Surface cleaning apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9526394-B2
Application number	US-201313840955-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2013
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Dec 27, 2016
Grant date	Dec 27, 2016

Abstract

A surface cleaning apparatus may include a surface cleaning head including a cleaning pad mount that is configured to receive a cleaning pad. A steam distribution system may be provided and may include a steam unit in fluid communication with a water reservoir and may have a steam outlet in communication with the cleaning pad mount. A cleaning solution distribution system may be provided and may include a cleaning solution reservoir in communication with a dispensing outlet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:
a) a surface cleaning head including a cleaning pad mount that is configured to receive a cleaning pad;
b) a steam distribution system including a steam unit in fluid communication with a water reservoir and having a heater and a steam outlet in communication with the cleaning pad mount;
c) a cleaning solution distribution system including a cleaning solution reservoir in communication with a dispensing outlet, wherein the cleaning solution is dispensable through the dispensing outlet without passing through the heater; and,
d) a first manually controllable actuator operatively connected to the steam distribution system to selectively dispense steam, and a second manually controllable actuator operatively connected to the cleaning solution distribution system to selectively dispense cleaning solution,
wherein the cleaning pad mount is moveably mounted to the surface cleaning head and the surface cleaning head further comprises a drive unit drivingly connected to the cleaning pad mount.

2. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cleaning solution comprises quaternary ammonium compounds, colloidal silver, thyme oil, cinnamon oil, rosemary oil, sage oil, acetic acid, hydrogen peroxide, tea tree oil, or a combination thereof.

3. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the dispensing outlet is configured to provide the cleaning solution to a cleaning pad on the cleaning pad mount.

4. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a detector that receives a signal indicative of the usage of a cleaning pad provided on the cleaning pad mount and a controller configured to adjust the amount of at least one of steam and cleaning solution delivered based on a signal from the detector.

5. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 4 wherein the detector comprises at least one of a detector to determine the inclination of a handle of the surface cleaning apparatus, the rate of change of the inclination of the handle, the velocity of the surface cleaning head, the rate of acceleration of the surface cleaning head and the conductivity of a cleaning pad.

6. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 4 further comprising a manually controllable actuator operatively connected to at least one of the steam distribution system and the cleaning solution distribution system.

7. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 4 further comprising an automatic dispensing system operatively connected to at least one of the steam distribution system and the cleaning solution distribution system and a manually controllable dispensing system operatively connected to at least one of the steam distribution system and the cleaning solution distribution system.

8. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 7 wherein the automatic dispensing system and the manually controllable dispensing system are each operatively connected to the same distribution system.

9. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the dispensing outlet comprises at least one nozzle directed downwardly at a location that is forward of the cleaning pad mount.

10. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the drive unit is drivingly connected to the cleaning pad mount to move the cleaning pad mount in a plane that is essentially parallel to a surface to be cleaned.

11. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the drive unit comprises at least one motor and at least one offset weight.

12. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the drive unit comprises at least one of a solenoid, a sonic transducer, an ultrasonic transducer and a loudspeaker.

13. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one of the water reservoir, the cleaning solution reservoir and a steam boiler is provided in the surface cleaning head.

14. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the surface cleaning head has a height less than about 4 inches.

15. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of one of the water reservoir and the cleaning solution reservoir is transparent.

16. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the steam distribution system is configured to deliver steam and/or heated water.

17. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 further comprising at least one light to illuminate the water reservoir, to illuminate the cleaning solution reservoir or to illuminate an area in front of the surface cleaning head.

18. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 further comprising at least one light to illuminate the water reservoir and the cleaning solution reservoir and a control system to vary the illumination when the one of the water reservoir and the cleaning solution reservoir reaches a low fluid level.

19. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a cleaning pad, wherein the cleaning pad comprises a hydrophobic material.

20. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:
a) a surface cleaning head including a cleaning pad mount that is configured to receive a cleaning pad;
b) a steam distribution system including a steam unit in fluid communication with a water reservoir and having a steam outlet in communication with the cleaning pad mount; and,
c) a cleaning solution distribution system including a cleaning solution reservoir in communication with a dispensing outlet,
wherein the cleaning pad mount is moveably mounted to the surface cleaning head and the surface cleaning head further comprises a drive unit drivingly connected to the cleaning pad mount, and
wherein the steam distribution system further comprises a heater and the surface cleaning apparatus further comprises a low water level detection circuit, the low water level detection circuit comprising a detector monitoring the work performed by the heater and a signal member providing a signal when the level of work performed by the heater drops below a threshold limit.

21. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 20 wherein the detector monitors the temperature of the heater.

22. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 21 wherein the cleaning pad comprises a hydrophobic material and a hydrophilic material.

23. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 20 wherein the cleaning solution is dispensable through the dispensing outlet without passing through the steam unit.

24. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:
a) a surface cleaning head including a cleaning pad mount that is configured to receive a cleaning pad;
b) a steam distribution system including a steam unit in fluid communication with a water reservoir and having a steam outlet in communication with the cleaning pad mount; and,
c) a cleaning solution distribution system including a cleaning solution reservoir in communication with a dispensing outlet,
wherein the steam distribution system is configured to selectively (i) deliver steam, (ii) deliver heated water, and (iii) simultaneously deliver steam and heated water.

25. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 24 , further comprising:
a first manually controllable actuator operatively connected to the steam distribution system to selectively dispense steam, and a second manually controllable actuator operatively connected to the cleaning solution distribution system to selectively dispense cleaning solution.

Assignees

• Gbd Corp
• Omachron Intellectual Property Inc

Inventors

• Conrad Wayne Ernest

Classifications

• A47L13/225 Primary

  Steam mops · CPC title

• A47L11/4086

  Arrangements for steam generation · CPC title

• A47L11/4011

  Regulation of the cleaning machine by electric means; Control systems and remote control systems therefor · CPC title

• A47L11/4008

  Arrangements of switches, indicators or the like · CPC title