Floor cleaner

Abstract

A floor cleaner including a body pivotally coupled to a base, the body pivotable relative to the base about a first axis that is offset from a brushroll axis between an upright storage position and an inclined operating position. The body also pivotable relative to the base about a second axis to steer the base as the base moves over a surface. The floor cleaner further includes a link that connects the body to the base, the link coupled to the base to form the first axis and the link coupled to the body to form the second axis. The floor cleaner further includes a recovery tank and a supply tank.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A floor cleaner comprising:
 a vacuum source;   a base movable over a surface to be cleaned, the base including a distribution nozzle and a brushroll that rotates about a brushroll axis and the base further including a suction inlet in fluid communication with the vacuum source;   a body pivotally coupled to the base, the body pivotable relative to the base about a first axis that is offset from the brushroll axis, the body pivotable about the first axis between an upright storage position and an inclined operating position, the body also pivotable relative to the base about a second axis to steer the base as the base moves over the surface to be cleaned;   a link that connects the body to the base, the link coupled to the base to form the first axis and the link coupled to the body to form the second axis;   a supply tank configured to store a cleaning fluid, the supply tank in fluid communication with the distribution nozzle; and   a recovery tank configured to store the cleaning fluid drawn through the suction inlet from the surface by the vacuum source.   
     
     
         2 . The floor cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the link includes a yoke. 
     
     
         3 . The floor cleaner of  claim 2 , wherein the yoke defines an opening, the floor cleaner further comprising a suction conduit that provides fluid communication between the suction inlet and the recovery tank, wherein the suction conduit passes through the opening of the yoke. 
     
     
         4 . The floor cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the supply tank is coupled to the body for pivotal movement with the body relative to the base, the floor cleaner further comprising a conduit that fluidly couples the supply tank and the distribution nozzle, wherein the conduit extends through the link. 
     
     
         5 . The floor cleaner of  claim 4 , wherein the link is divided into a first chamber and a second chamber, and wherein the conduit extends through the first chamber. 
     
     
         6 . The floor cleaner of  claim 4 , the floor cleaner further comprising an electrical connection between the body and the base, wherein the electrical connection extends through the second chamber. 
     
     
         7 . The floor cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the base includes a wheel defining a wheel axis configured to roll along the surface, wherein the first axis extends along the wheel axis. 
     
     
         8 . The floor cleaner of  claim 1 , further comprising a front side, the suction inlet adjacent the front side, and a back side opposite the front side, wherein the second axis extends in a direction from the back side to the front side. 
     
     
         9 . The floor cleaner of  claim 8 , wherein the first axis is perpendicular to the second axis. 
     
     
         10 . The floor cleaner of  claim 8 , further comprising a left side normal to the front side and the back side and a right side opposite the left side and normal to the front side and the back side, wherein the body pivots about the second axis to move the body relative to the base in a first direction toward the right side and in a second direction toward the left side. 
     
     
         11 . The floor cleaner of  claim 10 , wherein the body and the link are configured to limit the movement in the first direction to between 15 and 50 degrees rotation and to limit movement in the second direction to between 15 and 50 degrees rotation. 
     
     
         12 . The floor cleaner of  claim 10 , wherein the recovery tank includes
 a tank body having a lower end wall and a sidewall that extends upwardly from the lower end wall,   an inlet duct that extends upwardly from the lower end wall,   a suction air outlet, and   a shutoff float including a float body and a closure, wherein the float body is configured to float on a surface of the cleaning fluid and the closure is received in the suction air outlet to close the suction air outlet when the surface of the cleaning fluid exceeds a desired level.   
     
     
         13 . The floor cleaner of  claim 12 , wherein the float body includes an aperture extending through the float body, and wherein the float body aperture surrounds at least a portion of the inlet duct and moves along the inlet duct as the float body floats on the surface of the cleaning fluid in the recovery tank. 
     
     
         14 . The floor cleaner of  claim 12 , the recovery tank further comprising a cover housing the suction air outlet and a filter, wherein the filter media includes a water repellant coating. 
     
     
         15 . The floor cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the first axis is parallel to the brushroll axis and the second axis is perpendicular to the first axis and the brushroll axis. 
     
     
         16 . The floor cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the second axis is inclined relative to the surface when the body is in the upright storage position. 
     
     
         17 . The floor cleaner of  claim 10 , wherein the second axis is at an acute angle relative to the surface when the body is in the upright storage position. 
     
     
         18 . The floor cleaner of  claim 1 , further comprising,
 a handle that extends from the body, the handle configured to pivot the body between the upright storage position and the inclined operating position and the handle configured to rotate the body about the second axis;   an upper end, the handle adjacent the upper end;   a lower end opposite the upper end, the base adjacent the lower end;   a front side, the suction inlet adjacent the front side;   a back side opposition the front side; and   a battery that powers the vacuum source, the battery adjacent the back side;   wherein the vacuum source is a motor.   
     
     
         19 . The floor cleaner of  claim 18 , wherein the motor is between the recovery tank and the battery in a direction from the lower end to the upper end. 
     
     
         20 . The floor cleaner of  claim 18 , wherein the battery is between the motor and the supply tank in a direction from the front side to the back side. 
     
     
         21 . The floor cleaner of  claim 18 , wherein the battery is between the handle and the supply tank in a direction from the front side to the back side. 
     
     
         22 . The floor cleaner of  claim 18 , wherein the battery is closer to the upper end than the recovery tank and the supply tank in a direction from the upper end to the lower end. 
     
     
         23 . The floor cleaner of  claim 18 , wherein the handle is adjacent the front side. 
     
     
         24 . The floor cleaner of  claim 23 , wherein the battery is between the motor and the supply tank in a direction from the front side to the back side. 
     
     
         25 . The floor cleaner of  claim 18 , wherein the battery, the supply tank, the recovery tank, and the vacuum source are coupled to the body for pivotal movement with the body relative to the base.