Surface cleaning apparatus and tray

Abstract

A surface cleaning apparatus adapted for movement across a surface to be cleaned. The surface cleaning apparatus can dock within a storage tray and charge a power supply. Electrical contacts on the surface cleaning apparatus and the storage tray can be shielded when the surface cleaning apparatus is not docked within the storage tray. Furthermore, the storage tray can include a reservoir for a self-cleaning mode.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A surface cleaning apparatus, comprising:
 a housing including an upright assembly with a battery housing and a handle, and a base assembly moveably mounted to the upright assembly via a joint assembly, the base assembly including a nozzle assembly selectively coupled to the base assembly, the nozzle assembly comprising a suction nozzle;   a recovery system comprising the suction nozzle, a suction source in fluid communication with the suction nozzle for generating a working air stream, and a recovery tank that is selectively removable from the upright assembly;   a brushroll provided with the base assembly, the brushroll removable from the base assembly, when the brushroll is provided with the based assembly, the brushroll is rotatable about a brushroll axis;   a brushroll motor provided in the base assembly and operably coupled to the brushroll, the brushroll motor adapted to provide a driving force to rotate the brushroll about the brushroll axis;   a fluid delivery system comprising a supply tank that is selectively removable from the upright assembly, a pump, and at least one fluid distributor, the at least one fluid distributor provided on the base assembly;   a rechargeable battery selectively receivable within the battery housing such that it is located vertically lower than at least one of the supply tank or the recovery tank, the rechargeable battery configured to selectively supply power to the suction source, the pump, and the brushroll motor; and   at least one charging contact provided on an exterior of the battery housing.   
     
     
         2 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the battery housing includes a socket containing the at least one charging contact and the socket is provided at a lower end of the battery housing. 
     
     
         3 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the recovery tank comprises:
 a recovery container forming a collection chamber for the recovery system, the recovery container defining an open top; 
 a tank inlet formed at a lower end of the recovery container; 
 a hollow standpipe extending upwardly from the tank inlet and comprising a pipe outlet at an upper end thereof; 
 a lid assembly sized for receipt on the recovery container and at least partially enclosing the open top, the lid assembly including an air outlet of the recovery tank and supporting a filter at the air outlet; and 
 a strainer assembly including a plurality of apertures, the strainer assembly having a portion that mounts to the hollow standpipe. 
 
     
     
         4 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 3 , further comprising a latch assembly provided on a forward side of the lid assembly, the latch assembly including a latch body biased via a spring toward a latched position wherein a protrusion of the latch body is received in a recess of the upright assembly. 
     
     
         5 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 4  wherein the latch body includes an integral latch button adapted to be pressed by a user to move the protrusion out of the recess and the integral latch button is held within a bracket and wherein the integral latch button is accessible via an aperture on a front side of the lid assembly. 
     
     
         6 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 5  wherein a hand grip integral with a wall of the recovery container is provided below the latch assembly and the filter comprises a pleated filter supported by the lid assembly and wherein the latch assembly is forward of pleated filter. 
     
     
         7 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 3 , further comprising a shut-off valve adapted to interrupt suction via the air outlet in the lid assembly when fluid in the recovery container reaches a predetermined level. 
     
     
         8 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the handle comprises a handle pipe having a lower end received in a main support section of the upright assembly, the recovery tank is below the supply tank and the suction source is provided on the upright assembly and the recovery tank is below the suction source. 
     
     
         9 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a human-machine interface on the handle and comprising at least one input control; and   a status user interface adapted to communicate a condition or status of the surface cleaning apparatus to a user.   
     
     
         10 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 9  wherein the handle comprises a hand grip, and the at least one input control comprises a power input control on the hand grip and wherein the at least one input control is adapted to controls a supply of power to one or more electrical components and a cleaning mode input control on the hand grip adapted to select at least one mode of operation. 
     
     
         11 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 10 , further comprising a fluid dispenser actuator located on the hand grip and operably coupled to the fluid delivery system to control a dispensing of fluid. 
     
     
         12 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the status user interface comprises a display, the display including multiple status indicators including a battery status and a self-cleaning status. 
     
     
         13 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a self-cleaning mode input control; and   a controller adapted to receive a signal from the self-cleaning mode input control and control the operation of the fluid delivery system and recovery system, wherein the controller is configured to execute an automatic cleanout cycle for the self-cleaning mode of operation upon actuation of the self-cleaning mode input control.   
     
     
         14 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the joint assembly couples the upright assembly to the base assembly for movement about at least two axes relative to the base assembly. 
     
     
         15 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 14  wherein the suction nozzle is in fluid communication with the recovery tank through a conduit, wherein the conduit passes through the joint assembly and is flexible to accommodate movement of the joint assembly about the at least two axes. 
     
     
         16 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 15  wherein the recovery tank is provided below the supply tank and is removably mounted at a front of the upright assembly, the recovery tank having a tank inlet at a lower end thereof that is configured to align with the conduit to establish fluid communication between the base assembly and the recovery tank. 
     
     
         17 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the upright assembly comprises:
 a first tank receiver for receiving the supply tank, the supply tank having an externally-facing surface which forms a first external surface of the surface cleaning apparatus when the supply tank is seated in the first tank receiver; and 
 a second tank receiver for receiving the recovery tank, the recovery tank having an externally-facing surface which forms a second external surface of the surface cleaning apparatus when the recovery tank is seated in the second tank receiver, and the recovery tank has an integral hand grip provided on the externally-facing surface thereof 
 
     
     
         18 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first wiper configured to interface with a portion of the brushroll; and   a second wiper mounted to the base assembly behind the brushroll and configured to at least selectively contact a surface to be cleaned as the base assembly moves across the surface to be cleaned in an on operational position.   
     
     
         19 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a nozzle latch releasably securing the nozzle assembly to the base assembly, wherein the nozzle latch is selectively received in a latch receiver on the base assembly and biased to a latched position. 
     
     
         20 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the brushroll comprises a dowel defining a first distal end and a second distal end and further comprising a protruding member located at the first distal end and operably coupled to the dowel and freely rotatable about the brushroll axis, the protruding member receivable within a mating portion of the base assembly to mount the brushroll to the base assembly.