Wet-dry vacuum cleaning device

Abstract

A device for safely and conveniently vacuuming up solid or liquid waste material of a hazardous or unpleasant nature. The device includes a waste receptacle, an intake operatively connected to a hose which in turn is connected to the waste receptacle, a vacuum pump for sucking material into the intake and through the hose for reception in the waste receptacle and a fluid reservoir for providing fluid to a spray nozzle for lubricating the inside of the hose. The waste receptacle may include automatically sealing removable liners.

1 . A wet-dry vacuum cleaning device for collection of solid, liquid or mixed matter comprising: 
 a fluid reservoir;    a pump in fluid communication with the fluid reservoir for pressurizing fluid in the fluid reservoir;    an intake for accepting the solid, liquid or mixed matter;    a waste receptacle to collect the solid, liquid or mixed matter;    a vacuum pump for providing suction to the intake and for collecting and moving the solid, liquid or mixed matter from outside of the intake into and through the intake and into the waste receptacle;    a passageway connecting the intake and the waste receptacle;    a conduit to deliver fluid from the fluid reservoir into the passageway to at or near the intake; and    a filter for cleansing and deodorizing air take in through the intake prior to venting the air to the atmosphere.    
     
     
         2 . A device as in  claim 1  wherein the waste receptacle includes a removable liner.  
     
     
         3 . A device as in  claim 2  wherein the removable liner is self-sealing.  
     
     
         4 . A device as in  claim 3  wherein the removable liner includes a neck portion, the neck portion including stiffeners which seal the removable liner when the neck portion is twisted.  
     
     
         5 . A device as in  claim 2  wherein the liner may be removed after being remotely sealed at the device operator's command thereby minimizing exposure of the operator to the liner's content(s).  
     
     
         6 . A device as in  claim 1  wherein the fluid is sufficiently pressurized and delivered and sprayed into the passageway such that when sprayed into the passageway there is sufficient volume of fluid for lubrication of the passageway to ease the passage of the solid, liquid or mixed matter therethrough to the receptacle.  
     
     
         7 . A device as in  claim 1  wherein the delivery of fluid to near the intake is controllable by the device's operator.  
     
     
         8 . A device in  claim 1  wherein the fluid is a cleaning agent.  
     
     
         9 . A device in  claim 1  wherein the fluid is a disinfecting agent.  
     
     
         10 . A device in  claim 1  wherein the solid or liquid matter targeted for pickup is animal feces.  
     
     
         11 . A device in  claim 1  wherein the solid or liquid matter targeted for pickup is toxic or dangerous waste.  
     
     
         12 . A device in  claim 6  wherein the fluid is also delivered near the intake at the device's operator's control and is sprayed just ahead of the intake's effective range of suction.  
     
     
         13 . A device in  claim 1  wherein the motive power operating the vacuum pump is electricity.  
     
     
         14 . A device in  claim 13  wherein the electricity is provided by on-board storage battery.  
     
     
         15 . A device in  claim 1  wherein the filter has activated charcoal as an element.  
     
     
         16 . A device in  claim 1  wherein the device is self-contained and human portable.  
     
     
         17 . A device in  claim 1  wherein the device is arrayed in components operatively connected and is vehicle-mounted.  
     
     
         18 . A device in  claim 10  wherein the animal feces is from household pets.  
     
     
         19 . A device in  claim 11  wherein the toxic or dangerous waste is from a medical facility.  
     
     
         20 . A device in  claim 11  wherein the toxic or dangerous waste is from an industrial process.  
     
     
         21 . A device in  claim 11  wherein the toxic or dangerous waste is from a chemical or other unintentional spill.  
     
     
         22 . A device in  claim 16  deployed like an upright vacuum cleaner or spray-and-clean rug cleaner.  
     
     
         23 . A device in  claim 16  deployed in a hand-held unit.  
     
     
         24 . A device in  claim 1  wherein the intake is sealed from the environment when not in use.  
     
     
         25 . A device in  claim 24  wherein the intake sealing means includes means to deliver fluid from the reservoir to wash the intake during the sealing phase of its operational shut-down.  
     
     
         26 . A device in  claim 25  wherein during the sealing phase of its operation the passageway is also sprayed with fluid and thereby cleaned.  
     
     
         27 . A device in  claim 1  wherein the passageway includes a hose from the intake to the rest of the device when the intake is formed by a nozzle or attachment, and the nozzle or attachment is removed from but operatively connected to, the device's main body by the hose portion of the passageway and used remotely from the body of the device, as when using a hose-and-wand type of conventional wet-dry vacuum system.  
     
     
         28 . A device in  claim 1  wherein the exit-air filter is replaceable.  
     
     
         29 . A device in  claim 1  wherein the exit-air vent is closed automatically during a shutdown procedure, thus sealing the receptacle from the device's environment when not in use.  
     
     
         30 . A device in  claim 1  wherein the device further includes a wheeled body to permit ease of movement by its operator.  
     
     
         31 . The device of  claim 1  where the passageway includes a one-way valve to check outbound flow of fluid or material within the passageway.  
     
     
         32 . A wet-dry vacuum cleaning device for collection of solid, liquid or mixed matter comprising: 
 a fluid reservoir;    a pump in fluid communication with the fluid reservoir for pressurizing fluid in the fluid reservoir;    an intake for accepting the solid, liquid or mixed matter;    a waste receptacle to collect the solid, liquid or mixed matter;    a vacuum pump for providing suction to the intake and for collecting and moving the solid, liquid or mixed matter from outside of the intake into and through the intake and into the waste receptacle;    a passageway connecting the intake and the waste receptacle;    a conduit to deliver fluid from the fluid reservoir to at or near the intake;    a second conduit to deliver fluid from the fluid reservoir to the interior of the passageway; and    a filter for cleansing and deodorizing air take in through the intake prior to venting the air to the atmosphere.