Hard surface cleaning devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018344124-A1
Application number	US-201816032846-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 11, 2018
Priority date	Sep 14, 2016
Publication date	Dec 6, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A cleaning device is provided that includes a cleaning element, a cleaning head, a housing, an electric pump, a battery, a container of cleaning fluid, an activation button, and a spray nozzle. The cleaning element and the cleaning head have spray openings that are in registration with one another. The container forms a fluid and air tight connection with the pump. The activation button places the pump and the battery in electrical communication. The spray nozzle forms a fluid tight and air tight connection with the pump so that the pump is configured to spray fluid from the container through the first and second spray openings onto a surface to be cleaned. The cleaning head, the cleaning element, and the spray nozzle define a cavity that traps spray from the spray nozzle between the cleaning device and the surface to be cleaned.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of cleaning a surface, comprising:
providing a cleaning head, a housing, a pump, the pump having a port, the cleaning head having a nozzle, the cleaning head and housing being connected to one another; attaching a cleaning element with a first opening to the cleaning head so that the nozzle and the first opening are in registration; providing a refillable rigid container having a cleaning fluid in the refillable rigid container; connecting the port and the refillable rigid container to form an air and fluid tight connection between the port and the container; placing the cleaning element on a surface to be cleaned; and pumping, via the pump, the cleaning fluid from the refillable rigid container through the nozzle and the first opening onto the surface to be cleaned.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the pumping step further comprises opening a vent on the refillable rigid container, wherein the vent is normally closed and is opened by negative pressure applied on the refillable rigid container by the pump.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the vent is the only valve in a fluid path from the refillable rigid container through the spray nozzle.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising trapping any cleaning fluid from the nozzle between the cleaning head, the nozzle, the cleaning element, and the surface to be cleaned.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the pump is an electric pump and wherein the step of pumping comprises placing the electric pump in electrical communication with a power source.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning head further comprises a second opening, the nozzle being positioned on the cleaning head so as to pump the cleaning fluid from the refillable rigid container onto the surface being cleaned through the first and second openings.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle is positioned on the cleaning head in a position selected from the group consisting of recessed with respect to a bottom of the cleaning head, flush with the bottom of the cleaning head, and extending from the bottom of the cleaning head a distance less than a thickness of the cleaning element.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of attaching the cleaning element to the cleaning head comprises removably attaching the cleaning element to the cleaning head.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of connecting the port and the refillable rigid container comprises forming a removable fluid and air tight connection with an inlet of the pump.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of providing the refillable rigid container with the cleaning fluid comprises:
removing a removable cap from the refillable rigid container; filling the refillable rigid container with the cleaning fluid; and replacing the removable cap on the refillable rigid container.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the step of providing the refillable rigid container with the cleaning fluid further comprises moving a hinged cover of the housing to uncover the removable cap before removing the removable cap.

Assignees

• Unger Marketing Int Llc

Inventors

• Patterson Joseph K
• Buckley James M
• Lombardo John
• Huda Stephen
• Adams Paul H
• Roberts Bryan Lee
• Wilde Frank

Classifications

• B05B12/002

  Manually-actuated controlling means, e.g. push buttons, levers or triggers (for single units B05B11/00) · CPC title

• B25G3/38

  Hinged, pivoted, swivelling, or folding joints · CPC title

• A47L13/256

  for mops made of cloth · CPC title

• B25G1/04

  telescopic; extensible; sectional · CPC title

• B05B9/085

  with a liquid pump · CPC title