Steam cleaning apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9717390-B2
Application number	US-201514701877-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 1, 2015
Priority date	Mar 1, 2011
Publication date	Aug 1, 2017
Grant date	Aug 1, 2017

Abstract

A steam cleaning apparatus comprising: a main body having a boiler and a pump; a main power switch; a cleaning head coupled to a main body through a joint; a yoke in the main body or the cleaning head, the yoke having an arm contacting a position sensitive switch so that when the main body is in a non-use position, the position sensitive switch prevents the main switch from supplying power, and when the main body is in an in-use position, the position sensitive switch allows the main switch to provide power.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A steam cleaning apparatus comprising:
a main body having a boiler and a pump;
a main power switch;
a cleaning head coupled to the main body through a joint;
a yoke in the main body or the cleaning head, the yoke having an arm contacting a position sensitive switch so that when the main body is in a non-use position, the position sensitive switch prevents the main switch from supplying power, and when the main body is in an in-use position, the position sensitive switch allows the main switch to provide power.

2. The steam cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein:
the yoke has a second arm, the second arm contacting a pressure release valve so that when the main body is in a non-use position, the pressure release valve is open to release pressure from a water tank, and when the main body is in an in-use position, the pressure release valve is closed.

3. The steam cleaning apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an indicator light for indicating whether the steam cleaning apparatus is ready to use.

4. The steam cleaning apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising a thermostat that sends a signal to the indicator light to turn on.

5. The steam cleaning apparatus of claim 3 wherein the indicator light is on a time delay so that it turns on after a predetermined period of time after the main switch is powered.

6. A method for actuating a steam cleaning apparatus comprising:
providing a main body having a boiler and a pump;
providing a main switch to power the boiler and the pump;
providing a steam cleaning head coupled to the main body through a joint;
providing a yoke in the main body or the cleaning head, the yoke having a first arm contacting a position sensitive switch so that when the main body is in a vertical non-use position, the position sensitive switch prevents the main switch from supplying power, and when the main body is in a tilted in-use position, the position sensitive switch allows the main switch to provide power
actuating the main switch to an on-position; and
moving the steam apparatus from a vertical position to a tilted position to allow power to be supplied to one of the boiler or the pump.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the joint is a universal joint and the universal joint joins the steam cleaning head and the main body.

8. The method claim 7 wherein the universal joint includes a protruding member that contacts the yoke, the yoke engaging the position sensitive switch.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the yoke includes a second arm engaging a pressure release valve.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the position sensitive switch comprises a microswitch.

11. The method of claim 6 , where the steam cleaning apparatus comprises an indicator light for indicating when the steam cleaning apparatus is ready to use.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the steam cleaning apparatus comprises a thermostat that detects the water temperature in the boiler; and
wherein the thermostat sends a signal to the indicator light when the water reaches a pre-programmed temperature.

Assignees

• Black & Decker Inc

Inventors

• Pears Barry
• Rowntree David
• Riley Martyn
• Houghton Stephen
• Walker Andrew

Classifications

• A47L11/4086

  Arrangements for steam generation · CPC title

• A47L13/225 Primary

  Steam mops · CPC title

• F22B1/285

  the water being fed by a pump to the reservoirs · CPC title

• A47L11/4008

  Arrangements of switches, indicators or the like · CPC title