Upright extraction cleaning machine
First Claim
1. A portable surface cleaning apparatus, comprising:
- a base module for movement along a surface;
an upright handle pivotally attached to the base module;
a liquid dispensing system comprising;
a liquid dispensing nozzle associated with the base module for applying liquid to a surface to be cleaned;
a flexible bladder defining a fluid supply chamber for holding a supply of cleaning fluid;
a fluid supply conduit fluidly connected to the fluid supply chamber and to the dispensing nozzle for supplying liquid to the dispensing nozzle;
a fluid recovery system comprising;
a tank on the base module having a fluid recovery chamber for holding recovered fluid and housing the flexible bladder;
a suction nozzle associated with the base module;
a working air conduit extending between the recovery chamber and the suction nozzle; and
a vacuum source in fluid communication with the recovery chamber for generating a flow of working air from the nozzle through the working air conduit and through the recovery chamber to thereby draw dirty liquid from the surface to be cleaned through the nozzle and working air conduit and into the recovery chamber;
the improvement comprising;
a fluid passageway between the fluid supply chamber and the recovery chamber, whereby the recovery chamber is in fluid communication with the fluid supply chamber and the pressure in the flexible bladder is equalized with the pressure in the tank as the cleaning fluid is dispensed from the supply chamber and the dirty liquid is collected in the recovery chamber.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A portable surface cleaning apparatus including a base module for movement along a surface, an upright handle pivotally attached to the base module, a liquid dispensing system including a flexible bladder defining a fluid supply chamber for holding a supply of cleaning fluid, a fluid recovery system including a tank on the base module having a chamber for holding recovered fluid and housing the flexible bladder, and a passageway between the fluid supply chamber and the recovery chamber, whereby the recovery chamber is in communication with the fluid supply chamber and the pressure in the flexible bladder is equalized with the pressure in the tank as the cleaning fluid is dispensed from the supply chamber and the dirty liquid is collected in the recovery chamber. In a further embodiment the tank has an outlet opening in a bottom portion thereof and a drain plug is removably mounted in the outlet opening. In another embodiment a lid mounted on the tank defines an expansion chamber having an inlet opening, an outlet passage, and first and second diverters against which the working air flow reverses direction twice between the inlet opening of the expansion chamber and the tank. In another embodiment the working air conduit includes a manual actuator knob having an over-center linkage mechanism connected to a conversion valve for movement between first and second positions, thereby selectively moving the conversion valve between open and closed positions, whereby fluid communication between the tank and the suction nozzle is selectively opened and closed.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A portable surface cleaning apparatus, comprising:
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a base module for movement along a surface;
an upright handle pivotally attached to the base module;
a liquid dispensing system comprising;
a liquid dispensing nozzle associated with the base module for applying liquid to a surface to be cleaned;
a flexible bladder defining a fluid supply chamber for holding a supply of cleaning fluid;
a fluid supply conduit fluidly connected to the fluid supply chamber and to the dispensing nozzle for supplying liquid to the dispensing nozzle;
a fluid recovery system comprising;
a tank on the base module having a fluid recovery chamber for holding recovered fluid and housing the flexible bladder;
a suction nozzle associated with the base module;
a working air conduit extending between the recovery chamber and the suction nozzle; and
a vacuum source in fluid communication with the recovery chamber for generating a flow of working air from the nozzle through the working air conduit and through the recovery chamber to thereby draw dirty liquid from the surface to be cleaned through the nozzle and working air conduit and into the recovery chamber;
the improvement comprising;
a fluid passageway between the fluid supply chamber and the recovery chamber, whereby the recovery chamber is in fluid communication with the fluid supply chamber and the pressure in the flexible bladder is equalized with the pressure in the tank as the cleaning fluid is dispensed from the supply chamber and the dirty liquid is collected in the recovery chamber. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
a baffle plate mounted within the upper portion of the tank and including an opening; and
whereinthe filling spout of the flexible bladder extends through the opening in the baffle plate and is supported thereby.
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6. A portable surface cleaning apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the tank further includes a removable lid on the top portion thereof, and the filling spout is disposed between the baffle plate and the lid.
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7. A portable surface cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 and further comprising:
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a baffle plate mounted within the upper portion of the tank and including an opening; and
whereinthe fluid passageway comprising a filling spout in an upper portion of the flexible bladder and;
the filling spout extends through the opening in the baffle plate and is supported thereby.
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8. A portable surface cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the tank includes an outlet opening in a bottom portion thereof, and further comprising a drain plug removably mounted in the outlet opening.
