Carpet extractor with automatic conversion

• US 5,983,442 A
• Filed: 06/06/1997
• Issued: 11/16/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Healthy Gain Investments Limited
• Original Assignee: Hoover Company (Whirlpool Corporation)
• Inventors: Reiter, Michael J., Balzer, Jerry L., Bednar, James M., Behrend, Carl, Morgan, Jeffery A., Maurer, Edgar A., McAllise, Gregg A., Rennecker, David B., Louis, Jeffrey S.
• Primary Examiner(s): MOORE, CHRISTOPHER K
• Application Number:
  US08/870,804
• Time in Patent Office: 893 Days
• Field of Search: 15/320, 15/322, 15/328, 15/331, 15/334, 15/387, 15/339
• US Class Current: 15/320
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/20 combined with vacuum cleaning devices
• 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 11/4008 Arrangements of switches, indicators or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4044 Vacuuming or pick-up tools; Squeegees
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/32 with means for connecting a hose hose couplings for suction cleaners A47L9/24

Abstract

An improved carpet extractor is provided having powered brushes for scrubbing cleaning solution on a floor surface and a floor nozzle for extracting soiled cleaning solution from the floor surface in a floor cleaning mode. The extractor may be converted from the floor cleaning mode to an above the floor cleaning mode for cleaning upholstery, stairs, spots on carpet, or the like, with an attached hand held wand having a cleaning solution applicator and an upholstery and stair cleaning nozzle. A pair of motors are provided, one for driving the floor scrubbing brushes when in the floor cleaning mode and one for driving a cleaning solution supply pump and providing pressurized cleaning solution to the wand in the above floor cleaning mode. An automatic conversion mechanism is provided for automatically energizing and de-energizing the motors depending upon the operative position of the handle portion of the extractor.

Claims

1. A carpet extractor comprising:

a) a floor engaging section having a floor nozzle and a driven agitator for cleaning a floor surface;

b) an upright handle pivotally connected to the floor engaging section for pivotal motion between a generally vertical storage position and an inclined operating position for directing the floor engaging section over a floor surface to be cleaned;

c) a hand held nozzle having a cleaning solution applicator attached thereto for above floor cleaning;

d) a cleaning solution distribution system including a pump for providing pressurized cleaning solution to the cleaning solution applicator;

e) an electric fan having a suction side and an exhaust side;

f) a suction control valve for selectively fluidly connecting the suction side of the fan alternately to the floor nozzle and to the hand held nozzle; and

g) a conversion mechanism operatively connected to the pump, the driven agitator and the suction control valve and actuated by the handle, whereby;

i) when the handle is pivoted to the inclined operating position, the handle actuates the conversion mechanism, whereby the conversion mechanism activates the agitator and positions the suction control valve in a floor position in which the valve fluidly connects the suction side of the fan to the floor nozzle; and

ii) when the handle is pivoted to the generally vertical storage position, the handle actuates the conversion mechanism, whereby the conversion mechanism activates the pump to provide pressurized cleaning solution to the solution applicator and positions the suction control valve in an above floor position in which the valve fluidly connects the suction side of the fan to the hand held nozzle.

2. An extractor according to claim 1, wherein the driven agitator further comprises an agitator motor for driving the agitator and the pump further comprises a pump motor for driving the pump;

and

wherein the conversion mechanism (i) energizes the agitator motor and de-energizes the pump motor when the handle is pivoted to the operating position, and (ii) de-energizes the agitator motor and energizes the pump motor when the handle is pivoted to the storage position.

3. An extractor according to claim 2, wherein the agitator motor comprises an air powered agitator turbine in fluid communication with the fan, whereby the fan selectively creates a flow of air through the agitator turbine for energizing the agitator turbine and activating the agitator.

4. An extractor according to claim 3, wherein the pump motor comprises an air powered pump turbine in fluid communication with the fan, whereby the fan selectively creates a flow of air through the pump turbine for energizing the pump turbine and activating the pump.

