Steam mop

• US 8,205,293 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2007
• Issued: 06/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SharkNinja Operating LLC (JS Global Lifestyle Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Euro-Pro Operating LLC (Euro-Pro Operating)
• Inventors: Rosenzweig, Maximilian, Ognjen, Vrdoljak
• Primary Examiner(s): Redding, David A
• Application Number:
  US11/769,521
• Publication Number:
  US 20080066789A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,826 Days
• Field of Search: 153/20, 153/22, 154/03, 154/10, 15/98, 152/293, 152/294, 152/297, 152/298, 401/1, 401/138, 401/270
• US Class Current: 15/320
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 13/22 with liquid-feeding devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 13/225 Steam mops
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 13/256 for mops made of cloth
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 1/00 Cleaning by methods involving the use of tools cleaning hollow articles by methods or apparatus specially adapted thereto B08B9/00
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 2230/01 Cleaning with steam
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 43/0063 bell-shaped flexible members
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 5/02 with double-acting pistons
• CPC Class Codes: F22B 1/28 in boilers heated electrically superheating using an electrical heat source independent from heat supply of the steam boiler F22G1/165
• CPC Class Codes: F22B 1/285 the water being fed by a pump to the reservoirs

Abstract

A steam mop having a main body having a boiler with a water inlet and a steam outlet positioned therein, a pump having an inlet and an outlet with the pump outlet connected to the boiler inlet, a water container for storing water connected to the pump inlet, and a steam pocket frame connected to the steam outlet, where the activation of the pump pumps water from the water container to the boiler for generation of steam. In an embodiment of the invention, a steam mop having a main body with a boiler, a water container, a mechanical water pump between the boiler and container and at least one side arm connecting the boiler steam outlet to a fabric steam pocket frame. The water pump is actuated by movement of the mop when cleaning to send water to the boiler. The steam pad frame is substantially rectangular with a plurality of baffles in a square grid formation extending outwardly to distribute steam to distribute steam between the baffles. A replaceable fabric pad fits snugly on the frame to distribute cleaning steam to the surface to be cleaned.

Claims

1. A steam mop, comprising:

a steam mop body including;

a water container having a water inlet and a water outlet;

a boiler having a boiler inlet for water and configured to generate steam; and

a steam mop body steam outlet;

a non-electric, mechanical pump having a pump inlet connected to the water outlet and a pump outlet connected to the boiler inlet;

a steam frame in communication with the steam mop body steam outlet, the steam frame adapted to support a fabric cloth; and

a handle which is constructed and arranged to be grippable by a user'"'"'s hand to move the steam frame, the handle being connected to a pipe;

wherein movement of the handle in a longitudinal direction of the pipe to move the steam frame in a cleaning movement causes the mechanical pump to mechanically pump water from the water container to the boiler; and

wherein the steam frame is configured and dimensioned to distribute steam substantially throughout the steam frame and onto the fabric cloth when the fabric cloth is mounted to the steam frame and steam is generated.

2. The steam mop of claim 1, wherein the steam frame is connected to the steam mop body by at least one tubular arm.

3. The steam mop of claim 1, wherein the steam frame comprises a plurality of baffles configured to direct steam to a surface of the fabric cloth when the fabric cloth is mounted to the steam frame.

4. The steam mop of claim 1, wherein the steam frame comprises a plurality of baffles configured to direct steam out of an upper surface of the steam frame and out of a lower surface of the steam frame.

5. The steam mop of claim 1, wherein the pump is a one-way pump.

6. The steam mop of claim 1, wherein the pump is a mechanical bellows pump with a one-way inlet valve and a one-way outlet valve.

7. The steam mop of claim 6, wherein the valves are substantially conical in shape and made of a substantially flexible material.

8. The steam mop of claim 1, wherein the pump is a mechanical piston pump with a one-way inlet valve and a one-way outlet valve.

9. The steam mop of claim 8, wherein the valves are substantially conical in shape and made of a substantially flexible material.

10. The steam mop of claim 1, further comprising the fabric cloth.

11. A steam mop, comprising:

a steam mop body having a water container for storing water, the water container having a water outlet;

a boiler with a water inlet; and

a steam mop body steam outlet;

a user handle connected to the steam mop body;

a non-electric, mechanical pump having a pump inlet and a pump outlet, with the pump outlet connected to the boiler inlet;

the mechanical pump operatively connected to the handle;

a steam frame in communication with the steam mop body steam outlet, the steam frame adapted to support a fabric cloth, and

wherein

the user handle is constructed and arranged such that pushing the user handle moves the steam frame in a cleaning movement;

movement of the user handle mechanically activates the mechanical pump to mechanically pump water from the water container to the boiler for generation of steam to be distributed to the fabric cloth when the fabric cloth is mounted on the steam frame; and

wherein the steam frame is configured and dimensioned to distribute steam substantially throughout the steam frame and onto the fabric cloth when the fabric cloth is mounted to the steam frame and steam is generated.

12. The steam mop of claim 11, including:

a pump cylinder having a first end and a second end, with a first unidirectional inlet valve and a second unidirectional inlet valve at the first end, and a second unidirectional outlet valve and a second unidirectional outlet valve at the second end;

a piston dividing the cylinder into a first chamber and a second chamber, with the respective inlet and outlet valves connected thereto, with the first and second inlet valve connected to the water outlet, and the outlet valves connected to the steam generator;

whereby movement of the piston towards the second end expels water out of the second chamber through the second outlet valve and draws water into the first chamber through the first inlet valve, and movement of the piston towards the first end expels water out of the first chamber through the first outlet valve and draws water into the second chamber through the second inlet valve.

13. The steam mop of claim 11, wherein the water container is positioned between the pump inlet and the handle.

14. The steam mop of claim 11, wherein the pump is a mechanical bellows pump with a one-way inlet valve and a one-way outlet valve.

15. The steam mop of claim 14, wherein the valves are substantially conical in shape and made of a substantially flexible material.

16. The steam mop of claim 11, wherein the pump is a mechanical piston pump with a one-way inlet valve and a one-way outlet valve.

17. The steam mop of claim 11, wherein the steam frame is a steam pad frame having a steam outlet opening and a plurality of baffles extending over the steam outlet opening.

18. The steam mop of claim 17, wherein the steam pad frame further includes a plurality of vanes extending in a direction from the steam outlet opening toward an outer edge of the steam pad frame.

19. The steam mop of claim 11, wherein the steam frame comprises a plurality of baffles configured to direct steam out of an upper surface of the steam frame and out of a lower surface of the steam frame.

20. The steam mop of claim 11, wherein movement of the handle relative to the steam mop body mechanically activates the mechanical pump.

21. The steam mop of claim 11, further comprising the fabric cloth.

22. A steam pad frame for mounting a fabric steam pad for use with a steam mop, the frame comprising:

a top with a steam inlet opening;

a wall;

a steam outlet on the bottom surface of the top;

a plurality of baffles disposed over the steam outlet; and

a plurality of vanes on the bottom surface of the top extending in the direction of the wall.

23. The steam pad frame of claim 22, including at least one securement member on the bottom surface of the top of the frame.

24. The steam pad frame of claim 22, wherein the wall includes a front wall, a rear wall, a right side wall, and a left side wall.

25. The steam pad frame of claim 22, wherein the frame has a substantially rectangular shape.