Steam cleaning appliance
AssigneeSharkNinja Operating LLC
InventorsAlan L. WEEKS, Kim C. REEVES, William Scott HUGHES, Ognjen VRDOLJAK
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Embodiments of the invention disclosed herein include steam appliances and methods which apply steam and a liquid containing a cleaning agent to the floor via separate outlets. In some embodiments, the liquid containing a cleaning agent is applied to an area of the floor that is physically separated from a steam application area. The steam may be applied to the floor through a steam-permeable fabric. The liquid containing a cleaning agent may be heated before being applied to the floor or being mixed with steam.
Claims15
1-40. (canceled)
A steam cleaning appliance for cleaning floors comprising:
- an appliance body;
- a handle attached to the appliance body;
- a liquid applicator to apply the first liquid to a floor;
- a steam source to generate steam;
- and
- a cleaning head to apply steam to the floor;
- wherein
- movement of the handle in a forward and/or backward motion to move the cleaning head on the floor operates a liquid delivery system to deliver the second liquid to the steam source;
- and further comprising
- a controller configured to prevent delivery of the second liquid to the steam source when the steam source is not generating steam.
A method of cleaning a floor using a steam cleaning appliance, the method comprising acts of:
- (a) applying a liquid including a cleaning agent to an area of a floor using a liquid applicator disposed on a steam appliance;
- (b) applying steam to the area of the floor using the steam appliance by applying steam through a steam-permeable cleaning pad which is attached to the cleaning appliance after act (a) is complete;
- and
- (c) sliding the cleaning pad across the area of the floor.
A steam cleaning appliance for cleaning floors comprising:
- a cleaning head configured to attach a cleaning pad to contact a floor;
- an appliance body attached to the cleaning head to maneuver the cleaning head on the floor;
- a first reservoir to hold a first liquid containing a cleaning agent;
- a first conduit in communication with the first reservoir as part of a system to deliver the first liquid to the floor;
- a second reservoir to hold a second liquid, different from the first liquid;
- a steam source to generate steam from the second liquid;
- and
- a steam outlet in communication with the steam source and configured to apply steam to the floor;
- wherein at least one of the first conduit and the first reservoir is arranged to receive heat, prior to any mixing with steam, from at least one of:
- the steam generating unit, steam ejected from the steam outlet, and a steam conduit carrying steam from the steam generating unit to the steam outlet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.