Cleaning system utilizing purified water

• US 20060137127A1
• Filed: 01/13/2006
• Published: 06/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tennant Company
• Original Assignee: Tennant Company
• Inventors: Field, Bruce F., Killingstad, Hans C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,051,861 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/320
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 13/26 Other cleaning devices with liquid supply arrangements such arrangements on floor-polishing machines A47L11/00, on scrapers A47L13/03, on mops A47L13/22; cloths, pads, or the like containing cleaning agents A47L13/17, A47L13/19
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/003 Cleaning involving contact with foam
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/02 Cleaning by the force of jets or sprays
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/026 Cleaning by making use of hand-held spray guns; Fluid preparations therefor

Abstract

A cleaning system includes a supply of purified water, a supply of cleaning agent, a mixing junction, and a distributor. The mixing junction is configured to combine a flow of the purified water and a flow of the cleaning agent and output a flow of cleaning liquid comprising the flows of the purified water and the cleaning agent. The distributor includes an output through which the cleaning liquid can be discharged. In a method of cleaning a surface, flows of purified water and cleaning agent are provided. The flow of purified water and the flow of cleaning agent are mixed to form a flow of cleaning liquid. The flow of cleaning liquid is then discharged to the surface.

Claims

1. A surface cleaning system comprising:

a supply of purified water selected from the group consisting of a supply of de-ionized water and a supply of filtered water;

a supply of cleaning agent;

a mixing junction configured to combine a flow of the purified water and a flow of the cleaning agent and output a flow of cleaning liquid comprising the flows of the purified water and the cleaning agent; and

a distributor having an output, the distributor configured

to discharge the cleaning liquid through the output.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a source of non-purified water; and

a water filter configured to receive a flow of the non-purified water and output the supply of purified water.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising a pump driving the flow of the non-purified water through the water filter.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising an aerator configured to aerate the flow of cleaning liquid to thereby form a foamed cleaning liquid, wherein the distributor is configured to discharge the foamed cleaning liquid through the output.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the flow of the purified water is less than approximately 0.9 liters/min.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the flow of purified water is less than approximately 0.5 liters/min.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein the flow of the cleaning agent is less than 10 cc/min.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the flow of cleaning liquid comprises a ratio of purified water to cleaning agent of X:

1, wherein X is greater than 400.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein X is greater than 800.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising a housing enclosing at least a portion of the mixing junction;

wherein the distributor includes a portion that extends outside the housing and includes an end to which the output is connected.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the distributor comprises a nozzle mounted to the end of the section of tubing, wherein the nozzle includes an aerator configured to aerate the flow of cleaning liquid to thereby form a flow of foamed cleaning liquid.

12. The system of claim 1 further comprising a mobile body supporting the supply of purified water, the supply of cleaning agent and the mixing junction.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising a housing enclosing at least a portion of the mixing junction and mounted to one of a wall and a ceiling of a room.

14. A cleaning system comprising:

a water filter configured to remove minerals from a flow of non-purified water received at an input port and discharge a flow of purified water through an output port;

a first fluid flow path connected to the output port of the water filter;

a supply of cleaning agent;

a second fluid flow path connected to the supply of cleaning agent;

a mixing junction configured to combine the flow of purified water from the first fluid flow path with a flow of the cleaning agent from the second fluid flow path and output a flow of cleaning liquid comprising the flows of purified water and cleaning agent;

an aerator configured to aerate the flow of cleaning liquid and thereby form a foamed cleaning liquid; and

a distributor having an output, the distributor configured to discharge the foamed cleaning liquid through the output.

wherein the flow of filtered water is less than approximately 0.9 liters/min.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the flow of cleaning liquid comprises a ratio of purified water to cleaning agent of X:

1 wherein X is greater than 400.

16. A method of cleaning a surface comprising:

providing a flow of purified water;

providing a flow of cleaning agent;

mixing the flow of purified water and the flow of cleaning agent to form a flow of cleaning liquid comprising the flows of purified water and cleaning agent;

discharging the flow of cleaning liquid to the surface.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the providing a flow of purified water comprises driving a flow of non-purified water through a water filter that responsively outputs the flow of purified water.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the flow of purified water has a flow rate of less than 0.9 liters/min.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein the flow of cleaning agent has a flow rate of less than 10 cc/min.

20. The system of claim 16 wherein the flow of cleaning liquid comprises a ratio of purified water to cleaning agent of X:

1, wherein X is one of greater than 400 and greater than 800.