Apparatus for cleaning a floor cover

• US 3,974,541 A
• Filed: 11/01/1973
• Issued: 08/17/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Donahue B. Silvis, Edward A. Vargas
• Original Assignee: Donahue B. Silvis, Edward A. Vargas
• Inventors: Silvis, Donahue B., Vargas, Edward A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilhite, Billy J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Niegowski, James A.
• Application Number:
  US05/411,636
• Time in Patent Office: 1,020 Days
• Field of Search: 15/320, 15/321, 15/322, 15/300 A, 15/331, 15/314
• 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 11/4044 Vacuuming or pick-up tools; Squeegees
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4088 Supply pumps; Spraying devices; Supply conduits

Abstract

A self-contained portable apparatus for cleaning a floor cover, such as a carpet. The apparatus comprises vacuum chambers; electric motor driven vacuum creating mechanisms; vacuum nozzles operatively associated with the vacuum chambers; a spray bar and nozzles operatively connected with a source of water; a source of emulsifying agent; a siphon device for extracting emulsifying agent from its source and introducing it into the water flowing to the spray nozzles; a heating element for heating the water as it flows to the spray bar; and appropriate valving and plumbing; all of which are included within a single housing. In addition, the housing includes a roller so that the apparatus may be easily rolled over the floor cover to be cleaned. There is also included a hand tool operatively connected with one of the vacuum chambers of the apparatus for cleaning the floor in hard to get at places too small or inconvenient to reach with the self-contained floor cover cleaning apparatus.

Claims

1. An apparatus to be moved along a floor for cleaning a floor covering, comprising:

a housing;

a first and a second vacuum chamber disposed within said housing;

a first vacuum nozzle connected with said first vacuum chamber and a second vacuum nozzle connected with said second vacuum chamber;

a first means for creating a vacuum in said first vacuum chamber and hence at said first vacuum nozzle and a second means for creating a vacuum in said second vacuum chamber and hence at said second vacuum nozzle, said means being individually operable and each being disposed within said housing;

means for spraying a fluid on the floor to be cleaned;

means for delivering the fluid to said spraying means;

said first nozzle comprising an elongated opening disposed substantially perpendicular to the path of movement of said apparatus and said second nozzle comprising an elongated opening disposed parallel to said first nozzle and ahead of said first nozzle in the direction of movement of said apparatus;

said spraying means being disposed ahead of said nozzles in the path of movement of said apparatus whereby a portion of said fluid discharged on said floor covering is picked up through said second nozzle and deposited in said second vacuum chamber and whereby the remaining portion of said fluid discharged on said floor covering is thereafter picked up through said first nozzle and deposited in said first vacuum chamber;

means disposed in said housing for removing the fluid from said vacuum chambers;

means for introducing a cleaning agent into said fluid delivery means, said cleaning agent introducing means being disposed within said housing; and

valve means to regulate the flow of fluid in said fluid delivery means.

2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 and including each of said vacuum chambers having a removable sealable cover for closing openings into said chambers.

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 and in which said spray means comprises a spray bar having a plurality of spray nozzles disposed at spaced intervals along its length, said elongated spray bar being generally parallel to said openings of said first and second vacuum nozzles.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising means for continuously heating the fluid as it flows in said fluid delivery means, said heating means being disposed within said housing.

5. An apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein said heating means comprises:

an enclosure having a fluid inlet aperture and a fluid outlet aperture, each of said apertures being connected to said fluid delivery means;

an electric resistance element disposed within said enclosure to heat the fluid as it passes through said enclosure from said inlet aperture to said outlet aperture;

means for connecting said electric resistance element to a source of electric power; and

a switch operatively associated with said electric connecting means for selectively turning said heating means on and off.

6. An apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein:

said fluid delivery means comprises a conduit having one end connected to said spray bar and the other end removably connectable to a source of fluid;

said cleaning agent introducing means is disposed in said fluid delivery conduit between the ends of said conduit;

said heating means is disposed in said fluid delivery conduit between said cleaning agent introducing means and the end of said conduit removably connectable to the source of fluid;

said fluid removing means comprises;

a pump operatively associated with said first mentioned vacuum chamber and said second vacuum chamber; and

a waste conduit having one end connected to said pump and the other end removably connectable to a fluid depository.

7. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, comprising:

a handle connected to said housing to provide a means by which an operator can apply a force to the apparatus to move it over the floor cover to be cleaned; and

at least one roller rotatably connected to said housing so that said apparatus can be moved over the floor cover to be cleaned.

8. An apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein:

said roller is disposed proximate the bottom of said housing and has a rotatable axis disposed substantially perpendicular to the normal direction of movement of said housing as it is being moved over the floor cover to be cleaned; and

said nozzles are disposed proximate the front end of said housing and have their respective longitudinal axes disposed generally parallel to the axis of rotation of said roller.

9. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said cleaning agent introducing means comprises:

a convergent nozzle, said fluid delivery means operatively associated with the inlet to said convergent nozzle to deliver fluid thereto;

a first aperture providing a means of fluid communication between the throat of said convergent nozzle and said fluid delivery means downstream of the inlet to said convergent nozzle; and

a second aperture operatively associated with said first aperture downstream of the throat of said convergent nozzle and operatively associated with a source of cleaning agent.