System for making a floor cleaning liquid available in a convenient manner

• US 6,227,262 B1
• Filed: 12/03/1998
• Issued: 05/08/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ecolab GmbH & Co. Ohg (Ecolab, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Henkel KGaA (Henkel AG & Co KGaA)
• Inventors: Bertrand, Michel, Kohl, Albert, Duffal, Pierre, Alvaro, Fernand, Frezal, Jean-Claude, Giuliano, Jean-Marc, Bortolotti, Jean-Marc
• Primary Examiner(s): Douglas, Steven O.
• Application Number:
  US09/142,333
• Time in Patent Office: 887 Days
• Field of Search: 141/2, 141/9, 141/18, 141/100, 141/104, 141/105, 141/103, 222/145.5
• US Class Current: 141/2
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/03 characterised by having provisions for supplying cleaning or polishing agents A47L11/065, A47L11/085, A47L11/125, A47L11/145, A47L11/161, A47L11/1625, A47L11/185, A47L11/201 take precedence
• 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 11/4083 Liquid supply reservoirs; Preparation of the agents, e.g. mixing devices
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 11/006 involving a first fluid acting on the feeding of a second fluid

Abstract

An apparatus and process for filling the tank of an automatic floor-cleaning machine by providing a large capacity storage tank for a cleaning fluid, a reservoir for a concentrated cleaning agent, and a mobile floor-cleaning machine having a storage tank for a cleaning fluid wherein the apparatus is designed so that the floor-cleaning machine can be filled quickly by gravity.

Claims

1. A process for filling the storage tank of an automatic floor-cleaning machine with a cleaning liquid comprising providing a fixed, large capacity storage tank for the preparation and storage of said cleaning liquid, providing a reservoir for a cleaning composition concentrate, providing a mobile automatic floor-cleaning machine having a storage tank for said cleaning liquid, providing said fixed storage tank with a feed pipe adapted for connection to a water supply and communicating with a liquid pipe connected to said reservoir to prepare said cleaning liquid, providing a discharge pipe from said fixed storage tank for said cleaning liquid located above said floor-cleaning machine and adapted for connection to the storage tank of said floor-cleaning machine whereby said cleaning liquid flows by gravity into the storage tank of said floor-cleaning machine, wherein said fixed storage tank has a volume at least corresponding to the volume of the storage tank of said floor-cleaning machine and the dimension of said discharge pipe is such that the filling time for the storage tank of said floor-cleaning machine is from 0.5 to 4 minutes.

2. A process as in claim 1 wherein said feed pipe is provided with a valve that opens and closes automatically depending upon the filling level of said fixed storage tank.

3. A process as in claim 2 wherein said valve comprises an electromagnetic valve operatively connected by an electrical line to a sensor or electrical switching element which is disposed in the upper part of said fixed storage tank to detect the highest determined filling level.

4. A process as in claim 1 wherein said feed pipe is provided with a back flow barrier.

5. A process as in claim 4 wherein an injector is connected by a liquid connecting pipe to said reservoir for said cleaning composition concentrate and is located downstream of said back flow barrier.

6. A process as in claim 4 including connecting a pump to said liquid connecting pipe wherein said pump is located downstream of said back flow barrier located in said feed pipe.

7. A process as in claim 1 wherein said liquid pipe connected to said reservoir is provided with a replaceable nozzle.

8. A process as in claim 1 including providing said liquid connecting pipe with a non-return valve disposed in said reservoir for said cleaning composition concentrate.

9. A process as in claim 1 wherein said discharge pipe is provided with a valve.

10. A process as in claim 1 wherein said fixed storage tank is provided with an overflow outlet located at the maximum filling level of said storage tank.

11. A process as in claim 10 wherein said overflow outlet is located below the outlet opening of said liquid feed pipe.

12. An apparatus for the distribution of a ready-to-use floor cleaning liquid comprising a fixed, high-capacity storage tank for the preparation and storage of the floor cleaning liquid, a reservoir for a cleaning concentrate, and a mobile automatic floor cleaning machine having with a tank for the floor cleaning liquid, wherein said storage tank comprises at least one liquid feed pipe designed for connection to a water supply and at least one liquid discharge pipe designed for connection to the tank of the automatic floor cleaning machine and which communicates with a liquid connecting pipe to said reservoir, whereby water flowing into a part of the liquid feed pipe or the storage tank and cleaning concentrate reservior are intended to be mixed to form the floor cleaning liquid, said storage tank being mounted in a frame so that an outflow opening thereof for the liquid discharge pipe is situated above the tank of the automatic floor cleaning machine and the flow of floor cleaning liquid from the storage tank into the tank of said automatic floor cleaning machine is induced solely by gravity, said storage tank having a volume at least corresponding to the volume of the tank of the automatic floor cleaning machine and the dimensions of the outflow opening of said storage tank and said liquid discharge pipe are at least such that the filling time for the tank of said automatic floor cleaning machine is from 0.5 to 4 minutes.

13. An apparatus as in claim 12 wherein said liquid feed pipe opens into said storage tank through a valve unit which opens and closes automatically in dependence upon the filling level of said storage tank.

14. An apparatus as in claim 13 wherein said valve unit consists of an electromagnetic valve operatively connected by an electrical line to a sensor or electrical switching element which is disposed in the upper part of said storage tank to detect the highest filling level, and on contact with the floor cleaning liquid in said storage tank, releases an electrical pulse to said electromagnetic valve through said electrical line so that said electromagnetic valve opens and closes automatically in dependence upon the filling level in said storage tank.

15. An apparatus as in claim 13 wherein a return flow barrier is provided in said liquid feed pipe.

16. An apparatus as in claim 15 wherein an injector connected to said reservoir by said liquid connecting pipe is arranged downstream of said return flow barrier in said liquid feed pipe.

17. An apparatus as in claim 16 wherein a replaceable nozzle is integrated in said liquid connecting pipe.

18. An apparatus as in claim 13 wherein a pump connected to said reservoir by said liquid connecting pipe is arranged downstream of said return flow barrier in the liquid feed pipe.

19. An apparatus as in claim 13 wherein said liquid connecting pipe is provided with a nonreturn valve.

20. An apparatus as in claim 13 wherein said liquid discharge pipe is provided with a closure.

21. An apparatus as in claim 12 wherein an overflow outlet is provided above the maximum permitted filling level of said storage tank.

22. An apparatus as in claim 21 wherein said overflow outlet is positioned below the outlet opening of said liquid feed pipe.