Debris containers for a cleaning apparatus

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a debris container for a surface cleaning device, where the surface cleaning device includes an upright section, a surface cleaning head, a fluid distributor configured to distribute a cleaning fluid, and an agitator configured to absorb at least a portion of the distributed cleaning fluid and to agitate debris on a surface to be cleaned, the debris container comprising a solid debris chamber configured to collect at least a portion of the debris agitated from the surface to be cleaned; and a fluid debris chamber configured to collect at least a portion of fluid removed from the agitator.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A debris container for a surface cleaning device, wherein the surface cleaning device includes an upright section, a surface cleaning head, a fluid distributor configured to distribute a cleaning fluid, and an agitator configured to absorb at least a portion of the distributed cleaning fluid and to agitate debris on a surface to be cleaned, the debris container comprising:
 a solid debris chamber configured to collect at least a portion of the debris agitated from the surface to be cleaned; and   a fluid debris chamber configured to collect at least a portion of fluid removed from the agitator.   
     
     
         2 . The debris container for the surface cleaning device of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid debris chamber further comprises:
 the fluid debris chamber disposed beneath the solid debris chamber; and   a strainer disposed between the solid debris chamber and the fluid debris chamber and extending over at least a portion of the fluid debris chamber, the strainer configured to allow fluids collected from the agitator to selectively drain from the solid debris chamber to the fluid debris chamber.   
     
     
         3 . The debris container for the surface cleaning device of  claim 2 , wherein the strainer further comprises:
 one or more bypass sections configured to allow fluids to flow from the solid debris chamber into the fluid debris chamber bypassing the strainer.   
     
     
         4 . The debris container for the surface cleaning device of  claim 2 , wherein the strainer is pivotally coupled to a container body of the debris container and configured to pivot between an open position and a closed position. 
     
     
         5 . The debris container for the surface cleaning device of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a grip, the grip extending within a central portion of the debris container and configured for carrying the debris container. 
 
     
     
         6 . The debris container for the surface cleaning device of  claim 5 , wherein the grip extends perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the debris container. 
     
     
         7 . The debris container for the surface cleaning device of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 a sluice port; and   a sluice port valve fluidly coupled to the sluice port, the sluice port valve configured to transition between an open position and a closed position based on a position of a sluice actuator and biased towards the closed position by a sluice port biasing mechanism.   
     
     
         8 . The debris container for the surface cleaning device of  claim 5 , wherein the fluid debris chamber further comprises:
 a first collection region and a second collection region;   a first access door pivotally coupled to a container body of the debris container and selectively extending over the first collection region, the first access door configured to pivot between an open position and a closed position; and   a second access door pivotally coupled to the container body of the debris container and selectively extending over the second collection region, the second access door configured to pivot between the open position and the closed position.   
     
     
         9 . The debris container for the surface cleaning device of  claim 8 , wherein the first access door and the second access door each include a door latch configured to releasably engage a corresponding door catch on the container body. 
     
     
         10 . The debris container for the surface cleaning device of  claim 8 , wherein the first access door and the second access door are disposed on a bottom surface of the fluid debris chamber. 
     
     
         11 . The debris container for the surface cleaning device of  claim 5 , wherein the grip extends parallel to a longitudinal axis of the debris container. 
     
     
         12 . The debris container for the surface cleaning device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an emptying opening; and   an emptying valve fluidly coupled to the emptying opening, the emptying valve configured to transition between an open position and a closed position based on a position of an emptying valve actuator and biased towards the closed position by an emptying valve biasing mechanism.   
     
     
         13 . The debris container for the surface cleaning device of  claim 12 , wherein the emptying valve biasing mechanism is a torsion spring. 
     
     
         14 . The debris container for the surface cleaning device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a cover; and   a debris slide disposed within the solid debris chamber and movably coupled to the solid debris chamber, the debris slide configured to urge debris to exit the debris container as the debris slide is actuated out of the solid debris chamber.   
     
     
         15 . The debris container for the surface cleaning device of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 a debris opening in the solid debris chamber, the debris opening configured to allow debris to exit the solid debris chamber when the debris slide is actuated.   
     
     
         16 . The debris container for the surface cleaning device of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 a scraper disposed on an end of the debris slide distal to a slide opening in the solid debris chamber and configured to urge debris to exit the solid debris chamber.   
     
     
         17 . The debris container for the surface cleaning device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a debris opening disposed on a bottom surface of the solid debris chamber;   a debris emptying latch operatively coupled to the solid debris chamber and configured to pivot from an open position to a closed position;   a latch release operatively coupled to the debris emptying latch and configured to urge the debris emptying latch to the open position; and   a scraper configured to engage the latch release to urge the debris emptying latch to the open position and further configured to urge debris to exit the solid debris chamber via the debris opening.   
     
     
         18 . The debris container for the surface cleaning device of  claim 1 , wherein the debris container further comprises:
 a lid assembly, the solid debris chamber and the fluid debris chamber disposed within the lid assembly and removably coupled to the lid assembly.   
     
     
         19 . The debris container for the surface cleaning device of  claim 18 , wherein the lid assembly further comprises:
 one or more release latches configured to release the lid assembly from the surface cleaning device.   
     
     
         20 . A debris container for a surface cleaning head, wherein the surface cleaning head includes a fluid distributor configured to distribute a cleaning fluid and an agitator configured to absorb at least a portion of the distributed cleaning fluid and to agitate debris on a surface to be cleaned, the debris container comprising:
 a solid debris chamber configured to collect at least a portion of the debris agitated from the surface to be cleaned; and   a fluid debris chamber disposed beneath the solid debris chamber and configured to collect at least a portion of fluid removed from the agitator; the fluid debris chamber disposed beneath the solid debris chamber; and   a strainer disposed between the solid debris chamber and the fluid debris chamber and extending over at least a portion of the fluid debris chamber, the strainer configured to allow fluids collected from the agitator to selectively drain from the solid debris chamber to the fluid debris chamber, the strainer pivotally coupled to a container body of the debris container and further configured to pivot between an open position and a closed position, the strainer having one or more bypass sections configured to allow fluids to flow from the solid debris chamber into the fluid debris chamber bypassing the strainer.