Method and apparatus for cleaning fabrics, floor coverings, and bare floor surfaces utilizing a soil transfer medium
First Claim
1. A method of removing soil from a surface intended to be cleaned using a movable machine, said method comprising:
- moving the movable machine across the surface while repeatedly;
spraying a wetted portion of a revolving cylindrical cleaning medium with a cleaning liquid, said cleaning liquid carried in cleaning solution tank on said movable machine;
after said spraying, rotating said wetted portion of the cleaning medium into contact with a vacuum extractor, said vacuum extractor defining an elongated slot opening which extends from one end of the cleaning medium to an opposite end, with said vacuum extractor being coupled to a vacuum conduit, and said slot opening having a substantially narrower diameter than said cleaning medium and said vacuum conduit, with ends of said vacuum extractor engaging fibers of said wetted portion of said cylindrical cleaning medium during said contact;
with said vacuum extractor, extracting soil and cleaning liquid from said wetted portion of the revolving cleaning medium through said slot opening prior to said wetted portion revolving into contact with the surface to be cleaned;
after said extracting, rotating said wetted portion of the cleaning medium out of contact with said vacuum extractor and toward contact with said surface to be cleaned, with said rotating causing the wetted portion of the cylindrical cleaning medium to rotate away from contact with said ends of said vacuum extractor;
during said rotating, wiping the surface with said wetted portion of the revolving cleaning medium so as to transfer soil from the surface to the cleaning medium; and
after said wiping, sequentially repeating said steps of spraying, rotating, extracting, rotating, and wiping as said movable machine is moved across the surface.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus and method for cleaning fabrics, floor coverings, and bare floor surfaces utilizing a soil transfer cleaning medium is disclosed. A method of mechanically removing soil from a surface intended to be cleaned includes the steps of successively and repeatedly: wetting a portion of a cleaning medium with a cleaning liquid; extracting any soil and at least some of the cleaning liquid from the previously wetted portion of the cleaning medium; and wiping the surface intended to be cleaned with the portion of the cleaning medium so as to transfer soil from the surface intended to be cleaned to the cleaning medium. Portable and vehicle-based devices may be utilized to practice the method of cleaning.
78 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method of removing soil from a surface intended to be cleaned using a movable machine, said method comprising:
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moving the movable machine across the surface while repeatedly; spraying a wetted portion of a revolving cylindrical cleaning medium with a cleaning liquid, said cleaning liquid carried in cleaning solution tank on said movable machine; after said spraying, rotating said wetted portion of the cleaning medium into contact with a vacuum extractor, said vacuum extractor defining an elongated slot opening which extends from one end of the cleaning medium to an opposite end, with said vacuum extractor being coupled to a vacuum conduit, and said slot opening having a substantially narrower diameter than said cleaning medium and said vacuum conduit, with ends of said vacuum extractor engaging fibers of said wetted portion of said cylindrical cleaning medium during said contact; with said vacuum extractor, extracting soil and cleaning liquid from said wetted portion of the revolving cleaning medium through said slot opening prior to said wetted portion revolving into contact with the surface to be cleaned; after said extracting, rotating said wetted portion of the cleaning medium out of contact with said vacuum extractor and toward contact with said surface to be cleaned, with said rotating causing the wetted portion of the cylindrical cleaning medium to rotate away from contact with said ends of said vacuum extractor; during said rotating, wiping the surface with said wetted portion of the revolving cleaning medium so as to transfer soil from the surface to the cleaning medium; and after said wiping, sequentially repeating said steps of spraying, rotating, extracting, rotating, and wiping as said movable machine is moved across the surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method of removing soil from a surface intended to be cleaned using a movable machine, said method comprising:
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moving the movable machine across the surface while repeatedly; spraying a portion of a revolving cylindrical cleaning medium with a cleaning liquid; after said spraying, revolving said wetted portion of the cleaning medium into contact with a vacuum extractor, said vacuum extractor having an elongated slot opening having a slot width which is substantially narrower than a diameter of said cleaning medium and a diameter of a vacuum conduit connected to an end of said vacuum extractor, with ends of said vacuum extractor engaging fibers of said wetted portion of said cylindrical cleaning medium; with said vacuum extractor, extracting via vacuum-action soil and cleaning liquid from said wetted portion of the revolving cleaning medium through said elongated slot opening prior to said wetted portion revolving into contact with the surface to be cleaned; after said extracting, revolving said wetted portion of the cleaning medium out of contact with said vacuum extractor and toward contact with said surface to be cleaned, said revolving moving the engaged fibers of the wetted portion of the cylindrical cleaning medium away from contact with the vacuum extractor; wiping the surface with said wetted portion of the revolving cleaning medium so as to transfer soil from the surface intended to be cleaned to the cleaning medium, wherein the cleaning medium includes a pair of elongated cylindrical shaped elements which are counter-rotated relative to each other and wherein portions of said pair of elements contact each other as the cleaning medium revolves; and sequentially repeating said steps of spraying, rotating, extracting, rotating and wiping as said movable machine is moved across the surface. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of cleaning a carpeted surface, said method being performed by a surface maintenance machine and comprising:
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spraying a portion of a revolving cleaning medium with a cleaning liquid; after said spraying, with a vacuum extractor, removing some soil and some of the cleaning liquid from the previously wetted portion of the cleaning medium, with fibers of said previously wetted portion of the cleaning medium being rotated into contact with a perimeter of an elongated slot opening of said vacuum extractor, with said slot opening being narrower than a diameter of said revolving cleaning medium and a diameter of a vacuum conduit connected to said vacuum extractor, said removing drawing soil and cleaning liquid on said fibers through said elongated slot opening of said vacuum extractor; after said removing, revolving said fibers away from contact with the vacuum extractor and into contact with the carpeted surface; wiping the carpeted surface with the fibers of said portion of the revolving cleaning medium so as to transfer soil from the carpeted surface to the cleaning medium; and sequentially repeating said spraying, removing, contacting and wiping the carpeted surface during a carpet cleaning procedure. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification