Abstract:
A carpet cleaning fluid injection apparatus for adaptation to a vacuum nozzle. The injection apparatus configured to surround the vacuum nozzle for purposes of injecting the cleaning fluid into the carpet in proximity to the vacuum nozzle and the vacuum nozzle configured for extracting the cleaning fluid from the carpet.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims the benefit of the filing date of a provisional application with Ser. No. 61/077,962 which was filed on Jul. 3, 2008, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The current invention relates to an apparatus for injecting a cleaning fluid into a carpet utilized in combination with a device for suctioning the fluid from the carpet. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0003]    A Marketdata Enterprises, Inc., study estimates that the carpet cleaning industry in the United States in 2005-2006 was a $5.3 billion industry. This service industry continues to grow and demand improvements to the technology associated with the cleaning process. There continue to be widespread efforts to improve the quality and the speed of cleaning of carpets including developments in chemical technology and equipment for cleaning the carpet. 
         [0004]    The current technology is associated with deep cleaning of carpets, as opposed to standard carpet cleaning which applies only to the surface yarn of the carpet. The current technology is directed to the placement of a specially designed vacuum nozzle, also known as a subsurface extractor, over the stained area of the carpet. With the suction source in operation and connected to the vacuum nozzle the technician pours, by hand, a premixed solution from a container over the top of the vacuum nozzle allowing the solution to cascade over the top and down the sides of the vacuum nozzle. The solution enters into the carpet and the supporting pad in effect flooding the area in proximity to the stains that are to be removed. As the solution saturates the carpet and pad the goal is to have it suctioned out of the carpet through the vacuum nozzle, thus flushing the staining debris up and out of the carpet. 
         [0005]    Several problems can result from pouring of the cleaning agent onto the vacuum nozzle. First, the technician often times must be on her knees pouring the solution onto the carpet to properly control the disbursement of the fluid. Second, this pouring technique often results in an uncontrolled rate of solution flow which is wasteful and it is common for the solution to migrate further than anticipated. An inexperienced technician can pour more fluid onto the carpet than is necessary to properly saturate the soiled area thereby causing the fluid to seep beyond the carpet, pad and flooring and in poorly monitored situations ultimately into the ceiling structure that may reside immediately beneath the floor being cleaned. This often times unfortunately results in serious sheet rock or ceiling tile damage. Third, the technician is limited by his solution source, such that when her container of cleaning solution is empty she will have to stop the cleaning process, mix additional solution and then return to the task of pouring and suctioning the carpet fluid. 
         [0006]    The technology proposed herein eliminates the various pitfalls described above by providing a device that allows the technician to precisely control the amount of fluid being delivered to the stained carpet, reducing the amount of time that the technician may need to spend on her knees and also by providing the technician with an ample supply of cleaning solution so that repeated mixing of small batches becomes unnecessary. The proposed technology also greatly reduces the potential for over saturation of the carpet leading to seepage through the flooring possibly resulting in damage to the ceiling beneath the carpet being cleaned. 
         [0007]    In order to remove stubborn stains from carpet there are four principle components that enter into the cleaning. First, the chemistry of the cleaning fluid and particularly the pH of the fluid is important. Most soils register on the acid side of the pH scale and consequently in order to neutralize the soils deposited in the carpet most cleaning agents are on the alkaline side. The highest quality of cleaning takes place when the cleaning is performed with the opposite or at least with a lesser degree of pH. Additionally, emulsifiers are also a part of the chemical make up, which creates a suspension of the soils within the solution and surfactants which are wetting agents that break surface tension, allowing the solution to penetrate deeper into the fiber base. 
         [0008]    Second, heat makes molecules active and it also breaks down adhesions between the molecular structures in the soils. Heat also reduces surface tension allowing soil to be more easily removed. Also this very action helps promote the reaction between the chemistry and the soils. 
         [0009]    The third critical component in the arsenal of tools to clean carpets is the agitation of the carpet fibers. Agitation by the technician moving the cleaning device over the carpet or through some sort of powered agitation helps in physically breaking soils away from the fibers so the soils are easily suspended in the chemical and flushed away. 
         [0010]    Fourth, time is used for several aspects of the cleaning process. The first being what is called “dwell” time, that being the amount of time needed for the chemical pre-spray or pre-conditioner that is applied first to breakdown the soils, and start the emulsification process. Time is also a requirement in performing the work. Some situations require more time to accomplish the end result. Soils that have been allowed time to bond with the fiber takes time to break that bond. Time that is allowed to have soils bond and build up in conjunction with sugar or starch type soils takes time to remove, since the build up happens in layers it has to come off in layers. 
