Shoe Cleaning Apparatus

Abstract

The present invention uses rotating cleaning rollers with cleaning fabric carrying cleaning liquid to clean shoe soles. The cleaning fabric, after wiping the shoe soles, is squeezed by a scraper so the used cleaning liquid is separated from the cleaning fabric to be filtered before reusing. The cleaning fabric can be made of different materials to fit the various types of building entrances. After the shoe soles are cleaned by the wet rollers, they may be dried by the drying rollers next to the cleaning rollers.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for cleaning shoe soles comprising:
 a set of cleaning rollers rotating in opposite directions comprising cleaning fabric that is soaked in a cleaning liquid, contained in a clean liquid chamber.   a scraper assembly that comprises a scraper which squeezes the cleaning fabric on the cleaning rollers on its way down after rubbing the shoe sole and that directs the dirty cleaning liquid into a dirty liquid chamber, and   a partitioning wall separating the dirty liquid chamber and the clean liquid chamber over which the cleaning rollers are installed.   
     
     
         2 . An apparatus for cleaning shoe soles as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a set of gears driving the cleaning rollers that are mated in such a way that the cleaning rollers rotate in opposite directions.   
     
     
         3 . An apparatus for cleaning shoe soles as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the gears are directly mated so cleaning rollers rotate in opposite directions. 
     
     
         4 . An apparatus for cleaning shoe soles as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a set of drying rollers that dry the shoe soles.   
     
     
         5 . An apparatus for cleaning shoe soles as recited in  claim 4 , wherein the drying rollers are installed on the same shafts that drive the cleaning rollers. 
     
     
         6 . An apparatus for cleaning shoe soles as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a sensor that senses the presence of the shoe to turn on the apparatus and the absence of the shoe to turn off the apparatus.   
     
     
         7 . An apparatus for cleaning shoe soles as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a switch installed on the top of the apparatus for user to switch on and off the apparatus.   
     
     
         8 . An apparatus for cleaning shoe soles as recited in  claim 7 , further comprising:
 a timer that turns off the apparatus after the apparatus is turned on for certain period of time.   
     
     
         9 . An apparatus for cleaning shoe soles as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the scraper assembly further comprises a scraper adjustment screw which adjusts the pressure that the scraper exerts on the roller.