MX2008000995A

MX2008000995A - Shoe care device.

Info

Publication number: MX2008000995A
Application number: MX2008000995A
Authority: MX
Inventors: Andrea Caserta; Perez David Moreno; Martinez Jose Antonio Munoz; Sans Fernando Mayor; Ballesteros Julio Cesar Ruiz; Leal Xavier Alvarez
Original assignee: Zobele Espana Sa
Priority date: 2005-07-22
Filing date: 2005-07-22
Publication date: 2008-03-19
Also published as: JP4729618B2; WO2007012674A1; HK1115725A1; CA2616170C; ES2488665T3; EP1917900A1; JP2009502223A; CA2616170A1; BRPI0520518A2; EP1917900B1

Abstract

The invention relates to a shoe care device comprising an applicator (2) and a lid (5) which is designed to be coupled to the applicator (2). According to the invention, the outer face (3) of the applicator is impregnated with a shoe-conditioning substance by means of roller dispensers (10) that are provided on the inner face (9) of the lid (5) which is also equipped with a container (4) for one such substance. The substance is dosed by opening the device and sliding the applicator (2) over the dispensers (10) along guides (8) that are provided on the side face (7) of the lid (5), said dispensers applying the optimal amount of the substance to the outer face (3) of the applicator (2), with which the shoe is subsequently rubbed and cleaned. Once used, the device is closed by coupling the applicator (2) transversely in the lid (5) which is preferably made from plastic with a transparent container (4). The device can also be equipped with a convenient ergonomic handle (1) which is joined to the applicator (2).

Description

DEVICE FOR THE CARE OF THE FOOTWEAR FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention has its application in the industrial sector dedicated to the manufacture of products for the treatment or care of shoes.

The invention described herein refers to a footwear care device that is constituted from a shoe conditioning substance applicator, engageable inside a cover where a tank is disposed with the cleaning substance, inking or polish, distributed through a dispensing means provided in the same cover directly to the face of the applicator with which the shoe is rubbed, dosing the right substance at the moment when the device is opened.

An object of the invention is to allow a cleaning of the shoes in a neat way, without suffering excesses in the application of the substance when it is transferred to the surface of the footwear.

It is also the object of the invention to allow an easy use of the device, giving it ergonomics for its operation by the user and a configuration adapted to any shoe to clean any area of its surface comfortably.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Nowadays, many devices for cleaning and polishing shoes are known, basically comprising a deposit of footwear conditioning substance, usually silicone or bitumen, which is applied to the interior of a sponge with which the user brightens the surface of his or her shoes. shoes.

The applicator sponge, usually made of polyurethane, can be incorporated in a lid comprised in the footwear cleaning device and directly impregnated with the polishing or inking substance of the shoes, as is the case of the container used for this function, among others, which is described in the Application for Utility Model ES 1038111 U.

In other cases, such as those described in Utility Model ES 0134686 U and application ES 1006298 U, the application sponge of the liquid substance is in the nozzle of the shoe clean container. The silicone or bitumen access the sponge through a valve that acts as a dispensing medium, but without obtaining an effective dosage of the substance. The disposition of the liquid normally takes place in the internal bosom of the sponge and takes place during the operation of cleaning the shoes carried out by the user, thanks to the pressure exerted on the sponge itself, or else, because the user himself presses manually on the area of polish or inking tank.

This mechanism of application of the liquid on the surface of the shoe is quite imprecise in terms of the amount of silicone or bitumen released from the deposit to the sponge. It often happens that, as the user can not understand the amount of substance that is being dispensed, excessive application is caused and it is not realized until the liquid reaches the surface of the sponge and is distributed through the shoe, in higher doses than really necessary. At that time, the user finds that too much fluid has been allowed to flow into the sponge, due to the delay between the exit of the substance from the reservoir until it is perceived on the surface of the shoe. Consequently, the shoe is very stained and the user is forced to remove the excess with a dry cloth.

