Truck mounted heat exchange device
AssigneeKärcher North America, Inc.
InventorsMichael James Roden, Ronald Wayne Williams
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A device for heating a fluid for use in carpet cleaning is provided. Specifically, the device routes a source of exhaust toward and/or around a heat exchange chamber to heat a fluid in a controlled manner. The fluid may be heated to a maximum amount when the full amount of exhaust is flowed through the heat exchange chamber. The fluid may not be substantially heated when the exhaust is flowed around the heat exchange chamber through an exhaust bypass. The fluid can also be heated to an intermediate amount by flowing some, but not all of the exhaust through the heat exchange chamber and the rest of the exhaust through the bypass.
Claims18
A heat exchange device for heating at least one fluid to an elevated temperature for use during cleaning, comprising:
- at least one heat exchange chamber having a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet, and an exhaust passage, wherein the at least one heat exchange chamber comprises a first heat exchange chamber and a second heat exchange chamber, wherein the first heat exchange chamber comprises a first fluid inlet, a first fluid outlet, and a first exhaust passage, wherein the second heat exchange chamber comprises a second fluid inlet, a second fluid outlet, and a second exhaust passage, and wherein the exhaust flow control mechanism differentially diverts the exhaust flow between the first exhaust passage and the exhaust bypass at a first ratio and differentially diverts the exhaust flow between the second exhaust passage and the exhaust bypass at a second ratio;
- an exhaust bypass;
- and
- an exhaust flow control mechanism for differentially diverting an exhaust flow between the exhaust passage and the exhaust bypass.
A cleaning system, comprising:
- a cleaning member which applies at least one fluid to a surface to be cleaned, wherein the at least one fluid comprises a first fluid and a second fluid that have been differentially heated to different temperatures;
- at least one heat exchange chamber having a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet, and an exhaust passage between the fluid inlet and outlet, wherein the at least one heat exchange chamber comprises a first heat exchange chamber and a second heat exchange chamber, wherein the first fluid is heated to a first amount in the first heat exchange chamber and wherein the second fluid is heated to a second amount in the second heat exchange chamber;
- an exhaust bypass;
- and
- means for differentially diverting an exhaust flow between the exhaust passage and the exhaust bypass;
- and
- means for supplying the heated at least one fluid from a heating machine to the cleaning member.
A heat exchanger, comprising:
- an enclosure having an inlet to allow exhaust gas to enter the enclosure, an outlet to allow exhaust gas to exit the enclosure, and an exhaust bypass;
- at least one control door with at least one aperture movably positioned within the enclosure;
- at least one heat exchange member having a fluid inlet and outlet positioned within the enclosure;
- and
- wherein exhaust gas may flow through the at least one aperture to the at least one heat exchange member when the control door is in a first position and through the exhaust bypass when the control door is in a second position, and wherein the heat exchange member further comprises at least one aperture and wherein the at least one aperture of the control door is movable relative to the at least one aperture of the heat exchange member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.