Boot dryer

Abstract

To provide a shoe dryer that can suppress the occurrence of uneven drying. [Solution] A shoe dryer 100 comprising a blower chamber 2 equipped with a fan 21, a drying chamber 3 placed adjacent to the blower chamber 2 for housing shoes to be dried, and an air passage 4 located on one side of the blower chamber 2 and the drying chamber 3, wherein the blower chamber openings 23a, 23b are provided in the partition wall 11a between the blower chamber 2 and the air passage 4, and the partition wall 11b between the drying chamber 3 and the air passage 4 has a multi-row multi-column configuration with the direction of juxtaposition of the blower chamber 2 and the drying chamber 3 as the row direction. The device comprises a plurality of drying chamber openings 33 arranged in a trix pattern, a holding part 35 that holds one shoe at a position corresponding to each of the plurality of drying chamber openings 33 within the drying chamber 3, and a branching part 41 that branches the air flowing into the air passage 4 via the air supply chamber openings 23a and 23b to the drying chamber openings 33 of each row, the branching part 41 comprising a dividing plate 412 that divides the flow path cross section of the air passage 4 into regions corresponding to the drying chamber openings 33 of each row.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a shoe dryer for drying shoes.

Background Art

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a shoe dryer used for drying shoes. In the shoe dryer disclosed herein, a drying chamber for accommodating the shoes to be dried and a blower chamber in which a fan for generating the air used for drying is disposed are arranged adjacent to each other on the left and right, and a blower passage connecting the blower chamber and the drying chamber is provided on the back side of the blower chamber and the drying chamber. In such a configuration, the air sent out from the opening provided in the back wall of the blower chamber passes through the blower passage and is introduced into the drying chamber through the opening provided in the back wall of the drying chamber, so that the shoes accommodated therein are dried.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In this configuration, it is necessary to minimize the uneven distribution of airflow from the four openings. If there is an uneven distribution of airflow, a situation may occur where one shoe held in a position corresponding to one opening is sufficiently dried, while the other shoe held in a position corresponding to another opening is not sufficiently dried—this is known as uneven drying.

[0006] However, in a configuration where the air blowing chamber and the drying chamber are placed side by side, differences in airflow tend to occur between the four openings arranged in a matrix, for example, between openings relatively close to the air blowing chamber and openings relatively far from the air blowing chamber. Consequently, uneven drying is likely to occur.

[0007] This invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a shoe dryer that can suppress the occurrence of uneven drying. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To achieve this objective, the present invention employs the following means.

[0009] In other words, the present invention is a shoe dryer comprising: a blower chamber equipped with a fan; a drying chamber arranged side by side in the blower chamber for housing shoes to be dried; and an air passage arranged on one side of the blower chamber and the drying chamber, wherein the shoe dryer comprises: a blower chamber opening provided in the partition wall between the blower chamber and the air passage; a plurality of drying chamber openings provided in the partition wall between the drying chamber and the air passage, arranged in a multi-row, multi-column matrix with the direction of juxtaposition of the blower chamber and the drying chamber as the row direction; a holding portion for holding one shoe at a position corresponding to each of the plurality of drying chamber openings within the drying chamber; and a branching portion for branching the air flowing into the air passage through the blower chamber opening to the drying chamber openings in each row, wherein the branching portion comprises a dividing plate that divides the cross-sectional flow path of the air passage into regions corresponding to the drying chamber openings in each row.

[0010] In the shoe dryer of the present invention, it is preferable that the dividing plate is arranged to overlap with at least a portion of the air passage path of the air that travels straight in the longitudinal direction within the air passage after being ejected from the outlet of the fan.

[0011] In the shoe dryer of the present invention, a blocking part that allows for the free introduction and blocking of air from the opening of the drying chamber, It is preferable to include the following.

[0012] In the shoe dryer of the present invention, it is preferable that the holding portion includes a hook portion on which one shoe is to be hooked, which is provided protruding into the drying chamber from a position corresponding to each of the plurality of drying chamber openings.

[0013] In the shoe dryer of the present invention, it is preferable that the plurality of drying chamber openings are arranged in a matrix of two rows and two columns. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the shoe dryer of the present invention, air flowing into the air passage through the air chamber opening is branched by the branching section to each row of drying chamber openings and discharged from each drying chamber opening. The provision of the branching section corrects the unevenness of airflow between multiple drying chamber openings. As a result, differences in the degree of drying of individual shoes held at positions corresponding to each drying chamber opening are less likely to occur. In other words, the occurrence of uneven drying is suppressed. By suppressing the occurrence of uneven drying, drying efficiency is improved, and the time required for drying can be shortened. Furthermore, since the branching section divides the flow path cross-section of the air passage into regions corresponding to each row of drying chamber openings using a dividing plate, the air flowing into the air passage can be branched to each row of drying chamber openings with a simple configuration.

[0015] In the shoe dryer of the present invention, the dividing plate is positioned so as to overlap with at least a portion of the airflow path that travels straight in the direction of travel through the air duct after being ejected from the fan outlet. As a result, at least a portion of the air traveling straight in the direction of travel through the air duct collides with the dividing plate, creating turbulence. This promotes the homogenization of the air's temperature, velocity, volume, etc.

[0016] According to the shoe dryer of the present invention, a blocking part is provided that can freely introduce and block the wind from the drying chamber opening. According to this configuration, for example, when drying is performed with only one shoe held at a position corresponding to a part of the drying chamber opening, by blocking the drying chamber opening corresponding to the position where the shoe is not held, the wind sent from the blower chamber can be utilized without waste, and the drying efficiency can be increased. By increasing the drying efficiency, it becomes possible to shorten the time required for drying.

