Extraction cleaning machine with cleaning control

• US 6,446,302 B1
• Filed: 06/13/2000
• Issued: 09/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bissell Inc.
• Original Assignee: Bissell Homecare, Inc. (Bissell Inc.)
• Inventors: Hansen, Samuel N., Miner, Jonathan L., McDowell, David E., Kasper, Gary A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Snider, Theresa T.
• Application Number:
  US09/593,126
• Time in Patent Office: 819 Days
• Field of Search: 153/19, 153/39, 153/20, 153/402, 153/83, 153/89, 153/403
• US Class Current: 15/319
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/30 by suction
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/40 Parts or details of machines not provided for in groups A47L11/02 - A47L11/38, or not restricted to one of these groups, e.g. handles, arrangements of switches, skirts, buffers, levers

Abstract

The invention relates to an extraction cleaning machine including condition sensors for generating condition signals representative of a condition of the surface being cleaned, a controller, and variable-control cleaning systems, wherein the controller sends control signals to the variable-control cleaning systems in response to sensor signals received from the condition sensors. The invention further relates to a self-propelled extraction cleaning machine, and to an extraction cleaning machine including condition sensors and audible or visual indicators to notify the operator of the condition of the surface being cleaned.

Claims

1. An extraction surface cleaning apparatus having:

a housing;

at least two wheels mounted to the housing for supporting the housing for movement along a surface to be cleaned;

a liquid dispensing system mounted to the housing and including;

a liquid dispensing nozzle for applying liquid to the 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 fluid to the dispensing nozzle;

a fluid recovery system mounted to the housing and including;

a recovery chamber for holding recovered fluid,

a suction nozzle,

a working air conduit extending between the recovery chamber and the suction nozzle; and

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

a variable cleaning control element mounted on the housing and adjustable to control the rate of cleaning by the extraction surface cleaning apparatus;

the improvement comprising;

a sensor mounted to the housing for detecting a condition of the surface to be cleaned and for generating a condition signal representative of the detected condition of the surface to be cleaned.

2. The extraction surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 and further comprising

a controller operably coupled to the sensor and to the variable cleaning control element, the controller being programmed to control the variable cleaning control element in accordance with the detected condition of the surface to be cleaned.

3. The extraction surface cleaning apparatus of claim 2 wherein the detected condition is related to the degree of soil in the surface to be cleaned and the condition signal is a soil-degree signal and wherein the controller includes a data structure having data representative of various degrees of soil in the surface and control settings on the variable cleaning control element;

and

the controller is further programmed to compare the soil degree signal with the data representative of various degrees of soil in the surface to be cleaned and for generating a control signal to the variable cleaning control element to adjust the degree of cleaning of the extraction surface cleaning apparatus to match the detected degree of soil in the surface to be cleaned.

4. The extraction surface cleaning apparatus of claim 2 wherein the variable cleaning control element is a variable speed motor operably connected to the wheels for driving the wheels and powering the housing along the surface to be cleaned, the motor including a speed control component for controlling the speed of the motor and thus the rotational speed of the wheels.

5. The extraction surface cleaning apparatus of claim 2 wherein the fluid supply chamber comprises a first tank for concentrated cleaning solution, a second tank for water, a mixing valve for adjusting the relative amounts of concentrated cleaning solution and water, and conduits connecting the first with second tanks and the mixing valve, and wherein the variable cleaning control element is the mixing valve.

6. The extraction surface cleaning apparatus of claim 2 and further comprising a motor operably connected to the wheels for driving the wheels and powering the housing along the surface to be cleaned, and wherein the variable cleaning control element is a speed control component for controlling the rotational speed of the wheels.

7. The extraction surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the detected condition is related to the degree of soil in the surface to be cleaned and the condition signal is a soil-degree signal.

8. The extraction surface cleaning apparatus of claim 7 wherein the sensor detects the soil degree condition by measuring a characteristic of the surface to be cleaned.

9. The extraction surface cleaning apparatus of claim 7 wherein the sensor detects the soil degree condition by measuring a property of the recovered fluid.

10. The extraction surface cleaning apparatus of claim 9 wherein the property of the recovered fluid is the relative degree of dirt in the recovered fluid.

11. The extraction surface cleaning apparatus of claim 10 wherein the sensor is positioned adjacent the working air conduit to detect the degree of dirt in the working air conduit.

12. The extraction surface cleaning apparatus of claim 10 wherein the sensor is positioned in or adjacent to the recovery chamber to detect the relative amounts of foam in the recovery chamber created during the drawing of the liquid into the recovery chamber.

