switch 36, a locking mechanism 37, a lock control unit 38, and a display device 39 as components of the movable shelf portion 30. Of these, the switch 36 is a UI (User Interface) that receives user instructions for control of the adjustment unit 50. The adjustment unit 50 operates in response to these user instructions, causing the legs 40 housed in the cavity 33 of the protruding portion 34 to extend downward, or to re-house already extended legs 40 into the cavity 33 (i.e., the adjustment unit 50 adjusts the amount of extension of the legs 40). Therefore, the user instructions received by the switch 36 are those that drive the worm gear unit 51 of the adjustment unit 50 using a drive motor 52, which will be described later. The other components, the switch activation sensor 35, the locking mechanism 37, the lock control unit 38, and the display device 39, will be described later.

[0023] On the other hand, the leg portion 40 has a configuration in which a support column 42 with a caster 41 positioned at its lower end is appropriately connected to the worm gear unit 51 of the adjustment portion 50. In response to user operation via switch 36, the leg portion 40 extends downward from the bottom 32 of the movable shelf portion 30 due to the operation of the worm gear unit 51. Also, in response to user operation via switch 36, the leg portion 40 is retracted toward the interior space 33 from the bottom 32 of the movable shelf portion 30 due to the operation of the worm gear unit 51.

[0024] The extension and retraction of the legs 40 as described above occurs when the movable shelf section 30 is pulled out from the interior space 23 of the case section 20 or stored back into the interior space 23. As a specific example, consider a situation where a user who has moved from the interior space 6 of building 1 to the vicinity of the threshold 3 in order to go out takes out their shoes 5 for going out from the shoe box 10 and puts them on. In this case, as shown in Figure 2, the shoe box 10 has the movable shelf section 30 housed in the interior space 23 of the case section 20, with only the protruding section 34 exposed to the outside from the side surface 21 of the case section 20. The legs 40 are housed in the protruding section 34.

[0025] The user then performs an operation such as pressing the "down" button on the switch 36, extending the leg portion 40 downward from the bottom 32 of the movable shelf portion 30. This operation causes the drive motor 52, which is responsible for driving the worm gear unit 51, to rotate in the forward direction, and the leg portion 40 is extended downward. Furthermore, if, as a result of this extension, the caster 41 of the leg portion 40 comes into contact with the floor surface around the frame 3 (not the entrance hall 2, but the floor surface on the side of the interior space 6), the drive motor 52 stops rotating in the forward direction. The specific details and configuration of the control of the drive motor 52 will be described later.

[0026] As the legs 40 extend and the casters 41 contact the floor surface, the user, for example, holds the handle H and pulls out the movable shelf section 30 toward the interior space 6, exposing the shelf board 31 on which the shoes 5 are lined up from the case section 20. In this situation, most or all of the shelf board 31 is located on the interior space 6 side of the frame 3, and the user can take out the desired shoes from the shoes 5 lined up on the shelf board 31 without having to go down to the entrance floor 2. Furthermore, the movable shelf section 30 is supported by the legs 40 which receive a reaction force from the floor surface, and maintains a structurally stable state. In other words, the movable shelf section 30 does not become structurally unstable by being pulled out from the case section 20 without support, resulting in a cantilevered beam state.

[0027] <Worm gear unit operation and leg extension control> Here, the specific configuration and operating mode of the worm gear unit 51, which extends and retracts the leg portion 40, will be explained with reference to Figure 5. In this embodiment, the worm gear unit 51 consists of a mechanism combining a worm 511, a helical gear 512, and a rack 513, and a drive motor 52 which is its drive source. The worm 511 is a cylindrical member with helical screw grooves formed on its surface. The helical gear 512 is a gear having helical teeth that mesh with the screw grooves of the worm 511, and is also called a worm wheel.

[0028] In other words, the worm gear unit 51 is a mechanism that rotates the helical teeth of the helical gear 512 by moving the worm 511 as it rotates. In this embodiment, the helical gear 512 and the rack 513 are joined so that their teeth align. This rack 513 is installed on the surface of the support column 42 of the leg portion 40. Therefore, when the helical gear 512 rotates due to the operation of the worm gear unit 51, the rack 513 and the leg portion 40 move up and down in accordance with the direction of rotation.

