STEAM DEVICE AND METHOD FOR OPERATING A STEAM DEVICE

• US 20160157693A1
• Filed: 12/29/2015
• Published: 06/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Alfred Kärcher SE & Co. KG
• Original Assignee: Alfred Kaercher GmbH & Company KG
• Inventors: Hess, Stefan, Eckstein, Daniel, Holzwarth, Guenther, Steinbach, Juergen
• Application Number:
  US14/982,862
• Publication Number:
  US 20160157693A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 11/4075 Handles; levers
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4083 Liquid supply reservoirs; Preparation of the agents, e.g. mixing devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4086 Arrangements for steam generation
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4088 Supply pumps; Spraying devices; Supply conduits
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4094 Accessories to be used in combination with conventional vacuum-cleaning devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/248 Parts, details or accessories of hoses or pipes nozzles A47L9/02
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 2203/0229 Suction chambers for aspirating the sprayed liquid
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 2230/01 Cleaning with steam
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/026 Cleaning by making use of hand-held spray guns; Fluid preparations therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 9/0321 using pressurised, pulsating or purging fluid E04F17/126 takes precedence

Abstract

A steam device is provided, including a clean water supplying arrangement, a steam generator which is fluidically connected to the clean water supplying arrangement, a cleaning agent supplying arrangement, a mixing arrangement for clean water and cleaning agent that is fluidically connected to the clean water supplying arrangement and the cleaning agent supplying arrangement, a discharge arrangement for fluid and a control arrangement by which operating modes of the steam device are settable, wherein, by means of the discharge arrangement, steam is dischargeable in a steam mode and a mixture of clean water and cleaning agent is dischargeable in a cleaning agent mode, and wherein the control arrangement has a rinsing unit which, once the cleaning agent mode is at an end, operates a rinsing mode in which the discharge arrangement is rinsed with clean water.

Claims

1. A steam device, comprising:

a clean water supplying arrangement;

a steam generator which is fluidically connected to the clean water supplying arrangement;

a cleaning agent supplying arrangement;

a mixing arrangement for clean water and cleaning agent that is fluidically connected to the clean water supplying arrangement and the cleaning agent supplying arrangement;

a discharge arrangement for fluid; and

a control arrangement by which operating modes of the steam device are settable;

wherein, by means of the discharge arrangement, steam is dischargeable in a steam mode and a mixture of clean water and cleaning agent is dischargeable in a cleaning agent mode; and

wherein the control arrangement has a rinsing unit which, once the cleaning agent mode is at an end, operates a rinsing mode in which the discharge arrangement is rinsed with clean water.

2. The steam device according to claim 1, wherein the discharge arrangement includes a first point of introduction for steam, which is fluidically connected to the steam generator, a second point of introduction for clean water, which is fluidically connected to the clean water supplying arrangement, and a third point of introduction for a mixture of clean water and cleaning agent, which is fluidically connected to the mixing arrangement.

3. The steam device according to claim 2, wherein, in relation to a fluid main flow direction in the discharge arrangement, the second introduction point is arranged upstream of the third introduction point, or the second introduction point coincides with the third introduction point.

4. The steam device according to claim 1, wherein the clean water supplying arrangement is or includes a clean water tank.

5. The steam device according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning agent supplying arrangement is or includes a cleaning agent tank.

6. The steam device according to claim 1, wherein in the rinsing mode the control arrangement sets a particular duration of the rinsing procedure.

7. The steam device according to claim 6, wherein the particular duration is in the range between 10 s and 30 s.

8. The steam device according to claim 1, wherein the control arrangement implements a setting, or is set, such that the steam mode is only performable if, after a cleaning agent mode, a rinsing mode has been performed.

9. The steam device according to claim 1, wherein the steam mode is only operable without the discharge of cleaning agent.

10. The steam device according to claim 1, having a vapo-hydro mode in which clean water is admixable with steam.

11. The steam device according to claim 1, wherein the discharge arrangement includes at least one of at least one tube and at least one hose.

12. The steam device according to claim 1, comprising a controllable first valve that is connected downstream of the steam generator and is controlled by the control arrangement.

13. The steam device according to claim 1, comprising a controllable second valve, which is arranged between the clean water supplying arrangement and the discharge arrangement, and which is controlled by the control arrangement.

14. The steam device according to claim 1, comprising a controllable third valve, which is arranged between the cleaning agent supplying arrangement and the discharge arrangement, and which is controlled by the control arrangement.

15. The steam device according to claim 14, wherein the control arrangement implements a setting such that when the third valve is open a first valve, which is downstream of the steam generator, is closed.

16. The steam device according to claim 14, wherein the mixing arrangement is downstream of the third valve and of a second valve that is connected to the clean water supplying arrangement.

17. The steam device according to claim 1, comprising a first pump for conveying at least one of clean water and a mixture of clean water and cleaning agent in the discharge arrangement, wherein the first pump is controlled by the control arrangement.

18. The steam device according to claim 1, comprising a second pump for conveying clean water from the clean water supplying arrangement to the steam generator.

19. The steam device according to claim 1, said steam device being configured as a suction device having a suction unit and a suction attachment.

20. The steam device according to claim 19, comprising at least one dirty water tank.

21. The steam device according to claim 19, wherein a suction line arrangement is at least partially mechanically connected to the discharge arrangement.

22. The steam device according to claim 1, comprising a selector switch for setting a respective operating mode.

23. The steam device according to claim 22, comprising a starter switch for starting the rinsing mode.

24. The steam device according to claim 23, wherein, once the rinsing mode has started, the control arrangement performs it automatically.

25. The steam device, said steam device being configured as a mobile device which is in particular movable on wheels.

26. A method for operating a steam device, comprising:

discharging steam in a steam mode and discharging a mixture of cleaning agent and clean water in a cleaning agent mode; and

after a cleaning agent mode, rinsing a discharge arrangement for fluid with clean water in a rinsing mode.

27. The method for operating a steam device according to claim 26, wherein, after an operation in cleaning agent mode, the steam device is only operable in steam mode if a rinsing mode is performed before the steam mode.

28. The method for operating a steam device according to claim 26, wherein the rinsing mode is performed with automatic control by a control arrangement, wherein in particular a user command is required to start the rinsing mode.

29. The method for operating a steam device according to claim 26, wherein the rinsing mode is performed for a particular duration.