Tank arrangement for a floor care appliance

• US 20050120508A1
• Filed: 01/11/2005
• Published: 06/09/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Techtronic Floor Care Technology Limited (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Healthy Gain Investments Limited
• Inventors: O'Neal, David L., Thomas, Kevin L., Morgan, Jeffery A., Hui, Siu Wai, Sclafani, Adam C., Lang, Charles A., Louis, Jeffrey S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,178,196 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/320
• 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 11/4044 Vacuuming or pick-up tools; Squeegees
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/28 Suction cleaners with handles and nozzles fixed on the casings, e.g. wheeled suction cleaners with steering handle A47L5/24 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/30 with driven dust-loosening tools, e.g. rotating brushes

Abstract

An improved floor care appliance if provided. The floor care appliance comprises a base for movement along the surface attached to a housing. The floor care appliance has two liquid storage tanks located in the housing wherein one of the liquid storage tanks generally overlies the other liquid storage tank. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the liquid storage tank located above the other liquid storage tank is a cleaning solution storage tank and the other liquid storage tank is a liquid recovery tank.

Claims

1-1. The floor care appliance of claim 1, wherein said housing is pivotally attached to said base.

4. The floor care appliance of claim 4, wherein said one or more rotary agitators are rotated by an electric motor.

6. The floor care appliance of claim 6, further comprising an on/off switch for selectively energizing and de-energizing said motor-fan assembly.

9. The floor care appliance of claim 8, further comprising an actuator rod operatively connected to said trigger for dispensing cleaning solution.

11. A floor care appliance, comprising:

a base for movement over a surface to be cleaned;

a housing attached to the base;

a liquid recovery tank mounted on the housing; and

a detergent tank mounted on the housing located above the liquid recovery tank.

13. The floor care appliance of claim 11, wherein said cleaning solution tank is a detergent tank.

14. The floor care appliance of claim 11, further comprising one or more rotary agitators located in said base for agitating the surface to be cleaned.

15. The floor care appliance of claim 14, wherein said one or more rotary agitators are rotated by an electric motor.

16. The floor care appliance of claim 11, further comprising a motor-fan assembly located between said liquid recovery tank and said cleaning solution tank.

17. The floor care appliance of claim 16, further comprising an on/off switch for selectively energizing and de-energizing said motor-fan assembly.

18. The floor care appliance of claim 11, further comprising a trigger located on the housing for dispensing cleaning solution from said cleaning solution tank onto the surface to be cleaned.

19. The floor care appliance of claim 18, further comprising an actuator rod operatively connected to said trigger for dispensing cleaning solution.

20. The floor care appliance of claim 11, wherein said liquid recovery tank and said cleaning solution tank are located in cavities in the housing and wherein said liquid recovery tank and said cleaning solution tank have sidewalls that are integrally formed such that the sidewalls are flush with the sidewalls of the housing.

21. A floor care appliance, comprising:

a base for movement over a surface to be cleaned;

a housing attached to the base;

a first liquid storage tank mounted on the housing; and

a second liquid storage tank;

wherein said first liquid tank generally overlies the second lower tank.

22. The floor care appliance of claim 21, wherein said first liquid storage tank is a detergent tank.

23. The floor care appliance of claim 21, wherein said second liquid storage tank is a liquid recovery tank.

24. The floor care appliance of claim 21, wherein said second liquid storage tank is an air/water separator.

25. The floor care appliance of claim 21, wherein said housing is pivotally attached to said base.

26. The floor care appliance of claim 21, further comprising one or more rotary agitators located in said base for agitating the surface to be cleaned.

27. The floor care appliance of claim 26, wherein said one or more rotary agitators are rotated by an electric motor.

30. The floor care appliance of claim 21, further comprising a trigger located on the housing for dispensing cleaning solution from said cleaning solution tank onto the surface to be cleaned.

31. The floor care appliance of claim 30, further comprising an actuator rod operatively connected to said trigger for dispensing cleaning solution.

33. A floor care appliance, comprising:

a base for movement over a surface to be cleaned;

one or more agitators for agitating the surface to be cleaned;

a housing attached to the base;

a first liquid storage tank mounted on the housing; and

a second liquid storage tank;

wherein said first liquid tank generally overlies the second lower tank.

34. A floor care appliance, comprising:

a base for movement over a surface to be cleaned;

a housing attached to the base;

a first liquid storage tank mounted on the housing; and

a second liquid storage tank; and

a trigger on the housing for dispensing liquid from one of said first liquid storage tanks and said second liquid storage tanks;

wherein said first liquid tank generally overlies the second lower tank.