Patent Application
20180070789
The present invention concerns a surface cleaning machine, which includes a cleaning head having a double glide apparatus formed by a first glide member in front position and a second glide member in rear position. More specifically, the present invention concerns a cleaning machine, by which a cleaning solution is applied through a cavity within the double glide apparatus to a surface to be cleaned and is then removed by the action of vacuum applied at each of the first and second glide members.
Surface cleaning machines, in particular carpet cleaning machines, typically include a nozzle spraying a cleaning solution onto a surface to be cleaned, and a vacuum system extracting the spent cleaning solution and dirt particles from the surface. Examples of floor cleaning machines in the prior art are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,624,668 to Krause; U.S. Pat. No. 4,441,229 to Monson; and U.S. Pat. No. 7,530,135 to Benedict.
Limitations of surface cleaning machines in the prior art include the limited efficiencies deriving from cleaning a carpet pile that is often not erect, especially in the case of long piles; and the need to comb the carpet after cleaning to provide the uniform look expected by the purchasers of floor cleaning services.
A surface cleaning machine that would overcome these limitations would provide for a more efficient and productive cleaning.
A surface cleaning machine according to the invention includes a cleaning head having a double glide apparatus composed of a first glide member in front position and a second glide member in rear position that are joined to one another. A cleaning solution is applied through a cavity defined between the first and the second glide members, and the spent cleaning solution and any dirt particles entrained therein are removed by action of vacuum applied at each of the first and the second glide members.
In different embodiments, the first and the second glide members may be two separate pieces joined together with one or more fasteners, or may be formed as a single piece.
The cleaning solution is provided to the cavity through one or more inlet openings defined in the second glide member, and through one or more conduits leading to nozzles in the cavity.
In one embodiment, one of the conduits is shaped as a Venturi tube. In one embodiment, the nozzles are disposed to eject the cleaning surface in a direction perpendicular to the surface to be cleaned.
One or more suction opening are defined in the bottom walls of the first and the second glide members. In one embodiment, there is a plurality of suction openings that are defined on each of the bottom walls and that longitudinally communicate with each other to form single suction openings along each of the bottom walls. The single suction openings are in fluid communication with one or more suction vanes defined in the first and the second glide members.
In one embodiment, the walls of the single suction openings have ridges defined thereon.
A surface cleaning machine according to the invention also includes a vacuum port that is fluidly coupled to the cleaning head, a handle, and a lever triggering the flow of the cleaning solution.
It is an aspect of the present invention to provide a surface cleaning machine that improves cleaning effectiveness and speed.
It is another aspect of the present invention to provide a surface cleaning machine that reduces the cost of cleaning a surface such as a carpet.
It is still another aspect of the present invention to provide a carpet cleaning machine having a double glide apparatus, in which a front glide member applies vacuum to the pile before the cleaning solution is applied, causing the carpet pile to become more erect and better exposed to the cleaning solution, and a second glide member removes the spent cleaning solution and dirt particles entrained therein from the carpet pile.
It is still another aspect of the present invention to provide a carpet cleaning machine with a double glide apparatus, which leaves the carpet pile erect and, therefore, substantially uniform after cleaning, reducing or eliminating the need to comb of the carpet to achieve a uniform look.
The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. It is to be understood that in some instances various aspects of the invention may be shown exaggerated or enlarged to facilitate an understanding of the invention.
Detailed descriptions of embodiments of the invention are provided herein. It is to be understood, however, that the present invention may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, the specific details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but rather as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art how to employ the present invention in virtually any detailed system, structure, or manner.
Turning first to
Cleaning head 12 receives a cleaning solution through a delivery tube 16 when lever 18 is actuated and delivers the cleaning solution to a surface to be cleaned. Cleaning head 12 also applies vacuum to the same surface, sucking back the spent cleaning solution and dirt particles entrained therein, and delivers the spent cleaning solution and the dirt particles to vacuum port 14 and eventually to a vacuum tube (not shown) coupled to vacuum port 14.
Turning now to
First and second glide members 26 and 28 are fixedly joined to one another. In the illustrated embodiment, first glide member 26 and second glide member 28 are separate members having upper portions of inner walls 32 and 40 fixedly abutting against each other, for example, by having one or more fasteners such as screws extend through first and second glide members 26 and 28. In other embodiments of the inventions, first and second glide members 26 and 28 may be made as a single piece rather than separate pieces, or may not have equal dimensions, as long as their joined assembly has the same configuration as that depicted in
A cavity 48 is defined between inner walls 32 and 40 and extends vertically from the joined portions of inner walls 32 and 40 to the bottom of double glide apparatus 20. In one embodiment, cavity 48 also extends longitudinally along the entirety of double glide apparatus 20, while in other embodiments cavity 48 extends longitudinally only for a portion of double glide apparatus 20. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, cavity 48 extends longitudinally substantially for the entire length of double glide apparatus 20, except for the longitudinal ends, where the bottom of cavity 28 is blocked by a lip 50 extending along the base perimeter of double glide apparatus 20 to support cover 22.
A bottom and a top view of the embodiment of
The top view of
Referring now to
More specifically, as shown in
Venturi tubes 60 are defined within second glide member 28 and fluidly connect longitudinal conduit 58 to nozzles 62, which deliver the fresh cleaning solution into cavity 48. The fresh cleaning solution is accelerated within Venturi tubes 60 due to their conical configuration, and upon exiting nozzles 62 it disperses within cavity 48. The arrows in
Preferably, nozzles 62 are disposed to cause the cleaning solution to be ejected in a vertical direction, perpendicularly to the surface to be cleaned. In different embodiments of the invention, however, nozzles 62 may cause the cleaning solution to be ejected in different directions, or in a plurality of directions.
Eventually, the spent cleaning solution as wells as dirt particles removed from the cleaned surface is sucked away by the action of vacuum applied through suction vanes 52, and is delivered to vacuum port 14.
As shown in
A surface cleaning machine having a double glide apparatus according to the invention improves cleaning effectiveness as well as cleaning speed in comparison to surface cleaning machines in the prior art.
For example, when a carpet is cleaned, the front glide member applies vacuum to the pile before the cleaning solution is applied, causing the pile to become more erect and be better exposed to the cleaning solution and to the vacuum later applied by the rear glide member later.
Moreover, by applying a double vacuum suction to the carpet in a single stroke, a surface cleaning machine according to the invention leaves a carpet pile that is more erect and, therefore, more uniform after cleaning, reducing or eliminating the need to comb the carpet after cleaning to provide a uniform look. This benefit becomes particularly evident when the carpet is stroked multiple times, as with the back-and-forth movement that is typically used by floor cleaning operators.
While the invention has been described in connection with the above described embodiments, it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the particular forms set forth, but on the contrary, it is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the scope of the invention. Further, the scope of the present invention fully encompasses other embodiments that may become obvious to those skilled in the art and the scope of the present invention is limited only by the appended claims.
