Cleaning apparatus with multi-input relief valve control

Abstract

A cleaning apparatus includes a base, a body assembly, and a tank assembly for collecting debris material from working air. A suction assembly is in fluid communication with a suction inlet and includes a suction source to generate a vacuum effect at the suction inlet. An airflow path for the working air is defined from the suction inlet, through the tank assembly, and the suction assembly. A sensor is configured to sense a condition of the cleaning apparatus. A relief valve is disposed along the airflow path. A controller is communicatively coupled with the relief valve and the sensor. The controller is configured to send an activation signal to open the relief valve when the condition is sensed at a predefined level compared to a baseline level for a predefined period of time.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A cleaning apparatus, comprising:
 a base configured to engage an underlying surface;   a body assembly;   a tank assembly for collecting debris material from working air;   a suction assembly in fluid communication with a suction inlet, wherein the suction assembly includes a suction source configured to generate a vacuum effect at the suction inlet, and wherein an airflow path for the working air is defined from the suction inlet, through the tank assembly, and through the suction assembly;   a sensor configured to sense a condition of said cleaning apparatus to provide a sensed value;   a relief valve disposed along the airflow path, wherein the relief valve is operable between an opened state to allow cooling air into the airflow path at a location separate from the suction inlet and a closed state; and   a controller communicatively coupled with the relief valve and the sensor, wherein the relief valve is configured to adjust to the opened state in response to an activation signal from the controller, and wherein the controller is configured to send the activation signal when a differential between the sensed value and a baseline level for the condition exceeds a predetermined value for a predefined period of time.   
     
     
         2 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor is an airflow sensor and the condition is airflow rate, and wherein the controller is configured to send the activation signal when the sensed value for the airflow rate in the airflow path has decreased to form the differential that exceeds the predetermined value. 
     
     
         3 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the suction source includes a motor, and wherein the condition the sensor is configured to sense is motor current. 
     
     
         4 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor is a temperature sensor and the condition is temperature, and wherein the controller is configured to send the activation signal when the sensed value for the temperature in the airflow path has increased to form the differential that exceeds the predetermined value. 
     
     
         5 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor is a pressure sensor and the condition is pressure, and wherein the controller is configured to send the activation signal when the sensed value for the pressure in the airflow path forms a vacuum that forms the differential that exceeds the predetermined value. 
     
     
         6 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 at least one of a stepper motor and a solenoid operably coupled with the relief valve.   
     
     
         7 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the body assembly includes a spine section extending from proximate the suction assembly, and wherein the body assembly includes a portion of the airflow path, and wherein the spine section defines an opening into the portion of the airflow path, and further wherein the relief valve is disposed in the opening. 
     
     
         8 . A cleaning apparatus, comprising:
 a base;   a body assembly;   a tank assembly;   a suction assembly including a suction source in fluid communication with a suction inlet via an airflow path defined from the suction inlet, through the tank assembly, and through the suction assembly;   a relief valve disposed along the airflow path upstream of the suction assembly, wherein the relief valve is operable between a closed state and an opened state;   a pressure sensor configured to sense pressure in the airflow path; and   a controller communicatively coupled with the relief valve and the pressure sensor, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the relief valve to the opened state to allow cooling air into the airflow path at a location separate from the suction inlet when the airflow path is at an elevated vacuum pressure relative to a baseline pressure level for a predefined period of time.   
     
     
         9 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the base defines the suction inlet, and wherein the suction inlet is in fluid communication with the suction assembly via the body assembly and the tank assembly. 
     
     
         10 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a wand;   a hose coupled with the wand; and   a tool coupled with the wand, wherein the tool defines the suction inlet, and wherein the suction inlet is in fluid communication with the suction assembly via the wand, the hose, and the tank assembly.   
     
     
         11 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 an exterior pressure sensor, wherein the baseline pressure level is sensed by the exterior pressure sensor.   
     
     
         12 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 at least one of a stepper motor and a solenoid operably coupled with the relief valve.   
     
     
         13 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the predefined period of time is up to about 120 seconds. 
     
     
         14 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the relief valve is disposed along the airflow path between the tank assembly and the suction assembly. 
     
     
         15 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 at least one of a temperature sensor configured to sense temperature of at least one of working air in the airflow path and the suction source and a current sensor configured to sense a current of the suction source, wherein the controller is configured to control the relief valve in response to sensed information from the at least one of the temperature sensor and the current sensor.   
     
     
         16 . A cleaning apparatus, comprising:
 a base configured to engage an underlying surface;   a body assembly;   a tank assembly for collecting debris material from working air;   a suction assembly in fluid communication with at least one suction inlet, wherein the suction assembly includes a suction source configured to generate a vacuum effect at the at least one suction inlet, and wherein an airflow path for the working air is defined from the at least one suction inlet, through the tank assembly, and through the suction assembly; and   a relief valve assembly disposed along the airflow path, wherein the relief valve assembly includes:
 a relief valve operable between an opened state to allow cooling air into the airflow path at a location separate from the at least one suction inlet and a closed state; and 
 a timer operably coupled to the relief valve, wherein the relief valve is configured to adjust to the opened state after a predefined period of time has elapsed upon a predefined vacuum pressure in the airflow path being reached. 
   
     
     
         17 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the relief valve includes a valve body and a biasing member, and wherein the biasing member biases the valve body to the closed state. 
     
     
         18 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the timer is configured to maintain the relief valve in the closed state for the predefined period of time, and further wherein the timer is configured to allow the valve body to be moved against a biasing force of the biasing member by the predefined vacuum pressure after the predefined period of time has elapsed to adjust the relief valve to the opened state. 
     
     
         19 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the relief valve is configured to adjust to the opened state when the predefined vacuum pressure is maintained in the airflow path for the predefined period of time. 
     
     
         20 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 a wand operably coupled with the body assembly via a hose, wherein the at least one suction inlet includes a base suction nozzle defined by the base and a wand suction nozzle defined by the wand.