Method and Apparatus for Cleaning Fabrics, Floor Coverings, and Bare Floor Surfaces Utilizing a Soil Transfer Medium

• US 20090293912A1
• Filed: 08/12/2009
• Published: 12/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tennant Company
• Original Assignee: Tennant Company
• Inventors: Wydra, Larry D., Giddings, Daniel G., Wellens, Richard W., Hekman, Frederick A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,967,914 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 134/6
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/185 with supply of cleaning agents
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/201 with supply of cleaning agents
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/292 having rotary tools A47L11/30 takes precedence
• 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 11/4041 Roll shaped surface treating tools
• 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 11/4077 Skirts or splash guards
• 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

Abstract

An apparatus and method for cleaning fabrics, floor coverings, and bare floor surfaces utilizing a soil transfer cleaning medium is disclosed. A method of mechanically removing soil from a surface intended to be cleaned includes the steps of successively and repeatedly: wetting a portion of a cleaning medium with a cleaning liquid; extracting any soil and at least some of the cleaning liquid from the previously wetted portion of the cleaning medium; and wiping the surface intended to be cleaned with the portion of the cleaning medium so as to transfer soil from the surface intended to be cleaned to the cleaning medium. Portable and vehicle-based devices may be utilized to practice the method of cleaning.

Claims

1. A method of removing soil from a surface intended to be cleaned using a movable machine, said method comprising:

moving the movable machine across the surface while repeatedly;

spraying a portion of a revolving cylindrical cleaning medium with a cleaning liquid, said cleaning liquid carried in cleaning solution tank on said movable machine;

rotating said portion of the cleaning medium into contact with a vacuum extractor, said vacuum extractor defining an elongated slot opening which extends generally from one end of the cleaning medium to an opposite end, and said slot opening having a substantially narrower diameter than said cleaning medium;

with said vacuum extractor, extracting soil and cleaning liquid from said portion of the revolving cleaning medium through said slot opening prior to said portion revolving into contact with the surface to be cleaned;

rotating said wetted portion of the cleaning medium out of contact with said vacuum extractor and toward contact with said surface to be cleaned; and

wiping the surface with said portion of the revolving cleaning medium so as to transfer soil from the surface to the cleaning medium.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

contacting said previously wetted portion of the cleaning medium with a drip guard, said drip guard extending substantially across a length of said cleaning medium, and said drip guard redirecting cleaning solution thrown from the revolving cleaning medium back onto the cleaning medium, thereby preventing droplets of cleaning solution from falling onto the surface intended to be cleaned.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said spraying the portion of the revolving cleaning medium includes spraying cleaning liquid onto the cleaning medium from a nozzle.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein substantially all spray output from said nozzle is directed onto the cleaning medium.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said vacuum extractor includes a pair of generally vertical walls and portions of the slot openings are defined at ends of the pair of walls.

6. A method of removing soil from a surface intended to be cleaned using a movable machine, said method comprising:

moving the movable machine across the surface while repeatedly;

spraying a portion of a revolving cylindrical cleaning medium with a cleaning liquid;

revolving said wetted portion of the cleaning medium into contact with a vacuum extractor, said vacuum extractor having an elongated slot opening having a slot width which is substantially narrower than a diameter of said cleaning medium;

with said vacuum extractor, extracting via vacuum-action soil and cleaning liquid from said portion of the revolving cleaning medium through said elongated slot opening prior to said portion revolving into contact with the surface to be cleaned;

revolving said wetted portion of the cleaning medium out of contact with said vacuum extractor and toward contact with said surface to be cleaned; and

wiping the surface with said portion of the revolving cleaning medium so as to transfer soil from the surface intended to be cleaned to the cleaning medium, wherein the cleaning medium includes a pair of elongated generally cylindrical shaped elements which are counter-rotated relative to each other and wherein portions of said pair of elements contact each other as the cleaning medium revolves.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said extracting is achieved through a pair of vacuum apertures, each of said pair of vacuum apertures being associated with a different one of a pair of counter-rotated elongated generally cylindrical shaped elements.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said spraying includes spraying cleaning solution with a spray nozzle located above said pair of elongated generally cylindrical shaped elements, and with said pair of elongated generally cylindrical shaped elements being in contact with each other so as to prevent sprayed cleaning solution from being directly sprayed onto the surface intended to be cleaned.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the surface is a carpet surface, and wherein wiping the surface transfers soil from fibers of the carpet surface to the cleaning medium.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the surface is a fabric surface, and wherein wiping the surface transfers soil from fibers of the fabric surface to the cleaning medium.

11. The method of claim 6 wherein said vacuum extractor includes a pair of generally vertical walls and said slot opening is defined at ends of said walls.

12. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

contacting said previously wetted portion of the cleaning medium with a drip guard, said drip guard extending substantially across a length of said cleaning medium, and said drip guard redirecting cleaning solution thrown from the revolving cleaning medium back onto the cleaning medium, thereby preventing droplets of cleaning solution from falling onto the surface intended to be cleaned.

13. A method of cleaning a carpeted surface, said method being performed by a surface maintenance machine and comprising:

spraying a portion of a revolving cleaning medium with a cleaning liquid;

with a vacuum extractor, removing some soil and some of the cleaning liquid from the previously wetted portion of the cleaning medium, with said previously wetted portion of the cleaning medium being rotated into contact with a perimeter of an elongated slot opening of said vacuum extractor, said removing drawing soil and cleaning liquid through said elongated slot opening of said vacuum extractor and occurring prior to said portion revolving into contact with the carpet surface;

wiping the carpeted surface with the portion of the revolving cleaning medium so as to transfer soil from the carpeted surface to the cleaning medium; and

repeating said spraying, removing, contacting and wiping the carpeted surface during a carpet cleaning procedure.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said spraying involves pumping a cleaning liquid from a reservoir carried by the surface maintenance machine through a nozzle, said nozzle spraying substantially all of its spray output directly onto the cleaning medium, with said cleaning medium being positioned between the nozzle and the surface intended to be cleaned.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein said wiping involves rotating the cleaning medium into contact with the carpeted surface, and said vacuum extractor includes a vacuum extractor slot extending substantially along across the cleaning medium, with said vacuum extractor slot being positioned between said nozzle and said surface intended to be cleaned.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the cleaning medium is cylindrical and is rotated about an axis which is generally perpendicular to a direction of machine use, and said vacuum extractor slot includes a pair of generally parallel walls, with ends of said pair of walls being in contact with the cylindrical cleaning medium.

17. A method of claim 13 further comprising:

contacting said previously wetted portion of the cleaning medium with a drip guard, said drip guard extending substantially across a length of said cleaning medium, and said drip guard redirecting cleaning solution thrown from the revolving cleaning medium back onto the cleaning medium, thereby preventing droplets of cleaning solution from falling onto the surface intended to be cleaned.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein said vacuum extractor includes a pair of generally vertical walls and said slot opening is defined at ends of said walls.