Vacuum cleaner

• US 4,250,592 A
• Filed: 09/07/1979
• Issued: 02/17/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Donald G. Emrick
• Original Assignee: Donald G. Emrick
• Inventors: Emrick, Donald G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, Christopher K.
• Application Number:
  US06/073,505
• Time in Patent Office: 529 Days
• Field of Search: 15/91, 15/92, 15/308, 15/309, 15/320, 15/321, 15/353, 15/366, 15/386
• 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 11/4041 Roll shaped surface treating tools

Abstract

A new and improved home-commercial floor covering vacuum cleaning and liquid cleaning apparatus employing a rotating beater disposed within a vacuum-liquid cleaning chamber. The beater vibrates the floor covering by striking the flooring surface to agitate the dirt which is then moved by a vacuum system into a removable collecting chamber. When the dirt laden air enters the liquid collecting chamber of the apparatus, the dirt impinges on the surface of the collecting liquid and is thereby deposited in the liquid while the dirt-free air is again moved through the blower. The blower exit provides a stream of air into the vacuum-liquid cleaning chamber to pick up additional dirt. A quantity of foam-type cleaning solution is available from a container for periodical release into the stream of air exiting the blower to provide foam on the floor surface adjacent the beater. The foam is picked up by the vacuum system adjacent the rotating beaters to remove surface soil and stains. The mixture of air, foam cleaning solution and dirt particles and stain materials is exhausted from the vacuum-liquid cleaning chamber into the liquid collecting chamber where the laden air is de-foamed and cleaned so that the air may be again recycled by the blower.

Claims

1. A floor covering vacuuming and cleaning apparatus comprising:

a housing defining a cavity with a transverse opening juxtapositioned to said floor covering, said cavity having inlet and outlet conduits connected thereto, said outlet conduit having a lower pressure than said inlet conduit,

a rotatable generally cylindrical beating means mounted between opposite end wall portions of said housing, said beating means protruding from said opening for contacting said floor covering, said beating means includes a plurality of transverse alternate rows of arcuate finger like straps and broom-like wipers for striking the surface to be cleaned,

a power means connected to said rotatable beating means for moving said beating means about a generally horizontal axis,

a dirt collecting means partially filled with liquid, said collecting means having an inlet conduit connected to said housing outlet conduit and an outlet conduit connected to a low pressure suction of said pressure producing means, a higher pressure discharge of said pressure producing means connected to said housing inlet conduit,

a cleaning solution holding means mounted in connectable contact with said housing inlet conduit for storing a cleaning solution to be foamed and used on said floor covering, directing said foam through said inlet conduit into said housing for removal of surface dirt, and

a cleaning solution dispensing and foaming means fluidly connected to said cleaning solution holding means for discharging cleaning solution into said housing inlet conduit for foaming for discharge of foam upon said floor covering to be cleaned.

2. An apparatus, as in claim 1, wherein:

said dirt collecting means is partially filled with water and includes a first conduit having a discharge outlet spaced near the surface of said water for impingement on said water by the discharge of said first conduit whereby the dirt and liquid in said first conduit is separated from the fluid drawn into said dirt collecting means by the suction of said pressure producing means, said dirt collection means further including a second conduit through which the separated air is drawn into the suction of said pressure producing means after dirt and liquid has been removed from the fluid flowing through said first conduit.

3. An apparatus, as in claim 1, wherein:

said cleaning solution holding means includes a reservoir whereby said cleaning solution is discharged therefrom through said dispensing and foaming means for discharging foamed cleaning solution for use on said surface to be cleaned.