CN113056224A

CN113056224A - Vacuum cleaner with small area extraction

Info

Publication number: CN113056224A
Application number: CN201980076040.5A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 艾伦·J·克雷布斯; 艾伦·芬尼
Original assignee: Pizza Hut Inc
Current assignee: Pizza Hut LLC
Priority date: 2018-11-19
Filing date: 2019-11-19
Publication date: 2021-06-29
Also published as: AU2019385389A2; BR112021009567A2; CA3120353A1; EP3866661A1; WO2020106657A1; US20210330149A1; EP3866661A4; JP2022509616A; KR20210080496A; AU2019385389A1

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner includes a vacuum collection system for suctioning debris from a surface to be cleaned, a fluid delivery system for delivering cleaning fluid to the surface to be cleaned, and a recovery system for removing used cleaning fluid and debris from the surface to be cleaned. The fluid delivery system and recovery system may be particularly configured for small area extraction, for example when treating spots and stains on carpets.

Description

Vacuum cleaner with small area extraction

Cross reference to related applications

This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application No. 62/769,298 filed on 2018, 11/19, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Background

Vacuum cleaners are provided with a vacuum collection system for generating a partial vacuum to suck up debris (which may include dirt, dust, dirt, hair and other debris) from a surface to be cleaned and to collect the removed debris in a space provided on the vacuum cleaner for subsequent disposal. The vacuum cleaner can be used on a variety of common household surfaces, such as soft floors, including carpets and rugs, and hard or bare floors, including tile, hardwood, laminates, vinyl, and linoleum.

Disclosure of Invention

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a vacuum cleaner includes: a vertical main body; a base operatively coupled to the upright body and including a dry suction nozzle, and adapted to move along a surface to be cleaned; a wet extraction module selectively operably coupled to and removable from the base, the wet extraction module including a wet nozzle; and a suction source that is at least selectively fluidly coupled to the dry suction nozzle and the wet suction nozzle via a fluid recovery passageway.

Drawings

The present disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

fig. 1 is a perspective view of a vacuum cleaner according to one aspect of the present disclosure.

Figure 2 is a partially exploded view of the vacuum cleaner of figure 1.

Figure 3 is a bottom perspective view of the vacuum cleaner of figure 1.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the dry recovery tank of the vacuum cleaner taken along line IV-IV of figure 2.

Fig. 5 is an exploded view of a portion of the wet extraction module 88 of the vacuum cleaner of fig. 1.

Figure 6 is a schematic view of the wet and dry paths of the vacuum cleaner of figure 1.

Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the airflow splitter assembly of the vacuum cleaner of figure 1.

Figure 8 is a schematic view of the fluid delivery system of the vacuum cleaner of figure 1.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the base of the vacuum cleaner of figure 1.

Figure 10 is a perspective view of a base of a vacuum cleaner according to another aspect of the present disclosure.

Figure 11 is a perspective view of a base of a vacuum cleaner according to another aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 12 is a schematic view of a combined recovery tank that may be used with a vacuum cleaner according to another aspect of the present disclosure.

Fig. 13 is an exploded view of the combination recovery tank of fig. 12.

Fig. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the combination recovery tank of fig. 12.

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the combination recovery tank of FIG. 12 showing the wet path.

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the combination recovery tank of FIG. 12 showing the dry access.

Fig. 17 is an exploded view of a portion of a wet extraction module 88 of a vacuum cleaner according to another aspect of the present disclosure.

Figure 18 is a schematic view of a control system for the vacuum cleaner of figure 1, according to another aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 19A is a schematic view of a wet nozzle in a lowered state for a vacuum cleaner in accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 19B is a schematic view of the wet nozzle of FIG. 19A in a raised state.

FIG. 20A is a schematic view of a wet nozzle in a lowered state for a vacuum cleaner according to another aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 20B is a schematic view of the wet nozzle of FIG. 20A in a raised state.

Figure 21 is a schematic view of a control system for the vacuum cleaner of figure 1.

FIGURE 22 is a perspective view of a base that may optionally be included in the vacuum cleaner of FIGURE 1 in a dry mode of operation according to another aspect of the present disclosure.

Fig. 23 is a perspective view of the base of fig. 22 in a wet mode of operation.

FIG. 24 is a schematic view of a zone carpet mode of operation that may optionally be used with the vacuum cleaner of FIG. 1 in accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 25 is a schematic view of a zone carpet mode of operation that may optionally be used with the vacuum cleaner of FIG. 1 in accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

The present disclosure generally relates to a vacuum cleaner. Typical vacuum cleaners do not dispense or collect liquid, although some vacuum cleaners have been adapted for wet cleaning and may include a liquid delivery and/or recovery system. Aspects of the present disclosure relate to an improved vacuum cleaner adapted for liquid delivery and/or recovery.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a vacuum cleaner is provided with: a vacuum collection system for generating a partial vacuum to suck up debris (which may include dirt, dust, dirt, hair and other debris) from a surface to be cleaned, and for collecting the removed debris in a space provided on the vacuum cleaner for subsequent disposal; a fluid delivery system for storing and delivering a cleaning fluid (e.g., liquid) to a surface to be cleaned; and a recovery system for removing used cleaning fluid (e.g., liquid) and debris from the surface to be cleaned and storing the used cleaning fluid and debris. The fluid delivery system and recovery system may be particularly configured for small area extraction, for example when treating spots and stains on carpet (carpet) or area carpet (area rugs).

The functional system of the vacuum cleaner may be arranged in any desired configuration, such as an upright device having a base and an upright body for guiding the base over a surface to be cleaned, a canister device having a cleaning tool connected to a wheeled base by a vacuum hose, a portable or hand-held device adapted to be held by a user for cleaning relatively small areas, or an autonomous/robotic device. At least some of the above-described suction cleaners may be adapted to include a flexible vacuum hose which may form part of the working air path between the suction nozzle and the suction source. Aspects of the present disclosure may also be incorporated into a steaming device, such as a surface cleaning device with steam delivery.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a vacuum cleaner 10 according to one aspect of the present disclosure. As discussed in further detail below, the vacuum cleaner 10 may be adapted to be selectively used for small area extraction, as well as dry vacuum cleaning of any size area. As shown herein, the vacuum cleaner 10 is an upright vacuum cleaner 10 having a housing that includes an upright body 12 pivotally connected to a floor cleaning head or base 14 for guiding the base 14 over a surface to be cleaned. For purposes of description in relation to the drawings, the terms "upper", "lower", "right", "left", "rear", "front", "vertical", "horizontal", "inner", "outer", and derivatives thereof shall relate to the vacuum cleaner 10 as oriented in fig. 1 from the perspective of a user behind the vacuum cleaner 10 (which defines the rear of the vacuum cleaner 10), however, it is to be understood that the vacuum cleaner 10 may assume a variety of alternative orientations, except where expressly specified to the contrary.

A pivot coupling 16 may connect the upright body 12 with the base 14 for movement between an upright storage position, shown in fig. 1, and an inclined use position (not shown). The pivot coupling 16 may be a single or multi-axis coupling. The vacuum cleaner 10 may also be provided with a detent mechanism, such as a pedal pivotally mounted to the base 14, for selectively releasing the upright body 12 from the storage position to the use position. The details of such a click pedal are known in the art and will not be discussed in further detail herein. Wiring and/or piping, optionally supplying air and/or liquid (or other fluid) between the base 14 and the upright assembly (or vice versa), may extend through the pivot coupling 16.

With additional reference to fig. 2, the upright body 12 includes a main support section or frame 18 having an elongate handle 20 extending upwardly from the frame 18, the elongate handle being provided at one end with a handle 22 which can be used to manoeuvre the base 14 of the vacuum cleaner 10 over a surface to be cleaned.

