Extraction cleaner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12070171-B2
Application number	US-202318207480-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 8, 2023
Priority date	Jan 20, 2023
Publication date	Aug 27, 2024
Grant date	Aug 27, 2024

Abstract

An extraction cleaner may include a cleaner body including a pump and a suction motor, a supply tank configured to be removably coupled to the cleaner body and configured to receive a first cleaning fluid, an additive tank configured to receive a second cleaning fluid, a recovery tank configured to be removably coupled to the cleaner body, and a cleaning tool including a fluid applicator and a cleaning assembly, the fluid applicator is configured to deliver one of the first cleaning fluid or a mixture of the first cleaning fluid and the second cleaning fluid to a surface to be cleaned and the cleaning assembly is configured to extract at least a portion of the delivered first cleaning fluid or at least a portion of the delivered mixture.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An extraction cleaner comprising:
a cleaner body including a pump and a suction motor;
a flexible hose including a fluid delivery pathway fluidly coupled to the pump and a recovery pathway fluidly coupled to the suction motor;
a supply tank configured to be removably coupled to the cleaner body and configured to receive a first cleaning fluid, the supply tank being configured to be fluidly coupled to the fluid delivery pathway;
an additive tank configured to receive a second cleaning fluid and configured to be fluidly coupled to the fluid delivery pathway;
a recovery tank configured to be removably coupled to the cleaner body and configured to be fluidly coupled to the recovery pathway; and
a cleaning tool including:
a tool body having a fluid applicator, a suction inlet, and a body agitator, the fluid applicator is configured to be selectively fluidly coupled to the fluid delivery pathway to deliver one of the first cleaning fluid or a mixture of the first cleaning fluid and the second cleaning fluid to a surface to be cleaned; and
a cleaning assembly removably coupled to the tool body and fluidly coupled to the suction inlet and configured to extract at least a portion of the delivered first cleaning fluid or at least a portion of the delivered mixture from the surface to be cleaned.

2. The extraction cleaner of claim 1 further comprising:
a carry handle coupled to the cleaner body; and
an additive actuator coupled to the carry handle, the additive actuator configured to selectively fluidly couple the additive tank to the fluid delivery pathway.

3. The extraction cleaner of claim 2 further comprising a control valve configured to selectively fluidly couple the additive tank to the fluid delivery pathway, the additive actuator configured to actuate the control valve.

4. The extraction cleaner of claim 3 , wherein the cleaning tool includes a cleaning fluid actuator configured to selectively fluidly couple the fluid applicator to the fluid delivery pathway.

5. The extraction cleaner of claim 4 , wherein the cleaning fluid actuator is configured to actuate a cleaning tool valve assembly.

6. The extraction cleaner of claim 5 , wherein the cleaning tool valve assembly includes a tool valve body, a shuttle slidably received within the tool valve body, and an outlet channel fluidly coupling the tool valve body to the fluid applicator.

7. The extraction cleaner of claim 6 , wherein the shuttle defines a shuttle channel that fluidly couples the tool valve body to the fluid delivery pathway.

8. The extraction cleaner of claim 7 , wherein the shuttle is configured to selectively sealingly engage the outlet channel.

9. The extraction cleaner of claim 3 , wherein the control valve includes:
a control valve body having a control valve inlet fluidly coupled to the additive tank and a control valve outlet; and
a plunger slidably received within the control valve body that is configured to selectively fluidly couple the control valve inlet to the control valve outlet, an actuation axis of the plunger extends transverse to an inlet axis of the control valve inlet and an outlet axis of the control valve outlet.

10. The extraction cleaner of claim 9 , wherein the plunger moves in response to movement of the additive actuator.

11. The extraction cleaner of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the suction inlet is disposed between the fluid applicator and the body agitator.

12. The extraction cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning assembly includes:
an assembly body having a tool body cavity that is configured to receive at least a portion of the tool body;
a nozzle cover removably coupled to the assembly body; and
an assembly agitator removably coupled to the assembly body.

13. The extraction cleaner of claim 12 , wherein the body agitator is configured to be received within the tool body cavity.

14. The extraction cleaner of claim 12 , wherein the assembly agitator includes a first cleaning implement on a first side and a second cleaning implement on a second side, the first side being opposite the second side and the first cleaning implement being different from the second cleaning implement.

15. The extraction cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the recovery tank includes a recovery tank body, a recovery tank lid removably coupled to the recovery tank body, and a recovery tank handle pivotally coupled to the recovery tank body.

16. The extraction cleaner of claim 15 , wherein the recovery tank handle is configured to pivot between a carry position, a storage position, and a lid removal position and, when the recovery tank handle is in the carry position, the recovery tank lid is prevented from being removed from the recovery tank body, and, when the recovery tank handle is in the lid removal position, the recovery tank lid is removable from recovery tank body.

17. The extraction cleaner of claim 16 , wherein the recovery tank body includes a standoff having a trunnion extending therefrom and the recovery tank handle includes a hook configured to pivot about the trunnion as the recovery tank handle pivots between the storage and lid removal positions.

18. The extraction cleaner of claim 16 , wherein, when pivoted to the lid removal position, the recovery tank handle is configured to urge the recovery tank lid in a direction away from the recovery tank body such that the recovery tank lid is at least partially removed from an open end of the recovery tank body.

19. The extraction cleaner of claim 15 , wherein the recovery tank body includes a collection chamber and the recovery tank lid includes a recovery downpipe and an exhaust downpipe, the recovery and exhaust downpipes being external to the collection chamber.

20. The extraction cleaner of claim 19 , wherein the recovery tank lid includes a recovery pathway fluidly coupling the recovery downpipe to the collection chamber and an exhaust pathway fluidly coupling the exhaust downpipe to the collection chamber.

21. The extraction cleaner of claim 20 , wherein the recovery tank lid includes a plurality of float tracks extending from opposing sides of a lid exhaust outlet of the exhaust pathway and a recovery float that is disposed between the float tracks and slidably coupled to the float tracks.

22. The extraction cleaner of claim 15 , wherein the recovery tank body includes a recovery tank catch for removably coupling the recovery tank to the cleaner body and the recovery tank body defines a catch cavity for receiving at least a portion of the recovery tank catch and a catch plate extends over at least a portion of an open end of the catch cavity to retain the recovery tank catch within the catch cavity.

23. The extraction cleaner of claim 21 , wherein the supply tank includes a supply tank body, a supply tank refill top removably coupled to the supply tank body, and a supply tank cap coupled to the supply tank body, the supply tank cap defining a cap cavity that receives at least a portion of a supply tank catch, the supply tank catch configured to removably couple the supply tank to the cleaner body.

24. The extraction cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the additive tank is configured to be at least partially received within an additive tank receptacle defined within the supply tank.

25. The extraction cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the additive tank includes a removable additive tank refill top that includes a cage that defines a cage cavity having one

Assignees

• Sharkninja Operating Llc

Inventors

• Cottrell Lee M
• Innes Daniel
• Ridgley Jordan
• Copeland Philippa
• Qin Mingliang
• Liu Xuemei
• Dong Ying
• Yao Bin
• Su Cong
• Liu Dawei
• Zhou Xiang
• Chen Heliang
• Dahlgren Richard

Classifications

• A47L11/4094

  Accessories to be used in combination with conventional vacuum-cleaning devices · CPC title

• A47L11/4019

  Fill level sensors; Security means to prevent overflow, e.g. float valves · CPC title

• A47L11/4075

  Handles; levers · CPC title

• A47L11/4025

  Means for emptying · CPC title

• C11D2111/12

  Soft surfaces, e.g. textile · CPC title