Carpet extractor brush assembly

• US 6,009,593 A
• Filed: 07/09/1996
• Issued: 01/04/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Techtronic Floor Care Technology Limited (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Hoover Company (Whirlpool Corporation)
• Inventors: Maurer, Edgar A., Hisrich, Timothy B., Crouser, Darwin S.
• Primary Examiner(s): MOORE, CHRISTOPHER K
• Application Number:
  US08/678,496
• Time in Patent Office: 1,274 Days
• Field of Search: 15/320, 15/385, 15/50.1, 15/87, 15/28, 15/372
• US Class Current: 15/320
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 13/00 Brushes with driven brush bodies or carrierspower-driven toothbrushes A61C17/16
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 2200/3066 Brush specifically designed for use with street cleaning machinery
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/16 the tools being disc brushes
• 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 11/4038 Disk shaped surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/34 with height adjustment of nozzles or dust-loosening tools

Abstract

Floor care apparatus is disclosed wherein a powered brush assembly having a multiplicity of rotary brushes is suspended within the apparatus such that the brush assembly floats freely upon the surface being cleaned without supporting any of the machine'"'"'s weight. The rotary brushes are generally configured as spur gears and function in a gear train wherein one brush drives all other gear brushes in the system. Axially projecting brush bristles are embedded in each gear tooth such that there is no unbrushed area between adjacent brushes in the brush line. The portion of the gear tooth wherein the bristles are embedded includes a recessed profile to allow for circumferential expansion of the tooth, upon insertion of the brush bristles, thereby preventing gear tooth interference. The brush assembly is particularly suitable for hot water carpet extractors of the upright design.

Claims

1. A carpet extractor having a source of cleaning solution for selective depositing upon a carpet and a vacuum source for extracting the cleaning solution with entrained dirt from the carpet and further comprising;

a main body having a pair of vertical guide slots;

support means for supporting said main body above the floor being cleaned;

a brush support beam having a pair of rails extending therefrom;

each of said rails being slidably received within an associated one of said vertical guide slots;

a plurality of brushes carried by said beam;

each of said brushes engaging the surface being cleaned;

said brushes being freely floating with said support beam within said guide slots upon the surface being cleaned; and

a pair of guards received upon and at least partially surrounding said beam.

2. A carpet extractor according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of extended tabs extending from said beam;

said guards having a plurality of alignment openings;

one of said extended tabs being slidably received in one of said aligned openings.

3. A carpet extractor according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of outwardly projecting tangs extending from said guards;

said main body having a plurality of vertical slots;

one of said tangs being slidably received in each of said vertical slots such that said guards are floatingly retained.

4. A carpet extractor cleaning apparatus, comprising:

a source of cleaning solution for selectively depositing cleaning solution upon a carpet;

a vacuum source for extracting the cleaning solution from the carpet;

a main body receiving one of said source of cleaning solution and vacuum source, said main body having guide slots therein;

said main body having a rear support and a forward support;

at least one brush slidingly received in a bearing in a brush support beam such that said brush is free to move vertically within said bearing with respect to said support beam;

said support beam is movably received by vertical guide slots in said main body such that said support beam may translate vertically with respect to said main body and in both parallel and skewed relationship with respect to said main body such that said brush freely floats upon the surface being cleaned without supporting any of the weight of said main body; and

wherein said at least one brush comprises a plurality of brushes suspended from said brush support beam such that each of said plurality of brushes is free to move vertically with respect to said support beam and with respect to each other.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4 further comprising a pair of T-shaped rails extending from said brush support beam;

each of said T-shaped rails being received in a corresponding one of said vertical guide slots in said main body.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said connection between said T-shaped rails and said guides slots allows parallel or skewed movement of said brush support beam with respect to said main body.

7. An apparatus according to claim 4 further comprising a guard received upon, and partially surrounding said beam;

said beam having a plurality of extended tabs extending from said beam;

said guard having a plurality of alignment openings therein;

one of said extended tabs being movably received in each of said alignment openings.

8. An apparatus according to claim 7 further comprising a plurality of outwardly projecting tangs extending from said guard;

said main body having a plurality of vertical slots;

one of said tangs being slidably received in each of said vertical slots.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the engagement of said tangs with a bottom end of said vertical slots supports said guard and said brush support beam.

10. An apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said brush support beam has a plurality of bearings for movably supporting said plurality of brushes.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10 wherein each of said brushes has a shaft;

each of said shafts slidably and rotatably engaging an associated one of said bearings in said brush support beam.

12. A carpet extractor cleaning apparatus, comprising:

a source of cleaning solution for selectively depositing cleaning solution upon a carpet;

a vacuum source for extracting the cleaning solution from the carpet;

a main body receiving one of said source of cleaning solution and vacuum source, said main body having guide slots therein;

said main body having a rear support and a forward support;

at least one brush slidingly received in a bearing in a brush support beam such that said brush is free to move vertically within said bearing with respect to said support beam;

said support beam is movably received by vertical guide slots in said main body such that said support beam may translate vertically with respect to said main body and in both parallel and skewed relationship with respect to said main body such that said brush freely floats upon the surface being cleaned without supporting any of the weight of said main body; and

wherein said forward support further comprises a suction inlet attached to said main body and in communication with said vacuum source.

13. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said suction inlet is configured to selectively support at least part of the weight of said main body.

14. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said brushes are disposed between said suction inlet and said rear support.

15. A carpet extractor having a source of cleaning liquid for selective deposition upon a carpet and a vacuum source for extracting the cleaning liquid with entrained dirt from the carpet, said carpet extractor comprising:

a main body having a pair of vertically extending guide slots formed therein;

a brush support beam having a pair of rails extending therefrom, each of said rails being slidably received in an associated one of said guide slots, whereby said beam freely moves vertically relative to said main body;

a plurality of brushes carried by said beam, whereby each of said brushes freely floats with said beam and engages a carpet to be cleaned; and

a guard extending from a peripheral edge of said support beam and partially enclosing said plurality of brushes.

16. A carpet extractor according to claim 15, wherein each of said plurality of brushes includes gear teeth extending peripherally around said brush, said brushes being arranged immediately adjacent to one another, such that said gear teeth on each said brush engages said gear teeth of each adjacent said brush.

17. A carpet extractor according to claim 16, wherein said guard at least partially surrounds said gear teeth on said plurality of brushes.

18. A carpet extractor according to claim 17, further comprising a plurality of groups of bristles, each of said groups of bristles extending down from an associated one of said gear teeth for engagement with a carpet to be cleaned.

19. A carpet extractor according to claim 18, wherein each said group of bristles is located a set distance radially outward from a center of an associated one of said brushes, said distance being sufficient that when a said gear tooth is fully engaged with said gear teeth of an adjacent said brush, a said group of bristles on said fully engaged gear tooth is located substantially between adjacent said groups of bristles on said adjacent brush.