Method of producing a sparged cleaning liquid onboard a mobile surface cleaner

• US 8,016,996 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2007
• Issued: 09/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tennant Company
• Original Assignee: Tennant Company
• Inventors: Field, Bruce F., Gronlund, Patrick J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Phasge; Arun S
• Application Number:
  US11/655,360
• Publication Number:
  US 20070186958A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,698 Days
• Field of Search: 205/701, 205/746, 205755-757, 153/20, 134/3, 134/10, 134/21, 134/36
• US Class Current: 205/746
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/302 having rotary tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4011 Regulation of the cleaning machine by electric means; Control systems and remote control systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4083 Liquid supply reservoirs; Preparation of the agents, e.g. mixing devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4088 Supply pumps; Spraying devices; Supply conduits
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 2203/0217 Use of a detergent in high pressure cleaners; arrangements for supplying the same
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/026 Cleaning by making use of hand-held spray guns; Fluid preparations therefor
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/4618 for producing "ionised" acidic or basic water
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 11/007 involving applying energy, e.g. irradiation
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 2111/46 applying energy, e.g. irradiation

Abstract

A method is provided, which includes moving a mobile floor cleaning machine along a floor. Onboard the mobile floor cleaning machine, a liquid is sparged by electrolysis. The sparged liquid is dispensed from the mobile floor cleaning machine.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

a) moving a mobile floor cleaning machine along a floor, wherein the machine comprises a control circuit that controls operating modes of the machine;

b) onboard the mobile floor cleaning machine, sparging a liquid by electrolysis with an electrolyzing sparging device;

c) pumping liquid from a tank carried by the mobile floor cleaning machine through the electrolyzing sparging device to a liquid dispenser, with a pump carried by the mobile floor cleaning machine;

d) dispensing substantially all sparged liquid produced by the electrolyzing sparging device from the mobile floor cleaning machine without an intermediate step of storing the sparged liquid;

e) switching the pump to an “

on”

state and energizing the electrolyzing sparging device with the control circuit to perform steps b), c) and d) during a first operating mode when the mobile floor cleaning machine moves along the floor in step a); and

f) switching the pump to an “

off”

state and de-energizing the electrolyzing sparging device automatically with the control circuit to disable steps b), c) and d) during a second operating mode when the mobile floor cleaning machine is at rest and not moving relative to the floor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrolyzing sparging device comprises:

first and second electrically conductive electrodes, which are separated by a gap that lacks an ion exchange membrane and is in fluid communication with a flow path extending between the tank and the liquid dispenser.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

at least one of the first or second electrodes is tubular; and

the first and second electrodes are coaxial with one another.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the electrolyzing sparging device further comprises:

a tubular dielectric mesh positioned in the gap between the first and second electrodes.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the first and second electrodes are planar.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein sparging in step b) comprises:

sparging the liquid along a flow path between the tank carried by the mobile floor cleaning machine and the liquid dispenser, which dispenses the sparged liquid in step d).

7. The method of claim 1, wherein sparging in step b) comprises:

sparging the liquid within the tank that is carried by the mobile floor cleaning machine and supplies the sparged liquid dispensed in step d).

8. The method of claim 1, wherein sparging in step b) comprises:

generating nanobubbles in the liquid by electrolysis, wherein the nanobubbles have a size that is generally too small to break surface tension of the liquid.

9. The method of claim 1 and further comprising:

g) onboard the mobile floor cleaning machine, electrochemically activating at least one of the liquid prior to performing step b) or the sparged liquid after performing step b) to produce an anolyte electrochemically activated (EA) liquid and a catholyte EA liquid.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein:

step g) comprises electrochemically activating the sparged liquid generated in step d).

11. The method of claim 9, wherein:

step g) comprises electrochemically activating the liquid prior to sparging the liquid in step d); and

sparging in step b) comprises sparging at least one of the anolyte EA liquid or the catholyte EA liquid.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein dispensing in step d) comprises dispensing the anolyte EA liquid and the catholyte EA liquid separately or as a combined anolyte and catholyte EA liquid.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid comprises tap water.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid consists essentially of tap water.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid consists of tap water.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid comprises water and an electrolyte concentration that is greater than zero and does not exceed 1.0 moles per liter.

17. The method of claim 1 and further comprising:

g) scrubbing the floor with a motorized scrubbing tool, which is carried by the machine and is selected from the group consisting of a hard floor scrub brush, a soil transfer roller and a soft floor extraction brush.

18. The method of claim 1 and further comprising:

g) recovering at least part of the dispensed liquid from the floor using a recovery system carried by the machine.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the recovery system is selected from the group consisting of:

a vacuum squeegee that engages the floor;

a vacuum extractor that engages the floor; and

a vacuum extractor that recovers the dispensed liquid from a cleaning tool, which is carried by the mobile floor cleaning machine and engages the floor.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein dispensing in step d) comprises:

dispensing the sparged liquid in a vicinity of a motorized scrubbing tool that is carried by the machine and engages the floor.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein dispensing in step d) comprises:

spraying the sparged liquid from a wand that is coupled to the machine.

22. A method comprising:

a) moving a mobile floor cleaning device along a floor, wherein the device comprises a control circuit that controls operating modes of the device;

b) onboard the mobile floor cleaning device, electrolyzing a liquid by electrolysis with an electrolysis cell;

c) pumping liquid from a tank carried by the mobile floor cleaning device through the electrolysis cell to a liquid dispenser, with a pump carried by the mobile floor cleaning device;

d) dispensing electrolyzed liquid produced by the electrolysis cell from the mobile floor cleaning device;

e) switching the pump to an “

on”

state and energizing the electrolysis cell with the control circuit to perform steps b), c) and d) during a first operating mode when the mobile floor cleaning device moves along the floor in step a);

f) switching the pump to an “

off”

state and de-energizing the electrolysis cell automatically with the control circuit to disable steps b), c) and d) during a second operating mode when the mobile floor cleaning device is at rest and not moving relative to the floor;

g) working the dispensed electrolyzed liquid on the floor utilizing a motorized scrubbing tool carried by the mobile floor cleaning device; and

h) recovering at least part of the dispensed electrolyzed liquid from the floor using a recovery system carried by the mobile floor cleaning device.

23. A method comprising:

a) moving a mobile floor cleaning device along a floor, wherein the device comprises a control circuit that controls operating modes of the device;

b) onboard the mobile floor cleaning device, sparging a liquid on-demand by utilizing at least electrolysis with an electrolyzing sparging device;

c) pumping liquid from a tank carried by the mobile floor cleaning device through the electrolyzing sparging device to a liquid dispenser, with a pump carried by the mobile floor cleaning device;

d) dispensing substantially all sparged liquid produced by the electrolyzing sparging device from the mobile floor cleaning device without an intermediate step of storing the sparged liquid;

e) switching the pump to an “

on”

state and energizing the electrolysis cell with the control circuit to perform steps b), c) and d) during a first operating mode when the mobile floor cleaning device moves along the floor in step a);

f) switching the pump to an “

off”

state and de-energizing the electrolysis cell automatically with the control circuit to disable steps b), c) and d) during a second operating mode when the mobile floor cleaning device is at rest and not moving relative to the floor;

g) working the dispensed liquid on the floor utilizing a motorized scrubbing tool carried by the mobile floor cleaning device; and

h) recovering at least part of the dispensed liquid from the floor using a recovery system carried by the mobile floor cleaning device.