Method and apparatus for cleaning carpets and surfaces using cleaning fluid

• US 4,191,590 A
• Filed: 04/25/1977
• Issued: 03/04/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The John J Sundheim Family Estate
• Original Assignee: The John J Sundheim Family Estate
• Inventors: Sundheim, John J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore, S. Leon
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yeung, George C.
• Application Number:
  US05/790,593
• Time in Patent Office: 1,044 Days
• Field of Search: 134/21, 134/34, 134/37, 134/102, 134/176, 134/179, 134/180, 134/181, 15/50 R, 15/320, 15/321, 15/322, 239/258, 239/247, 239/1, 239/286, 239/287, 239/225, 239/251, 401/289
• US Class Current: 134/21
• 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 11/4083 Liquid supply reservoirs; Preparation of the agents, e.g. mixing devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4088 Supply pumps; Spraying devices; Supply conduits
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 3/02 with rotating elements electric spraying discharge apparatus characterised by having rotary outlet or deflecting elements B05B5/04

Abstract

A method and apparatus for cleaning surfaces using a high velocity stream or streams of cleaning fluid. The high velocity stream or streams issue from one or more nozzles that are moving at a high velocity relative to the surface to be cleaned and are directed at the surface at an inclined angle thereto. In one embodiment, the source of cleaning fluid is under a high pressure of about 200 to 700 pounds per square inch and the nozzles are moving in a direction so that the velocity imparted to the issuing stream by each moving nozzle adds to the already high velocity of the stream due to the high pressure alone of the source of cleaning fluid. In another embodiment, two nozzles are rotated at a high velocity about an axis perpendicular to the surface to be cleaned with each nozzle being directed at a different area of the surface and having a different flow rate, angle of inclination to the surface, spray pattern, and/or spraying arc. The nozzles can be spaced at different distances from the axis of rotation in this embodiment and the closed paths sprayed by the nozzles as they move about an axis can be distinct or overlap. In a preferred embodiment, the nozzle spraying the area farther from the axis of rotation sprays the smaller area and has the greater flow rate. The spray patterns of the nozzles can be solid streams, fans, cones or any desired pattern. In another embodiment, at least three nozzles are directed at the surface to be cleaned and rotated at high velocities about the axis of rotation. In all of the embodiments. the flow rate, spray pattern, angle of inclination to the surface, spraying area, and spraying arc for each nozzle can be individually set and the various nozzle arrangements can be easily removed and substituted one for another in the apparatus. The various nozzle arrangements are new and novel and can be used with improved results in conventional cleaners that operate with the source of cleaning fluid under relatively low pressure. The moving nozzles enable the invention to spray a given area quickly and with a minimum of cleaning fluid. The apparatus can be operated with or without a driving motor for the rotating nozzles. The invention further includes a vacuum pick up system and wall nozzles that enable the invention to clean near walls or at the edge of the carpet.

Claims

1. A method for cleaning hard and soft surfaces such as carpets, floors, streets, and the like by using a plurality of high velocity streams of cleaning fluid from a source under high pressure, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) forming a plurality of high velocity streams of cleaning fluid by exposing said source of cleaning fluid under high pressure to ambient pressure through a plurality of nozzle means,

(b) mounting each of said plurality of nozzle means for rotation about an axis substantially perpendicular to the surface to be cleaned,

(c) directing each of said high velocity streams of cleaning fluid through the respective nozzle means against the surface to be cleaned at an inclined angle to said surface, and

(d) utilizing power means to move the nozzle means of each and every respective high velocity stream of cleaning fluid at a high angular velocity about said axis of rotation in a direction so that the velocity imparted to each respective stream of cleaning fluid by the respective moving of the nozzle means adds to the existing velocity to effect increased cleaning efficiency of the respective directed stream of step c.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the source of cleaning fluid in step a is placed under a high pressure of about 200 to about 700 pounds per square inch, the velocity of each of said plurality of velocity streams of step b is about 150 to about 350 feet per second, and the annular velocity of step d is about 700 to 900 revolutions per minute.

3. The method of claim 1 further including the step of:

(e) moving said axis of rotation relative to said surface to be cleaned.