In short, generally this type of device is therefore very dirty in its application. Another problem derived from this fact is that in such devices it is necessary to include a lid to prevent leakage or spillage of the liquid during storage and it is recommended to place them in a stable position for that reason.

In the search for a solution to these problems, there are liquid or cream applicators for cleaning footwear that incorporate a spongy element in the form of a ball that acts as a "roll-on" to achieve a totally uniform impregnation of the substance towards the applicator and over the shoe. A shoe cleaner thus, which is also provided with a closure means with which it can be controlled whether or not liquid comes out, regardless of whether the container is inclined on the shoe, is that contemplated in the Patent of Invention ES 2165273.

As for the applicator element of the liquid, made of sponge or foam, it is not known among the cleaning devices that are currently on the market the existence of said applicator configured with a geometry such as to easily reach any area of the surface of the footwear that you want to clean, so sometimes there are nooks and crannies in the shoe, according to your design, that remain without being able to be cleaned / inked / polished.

Most shoe cleaners have a low level of ergonomics in terms of handling when cleaning and polishing footwear, which is added to the previously mentioned inconvenience that the user does not have any indicator on the device to inform him about the amount of substance to be dispensed or still remaining to be applied. Obviously, the latter is possible in classic shoe-cleaning products in which the user must apply the cream or bitumen himself with a cloth, but not in the current devices for immediate application by sponge or impregnated foam, such as types that have been mentioned so far.

However, it is known that there are some products where it is indicated if the reservoir of conditioning substance is empty, but this indicator "end of use" is fictitious because there is still some substance remaining outside the tank, in the dispensing valve or impregnating the applicator sponge BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS To complement the description that is being made and in order to help a better understanding of the features of the invention, according to a preferred example of practical embodiment thereof, an assembly of drawings is included as an integral part of said description. With an illustrative and non-limiting character, the following has been represented: Figure 1 shows a rear perspective view of the device for the care of the shoes that is advocated, located in a horizontal position, the applicator element being visible.

Figure 2 shows a perspective view from below of the shoe care device, placed in vertical position to show the substance deposit included in the lid.

Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the applicator, illustrating its external face which is intended to contact the surface of the shoe for treatment.

Figure 4 shows a perspective view of the lid of the device, showing on its internal face the dispensing means of footwear conditioning substance, according to a possible modality with a roll-on ball.

Figure 5 shows a perspective view of the applicator assembly and lid that make up the device, proceeding to its opening and dispensing of the conditioning substance, according to the object of the invention.

Figure 6 shows a perspective view of the applicator assembly and lid that make up the device, in a ready state for closure after use.

Figure 7 shows a perspective view of the lid of the device, showing on its internal face the dispensing means of conditioning substance, according to another alternative modality with rollers.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention comes to solve, among others, the problems outlined above, in each and every one of the different aspects discussed in the background.

Specifically, the invention relates to a device for the care or treatment of shoes, cleanser, polish, inking or conditioner of shoes, comprising a material applicator suitable for receiving and applying a conditioning substance on the surface of a shoe, being in addition the device provided with a lid adapted in shape and dimensions to the profile of the applicator to be dockable thereto. Optionally, the device may further comprise a handle attached by its base to the applicator.

The main distinguishing features of the invention with respect to the known background lie fundamentally in said lid. On the one hand, the substance used to care for shoes is contained in a tank located in the lid of the device itself. In addition, the cap houses internally dispensing means of such substance that are impregnated and applied directly to the face of the applicator that comes into contact with the surface of the shoe to be cleaned.

The reservoir of conditioning substance incorporated in the lid or at least part of it is transparent, to be able to appreciate an end of use, that is, in order to allow to see the amount of conditioning substance remaining in said reservoir. This indication of the end of use is real, since when the substance of the tank is finished, there is no drop of substance either in the applicator, since this only impregnates when said applicator acts directly on the dispensing means included in the tank and if there is nothing in it, it is sure that there is no substance to be applied.