The vacuum collection system may include a working air path 24 through the housing of the vacuum cleaner 10, the working air path 24 may include a dirty air inlet 26 and a clean air outlet 28 (fig. 4). The dirty air inlet 26 may be defined by a dry suction nozzle 30 in the base 14. Additionally, the vacuum collection system may include one or more suction sources 32, an example of which includes a suction motor having an exhaust outlet. A suction source 32 may be in fluid communication with the dry suction nozzle 30 to generate a working airflow, and may be in fluid communication with a working air handling assembly, shown here as a dry recovery tank 34, for removing and collecting debris from the working airflow for subsequent disposal, a portion of which may define the working air path 24 through the housing. The clean air outlet 28 (fig. 4) may be defined by a canister vent opening (fig. 4) downstream of a suction motor or suction source 32. The working air path 24 may extend at least partially through the pivot coupling 16 or may extend at least partially outside of the pivot coupling 16.

In the illustrated vacuum cleaner 10, a suction motor or source 32 and a dry recovery tank 34 are provided on the upright body 12, but other locations are possible. The upright body 12 also includes a receptacle 36 at the front side of the frame 18 that can removably receive and support the dry recovery tank 34 on the upright body 12.

A suction motor or source 32 is provided in fluid communication with the dry recovery tank 34 and may be positioned downstream or upstream of the processing assembly; in the illustrated vacuum cleaner 10, the suction source 32 is located downstream of the dry recovery tank 34. The suction source 32 may be electrically coupled to a power source, such as a battery, or by a power cord plugged into a household electrical outlet. A power switch or button (not shown) disposed between the suction source 32 and the power source may be selectively closed by a user when pressing a power button or other actuator on the housing of the vacuum cleaner 10, thereby activating the suction source 32.

Still further, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure, an extraction or fluid recovery passageway 38 is also formed through the housing of the vacuum cleaner 10. The fluid recovery passageway 38 may include a dirty liquid inlet 40 and a clean air outlet 28, which may be the same clean air outlet 28 as the vacuum collection system. The dirty liquid inlet 40 may be defined by a wet suction nozzle 42 for removing liquid and debris from the surface to be cleaned. Additionally, the recovery system may include a wet recovery tank 44 that stores the collected liquid and debris until emptied by the user.

The wet recovery tank 44 may be mounted to the housing in any configuration. In this example, the wet recovery tank 44 is disposed on the base 14. More specifically, the wet recovery tank 44 may be removably mounted on the base 14 such that the wet recovery tank 44 may be removed for emptying or cleaning. The wet recovery tank 44 may extend substantially the entire width or depth of the base 14, or may extend less than the entire width or depth of the base 14, including less than or equal to one half the width of the dry suction nozzle inlet, less than or equal to one third the width of the dry suction nozzle inlet, or less than or equal to one quarter the width of the dry suction nozzle 30.

In one particular arrangement, the wet recovery tank 44 is located on the upper side of the base 14 so that it is easily visible to a user of the vacuum cleaner 10. The wet recovery tank 44 may be at least partially formed of a transparent or tinted translucent material that allows a user to view its contents.

A separator (fig. 5) may be formed in or by a portion of the wet recovery tank 44 and/or the wet nozzle, such as in the underside or lower surface of the wet nozzle, for separating fluid and entrained debris from the working air stream. The recovery system may also be provided with one or more additional filters (not shown) upstream or downstream of the wet recovery tank 44.

It should be understood that a portion of the extraction or fluid recovery passage 38 may be coextensive with a portion of the working air path 24, and at least some components of the vacuum collection system may be shared with the recovery system. For example, the fluid recovery passageway 38 may converge with a vacuum collection system downstream of the wet recovery tank 44 so as to share the suction source 32 such that the wet suction nozzle 42 and the wet recovery tank 44 are in selective fluid communication with the suction source 32, as described in further detail below. Additionally, the dry recovery tank 34 may selectively define a portion of the fluid recovery passageway through the housing. The clean air outlet 28 of the recovery system may be the same as the clean air outlet of the vacuum collection system, i.e., the same as the exhaust opening 48 downstream of the suction source 32.

Fig. 3 is a bottom perspective view of a portion of the vacuum cleaner 10, including the base 14. The base 14 includes a base housing 50 having a pair of wheels 52 for maneuvering the vacuum cleaner 10 over a surface to be cleaned. The dry suction nozzle 30 and the wet suction nozzle 42 are disposed on the base 14 and are in selective fluid communication with the suction source 32. More specifically, the dry suction nozzle 30 and the wet suction nozzle 42 may be at least partially disposed at a front portion of the base housing 50 and open toward a lower side of the base housing 50. In the present aspect, the dry suction nozzle 30 is configured to draw dry debris from a surface to be cleaned, and the wet suction nozzle 42 is configured to draw liquid and/or wet debris from the surface to be cleaned.

A dry mode agitator or rotatable agitator 54 may be provided in the dry suction nozzle 30 adjacent the dirty air inlet 26 for agitating the surface to be cleaned so that debris is more easily drawn into the working air path 24. The agitator shown herein is a rotatable agitator 54 in the form of a brush roller positioned within the base 14 adjacent the dry suction nozzle 30 for rotational movement about an axis X (referenced 56). Some other examples of agitators include, but are not limited to, a horizontally rotating double brush roll, one or more vertically rotating brush rolls, or a stationary brush.

The brush roller may be disposed at the front of the base 14 and received in a brush chamber 58 on the base 14. The dry suction nozzle 30 may be defined within a brush chamber 58. The brushroll may include a pin 60 and a plurality of bristles 62 extending from the pin 60. In the exemplary vacuum cleaner 10, the brushroll may be operatively coupled to and driven by a drive assembly in the base 14, including a dedicated brush motor (not shown). Alternatively, the suction source 32 may provide vacuum suction and brushroll rotation.

A wet mode agitator 64 may be provided adjacent the wet suction nozzle 42 for agitating the surface to be cleaned. The agitator shown here is a stationary brush 66 located behind the wet suction nozzle 42. Some other examples of agitators include, but are not limited to, at least one horizontally rotating brush roll or at least one vertically rotating brush roll.

The stationary brush 66 may include a plurality of bristles arranged in one or more rows extending downwardly from the base 14 toward the surface to be cleaned. The stationary brush 66 may extend substantially the entire width of the base 14, or may extend less than the entire width of the base 14, including less than or equal to one-half, less than or equal to one-third, or less than or equal to one-fourth of the width of the brush roll.

As shown herein, the dry suction nozzle 30 can be wider than the wet suction nozzle 42. By way of non-limiting example, the dry suction nozzle 30 can extend substantially the entire width of the base 14, while the wet suction nozzle 42 can extend less than the entire width of the base 14, including less than or equal to half the width of the dry suction nozzle 30, less than or equal to one third of the width of the dry suction nozzle 30, or less than or equal to one fourth of the width of the dry suction nozzle 30.

The wet suction nozzle 42 is positioned in front of and on top of the dry suction nozzle 30. This makes the wet suction nozzle 42 easily visible to the user. By positioning the wet suction nozzle 42 in front of the dry suction nozzle 30 on the base 14, rather than, for example, positioning the wet suction nozzle 42 behind the dry suction nozzle 30 or below the base 14, a user can easily see where the wet suction nozzle 42 needs to be directed in order to recover the liquid dispensed by the small area extraction system. This helps to allow liquid and wet debris to be selectively drawn through the wet suction nozzle 42 rather than through the dirty air inlet 26 provided in the dry suction nozzle 30.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the dry recovery tank 34 of the vacuum cleaner 10. The dry recovery tank 34 functions as a filter assembly or debris removal assembly for separating contaminants from the working air stream and includes a dirt tank 74 for receiving and collecting the separated contaminants. The debris removal assembly may include any one or combination of a cyclonic or centrifugal separator, a flexible and air-permeable filter bag, or other air filtration device disposed downstream of the dirty air inlet 26 and upstream of the motor/fan assembly, with the working air path 24 extending through the debris removal assembly.

In one aspect of the present disclosure, the debris removal assembly, provided herein as the dry recovery tank 34, includes at least one body 70 having an air inlet 72 in fluid communication with the dirty air inlet 26 of the base 14 and the clean air outlet 28 of the dry recovery tank 34, such that the body 70 of the dry recovery tank 34 defines at least a portion of the working air path 24. The air inlet 72 of the dry recovery tank 34 is fluidly disposed upstream of the clean air outlet 28. The dry recovery tank 34 illustrated herein comprises a cyclonic separation module, wherein a body 70 defined by a dirt tank 74 comprises a housing at least partially defining a cyclone chamber for separating contaminants from a dirt-containing working airflow and includes an associated dirt collection chamber 76 which receives contaminants separated by the cyclone chamber. The dry recovery tank 34 may further and optionally include a multi-stage filtration stage, also referred to herein as a second filtration stage, defined by a pre-motor filter chamber 78. The first cyclone stage and the second filtration stage may be centered on a central axis Y (indicated at 80) of the dry recovery tank 34, which may extend longitudinally through the dirt tank 74. Further, the first stage and the second stage may be concentric, with the second stage positioned within the first stage and both centered on the central axis Y80. It should be noted that although a single stage cyclone separator is shown herein, it is also contemplated that aspects of the present disclosure may be configured with additional cyclone stages.

The dirt tank 74 includes a side wall 82, a bottom wall 84, and a cover 86. The sidewall 82 may be at least partially transparent or translucent to allow a user to view the contents of the dry recovery tank 34. The sidewall 82 is shown here as being generally cylindrical in shape, with a diameter that remains constant or increases in a direction toward the bottom wall 84. The side wall 82 includes a lower or bottom edge that defines a debris outlet for the collection chamber 76. The bottom wall 84 in the illustrated aspect includes a dirt door 84a that can be selectively opened to empty the contents of the collection chamber 76. The dirt door 84a may be pivotally mounted to the sidewall by a hinge (not shown). A latch (not shown) is provided on the side wall opposite the hinge and is actuatable by a user to selectively release the dirt door 84a from engagement with the bottom edge of the side wall 82. The door latch may include a latch pivotally mounted to the side wall and spring biased toward a closed position. By pressing the upper end of the latch against the side wall 82, the lower end of the latch pivots away from the side wall 82 and releases the dirt door 84a to the open position under the force of gravity, allowing accumulated dirt to be emptied from the collection chamber 76 through the debris outlet defined by the bottom edge of the dirt cup 74.

The lid 86 may include a carrying handle 86a that the user can grasp to facilitate lifting and carrying the entire vacuum cleaner 10 or just the dry recovery tank 34. The cover 86 is removably connected to the dirt tank 74 via one or more connections therebetween. In one example, the connector may include one or more bayonet hooks on the cover 86 that engage one or more corresponding recesses (not shown) on the upper interior of the sidewall. The cover 86 may be removed from the dirt tank 74 by twisting the cover 86 relative to the dirt tank 74 to release the bayonet hook from the recess and then lifting the cover 86 off of the dirt tank 74.

The air inlet 72 may include an air inlet 72 to the cyclone chamber, and may be at least partially defined by an inlet duct 72 a. The inlet duct 72a may extend tangentially from the sidewall 82 to define a tangential air inlet. The clean air outlet 28 of the dry recovery tank 34 may be at least partially defined by an outlet duct 86b extending from the lid 86. The inlet duct 72a is in fluid communication with the air inlet 72 and, depending on the mode of operation of the vacuum cleaner 10, may further be in fluid communication with the dry suction nozzle 30. The outlet conduit 86b is in fluid communication with the suction source 32 via a tube (not shown).

Fig. 5 is an exploded view of a portion of the wet extraction module 8888 of the vacuum cleaner 10 of fig. 1. The wet extraction module 88 may be considered to include a wet nozzle 42, a wet recovery tank 44, a wet nozzle coupling 89 having a coupling inlet 89a and a coupling outlet 89b, and a wet duct 90 a. The wet duct 90a fluidly couples the coupler outlet 89b of the wet nozzle coupler 89 to the airflow diverter assembly 92 (fig. 6). The wet nozzle 42 defines a dirty liquid inlet 40 and a wet nozzle outlet 42 b. The wet nozzle outlet 42b is coupled to the coupler inlet 89a of the wet nozzle coupler 89 and can be considered as a working air outlet of the wet nozzle 42. The wet recovery chamber 94 is at least partially defined by the wet suction nozzle 42 and the wet recovery tank 44. The wet pickup 42 may at least partially cover the wet recovery tank 44 such that the wet recovery tank 44 is positioned below at least a portion of the wet pickup 42, the wet pickup 42 covering the open top of the wet recovery tank 44 and being in sealing engagement with the wet recovery tank 44.

At least the wet suction nozzle 42 and the wet recovery tank 44 may be removably mounted on the base 14, including over the dry suction nozzle 30. The wet recovery tank 44 and the optional wet suction nozzle 42 may be configured to fit within a cavity 96 (FIG. 2) provided in a portion of the base 14. The wet suction nozzle 42 and the wet recovery tank 44 may be nestably mounted within the cavity 96 such that when the wet suction nozzle 42 and the wet recovery tank 44 are operatively coupled to the base 14, the wet suction nozzle 42 and the wet recovery tank 44 form a seal adjacent to each other, e.g., adjacent to a periphery where the wet suction nozzle 42 and the wet recovery tank 44 contact each other, such that fluid does not leak therebetween when the wet suction nozzle 42 and the wet recovery tank 44 are coupled to each other. The wet suction nozzle 42 and the wet recovery tank 44 may also be selectively coupled together by a suitable coupling mechanism, non-limiting examples of which include a latch, snap fit, or clasp. The selective coupling between the wet suction nozzle 42 and the wet recovery tank 44 allows the two components to be separated to facilitate a user cleaning or emptying the liquid from the wet recovery chamber 94 of the wet recovery tank 44.

Fluid and debris entering the wet suction nozzle 42 through the dirty fluid inlet 40 passes through the wet suction nozzle 42 and over the open top of the wet recovery tank 44. As the liquid and debris move by the suction of the wet suction nozzle 42, the heavier liquid collects in the wet recovery chamber 94 as it passes over the open top of the wet recovery tank 44, while the debris and dirty air continue to reach the working air outlet at the outlet of the wet suction nozzle 42, enter the wet suction nozzle coupler 89 through the coupler inlet 89a, and from the coupler outlet 89b to the wet duct 90a to the airflow diverter assembly 92 fluidly coupled to the dry recovery tank 34. The wet suction nozzle 42 may also have features such as ribs or baffles (not shown) which may form at least a portion of the separator and are formed in or extend from the underside of the wet suction nozzle 42 to form a sealing engagement with the wet recovery tank 44 and direct liquid entering the wet suction nozzle 42 into the wet recovery chamber 94.

FIG. 6 is a partial schematic view of wet and dry passages that are fluidly connected to an airflow splitter assembly 92, and each passage defines a portion of a working air path 24, the working air path 24 being defined in part by and passing through the airflow splitter assembly 92. The base 14 includes both a dry suction nozzle 30 and a wet suction nozzle 42. The dry suction nozzle 30 is defined within the brush chamber 58 and is in fluid communication with the dry conduit 90 b. Dry suction nozzle 30 is fluidly connected to airflow diverter assembly 92 by dry conduit 90 b. As described above, the wet suction nozzle 42 is fluidly coupled to the airflow diverter assembly 92 by the wet duct 90 a. The working air path 24 extends from the wet nozzle 42 or the dry nozzle 30 through the airflow diverter assembly 92 to place the suction source 32 in fluid communication with the wet nozzle 42 or the dry nozzle 30 depending on whether a dry vacuum mode or a wet extraction mode is selected.

