Method for diagnosing, cleaning and preserving carpeting and other fabrics

• US 6,030,464 A
• Filed: 01/28/1998
• Issued: 02/29/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pacific Specialty Chemical, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Pacific Specialty Chemical, Inc.
• Inventors: Azevedo, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): EL ARINI, ZEINAB
• Application Number:
  US09/014,736
• Time in Patent Office: 762 Days
• Field of Search: 134/6, 134/18, 134/21, 15/339
• US Class Current: 134/6
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/294 having reciprocating tools A47L11/30 takes 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 11/4008 Arrangements of switches, indicators or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/403 Means for monitoring filtering operation
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4038 Disk shaped surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4041 Roll shaped surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4044 Vacuuming or pick-up tools; Squeegees
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4069 Driving or transmission means for the cleaning tools
• 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: A47L 11/4088 Supply pumps; Spraying devices; Supply conduits
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/36 Suction cleaners with hose between nozzle and casing; Suction cleaners for fixing on staircases; Suction cleaners for carrying on the back
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/04 with driven brushes or agitators
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0488 Combinations or arrangements of several tools, e.g. edge cleaning tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/19 Means for monitoring filtering operation

Abstract

A method for assaying fibrous material, such as carpet (or other fabric) condition, and treating the fibrous material such as carpet by physically separating contaminating particulate matter therefrom, thereafter releasing entrained matter, and absorbing the released formerly entrained matter.

Claims

1. A method for separating contamination from fibrous material;

including the steps of;

concurrently dry brushing and vacuuming the fibrous material upwardly, thereby removing some of the contamination;

spraying the fibrous material on its uppermost surface only with a cleaning fluid, such that some more of the contamination is released from the fibrous material and into the fluid; and

toweling the fluid onto a dry absorbent surface from the fibrous material by adhering a clean, dry towel onto an underside of a machine, thereby drying the fibrous material and periodically replacing the towel when wet and dirty.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the removing includes dry brushing and vacuuming of the fibrous material while dry in order to initially remove a large percentage of the contamination embodied as particulate matter from the fibrous material to be cleaned before any steps take place which involve the cleaning fluid.

3. The method of claim 2 further including continuously sensing particulate matter density during vacuuming and displaying the density of the particulate matter being vacuumed from the fibrous material during vacuuming to signal comparative cleanliness.

4. The method of claim 3 further including heating and, purifying the water and mixing the thus purified water with a cleaning compound to form the cleaning fluid.

5. The method of claim 4 further including spraying the cleaning fluid onto a selected area of the fibrous material to be cleaned while the fluid is still heated and allowing the cleaning fluid to remain onto said selected area of the fibrous material throughout a predetermined time interval.

6. The method of claim 5 further including toweling the fibrous material by adhering a clean, dry towel onto an underside of an oscillating machine, drying the fibrous material and periodically replacing the towel when wet and dirty.

7. The method of claim 6 further including agitating the fibrous material in four orthogonally different directions during toweling whereby the particulate matter is absorbed from the fibrous material, transferring moisture into the towel.

8. The method of claim 7 further including applying protectant to the fibrous material which has been cleaned by spraying protectant upon the cleaned fibrous material.

9. The method of claim 8 further including adjusting depths of the dry brushing and the fibrous material is a carpet.

10. A method for carpet cleaning, including the steps of:

filtering water to remove impurities;

heating the water;

adding a cleaning compound to the water to form a cleaning solution;

concurrently dry brushing and vacuuming the carpet;

spraying the cleaning solution onto the carpet;

placing a dry, clean terry cloth towel on a toweling machine and on the carpet; and

rubbing the towel on the carpet to remove the cleaning solution.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the cleaning compound is initially in dry form and the adding step includes adding the dry cleaning compound to the water in the ratio range from 1-8 to 1-15, by volume.

12. The method of claim 11 including purifying the water by treating the water with ion exchange resin beads.

13. The method of claim 12 including heating and maintaining the water at a temperature of about 140°

F.

14. The method of claim 13 including spraying the cleaning solution as a highly atomized light mist, in a fan pattern and only on the uppermost portion of pile of the carpet.

15. The method of claim 14 including spraying the cleaning solution in a series of rapid, parallel strokes and avoiding tracking by backing up over the carpet while spraying.

16. The method of claim 15 including spraying 3-6 oz. of the cleaning solution over 100 square feet of carpet.

17. The method of claim 16 including removing over 90% of the cleaning solution with the towel.

18. The method of claim 17 including rubbing the towel in an oscillatory motion.

19. The method of claim 18 including a final step of applying protectant to the carpet.