The device can be used as single-use, that is, once the substance is finished, it can be discarded. But also, the deposit can be accessible to load it with more conditioning substance. The refills, the tank and the lid can be purchased by the consumer separately from the device itself for recharging.

The application of said substance in the applicator of the device is carried out with the same opening movement, which is carried out by dragging the applicator, by means of the handle, in longitudinal direction to the lid to extract it from its interior. The handle can have an ergonomic design to facilitate the handling of the device, both to open it, close it and during the task of cleaning the footwear for which it is designed. In the upper part of its side face, the cover has guides where the peripheral edge of the base of the handle engages and allow that longitudinal displacement of the applicator, with which it passes sliding on the internal face of said cover.

Due to the friction and pressure between the external face of the applicator, which is with which the surface of the footwear to be cleaned is subsequently rubbed, with the inner face of the lid, the dispensing means act by smearing said face of the applicator with a dose of optimal substance.

Such dispensing means of the substance are capable of rotating in a plane transverse to the opening movement, simply by rubbing the applicator on them in translation, through the guides, inside the lid, passing the appropriate amount of conditioning substance to the external face of the applicator.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the dispensing means may consist of a "roll-on" ball engaged in a lip disposed on the inner face of the lid, preferably made of plastic, on the substance reservoir which is located in said lid. Inside the tank, as an independent piece or integrated in its bottom, elastic means, such as a spring, are provided, which push the ball toward the lip of the closing lid, to make the sealing while the device remains open or closed, that is, when the transverse opening movement of the device is not being carried out.

A dispensing of the conditioning substance can be carried out similarly with rollers, instead of a ball, which roll out the substance from the reservoir when passing over the applicator and transferring it to its external face for the subsequent application to the surface of the shoe .

An advantage of the device proposed is that the user always has the same amount of substance, the precise dose to normally clean a pair of shoes, in the applicator. When you need more, the user has to re-dose substance on the applicator by means of the dispensing means of the lid, so you must close the device and open it again according to the procedure described, sliding the applicator through the inside of the lid.

In order not to waste conditioning substance, one option is that the closure of the device is not made in the same direction as the sliding for opening, but by coupling the applicator transversely to the lid. By closing the device in this way, the displacement of the applicator is not caused by the inside of the lid that involves the rotation of the dispensing means or, therefore, it leaves substance of the deposit, avoiding that it remains dry in the applicator waiting for a new use. The cover has a profile that favors the closing movement with the transverse coupling between applicator and cover, besides that, providing suitable retention means, it is prevented to perform such transverse movement to the cover when it is required to open the device again, forcing to extract the applicator of the cover in the longitudinal direction, dragging it parallel to the face with the deposit of the substance for its impregnation.

In the "roll-on" device mode, another possible option to avoid wasting substance on the applicator when it is not used is that the ball is only able to rotate dragged by the applicator in the longitudinal direction of opening and even in one direction: the applicator dragging the inside of the lid to open the device. Similarly, in the embodiment of the device with rollers, the waste of substance can be avoided, providing means for blocking the movement that only allow its rotation in a single direction: that of removing the applicator longitudinally with respect to the lid.

While the device remains closed, the dispensing means is in contact with the foam but does not act because there is no movement to cause its rotation, whereby the device can be stored and used in any position, without fear of loss of the substance or that the applicator impregnates unnecessarily until it is opened for immediate use. Contrary to what happens in other known shoe cleaners, it is not necessary for the device to be vertical to apply the substance or to store it with certainty that there is no leakage towards the applicator.

To minimize the possible leakage of substance when closing the device, its applicator is provided with a cavity in correspondence with the dispensing means so that, when covering the external face of such applicator with the lid in the closure of the device, the cavity of the applicator it receives said dispensing means in the coupling with the lid, allowing a considerable reduction of the pressure of the applicator thereon, whereby no dispensation of substance is caused even when the device is completely closed.

Therefore, another essential advantage of the device is that it offers a guarantee of neatness when used properly, apart from the ease and comfort that implies its use.

