CN116963647A

CN116963647A - Surface cleaning apparatus

Info

Publication number: CN116963647A
Application number: CN202280018760.8A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 汤姆·米尼赫·尼古延; 古念松; 罗格·霍斯肯斯; 迈克·卢克斯
Original assignee: Pizza Hut Inc
Current assignee: Pizza Hut LLC
Priority date: 2021-03-04
Filing date: 2022-03-01
Publication date: 2023-10-27

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a surface cleaning apparatus comprising a housing adapted to move over a surface to be cleaned. The headlight of the device may comprise at least one light emitting element inside the housing and a light pipe integrated with a cover on the housing. The hood sensing mechanism may determine whether a hood is present on the housing and if a hood is not present, the headlamp may be deactivated accordingly. The headlamp may selectively illuminate when a predetermined condition occurs. The brush roll for the device may include a stirring element such as bristles and/or microfibers, and a hollow brush bar supporting the stirring element.

Description

Surface cleaning apparatus

Citation of related applications

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/191,869, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/191,876, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/407,590, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/491,556, both filed on Ser. No. 2021, 3, 4, and 2021, 8, 20, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/491,556, filed on 1, 10, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

Background

The multi-surface vacuum cleaner is suitable for cleaning hard floor surfaces such as tiles and hard wood, and soft floor surfaces such as rugs and carpets. Some multi-surface vacuum cleaners include a fluid delivery system that delivers a cleaning fluid, typically liquid, to the surface to be cleaned and a recovery system that extracts liquid and debris (which may include dirt, dust, stains, dirt, hair and other debris) from the surface. The delivery system typically includes one or more supply tanks for storing a supply of cleaning liquid, a dispenser for applying the liquid to the surface to be cleaned, and a supply conduit for delivering the liquid from the supply tanks to the dispenser. A stirrer may be provided to stir the liquid on the surface. The recovery system generally includes a recovery tank, a nozzle adjacent to the surface to be cleaned and in fluid communication with the recovery tank through a working air conduit, and a suction source in fluid communication with the working air conduit to draw liquid from the surface to be cleaned and through the nozzle and the working air conduit to the recovery tank. Other multi-surface cleaning apparatuses include "dry" vacuum cleaners that can clean different surface types, but do not dispense or recycle liquid.

Disclosure of Invention

A surface cleaning apparatus is provided herein. In certain embodiments, the surface cleaning apparatus is a multi-surface wet vacuum cleaner that can be used to clean hard floor surfaces such as tile and hardwood, as well as soft floor surfaces such as carpets.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a surface cleaning apparatus is provided with an improved headlamp. The surface cleaning apparatus may comprise: a housing adapted to move over a surface to be cleaned; a suction nozzle defining a dirty inlet to the recovery path; a brush roll on the housing and disposed adjacent the suction nozzle, the brush roll configured to agitate a surface to be cleaned; a cover attached to the housing and configured to partially enclose the brush roll; a fluid dispenser configured to deliver a cleaning fluid to at least one of the brushroll and a surface to be cleaned; and a headlamp comprising a light source having at least one light emitting element located inside the housing, wherein the cover comprises a light pipe capable of conveying light emitted from the light emitting element to the exterior of the housing, the light pipe having an inlet end aligned with the light source.

Another embodiment of the present disclosure includes a headlamp assembly for a surface cleaning apparatus. The headlamp assembly includes an LED light source and a light pipe integrated with a mouth piece of the base that partially encloses the brushroll. The light pipe may be disposed in front of and slightly displaced from the LED light source, wherein upon illumination of the LED light source, light from the LED light source is transmitted to the mask and onto the surface to be cleaned in front of the base.

In these and other embodiments, the surface cleaning apparatus is provided with a cover sensing mechanism. By detecting the presence of a cover on the base, the light source of the headlamp can be turned off or dimmed, and/or the brushroll motor can be turned off to stop rotation of the brushroll.

In these and other embodiments, the light source of the headlamp may be operable to selectively illuminate when a predetermined condition occurs.

According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a surface cleaning apparatus includes: a base adapted to move over a surface to be cleaned; at least one of a fluid delivery system and a recovery system; a first upper headlamp located on the forwardly oriented portion of the base, the upper headlamp configured to emit a first light beam outwardly from the base at a first angle toward a first region in front of the base; and a second downlight located on the forward oriented portion of the chassis, below the upper headlight, the downlight configured to emit a second light beam outwardly from the chassis at a second angle toward a second region in front of the chassis, wherein the second angle is less than the first angle such that the second region is farther from the front of the chassis than the first region.

In these and other embodiments, the upper and lower headlamps may be on a front side or forward oriented portion of the base and vertically spaced apart from each other.

In these and other embodiments, the upper and lower headlamps may include a plurality of light sources. The light sources may be arranged in vertically stacked rows.

In these and other embodiments, the surface cleaning apparatus includes a controller configured to illuminate one of the headlamps without illuminating the other based on the identified floor surface type or other sensor data.

According to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for illuminating a floor surface with a surface cleaning apparatus includes sensing a floor type of a surface to be cleaned by generating sensor data with a sensor onboard the surface cleaning apparatus during an operational cycle of the surface cleaning apparatus, processing the sensor data to determine whether the type is a carpet or a hard floor, and generating a headlamp control signal based on the sensor data, transmitting the headlamp control signal to a headlamp assembly on a base, powering an upper headlamp of the headlamp assembly in response to detecting the carpet, and emitting a first beam of light from the upper headlamp at a first angle toward a first area in front of a housing, and powering a lower headlamp of the headlamp assembly to detect the hard floor, and emitting a second beam of light from the lower headlamp at a second angle toward a second area in front of the base, wherein the second angle is less than the first angle such that the second area is farther from the front of the base than the first area.

In these and other embodiments, the lower headlamps may be turned off when a carpet is detected and/or the upper headlamps may be turned off when a hard floor is detected.

According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the surface cleaning apparatus is provided with a brushless dc motor that does not require a post-motor filter and therefore does not benefit from the noise absorbing properties of a standard post-motor filter. In one particular configuration, an enclosure for an electric machine includes a double-walled motor housing with sound attenuating elements disposed between the walls of the motor housing to reduce sound.

According to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, a surface cleaning apparatus is provided with an enclosure for an electric machine having a muffler that reduces noise associated with operation of the apparatus. The muffler may define a curved air discharge path from the fan chamber to a clean air outlet of the appliance.

In these and other embodiments, a surface cleaning apparatus includes an upright handle assembly or body and a cleaning head or base coupled to the body and adapted to move across a surface to be cleaned.

According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a surface cleaning apparatus has a movable joint assembly connecting a base to an upstanding body to move the body about at least one axis. The joint assembly may have a barrel-in-barrel swivel connection including an outer barrel pivotable about an inner barrel for side-to-side movement of the upstanding body. The cartridge-in-cartridge connection eliminates the gap pinch point between the moving parts of the joint.

According to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, the surface cleaning apparatus includes opposing spring-loaded detents that can latch the upright body to the base to retain the upright body in an upright storage position.

In these and other embodiments, a surface cleaning apparatus includes a fluid delivery system for storing a cleaning fluid and delivering the cleaning fluid to a surface to be cleaned. The fluid delivery system may include a supply tank removably mounted on the housing of the device. The supply tank may include a pivoting lid for improved filling.

In these and other embodiments, the supply tank is removably mounted on the apparatus and includes an outlet valve that controls the flow of liquid out of the tank. The apparatus includes a valve receiver configured to open an outlet valve when the supply tank is mounted on the apparatus. The valve receiver may include a conductivity sensor that senses the presence of the liquid. When no liquid is detected, a signal may be sent to a user interface that outputs a visual and/or audible user alert.

In these and other embodiments, the surface cleaning apparatus includes a recovery system for removing liquid and debris from the surface to be cleaned and storing the liquid and debris on the apparatus. The recovery system may include a "float-free" recovery tank having an electronic sensing system configured to detect liquid at one or more levels within the recovery tank and determine when to shut off or otherwise interrupt the recovery system. Additionally, the sensing system may further detect whether the recovery tank is missing from the apparatus.

In these and other embodiments, the recovery tank has a filter assembly with an error proofing facility to prevent inadvertent errors by a user when installing the filter assembly on the recovery tank. The error proofing facility may include at least one protruding feature on the filter assembly and/or on the filter receiver of the recovery tank that prevents a user from erroneously installing the filter assembly by interfering with the insertion of the filter assembly into the filter receiver.

According to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, the surface cleaning apparatus may operate in a hard floor cleaning mode, a carpet tile cleaning mode, or a power cleaning ("booster") mode. In the carpet tile cleaning mode, a higher amount of suction is applied than in the hard floor cleaning mode. In the power cleaning mode, the amount of suction applied and the flow rate of liquid applied are higher than in the hard floor and carpet tile cleaning modes for a more power cleaning operation.

According to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, a surface cleaning apparatus has a rechargeable battery for cordless operation and is provided with a docking station for recharging the battery. The docking station includes a tray with charging contacts that automatically engage corresponding charging contacts on the device when the device is docked with the tray. When operation has ceased, the device may be placed in a tray to recharge the battery and the charging contacts automatically engaged to begin recharging.

In these and other embodiments, the docking station may include a device sensing mechanism. By detecting whether the device is located on the tray, the power to the tray charging contacts can be turned on or off accordingly.

According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the surface cleaning apparatus is provided with a storage tray which can be used during a self-cleaning mode of the surface cleaning apparatus and for the brush roller of the drying apparatus. Alternatively, the device may include a "clear" input control or mode selector that, when selected when docked in the storage tray, initiates an auto-clear cycle for the self-cleaning mode. In some embodiments, the storage tray may also recharge the battery of the device. The tray may have a removable liner to improve cleanability of the tray. The liner may be inserted into the tray and may cover the surface of the tray exposed to dirt and liquid from the apparatus.

In accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure, an improved brushroll for a surface cleaning apparatus is provided. The brush roll includes a brush roll axis of rotation, at least one stirring element, and a hollow brush bar supporting the at least one stirring element, the brush bar including a cavity at a center of the brush bar at the brush roll axis.

In these and other embodiments, the brushroll can be a hybrid brushroll that includes a plurality of agitating materials to optimize cleaning performance for different types of surfaces to be cleaned.

In these and other embodiments, the brushroll can include a drive end cap at one end thereof coupled to a drive assembly.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a surface cleaning apparatus may include: a housing; a brush roller on the housing to agitate the surface to be cleaned; a fluid dispenser delivering a cleaning fluid to at least one of the brushroll and the surface to be cleaned; a suction nozzle defining a dirty inlet to the recovery passageway and including a mouth piece removably attached to the housing to partially enclose the brush roller; a headlight which illuminates a surface to be cleaned; a sensing part sensing whether the mouth cover is attached to the housing; and a headlight power switch operable to close and power the headlight when the mouth piece is attached to the housing, and operable to open when the mouth piece is removed from the housing, wherein the headlight power switch deactivates the headlight when the sensing component senses that the mouth piece is separated from the housing.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a surface cleaning apparatus is provided with an improved headlamp. The headlamp may be turned on to emit light of a first color when the power input control is pressed to turn on the surface cleaning device, and may be controlled to emit light of a second color when the actuator is pressed to deliver cleaning fluid from the fluid dispenser.

Another embodiment of the present disclosure includes a lamp assembly for a surface cleaning apparatus. The lamp assembly includes a light source and a light pipe that transmits light from the light source to an area outside the base. When the power input control is pressed to turn on the surface cleaning apparatus, the light source may be turned on to emit light of a first color, wherein the light of the first color is transmitted through the light pipe to an area outside the base. When the actuator is depressed to deliver cleaning fluid from the fluid dispenser, the light source can be controlled to emit light of a second color, wherein the light of the second color is transmitted through the light pipe to an area outside the base.

These and other features and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description of specific embodiments when viewed in light of the accompanying drawings and appended claims.

Before the embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of operation or to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of embodiments in various other respects and of being practiced or of being carried out in various other ways not expressly disclosed herein. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of "including" and "comprising" and variations thereof is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items and equivalents thereof. Furthermore, the enumeration may be used in the description of various embodiments. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, the enumerated uses should not be construed as limiting the invention to any particular order or number of components. Nor should the use of the recitation be interpreted to exclude the presence of any additional steps or elements from the scope of the recitation of steps or elements that may be combined with or into the recited steps or elements. Any reference to "at least one of X, Y and Z" of claim elements is intended to include any one of X, Y or Z alone, and any combination of X, Y and Z, such as X, Y, Z; x, Y; x, Z; and Y, Z.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a surface cleaning apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, showing the apparatus in an upright or storage position;

FIG. 2 is a schematic control diagram of the apparatus;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the handle of the device;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus taken through line IV-IV of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the lower portion of the apparatus of FIG. 1, showing the apparatus in an inclined position;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the lower portion of FIG. 4, showing details of the base of the device;

FIG. 7 is a partially exploded front perspective view of the base of the device, showing details of one embodiment of the multi-axis joint assembly of the device;

FIG. 8 is a rear view of the apparatus showing the supply tank and recovery tank exploded from the upstanding body;

FIG. 9 is a partially exploded view of the lower portion of the apparatus with the upper portion of the base housing removed and the die sleeve exploded from the joint assembly for clarity;

FIG. 10 is a partial exploded view of the lower portion of the device showing details of one embodiment of a latch for holding the device in an upright, storage position;

FIG. 11 is an exploded view of one embodiment of a brushroll of the appliance;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a brushroll for use with the appliance;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of yet another embodiment of a brushroll for use with the appliance;

FIG. 14 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the base taken through line XIV-XIV of FIG. 7, with a portion of the base removed to better illustrate a drive transmission operably connecting the brushroll to the brushmotor;

FIG. 15 is a partially exploded view showing the drive transmission of FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 is an enlarged view of one end of a brushroll showing details of one embodiment of a drive connection with a drive transmission;

FIG. 17 is a partial exploded view of a chassis, showing details of one embodiment of a headlamp for a device;

FIG. 18 is an enlarged view of the lower portion of FIG. 4 showing the front section of the base including the brushroll, hood and headlamp;

fig. 19 shows the headlamp of fig. 18 illuminating an area in front of the mount;

FIG. 20 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 18, showing a cover of the light pipe including the headlamp, and showing light radiated from the light source and propagating along the light pipe;

FIG. 21 is a top view of the base showing the headlamp illuminating the front area of the base;

fig. 22 shows another embodiment of a headlight for a device;

fig. 23 shows a further embodiment of a headlight for a device;

FIG. 24 is a flow chart illustrating one embodiment of a method for operating a headlamp on a device;

FIG. 25 is a flow chart illustrating another embodiment of a method for operating a headlamp on a device;

FIG. 26 is an exploded rear perspective view of the cover;

FIG. 27 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a headlamp and brush motor control system for a device;

FIG. 28 is a flow chart illustrating yet another embodiment of a method for operating a headlamp on a device;

FIG. 29 is a flow chart illustrating one embodiment of a method for operating a brushroll on an appliance;

FIG. 30 is a partially exploded rear perspective view of the apparatus showing one embodiment of a supply tank, valve receiver and supply tank latch for the apparatus;

FIG. 31 is an exploded view of the supply tank of FIG. 30, showing details of one embodiment of a connection with a valve receiver;

FIG. 32 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a liquid sensing system for a supply system of an apparatus;

FIG. 33 is an exploded view of one embodiment of a recovery tank for an apparatus;

FIG. 34 is a cross-sectional view through the recovery tank of FIG. 33;

FIG. 35 is an exploded view of the lid of the recovery tank shown in FIG. 33, showing an error proofing arrangement for the filter assembly of the recovery tank;

FIG. 36 is an exploded view showing a recovery tank receiver having sensors for detecting the recovery tank and the liquid level within the recovery tank;

FIG. 37 is a schematic view of an embodiment of a liquid level sensing system for a recovery tank of an apparatus;

FIG. 38 is a diagram illustrating an alternative configuration of a liquid level sensing system;

FIG. 39 is a cross-sectional view showing portions of the working air path and motor cooling air path of the apparatus, including one embodiment showing an enclosure for a suction source;

FIG. 40 is an exploded view of the enclosure and suction source of FIG. 39;

FIG. 41 is an exploded view of the fan housing and muffler of the enclosure of FIG. 39;

FIG. 42 is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus taken through line XLII-XLII of FIG. 1, showing portions of the working air path of the apparatus;

FIG. 43 is an enlarged perspective view of an apparatus interfacing with a storage tray according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 44 is a perspective view of the storage tray of FIG. 43;

FIG. 45 is a cross-sectional view taken through line XLV-XLV of FIG. 43;

FIG. 46 is a cross-sectional view taken through line XLVI-XLVI of FIG. 44;

fig. 47 is an exploded view of the storage tray, showing the charging unit and the device sensing mechanism;

FIG. 48 is a flow chart illustrating one embodiment of a self-cleaning method for an apparatus;

FIG. 49 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a storage tray; and

fig. 50 is an exploded view of the storage tray of fig. 49.

Detailed Description

The present invention relates generally to a surface cleaning apparatus which may be in the form of a multi-surface wet vacuum cleaner.

The functional system of the surface cleaning apparatus may be arranged in any desired configuration, such as an upright device having a base and an upright body for guiding the base across a surface to be cleaned, a portable device adapted to be held by a user, a canister device having a cleaning tool connected to a wheeled base by a vacuum hose, an autonomous or robotic device having an autonomous drive system and an autonomous movable housing, or a commercial device. Any of the above cleaners may suitably comprise a flexible vacuum hose which may form part of a working air conduit between the nozzle and the suction source. As used herein, the term "multi-surface wet vacuum cleaner" includes vacuum cleaners that can be used to clean hard floor surfaces such as tile and hardwood, as well as soft floor surfaces such as carpets.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a surface cleaning apparatus 10 according to one aspect of the present disclosure. As discussed in further detail below, the surface cleaning apparatus 10 is provided with various features and improvements, which are described in further detail below. As shown herein, the surface cleaning apparatus 10 may be an upright multi-surface wet vacuum cleaner having a housing including an upright handle assembly or body 12 and a cleaning foot or base 14 mounted to or coupled to the upright body 12 and adapted to move across a surface to be cleaned.

For the description in relation to the figures, the terms "upper", "lower", "right", "left", "rear", "front", "vertical", "horizontal", "inner", "outer", and derivatives thereof shall relate to the present disclosure as oriented in fig. 1 from the perspective of a user behind the surface cleaning apparatus 10, which defines the rear of the surface cleaning apparatus 10. However, it is to be understood that the present disclosure may assume various alternative orientations, except where expressly specified to the contrary.

The upright body 12 may include a handle 16 and a frame 18. The frame 18 may include a main support section that at least partially supports the supply tank 20 and the recovery tank 22, and may further support additional components of the body 12. The surface cleaning apparatus 10 may include a fluid delivery or supply path including and at least partially defined by a supply tank 20 for storing a cleaning fluid, such as a cleaning liquid, and delivering the cleaning fluid to a surface to be cleaned, and a recovery path including and at least partially defined by a recovery tank 22 for removing liquid and debris from the surface to be cleaned and storing the liquid and debris until emptied by a user.

The handle 16 may include a grip 26 and a trigger 28 (fig. 3) mounted to the grip 26 that controls fluid delivery from the supply tank 20 via an electronic or mechanical coupling with the tank 20. The trigger 28 may protrude at least partially outside of the handle 26 for user access. A spring (not shown) may bias the trigger 28 outwardly from the handle 26. Other actuators, such as a thumb switch, may be provided in place of trigger 28 to control fluid delivery.

The surface cleaning apparatus 10 may include at least one user interface 30, 32 through which a user may interact with the surface cleaning apparatus 10. The at least one user interface may initiate operation and control of the device 10 from the user side and may also provide feedback information from the device 10 to the user. The at least one user interface may be electrically coupled with electrical components, including but not limited to electrical circuitry electrically connected to various components of the fluid delivery and recovery system of the surface cleaning apparatus 10, as described in more detail below.

In the illustrated embodiment, the surface cleaning apparatus 10 includes a first User Interface (UI) 30 having one or more input controls, such as, but not limited to, buttons, triggers, toggle keys, switches, etc., that are operatively connected to systems in the apparatus 10 to affect and control operation thereof. The first UI30 includes a human-machine interface (HMI). The surface cleaning apparatus 10 also includes a second User Interface (UI) 32 that communicates the status or state of the apparatus 10 to a user. The second UI 32 may include a Status User Interface (SUI). The second UI 32 may communicate visually and/or audibly and may optionally include one or more input controls. The UIs 30, 32 may be provided as separate interfaces or may be integrated with each other, for example in a multiple use interface, a graphical user interface or a multimedia user interface. As shown, the UI30 may be disposed on the front side of the handle 26 with the trigger 28 disposed on the rear side of the handle 26 opposite the UI30, and the UI 32 may be disposed on the front side of the frame 18, below the handle 16 and above the base 14, and optionally above the recovery tank 22. In other embodiments, the UIs 30, 32 may be disposed elsewhere on the surface cleaning apparatus 10. An example of a suitable user interface is disclosed in International publication number WO 2020/082666, published at month 4 and 23, 2020, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The UI30 or 32 may include a proximity trigger interface as described in publication 066.

The UI 30 may include one or more input controls 34, 36 that are aligned with a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) 37 within the handle 26 (fig. 3). In one embodiment, one input control 34 is a power input control that controls the supply of power to one or more electrical components of the device 10, one of which may be the second UI 32, as explained in further detail below. Another input control 36 is a cleaning mode input control that cycles the device 10 between a hard floor cleaning mode, a carpet tile or carpet cleaning mode, and a power cleaning mode or "boost" mode, as described in further detail below. One or more of the input controls 34, 36 may include buttons, triggers, toggle keys, switches, and the like, or any combination thereof. In one embodiment, one or more of the input controls 34, 36 may include capacitive buttons.

UI 32 may include a display 38, such as, but not limited to, an LED matrix display or a touch screen, and is indicated in fig. 1 by dashed lines. In one embodiment, the display 38 may include a plurality of status indicators that may display various detailed device status information, such as, but not limited to, whether the device is in a hard floor, a tile, or a power/boost cleaning mode, a battery status, a Wi-Fi connection status, a cleaning water level, a supply tank present, a dirty water level, a recovery tank present, a filter status, a floor type, a self-cleaning, or any number of other status information. The status indicator may be a visual display and may include any of a variety of lights, such as an LED, a text display, a graphical display, or any of a variety of known status indicators.

