Surface cleaning apparatus having a spray bar assembly

Abstract

A cleaning apparatus includes a housing, a base operably coupled to the housing, a supply tank, and a spray bar assembly in fluid communication with the supply tank. The spray bar assembly includes a cover that defines a protrusion and a body coupled to the cover. The body includes a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet each in fluid communication with an interior. A first reservoir is defined within the interior. The first reservoir is disposed between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet. The protrusion is disposed within the first reservoir to reduce a volume capacity of the first reservoir. A second reservoir is defined within the interior proximate to the first reservoir. A fluid flow path through the spray bar assembly is defined from the fluid inlet, through the first reservoir and the second reservoir, and through the fluid outlet.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A cleaning apparatus, comprising:
 a housing;   a base operably coupled to the housing and configured to engage a surface to be cleaned;   a supply tank; and   a spray bar assembly in fluid communication with the supply tank, wherein the spray bar assembly includes a cover defining at least one protrusion and a body coupled to the cover, and wherein the body comprises:
 at least one fluid inlet in fluid communication with an interior; 
 at least one fluid outlet in fluid communication with the interior; 
 a first reservoir defined within the interior, wherein the first reservoir is disposed between the at least one fluid inlet and the at least one fluid outlet, and wherein the at least one protrusion is disposed within the first reservoir to reduce a volume capacity of the first reservoir; and 
 a second reservoir defined within the interior proximate to the first reservoir, wherein a fluid flow path through the spray bar assembly is defined from the at least one fluid inlet, through the first reservoir and the second reservoir, and through the at least one fluid outlet. 
   
     
     
         2 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the body further comprises:
 a dividing wall within the interior to separate the first reservoir from the second reservoir, and wherein an elongate opening is defined between the cover and the dividing wall, and further wherein the fluid flow path through the spray bar assembly is defined around the at least one protrusion in the first reservoir and through the elongate opening to the second reservoir.   
     
     
         3 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the body further comprises:
 a third reservoir within the interior, wherein the third reservoir is disposed between the first reservoir and the second reservoir.   
     
     
         4 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the body further comprises:
 a dividing wall within the interior to separate the first reservoir from the third reservoir, and wherein an elongate opening is defined between the cover and the dividing wall; and   a grooved wall disposed within the interior to separate the third reservoir from the second reservoir, wherein the grooved wall defines grooves spaced along a length thereof.   
     
     
         5 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the grooved wall defines a first height within each groove and a second height between adjacent grooves, the second height being greater than the first height to promote fluid flowing through the grooves to the second reservoir, and wherein the fluid flow path through the spray bar assembly is defined around the at least one protrusion in the first reservoir, through the elongate opening between the dividing wall and the cover to the third reservoir, along the grooves of the grooved wall, and into the second reservoir to the at least one fluid outlet. 
     
     
         6 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one fluid inlet includes multiple fluid inlets. 
     
     
         7 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a suction assembly; and   a nozzle assembly defining an inlet in fluid communication with the suction assembly for generating a vacuum effect, and wherein the cover is integrally formed with the nozzle assembly.   
     
     
         8 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an agitator assembly including a brushroll cover, wherein the cover of the spray bar assembly is integrally formed with the brushroll cover.   
     
     
         9 . A cleaning apparatus, comprising:
 a housing;   a supply tank;   a spray bar assembly in fluid communication with the supply tank, wherein the spray bar assembly includes a cover and a body coupled to the cover, the body comprising:
 first and second fluid inlets in fluid communication with an interior of the body; 
 fluid outlets in fluid communication with the interior; 
 a first reservoir within the interior, wherein fluid is configured to be directed from the first and second fluid inlets into the first reservoir; 
 a second reservoir within the interior proximate to the first reservoir, wherein the fluid is configured to be directed through the second reservoir to be dispensed via the fluid outlets to an adjacent surface; 
 a dividing wall separating the first reservoir from the second reservoir, wherein at least one opening is defined between the dividing wall and the cover to allow fluid communication between the first reservoir and the second reservoir; and 
 a plurality of rib walls disposed within the first reservoir and configured to disperse the fluid received from the first and second fluid inlets as the fluid flows through the first reservoir to the second reservoir. 
   
     
     
         10 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of rib walls is arranged in a first grouping aligned with the first fluid inlet and a second grouping aligned with the second fluid inlet. 
     
     
         11 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of rib walls in each grouping are arranged at different tiers between the first and second fluid inlets and the dividing wall, and wherein the rib walls at each tier have a different length. 
     
     
         12 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the body further comprises:
 a third reservoir between the first reservoir and the second reservoir.   
     
     
         13 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the body further comprises:
 a grooved wall defining grooves spaced along a length thereof to promote fluid flow along the grooves, wherein the first reservoir is separated from the third reservoir by the dividing wall, and wherein the third reservoir is separated from the second reservoir by the grooved wall.   
     
     
         14 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein a flow path for the fluid through the interior is defined from the first fluid inlet and the second fluid inlet, through the first reservoir about the rib walls, along the dividing wall and into the third reservoir, along the grooves of the grooved wall, and into the second reservoir to the fluid outlets. 
     
     
         15 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of rib walls extends from a bottom surface of the first reservoir. 
     
     
         16 . A spray bar assembly for a cleaning apparatus, comprising:
 a cover defining an elongate protrusion extending along a length thereof; and   a body defining an interior and coupled to the cover, wherein the body comprises:
 at least one fluid inlet; 
 fluid outlets in fluid communication with the at least one fluid inlet; 
 a first reservoir and a second reservoir extending a length of the interior of the body, wherein the elongate protrusion is disposed in the first reservoir; and 
 a dividing wall separating the first reservoir from the second reservoir, wherein an elongate opening is defined between the dividing wall and the cover, and wherein a flow path through the interior of the body is defined from the at least one fluid inlet, through the first reservoir, through the elongate opening between the dividing wall and the cover, and into the second reservoir to the fluid outlets. 
   
     
     
         17 . The spray bar assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the elongate protrusion extends along the length of the interior from a first end of the body to a second end of the body. 
     
     
         18 . The spray bar assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the fluid outlets are defined in a bottom of the second reservoir to dispense fluid to a surface to be cleaned. 
     
     
         19 . The spray bar assembly of  claim 16 , wherein a width of the elongate protrusion is at least half a width of the first reservoir to reduce a volume capacity of the first reservoir. 
     
     
         20 . The spray bar assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the body further comprises:
 a third reservoir between the first and second reservoirs; and   a grooved wall within the interior, wherein the third reservoir is separated from the first reservoir by the dividing wall and separated from the second reservoir by the grooved wall.