Additionally, the aesthetic configuration of the applicator itself, whose external face constitutes an extensive surface for easily rubbing a shoe, which is also topped with a sharp pointed part, allows to reach without difficulty all the areas of the footwear that are to be cleaned.

PREFERRED MODALITY OF THE INVENTION In view of the figures, a shoe care device can be described as a possible embodiment of the invention that is composed of an ergonomic handle (1), designed with a geometry that allows the user to comfortably operate the device, incorporating a fluffy applicator (2), preferably made of polyurethane foam, at the base of said ergonomic handle (1), to be able to clean, polish or ink any area of the footwear surface by operating the device with one hand.

The applicator (2) of sponge or foam, preferably heat-bonded on one side to the base of the handle (1), constructed in plastic, offers an external face (3) intended to be impregnated with an appropriate conditioning substance, which is contained in a reservoir (4) located in a cover (5) provided for the hermetic sealing of the device, as shown in FIGS.

Figures 1 and 2.

According to the preferred embodiment shown in Figure 3, the external face (3) of the applicator (2), which is the one that comes into contact with the surface of the shoe when it is cleaned, has a wide area for to be able to clean large flat areas of the shoes, topped by a tip (6) conveniently sharpened to be able to adapt to any footwear design, in order to facilitate the cleaning of the most difficult access sites that the shoe may present.

The cover (5) of the device, shown in Figure 4, has a configuration adapted formally and dimensionally to be dockable to the applicator (2), constituting itself as a body with a side face, a side and upper mouth, plus an internal face (9) where dispensing means (10) of the conditioning substance are incorporated. In the upper part of the side face of said cover (5), guides (8) are provided that fit the peripheral edge of the base of the handle (1) and facilitate the coupling of the assembly formed by said handle (1) with the applicator (2) incorporated, allowing a displacement of the external face (3) of the applicator (2) by the internal face (9) of the lid (5).

In said cover (5) is located the reservoir (4) of the conditioning substance, inside which there is included a dispensing means (10) of the substance which, according to a mode option as illustrated in FIGS.

Figures 4 and 5, consist of a plastic or rubber lip, where a "roll-on" ball is coupled to make the seal. When the device is opened simply by moving the applicator (2) in longitudinal direction to the lid (5), the user having taken it by the handle (1), sliding the external face (3) of said applicator (2) on the inner side (9) of the lid (5), out of the guides (8) of said lid (5), as shown in Figure 5.

In this way, upon displacement of the handle assembly (1) and applicator (2) through the interior of the lid (5), the applicator (2) frictionally rolls the dispensing means (10) housed in said lid ( 9), causing the dosing of the conditioning substance conveniently in such applicator (2), by pushing in its path the ball "roll-on" downward, whose rotary movement causes the substance to leave the reservoir (4) and applies it directly to external face (3) of the applicator (2).

Once the applicator (2) has made the transition along the entire inner face (9) of the lid (5), until the handle (1) and applicator (2) assembly is removed from said lid (5). ), elastic means are provided, such as a spring or a flexible piece emerging from the same bottom of the tank (4), which push the ball again but upwards, closing the lip arranged on the inner face (9) of the lid (5) and thus guaranteeing the tightness.

Meanwhile, on the external face (3) of the applicator (2) the dispensing means (10) have left applied the just and necessary amount to clean or brighten a pair of shoes. Such an external face (3) is provided, in a modality option, according to Figure 3, with a cavity (7) in correspondence with the arrangement of the dispensing means (10) of the device, so that the pressure of the applicator (2) on said dispensing means (10) is minimal when the device is closed, thus reducing the possibility that, if not being used, footwear conditioning substance will come out.

