US6081962A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Upright water extraction cleaning machine with improved float assembly
Assignee: Bissell Homecare Inc
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Filing: 1998-09-03
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Granted: 2000-07-04
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Expires: 2018-09-03
Abstract
Abstract A portable surface cleaning apparatus has a base for movement along a surface to be cleaned and an upright handle pivotally attached to a rearward portion of the base. A fluid dispensing nozzle for applying fluid to the surface and a suction nozzle for picking up fluid and debris from the surface are associated with the base. Supply tanks are removably mounted to the handle or base while a recovery tank is removably mounted to the handle or base. An outlet in each supply tank includes a valve to close the outlet when the supply tank is removed from the base. A float valve assembly in the recovery tank includes a first end for covering an air outlet port from the recovery tank and a second end, which is buoyant and elevated by the rising recovered fluid in the tank, for raising the first end to cover the air outlet port.
Inventors
- 👤 Timothy E. Kasen
- 👤 Luke E. Kelly
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 19:48
CPC Classifications
A; A47; A47L; A47L11/00; A47L11/40; A47L11/4036; A47L11/4044; A47L11/29; A47L11/30; A47L11/34; A47L11/408; A47L11/4088; A47L5/00; A47L5/12; A47L5/22; A47L5/28; A47L5/30; A47L5/32; A47L7/00; A47L7/0004; A47L7/0009; A47L7/0023; A47L7/0028; A47L7/0038; A47L7/0042; B; B01; B01F; B01F23/00; B01F23/40; B01F23/49; B01F25/00; B01F25/105; B01F35/00; B01F35/71; B01F35/717; B01F35/71805; B01F35/718051; B01F35/80; B01F35/81; C; C11; C11D; C11D3/00; C11D3/0005; C11D3/0031; C11D3/39; C11D3/3902; C11D3/3905; C11D3/3947; C11D7/00; C11D7/22; C11D7/32; C11D7/3254; F; F16; F16K; F16K31/00; F16K31/44; F16K31/53; F16K31/54; H; H05; H05B; H05B3/00; C11D2111/00; C11D2111/40; C11D2111/46; C11D3/3907; C11D3/3917
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
247 words
A portable surface cleaning apparatus, comprising: a housing including wheels for movement of the housing along a surface to be cleaned; a fluid recovery system comprising: a fluid recovery tank on the housing having an enclosed chamber for holding recovered fluid, an inlet opening and an exhaust opening, a substantially horizontal baffle in an upper portion of the enclosed chamber and below the exhaust opening, a relatively small opening in the baffle proximate to the exhaust opening; a suction nozzle mounted to the housing; a working air conduit extending between the recovery tank inlet opening and the suction nozzle; a vacuum source in fluid communication with the recovery tank exhaust opening for generating a suction in the recovery tank, conduit and nozzle to thereby draw liquid from the surface and deposit the liquid in the recovery tank; a float assembly in the fluid recovery tank and having a first end that is buoyant and a second end with a valve surface that is adapted to register with and cover the exhaust opening in the recovery tank and thereby block the transfer of air and liquid from the recovery tank to the vacuum source when the recovered fluid in the recovery tank reaches a predetermined level, the first end positioned below the horizontal baffle and the second end positioned above the horizontal baffle, the first and second ends of the float assembly being connected by a support arm that extends through the relatively small opening in the baffle.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
247 words
A portable surface cleaning apparatus, comprising: a housing including wheels for movement of the housing along a surface to be cleaned; a fluid recovery system comprising: a fluid recovery tank on the housing having an enclosed chamber for holding recovered fluid, an inlet opening and an exhaust opening, a substantially horizontal baffle in an upper portion of the enclosed chamber and below the exhaust opening, a relatively small opening in the baffle proximate to the exhaust opening; a suction nozzle mounted to the housing; a working air conduit extending between the recovery tank inlet opening and the suction nozzle; a vacuum source in fluid communication with the recovery tank exhaust opening for generating a suction in the recovery tank, conduit and nozzle to thereby draw liquid from the surface and deposit the liquid in the recovery tank; a float assembly in the fluid recovery tank and having a first end that is buoyant and a second end with a valve surface that is adapted to register with and cover the exhaust opening in the recovery tank and thereby block the transfer of air and liquid from the recovery tank to the vacuum source when the recovered fluid in the recovery tank reaches a predetermined level, the first end positioned below the horizontal baffle and the second end positioned above the horizontal baffle, the first and second ends of the float assembly being connected by a support arm that extends through the relatively small opening in the baffle.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
79 words
A portable surface cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the recovery tank further comprises a float cage at least partially defined by a wall of the recovery tank and a substantially vertical planar guide wall adjacent the recovery tank wall, the buoyant first end of the float is positioned between the wall of the recovery tank and the guide wall for guiding movement of the float second end toward the opening during liquid rise in the recovery tank.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
75 words
A portable surface cleaning apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the valve surface includes at least one generally transverse projection and the exhaust opening is formed in an upper wall of the recovery tank, the at least one projection abuts the upper wall of the recovery tank to distance the valve surface from the exhaust opening until the at least one projection registers with the exhaust opening and the valve surface covers the exhaust opening.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
