Portable steam generating system

• US 6,647,204 B1
• Filed: 01/09/2003
• Issued: 11/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Harwil Corporation
• Original Assignee: Harwil Corporation
• Inventors: Hutchinson, Harold D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Campbell, Thor
• Application Number:
  US10/339,923
• Time in Patent Office: 306 Days
• Field of Search: 392/491, 392/465, 392/471, 392/485, 392/449, 153/00, 153/20, 153/21, 134/322, 134/10, 134/21, 134/22.15
• US Class Current: 392/491
• 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 11/4086 Arrangements for steam generation
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4088 Supply pumps; Spraying devices; Supply conduits
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 19/027 cylinders oscillating around an axis perpendicular to their own axis
• CPC Class Codes: F22B 1/285 the water being fed by a pump to the reservoirs

Abstract

A small portable steam generating system comprised of an elongate cylindrical cylinder having a turbulent baffle circulation system. The steam generator includes a plurality of baffles, having alternating ports spaced along the length of the cylinder. The baffles have ports offset at 180° respectively to each other to provide turbulent flow that speeds up and slows down as it passes through the ports. The series of baffles in the elongate cylinder are mounted around a centrally located heater. The surfaces and ports in the baffles, positioned along the elongate cylinder and heater body, form a diffused turbulent flow of variable length and time as it passes from an input to an output. The steam generating system described herein is fitted with a steam water droplet separation system plus a high pressure steam superheater fitted to an exit tube and a non-conductive high temperature tube for transporting super-heated steam to a surface cleaning applicator. The system also includes a practical application for steam cleaning, scrubbing, vacuuming debris and sanitizing. The steam generator is mounted in a compact portable housing connected to an applicator that has steam outlet parts, a vacuuming manifold; sanitizing UV lamps and brushes for simultaneously scrubbing a surface being cleaned.

Claims

1. A steam cleaning and sanitizing system comprising;

a compact portable housing;

a vertically oriented steam generating tank in said housing;

a flat spiral immersion heater at the bottom of said tank;

an applicator connected to said steam generator in said housing, said applicator including outlets for applying steam to a surface to be cleaned;

a vacuum to remove debris loosened by said steam, and

a sanitizer for applying sanitizing energy to said surface simultaneously with said steam cleaning and vacuuming;

whereby a surface is steam cleaned, vacuumed, and sanitized simultaneously.

2. The system according to claim 1 in which said steam generating tank in which said flat spiral immersion heater is constructed and arranged so that the volume of water to cover said immersion heater is less than about one-half the volume of said steam generating tank.

3. The system according to claim 2 including a plurality of baffles in said tank;

said plurality of baffles promoting the separation of water droplets from wet steam.

4. The system according to claim 3 wherein said steam generating tank has an outlet at the top and a cone on an end of said outlet to precipitate water droplets in said steam exiting said outlet.

5. The system according to claim 1 wherein the height of said steam generating tank is equal to or slightly larger than the diameter of said steam generating tank.

6. The system according to claim 1 wherein an empty space above said immersion heater in said tank is equal to or greater than one-half the volume of said tank thereby promoting the separation of water droplets from wet steam.

7. The system according to claim 6 in which the volume of water in said steam generating tank is just sufficient to cover said heater.

8. The system according to claim 1 in which said compact portable housing has a tray;

said tray adapted to removably carry a vacuum cleaner and a supply of water in a container.

9. The system according to claim 1 in which said applicator is connected to said steam generating tank for applying steam to a surface to be cleaned.

10. The system according to claim 9 in which said applicator is connected to said steam generator by an insulated hose.

11. The system according to claim 10 in which steam delivered to said applicator is applied through a manifold in said applicator.

12. The system according to claim 11 in which said steam manifold includes a plate having a plurality of apertures for evenly distributing said steam to a surface to be cleaned.

13. The system according to claim 12 including one or more post heaters in said steam manifold for maintaining the temperature of said steam delivered to said surface to be cleaned.

14. The system according to claim 13 in which said post heater comprises at least two cartridge heaters mounted adjacent inlets in said steam manifold.

15. The system according to claim 14 including a vacuuming apparatus for removing debris loosened from said surface to be cleaned.

16. The system according to claim 15 in which said vacuuming apparatus comprises a vacuum cleaner removably carried in a tray on said compact portable housing;

a vacuum manifold in said applicator; and

a vacuum hose connecting said vacuum manifold to said vacuum cleaner carried in said tray.

17. The system according to claim 16 in which said applicator is connected to a hollow wand for use as a handle for manipulating said applicator;

said vacuum hose being a flexible hose connected between said wand and said vacuum cleaner carried in said tray.

18. The system according to claim 17 in which said vacuum manifold in said applicator comprises a pair of vacuum manifolds on either side and parallel to said steam manifold.

19. The system according to claim 18 in which each of said vacuum manifolds has a plurality of outlet ports for extracting debris in an enclosure;

said enclosure surrounding said applicator at one end and being connected to said wand at an opposite end.

20. The system according to claim 19 including a germicidal sanitizer for sanitizing the surface area being cleaned to destroy harmful organisms.

21. The system according to claim 20 in which said germicidal sanitizer comprises at least one germicidal lamp for illuminating the surface area being cleaned.

22. The system according to claim 21 in which said at least one germicidal lamp comprise a pair of germicidal lamps.

23. The system according to claim 22 in which said germicidal lamps are mercury vapor ultraviolet (UV) lamps.

24. The system according to claim 23 in which said UV lamps emit UV radiation at a wavelength of about 254 nm.

25. The system according to claim 24 in which said UV lamps are U-shaped UV lamps mounted in said applicator on opposite sides of said steam manifold.

26. The system according to claim 25 including a reflector mounted behind each UV lamp to increase the intensity of the UV radiation on the surface being cleaned.

27. The system according to claim 26 including a safety microswitch mounted in said applicator for turning said UV lamps off when said applicator is lifted off a surface being cleaned.

28. The system according to claim 27 including scrubbing elements for scrubbing said surface being cleaned for dislodging debris loosened by the steam from said applicator.

29. The system according to claim 28 in which said scrubbing elements comprises brushes around the periphery of said applicator.

30. The system according to claim 29 in which said brushes surround the periphery of said steam manifold, said vacuum manifold and said UV lamps.