[0017] According to the shoe dryer of the present invention, a hanging part is provided protruding into the drying chamber from a position corresponding to each drying chamber opening. According to this configuration, the wind sent out from the drying chamber opening directly hits the single shoe hooked on the hanging part, and the single shoe is efficiently dried.

[0018] According to the shoe dryer of the present invention, since a plurality of drying chamber openings are arranged in a 2×2 matrix, the space efficiency in the drying chamber is increased, and miniaturization of the shoe dryer is realized.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0019] [Figure 1] It is a front view showing a schematic configuration of a shoe dryer 100 according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a side view showing a schematic configuration of the shoe dryer 100. [Figure 3] It is a cross-sectional view of the shoe dryer 100 as seen from the direction of arrow A in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] It is a cross-sectional view of the shoe dryer 100 as seen from the direction of arrow B in FIG. 1. [Figure 5] It is a cross-sectional view of the shoe dryer 100 as seen from the direction of arrow C in FIG. 2. [Figure 6] It is a diagram showing the analysis result of the wind speed distribution in the shoe dryer 100. [Figure 7] It is a diagram showing the analysis result of the wind speed distribution in the shoe dryer 100. <00时00091><00000时92>It is a diagram showing the analysis result of the wind speed distribution in a shoe dryer 900 according to a comparative example. [Figure 9]It is a diagram showing the analysis result of the wind speed distribution in the shoe dryer 900 according to the comparative example. [Figure 10] It is a diagram showing the shoe dryer 900 according to the comparative example.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0020] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0021] <1. Configuration of Shoe Dryer> The configuration of the shoe dryer according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. FIG. 1 is a front view showing the schematic configuration of the shoe dryer 100 according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view showing the schematic configuration of the shoe dryer 100. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the shoe dryer 100 as viewed from the direction of arrow A in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the shoe dryer 100 as viewed from the direction of arrow B in FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the shoe dryer 100 as viewed from the direction of arrow C in FIG. 2.

[0022] The shoe dryer 100 includes a substantially rectangular parallelepiped housing (machine frame) 1. Inside the housing 1, a blower chamber 2, a drying chamber 3 juxtaposed with the blower chamber 2, and a blower passage 4 disposed on one side of the blower chamber 2 and the drying chamber 3 are provided. Hereinafter, the side where the blower chamber 2 is disposed will be referred to as the "right side", and the side where the drying chamber 3 is disposed will be referred to as the "left side". Also, the side where the blower chamber 2 and the drying chamber 3 are disposed will be referred to as the "front side", and the side where the blower passage 4 is disposed will be referred to as the "rear side".

[0023] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3 and the like, inside the housing 1, an end plate 11 that extends horizontally and partitions the internal space of the housing 1 front and rear is provided at a position closer to the rear than the center in the front-rear direction. Also, on the front surface of this end plate 11, a partition plate 12 that extends vertically and partitions the space in front of the end plate at the left and right is provided. Further, on the rear surface of the end plate 11, a cover plate 13 is provided so as to surround the partition plate 12.

[0024] A roughly rectangular parallelepiped space is formed in front of the end plate 11 and to the right of the partition plate 12, and a blower chamber 2 is provided therein. A roughly rectangular parallelepiped space is formed in front of the end plate 11 and to the left of the partition plate 12, and a drying chamber 3 is provided therein. A flat, roughly rectangular parallelepiped space is formed between the end plate 11 and the cover plate 13, and an air passage 4 is provided therein.

[0025] The specific configurations of the air blowing chamber 2, drying chamber 3, and air blowing passage 4 will be described below. Although not shown in the diagram, the shoe dryer 100 includes a control unit. The control unit is composed of, for example, a microcomputer and includes a CPU as a central processing unit, a memory consisting of volatile memory devices such as RAM, and a storage unit consisting of non-volatile memory devices such as ROM. The storage unit stores a program for executing a series of operations in the shoe dryer 100, various parameters used to execute the program, and so on. The control unit is connected to each part of the shoe dryer 100 and controls each of these parts according to the program stored in the storage unit.

[0026] (Blower room 2) The ventilation chamber 2 is a space for generating air to dry the shoes housed in the drying chamber 3.

[0027] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, a fan (blower) 21 is installed in the ventilation chamber 2. The fan 21 pressurizes the gas drawn in from the intake port 211 and blows it out from the outlet port 212.

[0028] In the partition wall separating the air supply chamber 2 from the external space (in the example shown, the right side wall of the housing 1), an intake window 22 is formed, opposite the intake port 211 of the fan 21, to connect the air supply chamber 2 to the external space. A filter 221 is provided in the intake window 22.

[0029] On the other hand, the partition wall 11a separating the air blowing chamber 2 and the air blowing passage 4 (i.e., the portion of the end plate 11 facing the air blowing chamber 2) is provided with two openings (air blowing chamber openings) 23a and 23b that connect the air blowing chamber 2 and the air blowing passage 4 (Figure 5). Of the two air blowing chamber openings 23a and 23b, the opening on the side furthest from the drying chamber 3 (i.e., the right side) is called the "first air blowing chamber opening 23a," and the opening on the side closer to the drying chamber 3 (i.e., the left side) is called the "second air blowing chamber opening 23b."

