SOFT FLOOR PRE-SPRAY UNIT UTILIZING ELECTROCHEMICALLY-ACTIVATED WATER AND METHOD OF CLEANING SOFT FLOORS

• US 20090120460A1
• Filed: 11/10/2008
• Published: 05/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Tennant Company
• Original Assignee: Tennant Company
• Inventors: Swenson, Peter A., Field, Bruce F., Hekman, Frederick A.
• Application Number:
  US12/268,034
• Publication Number:
  US 20090120460A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 134/6
• 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 11/4011 Regulation of the cleaning machine by electric means; Control systems and remote control systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4083 Liquid supply reservoirs; Preparation of the agents, e.g. mixing devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4088 Supply pumps; Spraying devices; Supply conduits
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/026 Cleaning by making use of hand-held spray guns; Fluid preparations therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/10 with additional treatment of the liquid or of the object being cleaned, e.g. by heat, by electricity or by vibration
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/4618 for producing "ionised" acidic or basic water
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/4672 by electrooxydation
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2001/46185 only anodic or acidic water, e.g. for oxidizing or sterilizing
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2001/4619 only cathodic or alkaline water, e.g. for reducing
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/46115 Electrolytic cell with membranes or diaphragms
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/46135 Voltage

Abstract

A method is provided, which includes applying electrochemically activated acid and alkaline water to a surface as a pre-spray, allowing the electrochemically activated acid and alkaline water to remain on the surface for a dwell time, and after the dwell time, performing a cleaning operation on an area of the surface to which the pre-spray was applied.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

applying electrochemically activated acid and alkaline water to a surface as a pre-spray;

allowing the electrochemically activated acid and alkaline water to remain on the surface for a dwell time; and

after the dwell time, performing a cleaning operation on an area of the surface to which the pre-spray was applied.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the dwell time is at least one minute.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the dwell time is at least five minutes.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the dwell time is in a range of one minute to one-half an hour.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the surface comprises carpet.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the step of applying is performed by a pre-spray device; and

the cleaning operation is performed by a cleaning device that is disconnected from the pre-spray device and separately movable relative to the surface.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of applying is performed by a pre-spray device that is a member of the group comprising:

a hand-held spray bottle comprising an electrolysis cell,

a humanly portable, non-wheeled canister comprising an electrolysis cell and a spray wand;

a wheeled device carrying an electrolysis cell and a ECA water dispenser.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of applying comprises generating the electrochemically activated acid and alkaline water with an electrolysis cell carried by a pre-spray device, blending the electrochemically activated acid and alkaline water within the pre-spray device and applying the blended electrochemically activated acid and alkaline water to the surface as the pre-spray with the pre-spray device.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of performing a cleaning operation is performed by a cleaning device that is a member of the group comprising:

a hot water extractor; and

a soil transfer device comprising a soil transfer roller.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of applying is performed in a first pass over the surface with a wheeled device and the step of performing a cleaning operation is performed in a second, subsequent pass over the surface with the same wheeled device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of performing a cleaning operation comprises applying further electrochemically activated water to the surface with a wheeled, mobile cleaning device and then recovering, with the mobile cleaning device, at least portions of the electrochemically activated water that was applied as the pre-spray and at least portions of the further electrochemically activated water applied by the mobile cleaning device.

12. A method comprising:

applying electrochemically activated acid and alkaline water to carpet as a combined pre-spray with a pre-spray device;

allowing the electrochemically activated water to remain on the carpet for a dwell time; and

after the dwell time, recovering the electrochemically activated water from the carpet during a cleaning operation performed with a cleaning device, which is unconnected to the pre-spray device and separately movable relative to the carpet.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the dwell time is at least one minute.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the dwell time is at least five minutes.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the dwell time is in a range of one minute to one-half an hour.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the pre-spray device is a member of the group comprising:

a hand-held spray bottle comprising an electrolysis cell,

a humanly portable, non-wheeled canister comprising an electrolysis cell and a spray wand;

a wheeled device carrying an electrolysis cell and a ECA water dispenser.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of applying comprises generating the electrochemically activated acid and alkaline water with an electrolysis cell carried by the pre-spray device, blending the electrochemically activated acid and alkaline water within the pre-spray device and applying the blended electrochemically activated acid and alkaline water to the surface as the combined pre-spray with the pre-spray device.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of applying comprises generating the electrochemically activated acid and alkaline water with an electrolysis cell carried by the pre-spray device, combining separate flows of the acid and alkaline water into a combined flow applying the combined flow to the surface through a spray nozzle.

19. The method of claim 12 wherein the cleaning device is a member of the group comprising:

a hot water extractor; and

a soil transfer device comprising a soil transfer roller.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the cleaning device comprises a wheeled mobile cleaning device;

the step of performing a cleaning operation comprises applying further electrochemically activated water to the surface with the wheeled mobile cleaning device; and

recovering, with the wheeled mobile cleaning device, at least portions of the electrochemically activated water that was applied as the pre-spray and at least portions of the further electrochemically activated water applied by the wheeled mobile cleaning device.