Surface cleaning apparatus with lighting

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a surface cleaning apparatus that includes an illumination system having lighting to illuminate a floor surface or other area being cleaned. The lighting for the illumination system includes a plurality of lights, light sources, and/or lighting zones disposed around a housing of the apparatus. The illumination system varying a color or temperature of the light. Methods for operating the illumination system are also provided.

1 . A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:
 a cleaning base adapted for movement over a surface to be cleaned;   at least one of a fluid delivery system, a recovery system, or combinations thereof;   a low beam headlight comprising at least one light source configured to emit visible light from the cleaning base towards a region on the surface to be cleaned in front of the cleaning base; and   a high beam headlight comprising at least one light source configured to emit visible light from the cleaning base towards a region on the surface to be cleaned in front of the cleaning base;   wherein the low beam headlight emits visible light at a first color temperature and the high beam headlight emits visible light in a second color temperature that is higher than the first color temperature.   
     
     
         2 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the low beam headlight is configured to emit visible light from the cleaning base to produce a first illuminated zone on the surface to be cleaned;   the high beam headlight is configured to emit visible light from the cleaning base to produce a second illuminated zone on the surface to be cleaned;   the first illuminated zone originates from the cleaning base at a first height from the surface to be cleaned; and   the second illuminated zone originates from the cleaning base at a second height from the surface to be cleaned that is greater than the first height.   
     
     
         3 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 2  wherein the second illuminated zone is at least partially overlapped by the first illuminated zone on the surface to be cleaned. 
     
     
         4 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , comprising an upright body pivotally mounted to the cleaning base, the upright body comprising a handle, wherein the cleaning base comprises the low beam headlight and the high beam headlight, wherein the high beam headlight is disposed above the low beam headlight on the cleaning base. 
     
     
         5 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the low beam headlight and the high beam headlight are positioned at a height of 10 mm to 40 mm from the surface to be cleaned. 
     
     
         6 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the low beam headlight is positioned at a height of 10 mm to 40 mm from the surface to be cleaned and the high beam headlight is positioned at a height of 20 mm to 50 mm from the surface to be cleaned. 
     
     
         7 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the low beam headlight is positioned at a first height from the surface to be cleaned and the high beam headlight is positioned at a second height from the surface to be cleaned that is greater than the first height, wherein the second height is 15 mm to 20 mm. 
     
     
         8 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the cleaning base comprises a base housing, a brushroll, and a removable cover at least partially defining a brushroll chamber for the brushroll, wherein the removable cover is removably mounted to the base housing. 
     
     
         9 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein at least one of the low beam headlight and the high beam headlight comprises:
 a headlight cover; and   a plurality of light sources positioned behind the headlight cover; and   wherein the headlight cover is formed by a portion of the removable cover.   
     
     
         10 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein at least one of the low beam headlight and the high beam headlight comprises:
 a headlight cover; and   a plurality of light sources positioned behind the headlight cover; and   wherein the headlight cover is integrated with the base housing whereby the removable cover is removable from the base housing without removing the headlight cover.   
     
     
         11 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the low beam headlight and the high beam headlight comprises:
 a plurality of light sources internal to the cleaning base; and   a light pipe conveying light emitted from the plurality of light sources to an exterior of the cleaning base, wherein the light pipe has a light emitting surface disposed proximate an outer portion of the cleaning base, with the light emitting surface configured to emit light outward from the cleaning base.   
     
     
         12 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of light sources are coupled to a printed circuit board. 
     
     
         13 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the low beam headlight and the high beam headlight comprises a plurality of light sources coupled to a printed circuit board. 
     
     
         14 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 1  comprising a controller configured to illuminate the low beam headlight without illuminating the high beam headlight, illuminate the high beam headlight without illuminating the low beam headlight, or illuminate the low beam and high beam headlights at the same time. 
     
     
         15 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 14  comprising a sensor configured to generate sensor data during operation of the surface cleaning apparatus, wherein the controller is configured to process the sensor data generated by the sensor to illuminate the high beam headlight. 
     
     
         16 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 1  comprising:
 a user interface through which a user can interact with the apparatus; and 
 a controller, wherein the controller is configured to illuminate the low beam headlight without illuminating the high beam headlight by default when the surface cleaning apparatus is powered on, and to illuminate the high beam headlight upon receiving a user input through the user interface. 
 
     
     
         17 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 16  comprising a carpet cleaning mode selectable through the user interface, wherein the controller is configured to illuminate the high beam headlight during the carpet cleaning mode. 
     
     
         18 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 1  comprising:
 a floor type sensor configured to generate sensor data during operation of the surface cleaning apparatus; and 
 a controller configured to process the sensor data generated by the floor type sensor to identify, based on the sensor data, a floor type comprising one of hard floor and carpet; 
 wherein the controller is configured to power the high beam headlight in response to an identification of the floor type as carpet; and 
 wherein the controller is configured to not power the high beam headlight in response to an identification of the floor type as hard floor. 
 
     
     
         19 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first color temperature corresponds to a warm white light appearance and the second color temperature corresponds to a cool white light appearance. 
     
     
         20 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first color temperature and the second color temperature differ by at least 1000 k. 
     
     
         21 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first color temperature is approximately 4000 k-5000 k for a warm white light appearance and the second color temperature is approximately 6000 k-7000 k for a cool white light appearance. 
     
     
         22 . A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:
 a cleaning base adapted for movement over a surface to be cleaned;   at least one of a fluid delivery system, a recovery system, or combinations thereof; and   a headlight assembly with multi-level headlights for illuminating a surface to be cleaned, the headlight assembly comprising:
 a low beam headlight configured to emit visible light from the cleaning base towards a region on the surface to be cleaned in front of the cleaning base at a first color temperature that provides a warm white light appearance; and 
 a high beam headlight configured to emit visible light from the cleaning base towards a region on the surface to be cleaned in front of the cleaning base at a second color temperature that is higher than the first color temperature and that provides a cool white light appearance. 
   
     
     
         23 . A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:
 at least one of a fluid delivery system, a recovery system, or combinations thereof;   a cleaning base adapted for movement over a surface to be cleaned, the cleaning base comprising:
 a low beam headlight configured to emit visible light towards a region on the surface to be cleaned in front of the cleaning base at a first color temperature; and 
 a high beam headlight configured to emit visible light towards a region on the surface to be cleaned in front of the cleaning base at a second color temperature that is higher than the first color temperature; 
   a floor type sensor configured to generate sensor data during operation of the surface cleaning apparatus; and   a controller configured to process the sensor data generated by the floor type sensor to identify, based on the sensor data, a floor type comprising one of hard floor and carpet;   wherein the controller is configured to transmit a first headlight control signal to emit visible light from the low beam headlight and not the high beam headlight in response to the floor type being identified as hard floor; and   wherein the controller is configured to transmit a second headlight control signal to emit visible light from the low beam headlight and the high beam headlight in response to the floor type being identified as carpet.   
     
     
         24 . A method for illuminating a floor surface based on floor type with a surface cleaning apparatus comprising a cleaning base adapted for movement over a surface to be cleaned and having a low beam headlight and a high beam headlight, the method comprising:
 detecting a floor type under the cleaning base;   identifying the detected floor type as one of hard floor and carpet;   transmitting a first headlight control signal to power the low beam headlight in response to identifying the floor type as hard floor; and   transmitting a second headlight control signal to power the low beam headlight and power the high beam headlight in response to identifying the floor type as carpet.