5. An extractor according to claim 4, further comprising an agitator valve located to selectively block the flow of air through the agitator turbine;

wherein the conversion mechanism is operatively connected to the agitator valve for (i) closing the agitator valve blocking the flow of air through the agitator turbine when the handle is pivoted to the storage position, and (ii) opening the agitator valve allowing air to flow through the agitator turbine when the handle is pivoted to the operating position.

6. An extractor according to claim 5, further comprising a pump valve located to selectively block the flow of air through the pump turbine;

wherein the conversion mechanism is operatively connected to the pump valve for (i) closing the pump valve blocking the flow of air through the pump turbine when the handle is pivoted to the operating position, and (ii) opening the pump valve allowing air to flow through the pump turbine when the handle is pivoted to the storage position.

7. An extractor according to claim 6, wherein the pump valve comprises a slide valve mounted for reciprocal movement between an open position and a closed position, and is operatively connected to the conversion mechanism.

8. An extractor according to claim 6, wherein the conversion mechanism comprises an actuating rod mounted on the extractor for reciprocal movement, the actuating rod being operatively connected to the pump valve and to the agitator valve for selectively energizing and de-energizing the pump and agitator turbines, the actuating rod also being operatively connected to the suction control valve for selectively positioning the suction control valve in the floor and above floor positions, the actuating rod being actuated by motion of the handle between the storage and operating positions.

9. An extractor according to claim 8, wherein the pump valve comprises a slide valve mounted for reciprocal motion between an open position and a closed position.

10. An extractor according to claim 9, wherein the slide valve is fixed to the actuating rod for reciprocal motion with the actuating rod.

11. An extractor according to claim 10, wherein the slide valve is integrally formed with the actuating rod.

12. An extractor according to claim 8, further comprising a link arm having a first end that is operatively connected to the agitator valve and a second end that is pivotally mounted to the extractor defining a pivot point;

and

the actuating rod is adapted to operatively engage the link arm at a location spaced from the pivot point when the handle is pivoted to the storage position, whereby the link arm is actuated for closing the agitator valve.

13. An extractor according to claim 12, further comprising a torsion spring having a first end mounted to the link arm and a second end that is located to be engaged by the actuating rod when the handle is pivoted to the storage position, whereby the actuating rod biases the second end of the torsion spring, such that the first end of the torsion spring applies a torque to the link arm, whereby the link arm is actuated for closing the agitator valve.

14. An extractor according to claim 13, wherein the first end of the torsion spring is coiled at least once around the pivot point and is hooked to the link arm at said location spaced from the pivot point and the second end of the torsion spring has a hook that engages the actuating rod.

15. An extractor according to claim 8, further comprising an actuation member on the handle spaced from a pivotal axis of the handle relative the floor engaging section;

a recess in a lower surface of the actuating rod adjacent a first end of the actuating rod, the recess having a generally vertical inner rear surface;

wherein the actuating rod is mounted on the floor engaging section for reciprocal movement and is located such that when the handle is pivoted from the storage position to the operating position, the actuation member engages the inner rear surface of the recess and pulls the actuating rod in a first direction into a floor mode position.

16. An extractor according to claim 15, wherein the recess further has a generally vertical inner forward surface located to be engaged by the actuation member when the handle is pivoted from the operating position to the storage position, whereby the actuation member pushes the actuating rod in a second direction, opposite the first direction, into an above floor mode position.

17. An extractor according to claim 8, wherein when the handle is pivoted from the operating position to the storage position, an inner surface of the handle abuts against a first end of the actuating rod and pushes the actuating rod into an above floor mode position.

18. An extractor according to claim 17, further comprising a spring operatively mounted under tension between the floor engaging section and the actuating rod for biasing the actuating rod into the floor mode position.

19. An extractor according to claim 8, further comprising an off-center spring operatively mounted between the floor engaging section and the actuating rod for selectively biasing the actuating rod alternately into the storage and operating positions.

20. An extractor according to claim 5, further comprising a link arm operatively connected to the agitator valve for selectively opening and closing the agitator valve, the link arm being actuated by the conversion mechanism when the handle is pivoted to the storage position for closing the agitator valve.

