Wet and/or dry vacuum cleaning unit

• US 5,168,599 A
• Filed: 07/15/1991
• Issued: 12/08/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: William H. Williams Family Trust
• Original Assignee: William H. Williams
• Inventors: Williams, William H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cusick, Ernest G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): JACYNA, J CASIMER
• Application Number:
  US07/730,202
• Time in Patent Office: 512 Days
• Field of Search: 15/345, 15/346, 15/387, 15/353, 15/320-322, 15/350, 15/351, 15/419, 15/328, 137/38, 137/45, 137/46, 251/294, 251/298
• US Class Current: 15/346
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/14 cleaning by blowing-off, also combined with suction cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/30 with driven dust-loosening tools, e.g. rotating brushes
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/0009 with means mounted on the nozzle; nozzles specially adapted for the recovery of liquid
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/0028 Security means, e.g. float valves or level switches for preventing overflow
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/0033 with means for recycling the dirty liquid
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/0042 Gaskets; Sealing means
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/08 with means adapted for blowing

Abstract

A vacuum system having a closed air flow loop for cleaning rugs and floor or other surfaces. There is a vacuum source having a suction side and a controlled air flow pressure side (exhaust side). A head assembly is adapted to ride on the rug or floor or other surface to be cleaned. At least one rotatable brush is positioned within the head assembly. The suction side of the vacuum source communicates with the head assembly to provide suction within the head assembly for picking up dirt or other materials. The air exhaust side of the vacuum source communicates with the head assembly. A turbine motor is positioned so that the air exhaust from the vacuum source impinges on and drives the turbine motor. The brush and the turbine motor are interconnected whereby the turbine motor drives the brush. The means interconnecting is at a right angle to the axis of rotation of the brush. Peripheral air containment means associated with said head assembly are present to prevent air from entering or leaving around the periphery of the head assembly when it rides on the surface to be cleaned. The device may also have a closed loop for cleaning liquid to continuously recirculate.

Claims

1. A vacuum system having a closed air flow loop for cleaning rugs and floor or other surfaces which comprises:

a) a vacuum source having a suction side and a controlled air flow pressure side (exhaust side);

b) a pair of spaced apart wheels positioned at the rear of said vacuum system and adapted to ride on the surface to be cleaned;

c) a head assembly positioned in said system forwardly of said pair of spaced apart wheels and adapted to ride on the rug or floor or other surface to be cleaned in order to form said closed air flow loop;

d) at least one rotatable brush within said head assembly;

e) means of communicating the suction side of the vacuum source with the head assembly to provide suction within said head assembly for picking up dirt or other materials;

f) a turbine motor;

g) means communicating the air exhaust side of the vacuum source with said head assembly, said turbine motor being positioned within said means whereby the air exhaust impinges on and drives the turbine motor;

h) means interconnecting the brush and the turbine motor whereby the turbine motor drives the brush, said means interconnecting being at a right angle to the axis of rotation of the brush; and

i) peripheral air containment means associated with said head assembly for preventing air from entering or leaving around the periphery of said head assembly when it rides on said surface to be cleaned.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the air is injected into said head assembly and onto said surface to be cleaned to agitate dirt and facilitate dirt removal.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein air filter means is positioned between the suction side of the vacuum source and the head assembly to remove dirt and other solid, liquid or other particulate material in a closed loop manner.

8. The system of claim 10 embodied in a self-contained, upright cleaner configuration comprising an upright portion and a head assembly portion carrying said vacuum source and said cleaning liquid source, said upright portion being rotatable from the vertical position to the horizontal position for use in vacuuming under furniture and the like, said upright portion containing means to prevent backflow of cleaning liquid into said air filter means when said upright portion is in the horizontal position.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein there are a plurality of brushes.

10. The system of claim 1 including further air directing means within said head assembly for forcing the air through the tufts of the rug being cleaned.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein said means interconnecting the brush and the turbine motor includes pulleys and a drive belt.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the means for communicating the exhaust side of the vacuum source with said head assembly to inject air into said head assembly is positioned so that the air is alternately injected ahead of the said brush in both directions.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the means for communicating the suction side of the vacuum source with the head assembly to provide suction within said head assembly for picking up dirt and other material is positioned so that suction is available over said brush in both dry and wet mode.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein said means for interconnecting the brush and the turbine motor is at one end of the brush.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein there are a plurality of vacuum motors.

16. The system of claim 1 further including means to alternately inject air at opposite sides of said brush so that the said unit can be used to clean when moving forward and backward.

4. The system of claim wherein there is additionally provided a cleaning liquid source and means for the injection of atomized liquid into said head assembly.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the means for injection includes a venturi.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein the liquid may contain germicidal and bacterial killing compounds for removal of germs and bacteria from the surfaces to be cleaned and continuous scrubbing of the liquid and air within the unit system in a closed loop manner.

7. The system of claim 4 wherein air filter means is positioned between said vacuum source and said head assembly to remove dirty atomized liquid to form a condensate;

and means for communicating said filtered clean condensate with said means for injecting atomized liquid.

17. A vacuum system for cleaning rugs and floor or other surfaces having a closed loop for both the air and the cleaning liquid to continuously recirculate and filter the air and sanitize the cleaning liquid which comprises:

a) a vacuum source having a suction side and a controlled air flow pressure side (exhaust side);

b) a pair of spaced apart wheels positioned at the rear of said vacuum system and adapted to ride on the surface to be cleaned;

c) a head assembly positioned in said system forwardly of said pair of spaced apart wheels and adapted to ride on the rug or floor or other surface to be cleaned in order to form said closed air flow loop;

d) at least one rotatable brush within said head assembly;

e) means of communicating the suction side of the vacuum source with the head assembly to provide suction within said head assembly for picking up dirt or other materials;

f) a turbine motor;

g) means for communicating filtered air exhaust side of the vacuum source with said head assembly, said turbine motor being positioned within said means whereby the air exhaust impinges on and drives the turbine motor;

h) means interconnecting the brush and the turbine motor whereby the turbine motor drives the brush, said means interconnecting being at a right angle to the axis of rotation of the brush;

i) a liquid source and means for the injection of atomized liquid into said head assembly ahead of said brush, said liquid may contain germicidal and bacterial killing compounds for removal of germs and bacteria from the surfaces to be cleaned and continuous scrubbing of the liquid and air within the unit system;

j) air containment means including air dams provided around the periphery of said head assembly for preventing air from entering or leaving said head assembly when it rides on said surface to be cleaned;

k) air filter means positioned between the vacuum source and the head assembly to remove dirty atomized liquid to form a condensate;

l) means for filtering said condensate; and

     1) means for communicating said filtered clean condensate with said means for injecting atomized liquid.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein there are a plurality of brushes.

19. The system of claim 17 including further air directing means within said head assembly for forcing the air through the tufts of the rug being cleaned.

20. The system of claim 17 wherein said means interconnecting the brush and the turbine motor includes pulleys and a drive belt.

21. The system of claim 17 embodied in a self-contained, upright vacuum cleaner configuration comprising an upright portion and a head assembly portion carrying said vacuum means and said cleaning liquid source, said upright portion being rotatable from the vertical position to the horizontal position for use in vacuuming under furniture and the like, said upright portion containing means to prevent backflow of cleaning liquid into said air filter means when said upright portion is in the horizontal position.

22. The system of claim 17 wherein said means for connecting the brush and the turbine motor is at one end of the brush.