Cleaning apparatus having a functional generator for producing electrochemically activated cleaning liquid

Abstract

An apparatus is provided, which includes a mobile body configured to travel over a surface, a source of a liquid, a liquid dispenser and a flow path from the liquid source to the liquid dispenser. A functional generator is coupled in the flow path, which comprises an anode chamber and a cathode chamber separated by an ion exchange membrane and which electrochemically activates the liquid from the liquid source which is passed through the functional generator.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a functional generator, which can be used to electrochemically activate a liquid to be treated for use in cleaning, such as water, onboard or off-board a hard and/or soft floor cleaner according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 illustrates a functional generator according to another embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 illustrates an apparatus having a sparging device located downstream of a functional generator, according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 illustrates an apparatus having a sparging device located upstream of a functional generator, according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 5 illustrates an apparatus having an electrolysis cell type sparging device located upstream of a functional generator, according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 6 illustrates an apparatus having sparging devices located upstream and downstream of a functional generator, according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 7 illustrates an electrolysis cell type sparging device, according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIGS. 8A and 8B together illustrate a housing containing a sparging device and a functional generator according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the sparging device shown in FIG. 8B.

FIG. 10A is a side elevation view of a mobile hard floor surface cleaner in accordance with one or more exemplary embodiments of the disclosure.

FIG. 10B is a perspective view of the mobile hard floor surface cleaner shown in FIG. 10A with its lid in a closed state.

FIG. 10C is a perspective view of the mobile hard floor surface cleaner shown in FIG. 10A with its lid in an open state.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating a liquid distribution flow path of the cleaner shown in FIGS. 10A-10C in greater detail according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram of a floor cleaner that is configurable with multiple types of cleaning tools and extractors to accommodate different cleaning operations while using the same overall cleaner.

FIG. 13 is a block diagram, which illustrates the cleaner shown in FIG. 12 in a mode adapted to clean soft floors, according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 14 is a block diagram, which illustrates the cleaner shown in FIG. 12 in a mode adapted to deeply clean soft floors, according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 15 is a block diagram, which illustrates the cleaner shown in FIG. 5 in a mode adapted to clean hard floors, according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a soft floor cleaner (e.g. carpet extractor), according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of an all-surface cleaner, according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating a truck-mounted system according to a further embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 19 is a simplified block diagram, which illustrates a cleaner having an EA water distribution system with an odorous compound source according to a further embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 20 is a simplified block diagram of a cleaning liquid generator that mounted to a platform according to another embodiment.

FIG. 21 is a block diagram of a system, which includes an indicator representing an operating state of a functional generator.

Claims

1. A mobile surface cleaner comprising: a mobile body configured to travel over a surface;a source of a liquid;a liquid dispenser;a flow path from the liquid source to the liquid dispenser; anda functional generator in the flow path, which comprises an anode chamber and a cathode chamber separated by an ion exchange membrane and which electrochemically activates the liquid from the liquid source which is passed through the functional generator.

2. The mobile surface cleaner of claim 1 wherein the flow path combines a flow of liquid from the anode chamber with a flow of liquid from the cathode chamber to form a combined flow path that delivers a combined flow to the liquid dispenser.

3. The mobile surface cleaner of claim 1 wherein the flow path comprises a first flow path from the anode chamber to the liquid dispenser and a second flow path from the cathode chamber to the liquid dispenser, and wherein the liquid dispenser combines a flow of liquid from the first flow path with a flow of liquid from the second flow path to form a combined flow from the liquid dispenser.

4. The mobile surface cleaner of claim 1 wherein the flow path comprises a first flow path from the anode chamber to the liquid dispenser and a second flow path from the cathode chamber to the liquid dispenser, and wherein the liquid dispenser distributes a flow of liquid from the first flow path and a flow of liquid from the second flow path as separate output flows.

5. The mobile surface cleaner of claim 1 wherein the liquid source comprises a tank to carry a supply of the liquid and wherein the cleaner further comprises: a pump, which pumps the liquid along the flow path.

6. The mobile surface cleaner of claim 5, wherein the cleaner comprises: a first operating mode during motion of the cleaner relative to the surface being cleaned, during which the cleaner energizes the pump to pump the liquid along the flow path and energizes the functional generator to electrochemically activate the liquid that is passed through the functional generator and delivered to the surface by the liquid dispenser; anda second operating mode when the cleaner is at rest relative to the surface being cleaned, during which the cleaner de-energizes the pump to terminate flow of the cleaning liquid along the flow path and the cleaner de-energizes the functional generator.

7. The mobile surface cleaner of claim 1 wherein the functional generator comprises a first plurality of anode chambers and a second plurality of cathode chambers.

8. The mobile surface cleaner of claim 1 and further comprising a control circuit, which applies a DC voltage between electrodes in the anode chamber and the cathode chamber of the functional generator and periodically switches polarity of the DC voltage.

9. The mobile surface cleaner of claim 1 and further comprising: a sparging device in fluid communication with the flow path.

10. The mobile surface cleaner of claim 9, wherein the sparging device comprises an electrolyzing cell, which oxygenates at least one of the liquid from the source or the electrochemically activated liquid from the functional generator by electrolysis.

