Upright steam mop with auxiliary hose

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11700991-B2
Application number	US-202117524796-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 12, 2021
Priority date	Aug 11, 2009
Publication date	Jul 18, 2023
Grant date	Jul 18, 2023

Abstract

A steam mop comprising a housing having an upright handle assembly and a steam module selectively removably mounted to the upright handle assembly. The steam module comprising a steam generator having an inlet and an outlet configured to be selectively fluidly coupled to at least one of a first fluid distributor or a second fluid distributor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A steam mop providing on-floor steam cleaning and above-floor steam cleaning, the steam mop comprising:
a foot comprising a first fluid distributor configured to distribute steam;
an upright handle assembly pivotally mounted to the foot and comprising:
a modular support frame that forms a cavity having a lower end and an upper end; and
a handle tube with a grip at one end thereof, the handle tube coupled to the modular support frame above the upper end of the cavity; and

a steam module removably mounted to the upright handle assembly and selectively receivable by the cavity, the steam module comprising:
a steam generator having an inlet and an outlet; and
a first coupling fitting fluidly coupled with the outlet of the steam generator and disposed on an upper rear side of the steam module, wherein the first coupling fitting is selectively fluidly couplable to the first fluid distributor;
wherein for on-floor steam cleaning, the steam module is received by the cavity and the first coupling fitting is in fluid communication with the first fluid distributor to distribute steam from the foot; and
wherein for above-floor steam cleaning, the steam module is removed from the cavity.

2. The steam mop of claim 1 , wherein the steam module further comprises a water tank fluidly connected to the inlet of the steam generator and adapted to hold a quantity of water.

3. The steam mop of claim 2 , wherein the steam module comprises a pump fluidly coupled between the water tank and the steam generator and wherein the pump is operable to selectively supply water from the water tank to the steam generator.

4. The steam mop of claim 3 , wherein the steam generator and the pump are provided within an interior of the steam module, and at least a portion of the water tank forms an exterior surface of the steam module.

5. The steam mop of claim 4 , wherein the interior is defined by a front enclosure and a rear enclosure, and wherein the water tank is removably coupled to the front enclosure or the rear enclosure.

6. The steam mop of claim 5 wherein a variable steam flow control module is provided on an exterior of the steam module.

7. The steam mop of claim 3 , wherein the steam module further comprises a variable steam flow control module operably to provide a variable steam flow rate, and wherein the variable steam flow rate of the pump is adjustable by the variable steam flow control module within a range of 25-50 ml/min.

8. The steam mop of claim 7 , wherein the variable steam flow control module comprises a flow control adjuster that is adjustable between a low flow rate position limit and a high flow rate position limit, which is a flow rate above the low flow rate position limit.

9. The steam mop of claim 8 , wherein the flow control adjuster is a rotatable knob adjustable between a dry steam setting, corresponding to the low flow rate position limit and a wet steam setting, corresponding to the high flow rate position limit, and wherein the flow control adjuster is a knob coupled with the pump for selectively varying the flow rate of the pump to control an amount of moisture in the steam distributed.

10. The steam mop of claim 8 , wherein the pump is a solenoid pump and adjustment of the flow control adjuster operates to vary a frequency of the pump, and wherein the variable steam flow control module further comprises a variable resistor and conventional printed circuit board assembly, that are electrically coupled together and to the flow control adjuster and the solenoid pump and wherein the conventional printed circuit board assembly is configured to vary the frequency based on input from the variable resistor as varied by the flow control adjuster.

11. The steam mop of claim 1 , comprising an auxiliary hose fluidly coupled with the first coupling fitting at a proximal end of the hose and having a fluid distributor nozzle at a distal end of the auxiliary hose.

12. The steam mop of claim 11 , further comprising a receiver mounted on the steam module for removably receiving the nozzle, whereby steam can be distributed from the nozzle when the nozzle is removed from the receiver.

13. The steam mop of claim 12 , wherein the steam module is configured to provide steam through the auxiliary hose and the nozzle when the steam module is removed from the receiver.

14. The steam mop of claim 13 , wherein the auxiliary hose further comprises a fluid control valve configured to be opened by receipt of the nozzle in the receiver.

15. The steam mop of claim 12 , wherein the handle assembly comprises a second coupling fitting in the cavity that is selectively fluidly couplable to the receiver, wherein for on-floor steam cleaning, the second coupling fitting is in fluid communication with the receiver to receive steam from the steam module.

16. The steam mop of claim 1 , wherein the steam module further comprises a handle provided along an upper end of the steam module.

17. The steam mop of claim 1 , wherein:
the steam module comprises a steam conduit disposed on a lower side of the steam module, the steam conduit in fluid communication with the first coupling fitting; and
the handle assembly comprises a second coupling fitting in the cavity that is selectively fluidly couplable to the steam conduit;
wherein for on-floor steam cleaning, the second coupling fitting is in fluid communication with the first coupling fitting via the steam conduit to receive steam from the steam module.

18. The steam mop of claim 1 , comprising a tube provided within an interior of the steam module and connecting the outlet of the steam generator to the first coupling fitting, wherein the first coupling fitting comprises an inlet barb adapted to receive the tube.

19. The steam mop of claim 1 , wherein the steam module comprises a hollow boss that extends through the upper rear side of the steam module, and wherein the first coupling fitting is fluidly connected to a proximal side of the hollow boss to form a steam flow path through the upper rear side of the steam module.

Assignees

• Bissell Inc

Inventors

• Krebs Alan J
• Ashbaugh Kurt E

Classifications

• A47L13/225 Primary

  Steam mops · CPC title

• A47L13/22

  with liquid-feeding devices · CPC title

• A47L13/44

  Securing scouring-cloths to the brush or like body of the implement · CPC title