Patent Publication Number: US-2010126535-A1

Title: Multi-Direction Actuator

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of copending U.S. application Ser. No. 12/014,898, filed on Jan. 16, 2008. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates generally to an actuator, and more particularly to a pump actuator particularly suited for a steam appliance, such as a steam mop including a water pump that is actuated by movement of the appliance handle in any direction to pump water from a reservoir to a boiler for generating steam to be distributed to a steam nozzle for cleaning. 
     Conventional mops have been widely used for cleaning floors. However, conventional mops have not been effective at cleaning dirt in small crevices and floor gaps. In addition, conventional mops require frequent rising since mops can only effectively clean a small surface area at a time. 
     Steaming devices used to apply steam to household objects are well known. The uses of the devices vary widely, and may include the application of steam to drapes or other fabrics to ease wrinkles, and the application of steam to objects to assist in cleaning the objects. 
     In general, the nozzles used with the steam cleaners do not have large surface areas and a cloth to absorb the liquid condensate of the steam. Here, the fabric pad is secured to the nozzle by Velcro strips to a plurality of cleats on the bottom of the nozzle. In another embodiment, a flat fabric piece is folded around a flat brush or nozzle in order to increase the cleaning surface area. The folded fabric on top of the brush or nozzle is secured by a clip on top of the piece. Often steam injected behind the cloth passes through the cloth at the points the bristles contact on the cloth. This tends to wet the cloth and reduce the cleaning effectiveness of the steam. In addition, the cloth covers must be carefully attached not to cover the front or back of the brush attachment. 
     Newly designed steam mops pump water from a reservoir to a boiler by the push-pull movement of the mop handle. This push-pull movement actuates a one-way pump connected directly to the handle. It remains desirable to provide an actuator that will pump water from the reservoir to the steam boiler in response to any movement of the mop. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Generally speaking, in accordance with the invention, an actuator for a pump is provided. The actuator is disk-shaped and connected to a mop handle that moves the actuator in a direction parallel to the cleaning surface. The appliance includes a water pump for selectively pumping water from a water tank to a steam generator in response to movement of the an appliance in any direction. One surface of the actuator has a depression with an arcuate inner camming surface that moves a piston in the water pump when the actuator moves in any direction. This pumps water to the steam generator for distribution of steam to the cleaning surface. 
     The actuator is particularly well suited to be connected to the handle of a steam mop having a steam frame with a steam towel pad mounted on the frame for cleaning. As the mop is moved during use, water is pumped to the steam generator to be fed to the mop frame. This gives the user greater control over when water is pumped than in many of the earlier push-pull steam mop proposals. 
     Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved pump actuator. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a steam mop having an actuator allowing a user to control when water is pumped to the boiler. 
     A further object of the invention is to provide a steam mop with a mechanical pump that is actuated by movement of the mop in any direction. 
     Still other objects and advantages of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part be apparent from the specification. 
     The invention accordingly comprises a product possessing the features, properties, and the relation of components which will be exemplified in the product hereinafter described, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a fuller understanding of the invention, reference is made to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing(s), in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a steam mop incorporating an actuator in accordance with the Invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a front schematic view of the housing steam mop of  FIG. 1  in section including a pump actuator constructed and arranged in accordance with the invention operatively connected to a pump connected to a water tank and steam generator for feeding steam to a towel frame; 
         FIG. 3  is a side elevational view of the steam mop of  FIGS. 1 and 2  showing the water tank and boiler; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view in schematic of a pump actuator seated within an actuator frame in the steam mop of  FIGS. 1-3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is an elevational view in schematic of the actuator and pump; 
         FIGS. 6A and 6B  show how movement the actuator operates the pump by displacement of the pump piston; 
         FIG. 7  is a sectional view of a two way pump suitable for use in the steam mop in  FIGS. 1-3 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view showing how the mop handle is connected to the actuator; and 
         FIG. 9  is a side elevational view showing how movement of the handle displaces the actuator. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a steam mop  11  constructed and arranged in accordance with the invention. Mop  11  includes a housing  12  connected to a user handle  13  by a pole  14  at the top thereof. A steam frame  16  is fixed to the bottom of housing  12 . Housing  12  includes a water inlet  17  a pair of electric cord holders  18  at the bottom of user handle  13  and at the bottom of pole  14 . 
     Housing  12  includes a water pump  21  connecting a water tank  22  to a boiler or steam generator  23  as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . 
     Pump  21  is a two-way pump that pumps water in response to up or down movement of a piston  56  (shown in  FIG. 7 ). Pump  21  is actuated by movement of a pump actuator  34  shown in perspective in  FIG. 4 . Here, actuator  34  is a substantially planar disk having an actuator top with an upper handle portion  36  and a lower flange portion  37  connected by an actuator neck  38 . Actuator  34  sits in a groove  39   a  of an actuator frame  39  at the top of housing  12  above pump  21  for receiving actuator flange  38 . Groove  39  is circular and allows for movement of flange  37  in all transverse directions parallel to a surface being cleaned. 
