EXTRACTION CLEANER AND CENTRIFUGAL AIR/WATER SEPARATOR THEREFOR

• US 20110056044A1
• Filed: 09/07/2010
• Published: 03/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bissell Inc.
• Original Assignee: Bissell Homecare, Inc. (Bissell Inc.)
• Inventors: Reed, Charles A. JR.
• Granted Patent: US 8,707,510 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 11/4027 Filtering or separating contaminants or debris
• CPC Class Codes: B04C 5/04 Tangential inlets
• CPC Class Codes: B04C 5/14 Construction of the underflow ducting; Apex constructions; Discharge arrangements ; discharge through sidewall provided with a few slits or perforations provided with a great number of slits or perforations B04C5/10

Abstract

An extraction cleaner comprises a fluid delivery system and a fluid recovery system. The fluid recovery system includes a centrifugal separator for separating a liquid and debris-entrained working air flow with a tangential air/water inlet, water outlet and air outlet at a lower portion of the separator. The air outlet has a vertical stand pipe that extends upwardly above the tangential air/water inlet and water outlet. The centrifugal separator can be mounted in a plurality of locations on the extraction cleaner thereby offering greater architectural flexibility.

Claims

1. An extraction cleaning apparatus adapted for movement across a surface to be cleaned comprising:

a fluid delivery system including a fluid distributor and a fluid supply tank fluidly connected thereto, the fluid distributor being adapted to deliver cleaning fluid from the fluid supply tank to the surface to be cleaned;

a fluid recovery system comprising;

a suction nozzle having a suction nozzle inlet adapted to recover cleaning fluid and debris from the surface to be cleaned and an outlet opening;

a recovery tank adapted to collect liquid and debris and having an inlet;

a centrifugal separator comprising;

a cylindrical housing defining a separation chamber and having;

a separator inlet fluidly positioned at a lower portion of the cylindrical housing and connected to the suction nozzle outlet opening;

a separator liquid outlet in a lower portion of the cylindrical housing, spaced from the separator inlet and in fluid communication with the recovery tank inlet;

an air outlet in a bottom portion of the separation chamber for exhausting air from the separation chamber and an exhaust stand pipe within the separation chamber in fluid communication with the air outlet and extending upwardly therefrom to an open upper end to exhaust air separated from liquid in the separation chamber; and

a suction source in fluid communication with the suction nozzle and the cylindrical separator and adapted to draw air, soiled cleaning fluid and debris from the surface to be cleaned through the suction nozzle and pass the same into the separation chamber.

2. The extraction cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the suction source is positioned downstream of the separation chamber.

3. The extraction cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the suction source is positioned upstream of the separation chamber.

4. The extraction cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the separator inlet includes a conduit that introduces the air and liquid into the separation chamber at a tangential angle to the separation chamber through an inlet opening that forms linear edge that is perpendicular to the tangential angle of the separator inlet and parallel to a central axis of the cylindrical housing.

5. The extraction cleaning apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the inlet opening is an axially elongated rectangular aperture wherein the long dimension of the opening is parallel to the central axis of the separation chamber.

6. The extraction cleaning apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the height-to-width ratio of the cross-sectional dimensions of the axially elongated rectangular inlet aperture is in the range of 2:

1 to 50;

1.

7. The extraction cleaning apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the height-to-width ratio of the cross-sectional dimensions of the axially elongated rectangular inlet aperture is in the range of 20:

1 to 40;

1.

8. The extraction cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the liquid outlet is formed by a rectangular opening in a side wall of the cylindrical housing.

9. The extraction cleaning apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the liquid outlet also includes a conduit that extends from the cylindrical housing at a tangential angle to the separation chamber.

10. The extraction cleaning apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the separator inlet is positioned higher in the separation chamber than the liquid outlet.

11. The extraction cleaning apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the separator inlet in positioned about 180°

from the liquid outlet about the cylindrical housing.

12. The extraction cleaning apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the separator inlet is positioned below the open upper end of the outlet stand pipe.

13. The extraction cleaning apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the outlet stand pipe is flared outwardly at the open upper end thereof.

14. The extraction cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the separator inlet is positioned higher in the separation chamber than the liquid outlet.

15. The extraction cleaning apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the separator inlet in positioned about 180°

from the liquid outlet about the cylindrical housing.

16. The extraction cleaning apparatus according claim 1 wherein the outlet stand pipe is flared outwardly at the open upper end thereof.

17. The extraction cleaning apparatus according to claim 16 wherein the separator inlet in positioned about 180°

from the separator inlet about the cylindrical housing.

18. A centrifugal separator comprising:

a cylindrical housing defining a separation chamber;

a separator inlet fluidly adapted to be connected to a suction nozzle and positioned at a lower portion of the cylindrical housing;

a separator liquid outlet in a lower portion of the cylindrical housing, spaced from the separator inlet and in fluid communication between the separation chamber and the recovery tank inlet;

an air outlet in a bottom portion of the separation chamber for exhausting air from the separation chamber and

an exhaust stand pipe within the separation chamber in fluid communication with the air outlet and extending upwardly therefrom to an open upper end to exhaust air separated from liquid in the separation chamber

19. The extraction cleaning apparatus according to claim 18 wherein the separator inlet includes a conduit that introduces the air and liquid into the separation chamber at a tangential angle to the separation chamber through a side wall inlet opening that forms linear edge that is perpendicular to the tangential angle of the separator inlet and parallel to a central axis of the cylindrical housing.

20. The centrifugal separator according to claim 19 wherein the liquid outlet is formed by a rectangular opening in the side wall of the cylindrical housing, the liquid outlet is also formed by a conduit that extends from the cylindrical housing at a tangential angle to the separation chamber, the separator inlet is positioned higher in the separation chamber than the liquid outlet, the outlet stand pipe is flared outwardly at the open upper end thereof, the separator inlet is positioned below the flared upper end of the outlet stand pipe, the inlet opening is an axially elongated rectangular aperture wherein the long dimension of the opening is parallel to the central axis of the separation chamber and the height-to-width ratio of the cross-sectional dimensions of the axially elongated rectangular inlet aperture is in the range of 2:

1 to 50;

1.