DUCTED FOOTWEAR DRYER

• US 20180000313A1
• Filed: 05/19/2017
• Published: 01/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Iron Lake LLC
• Original Assignee: Iron Lake LLC
• Inventors: Putnam, JR., John E.
• Granted Patent: US 10,143,354 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 23/205 with heating arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 21/001 Drying-air generating units, e.g. movable, independent of drying enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 21/008 the objects being flexible articles, which may be blown up by the drying gas, e.g. tubes, sausage casings fire hoses A62C33/02
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 9/003 Small self-contained devices, e.g. portable

Abstract

A footwear dryer is disclosed. The footwear dryer includes a ducted portion, a heating element positioned within the ducted portion that heats air passing over the heating element, a forced air generation device positioned within the ducted portion and oriented to force air through the ducted portion and over the heating element, and a power source configured to provide 12 volts or less and to power to the forced air generation device.

Claims

1. A footwear dryer comprising:

a ducted portion;

a heating element positioned within and coupled to the ducted portion that heats air passing over the heating element;

a forced air generation device positioned within the ducted portion and oriented to force air through the ducted portion and over the heating element; and

a power cable that provides power from a power supply to the heating element and the forced air generation device, wherein the power supply provides a voltage of 12V or fewer.

2. The footwear dryer of claim 1, further comprising:

a coating encasing an exterior surface of the ducted portion to hold the power cable against an outer surface of the ducted portion.

3. The footwear dryer of claim 2, wherein the ducted portion comprises a groove formed in the exterior surface for receiving the power cable between the ducted portion and the coating.

4. The footwear dryer of claim 1, wherein the heating element comprises one or more of a wire mesh heater, a ceramic heater, a ring heater, a band heater, a silicone or polymide film heating pad, a tube heater, or a coil heater.

5. The footwear dryer of claim 4, wherein the heating element comprises a ceramic heater and the ceramic heater comprises a plurality of ceramic heating elements arranged in a cylinder along an interior surface of the ducted portion.

6. The footwear dryer of claim 1, wherein the ducted portion comprises a first section and a second section coupled to the first section at an angle.

7. The footwear dryer of claim 6, wherein the angle is between 60 degrees and 90 degrees.

8. A footwear dryer comprising:

a first ducted section;

a second ducted section coupled to the first ducted section at an angle;

a heating element anchored to an interior portion of the first section;

a forced air generation device anchored to the interior portion of the first section; and

a power cable that provides power from a power supply to the heating element and the forced air generation device, wherein the power supply provides a voltage of 12V or less.

9. The footwear dryer of claim 8, wherein the heating element is anchored between the forced air generation device and a first open portion of the first ducted section opposite of the second ducted section.

10. The footwear dryer of claim 8, wherein the heating element is anchored between the forced air generation device and the second ducted section.

11. The footwear dryer of claim 8, further comprising:

a coating surrounding an exterior portion of the first ducted portion and the second ducted section.

12. The footwear dryer of claim 11, wherein at least a portion of power cable is located between the coating and the exterior portion of the first ducted section.

13. The footwear dryer of claim 8, wherein the second ducted section is coupled to the first ducted section at an angle of between 60 degrees and 90 degrees.

14. The footwear dryer of claim 8, wherein the heating element comprises one or more of a wire mesh heater, a ceramic heater, a ring heater, a band heater, a silicone or polymide film heating pad, a tube heater, or a coil heater.

15. A boot drying system comprising:

a flow structure defining a flow pathway therethrough;

a ceramic heater anchored to an interior surface of the ducted portion;

a fan anchored to the interior surface of the ducted portion;

a low voltage power supply coupled to the ceramic heater and the fan; and

a coating on an exterior surface of the ducted portion.

16. The footwear dryer of claim 15, wherein the coating comprises an insulator.

17. The footwear dryer of claim 15, wherein the ceramic heater comprises a plurality of ceramic heating elements arranged in a cylinder along the interior surface of the ducted portion.

18. The footwear dryer of claim 17, further comprising:

an electric coil in thermal contact with the plurality of ceramic heating elements, wherein the power supply provides an electric current to the electric coil to heat the plurality of ceramic heating elements.

19. The footwear dryer of claim 15, wherein the fan comprises a brushless thermal management fan.

20. The footwear dryer of claim 15, wherein the low voltage power supply provides a voltage substantially equal to or less than 12 volts.