4. The method of claim 1 further including the step of:

(f) subjecting the surface to a pressure less than ambient.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein each of said high velocity streams has a head portion where the cleaning fluid under high pressure from the source meets ambient pressure at the respective nozzle means and the vector of the high velocity moving of the nozzle means at the head portion of each respective stream of cleaning fluid in step d is along an axis of an instantaneous coordinate system in the same direction as component vector in said instantaneous coordinate system of the respective directed velocity stream of step c so that the velocity imparted to each stream of cleaning fluid by the respective moving of the nozzle means thereof adds to the existing velocity of the respective directed stream of step c.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein each of said high velocity streams has a head portion where the cleaning fluid under high pressure from the source meets ambient pressure at the respective nozzle means and the directing of each respective stream in step c creates a reaction force force on the respective nozzle means in a direction opposite to the direction of each high velocity stream directed against said surface and the vector of the high velocity moving of the nozzle means at the head portion of each respective stream in step d is along an axis of an instantaneous coordinate system in a direction opposite to a component vector in said instantaneous coordinate system of the respective reaction force resulting from step c.

7. A method for cleaning hard and soft surfaces such as carpets, floors, streets, and the like by using a plurality of high velocity streams of cleaning fluid from a source under pressure, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) forming a plurality of high velocity streams of cleaning fluid by exposing said source of cleaning fluid under pressure to ambient pressure through a plurality of nozzle means,

(b) mounting each of said plurality of nozzle means to a common means for rotation with said common means about an axis substantially perpendicular to the surface to be cleaned,

(c) directing each of said plurality of streams in a respective first direction through the respective nozzle means, each respective stream creating a reaction force on the respective nozzle means in a second direction opposite to said first direction, said reaction forces creating a net force tending to move said common means and plurality of nozzle means about said rotational axis in a first rotational direction, and,

(d) utilizing power means to drive said common means and said plurality of nozzle means about said rotational axis in a second rotational direction opposite to said first rotational direction to effect increased cleaning efficiency.

8. A method of claim 7 further including the step of:

(e) moving the rotational axis relative to said surface.

9. The method of claim 8 further including the step of:

(f) subjecting said surface to pressure less than ambient.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein step b further includes mounting at least two of said nozzle means at different distances from said axis.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein step c further includes directing at least two of said streams toward different areas of the surface.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the different areas in step c are distinct.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the different areas of step c overlap.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein each of said at least two streams has a different flow rate.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein one of said at least two streams is directed at an area farther from said axis of rotation than the other of the two streams and the stream directed at the farther area has the greater flow rate.

16. A method for cleaning hard and soft surfaces such as carpets, floors, streets, concrete surfaces, tennis courts, and the like by using at least two high velocity streams of cleaning fluid from a source under pressure, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) placing the source of cleaning fluid under high pressure,

(b) forming at least two high velocity streams of cleaning fluid with different flow rates by exposing said source of cleaning fluid under high pressure to ambient pressure through at least two different openings located at least two distinct locations from an axis, said axis being substantially perpendicular to said surface, each of said high velocity streams having a head portion where the cleaning fluid under high pressure from the source meets ambient pressure at the respective opening,

(c) directing each of said high velocity streams of cleaning fluid against the surface to be cleaned at an inclined angle to said surface, each of said streams being directed against different areas of the surface, the area against which said stream with the greater flow rate is directed being spaced farther from said axis than the area against which the stream with the lesser flow rate is directed,

(d) moving the head portion of each high velocity stream of cleaning fluid at a high annular velocity about said axis, and,

(e) moving the axis of rotation relative to the surface to be cleaned whereby a section of the surface to be cleaned is first struck with a first amount of fluid from the stream with the greater flow rate, a lesser amount of fluid from the stream with the lesser flow rate, and then a third amount of fluid from the stream with the greater flow rate, said first and third amounts being equal.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the vector of the high velocity moving of the head portion of each respective stream of cleaning fluid relative to said surface in step d is along the axis of an instantaneous coordinate system in the same direction as a component vector in said coordinate system of the respective directed velocity stream of step c so that the velocity imparted to each respective stream of cleaning fluid by the respective moving of the head portion thereof adds to the existing velocity of the respective directed stream of step c.

18. The method of claim 16 further including the step of:

(e) moving said axis of rotation relative to said surface to be cleaned.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein each of said openings is spaced a different distance from said axis and the opening forming the stream with the greater flow rate is located farther from said axis than the opening forming the stream with the lesser flow rate.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein the greater flow rate is about twice the lesser flow rate.

