Mobile surface cleaner having a sparging device
First Claim
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1. A mobile surface cleaner comprising:
- a mobile body configured to travel over a surface;
a source of a liquid;
a liquid dispenser;
a flow path from the liquid source to the liquid dispenser;
an electrolyzing sparging device in fluid communication with the flow path and which lacks an ion exchange membrane;
a functional generator in the flow path, which comprises an anode chamber and a cathode chamber separated by an ion exchange membrane and which electrochemically activates at least one of the liquid from the source or sparged liquid from the sparging device, wherein a flow of the liquid from the anode chamber is combined with a flow of the liquid from the cathode chamber along the flow path, or at the liquid dispenser to form a combined flow, or a combination thereof, which is dispensed from the liquid dispenser; and
a control circuit which applies power to the sparging device and the functional generator such that the sparging device is operable to generate nanobubbles in the liquid by electrolysis, wherein the nanobubbles have a size that is too small to break surface tension of the liquid.
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Abstract
A mobile surface cleaner is provided, which includes a mobile body configured to travel over a surface, a source of a liquid, a liquid dispenser, a flow path from the liquid source to the liquid dispenser, and an electrolyzing sparging device in fluid communication with the flow path.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A mobile surface cleaner comprising:
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a mobile body configured to travel over a surface; a source of a liquid; a liquid dispenser; a flow path from the liquid source to the liquid dispenser; an electrolyzing sparging device in fluid communication with the flow path and which lacks an ion exchange membrane; a functional generator in the flow path, which comprises an anode chamber and a cathode chamber separated by an ion exchange membrane and which electrochemically activates at least one of the liquid from the source or sparged liquid from the sparging device, wherein a flow of the liquid from the anode chamber is combined with a flow of the liquid from the cathode chamber along the flow path, or at the liquid dispenser to form a combined flow, or a combination thereof, which is dispensed from the liquid dispenser; and a control circuit which applies power to the sparging device and the functional generator such that the sparging device is operable to generate nanobubbles in the liquid by electrolysis, wherein the nanobubbles have a size that is too small to break surface tension of the liquid. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A mobile surface cleaner comprising:
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a mobile body configured to travel over a surface; a tank carried by the mobile body; a motorized cleaning head connected to the mobile body and comprising a cleaning tool; a liquid dispenser; a flow path from the tank to the liquid dispenser; an electrolyzer onboard the cleaner, which sparges the liquid by electrolysis and comprises first and second electrically conductive electrodes, which are separated by a gap in fluid communication with the flow path and wherein the gap lacks an ion exchange membrane, wherein the electrolyzer is operable to generate nanobubbles in the liquid by electrolysis, which have a size that is generally too small to break surface tension of the liquid; and a functional generator in the flow path, which comprises an anode chamber and a cathode chamber separated by an ion exchange membrane and which electrochemically activates at least one of the liquid from the liquid source or the sparged liquid from the electrolyzer. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A mobile surface cleaner comprising:
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a mobile body configured to travel over a surface; a source of a liquid; a liquid dispenser; a flow path from the liquid source to the liquid dispenser; means for sparging onboard the cleaner, which sparges the liquid by electrolysis without an ion exchange membrane to generate nanobubbles in the liquid that have a size that is generally too small to break surface tension of the liquid; and functional generator means in the flow path, which comprises an anode chamber and a cathode chamber separated by an ion exchange membrane for electrochemically activating at least one of the liquid from the source or sparged liquid from the means for sparging.
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28. A mobile surface cleaner comprising:
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a mobile body configured to travel over a surface; a source of a liquid; a liquid dispenser; a flow path from the liquid source to the liquid dispenser; an electrolyzing sparging device in fluid communication with the flow path, which comprises first and second electrically conductive, coaxial electrodes, which are separated by a gap that lacks an ion exchange membrane, wherein the flow path is in fluid communication with the gap, a tubular dielectric mesh positioned in the gap between the first and second electrodes, and wherein at least one of the first and second electrodes comprises a tubular metallic mesh; a functional generator in the flow path, which comprises an anode chamber and a cathode chamber separated by an ion exchange membrane and which electrochemically activates sparged liquid from the sparging device; and a control circuit which applies power to the sparging device and the functional generator such that the sparging device is operable to generate nanobubbles in the liquid by electrolysis, wherein the nanobubbles have a size that is too small to break surface tension of the liquid.
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29. A mobile surface cleaner comprising:
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a mobile body configured to travel over a surface; a source of a liquid; a liquid dispenser; a flow path from the liquid source to the liquid dispenser; an electrolyzing sparging device in fluid communication with the flow path; a functional generator in the flow path, which comprises an anode chamber and a cathode chamber separated by an ion exchange membrane; and a control circuit which applies power to the sparging device such that the sparging device is operable to generate nanobubbles in the liquid by electrolysis, and wherein the nanobubbles have a size that is too small to break surface tension of the liquid.
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30. An apparatus comprising:
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a source of a liquid; a liquid dispenser; a flow path from the liquid source to the liquid dispenser; an electrolyzing sparging device in fluid communication with the flow path and comprising first and second electrically conductive electrodes, which are separated by a gap that lacks an ion exchange membrane; a functional generator in the flow path, which comprises an anode chamber and a cathode chamber separated by an ion exchange membrane and which electrochemically activates at least one of the liquid from the source or sparged liquid from the sparging device; and a control circuit which applies power to the sparging device and the functional generator such that the sparging device is operable to generate nanobubbles in the liquid by electrolysis, and wherein the nanobubbles have a size that is too small to break surface tension of the liquid.
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Specification