Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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This invention relates to apparatus for
cleaning floors, walls, carpets, curtains, upholstery
and the like.
Whilst the invention has been developed in
connection with a dual purpose suction cleaning apparatus
suitable both for dry suction cleaning and water extraction
cleaning, the present invention is specifically concerned
. with an improved arrangement for the collection of liquid
as in a water extraction cleaning process. -
According to the present invention we provide
. suction cleaning apparatus comprising a container adapted
~ for the collection of a liquid and having a lateral inlet
: for connection with a suction head adapted for picking up
liquid and a central suction inlet which communicates
with a source of suction, a downwardly widening cone-
shaped funnel extending down from said suction inlet and
into the interior of the container and arranged with its
lower edge at a level substantially below the upper edge
of the container and spaced above the bottom of the con-
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tainer, and a plurality of substantial vertical, ~`-
generally radial vanes provided within the interior of
the cone.
These and other features of the invention will
now be described by way of example with reference to
the accompanying drawings wherein:-
FIGURE 1 shows a preferred embodiment of suction
cleaning apparatus in front view and with a removable
clean water reservoir in position;
FIGURE 2 shows a transverse section on the line
A-A of Figure 1; and
FIGURE 3 shows a horizontal section on the
line C-C of Figure 2.
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~ The suction cleaner illustrated in the accompanying
drawings includes a circular main container 10 having an
open top closed by a top cover assembly 20 with the
interposition of either a reservoir 60 if the cl-eaner is to
be used for water extraction cleaning, or a dust filter
assembly (not shown) if it is to be used for dry suction
cleaning. An impeller 27 driven by an electric motor
for creating the suction is housed in the top cover assembly
20, together with a valve assembly 40 whereby exhaust
air from the impeller is directed to the interior of the
reservoir when the latter is in place or alternatively
allowed to escape to atmosphere when the reservoir is not ~ -
in place.
The main container 10 is formed on its side wall
10_ with a lateral protruberance 11 for the reception of
an end fitting (not shown) of a suction hose. The
protruberance 11 is formed, for this purpose, with a
circular aperture 12, with recesses 13 spaced around its
periphery. An opening 14 is formed opposite thereto in the
upper portion of the side wall 1Oa of the container 10 so
that air, together with any dust or water entrained therein,
enters from the hose directly into the interior of the
container in a substantially radial direction and, as can
be seen, perpendicular to the side wall .
~ The impeller 27 in the top cover assembly 20 has an
intake at its underside arranged to draw air from beneath
the top cover assembly and exhaust air from the impeller r
is directed by the valve assembly 40 either to the external
atmosphere or through a central outlet aperture 34 concentric -~
with a ring 35 which defines an air inlet duct for the
impeller. :
.
The reservoir 60 includes an outer ring 74 which
is interposed between the upper edge of the main container
10 and the lower edge of the top cover assembly~20, as shown
in Figures 1 and 2. The outer ring 74 has an inwardly directed
flange 73 which supports an integral annular trough 62 which
is defined by an outer annular wall 63 and a downwardly
inclining frusto-conical inner wall or cone 64. As can be seen
in Figure 2, the lower edge of the cone 64 is disposed at a
level substantially below the upper edge of the container 10
and spaced above the bottom of the container. The cone 64
supports a boss 65 which co-acts with the valve assembly 40
so as automatically to direct exhaust air from the impeller 27
into the interior of the reservoir through the aperture 34.
In this way, sufficient pressure is generated within the
trough 62 to displace cleaning liquid therefrom through a
pipe 77 for delivery to a cleaning head (not shown) at which
liquid is applied to a carpet or other like floor covering
or other material which is to be cleaned.
; The boss 65 also defines a central opening which serves
to place the inlet of the impeller 27 in communication with the
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main container 10 beneath the reservoir 60 and this functions
as a suction inlet for the container. In this way, suction
is applied to the previously mentioned hose which is connected
to the main container 10 by means of the aperture 12 and .
S extends to the cleaning head so as to pick up used cleaning
liquid.
To facilitate separation of entrained liquid droplets
from the incoming air, the air flow is discharged into an
annular space external to said cone. In the embodiment
illustrated the air flow is arranged to impinge directly
on a flat face 86 afforded by the annular wall 63 of the
trough 62 which, as best seen in Figures 2 and 3 is spaced
inwardly from the outer wall 10a of the container. In this
way, the incoming air tends to spread out in all directions
and the sudden change in direction of flow when the air
impinges on the flat face 86 assists in separation of the
liquid droplets which collect on the outer face of the
annular wall 63 and drain down so as to collect on a flange 79
formed at the underside of the trough 62, which is spaced
above the bottom of the container 10, so that the liquid thén
drips into the body of the main container 10.
The arrangement whereby the incoming air from the
suction hose enters the main container 10 substantially
radially and flows in opposite directions around the annular
wall 63 of the trough 62 serves largely to prevent
a swirling action and the establishment of a vortex in a
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manner which would tend to generate foam on the surface of
liquid collected within the container 10.
In order to further reduce the generation of such
foam, a liquid filter assembly 80 is positioned beneath the
cone 64. A ring 81 is formed with a flange 82 which fits
tightly within the flange 79, and a central boss 83 is
supported by radial ribs 84 which have a nylon mesh filter
85 moulded integrally. The filter 85 further acts to
reduce the risk of a vortex being created as air is sucked
up within the cone 64. Additionàlly, the size of the
apertures defined by the mesh can be so chosen as to prevent
the passage of foam.
For this purpose, the holes defined by the mesh
may typically have a maximum dimension of about 0.15 mm and
preferably as little as 0.02 mm.
In order to prevent liquid being sucked up into
the ir.1peller 27 if the capacity of the main container is
exceeded, a shut-off valve 70 is provided. This consists
of spherical float 69 confined between three guides 71a
which extend vertically downwardly from the centre of the
cone 64 and carry a float retaining disc 72 at their lower
ends. The boss 65 affords a seating 68 for the float G9.
The guides 71a are formed at the vertical edges of
respective triangular vanes 71 which are arranged so as to
extend substantially vertically and generally radially within
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the interior of the cone, as can be seen. Alternatively,
since such vanes are of generally triangular shape, their
vertical edges may themselves serve as guides for the float
69. Either arrangement as the advantage of further restricting
the possibility of the establishmenL of a vortex beneath
the cone 64, to such an extent that a filter assembly 80 i~
could be omitted, although it is preferable to retain it
because of its function as a screen substantially impervious
to the passage of foam.
Although the invention has been described in relation
to an appliance in which cleaning liquid is delivered to the
cleaning head by pressurisation of the reservoir 60 by means
of the exhaust air from the impeller 27, it will be appre-
ciated that the invention is applicable to other types of
suction cleaning apparatus in which the cleaning liquid is
delivered by other methods, for example by means of a suit-
able pump, and to suction cleaners which are not adapted
themselves to deliver liquid to a cleaning head, but are only
intended for picking up a cleaning liquid. In a case where
there is no liquid reservoir, or where such reservoir is
not disposed within the container, the latter, or the
cover member 20, or some other part interposed between the
container and the cover member, will then serve to support
an annular wall and a cone corresponding to the wall 63
and cone 64 of the trough 62 of the illustrated embodiment.
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