Upright extraction cleaning machine

• US 6,438,793 B1
• Filed: 07/10/2000
• Issued: 08/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bissell Homecare, Inc. (Bissell Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bissell Homecare, Inc. (Bissell Inc.)
• Inventors: Miner, Jonathan L., Kasper, Gary A., Kasen, Timothy E.
• Primary Examiner(s): MOORE, CHRISTOPHER K
• Application Number:
  US09/612,874
• Time in Patent Office: 778 Days
• Field of Search: 153/20, 153/39, 153/91
• US Class Current: 15/320
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/30 by suction
• 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 11/4044 Vacuuming or pick-up tools; Squeegees
• 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 5/225 Convertible suction cleaners, i.e. convertible between different types thereof, e.g. from upright suction cleaners to sledge-type suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/30 with driven dust-loosening tools, e.g. rotating brushes
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/32 with means for connecting a hose hose couplings for suction cleaners A47L9/24
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/0009 with means mounted on the nozzle; nozzles specially adapted for the recovery of liquid
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/0028 Security means, e.g. float valves or level switches for preventing overflow
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/0038 with means for emptying the tanks
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/0042 Gaskets; Sealing means
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/49 Mixing systems, i.e. flow charts or diagrams
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 2111/46 applying energy, e.g. irradiation
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/0031 Carpet, upholstery, fur or leather cleansers
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/39 Organic or inorganic per-compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/3905 Bleach activators or bleach catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/3917 Nitrogen-containing compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/3947 Liquid compositions
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 7/3254 Esters or carbonates thereof
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/54 : with pinion and rack
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/00 : Ohmic-resistance heating

Abstract

A portable surface cleaning apparatus including a liquid dispensing system including a flexible bladder defining a fluid supply chamber for holding a supply of cleaning fluid and a fluid recovery tank having a fluid recovery chamber for holding recovered fluid and housing the flexible bladder. A fluid passageway between the fluid supply chamber and the recovery chamber equalizes the pressure in the flexible bladder as the cleaning fluid is dispensed from the supply chamber and the dirty liquid is collected in the recovery chamber. A lid mounted on the tank defines an expansion chamber having an inlet opening, an outlet passage, and first and second diverters against which the working air flow reverses direction twice between the inlet opening of the expansion chamber and the tank. The working air conduit includes a manual actuator knob having an over-center linkage mechanism connected to a conversion valve for movement between first and second positions and thereby selectively moving the conversion valve between open and closed positions, whereby fluid communication between the tank and the suction nozzle is selectively opened and closed. A flow indicator is mounted to the base module and has a visibility window observable to a user and the flow indicator is disposed in the fluid supply conduit and is responsive to the flow of fluid through the fluid supply conduit to visually indicate the flow of fluid through the supply conduit to the user. A pump primer is connected to the pump and has a housing defining a priming chamber with a valved opening connected to the vacuum source, an inlet opening is connected to the fluid supply chamber, and an outlet opening is connected to an inlet for the pump. A motor drives the impeller, the pump and an agitation brush. An elevator assembly is reciprocally mounted to the base module and movable in response to movement of the upright handle from an operative position to the upright position for raising an agitation brush.

Claims

1. A portable surface cleaning apparatus, comprising:

a cleaning module for movement along a surface and having a forward portion;

a fluid recovery system on the cleaning module and comprising;

a tank having a fluid recovery chamber for holding recovered fluid;

a suction nozzle associated with the cleaning module;

a working air conduit extending between the tank and the suction nozzle;

a vacuum source including an impeller in fluid communication with the recovery chamber for generating a flow of working air from the nozzle through the working air conduit and through the recovery chamber to thereby draw dirty liquid from the surface to be cleaned through the nozzle and working air conduit and into the recovery chamber;

a liquid dispensing system on the cleaning module and comprising;

a liquid dispensing nozzle for applying liquid to a surface to be cleaned;

a fluid supply chamber for holding a supply of cleaning fluid;

a fluid supply conduit including a pump fluidly connected to the fluid supply chamber and to the dispensing nozzle for supplying cleaning fluid to the dispensing nozzle, the pump including a pump drive shaft for driving the pump;

an agitator brush mounted in the cleaning module for agitating a surface to be cleaned;

a motor associated with the cleaning module and connected to the impeller for driving the impeller, the motor is further mechanically connected to the agitator brush and the pump drive shaft for driving the agitator brush and the pump, whereby the motor drives the impeller, the agitator brush and the pump.

2. A portable surface cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the motor is connected to the agitator brush through the pump drive shaft.

3. A portable surface cleaning apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the agitator brush is connected to the pump drive shaft through a timing belt.

4. A portable surface cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the pump drive shaft has a mechanical step down device connecting the pump drive shaft to the motor to step down the speed of rotation of the pump drive shaft.

5. A portable surface cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 and further comprising inner and outer pulleys mounted on the pump drive shaft, wherein the pump drive shaft is connected to the agitator brush through a first belt which is reeved around the outer pulley and the pump drive shaft is connected to the motor through a second belt which is reeved around the inner pulley.

6. A portable surface cleaning apparatus according to claim 5 and further comprising a baffle on the cleaning module between the inner and outer pulleys to minimize fluid transfer between the inner and outer pulley.

7. A portable surface cleaning apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the cleaning module includes an outer housing with an opening adjacent to the second belt and a removable door selectively mounted to the housing to cover the opening, the removable door having at least a portion of the baffle mounted thereto.

8. A portable surface cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the motor is directly connected to the agitator brush and directly connected to the pump drive shaft.

13. A portable surface cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the motor is connected to at least one of the pump and agitator brush with a timing belt.

9. A portable surface cleaning apparatus, comprising:

a cleaning module for movement along a surface and having a forward portion;

a fluid recovery system on the cleaning module and comprising;

a tank having a fluid recovery chamber for holding recovered fluid;

a suction nozzle associated with the cleaning module;

a working air conduit extending between the tank and the suction nozzle;

a vacuum source including an impeller in fluid communication with the recovery chamber for generating a flow of working air from the nozzle through the working air conduit and through the recovery chamber to thereby draw dirty liquid from the surface to be cleaned through the nozzle and working air conduit and into the recovery chamber;

a liquid dispensing system on the cleaning module and comprising;

a liquid dispensing nozzle for applying liquid to a surface to be cleaned;

a fluid supply chamber for holding a supply of cleaning fluid;

a fluid supply conduit fluidly connected to the fluid supply chamber and to the dispensing nozzle for supplying cleaning fluid to the dispensing nozzle;

an agitator brush mounted in the cleaning module for agitating a surface to be cleaned;

a motor associated with the cleaning module and connected to the impeller for driving the impeller, the motor is further mechanically connected to the agitator brush through a belt for driving the agitator brush; and

the cleaning module includes an outer housing with an access opening adjacent to the belt and a removable door selectively mounted to the housing to cover the access opening and to provide access to the belt for replacement.

10. A portable surface cleaning apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the cleaning module includes a base and a handle, and the handle is pivotally mounted to the base for manipulation of the cleaning module by a user.

11. A portable surface cleaning apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the belt is a timing belt.

12. A portable surface cleaning apparatus according to claim 9 wherein one of the removable door and the outer housing has a flange and the other of the removable door and outer housing has a mating groove for receiving the flange when the removable door is received within the access opening to selectively mount the removable door to the outer housing.