Extractor Suction Interruption for Longer Cleaning Fluid Dwell
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional carpet extractors have difficulty extending the dwell time of cleaning solution on heavily soiled areas, which can impact cleaning effectiveness.
Innovation Solution
The method involves using a suction nozzle with a selectively interruptible suction system, where the airflow is reduced to allow the cleaning solution to dwell longer on the surface by temporarily opening a leak hole in the working air conduit, and then restoring suction to remove the solution when necessary.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If suction is continuously applied to remove cleaning fluid from the surface, then the fluid recovery efficiency is improved, but the dwell time of cleaning solution on the surface is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The suction system operates periodically rather than continuously, with cycles of suction application followed by interruption periods. This allows the cleaning solution to dwell on the surface during interruption phases while still achieving fluid recovery during suction phases, resolving the contradiction between recovery efficiency and dwell time.
Solution Approach 2:
The suction system dynamically adjusts its operation by selectively interrupting suction based on detected soil conditions. For heavily soiled areas, suction is interrupted to extend dwell time, while for lightly soiled areas, suction continues for faster recovery, making the system adaptive to different cleaning scenarios.
2Reliability
If suction is interrupted to increase dwell time on heavily soiled areas, then the cleaning effectiveness is improved, but the overall cleaning speed is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The suction interruption is applied locally and selectively based on soil detection, not uniformly across all surfaces. Heavily soiled areas receive extended dwell time through suction interruption, while lightly soiled areas maintain normal suction for faster processing, thus improving effectiveness where needed without sacrificing overall speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses its own suction mechanism to detect soil conditions and automatically adjusts its operation accordingly. The suction system serves dual purposes: both detecting soil presence and performing the cleaning action, eliminating the need for separate detection systems and enabling intelligent, self-regulated dwell time adjustment.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach increases the dwell time of the cleaning solution on the surface, enhancing cleaning performance and effectiveness, especially on extensively soiled areas.
Implementation Method 1
a suction source in fluid communication with the working air conduit to draw the cleaning fluid from the surface to be cleaned and through the nozzle and the working air conduit to the recovery tank
Data Source
AI summary
A method of cleaning a surface with an extractor having a fluid supply system and a fluid recovery system includes applying a cleaning fluid to a surface, applying suction to the surface to remove the applied cleaning fluid from surface, and selectively interrupting the suction to the surface for a selected time to increase dwell time of the cleaning fluid on the surface.