Wand for a carpet extractor

Abstract

A cleaning tool head for use with the wand of a carpet extractor. The head includes a housing that engages a surface being cleaned and forms an enclosed interior. A partition divides the interior into a vacuum chamber located a front sidewall of the housing and a cleaning chamber located behind the vacuum chamber. The cleaning head is mounted on a pair of transport wheels which extend along a wheel axis and is further supported by an upwardly extending handle assembly. The cleaning head is pivotable in an arcuate path about the wheel axis through movement of the handle assembly between a cleaning position in which the housing lower edge engages the surface to be cleaned as the handle assembly is pulled by a user and a transport position in which the lower edge is out of engagement with the surface to be cleaned as the user pushes the handle assembly.

1 . An apparatus for cleaning a covered planar surface, the apparatus comprising: 
 a cleaning head housing having a front sidewall, a rear sidewall, a top wall and opposing sidewalls which together define a closed interior, the cleaning housing having a longitudinal axis and a substantially planar leading lower edge arranged parallel to the longitudinal axis and running along a lower extent of the front sidewall, the housing interior also has an internal partition which divides the interior into a vacuum chamber located adjacent the front sidewall and a cleaning chamber located adjacent the rear sidewall;    a cleaning fluid line extending into the cleaning chamber;    a vacuum line extending from the vacuum chamber;    a transport wheel mounted on a wheel axis extending from each of the respective opposing sidewalls of the housing, the wheel axis being generally parallel to the housing longitudinal axis;    a normally upwardly extending handle assembly having a lower extent connected to the cleaning head housing and an upper extent, the leading lower edge of the cleaning head housing being pivotable in an arcuate path about the wheel axis through movement of the handle assembly between a cleaning position in which the housing lower edge engages the surface to be cleaned as the handle assembly is pulled by a user and a transport position in which the lower edge is out of engagement with the surface to be cleaned as the user pushes the handle assembly.    
   
   
       2 . A wand for a carpet extractor used to remove soil from a carpeted surface, the wand comprising: 
 a cleaning head housing having a front sidewall, a rear sidewall, a top wall and opposing sidewalls which together define a closed interior, the cleaning housing having a longitudinal axis and a substantially planar leading lower edge arranged parallel to the longitudinal axis and running along a lower extent of the front sidewall, the housing interior also having an internal partition which divides the interior into a vacuum chamber located adjacent the front sidewall and a cleaning chamber located adjacent the rear sidewall;    a cleaning fluid line extending into the cleaning chamber;    a vacuum line extending from the vacuum chamber;    a transport wheel mounted on a wheel axis extending from each of the respective opposing sidewalls of the housing, the wheel axis being generally parallel to the housing longitudinal axis;    a normally upwardly extending handle assembly having a lower extent connected to the cleaning head housing and an upper extent, the leading lower edge of the cleaning head housing being pivotable in an arcuate path about the wheel axis through movement of the handle assembly between a cleaning position in which the housing lower edge engages the carpeted surface to be cleaned as the handle assembly is pulled by a user and a transport position in which the lower edge is out of engagement with the carpeted surface as the user pushes the handle assembly.    
   
   
       3 . The wand of  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 a vacuum source connectable with the vacuum line for drawing a partial vacuum within the housing interior when the cleaning head is in the cleaning position and the cleaning head is being pulled by the user.    
   
   
       4 . The wand of  claim 3 , wherein at least one fluid jet is located in the top wall of the cleaning head housing in communication with the cleaning fluid line for spraying a fluid under pressure into the cleaning chamber when the cleaning head is in the cleaning position.  
   
   
       5 . The wand of  claim 4 , wherein the housing internal partition has a lower linear edge which is disposed near the carpeted surface when the cleaning head is pivoted about the wheel axis to the cleaning position, the lower linear edge defining a narrow gap extending across the chamber interior between the partition and the surface, whereby the housing cleaning chamber comprises an intake compartment for receiving fluids and the housing vacuum chamber comprises an evacuation compartment for evacuation of fluids.  
   
   
       6 . The wand of  claim 5 , wherein, in a wet mode of operation as the user pulls the handle assembly, the fluid jet sprays fluid toward the carpeted surface proximate the gap and the vacuum source simultaneously draws a vacuum in the evacuation chamber to thereby draw fluids from the intake compartment across the gap and into the evacuation compartment.  
   
   
       7 . A method of cleaning a carpeted surface, the method comprising the steps of: 
 providing a cleaning head housing having a front sidewall, a rear sidewall, a top wall and opposing sidewalls which together define a closed interior, the cleaning housing having a longitudinal axis and a substantially planar leading lower edge arranged parallel to the longitudinal axis and running along a lower extent of the front sidewall, the housing interior also having an internal partition which divides the interior into a vacuum chamber located adjacent the front sidewall and a cleaning chamber located adjacent the rear sidewall;    attaching a cleaning fluid line which extends into the cleaning chamber;    attaching a vacuum line which extends from the vacuum chamber;    mounting a pair of transport wheels on a wheel axis which extends from each of the respective opposing sidewalls of the housing, the wheel axis being generally parallel to the housing longitudinal axis;    mounting the cleaning head onto a lower extent of a normally upwardly extending handle assembly, whereby the leading lower edge of the cleaning head housing is pivotable in an arcuate path about the wheel axis through movement of the handle assembly between a cleaning position in which the housing lower edge engages the surface to be cleaned as the handle assembly is pulled by a user and a transport position in which the lower edge is out of engagement with the surface to be cleaned as the user pushes the handle assembly;    dispensing cleaning solution into the cleaning chamber in a fluid dispensing operation while pulling the cleaning head in the direction of a user;    stopping the fluid dispensing operation, followed by pushing the cleaning head in a direction away from the user while continuing to apply a vacuum to the vacuum chamber of the cleaning head.    
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the housing internal partition has a lower linear edge which is disposed near the carpeted surface when the cleaning head is pivoted about the wheel axis to the cleaning position, the lower linear edge defining a narrow gap extending across the chamber interior between the partition and the surface, whereby the housing cleaning chamber comprises an intake compartment for receiving fluids and the housing vacuum chamber comprises an evacuation compartment for evacuation of fluids.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the cleaning fluid line is connected to a tank of liquid cleaning solution supported on a wheel mounted base, the base also supporting a motor and liquid pump for circulating the cleaning solution and a vacuum motor and blower for recovering the solution and returning the solution to the tank.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the user controls the fluid dispensing operation by means of a hand operated valve assembly mounted adjacent an upper extent of the upwardly extending handle assembly.