13. The extraction surface cleaning apparatus of claim 10 wherein the sensor comprises a photocell and the property of the recovered fluid is its light intensity value.

14. The extraction surface cleaning apparatus of claim 13 wherein the sensor further comprises a light source.

15. The extraction surface cleaning apparatus of claim 10 wherein the sensor comprises a conductivity sensor.

16. The extraction surface cleaning apparatus of claim 10 and further comprising:

a controller operably coupled to the sensor and to the variable cleaning control element to control the variable cleaning control element in accordance with the detected condition of the surface to be cleaned;

the controller includes a data structure having data representative of various degrees of soil in the surface and control settings on the variable cleaning control element; and

wherein the data structure includes data representative of the light intensity value of the cleaning fluid and the controller includes a spectral comparator for comparing the light intensity value of the recovered fluid to the light intensity value of the cleaning fluid.

17. The extraction surface cleaning apparatus of claim 16 wherein the sensor is positioned to detect the color of the cleaning fluid in the fluid supply conduit and connected to the controller to form the data representative of the color of the cleaning fluid.

18. The extraction surface cleaning apparatus of claim 16 wherein the data representative of the cleaning fluid is a predetermined value.

19. The extraction surface cleaning apparatus of claim 9 wherein the condition is the concentration of a chemical component of the recovered fluid.

20. The extraction surface cleaning apparatus of claim 19 wherein the chemical component is a compound in the cleaning fluid that is modified by the soil level in the recovered fluid.

21. The extraction surface cleaning apparatus of claim 7 wherein the sensor comprises a reflectance sensor directed at the surface being cleaned to sense the degree of soil in the surface.

22. The extraction surface cleaning apparatus of claim 7 and further comprising an indicator coupled to the sensor to indicate to an operator the detected condition of the degree of soil in the surface to be cleaned.

23. The extraction surface cleaning apparatus of claim 7 and further comprising a controller operably coupled to the sensor and to the variable cleaning control element, the controller having a memory with a first stored reference value representative of a desired clean floor condition and the controller is further programmed to compare the soil degree signal with the first stored reference value and for generating a control signal to the variable cleaning control elements until the soil degree signal is within a predetermined threshold of the first stored reference value.

24. The extraction surface cleaning apparatus of claim 23 wherein the controller has a learning mode, an active mode and a manual switch for converting the controller from the learning mode to the active mode and vice versa;

the controller is programmed so that the soil degree signal is the first reference value when the controller is in the learning mode, and, when the controller is in the active mode, the soil degree signal is compared with the first reference value to control the variable cleaning control element in accordance with the detected condition of the surface to be cleaned, whereby a user can place the controller in the learning mode via the manual switch and operate the apparatus over a clean floor surface to set the first reference value, and then actuate the manual switch to the active mode and operate the extraction surface cleaning apparatus on a dirty floor surface.

25. The extraction surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the sensor comprises a moisture sensor and is positioned to detect the level of moisture in the surface to be cleaned.

26. The extraction surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 and further comprising an in-line heater in the fluid supply conduit for heating the cleaning fluid, and a variable electrical supply to the in-line heater;

wherein the variable cleaning control element comprises the variable electrical supply.

27. The extraction surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 and further comprising a variable-flow fluid pump in the fluid supply conduit and wherein the variable cleaning control element comprises the variable-flow fluid pump.

28. The extraction surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the vacuum source includes a variable-speed motor and the variable cleaning control element comprises the variable-speed motor to vary the flow of working air from suction nuzzle.

29. The extraction surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 and further comprising an agitator for agitating the surface to be cleaned and a height-adjustment mechanism for mounting the agitator to the housing at various heights with respect to the surface to be cleaned and wherein the variable cleaning control element comprises the height-adjustment mechanism.

30. The extraction surface cleaning apparatus of claim 29 and further comprising a variable pressure application mechanism for applying a variable degree of pressure to the agitator and wherein the variable cleaning control element comprises the variable pressure application mechanism.

31. The extraction surface cleaning apparatus of claim 29 and further comprising a variable-speed motor driving the agitator and wherein the variable cleaning control element comprise the variable-speed motor.

32. The extraction surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 and further comprising an agitator for agitating the surface to be cleaned;

a variable-speed motor driving the agitator and wherein the variable cleaning control element comprises the variable-speed motor.

