Patent Abstract:
An area-rug cleaning method has steps of air spray ( 1 ) for removing dry-extractible dirt with angularly directed air pressure; immersion shampoo ( 9 ) for removing immersion-extractible dirt with immersion-shampooing that does not molest rug fibers; scrub wash ( 16 ) for removing adhered dirt such as stains, odors and urine with rotational scrub washing; vacuum extract ( 18 ) for removing wash fluid with dry vacuum extraction; water rinse ( 20 ); cool dry ( 23 ); dry clean ( 24 ) for removing wash-resistant dirt; acid condition ( 25 ) for neutralizing base cleaning agents with an acid-based catalyst; and pad rub ( 26 ) for rubbing nap of the area rugs with a cloth pad to provide a shine finish.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a method for commercially cleaning area rugs such as throw rungs and oriental rugs. 
     There are known methods, systems and apparatuses for commercially cleaning area rugs, but none that teach the effectiveness, convenience, rug protection and low cost made possible by this invention. 
     An example of a different method and an apparatus is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,453,386, issued to Wilkins on Jun. 12, 1984. With the Wilkins system, rugs are positioned upside down on a conveyor belt and sprayed angularly upward into carpet fiber and downward onto carpet backing with cleaning fluid from a plurality of diversely directed nozzles for dirt removal, rinsing and drying while the rugs are being conveyed across a top of a plurality of successively washing and drying portions of a rectangular tank. Wilkins taught a general-purpose rug-washing system that does not allow sufficient flexibility of professional cleaning techniques required for different types of rugs. Nor does it provide sufficient dry particle removal, washing action, deodorizing, dry cleaning and fabric conditioning for most types of rugs. It has limited effectiveness for some types of rugs and is damaging to others. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Objects of patentable novelty and utility taught by this invention are to provide a rug-cleaning method which: 
     provides for application of required select professional knowledge for cleaning all types of rugs by commercial rug cleaners; 
     removes all types of dirt, odors and stains effectively from all portions of all types of rugs; 
     protects rug nap, backing and fringes; and 
     reconditions rug materials. 
     This invention accomplishes these and other objectives with a rug-cleaning method having steps of first removing dry particles with a pressurized angular blower that removes forms and concentrations of particulate which can be removed most effectively dry than wet and which would deter effective cleaning with liquid cleaning agents first. Second is immersion shampooing in a tank of shampoo solution that is agitated, strained, circulated, flushed and replaced repeatedly as appropriate to remove a major portion of dissolved and undissolved dirt that is removable without scrubbing or rubbing. Third, while the rug is still wet and soaked from the shampoo, is scrub washing rotationally while deodorizing with a detergent solution that is selected from classes and types of cleaning agents for removal of relatively adherent contaminants such as urine, food stains, rust, oils and other common dirt that may be detected in particular rugs. Fourth is water rinsing top, bottom and any fringe. Fifth is vacuuming top, bottom and any fringe with an extractor. Sixth is drying at approximately 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Seventh is spray dry cleaning with a water-miscible solvent. Eighth is conditioning with an acid-based dry-cleaning catalyst. Finally, a ninth step is rubbing with a rotating cloth pad before the dry-cleaning catalyst is fully dry. 
    
    
     The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention should become even more readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description in conjunction with the drawings wherein there is shown and described illustrative embodiments of the invention. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
     This invention is described by appended claims in relation to description of a preferred embodiment with reference to the following drawings which are described briefly as follows: 
     FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of the method with schematic representations of steps of the method; 
     FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of a manual nozzle tube showing nozzle orifices for direction of air spray at angles to verticality of rug nap; 
     FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of a nozzle tube with wheels for either manual or automated machinery for a dry-extractible step of the method; 
     FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway end view of the FIG. 3 illustration; 
     FIG. 5 is a partially cutaway end view of an immersion-shampoo tank with features for both manual and automated application of this method; 
     FIG. 6 is a side view of a schematic representation of an automated application of this area-rug cleaning method; 
     FIG. 7 is a partially cutaway side view of a section of a rug-conveyance system for the automated application of this area-rug cleaning method; and 
     FIG. 8 is a partially cutaway top view of the rug-conveyance system of the FIG. 7 illustration. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Listed numerically below with reference to the drawings are terms used to describe features of this invention. These terms and numbers designate the same features throughout this description. 
     