The UI 32 may include at least one input control 40 that may be adjacent to the display 38 or disposed on the display 38. The input controls 40 may include a self-cleaning mode input control that initiates a self-cleaning mode of operation, as described in further detail below. The input controls 40 may include buttons, triggers, toggle keys, switches, etc., or any combination thereof. In one embodiment, the input control 40 may include a capacitive button.

Fig. 2 shows one embodiment of a schematic control diagram of the device 10. Surface cleaning apparatus 10 may include a controller 42 operatively coupled with the various functional systems of the apparatus, including but not limited to a fluid delivery and recovery system, for controlling the operation thereof. In one embodiment, the controller 42 may include a microcontroller unit (MCU) that includes at least one Central Processing Unit (CPU).

A user of the device 10 may interact with the controller 42 via one or more user interfaces 30, 32. For example, the controller 42 may be operably coupled with the first UI 30 to receive input from a user and with the second UI 32 to provide one or more indicia regarding the status of the device 10. Controller 42 may be further configured to perform a purge cycle for the self-cleaning mode of operation. The controller 42 may have software for performing a self-cleaning cycle.

The surface cleaning apparatus 10 may include a wireless communication module that may communicate wirelessly with an external device. In particular, the wireless communication module may be a Wi-Fi module. The external device may be, for example, a smart phone (not shown) or tablet computer, which may run an application for download of the apparatus 10, or a networked cloud device. The Wi-Fi module may detect the presence of a Wi-Fi network, signal strength, unique router identification data, or any combination thereof, and be configured to connect the device 10 to the internet via a local Wi-Fi network. The Wi-Fi module may be integrated with the controller 42. The Wi-Fi network connection status may be displayed on the display 38.

The electrical components of the surface cleaning apparatus 10 may be electrically coupled to a power source, such as a battery 45, preferably a rechargeable battery 45, for wireless operation. In one embodiment, the rechargeable battery 45 may be a lithium ion battery. In another exemplary arrangement, the battery 45 may comprise a user exchangeable battery. In yet another embodiment, surface cleaning apparatus 10 may include a power cord that may be plugged into a household electrical outlet for wired operation.

With additional reference to fig. 4, the controller 42 and the battery 45 may be disposed in various locations on the device 10. In the illustrated embodiment, the controller 42 is located in the upright body 12, within the frame 18, and is integrated with the second UI 32. Alternatively, the controller 42 may be integrated with the first UI 30 or may be separate from both UIs 30, 32.

The battery 45 may be located within the upright body 12 or base 14 of the device, which may protect and retain the battery 45 on the device 10. In one embodiment, the components of the apparatus 10 are arranged to have a relative positioning that isolates the battery 45 from potential exposure to liquids, such as leakage from the tanks 20, 22 or other components of the transport and recovery system. In the embodiment shown, the battery 45 is disposed within the frame 18 of the upright body 12, above the recovery tank 22. A conduit that supplies the canister 20 and one or more components of the delivery system that couple the canister 20 to the base 14 may be provided behind the battery 45. Other arrangements of the components of the device 10 are possible while maintaining the battery 45 isolated.

In one embodiment, the components of the device 10 are arranged to have a relative positioning that provides a well balanced and user-friendly architecture as the device 10 is moved along the surface to be cleaned. For example, positioning the battery 45 above the recovery tank 22 and suction source 86 allows these components to be arranged in a generally linear stacked orientation, which may provide a well-balanced and operationally comfortable elongated upright body 12. Other arrangements of the components of the device 10 are possible while maintaining a well-balanced and comfortable operating device 10.

Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the handle 16. The handle 16 may include a hollow handle tube 46 that is elongated vertically along a handle axis 48 and connects the grip 26 to the body 12. The handle tube 46 may comprise a triangular tube having a first side 50, a second side 52, and a third side 54 connected to one another in a triangular shape. The handle sides 50-54 may be generally planar or slightly curved and intersect at corners or vertices that may be rounded to distribute stress. The first edge 50 may define a front side or portion of the handle, with the second edge 52 and the third edge 54 intersecting at an apex 56 defining a rear portion of the handle tube 46.

The lower end of the handle tube 46 may be inserted into the frame 18. A bracket connector 58 at the lower end of the handle tube 46 may connect the handle tube 46 to the frame 18. The bracket connector 58 may have a triangular first concave end 60 that fits snugly within a lower open end 62 of the triangular handle tube 46. The bracket connector 58 may have a triangular second concave end 64 that fits within a frame opening 66 in the upper end of the frame 18. The two female ends 60, 64 of the bracket connector 58 may be press fit into the frame tubes 46 and 18, respectively, to mechanically join these components to one another, or using another suitable attachment means. One advantage of the triangular connection between the handle tube 46 and the bracket connector 58 is that it avoids twisting or displacement of the lower end of the tube 46 about the axis 48. Other configurations of the handle tube 46 and the connection between the handle tube 46 and the frame 18 are possible.

The handle 26 may comprise a non-loop, rod-shaped handle contoured for user comfort and having a free end 68. The UI 30 may be disposed on a front side of the handle 26 and the trigger 28 may be disposed on a rear side of the handle 26. In one embodiment, the handle 26 may include a rear handle portion 70 and a front handle portion 72 that mates with the rear handle portion 70. A lower end 74 of the handle 26 opposite the free end 68 is insertable into an upper open end 76 of the handle tube 46 to connect the handle 26 to the handle tube 46. The lower end 74 of the grip 26 may have a triangular shape that fits snugly within the upper open end 76 of the triangular handle tube 46. The lower end 74 may be press fit into the tube 46 to irreversibly mechanically join the two components to one another. One advantage of the triangular connection between the grip 26 and the handle tube 46 is that it avoids twisting or displacement of the upper end of the tube 46 about the axis 48. Other configurations of the grip 26 and the connection between the grip 26 and the handle tube 46 are possible.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of surface cleaning apparatus 10 taken through line IV-IV of fig. 1. The supply tank 20 and the recovery tank 22 may be provided on the upright body 12. The supply tank 20 may be mounted to the frame 18 in any configuration. In this embodiment, the supply tank 20 may be removably mounted behind the frame 18 such that the supply tank 20 partially rests in the upper rear of the frame 18 and is removable from the frame 18 for filling. Recovery tank 22 may be mounted to frame 18 in any configuration. In this embodiment, recovery tank 22 may be removably mounted in front of frame 18, below supply tank 20, and removable from frame 18 for emptying.

A carrying handle 78 may be provided on the rear side of the main body 12, below the wand handle 16, and may protrude at an oblique angle relative to the handle axis 48 of the handle tube 46 to facilitate manual lifting and carrying of the surface cleaning apparatus 10. The carrying handle 78 may extend from the body 12 at a location below the supply tank 20 and protrude upwardly to overlap the lower end of the supply tank 20, as best seen in fig. 4. In the event that the carrying handle 78 overlaps the supply tank 20, the supply tank 20 is protected if the device 10 is tipped over, but the supply tank 20 can still be easily inserted or removed by lifting the tank 20 up over the carrying handle 78.

The fluid delivery system is configured to deliver cleaning fluid from the supply tank 20 to the surface to be cleaned and, as briefly discussed above, may include a fluid delivery or supply passage. The supply tank 20 includes at least one supply chamber 80 for holding a cleaning fluid. The cleaning fluid may include one or more of any suitable cleaning liquid including, but not limited to, water, compositions, concentrated detergents, dilute detergents, and the like, as well as mixtures thereof. For example, the liquid may comprise a mixture of water and concentrated detergent. Alternatively, the supply tank 20 may comprise a plurality of supply chambers, for example one supply chamber containing water and another supply chamber containing cleaning agent. It should be noted that while the apparatus 10 described herein is configured to deliver cleaning liquid, aspects of the present disclosure may be applicable to surface cleaning apparatus that deliver steam. Thus, unless otherwise indicated, the term "cleaning fluid" may encompass both liquids and vapors.

The recovery system is configured to remove liquid and debris from the surface to be cleaned and store the liquid and debris on the surface cleaning apparatus 10 for subsequent disposal, and as briefly discussed above, the recovery system may include a recovery passage. The recovery passage may include at least a dirty inlet and a clean air outlet. The passageway may be formed by a suction nozzle 84 defining a dirty inlet, a suction source 86 in fluid communication with the suction nozzle 84 to generate a working air stream, the recovery tank 22, and at least one exhaust port 88 defining a clean air outlet, among other components.

The suction nozzle 84, which may be provided on the base 14, may be adapted to be adjacent to a surface to be cleaned as the base 14 moves across the surface. A brush roller 90 may be provided adjacent the suction nozzle 84 for agitating the surface to be cleaned so that debris is more easily sucked into the suction nozzle 84. Although a horizontally rotating brush roll 90 is shown herein, in some embodiments, two horizontally rotating brush rolls, one or more vertically rotating brush rolls, or a stationary brush may be provided on the apparatus 10.

The suction nozzle 84 is further in fluid communication with the recovery tank 22 via a conduit 92. The conduit 92 may pass through a movable joint assembly 94 that connects the base 14 to the upright body 12 to move the body 12 about at least one axis, as described in further detail below. At least a portion of the conduit 92 may be flexible to accommodate movement of the joint assembly 94. In the illustrated embodiment, a portion of the conduit 92 fluidly connecting the suction nozzle 84 and the recovery tank 22 may include a flexible tube or hose 96. The hose 96 may have at least a 90 degree bend therein to join a first portion of the conduit 92 connected to the suction nozzle 84 in the base 14 to an inlet 97 to the recovery tank 22 in the main body 12.

Suction source 86 may be a motor/fan assembly including a vacuum motor 98 and a fan 100 disposed in fluid communication with recovery tank 22. Suction source 86 may be positioned within the housing of frame 18, for example, above recovery tank 22. The suction source 86 may be further disposed below the supply tank 20 and the battery 45. The recovery system may also provide one or more additional filters upstream or downstream of the suction source 82. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the pre-motor filter 102 is disposed in the recovery path downstream of the recovery tank 22 and upstream of the suction source 86.

In one embodiment, vacuum motor 98 is a brushless DC motor. Fan 100 is driven by motor 98 and may be rotated at a rate up to 10,000 rpm. Brushless dc motors are more powerful and smaller than conventional motors and because no carbon is produced, no post-motor filter is required. These motors also conserve battery life due to their light weight and high efficiency. Brushless dc motors operate quieter due to the absence of brushes and reduce the operating noise associated with the apparatus 10. Other types of vacuum motors are possible. Depending on the motor type, for example for a brushed dc motor or an ac motor, a post-motor filter may be provided in the recovery path downstream of the suction source 86 and upstream of the exhaust port 88.

The base 14 may include a base housing 104 that supports at least some components of the fluid delivery and recovery system. A pair of wheels 106 for moving the device 10 over a surface to be cleaned may be provided on the base housing 104, for example on a portion of the base housing 104 located behind the handle axis 48, optionally behind components such as the brushroll 90 and the suction nozzle 84. A second pair of wheels 108 may be provided on the base housing 104 in front of the first pair of wheels 106. The second pair of wheels 108 may be forward of the handle axis 48 and rearward of components such as the brushroll 90 and the suction nozzle 84.

Referring to fig. 5-6, a movable joint assembly 94 may be formed at the lower end of the frame 18 and movably mount the base 14 to the upright body 12. In the embodiment shown herein, the upright body 12 is pivotable up and down about at least one axis relative to the base 14. The joint assembly 94 may alternatively include a universal joint such that the upright body 12 may pivot about at least two axes relative to the base 14. Wiring and/or conduits may optionally supply electrical power, air, and/or liquid (or other fluid) between base 14 and upright body 12, or vice versa, and may extend through connector assembly 94. For example, a flexible hose 96 (fig. 4) may be passed internally through the joint assembly 94.

The upright body 12 is pivotable via the joint assembly 94 to an upright or storage position, one embodiment of which is shown in fig. 1 and 6, wherein the upright body 12 is oriented substantially upright relative to the surface to be cleaned, and wherein the apparatus 10 is self-supporting, i.e., the apparatus 10 can be upright without being supported by other things. The upright body 12 is pivotable from a storage position via the joint assembly 94 to an inclined or use position in which the upright body 12 is pivoted rearwardly relative to the base 14 to form an acute angle with the surface to be cleaned. One embodiment of the tilt position is shown in fig. 5. In this position, the user may partially support device 10 by holding handle 26.

In one embodiment, joint assembly 94 may include a multi-axis joint coupling base 14 to upright body 12 for movement about at least two axes of rotation 110, 112. The upright body 12 is pivotable relative to the base 14 about a first axis 110 between an upright storage position (fig. 1 and 6) and an inclined use position (e.g., fig. 5). The body 12 is pivotable relative to the base 14 about a second axis 112 to manipulate the base 14 as the base 14 moves over a surface. The user may pivot the body 12 about the axes 110, 112 using the handle 16.

The first axis 110 may extend generally in a right-to-left direction and may be defined by a pivot joint, as described in further detail below. The first axis 110 is offset from a brushroll axis 114 about which the brushroll 90 is rotatable relative to the base housing 104. In the illustrated embodiment, the first axis 110 may be parallel to the brushroll axis 114. Additionally, in the illustrated embodiment, the first axis 110 may extend through the rear wheel 106 of the base 14. The first axis 110 is offset from a wheel axis 115 about which the wheel 106 rotates relative to the base housing 104. In the illustrated embodiment, the first axis 110 may be parallel to the wheel axis 115. In other embodiments, the first axis 110 may be coaxial with the wheel axis 115.

The second axis 112 may be defined by a swivel joint, as described in further detail below. The second axis 112 may be perpendicular to the first axis 110 and optionally also perpendicular to the brush roller axis 114 and/or the wheel axis 115 and extends generally in a front-to-back direction. Additionally, when the body 12 is in the upright storage position, the second axis 112 may be inclined relative to the surface such that the second axis 112 is at an acute angle (i.e., less than 90 degrees) relative to the surface, as shown in fig. 4. In the upright storage position, the second axis 112 may be tilted in a forward, downward direction such that the second axis 112 intersects a surface disposed at a location forward of the first axis 110. When the body 12 is in the tilted use position, the second axis 112 is in a rearward, downward direction such that the second axis 112 intersects a surface disposed at a location rearward of the first axis 110.

Fig. 7 illustrates the connector assembly 94 shown exploded from the base 14. The header assembly 94 generally includes an upstanding connector 116 and a base connector 118. The upstanding connector 116 is pivotally coupled with the base connector 118 to define a second axis of rotation 112 about which the upstanding body 12 is rotatable in a generally left-right direction. The base connector 118 is in turn pivotally coupled with the base 14 and defines a first axis of rotation 110 about which the upright body 12 is rotatable in a generally fore-aft direction.

The stand-up connector 116 and the base connector 118 have a barrel-in-barrel connection, wherein the stand-up connector 116 includes an outer barrel 120 that receives an inner barrel 122 of the base connector 118. The outer barrel 120 is rotatable about the inner barrel 122 and the upright body 12 is caused to move side-to-side about the second axis 112 by rotation of the outer barrel 120 relative to the inner barrel 122 to manipulate the base 14. The cartridge-in-cartridge connection eliminates the gap pinch point between the moving parts of the swivel joint.

Each cartridge 120, 122 may have a generally cylindrical sidewall 124, 126, with an inner cylindrical sidewall 126 nested within an outer cylindrical sidewall 124. The outer barrel 120 can include an opening 128 disposed at a lower end of the cylindrical sidewall 124 sized for insertion of the inner barrel 122 into the outer barrel 120. The nested cylindrical barrels 120, 122 may have collinear axes that coincide with the second axis 112.

As can be seen in the side view of fig. 5, the outer cylindrical sidewall 124 may substantially cover the inner cylindrical sidewall 126. For example, the outer cylindrical sidewall 124 may cover more than 50% of the inner cylindrical sidewall 126, more than 60% of the inner cylindrical sidewall 126, more than 70% of the inner cylindrical sidewall 126, more than 80% of the inner cylindrical sidewall 126, or more than 90% of the inner cylindrical sidewall 126.

The inner barrel 122 can have trunnions 130a, 130b that are rotatably received in corresponding pivot openings 132a, 132b of the upstanding connector 116 for rotation about the second axis 112. The inner barrel 122 can have a forward end wall 134 at a forward side of the cylindrical side wall 126 and a rearward end wall 136 at a rearward side of the cylindrical side wall 126. Trunnions 130a, 130b may be oppositely oriented on end walls 134, 136. A forward pivot opening 132a for the forward trunnion 130a may be formed in the outer barrel 120, such as in an end wall 138 at the forward side of the cylindrical side wall 124. The rearward pivot opening 132b for the rearward trunnion 130b may be formed from multiple pieces to facilitate assembly of the barrels 120, 122. In the illustrated embodiment, the rearward pivot opening 132b is formed in substantially two segments, a first segment 140 is provided at the rear side of the cylindrical sidewall 124 of the outer barrel 120, and a second segment in the form of a clamp 142 is attached to the first segment 140 to clamp the trunnion 132 in place. In another embodiment, the rearward pivot opening 132b may be formed in the outer barrel 122 or in another portion of the upstanding connector 116.

The connection between forward trunnion 130a and forward pivot opening 132a may be closed by a front cover 144. The connection between rearward trunnion 130b and rearward pivot opening 132b may be closed by a rear housing 146. The rear housing 146 may be attached to the upper connector 116.

The base connector 118 includes a yoke 148 pivotally coupled to the base 14. The yoke 148 can extend from the inner barrel 122 and can include a pair of yoke arms 150a, 150b that extend outwardly and/or downwardly from the inner barrel 122. The yoke arms 150a, 150b are spaced apart and the hose 96 can pass upwardly between the arms 150a, 150b and into the inner barrel 122. The inner barrel 122 can include an opening 152 disposed at a lower end of the cylindrical sidewall 126, generally between the yoke arms 150a, 150b, that aligns with the opening 128 of the outer barrel 122 to allow the hose 96 to enter the barrel-in-barrel connection. One or both of the yoke arms 150a, 150b may be hollow to allow wiring and/or tubing to pass through the connector assembly 94, as described in further detail below. Other configurations of the yoke 148 are possible, including configurations in which the yoke 148 is separate from the inner barrel 122.

The base 14 has a bracket 154 for receiving the yoke 148. The yoke 148 has trunnions 156a, 156b, for example, oppositely disposed on the yoke arms 150a, 150b, which are rotatably received in pivot openings 158a, 158b (see fig. 10) of the bracket 154 for rotation about the first axis 110. Opposing trunnions 156a, 156b may extend generally orthogonally from yoke arms 150a, 150b, and at least one of trunnions 156a, 156b may be hollow to allow wiring and/or tubing to pass through joint assembly 94, as described in further detail below.

The lower end of the frame 18, such as or including a recovery tank support 160 for mounting the recovery tank 22 to the upright body 12, may be integrated with the joint assembly 94. In one embodiment, the support 160 may be carried on the tub 120, such as by being integrated with the tub 120, or may be separately formed and attached to the tub 120. Other configurations for supporting the recovery tank 22 are possible, including configurations in which the support 160 or other mounting structure for the recovery tank 22 is separate from the outer barrel 120, or separate from the upstanding connector 116, or separate from the joint assembly 94 as a whole.

The support 160 may include a base 162 having an opening 164 formed therethrough to which the hose 96 is fluidly coupled. As previously described, the recovery passageway may include a flexible hose 96 extending through the joint assembly 94 that will bend when the joint assembly 94 is articulated about its rotational axes 110, 112. The hose 96 may extend through 154 and up into the yoke 148, through the nested cylinders 120, 122 to an opening 164 in the support 160 for the recovery tank 22. A wall 166 may extend upwardly from the base 162, partially or completely surrounding the base 162, to help support the recovery tank 22 when the recovery tank 22 is disposed on the support 160.

Referring to fig. 4 and 8, in the embodiment shown herein, at least a portion of the die sleeve 168 may be integrated with the joint assembly 94 and may include a conduit large enough to accommodate wiring and/or conduits that supply power, air, and/or liquid (or other fluid) between the base 14 and the upstanding body 12, or vice versa. For example, although not shown herein, wiring for powering electrical components in the base 14 (e.g., the pump 180, the brush motor 182, and the headlight 316) may extend through the die sleeve 168.

A die sleeve 168 may be provided on the rear side of the upstanding body 12 for guiding wiring and/or tubing through a space isolated from potential exposure to liquids, such as from leaks from the tanks 20, 22 or other components of the conveying and recovery system. For example, the die sleeve 168 may be disposed behind the recovery tank 22. The die sleeve 168 is also behind the suction source 86 and the battery. The partial or complete integration of the die sleeve 168 with the connector assembly 94 may provide an elongated upstanding body 12 that is well balanced and comfortable to operate.

In one embodiment, the die sleeve 168 may include a lower die sleeve 168a integral with the joint assembly 94 and an upper die sleeve 168b coupled to the lower die sleeve 168 a. The lower die sleeve 168a may be integrally formed with the upstanding connector 116 such that the die sleeve 168 is partially integrated with the header assembly 94. For example, the lower die sleeve 168a can extend generally upwardly relative to the outer barrel 120. A lower die sleeve 168a may be disposed adjacent to or defined by the support wall 166 such that the die sleeve 168 also defines a portion of the support 160 for the recovery tank 22.

The upper die sleeve 168b may be formed from an elongated structural support or spine member 170 of the frame 18. The ridge member 170, when mounted on the frame 18, may at least partially support the recovery tank 22, e.g., in cooperation with the recovery tank support 160. The frame housing 172, e.g., closure and/or support components, e.g., the suction source 86 and the supply tank 20, may be supported by an upper portion of the spine member 170 and may generally protrude forward from the spine member 170 such that the frame housing 172 is disposed forward of the spine member 170.

The lower end of the die sleeve 168 may be open to or otherwise connected to one, alternatively both, of the yoke arms 150a, 150b, which may be hollow to allow wiring and/or tubing to pass through the associated trunnions 156a, 156b and into the base 14.

