DUAL MODE VEHICLE MOUNTED CLEANING SYSTEM
An apparatus, system, and method for dual-mode vehicle-mounted cleaning are provided. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a heat-exchanger subsystem having first and second heat-receiving pathways and a heat-providing pathway. Heat exhaust from a combustion engine is routed through the heat-providing pathway to transfer heat to both the first and second heat-receiving pathways. The first heat-receiving pathway, the second heat-receiving pathway, and the heat-providing pathway are fluidly independent of each other. The apparatus also includes a first liquid pathway fluidly coupled to the first heat-receiving pathway, configured to direct a hard-surface cleaning liquid, by a first pump, through the first heat-receiving pathway to a hard-surface cleaning tool, and a second liquid pathway fluidly coupled to the second heat-receiving pathway, configured to direct a soft-surface cleaning liquid, at a lower pressure than a first liquid in the first liquid pathway, through the second heat-receiving pathway to a soft-surface cleaning tool.
1 . A vehicle mounted cleaning system switchable between a hard-surface cleaning mode and a carpet-upholstery cleaning mode, the cleaning system comprising:
a power subsystem comprising a combustion engine configured to power a vacuum pump, a low-pressure pump, and a high-pressure pump;
a heat-exchanger subsystem comprising first and second heat-receiving pathways and a heat-providing pathway, wherein heat exhaust from at least one of the combustion engine and the vacuum pump is configured to flow through the heat-providing pathway to transfer heat to both the first and second heat-receiving pathways, wherein the first heat-receiving pathway, the second heat-receiving pathway, and the heat-providing pathway are fluidly independent of each other;
a low-pressure liquid pathway fluidly coupled to the first heat-receiving pathway, wherein, in the carpet-upholstery cleaning mode, a carpet-upholstery cleaning liquid is configured to be pumped, by the low-pressure pump, through the first heat-receiving pathway to a carpet-upholstery cleaning tool; and
a high-pressure liquid pathway fluidly coupled to the second heat-receiving pathway, wherein, in the hard-surface cleaning mode, a hard-surface cleaning liquid is configured to be pumped, by the high-pressure pump, through the second heat-receiving pathway to a hard-surface cleaning tool.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the heat exhaust configured to flow through the heat-providing pathway is from the combustion engine and the vacuum pump.
3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the heat-exchanger subsystem comprises an exhaust diverter operable to route heat exhaust from the combustion engine to bypass the heat-providing pathway, thereby controlling a temperature of the carpet-upholstery cleaning liquid in the carpet-upholstery cleaning mode.
4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the high-pressure liquid pathway is coupled to a recirculation manifold downstream from the heat-exchanger subsystem, wherein the recirculation manifold is operable to control how much of the hard-surface cleaning liquid recirculates upstream of the heat-exchanger subsystem and how much of the hard-surface cleaning liquid is dumped to a waste tank, thereby controlling a temperature of the hard-surface cleaning liquid in the hard-surface cleaning mode.
5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the combustion engine is independent and separate from a powertrain engine of the vehicle.
6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the heat-exchanger subsystem comprises a single heat-exchanger unit.
7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the carpet-upholstery cleaning mode and the hard-surface cleaning mode are not concurrently operable.
8 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a vacuum pathway fluidly coupling the vacuum pump, a waste tank, and a liquid extraction tool.
9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein first heat-receiving pathway is made from a first non-corrosive metal material and the second heat-receiving pathway is made from a second metal material different from the first corrosion resistant metal material.
10 . A method for successively cleaning both a carpet-upholstery and a hard-surface, the method comprising:
pumping one of a carpet-upholstery cleaning liquid through a first heat-receiving pathway of a heat-exchanger subsystem at a first pressure and a hard-surface cleaning liquid through a second heat-receiving pathway of the heat-exchanger subsystem at a second pressure that is higher than the first pressure;
pumping the other of the carpet-upholstery cleaning liquid through the first heat-receiving pathway of the heat-exchanger subsystem at the first pressure and the hard-surface cleaning liquid through the second heat-receiving pathway of the heat-exchanger subsystem at the second pressure; and
flowing heat exhaust from at least one of a combustion engine, a vacuum pump, through a heat-providing pathway of the heat-exchanger subsystem to transfer heat to the first heat-receiving pathway and the second heat-receiving pathway of the heat-exchanger subsystem, wherein the first heat-receiving pathway, the second heat-receiving pathway, and the heat-providing pathway are fluidly independent of each other.
11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising controlling a temperature of the carpet-upholstery cleaning liquid by diverting heat exhaust from a combustion engine to bypass the heat-providing pathway of the heat-exchanger subsystem.
12 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising controlling a temperature of the hard-surface cleaning liquid by controlling how much of the hard-surface cleaning liquid recirculates upstream of the heat-exchanger subsystem and how much of the hard-surface cleaning liquid is dumped to a waste tank.
13 . An apparatus for cleaning that is switchable between a hard-surface cleaning mode and a carpet-upholstery cleaning mode, the system comprising:
a heat-exchanger subsystem comprising first and second heat-receiving pathways and a heat-providing pathway, wherein heat exhaust from a combustion engine is routed through the heat-providing pathway to transfer heat to both the first and second heat-receiving pathways, wherein the first heat-receiving pathway, the second heat-receiving pathway, and the heat-providing pathway are fluidly independent of each other;
a first liquid pathway fluidly coupled to the first heat-receiving pathway, configured to direct a hard-surface cleaning liquid, by a first pump, through the first heat-receiving pathway to a hard-surface cleaning tool; and
a second liquid pathway fluidly coupled to the second heat-receiving pathway, configured to direct a soft-surface cleaning liquid, at a lower pressure than a first liquid in the first liquid pathway, by a second pump, through the second heat-receiving pathway to a soft-surface cleaning tool.
14 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the heat-exchanger subsystem comprises an exhaust diverter operable to route heat exhaust from the combustion engine to bypass the heat-providing pathway, thereby controlling a temperature of the soft-surface cleaning liquid in the carpet-upholstery cleaning mode.
15 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the first liquid pathway is coupled to a recirculation manifold downstream from the heat-exchanger subsystem, wherein the recirculation manifold is operable to control how much of the hard-surface cleaning liquid recirculates upstream of the heat-exchanger subsystem and how much of the hard-surface cleaning liquid is dumped to a waste tank, thereby controlling a temperature of the hard-surface cleaning liquid.
16 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the combustion engine is independent and separate from a powertrain engine of the vehicle.
17 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the heat-exchanger subsystem comprises a single heat-exchanger unit.
18 . The apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising a vacuum pathway fluidly coupling a vacuum pump, a waste tank, and a liquid extraction tool.
19 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein first heat-receiving pathway is made from a first non-corrosive metal material and the second heat-receiving pathway is made from a second metal material different from the first corrosion resistant metal material.
20 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the carpet-upholstery cleaning mode and the hard-surface cleaning mode are not concurrently operable.