The airflow splitter assembly 92 may be mounted on the handle 20 portion of the vacuum cleaner 10. However, it will be appreciated that this is not limiting and other locations are possible, including on the base 14 or upright body 12 of the vacuum cleaner 10. Airflow splitter assembly 92 includes a wet inlet 92a to which wet duct 90a is coupled and a dry inlet 92b to which dry duct 90b is coupled. Further, the airflow splitter assembly 92 includes a splitter outlet 92c coupled with the dry recovery tank 34. The airflow diverter assembly 92 may be located downstream of the wet suction nozzle 42 and the dry suction nozzle 30 and upstream of the inlet of the dry recovery tank 34. The airflow diverter assembly 92 may also include a leak hole (not shown) that reduces suction as the airflow is selectively diverted to the wet suction nozzle 42 and the wet path.

Airflow diverter assembly 92 is configured to selectively divert the flow of working air through wet suction nozzle 42 or dry suction nozzle 30 such that working air flows only through one or the other of wet inlet 92a or dry inlet 92b at a time. In one configuration, airflow splitter assembly 92 includes a barrel (barrel) splitter valve, but it should be understood that other types of splitter valves may be used. In this configuration, and as shown in the cross-sectional view of the airflow diverter assembly 92 in FIG. 7, the airflow diverter assembly 92 includes a rotatable inner barrel 98 having at least two rotational positions, at least one position corresponding to a wet passage (shown) and another position corresponding to a dry passage (not shown). It should be appreciated that the airflow diverter assembly 92 may be manually moved or connected to any suitable actuator mechanism.

By way of non-limiting example, the rotatable inner barrel 98 may include first and second inlet openings 98a, 98b and at least one outlet opening 98 c. In a first rotational position associated with a user-selectable dry vacuum mode, first inlet opening 98a may be substantially aligned with dry inlet 92b such that air flows from dry inlet 92b through outlet opening 98c and diverter outlet 92 c. When the rotatable inner barrel 98 is in the first rotational position, no inlet is aligned with the wet inlet 92a such that working air cannot flow from the wet conduit 90a into the airflow splitter assembly 92. In a second rotational position associated with a user selectable wet vacuum mode, the second inlet opening 98b may be substantially aligned with the wet inlet 92a such that air flows from the wet inlet 92a through the second inlet opening 98b on the rotatable inner barrel 98 and through the outlet opening 98c to the diverter outlet 92 c. In the second rotational position, no inlet opening is aligned with dry inlet 92b such that working air cannot flow from dry duct 90b into airflow diverter assembly 92.

In an alternative configuration, the airflow diverter assembly may include a wet inlet to which the wet duct is connected and a dry inlet to which the dry duct is connected. The airflow diverter assembly may also include a dedicated wet diverter outlet that may be fluidly connected directly to the suction source (i.e., bypassing the dry recovery tank) and a dry diverter outlet that is fluidly connected to the dry recovery tank. In this configuration, when the airflow diverter assembly is set in the wet vacuum mode or the extraction cleaning mode, the working airflow, which may contain an amount of fluid or moisture, bypasses the dry recovery tank, thereby avoiding mixing of the fluid and dry debris within the dry recovery tank, and the working airflow is directed to a downstream suction source.

Fig. 8 is a partially exploded schematic view of the fluid delivery system 100. The fluid delivery system 100 may include a fluid delivery or supply path including, and at least partially defined by, at least one supply tank 102 for storing a supply of cleaning fluid and at least one fluid dispenser 104 disposed on the base 14 in fluid communication with the supply tank 102 for depositing the cleaning fluid onto the surface. The cleaning fluid stored by the supply tank 102 may include one or more of any suitable cleaning liquid, including but not limited to water, a composition, a concentrated detergent, a diluted detergent, and the like, and mixtures thereof. For example, the fluid may comprise a mixture of water and concentrated detergent.

The supply tank 102 may be mounted to the housing in any configuration. In this example (shown in fig. 2), the supply tank 102 is removably mounted to the upper rear of the frame 18 and may be removed for filling. However, it should be understood that the supply tank 102 may be removably mounted to the frame 18, the upright handle 20, or any other suitable location on the vacuum cleaner 10 including the base 14. The supply tank 102 may be at least partially formed of a translucent material that is transparent or tinted, which allows a user to view its contents.

Fluid dispenser 104 is shown here in the form of a spray tip 106 disposed on base 14. The fluid dispenser 104 may be disposed at any suitable location on the base 14 such that fluid may be dispensed onto a surface to be cleaned. In one aspect of the present disclosure, the fluid dispenser 104 may be mounted to the wet suction nozzle 42. The supply tank 102 may be fluidly coupled to the fluid distributor 104 by a fluid delivery conduit 108. The fluid dispenser 104 includes at least one outlet 110 for applying cleaning fluid to a surface to be cleaned. In one aspect, the fluid dispenser 104 may be one or more spray tips on the base 14 configured to deliver cleaning fluid directly to the surface to be cleaned by spraying outwardly from the base 14 in front of the vacuum cleaner 10. Other types of fluid dispensers are possible, such as a spray manifold having multiple outlets or a nozzle configured to spray cleaning fluid onto the stationary brush 66.

In addition to the supply tank 102 and the fluid distributor 104, various combinations of optional components may be incorporated into the fluid delivery system 100, such as fluid pumps, heaters, and/or fluid control and mixing valves, as well as suitable piping or tubing that fluidly connects the components of the fluid delivery system 100 together to form a clean fluid supply from the supply tank 102 to the fluid distributor 104. For example, in aspects illustrated herein, the fluid delivery system 100 may further include a flow control system for controlling the flow of fluid from the supply tank 102 to the fluid distributor 104 via the fluid delivery conduit 108. In one configuration, the flow control system may include a pump 112 that selectively pressurizes the system. A pump 112 may be disposed in the fluid supply path between the supply tank 102 and the fluid dispenser 104.

An actuator 114 may be provided to selectively dispense fluid from the fluid dispenser 104. The actuator may comprise, for example, a trigger on the handle 22. While the actuator 114 is illustrated herein as a trigger, it should be understood that other suitable types of actuators may be used, non-limiting examples of which include buttons, slidable selectors, or switches. The actuator 114 may be operably coupled to the pump 112 such that depressing the actuator 114 will activate the pump 112, or the actuator may be operably coupled to a flow control valve that controls the delivery of fluid from the pump 112 to the dispenser such that depressing the actuator 114 will open the valve. The actuator 114 may be operably coupled to the pump 112 via a switch 116 such that depressing the trigger control switch 116 actuates the pump 112 to allow fluid to be provided from the supply tank 102 to the fluid dispenser 104 via the fluid delivery conduit 108.

The pump 112 may be positioned within the housing of the frame 18, and in the aspects shown, the pump 112 is below the supply tank 102 and in fluid communication with the supply tank via a valve assembly. In one example, the pump 112 may be a solenoid pump having a single speed, two speeds, or variable speed. In another example, the pump 112 may be a centrifugal pump.

In another configuration of the fluid supply path, the pump 112 may be eliminated and the flow control system may comprise a gravity feed system having a valve fluidly coupled to the outlet of the supply tank 102, whereby when the valve is open, fluid will flow under gravity to the fluid distributor 104.

Optionally, a heater (not shown) may be provided to heat the cleaning fluid or generate steam prior to delivery to the surface to be cleaned. In one example, the inline heater may be located downstream of the supply tank 102 and either upstream or downstream of the pump 112. Other types of heaters may also be used. In yet another example, the cleaning fluid may be heated using exhaust air from the motor cooling path of the suction source 32 for the recovery system.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the base 14 showing in more detail the target lamp 120 that may be included on the vacuum cleaner 10. The target lamp 120 may be disposed on the base 14 proximate to the fluid dispenser 104 or spray tip 106, which defines a spray area 122 on the surface to be cleaned within which fluid is sprayed. The target lamp 120 may be disposed at any suitable location on the base 14 such that at least a portion of the surface to be cleaned is illuminated by the target lamp 120, thereby defining an illumination area 124. In one aspect of the present disclosure, the target lamp 120 may be positioned on the base 14 adjacent the fluid dispenser 104 such that an illumination area 124 illuminated by the target lamp 120 at least partially overlaps the spray area 122 onto which fluid is sprayed from the fluid dispenser 104 to define an overlap region, indicated at 126, between the illumination area 124 and the spray area 122. The target lamp 120 may be, for example, an LED or an array of LEDs, but any suitable illumination source may be used.

