PRESSURIZED VACUUM CLEANING SYSTEM

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

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STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

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THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

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INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM.

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STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(1) Field of the Invention

The disclosure relates to wet and dry vacuum cleaners and more particularly pertains to a new pressurized vacuum cleaning system for cleaning walls, windows, and difficult to reach areas, such as window tracks, crevices, and corners. In general, cleaning machines can be used that dispense a cleaning liquid, such as water, cleaning chemicals, or a solution of water and cleaning chemicals, and further include a vacuum to suck up the cleaning liquid and any waste, such as dirt and debris. However, these devices are usually only for use on carpets, whereas walls, windows, and hard to reach areas are cleaned by hand using a variety of rags and cloths and handheld tools. The pressurized vacuum cleaning system is used to clean such areas more efficiently using liquid cleaning medium and a vacuum head

(2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98

The prior art relates to wet and dry vacuum cleaners. The prior art, as best understood, does not disclose a pressurized vacuum cleaning system that has a head assembly that is designed to be held in one hand by a user and includes a spray head connected to a spray line to dispense cleaning medium under pressure, a vacuum head connected to a vacuum hose to suction waste materials and used cleaning medium, and a cleaning structure.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above in a pressurized vacuum cleaning system generally comprising a housing, a spray pump and a spray line connected thereto, a first tank, a vacuum pump and a vacuum hose connected thereto, a second tank, a head assembly, and a control arrangement. The housing is designed to contain components therein and includes a portal therein. The spray line extends out through the portal. The first tank is connected to the spray pump and contains a supply of cleaning medium. The vacuum hose extends out through the portal. The second tank is connected to the vacuum pump and designed to contain vacuumed waste and used cleaning medium. The head assembly is designed to be held in one hand by a user and includes a spray head connected to the spray line to dispense cleaning medium under pressure, a vacuum head connected to the vacuum hose to suction waste materials and used cleaning medium, and a cleaning structure. The control arrangement is designed to permit a user to selectively activate the spray pump to dispense the cleaning medium.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a pressurized vacuum cleaning system according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of components of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a component of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a component of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of additional components of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a side cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 8 is a front cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 9 is a rear cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 9 thereof, a new pressurized vacuum cleaning system embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 9, the pressurized vacuum cleaning system 10 generally comprises a housing 12, a spray pump 14 and a spray line 16 connected thereto, a first tank 18, a vacuum pump 20 and a vacuum hose 22 connected thereto, a second tank 24, a head assembly 26, and a control arrangement, which is described in detail below. As best seen in FIGS. 7 through 9, the housing 12 is designed to contain components therein and includes a portal 28 therein. The spray line 16 extends out through the portal 28. The first tank 18 is connected to the spray pump 14 and contains a supply of cleaning medium. The vacuum hose 22 extends out through the portal 28. The second tank 24 is connected to the vacuum pump 20 and designed to contain vacuumed waste and used cleaning medium. As shown in FIGS. 1, 4, and 5, the head assembly 26 is designed to be held in one hand by a user and includes a spray head 30 connected to the spray line 16 to dispense cleaning medium under pressure, a vacuum head 32 connected to the vacuum hose 22 to suction waste materials and used cleaning medium, and a cleaning structure 34. The control arrangement is designed to permit a user to selectively activate the spray pump 14 to dispense the cleaning medium.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the housing 12 includes a handle 36 that is extendable and retractable, as well as a set of wheels 38, for portability. The housing 12 is relatively small and substantially rectangular and could have a height of approximately 20 to 28 inches, a length of approximately 16 to 20 inches, and a width of approximately 16 to 20 inches. The housing 12 could be made of metal or plastic.

Both the first tank 18 and the second tank 24 are positioned inside the housing 12, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. As shown in FIG. 7, the first tank 18 includes a fill orifice 40 in the housing 12 to permit a user to fill the first tank 18 with cleaning medium, which could be water, cleaning chemicals, or a solution thereof. The second tank 24 includes a drain orifice 42 in the housing 12 to permit a user to drain out used cleaning medium and the waste therein, such as dirt, dust, and debris. In one possible embodiment, the first tank 18 includes a heating element 44 designed to heat the cleaning medium.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 3, and 7, the spray line 16 includes a fixed spray line portion 46 mounted in the portal 28 and attached to the spray pump 14, and a flexible spray line portion 48 detachably connected to the fixed spray line portion 46. Similarly, the vacuum hose 22 includes a fixed vacuum hose portion 50 mounted in the portal 28 and attached to the vacuum pump 20, and a flexible vacuum hose portion 52 detachably connected to the fixed vacuum hose portion 50. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the vacuum head 32 detachably connects to the flexible vacuum hose portion 52, and the sprayer head 30 includes detachably connects to the flexible spray line portion 48. Alternatively, both the spray line 16 and the vacuum hose 22 are continuous and not divided into detachable portions.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the pressurized vacuum cleaning system 10 includes a plurality of the head assemblies 26, wherein each of the head assemblies 26 is detachably connected to the spray line 16 and the vacuum hose 22 and includes a different type of the cleaning structure 34. For example, a first cleaning structure 34 is a brush 54, a second cleaning structure 34 is a crevice cleaner projection 56, such as for cleaning window tracks and crevices, and a third cleaning structure 34 is a wiper blade 58, or possibly a wiper sponge, such as for cleaning windows and walls. In another possible embodiment, the head assemblies 26 are not detachable, but rather the cleaning structures 34 are detachable. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the spray head 30 is attached to the vacuum head 32 and designed to spray cleaning medium adjacent the vacuum head 32. In one possible embodiment, the cleaning structures 34 can be relatively small, such as one to six inches in length, or possibly one to three inches, or possibly approximately one inch. Very small sizes, such as one inch, could be useful for the crevice cleaner projection 56.

The control arrangement is also designed to permit a user to selectively activate the vacuum pump 20. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the control arrangement includes a spray switch 60 mounted in the head assembly 26, which spray switch 60 is operatively connected to the spray pump 14 to permit a user to selectively activate the spray pump 14 to dispense the cleaning medium. As shown in FIG. 7, the control arrangement includes an electronic control unit 62 mounted in the housing 12 and operatively connected to the vacuum pump 20, the spray pump 14, and the spray switch 60. Flexible wiring 64 is attached to the vacuum hose 22 and connects the electronic control unit 62 to the spray switch 60. Additional wiring 64 connects the spray switch 60. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the control arrangement includes a control panel 66 mounted on the housing 12 and operatively connected to the electronic control unit 62. The control panel 66 could be used to control turning the pressurized vacuum cleaning system 10 on and off, as well as turn the heating element 44 on and off as well as the vacuum pump 20. A power source 68 and cord 70 are also shown.

As mentioned above, the pressurized vacuum cleaning system 10 is used to clean walls, windows, and difficult to reach areas, such as window tracks, crevices, and corners. The pressurized vacuum cleaning system 10 is used to vacuum up dirt and debris much like any normal wet-dry vacuum. The difference is that the spray head 30 can be used to spray cleaning medium under pressure directly at the area being cleaned. In addition, the handheld design of the head assemblies 26, as well as the specialized design of the cleaning structures 34, allows a user to clean walls, windows, and difficult to reach areas, such as window tracks, crevices, and corners. In use, the user can selectively spray cleaning medium and then use the selected cleaning structure 34 to clean a surface or area. The user then, or essentially simultaneously to the cleaning process, operates the vacuum to suck up the cleaning medium and the dirt and debris. The pressurized vacuum cleaning system 10 thereby eliminates the need to use separate bottles of cleaning medium and rags and cloths and speeds up the cleaning process.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.