Vacuum cleaner and steamer apparatus

• US 6,571,421 B1
• Filed: 10/03/2000
• Issued: 06/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GT Investments (BVI) Limited
• Original Assignee: Pentalpha Macau Commercial Offshore Ltd.
• Inventors: Kunavongvorakul, Kumkit, Sham, John Chun Kuen
• Primary Examiner(s): Snider, Theresa T.
• Application Number:
  US09/678,269
• Time in Patent Office: 973 Days
• Field of Search: 153/20, 153/21
• US Class Current: 15/320
• 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 11/4044 Vacuuming or pick-up tools; Squeegees
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4088 Supply pumps; Spraying devices; Supply conduits
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/28 Suction cleaners with handles and nozzles fixed on the casings, e.g. wheeled suction cleaners with steering handle A47L5/24 takes precedence

Abstract

The vacuum cleaner and steamer apparatus of the present invention has a fluid assembly for generating and delivering true steam to a surface to be cleaned and a vacuum assembly for drawing deposited steam and other matter from the surface. The apparatus also includes a cleaning fluid reservoir for holding cleaning fluid and a waste reservoir for holding vacuumed matter. Preferably, both reservoirs are removable. Highly preferred embodiments have a housing 20 within which the cleaning fluid and waste reservoirs are received and retained. The fluid assembly preferably includes the cleaning fluid reservoir, a fluid pump for pumping cleaning fluid therefrom, a heater within which the cleaning fluid is turned into steam, and a sprayer head for spraying the steam upon the surface to be cleaned. The vacuum assembly preferably includes a vacuum fan driven by an electric motor, a vacuum head through which matter is drawn, and the waste reservoir. For improved maneuverability and control, the body assembly of the apparatus (including both reservoirs, the fan and motor, and preferably the fluid pump and heater) is preferably connected to a base assembly for movement with respect thereto. Preferably, the base assembly carries the vacuum and sprayer heads and a rotary brush driven by a dedicated electric motor. Highly preferred embodiments permit a user to control the amount of steam produced by the fluid assembly and indicate to the user via a humidity sensor and humidity indicator how dry a surface being vacuumed is.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner and steamer apparatus, comprising:

a housing;

a cleaning fluid reservoir coupled to the housing;

a waste reservoir coupled to the housing, the cleaning fluid reservoir and the waste reservoir being removable from the housing;

a base mounted to the housing for movement therewith, the base having;

a vacuum head defining at least one vacuum inlet in fluid communication with the waste reservoir;

a sprayer head defining at least one fluid outlet in fluid communication with the cleaning fluid reservoir; and

a heater coupled between the cleaning fluid reservoir and the sprayer head, the heater in fluid communication with the removable cleaning fluid reservoir to receive cleaning fluid from the cleaning fluid reservoir and to generate steam.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a pump coupled between the cleaning fluid reservoir and the heater for pumping cleaning fluid from the cleaning fluid reservoir to the heater.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a user-manipulatable control coupled to the pump, the pump having an operating speed controllable via the user-manipulatable control.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base is movable with respect to the housing.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the base is movable with respect to the housing via a flexible conduit maintaining fluid communication between the waste reservoir and the vacuum head.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a vacuum line running from the vacuum head to the waste reservoir; and

a gasket releasably sealing the waste reservoir to the vacuum line.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base further comprising a brush and a motor, the brush mounted for rotation and driven by the motor, and a barrier extendable and retractable adjacent to the brush to reduce and increase exposure of the brush, respectively.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the barrier is vertically adjustable to adjust the exposure of the brush.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 7, further comprising a foot pedal on the base and coupled to the barrier, wherein the barrier is adjustable via the foot pedal.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

at least one air discharge port for discharge of air drawn from the waste reservoir;

a flow path extending from the vacuum head to the at least one air outlet; and

a humidity sensor in the airflow path.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the waste reservoir has an air outlet in fluid communication with the air discharge port, the apparatus further comprising a filter covering the air outlet, the humidity sensor located upstream of the filter.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a motor;

a fan coupled to and driven by the motor for generating suction force through the waste reservoir;

a pump coupled to and between the cleaning fluid reservoir and the heater for pumping cleaning fluid from the cleaning fluid reservoir to the heater; and

a user-manipulatable control electrically coupled to the motor, the heater, and the pump, the control having a first state in which the motor is powered to drive the fan for vacuuming operations, a second state in which the pump is powered to pump water to the heater for steam cleaning operations, and a third state in which the motor, pump, and heater are not powered.