[0030] The first air vent opening 23a is formed at a position opposite the outlet 212 of the fan 21. A heater 24 is also provided in the first air vent opening 23a. As the heater 24, for example, a honeycomb-shaped heater including PTC elements can be used. The heater 24 may also have a configuration in which multiple heater components are arranged vertically.

[0031] A perforated plate 25, made of wire mesh or the like, is provided at the opening 23b of the second air supply chamber. The perforated plate 25 serves as a filter, a rectifier, and other functions.

[0032] Furthermore, the ventilation chamber 2 is provided with a duct 26 that connects the two ventilation chamber openings 23a and 23b and the outlet 212 of the fan 21. Specifically, the duct 26 is connected to the partition wall 11a at its rear end, surrounding the two ventilation chamber openings 23a and 23b together, and is connected to the outlet 212 of the fan 21 at its front end.

[0033] In this configuration, when the fan 21 is operated, outside air is drawn in through the intake window 22 and the intake port 211, and pressurized air is blown into the duct 26 from the outlet 212. The blown air is sent to the air passage 4 through one of the two air chamber openings 23a and 23b. At this time, the air passing through the first air chamber opening 23a is heated by the heater 24, becoming warmer than the outside temperature, and is sent to the air passage 4. In other words, the first air chamber opening 23a becomes a hot air outlet that sends heated air (hot air) to the air passage 4. On the other hand, the air passing through the second air chamber opening 23b is sent to the air passage 4 as is, without being heated by the heater 24. In other words, the second air chamber opening 23b becomes a cold air outlet that sends air at the outside temperature (cold air) to the air passage 4.

[0034] The hot air discharged from the first air chamber opening 23a, which is the hot air outlet, and the cold air discharged from the second air chamber opening 23b, which is the cold air outlet, are mixed in the air passage 4 to become air (dry air) that is heated to a predetermined temperature (for example, about 30 degrees) above the ambient temperature. This air is sent through the air passage 4 to the drying chamber 3 and used to dry the shoes stored there. A sensor (not shown) for detecting the temperature of the air is provided inside the housing 1, and the control unit controls the heater 24 and other components based on the detection signal from the sensor to adjust the air used to dry the shoes to a predetermined temperature.

[0035] (Drying room 3) Drying room 3 is a space for housing shoes that need to be dried.

[0036] As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the front wall of the drying chamber 3 (i.e., the portion of the front wall of the housing 1 facing the drying chamber 3) is provided with an entrance / exit 31 for putting shoes in and taking them out, and a door 32 that can be freely opened and closed over the entrance / exit 31. Users can open the door 32 and put shoes in and take them out of the drying chamber 3 through the entrance / exit 31.

[0037] On the other hand, an exhaust duct 34 is provided on the top plate of the drying chamber 3 (i.e., the portion of the top plate of the enclosure 1 facing the drying chamber 3) to exhaust the air inside the drying chamber 3 to the outside space.

[0038] Furthermore, the partition wall 11b separating the drying chamber 3 and the air duct 4 (i.e., the portion of the end plate 11 facing the drying chamber 3) is provided with a plurality of drying chamber openings 33 that connect the drying chamber 3 and the air duct 4. As shown in Figure 5, the plurality of drying chamber openings 33 are arranged in a multi-row, multi-column matrix, with the direction in which the air duct 2 and the drying chamber 3 are placed side by side (i.e., left-right direction) as the row direction, and the direction perpendicular to the row direction within the plane of the partition wall 11b (i.e., up-down direction) as the column direction. In this case, four drying chamber openings 33 are arranged in a 2-row, 2-column matrix.

[0039] Each drying chamber opening 33 is provided with a perforated plate 331 made of wire mesh or the like. The perforated plate 331 serves as a filter, a rectifier, and other functions.

[0040] Furthermore, the partition wall 11b separating the drying chamber 3 and the air duct 4 is provided with a holding portion 35 for holding one shoe at a position corresponding to each of the multiple drying chamber openings 33 within the drying chamber 3. Specifically, the holding portion 35 is composed of the same number of cylindrical portions 351 as the drying chamber openings 33, and a pair of hook portions 352, 352 provided corresponding to each of the multiple cylindrical portions 351.

[0041] Each cylindrical portion 351 is provided in correspondence with one of the drying chamber openings 33 and is provided so as to protrude into the drying chamber 3 from the position where the corresponding drying chamber opening 33 is formed. Specifically, each cylindrical portion 351 is a cylindrical member whose inner diameter is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the drying chamber opening 33, and is fixed to the partition wall 11b at one end so as to surround the corresponding drying chamber opening 33, and is provided so as to protrude forward in a substantially horizontal position. The protruding end of the cylindrical portion 351 is cut off diagonally downward.

[0042] The pair of hooks 352, 352 are members that, like the cylindrical portion 351, protrude into the drying chamber 3 from a position corresponding to one of the drying chamber openings 33, and a shoe is hooked onto them. Specifically, each hook 352 is a long member formed by bending a rod-shaped member with a circular cross-section into a U-shape, with the ends of the pair of leg-shaped sides fixed to the partition wall 11b, and are positioned to extend further forward than the cylindrical portion 351 in a substantially horizontal position, sandwiching the outer surface of the cylindrical portion 351 from above and below near these ends. The pair of hooks 352, 352 are arranged separately on the left and right sides of the cylindrical portion 351.

[0043] The pair of hooks 352, 352 extending from each cylindrical portion 351 can hook onto one adult shoe or two children's shoes. That is, for adult shoes, as shown in Figure 1, both hooks 352, 352 can be inserted into the inside of one shoe, thereby holding one shoe in a position corresponding to the drying chamber opening 33. For children's shoes, one of the pair of hooks 352, 352 can be inserted into the inside of each shoe, thereby holding two shoes in a position corresponding to the drying chamber opening 33.