[0029] The worm gear 511 is directly connected to the rotating shaft 521 of the drive motor 52 and rotates on the shaft when driven by the drive motor 52. The drive motor 52 is a drive mechanism that generates magnetic flux in a coil using current supplied from an appropriate power source, and in relation to the stator (permanent magnet, etc.), generates rotational force on the rotating shaft 521. The drive of this drive motor 52 is controlled by the motor control unit 53. The motor control unit 53 controls the rotation / stopping and forward / reverse direction of the rotating shaft 521 depending on the presence or absence and positive / negative sign of the current supplied to the drive motor 52. More specifically, it is a power supply control device that controls the output voltage and current.

[0030] The motor control unit 53 changes the presence and polarity of the current supplied to the motor 52 in response to a control signal resulting from a user operation on the switch 36 (e.g., pressing the "down" button, pressing the "up" button, etc.). The acceptance or rejection of the user operation on the switch 36 is controlled by the switch activation sensor 35's detection of the separation status between the case 20 and the movable shelf 30 (i.e., the state of the movable shelf 30 being pulled out from the case 20). Therefore, the switch 36 does not perform any control when the switch activation sensor 35 detects "separated," and performs control according to the user operation when the detection result is "joined." The specific configuration for this control will be described later.

[0031] Furthermore, an encoder 54 is provided around the rotating shaft 521 of the drive motor 52. The encoder 54 is a sensor that observes the rotational speed of the rotating shaft 521 of the drive motor 52, and notifies the lock control unit 38 of the observed rotational speed value. The lock control unit 38 is a mechanism that unlocks or locks the lock mechanism 37 when the rotation of the drive motor 52 starts in either forward or reverse direction, that is, when the leg portion 40 is extended or retracted, and the rotational speed becomes zero, that is, when the leg portion 40 is in contact with the floor surface or retracted into the space 33 inside the movable shelf portion 30. The specific processing of the motor control unit 53 and the lock control unit 38 will be described later.

[0032] The motor control unit 53 and lock control unit 38 mentioned above are equipped with an information processing device 100, for example, as shown in Figure 6. The information processing device 100 may consist of a single computer unit attached to the shoe box 10 of building 1, or it may consist of multiple parallel distributed computer units. Alternatively, the information processing device 100 may consist of a computer for ASP (Application Service Provider), SaaS (Software as a Service), PaaS (Platform as a Service), or IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service).

[0033] Here, assuming that the information processing device 100 in this embodiment is composed of a single computer unit, we assume a configuration in which the processor 101, main memory 102, auxiliary memory 103, and I / O 104 are connected by a bus 105. In this configuration, the processor 101 is a type of arithmetic unit and may be composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), MPU (Micro-Processing Unit), MCU (Micro Controller Unit), GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), DSP (Digital Signal Processor), TPU (Tensor Processing Unit), or ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), etc.

[0034] Furthermore, the main memory 102 may be composed of volatile semiconductor memory such as ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory). In this embodiment, the main memory 102 holds a program 1031, including the OS (Operating System), which the processor 101 has read from the auxiliary memory 103, for execution. Of these, the OS implements the control and basic functions of the computer itself, and under its control, the processor 101 calls and executes the program 1031, thereby implementing various control functions.

[0035] Furthermore, the auxiliary storage device 103 is implemented using non-volatile storage devices or storage media such as HDDs (Hard Disk Drives), SSDs (Solid State Drives), flash memory, FDs (Flexible Discs), MO disks (Magneto-Optical Discs), CDs (Compact Discs), DVDs (Digital Versatile Discs), SD cards (Secure Digital Cards), or USB memory (Universal Serial Bus memory).

[0036] Furthermore, the auxiliary storage device 103 may be configured to be built into the enclosure of the information processing device 100, or it may be configured to be connected to the information processing device 100 in an external manner. In addition, the auxiliary storage device 103 may be configured as another computer or the like that is connected to the information processing device 100 in a communicative manner. As for the technology for recording various data, a distributed ledger technology such as blockchain may be used to prevent unauthorized data tampering. Such an auxiliary storage device 103 stores at least the program 1031.