13. A vacuum cleaner and steamer apparatus for cleaning a surface, comprising:

a body assembly defined at least partially by

a removable cleaning fluid reservoir;

a heater in fluid communication with the cleaning fluid reservoir for generating steam from cleaning fluid received from the cleaning fluid reservoir; and

a waste reservoir;

a base pivotably coupled to the body assembly, the base having;

a steam spray head coupled to and in fluid communication with the heater for discharging steam received from the heater to the surface; and

a suction head coupled to and in fluid communication with the waste reservoir.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 13, further comprising a pump coupled to the removable cleaning fluid reservoir and to the heater for pumping cleaning fluid from the removable cleaning fluid reservoir to the heater.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 14, further comprising a user-manipulatable steam control coupled to the pump, the pump having a pumping speed controllable by the user-manipulatable steam control.

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the body assembly further includes a housing within which is at least partially received the removable cleaning fluid reservoir.

17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the body assembly further includes a housing within which is at least partially received the waste reservoir.

18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the removable cleaning fluid reservoir is at least partially received within the housing.

19. The apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the base is pivotably coupled to the body assembly via a hinge joint.

20. The apparatus as claimed in claim 13, further comprising a flexible conduit establishing fluid communication between the base and the waste reservoir.

21. The apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the waste reservoir is removable.

22. The apparatus as claimed in claim 21, wherein the waste reservoir has a handle.

23. The apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the body assembly further includes:

a housing; and

a gasket compressed between the waste reservoir and the housing to seal the waste reservoir in the housing.

24. The apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the base further comprises:

a motor; and

a cleaning brush coupled to and driven by the motor.

25. The apparatus as claimed in claim 24, further comprising a barrier extendable and retractable adjacent to the cleaning brush to reduce and increase exposure of the cleaning brush, respectively.

26. The apparatus as claimed in claim 25, further comprising a foot pedal on the base, wherein the barrier is adjustable by a foot pedal to change the exposure of the cleaning brush.

27. The apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the waste reservoir has an air outlet, the assembly further comprising a filter covering the air outlet.

28. The apparatus as claimed in claim 13, further comprising a humidity sensor positioned to detect humidity of air received in the assembly through the suction head.

29. The apparatus as claimed in claim 28, further comprising an indicator light coupled to the humidity sensor for indicating the humidity of air received in the assembly through the suction head.

30. The apparatus as claimed in claim 14, further comprising

a motor;

a fan coupled to and driven by the motor for generating suction force through the waste reservoir; and

a user-manipulatable control electrically coupled to the motor, the heater, and the pump, the control having a first state in which the motor is powered to drive the fan for vacuuming operations, a second state in which the pump is powered to pump water to the heater for steam cleaning operations, and a third state in which the motor, pump, and heater are not powered.

31. A vacuum cleaner and steamer apparatus, comprising:

a housing;

a cleaning fluid reservoir coupled to the housing;

a waste reservoir coupled to the housing, the cleaning fluid reservoir and the waste being reservoir removable from the housing, the waste reservoir having an inlet through which vacuumed matter is received into the waste reservoir and an outlet through which air exits from the waste reservoir;

an air filter covering the outlet of the waste reservoir;

a base coupled to the housing, the base having;

a vacuum head defining at least one vacuum inlet in fluid communication with the waste reservoir;

a sprayer head defining at least one fluid outlet in fluid communication with the cleaning fluid reservoir; and

a heater coupled between the cleaning fluid reservoir and the sprayer head, the heater in fluid communication with the cleaning fluid reservoir to receive cleaning fluid from the cleaning fluid reservoir and to generate steam.

32. A vacuum cleaner and steamer apparatus, comprising:

a housing;

a cleaning fluid reservoir coupled to the housing;

a waste reservoir coupled to the housing, the cleaning fluid reservoir and the waste reservoir being removable from the housing;

a base coupled to the housing, the base having;

a vacuum head defining at least one vacuum inlet in fluid communication with the waste reservoir;

a sprayer head defining at least one fluid outlet in fluid communication with the cleaning fluid reservoir;

a motor;

a brush coupled to and driven by the motor; and

a heater coupled between the cleaning fluid reservoir and the sprayer head, the heater in fluid communication with the cleaning fluid reservoir to receive cleaning fluid from the cleaning fluid reservoir and to generate steam.