High pressure extractor

• US 20060185113A1
• Filed: 02/21/2006
• Published: 08/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Techtronic Floor Care Technology Limited (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Royal Appliance Manufacturing Company (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Inventors: Ilko, Mark, Horst, Allan L., Kloeppel, Gregg M., Matusz, Glenn, Amberik, Andrew A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,769,763 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/320
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/03 characterised by having provisions for supplying cleaning or polishing agents A47L11/065, A47L11/085, A47L11/125, A47L11/145, A47L11/161, A47L11/1625, A47L11/185, A47L11/201 take precedence
• 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 11/4061 Steering means; Means for avoiding obstacles; Details related to the place where the driver is accommodated
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4075 Handles; levers
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4083 Liquid supply reservoirs; Preparation of the agents, e.g. mixing devices
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/022 Cleaning travelling work B08B3/042 takes precedence

Abstract

A floor cleaning device includes a base. A cleaning fluid supply tank is carried by the base. A source of pressure communicates with the cleaning fluid supply tank which pressurizes a cleaning fluid held in the cleaning fluid supply tank to an above atmospheric pressure. A fluid delivery system delivers pressurized cleaning fluid from the cleaning fluid supply tank to a surface to be cleaned.

Claims

1. A floor cleaning device comprising:

a base;

a cleaning fluid supply tank carried by the base;

a source of pressure communicating with the cleaning fluid supply tank which pressurizes a cleaning fluid held in the cleaning fluid supply tank to an above atmospheric pressure; and

a fluid delivery system which delivers pressurized cleaning fluid from the cleaning fluid supply tank to a surface to be cleaned.

2. The floor cleaning device of claim 1, further comprising:

a suction source supported by the base.

3. The floor cleaning device of claim 2, further comprising:

a suction nozzle which fluidly communicates with the suction source, the suction nozzle being supported by the base.

4. The floor cleaning device of claim 3, further comprising a recovery tank, carried by the base, for collecting the dirty cleaning fluid, the recovery tank being in fluid communication with the suction nozzle and the suction source.

5. The floor cleaning device of claim 3, wherein the suction nozzle includes a front plate and a rear plate, longitudinally spaced from the front plate, the front plate defining an edge, the rear plate defining a lip.

6. The floor cleaning device of claim 5, wherein the suction nozzle further includes a flange extending forwardly of the front plate, the flange defining a sliding surface which slides on the carpet at a height above the edge of the front plate.

7. The floor cleaning device of claim 1, further comprising a directing handle for directing the floor cleaning device across the surface.

8. The floor cleaning device of claim 7, wherein the directing handle is selectively extensible and retractable.

9. The floor cleaning device of claim 1, wherein the source of pressure includes an air pump which pressurizes air located in the tank above the cleaning fluid to a pressure of at least 3.5 Kg/cm².

10. The floor cleaning device of claim 1, further comprising a heater which heats the cleaning fluid in the fluid supply tank.

11. The floor cleaning device of claim 10, wherein the heater includes at least one of a heating element mounted to a wall of the cleaning fluid tank and an immersion heater located within the cleaning fluid tank.

12. The floor cleaning device of claim 10, wherein the heater has a first mode of operation in which the heater operates at a first power level and a second mode of operation in which the heater operates at a second power level, lower than the first power level.

13. The floor cleaning device of claim 1, further including a valve which selectively restricts fluid flow from the cleaning fluid supply tank to the fluid delivery system, which includes a distributor.

14. The floor cleaning device of claim 13, wherein the valve has a mode of operation in which cleaning fluid is permitted to flow to the distributor in a first direction of travel of the floor cleaning device and restricted from flowing to the distributor in a second direction of travel of the floor cleaning device.

15. The floor cleaning device of claim 1, further including a travel limiter which limits the speed of travel of the floor cleaning device in a cleaning direction.

16. The floor cleaning device of claim 1, further comprising a second cleaning fluid supply tank, the second cleaning fluid supply tank being carried by the base for selective fluid connection with the first cleaning fluid supply tank.

17. The floor cleaning device of claim 1, wherein the fluid delivery system includes at least one spray nozzle, the at least one spray nozzle having an s-shaped spray pattern.

18. The floor cleaning device of claim 1, wherein the fluid delivery system comprises a distributor and a plurality of nozzles, which are selectively removable from said distributor.

19. The floor cleaning device of claim 1, further comprising a collection vessel which collects overflow cleaning fluid from an opening to the supply tank, the collection vessel being selectively connected with the recovery tank for draining the overflow cleaning fluid into the recovery tank.

20. A method of cleaning a surface comprising:

supplying a pressurized gas to a cleaning liquid supply tank;

pressurizing a cleaning liquid held in the liquid supply tank;

delivering the pressurized cleaning liquid to a distributor which applies the cleaning liquid to a surface to be cleaned; and

,

suctioning cleaning liquid from the floor into a recovery tank.

21. The method of claim 20, further including heating the liquid in the liquid supply tank to a temperature of at least 65°

C.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of delivering comprises applying cleaning liquid to the carpet at from about 1300-2000 ml/min and at a pressure of about 7.1-8.75 Kg/cm².

23. A carpet extractor comprising:

a housing;

a first cleaning liquid tank mounted to the housing;

a fluid delivery system which delivers a cleaning liquid from the cleaning liquid tank to a surface to be cleaned;

a heater which heats the cleaning liquid before it exits said fluid delivery system, the heater operating at a first power level in a warm-up phase and at a second power level, lower than the first power level, in an operational mode;

a suction source carried by the housing, which functions only in the operational mode; and

,

a suction nozzle which fluidly communicates with the suction source, for withdrawing the cleaning liquid from the surface.

24. The carpet extractor of claim 23, further comprising:

a pressure source which pressurizes the cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid tank.

25. The carpet extractor of claim 23, further comprising:

a pump in the fluid delivery system which pressurizes the cleaning liquid.

26. The floor cleaning device of claim 25, further comprising an accumulator positioned intermediate the pump and the distributor, the accumulator temporarily storing pressurized cleaning fluid.

27. The carpet extractor of claim 23, further comprising:

a second cleaning liquid tank in fluid communication with at least one of the first cleaning liquid tank and the fluid delivery system.

28. The carpet extractor of claim 23, further comprising:

a recovery tank, mounted to the housing and communicating with said suction nozzle.

29. An extractor comprising:

a housing;

a cleaning fluid supply tank carried by the housing, for holding a cleaning fluid;

a heater, carried by the housing, which heats the cleaning fluid;

a fluid delivery system which delivers cleaning fluid from the cleaning fluid supply tank to a surface to be cleaned;

a suction nozzle which withdraws dirty fluid from the surface;

a suction source which fluidly communicates with the suction nozzle; and

a control system which controls delivery of power to the suction source and the heater, the control system having a warm up mode, in which power is delivered at a first level to the heater and no power is delivered to the suction source, and an operational mode, in which power is delivered at a second, lower, level to the heater, and power is delivered to the suction source.

30. The extractor of claim 29, further comprising a pressure source which pressurizes the cleaning fluid, and wherein in the warm up mode, the control system controls delivery of power to the pressure source for pressurizing the tank.