[0037] Furthermore, I / O104 is a unit that handles data input and output with other control units (such as the lock control unit 38 as seen from the motor control unit 53, or the motor control unit 53 as seen from the lock control unit 38) and other communication target devices. For example, it can employ a communication chipset that supports serial communication via cable, infrared communication, or protocols for mobile communication of generations such as 3G to 5G or later, or the LTE (Long Term Evolution) protocol. However, it is not limited to these, and depending on the type of communication method, it may be implemented with other devices. For example, if such a communication method is configured as a wireless LAN, I / O104 will be implemented with a network interface card that supports the Wi-Fi®-based wireless LAN protocol.

[0038] <Configuration and control of the locking mechanism> Next, the specific configuration and operation of the locking mechanism 37 will be explained based on Figures 7 to 9. The locking mechanism 37 is responsible for joining and separating the case section 20 and the movable shelf section 30, and consists of a drive unit 371, a hook 372, a hook receiver 373, and a housing 374. The drive unit 371 is housed in a housing 374 that can accommodate all or part of the hook 372, and transmits motor or manual driving force to the rotation axis of the hook 372, causing the hook 372 to rotate within a certain range around the rotation axis.

[0039] Furthermore, the hook 372 is a sickle-shaped metal piece that rotates around the rotation axis by receiving a driving force from the drive unit 371. The sickle-shaped tip of the hook 372 can be fitted into the opening of the hook receiver 373 in accordance with the rotation of the hook 372. The drive unit 371 and the hook 372, which are housed in the housing 374, are fixed to the wall surface in the interior space 33 of the movable shelf section 30. On the other hand, the hook receiver 373 is fixed to the wall surface in the interior space 23 of the case section 20 at a position opposite the housing 374. In addition, for example, a display device 39 is installed at one of the locations on the outer surface of the movable shelf section 30.

[0040] The display device 39 is a device that indicates the locked state of the locking mechanism 37 using color or characters. The display device 39 consists of, for example, a semicircular plate 391 attached to the rotation axis of the hook 372 and a display window 392 that exposes a part of the surface of the plate 391. The plate 391 has a color scheme in which specific areas are painted in different colors, such as red and light blue. For example, as the hook 372 rotates around the rotation axis to engage with the hook receiver 373, the plate 391 of the display device 39 rotates in the same way, exposing a specific red area in the display window 392. When this specific red area is exposed, it indicates that the locking mechanism 37 is in a locked state. On the other hand, as the hook 372 rotates in the opposite direction around the rotation axis to disengage from the hook receiver 373, the plate 391 rotates in the opposite direction, exposing a specific light blue area in the display window 392. The exposure of this specific light blue area indicates that the locking mechanism 37 is in an unlocked state.

[0041] As previously mentioned, the operation of the locking mechanism 37 is controlled by the lock control unit 38. The lock control unit 38 performs the locking and unlocking controls based on the rotational speed of the drive motor 52 observed by the encoder 54. As described above, the hook 372 of the locking mechanism 37 engages with the hook receiver 373 to create a locked state, fixing the connection between the case 20 and the movable shelf 30. Therefore, in this locked state, the movable shelf 30 cannot be pulled out of the case 20. On the other hand, when the engagement between the hook 372 and the hook receiver 373 of the locking mechanism 37 is released and the lock is released, the movable shelf 30 can be pulled out of the case 20.

[0042] <Control Flow> Next, the extension and retraction of the legs 40 and the control of the locking mechanism 37, through the coordinated operation of the switch 36, the lock control unit 38, and the motor control unit 53, will be explained based on Figures 10 and 11. Here, we assume that the shoe box 10 has a movable shelf section 30 housed in the interior space 23 of the case section 20, and the shelf board 31 is not exposed. We also assume that the user is in a hall near the shoe box 10 (on the indoor side, above the frame 3) and is trying to take a shoe 5 out of the shoe box 10. Therefore, the user is thinking of pressing the "down button" on the switch 36.

[0043] In this case, the switch 36 determines whether the switch activation sensor 35 is operating, that is, whether the case portion 20 and the protruding portion 34 of the movable shelf portion 30 are integrally joined (S10). As described above, the movable shelf portion 30 is housed in the inner cavity 23 of the case portion 20, and the protruding portion 34 is integrally joined to the side surface 21 of the case portion 20, so as a result of the above determination, it is found that the switch activation sensor 35 is operating (S10: YES). Also, since the user has pressed the "down button" of the switch 36, the switch 36 will detect that the "down button" has been pressed (S11).

