AIR INDUCTION HARD SURFACE CLEANING TOOL WITH AN INTERNAL BAFFLE

• US 20090139046A1
• Filed: 12/03/2008
• Published: 06/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Legend Brands, Inc. (RPM International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Sapphire Scientific Inc. (RPM International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kappos, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 8,510,902 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/320
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/302 having rotary tools
• 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 11/4069 Driving or transmission means for the cleaning tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4088 Supply pumps; Spraying devices; Supply conduits
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 2203/0229 Suction chambers for aspirating the sprayed liquid
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/024 Cleaning by means of spray elements moving over the surface to be cleaned

Abstract

An apparatus for cleaning surfaces, particularly solid surfaces, includes an outer housing and an inner housing configured to substantially encapsulate a surface being cleaned, a vacuum source traversing the outer housing, a rotating coupler, an impeller, at least one fluid jet coupled to the impeller, and at least one air induction port. The vacuum source is configured to induce air through the air induction ports past the impeller blades causing the impeller to rotate, which causes the rotating coupler and the fluid jets to rotate. Because the rotation of the fluid jets is due to induced air, the fluid jets can be positioned at any angle desired, including a negative angle.

Claims

1. An apparatus for cleaning surfaces, comprising:

An outer housing having at least one air induction port traversing said outer housing;

a vacuum source coupled to said outer housing;

a rotating coupler;

an impeller coupled to said rotating coupler; and

at least one fluid jet coupled to said rotating coupler;

wherein rotation of said impeller causes said rotating coupler and said at least one fluid jet to rotate;

an inner housing, said inner housing separating said at least one fluid jet and said impeller from said vacuum source, said air induction port traversing said inner housing, wherein said vacuum source induces air through said air induction port past said impeller, causing said impeller to rotate;

upper baffles within said inner housing, said upper baffles being configured to further direct said induced air past said impeller; and

lower baffles within said inner housing, said lower baffles directing said induced air towards the center of the surface within said outer housing.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said fluid jet emits a leading edge of fluid in the same direction as the rotation of said at least one fluid jet.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein, said at least one fluid jet is oriented between 75 and 90 degrees relative to said surface.

4. An apparatus for cleaning surfaces with a cleaning solution comprising:

an outer housing configured to substantially encapsulate a surface being cleaned;

a vacuum port traversing said outer housing;

an impeller rotationally driven by air induced by a vacuum created by a vacuum source coupled to said vacuum port;

at least one fluid jet coupled to said impeller, wherein rotation of said impeller causes said at least one fluid jet to rotate; and

at least one baffle disposed within said outer housing, wherein said at least one baffle is configured to guide said air induced by a vacuum to a center of said housing to force said cleaning solution to an edge of said outer housing.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said at least one fluid jet emits a leading edge of said cleaning solution in the same direction as the rotation of said impeller and said at least one fluid jet.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising at least one air induction port traversing said housing;

wherein said vacuum induces air through said air induction port; and

said air induction port directs said induced air past said impeller, causing said impeller to rotate.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising an inner housing;

wherein said inner housing separates said at least one fluid jet and said impeller from said vacuum port; and

wherein said at least one air induction port traverses said outer and said inner housings allowing said induced air to rotate said impeller.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said apparatus further comprises baffles directing said induced air past said impeller and generally towards the center of said apparatus.

9. An apparatus for cleaning surfaces comprising:

an outer housing configured to substantially encapsulate a surface being cleaned;

a vacuum port traversing said outer housing;

a rotating coupler coupled to an impeller;

said impeller rotationally driven by air induced by a vacuum;

wherein said vacuum is created by a vacuum source coupled to said vacuum port;

at least one fluid jet coupled to said rotating coupler;

wherein rotation of said rotating coupler causes said at least one fluid jet to rotate;

an inner housing;

wherein said inner housing separates said at least one fluid jet and said impeller from said vacuum port.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising at least one air induction port traversing said inner housing and said outer housing;

wherein said vacuum induces air through said air induction port; and

said air induction port directs said induced air past said impeller, causing said impeller to rotate.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising interior baffles configured to direct said induced air within said apparatus.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said baffles direct said air through said impeller, causing said impeller to rotate;

said baffles subsequently directing said induced air toward the center of said surface substantially encapsulated by said outer housing.