       
         
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 1. Air spray 
                 33. Tank rack 
               
               
                 2. Rug 
                 34. Air-spray section 
               
               
                 3. Nap 
                 35. Automated nozzle tubes 
               
               
                 4. Backing 
                 36. Vacuum hood 
               
               
                 5. Fringes 
                 37. Shampoo section 
               
               
                 6. Sprays of air 
                 38. Immersion tank 
               
               
                 7. Nozzles 
                 39. Shampoo wringer 
               
               
                 8. Nozzle tube 
                 40. Scrub-wash section 
               
               
                 9. Immersion shampoo 
                 41. Automated scrubbers 
               
               
                 10. Shampoo tank 
                 42. Vacuum section 
               
               
                 11. Shampoo-liquid line 
                 43. Automated vacuum 
               
               
                 12. Inlet conveyance 
                 44. Water-rinse section 
               
               
                 13. Circulator 
                 45. Automated rinse tank 
               
               
                 14. Agitator tube 
                 46. Water-rinse wringer 
               
               
                 15. Drain conveyance 
                 47. Cool-dry section 
               
               
                 16. Scrub wash 
                 48. Automated blow dryer 
               
               
                 17. Rotary scrubbing brush 
                 49. Blow-dryer hood 
               
               
                 18. Vacuum extract 
                 50. Dry-clean section 
               
               
                 19. Extractor vacuum 
                 51. Automated dry cleaner 
               
               
                 20. Water rinse 
                 52. Acid-condition section 
               
               
                 21. Rinse tank 
                 53. Conditioner tank 
               
               
                 22. Rinse-water conveyance 
                 54. Conditioning wringer 
               
               
                 23. Cool dry 
                 55. Pad-rub section 
               
               
                 24. Dry clean 
                 56. Automated rubbing machine 
               
               
                 25. Acid condition 
                 57. Top roller 
               
               
                 26. Pad rub 
                 58. Roller fingers 
               
               
                 27. Cloth pad 
                 59. Bottom roller 
               
               
                 28. Rotational rubbing machine 
                 60. Elongate spaces 
               
               
                 29. Roundness orifices 
                 61. Support belts 
               
               
                 30. Flatness orifices 
                 62. Strainer 
               
               
                 31. Slanted handle 
               
               
                 32. Nozzle-tube wheels 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     Referring first to the flow diagram with schematic representation of this rug-cleaning method in FIG. 1, a first step is designated as air spray  1  for removing dry-extractible dirt from a rug  2  having nap  3  on backing  4  and generally fringes  5 . Sprays of air  6  are shown as being directed at approximately forty-five degrees from verticality of the nap  3  from nozzles  7  at optionally both sides of a nozzle tube  8 , but can be directed from only one side of nozzle tubes  8  for some applications. 
     Unique advantages of air spray  1  as the first step include removal of particulate contamination that could spread to other parts of a rug and to other rugs if wet before being removed. In addition, dry particulate contamination consumes additional cleaning fluid and requires different types of cleaning agents for effectiveness than for dirt that can not be removed readily in dry form. 
     The sprays of air  6  are directed from the nozzles  7  at approximately thirty-to-fifty degrees from verticality of the nap  3  in order to best reach under dry dirt and to protect the backing  4  from damage with a more direct angle. Pressure of air from the nozzles  7  is ninety to one hundred forty psi, as appropriate for structure of particular predetermined area rugs  2 . 
     The sprays of air  6  are directed from at least two opposite sides of the nap  3  in order to remove dirt from all around separate strands of nap  3 . This can be accomplished by directing the sprays of air  6  from a single side of a nozzle tube  8  that is rotated approximately ninety degrees between a first and a second orientation angle of the nozzles  7 . Optionally, the nozzle tubes  8  can have nozzles  7  at both sides for being moved over the nap  3  for angular spraying oppositely from-side-to-side of the nap  3 . 
     A second step is designated immersion shampoo  9  for removing immersion-extractible dirt with immersion-shampooing. For immersion-shampooing, the rug  2  is immersed in a shampoo tank  10  below a shampoo-liquid line  11  where shampoo liquid is added with an inlet conveyance  12 , circulated with a circulator  13 , agitated with shampoo jets from an agitator tube  14  and drained for replacement by a drain conveyance  15  and strained by a strainer  62  as appropriate for predetermined area rugs  2 . Immersion-shampooing avoids physical contact of objects such as scrubbers with the nap  3  and the backing  4 . The fringes  5 , however, can be scrubbed or otherwise washed aggressively as appropriate for the predetermined area rugs  2  in relation to the immersion-shampooing. 