[0044] When the switch 36 detects that the "down button" has been pressed, it notifies the motor control unit 53 of an instruction to rotate in the forward direction (S12). Upon receiving the instruction to rotate in the forward direction, the motor control unit 53 applies a positive voltage drive current to the drive motor 52, causing the drive motor 52 to start rotating in the forward direction (S12). The drive motor 52 rotates its rotating shaft in the forward direction, similarly rotating the worm 511 of the worm gear unit 51 which is directly connected to it. The rotation of the worm 511 is transmitted to the helical teeth of the helical gear 512, becoming its rotational force. The rotation of the helical gear 512 is transmitted to the rack 513, becoming the driving force that slides the rack 513 downward. This downward movement of the rack 513 leads to the downward movement of the legs 40 (and their support columns 42), which are the fixed points of the rack 513. In other words, the legs 40 extend downward from the protruding portion 34 of the movable shelf 30.

[0045] The forward rotation of the drive motor 52 is observed by the encoder 54. The encoder 54 observes the rotational speed of the drive motor 52's rotation axis, and when the rotational speed becomes 0 (S14: YES), it notifies the motor control unit 53 and the lock control unit 38 of the observation result. The state in which the rotational speed becomes 0 can be described as the state in which the caster 41 of the extended leg 40 has reached the floor surface near the frame 3. For this reason, the caster 41 may be equipped with sensors that sense the stress when the caster 41 contacts the floor surface and determine the contact state of the caster 41 with the floor surface. These sensors shall notify the motor control unit 53 of the result of the above determination. The motor control unit 53 will then stop the rotation of the drive motor 52 upon receiving this notification. Furthermore, considering that the height of the shoe box 10 and the frame 3 (e.g., the height from the entrance floor) differs depending on the building 1, the mechanism and function that allows the leg portion 40 to be extended freely as described above is significant for the shoe box 10 in this embodiment.

[0046] In this case, the motor control unit 53 stops applying drive current to the drive motor 52 (S15). The lock control unit 38 also performs unlocking of the lock mechanism 37 (S16). This unlocking is performed by controlling the rotation of the hook 372 relative to the drive unit 371 of the lock mechanism 37 (rotation in the direction of disengaging from the hook receiver 373). The rotation control of the hook 372 relative to the drive unit 371 is, for example, applied to the motor of the drive unit 371. The display device 39 also rotates the plate material 391 in the same way as the rotation of the hook 372 accompanying the unlocking, and displays a specific light blue area indicating the "unlocked" state in the display window 392 (S17).

[0047] Upon recognizing the display in this window, the user grasps the handle H on the side of the protruding part 34 and pulls, thereby pulling out the movable shelf part 30 from the case part 20 and seeing the shoes 5 placed on the shelf board 31.

[0048] Suppose the user then finishes putting on the shoes 5, grasps the handle H of the protruding part 34, pulls the movable shelf part 30 back, and places it in the case part 20. Also, suppose the user presses the "up button" on the switch 36 to place the leg part 40 into the protruding part 34. At this time, the switch 36 determines whether the switch activation sensor 35 is operating, that is, whether the case part 20 and the protruding part 34 of the movable shelf part 30 are integrally joined (S20). As described above, the movable shelf part 30 is housed in the inner cavity 23 of the case part 20, and the protruding part 34 is integrally joined to the side surface 21 of the case part 20, so as a result of the above determination, it is found that the switch activation sensor 35 is operating (S20: YES). Also, since the user has pressed the "up button" on the switch 36, the switch 36 will detect that the "up button" has been pressed (S21).

[0049] When the switch 36 detects that the "up button" has been pressed, it notifies the motor control unit 53 of an instruction to reverse rotation (S22). Upon receiving the instruction to reverse rotation, the motor control unit 53 applies a negative voltage drive current to the drive motor 52, causing the drive motor 52 to start rotating in reverse (S22). The drive motor 52 rotates its rotating shaft in reverse, similarly rotating the worm 511 of the worm gear unit 51 which is directly connected to it. The rotation of the worm 511 is transmitted to the helical teeth of the helical gear 512, becoming its rotational force. The rotation of the helical gear 512 is transmitted to the rack 513, becoming the driving force that slides the rack 513 upward. This upward movement of the rack 513 leads to the upward movement of the leg portion 40 (the support column 42) to which the rack 513 is fixed. In other words, the leg portion 40 moves upward toward the protruding portion 34 of the movable shelf portion 30 and is housed inside it.