The vacuum cleaner 10 shown in fig. 1-9 can be used to effectively clean a surface to be cleaned by removing debris (which can include dirt, dust, dirt, hair, and other debris) from the surface to be cleaned according to the following method. The order of the steps discussed is for illustrative purposes only and is not meant to limit the method in any way, as it is understood that the steps may be performed in a different logical order, additional or intervening steps may be included, or the steps described may be divided into multiple steps, without departing from the disclosure.

To perform dry vacuum cleaning, the suction source 32 is coupled to a power source, and debris-laden air is drawn through the dirty air inlet 26 and into the dry recovery tank 34, where the debris is substantially separated from the working air. The airflow then passes through the suction source 32, and through any optional filters located upstream and/or downstream of the suction source 32, before being exhausted from the vacuum cleaner 10. During vacuum cleaning, the rotatable agitator 54 may agitate debris on the surface to be cleaned so that the debris is more easily drawn into the dirty air inlet 26.

To perform a small area extraction, the vacuum cleaner 10 is prepared for use by filling the supply tank 102 with cleaning fluid. Cleaning fluid is selectively delivered to the surface to be cleaned via the fluid supply path by user activation of the actuator 114. Cleaning fluid is released by the fluid dispenser 104 directly onto the surface to be cleaned in front of the base 14. The stationary brush 66 may be wiped across the surface to be cleaned to remove debris and fluids present on the surface. At the same time, when the suction source 32 is activated, fluid and debris may be drawn into the wet suction nozzle 42 and the fluid recovery path. Alternatively, the suction source 32 may be inactive during fluid dispensing, which facilitates a wet scrubbing mode such that contaminated cleaning solution is not removed as the vacuum cleaner 10 is moved back and forth across the surface to be cleaned.

During operation of the suction source 32 and the fluid recovery circuit, the working air carrying the fluid and debris passes through the wet suction nozzle 42 and through the downstream wet recovery tank 44, wherein the fluid and debris are substantially separated from the working air by at least gravity and a separator (not shown), such that the separated fluid and debris collect within the wet recovery chamber 94 of the wet recovery tank 44, while the working air exits via the wet suction nozzle outlet 42 b. The airstream then passes through a dry recovery tank 34 and a suction source 32 before being exhausted through the clean air outlet 28. It should be appreciated that the airflow diverter assembly 92 may be operated to vary the connection of the suction source 32 to the wet suction nozzle 42 and the dry suction nozzle 30.

The vacuum cleaner 10 according to the present disclosure allows a user the flexibility to perform conventional vacuum cleaning as well as small area extraction cleaning using a single cleaning machine. In addition, the actuation of the small-area extraction cleaning mode is simple for the user and can be performed quickly and easily when the user operates the vacuum cleaner 10, thereby providing flexibility in being able to perform small-area extraction on areas or stains having severe contamination. The vacuum cleaner 10 of the present disclosure differs from a typical pick-up or upright vacuum cleaner in that the vacuum cleaner 10 includes a dedicated vacuum collection system and dry vacuum path, whereas a conventional pick-up cleaner includes only a fluid delivery and recovery system, and no dedicated dry vacuum path. In addition, separate dry and

wet nozzles

30, 42 are provided so that the user can easily see the area being treated with the small area extraction cleaning. Accordingly, separate dry and wet collection spaces are provided so that a user can not only independently operate both cleaning systems, but also separately clean and empty components of one or the other cleaning system.

It will be appreciated that many alternatives may be used in the vacuum cleaner 10 described above. By way of non-limiting example, fig. 10 is a perspective view of a portion of the base 14 showing a target lamp 130 according to another aspect of the present disclosure. In this aspect, rather than mounting the target lamp on the base 14 or the wet suction nozzle 42 adjacent the fluid dispenser 104 as described above, the target lamp 130 is mounted behind the wet suction nozzle 42. The wet suction nozzle 42 may be at least partially formed of a transparent or tinted translucent material such that the target lamp 130 is configured to illuminate through the wet suction nozzle 42 itself. This may maximize the overlap region 132 between the illumination region 134 and the emission region 136 by positioning the target lamp 130 and the fluid distributor 104 as close to each other as possible.

Still further, fig. 11 is a perspective view of a portion of the base 14 showing a target lamp 140 according to yet another aspect of the present disclosure. In this aspect, rather than mounting the target lamp 140 on the base 14 or the wet nozzle 42 near or behind the fluid distributor 104 as described above, an aperture or opening 142 may be provided in the wet nozzle 42 itself, the opening 142 being adjacent the fluid distributor 104. By way of non-limiting example, the opening 142 may be formed in the wet nozzle 42, just below the fluid dispenser 104. Rather than providing the target lamp 140 on the outer surface of the base 14 or the wet suction nozzle 42, the target lamp 140 may be mounted behind or on the inner surface of the wet suction nozzle 42 such that the target lamp 140 may illuminate through the opening 142. This may allow the target lamp 140 to be protected itself rather than being disposed on the external surface of the base 14 or wet nozzle 42, in which case the target lamp may encounter a surface during movement of the vacuum cleaner 10. This may also maximize the overlap area 144 between the illumination area 134 and the emission area 136 by positioning the target lamp 130 and the fluid distributor 104 as close to each other as possible.

Figure 12 is a schematic diagram illustrating a portion of an alternative embodiment of a vacuum cleaner 210. The vacuum cleaner 210 is substantially similar to the vacuum cleaner 10. Accordingly, like components will be identified with like reference numerals increased by 200, with the understanding that the description of the like components of the vacuum cleaner 10 applies to the vacuum cleaner 210 unless otherwise noted.

One difference is that a combined wet/dry recovery tank 235 is provided.

The vacuum cleaner 210 still includes a dry suction nozzle 230 and a wet suction nozzle 242 that are fluidly coupled to a suction source 232 via an airflow splitter assembly 292. As previously described, the airflow diverter assembly 292 still serves to selectively couple the wet suction nozzle 242 and the dry suction nozzle 230 to the combined wet/dry recovery tank 235. However, airflow splitter assembly 292 includes wet inlet 292a and dry inlet 292b in fluid communication with wet outlet 292d and dry outlet 292e, respectively.

Within the dry passage, the dry suction nozzle 230 is fluidly coupled to a dry inlet 292b of an airflow splitter assembly 292 by a dry conduit 290 b. Working air flowing through the dry passage passes through the airflow splitter assembly 292 and exits via the dry outlet 292 e. The dry outlet 292e is in fluid communication with the dry debris inlet 235a defined by the combined wet/dry recovery tank 235.

Within the wet path, the wet suction nozzle 242 is fluidly coupled to the wet inlet 292a of the airflow splitter assembly 292 by a wet duct 290 a. The working air flowing through the wet path passes through the airflow splitter assembly 292 and exits via the wet outlet 292 d. The wet outlet 292d is in fluid communication with the wet debris inlet 235b defined by the combined wet/dry recovery tank 235. The combined wet/dry recovery tank 235 also defines a single exhaust outlet 235c coupled to the suction source 232 for exhausting the clean air.

Fig. 13 is an exploded view of the combined wet/dry recovery tank 235. The combined wet/dry recovery tank 235 operates similar to the dry recovery tank as previously described, but includes a collection chamber for dry debris and liquid. The combined wet/dry recovery tank 235 includes at least a main body having a dry debris inlet 235a and a wet debris inlet 235b and a separation module 237.