61 words
A portable surface cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 and further comprising a stand pipe in communication with the vacuum source and having a lower end adjacent a bottom surface of the tank extending upwardly to an upper end at an upper portion of the recovery tank, wherein the exhaust opening is formed in the upper end of the stand pipe.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
73 words
A portable surface cleaning apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the recovery tank further comprises an upstanding planar guide wall extending upwardly from a lower portion of the recovery tank adjacent the stand pipe, the first buoyant end of the float is located between the stand pipe and the guide wall for guiding movement of the float second end toward the stand pipe upper free end during liquid rise in the recovery tank.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
71 words
A portable surface cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 and further comprising: a liquid dispensing system comprising: a liquid dispensing nozzle associated with the housing for applying liquid to the surface; a fluid supply tank on the housing having an enclosed chamber for holding a predetermined amount of supply fluid; a conduit fluidly connected to the fluid supply tank and to the dispensing nozzle for supplying liquid to the dispensing nozzle.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
40 words
A portable surface cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the housing comprises a base adapted to move along the surface of a floor and a handle, pivotally mounted to the base for manually moving the base along the surface.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
27 words
A portable surface cleaning apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the fluid recovery tank, the suction nozzle and the working air conduit are mounted to the base.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
24 words
A portable surface cleaning apparatus according to claim 8 wherein at least a portion of the liquid dispensing system is mounted to the handle.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
58 words
A portable surface cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 wherein portions of the horizontal baffle extend to forward portions of the fluid recovery tank and portions of the horizontal baffle extend to rearward portions of the recovery tank to minimize sloshing of liquid in the recovery tank as the housing is moved forwardly and rearwardly during cleaning operations.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
243 words
A portable surface cleaning apparatus, comprising: a housing including wheels for movement of the housing along a surface to be cleaned; a fluid recovery system comprising: a fluid recovery tank on the housing having an enclosed chamber for holding recovered fluid, an inlet opening and an exhaust opening; a suction nozzle mounted to the housing; a working air conduit extending between the recovery tank inlet opening and the suction nozzle; a vacuum source in fluid communication with the recovery tank exhaust opening for generating a suction in the recovery tank, conduit and nozzle to thereby draw liquid from the surface and deposit the liquid in the recovery tank; the improvement comprising: a float assembly in the fluid recovery tank and having a first end that is buoyant and a second end with a valve surface that is adapted to register with and cover the exhaust opening in the recovery tank and thereby block the transfer of air and liquid from the recovery tank to the vacuum source when the recovered fluid in the recovery tank reaches a predetermined level, and wherein the valve surface includes at least one generally transverse projection and the exhaust opening is formed in an upper wall of the recovery tank, the at least one projection abuts the housing upper wall to distance the valve surface from the upper wall until the at least one projection registers with the exhaust opening and the valve surface covers the exhaust opening.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
243 words
A portable surface cleaning apparatus, comprising: a housing including wheels for movement of the housing along a surface to be cleaned; a fluid recovery system comprising: a fluid recovery tank on the housing having an enclosed chamber for holding recovered fluid, an inlet opening and an exhaust opening; a suction nozzle mounted to the housing; a working air conduit extending between the recovery tank inlet opening and the suction nozzle; a vacuum source in fluid communication with the recovery tank exhaust opening for generating a suction in the recovery tank, conduit and nozzle to thereby draw liquid from the surface and deposit the liquid in the recovery tank; the improvement comprising: a float assembly in the fluid recovery tank and having a first end that is buoyant and a second end with a valve surface that is adapted to register with and cover the exhaust opening in the recovery tank and thereby block the transfer of air and liquid from the recovery tank to the vacuum source when the recovered fluid in the recovery tank reaches a predetermined level, and wherein the valve surface includes at least one generally transverse projection and the exhaust opening is formed in an upper wall of the recovery tank, the at least one projection abuts the housing upper wall to distance the valve surface from the upper wall until the at least one projection registers with the exhaust opening and the valve surface covers the exhaust opening.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2003-07-04 | 2004-01-03 | 2004-07-04 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2007-07-04 | 2008-01-03 | 2008-07-04 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2011-07-04 | 2012-01-03 | 2012-07-04 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |