Combined dry and wet carpet cleaner

Claim 1

A dual function carpet cleaner for dry and wet cleaning of a carpet, said carpet cleaner comprising in combination: (a) a base unit for supporting either of two interchangeable debris collecting containers, one of said containers being used with said base unit for dry cleaning and another of said containers being used with said base unit for wet cleaning, said base unit including: i. a source of vacuum for establishing an air flow; ii. an inlet in fluid communication with said source of vacuum and ambient air for establishing an air flow path to said source of vacuum; iii. a vacuum hose and attached vacuum head connectable to said base unit for receiving and channeling debris into said base unit; and iv. an outlet in fluid communication with said vacuum hose for discharging any debris received by and channeled through said vacuum hose; (b) said one container comprising: i. an housing in fluid communication with and disposed intermediate said inlet and said outlet for conveying air flow from said outlet through said housing and into said inlet in response to said source of vacuum; ii. a filter disposed within said housing, said filter being in interfering relationship with the air flow through said housing for filtering debris from the air flowing from said vacuum hose, through said outlet and into said housing; (c) said other container comprising: i. a first container for containing a cleaning solution to be discharged onto the carpet being cleaned; ii. a second container in fluid communication with and disposed intermediate said inlet and said outlet for collecting a mixture of cleaning solution and debris drawn through said outlet into said second container in response to the air flow to said source of vacuum through said inlet from said vacuum hose in fluid communication with said outlet; whereby, said base unit is useable with either said one or said other of said interchangeable containers to dry or wet clean, respectively, a carpet.