Steam mop
First Claim
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1. A steam mop for steam cleaning a floor surface, comprising:
- a housing for resting on the floor surface;
a handle connected to said housing and projecting upwardly therefrom a sufficient amount to permit maneuvering the housing on the floor surface from a standing position;
a water reservoir contained within said housing for storing water, said water reservoir including a water outlet;
a heating plate outside said water reservoir, said heating plate for receiving water from said water outlet at a first flow rate; and
a flow rate increasing mechanism adjustable on demand by a user and operably coupled to said water reservoir for increasing the pressure and flow of water through said outlet as a result of adjustment to a rate that is substantially greater than said first flow rate.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A steam mop. A housing contains a water reservoir for storing water and a heating plate outside the water reservoir. The reservoir dispenses water to the heating element which heats the dispensed water to produce steam substantially instantaneously. The reservoir preferably includes a mechanism for dispensing additional water to the heating element on demand to produce a “burst of steam.” Preferably an absorbent cloth to which is attached a relatively stiff perimeter frame adapted to fit around the bottom of the housing is provided, the cloth assembly being easily removable for cleaning.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A steam mop for steam cleaning a floor surface, comprising:
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a housing for resting on the floor surface;
a handle connected to said housing and projecting upwardly therefrom a sufficient amount to permit maneuvering the housing on the floor surface from a standing position;
a water reservoir contained within said housing for storing water, said water reservoir including a water outlet;
a heating plate outside said water reservoir, said heating plate for receiving water from said water outlet at a first flow rate; and
a flow rate increasing mechanism adjustable on demand by a user and operably coupled to said water reservoir for increasing the pressure and flow of water through said outlet as a result of adjustment to a rate that is substantially greater than said first flow rate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A steam mop for steam cleaning a floor surface, comprising:
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a housing for resting on the floor surface;
a handle connected to said housing and projecting upwardly therefrom a sufficient amount to permit maneuvering the housing on the floor surface from a standing position;
a water reservoir contained within said housing for storing water, said water reservoir including a water outlet;
a heating plate outside said water reservoir, said heating plate for receiving water from said water outlet at a first flow rate; and
a flow rate increasing mechanism adjustable on demand by a user and operably coupled to said water reservoir for increasing the flow of water through said outlet as a result of adjustment to a rate that is substantially greater than said first flow rate, wherein said flow rate increasing mechanism includes a pump for increasing the pressure in said water reservoir, said pump including a spring biased plunger that is adapted to be pressed by a user to increase the pressure in said water reservoir.
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13. A removable cloth assembly for a steam mop having a housing for resting on a floor surface, comprising an absorbent cloth material having a perimeter and a frame extending along at least a portion of said perimeter creating a cavity in the cloth assembly for receiving said mop and producing a friction fit by exerting an inwardly directed force on said mop;
- wherein said perimeter frame is relatively stiff compared to said cloth and relatively flexible compared to the housing.
- View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
Specification