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9. A portable surface cleaning apparatus, comprising:
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a base module for movement along a surface;
an upright handle pivotally attached to the base module;
a liquid dispensing system comprising;
a liquid dispensing nozzle associated with the base module for applying liquid to a surface to be cleaned;
a flexible bladder defining a fluid supply chamber for holding a supply of cleaning fluid;
a fluid supply conduit fluidly connected to the fluid supply chamber and to the dispensing nozzle for supplying cleaning fluid to the dispensing nozzle;
a fluid recovery system comprising;
a tank on the base module having a fluid recovery chamber for holding recovered fluid and housing the flexible bladder;
a suction nozzle associated with the base module;
a working air conduit extending between the recovery chamber and the suction nozzle; and
a vacuum source in fluid communication with the recovery chamber for generating a flow of working air from the nozzle through the working air conduit and through the recovery chamber to thereby draw dirty liquid from the surface to be cleaned through the nozzle and working air conduit and into the recovery chamber;
the improvement comprising;
an outlet opening in a bottom portion of the tank; and
a drain plug removably mounted in the outlet opening.
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10. A portable surface cleaning apparatus, comprising:
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a base module for movement along a surface;
an upright handle pivotally attached to the base module;
a liquid dispensing system comprising;
a liquid dispensing nozzle associated with the base module for applying liquid to a surface to be cleaned;
a fluid supply chamber for holding a predetermined amount of supply fluid;
a fluid supply conduit fluidly connected to the fluid supply chamber and to the dispensing nozzle for supplying liquid to the dispensing nozzle;
a fluid recovery system comprising;
a tank on the base module having a fluid recovery chamber for holding recovered fluid;
a lid mounted to the tank and defining an expansion chamber having an inlet opening and further having an outlet passage between the expansion chamber and the recovery chamber;
a suction nozzle associated with the base module;
a working air conduit extending between the lid inlet opening and the suction nozzle;
a vacuum source in fluid communication with the recovery chamber for generating a flow of working air from the nozzle through the working air conduit, through the lid expansion chamber and through the recovery chamber to thereby draw dirty liquid from the surface to be cleaned through the nozzle, working air conduit and the lid expansion chamber, and into the tank;
a first diverter baffle in the expansion chamber for reversing the direction of flow of the working air between the inlet opening and the outlet passage;
the improvement comprising a second diverter baffle in the outlet passage for reversing the direction of flow of the working air between the expansion chamber and the tank. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
a baffle plate mounted within the upper portion of the tank and including an opening;
a filling spout disposed in an upper portion of the flexible bladder, extending through the opening in the baffle plate, and supported by the baffle plate.
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14. A portable surface cleaning apparatus according to claim 13 wherein
the outlet passage extends beneath the expansion chamber and includes an outlet opening; the filling spout includes an opening beneath the lid and substantially above the outlet opening in the outlet passage.
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15. A portable surface cleaning apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the filling spout is disposed between the baffle plate and the lid.
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16. A portable surface cleaning apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the lid includes a shroud extending downwardly from a bottom surface thereof surrounding the filling spout to a point below the opening in the filling spout.
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17. A portable surface cleaning apparatus according to claim 16 wherein the shroud extends beneath the outlet opening in the outlet passage.
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18. A portable surface cleaning apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the fluid supply chamber is defined by a flexible bladder mounted within the tank.
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19. A portable surface cleaning apparatus according to claim 18 and further comprising:
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a baffle plate mounted within the upper portion of the tank and including an opening;
a filling spout disposed in an upper portion of the flexible bladder, extending through the opening in the baffle plate, and supported by the baffle plate.
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20. A portable surface cleaning apparatus according to claim 19 wherein:
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the outlet passage extends beneath the expansion chamber and includes an outlet opening;
the filling spout includes an opening beneath the lid and substantially above the outlet opening in the outlet passage.
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21. A portable surface cleaning apparatus, comprising:
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a base module for movement along a surface;
an upright handle pivotally attached to the base module;
a liquid dispensing system comprising;
a liquid dispensing nozzle associated with the base module for applying liquid to a surface to be cleaned;
a fluid supply chamber for holding a supply of cleaning fluid;
a fluid supply conduit fluidly connected to the fluid supply chamber and to the dispensing nozzle for supplying liquid to the dispensing nozzle;
a fluid recovery system comprising;
a tank on the base module having a fluid recovery chamber for holding recovered fluid;
a suction nozzle associated with the base module;
a working air conduit extending between the recovery chamber and the suction nozzle;
a vacuum source in fluid communication with the recovery chamber for generating a flow of working air from the nozzle through the working air conduit and through the recovery chamber to thereby draw dirty liquid from the surface to be cleaned through the nozzle and working air conduit and into the recovery chamber;
a conversion valve in the working air conduit for selectively opening and closing fluid communication between the recovery chamber and the suction nozzle;
a manual actuator knob connected to the conversion valve for movement between first and second positions and thereby selectively moving the conversion valve between open and closed positions;
the improvement comprising;
an over-center linkage mechanism connected to the manual actuator knob to bias the conversion valve to the open and closed positions. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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Specification