Fig. 9 is a partially exploded view showing the base 14, the joint assembly 94 and the die sleeve 168 with the upper portion of the base housing 104 removed and the die sleeve 168 exploded from the joint assembly 94 for clarity. In one embodiment, a delivery pathway for a delivery system may extend through the connector assembly 94. The delivery path may include a conduit 174 extending through the die sleeve 168 and delivering cleaning liquid from the supply tank 20 (fig. 4) to a pump 180 in the base 14, as described in further detail below. Conduit 174 may comprise a flexible hose or tube that will bend when joint assembly 94 is articulated. Conduit 174 may extend from die sleeve 168 through yoke arm 150a and trunnion 156a to enter base housing 104.

In one embodiment, the motor cooling air path may extend through the joint assembly 94. The motor cooling air path may include a conduit 176 that extends through the die sleeve 168 and carries heated air from a brush motor 182 in the base 14 to a suction source 86 (fig. 4) in the upright body 12, as described in further detail below. The conduit 176 may include a flexible hose or tube that will bend when the joint assembly 94 is articulated. A conduit 176 may extend from the die sleeve 168 through the yoke arm 150b and trunnion 156b to enter the base housing 104.

The die sleeve 168 may include one or more internal features that help guide a plurality of wires and/or conduits through the die sleeve 168. In one embodiment, the splitter 177 may divide the interior of the die sleeve 168 into two or more segments, such as directing at least one wire and/or conduit to one lateral side of the die sleeve 168 and to the yoke arm 150a on that lateral side of the die sleeve 168, and directing at least one other wire and/or conduit to the other lateral side of the die sleeve 168 and to the other yoke arm 150b on that lateral side of the die sleeve 168. In the embodiment shown in fig. 9, a flow divider 177 directs the liquid conduit 174 to one side of the divider and the heated air conduit 176 to the other side of the divider.

Referring to fig. 10, a latching mechanism may be provided to latch and retain the upstanding body 12 in the storage position, one embodiment of which is shown in fig. 1, which allows the apparatus 10 to be self-supporting. In one embodiment, the latch mechanism may be integrated with the joint assembly 94 and may include a spring loaded detent 250 that selectively engages a detent groove 252 in the joint assembly 94 to prevent movement of the joint assembly 94 about at least one of its axes. The latch mechanism may be configured to releasably latch or retain the upright body 12, but not lock to the base housing 104, so that a user may conveniently apply sufficient force to the upright body 12 itself, e.g., via the handle 16, to pivot the upright body 12 away from the storage position, e.g., to the reclined use position. For example, a user may step on the base 14 while pulling the handle 16 rearward to disengage the detent 250 from the slot 252. In fig. 10, the upper portion of the base housing 104 and the conduit extending between the upstanding body 12 and the base 14 are removed for clarity.

The pin 250 may be captured in a detent mount 254 formed on the base housing 104 or attached to the base housing 104. The brake mount 254 may extend generally horizontally and be generally aligned with the brake slot 252 when the upright body 12 is upright, which allows the pin 250 to move generally horizontally toward and away from the brake slot 252. The spring-loaded detent pin 250 thus moves generally horizontally along the pin axis, and the pin axis may be parallel to the first rotational axis 110, as shown in fig. 10, extending through the pivot opening 158 of the base bracket 154. The brake mount 254 may be mounted within the base housing 104 to support the brake pin 250 in a substantially fixed position on the base 14.

A spring 256 is disposed between the pin 250 and the end of the mount 254 to bias the pin 250 in an inward lateral direction, i.e., toward the detent groove 252. The end of the mount 254 may be formed by an insert 258 attached to the mount 254 with a spring 256 sandwiched between the insert 258 and the pin 250. In fig. 10, detent 250, spring 256 and insert 258 are shown on one side of base 14 exploded from mount 254.

When the upright body 12 is in the upright storage position, the detent pin 250 is aligned with the detent slot 252 and the spring 256 moves the pin 250 into the slot 252. The pin 250 and the slot 252 may be tapered, for example having complementary convex and concave shapes as shown in fig. 10, such that a force applied to pivot the upright body 12 rearward relative to the base 14 sufficiently will force the pin 250 to move rearward against the spring 256, thereby crossing the slot 252. Other contoured configurations for releasably latching or retaining, but not locking, the upstanding body 12 to the pin 250 and/or slot 252 of the base housing 104 are possible.

A detent groove 252 may be provided on the yoke 148 of the base connector 118. For example, the detent grooves 252 may be formed on the yoke arms 150a, 150b in front of the trunnions 156a, 156b or otherwise connected to the yoke arms 150a, 150b. The bracket 154 for receiving the yoke 148 may include a pin 250. For example, the mounts 254 may support the pins 250 on opposite sides of the bracket 154, with the pins 250 in front of the pivot openings 158a, 158b of the bracket 154.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 10, two spring-loaded detent pins 250 and corresponding detent grooves 252 are provided. The pins 250 are oppositely disposed with their associated springs 256 biasing the pins 250 inwardly. Slots 252 are formed on opposite sides of the yoke 148. In other embodiments, one spring-loaded detent pin 250 and corresponding detent groove 252 may be sufficient to provide sufficient retention force to latch and retain the upright body 12 in the storage position.

The apparatus 10 may include a brush motor switch 260 located in the base housing 104 that is configured to provide power to the brush motor 182 when the upright body 12 is tilted and to cut off power to the brush motor 182 when the upright body 12 is in the storage position. It should be noted that the primary power of the device 10 is selectively controlled by the power input control 34 on the handle 16, as previously described.

The brush motor switch 260 may be integrated with the brake latch mechanism or located elsewhere on the base 14. In one embodiment, the brush switch 260 may be mounted to one of the brake mounts 254. For example, one of the brake mounts 254 may include a switch retainer 262 for supporting the brush switch 260 in a generally fixed position on the base 14.

When the upright body 12 is moved to the storage position, a protrusion 264 on a portion of the joint assembly 94, such as the base connector 118, that moves relative to the base 14 is positioned opposite the switch 260 to contact the actuator of the switch 260 to turn off the brush motor 182. In one embodiment, the projection 264 extends from the trunnion 156a of the yoke 148.

The brush motor switch 260 may be configured to close and power the brush motor 182 when the upright body 12 is tilted during use. When the upright body 12 is tilted, the protrusion 264 releases the actuator of the brush motor switch 260, which closes the brush motor switch 260 and provides power to the brush motor 182. When the upright body 12 is returned to the upright storage position, the protrusion 264 engages the actuator, which turns off the brush motor switch 260 and cuts off power to the brush motor 182.

Referring to fig. 9, the fluid delivery system may further include a flow control system for controlling the flow of liquid from the supply tank 20 to a dispenser 178 configured to dispense or dispense liquid. In one configuration, the flow control system may include a pump 180 that pressurizes the system. The pump 180 may be positioned within the housing of the base 14 and in fluid communication with the supply tank 20, for example, via a conduit 174 that may be internally routed to the connector assembly 94.

In addition to the supply tank 20 (fig. 3), the conduit 174, and the pump 180, the fluid delivery path may include a dispenser 178 having at least one outlet for applying cleaning liquid to the surface to be cleaned. The trigger 28 (fig. 1) may be operably coupled with the flow control system such that depressing the trigger 28 will deliver liquid from the pump to the dispenser 178.

In one embodiment, the dispenser 178 may be one or more spray tips 179 on the base 14 configured to spray cleaning liquid directly or indirectly onto the surface to be cleaned by spraying the brush roller 90. Other embodiments of the dispenser 178 are possible, such as a spray manifold having a plurality of outlets or nozzles configured to spray cleaning liquid outwardly from the base 14 in front of the surface cleaning apparatus 10.

In one embodiment, the dispenser 178 may include a pair of spray tips 179 that may be laterally spaced apart from one another and enclosed within the base housing 104. Each spray tip 179 may include at least one outlet to deliver liquid to the surface to be cleaned, and may be in fluid communication with the brush roller 90 to deliver liquid directly to the brush roller 90, or may be otherwise positioned to deliver liquid directly to the surface to be cleaned. As shown, with respect to a pair of laterally spaced spray tips 179, spray tips 179 can optionally be oriented to spray liquid inwardly through a portion of brush roller 90. Other injection modes are possible.

The delivery system may include a valve in the fluid path extending between supply tank 20 and pump 180. In one embodiment of the device 10, the pump 180 may comprise a diaphragm pump having an integrated check valve 270, as schematically indicated in fig. 9, that prevents leakage, for example, when the device 10 is energized and the trigger 28 is not depressed. In another embodiment, the check valve 270 may be separate from the diaphragm pump 180. In yet another embodiment, pump 180 may include another type of pump (e.g., in addition to a diaphragm pump) integrated with check valve 270. Other pumps are possible, such as centrifugal pumps or electromagnetic pumps with single, double or variable speeds.

Conduit 174 connects supply tank 20 with the inlet of pump 180. In embodiments where check valve 270 is integrated with pump 180, the pump inlet may also be the inlet for check valve 270.

Pump outlet conduit 274 may fluidly connect outlet 276 of pump 180 to dispenser 178. In one embodiment, the pump outlet conduit 274 may be connected to a Y-connector 278 having an outlet for each spray tip 179. The delivery conduit 280 is fluidly connected at its distal end to each spray tip 179. The pump outlet and delivery conduits 274, 280 may comprise flexible hoses or tubes.

In another configuration of the supply passage, pump 180 may be eliminated and the flow control system may include a gravity feed system having a valve fluidly coupled to the outlet of supply tank 20, whereby when the valve is open, liquid will flow under gravity to dispenser 178.

Optionally, a heater (not shown) may be provided to heat the cleaning liquid prior to delivery to the surface to be cleaned. In one embodiment, the in-line heater may be located downstream of the supply tank 20 and either upstream or downstream of the pump 180. Other types of heaters may also be used. In yet another embodiment, the cleaning liquid may be heated using exhaust from the motor cooling air path of the suction source 86 for the recovery system.

The brushroll 90 may be operatively coupled to and driven by a drive assembly that includes a dedicated brushroll motor or brushmotor 182 in the base 14. The coupling between the brushroll 90 and the brushed motor 182 may include one or more belts, gears, shafts, pulleys, or combinations thereof. Alternatively, the vacuum motor 98 (FIG. 3) may be configured to provide both vacuum suction and brushroll rotation.

In the illustrated embodiment, the pump 180 and the brush motor 182 are contained within the rear section of the base housing 104. The hose 96 may pass between the pump 180 and the brush motor 182 and may generally bisect the rear of the base housing 104 into a pump cavity in which the pump 180 is located and a brush motor cavity in which the brush motor 182 is located. Brackets 154 for the connector assembly 94 may extend rearwardly from the base housing 104. The pump 180 and the brush motor 182 may be located on opposite sides of the second rotational axis 112 of the joint assembly 94, e.g., the pump 180 and the brush motor 182 are laterally spaced apart from one another in the base 14.

Referring to fig. 6, brush roll 90 may be disposed at a front portion of base 14 and received in a brush chamber 190 on base 14. The brush roll 90 is positioned for rotational movement in a direction R about an axis of rotation 114. Brush chamber 190 may be disposed at a front section of base 14. In this embodiment, suction nozzle 84 is configured to draw liquid and debris from brushroll 90 and from the surface to be cleaned.

The interference wiper 192 is mounted at the front of the brush chamber 190 and is configured to interface with the front of the brush roller 90, as defined by the direction of rotation R of the brush roller 90. The disturbing wiper 192 is located generally underneath the dispenser 178 (fig. 9) such that the wetted portion brush roll 90 rotates past the disturbing wiper 192, which scrapes excess liquid off the brush roll 90 before reaching the surface to be cleaned. Alternatively, the interference wiper 192 may be disposed generally parallel to the surface to be cleaned. Other positions of wiper 192 relative to brushroll 90 are possible, wherein wiper 192 is configured to interface with a portion of brushroll 90.

Wiper 192 may be rigid, i.e., hard, and inflexible, so that wiper 192 does not yield or bend as a result of engagement with brushroll 90. Alternatively, wiper 192 may be formed of a rigid thermoplastic material, such as poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), polycarbonate, or Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS). In other embodiments, wiper 192 may be flexible.

Blade 194 is mounted to base housing 104 behind brushroll 90 and brushchamber 190 and is configured to contact the surface to be cleaned as base 14 moves past the surface. The squeegee 194 wipes residual liquid from the surface to be cleaned so that it can be drawn into the recovery path via the suction nozzle 84, leaving a moisture and streak free finish on the surface to be cleaned. Alternatively, blade 194 may be disposed generally normal to the surface to be cleaned, or vertically. As shown, blade 194 may be smooth or may optionally include nubs on its ends.

The blade 194 may be flexible, i.e., flexible or resilient, so as to easily flex according to the contours of the surface to be cleaned, but remain undeformed during normal use of the apparatus 10. Alternatively, blade 194 may be formed from an elastic polymer material, such as Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (EPDM) rubber, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a rubber copolymer (e.g., nitrile rubber), or any material known in the art that is sufficiently rigid to remain substantially undeformed during normal use of device 10.

Fig. 11 is an exploded view of one embodiment of a brushroll 90. The brush roll 90 may be a hybrid brush roll suitable for use on hard and soft surfaces and for wet or dry vacuum cleaning. In one embodiment, the brushroll 90 includes a brush bar 196 that supports at least one agitation element. The stirring element may include a plurality of bristles 198 extending from the brush bar 196 and a microfiber material 200 disposed on the brush bar 196 and disposed between the bristles 198. The bristles 198 may be tufted or integral bristle bars and be constructed of nylon or any other suitable synthetic or natural fibers. Microfiber material 200 may be comprised of polyester, polyamide, or a combination of materials including polypropylene or any other suitable material known in the art that comprises microfibers.

The brush bar 196 may be constructed of a polymeric material, such as Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), polypropylene, or styrene, or any other suitable material, such as plastic, wood, or metal, and may optionally be a substantially hollow or hollow core brush bar 196 to reduce the weight and rotational inertia of the brush bar 196. In one embodiment, the brush bar 196 may be manufactured by injection molding, wherein the cored-out portion of the brush bar 196 is formed by one or more cores or protrusions within an injection mold. Because the brush bar 196 is substantially hollow or hollow, an empty space may be formed in the brush bar, particularly at the center of the brush bar 196 on the brush roller axis 114. In one embodiment, there is at least one hollow space or cavity 197 within the brush bar 196 as opposed to having a solid brush roll pin. The hollow space or cavity 197 may extend from one end to the other. In other words, the cavity 197 may extend along the brush roll axis 114 from a first end of the brush bar 196 to a second end of the brush bar 196, including extending through each end such that the end of the brush bar 196 is open to the cavity 197. Alternatively, the cavity 197 may extend inwardly from one or both ends of the brush bar 196 rather than extending all the way to the other end of the brush bar 196. In yet another configuration, the cavity 197 may extend within a section between the ends of the brush bar 196 without actually extending through either end. In yet another configuration, the cavity 197 extends at least 50% of the length of the brush bar 196 and has a diameter that is at least 50% of the outer diameter of the brush roller 90. In yet another configuration, the cavity 197 extends 100% of the length of the brush bar 196 and has a diameter that is at least 50% of the outer diameter of the brush bar 196. The use of a hollow or cored-out brush bar 196 to support the agitating elements (e.g., bristles 198 and/or microfibers 200) may reduce the overall weight of the brush roll 90, which may reduce the level of torque necessary to drive the brush roll 90, which in turn may extend battery life.

The brush bar 196 includes a drive end cap 202 coupled at one end thereof to a drive assembly or transmission, one embodiment of which is described in further detail below. The drive end cap 202 may be a separate feature that is connected or linked to the brush bar 196.

The brush roll 90 includes a ferrule 203 on a first or driven end of the brush bar 196 and a drive end cap 202 is inserted through the ferrule 203 into the cavity 197 of the brush bar 196. Other configurations for inserting end cap 202 into brush bar 196 are possible, including inserting end cap 202 into a hole drilled or otherwise formed in the end of the brush bar. The ferrule 203 may be integrally molded with the brush bar 196 or may be separately formed and attached to the end of the brush bar 196.

The end cap 202 may be connected or coupled to the brush bar 196 in a variety of ways, such as, but not limited to, a mechanical interference fit, an adhesive, a fastening member, and the like. Optionally, an intermediate seal or gasket 205 may be fitted therebetween. In any event, end cap 202 and brush bar 196 are coupled together such that, as end cap 202 rotates, brush bar 196 rotates with end cap 202. In yet another embodiment, end cap 202 and brush bar 196 may be combined into a single piece. In such a single piece construction, the end cap 202 and the brush bar 196 may be integrated into a single piece that both supports the stirring elements (e.g., bristles 198 and/or microfibers 200) and may be coupled to a drive assembly or transmission, as described below.

A second end of the brush bar 196 includes an end assembly that rotatably supports the brush roller in the base 14. The end assembly may include, for example, a stub shaft 204 extending from the second end of the brush bar 196 and a bearing 206 having an inner race press fit over the stub shaft 204 and an outer race secured in a second end cap 208 mounted in the base housing 104.

Alternatively, the brushroll 90 may be configured to be removed from the base 14 by a user, for example, for cleaning and/or drying the brushroll 90. The brushroll 90 may be removably mounted in the brushchamber 190 (fig. 6) by a brushroll latch (not shown), a portion of which may be disposed on the second end cap 208, with a mating portion disposed in the brushchamber 190. Handle 207 may extend from second end cap 208 to facilitate removal of brush roll 90 from brush chamber 190.

Other embodiments of brushrolls 90A, 90B for the apparatus 10 are shown in fig. 12-13. The brushroll 90A is a bristle brushroll suitable for use on soft surfaces and includes bristles 198 instead of microfiber material 200. Brush roll 90B is a microfiber brush roll suitable for use on hard surfaces and includes microfiber material 200 instead of bristles 198.

In one embodiment, the apparatus 10 may be provided with a plurality of interchangeable brushrolls, including any or all of the brushrolls 90, 90A and 90B, which allows for selection of the brushrolls depending on the cleaning task to be performed or depending on the type of floor to be cleaned. The brush rolls 90, 90A, and 90B may be removably mounted to the base 14 and may have the same mounting structure so that one brush roll may be replaced with another brush roll. For example, brushrolls 90A and 90B may have substantially identical end assemblies, including end caps 202, 208, as described for brushroll 90. Yet another advantage of having multiple interchangeable brush rolls is that cleaning time can be extended by replacing the dirty brush roll with a clean brush roll during a cleaning task.

Referring to fig. 14-15, one embodiment of a drive assembly or transmission 210 for the brushroll 90 is shown. A transmission 210 connects a motor shaft 212 of the brush motor 182 (fig. 10) to the brush roll 90 for transmitting rotational motion to the brush roll 90. The transmission 210 may include a drive belt 214, which may optionally be a V-belt (or V-belt) and one or more gears, shafts, pulleys, or a combination thereof. In addition to the drive belt 214, the drive 210 may include, for example, a motor pulley 216 coupled to the motor shaft 212 and a brush pulley 218 coupled to the brush roller 90, wherein the drive belt 214 couples the motor pulley 216 to the brush pulley 218. In embodiments where the drive belt 214 is a multi-grooved or multi-grooved V-belt 214 having a plurality of "V" shaped ribs 220 alongside one another, the pulleys 216, 218 may have mating grooves 222, 224 on their circumferences to ride along the ribs 220.

The transmission 210 may be at least partially enclosed within the drive housing 226. A portion of the base housing 104, such as a lateral sidewall 228 (fig. 10) of the base housing 104, may cooperate with the drive housing 226 to enclose the transmission 210. Other structures for enclosing the transmission 210 within the base 14 are possible. It should be noted that in fig. 14-15, the lateral side walls 228 and bottom plate of the base housing 104 have been removed for viewing the transmission 210 and the drive housing 226.

The transmission 210 may further include a drive head 230 keyed to the brush pulley 218 or otherwise secured with the brush pulley 218 by a shaft 232. In addition to the drive head 230, bearings 240 may be carried on the shaft 232 to reduce friction between the shaft 232 and the drive housing 226.

The shaft 232 may extend laterally inward from the brush pulley 218 through a first opening 234 in the drive housing 226. A second opening 236 may be provided in the drive housing 226 rearward of the first opening 234 for the motor shaft 212 to extend therethrough for coupling with the motor pulley 216. The motor pulley 216 may be keyed to the motor shaft 212 or otherwise secured with the motor shaft 212 and secured thereto by a retaining ring 238.

The drive head 230 and bearing 240 may be disposed on an inboard or medial side of the drive housing 226, and the brush pulley 218 may be disposed on an outboard or lateral side of the drive housing 226. The shaft 232 may extend through an opening 234 in the drive housing 226 to couple a component on the outside (e.g., the brush pulley 218) to a component on the inside (e.g., the drive head 230).

Referring to fig. 16, drive head 230 includes a generally cylindrical body having an end 242 adapted to be inserted into end cap 202 on brushroll 90. When assembled, the axis 243 of the drive head 230 may coincide with the brushroll axis 114.

The insertion end 242 of the drive head 230 includes a plurality of teeth 244 spaced about the surface of the insertion end 242. The teeth 244 may be axially inclined, i.e., skewed or inclined relative to the axis 243. When axially inclined, the teeth 244 may have one axially extending side surface that is skewed or inclined relative to the axis 243 and another axially extending side surface that is generally parallel to the axis 243. In other embodiments, both side surfaces of the teeth 244 may be skewed or sloped.

Teeth 244 have inward tapers near insertion end 242 to accommodate insertion of drive head 230 into end cap 202 of brushroll 90. Optionally, the width of teeth 244 may be narrowed proximate insertion end 242 to further accommodate insertion of drive head 230 into end cap 202. Thus, the tapered and wedge-like shape of the teeth 244 provides a margin of error in the initial placement of the insertion end 242 relative to the receiving opening 245 in the end cap 202 when the drive head 230 is received in the end cap 202.