[0044] With one or two shoes held in positions corresponding to each drying chamber opening 33, when air is blown out from each drying chamber opening 33, the blown air passes through the cylindrical portion 351 and is ejected from its tip, directly hitting the inside of the shoes that are hooked onto the hook portion 352. As a result, the shoes are dried by being exposed to the air mainly from the inside. Needless to say, it is not necessary for shoes to be held in positions corresponding to all drying chamber openings 33 when drying is performed. That is, as shown in Figure 1, drying may be performed even if some of the shoes are not hooked onto the hook portions 352.

[0045] The two drying chamber openings 33 arranged in the second row (lower section) are provided with a blocking section 36 that allows for the free introduction and blocking of airflow from the drying chamber openings 33. Specifically, as shown in Figure 5, the blocking section 36 consists of a blocking plate 361 positioned on the rear side of the partition wall 11b and a sliding mechanism 362 for sliding the blocking plate 361 along the rear side of the partition wall 11b.

[0046] The barrier plate 361 is a roughly rectangular, flat plate-like member, with its lower edge bent at approximately a 90-degree angle. The barrier plate 361 is sized such that its flat portion can completely cover one drying chamber opening 33.

[0047] The sliding mechanism 362 comprises a long rail 3621 attached to the rear surface of the bulkhead 11b and a pair of slits 3622, 3622 provided in the bulkhead 11b. The rail 3621 is positioned above the two drying chamber openings 33, 33 arranged in the second row, extending in the left-right direction (row direction). On the other hand, each slit 3622 is positioned below each of the two drying chamber openings 33, 33 arranged in the second row, extending in the left-right direction.

[0048] The upper edge of the barrier plate 361 is housed within the rail 3621, and the folded lower edge of the barrier plate 361 is housed within the slit 3622. As a result, the barrier plate 361 is supported in a position approximately parallel to the bulkhead 11b and can slide freely from side to side along the rear surface of the bulkhead 11b.

[0049] The sliding range of the barrier plate 361 is defined by the lengths of the rail 3621 and the slit 3622. Here, the lengths of the rail 3621 and the slit 3622 are defined such that when the barrier plate 361 is positioned at one end of the sliding range (the right end in the example shown), the barrier plate 361 does not overlap the entire drying chamber opening 33, and when the barrier plate 361 is positioned at the other end of the sliding range (the left end in the example shown), the barrier plate 361 overlaps the entire drying chamber opening 33.

[0050] Therefore, when the barrier plate 361 is positioned at the right end of the sliding range, the drying chamber opening 33 is fully opened, allowing air to be introduced from there. Conversely, when the barrier plate 361 is positioned at the left end of the sliding range, the drying chamber opening 33 is completely closed, blocking the introduction of air from there. As shown in Figure 3, the bent lower edge of the barrier plate 361 protrudes forward of the partition wall 11b through the slit 3622. Therefore, users can freely slide the barrier plate 361 and switch its position by reaching their hand through the entrance 31, grasping this protruding portion, and pulling it left or right.

[0051] (Airflow passage 4) The air passage 4 is a space for guiding the air blown out from the air supply chamber 2 to the drying chamber 3.

[0052] As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the air duct 4 is provided with a branching section 41 near the boundary between the air blowing chamber 2 and the drying chamber 3 in the left-right direction. This branching section 41 branches the air flowing into the air duct 4 via the air blowing chamber openings 23a and 23b to the drying chamber openings 33 in each row. Specifically, the branching section 41 branches the air flowing into the air duct 4 into a flow F1 directed towards the two drying chamber openings 33 arranged in the first row (upper section) and a flow F2 directed towards the two drying chamber openings 33 arranged in the second row (lower section).

[0053] Specifically, the branching section 41 is composed of a rib section 411 and a dividing plate 412.

[0054] The rib portion 411 is an elongated, flat plate-shaped member, positioned so that its longitudinal direction is aligned vertically and its width direction is aligned front-to-back, and is provided on the front surface of the cover plate 13, that is, the wall surface facing the end plate 11. The rib portion 411 is provided throughout the entire air passage 4 in the vertical direction. Furthermore, the front-to-back dimension of the rib portion 411 is made sufficiently smaller than the front-to-back dimension of the air passage 4 (for example, about 1 / 4). By providing such a rib portion 411, the front-to-back dimension of the air passage cross-section of the air passage 4 is locally narrowed. However, the "air passage cross-section of the air passage 4" referred to here refers to the cross-section obtained by cutting the air passage 4 with a plane that includes the front-to-back and vertical directions at the position where the rib portion 411 is formed. The same applies hereafter.

[0055] The dividing plate 412 divides the flow path cross-section of the air duct 4 into regions corresponding to the drying chamber openings 33 in each row. Specifically, the dividing plate 412 is a substantially rectangular flat plate-shaped member, positioned such that one side of its main surface is aligned in the vertical direction and the other side of its main surface is aligned in the front-to-back direction, and is provided in the middle of the extension of the rib portion 411. Here, the front-to-back dimension of the dividing plate 412 is substantially the same as the front-to-back dimension of the air duct 4, and there is almost no gap between the dividing plate 412 and the end plate 11. Therefore, by providing the dividing plate 412, the flow path cross-section of the air duct 4 is divided into a divided region S1 above the dividing plate 412 and a divided region S2 below the dividing plate 412 (see Figure 4).