Subsequently, when finishing the care of the footwear or if another dosage of the substance is needed to treat more shoes, the user must close the device again, putting the applicator (2) inside the lid (5) so that it is loaded with more substance dosed by the dispensing means (10) from the tank (4). However, the closure of the device is not carried out in the same direction as its opening, but is carried out transversely to the cover (5), as illustrated in Figure 6, which prevents the applicator from closing it (2). ) roll said dispensing means (10) and cause the dosing of conditioning substance until it does not reopen, avoiding wasting the substance. To achieve this closure in the transverse direction, facing the external face (3) of the applicator (2) with the inner face (9) of the lid (5), the side face of the lid (5) is provided with a profile that favors the fitting between the handle (1) and said lid (5), introducing the applicator (2) through the upper mouth of said lid (5). In the embodiment shown in Figures 5 and 6, the profile of the cover (5) additionally incorporates flanges (11) that engage in grooves (12) provided on the periphery of the handle (1), for the retention between the handle (1) and the lid (5), ensuring closure.

The same operation is achieved in the alternative embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 7, where the dispensing means (10) of the cleansing and polishing substance for the shoes consists of rollers that apply the substance to the applicator (2) as they rotate. when opening the device as explained above, from any position, vertical, horizontal or inclined, but in the longitudinal direction marked by the guides (8) of the lid (5).

The reservoir (4) incorporated in said lid (5) is constructed of transparent plastic, at least in part, to allow the user to visualize, even with the device closed, the remaining amount of substance in the reservoir (4) and realize When does it finish.

Although initially the device is designed to be disposable when the conditioning substance is finished, it is also foreseen that it can be reused by introducing a new cartridge of liquid or cream, suitable for the treatment of shoes, inside the tank (4), placing it low the ball or roller serving as dispensing means (10), for which the tank (4) is provided with an external cover that allows easy access to the user and the replacement of substance when necessary.

Claims

R E I V I N D I C A C I O N S

1. - Footwear care device, comprising an applicator (2) and a cover (5) configured to be coupled to the applicator (2), characterized in that said cover (5) includes a reservoir (4) containing the conditioning substance of the shoe and housing dispensing means (10) capable of applying said substance on at least one external face (3) of the applicator (2) provided for cleaning the footwear, and in which the dispensing means (10) is adapted to be impregnated with said substance and to apply the substance to the external face (3) of the applicator (2) when this external face slides on the inside of the lid (5).

2. - Device according to claim 1 wherein the dispensing means (10) are able to rotate when the external face (3) of the applicator (2) slides on the inside of the lid (5).

3. - Device for footwear care, according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the dispensing means (10) consist of impregnable rollers of the substance contained in the tank (4) and are capable of rolling by sliding the external face (3) of the applicator (2) inside the lid ( 5).

4. - Device for footwear care, according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the dispensing means (10) consist of an impregnable ball of the substance contained in the tank (4) and is capable of rotating when sliding the external face (3) of the applicator (2) inside the lid (5).

5. - Footwear care device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the dispensing means (10) are adapted to rotate in a single direction.

6. - Device for footwear care, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the applicator (2) is configured to be coupled transversely to the lid (5).

.- Device for footwear care, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the applicator (2) is made of soft material.

8. - Device for footwear care, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the external face (3) of the applicator (2) is topped by a pointed surface (6) that is adapted to clean any area of the footwear surface .

9. - Device for footwear care, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the external face (3) of the applicator (2) has a cavity (7) in correspondence with the dispensing means (10).

10. - Device for footwear care, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it incorporates a handle (1) joined by its base with the applicator (2).

11. - Device for footwear care, according to claim 10, characterized in that the handle (1) is ergonomic.

12. - Device for footwear care, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lid (5) has, on the upper side of its side face, guides (8) where the peripheral edge of the handle (1) engages. ), which allow the longitudinal sliding of the applicator (2) through the inside of said cover (5) until its extraction to open the device.

13. - Device for footwear care, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lid (5) has, on the upper side of its side face, flanges (11) that engage in grooves (12) provided in the peripheral edge of the base of the handle (1).

14. - Device for footwear care, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the tank (4) is at least partially transparent.

15. - Device for footwear care, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the tank (4) has an access through which a replacement of conditioning substance is introduced.

16. - Device for footwear care, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the tank (4) is removable from the lid (5).