The end cap 202 includes a generally cylindrical body having an axially extending receiving opening 245 therein and a plurality of axially sloped teeth 246 disposed in the opening 245. These axially-sloped teeth 246 may correspond in shape to the axially-sloped teeth 244 on the drive head 230, optionally with some additional amount of tolerance to allow the drive head 230 to be inserted into the end cap 202 and operatively engage the teeth 244, 246. To eliminate any tolerance between the drive head 230 and the end cap 202, a stop 247 may protrude from the outer surface of one or more drive head teeth 246.

To assemble brushroll 90 with drive assembly/transmission 210, end cap 202 is inserted over drive head 230. Alternatively, the brushroll 90 can be twisted until the teeth 244, 246 are aligned and engaged with each other, with the drive head teeth 244 fitting in the spaces between the end cap teeth 246. This alignment may be guided by the inclination of the teeth 244, 246 and the taper on the drive head teeth 244. Insertion may be accomplished at a point when the stop 247 is wedged into the opening 245 of the endcap 202. This assembled position is shown in fig. 14. With the brush roller 90 mounted on the base 14 and assembled with the transmission 210, the brush roller 90 may be rotationally driven by the brushed motor 182.

Referring to fig. 17-18, in one embodiment, the base 14 can include a cover 282 removably coupled to the base housing 104 and at least partially defining the brush chamber 190 and the suction nozzle 84. The inner surface of the housing 282 may define a brush chamber 190, wherein the inner surface of the housing 282 is proximate to the brush roller 90.

The cover 282 may be curved in a generally forward and downward direction to extend over the top and front sides of the brush roll 90. The cover 282 may be wrapped around and in front of the brush roller 90 to define a front portion of the base 14 at an outer side thereof and a front portion of the brush chamber 190 at an inner side thereof.

The cover 282 may comprise a multi-piece cover that includes a first cover portion 284 and a second cover portion 286. In the illustrated embodiment, the first cap portion 284 is generally disposed below the second cap portion 286, and thus is alternatively referred to herein as a lower cap, while the second cap portion 286 is alternatively referred to herein as an upper cap. In other embodiments, the cover 282 may comprise a one-piece cover, or may comprise more than two pieces.

The upper cover portion 286 may be secured to the lower cover portion 284 by any suitable fastening process (e.g., sonic welding, adhesive, etc.), or may be integrally formed with one another. In the illustrated embodiment, lower housing portion 284 may define a brush chamber 190 that partially encloses brush roll 90. In the illustrated embodiment, lower housing portion 284 includes a curved front end that can be wrapped around and in front of brush roll 90 to define a front portion of brush chamber 190. The upper cover portion 286 may extend at least partially over the lower cover portion 284, for example as best seen in fig. 26. The lower cover 284 and/or the upper cover 286 may be formed of a translucent or transparent material such that the brushroll 90 is at least partially visible to a user through the cover 282.

Optionally, a tamper wiper 192 is mounted on the interior front side of the lower housing portion 284 and protrudes into the brush chamber 190. The bumper 288 may be provided on the cover 282, for example at a lower front edge of the lower cover portion 284 opposite the interference wiper 192.

The conduit 92 of the recovery passageway may be disposed in a portion of the base housing 104 defining the rear side 290 of the brush chamber 190, and the inner surface of the cover 282, and particularly the lower cover 284, may define the front side 292 of the brush chamber 190.

The cover 282 may be removed from the base housing 104 without the use of tools. Alternatively, the base 14 may have a cover latch 296 that releasably secures the cover 282 to the base housing 104. A cover latch 296 may be provided to releasably secure the cover 282 to the base housing 104 and may be configured to releasably lock the cover 282 to the base housing 104.

In the illustrated embodiment, the forward side of the base housing 104 may include a cover latch 296. The latch 296 may be received in a latch retainer 298 provided on the base housing 104 and may be biased to a latched position by a spring 300. The cover latch 296 may be received in a latch catch 302 provided on the cover 282. The rearward end of the cover 282 may include a latching catch 302.

A latch actuator, such as a release button 304, may be operably coupled with the spring-mounted latch 296 such that pressing down on the release button 304 pulls the latch 296 away from a latch catch 303 provided on the cover 282. The release button 304 may be disposed on top of the base housing 104 such that the release button 304 is accessible to a user from above.

The cover 282 may include a handle or grip 306 that may be used to lift the cover 282 off of the base housing 104. A handle 306 may be provided on the upper housing portion 286 so that the handle 294 is accessible to a user from above. Alternatively, the handle 306 may be provided at other locations on the housing 282 where a user may apply a separating force.

The cover 282 may be mounted to the base housing 104 via a hook and catch mechanism, wherein the hooks 310 on the cover 282 engage the catches 312 on the base housing 104. The user may depress the release button 304 to disengage the cover latch 296 from the latch catch 302 and pivot the cover 282 forward about the catch 312. Continued forward rotation of the cover 282 may move the hooks 310 out of engagement with the hook fasteners 312. Thereafter, the cover 282 may be lifted off the base housing 104, for example via the handle 306.

Referring to fig. 19, the base 14 may include a headlight 316 that illuminates a surface to be cleaned or floor surface F outside the base 14. Fig. 19 illustrates one embodiment of the illumination pattern of the head lamp 316 and generally indicates the illumination area a on the floor surface F in front of the base 14. In some embodiments, the headlight 316 may illuminate the floor surface F in front of the base 14 along substantially the entire width of the base 14 to increase the user's ability to see the floor surface in front of the base 14.

In one embodiment, the light source 318 of the headlight 316 is internal to the base 14 and the base 14 includes a light pipe 320 that transmits or conveys light from the light source 318 to the floor surface F in front of the base 14. Thus, the internal light source 318 and light pipe 320 together function as a headlight 316 for illuminating a surface to be cleaned. In some embodiments, the light pipe 320 may distribute the light generated by the light source 318 across the width of the base 14 to increase the ability of a user to see the floor surface in front of the base 14.

Referring to fig. 17, the light source 318 includes at least one light emitting element. In one embodiment, the light source 318 includes a Light Emitting Diode (LED) module 322. However, in other embodiments, the light source 318 may be an Organic LED (OLED), a laser or laser diode, a conventional lamp (arc lamp, gas discharge lamp, etc.), a bulb, or other light emitting device. As shown in fig. 17, the LED module 322 may include at least one light emitting element in the form of at least one LED chip 324 mounted on a board or other mount 326. The LED chip 324 may be mounted as a Chip On Board (COB) or a chip on multi board (MCOB) package. In another embodiment, the LED chip 324 may be mounted as a Surface Mount Diode (SMD) package.

The light source 318 may be mounted on the base housing 104 and covered by the cover 282, for example. Removal of the cover 282 exposes the light source 318. The light source 318 may include a holder 328 for receiving the LED module 322. The retainer 328 may mount the LED module 322 to the light source receiver 330 in the base housing 104 and hold the LED chip 324 in alignment with the opening 332 of the light source receiver 330 in the base housing 104. Light source receiver 330 may be positioned generally over a portion of base housing 104 defining rear side 290 of brush chamber 190 to position light source 318 generally over and behind brush roller 90. Other configurations and locations for mounting the LED module 322 on the base 14 are possible.

The light source 318 may include a cover 334 positioned in front of and in close proximity to the LED module 322. The cover 334 may be mounted to the holder 328 at a position in front of the LED chip 324, or may be mounted near the LED module 322 separately from the holder 328. The cover 334 may be optically translucent or transparent such that light emitted by the LED module 322 may pass through the cover 334. The cover 334 may be used to protect the LED module 322, particularly when the nozzle assembly is removed from the base housing 104, which may expose the light source 318 to impact. In addition to physical protection, the cover 334 may provide a fluid-tight barrier between the brush chamber 190 and the electronics of the headlamp 316. Optionally, the cover 334 may additionally act as a lens to focus light onto the input end of the light pipe 320.

The light source 318 is operably coupled to a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) 336. The PCB 336 includes the circuitry and components necessary to illuminate the light source 318 when power is supplied to the PCB 336 from a power source (e.g., the battery 45) via electrical wires (not shown). PCB 336 may be located in base 14, for example, generally between pump 180 and brush chamber 190. PCB 336 is electrically coupled to LED module 322 for powering LED chips 324. The PCB 336 may additionally be electrically coupled to other electrical components of the base 14, such as the pump 180, the brush motor 182, and the brush motor switch 260, as shown in fig. 2.

Preferably, the light source 318 has a wavelength falling within the visible spectrum, i.e., about 380 nm to 740 nm. The color of the light emitted by the light source 318 may be white or colored. For example, the LED module 322 may be configured to emit white light or colored light. The LED chips 324 may deliver the same color of light or they may have different colors of light. For example, the LED module 322 may include two chips 324 that emit different colors of light, such as white and blue. The LED chip 324 may also be selected such that it emits light of different wavelengths within the same color range; for example, the LED chip 324 may emit light having different wavelengths that result in white color.

A portion of the suction nozzle 84 or brush chamber 190 may form a light pipe 320. In one embodiment, the light pipe 320 may be integrated with a housing 282 that defines the suction nozzle 84 and the brush chamber 190. The light pipe 320 with integrated mouth can enhance the illumination quality and add greater flexibility in mounting arrangement of the light source 318 in the base 14, unlike previous base designs, the light source 318 does not have to be adjacent to the exterior of the base 14; instead, the light source 318 may be an internal component, such as a component mounted behind the shroud 282, in which the light pipe 320 with the integrated mouth transmits light to the exterior of the base 14.

The separate components between the base housing 104 and the mouth cover 282 for the headlight 316 also accommodate mouth removability while protecting the electronics from water ingress. The mounting of the cover 282 to the base housing 104 encloses the brushroll 90 within the brush chamber 190 and aligns the light pipe 320 with the light source 318. Utilizing the mouth piece 282 as the light pipe of the headlight 316 enables the light source 318 and its associated wiring to remain on the base housing 104 while still providing light to the front of the base 14 via the removable piece 282. This further allows light source 318 and its associated wiring to be isolated from wetted areas exposed to base 14, such as dispenser 178, brushroll 90 or brushchamber 190. By sealing the electronics within the retainer 328 and cover 334 to prevent ingress of water, the electronics of the headlamp 316 may be protected from the wetted parts.

The light pipe 320 may be any physical structure capable of transmitting or distributing light from the light source 318 and may be integrated with the suction nozzle 84, the brush chamber 190, or the shroud 282. The light pipe 320 may be a hollow structure containing light with reflective padding or a transparent solid structure containing light by total internal reflection. In the illustrated embodiment, the light pipe 320 is a solid structure formed with the shroud 282 and is configured to distribute light over its length by total internal reflection. In one such embodiment, the light pipe 320 is integrally formed with the shroud 282, and thus will be considered to be "coupled to the mouth" during the shroud's formation process, which may be, for example, an injection molding process or an additive manufacturing process.

The light pipe 320 may be formed of a light transmissive polymer material. In one embodiment, the light transmissive polymeric material is transparent. In another embodiment, the light transmissive polymeric material is translucent. In embodiments where light pipe 320 is integrated with shroud 282, suitable materials for forming the light transmissive polymeric material include any rigid material suitable for enclosing brushroll 90, such as a light transmissive thermoplastic. Suitable light transmitting thermoplastics include polycarbonate, polyethylene, polypropylene (PP), polyamide, polyester, cellulose, SAN, acrylic or ABS.

In one embodiment, the light pipe 320 is integrally formed with the shroud 282 using techniques such as injection molding or additive manufacturing. More specifically, the light pipe 320 may be implemented as a solid structure molded with the upper housing portion 286, and a light transmissive polymer material is used to form the upper housing portion 286 having an integrated solid structure forming the light pipe 320. In other embodiments in which the shroud 282 comprises a one-piece shroud, the light pipe 320 may be implemented as a solid structure molded with the one-piece shroud.

In another embodiment, the light transmissive polymeric material may be separately formed into a suitable shape to form the light pipe 320 and coupled to the cover 282 using any suitable means, such as adhesive, thermal coupling, sonic welding, overmolding, snap-fit assembly, tight-fit assembly, combinations thereof, or other connection techniques.

Referring to FIG. 20, the light pipe 320 may have a first end 338 aligned with the light source 318, a second end 340 disposed proximate the front of the base 14 for propagating light along the front of the base 14 at a first front thereof, and a third end 342 disposed proximate the front of the base 14 for propagating light along the front of the base 14 at a second front thereof. The second end 340 and the third end 342 are also referred to herein as a first outlet end and a second outlet end.

The first end 338, also referred to herein as the inlet end, of the light pipe 320 may be shaped to allow light emitted by the light source 318 to easily enter the light pipe 320 and propagate internally. The inlet end 338 may have a prism 338A (fig. 26) at the light input location of the shroud 282, for example comprising a series of wavy curves or other suitable shapes, to diffuse light through the light pipe 320. The light input position of the cover 282 may be a rearwardly facing upper end of the cover 282 disposed proximate the light source 318 when the cover 282 is mounted to the base housing 104. The prism 338A may be formed by cutting, molding, shaping, or otherwise causing mechanical, chemical, or other deformation in the first end 338.

The outlet ends 340, 342 of the light pipe 320 can be shaped to emit light outwardly from the base 14 to illuminate the floor surface F. The outlet ends 340, 342 may each form a luminescent lens surface that emits a light beam configured to converge on the floor surface F to enhance illumination of the area to be cleaned. The exit surface of the light pipe 320 may be diffused to provide a uniform illumination surface.

Referring to fig. 20-21, the light pipe 320 includes at least one laterally elongated portion, e.g., a portion elongated along the width W of the base 14, taken in a direction generally orthogonal to the forward direction of movement of the base 14. This portion may be configured to distribute light across a majority of the width W of the base 14, the entire width W of the base 14, or across a distance greater than the width W of the base 14 onto the floor surface F, as described in more detail below. In the illustrated embodiment, the shroud 282 includes an upper stepped portion 346 defining the first outlet end 340 and a lower stepped portion 348 defining the second outlet end 342. Thus, each stepped portion 346, 348 defines an outlet end of the light pipe 320. The stepped portions 346, 348 may have a shape that is elongated in a lateral direction that is parallel to the front 344 of the base 14 and generally perpendicular to the forward direction of movement of the device 10. The two stepped portions 346, 348 may extend across a majority of the width of the base 14. For example, the stepped portions 346, 348 may extend across at least 50%, at least 60%, at least 70%, at least 80%, at least 90%, or at least 95% of the width of the chassis 14.

In the illustrated embodiment, the upper housing portion 286 includes stepped portions 346, 348. The lower stepped portion 348 may be adjacent to or form the lower end of the cover 286. The upper step portion 346 is disposed above the lower step portion 348. The upper stepped portion 346 may be correspondingly laterally elongated for transmitting light longitudinally along the upper front of the base 14, and the lower stepped portion 348 may be correspondingly laterally elongated for transmitting light longitudinally along the lower front of the base 14. This provides uniform illumination across a majority of the width of the base 14.

One or both of the stepped portions 346, 348 may have a diffusing surface. The diffusing surface may be formed along the top side of either or both of the stepped portions 346, 348 and/or on the outlet end 340, 342 of either or both of the stepped portions 346, 348. These diffusing surfaces may vary in depth and/or width along the length of the shroud 282 and may include roughened surfaces composed of multiple surface deformations, textures, finishes, and the like. For example, a textured or roughened surface may be created by grinding, sanding, laser cutting or milling.

As described above, the cover 282 may be curved generally in a forward and downward direction to extend over the top and front sides of the brush roller 90. The light pipe 320 is thus also bendable. In one embodiment, the light pipe 320 may include one or more bends between the inlet end 338 and the outlet ends 340, 342 to accommodate the curvature of the shroud. For example, as shown in FIG. 20, the light pipe 320 may include a first bend 350 disposed between the inlet end 338 and the upper stepped portion 346, and a second bend 352 disposed between the upper stepped portion 346 and the lower stepped portion 348. At the bends 350, 352, some light rays previously internally reflected may be emitted.

As shown in fig. 20, light R radiated from the light source 318 is incident from the inlet end 338 of the light pipe 320 and propagates within the light pipe 320. Thus, light from the light source 318 is transmitted along the light pipe 320 to the first outlet end 340 and the second outlet end 342, which then emits the light outwardly from the base 14. Light from the light source 318 can be transmitted out of the exit ends 340, 342 of the light pipe 320 directly onto the area in front of the base 14. Alternatively, a light guide (not shown) may be operatively connected to the exit end of the light pipe 320 to focus light onto an area in front of the base 14. Such a light guide may for example comprise a lens, a prism, a reflector or a combination thereof.

Fig. 19 shows a side view of the illuminated area a on the surface to be cleaned in front of the foot 14. The illumination area a is illuminated by light from an internal light source 318 transmitted through a light pipe 320 onto the floor surface F to illuminate the area in front of the base 14 and allow the user to better view when cleaning. Thus, the illuminated area A in front of the base 14 is illuminated by light 354 from the upper exit end 340 of the light pipe 320 and light 356 from the lower exit end 342 of the light pipe 320. The upper ray 354 extends further outward from the base 14 than the lower ray 356, wherein the upper ray 354 intersects the floor surface at a distance D2, the distance D2 being greater than the distance D1 at which the lower ray 354 intersects the floor surface F. Thus, the upper exit end 340 of the light pipe 320 serves to increase the distance illuminated by the headlight 316.

The upper ray 354 forms an angle U with the floor surface F and the lower ray 356 forms an angle L with the floor surface F. The lower light 356 may be directed at an acute angle to the floor surface F, for example such that angle L > angle U, to increase the brightness directly in front of the base 14. The angles U and L may be in the range of 10 to 80 degrees, respectively, more preferably from 30 to 60 degrees. The angles U and L are the direct result of the angle formed by the outlet ends 340, 342 with respect to the floor surface F.

This difference in illumination distance and angle may be achieved, for example, by vertically and/or horizontally spacing the upper and lower stepped portions 346, 348 and/or by varying the angle of the exit faces 340, 342. In one embodiment, as shown in fig. 19, the upper step portion 346 is vertically spaced apart from the lower step portion 348 by a vertical distance V1, wherein the lower step portion 348 itself is vertically spaced apart from the bottom of the base by a vertical distance V2. The upper step portion 346 may be further horizontally spaced apart from the lower step portion 348 by a horizontal distance H1 such that the upper step portion 346 is retracted farther from the front 344 of the base 14 than the lower step portion 348, wherein the lower step portion 348 itself is horizontally spaced apart from the front 344 of the base 14 by a horizontal distance H2. As best seen in fig. 20, the lower step portion 348 may further have its associated exit face 342 disposed at an angle A1 relative to the vertical direction V, and the upper step portion 346 may have its associated exit face 340 disposed at an angle A2 relative to the vertical direction V, where A1 > A2. In fact, as shown in fig. 20, the lower exit face 342 may be tilted forward from the vertical direction V such that the angle A1 is a positive angle, and the upper exit face 340 may be tilted slightly rearward from the vertical direction V such that the angle A2 is a negative angle, the magnitude of which is smaller than the angle A1. In other embodiments, upper exit face 340 may be substantially vertical or slightly sloped forward from vertical. In any of the above embodiments, the size of angle A2 may be less than the size of angle A1.

It should be noted that in fig. 19, one ray 354, 356 extending from each stepped portion 346, 348 is depicted. Indeed, by reflection inside the light pipe 320 and due to the elongation of the stepped portions 346, 348 and/or the plurality of LED chips 324, the plurality of light rays from each stepped portion 346, 348 may travel in various directions and at various angles, including, but not limited to, angles at which the light rays 354, 356 converge and/or intersect one another, in addition to the two representative light rays 354, 356 shown.

Fig. 21 shows a top view of the illuminated area a on the floor surface F in front of the base 14, depicting the illuminated area a illuminated by a plurality of light rays 354 and 356 from the upper and lower stepped portions 346 and 348 of the light pipe 320 over a substantial length of the elongated stepped portions 346, 348. Since the area in front of the base 14 is covered by light from the upper step portion 346 and the lower step portion 348, which are elongated on the base 14, uniform and bright illumination can be achieved. The light rays 354, 356 are depicted in fig. 21 as traveling in generally uniform directions outward from the base 14, however, the light rays 354, 356 may travel in various directions by reflection inside the light pipe 320, and thus the light rays 354, 356 may travel at various angles, including, but not limited to, the angle at which one light ray 354, 356 intersects another light ray 354, 356. In one embodiment, the direction of at least some of the light rays 354, 356 may be skewed relative to the lateral direction such that the area in front of the base 14 may be illuminated over a wider area than the width W of the base 14.

Other configurations of the headlight 316 and light pipe 320 are possible. FIG. 22 shows an alternative embodiment of the light pipe 320 in which the shroud portion 286 includes only one outlet end 340 disposed at a higher position on the shroud 282, and a stepped portion 346 defining the outlet end 340. FIG. 23 shows another alternative embodiment of the light pipe 320 in which the shroud portion 286 includes only one outlet end 342 disposed below the shroud 282, and a stepped portion 348 defining the outlet end 342.

The headlamp 316 of any of the embodiments disclosed herein may be operable to selectively illuminate or communicate the status of the device 10 to a user when a predetermined condition occurs. For example, the headlight 316 may illuminate when the device is powered, when the upright body 12 is tilted, when liquid is dispensed, when the device 10 is in a hard floor cleaning mode, when the device 10 is in a floor tile cleaning mode, when the device 10 is in a power/boost cleaning mode, or when the device 10 is in a self-cleaning mode. Status information that may be communicated by the headlight 316 includes, but is not limited to, battery status, wi-Fi connection status, clean water level, supply tank presence, dirty water level, recovery tank presence, brushroll status, filter status, or floor type. Upon illumination by the light source 318, light from the light source 318 is transmitted or "piped" through the mouth guard 282 to the exterior of the base 14 where it can illuminate the surface to be cleaned in front of the base 14. The headlight 316 may be operable to emit light at different wavelengths, different states or liveness and/or different brightness in accordance with the occurrence of a predetermined condition or based on the state of the device 10.

