Grout cleaning tool

• US 10,159,394 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2016
• Issued: 12/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bissell Inc.
• Original Assignee: Bissell Homecare, Inc. (Bissell Inc.)
• Inventors: Hansen, Eric J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Golightly, Eric W
• Application Number:
  US15/236,892
• Publication Number:
  US 20160345793A1
• Time in Patent Office: 862 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/34 Machines for treating carpets in position by liquid, foam, or vapour, e.g. by steam
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4047 Wound-up or endless cleaning belts
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4086 Arrangements for steam generation
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 13/12 Implements with several different treating devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 13/17 containing cleaning agents A47L13/19 takes precedence ; chemical compositions C11D17/049
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 13/225 Steam mops

Abstract

A grout cleaning tool includes a grout cleaning tape. The grout cleaning tape can be provided as a replaceable grout cleaning cartridge containing a supply reel of grout cleaning tape that can be rolled across grout line grooves with an applicator roller. The grout cleaning tape can include a composition therein that is configured to be activated or enhanced by steam and transferred into the grout line to be cleaned when steam is applied to the tape.

Claims

1. A grout cleaning cartridge, comprising:

a housing;

an applicator roller carried by the housing;

a supply reel rotatably carried by the housing;

a take-up reel rotatably carried by the housing; and

a grout cleaning tape provided with a grout cleaning composition on a transfer backing, the grout cleaning tape provided on the supply reel, wound around the applicator roller, and coupled to the take-up reel;

wherein advancement of the housing along a surface to be cleaned advances the grout cleaning tape around the application roller and into contact with the surface to be cleaned, transferring the grout cleaning composition from the transfer backing to the surface, and after the grout cleaning composition has been transferred the transfer backing is collected on the take-up reel.

2. The grout cleaning cartridge according to claim 1 wherein the grout cleaning composition comprises water, methyl hydrogen polysiloxane, octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane, n-octyltriethoxysilane, and trimethylated silica.

3. The grout cleaning cartridge according to claim 1 wherein the grout cleaning composition comprises a heat-activated cleaning composition.

4. The grout cleaning cartridge according to claim 3, wherein the grout cleaning composition comprises a dissolvable membrane that is configured to release from the transfer backing when exposed to steam.

5. The grout cleaning cartridge according to claim 1 wherein the grout cleaning composition comprises a hydrogen peroxide component in combination with an anionic detergent.

6. The grout cleaning cartridge according to claim 5, wherein the anionic detergent comprises sodium lauryl sulfate.

7. The grout cleaning cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the grout cleaning tape comprises a substrate of non-woven fibers comprising at least one of polypropene, polythene, or poly(ethylene terephthalate) fibers.

8. The grout cleaning cartridge according to claim 7, wherein the grout cleaning composition comprises a dissolvable membrane that is configured to release from the substrate when exposed to steam.

9. The grout cleaning cartridge according to claim 8, wherein the dissolvable membrane comprises one of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) or ethylene vinyl alcohol (EV-OH).

10. The grout cleaning cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the applicator roller comprises a deformable elastomeric material.

11. The grout cleaning cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the supply reel comprises a first hub that is rotatably mounted to a first support pin on the housing, and the take-up reel comprises a second hub that is rotatably mounted to a second support pin on the housing.

12. The grout cleaning cartridge according to claim 11, wherein the applicator roller is rotatably mounted to a third support pin located on the housing.

13. The grout cleaning cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the grout cleaning tape comprises a steam-permeable substrate.

14. The grout cleaning cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the applicator roller comprises a tacky outer surface that engages the grout cleaning tape.

15. The grout cleaning cartridge according to claim 14, wherein the applicator roller comprises a deformable elastomeric material.

16. The grout cleaning cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the applicator roller is rotatably mounted to the housing by a support pin.

17. The grout cleaning cartridge according to claim 1 wherein the grout cleaning tape further includes a melt-blown sheet material forming a substrate.

18. The grout cleaning cartridge according to claim 1 wherein the grout cleaning composition comprises a dissolvable membrane that is configured to release from the grout cleaning tape when exposed to steam.