Vacuum Cleaner Accessory Tool With Separated Wet and Dry Paths
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional dry vacuum cleaners are unable to distribute or recover fluids without risking damage to their motor and filtration systems, necessitating the use of separate equipment for different cleaning tasks, and existing adaptations often fail to prevent fluid from entering the vacuum cleaner's filtration system.
Innovation Solution
An accessory tool with a housing connected to a vacuum hose, featuring a suction nozzle, recovery tank, and a turbine-driven fan system that separates air and fluid pathways to prevent fluid from entering the vacuum cleaner, allowing for both fluid distribution and recovery while preventing damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a conventional dry vacuum cleaner is adapted to distribute and recover liquids using a wet pick-up tool, then the vacuum cleaner can perform fluid distribution and recovery functions, but fluid may enter the filtration system and suction source causing damage
Solution Approach 1:
The vacuum cleaner system is segmented into distinct functional zones: a dry pathway for air and filtration, and a wet pathway for fluid handling. The separation plate divides the interior chamber into a dry portion and a wet portion, ensuring that fluids recovered during cleaning operations are contained in the wet portion and cannot contaminate the dry filtration system or suction source.
Solution Approach 2:
A turbine-driven pump acts as an intermediary device between the fluid recovery process and the vacuum system. The pump is positioned to receive fluids from the wet portion and transfer them to a storage container, serving as a barrier that prevents direct contact between recovered fluids and the dry vacuum cleaner components while maintaining the vacuum function.
2Reliability
If separate equipment is used for fluid distribution and recovery, then the equipment is protected from fluid damage, but the consumer must maintain multiple large pieces of equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The vacuum cleaner is designed with multi-functionality, capable of performing both traditional dry vacuuming and wet fluid recovery operations through a single integrated system. The accessory tool includes both fluid distribution capabilities (through the spray bar and nozzles) and fluid recovery capabilities (through the suction nozzle and pump system), allowing one device to replace multiple specialized equipment pieces.
3Reliability
If the recovery tank is overfilled or turned to an unusual angle in known wet pick-up tools, then fluid can remain in the working air and enter the vacuum cleaner, but the device structure becomes more complex to prevent this
Solution Approach 1:
The interior chamber is segmented by a separation plate into distinct dry and wet portions. This segmentation creates a physical barrier that maintains separation between air and fluid pathways regardless of the recovery tank's fill level or orientation. The dry portion contains the filtration system and suction source, while the wet portion contains the recovery tank and pump, ensuring that even if the tank is overfilled or tilted, fluids cannot contaminate the dry components.
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
Enables the use of a conventional dry vacuum cleaner for both fluid distribution and recovery without damaging the equipment, by effectively separating air and fluid pathways, thus expanding its cleaning capabilities without the need for multiple machines.
Implementation Method 1
a turbine rotatably mounted within a turbine chamber having an inlet opening in fluid communication with the atmosphere and an outlet opening connected to the suction opening for rotatably driving the turbine with suction from the vacuum hose
Implementation Method 2
a suction fan rotatably mounted within a suction fan chamber having an inlet opening in fluid communication with the suction nozzle through the recovery tank and an outlet opening in fluid communication with the atmosphere
Implementation Method 3
suction from the vacuum hose
Data Source
AI summary
An accessory tool according to the present invention comprises a recovery tank assembly for removing fluid and dirt from a surface to the cleaned and storing the recovered fluid and dirt. The recovery tank assembly comprises a suction nozzle in fluid communication with a recovery tank. The accessory tool further comprises a fan/turbine assembly including a turbine-driven suction fan for generating suction at the suction nozzle, which draws liquid and air into and through the accessory tool. The turbine-driven suction fan can be magnetically coupled with the turbine. The accessory tool can further comprise a fluid dispensing assembly for storing and distributing fluid to the surface to the cleaned. The fluid dispensing assembly can comprise a turbine-driven fluid pump. The accessory tool can further comprise an agitator assembly that can be moved from a use to a non-use orientation to allow the accessory tool to alternately be used for scrubbing the surface to the cleaned and for extracting fluid from the surface to be cleaned. The recovery tank can further comprise a rotating outlet conduit with an inlet opening that will have an upward orientation when the recovery tank is tilted.