     Any type of mechanical pump or some other means of feeding water to the boiler may be used with steam mop  11 . Preferably, pump  21  is a two-way mechanical pump, such as a bellows pump or a piston pump, that is actuated by movement of mop handle  12 . A pump outlet hose  28  is connected to boiler  23  for generating steam to be distributed to steam frame  16  by a steam pipe  32 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , actuator flange  37  has on its bottom surface a depression  41  to form an accurate camming surface  42  that contacts a piston rod  43  biased against camming surface  42  of pump  21 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 6A and 6B , movement of actuator  34  to the left as shown in  FIG. 6A  by an arrow A depresses piston rod  43  into pump  21 . Similarly, movement to the right as shown by an arrow B in  FIG. 6B  also moves flange  37  within groove  39   a  and depresses piston rod  43  into pump  21 . The operation of pump  21  will now be described in detail. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 7 , movement of piston rod  43  upwardly or downwardly causes water to be pumped from pump  21 . Pump  21  will pump water when handle  13  is displaced both in any transverse direction as piston rod  43  is displaced. Pump  21  includes a pump cylinder  52  having an upper chamber  53  and a lower chamber  54  divided by a piston  56  that is connected to piston rod  43  which moves up and down in response to movement of handle  13  and actuator flange  37 . 
     A first unidirectional inlet duck bill valve  57  and a first unidirectional outlet duck bill valve  58  are connected to upper chamber  53 . A second unidirectional inlet duck bill valve  59  and a second unidirectional outlet duck bill valve  61  are connected to lower chamber  54 . As shown in  FIG. 7 , both inlet duck bill valves  57  and  59  are connected in parallel to water inlet pipe  29  having a water inlet fitting  62  for securing hose  28  from water tank  22 . Water outlet duck bill valves  58  and  61  are connected in parallel to a water outlet pipe  28  that is connected to boiler  23  at inlet  29 . In order to create the pumping action to force water out of valves  58  and  61 , volume changes in chambers  53  and  54  must be created. 
     A steam hose  32  is connected to boiler  23  that may be a steam generator be a of any suitable design, which can be used to generate and feed steam to steam frame  16  for distribution in a desired pattern. 
     As piston  56  moves downward, the volume of lower chamber  54  decreases which causes the water which is inside to exit chamber  54  through duck bill valve  58 . Water flow direction is determined by the direction of duck bill valve as water can flow only in one direction through the valve. At the same time water flows through outlet valve  58 , the volume of upper chamber  53  increases. This increase of the volume causes water to flow from reservoir  22  into chamber  53  through inlet duck bill valve  57  as shown by arrow C. 
       FIG. 8  shows how actuator  36  is pivotally mounted to handle connector  19  by an actuator yoke  46 . As shown in  FIG. 9  movement of handle  13  in a pushing or pulling direction along an arrow E causes actuator  34  to be displaced along a path defined by an arrow F. This will happen as long as the angle between the floor or cleaning surface and pole  14  is not 90°. The resultant force on actuator  34  will drop to zero when the user&#39;s force is perpendicular to the floor or cleaning surface. The friction between the floor and mop  11  tries to prevent movement of mop  11  causing the change of position of pump actuator  34  within actuator frame  39  resulting in pumping of water to boiler  23 . 
     Mop  11  as detailed in  FIGS. 8 and 9  includes actuator yoke  46  attached to actuator top  36  by a pair of handle ring tabs  47 . Ring tabs  47  are made of two halves held together with tabs that insert into yoke  46  connected to handle connector  19 . 
     A fabric steam pad frame is typically placed over steam pad  15  for effective steam cleaning. 
     Steam mop  11  provides many advantages for ease of use because it eliminates the need for an electric water pump and an on/off switch to activate an electric water pump. Here, the user has more control over the amount of water needed to be discharged into the boiler and consequently, how much steam is needed by moving the mop in any direction. In addition, steam mop  11  is designed as a low pressure or non-pressurized system so it is safer for the user to use. Further, since the amount of water routed to the boiler is controlled, the boiler can create steam in a short amount of time. 
     It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained and, since certain changes may be made in the above product without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. 
     It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween. 
     The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes of the invention. Accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims, rather than the foregoing specification, as indicating the scope of the invention. A steam mop having a pump that pumps water from a water container to a steam generator in response to movement of the mop handle with the steam fed to a fabric pocket cover in accordance with the invention provides a vast improvement over electrical pumps. The pump may include a two-way valve that pumps water in response to both the push and pull of the mop.