11. The mobile surface cleaner of claim 1 wherein the liquid source comprises a tank carried by the cleaner and wherein the cleaner further comprises: a motorized cleaning head connected to the mobile body and comprising a cleaning tool;a pump in fluid communication with the flow path, wherein the liquid dispenser is configured to apply the electrochemically activated liquid to at least one of the elements of the group comprising the surface, the cleaning tool or both the surface and the cleaning tool; anda fluid recovery device connected to the mobile body.

12. The mobile surface cleaner of claim 11, wherein the cleaning tool comprises a hard floor surface cleaning tool and the fluid recovery device comprises a vacuum squeegee connected to the mobile body to engage the surface.

13. The mobile surface cleaner of claim 12, wherein the hard floor surface cleaning tool comprises a hard floor scrub brush.

14. The mobile surface cleaner of claim 11, wherein: the cleaning tool comprises a soft floor surface cleaning tool comprising a soil transfer roller or a soft floor extraction tool; andthe fluid recovery device comprises a vacuum extractor configured to remove liquid from at least one of the surface being cleaned or the cleaning tool.

15. An apparatus comprising: a source of a liquid;a liquid dispenser;a flow path from the liquid source to the liquid dispenser; anda functional generator in fluid communication with the flow path, which converts the liquid into an anolyte electrochemically activated (EA) liquid and a catholyte EA liquid, wherein the anolyte EA liquid and the catholyte EA liquid are combined on-board the apparatus to form a combination of the anolyte EA liquid and the catholyte EA liquid, and wherein the liquid dispenser dispenses the combination of the anolyte EA liquid and the catholyte EA liquid.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein apparatus combines the anolyte EA liquid with the catholyte EA liquid at a location selected from the group consisting of an output of the functional generator, along the flow path, and at the liquid dispenser.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the cleaning liquid source comprises a tank to carry a supply of the liquid and wherein the apparatus further comprises: a pump in fluid communication with the flow path.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the apparatus comprises: a mobile body configured to travel over a surface;a first operating mode during motion of the apparatus relative to the surface, during which the apparatus energizes the pump to pump the liquid along the flow path and energizes the functional generator to electrochemically activate the liquid that is passed through the functional generator and delivered to the liquid dispenser; anda second operating mode when the apparatus is at rest relative to the surface, during which the apparatus de-energizes the pump to terminate flow of the liquid along the flow path and the apparatus de-energizes the functional generator.

19. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the functional generator comprises a first plurality of anode chambers and a second plurality of cathode chambers, separated by ion exchange membranes.

20. The apparatus of claim 15 and further comprising a control circuit, which applies a DC voltage between electrodes of the functional generator and periodically switches polarity of the DC voltage.

21. The apparatus of claim 15 and further comprising: a sparging device in fluid communication with the flow path.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the sparging device comprises an electrolyzing cell, which oxygenates at least one of the liquid, the anolyte EA liquid, the catholyte EA liquid, or the combination of the anolyte EA liquid and the catholyte EA liquid by electrolysis.

23. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the liquid source comprises a tank carried by the apparatus and wherein the apparatus further comprises: a mobile body configured to travel across a surface;a motorized cleaning head connected to the mobile body and comprising a cleaning tool;a pump in fluid communication with the flow path, wherein the liquid dispenser is configured to apply the combination of the anolyte EA liquid and the catholyte EA liquid to at least one of the elements of the group comprising the surface, the cleaning tool or both the surface and the cleaning tool; anda fluid recovery device connected to the mobile body.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the cleaning tool comprises a hard floor surface cleaning tool and the fluid recovery device comprises a vacuum squeegee connected to the mobile body to engage the surface.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the hard floor surface cleaning tool comprises a hard floor scrub brush.

26. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein: the cleaning tool comprises a soft floor surface cleaning tool comprising a soil transfer roller or a soft floor extraction tool; andthe fluid recovery device comprises a vacuum extractor configured to remove liquid from at least one of the surface being cleaned or the cleaning tool.

27. A surface cleaner comprising: a mobile body configured to travel over a surface;a source of a liquid;an electrolyzer, which converts the liquid into an anolyte electrochemically activated (EA) liquid and a catholyte EA liquid; anda liquid dispenser, which dispenses the anolyte EA liquid and the catholyte EA liquid.

28. A mobile surface cleaner comprising: a mobile body configured to travel over a surface;a surface cleaning device carried by the mobile body;an anolyte EA liquid source tank and a catholyte EA liquid source tank; anda liquid dispenser in fluid communication with the anolyte and catholyte EA liquid source tanks and which dispenses liquid received from the respective tanks.

29. The mobile surface cleaner of claim 2 wherein the flow path comprises: one or more values, which alternate the flow of liquid from the anode chamber with the flow of liquid from the cathode chamber to form the combined flow along the combined flow path.

30. The surface cleaner of claim 27 and further comprising: a flow path from the liquid source to the liquid dispenser; andone or more values, which alternate a flow of the anolyte EA liquid with a flow of the catholyte EA liquid to form a combined flow to the liquid dispenser.