Steam cleaning device

• US 5,513,415 A
• Filed: 01/20/1995
• Issued: 05/07/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rug Doctor
• Original Assignee: Rug Doctor
• Inventors: Kozul, John, Kent, Jerry R., Fitzwater, Edwin
• Primary Examiner(s): Scherbel, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chin, Randall E.
• Application Number:
  US08/376,561
• Time in Patent Office: 473 Days
• Field of Search: 15/320, 15/321, 15/322, 15/353, 15/410
• 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 11/4061 Steering means; Means for avoiding obstacles; Details related to the place where the driver is accommodated

Abstract

A steam cleaning machine has a vacuum pump seated in a recess in a top of a main support housing and a first conduit resiliently sealed in a channel leading under the recess and connecting the first conduit with the air inlet of the pump. The first conduit passes through a vacuum cover which is fitted over the top of main support housing and is attached to a dome which is resiliently sealed to a recovery tank, while a second conduit is connected to the exhaust of the pump. A third conduit is connected to a vacuum nozzle, passes through vacuum cover and is also attached to the dome which is supported by first and third conduits from the vacuum cover. An adjustable handle is pivoted at the back of main support housing.

Claims

1. A cleaning machine comprising a vacuum head mounted on a main support housing, a removable waste recovery tank mounted under the vacuum head and slidable in and out of the main support housing, a clean water tank having a top and a bottom, a spray nozzle connected to the clean water tank for spraying water on a carpet, a water pump for pumping clean water from the clean water tank to the spray nozzle, and a vacuum nozzle, said spray nozzle, water pump and vacuum nozzle mounted under said clean water tank, and said removable waste recovery tank and main support housing mounted on top of the clean water tank, said vacuum head including a vacuum pump and a vacuum cover said vacuum pump having an air inlet and exhaust, said vacuum pump having an impeller housing having an impeller therein, said impeller housing having a bottom opening forming the air inlet to the vacuum pump, and said main support housing having a top with a recess, said recess having a bottom and a sidewall and said vacuum pump seated in the recess at its impeller housing, a channel formed in the bottom of the recess with a first end of said channel under the bottom opening in the impeller housing and a second end of said channel extending under the sidewall of the recess, a first conduit connected to the air inlet of the vacuum pump resiliently sealed in the channel under the impeller housing, a second conduit connected to the exhaust of the vacuum pump, a third conduit connected to the vacuum nozzle for drawing water sprayed on the carpet by the spray nozzle into the recovery tank, said first conduit flowably connected to said third conduit through a dome sealed to the recovery tank.

2. The cleaning machine of claim 1 wherein the vacuum cover has a front sidewall and an open bottom forming a skirt fitting over and being attached to the top of the main support housing, said first and third conduits passing through the front sidewall of the vacuum cover.

3. The cleaning machine of claim 1 wherein the main support housing has a back sidewall and a flange extending upwardly from the back sidewall, a cylinder having ends is mounted horizontally on said flange, a T-shaped handle, having a stem with a crossbar at one end of said stem and two branches at its opposite end, said handle pivoted by the branches which are connected to the ends of said cylinder.

4. The cleaning machine of claim 3 wherein the cylinder has apertures and the handle has a rod mounted on the stem with a pin at one end of said rod such that said pin is receivable in one of said apertures and locks the handle at a selected angle, whereby the handle has multiple operating positions, permitting various operators to find a comfortable operating position.

5. A cleaning machine comprising a vacuum head mounted on a main support housing, a removable waste recovery tank mounted under the vacuum head and slidable in and out of the main support housing, a clean water tank having a top and a bottom, a spray nozzle connected to the clean water tank for spraying water on a carpet, a water pump for pumping clean water from the clean water tank to the spray nozzle, and a vacuum nozzle, said spray nozzle, water pump and vacuum nozzle mounted under said clean water tank, and said removable waste recovery tank and main support housing mounted on top of the clean water tank, said vacuum head including a vacuum pump and a vacuum cover said vacuum pump having an air inlet and exhaust, said vacuum pump having an impeller housing having an impeller therein, said impeller housing having a bottom opening forming the air inlet to the vacuum pump, and said main support housing having a top, bottom, front, back and lateral sidewalls, at least one of said sidewalls having a recess extending into said top and forming a notch, said top having a recess, said recess having a bottom and a sidewall and said vacuum pump seated and resiliently sealed in the recess at its impeller housing, a channel formed in the bottom of the recess with a first end of said channel under the bottom opening in the impeller housing and a second end of said channel extending under the sidewall of the recess, a first conduit connected to the air inlet of the vacuum pump resiliently sealed in the channel under the impeller housing, a second conduit connected to the exhaust of the vacuum pump, a third conduit connected to the vacuum nozzle for drawing water sprayed on the carpet by the spray nozzle into the recovery tank, said first conduit flowably connected to said third conduit through a dome sealed to the recovery tank, said vacuum cover having a front sidewall and an open bottom forming a skirt fitting over and being attached to the top of the main support housing, said first and third conduits passing through the front sidewall of the vacuum cover and supporting the dome.

6. The cleaning machine of claim 5 wherein the vacuum pump further includes a cooling fan, and the center of the front side wall of the vacuum cover has a pocket handle formed therein with an open top, and a baffle collars the cooling fan and divides the interior of the vacuum cover into upper and lower chambers, whereby air is drawn through the open top of the pocket handle by the cooling fan in the upper chamber and vented under the skirt of the vacuum cover through the notch in the main support housing in the lower chamber and wherein the machine can further be carried single handedly by the pocket handle.

7. The cleaning machine of claim 5 wherein a flange extends upwardly from the back sidewall of the main support housing, a cylinder having ends is mounted horizontally on said flange and a T-shaped handle has a stem with a crossbar at one end of said stem and two branches at its opposite end, said handle being pivoted by the branches which are connected to the ends of said cylinder.

8. The cleaning machine of claim 7 wherein the cylinder has apertures and the handle has a rod mounted on the stem with a lever attached at a first end of said rod for reciprocating the rod and a pin at a second end of said rod such that said pin is receivable in one of said apertures and locks the handle at a selected angle, whereby the handle has multiple operating positions, permitting various operators to find a comfortable operating position.