Referring to fig. 24, in one aspect, the headlight 316 may be operable to emit light of a first wavelength in accordance with the occurrence of a first predetermined condition or based on a first state of the device 10, and may be operable to emit light of a second wavelength in accordance with the occurrence of a second predetermined condition or based on a second state or state change of the device 10. Fig. 24 depicts one such method 360 for operating the device 10. When the power to the device 10 is turned on at step 362, the headlamp 316 can emit light at a first wavelength that results in white light, for example, at step 364. This may be accomplished by powering one or more white LED chips 324 of light source 318 when power input control 34 is pressed to turn on device 10. When the condition or state of the device 10 changes, such as when the device 10 dispenses a liquid at step 366, light of a second wavelength, such as that resulting in blue light, may be emitted at step 368. This may be accomplished by powering one or more blue LED chips 324 of light source 318 when trigger 28 is depressed to dispense liquid. White light may continue to be emitted during steps 366 through 368, where the combination of the white LED and the blue LED results in bluish light emitted by the headlamp 316. Alternatively, the white LED chip 324 may be powered down when liquid is dispensed. It should be noted that while the method of fig. 22 is described with respect to headlight 316, in another embodiment, the method may be performed via a non-headlight light source of device 10.

Some other embodiments of the condition or status change at 366 include, but are not limited to, a change between cleaning modes of the device 10, a battery level falling below a predetermined level, a change in Wi-Fi connection status (e.g., wi-Fi connection is established or lost), a liquid level in the supply tank 20 falling below a predetermined level, a liquid level in the recovery tank 22 reaching a predetermined level, no tank 20 or 22 being present on the device 10, the brushroll 90 being stuck, or a filter status.

The status change may be indicated for a predetermined period of time after which the headlamp 316 may return to the first wavelength at step 362. In another embodiment, the headlight 316 may remain at the second wavelength until another state changes until an action is taken by the user, such as by pressing a button on the user interface of the device 10 to dismiss the state change notification, or by the user taking an action to resolve a condition or state of the device 10. For example, the headlight 316 may remain at the second wavelength as long as liquid is being dispensed. When the device 10 stops dispensing liquid, the headlight 316 may return to the first wavelength. It should be noted that although the method of fig. 23 is described with respect to headlight 316, in another embodiment, the method may be performed via a non-headlight light source of device 10.

Referring to fig. 25, in another aspect, the headlight 316 may be operable to emit light of a first state in accordance with the occurrence of a first predetermined condition or based on a first state of the device 10, and may be operable to emit light of a second state in accordance with the occurrence of a second predetermined condition or based on a second state or state change of the device 10. Fig. 25 depicts one such method 370 for operating the device 10. When the power to the device 10 is turned on at step 372, the headlight 316 may emit light in a first state, such as a steady state in which the light source 318 is continuously on, at step 374. This may be accomplished by powering one or more LED chips 324 of light source 318 when power input control 34 is pressed to turn on device 10. During operation of the device 10, when the conditions or state of the device 10 change at step 376, the headlight 316 may emit light in a second state, such as in an unstable state producing a lighting effect or liveness, at step 378.

Some embodiments of the condition or status change at 376 include, but are not limited to, a change between cleaning modes of the device 10, a battery level falling below a predetermined level, the trigger 28 being pressed or liquid otherwise being dispensed, a change in Wi-Fi connection status (e.g., wi-Fi connection being established or lost), the liquid level in the supply tank 20 falling below a predetermined level, the liquid level in the recovery tank 22 reaching a predetermined level, there being no tanks 20, 22 on the device 10, the brushroll 90 being stuck, or a filter status.

Various lighting effects or liveness may be employed at step 378, including but not limited to continuous lighting, pulsed effects, or flashing effects. In particular, the light source 318 or individual light emitting elements of the light source 318, such as the LED chip 324, may be continuously activated from time to time, may flash at other times, and may be pulsed at other times. As used herein, the term "pulsing" or variations thereof refers to controlling the illumination of at least one light emitting element of the light source 318 such that its light intensity increases and decreases in a substantially sinusoidal manner. That is, the light becomes progressively brighter until it reaches a peak, then progressively darker until it reaches a minimum (which may include the light being completely off), and then the cycle is repeated. Conversely, the term "flashing" refers to controlling the illumination of at least one light emitting element of the light source 318 such that the intensity of the emitted light varies in a generally square wave manner. Alternatively, the flickering of the light may be performed such that the emitted light intensity varies, typically as a sawtooth wave, as a triangle wave, or in some other non-sinusoidal manner.

The flickering of the light may also be performed at a higher frequency than the pulsing of the light. In at least one embodiment, the pulses of light repeat themselves at a frequency in the order of magnitude every two to five seconds, although other frequencies may be used. By pulsing at this frequency, the emitted light changes intensity at about the same frequency as the human breath, and this relatively low period of time produces a non-urgent, but durable visual effect. Conversely, the blinking of light may repeat itself faster than once every two to five seconds, such as, but not limited to, at least once per second, or faster.

The state change may be indicated for a predetermined period of time after which the headlamp 316 may return to the first state or steady state at step 372. In another embodiment, the headlight 316 may remain in the second state until an action is taken by the user, such as by pressing a button on the user interface of the device 10 to dismiss a state change notification, or by the user taking an action to resolve a condition or state of the device 10. For example, if the supply tank 20 is empty, the headlight 316 may remain in the second state until the supply tank 20 is refilled. It should be noted that although the method of fig. 25 is described with respect to headlight 316, in another embodiment, the method may be performed via a non-headlight light source of device 10.

Referring to fig. 26-27, in some embodiments, the device 10 may include at least one mouth guard sensing mechanism. Upon removal of the mouth piece 282, the light emitted from the light source 318 may become very bright due to the absence of the light pipe 320. For example, the light source 318 may be optionally turned off or dimmed by detecting whether the mouth piece 282 is present on the base 14.

The mouth sensing mechanism may include or be operably coupled with a headlight power switch 382 configured to turn off and power the headlight 316 in the base 14 when the mouth guard 282 is attached to the base housing 104, and configured to turn on when the mouth guard 282 is removed from the base 14 such that no power is supplied to the headlight 316.

In one embodiment, the mouth sensing mechanism may include a sensing component 384, such as a hall effect sensor or reed switch, disposed on one of the mouth guard 282 and the base housing 104, and a magnet 386 positioned on the other of the mouth guard 282 and the base housing 104. The headlamp power switch 382 can include or be operatively coupled with a sensing component 384. In the presence of the magnet 386, the headlamp power switch 382 is closed. Without the magnet 386, the headlamp power switch 382 is turned off such that power cannot be supplied to the light source 318 of the headlamp 316.

As shown in fig. 26, the magnet 386 may be located within a slot 388 on the mouth piece 282 or otherwise attached or disposed on the mouth piece 282. In one embodiment, a slot 388 may be provided on the lower housing portion 284 and the upper housing portion 286 may cover the slot to enclose the magnet 386 within the housing 282. When the mouth piece 282 is attached to the base housing 104, the magnet 386 may interact with a sensing component 384, which may be disposed in a suitable location on the base housing 104 that will interact with the magnet 386 in the slot 388. The sensing component 384 may be positioned, for example, within the base housing 104, generally above the rear side 290 of the brush chamber 190, and adjacent to the light source receiver 330. Other configurations and locations for mounting the sensing component 384 on the base 14 are possible. When the mouth piece 282 is brought into position on the base housing 104, the magnet 386 moves toward and eventually interacts with the sensing component 384. The interaction of the magnet 386 with the sensing component 384 causes the headlamp power switch 382 to change state, e.g., from open to closed.

FIG. 27 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a control system for the apparatus 10. The sensing component 384 detects when the mouth guard 282 is present and causes the headlamp power switch 382 to change state, e.g., from open to closed, to power the light source 318 of the headlamp. The sensing component 384 may also send a signal to the PCB 336 to cause the UI to provide status updates to the user. In one embodiment, the UI 32 may communicate whether the cover 282 is missing via a visual indicator and/or an audible message.

Fig. 28 depicts a method 390 for operating a light source 318 of a device 10. When the device 10 is energized in step 392, and with the mouth guard 282 mounted on the base housing 104, the headlight 316 is energized in step 392. This may be accomplished by powering one or more LED chips 324 of light source 318 when power input control 34 is pressed to turn device 10 on and headlamp power switch 382 is closed. When removal of the mouth guard 282 is detected at step 396, the headlamp power switch 382 is turned off and the headlamp 316 is turned off at step 398.

Referring back to fig. 27, in addition to or in lieu of the headlamp power switch 382, the mouth sensing mechanism may include or be operably coupled with a brushed motor switch 260 configured to close and power the brushed motor 182 in the base 14 when the mouth cover 282 is attached to the base housing 104, and configured to open such that the brushed motor 182 is not powered when the mouth cover 282 is removed from the base housing 104. For example, in the embodiment shown in fig. 27, the interaction of the magnet 386 with the sensing component 384 may cause the brushed motor switch 260 to change state (e.g., from open to closed). Upon removal of the mouth guard 282, the brush motor 182 is turned off and the brush roller 90 will cease to rotate. The sensing component 384 may also send a signal to the PCB 336 to cause the UI to provide status updates to the user. In one embodiment, UI 32 may communicate via visual indicators and/or audible messages whether brushroll 90 is rotating and/or cover 282 is missing.

Fig. 29 depicts a method 400 for operating the brushroll 90 of the appliance 10. When the device 10 is energized at step 402, and with the mouth guard 282 mounted on the base housing 104, the brushroll 90 begins to rotate at step 404. This may be accomplished by powering the brushed motor 182 when the power input control 34 is pressed to open the device 10 and the brushed motor switch 260 is closed. When removal of the mouth guard 282 is detected at step 406, the brush motor switch 260 is turned off and the brush motor 182 is turned off at step 408 to stop rotation of the brush roller 90.

It should be noted that the methods depicted in fig. 24, 25, 28 and 29 may be used together or separately and may be combined in any order or combination. The methods discussed herein are not mutually exclusive. For example, by supplementing method 390 of fig. 28 with method 400 of fig. 29, the mouth sensing mechanism can control both the headlamp and the brushed motor.

It should be noted that where the light pipe 320 includes a plurality of outlet ends 340, 342, the base 14 may be considered to include a plurality of headlamps. Each outlet end 340, 342 may form a headlight, and may be referred to herein as a first headlight and a second headlight, or an upper headlight and a lower headlight. Thus, the internal light source 318 and light pipe 320 together can be used as a headlamp assembly having multiple stages of headlamps for illuminating a surface to be cleaned.

In yet another embodiment, instead of a common light source and light pipe, the upper and lower headlamps 340, 342 on the base 14 may each include their own light source 318 and light pipe 320. This configuration allows the upper and lower headlamps to be simultaneously lit together to illuminate the upper headlamp when the lower headlamp is unlit or to illuminate the lower headlamp when the upper headlamp is unlit. For example, the controller may be configured to automatically illuminate only the upper headlamp, only the lower headlamp, or both headlamps simultaneously.

Referring to fig. 8, the upstanding body 12 includes tank sockets or receptacles 416, 418 for receiving the supply tank 20 and the recovery tank 22, respectively. As shown herein, in one embodiment, the tank receivers 416, 418 may be defined by portions of the frame 18, and may be disposed on opposite sides of the frame 18, more particularly on the rear and front sides of the frame 18, respectively. The recovery tank receiver 418 may be disposed generally below the supply tank receiver 416 and, as previously described, may include a recovery tank support 160 and a ridge member 170 that form part of a die sleeve 168.

The supply tank 20 and the recovery tank 22 may include outwardly facing surfaces 420, 422 that form the outer surface of the apparatus 10 when the tanks 20, 22 are seated in the receptacles 416, 418. Alternatively, the cans 20, 22 may have handles 424, 426 disposed on the outwardly facing surfaces 420, 422. As shown herein, the supply tank handle 424 includes a handle recess formed in its outward facing surface 420, and the recovery tank handle 426 includes a handle protruding from its outward facing surface 422, although other configurations are possible for each tank 20, 22.

Referring to fig. 30-31, the supply tank 20 includes a tank body 428 having a plurality of walls, such as an upper wall 430, a lower wall 432, and a peripheral side wall, which may itself be formed as a plurality of side walls, such as an outwardly facing front wall 434, an inwardly facing rear wall 436, a first lateral side wall 438, and a second lateral side wall 440. The tank 428 defines a supply chamber 80 for storing cleaning liquid. In one embodiment, the can 428 is blow molded. Supply tank handle recess 424 may be formed in left and right lateral side walls 438, 438.

A fill inlet 444 is formed in the upper wall 430 of the tank 428 for filling the supply tank 20. The fill inlet 444 is covered by a can cover 446 to allow selective access to the interior of the can 428.

A tank outlet 448 is formed through the lower wall 432 of the tank 428. For removable supply tanks 20, the receiving assembly on the frame 18 may be configured to automatically open the tank outlet 448 to release liquid to the delivery pathway when the supply tank 20 is seated on the frame 18. An outlet valve 450 may be coupled to the outlet 448 to selectively allow liquid to flow out of the tank 20. The outlet valve 450 is configured to automatically open when the supply tank 20 is connected to the apparatus 10 and to automatically close when the supply tank 20 is removed in order to prevent leakage from the tank 20. The canister outlet 448 may be defined by a neck 452 extending from the lower wall 432, with the valve 450 attached to the neck 452, such as by threading onto the neck 452 or otherwise attaching thereto.

A check valve 454 may be mounted to the tank 428 and adapted to selectively vent excess gas from within the tank 20. For example, depending on the cleaning liquid in the supply tank 20, in some cases, excess gas may be generated within the supply tank 20 due to reactions between various additives or exhaust gases from peroxide formulations. In the illustrated embodiment, the check valve 454 is an elastomeric umbrella valve, but in other embodiments, other suitable types of valves may be used. A check valve 454 may be disposed in the upper wall 430 of the tank 428 spaced from the fill inlet 444. When the canister cover 446 is closed, the canister cover 446 may cover the fill inlet 444 and the check valve 454. If excess gas is generated inside the chamber, the pressurized gas may transiently deform the elastomeric umbrella valve, thereby venting the excess gas through the valve 454 and through the gap between the canister 428 and the cap 446 to the surrounding atmosphere.

A canister cover 446 is pivotally coupled to the canister 428 and may cover the fill inlet 444 and also cover the check valve 454 in a closed position (see fig. 8). The canister cover 446 is pivotable to an open position, one embodiment of which is shown in fig. 30, wherein the fill inlet 444 is exposed and the canister chamber 442 may be filled with cleaning liquid. In an alternative embodiment, not shown, the canister cover 446 may be a removable cover for the supply canister 20.

The cover 446 is pivotally coupled to the canister 428. The cover 446 may have opposed pivot posts 456 that are received in sleeves 458 on the canister 428 to pivotally couple the cover to the canister 428 for pivotal movement about a pivot axis defined by the pivot posts 456. Pivot posts 456 may extend inwardly toward each other from respective ends of cover 446. A single sleeve 458 may be formed or otherwise disposed on the upper wall 430 of the canister 428 and may have opposite end openings 462, only one of which is visible in fig. 31, into which the pivot post 456 is inserted. In the illustrated embodiment, the canister 428 is blow molded and the pivot post 456 is integrally molded with the cover 446 and snap fit into the end opening 462 in the sleeve 458. In other embodiments, the cover 446 may be connected to the tank 428 by other structures, including a press fit coupling or other fasteners.

The can lid 446 may include a handle 464 or other gripping feature that is made to be grasped or held by a hand. The handle 464 is shown to include a protruding lip 466 that overhangs the canister 428 when the cover 446 is closed (see fig. 4). Handle 464 and/or lip 466 may be integrally formed with cover 446, or may be separately formed and coupled to cover 446. A lip 466 may be disposed on a side of the cover 446 opposite the side pivotally coupled to the canister 428. In the illustrated embodiment, a lip 466 depends from the outwardly facing front wall 434 of the canister 428.

The can lid 446 may carry a plug 468 for sealing the fill inlet 444 and preventing spillage from the supply tank 20. Plug 468 is aligned with fill inlet 444 to fluidly seal fill inlet 444 when canister cover 446 is closed. Plug 468 may be at least partially received in fill inlet 444 to block or fill inlet 444. Other sealing arrangements are possible, including seals that are not received within the fill inlet 444 itself but provide a fluid-tight and leak-proof engagement between the fill inlet 444 and the can cover 446.

The supply tank 20 may include a pressure relief valve 470. In the illustrated embodiment, the relief valve 470 is an umbrella valve, but in other embodiments, other suitable types of valves may be used. The relief valve 470 is adapted to vent ambient atmospheric air into the tank compartment 442 when liquid therein is released through the tank outlet 448 during use.

The relief valve 470 may be mounted to the can plug 468 and may, for example, include a resilient circular sealing fin 472 for selectively sealing at least one vent 474 in the can plug 468 of the 446. Ambient air enters between the perimeter of the cover 446 and the canister 428. The can plug 468 includes holes through which ambient air passes to reach the vent 474. When a negative pressure is created within the canister chamber 442, for example, via the release of liquid through the canister outlet 448, the negative pressure causes the resilient sealing flap 472 to momentarily deform, thereby exhausting ambient air through the vent 474 into the canister chamber 442 through the flap 472.

The supply tank receiver 416 and the supply tank 20 may have one or more features for aligning and/or retaining the supply tank 20 on the supply tank receiver 416. In the embodiment shown herein, the supply tank receiver 416 may include a base support wall 476 and an upstanding support wall 478 disposed on the frame 18 below the handle 16. The upstanding support wall 478 may extend generally upwardly from the base support wall 476 and may optionally be angled rearwardly on a portion of the base support wall 476.

The lower wall 432 of the supply tank 20 may include a plurality of feet 480 adapted to statically support the supply tank 20 on a horizontal surface, such as when the supply tank 20 is removed from the apparatus 10. The pod foot 480 may also serve as an alignment and/or retention feature to help align and/or retain the supply pod 20 on the supply pod receiver 416. In one embodiment, the base support wall 476 may have a plurality of recesses 482 configured to receive the feet 480 when the supply tank 20 is mounted to the receiver 416.

The supply tank receiver 416 may have a T-shaped protrusion 484 on the upstanding support wall 478 and the supply tank 20 may include a corresponding recess 486 in a side wall thereof, such as an inwardly facing rear wall 436, configured to slide over the T-shaped protrusion 484 and receive the T-shaped protrusion 484 for mounting the supply tank 20. The slidable engagement of the notches 486 on the T-shaped projection 484 allows the supply tank 20 to be inserted and removed along a more vertical path across the carrying handle 78. Other interengaging features on the supply tank 20 and the receiver 416 are also possible.

The supply tank receiver 416 includes a valve receiver 488, for example, formed in the base support wall 476, for receiving a neck 452 on the supply tank 20. The valve receiver 488 is configured to open the outlet valve 450 when the supply tank 20 is positioned within the supply tank receiver 416 so that liquid flows through the tank outlet 448.

The supply tank receiver 416 includes a latch for securing the supply tank 20 to the upright body 12. In one embodiment, the latch for the supply tank 20 may include a clamp 490 configured to release the supply tank 20 when sufficient force is applied to overcome the biasing latching force of the clamp 490. The clamp 490 facilitates proper installation and better sealing of the supply tank 20, which mitigates user error and erroneous assembly. The clamp 490 may be configured to releasably latch or retain, but not lock, the supply tank 20 to the frame 18 so that a user may conveniently apply sufficient force to the supply tank 20 itself to pull the supply tank 20 away from the frame 18. In another embodiment, the supply tank latch may be configured to releasably lock the tank 20 to the frame 18 such that a user must actuate the latch before pulling the tank 20 off of the frame 18.

In one embodiment, the clamp 490 may comprise a spring biased clamp that protrudes into the valve receiver 488 and engages a portion of the outlet valve 450 or a portion of the neck 452 of the canister 428 to secure the supply tank 20. Other configurations for the canister latch are possible. When the supply tank 20 is seated within the supply tank receiver 416, the supply tank 20 slides over the T-shaped projection 484 with the tank foot 480 received in the recess 482 on the base support wall 476 and the tank 20 held in place on the valve receiver 488 by the clamp 490.

The valve receiver 488 may include a receiver well 492 adapted to at least partially or substantially fully receive the neck of the supply tank 20 and into which liquid flows when the supply tank 20 is installed in the tank receiver 416 and the outlet valve 450 is open. The well 492 includes an outlet 494 at a lower end 496 thereof, and the outlet 494 may be in fluid communication with an inlet of the pump 180 via a conduit 174, which may connect the well outlet 494 to the pump 180. A filter 497 may be disposed in the receiver well 492 to filter liquid from the supply tank 20 through the well outlet 494. Other configurations for fluid communication between well 492 and pump 180 are possible.

Referring to fig. 32, in one embodiment, the apparatus 10 may have a liquid sensing system 502 configured to detect whether there is liquid available for delivery to the pump 180. The sensing system may include any suitable means for sensing the liquid within the supply passage, such as within the supply tank 20 or within the valve receiver 488. In the illustrated embodiment, the sensing system includes conductivity sensors 498 that may be located in the receiver wells 492 at locations where the sensing liquid is present. In the embodiment shown herein, the conductivity sensor 498 includes two contacts 500 located in the lower end 496 of the receiver well 492. When liquid is present in well 492, the circuit is complete. When no liquid is present in the well 492, such as when the supply tank 20 is empty, or when the supply tank 20 is missing from the receiver 416, the circuit is broken and a signal is sent to the controller 42. The controller 42 may visually and/or audibly issue an alarm from the user interface 32 that may indicate that the supply tank 20 is empty and/or that the supply tank 20 is missing. Other locations and configurations of the conductivity sensor 498 are possible, wherein the conductivity sensor 498 may sense the presence of liquid in the receiver well 492 or in the supply tank 20. Other sensors for determining whether the supply tank 20 is empty or missing are possible, such as a weight sensor.

The input from the liquid sensing system 502 may further be used by the controller 42 to determine when to shut off or otherwise interrupt the supply system. When no liquid is present in the container 492, such as when the supply tank 20 is empty, or when the supply tank 20 is missing from the receiver 416, the circuit between the contacts 500 is not completed and the controller 42 may shut down at least one electrical component of the device 10 or prevent activation of at least one electrical component. These components may include a pump 180 and optionally also a vacuum motor 98 and/or a brush motor 182. Additionally or alternatively, the controller 42 may provide visual or audible status indications, such as lights or sounds, via the UI 32 based on the supply tank 20 being empty or the supply tank 20 not being present. The visual or audible status indication may alert the user that the supply tank 20 is empty, missing, and/or that a component of the apparatus 10 has been shut down.

