Abstract:
A steam cleaner that includes a cleaning tool having a first cleaning surface configured to contact the surface being cleaned and a second cleaning surface configured to contact the surface being cleaned. The steam cleaner further includes a coupling operable to removably couple the cleaning tool and a conduit. The coupling includes a locking member movable from an engaged position to a disengaged position. The cleaning tool is coupled to the conduit for movement with the conduit when the locking member is in the engaged position and the cleaning tool is removable from the conduit when the locking member is in the disengaged position. The coupling further includes an actuator manually movable from a locked position to an unlocked position to move the locking member from the engaged position to the disengaged position, and a biasing member that biases the actuator toward the locked position.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/443,444, filed Feb. 16, 2011 and to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/449,878, filed Mar. 7, 2011, the entire contents of which are both hereby incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to steam cleaners. Steam cleaners can be used to clean surfaces, such as tables, counters, shower walls, shower doors or fabrics, such as upholstery or draperies. Steam cleaners typically include a supply tank, a heater, and a cleaning tool that is attached to the supply tank by a hose. The heater, which can be electrical, heats cleaning fluid in the supply tank to generate a vaporized cleaning fluid. The vaporized cleaning fluid travels through the hose and the cleaning tool and is discharged on the surface or fabric to clean the surface or fabric. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0003]    In one embodiment, the invention provides a steam cleaner operable to clean a surface. The steam cleaner includes a supply tank configured to retain a cleaning fluid, a heater operable to heat the cleaning fluid to vaporize the cleaning fluid and generate a vaporized cleaning fluid, a conduit in fluid communication with the supply tank, and a cleaning tool in fluid communication with the conduit. The cleaning tool includes a permeable portion that allows the vaporized cleaning fluid to pass through the cleaning tool to clean the surface, a first cleaning surface configured to contact the surface being cleaned, and a second cleaning surface configured to contact the surface being cleaned. The steam cleaner further includes a coupling operable to removably couple the cleaning tool and the conduit. The coupling includes a locking member movable from an engaged position to a disengaged position. The cleaning tool is coupled to the conduit for movement with the conduit when the locking member is in the engaged position and the cleaning tool is removable from the conduit when the locking member is in the disengaged position. The coupling further includes an actuator manually movable from a locked position to an unlocked position to move the locking member from the engaged position to the disengaged position, and a biasing member that biases the actuator toward the locked position. 
         [0004]    In another embodiment the invention provides a steam cleaner operable to clean a surface. The steam cleaner includes a supply tank configured to retain a cleaning fluid, a heater operable to heat the cleaning fluid to vaporize the cleaning fluid and generate a vaporized cleaning fluid, a conduit in fluid communication with the supply tank, a cleaning tool including a cleaning pad and a frame that supports the cleaning pad in fluid communication with the conduit, and a coupling operable to removably couple the cleaning tool and the conduit. The coupling includes a locking member movable from an engaged position to a disengaged position. The cleaning tool is coupled to the conduit for movement with the conduit when the locking member is in the engaged position and the cleaning tool is removable from the conduit when the locking member is in the disengaged position. The coupling further includes an actuator manually movable from a locked position to an unlocked position to move the locking member from the engaged position to the disengaged position, and a biasing member that biases the actuator toward the locked position. The frame includes a frame projection received within the conduit and engaged by the locking member to couple the cleaning tool to the conduit. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a steam cleaner according to one embodiment of the invention. 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  is a partially exploded cross-sectional view of a coupling of the steam cleaner of  FIG. 1  taken along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0007]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the coupling of  FIG. 2  taken along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0008]      FIG. 4  is an exploded view of a cleaning tool of the steam cleaner of  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
       [0009]    Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0010]      FIG. 1  illustrates a steam cleaner  10  that includes a housing  12 , a nozzle  14 , a first cleaning fluid supply tank  16 , and a conduit  18 . The housing  12  includes a trigger  20  and a handle  22 . The nozzle  14  is mounted to the housing  12  and is adapted to receive the conduit  18 , which is a hose in the illustrated embodiment, or other cleaning attachment. In one embodiment, the first supply tank  16  is filled with a cleaning fluid or other solution and may be removably mounted to the housing  12 . Water is stored inside a fluid heating vessel, or a second cleaning fluid supply tank  24 . A fill cap  26  is removably attached to the housing  12  and covers a fill opening that provides access to and allows a user to pour water into the fluid heating vessel  24 , which includes a heater  28 . A steam conduit fluidly connects the fluid heating vessel  24  to the nozzle  14  and a solution conduit fluidly connects the solution tank  16  to the steam conduit. 