The dirt tank 274 includes a side wall 282, a bottom wall 284 and a cover 286. The side wall 282 may be at least partially transparent or translucent to allow a user to view the contents therein. The sidewall 282 is shown here as being generally cylindrical in shape, with a diameter that remains constant or increases in a direction toward the bottom wall 284. The side wall 282 includes a lower or bottom edge that defines a debris outlet for the collection chamber 276 (fig. 14). In the illustrated aspect, the bottom wall 284 includes a dirt door 284a that can be selectively opened to empty the contents of the collection chamber 276. The lid 286 may include a carrying handle 286a that the user may grasp to facilitate lifting and carrying the entire vacuum cleaner 210 or just the combination wet/dry recovery tank 235. The cover is removably connected to the dirt tank 274 via one or more connections therebetween. In one example, the connector may include one or more bayonet hooks on the lid that engage one or more corresponding recesses (not shown) on the upper interior of the side wall 282. The cover may be removed from the dirt tank 274 by twisting the cover relative to the dirt tank 274 to release the bayonet hooks from the recesses, and then lifting the cover off of the dirt tank 274.

The dirt door 284a can be pivotally mounted to the side wall 282 by a hinge (not shown). A latch is provided on the side wall 282 opposite the hinge and is actuatable by a user to selectively release the dirt door from engagement with the bottom edge of the side wall 282. The door latch may include a latch pivotally mounted to the side wall 282 and spring biased toward a closed position. By pressing the upper end of the latch toward the side wall 282, the lower end of the latch pivots away from the side wall 282 and releases the dirt door to an open position under the force of gravity, allowing accumulated dirt to be emptied from the collection chamber 76 through the debris outlet defined by the bottom edge of the dirt tank 274.

The pre-motor filter assembly 239 may be disposed within the dirt tank 274 and may include at least one filter layer that filters the working air before the working air exits the combined wet/dry recovery tank 235 via the exhaust outlet 235 c. The pre-motor filter assembly 239 may include a filter layer, a flexible and air permeable filter bag, or other air filtering device, or a combination thereof, disposed downstream of the wet debris inlet 242 and the dry debris inlet 230 and upstream of the suction source 232, wherein the working air path 224 extends through the pre-motor filter assembly 239. An inner sleeve, which may include a liquid separator 237 and a dry debris separator 241, separates the interior of the combined wet/dry recovery tank 235 into an inner dry collection chamber 276a and an outer liquid collection chamber 276 b.

Fig. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the assembled combined wet/dry recovery tank 235. As can be better seen, the dry debris separator 241 can at least partially define a dry separation chamber 243 inside the dirt tank 274. Liquid collection chamber 276b and dry collection chamber 276a can be concentric with one another such that liquid collection chamber 276b surrounds dry collection chamber 276a, with the two chambers separated by liquid separator 237. It should be understood that other arrangements of the liquid collection chamber 276b and the dry collection chamber 276a are also contemplated, including that the liquid collection chamber and the dry collection chamber may be stacked side-by-side or vertically one on top of the other.

Fig. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the combined wet/dry recovery tank 235 illustrating the wet pass 245 through the combined wet/dry recovery tank 235. Dirty wet air enters the combined wet/dry recovery tank 235 through the wet debris inlet 235 b. The wet debris inlet 235b can include a wet air inlet 247a that leads to a liquid collection chamber 276b, which can be a cyclonic or centrifugal separation chamber, and the wet debris inlet can be at least partially defined by the inlet conduit 247. The inlet duct 247 may extend tangentially from the sidewall 282 to define a tangential air inlet. The inlet conduit 247 is in fluid communication with the wet debris inlet 235b and, depending on the mode of operation of the vacuum cleaner 210, may also be in fluid communication with the wet suction nozzle 42. The liquid removed from the dirty humid air is collected in the liquid collection chamber 276 b. The working air, having had liquid removed, then passes through the dry debris separator 241 and the dry separation chamber 243, through the pre-motor filter assembly 239, and to the exhaust outlet 235 c. The exhaust outlet 235c of the combined wet/dry recovery tank 235 may be at least partially defined by an outlet duct 286b extending from the lid 286. The outlet conduit 286b is in fluid communication with the suction source 232 via a tube (not shown).

Fig. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the combined wet/dry recovery tank 235 illustrating the dry passage 249 through the combined wet/dry recovery tank 235. Dirty dry air enters the combined wet/dry recovery tank 235 through the dry debris inlet 235 a. The dry debris inlet 235a can include a dry air inlet 272 (fig. 12) that leads to a dry collection chamber 276a, which can be a cyclonic or centrifugal separation chamber, and the dry debris inlet can be at least partially defined by an inlet duct 272a (fig. 13). The inlet duct 272a may extend tangentially from the sidewall 282 to define a tangential air inlet. The inlet duct 272a is in fluid communication with the dry debris inlet 235a and, depending on the mode of operation of the vacuum cleaner 210, may also be in fluid communication with the dry suction nozzle 30. Debris removed from the working dry air is collected in the dry collection chamber 276 a. The working dry air passes from the dry collection chamber 276a, then through the dry debris separator 241 and the dry separation chamber 243, through the pre-motor filter assembly 239, and to the exhaust outlet 253c, as in the wet path.

In yet another aspect of the present disclosure, fig. 17 is an exploded view of the wet extraction module 488. The wet extraction module 488 can be used with the vacuum cleaner 10 or the vacuum cleaner 210 and is substantially similar to the extraction module 88. Accordingly, like components will be identified with like numerals increased by 400, with the understanding that the description of like components of extraction module 88 applies to extraction module 488 unless otherwise noted.

One difference is that a shut-off valve 457 is included and is configured to prevent airflow through the wet passage or shut off suction from the suction source when the recovery liquid in the wet recovery tank 444 reaches a predetermined fill level. In one example, the shut-off valve 457 may comprise a mechanical shut-off valve, such as a float. When the recovery liquid in the wet recovery tank 444 reaches a predetermined full level, the mechanical stop float floats upward to prevent airflow through the wet path.

Alternatively, as schematically shown in fig. 18, the shut-off valve 457a may be electronic. In this case, the vacuum cleaner 10 or 210 may include additional optional components, such as a humidity sensor 459. As with the mechanical shut-off valve, an electronic shut-off sensor 457a may be incorporated with the wet recovery tank 444, the wet suction nozzle 442, or the wet suction nozzle coupling 489 to shut off flow to the suction source when the recovery liquid in the wet recovery tank 444 reaches a predetermined fill level. An output from sensor 459 indicating that a predetermined fill level has been reached may be provided to a controller or microcontroller unit (MCU) 461. The controller or MCU 461 may then disable the wet mode of the vacuum cleaner 10 or 210 or may indicate the canister fill status to the user via an indicator light 463, such as a flashing light. The wet mode may be disabled in various ways. Non-limiting examples of such methods include turning off the

suction source

32 or 232 and optionally also turning off the pump 112, such as by blocking a wet passage or a recovery path between, for example, the wet suction nozzle 442 and the

suction source

32 or 232 through a shut-off valve 457a provided in the passage, or opening a drain valve 465 to reduce the suction provided to the wet suction nozzle 42 and disable the wet mode.

Referring now to fig. 19A and 19B, it will be appreciated that any of the wet nozzles described above may be configured to be in a raised state during the dry mode of the vacuum cleaner and in a lowered state during the wet mode of operation of the vacuum cleaner. For ease of numbering and clarity, the remainder of the description will refer back to the vacuum cleaner 10 having the wet suction nozzle 42, although it will be appreciated that the details may be applied to any other aspect described herein. In the lowered state shown in fig. 19A, the wet suction nozzle 42 is positioned such that it closely covers the surface to be cleaned, schematically indicated as 8, and the extraction can be performed efficiently, with improved liquid extraction in the wet mode and in the lowered state. In the raised condition shown in FIG. 19B, at least a portion of the wet suction nozzle 42 is raised relative to the dry suction nozzle 30 such that at least the wet suction nozzle 42 is raised from the surface 8 to be cleaned. This allows for optimal performance of the dry suction nozzle 30 during the dry mode of operation.

