Carpet cleaning system and method

Abstract

A carpet cleaning system including a cleaning agent that is one of dilutable with and dissolvable in water to generate a cleaning solution. The cleaning system includes a brush disc that has a substantially bowl-shaped glide plate, and bristles disposed in a bristle region. The cleaning system further includes a carpet cleaning apparatus that has a reservoir for containing the cleaning solution, a motor, an aeration device, a power source, and a control system. The motor rotatably actuates the brush disc. The aeration device is fluidly coupled to the reservoir for aerating the cleaning solution to generate foam. The aeration device dispenses foam into at least one of the opening of the glide plate and the bristle region at a rate equivalent to between about 0.028 gallons per minute and about 0.042 gallons per minute.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A carpet cleaning system comprising:
 a cleaning agent being at least one of dilutable with and dissolvable in water to generate a cleaning solution;   a brush disc including a substantially bowl-shaped glide plate located adjacent a center of the brush disc, the glide plate having a bottom wall and a walled periphery extending upward from the bottom wall to define an upward-facing opening opposite the bottom wall, the brush disc further including bristles disposed in a bristle region located radially outward from the glide plate; and   a carpet cleaning apparatus including:
 a reservoir for containing the cleaning solution, 
 a motor for rotatably actuating the brush disc, 
 an aeration device fluidly coupled to the reservoir for aerating the cleaning solution to generate foam, the aeration device configured to dispense foam into at least one of the opening of the glide plate and the bristle region, 
 a power source for providing power to the motor and the aeration device, and 
 a control system for controlling the motor and the aeration device; 
   wherein the aeration device dispenses foam at a rate equivalent to between about 0.028 gallons of cleaning solution per minute and about 0.042 gallons of cleaning solution per minute.   
     
     
         2 . The carpet cleaning system of  claim 1 , wherein foam contains between approximately 2% to 10% water and 90% to 98% air and anionic surfactant, by volume. 
     
     
         3 . The carpet cleaning system of  claim 1 , wherein the glide plate has at least one port extending through the walled periphery for ejection of foam from the glide plate as the brush disc rotates. 
     
     
         4 . The carpet cleaning system of  claim 3 , wherein the glide plate has six ports extending through the walled periphery, and wherein each port has a diameter of approximately 0.25 inches. 
     
     
         5 . The carpet cleaning system of  claim 1 , wherein the cleaning agent is diluted with water in a ratio of 1 part cleaning agent to 12 parts water, by volume, to generate the cleaning solution. 
     
     
         6 . The carpet cleaning system of  claim 1 , wherein the cleaning agent comprises sodium lauryl sulfate and disodium lauromido MEA sulfosuccinate. 
     
     
         7 . The carpet cleaning system of  claim 1 , wherein the glide plate supports substantially all of the weight of the carpet cleaning apparatus. 
     
     
         8 . The carpet cleaning system of  claim 1 , wherein the aeration device dispenses foam at a rate equivalent to between about 0.0010 gallons of cleaning solution per square foot of carpet and 0.0016 gallons of cleaning solution per square foot of carpet. 
     
     
         9 . The carpet cleaning system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 at least a portion of the bristle region is located at least approximately four inches from an axis of rotation of the brush disc, and   the brush disc rotates at no less than about 175 revolutions per minute (“RPM”) in at least one mode of operation of the carpet cleaning system.   
     
     
         10 . A method of cleaning a carpet with a carpet cleaning machine, the method comprising;
 at least one of diluting and dissolving a concentrated cleaning agent in water to generate a cleaning solution;   aerating the cleaning solution;   dispensing the cleaning solution to at least one of a bowl-shaped glide plate and a plurality of bristles of a brush disc at a rate equivalent to between about 0.028 gallons of aerated cleaning solution per minute and about 0.042 gallons of aerated cleaning solution per minute; and   rotating the brush disc to distribute the aerated cleaning solution onto the carpet.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising diluting concentrated cleaning solution with water and aerating the diluted cleaning solution such that it comprises between approximately 2% to 10% water and 90% to 98% cleaning solution, by volume. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising
 providing the glide plate with a port extending through the walled periphery;   aerating the cleaning solution to generate a foam;   directing foam to the glide plate; and   ejecting foam from the glide plate through the port as the brush disc rotates.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising providing the glide plate with six ports extending through the walled periphery, and wherein each port has a diameter of approximately 0.25 inches. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the concentrated cleaning agent comprises sodium lauryl sulfate and disodium lauromido MEA sulfosuccinate. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising dispensing the aerated cleaning solution at a rate equivalent to between about 0.0010 gallons of aerated cleaning solution per square foot of a carpet and 0.0016 gallons of aerated cleaning solution per square foot of a carpet. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising rotating bristles located at least approximately four inches from an axis of rotation of the brush at no less than about 175 RPM. 
     
     
         17 . A carpet cleaning system comprising:
 a brush disc rotatable about an axis and including bristles;   a motor drivably coupled to the brush disc;   a reservoir;   a cleaning agent being at least one of dilutable with and dissolvable in water to generate a cleaning solution contained in the reservoir;   an aerator positioned to receive and aerate the cleaning solution to generate foam;   a port through which foam is configured to be dispensed to the bristles at a rate of between about 0.028 gallon of foam per minute and about 0.042 gallon of foam per minute.   
     
     
         18 . The carpet cleaning system of  claim 17 , wherein foam contains between approximately 2% to 10% water, by volume. 
     
     
         19 . The carpet cleaning system of  claim 17 , wherein the brush disc includes a glide plate located adjacent the center of the brush disc, and wherein the glide plate includes a walled periphery and the port extends through the walled periphery to receive foam from the aerator. 
     
     
         20 . The carpet cleaning system of  claim 17 , wherein the port is part of at least one nozzle positioned to dispense foam to the bristles. 
     
     
         21 . The carpet cleaning system of  claim 17 , wherein the port has a diameter less than or equal to 0.25 inches. 
     
     
         22 . The carpet cleaning system of  claim 17 , wherein the cleaning agent is diluted with water in a ratio of no less than about 1 part cleaning agent to 12 parts water, by volume. 
     
     
         23 . The carpet cleaning system of  claim 17 , wherein the cleaning agent includes sodium lauryl sulfate and disodium lauromido MEA sulfosuccinate. 
     
     
         24 . The carpet cleaning system of  claim 17 , wherein the glide plate is positioned to support at least a portion of the weight of the carpet cleaning system. 
     
     
         25 . The carpet cleaning system of  claim 17 , wherein the aerator dispenses foam at a rate equivalent to between about 0.0010 gallons of foam per square foot of a carpet and 0.0016 gallons of foam per square foot of a carpet. 
     
     
         26 . The carpet cleaning system of  claim 17 , wherein:
 at least a portion of the bristles is located at least approximately four inches from the axis of the brush, and   the brush rotates at no less than about 175 RPM in at least one mode of operation of the carpet cleaning system.