Portable Floor Cleaner With Liquid Recycling for Low-Water Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge is to conserve water in cleaning processes, particularly in commercial and industrial settings, where water scarcity and high consumption rates are issues, and existing solutions do not adequately address the need for increased productivity in cleaning operations.
Innovation Solution
A portable manually-propelled liquid-recycling liquid-reusing cleaning system that includes a trolley bucket assembly, vacuum recovery tank, and vacuum motor assembly, allowing for the recycling and reuse of cleaning liquid by manually dispensing and vacuuming it across hard surface flooring, with mechanisms to transfer cleaned liquid back to the bucket for continued use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If traditional cleaning methods using potable water are used, then cleaning effectiveness is maintained, but water consumption is excessive and water cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system recovers cleaning liquid after use through the vacuum recovery tank, filtering and storing it for subsequent reuse. This transforms the traditional linear consumption model into a cyclic recovery model, significantly reducing water loss while maintaining cleaning effectiveness through multiple reuse cycles
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service by automatically recovering, filtering, and recycling cleaning liquid without requiring external water sources during operation. The recovered liquid serves itself by being continuously reused until depletion, eliminating the need for frequent refilling with fresh water
2Quantity of substance
If gray water is used for cleaning, then water cost is reduced, but cleaning effectiveness may be compromised and additional handling is required
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and removes soil and contaminants from the cleaning liquid through the vacuum recovery and filtration system. By separating the useful cleaning liquid from the harmful soil particles, the system maintains cleaning effectiveness while enabling continuous reuse without the complications associated with gray water
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the quality parameters of the cleaning liquid by continuously filtering and replenishing it with fresh water in controlled proportions. This maintains the cleaning liquid's effectiveness parameters while reducing overall water consumption, creating an optimized cleaning solution that adapts to usage conditions
3Productivity
If cleaning liquid is frequently dispensed and refilled, then cleaning operations can be maintained, but productivity decreases and labor time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system maintains continuous useful action by automatically recovering and recycling cleaning liquid during the cleaning process. The vacuum recovery tank continuously collects used liquid, which is then filtered and returned to the dispensing system, ensuring uninterrupted cleaning operation without frequent refilling stops
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-filtering and pre-positioning recovered cleaning liquid in the vacuum recovery tank before it is needed again. This preparation in advance eliminates the need for time-consuming refilling operations, as the system already has cleaned liquid ready for immediate reuse
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 system significantly increases the amount of flooring that can be cleaned before refilling is required, enhancing productivity by allowing more efficient use of cleaning liquid and reducing the need for frequent refilling, thereby conserving water and improving operational efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a vacuum motor assembly fluidly connected to the vacuum recovery tank... vacuuming soil and dispensed cleaning liquid from hard surface flooring into the vacuum recovery tank
Implementation Method 2
The vacuum recovery tank bottom wall may include an interior surface; and the cleaning liquid transfer outlet may include a cleaning liquid entry opening through which cleaning liquid from the vacuum recovery tank may enter the cleaning liquid transfer outlet
Data Source
AI summary
The method may include putting fresh cleaning liquid in the trolley bucket assembly bucket and the vacuum recovery tank; and, while propelling the system across hard surface flooring: dispensing fresh cleaning liquid from the bucket onto flooring by adjusting the spigot; spreading fresh cleaning liquid on flooring with the liquid spreader assembly; and vacuuming soil and cleaning liquid from flooring into the tank with the squeegee head assembly. The method may further include, when a desired amount of cleaning liquid has been dispensed from the bucket, or a desired amount of cleaning liquid has been vacuumed into the tank: stopping dispensing of cleaning liquid from the bucket; stopping propelling of the system; and transferring a desired amount of cleaning liquid from the tank to the bucket via the cleaning liquid transfer outlet. In addition, the method may include resuming propelling the system across flooring while also: dispensing; spreading; and vacuuming.