The actuator 160 may be selectively activated to move the wet suction nozzle 42 between the raised condition and the lowered condition. In one example, the actuator 160 may be a solenoid plunger that may support the wet suction nozzle 42 to move the wet suction nozzle 42 from a lowered state (FIG. 19A) to a raised state (FIG. 19B). An actuator 160 in the form of a solenoid plunger can be selectively actuated to support the wet suction nozzle 42 and raise the entire wet suction nozzle 42 from a lowered state in the wet mode (FIG. 19A) to a raised state in the dry mode (FIG. 19B).

Referring now to fig. 20A and 20B, it will be appreciated that any of the wet nozzles described above may be configured to pivot to the raised portion during the dry mode of the vacuum cleaner, and to be in a lowered state during the wet mode of operation of the vacuum cleaner. Again, although this will be described with respect to the suction nozzle 42, it is understood that the details may be applicable to any of the aspects described herein. In another example, the wet suction nozzle 42 may be pivotally coupled to the base 14 or the dry suction nozzle 30 such that actuation of the actuator 160a, for example in the form of a solenoid plunger, raises only a portion of the wet suction nozzle 42 relative to the pivot axis. Fig. 20A shows this feature in a lowered state in the wet mode, while fig. 20B shows this feature in a raised state in the dry mode.

It should be appreciated that in either of the aspects of fig. 19A and 19B or 20A and 20B, the solenoid plunger may be located at any suitable location on the base 14 such that actuation of the solenoid plunger may raise or lower any portion of the wet suction nozzle 42. By way of non-limiting example, in any exemplary aspect, the solenoid plunger can be located on a front or top surface of the base 14 or the dry suction nozzle 30.

In addition, fig. 21 shows a mode selector 170 that may be included on the vacuum cleaner 10 (or the vacuum cleaner 210) for the user to select either wet or dry mode operation. Non-limiting examples of such a mode selector 170 may include a switch, a button, a slidable selector, or a knob. The mode selector 170 provides an input to the controller or MCU 172 that selects wet or dry mode. The controller may be a stand-alone controller or a controller having other functions, such as the controller 461 previously described. The controller 172 may then automatically switch the operation of the vacuum cleaner 10 between the wet and dry modes by controlling the functions of the various components of the vacuum cleaner 10, non-limiting examples of which include the fluid pump 112, the motor controlling the suction source 32, the speed of the rotatable agitator 54, the position of the wet suction nozzle 42, and the operation of the

target light

120, 130, or 140, depending on the mode selected. As previously mentioned, the position of the wet suction nozzle 42 can be controlled by the nozzle height adjuster. While a solenoid piston is described above as one potential embodiment of a nozzle height adjuster, it should be understood that other height adjusters are possible.

For example, it is contemplated that controlling the vacuum cleaner 10 to operate in the dry mode can include operating the motor and suction source 32 at a higher suction level relative to the wet mode, the fluid pump 112 will not operate in the dry mode, the rotatable agitator 54 is powered for operation, the wet nozzle 42 is in a raised state, and the

target light

120, 130, or 140 is off, or any combination of these elements. Controlling the vacuum cleaner 10 to operate in the wet mode may include operating the motor and suction source 32 at a lower suction level relative to the dry mode, the fluid pump 112 will operate in the wet mode, the brushroll is not powered for operation, the wet suction nozzle 42 is in a lowered state, and the

target light

120, 130, or 140 is on, or any combination of these elements.

Other lighting features may be included in addition to the

target lamp

120, 130, or 140 as previously described. Fig. 22 is a perspective view of an alternative base 14 including an alternative base illumination device 176 illuminated in a dry mode of operation indicated at 176 a. The base illumination device 176 may include any suitable illumination, including, by way of non-limiting example, a strip or array of LED indicator lights that may be mounted along the lower front edge of the base 14. During the dry mode of operation 176a, the LEDs along the entire strip or array of base illumination devices 176 may be configured to illuminate corresponding to the entire width of the dry nozzle 30. This may indicate to the user that the dry mouthpiece 30 is operating.

Fig. 23 is a perspective view of the base illumination device 176 of fig. 22, showing the illumination mode in a wet mode of operation indicated at 176 b. In the wet mode of operation indicated at 176b, only the LEDs along the portion of the strip or array of pedestal lighting devices 176 corresponding to the width and position of the wet suction nozzle 42, and thus only a portion of the width of the pedestal 14, may be configured to illuminate. This may indicate to the user that only the wet suction nozzle 42 is in operation. Depending on whether the vacuum cleaner 10 is operating in the wet or dry mode, the partial width or full width illumination of the strip or array of base illuminators 176 provides an aesthetic effect to quickly and easily communicate the mode status to the user without the user having to check the mode selector 170.

Fig. 24 is a schematic illustration of the operation of the zone carpet mode for the vacuum cleaner 10, according to one aspect of the present disclosure. A user may wish to extract the wet pattern using a small area on a carpet area. For area carpets, jetting fluid as in the wet mode may be undesirable because the fluid may saturate the area carpet faster. In contrast, the area carpet mode may be used to generate a spray of foam rather than a fluid, so that the foam may be located on top of the area carpet rather than being quickly saturated. The foam may be generated by selectively introducing an air leak device 180 into the fluid delivery path or fluid delivery conduit 108 to generate foam to be delivered from the fluid dispenser 104.

An area carpet mode selector 182 may be provided on the vacuum cleaner 10. As shown herein, the zone carpet mode selector 182 may be provided on the handle 22, although other locations on the vacuum cleaner 10 are possible. The zone carpet mode selector 182 may function as a switch, button, slidable selector, or knob, for example. The zone carpet mode selector 182 is operatively coupled with an air leak switch 184 that controls the selective actuation of an air leak device 182, shown schematically as a valve, in the fluid delivery path. Actuation of the air leakage device 182 causes the delivered fluid to become a foam that can be provided to the area carpet by the fluid dispenser 104. The air leak device may be disposed at any suitable location in the fluid delivery path downstream of the supply tank 102 and the pump 112, such as within the fluid delivery conduit 108.

Fig. 25 is a schematic illustration of the zone carpet pattern of fig. 24, according to another aspect of the present disclosure. In this aspect, rather than providing an air leak device within the fluid delivery passageway or fluid delivery conduit 108, the air leak device is integrated with the fluid dispenser 104 such that frothing of the fluid occurs only when the fluid is dispensed through the fluid dispenser 104. In this way, foaming occurs only when fluid exits the vacuum cleaner 10, and therefore, there is no need to pump foam through the fluid delivery path.

To the extent not already described, the different features and structures of the various aspects of the present disclosure may be used in combination with each other as desired, or may be used alone. A surface cleaning apparatus shown herein as having all of these features does not mean that all of these features must be used in combination, but is done here for the sake of brevity of the description. Further, while the surface cleaning apparatus shown herein has an upright configuration, the surface cleaning apparatus may be configured as a canister or a portable unit. For example, in a canister device, base components such as a suction nozzle and a brush roller may be provided on a cleaning head coupled with a canister unit. Still further, the surface cleaning apparatus may additionally have steam delivery capabilities. Thus, the various features of the different aspects can be mixed and matched as desired in various vacuum cleaner configurations to form new aspects, whether or not such new aspects are explicitly described.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a vacuum cleaner can be adapted for dry vacuum cleaning, as well as for selective use in small area extraction for wet cleaning of small spots and stains.