         [0011]    A carpet cleaning apparatus that in combination with the disclosed technology optimizes these carpet cleaning principles and comprises a vacuum nozzle such as that disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 6,513,192. The vacuum nozzle is placed in communication with a vacuum source that is typically vehicle mounted, however, stand-alone sources of vacuum may also be utilized. The vacuum nozzle of the &#39;192 patent, as discussed above, relies upon the manual application of the carpet cleaning fluid by either pouring the cleaning solution onto the carpeting from a container or utilizing a pressurized container that must be physically carried by the technician from one carpet stain location to the next. The movement of the supply of cleaning fluid is a cumbersome process for the carpet cleaning technician that can lead to over saturation of the carpet and pad, can produce a trip hazard for the technician as the container of solution can be inadvertently backed-into and depending upon the magnitude of staining it may require the technician to repeatedly mix cleaning solution thereby slowing the overall cleaning process. The repeated mixing can also lead to variations in the composition of the cleaning solution and ultimately to the cleaning power of the solution resulting in differing stain removal capabilities and an uneven appearance for the carpet. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0012]    These and other features, aspects and advantages of the disclosed technology will become better understood with reference to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where 
           [0013]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the injection rig in combination with other elements of the carpet cleaning apparatus; 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the injection rig in combination with the vacuum nozzle; 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is a bottom view of the injection rig; 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  is a bottom view of the injection rig in combination with the vacuum nozzle; and 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  is an exploded view of the injection rig in combination with the vacuum nozzle and stand pipe. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0018]    The disclosed technology is directed to a carpet cleaning fluid injection rig for use in combination with a vacuum nozzle that is well known by those skilled in the art.  FIG. 1  reveals the disclosed technology in combination with the existing technology. The stand pipe  15  includes grips  17 ,  19  for placement of the hands to provide maximum control over the stand pipe  15  and to allow the technician to apply a downward pressure to the standpipe as needed to facilitate stain removal. A vacuum source (not shown) is connected to the stand pipe  15  at the end point  21 . Variable control of the vacuum pressure drop provided by the vacuum source to the carpet is provided by an adjustable plate  23  that can be incrementally opened and closed as necessary to increase or decrease the magnitude of the vacuum that is supplied at the carpeting. The stand pipe  15  also utilizes a flexible coupling  27  that provides a significant range of motion for the technician to position the stand pipe  15  at an angle that is comfortable for the height of the technician. 
         [0019]    The standpipe  15  flexible coupling  27  terminates at the vacuum nozzle  35  as seen in  FIGS. 1 and 2  and is secured in position by a pair of standard radiator type clamps  37 ,  38  or other appropriate attachment means. To provide a measure of rigidity to the connection between the standpipe  15  and the vacuum nozzle  35 , a pair of rotatable pivot joints  40  are employed with one on two sides of the vacuum nozzle  35 . A nozzle flange  42  extends upwardly from a securement ring  48  to the pivot joint  40 . A standpipe flange  43  extends downwardly from a standpipe connection point  44  to the rotatable pivot joint  40 . These various flanges and pivot points allow the technician considerable flexibility in manipulating the orientation of the vacuum nozzle and yet also providing for a secure vacuum supply line. 
         [0020]      FIG. 2  further discloses the vacuum nozzle  35  disclosed at U.S. Pat. No. 6,513,192. Further disclosed at  FIG. 2  is the technology for injecting in a highly controllable manner carpet cleaning fluid in proximity to the vacuum nozzle, wherein the injection rig  50  discharges the cleaning fluid into the carpet at a pre-designated flow rate with the vacuum nozzle  35  extracting the cleaning fluid from the carpet. The carpet cleaning technician can exert exacting control over the volume of cleaning fluid delivered to the carpeting and has an ample supply to draw upon without having to prepare another batch of manually applied cleaning fluid. Importantly, the cleaning fluid being injected through the injection rig  50  will retain heat longer than that supplied by manually pouring the solution from a small container moved periodically by the technician. 
         [0021]    As can be seen in  FIG. 3 , the injection rig  50  is comprised of four hollow members  52 ,  54 ,  56  and  58 . The hollow members are preferably comprised of aluminum or stainless steel and welded together at endpoints  60 ,  62 ,  64  and  66 , however, other corrosion and impact resistant materials, such as PVC, that can be effectively joined at the endpoints with a fluid tight seal may also be employed. Hollow members  52 ,  54 ,  56  and  58  are preferably round with an outside diameter of between 1.5 inches and 0.75 inches and an interior diameter of between 0.50 inches and 1.25 inches, however, a wide range of dimensions will suffice for delivery of the carpet cleaning fluid. The hollow members  52 ,  54 ,  56  and  58  may be cut to numerous lengths to accommodate the varying dimensions of the vacuum nozzles  35  to which they are attached. 
         [0022]    As is seen in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the hollow members  52 ,  54 ,  56  and  58  also include a plurality of apertures  68  on the downward, or carpet facing, portion of each member. The apertures  68  are for injecting the heated carpet cleaning fluid downwardly into the carpet. The apertures  68  are also preferably angled slightly inward to the vacuum nozzle  35  so that the fluid can permeate the carpet and migrate to the vacuum nozzle extraction holes  70  as seen in  FIG. 4 , by the suction force. Apertures  68  are preferably separated by approximately 0.25 inch to no more than one inch. Additionally, the apertures  68  are preferably angled inwardly toward the vacuum nozzle  35  at an angle ranging from 10 to 45 degrees from horizontal with aperture openings ranging preferably from 1/32 to 5/32 inch in diameter. 
