Shoe care apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional shoe care devices fail to effectively dehumidify and deodorize shoes while preventing the discharge of moist air and odors into the user's environment, leading to incomplete treatment and user dissatisfaction.
Innovation Solution
A shoe care device with an air circulation structure that uses a dehumidifying material to dehumidify air inside the cabinet, recirculates the dehumidified air, and separates and regenerates the dehumidifying material, ensuring efficient moisture management and odor control without exposing treated air to the user.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If air is discharged to the outside of the apparatus after dehumidification treatment, then moisture removal function is provided, but treated air may be discharged to the user's environment and dehumidification effectiveness is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful moisture from the air through dehumidification treatment using a dehumidifying material, separating it from the breathable air components. The treated air is then recirculated back into the cabinet rather than discharged outside, while moisture is removed through a separate condensation and drainage system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a recirculation fan as an intermediary device to transport the treated air from the cabinet interior back into the cabinet space. This mediator ensures that dehumidified air remains within the treatment environment rather than being discharged to the user's surroundings.
2Reliability
If dehumidifying material is fixed in the apparatus, then dehumidification function is provided, but replacement and maintenance become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the dehumidifying material into a removable module that can be independently accessed and replaced. The material is contained within a structured housing that allows for easy removal and installation without disassembling the entire apparatus, maintaining dehumidification reliability while improving maintenance ease.
3Volume of moving object
If machine room volume is reduced for compact design, then device size is minimized, but heat management and component arrangement become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a nested arrangement where components are strategically positioned within the compact machine room space. The recirculation fan, dehumidifying material housing, and condensation drainage system are arranged in a space-efficient configuration that minimizes volume while maintaining proper heat management and airflow pathways.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device effectively dehumidifies and deodorizes shoes by recirculating treated air and managing condensate water, providing stable air flow and efficient dehumidification, while minimizing the volume of the machine room and preventing heat transfer, thus ensuring complete shoe treatment and user safety.
Implementation Method 1
the air inside the inner cabinet where the shoes are placed is dehumidified using a dehumidifying material
Implementation Method 2
a blower that generates air flow along the connection path
Implementation Method 3
a heater that is positioned on the connection path and that heats the air or the dehumidifying material
Data Source
AI summary
A shoe care apparatus includes an inner cabinet, a suction port, a discharge port, a connection flow path, a blower and a moisture absorbent block. The moisture absorbent block includes an inner mesh, an outer mesh and a moisture absorbent. A first flow path, which is a portion of the connection flow path, is provided inside the inner mesh, and a second flow path, which is a portion of the connection flow path, is provided outside the outer mesh. Air inside the inner cabinet flows into the connection flow path through the suction port, flows to the second flow path from the first flow path while passing through the moisture absorbent block, is dehumidified by means of the moisture absorbent block, and then is circulated inside of the shoe care apparatus while being discharged into the inner cabinet again through the discharge port.