[0056] As shown in Figure 5 and other figures, the dividing plate 412 is positioned at a height corresponding to the space between each drying chamber opening 33 located in the first row and each drying chamber opening 33 located in the second row. More specifically, the upper edge of the dividing plate 412 is positioned at approximately the same height as the lower edge of each drying chamber opening 33 located in the first row, or at a height predetermined to be below the lower edge. Furthermore, the lower edge of the dividing plate 412 is positioned at approximately the same height as the upper edge of each drying chamber opening 33 located in the second row, or at a height predetermined to be above the upper edge.

[0057] In this way, the dividing plate 412 is positioned at a height corresponding to the space between the drying chamber openings 33 located in the first row and the drying chamber openings 33 located in the second row. As a result, the dividing region S1 above the dividing plate 412 corresponds to the region corresponding to each drying chamber opening 33 located in the first row, and the dividing region S2 below the dividing plate 412 corresponds to the region corresponding to each drying chamber opening 33 located in the second row. In other words, the dividing plate 412 divides the flow path cross-section of the air supply passage 4 into dividing regions S1 and S2 corresponding to the drying chamber openings 33 in each row.

[0058] <2. Wind flow> In the shoe dryer 100, when the fan 21 is activated and power is supplied to the heater 24, hot air flows from the air blowing chamber 2 to the air blowing passage 4 via the first air blowing chamber opening 23a, and cold air flows from the air blowing chamber 2 to the air blowing passage 4 via the second air blowing chamber opening 23b. The hot and cold air that flows into the air blowing passage 4 are mixed and guided to the side of the drying chamber 3 and sent out from each drying chamber opening 33. As described above, a branching section 41 is provided in the air blowing passage 4, and the air that flows into the air blowing passage 4 is branched at the branching section 41 to each row of drying chamber openings 33 and sent out into the drying chamber 3 from each drying chamber opening 33. The provision of the branching section 41 corrects the unevenness of airflow between the multiple drying chamber openings 33. This point will be explained with reference to Figures 1 to 5, as well as Figures 6 to 10.

[0059] Figures 6 and 7 show the results of the wind speed distribution analysis in the shoe dryer 100 according to the above embodiment. Figure 6 is a view of the air duct 4 from the front, and Figure 7 is a view of the air duct 4 from the rear. In these figures, the color of each dot indicates the wind speed at that location, and areas where no dots are present mean areas with no wind speed, i.e., areas with poor airflow. However, these figures show not only dots corresponding to the wind flowing through the air duct 4, but also superimposed dots corresponding to the wind blown from the air duct 4 into the drying chamber 3 and discharged from the exhaust duct 34.

[0060] On the other hand, Figures 8 and 9 show the results of the wind speed distribution analysis in the shoe dryer 900 related to the comparative example. Figure 8 corresponds to Figure 6, and Figure 9 corresponds to Figure 7.

[0061] Here, the shoe dryer 900 in the comparative example is provided with a protruding plate 91 instead of a dividing plate 412, as shown in Figure 10. The protruding plate 91 is a roughly rectangular flat plate member, similar to the dividing plate 412, and is positioned such that one side of the main surface is aligned in the vertical direction and the other side of the main surface is aligned in the front-to-back direction, and is provided in the middle of the extension of the rib portion 411. However, unlike the dividing plate 412, the front-to-back dimension of the protruding plate 91 is about half the front-to-back dimension of the air passage 4.

[0062] Thus, the protruding plate 91 does not divide the flow path cross-section of the air passage 4 like the dividing plate 412, but merely narrows the front-to-back dimension of the flow path cross-section of the air passage 4 locally in the upper and lower central portion. Therefore, in the shoe dryer 900 according to the comparative example, a portion of the air flowing into the air passage 4 passes through the gap G between the protruding plate 91 and the end plate 11, that is, it is not branched to the drying chamber openings 33 of each row, but is instead guided to the side of the drying chamber openings 33.

[0063] Now, let's focus on the drying chamber opening 33 in the second row (bottom) and first column (left side) of the four drying chamber openings 33 arranged in a 2x2 matrix (hereinafter also referred to as the "focused drying chamber opening") 33. In the shoe dryer 900 of the comparative example, it can be seen that the air movement is poorer in the vicinity of the focused drying chamber opening 33 (the area enclosed by the dashed line in Figures 8 and 9) compared to the other drying chamber openings 33. This means that the airflow rate from the focused drying chamber opening 33 into the drying chamber 3 is smaller than the airflow rate from the other drying chamber openings 33 into the drying chamber 3. Therefore, in the shoe dryer 900 of the comparative example, a shoe held at the position corresponding to the focused drying chamber opening 33 may take longer to dry than a shoe held at the position corresponding to the other drying chamber openings 33. In other words, uneven drying may occur.

[0064] On the other hand, in the shoe dryer 100 according to this embodiment, it can be seen that air movement of a similar degree occurs in the vicinity of the drying chamber opening 33 of interest (the area enclosed by the dashed line in Figures 6 and 7) as in each of the other drying chamber openings 33. This means that the same amount of airflow as in each of the other drying chamber openings 33 is secured in the drying chamber opening 33 of interest. Therefore, it is unlikely that there will be a difference in the degree of drying between a shoe held at a position corresponding to the drying chamber opening 33 of interest and a shoe held at a position corresponding to each of the other drying chamber openings 33. In other words, the occurrence of uneven drying is suppressed.

