초록 ▼

An apparatus for removing soil from a shoe, boot or other article of footwear. The apparatus employs a jet of water or other fluid to dislodge and break up the soil. The spray nozzle is housed within a tubular plunger having a discharge opening in its upper end. The plunger is operatively connected

An apparatus for removing soil from a shoe, boot or other article of footwear. The apparatus employs a jet of water or other fluid to dislodge and break up the soil. The spray nozzle is housed within a tubular plunger having a discharge opening in its upper end. The plunger is operatively connected to the nozzle, so that stepping on the plunger actuates a flow of water therethrough. The nozzle includes a return spring that biases the valve back to the closed position when the plunger is released. The stream of water is directed through the opening against the surface of the shoe or other article of footwear. The upper end of the plunger is surrounded by a layer of flow-disbursing material that prevents the escape of spray from beneath the article of footwear. The layer of flow-disbursing material may be formed by a layer of coarse, open-cell foam material or by a multiplicity of small, resiliently flexible fingers.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. An apparatus for removing soil from a shoe, boot or other article of footwear, said apparatus comprising: an actuating member mounted for reciprocating movement and having a portion for being engaged by an article of footwear, wherein said actuating member comprises a plunger

What is claimed is: 1. An apparatus for removing soil from a shoe, boot or other article of footwear, said apparatus comprising: an actuating member mounted for reciprocating movement and having a portion for being engaged by an article of footwear, wherein said actuating member comprises a plunger member having an opening in an end thereof; a nozzle member having a discharge end directed towards said article of footwear when in engagement with said actuating member, wherein said nozzle member is positioned within said plunger member so that said discharge end of said nozzle member is directed towards said opening in said end of said plunger member; means for actuating a flow of fluid through said nozzle member in response to said actuating member being displaced by said article of footwear in engagement therewith, so that said nozzle produces a stream of fluid that is directed against said article of footwear. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said means for actuating a flow of fluid comprises means for actuating a flow of water through said nozzle member. 3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a flow-disbursing layer located proximate said upper end of said plunger member for receiving at least a portion of said stream of fluid that is deflected from said article of footwear, so as to prevent unwanted escape of spray from around said article of footwear while soil is being dislodged and removed therefrom. 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said flow disbursing layer comprises: a layer of porous material that surrounds said end of said plunger member. 5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said layer of porous material comprises: a resiliently compressible material that compresses under pressure of said article of footwear as said plunger member is displaced thereby. 6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said resiliently compressible material comprises: a resiliently compressible open-cell foam material. 7. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said flow-disbursing layer comprises resiliently flexible fingers arranged about said end of said plunger member. 8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said resiliently flexible fingers are formed of a flexible rubber material. 9. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising: a housing having an upper surface, said end of said plunger member protruding upwardly from said upper surface of said housing when in an initial position prior to being depressed. 10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said flow-disbursing layer comprises: a layer of flow-disbursing material that is mounted to said upper surface of said housing. 11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said end of said plunger member lies substantially flush with said upper surface of said flow-disbursing layer when said plunger member is in said initial position, so that said article of footwear makes contact with said layer of flow-disbursing material before said plunger member is depressed to a position at which said nozzle member is actuated. 12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said discharge opening is formed substantially centrally in said end of said plunger member. 13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said discharge opening is formed on a side of said end of said plunger member. 14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said discharge opening is angled towards a side of said upper end of said plunger member. 15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said nozzle member comprises: a self-closing hose nozzle assembly, having a valve that is actuated by drawing a shaft member rearwardly, and a spring that resiliently biases the shaft member forwardly so as to move the valve to its closed position. 16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said means for actuating said nozzle member comprises: a portion of said plunger member that is mounted to said shaft member of said nozzle assembly, so that said shaft member is drawn rearwardly to open said valve in response to said plunger member being displaced by said article of footwear. 17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said plunger member comprises: a tubular sleeve having said nozzle assembly positioned therein. 18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said tubular sleeve comprises: a lateral opening through which a handle portion of said nozzle assembly protrudes for attachment to a garden hose. 19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said end of said plunger member comprises: a surface formed of a relatively smooth, low friction material so as to minimize resistance to sliding movement of said article of footwear thereon. 20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said surface of said end of said plunger member is formed with a contrasting color so as to provide a visual guide to a user when sliding said article of footwear on upper end of said plunger member. 21. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said housing comprises: a housing having substantially enclosed sides. 22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said housing comprises: at least one bottom opening through which soil that is dislodged from said article of footwear and carried down said plunger member will be discharged to the ground under said housing.