Air and liquid separator for a carpet extractor
First Claim
1. A combined air-liquid separator and liquid recovery tank for use with a carpet extractor, said combined air-liquid separator and liquid recovery tank comprising:
- a liquid recovery tank;
a separator including a generally horizontal top plate located in an upper portion of the recovery tank, a generally horizontal bottom plate located in the upper portion of the recovery tank and spaced below the top plate, a peripheral wall extending between the top plate and the bottom plate enclosing a separating chamber in the space between the top and bottom plates;
the separator having an inlet opening to the separating chamber for receiving a stream of liquid laden air into the separating chamber and the bottom plate having a plurality of discharge openings passing therethrough communicating the separating chamber with the recovery tank, whereby liquid separated from the stream of liquid laden air traveling through the separating chamber drops through the discharge openings and is recovered in the recovery tank; and
wherein the plurality of discharge openings are arranged progressively along the stream of liquid laden air traveling through the separating chamber.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An air/liquid separator is provided in a hollow, preferably transparent, removable lid on a recovery tank of a wet pickup suction cleaner. The lid has a wall therein dividing the lid into an inlet/separating chamber and an exit chamber. Liquid and dirt entrained working air enters the inlet chamber and flows horizontally across the inlet chamber over a plurality of discharge openings passing through the lid bottom plate, such that the stream of dirty liquid and air is redirected downward through the discharge openings into the recovery tank. The plurality of discharge openings in the lid bottom plate are arranged generally progressively along the stream of liquid and air entering and flowing across the inlet chamber. The discharge openings preferably increase in size moving downstream in the inlet chamber, i.e. away from the entry into the inlet chamber. The exit chamber fluidly communicates with the interior of the recovery tank through an exit opening passing through the lid bottom plate. A vacuum is preferably drawn upon the exit chamber by an electric fan for providing the required working air flow through the combined air/liquid separator.
56 Citations
45 Claims
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1. A combined air-liquid separator and liquid recovery tank for use with a carpet extractor, said combined air-liquid separator and liquid recovery tank comprising:
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a liquid recovery tank; a separator including a generally horizontal top plate located in an upper portion of the recovery tank, a generally horizontal bottom plate located in the upper portion of the recovery tank and spaced below the top plate, a peripheral wall extending between the top plate and the bottom plate enclosing a separating chamber in the space between the top and bottom plates; the separator having an inlet opening to the separating chamber for receiving a stream of liquid laden air into the separating chamber and the bottom plate having a plurality of discharge openings passing therethrough communicating the separating chamber with the recovery tank, whereby liquid separated from the stream of liquid laden air traveling through the separating chamber drops through the discharge openings and is recovered in the recovery tank; and wherein the plurality of discharge openings are arranged progressively along the stream of liquid laden air traveling through the separating chamber. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A combination air-liquid separator and liquid recovery tank, for use in combination with a wet pickup suction cleaner having a wet pickup nozzle and a motor fan assembly for drawing a stream of air and liquid in through the nozzle, said combination separator and recovery tank comprising:
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an open top recovery tank adapted to be removably mounted to such a wet pickup cleaner; a hollow lid sealingly and removably mounted to the top of the tank, the hollow lid defining an inlet chamber therein, the inlet chamber having an inlet opening fluidly communicating the inlet chamber with the nozzle when the tank is mounted to the cleaner and the lid is mounted to the tank, and the inlet chamber having a plurality of discharge openings fluidly communicating the inlet chamber with the tank, whereby the motor fan assembly is in fluid communication with the nozzle and the inlet opening such that the motor fan assembly causes a stream of air and liquid to be drawn in through the nozzle and flow through the inlet opening into the inlet chamber where the liquid is separated from the air, drops through the discharge openings and is recovered in the recovery tank, and wherein the plurality of discharge openings are arranged progressively along the stream of air and liquid entering the inlet chamber. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A combination liquid recovery tank and air-liquid separator for use in combination with a carpet extractor having a motor/fan assembly for creating a working airstream, the working airstream having entrained liquid when the carpet extractor is in use, the combination cleaning solution recovery tank and air-liquid separator comprising:
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a tank; a separating chamber located in an upper portion of the tank, the separating chamber having an inlet opening in fluid communication with the working airstream, whereby the working airstream flows through the inlet opening and through the separating chamber, and the separating chamber having a plurality of discharge openings providing fluid communication between the separating chamber and the tank; wherein the plurality of discharge openings are arranged generally progressively away from the inlet opening. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. An air and water separator for use with a wet pickup floor care appliance, said separator comprising:
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a generally horizontal upper wall and a generally horizontal lower wall interconnected by a peripheral wall extending between the upper and lower walls defining a separating chamber, the separating chamber having an inlet opening for receiving a stream of air and water into and through the separating chamber; and the lower wall having a plurality of discharge openings passing therethrough, the plurality of discharge openings being arranged generally progressively further away from the inlet opening, whereby the stream of air and liquid flows generally sequentially over the plurality of discharge openings with air and water being generally sequentially drawn through each of the discharge openings causing the remaining air and water in the separating chamber to expand and slow causing the water to separate from the air and drop through the discharge openings. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45)
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Specification