Brushing – scrubbing – and general cleaning – Machines – With air blast or suction
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-13
2002-09-10
Snider, Theresa T. (Department: 1744)
Brushing, scrubbing, and general cleaning
Machines
With air blast or suction
C015S339000, C015S320000, C015S340300, C015S389000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06446302
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an extraction cleaning machine and, more particularly, to an upright extraction cleaning machine. In one of its aspects, the invention relates to a self-propelled extraction cleaning machine. In another of its aspects, the invention relates to a self-propelled extraction cleaning machine with dirt sensing. In another of its aspects, the invention relates to an extraction cleaning machine in which the degree of a cleaning function is controlled by the amount of dirt in the carpet.
2. Description of Related Art
Upright extraction cleaning machines have been used for removing dirt from surfaces such as carpeting, upholstery, drapes and the like. The known extraction cleaning machines can be in the form of a canister-type unit as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,237,720 or an upright unit as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,867,861.
Current upright extraction cleaning machines can be made easier to use by limiting the weight and number of components, such as fluid storage tanks, on the pivoting handle of the upright cleaning machine. Reducing the weight that a user must support as the handle is tilted rearwardly can also lower the center of gravity for the machine, which results in a better feel to the user. The degree of cleaning depends on a number of factors, including the speed of the machine along the surface to be cleaned, the relative amounts of cleaning solution and water, the amount of soil in the carpet or surface, the amount of suction applied to remove the dirty fluid from the carpet or other surface and the temperature of the cleaning fluid. The use of an agitator, if any, and the speed and pressure of the agitator will also affect the cleaning of the carpet. These factors are generally not controlled with respect to the carpet or floor condition although on some machines, the relative amounts of cleaning solution and water can be manually adjusted by the operator. However, the operator does not have any scientific way to judge the amount of soil in the carpet and simply does a visual guess as to the condition of the carpet and adjusts the amount of cleaning solution in the mix. Further, the speed of the extractor along the carpet or other surface depends on the operator. Thus, the rate of cleaning will likely vary by operator.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention, 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, a fluid recovery system mounted to the housing, and a vacuum source. The liquid dispensing system includes a liquid dispensing nozzle for applying liquid to a surface to be cleaned, a fluid supply chamber for holding a supply of cleaning fluid, and a fluid supply conduit fluidly connected to the fluid supply chamber and to the dispensing nozzle for supplying fluid to the dispensing nozzle. The recovery system includes a recovery chamber for holding recovered fluid, a suction nozzle, and a working air conduit extending between the recovery chamber and the suction nozzle. The vacuum source is 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 apparatus further comprises a variable cleaning control element mounted on the housing and adjustable to control the rate of cleaning by the extraction surface cleaning apparatus, and a sensor for detecting a condition of the surface to the cleaned and for generating a condition signal representative of the detected condition of the surface to be cleaned.
In one embodiment, a controller is operably coupled to the sensor and to the variable cleaning control element. The controller is programmed to control the variable cleaning control element in accordance with the detected condition of the surface to be cleaned. The detected condition can be related to the degree of soil in the surface to be cleaned and the condition signal is a soil-degree signal. In one embodiment, 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. The controller is programmed to compare the soil degree signal with the data representative of various degrees of soil in the surface to be cleaned (or being 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.
In one embodiment, the variable cleaning control element is a motor operably connected to the wheels for driving the wheels and powering the housing along the surface to be cleaned. In this embodiment, the variable cleaning control element is a speed control component for controlling the rotational speed of the wheels. In a further embodiment, the motor 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 speed control component controls the speed of the motor and thus the rotational speed of the wheels and the speed of the extractor along the surface being cleaned.
In a further embodiment, 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 between the first and second tanks and the mixing valve. In this embodiment, the variable cleaning control element is the mixing valve.
In a further embodiment, the sensor detects the soil degree condition by measuring a characteristic of the surface to be cleaned, or, in the alternative measures a property of the recovered fluid. The sensor can be positioned to detect the condition of the fluid in the working conduit, or in the recovery chamber. The property of the recovered fluid can include relative degree of dirt in the recovered fluid or the relative amounts of foam in the recovery chamber.
The sensor preferably comprises a photocell for detecting light level transmitted through or reflected by the surface or the fluid, and can include a light source. The sensor can also comprise a conductivity sensor.
In a further embodiment, the controller is 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 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. 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. The light intensity value can be a predetermined value. Alternatively, a sensor on the housing detects the color of the cleaning fluid in the fluid supply conduit and generates a signal representative of the detected color which in turn forms the data representative of the light intensity value of the cleaning fluid.
The condition being detected by the sensor can further include a concentration of a chemical component of the recovered fluid. The component can be a compound in the cleaning fluid that is modified by the soil level in the recovered fluid.
In a further embodiment, the sensor comprises a reflectance sensor directed at the surface being cleaned to sense the degree of soil in the surface.
In a still further embodiment, the an indicator is mounted to the housing and coupled to the sensor to indicate to an operator
Hansen Samuel N.
Kasper Gary A.
McDowell David E.
Miner Jonathan L.
Bissell Homecare Inc.
McGarry Bair LLP
Snider Theresa T.
LandOfFree
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