[0065] Thus, the results of this analysis show that when the branching section 41 is not provided, the airflow at some of the drying chamber openings 33 tends to be relatively small. However, when the branching section 41 is provided, the airflow at the drying chamber openings 33 increases, correcting the airflow imbalance among the multiple drying chamber openings 33.

[0066] The reason for this is thought to be as follows. First, in the shoe dryer 900 of the comparative example, there is a gap G between the protruding plate 91 and the end plate 11. As a result, some of the air that flows into the air passage 4 passes through this gap G and is guided to the side of the drying chamber 3. The air that passes through the gap G travels in a straight line in the row direction and is ejected from one of the drying chamber openings 33. However, this air tends to be ejected unevenly from the drying chamber opening 33 that is relatively closer to the air passage 2, i.e., the second row (right side), or the first row (upper section), and as a result, the airflow from the drying chamber opening 33 of interest, which is in the second row and first column, tends to be smaller. In other words, the air passing through the gap G is thought to be one of the causes of the uneven airflow among the multiple drying chamber openings 33.

[0067] In contrast, the dividing plate 412 provided in the shoe dryer 100 divides the flow path cross-section of the air passage 4 into dividing regions S1 and S2 corresponding to the drying chamber openings 33 of each row, and there is almost no gap between the dividing plate 412 and the end plate 11. As a result, almost all of the air flowing into the air passage 4 is branched (divided) into flows F1 and F2 corresponding to the drying chamber openings 33 of any row and guided to the side of the drying chamber 3. As in the shoe dryer 900 of the comparative example, there is almost no air that passes through the gap G and travels straight in the row direction, so the uneven distribution of air volume caused by such air is eliminated, and as a result, the air volume of the drying chamber opening 33 of interest is increased, and the uneven distribution of air volume among the multiple drying chamber openings 33 is corrected.

[0068] <3. Operation of Shoe Dryer 100> The operation of the shoe dryer 100 will be explained again with reference to Figures 1 to 5.

[0069] A user who wishes to dry their shoes in the shoe dryer 100 opens the door 32 and hooks one shoe onto a pair of hooks 352, 352 provided in the drying chamber 3, thereby holding one shoe in the holding unit 35. As described above, the pair of hooks 352, 352 are provided in positions corresponding to each of the four drying chamber openings 33 provided in the drying chamber 3, and by hooking one shoe onto all of the hooks 352, the user can hold up to two pairs of adult shoes or up to four pairs of children's shoes in the holding unit 35.

[0070] However, it is not always necessary to hold the maximum number of shoes in the holding section 35. For example, if the user wants to dry only one pair of adult shoes, the user hooks each shoe onto the pair of hooks 352, 352 provided corresponding to each of the two drying chamber openings 33 arranged in the first row (Figure 1). Then, the user grasps the lower edge of the blocking plate 361 protruding from the slit 3622 located below each drying chamber opening 33 arranged in the second row, and pulls it to the left, positioning the blocking plate 361 at the left end of the sliding range. This closes each drying chamber opening 33 arranged in the second row, blocking the introduction of air into them. Therefore, the air sent through the air passage 4 is introduced only from each drying chamber opening 33 arranged in the first row.

[0071] When one or more shoes are held in the holding section 35 and the door section 32 is closed, the drying operation is started in response to the operation of the drying start button (not shown) on the operation panel provided on the housing 1. Specifically, the door section 32 is locked, the fan 21 starts operating, and power is supplied to the heater 24. Then, hot air flows from the air blowing chamber 2 to the air blowing passage 4 via the first air blowing chamber opening 23a, and cold air flows from the air blowing chamber 2 to the air blowing passage 4 via the second air blowing chamber opening 23b. The hot air and cold air that have flowed into the air blowing passage 4 are mixed and flow toward the drying chamber 3, where they are branched (divided) at the branching section 41 to each row of drying chamber openings 33 and sent out from each drying chamber opening 33.

[0072] The air sent out from each drying chamber opening 33 is blown onto a shoe held at a position corresponding to that drying chamber opening 33. That is, the air sent out from the drying chamber opening 33 passes through the cylindrical portion 351 provided in correspondence with it, is ejected from its tip, and directly hits the inside of the shoe that is hooked onto the hook portion 352. In this way, the shoe is dried. As described above, the provision of the branching portion 41 corrects the unevenness of the airflow among the multiple drying chamber openings 33. Therefore, there is little difference in the degree of drying of the shoes held at positions corresponding to each drying chamber opening 33. In other words, drying proceeds smoothly and almost uniformly.

[0073] After a predetermined time has elapsed since the drying operation began, the drying operation ends. Specifically, the fan 21 stops operating, the power to the heater 24 is cut off, and the lock on the door 32 is released. The user then opens the door 32 and takes out one shoe that is being held in the holder 35.

[0074] <4. Effects> The shoe dryer 100 according to this embodiment includes a blower chamber 2 equipped with a fan 21, a drying chamber 3 arranged side by side in the blower chamber 2 for accommodating shoes to be dried, and an air passage 4 located on one side of the blower chamber 2 and the drying chamber 3. The shoe dryer 100 includes an air blower opening 23a, 23b provided in the partition wall 11a between the air blower chamber 2 and the air blower passage 4, a plurality of drying chamber openings 33 provided in the partition wall 11b between the drying chamber 3 and the air blower passage 4, arranged in a multi-row, multi-column matrix with the direction of juxtaposition of the air blower chamber 2 and the drying chamber 3 as the row direction, a holding part 35 that holds one shoe at a position corresponding to each of the plurality of drying chamber openings 33 within the drying chamber 3, and a branching part 41 that branches the air flowing into the air blower passage 4 via the air blower openings 23a, 23b to the drying chamber openings 33 of each row, wherein the branching part 41 includes a dividing plate (rectifying plate) 412 that divides the flow path cross section of the air blower passage 4 into regions S1, S2 corresponding to the drying chamber openings 33 of each row.

[0075] According to the configuration of this embodiment, the air flowing into the air passage 4 via the air chamber openings 23a and 23b is branched by the branching section 41 to the drying chamber openings 33 in each row and discharged from each drying chamber opening 33. The provision of the branching section 41 corrects any unevenness in airflow between the multiple drying chamber openings 33. As a result, differences in the degree of drying of individual shoes held at positions corresponding to each drying chamber opening 33 become less likely. In other words, the occurrence of uneven drying is suppressed. By suppressing the occurrence of uneven drying, drying efficiency is improved, and the time required for drying can be shortened. Furthermore, since the branching section 41 divides the flow path cross-section of the air passage 4 into regions corresponding to the drying chamber openings 33 in each row by the dividing plate 412, the air flowing into the air passage 4 can be branched to the drying chamber openings 33 in each row with a simple configuration.

[0076] Furthermore, the shoe dryer 100 according to this embodiment is equipped with a blocking unit (shutter) 36 that can freely introduce and block air from the drying chamber opening 33.

[0077] According to the configuration of this embodiment, for example, when drying is performed with one shoe held only in positions corresponding to some of the drying chamber openings 33, the drying chamber openings 33 corresponding to the positions where the shoe is not held can be blocked, thereby utilizing the air supplied from the air blowing chamber 2 without waste and improving drying efficiency. Improved drying efficiency makes it possible to shorten the drying time, among other things.

[0078] Furthermore, in the shoe dryer 100 according to this embodiment, the holding portion 35 is provided with a hook portion 352 on which one shoe can be hooked, which protrudes into the drying chamber 3 from a position corresponding to each of the multiple drying chamber openings 33.

[0079] According to the configuration of this embodiment, the air blown out from the drying chamber opening 33 directly hits the shoe that is hooked onto the hook portion 352, and the shoe is dried efficiently.

[0080] Furthermore, in the shoe dryer 100 according to this embodiment, multiple drying chamber openings 33 are arranged in a matrix of two rows and two columns.

[0081] According to the configuration of this embodiment, the space efficiency within the drying chamber 3 is increased, and the shoe dryer 100 can be made smaller.

[0082] <5. Other Embodiments> Other configurations can also be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0083] For example, in the above embodiment, four drying chamber openings 33 are arranged in a 2x2 matrix, but the number and arrangement of the drying chamber openings 33 are not limited to this. For example, six drying chamber openings 33 may be arranged in a 3x2 or 2x3 matrix. However, since a shoe consists of one left and one right shoe, it is preferable that the total number of drying chamber openings 33 be even.

[0084] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the blocking section 36 is provided for the two drying chamber openings 33 arranged in the second row out of the four drying chamber openings 33, but it is possible to freely choose which drying chamber openings 33 are provided with the blocking section 36. For example, the blocking section 36 may be provided only for the two drying chamber openings 33 arranged in the first row, or only for the two drying chamber openings 33 arranged in the first column, or only for the two drying chamber openings 33 arranged in the second column. Alternatively, the blocking section 36 may be provided for all drying chamber openings 33. However, the blocking section 36 is not an essential element, and it is not necessary to provide a blocking section 36 for all drying chamber openings 33.

[0085] Furthermore, although the holding portion 35 according to the above embodiment is configured to include the same number of cylindrical portions 351 as the drying chamber openings 33 and the same number of pairs of hook portions 352, 352 as the cylindrical portions 351, the configuration of the holding portion is not limited to this. For example, the holding portion 35 may be configured as a shelf-like member on which one shoe can be placed at a position corresponding to each drying chamber opening 33.

[0086] Furthermore, in the branch section 41 according to the above embodiment, the dividing plate 412 is positioned at a height corresponding to the space between the drying chamber openings 33 of each row. However, it is also preferable that the vertical dimensions and position of the dividing plate 412 be adjusted so that it is positioned at a height corresponding to the space between the drying chamber openings 33 of each row and also to the outlet 212 of the fan 21.

[0087] Specifically, for example, as shown by the dashed line Q in Figure 4, it is preferable that the upper edge of the dividing plate 412 is positioned at approximately the same height as the upper edge of the air outlet 212 of the fan 21, or at a height a predetermined dimension above the upper edge, and / or that the lower edge is positioned at approximately the same height as the lower edge of the air outlet 212, or at a height a predetermined dimension below the lower edge.

[0088] Furthermore, for example, it is preferable that the dividing plate 412 be positioned so that its vertical center is at the same height as the vertical center of the air outlet 212.

[0089] With these configurations, the dividing plate 412 is positioned so as to overlap with a portion of the airflow path D (Figure 5) of the air that travels straight in the longitudinal direction within the air duct 4 after being ejected from the outlet 212. That is, the air ejected from the outlet 212 travels straight backward and collides with the front surface of the cover plate 13, where it diffuses. Some of the air collides with the cover plate 13, causing its direction of travel to be bent by approximately 90 degrees in a roughly horizontal plane, and then travels straight in the longitudinal direction within the air duct 4. Because the dividing plate 412 is positioned so as to overlap whole or partially with the airflow path D of this straight-traveling air when viewed from the longitudinal direction (left-right direction), at least a portion of the straight-traveling air collides with the dividing plate 412, creating turbulence. This promotes the homogenization of the air's temperature, velocity, volume, etc.