21. An extractor according to claim 20, further comprising:

a) a bell crank connected to the agitator valve such that rotation of the bell crank selectively opens and closes the agitator valve;

b) a spring connected to the bell crank for biasing the bell crank and the agitator valve toward the open position; and

c) wherein the link arm is operably connected to the bell crank, such that upon actuation of the link arm by the actuating rod, the link arm rotates the bell crank and closes the agitator valve.

22. An extractor according to claim 21, further comprising:

a) a pin extending from the bell crank;

b) a first end of the link arm having a slot therein;

c) the pin being slidingly received in the slot.

23. An extractor according to claim 21, further comprising a manual override mechanism for selectively closing the agitator valve when the handle is in the operating position, said manual override mechanism comprises:

a) a table mounted on the extractor;

b) a slide slidingly engaging the table;

c) a cantilevered tab carried by the slide;

d) the table having at least two concavities configured to accept the cantilevered tab;

e) the cantilevered tab selectively engages the concavities to releasably retain the slide in at least two positions; and

f) wherein the slide engages the bell crank at one of the least two positions for closing the agitator valve.

24. An extractor according to claim 5, wherein the conversion mechanism further comprises a manual override mechanism operatively connected to the agitator valve for selectively closing the agitator valve when the handle is in the operating position.

25. An extractor according to claim 3, further comprising an agitator valve operatively connected to and actuated by the conversion mechanism and located to selectively (i) block the flow of air through the agitator turbine when the handle is in the storage position and (ii) allow air to flow through the agitator turbine when the handle is in the operating position.

26. An extractor according to claim 25, wherein the agitator turbine has an agitator turbine inlet in fluid communication with ambient atmosphere and an agitator turbine outlet in fluid communication with the suction side of the fan.

27. An extractor according to claim 26, wherein the agitator valve is located to selectively block the agitator turbine inlet.

28. An extractor according to claim 2, wherein the pump motor comprises an air powered pump turbine in fluid communication with the fan, whereby the fan creates a flow of air through the pump turbine for energizing the pump turbine and activating the pump.

29. An extractor according to claim 28, further comprising a pump valve operatively connected to and actuated by the conversion mechanism and located to selectively (i) block the flow of air through the pump turbine when the handle is pivoted to the operating position, and (ii) allow air to flow through the pump turbine when the handle is pivoted to the storage position.

30. An extractor according to claim 29, wherein the pump turbine has a pump turbine outlet in fluid communication with the suction side of the fan and a pump turbine inlet in fluid communication with ambient atmosphere.

31. An extractor according to claim 30, wherein the pump valve is located to selectively block the pump turbine inlet.

32. An extractor according to claim 31, wherein the pump valve is a slide valve slidingly mounted on the pump turbine inlet, for reciprocal motion relative the pump turbine inlet, the slide valve having a window passing therethrough that is in line with the pump turbine inlet when the handle is in the storage position and a solid, continuous portion that blocks the pump turbine inlet when the handle is in the operating position.

33. An extractor according to claim 1, wherein the floor engaging section includes a cleaning solution distributor for selectively applying cleaning solution to a floor surface to be cleaned.

34. An extractor according to claim 33, further comprising a cleaning solution supply tank located higher off the floor than the cleaning solution distributor, whereby cleaning solution is selectively supplied from the supply tank to the solution distributor under the force of gravity.

35. An extractor according to claim 33, wherein the pump is activated when the handle is in the operating position for providing pressurized cleaning solution to the cleaning solution distributor.