[0050] The reverse rotation of the drive motor 52 is observed by the encoder 54. The encoder 54 observes the rotational speed of the drive motor 52's rotation axis, and when the rotational speed becomes 0 (S24: YES), it notifies the motor control unit 53 and the lock control unit 38 of the observation result. The state in which the rotational speed becomes 0 can be described as the state in which the casters 41 of the leg portion 40, which has been continuously retracted, have reached the bottom 32 of the protruding portion 34 as a result of upward movement. Therefore, the protruding portion 34 may be equipped with sensors that sense when the casters 41 approach the bottom 32 of the protruding portion 34 and determine the retraction state of the leg portion 40 relative to the space inside the protruding portion 34. These sensors shall notify the motor control unit 53 of the result of the above determination. The motor control unit 53 will then stop the rotation of the drive motor 52 upon receiving this notification. Furthermore, considering that the sight of the legs 40 protruding from the shoe box 10 is undesirable from an aesthetic standpoint, the mechanism and function that allows the legs 40 to be freely retracted, as described above, is significant for the shoe box 10 in this embodiment.

[0051] In this case, the motor control unit 53 stops applying drive current to the drive motor 52 (S25). The lock control unit 38 also performs locking in the lock mechanism 37 (S26). This locking is performed by controlling the rotation of the hook 372 relative to the drive unit 371 of the lock mechanism 37 (rotation in the direction of engagement with the hook receiver 373). The rotation control of the hook 372 relative to the drive unit 371 is, for example, the application of drive current to the motor of the drive unit 371. The display device 39 also rotates the plate material 391 in the same way as the rotation of the hook 372 accompanying the execution of the locking, and displays a specific red area indicating the "locked" state in the display window 392 (S27). The user who recognizes this display in the display window will realize that they cannot pull out the movable shelf 30 from the case 20.

[0052] <<Regarding other embodiments>> Although one embodiment of the shoe box 10, which is a shoe storage device of the present invention, has been described above, the above embodiment is merely an example to facilitate understanding of the present invention and does not limit the present invention. In other words, the present invention can be modified and improved without departing from its spirit. Furthermore, it goes without saying that the present invention includes equivalents thereof. [Explanation of symbols]

[0053] 1. Building 2. Entrance hall 3 frames 4. Entrance wall 5 shoes 6 Indoor space H handle 10. Shoe box (shoe storage device) 20 Case section 21 Case side 22 Case opening 23 Case interior empty 30 Movable shelf section 31 Shelf board (support board) 32 Shelf bottom 33 Empty shelf 34 Shelf protrusion 35 Switch activation sensor (sensor) 36 switches 37 Locking mechanism 371 Drive Unit 372 Hooks 373 Hook receiver 374 cabinets 38 Lock control unit 39 Display device 391 Board material 392 Display window 40 Legs 41 Casters 42 Post 50 Adjustment section 51 Worm gear unit 511 Warm 512 Helical gear 513 racks 52 Drive motor 521 Rotation axis 53 Motor control unit 54 encoders 100 Information Processing Devices 101 Processors 102 Main storage 103 Auxiliary storage device 1031 Program 104 I / O 105 Bus

Claims

1. A hollow case section with an opening on the side, A movable shelf section is housed within the case section in a state that allows it to be pulled out through the opening, and has at least one mounting plate on which shoes are placed. Legs that can extend downward from the bottom of the movable shelf section, A shoe storage device having the following features.

2. An adjustment unit that adjusts the extension amount of the leg portion according to the user's operation. The shoe storage device according to claim 1, further comprising:

3. The leg portion can be fully or partially housed within the space of the movable shelf portion by adjusting the extension amount in the adjustment section. The shoe storage device according to claim 2.

4. The aforementioned movable shelf section is The case section is equipped with a sensor that detects the state of the movable shelf section being pulled out from the opening, The adjustment unit is, If the sensor's detection result indicates that the movable shelf is not pulled out from the opening, the leg is extended or retracted. The shoe storage device according to claim 3.

5. The aforementioned movable shelf section is The system further includes a locking mechanism that controls whether the aforementioned drawer can be opened or closed. The locking mechanism is unlocked or locked in accordance with the completion of the extension or retraction of the leg portion by the adjustment unit. The shoe storage device according to claim 4.

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