     A third step is designated scrub wash  16  for aggressively scrubbing the nap  3  and the fringes  5  as appropriate for removing adhered dirt such as stains, odors, urine and oil after removal of cleaning obstruction by dry-removable and immersion-removable contaminants. Then, cleaning agents that are particularly designed for absorbed and adhered dirt can be used effectively with scrubbing equipment such as a rotary scrubbing brush  17 . 
     A fourth step is designated vacuum extract  18  for removing wash fluid, foam and dirt with preferably an extractor vacuum  19 . 
     A fifth step is designated water rinse  20  for water rinsing of the rug  2  with preferably clean water in a rinse tank  21  having a rinse-water conveyance  22 . A spray or hose rinse can be used as an option. 
     A sixth step is designated cool dry  23  for cool drying at approximately 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Cool drying can be hanging on racks for a curing period or blow drying with high volumes of air and dehumidification similar to spraying with air as described in relation to air spray  1 . 
     A seventh step is designated dry clean  24  for dry cleaning to remove types of adhered dirt, stains and odors that are not removable fully with washing. Spray dry cleaning is preferred. Immersion dry cleaning is optional. 
     An eighth step is designated acid condition  25  for conditioning with an catalyst to counteract or neutralize any residue of base substances in washing and dry-cleaning agents. This also can be accomplished optionally by spraying or immersion. 
     A ninth step is designated pad rub  26  for rubbing the nap  3  with preferably a cloth pad  27  treated in an acid-based catalyst on a rotational rubbing machine  28 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 1-4, the nozzles  7  are preferably a mix of roundness orifices  29  for controlled concentration of the sprays of air  6  and flatness orifices  30  for controlled flat sprays of air  6  from nozzle tubes  8  that can be supported by a slanted handle  31  as shown in FIG.  2  and/or that can be supported by nozzle-tube wheels  32  as shown in FIGS. 3-4. The nozzles  7  can be positioned on both sides of the nozzle tube  8  as shown in FIG. 4 or on one side as shown in FIG.  2 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 1 and 5, the shampoo tank  10  can have a tank rack  33  on which to suspend rugs  2  below the shampoo-liquid line  11  while being immersion-shampooed as described in relation to FIG.  1 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 1-8, this area-rug cleaning method can be applied with relatively manual equipment or relatively automated machinery, neither of which are intended to be described in detail for purposes of being claimed in this document. FIGS. 2 and 5 illustrate relatively manual equipment. FIGS. 3-4 and  6 - 8  illustrate relatively automated machinery that is implied also in the description in relation to FIG.  1 . 
     Relatively automated machinery can include sections for cleaning of rugs  2  progressively with this area-rug cleaning method. The air spray  1  can be accomplished in an air-spray section  34  having automated nozzle tubes  35  that can extend lengths or widths of the air-spray section  34  and be provided with a vacuum hood  36  for removing dirt blown away by air from the nozzles  7 . 
     The immersion shampoo  9  can be accomplished in a shampoo section  37  having conveyance of part or full lengths of rugs  2  progressively through an automated immersion tank  38  with the same shampooing features as described for FIGS. 1 and 5 and having a shampoo wringer  39  at a terminal end. 
     The scrub wash  16  can be accomplished in a scrub-wash section  40  having conveyance of rugs  2  under automated scrubbers  41  that are preferably rotational as described for FIG.  1 . 
     The vacuum extract  18  can be accomplished in a vacuum section  42  having conveyance of rugs  2  under an automated vacuum  43 . 
     The water rinse  20  can be accomplished in a water-rinse section  44  having conveyance of rugs  2  through an automated rinse tank  45 , followed by a water-rinse wringer  46 . 
     The cool dry  23  can be accomplished in a cool-dry section  47  having conveyance of rugs  2  under and/or through an automated blow-dryer  48  using high volume of air provided by air movers as used for drying. 
     The dry clean  24  can be accomplished in a dry-clean section  50  having conveyance of rugs  2  under and/or through an automated dry cleaner  51  which can have either a sprayer or an immersion tank. 
     The acid condition  25  can be accomplished in an acid-condition section  52  having conveyance of rugs  2  through an automated conditioner tank  53  which can be followed by a conditioning wringer  54 . 
     The pad rub  26  can be accomplished in an pad-rub section  55  having conveyance of rugs  2  under an automated rubbing machine  56  onto which cloth pads  27  are positioned for rotational rubbing. 
     Shown in FIGS. 7-8 for rug conveyance are recommended components which include a top roller  57  having roller fingers  58  with predetermined resilience and softness in combination with a bottom roller  59  having roller fingers  58 . The top roller  57  and the bottom roller  59  rotate in opposite directions with the roller fingers  58  having predetermined extension through elongate spaces  60  between rug-support belts  61  that can travel linearly to convey area rugs  2  in cooperation with the rollers  57  and  59 . Appropriate positioning, sizing, and shaping of these components can be provided for the sections of the relatively automated machinery shown in FIG.  6 . 
     A new and useful area-rug cleaning method having been described, all such foreseeable modifications, adaptations, substitutions of equivalents, mathematical possibilities of combinations of parts, pluralities of parts, applications and forms thereof as described by the following claims and not precluded by prior art are included in this invention.

Technology Classification (CPC): 3