[0090] To generate turbulence, it is preferable that the vertical dimension of the dividing plate 412 is long, but if the vertical dimension is extremely long, it may cause uneven airflow between the multiple drying chamber openings 33. In order to form sufficient turbulence while keeping the uneven airflow sufficiently small, it is preferable that the upper edge of the dividing plate 412 is positioned about 5 to 10 millimeters (particularly preferably about 7.5 millimeters) above the upper edge of the outlet 212, and / or that the lower edge of the dividing plate 412 is positioned about 5 to 10 millimeters (particularly preferably about 7.5 millimeters) below the lower edge of the outlet 212.

[0091] Furthermore, it is preferable that the vertical dimensions and position of the dividing plate 412 be adjusted so that it is positioned at a height corresponding to the space between the drying chamber openings 33 of each row and to at least one of the air supply chamber openings 23a and 23b.

[0092] Specifically, for example, it is preferable that the dividing plate 412 be positioned so that its vertical center is at the same height as the vertical center of the first ventilation chamber opening 23a.

[0093] In this configuration, the dividing plate 412 is positioned so as to overlap with a portion of the path of the air that travels straight in the longitudinal direction within the air passage 4 after being ejected from the first air chamber opening 23a. Because the dividing plate 412 is positioned so as to overlap with at least a portion of this straight-traveling air path, the straight-traveling air collides with the dividing plate 412, creating turbulence. This promotes the homogenization of the air's temperature, velocity, volume, etc.

[0094] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the front-to-rear dimensions of the dividing plate 412 are made to be approximately the same as the front-to-rear dimensions of the air passage 4, but they may be slightly smaller than the front-to-rear dimensions of the air passage 4. In other words, it is sufficient for the dividing plate 412 to be sufficiently close to the end plate 11 at its front edge, and it is not necessarily required that it be in contact with the end plate 11 at its front edge. That is, it is permissible for a small gap to exist between the dividing plate 312 and the end plate 11. Needless to say, the dividing plate 412 may be in contact with the end plate 11 at its front edge, or if a small gap exists between the dividing plate 312 and the end plate 11, a sealing member or the like may be provided to close the gap.

[0095] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the branching section 41 is configured to include a rib section 411 and a dividing plate 412, but the configuration of the branching section 41 is not limited to this. For example, the rib section 411 may be omitted in the branching section, and the dividing plate 412 may be directly provided on the front surface of the cover plate 13. Alternatively, for example, the branching section may branch the air flowing into the air passage 4 through the air chamber openings 23a and 23b to the drying chamber openings 33 of each row using a duct with a branched shape.

[0096] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, multiple members similar to the rib portion 411 may be provided in the airflow passage 4. In this case, it is preferable to alternately provide multiple rib portions on the front wall surface (rear surface of the end plate 11) and the rear wall surface (front surface of the cover plate 13) of the airflow passage 4 downstream of the branching portion 41. With this configuration, the air branched at the branching portion 41 meanders through the airflow passage 4, which sufficiently promotes the uniformity of the air temperature and velocity. Such rib portions may also be provided upstream of the branching portion 41. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0097] 1 cabinet 11 End plate 11a Partition wall between the ventilation chamber and the ventilation duct 11b Partition wall between drying chamber and air duct 12 partition plates 13 Cover plate 2 Blow room 21 Fans 23a, 23b Ventilation chamber opening 3 Drying room 33 Drying room opening 35 Holding part 351 Cylinder part 352 Hook part 36. Shut-off section 361 Barrier 362 Slide mechanism 4. Airflow channel 41 Branching point 411 Rib section 412 Dividing plate 100 shoe dryer

Claims

1. A shoe dryer comprising: a ventilation chamber equipped with a fan; a drying chamber placed adjacent to the ventilation chamber for housing shoes to be dried; and a ventilation passage located on one side of the ventilation chamber and the drying chamber, A ventilation chamber opening is provided in the partition wall between the ventilation chamber and the ventilation passage, Multiple drying chamber openings are provided in the partition wall between the drying chamber and the air duct, arranged in a multi-row, multi-column matrix with the direction in which the air duct and the drying chamber are positioned side by side as the row direction. A holding part for holding one shoe at a position corresponding to each of the plurality of drying chamber openings in the drying chamber, A branching section that branches the air flowing into the air passage through the air blowing chamber opening to the drying chamber openings in each row, Equipped with, The aforementioned branching section A dividing plate divides the cross-sectional area of ​​the airflow passage into regions corresponding to the drying chamber openings in each row. A shoe dryer characterized by having the following features.

2. A shoe dryer according to claim 1, The dividing plate is positioned such that it overlaps with at least a portion of the path of the air that travels straight in the longitudinal direction within the air passage after being ejected from the fan outlet. A shoe dryer characterized by the following features.

3. A shoe dryer according to claim 1 or 2, A blocking section that allows for the free introduction and blocking of air from the opening of the drying chamber, A shoe dryer characterized by having the following features.

4. A shoe dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The holding part, A hook portion for hanging one shoe is provided, which protrudes into the drying chamber from a position corresponding to each of the plurality of drying chamber openings, A shoe dryer characterized by having the following features.

5. A shoe dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The plurality of drying chamber openings are arranged in a matrix of two rows and two columns. A shoe dryer characterized by the following features.

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