Method and apparatus for the cleaning and/or care of floors and/or floor coverings of all types

An apparatus for treatment of a surface, the surface being a bare floor, a tiled floor or a floor with a covering including a carpet, upon an application of an auxiliary medium and an application of heat, comprising:

• a machine housing;
• a drive unit arranged above said machine housing in a motor housing;
• a rotor driven by said drive unit via a shaft;
• a drive dish arranged at an underside of said rotor;
• a generator for generating a high-energy hot air stream with a hot air conduit and a downwardly directed hot air discharge nozzle inside the machine housing;
• a temperature selector operatively connected to said generator for selecting one of a plurality of temperature levels;
• said air discharge nozzle being arranged along an axis approximately parallel to a rotational axis of said rotor and having its outlet arranged immediately above said drive dish between a rotational center and a periphery of said drive dish;
• a dosing means for said auxiliary medium whose discharge aperture is arranged above the drive dish, a container for said auxiliary medium preceding the dosing means, as well as having a discharge pipe and discharge nozzles following said dosing means, whereby said discharge pipe is fashioned to form a pipe coil at its discharge-side end which forms a heat exchanger and said discharge-side end is arranged in said hot air stream under said air discharge nozzle.

A method of cleaning a surface, including a floor or a carpet, the method comprising:

• rotating a drive dish above the surface, the drive dish including at least one aperture for permitting communication between an upper side of the drive dish and the surface below the drive dish;
• heating an air stream to provide a heated air stream;
• directing the heated air stream toward the upper surface of the rotating drive dish;
• directing an auxiliary medium stream toward the upper surface of the rotating drive dish;
• heating the auxiliary medium stream with the heated air stream as both the auxiliary medium stream and the heated air stream engage the drive dish and pass through the drive dish to the surface below.

An apparatus for cleaning a surface including a floor or carpet, the apparatus comprising:

• a rotatable drive dish;
• a generator for generating a hot air stream, the generator being in communication with a downwardly directed hot air discharge outlet, the hot air discharge outlet being arranged above the drive dish;
• a reservoir of an auxiliary medium, the reservoir being in communication with a dosing means for discharging the auxiliary medium to the drive dish;
• the drive dish including at least one aperture through which the hot air and auxiliary medium pass through, the drive dish mixing the hot air and the auxiliary medium together as the drive dish rotates so that the auxiliary medium is heated by hot air as the auxiliary medium and hot air pass through the drive dish.