Hard surface cleaner

Abstract

A surface cleaner, comprising a tank having a fluid-filled part and an air-filled part; a vacuum pump; a fluid pressure pump; a cleaning head having a cleaning chamber and a vacuum chamber, the cleaning chamber forming a cavity bounded by a surface to be cleaned, the vacuum chamber having an inlet lip at the periphery of the cleaning chamber; jet nozzles mounted within the cleaning chamber; wherein the pressure pump draws fluid from the tank and ejects it into the cleaning chamber through the nozzles; wherein the vacuum pump maintains a low pressure in the air-filled part of the tank and a high pressure in the cleaning chamber; and wherein the inlet lip is in fluid communication with the air-filled part of the tank portion whereby fluid ejected into the cleaning chamber is drawn into the inlet lip and returned to the tank.

Description

PRIORITY CLAIM[0001]This application claims priority to and the benefit of the filing date of corresponding U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61 / 046,621, filed on Apr. 21, 2008, the disclosure and contents of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference.FIELD OF INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates to high-pressured fluid cleaning systems for cleaning indoor and outdoor floor surfaces.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Several existing cleaning systems use an extractor method wherein a detergent cleaning fluid is distributed by the device along the floor surface and the device simultaneously extracts the fluid and the dirt from the floor surface using a suction source in a continuous operation as the device moves along the surface. However, a number of these systems require maintaining two separate tanks within the device such that a first tank contains the unused cleaning fluid and a second tank contains the recovered fluid and dirt that was extracted from the flo...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0006]The present invention is a portable and self-contained high-pressure fluid cleaning apparatus for use on a variety of surface floor coverings and in particular, on indoor and outdoor hard surface floor coverings that contain grooves and crevices that are ordinarily difficult to clean, such as tile, grout, epoxy and stained concrete. The apparatus operates simultaneously as both a fluid pressure cleaning device and as a wet-dry vacuum such that dirt and debris is effectively dislodged from the floor surface and is simultaneously picked up along with the ejected cleaning fluid by the vacuum suction of the apparatus. Through the use of one or more cartridge-type filter elements, the dirty cleaning fluid that is removed from the floor surface can be recycled and reused thereafter such that only one fluid tank is needed for both operations of the apparatus.

[0011]The water jet nozzle is fed cleaning fluid by the pressure pump through the pressure line as described above. Simultaneously, pressurized air is provided to the inner chamber of the cleaning head through the pressurized air inlet which, as described above, is fed by the exhaust from the vacuum pump in the power portion. The pressurized air provides dual benefits: (a) it creates an “air cushion” effect which facilitates displacement of the device over the surface being cleaned; and (b) it forces air and cleaning fluid to the periphery of the inner chamber where, as described below, it is ingested through the annular vacuum chamber and is returned to the tank portion.

[0013]A skirt barrier may optionally be applied along the periphery of the outer wall of the cleaning head shroud such that it contacts the floor surface and prevents the cleaning head portion from contacting the floor. The skirt barrier may also serve as a physical barrier to prevent cleaning fluid and pressurized air from leaking outside the cleaning head, thus improving the integrity of the air cushion generated by the pressurized air and simultaneously preventing dirt and cleaning fluid from escaping before being vacuumed into to the tank portion. The skirt may be formed from a material that is suitable for wiping the floor surface in order to further aid in dislodging dirt and debris from the floor surface.

[0014]Optionally, an annular pressure chamber may be provided which envelops the annular vacuum chamber and provides a curtain of pressurized air through a lip disposed peripherally around the lip of the annular vacuum chamber. The pressurized air curtain provides additional lift further facilitating displacement of the cleaner and also provides a further barrier to prevent cleaning fluid and pressurized air from escaping before being vacuumed into the tank portion. The pressurized air curtain also facilitates the drying of the surface immediately after it has been cleaned. The air in the annular pressure chamber may optionally be heated to further facilitate drying.

[0016]In operation, the apparatus is powered through a switch, or a series of switches, that sequentially energizes the vacuum and pressure pumps. When the apparatus is powered, the vacuum and pressure pumps are fully primed. Cleaning fluid from the tank is then drawn by the pressure pump through the one or more filter elements and down through the supply line and into the pressure pump. The cleaning fluid is ejected at high pressure by the pressure pump through the jet nozzle in the inner chamber of the cleaning head portion and is forcibly directed downwards onto the floor surface thereby dislodging any dirt and other debris on the floor surface. Simultaneously, pressurized air is fed into the inner chamber of the cleaning head. The force of the ejected fluid combined with the pressurized air provides buoyancy to allow the entire apparatus to be easily displaced on the surface being cleaned.

Problems solved by technology

However, a number of these systems require maintaining two separate tanks within the device such that a first tank contains the unused cleaning fluid and a second tank contains the recovered fluid and dirt that was extracted from the floor surface.

However, these types of harsh chemicals, solutions and tools having abrasive surfaces can cause damage to the floor surface.

Furthermore, many of the existing cleaning systems that use a cleaning fluid extractor method leave behind a wet floor surface as it is impossible to be able to extract all of the fluid that was distributed along the floor surface when using a suction source.

This results in a dangerous and slippery condition and requires additional time for drying before the floor surface is ready to be used.

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