Surface cleaning apparatus with steam

Abstract

A surface cleaning apparatus adapted for wet cleaning includes a heated fluid delivery system that dispenses heated liquid and steam vapor. The heated fluid delivery system can include a heated liquid outlet and a steam vapor outlet. The apparatus can further include a liquid delivery system, and/or a recovery system.

1 . A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:
 a housing having a portion adapted for movement over a surface to be cleaned; and   a fluid delivery system comprising:
 a fluid supply container; 
 a heater in fluid communication with the fluid supply container, wherein the heater is configured to at least one of:
 heat cleaning fluid to about 100° C.; and 
 generate heated fluid having a steam quality of 20 to 30%; 
 
 a first supply path including the heater; 
 a heated fluid inlet in fluid communication with the heater to receive heated fluid from the heater; 
 a first pump configured to pressurize the first supply path and control the delivery of heated fluid to the heated fluid inlet; 
 a heated liquid outlet to dispense a liquid phase of the heated fluid to the surface to be cleaned as heated liquid; and 
 a steam vapor outlet to dispense a vapor phase of the heated fluid as steam vapor; 
 wherein:
 the fluid delivery system is configured to dispense heated liquid at a flow rate of 41 to 72 ml/min from the heated liquid outlet; and 
 the fluid delivery system is configured to dispense steam vapor at a flow rate of 10 to 18 ml/min from the steam vapor outlet. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the fluid delivery system is configured to dispense heated liquid at temperature of about 90 to 100° C. from the heated liquid outlet; and   the fluid delivery system is configured to dispense steam vapor at a temperature of about 90 to 100° C. from the steam vapor outlet.   
     
     
         3 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , comprising a liquid delivery system comprising:
 a second supply path;   a liquid dispenser having an unheated liquid outlet; and   a second pump configured to pressurize the second supply path and control the delivery of unheated liquid to the unheated liquid outlet.   
     
     
         4 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the liquid delivery system is configured to dispense unheated liquid at a flow rate of 1600 to 2100 ml/min from the unheated liquid outlet. 
     
     
         5 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the fluid delivery system is configured to dispense heated liquid at temperature of about 90 to 100° C. from the heated liquid outlet;   the fluid delivery system is configured to dispense steam vapor at a temperature of about 90 to 100° C. from the steam vapor outlet; and   the second supply path bypasses the heater to deliver unheated liquid to the unheated liquid outlet.   
     
     
         6 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the second pump is in fluid communication with the fluid supply container. 
     
     
         7 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 6 , comprising a manifold splitter in fluid communication with an outlet of the fluid supply container, the manifold splitter comprising a first outlet in fluid communication with the first supply path and a second outlet in fluid communication with the second supply path. 
     
     
         8 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , comprising at least one brushroll, and the heated liquid outlet is positioned to dispense the heated liquid in front of the at least one brushroll. 
     
     
         9 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the steam vapor outlet is positioned forwardly of the at least one brushroll and forwardly of the heated liquid outlet. 
     
     
         10 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the heated liquid outlet is positioned to dispense heated liquid directly onto the surface to be cleaned, and the steam vapor outlet is positioned to dispense steam vapor toward the surface to be cleaned. 
     
     
         11 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , comprising:
 a heated liquid dispenser comprising the heated liquid outlet; and   a steam dispenser comprising the steam vapor outlet, wherein the steam dispenser is positioned on an exterior of the housing and the heated liquid dispenser is located within an interior of the housing.   
     
     
         12 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , comprising a suction nozzle, wherein the steam vapor outlet is positioned forwardly of the suction nozzle and the heated liquid outlet is positioned rearwardly of the suction nozzle. 
     
     
         13 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , comprising a suction nozzle, wherein the steam vapor outlet is positioned forwardly of the suction nozzle and the heated liquid outlet is positioned forwardly of the suction nozzle. 
     
     
         14 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , comprising a suction nozzle and a vapor discharge conduit to supply the vapor phase to the steam vapor outlet, wherein the vapor discharge conduit ports the vapor phase around the suction nozzle. 
     
     
         15 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , comprising a fluid recovery system comprising a suction nozzle, a recovery container, and a suction source;
 wherein the surface cleaning apparatus is an upright extraction cleaner, and the housing includes:
 a base adapted for movement across a surface to be cleaned and comprising the suction nozzle; and 
 an upright assembly that is pivotally connected to the base for directing the base across the surface to be cleaned; and 
   wherein at least the steam vapor outlet is located on an exterior of the suction nozzle.   
     
     
         16 . A method of wet cleaning a surface comprising:
 providing a surface cleaning apparatus comprising a housing having a portion adapted for movement over a surface to be cleaned and a fluid delivery system comprising a fluid supply container, a heater in fluid communication with the fluid supply container, a supply path including the heater, a heated fluid inlet in fluid communication with the heater to receive heated fluid from the heater, a pump configured to pressurize the supply path and control the delivery of heated fluid to the heated fluid inlet, a heated liquid outlet to dispense a liquid phase of the heated fluid to the surface to be cleaned as heated liquid, and a steam vapor outlet to dispense a vapor phase of the heated fluid as steam vapor;   dispensing, from the heated liquid outlet, heated liquid at a flow rate of 41 to 72 ml/min to a surface to be cleaned; and   dispensing, from the steam vapor outlet, steam vapor at a flow rate of 10 to 18 ml/min to a surface to be cleaned;   wherein the heated liquid and the steam vapor are dispensed simultaneously to the surface to be cleaned.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  comprising:
 dispensing, from a liquid dispenser, unheated liquid at a flow rate of 1600 to 2100 ml/min toward at least one rotating agitator; 
 wherein the unheated liquid is dispensed simultaneously with the heated liquid and the steam vapor. 
 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  comprising dispensing from the heated liquid outlet, the steam vapor outlet, and the liquid dispenser in response to depression of a trigger on the housing. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16  comprising heating, with the heater, cleaning fluid to produce heated fluid having a steam quality of 20 to 30%. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16  comprising pressurizing, with the pump, the supply path to deliver heated fluid from the heater to a dual-phase distributor comprising the heated liquid outlet and the steam vapor outlet.