Surface cleaning apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9320405-B2
Application number	US-201313788957-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 7, 2013
Priority date	Mar 9, 2012
Publication date	Apr 26, 2016
Grant date	Apr 26, 2016

Abstract

A surface cleaning apparatus, such as a steam mop or fluid delivery mop, comprises a handle and a foot coupled to the handle for movement along a surface to be cleaned. A cleaning pad can be mounted to a lower surface of the foot and positioned to contact the surface to be cleaned. The foot comprises a viewing window for viewing the cleaning pad.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:
a foot movable along a surface to be cleaned and comprising a base housing and cover housing attached to the base housing;
a handle coupled to the foot for maneuvering the foot along the surface to be cleaned;
a cleaning pad mounted to a lower surface of the foot and positioned to contact the surface to be cleaned; and
a viewing window provided on the cover housing of the foot for viewing the cleaning pad;
wherein when the foot is moved along the surface to be cleaned a user may view the cleaning pad through the viewing window on the cover housing.

2. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the viewing window comprises a cut-out in the cover housing.

3. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the base housing comprises a light transmitting portion at least partially aligned with the cut-out.

4. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the viewing window further comprises a light transmitting pane mounted to the foot and at least partially aligned with the cut-out.

5. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the viewing window comprises one of a transparent material or a translucent material.

6. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 and further comprising a second viewing window provided on an upper surface of the foot for viewing the cleaning pad.

7. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 and further comprising an upright housing pivotally mounted to the foot wherein the handle is provided on the upright housing.

8. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 7 and further comprising a universal joint coupling the foot and the upright housing.

9. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 and further comprising:
a fluid source provided on one of the foot or the handle, and
a fluid distributor provided on the foot and fluidly connected to the fluid source to distribute fluid onto the surface to be cleaned.

10. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the foot comprises an interior chamber, with the fluid distributor provided in the interior chamber and the viewing window provided over the interior chamber, such that fluid is distributed past the viewing window.

11. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 9 , and further comprising a heating element mounted in one of the foot or the handle in fluid communication with the fluid distributor for providing heated fluid from the fluid distributor.

12. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the heating element comprises a steam generator.

13. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the fluid distributor is positioned above the cleaning pad for distributing fluid to the cleaning pad.

14. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 and further comprising:
a fluid supply tank; and
at least one of:
a light source, wherein light is transmitted from the light source to the fluid supply tank for illuminating the fluid supply tank;
a housing comprising a viewing window, wherein the fluid supply tank is mounted to the housing and the fluid supply tank can be viewed through the viewing window;
a second fluid supply tank comprising a viewing window, wherein the first and second fluid supply tanks are at least partially nested, such that a user can view the first fluid supply tank through the viewing window;
an upright housing pivotally coupled to the foot for movement about a first axis and a second axis by a coupling joint, and a detent mechanism for selectively preventing the coupling joint from rotating about the second axis when the surface cleaning apparatus is in a stored position; or
a filter assembly, wherein the filter assembly is slidably mounted to the fluid supply tank.

15. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:
a foot movable along a surface to be cleaned and comprising an interior chamber;
a handle coupled to the foot for maneuvering the foot along the surface to be cleaned;
a fluid source provided on one of the foot or the handle;
a cleaning pad mounted to a lower surface of the foot and positioned to contact the surface to be cleaned; and
a viewing window provided on an upper surface of the foot over the interior chamber for viewing the cleaning pad;
a fluid distributor fluidly connected to the fluid source to distribute fluid onto the surface to be cleaned and provided on the foot in the interior chamber to distribute fluid past the viewing window;
wherein when the foot is moved along the surface to be cleaned a user may view the cleaning pad and the fluid distributed by the fluid distributor through the viewing window.

16. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the foot comprises a base housing and cover housing attached to the base housing, wherein the viewing window is provided on the cover housing.

17. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 15 and further comprising a heating element mounted in one of the foot and the upright housing in fluid communication with the fluid distributor for providing heated fluid from the fluid distributor.

18. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the heating element comprises a steam generator.

19. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the fluid distributor is positioned above the cleaning pad for distributing fluid to the cleaning pad.

20. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 15 and further comprising an upright housing pivotally mounted to the foot wherein the handle is provided on the upright housing.

Assignees

• Bissell Homecare Inc

Inventors

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

Classifications

• A47L13/12

  Implements with several different treating devices · CPC title

• A47L13/225 Primary

  Steam mops · CPC title

• A47L13/22 Primary

  with liquid-feeding devices · CPC title

• A47L11/34

  Machines for treating carpets in position by liquid, foam, or vapour, e.g. by steam · CPC title

• A47L13/50

  Auxiliary implements (cleaning devices for brushes or the like A46B17/06) · CPC title