         [0023]    As seen in  FIG. 4 , the injection rig  50  is preferably spaced apart from the outer walls  71  of the vacuum nozzle  35  by a gap  72  of between 0.25 and 0.5 inches on all sides  52 ,  54 ,  56  and  58 . This gap  72  facilitates placement of the injection rig  50  over the vacuum nozzle  35  without interference between the two components. In addition, the over sizing of the injection rig member lengths so that there is no friction fit between the vacuum nozzle  35  and the injection rig  50  reduces stress loading on the joints  60 ,  62 ,  64  and  66  that could result in their failure causing subsequent and undesirable leakage of the carpet cleaning fluid. 
         [0024]    As seen in  FIG. 2 , the injection rig  50  employs four attachment brackets  74  that are preferably secured by welding to the injection rig  50  during manufacture of the rig  50 . The attachment brackets  74  include a step-up  76  that provides the elevation necessary for the attachment bracket landing  78  to rise to the level of the upper surface of the vacuum nozzle  35 . With the bracket landing  78  setting atop the vacuum nozzle  35  the four attachment brackets  74  may be secured to the upper surface of the vacuum nozzle  35  with the aid of attachment means  80  such as screws or rivets 
         [0025]    Once the injection rig  50  is secured to the vacuum nozzle  35  the carpet cleaning supply line  90 , as seen in  FIG. 2 , is secured to the inlet port  95  of the hollow member  52 . The heated carpet cleaning fluid is supplied to the injection rig  50  as required by the carpet cleaning technician through the use of a hand controlled lever  97  as seen in  FIG. 1 . The inlet control valve  100  includes a quick disconnect feature  102  and a valve assembly  104 . Exiting from the control valve  100  is the supply line  106  that extends down the length of the standpipe  15  to the injection rig  50 . 
       Operation of the Injection Rig Kit 
       [0026]    In operation, the injection rig  50  is secured to the vacuum nozzle utilizing the attachment brackets  74  and attachment screws  80 . The injection rig  50  is positioned so that the lower edge of the hollow members  52 ,  54 ,  56  and  58  are elevated slightly above the lower surface of the vacuum nozzle  35 . This elevation is facilitated by the step-up feature  76  provided by the attachment brackets  74 . Additionally, a slight gap between the injection rig  50  and the vacuum nozzle  35  minimizes the stress loading on the injection rig and decreases the prospects for rupture of one of the joints  60 ,  62 ,  64  and  66 . 
         [0027]    Once secured to the vacuum nozzle  35 , the supply line  90  extending downwardly from the control valve  100  is secured to the inlet port  95 . The stand pipe  15  is secured to the vacuum nozzle  35  with the flexible coupling  27  and is rigidly yet rotatably coupled through the pivot joints  40 . The pivot joints  40  serve to connect the nozzle flange  42  and the standpipe flange  43  with the flexible coupling secured in position by clamps  37 ,  38 . The vacuum source is also connected to the standpipe at the endpoint  21  thereby completing the connection between the vacuum source (not shown) and the carpeting. The cleaning technician can manipulate the pressure drop to the carpet by opening and closing the adjustable plate  23  on the standpipe  15 . An increase in vacuum at the carpeting may be needed to address particularly stubborn stains and soiling. 
         [0028]    The carpet cleaning technician connects the heated cleaning fluid supply line to the quick disconnect  102  on the standpipe  15 . The fluid is then ready for delivery to the injection rig as needed by the technician to facilitate rapid and thorough stain removal. When the valve assembly  104  is opened by the technician rotating the lever  97 , carpet cleaning fluid flows from the supply tank (not shown) past the valve assembly, down the supply line  106 , into the injection rig  50  through the various hollow members  52 ,  54 ,  56  and  58  and is ejected from the plurality of apertures  68  into the carpet. Since the apertures are angled slightly inwardly toward the vacuum nozzle  35  the carpet cleaning fluid is pulled beneath the vacuum nozzle where the heat and agitation of the fluid cause the soils and stains to be extracted from the carpet. 
         [0029]    As cleaning fluid is applied to the carpet through the injection rig a downward pressure is applied to the standpipe  15  at the handgrips  17 ,  19  by the technician. This handgrip  17 ,  19  directed pressure serves to seal the area beneath the vacuum nozzle  35  allowing the vacuum to draw the soil and staining from the carpet. Once the technician is confident that the cleaning fluid has been extracted from the designated area of the carpet, the positioning of the adjustable plate  23  can be modified to reduce the vacuum applied against the carpet thereby releasing the vacuum nozzle from the carpet. The technician then moves to the next stained area of the carpet and begins the process again to deliver cleaning fluid to the carpet and the process of extracting it. 
         [0030]    Those skilled in the art appreciate that variations from the specified embodiments disclosed above are contemplated herein and that the described embodiments are not limiting. The description should not be restricted to the above embodiments, but should be measured by the following claims.