         [0011]    A housing end  30  of the hose  18  is removably connected to the nozzle  14 . The fluid heating vessel  24  heats water contained within the vessel  24  to vaporize the water and create steam. The trigger  20  mechanically connects to a spring biased, normally closed valve. The valve is fluidly connected to the fluid heating vessel  24  and the steam conduit that leads to the nozzle  14  of the steam cleaner  10 . In operation, pressing the trigger  20  causes the valve to open. Once the valve is open, the pressure differential between the pressure within the fluid heating vessel  24  and the ambient pressure of the external environment at the nozzle  14  causes steam to flow from the fluid heating vessel  24 , through the valve and steam conduit, to the nozzle  14 . Steam exiting through the steam conduit and nozzle draws the solution from the solution conduit via a venturi effect. 
         [0012]    Opposite the housing end  30 , the hose  18  terminates at a hose handle  32  as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 4 . An internal hose conduit  28  ( FIG. 3 ) for transporting the cleaning fluid, a mixture of steam and solution in one embodiment, extends from the housing end  30  and through the hose  18  and the hose handle  32 . The hose handle  32  includes a coupling  36 , which is a quick release coupling in the illustrated embodiment. The quick release coupling  36  is configured to receive a variety of steam cleaning tool attachments  38 , one of which is illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 4 . In other embodiments, the steam cleaner does not include a hose and the coupling  36  is included on the nozzle  14  of the steam cleaner. 
         [0013]    Referring to  FIGS. 2-3 , the coupling  36  includes an actuator  40 , a biasing member  42 , a neck  44 , and an inner male projection  46 . The actuator  40 , which is a sliding collar in the illustrated embodiment, is biased away from the hose handle  32 , in the direction of arrow  48 , in an axial direction by the biasing member  42 , which is a coil spring in the illustrated embodiment. The collar  40  includes a contact edge  50  that is in contact with the neck  44  at all times around an outer edge  52  of the neck  44 . The collar  40  has a larger diameter than and is concentric to the neck  44 . The neck  44  has a base  54 , an open end  56 , and a plurality of pockets  58  in a radial connection plane  60 . Each pocket  58  extends through the wall of the neck  44  such that each pocket  58  forms an aperture. Each of the illustrated pockets  58  includes a locking member  62 , which is a ball in the illustrated embodiment. The balls  62  each have a diameter that is larger than the width of the neck  44  such that a portion of each ball  62  extends radially beyond either an inner edge  64  or outer edge  66  of the neck  44 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , when the collar  40  is in a locked position, the contact edge  50  forces the balls  62  to extend radially inward past the inner edge  64  of the neck  44 . 
         [0014]    The interior of the neck  44  is generally hollow. The male projection  46  includes an outer edge  68  and in one embodiment, the male projection  46  is positioned within the generally hollow region of the neck  44 . The male projection  46  has a smaller diameter than and is concentric to the neck  44 . The male projection  46  includes seals  70 , which are o-ring gaskets in the illustrated embodiment, disposed within one or more channels  72  on its outer edge  68 . The male projection  46  fluidly connects intermediary conduit  28  and contains an aperture  74  to continue the flow of the cleaning fluid. In the illustrated embodiment, the male projection  46  does not extend past the open end  56  of the neck  44  in the axial direction. In another embodiment, the male projection  46  extends past the open end  56  of the neck  44 . The base  54  of the neck  44  is disposed between the outer edge  68  of the male projection  46  and the inner edge  64  of the neck  44 . 