33. The extraction surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 and further comprising at least one booster tank for holding at least one of a booster and oxidizing agent, a mixing valve for adjusting the relative amounts of booster or oxidizing agent and cleaning solution and conduits between the booster tank and fluid supply tank and mixing valve, and wherein the variable cleaning control element is the mixing valve.

34. The extraction surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein there are multiple variable cleaning control elements mounted on the housing and adjustable to control the degree of cleaning by the extraction surface cleaning apparatus, and further comprising a controller which is programmed to control each of the multiple variable cleaning control elements either singularly or multiply.

35. The extraction surface cleaning apparatus of claim 34 wherein the controller further comprises manual controls for at least some of the multiple cleaning control elements for manual selection or control of one or more of the cleaning control elements.

36. The extraction surface cleaning apparatus of claim 35 wherein the liquid dispensing system further includes a heater to heat the cleaning fluid to steam whereby steam is sprayed onto the surface to be cleaned, the fluid supply chamber comprises a first tank for concentrated cleaning solution, a second tank for water, a mixing valve for adjusting the relative amounts of concentrated cleaning solution and water, and conduits connecting the first and second tanks with the mixing valve, a motor operably connected to the wheels for driving the wheels and powering the housing along the surface to be cleaned, the vacuum source includes a variable-speed motor, an agitator for agitating the surface to be cleaned and at least one of a height-adjustment mechanism for mounting the agitator to the housing at various heights with respect to the surface to be cleaned, a variable pressure application mechanism for applying a variable degree of pressure to the agitator, and a variable-speed motor driving the agitator, and wherein the multiple cleaning control elements include at least one of the amount of steam generated by the heater, the relative position of the mixing valve, the speed of the housing along the surface to be cleaned, the power to the vacuum source variable-speed motor and pressure, height or speed of the agitator.

37. An extraction surface cleaning apparatus having:

a housing;

at least two wheels mounted to the housing for supporting the housing for movement along a surface to be cleaned;

a liquid dispensing system mounted to the housing and including;

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 liquid to the dispensing nozzle;

a fluid recovery system mounted to the housing and including;

a recovery chamber for holding recovered fluid,

a suction nozzle,

a working air conduit extending between the recovery chamber and the suction nozzle; and

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

a variable cleaning control element mounted on the housing and adjustable to control the degree of cleaning by the extraction surface cleaning apparatus;

the improvement comprising;

a sensor mounted to the housing for detecting a condition relative to the degree of soil in the surface to be cleaned and adapted to generate a soil-degree signal representative of the detected condition of the relative degree of soil in the surface to be cleaned; and

an audible or visual indicator coupled to the sensor and adapted to indicate the relative degree of soil in the surface to be cleaned; and

a manual control for varying the cleaning control element by the operator.

38. An extraction surface cleaning apparatus having:

a housing;

at least two wheels mounted to the housing for supporting the housing for movement along a surface to be cleaned;

a liquid dispensing system mounted to the housing and including;

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 liquid to the dispensing nozzle;

a fluid recovery system mounted to the housing and including;

a recovery chamber for holding recovered fluid,

a suction nozzle,

a working air conduit extending between the recovery chamber and the suction nozzle; and

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

a variable cleaning control element mounted on the housing and adjustable to select the degree of cleaning by the extraction surface cleaning apparatus;

the improvement comprising;

a sensor mounted to the housing for detecting a condition relative to the degree of cleaning by the extraction surface cleaning apparatus; and

an audible or visual indicator coupled to the sensor and adapted to indicate the condition relative to the sensed degree of cleaning by the extraction surface cleaning apparatus.

39. The extraction surface cleaning apparatus of claim 38 wherein the condition relative to the degree of cleaning is the speed of the housing over the surface to be cleaned.

40. The extraction surface cleaning apparatus of claim 38 wherein the condition relative to the degree of cleaning is a property of the recovered fluid.

41. An extraction surface cleaning apparatus having:

a housing;

at least two wheels mounted to the housing for supporting the housing for movement along a surface to be cleaned;

a liquid dispensing system mounted to the housing and including;

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 liquid to the dispensing nozzle;

a fluid recovery system mounted to the housing and including;

a recovery chamber for holding recovered fluid,

a suction nozzle,

a working air conduit extending between the recovery chamber and the suction nozzle; and

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

the improvement comprising;

a sensor mounted to the housing for detecting a condition relative to the level of moisture in the surface being cleaned and adapted to generate a moisture level signal representative of the detected condition of the relative degree of moisture in the surface being cleaned; and

an audible or visual indicator coupled to the sensor and adapted to indicate the relative moisture level in the surface being cleaned.