Fig. 33 is a partially exploded perspective view of one embodiment of the recovery tank 22, and fig. 34 is a cross-sectional view of the recovery tank 22. Recovery tank 22 may include a recovery tank vessel 504 that forms a collection chamber 506 for the recovery system with a hollow standpipe 508 therein. The standpipe 508 can be oriented such that it generally coincides with the longitudinal axis of the tank container 504. The standpipe 508 forms a flow path within the interior of the tank vessel 504 between a tank inlet 510 formed at a lower end of the tank vessel 504 and a tank outlet 512 at an upper end of the standpipe 508. When recovery tank 22 is mounted to frame 18 as shown in fig. 4, inlet 510 is aligned with conduit 92 to establish fluid communication between base 14 and recovery tank 22. The standpipe 508 can be integrally formed with the tank container 504.

Referring additionally to fig. 35, the recovery tank 22 further includes a cap 514 sized to be received over the tank container 504. The cover 514 at least partially closes the open top of the tank container 504 and may further define an air outlet 516 (fig. 4 and 39) of the recovery tank 22 to the downstream suction source 86. A gasket 518 is positioned between the mating surfaces of the cap 514 and the canister 504 and creates a seal therebetween to prevent leakage.

The recovery tank latch 520 may optionally be supported by the cover 514 for securing the recovery tank 22 to the upstanding body 12 within the recovery tank receiver 418, as shown in fig. 36. The recovery tank receiver 418 includes a latching catch 521 that receives the tank latch 520 therein. The latching catch 521 may be formed anywhere on the receiver 418 in place to engage the canister latch 520 when the recovery canister 22 is disposed in the receiver 418. For example, the latching catch 521 may be disposed in the top plate 519 of the canister receiver 418. The top plate 519 may be disposed generally opposite the support 160 with the recovery tank 22 being held between the base 162 of the support 160 and the top plate 519 when mounted on the frame 18. The top plate 519 may be configured to fit snugly against the cover 514 of the recovery tank 22 to provide a sealed passageway from the tank 22 to the suction source 86 (fig. 4), such as via a grille 596 described in further detail below. The top plate 519 may be angled rearwardly (i.e., toward the die sleeve 168) to facilitate insertion and sealing of the canister 22.

The latch 520 may be configured to releasably lock the recovery tank 22 to the upright body 12 such that a user must actuate the latch 520 before pulling the tank 22 off of the frame 18. The handle 426 on the recovery tank 22 may be located below the latch 520 and may facilitate removal of the recovery tank 22 from the frame 18. In another embodiment, the latch 520 may releasably latch or hold, but not lock, the canister 22 to the frame 18 so that a user may conveniently apply sufficient force to the canister 22 itself to pull the canister 22 away from the frame 18.

The recovery tank 22 may further include a filter assembly 522 disposed at the air outlet 516. The filter assembly 522 may be supported by the cover 514, and the cover 514 may include a filter receiver 524 on an upwardly facing side thereof that is sized to receive the filter assembly 522. The filter assembly 522 is removably mounted in the filter receiver 524.

The filter assembly 522 may include a filter media 526 supported within a holder 528. In one embodiment, the filter media 526 is a pleated filter and may be made of a material that remains porous when wet. The filter assembly 522 may also include a mesh screen 530 carried by the support 528. The mesh screen 530 is positioned on the upstream inlet side of the filter media 526 and may be configured to filter a larger particle size than the filter media 526. In fig. 33, the mesh screen 530 is shown exploded from the support 528 for clarity. However, it should be appreciated that the filter assembly 522 is removable as a unit from the filter receiver 524 of the cap 514.

The filter assembly 522 may have a handle portion 532 or other gripping feature that is made to be grasped or held by a hand to easily remove the filter assembly 522. The handle portion 532 may extend from the rib 534, extending through the downstream outlet side of the filter media 526. The handle portion 532 may be low profile such that it is flush with or below the uppermost portion 536 of the recovery tank 22 (see fig. 34) so that the handle portion 532 does not interfere with the mounting of the recovery tank 22 in the receiver 418 on the frame 18. In one embodiment, the uppermost portion 536 of the recovery tank 22 may be defined by the front edge of the tank cap 514.

Referring to fig. 35, the filter assembly 522 may have error proofing facilities to prevent inadvertent errors by a user when installing the filter assembly 552 on the recovery tank 22. In one embodiment, the error proofing facility includes at least one protruding feature 538, 540 on the filter assembly 522 and/or on the filter receiver 524 that prevents a user from incorrectly installing the filter assembly 522 by interfering with the insertion of the filter assembly 522 into the filter receiver 524. As shown, the first rib 538 may be disposed on an outward facing side 542 of the filter assembly 522 and the second rib 540 may be disposed on an inward facing side 544 of the filter receiver 524. In the insertion direction of filter assembly 522, ribs 538, 540 may be orthogonal to one another (as shown), skewed with respect to one another, or otherwise positioned with respect to one another to prevent filter assembly 522 from being improperly installed entirely within filter receiver 524. As shown, the first rib 538 may be disposed on a first outwardly facing side 542 of the filter assembly 522 and the second rib 540 may be disposed on an inwardly facing side 544 of the filter receiver 524 that, when properly installed, is disposed opposite a second side 546 of the filter assembly 522 that is opposite the first side 542. With ribs 538, 540 so positioned, the user cannot install filter assembly 522 rearwardly in filter receiver 524. It should be noted that the rectangular shape of the filter assembly 522 and filter receiver 524 also provides a means for preventing accidental errors in mounting the filter assembly 522 on the recovery tank 22, e.g., the filter assembly 522 cannot be laterally inserted into the filter receiver 524.

Referring back to fig. 33-34, recovery tank 22 may further include a removable filter 548 configured to filter large debris and hair out of tank container 504 prior to emptying. The strainer 548 is configured to collect large debris and hair while draining liquid and smaller debris back into the tank container 504. One embodiment of a suitable filter is disclosed in U.S. patent application publication No. 2019/0159646 filed on 11/30 2017, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. For the purposes of this specification, a large chip is any chip having a largest dimension (e.g., length or diameter) of greater than or equal to 0.5mm to 6mm, preferably 3mm, while a small chip is any chip having a largest dimension (e.g., length or diameter) that is less than the largest dimension of the larger chip. An example of a large piece of debris includes a hair strand that is greater than 3mm in length. Examples of small debris include coffee grounds and food debris having a diameter of less than 3 mm.

Referring to fig. 35-37, in one embodiment, recovery tank 22 may have a sensing system 550 configured to detect liquid at one or more levels within recovery tank 22 and determine when to shut off or otherwise interrupt the recovery system. The sensing system 550 may include any suitable means for sensing the liquid within the recovery tank 22. By providing the sensing system 550, the recovery tank 22 does not require an in-tank float shut off. In other words, the recovery tank 22 is a float-free tank.

In the illustrated embodiment, the sensing system 550 includes at least one sensor 552A, 552B, optionally in the form of at least one probe, that can detect a liquid. In the embodiment shown, two sensors 552A, 552B in the form of probes are included, but other numbers and forms of sensors are possible. The sensors 552A, 552B may be electrically coupled with conductive pads 554A, 554B optionally disposed on the cover 514 that couple with electrical contacts 556A, 556B on the recovery tank receiver 418 when the recovery tank 22 is mounted on the frame 18 to power the sensors 552A, 552B.

The sensors 552A, 552B may optionally be supported by the cover 514, or more particularly by at least one bracket formed on or otherwise coupled to the cover 514. In the illustrated embodiment, two brackets 558A, 558B are included depending downwardly from the cover 514, but other numbers and forms of brackets are possible. The supports 558A, 558B may be offset from the standpipe 508. When the cap 514 is coupled to the container 504, the brackets 558A, 558B may protrude into the collection chamber 506.

In one embodiment, the sensing system 550 is configured to detect the presence of the recovery tank 22 on the apparatus 10 and the liquid level within the recovery tank 22. The electrical contacts 556A, 556B on the recovery tank receiver 418 may each comprise a pair of spring-mounted pins, including a first pin 560A and a second pin 560B, for example. The first pin 560A may provide an input regarding the level of liquid in the tank 22 and the second pin 560B may provide an input regarding the presence of the recovery tank 22, or vice versa. When recovery tank 22 is installed in tank receiver 418, the ends of pins 560A, 560B contact conductive pads 554A, 554B on recovery tank cap 514.

Electrical contacts 556A, 556B may be formed anywhere on the receiver 418 in place for engagement with the conductive pads 554A, 554B when the canister 22 is disposed in the receiver 418. For example, as shown in fig. 36, electrical contacts 556A, 556B may be disposed in the top plate 519 of the canister receiver 418. Pins 560A, 560B may protrude downwardly from top plate 519 to contact conductive pads 554A, 554B. Pins 560A, 560B may be disposed within sockets 562A, 562B in top plate 519 to protect pins 560A, 560B. The sockets 562A, 562B may be sized to fit around the conductive pads 554A, 554B on the canister cover 514. Conductive pads 554A, 554B may be disposed on posts 563A, 563B extending upward from cover 514, such as on opposite sides of filter receiver 524, such that filter assembly 522 is located between conductive pads 554A, 554B when mounted on cover 514. When the recovery tank 22 is disposed in the tank receiver 418, the posts 563A, 563B may be at least partially received by the sockets 562A, 562B, which may help align and/or retain the tank 22 in the receiver 418.

Electrical contacts 556A, 556B on the recovery tank receiver 418 are coupled to the main controller 42. For canister detection, the controller 42 may shut down at least one electrical component of the apparatus 10 if the spring-loaded pin 560B indicates that there is no recovery canister 22. Such components may include the suction source 86 itself, more particularly the vacuum motor 98, and optionally the pump 180 and/or the brush motor 182. Additionally or alternatively, the controller 42 may provide a visual or audible status indication, such as light or sound, via the UI 32 based on the absence of the recovery tank 22. The visual or audible status indication may alert the user that the recovery tank 22 is missing and/or that a component of the apparatus 10 has been shut down.

For liquid level detection, the first sensor 552A may transmit a liquid sense signal 564 from the controller 42 at a given frequency 566. The liquid sensing signal 564 travels through the contents of the recovery tank 22 to form a liquid response signal 314 that can be detected by the second sensor 552B and communicated to the controller 42. The first sensor 552A and/or the second sensor 552B may be located at a critical level 572 in the recovery tank 22. The term critical fluid level is used herein to define a fluid level or location wherein at least one electrical component of the apparatus 10 is turned off to prevent fluid from entering the suction source 86 if fluid is present. If the liquid response signal 568 indicates that the liquid in the recovery tank 22 is at or above the threshold level 572, the controller 42 may shut down the at least one electrical component of the apparatus 10. Such components may include the suction source 86 itself, more particularly the vacuum motor 98, and optionally the pump 180 and/or the brush motor 182.

In yet another configuration, controller 42 may additionally or alternatively activate shut-off valve 574 in response to fluid response signal 568 to prevent fluid from entering suction source 86. A shut-off valve 574 may be provided to interrupt pumping when the liquid in recovery tank 22 reaches a critical level 572. The shut-off valve 574 may be positioned in any suitable manner and include any suitable type of valve.

Additionally or alternatively, the controller 42 may provide a visual or audible status indication, such as light or sound, via the UI 32 based on the liquid response signal 568. The visual or audible status indication may alert the user that the liquid in recovery tank 22 is too high or that a component of device 10 has been shut down.

Alternatively, the sensing system 550 may include electronic components to capacitively couple and smooth the response signal such that a rise time or average amplitude of the voltage of the received signal may be determined. In another non-limiting embodiment, the controller 42 may be configured to perform one or more signal processing algorithms on the received response signal to determine one or more characteristics of the received response signal. Signal processing algorithms incorporated into the controller 42 to assist in determining one or more characteristics of the received signal may include, but are not limited to, blind source separation, principal component analysis, singular value decomposition, wavelet analysis, independent component analysis, cluster analysis, bayesian classification, and the like.

It is contemplated that any one of the sensors 552A, 552B of the sensing system 550 may be configured to transmit, receive, or both transmit and receive one or more sensing signals. The sensing signal may comprise any waveform useful in sensing a liquid including, but not limited to, square waves, sine waves, triangular waves, saw tooth waves, and combinations thereof. Further, the sensing signal may include any frequency useful in sensing liquids, including but not limited to frequencies ranging from about 10 kilohertz to 10 megahertz. In one non-limiting embodiment, the liquid sensing signals may be multiplexed and transmitted simultaneously to one or more sensors.

By removing recovery tank 22 from frame 18, cap 514 is removed from tank container 504, which also removes sensors 552A, 552B and brackets 558A, 558B, the collected liquid and debris of recovery tank 22 may be periodically emptied. Next, the user lifts the filter 548 from the canister 504. When the strainer 548 is lifted, large debris and hair are captured while allowing liquid and smaller debris to drain back into the container 504. The user may then dispose of any debris on the strainer 548 into a trash can and then dispose of the remaining liquid and smaller debris in the tank container 504 into a sink, toilet, or other drain.

Other configurations of the recovery tank sensor are possible. Fig. 38 shows an embodiment with an alternative recovery tank 22A, wherein the sensors 552A, 552B may optionally be supported by the vessel 504, such as by brackets 576A, 578B extending upward from the bottom of the vessel 504. Brackets 576A, 578B may be offset from riser 508 and filter 548 (fig. 33) may have appropriate clearance provided for brackets 576A, 578B. Conductive pads 554A, 554B for the sensors 552A, 552B may be disposed on the bottom wall of the container 504, with electrical contacts 556A, 556B disposed on the recovery tank support 160 of the recovery tank receiver 418. Fig. 38 also shows another alternative recovery tank 22B in which the sensors 552A, 552B may alternatively be molded directly into the sidewall of the container 504, eliminating a separate bracket. Conductive pads 554A, 554B for the sensors 552A, 552B may be provided on the bottom wall of the container 504.

Referring to fig. 39, downstream of the recovery tank 22 and filter assembly 522, the recovery path may include a suction source 86 and at least one exhaust port 88 defining a clean air outlet (see also fig. 8). In the illustrated embodiment, two vents 88 are provided on the rear side of the frame 18, but only one vent 88 is visible in fig. 8 and 39, but other numbers and locations of vents 88 are possible. In fig. 39 and 42, the working air flow path through the enclosure 580, which defines a portion of the recovery path, is indicated generally by arrow W.

Referring additionally to fig. 40, in one embodiment, a suction source 86 is disposed within the enclosure 580 that reduces noise generated by the exhaust flow in the apparatus 10 and/or reduces noise generated by mechanical vibrations of the motor. The enclosure 580 includes a motor housing 582 and a fan housing 584. Vacuum motor 98 is enclosed within motor housing 582 and fan 100 is enclosed within fan housing 584. The housings 582, 584 may each be made of one or more separate components that are connected together or may be integrally formed. In embodiments where the housings 582, 584 are separate components, as shown herein, a seal 583 may be positioned between the housings 582, 584 to provide a fluid-tight joint therebetween.

Fan housing 584 includes at least one air inlet 586 for drawing working air into a fan chamber 588 defined by fan housing 584, in which fan 100 is disposed. Inlet 586 may be generally aligned with a central region of fan 100 and, in particular, centered on axis 590 of motor 98. The fan housing 584 further includes at least one air outlet 592 through which the fan 100 drives air from the chamber 588.

The fan chamber 588 may be generally circular as shown and a plurality of air outlets 592 may be disposed at the periphery of the chamber 588. In the illustrated embodiment, two diametrically opposed outlets 592 are disposed on a bottom wall 594 of the fan housing 584. Other arrangements of the air outlets in the fan housing 584 are possible.

The enclosure 580 may include an inlet through which working air may enter the enclosure 580. In one embodiment, the enclosure inlet is formed by a grill 596 aligned with the fan inlet 586 and configured to be in fluid communication with the air outlet 516 of the recovery tank 22. In one embodiment, the outlet side of the filter assembly 522 may be generally aligned with the grille 596 such that air enters the enclosure 580 from the filter assembly 522. Other configurations of the capsule inlet are possible.

The enclosure 580 may include a muffler 598 that reduces noise associated with operation of the apparatus 10, and may particularly dampen noise generated by the exhaust flow from the fan 100. Muffler 598 may be made of one or more separate components that are connected together or may be integrally formed. A muffler 598 may be provided inside the upright body 12, and more particularly between the housings forming the frame 18, to further reduce noise from the vacuum motor 98.

Muffler 598 may define an air exhaust path extending from fan outlet aperture 592 to clean air outlet or exhaust 88. Muffler 598 may be attached to fan housing 584 or otherwise positioned to receive the exhaust flow from fan outlet 592.

Muffler 598 may have a bottom wall 600 and a peripheral wall 602 extending from bottom wall 602. The upper edge 604 of the peripheral wall 602 may mate or otherwise join with the fan housing 584. A seal 606 may be provided between the peripheral wall 602 and the fan housing 584 to provide a fluid tight coupling therebetween. The structure of muffler 598 may vary, but preferably forms a closed path for directing exhaust gases from fan housing 584 to exhaust 88.

Referring to fig. 42, in one embodiment, muffler 598 may have a tortuous path structure to direct exhaust gases in a tortuous path extending from fan outlet 592 to exhaust port 88. The tortuous exhaust path may include a plurality of turns of at least 90 degrees, and may optionally include at least one turn greater than 90 degrees, such as 180 degrees or greater. For example, muffler 598 may include a channel structure having at least one louver or baffle 608 to force the exhaust to rotate 180 degrees or more. In the illustrated embodiment, a 90 degree turn is provided in muffler 598 at fan outlet 592 and a 180 degree turn is provided at baffle 608 separating sections 610, 612 of muffler 598. The segments 610, 612 of the muffler 598 separated by the baffle 608 may extend parallel or substantially parallel to each other, which increases the length of the exhaust path to further reduce noise at the exhaust port 88. The rotation of the exhaust gas in muffler 598 has the advantage that noise from the air flow exiting the envelope 580 can be reduced due to internal reflection of sound waves, which leads to energy absorption in the sound waves.

The first section 610 of the muffler 598 may be an outer section that is in fluid communication with the fan outlet 592, such that a muffler inlet section may be formed. The second section 612 of the muffler 598 may be in fluid communication with a muffler outlet opening 614 through which exhaust gas may exit the can 580. The second section 612 of the muffler 598 is separated from the first section 610 by a baffle 608 and may be disposed inside the first section 610. In the illustrated embodiment, muffler 598 includes an outlet opening 614 that is wide enough to fit around two exhaust ports 88. Thus, the two tortuous paths through muffler 598 merge at their respective inner sections 612 so that exhaust exits via common outlet 614. In another embodiment, the two tortuous paths may be kept separate with an outlet opening 614 provided for and in fluid communication with each exhaust port 88.

To provide a compact enclosure 580, air flowing from the recovery tank 22 to the fan chamber 588 may pass through, but be fluidly isolated from, the muffler 598. In one embodiment, motor inlet conduit 616 may internally pass through muffler 598 and may have a first end 618 coupled to grill 596 and a second end 620 coupled to fan inlet 586. A damping member, such as a washer 622, may be positioned between the second end 620 of the conduit 616 and the fan inlet 586 and may dampen vibrations between these components.

A grill 596 forming an inlet through which working air may enter the enclosure 580 may be formed, attached, or otherwise disposed in the bottom wall 600 of the muffler 598, with the inlet conduit 616 being joined to the grill 596 to isolate air flowing into the enclosure 580 through the grill 596 from exhaust gases exiting the enclosure 580 via the muffler 598. The underside of the bottom wall 600 may form a ceiling 519 (fig. 36) of the recovery tank receiver 418 with a meandering grating 596 disposed in the ceiling 519. A seal 624 may be disposed around the grating 596 at the first end 618 of the conduit 616 to seal the interface between the conduit 616 and the grating 596.

Where the muffler 598 includes an inlet grill 596 aligned with the recovery tank 22, electrical contacts 556A, 556B for detecting the presence and/or level of the recovery tank 22 may also be integrated with the muffler 598. The electrical contacts 556A, 556B may be disposed on the bottom wall 600 of the muffler 598, such as on supports 626 extending outwardly from the peripheral wall 602 of the muffler 598, to position the electrical contacts 556A, 556B outside of the working air and exhaust flow.

The motor housing 582 of the enclosure 580 may have a double-wall structure 628, 630 that reduces noise associated with operation of the device 10, and may specifically eliminate noise generated by operation of the motor 98. As noted above, the motor 98 may comprise a brushless dc motor that, while quieter than a brushed motor, does not require a post-motor filter and therefore does not benefit from the noise absorbing properties of a standard post-motor filter. In the embodiment of the apparatus 10 shown herein, the recovery system is devoid of post-motor filters, i.e., no filters in the airflow path downstream of the suction source 86. The double wall construction may reduce the operating noise of the apparatus 10. The double wall structure may further house a sound attenuating element 632 that may absorb sound, as described in further detail below.

In one embodiment, the double-walled motor housing 582 includes a pair of spaced walls 628, 630 extending circumferentially around the motor 98, including an inner wall 628 and an outer wall 630 spaced radially from the inner wall 628 relative to the motor axis 590. The walls 628, 630 are radially spaced apart to define an annular space or gap 634 therebetween. Walls 628, 630 may be generally concentric, defining a substantially constant width gap 634 around the perimeter of motor 98, and may extend longitudinally along motor axis 590.

The inner wall 628 may be joined with an upper wall 636 of a motor housing 582 surrounding the motor 98. The outer wall 630 may have a free upper edge 638, i.e., not joined to or surrounded by the walls, such that an annular gap 634 between the walls 628, 630 is open at the upper end of the motor housing 582 to facilitate installation of the sound attenuating element 632.

The sound attenuating element 632 may be mounted intermediate the walls 628, 630 of the double-wall motor housing 582. The sound attenuating element 632 may be formed of a material capable of absorbing sound and may preferably be lightweight. In one embodiment, the sound attenuating element 632 may be formed from an open cell foam material (e.g., polyurethane).

The sound attenuating element 632 may fill or substantially fill the annular gap 634 between the walls 628, 630. For example, the sound attenuating element 632 may extend around a majority of the annular gap 634 to substantially fill the gap 634. Thus, the sound attenuating element 632 may be a ring-shaped element or a substantially ring-shaped element (e.g., a C-shaped element). In one embodiment, the sound attenuating element 632 may be provided as an elongated rectilinear material that is inserted into an annular gap 634 defined between the walls 628, 630 of the double-walled motor housing 582 so as to wrap around the perimeter of the motor 98. In some embodiments, the length of the elongated rectilinear material may be approximately equal to the circumference of the gap 634 such that the ends of the elongated rectilinear material may be treated when inserted into the annular gap 634. In other embodiments, there may be a small space between the ends of the elongated rectilinear material when inserted into the gap 634. In still other embodiments, the sound attenuating element 632 may include multiple material segments that are individually inserted into the gap 634.

It should be noted that while the embodiment of the enclosure 580 shown in the figures includes a plurality of features that reduce noise generated by the exhaust flow and/or due to mechanical vibrations, other configurations of the enclosure 580 are possible, including, for example, configurations in which the enclosure 580 includes a muffler 598 and does not include a double wall structure 628, 630, configurations in which the enclosure 580 includes a double wall structure 628, 630 and does not include a muffler 598, and configurations in which the enclosure 580 includes a double wall structure 628, 630 and does not include a sound attenuating element 632. The noise reduction features of the muffler 598, the double wall structures 628, 630, and the sound attenuating element 632 may be combined in any combination. Any of the noise reduction features of the enclosure 580 disclosed herein reduce the operating noise associated with the device 10, and superior noise reduction may be achieved by providing an enclosure with more than one noise reduction feature on the enclosure 580.

Referring to fig. 39, in one embodiment, a vacuum motor cooling air path is provided for supplying cooling air to the vacuum motor 98 and for removing heated cooling air (also referred to herein as "heated air") from the vacuum motor 98. In fig. 39, the cooling air path is generally indicated by arrow C. The motor cooling air path includes a cooling air inlet 640 and a cooling air outlet 642, both of which are in fluid communication with ambient air external to the apparatus 10. Ambient air is drawn into apparatus 10 through cooling air inlet 640, passes through vacuum motor 98, and is then exhausted through cooling air outlet 642. In the illustrated embodiment, the cooling air inlet 640 is defined by an air inlet on one side of the frame 18 and the cooling air outlet 642 is defined by an air outlet on an opposite side of the frame 18.

Suction source 86 includes at least one inlet aperture 644 for allowing cooling air to enter and pass through vacuum motor 98. Inlet aperture 644 may be aligned with an opening through upper wall 636 of motor housing 582 and may be surrounded by sound attenuating element 632 and double wall structures 628, 630. Inlet aperture 644 is in fluid communication with cooling air inlet 640, for example via at least one cooling air inlet conduit 646. The cooling air inlet duct 646 may be formed in the interior of the upright body 12, and more particularly, may be formed by a housing forming the frame 18. A seal 645 may be provided between the motor 98 and the upper wall 636 to seal the interface between the motor inlet aperture 644 and the motor housing 582.

The motor housing 582 also includes at least one outlet aperture through which the heated cooling air is exhausted. The outlet aperture may be defined by an exhaust port 648 that extends through the double wall structure 628, 630 of the motor housing 582 to allow heated air to be carried away from the vacuum motor 98. The exhaust port 648 is in fluid communication with the cooling air outlet 642, for example, via at least one heated air exhaust conduit 650. The heated air exhaust duct 650 may be formed inside the upright body 12, and more particularly, may be formed by a housing forming the frame 18. Directing the heated air exhaust inside the frame 18 may reduce noise from the vacuum motor 98.

Alternatively, the motor cooling air path may have a tortuous exhaust path extending from the motor exhaust port 648 to the air outlet 642. The motor and airflow noise generated by the apparatus 10 during operation is attenuated by the tortuous exhaust path. The tortuous exhaust path may include a plurality of turns of at least 90 degrees. In the illustrated embodiment, the exhaust gas must be rotated approximately 90 degrees to enter the exhaust conduit 650 from the exhaust port 648, and must be rotated again approximately 90 degrees to exit the exhaust conduit 650 via the air outlet 642.

In one embodiment, a brushed motor cooling air path is provided for supplying cooling air to the brushed motor 182 (fig. 9), and for removing heated cooling air (also referred to herein as "heated air") from the brushed motor 182. A brushed motor cooling air path may be defined by at least the conduit 176 described above to allow heated air to be carried away from the brushed motor 182, wherein a first end of the conduit 176 is in fluid communication with the brushed motor 182 and a second end of the conduit 176 is in fluid communication with the inlet conduit 616. Heated air from the brush motor 182 may be added from the inlet conduit 616 to the working air flow path through the enclosure 580, as indicated by arrow W in fig. 39.

In the illustrated embodiment, a connector tube 652 for the conduit 176 may extend from one side of the inlet conduit 616 and through the muffler 598 to connect with the conduit 176. As described above, the conduit 176 may extend through the joint assembly 94, through the die sleeve 168, and out of the die sleeve 168 at its upper end for connection with the pipe 652.

Returning to fig. 2, as briefly described above, the controller 42 is operatively coupled with the various functional systems of the apparatus 10 (e.g., fluid delivery and recovery systems) to control the operation thereof. In the illustrated embodiment, the controller 42 is operatively coupled with at least the vacuum motor 98, the pump 180, and the brush motor 182. The controller 42 is also operably coupled to a base PCB 336, a light source 318, a brush motor switch 260, and a headlamp power switch 382. The controller is also operably coupled to one or more sensing components, such as conductivity sensor 498 for supply tank sensing system 502 (FIG. 32) and electrical contacts 556A, 556B for recovery tank level sensing system 550 (FIG. 37). The controller 42 is also operably coupled to one or more user input components, such as the user interfaces 30, 32 and related components, including the handle PCB 37, the display 38, and the self-cleaning mode input control 40 that are aligned with the power input control 34 and the cleaning mode input control 36 (fig. 1). The electrical components of surface cleaning apparatus 10, including vacuum motor 98, pump 180, brush motor 182, and headlamp light source 318, may be powered by battery 45.

As described above, the power input control 34, which controls the supply of power to one or more electrical components of the apparatus 10, in the illustrated embodiment controls the supply of power to at least the UI 32, the vacuum motor 98, the pump 180, and the brush motor 182. The cleaning mode input control 36 cycles the device 10 between a hard floor cleaning mode, a carpet tile cleaning mode, and a power cleaning or "boost" mode.

In one embodiment of the hard floor cleaning mode, vacuum motor 98, pump 180, and brush motor 182 are activated, wherein vacuum motor 98 operates at a first power level and pump 180 operates at a first flow rate. Both rates may be "low" to provide a maximum run time, where the run time is the total operating time of the device 10 on a fully charged battery.

In one embodiment of the carpet tile cleaning mode, vacuum motor 98, pump 180, and brush motor 182 are activated, wherein vacuum motor 98 operates at a second power level and pump 180 operates at a second flow rate. As in the hard floor mode, the second flow rate may be "low". However, the second power level is higher than the first power level rate to increase the amount of suction applied for cleaning the carpet tile or carpet. This increased suction may reduce run time compared to the hard floor cleaning mode.

In one embodiment of the power cleaning or "boost" mode, vacuum motor 98, pump 180, and brushed motor 182 are activated, wherein vacuum motor 98 operates at a third power level and pump 180 operates at a third flow rate. Both rates may be "high" to deliver high suction and high flow to the surface to be cleaned for more aggressive cleaning operations. The third flow rate is higher than the first flow rate or the second flow rate to increase the amount of cleaning liquid released, and the third power level is higher than the first power level or the second power level to increase the amount of suction applied. This increase may reduce run time compared to the hard floor cleaning mode and the carpet tile cleaning mode.

Table 1 below lists some non-limiting examples of cleaning modes of the apparatus 10, including vacuum motor power level, pump flow rate, and average run time for each mode. Other power levels and flow rates are possible for the cleaning mode, with other final average run times. It should be noted that the flow rates of the hard floor cleaning mode and the carpet tile cleaning mode may be approximately the same or may be different, but are both considered "low" as compared to the hard floor cleaning mode. The second power level for the carpet tile cleaning mode may be quantized to a "mid" level as compared to the hard floor cleaning mode and the hard floor cleaning mode. It should further be noted that the average run time may be affected by other factors, such as battery capacity and equipment weight, and that different average run times may be achieved accordingly, even with the listed vacuum motor power levels and pump flow rates.

TABLE 1

The self-cleaning mode input control 40 initiates a self-cleaning mode of operation, one embodiment of which is described in detail below. Briefly, during self-cleaning mode, a purge cycle may be run in which cleaning liquid is sprayed onto the brush roll 90 while the brush roll 90 is rotating. Liquid is extracted and deposited into recovery tank 22, thereby also flushing a portion of the recovery path.

Referring to fig. 43, the surface cleaning apparatus 10 may optionally be provided with a storage tray 654 that may be used when storing the apparatus 10. The tray 654 may physically support the entire apparatus 10. More specifically, the base 14 may be disposed in a tray 654. The storage tray 654 may be further configured for further functions beyond simple storage, such as for charging the device 10 and/or for self-cleaning of the device 10. In this case, the storage tray 654 is also referred to as a docking station.

Fig. 44 is a perspective view of the storage tray 654. The tray 654 may include a tray base 656 and guide walls 658 extending upwardly from the tray base 656 that help align the base 14 within the tray 654. The rear of the tray 654 may include rear wheel retainers 660 for receiving the rear wheels 106 of the apparatus 10. The rear wheel holder 660 may be formed as an arc-shaped member on the storage tray 654 and may be disposed on opposite lateral sides of the charging unit 680, which will be described in further detail below. The tray base 656 may include a front wheel locator 664 for the front wheels 108 of the apparatus and a joint locator 666 for the joint assembly 94. The detents 664, 666 may be formed as recesses or grooves in the tray base 656 that are sized to at least partially receive the wheels 108 and the joint assembly 94, respectively, to assist in properly aligning the base 14 on the tray 654.

Optionally, the storage tray 654 may include an accessory holder 668 for storing one or more accessories of the device 10. Accessory holder 668 is shown to removably receive brushroll 90 and filter assembly 522 for storage and/or drying purposes. Accessory holder 668 can include a brushroll slot 670 for securely receiving brushroll 90 in an upright position for drying and storage; and a filter slot 672 for securely receiving filter assembly 522 in an upright position for drying and storage. Alternatively, accessory holder 668 can store brushroll 90 and filter assembly 522 in a variety of other positions.

With additional reference to fig. 45, during use, the device 10 may become very dirty, particularly in the brush chamber 190 and extraction path, and may be difficult to clean by a user. During the self-cleaning mode of the apparatus 10, the storage tray 654 may be used as a cleaning tray that may be used to clean the brush roller 90 and the interior components of the recovery path of the apparatus 10. Self-cleaning using the storage tray 654 may save a considerable amount of time for the user and may result in more frequent use of the device 10.

The storage tray 654 may optionally be adapted to contain liquid for the purpose of cleaning internal parts of the device 10 and/or receiving liquid that may leak from the device 10 when not in active operation. Tray 654 may have a recessed portion in the form of a receptacle 674 aligned with at least one of suction nozzle 84 or brushroll 90. Alternatively, sump 674 may sealingly receive suction nozzle 84 and brushroll 90, such as by sealingly receiving brushchamber 190. Sump 674 may fluidly isolate or seal suction nozzle 84 and dispenser 178 (fig. 9) within brush chamber 190 to create a closed circuit between the fluid delivery and recovery systems of apparatus 10. The sump 674 may collect excess liquid for eventual withdrawal by the suction nozzle 84. This also serves to flush the recovery path between the suction nozzle 84 and the recovery tank 22 during self-cleaning.

When operation has ceased, the apparatus 10 may be locked vertically and placed in a storage tray 654 for cleaning, as shown, for example, in fig. 43 and 45. By ensuring that the supply tank 20 contains a sufficient amount of cleaning liquid, such as water, the apparatus 10 may be ready for self-cleaning. The user may select the self-cleaning mode via self-cleaning mode input control 40 (fig. 1). In one embodiment, during self-cleaning mode, vacuum motor 98, pump 180, and brush motor 182 (FIG. 2) are activated in a predetermined sequence. Liquid is dispensed to the brushroll 90, at least some of which is collected in the sump 674, the brushroll 90 is rotated, and liquid and debris are drawn off the brushroll 90 and from the storage tray 654 into the recovery path for collection in the recovery tank 22. During the purge cycle, vacuum motor 98, pump 180, and brush motor 182 may be activated individually or simultaneously, and for any predetermined time, including overlapping and non-overlapping times. For example, vacuum motor 98, pump 180, and brush motor 182 may be activated simultaneously. In other embodiments, pump 180 and the brushed motor may be activated for a first predetermined period of time, and vacuum motor 98 may be activated thereafter. Other sequences are possible. The self-cleaning mode may be configured to last a predetermined amount of time or until the cleaning liquid in the supply tank 20 has been exhausted.

Referring to fig. 2 and 44, in the illustrated embodiment, the storage tray 654 serves as a docking station to recharge the battery 45 of the device 10. The storage tray 654 may have a pair of charging contacts 676 and at least one corresponding pair of charging contacts 678 may be provided on the device 10. In the embodiment shown, the tray charging contacts are on the rear side of the tray 654 and the device charging contacts are positioned to automatically engage with the tray charging contacts when the device is docked with the tray 654. Other locations for the charging contacts 676, 678 on the tray 654 and the device 10 are possible. When operation has ceased, the device 10 may be locked vertically and placed in the storage tray 654 to recharge the battery 45, and the charging contacts 676, 678 automatically engage to begin recharging.

The charging contacts 676, 678 may each be fixed or compliant. In the illustrated embodiment, the device charging contacts 678 are fixed and the tray charging contacts 676 are compliant.

A charging unit 680 is disposed on the storage tray 654 and includes charging contacts 676. When the base 14 of the device 10 is docked with the storage tray 654, the charging unit 680 may be electrically coupled with the battery 45. The charging unit 680 may be electrically coupled to a power source, including but not limited to a household power outlet. In one embodiment, a power cord 682 may be coupled with the charging unit 680 to connect the storage tray 654 to a power source, and may include, for example, a wall charger 684 at one end thereof for connection to a household power outlet and a dc connector 686 (fig. 2) at the other end thereof for connection to a dc jack 688 of the charging unit 680. Other types of power connectors are possible.

Referring to fig. 6, a device charging contact 678 may be provided on the lower rear side of the device 10. In one embodiment, the device charging contact 678 may be integrated with the connector assembly 94. The charging contacts may be disposed behind the barrels 120, 122, such as on the lower end 690 of the rear housing 146. An electrical cord 692 connected to the charging contact 678 may extend upwardly within the rear housing 146, may enter the die sleeve 168 through an opening 694 at a lower end thereof, and may be electrically coupled with the battery 45 (fig. 2) to supply power thereto.

The connector assembly 94 and the charging unit 680 of the storage tray 654 may have complementary shapes, with the lower end 690 of the rear housing 146 fitting against the charging unit 680 to help support the device 10 on the storage tray 654. In the illustrated embodiment, the lower end 690 of the rear housing 146 may be just downward and/or outward to space the charging contacts 678 away from the rear wheel 106.

Referring to fig. 44, tray 654 may include an upstanding tower 696 that forms a hood for charging unit 680. The tower 696 may be molded with the tray 654 or otherwise coupled to the tray 654. The tower 696 may have a socket 698 at its upper end 700 that includes charging contacts 676. Within the receptacle 698, the charging contact 676 is recessed relative to the upper end 700 of the tower 696 to protect the charging contact 676. When the device 10 is docked with the tray 654, the lower end 690 of the device 10 may be at least partially received by the socket 698.

The tower 696 extends upwardly from the tray base 656 and may have a height greater than at least one of its lateral dimensions (e.g., width or depth). The tower 696 may be generally perpendicular to the ground upon which the tray 654 rests to provide a backstop against which the device 10 rests, preventing the device 10 from tipping back off the tray 654, but may have a slight rearward or forward angle. The tower 696 may include an angled upper end 700 to complement the rear side of the apparatus 10 that meets the tower 696 when docked with the tray 654. Other shapes for the tower 696 are possible, including shapes that are low in proportion to their lateral dimensions, as well as shapes that are complementary or non-complementary to the portion of the apparatus 10 that meets the tower 696 when docked.

Referring to fig. 47, tray charging contacts 676 may be biased by springs 702 to a neutral position, one embodiment of which is shown in fig. 44, which may correspond to a condition in which device 10 is not docked with tray 654. The bracket 704 may support the contacts 676 within the tower 696 and aligned with the springs 702. Other elements for resiliently mounting the charging contacts 676 are possible. Due to the compliant or resilient mounting, the charging contacts 676 are urged outwardly away from the tower 696 such that the charging contacts 676 protrude through openings 706 provided in the socket 698. The force applied to the charging contact 676, i.e., the docking of the device 10 with the tray 654, causes the charging contact 678 to retract into the socket 698 and move to the contact position, which may establish positive electrical contact between the device charging contact 678 and the tray charging contact 676.

In the neutral position, the charging contact 676 may protrude slightly within the receptacle 698 and may be recessed within the tower 696, depending on the installation within the tower 696 and the biasing force of the spring 702. In the contact position, the charging contact 676 is retracted relative to the tower 696 as compared to the neutral position, but depending on the neutral position and compression of the charging contact 676, may still protrude slightly within the socket 698 or may be flush with the bottom of the socket 698.

In some embodiments, the storage tray 654 may include a device sensing mechanism. For example, by detecting whether the device 10 is disposed on the storage tray 654, power to the tray charging contacts 676 may be turned on or off accordingly.

The device sensing mechanism may be integrated with the charging unit 680 such that the tray charging contacts 676 are powered only when the device 10 is docked. The device sensing mechanism may include an activation switch 708 or be operably coupled with the activation switch 708 that controls the supply of power to the charging contacts 676. The activation switch 708 is operable to open and close and when the activation switch 708 is closed, power is applied to the charging contacts 676. The activation switch 708 may be normally open, i.e., when the device 10 is not docked with the tray 654, such that no power is supplied to the tray charging contacts 676. The activation switch 708 is configured to be actuated, i.e., closed, when the device 10 is docked with the tray 654.

The device sensing mechanism may include various components for detecting when the device 10 is docked and closing the activation switch 708. In one embodiment, the device sensing mechanism may include a mechanical sensing component, such as a movable actuator 710, disposed on the tray 654. When the device 10 is docked (see fig. 45), the actuator 710 is forced to move and the activation switch 708 is closed. In the absence of the device 10 (see fig. 46), the activation switch 708 opens so that power cannot be supplied to the tray charging contacts 676.

Actuator 710 is operable to move between an off position (one embodiment of which is shown in fig. 46) in which actuator 710 is disengaged from switch 708, and an on position (one embodiment of which is shown in fig. 45) in which actuator 710 is engaged with switch 708 to close switch 708. In one embodiment, the actuator 710 may be pivotally supported by the bracket 704, such as by being mounted on a post 712 of the bracket 704 for movement between an on position and an off position. Other suitable mounting arrangements are possible that allow the actuator 710 to move into and out of engagement with the activation switch 708.

Switch actuator 710 may include contact end 714 aligned with switch 708. The contact end 714 may be carried by a pivot arm 716 that is coupled to the post 712 or otherwise pivotally mounted to the bracket 704. The cam end 718 on the switch actuator 710 is configured for engagement with the device 10 when present. The cam end 718 may also be carried by the pivot arm 716 and may be disposed generally opposite the contact end 714.

The rear and underside of the apparatus 10 includes cam actuators 722. Cam actuators 722 may be provided, for example, by the rear and underside of the device 10 itself, as shown in fig. 45. Other configurations of the cam actuator 722 on the device 10 are possible. For example, the cam actuators 722 may be protrusions extending outwardly on the rear and underside of the device 10.

When the device 10 is docked with the tray 654, the cam actuator 722 engages the protruding cam end 718 of the actuator 710, thereby pivoting the actuator 710 counterclockwise as viewed in fig. 45. This action causes contact end 714 to move and engage activation switch 708, thereby powering charging contact 676.

It should be noted that while a cam actuator 710 is shown, the tray 654 may include any suitable mechanical or non-mechanical sensing component that may be configured to provide an input to actuate the switch 708 upon docking of the device 10. For example, in other embodiments, the sensing component may be, for example, an optical switch, a hall effect sensor, or a reed switch that is blocked by the device 10 when docked to indicate that the device 10 is present on the tray 654. The device 10 is also suitably configured to be detected by any of these sensing components.

The switch 708 and switch actuator 710 may be enclosed within a switch housing 724 that includes an opening 726 through which the cam end 718 of the actuator 710 protrudes. The tower 696 includes corresponding openings 728 and when the charging unit 680 is installed within the tower 696, the openings 726, 728 are aligned with one another to protrude the cam end 718 on the actuator 710 outside of the tray 654, such as to a position where the actuator 710 can engage the device 10 when docked.

The cradle 704 may support one or more components of the charging unit 680. As shown in fig. 47, the cradle 704 may support a charging contact 676, a dc jack 688, an activation switch 708, and an actuator 710. In the illustrated embodiment, the switch housing 724 is integrally formed with the bracket 704, and a cover 730 is mounted to the switch housing 724 to enclose the activation switch 708 and the actuator 710. In other embodiments, the switch housing 724 may be formed separately and coupled to the bracket 704 using any suitable coupling method. The bracket 704 may be attached to the tray 654 using any suitable attachment mechanism, such as by using one or more mechanical fasteners or screws, wherein the bracket 704 and the components supported thereon are substantially covered by the tower 696. Other configurations for connecting the components of the charging unit 680 to the tray 654 are possible.

Fig. 48 depicts one embodiment of a self-cleaning method 740 for the apparatus 10 using the storage tray 654. In use, the device 10 is docked 742 with the storage tray 654. The docking may include parking the base 14 on the tray 654 and establishing a closed loop between the fluid delivery and recovery systems of the apparatus 10. For example, the docking may include a sealed brush chamber 190 to establish a sealed clean path between the dispenser 178 and the suction nozzle 84.

