Hand held turbine powered extractor nozzle

• US 6,134,746 A
• Filed: 02/05/1999
• Issued: 10/24/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Healthy Gain Investments Limited
• Original Assignee: Hoover Company (Whirlpool Corporation)
• Inventors: Leonatti, John A., Miller, Daniel R., Barker, Douglas C., Symensma, Kenneth L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Till, Terrence R.
• Application Number:
  US09/245,209
• Time in Patent Office: 627 Days
• Field of Search: 15/321, 15/322, 15/385, 15/387, 415/203-205, 415/224
• US Class Current: 15/387
• 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 9/0416 driven by fluid pressure, e.g. by means of an air turbine
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0433 Toothed gearings
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0472 Discs

Abstract

A compact, hand held carpet and upholstery extractor nozzle is provided having a pair of air turbine powered vertical axis rotary scrub brushes located adjacent the extractor nozzle. The turbine has at least one ambient air inlet and an outlet that communicates with a suction tube extending from the extractor nozzle. A compact gear reduction operatively connects the air turbine to the scrub brushes. A turbine outlet baffle is preferably provided that extends from an upstream edge of the turbine outlet, into the suction tube and over and beyond the turbine outlet to direct air, liquid and debris flowing through the suction tube over and beyond the turbine outlet opening. A downstream end of the baffle is open and suction openings pass through the baffle, for providing fluid communication between the suction tube and the turbine outlet opening. A raised floor is preferably located in the suction tube upstream of the baffle that directs the flow of air, liquid and debris in the suction tube substantially past the suction openings. A shoulder is preferably provided on each side of the baffle that extends generally longitudinally in the suction tube below the suction openings. The upstream ends of these shoulders curve upward until the shoulders are substantially flush with raised floor. With this construction, any drops of liquid adhering to the raised floor and traveling toward the baffle, will adhere to the shoulders and be directed below the suction openings.

Claims

1. A hand held power nozzle for use with a carpet and upholstery deep cleaning appliance, said hand held power nozzle comprising:

a) a cleaning liquid applicator for applying cleaning liquid to a surface to be cleaned;

b) a suction nozzle having a nozzle inlet for removing soiled cleaning liquid from a surface to be cleaned and a nozzle outlet;

c) a suction tube extending from said nozzle outlet;

d) an agitator for scrubbing a surface to be cleaned;

e) an air powered turbine for driving said agitator, said turbine comprising a substantially disc-shaped turbine housing defined by first and second substantially circular spaced and parallel end walls joined by a peripheral wall, a substantially disc-shaped turbine rotor rotatably mounted in said turbine housing, a plurality of turbine inlet passages passing through said peripheral wall of the turbine confluently communicating an interior of said turbine housing directly with ambient atmosphere and at least one turbine outlet opening passing through one of said first and second end walls into fluid communication with an opening in the suction tube, whereby suction in the suction tube draws ambient air through the turbine for driving the turbine; and

f) wherein said peripheral wall of said turbine has a substantially cylindrical inner peripheral surface and an outer peripheral surface spaced radially outward of said inner peripheral surface, and each of said plurality of turbine inlets includes (i) a leading edge wall defined by a surface extending from said outer peripheral surface of said peripheral wall to said inner peripheral surface of said peripheral wall and (ii) a trailing edge wall defined by a surface extending from said outer peripheral surface of said peripheral wall to said inner peripheral surface of said peripheral wall, said leading and trailing edge walls each form an acute angle with said inner peripheral surface, whereby said plurality of turbine inlet passages impart a tangential component to the air flow entering said turbine through said turbine inlet passages for driving said turbine rotor.

2. A hand held power nozzle according to claim 1, wherein said first and second end walls extend in a plane that is substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of said suction tube.

3. A hand held power nozzle according to claim 1, further comprising a screen mounted in and extending across each said turbine inlet passage.

4. A hand held power nozzle according to claim 1, further comprising a stator vane located in each of said plurality of inlet passages to facilitate creation of a tangential component in the air entering the turbine housing through said plurality of turbine inlet passages.

5. A hand held power nozzle according to claim 4, wherein said stator vanes extend at an angle to said inner peripheral surface of said peripheral wall in a direction substantially parallel to said leading and trailing edge walls of said inlet passages.

6. A hand held power nozzle according to claim 5, wherein there are four of said turbine inlet passages spaced generally equally around said peripheral wall.

7. A hand held power nozzle according to claim 6, further comprising a screen located in each of said plurality of inlet passages to prevent debris from entering and fouling said turbine.

8. A hand held power nozzle according to claim 1, wherein said first end wall is located immediately adjacent and substantially parallel to said suction tube, said turbine outlet opening is located centrally in said first end wall, and said second end wall is located on a side of said first end wall remote from said suction tube.

9. A hand held power nozzle according to claim 8, further comprising a bearing mounted centrally in said second end wall of the turbine housing, said turbine rotor being fixed on an axle that is rotatably mounted in said bearing and that extends through and beyond said second end wall, a portion of said axle extending beyond said second end wall has gear teeth provided thereon that engage and drive a gear reduction, and said gear reduction being drivingly connected to said agitator.

10. An extractor nozzle according to claim 9, wherein said turbine rotor has a centrally located recess in a surface of the rotor facing said second end wall of said turbine housing, said second end wall has a central raised portion that extends into said recess, and said bearing is mounted in said central raised portion such that said bearing is at least partially received in said recess in said rotor.

11. A hand held power nozzle according to claim 9, wherein said axle extends slightly beyond a side of said turbine facing said first end wall and a wear resistant pin is located centrally in said turbine outlet such that said pin abuts against an end of said axle.

12. A hand held power nozzle according to claim 11, further comprising a thrust washer mounted over said axle between said second end wall and said turbine rotor, whereby said rotor is axially retained between said wear resistant pin and said thrust washer.

13. An air powered turbine for use with a floor care appliance having a source of suction, said turbine comprising:

a) a generally disc-shaped turbine housing formed by spaced, parallel, substantially circular first and second end walls joined by a peripheral wall, said peripheral wall having a substantially cylindrical inner peripheral surface and an outer peripheral surface spaced radially outward from said inner peripheral surface;

b) a generally disc-shaped turbine rotor having an axle affixed thereto and a plurality of turbine blades spaced evenly around an outer peripheral edge thereof, said axle being rotatably journaled in said first end wall thereby rotatably mounting said rotor in said turbine housing;

c) a turbine outlet passing through a center of said second end wall, and a plurality of turbine inlet passages extending through said peripheral wall fluidly communicating an interior of said turbine housing directly with external atmospheric air, said turbine outlet being in fluid communication with said source of suction whereby atmospheric air is drawn through said inlet passages and through said turbine; and

d) wherein said turbine inlet passages are defined by a leading edge surface and a trailing edge surface, said leading and trailing edge surfaces each extend at a non-tangential angle to said inner peripheral surface, such that said inlet passages impart a sufficient tangential component to said atmospheric air passing though said inlet passages to drive said rotor.

14. A turbine according to claim 13, further comprising a screen mounted in and extending across each said turbine inlet passage.

15. A turbine according to claim 13, further comprising a stator vane located in each of said plurality of inlet passages, said stator vanes extending at a non-tangential angle to said inner peripheral surface to facilitate creation of a tangential component in said atmospheric air passing through said plurality of turbine inlet passages.

16. A turbine according to claim 15, wherein there are four of said turbine inlet passages spaced generally equally around said peripheral wall.

17. A turbine according to claim 16, further comprising a screen located in each of said plurality of inlet passages to prevent debris from entering and fouling said turbine.

18. A turbine according to claim 13, further comprising a bearing mounted centrally in said first end wall of said turbine housing, said axle being rotatably mounted in said bearing;

and

wherein said turbine rotor has a centrally located recess in a surface of the rotor facing said first end wall of said turbine housing, said first end wall has a central raised portion that extends into said recess, and said bearing is mounted in said central raised portion such that said bearing is at least partially received in said recess in said rotor.

19. A turbine according to claim 13, wherein said plurality of turbine blades extend toward said second end wall circumscribing an eye of said rotor, and a plurality of curved diffuser blades extend from said second end wall into said eye of said rotor for guiding air passing through said turbine blades out said outlet opening.

20. A turbine according to claim 19, wherein there are twelve said diffuser blades.