According to another aspect of the disclosure, a vacuum cleaner may include an upright body, a base defining a cavity, and a wet extraction module 88 further including a wet nozzle and a wet recovery tank that may be removably mounted on the base. The wet mouthpiece and the wet recovery tank may be separate components that sealingly mate together, the wet mouthpiece and the wet recovery tank being configured to nestably and removably mount within the cavity. The dry suction nozzle may also be disposed on the base with the wet suction nozzle located at the top and in front of the dry suction nozzle. The wet nozzle may extend less than the entire width of the dry nozzle, including less than or equal to one-half the width of the dry nozzle, less than or equal to one-third the width of the dry nozzle, or less than or equal to one-fourth the width of the dry nozzle.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, a vacuum cleaner includes a handle to which an airflow splitter assembly may be mounted for selectively splitting a working airflow through a wet nozzle or a dry nozzle. The airflow diverter assembly may be disposed downstream of the wet and dry suction nozzles and upstream of the recovery tank inlet. The airflow splitter assembly may include a cylindrical splitter.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a vacuum cleaner includes a handle to which a supply tank may be mounted, the supply tank being fluidly connected to a fluid dispenser on a base of the vacuum cleaner. A handle may be provided on the handle and may include an actuator for selectively actuating the pump to dispense liquid from the supply tank to the fluid dispenser and onto the surface to be cleaned.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a vacuum cleaner may include a base and an upright body, wherein a fluid dispenser and a target lamp are disposed on the base, the target lamp configured to illuminate an area in front of a wet nozzle wetted by the fluid dispenser. The target lamp may be mounted adjacent the fluid dispenser, behind a wet nozzle, which may be transparent, or behind a hole or opening in the wet nozzle.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, a vacuum cleaner adapted for dry vacuum cleaning and selectively used for small area extraction to wet clean small spots and stains can include a combination wet/dry recovery tank including a wet debris inlet, a dry debris inlet, an inner sleeve separating the dry collection chamber 76 and the liquid collection chamber 76, and a single exhaust outlet.

In any of the above aspects of the disclosure, a shut-off device may be associated with the wet recovery tank to block air flow or shut off the suction source when the extracted liquid in the wet recovery tank reaches a predetermined fill level. The shut-off means may comprise a mechanical sensor, a float or an electronic humidity sensor. Optionally, when the cut-off means comprises an electronic sensor, the output from the sensor may cause the controller or MCU to disable the wet mode of operation of the vacuum cleaner and optionally indicate the canister fill status to the user via an indicator light.

In any of the above aspects of the disclosure, the wet nozzle may be configured to be raised during a dry mode of operation of the vacuum cleaner and lowered during a wet mode of operation of the vacuum cleaner. The actuator may be a solenoid plunger disposed on the base of the vacuum cleaner, which can raise and lower the wet suction nozzle.

In any of the above aspects of the disclosure, the vacuum cleaner may comprise electronics to selectively switch between the wet mode of operation and the dry mode of operation. The MCU of the vacuum cleaner can control fluid pump function, suction level, brush speed, nozzle position, and/or target light activation based on the selected operating mode.

In any of the above aspects of the disclosure, a base illumination device may be included, the base illumination device having a width for indicating an operating mode of the vacuum cleaner.

In any of the above aspects of the disclosure, the vacuum cleaner may include an area carpet mode of operation that delivers foam to the surface to be cleaned.

While the present disclosure has been particularly described, in conjunction with certain specific aspects thereof, it is to be understood that this is by way of illustration and not of limitation. Reasonable variations and modifications are possible within the scope of the foregoing disclosure and the accompanying drawings without departing from the spirit of the disclosure as defined in the appended claims. Hence, specific dimensions and other physical characteristics relating to the aspects disclosed herein are not to be considered as limiting, unless the claims expressly state otherwise.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner (10, 210) comprising:

an upright body (12, 212);

a base (14, 214) operatively coupled to the upright body (12, 212) and including a dry suction nozzle (30, 230) and adapted to move along a surface to be cleaned;

a wet extraction module (88) selectively operatively coupled to and removable from the base (14, 214), the wet extraction module (88) including a wet suction nozzle (42, 242, 442); and

a suction source (32, 232) at least selectively fluidly coupled to the dry suction nozzle (30, 230) and the wet suction nozzle (42, 242, 442) via a fluid recovery pathway.

2. The vacuum cleaner (10, 210) of claim 1, wherein the wet extraction module further comprises a wet recovery tank (44, 244, 444) removably mounted on the base (14, 214).

3. The vacuum cleaner (10, 210) of claim 2, wherein the wet suction nozzle (42, 242, 442) and the wet recovery tank (44, 244, 444) are sealingly mated together as an integral module.

4. The vacuum cleaner (10, 210) of claim 3, wherein the wet suction nozzle (42, 242, 442) and the wet recovery tank (44, 244, 444) are configured to be removably mounted within a cavity (96) within the base (14, 214).

5. The vacuum cleaner (10, 210) of claim 2, wherein the wet suction nozzle (42, 242, 442) is positioned on top of and in front of the dry suction nozzle (30, 230).

6. The vacuum cleaner (10, 210) of claim 5, wherein the wet suction nozzle (42, 242, 442) extends less than an entire width of the dry suction nozzle (30, 230).

7. The vacuum cleaner (10, 210) of claim 2, further comprising a shut-off mechanism (457) disposed through the wet recovery tank (444) to block airflow or shut off a suction source (32, 232) when liquid extracted in the wet recovery tank (444) reaches a predetermined fill level.

8. The vacuum cleaner (10, 210) of claim 1, further comprising an airflow diverter assembly (92, 292) located within the fluid recovery passageway and mounted for selectively diverting a working airflow through either of the wet nozzle (42, 242, 442) and the dry nozzle (30, 230).

9. The vacuum cleaner (10, 210) of claim 8, wherein the airflow splitter assembly (92, 292) is a cylindrical splitter (98).

10. The vacuum cleaner (10, 210) of claim 8, further comprising a recovery tank (34, 235) having a recovery tank inlet (72, 235a, 235b), and wherein the airflow diverter assembly (92, 292) is disposed downstream of the wet suction nozzle (42, 242, 442) and the dry suction nozzle (30, 230) and upstream of the recovery tank (34, 235).

11. The vacuum cleaner (10, 210) of claim 10, further comprising a supply tank (102) fluidly connected to a fluid dispenser (104) disposed on the base (14, 214).

12. The vacuum cleaner (10, 210) of claim 11, further comprising a handle (20) extending from the upright body (12, 212) and further comprising an actuator (114) on the handle (20) for selectively actuating a pump (112) to dispense liquid from the supply tank (102) to the fluid dispenser (104) and onto a surface to be cleaned.

13. The vacuum cleaner (10, 210) of claim 12, further comprising a selectively operable air leak (180) in fluid communication with the fluid distributor (104) or with a conduit (108) between the supply tank (102) and the fluid distributor (104).

14. The vacuum cleaner (10, 210) of claim 11, further comprising a target light 120 disposed on the base (14, 214), the target light 120 configured to illuminate an area in front of the wet suction nozzle (42, 242, 442) and at least partially wetted by the fluid dispenser (104).

15. The vacuum cleaner (10, 210) of claim 10, wherein the recovery tank (34, 235) is a combined wet/dry recovery tank (235) that includes a wet debris inlet (235b), a dry debris inlet (235a), an internal sleeve that separates a dry collection chamber (276a) and a liquid collection chamber (276b), and a single exhaust outlet (235 c).

16. The vacuum cleaner (10, 210) of claim 15, wherein the wet nozzle (42, 242, 442) is positioned at a top and a front of the dry nozzle (30, 230), and wherein the wet nozzle (42, 242, 442) extends less than an entire width of the dry nozzle (30, 230).

17. The vacuum cleaner (10, 210) of claim 1, further comprising an actuator (160) operably coupled to the wet nozzle (42) and configured to move at least a portion of the wet nozzle (42) away from a surface to be cleaned.

18. The vacuum cleaner (10, 210) of claim 1, further comprising a mode selector (170) operably coupled to a controller (172, 461), the controller (172, 461) configured to operate one of a pump function, a suction level, a brush speed, a nozzle position, and/or a target light activation based on a mode selected by a user utilizing the mode selector.

19. The vacuum cleaner (10, 210) of claim 1, further comprising a target light operable to provide an illuminated area (124, 134, 146) on a surface to be cleaned.

20. The vacuum cleaner (10, 210) of claim 1, further comprising a base illumination device disposed in front of the base (14, 214) and substantially along an entire width of the base (14, 214), wherein the base illumination device is illuminable in a sub-portion that is less than the entire width of the base (14, 214).