Removable Air-Liquid Separator for Surface Cleaning Recovery Tanks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional surface cleaning devices, such as carpet extractors, face challenges in efficiently separating liquid from air in debris-containing fluids, leading to incomplete cleaning and potential re-deposition of debris.
Innovation Solution
A surface cleaning apparatus with a recovery tank and an air/liquid separator assembly that includes a liquid conduit, an air conduit, and a float assembly, which are integrally connected and removably coupled to the recovery tank, allowing for effective separation of liquid from air in debris-containing fluids using a motor/fan assembly to generate airflow for fluid transport and debris removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional extraction system is used, then fluid transport and debris removal are achieved, but liquid-air separation is inefficient leading to incomplete cleaning and potential re-deposition of debris
Solution Approach 1:
The recovery tank is divided into distinct functional zones: a liquid collection region at the bottom and an air outlet region at the top. The air/liquid separator assembly further segments the fluid stream by directing liquid through a liquid conduit to the bottom while allowing air to exit through an air conduit at the top, enabling efficient separation of phases to prevent re-deposition of debris
Solution Approach 2:
The air/liquid separator assembly acts as an intermediary component between the extraction nozzle and the recovery tank. It includes a float assembly that responds to liquid level changes and selectively opens/closes pathways to ensure proper liquid-air separation, serving as a mediator that improves separation effectiveness without requiring complex mechanical systems
2Reliability
If the air/liquid separator assembly is permanently installed, then separation effectiveness is maintained, but cleaning and maintenance of the recovery tank becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The air/liquid separator assembly is designed with a removable coupling mechanism that allows it to be detached from the recovery tank. This dynamic configuration enables the separator to be removed for cleaning or maintenance of the recovery tank interior, then reinstalled to maintain separation effectiveness, providing flexibility without compromising performance
Solution Approach 2:
The separator assembly is designed as a separate, modular component that can be independently removed from the recovery tank. This segmentation allows maintenance personnel to access and clean the recovery tank interior without disassembling the entire system, improving ease of repair while maintaining separation functionality when the separator is reinstalled
3Ease of repair
If the air/liquid separator assembly is made removable, then ease of maintenance is improved, but risk of improper alignment and reassembly increases
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling mechanism incorporates asymmetric alignment features including a keyed interface and oriented sealing surfaces. These asymmetric elements ensure that the air/liquid separator assembly can only be installed in the correct orientation, preventing misalignment and ensuring proper fluid pathways are established when the separator is reinstalled on the recovery tank
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
The apparatus ensures thorough cleaning by efficiently separating liquids from air, allowing for effective debris removal and maintaining cleanliness, while the removable air/liquid separator assembly facilitates easy cleaning and maintenance of the system.
Implementation Method 1
A motor/fan assembly is in fluid communication with the extraction nozzle and the recovery tank to generate a working airflow to transport debris-containing fluid including air and liquid from the extraction nozzle into the recovery tank
Implementation Method 2
float assembly that is configured to close an inlet of the air conduit
Implementation Method 3
an air/liquid separator assembly that separates liquid from air in the debris-containing fluid
Data Source
AI summary
A surface cleaning apparatus for cleaning a surface includes a recovery tank with a lower portion with a bottom wall that defines an opening and an extraction nozzle that is in fluid communication with the recovery tank. A motor/fan assembly is in fluid communication with the extraction nozzle and the recovery tank to generate a working airflow to transport debris-containing fluid including air and liquid from the extraction nozzle into the recovery tank. The surface cleaning apparatus also includes an air/liquid separator assembly that is selectively insertable into the recovery tank. The air/liquid separator assembly includes a riser tube with a liquid conduit integrally formed with an air conduit and a float assembly that is operably coupled with the air conduit. A coupling joins the air/liquid separator assembly with the recovery tank.