36. A carpet extractor comprising:

a) a floor engaging section having a cleaning solution distributor and a floor nozzle for cleaning a floor surface;

b) a generally upright handle pivotally connected to the floor engaging section for pivotal movement between a generally upright storage position and an inclined operating position;

c) a hand held nozzle having a cleaning solution applicator attached thereto for above floor cleaning;

d) a cleaning solution distribution system including a cleaning solution supply pump for providing a source of pressurized cleaning solution;

e) suction producing means;

f) a control valve for selectively fluidly connecting the suction producing means alternately to the floor nozzle in a floor position and to the hand held nozzle in an above floor position; and

g) a conversion mechanism that is operatively connected to the control valve, operatively connected to the cleaning solution distribution system and activated by the handle, whereby;

i) when the handle is in the storage position, the conversion mechanism positions the control valve to fluidly connect the hand held nozzle to the suction producing means and activates the distribution system to provide pressurized cleaning solution to the solution applicator; and

ii) when the handle is in the operating position, the conversion mechanism positions the control valve to fluidly connect the floor nozzle to the suction producing means.

37. An extractor according to claim 36, wherein the cleaning solution supply pump is driven by an air powered pump turbine in fluid communication with the suction producing means, whereby the suction producing means creates a flow of air through the pump turbine for energizing the pump turbine and activating the pump.

38. An extractor according to claim 37, further comprising a pump valve located to selectively block the flow of air through the pump turbine;

and

wherein the pump valve is operatively connected to the conversion mechanism, whereby the pump valve is closed blocking the flow of air through the pump turbine when the handle is pivoted to the operating position and opened allowing air to flow through the pump turbine when the handle is pivoted to the storage position.

39. An extractor according to claim 38, wherein the pump turbine has an outlet in fluid communication with the suction producing means and an inlet in fluid communication with the external atmosphere.

40. An extractor according to claim 39, wherein the pump valve is located on the pump turbine inlet.

41. An extractor according to claim 40, wherein the pump valve is a slide valve slidingly mounted on the pump turbine inlet, for reciprocal motion relative the pump turbine inlet, the slide valve having a window passing therethrough that is in line with the pump turbine inlet when the handle is in the storage position and a solid, continuous portion that blocks the pump turbine inlet when the handle is in the operating position.

42. An extractor according to claim 41, wherein the conversion mechanism comprises an actuating rod, the actuating rod being operatively connected to the slide valve for selectively energizing and de-energizing the pump, the actuating rod also being operatively connected to the control valve for selectively positioning the control valve in the floor and above floor positions.

43. An extractor according to claim 42, wherein the slide valve is integrally formed with the actuating rod.

44. An extractor according to claim 42, further comprising an actuation member on the handle spaced from a pivotal axis of the handle relative the floor engaging section;

a recess in a lower surface of the actuating rod adjacent a first end of the actuating rod, the recess having a generally vertical inner rear surface;

wherein the actuating rod is mounted on the floor engaging section for reciprocal motion relative the floor engaging section and the actuation member and the recess are arranged whereby, when the handle is pivoted from the storage position to the operating position, the actuation member engages the inner rear surface of the recess and pulls the actuating rod in a first direction into a floor mode position.

45. An extractor according to claim 44, wherein the recess further has a generally vertical inner forward surface located to be engaged by the actuation member when the handle is pivoted from the operating position to the storage position, whereby the actuation member pushes the actuating rod in a second direction, opposite the first direction, into an above floor mode position.

46. An extractor according to claim 45, further comprising an off-center spring operatively mounted between the floor engaging section and the actuating rod for selectively biasing the actuating rod alternately into the storage and operating positions.

47. An extractor according to claim 42, wherein when the handle is pivoted from the operating position to the storage position, an inner surface of the handle abuts against a first end of the actuating rod and pushes the actuating rod into an above floor mode position.

48. An extractor according to claim 47, further comprising a spring operatively mounted under tension between the floor engaging section and the actuating rod for biasing the actuating rod in a first direction into the floor mode position.

49. An extractor according to claim 36, further comprising a cleaning solution supply tank located higher off the floor than the cleaning solution distributor, whereby cleaning solution is selectively supplied from the supply tank to the solution distributor under the force of gravity.

50. An extractor according to claim 36, wherein the pump is activated when the handle is in the operating position for providing pressurized cleaning solution to the cleaning solution distributor.

