Water extraction cleaning machine with variable solution mixing valve
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A water extraction cleaning machine comprising:
- a housing including an exterior wall accessible to a user;
a clean water tank mounted to the housing;
a detergent tank mounted to the housing;
at least one spray nozzle mounted to the housing for spraying cleaning solution onto the surface being cleaned;
a suction nozzle adapted to withdraw dirty cleaning solution from the surface being cleaned;
a vacuum motor mounted to the housing and fluidly connected to the suction nozzle through a working air conduit for removing used cleaning solution from the surface being cleaned;
a waste water recovery tank fluidly connected to the vacuum motor and to the suction nozzle, the waste water recovery tank having an air/water separator adapted to separate the used cleaning solution and air withdrawn through the nozzle; and
a variable detergent/water mixing valve comprising;
a body forming a detergent/water mixing chamber;
a clean water inlet port in the body fluidly connected to the clean water tank and to the mixing chamber;
a detergent inlet port in the body fluidly connected to the detergent tank and to the mixing chamber;
a solution outlet port in the body and fluidly connected to the at least one spray nozzle;
a variable flow rate valve mounted in the body and movably associated with the clean water port or the detergent inlet port for varying the relative proportions of the clean water and detergent delivered to the solution outlet port; and
an actuating knob mounted to the housing on the exterior wall for movement about an axis generally perpendicular to the exterior wall and coupled to the variable flow rate valve through a threaded mechanical connection for movement therewith;
wherein the mechanical connection converts rotary motion of the actuating knob to linear movement of the variable flow rate valve.
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Abstract
The invention relates to a water extraction cleaning machine having a variable solution mixing valve adapted to create cleaning solution mixtures of variable constituent ratios. Clean water and detergent are provided from tanks supported on the water extraction cleaning machines. The size of the detergent inlet opening can be altered through rotation of a control knob provided on the outside of the water extraction cleaning machine. The knob is interconnected to at least one member which is adapted to vary the size of one of the detergent fluid inlet and the clean water inlet so that the ratio of constituent elements can be altered depending upon the cleaning application.
46 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A water extraction cleaning machine comprising:
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a housing including an exterior wall accessible to a user; a clean water tank mounted to the housing; a detergent tank mounted to the housing; at least one spray nozzle mounted to the housing for spraying cleaning solution onto the surface being cleaned; a suction nozzle adapted to withdraw dirty cleaning solution from the surface being cleaned; a vacuum motor mounted to the housing and fluidly connected to the suction nozzle through a working air conduit for removing used cleaning solution from the surface being cleaned; a waste water recovery tank fluidly connected to the vacuum motor and to the suction nozzle, the waste water recovery tank having an air/water separator adapted to separate the used cleaning solution and air withdrawn through the nozzle; and a variable detergent/water mixing valve comprising; a body forming a detergent/water mixing chamber; a clean water inlet port in the body fluidly connected to the clean water tank and to the mixing chamber; a detergent inlet port in the body fluidly connected to the detergent tank and to the mixing chamber; a solution outlet port in the body and fluidly connected to the at least one spray nozzle; a variable flow rate valve mounted in the body and movably associated with the clean water port or the detergent inlet port for varying the relative proportions of the clean water and detergent delivered to the solution outlet port; and an actuating knob mounted to the housing on the exterior wall for movement about an axis generally perpendicular to the exterior wall and coupled to the variable flow rate valve through a threaded mechanical connection for movement therewith; wherein the mechanical connection converts rotary motion of the actuating knob to linear movement of the variable flow rate valve. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 7)
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4. A water extraction cleaning machine comprising:
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a housing including an exterior wall accessible to a user; a clean water tank mounted to the housing; a detergent tank mounted to the housing; at least one spray nozzle mounted to the housing for spraying cleaning solution onto the surface being cleaned; a suction nozzle adapted to withdraw dirty cleaning solution from the surface being cleaned; a vacuum motor mounted to the housing and fluidly connected to the suction nozzle through a working air conduit for removing used cleaning solution from the surface being cleaned; a waste water recovery tank fluidly connected to the vacuum motor and to the suction nozzle, the waste water recovery tank having an air/water separator adapted to separate the used cleaning solution and air withdrawn through the nozzle; and a variable detergent/water mixing valve comprising; a body forming a detergent/water mixing chamber; a clean water inlet port in the body fluidly connected to the clean water tank and to the mixing chamber; a detergent inlet port in the body fluidly connected to the detergent tank and to the mixing chamber; a solution outlet port in the body and fluidly connected to the at least one spray nozzle; a variable flow rate valve mounted in the body and movably positioned in the detergent inlet port for varying the relative proportions of the clean water and detergent delivered to the solution outlet port; and an actuating knob mounted to the housing on the exterior wall for movement about an axis generally perpendicular to the exterior wall and coupled to the variable flow rate valve through a mechanical connector for movement therewith. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A water extraction cleaning machine comprising:
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a housing including an exterior wall accessible to a user; a clean water tank mounted to the housing; a detergent tank mounted to the housing; at least one spray nozzle mounted to the housing for spraying cleaning solution onto the surface being cleaned; a suction nozzle adapted to withdraw dirty cleaning solution from the surface being cleaned; a vacuum motor mounted to the housing and fluidly connected to the suction nozzle through a working air conduit for removing used cleaning solution from the surface being cleaned; a waste water recovery tank fluidly connected to the vacuum motor and to the suction nozzle, the waste water recovery tank having an air/water separator adapted to separate the used cleaning solution and air withdrawn through the nozzle; and a variable detergent/water mixing valve comprising; a body forming a detergent/water mixing chamber; a clean water inlet port in the body fluidly connected to the clean water tank and to the mixing chamber; a detergent inlet port in the body fluidly connected to the detergent tank and to the mixing chamber; a solution outlet port in the body and fluidly connected to the at least one spray nozzle; a variable flow rate valve mounted in the body and movably associated with the clean water port or the detergent inlet port for varying the relative proportions of the clean water and detergent delivered to the solution outlet port; and an actuating knob mounted to the housing on the exterior wall for rotational movement and coupled to the variable flow rate valve through a threaded mechanical connector for movement therewith. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A water extraction cleaning machine comprising:
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a housing; a clean water tank mounted to the housing; a detergent tank mounted to the housing; at least one spray nozzle mounted to the housing for spraying cleaning solution onto the surface being cleaned; a suction nozzle mounted to withdraw dirty cleaning solution from the surface being cleaned; a vacuum motor mounted to the housing and connected to the suction nozzle for removing used cleaning solution from the surface being cleaned; a waste water tank fluidly connected to the vacuum motor and to the suction nozzle, the waste water tank being adapted to separate the used cleaning solution and air withdrawn through the nozzle; and a solution mixing valve fluidly connected to both the clean Water tank and the detergent tank, the mixing valve comprising; a valve body forming a mixing chamber having a clean water inlet port fluidly connected to the clean water tank, a detergent inlet port fluidly connected to the detergent tank, and a solution outlet port fluidly connected to the at least one spray nozzle; a shaft having a longitudinal variable flow rate groove provided therein, the shaft being mounted in the detergent inlet port for axial movement therein and adapted to control the flow of detergent through the inlet port into the mixing chamber, the flow rate of detergent to the mixing chamber being dependent upon the relative position of the variable flow rate groove within the detergent inlet port. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification