UNATTENDED SPOT CLEANING APPARATUS

• US 20060207052A1
• Filed: 03/17/2006
• Published: 09/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bissell Inc.
• Original Assignee: Bissell Homecare, Inc. (Bissell Inc.)
• Inventors: Tran, Phong H.
• Granted Patent: US 7,234,197 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 11/4038 Disk shaped surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4044 Vacuuming or pick-up tools; Squeegees
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 13/26 Other cleaning devices with liquid supply arrangements such arrangements on floor-polishing machines A47L11/00, on scrapers A47L13/03, on mops A47L13/22; cloths, pads, or the like containing cleaning agents A47L13/17, A47L13/19
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/562 Bending-relieving
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/5833 the cable being forced in a tortuous or curved path, e.g. knots in cable H01R13/582 takes precedence

Abstract

A spot cleaning apparatus comprises a fluid distribution system, a fluid recovery system, an agitation system, and a controller system to automatically monitor and control inputs and outputs to said systems for removal of spots and stains from a surface without attendance by a user. A suction nozzle and agitation device are mounted to the housing for movement over the surface to be cleaned relative to a stationary housing. Optionally, the spot cleaning apparatus can be operated in a manual mode. In one embodiment, the spot cleaning apparatus comprises a controller for continuously reversing the agitation direction of the agitatation system. In another embodiment, the spot cleaning apparatus comprises a modular strain relief assembly. In yet another embodiment, working air is recirculated to the surface to be cleaned through internal ducting.

Claims

1. A floor cleaning apparatus comprising:

a housing with a bottom portion that is adapted to rest on a surface being cleaned and an opening in an underside of the housing to define an enclosed chamber between the surface to be cleaned and an interior portion of the housing;

a carriage support mounted in the enclosed chamber in the housing above the opening in the underside of the housing;

an extraction system including a suction nozzle for recovering soil from the surface to be cleaned beneath the opening in the underside of the housing and a suction source having an inlet fluidly connected to the suction nozzle to create a working air flow;

a carriage mounting the suction nozzle to the carriage support for translational movement with respect to the housing so that the suction nozzle moves laterally with respect to the housing and along the surface to be cleaned;

a working air path that carries working air from the suction source to the suction nozzle; and

an exhaust air passage between an outlet of the suction source and the enclosed chamber.

2. A floor cleaning apparatus comprising:

a housing with a bottom portion that is adapted to rest on a surface being cleaned;

a carriage support above an opening in an underside of the housing;

a fluid delivery system mounted to the housing and including a fluid distributor for delivering a cleaning fluid to the surface to be cleaned beneath the opening in the underside the housing;

a fluid extraction system including a suction nozzle for recovering soiled cleaning fluid from the surface to be cleaned beneath the opening in the underside of the housing;

a carriage mounting the fluid distributor and the suction nozzle to the carriage support for movement with respect to the housing so that the suction nozzle and the fluid distributor move laterally with respect to the surface to be cleaned;

a motor mounted to the housing and connected to the carriage for driving the movement of the carriage with respect to the housing; and

a controller for selectively controlling the direction of movement the motor for sequential movement in two mutually exclusive directions.

3. A floor cleaning apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the movement is arcuate.

4. A floor cleaning apparatus according to claim 2 and further including a scrubbing implement mounted to the carriage for movement with the fluid distributor and the suction nozzle and for scrubbing contact with the surface to be cleaned.

5. A strain relief assembly for an appliance having an appliance housing and an electrical element mounted in the appliance housing and connected to an electrical cord for supplying power to the electrical element, the electrical cord extending into the appliance housing through the strain relief assembly, which comprises:

a first and second strain relief housing portions defining a wall that has an inlet aperture and an outlet aperture formed therein juxtaposed to one another and a U-shaped passageway for passage of the electrical cord therethrough between the inlet aperture and the outlet aperture.

6. A strain relief assembly according to claim 5, wherein the portions of the electrical cord that pass through the inlet and outlet aperture are parallel to each other.

7. A strain relief assembly according to claim 5, wherein the portion of the electrical cord passing through on outlet aperture is surrounded by a resilient collar that is adapted to relieve bending stress on the electrical cord.

8. A strain relief assembly according to claim 7, wherein the resilient collar has at least one flange at one end that is received in a retaining cavity formed between the first and second strain relief housing portions at the outlet aperture.

9. A strain relief assembly according to claim 6, wherein the inlet aperture lies within the appliance housing and the outlet aperture lies outside the appliance housing.

10. A strain relief assembly according to claim 9, wherein a seating ridge is formed on the first and second strain relief housing portions and abuts the appliance housing.

11. A strain relief assembly according to claim 5, wherein at least one rib is formed on at least one of the first and second strain relief housing portions and extends into the U-shaped passageway to make an interference contact with the electrical cord.

12. A strain relief assembly according to claim 5, wherein a pair of resilient tabs are formed on the first and second strain relief housing portions that resiliently deflect for insertion of the strain relief assembly through an opening in the appliance housing and the seat behind the appliance housing after insertion through the opening.

13. A strain relief assembly according to claim 5, wherein each of the first and second strain relief housing portions have a boss extending toward each other and forming a portion of the U-shaped passageway.

14. A strain relief assembly according to claim 13, wherein the bosses have an opening therethrough for receiving a fastener that secures the first and second strain relief housing portions together.