         [0015]    Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the cleaning tool  38  includes a cleaning pad  78  and a frame  80  that is received within the cleaning pad  78  to support the cleaning pad  78 . The cleaning pad  78  includes a first cleaning surface  82  and a second cleaning surface  84  directly opposed to the first cleaning surface  82 . The first cleaning surface  82  is permeable such that the vaporized cleaning fluid can permeate through the cleaning surface  82 . In one embodiment, the cleaning surface  82  is formed by a micro-fiber cloth. The second cleaning surface  84  is formed from a different material than the first cleaning surface  82  such that the second cleaning surface  84  has a different texture than the first cleaning surface  82  to provide a user with a different cleaning function. For example, in one embodiment, the second cleaning surface  84  can be formed from an impermeable rubber pad that can be used to scrub a surface. The cleaning pad  78  is removably coupled to the frame  80  (e.g., the user can slide the pad  78  off of the frame  80 ) so that the user can replace the pad  78  when it is worn or if the user desires to use a different cleaning pad. 
         [0016]    The frame  80  includes apertures  88  that allow the vaporized cleaning fluid to travel through the frame  80  to contact the cleaning pad  78 . The frame  80  further includes a projection or nipple  90 . The nipple  90  includes a hollow chamber  92 , an inner base  94 , a circumferential edge  96 , and a delivery conduit  98  that extends from the inner base  94  to a steam and solution dispensing port  100  of the cleaning tool  38 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , when the male projection  46  is fully inserted into the hollow chamber  92  of the nipple  90 , the aperture  74  of the male projection  46  contacts the inner base  94  to deliver the cleaning fluid through the delivery conduit  98  and to the dispensing port  100  of the cleaning tool  38 . The circumferential edge  96  of the nipple  90  is concentric to the neck  44  and is sized to fit within and against the inner edge  64  of the neck  44 . The cleaning tool  38  has a circumferential groove or recess  102  between the inner base  94  of the nipple  90  and the dispensing port  100  of the cleaning tool  38  that extends around the projection  90  and is suited to receive the balls  62 , which allows the cleaning tool  38  to rotate with respect to the conduit  18  when the cleaning tool  38  is attached to the conduit  18 . 
         [0017]    In operation, a user pulls the collar  40  in a direction opposite the arrow  48  to move the collar  40  from the locked position ( FIG. 3 ) to an unlocked position ( FIG. 2 ), which allows the user to uncouple the tool  38  from the conduit  18 . As the collar  40  slides in this direction, the contact edge  50  slides away from the connection plane  60 , thus freeing the balls  62  to move radially outward from an engaged position ( FIG. 3 ) to a disengaged position ( FIG. 2 ) where the balls  62  extend past the outer edge  66  of the neck  44 . Holding the collar  40  in the unlocked position ( FIG. 2 ), a user then inserts the nipple  90  of the tool  38  into the neck  44  as shown in  FIG. 3 . The circumferential edge  96  of the nipple  90  is free to slide along the inner edge  64  of the neck  44  and past the pockets  58  of the neck  44 . The nipple  90  is then fully inserted into the neck  44 , until the circumferential edge  96  of the nipple  90  contacts the base  54  of the neck  44  and fits between the inner edge  64  of the neck  44  and the outer edge  68  of the male projection  46 . The seals  70  interface with the circumferential edge  96  of the nipple  90  to create a seal. Therefore, the aperture  74  of the male projection  46  fluidly and sealingly connects to the inner base  54  and delivery conduit  98  of the nipple  90 . 
         [0018]    Once the male projection  46  has mated with the nipple  90 , a user releases the collar  40 . The spring  42  pushes the collar  40  back toward the locked position (i.e., in the direction of arrow  48 ) until the contact edge  50  comes to rest in the connection plane  60 . As the contact edge  50  slides over each pocket  58  in the connection plane  60 , each respective ball  62  is forced by the contact edge  50  to extend radially inward past the inner edge  64  of the neck  44  and into the circumferential groove  102  of the cleaning tool  38 . The cleaning tool  38  is now securely connected to the hose handle  32 , and the tool  38  is locked in an axial position as shown in  FIG. 1 . Rotational movement of the tool  38  is still permitted with respect to the hose handle  32  because the circumferential groove  102  is extends around the projection  90 . 
         [0019]    Various features of the invention are set forth in the following claims.