At step 744, the battery 45 begins recharging. The device 10 may include battery monitoring circuitry (not shown) for monitoring the status of the battery 45 and battery charging circuitry (not shown) to control recharging of the battery 45. Feedback from the battery monitoring circuit may be used by the controller 42 to optimize the discharge and recharge processes, as well as to display the battery state of charge on the UI 32. When the device 10 is docked with the storage tray 654 and the charging contacts 676, 678 are coupled, the battery charging circuit is active.

At step 746, a purge cycle for the self-cleaning mode of operation is initiated. The controller 42 may initiate a purge cycle based on input from the user, such as by the user pressing the self-cleaning mode input control 40 on the UI 32. When the apparatus 10 is not docked with the storage tray 654, the self-cleaning cycle may be locked by the controller 42 to prevent inadvertent activation of the self-cleaning cycle. If the self-cleaning mode input control 40 is pressed when the device 10 is not docked with the tray 654, the self-cleaning cycle does not begin.

At step 748, battery 45 may cease recharging upon initiation of the self-cleaning cycle, such as upon a user pressing self-cleaning mode input control 40. During a self-cleaning cycle, during which vacuum motor 98, pump 180, and brush motor 182 may be energized, the required power draw may exceed the operating power of wall charger 684, and the self-cleaning cycle is powered by on-board battery 445. Thus, the controller 42 may deactivate or shut off the battery charging circuit during self-cleaning, i.e., the battery 45 is not recharged during self-cleaning.

During a self-cleaning cycle, one or more components of the apparatus 10 are energized and may be powered by the on-board battery 45. The self-cleaning cycle may begin at step 750, where the brushed motor 182 is activated to rotate the brush roller 90. At step 752, pump 180 is activated to deliver cleaning liquid from supply tank 20 to dispenser 178 of spray brush roller 90. The brush roll 90 may be rotated while a cleaning liquid is applied to the brush roll 90 to flush the brush chamber 190 and cleaning lines and wash debris from the brush roll 90. The self-cleaning cycle may use the same cleaning liquid that is typically used by the apparatus 10 to clean surfaces, or may use a different detergent focused on the recovery system of the cleaning apparatus 10.

At step 754, during or after steps 750, 752, the vacuum motor may be actuated to draw liquid through the suction nozzle 84. During extraction, liquid and debris in the tray receptacle 674 can be drawn through the suction nozzle 84 and downstream recovery passages. The flushing action also cleans the entire recovery path of the device 10, including the suction nozzle 84 and downstream conduits.

Although steps 750, 752, 754 are shown as separate steps in fig. 48, it should be noted that steps 750, 752, 754 may occur separately or simultaneously and for any predetermined time, including overlapping and non-overlapping times. For example, vacuum motor 98, pump 180, and brush motor 182 may be activated simultaneously. In other embodiments, pump 180 and the brushed motor may be activated for a first predetermined period of time, and vacuum motor 98 may be activated thereafter. Other sequences are also possible.

At step 756, the self-cleaning cycle ends. The end of the self-cleaning cycle may be time-dependent or may continue until recovery tank 22 is full or supply tank 20 is empty.

For a timed self-cleaning cycle, pump 180, brush motor 182 and vacuum motor 98 are energized and de-energized for a predetermined period of time. Alternatively, the pump 180 or brush motor 182 may be pulsed on/off intermittently so that any debris is flushed from the brush roll 90 and drawn into the recovery tank 22. Alternatively, the brushroll 90 can be rotated at a slower or faster speed for more efficient wetting, debris shedding, and/or spin drying. Near the end of the cycle, pump 180 may be de-energized to end the liquid dispense, while brush motor 182 and vacuum motor 98 may remain energized to continue the draw. This is to ensure that any liquid remaining in the sump 674, on the brushroll 90, or in the recovery path is drawn completely into the recovery tank 22.

After the self-cleaning cycle is completed, battery 45 may resume recharging at step 758. The charging circuit may be enabled to continue recharging the battery 45.

Fig. 49-50 illustrate another embodiment of a tray 654. To improve the cleanability of the tray 654, a removable tray liner 764 may be provided. A tray liner 764 is inserted into the tray 654 and can cover surfaces of the tray 654, such as the tray base 656 and the sump 674, which are exposed to dirt and liquid from the apparatus 10. The tray liner 764 can effectively eliminate or at least substantially reduce the need for a cleaning tray 654. The tray liner 764 may be lifted out of the tray 654, cleaned, and reinserted into the tray 654 for reuse.

The pad 764 may include a pad bottom 766 configured to cover the tray base 656 and a lip 768 configured to at least partially cover the guide wall 658 of the tray 654. The lip 768 may extend at least partially around the perimeter of the pad 764. The rear edge 770 of the liner 764 can extend between the ends of the lip 786.

The liner bottom 766 can include molded features having a shape complementary to features of the tray 654, such as one or more of a complementary front wheel locator 774 for the tray front wheel locator 664, a complementary joint locator 776 for the tray joint locator 666, and a complementary sump 778 for the tray sump 674.

The liner 764 may include a handle 780 to assist in removing the liner 764 from the tray 654. Handles 780 may be provided at opposite sides of the pad 764, e.g., extending downwardly from the lip 768. The tray 654 may include corresponding recesses 782 on its sides to receive the handles 780. Via the handle 780, a user may hold both sides of the pad 764 while lifting the pad 764 away from the tray 654 to ensure that the pad 764 remains substantially horizontal and that any liquid and/or debris collected by the pad 764 does not spill.

In one embodiment, the pad 764 is formed of silicone, rubber, or other elastomeric material and is substantially unitary. The liner 764 may be molded or otherwise formed to have a shape complementary to the tray 654. In another embodiment, the tray liner 764 may be a thermoformed plastic sheet.

Within the scope not yet described, the different features and structures of the various embodiments of the invention may be used in combination with each other as desired or may be used alone. The fact that a surface cleaning apparatus is shown herein as having all of these features does not mean that all of these features must be used in combination, but rather that this is done here for the sake of brevity of description. Further, while the surface cleaning apparatus 10 shown herein has an upright configuration, the surface cleaning apparatus may be configured as a canister surface cleaning apparatus or a hand-held surface cleaning apparatus. For example, in a canister arrangement, foot components such as suction nozzles and brushrolls may be provided on a cleaning head coupled to the canister unit. In a handheld arrangement, the components of the surface cleaning apparatus are provided as a portable unit adapted to be held by a user. Still further, the surface cleaning apparatus may additionally have vapor delivery capabilities. Thus, the various features of the different embodiments may be mixed and matched as desired in various vacuum cleaner configurations to form new embodiments, whether or not the new embodiments are explicitly described.

The foregoing description relates to general and specific embodiments of the present disclosure. However, various modifications and changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and broader aspects of the present disclosure as set forth in the appended claims, which are to be interpreted in accordance with the principles of patent law including the doctrine of equivalents. Thus, the present disclosure is presented for illustrative purposes and should not be construed as an exhaustive description of all embodiments of the disclosure or limiting the scope of the claims to the particular elements shown or described in connection with these embodiments. Any reference to an element in the singular, for example, using the articles "a," "an," "the," or "said" is not to be construed as limiting the element to the singular.

Also, it is to be understood that the appended claims are not limited to the specific compounds, compositions, or methods described in the detailed description, which may vary between specific embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims. With respect to any markush group relied upon herein to describe certain features or aspects of the various embodiments, different, specific and/or unexpected results may be obtained from each member of the corresponding markush group independently of all other markush members. Each member of the markush group may be relied upon individually and/or in combination and provide adequate support for specific embodiments within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A surface cleaning apparatus for cleaning a floor surface comprising:

a housing adapted to move over a surface to be cleaned;

a suction nozzle defining a dirty inlet to the recovery path;

a brush roll on the housing and disposed adjacent to the suction nozzle, the brush roll configured to agitate the surface to be cleaned;

a cover attached to the housing and configured to partially enclose the brush roll;

a latch holding the cover to the housing;

a handle located on the cover adjacent the latch;

A fluid dispenser configured to deliver a cleaning fluid to at least one of the brushroll and the surface to be cleaned; and

a headlamp comprising a light source having at least one light emitting element inside the housing;

wherein the cover includes a light pipe capable of conveying light emitted from the light emitting element to an exterior of the housing, the light pipe having an inlet end aligned with the light source.

2. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the light source comprises a light emitting diode module, wherein the light source comprises a cover positioned in front of and in proximity to the light emitting diode module, wherein the cover is one of optically translucent and optically transparent.

3. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 2 wherein the light source includes a retainer that mounts the light emitting diode module to a light source receiver in the housing and holds the light emitting element in alignment with an opening in the housing, wherein the light emitting diode module is sealed within the retainer by the cover to prevent water ingress.

4. A surface cleaning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the housing and the cover cooperatively define a brush chamber for the brush roller and the light source is disposed over a portion of the housing defining a rear side of the brush chamber to position the light source above and behind the brush roller.

5. The surface cleaning apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the light pipe is a solid structure integrally molded with the shroud;

optionally wherein the cover comprises an upper cover portion secured to a lower cover portion, and the light pipe is a solid structure molded with the upper cover portion.

6. The surface cleaning apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the inlet end includes a prism at a light input location of the hood, the light input location being disposed proximate the light source.

7. The surface cleaning apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the light pipe is elongated laterally along a width of the hood to distribute light across a majority of the width of the hood onto the floor surface.

8. The surface cleaning apparatus of any one of claims 1-7 wherein the light pipe extends from the inlet end to at least one outlet end and the light source is remote from the outlet end, and wherein the light pipe includes at least one bend between the inlet end and the at least one outlet end.

9. The surface cleaning apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein the cover comprises a light transmissive polymeric material and the brushroll is at least partially visible to a user through the cover and the light pipe.

10. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 including an upstanding body and a base coupled with the upstanding body and adapted to move over a surface to be cleaned, the base including the housing and optionally including:

a pump in fluid communication with the fluid dispenser and a brushroll motor coupled to the brushroll to drive the brushroll, wherein the pump and the brushroll motor are mounted in the housing.

11. A surface cleaning apparatus for cleaning a floor surface comprising:

a housing adapted to move over a surface to be cleaned;

a suction nozzle defining a dirty inlet to the recovery path;

wherein the cover comprises a light pipe capable of conveying light emitted from the light emitting element to the exterior of the housing, the light pipe having an inlet end aligned with the light source;

wherein the light pipe extends from the inlet end to a first outlet end and a second outlet end, the first outlet end being disposed proximate to the front of the housing to propagate light along the front of the housing at a first front of the housing, and the second outlet end being disposed proximate to the front of the housing to propagate light along the front of the housing at a second front of the housing.

12. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 11 wherein the hood includes an upper stepped portion defining the first outlet end and a lower stepped portion defining the second outlet end, wherein the upper stepped portion and the lower stepped portion are elongated in a lateral direction that is generally perpendicular to a direction in which the surface cleaning apparatus moves forward over a surface to be cleaned;

optionally wherein the light pipe comprises a first bend disposed between the inlet end and the upper stepped portion and a second bend disposed between the upper stepped portion and the lower stepped portion.

13. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 12 wherein the upper step portion is vertically and horizontally spaced apart from the lower step portion, wherein the upper step portion is disposed farther from the front of the housing than the lower step portion.

14. The surface cleaning apparatus of any one of claims 11-13 wherein the first outlet end has a face disposed at a first angle relative to vertical and the second outlet end has a face disposed at a second angle relative to vertical, wherein the first angle and the second angle are different.

15. The surface cleaning apparatus of any one of claims 11 to 14 including a latch to hold the cover to the housing and a handle on the cover adjacent the latch.

16. The surface cleaning apparatus of any one of claims 11 to 15 wherein the housing and the cover cooperatively define a brush chamber for the brush roller and the light source is disposed over a portion of the housing defining a rear side of the brush chamber to position the light source over and behind the brush roller.

17. A brushroll for a surface cleaning apparatus for cleaning a floor surface, comprising:

A brushroll axis about which the brushroll is rotatable;

at least one stirring element; and

a hollow brush bar supporting the at least one stirring element, the brush bar comprising a cavity at a center of the brush bar at the brush roller axis;

wherein the at least one stirring element comprises at least one of the following:

a plurality of bristles extending from the brush bar; and

microfiber material disposed on the brush bar.

18. The brushroll of claim 17, wherein the plurality of bristles comprises a plurality of nylon bristles and the microfiber material comprises polyester.

19. The brushroll of any one of claims 17 to 18, wherein the cavity extends along the brushroll axis from a first end of the brush bar to a second end of the brush bar, and optionally wherein the cavity extends through the first and second ends of the brush bar such that the first and second ends of the brush bar are open to the cavity.

20. The brushroll of any of claims 17 to 19, wherein the cavity extends at least 50% of the length of the brush bar and has a diameter of at least 50% of the outer diameter of the brushroll.

21. A surface cleaning apparatus for cleaning a floor surface comprising a brushroll according to any one of claims 17 to 20.

22. A brushroll for a surface cleaning apparatus for cleaning a floor surface, comprising:

a brushroll axis about which the brushroll is rotatable;

at least one stirring element;

a first end cap at a first end of the brush bar, the first end cap configured to couple with a drive assembly of a surface cleaning apparatus, wherein the brush bar is rotatable with the first end cap.

23. The brushroll of claim 22, comprising a ferrule on the first end of the brush bar, wherein the first end cap is inserted into the cavity of the brush bar through the ferrule.

24. The brushroll of any one of claims 22 to 23, comprising a washer between the first end cap and the brush bar.

25. The brushroll of any one of claims 22 to 24, comprising an end assembly at a second end of the brushroll, the end assembly configured to rotatably support the brushroll in a surface cleaning apparatus, wherein the end assembly includes a stub shaft extending from the second end of the brushroll and a bearing having an inner ring press-fit on the stub shaft and an outer ring secured in a second end cap, optionally including a brushroll removal handle extending from the second end cap.

26. A surface cleaning apparatus for cleaning a floor surface comprising a brushroll according to any one of claims 22 to 25.

27. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

a housing;

a brush roll on the housing to agitate a surface to be cleaned;

a fluid dispenser for delivering a cleaning fluid to at least one of the brushroll and the surface to be cleaned;

a suction nozzle defining a dirty inlet to a recovery passageway and including a mouth guard removably attached to the housing to partially enclose the brushroll;

a headlight for illuminating the surface to be cleaned;

a sensing part for sensing whether the mouth cover is attached to the housing; and

a headlight power switch operable to close and power the headlight when the mouth piece is attached to the housing, and operable to open when the mouth piece is removed from the housing;

wherein the headlamp power switch deactivates the headlamp when the sensing member senses that the mouth cover is separated from the housing.

28. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 27 wherein:

the housing includes a magnet, and

when the mouth cover is attached to the housing, the sensing means detects the magnet,

Optionally wherein the headlamp power switch comprises the sensing component, and wherein the headlamp power switch is closed when the magnet is present and open when the magnet is not present.

29. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 27 wherein the sensing component is a hall effect sensor disposed on one of the mouth guard and the housing and a magnet is positioned on the other of the mouth guard and the base housing at a location detected by the hall effect sensor when the mouth guard is attached to the housing.

30. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 27 wherein the headlamp includes a light source that is covered by the mouth guard when the mouth guard is attached to the housing and that is exposed when the mouth guard is removed from the housing, and wherein the headlamp power switch is coupled with the light source of the headlamp;

optionally wherein the headlamp comprises a light pipe configured to communicate light emitted from the light source to an exterior of the housing, optionally wherein the mouth piece comprises the light pipe.

31. The surface cleaning apparatus of any one of claims 27 to 30 comprising a user interface and a printed circuit board electrically coupled with the headlight and the sensing component, wherein when the sensing component senses that the hood is separated from the housing, the sensing component sends a signal to the printed circuit board and the user interface issues a status update of the hood missing.

32. The surface cleaning apparatus of any one of claims 27 to 31 comprising:

a brush roller motor coupled with the brush roller to drive the brush roller; and

a brushroll motor switch operable to close and power the brushroll motor when the mouth piece is attached to the housing and operable to open when the mouth piece is removed from the housing.

33. The surface cleaning apparatus of any one of claims 27 to 32 including a battery for powering the headlamp.

34. The surface cleaning apparatus of any one of claims 27 to 33 including a latch to hold the mouth cover to the housing and a handle on the cover adjacent the latch.

35. The surface cleaning apparatus of any one of claims 27 to 34 wherein the mouth cover comprises a light transmissive polymeric material and the brushroll is at least partially visible to a user through the mouth cover.

36. The surface cleaning apparatus of any one of claims 27 to 35 comprising:

a recovery system comprising the suction nozzle, a suction source in fluid communication with the suction nozzle, a recovery tank, and a clean air outlet; and

a fluid delivery system comprising a supply tank and a fluid dispenser,

Optionally comprising:

a pump in fluid communication with the fluid dispenser; and

a brush roller motor coupled with the brush roller to drive the brush roller;

wherein the pump and the brushroll motor are mounted in the housing.

37. The surface cleaning apparatus of any one of claims 27 to 36 comprising an upstanding body and a base coupled with the upstanding body and adapted to move over the surface to be cleaned, the base comprising the housing, optionally wherein the mouth cover wraps around and in front of the brush roller to define a front portion of the base at an outer side of the brush roller.

38. A surface cleaning apparatus for cleaning a floor surface comprising:

a base adapted to move over a surface to be cleaned and comprising:

a suction nozzle defining a dirty inlet to the recovery path;

a brush roll positioned on the base to agitate a surface to be cleaned;

a fluid dispenser for delivering a cleaning fluid to at least one of the brushroll and the surface to be cleaned; and

a headlight for illuminating the surface to be cleaned, the headlight being capable of emitting light of at least a first color and a second color; and

an upstanding body pivotally mounted to the base and comprising:

A handle;

a power input control for turning the surface cleaning apparatus on and off; and

an actuator for controlling delivery of cleaning fluid from the fluid dispenser;

a controller located on one of the base and the upstanding body, the controller being operable to:

when the power input control is pressed to turn on the surface cleaning apparatus, turning on the headlight to emit light of a first color; and is also provided with

The headlamp is controlled to emit light of a second color when the actuator is pressed to deliver cleaning fluid from the fluid dispenser.

39. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 38 wherein the controller is operable to control the headlight to emit light of the first color when the actuator is released to stop delivery of cleaning fluid from the fluid dispenser.

40. The surface cleaning apparatus of any one of claims 38 to 39 wherein the actuator comprises a trigger on a grip of the handle, and optionally wherein the power input control comprises a button on the handle.

41. The surface cleaning apparatus of any one of claims 38 to 40 wherein the headlamp is configured to emit light of a first state when the power input control is pressed to turn on the surface cleaning apparatus and emit light of a second state when the actuator is pressed to deliver cleaning fluid from the fluid dispenser.

42. The surface cleaning apparatus of any one of claims 38 to 41 wherein the first state is a steady state and the second state is an active state.

43. The surface cleaning apparatus of any one of claims 38 to 42 wherein the headlamp comprises a light emitting diode module having a plurality of LED chips including at least one white LED chip and at least one non-white LED chip;

optionally wherein the controller is operable to:

powering the at least one white LED chip when the power input control is pressed to turn on the surface cleaning apparatus; and is also provided with

The at least one non-white LED chip is powered when the actuator is pressed to deliver cleaning fluid from the fluid dispenser.

44. The surface cleaning apparatus of any one of claims 38-43 wherein the headlamp comprises a light source inside the base and the base comprises a light pipe configured to transmit a portion of light emitted by the light source to an area outside the base.

45. The surface cleaning apparatus of any one of claims 38 to 44 comprising:

A pump in fluid communication with the fluid dispenser; and

a brush roller motor coupled with the brush roller to drive the brush roller;

wherein the pump and the brushroll motor are mounted in the base.

46. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

a base adapted to move over a surface to be cleaned and comprising:

a suction nozzle defining a dirty inlet to the recovery path;

a brush roll positioned on the base to agitate a surface to be cleaned;

a light source inside the base housing and positioned to emit light inside the base, the light source capable of emitting light of at least a first color and a second color; and

a light pipe configured to transmit a portion of light emitted by the light source to an area outside the base; and

an upstanding body pivotally mounted to the base and comprising:

a handle;

When the power input control is pressed to turn on the surface cleaning apparatus, turning on the light source to emit a first color of light, wherein the first color of light is transmitted through the light pipe to an area outside the base; and is also provided with

When the actuator is depressed to deliver cleaning fluid from the fluid dispenser, the light source is controlled to emit light of a second color, wherein the light of the second color is transmitted through the light pipe to an area outside the base.

47. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 46 wherein:

the base includes a base housing and a cover attached to the base housing, the brushroll being partially enclosed by the cover; and is also provided with

The shroud includes the light pipe;

optionally wherein the light pipe is a solid structure integrally molded with the shroud.

48. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 47 wherein the light pipe is elongated laterally along the width of the cover to distribute light over a majority of the width of the cover onto the surface to be cleaned.

49. The surface cleaning apparatus of any one of claims 46 to 48 wherein the controller is operable to control the light source to emit the first colour of light when the actuator is released to stop delivery of cleaning fluid from the fluid dispenser, optionally wherein the power input control comprises a button on the handle and the actuator comprises a trigger on the handle of the handle.

50. The surface cleaning apparatus of any one of claims 46 to 49 wherein the light source is configured to emit light of a first state when the power input control is pressed to turn on the surface cleaning apparatus and to emit light of a second state when the actuator is pressed to deliver cleaning fluid from the fluid dispenser, optionally wherein the first state is a steady state and the second state is an active state.

51. The surface cleaning apparatus of any one of claims 46-50 wherein the light source comprises a light emitting diode module having a plurality of LED chips including at least one white LED chip and at least one non-white LED chip, wherein the controller is operable to:

52. The surface cleaning apparatus of any one of claims 46 to 51 comprising:

a pump in fluid communication with the fluid dispenser; and

A brush roller motor coupled with the brush roller to drive the brush roller;

wherein the pump and the brushroll motor are mounted in the base.