Steam mop with illuminated tank

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10085610-B2
Application number	US-201715671209-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 8, 2017
Priority date	Mar 9, 2012
Publication date	Oct 2, 2018
Grant date	Oct 2, 2018

Abstract

A steam mop includes a housing comprising a foot assembly movable along a surface to be cleaned and a handle assembly coupled to the foot assembly, a supply tank for storing a supply of fluid, a steam generator fluidly coupled with the supply tank for producing steam from the fluid, and a light source selectively illuminating the supply tank.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A steam mop comprising:
a housing comprising a foot assembly movable along a surface to be cleaned and a handle assembly coupled with the foot assembly;
a supply tank receiver provided on the housing;
a supply tank coupled with the supply tank receiver;
a steam generator fluidly connected with the supply tank via the supply tank receiver;
a fluid distributor fluidly coupled with an outlet of the steam generator;
a cleaning pad mounted to the foot assembly and positioned to contact the surface to be cleaned;
a light source provided on the supply tank receiver and oriented to illuminate the supply tank.

2. The steam mop of claim 1 , wherein the supply tank receiver comprises a platform, and the supply tank is removably mounted on the platform.

3. The steam mop of claim 2 , wherein the light source is provided on the platform.

4. The steam mop of claim 3 , wherein supply tank comprises a bottom wall abutting the platform and wherein the light source is aligned with the bottom wall.

5. The steam mop of claim 4 , wherein the bottom wall comprises a neck defining a liquid outlet of the supply tank.

6. The steam mop of claim 5 , wherein the bottom wall is at least partially transparent.

7. The steam mop of claim 5 , wherein a one-way valve assembly is secured to the neck and mates with the supply tank receiver.

8. The steam mop of claim 1 , wherein the light source comprises a light emitting diode.

9. The steam mop of claim 1 , and further comprising a lens covering the light source.

10. The steam mop of claim 9 , wherein the supply tank receiver comprises a platform supporting the supply tank, and the lens is provided on the platform.

11. The steam mop of claim 10 , wherein the lens is flush with an upper surface of the platform.

12. The steam mop of claim 1 , wherein the supply tank is removably coupled with the supply tank receiver.

13. The steam mop of claim 1 , wherein the light source is configured to emit visible light and ultraviolet light.

14. The steam mop of claim 1 , wherein the handle assembly comprises a cover over the supply tank, and the cover comprises a cutout through which a portion of the supply tank is visible from an exterior of the steam mop.

15. The steam mop of claim 1 , wherein the supply tank is a first supply tank, and the steam mop further comprises a second supply tank.

16. The steam mop of claim 15 , wherein the first and second supply tanks are at least partially nested.

17. The steam mop of claim 15 , wherein the second supply tank is removably mounted on the handle assembly over the first supply tank.

18. The steam mop of claim 17 , wherein the second supply tank comprises a cut-out, and a user can view the first fluid supply tank through the cut-out.

19. The steam mop of claim 1 , and further comprising:
a multi-axis coupling joint swivelably coupling the handle assembly to the foot assembly for movement of the handle assembly front-to-back and side-to-side, wherein coupling joint comprises a spring-loaded detent mechanism for selectively preventing the handle assembly from moving side-to-side; and
a steam conduit in fluid communication with the fluid distributor and extending through the multi-axis coupling joint.

20. The steam mop of claim 1 , wherein the fluid distributor is provided on the foot assembly to distribute steam to the cleaning pad.

Assignees

• Bissell Homecare Inc

Inventors

• Perry Joseph P
• Luedke Adam
• Yiu Kan Yuk
• Pi Jian Yun

Classifications

• A47L13/12

  Implements with several different treating devices · CPC title

• A47L13/225 Primary

  Steam mops · CPC title

• A47L13/42

  Details · CPC title

• A47L13/22 Primary

  with liquid-feeding devices · CPC title

• A47L2601/04

  Steam · CPC title