# US 9,039,844 B2 · Steam cleaning apparatus

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- Number: US 9,039,844 B2
- Document ID: US9039844B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/405,593
- Filed: 2012-02-27
- Published: 2012-09-06
- Granted: 2015-05-26
- Earliest claimed: 2011-03-01
- Assignees: Black & Decker Inc.
- Applicants: Barry Pears; David Rowntree; Martyn Riley; Stephen Houghton; Andrew Walker
- Inventors: Barry Pears; David Rowntree; Martyn Riley; Stephen Houghton; Andrew Walker
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9039844B2

## CPC

- A47L 13/225: {Steam mops}
- A47L 11/4008: {Arrangements of switches, indicators or the like}
- A47L 11/4086: {Arrangements for steam generation}
- F22B 1/285: {the water being fed by a pump to the reservoirs}
- A47L: DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING (brushes A46B; cleaning quantities of bottles or of other hollow articles of one kind B08B9/00; laundry D06F); SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL (cleaning in general B08)
- F22B: METHODS OF STEAM GENERATION; STEAM BOILERS

## Abstract

A steam cleaning apparatus including a main body having a main switch, a steam cleaning head coupled to the main body, and a position sensitive switch having a first state when the steam apparatus is in a substantially vertical storage position and a second state when the steam cleaning apparatus is in a tilted, cleaning position, the position sensitive switch being connected in electrical series with the main switch such that when the position-sensitive switch is in the first state the position-sensitive switch interrupts the flow of electrical current from the main switch and when the position-sensitive switch is in the second state, electrical power is supplied by the main switch.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A steam cleaning apparatus comprising:
a main body having a main switch;
a steam cleaning head coupled to the main body; and
a position sensitive switch having a first state when the steam apparatus is in a substantially vertical storage position and a second state when the steam cleaning apparatus is in a tilted, cleaning position, the position sensitive switch being connected in electrical series with the main switch such that when the position-sensitive switch is in the first state the position-sensitive switch interrupts the flow of electrical current from the main switch and when the position-sensitive switch is in the second state, electrical power is supplied by the main switch.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The steam cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the steam cleaning apparatus comprises a universal joint joining the steam cleaning head and the main body.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The steam cleaning apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the universal joint includes a protruding member that contacts a yoke, the yoke engaging the position sensitive switch.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The steam cleaning apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the yoke includes two arms, a first arm engaging the position sensitive switch, and a second arm engaging a pressure release valve.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The steam cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the position sensitive switch comprises a microswitch.