51. A carpet extractor having a motor/fan assembly, a power driven brush system for scrubbing a floor surface to be cleaned and a handle pivotally connected to the extractor for propelling the extractor over a floor surface, wherein the improvement comprises:

a) an air driven brush turbine in fluid communication with the motor/fan assembly and drivingly connected to the brush system, whereby the brush turbine is selectively energized by the motor/fan assembly for driving the brush system in a floor cleaning mode;

b) a cleaning solution pump and an air driven pump turbine in fluid communication with the motor/fan assembly and drivingly connected to the pump, whereby the pump turbine is selectively energized by the motor/fan assembly for driving the pump and providing a source of pressurized cleaning solution in an above floor cleaning mode; and

c) a conversion mechanism for (i) energizing the brush turbine and de-energizing the pump turbine, when the handle is inclined to an operating position placing the extractor in the floor cleaning mode, and (ii) de-energizing the brush turbine and energizing the pump turbine, when the handle is placed in its generally upright storage position placing the extractor in the above floor cleaning mode.

52. An extractor according to claim 51, further comprising:

a) a brush valve that is selectively actuated between (i) an open position allowing the motor/fan assembly to cause air to flow through the brush turbine, thereby energizing the brush turbine, and (ii) a closed position blocking the flow of air through the brush turbine, thereby de-energizing the brush turbine;

b) a pump valve that is selectively actuated between (i) an open position allowing the motor/fan assembly to cause air to flow through the pump turbine, thereby energizing the pump turbine, and (ii) a closed position blocking the flow of air through the pump turbine, thereby de-energizing the pump turbine; and

c) wherein the conversion mechanism operably engages the brush valve and the pump valve and is activated by the handle, whereby (i) when the handle is inclined to the operating position the handle actuates the conversion mechanism for opening the brush valve and closing the pump valve and (ii) when the handle is placed in the storage position the handle actuates the mechanism for closing the brush valve and opening the pump valve.

53. An extractor according to claim 52, further comprising a manual override mechanism operably connected to the brush valve for selectively closing the brush valve when the extractor is in the floor cleaning mode.

54. An extractor according to claim 52, wherein the conversion mechanism comprises an actuating rod mounted on the extractor for reciprocal motion relative the extractor, a first end of the actuating rod operably engages the brush valve and the pump valve and a second end of the actuating rod operably engages the handle, whereby pivotal motion of the handle to the operating position causes the actuating rod to move in a first direction to a floor cleaning mode position, and pivotal motion of the handle to the storage position causes the actuating rod to move in a second direction, opposite the first direction, to an above floor cleaning mode position.

55. The extractor according to claim 52, wherein the conversion mechanism comprises a link arm operatively connected to the brush valve, the link arm being positioned to be actuated by the conversion mechanism when the handle is pivoted into the storage position, whereby the link arm closes the brush valve.

56. A carpet extractor according to claim 51, further comprising a floor engaging floor nozzle in fluid communication with the motor/fan assembly via a main suction duct;

a hand held tool including an above floor nozzle in fluid communication with the main suction duct;

a main suction valve located in the main suction duct for selectively fluidly communicating the motor/fan assembly alternately with the floor nozzle and the above floor nozzle; and

wherein the conversion mechanism is operatively connected to the main suction valve for activating the main suction valve to (i) fluidly communicate the floor nozzle with the motor/fan assembly in the floor cleaning mode and (ii) fluidly communicate the above floor nozzle with the motor/fan assembly in the above floor cleaning mode.

57. An extractor according to claim 56, wherein the hand held tool further comprises a spray head in fluid communication with the pump for selectively spraying cleaning solution on an above floor surface to be cleaned when in the above floor cleaning mode.

58. An extractor according to claim 51, further comprising a machine housing mounted to the extractor that encloses the brush turbine and the pump turbine, at least one indicator window passing through the machine housing and an indicator located in the machine housing and actuated by the actuator to be visible through the at least one indicator window when the extractor is in one of the floor and above floor cleaning modes to provide a visual indication of the current operational mode of the extractor.