Boot dryer

Details Boot dryer Boot dryer

1997-08-15

1998-10-13

Bennett, Henry

Drying and gas or vapor contact with solids

Apparatus

For hollow article

F26B 2500

Patent

active

058194339

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many devices for drying boots have been proposed. Many of the devices include a blower to blow air into the boot. Some of these devices comprise a heating element heating the air blown into the boot. Hot air can cause damage to the boot and heating the air can be a waste of energy, especially if the humidity of the surrounding air is already low. It is known to provide tubes in a U or V shape in order to blow air from one blower into two boots at the same time.
Drying boots and shoes often produce unpleasant odors, especially when hot air dryers are used. This is not a sever problem in a drafty mountain cabin but in a small modern well insulated condominium, skiers may be forced to open the windows because of the stink from drying boots. The humidity of the air in modern mountain condominiums is usually low, especially in the winter.
What is needed is an energy efficient boot dryer that will not stink up the condominium.


SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a boot dryer. An electric motor driven blower contained in a blower housing forces air past a deodorizer pad and through a flexible hose which is placed inside a boot. A toe piece attached at the end of the flexible hose prevents flow blockage. In a preferred embodiment a liquid deodorizer is applied through a port in the blower housing onto an absorbent pad mounted within the dryer. The flexible hose may be detached and the blower driven by a small battery so that the blower portion of the unit can be easily carried by back packers. Preferred embodiments include dryers for a single boot, a single pair of boots and dryers for a large number of boots. A variable power supply permits operation at various speeds.


BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of the present invention drying a boot.
FIG. 2 is a cross sectional drawing of this preferred embodiment.
FIGS. 3A, B and C show views of the toe piece of the above embodiment.
FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 show views of the cap of the above embodiment.
FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 show views of the motor mount of the above embodiment.
FIG. 10 is a drawing of a two boot dryer.
FIG. 11 shows a back packing version.
FIGS. 12, 13 and 14 shows a battery pack for the FIG. 1 embodiment.
FIG. 15 is a drawing of a cigarette lighter adapter.
FIG. 16 is a drawing of a two-boot embodiment.
FIGS. 17A and 17B are drawings of an embodiment for drying a large number of boots.
FIG. 18 shows a hollow perforated coat hanger attached to the FIGS. 17A and 17B embodiment for drying wet jackets.


DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Preferred embodiments of the present can be described by reference to the drawings.


Single Boot Unit

FIG. 1 is a cutaway drawing of a boot dryer 1 constituting a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The dryer 1 is shown in the process of drying a boot 3. FIG. 2 is a cross sectional drawing of dryer 1. The dryer comprises blower housing 2 which contains fan unit 4 and is covered by cap 6. A conventional 12 Volt power jack 8 provides for easy connection of a 12 Volt power supply 14. The exit end of blower housing has a 1.25 inside diameter. One end of a 16 inch length of Flex hose 16 which has a 1.25 outside diameter fits snugly into the outlet end of blower housing 2 as shown at 18 in FIG. 2. The opposite end of flex hose 16 is heated and bent into an oval shape as shown in FIG. 1. Special toe piece 20, containing an oval shaped passage way through it, fits on the oval shaped end of flex hose 16. Blower housing 2 contains a 1/4 inch diameter hole in its wall as shown at 22 in FIG. 2 and a 1 square inch felt pad is attached to the inside wall with a suitable glue.
In this preferred embodiment the fan unit is a Model No. 2C0907C2 supplied by Thorgren Tool land Molding Co. Inc. This unit contains a 24-12 Volt 14,777 RPM motor 5, Model No. HC315 MG-3535 supplied by Johnson Electric North America Inc., Fairfield, Conn. 06430. The flex hose is PVC standard duty clear Spiralilte 115 Manufactured by Pacific Echo, Inc. Special to

REFERENCES:
patent: 4171580 (1979-10-01), Vabrinskas
patent: 4592497 (1986-06-01), Georges
patent: 4774769 (1988-10-01), Dollst
patent: 5003707 (1991-04-01), Chu
patent: 5179790 (1993-01-01), Poulos
patent: 5289642 (1994-03-01), Sloan
patent: 5570515 (1996-11-01), Schulte
patent: 5720108 (1998-02-01), Rice

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