21. The method of claim 16 wherein the streams of step c are directed against overlapping areas of said surface to be cleaned.

22. The method of claim 16 wherein the stream with the greater flow rate is directed at a smaller area than the stream with the lesser flow rate.

23. The method of claim 16 wherein the directing of each respective stream in step c creates a reaction force in a direction opposite to the direction of each high velocity stream directed against said surface and the vector of the high velocity moving of each head portion of the high velocity stream relative to the surface in step d is along an axis of an instantaneous coordinate system in a direction opposite to a component vector in said instantaneous coordinate system of the respective reaction force resulting form step c.

24. The method of claim 16 further including the step of:

(f) subjecting the surface to pressure less than ambient.

25. An apparatus for cleaning hard and soft surfaces such as carpets, floors, streets, concrete surfaces, tennis courts, and the like by using a plurality of high velocity streams of cleaning fluid from a source under pressure, said apparatus comprising:

hollow means having inlet means,

means to support said hollow means for rotation about an axis substantially perpendicular to the surface to be cleaned,

said hollow means having a plurality of hollow members extending outwardly of said axis of rotation, each of said hollow members having outlet nozzle means spaced from said axis of rotation, said support means supporting said hollow means with said outlet nozzle means of each hollow member directed toward the surface to be cleaned at an inclined angle to said surface,

means to supply cleaning fluid under high pressure to said hollow means through said inlet means whereby said high pressure cleaning fluid passes out of said hollow means through each of said outlet nozzle means in at least one high velocity stream from each outlet nozzle means, each of said streams being directed toward the surface to be cleaned at an inclined angle to said surface, and

power means to rotate said hollow means about said axis of rotation to move the outlet nozzle means of each and every hollow member about said axis of rotation at a high velocity relative to the surface to be cleaned in a direction so that the velocity imparted to each respective stream by the moving of the respective outlet nozzle means adds to the existing velocity to effect increased cleaning efficiency of said respective stream created by the high pressure cleaning fluid passing through said respective outlet nozzle means.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 further including:

means to subject said surface to pressure less than ambient.

27. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein said rotating means moves each outlet nozzle means about said axis and the vector of each respective moving is in a direction along an axis of an instantaneous coordinate system in the same direction as a component vector in said instantaneous coordinate system of the respective stream passing out of the respective outlet nozzle means.

28. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein said stream passing out of each respective outlet nozzle means creates a reaction force on the respective outlet nozzle means in a direction opposite to the direction of said stream and said rotating means moves each of said outlet nozzle means in a direction along an axis of an instantaneous coordinate system opposite to the direction of a component vector in said instantaneous coordinate system of said respective reaction force.

29. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the supply means supplies the cleaning fluid under high pressure of about 200 to about 700 pounds per square inch, the velocity of each high velocity stream is about 150 to about 350 feet per second, and the velocity of each outlet nozzle means relative to the surface to be cleaned is about 40 to about 70 feet per second.

30. An apparatus for cleaning hard and soft surfaces such as carpets, floors, streets, concrete surfaces, tennis courts, and the like by using a plurality of high velocity streams of cleaning fluid from a source under pressure, said apparatus comprising:

hollow means having inlet means,

means to support said hollow means for rotation about an axis substantially perpendicular to the surface to be cleaned,

said hollow means having a plurality of hollow members extending outwardly of said axis of rotation, each of said hollow members having outlet nozzle means spaced from said axis of rotation, said support means supporting said hollow means with said outlet nozzle means of each hollow member directed in a first direction,

means to supply cleaning fluid under high pressure to said hollow means through said inlet means whereby said high pressure cleaning fluid passes out of said hollow means through each of said outlet nozzle means in at least one high velocity stream from each outlet nozzle means, each respective stream creating a reaction force on the respective outlet nozzle means in a second direction opposite to said first direction, said reaction forces creating a net force tending to move said hollow means about said rotational axis in a first rotational direction, and,

power means to rotate said hollow means about said rotational axis in a second rotational direction opposite to said first rotational direction to effect increased cleaning efficiency.

31. The apparatus of claim 30 further including means to subject said surface to pressure less than ambient.