Method and apparatus for cleaning and maintaining carpet
First Claim
1. A self-contained industrial type carpet cleaning and maintenance machine for cleaning low pile carpets in a single pass as the machine is propelled over the carpet in a selected direction comprising:
- a mobile frame structure having a cleaning undercarriage;
a supply tank secured within said mobile frame structure above said undercarriage wherein said supply tank acts as a reservoir for a carpet cleaning solution;
a cylindrical brush operatively secured to said undercarriage such that said brush is in contact with said carpet;
drive means for rotating said brush;
a plurality of jets operatively secured to said undercarriage adjacent to and directed towards said cylindrical brush;
a pump communicatively connected between said supply tank and said jets for directing cleaning solution from said supply tank through said jets onto said cylindrical brush which in turn transfers the cleaning solution to the carpet as the carpet cleaning machine is propelled over the same;
vacuum means associated with said carpet cleaning machine for removing the cleaning solution applied to the carpet by said cylindrical brush, said vacuum means including a vacuum head secured to said undercarriage adjacent to and rearwardly of said cylindrical brush so as to engage the carpet as said carpet cleaning machine is propelled thereover, and a blower communicatively connected to said vacuum head for generating a system of moving air and inducing the same into said vacuum head wherein said moving air tends to lift the cleaning solution from the carpet and transfer the same into said vacuum head, said vacuum means further including a recovery tank secured with said mobile frame structure above said undercarriage and communicatively connected between said vacuum head and said blower for receving the system of moving air passing from said vacuum head and for holding cleaning solution separated from the system of moving air as the same passes therethrough to said blower;
mounting means for movably securing said vacuum head to said undercarriage such that said vacuum heat can freely move upwardly and downwardly independently of and relative to said undercarriage in response to the undulations of the underlying carpet; and
carpet drying means for drying the carpet after the cleaning solution has been removed by said vacuum head, said carpet drying means including an outlet secured to said undercarriage adjacent to and rearwardly of said vacuum head and means for heating the system of moving air after the same has passed through said recovery tank and directing the heated air through said outlet onto the carpet for drying the same as said carpet cleaning machine is propelled over an area of the carpet such that the carpet cleaning machine sequentially applies a cleaning solution to the carpet, removes the cleaning solution and associated dirt and debris from the carpet, and dries the carpet in a single pass as the machine is propelled in the selected direction.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention entails a method and apparatus for cleaning and maintaining large areas of low to medium pile carpet, such as is found in hotels, airports, etc. The invention employs a mobile carpet cleaning machine which is propelled over the carpet to be cleaned. The principal features of the carpet cleaning machine are an elongated cylindrical brush, a vacuum system with a floating vacuum head, and a blower. In operation the cylindrical brush is set into a rotating motion and engages the underlying carpet. A cleaning solution is sprayed onto the rotating brush which in turn transfers the solution onto the underlying carpet. The vacuum head then passes over the carpet directly behind the rotating brush. The blower pulls air through the vacuum head and the vacuum head effectively picks up a combined mixture of air and solution. This mixture of air and solution is pulled upwardly from the vacuum head into the top of a recovery tank. Once the mixture enters the tank, the solution falls out and the air is induced up into a tube where the air is then directed to the blower. Once in the blower, the air is heated and directed back down onto the carpet through an outlet located directly behind the vacuum head for the purpose of drying the carpet. Thus the entire cleaning operation requires only one pass over the carpet.
74 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A self-contained industrial type carpet cleaning and maintenance machine for cleaning low pile carpets in a single pass as the machine is propelled over the carpet in a selected direction comprising:
- a mobile frame structure having a cleaning undercarriage;
a supply tank secured within said mobile frame structure above said undercarriage wherein said supply tank acts as a reservoir for a carpet cleaning solution;
a cylindrical brush operatively secured to said undercarriage such that said brush is in contact with said carpet;
drive means for rotating said brush;
a plurality of jets operatively secured to said undercarriage adjacent to and directed towards said cylindrical brush;
a pump communicatively connected between said supply tank and said jets for directing cleaning solution from said supply tank through said jets onto said cylindrical brush which in turn transfers the cleaning solution to the carpet as the carpet cleaning machine is propelled over the same;
vacuum means associated with said carpet cleaning machine for removing the cleaning solution applied to the carpet by said cylindrical brush, said vacuum means including a vacuum head secured to said undercarriage adjacent to and rearwardly of said cylindrical brush so as to engage the carpet as said carpet cleaning machine is propelled thereover, and a blower communicatively connected to said vacuum head for generating a system of moving air and inducing the same into said vacuum head wherein said moving air tends to lift the cleaning solution from the carpet and transfer the same into said vacuum head, said vacuum means further including a recovery tank secured with said mobile frame structure above said undercarriage and communicatively connected between said vacuum head and said blower for receving the system of moving air passing from said vacuum head and for holding cleaning solution separated from the system of moving air as the same passes therethrough to said blower;
mounting means for movably securing said vacuum head to said undercarriage such that said vacuum heat can freely move upwardly and downwardly independently of and relative to said undercarriage in response to the undulations of the underlying carpet; and
carpet drying means for drying the carpet after the cleaning solution has been removed by said vacuum head, said carpet drying means including an outlet secured to said undercarriage adjacent to and rearwardly of said vacuum head and means for heating the system of moving air after the same has passed through said recovery tank and directing the heated air through said outlet onto the carpet for drying the same as said carpet cleaning machine is propelled over an area of the carpet such that the carpet cleaning machine sequentially applies a cleaning solution to the carpet, removes the cleaning solution and associated dirt and debris from the carpet, and dries the carpet in a single pass as the machine is propelled in the selected direction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
- a mobile frame structure having a cleaning undercarriage;
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14. A method of cleaning and maintaining large areas of carpet in a single pass using a fully integrated carpet cleaning machine comprising the steps of:
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A. rotating an elongated cylindrical brush on said carpet cleaning machine and engaging said brush with an underlying carpet; B. moving said carpet cleaning machine forwardly over the underlying carpet; C. applying a cleaning solution to the underlying carpet as said carpet cleaning machine is moved forwardly across the same; D. agitating the cleaning solution in the carpet by continuing to rotate said cylindrical brush as said carpet cleaning machine is moved forwardly across the underlying carpet; E. floating a vacuum head secured to said carpet cleaning machine over said underlying carpet rearwardly of said cylindrical brush so said vacuum head moves upwardly and downwardly in response to the undulation of the underlying carpet as said carpet cleaning machine is moved forwardly over said underlying carpet; F. vacuuming the cleaning solution from said underlying carpet by passing a system of moving air over said carpet and into said vacuum head and effectively lifting the cleaning solution from the underlying carpet as said carpet cleaning machine is moved forwardly over said underlying carpet; G. separating said cleaning solution from said system of moving air by passing the system of moving air through a recovery tank secured within said carpet cleaning machine which captures and holds the cleaning solution while the system of moving air continues to move; and H. drying the carpet as the carpet cleaning machine is moved forwardly across said underlying carpet and after the cleaning solution is removed therefrom by directing the system of moving air through an outlet secured to said carpet cleaning machine adjacent to and behind said vacuum head and onto the underlying carpet such that the carpet cleaning machine sequentially applies a cleaning solution to the carpet, removes the cleaning solution and associated dirt and debris from the carpet, and dries the carpet in a single pass as the machine is propelled in the selected direction. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A self contained industrial type carpet cleaning and maintenance machine for cleaning carpets in a single pass as the machine is propelled over the carpet in a selected direction comprising:
- a mobile frame structure having a cleaning undercarriage;
a supply tank secured on board and within said mobile frame structure about said undercarriage wherein said supply tank acts as a reservoir for a carpet cleaning solution;
means associated with said carpet cleaning machine for directing the carpet cleaning solution from said supply tank onto the underlying carpet;
brush means associated with said carpet cleaning machine for agitating the carpet cleaning solution on the underlying carpet as said carpet cleaning machine is propelled over the same;
vacuum means associated with said carpet cleaning machine for removing carpet cleaning solution from the underlying carpet, said vacuum means including a vacuum head secured to said undercarriage adjacent to and rearwardly of said brush means and a blower communicatively connected to said vacuum head for generating a system of moving air and inducing the same into said vacuum head wherein said moving air tends to lift the cleaning solution from the carpet and transfer the same into said vacuum head, said vacuum means further including a recovery tank disposed on board and within said mobile frame structure above said undercarriage and communicatively connected between said vacuum head and said blower for receiving the system of moving air from said vacuum head and for separating and retaining the cleaning solution contained therein as the system of moving air passes therethrough to said blower;
mounting means for movably securing said vacuum head to said undercarriage such that said vacuum head freely moves upwardly and downwardly independently of and relative to said undercarriage in response to undulations in the underlying carpet; and
carpet drying means including a drying outlet secured to said undercarriage adjacent to and rearwardly of said vacuum head wherein said drying outlet is communicatively connected to said blower so that the system of moving air generated by said blower passes through the same to said drying outlet where said system of moving air is directed onto the underlying carpet for drying the same.
- a mobile frame structure having a cleaning undercarriage;
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20. An industrial type carpet cleaning and maintenance machine for cleaning low pile carpets as the machine is propelled over the same comprising:
- a mobile frame structure having a cleaning undercarriage;
a supply tank mounted on said mobile frame structure for holding a carpet cleaning solution;
means associated with said carpet cleaning machine for directing carpet cleaning solution from the supply tank onto the underlying carpet;
brush means secured to said undercarriage for agitating the carpet cleaning solution on the underlying carpet as said carpet cleaning machine is propelled over the same;
drive means operatively associated with said brush means for driving the same, said drive means including an electric motor and impact starter means operatively connected between said electric motor and said brush for sequentially separating the brush starter load from the electric motor starting load;
vacuum means associated with said carpet cleaning machine for removing the carpet cleaning solution from the underlying carpet, said vacuum means including a vacuum head secured to said undercarriage and a blower communicatively connected to said vacuum head for generating a system of moving air and inducing the same into said vacuum head wherein said moving air tends to lift the cleaning solution from the carpet and transfer the same into said vacuum head, said vacuum head means further including a recovery tank mounted on said frame mobile frame structure and communicatively connected between said vacuum head and said blower for receiving the system of moving air from said vacuum head and for separating and retaining the cleaning solution contained therein as the system of moving air passes therethrough to the blower; and
carpet drying means including a drying outlet secured to said undercarriage and communicatively connected to said blower so that the system of moving air generated by said blower passes through the same to said dry outlet where said system of moving air is directed onto the underlying carpet for drying the same. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
- a mobile frame structure having a cleaning undercarriage;
Specification