Surface cleaning apparatus with steam delivery

1 . A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

a hand-carried body adapted to be hand-carried by a user, the hand-carried body comprising:

a base adapted to rest on a floor surface;

a partition extending upwardly from the base;

a supply tank removably mounted to the hand-carried body on a first side of the partition;

a recovery tank removably mounted to the hand-carried body on a second side of the partition;

a liquid supply pump in fluid communication with the supply tank;

a steam supply pump in fluid communication with the supply tank;

a heater in fluid communication with the steam supply pump; and

a vacuum motor in fluid communication with the recovery tank;

a flexible hose mounted to the hand-carried body and comprising a liquid conduit in fluid communication with the liquid supply pump, a steam conduit in fluid communication with the heater, and a suction conduit in fluid communication with the recovery tank; and

a cleaning tool coupled with an end of the hose and comprising a liquid distributor to deliver liquid cleaning fluid, a steam distributor to deliver steam, and an extraction nozzle to recover soiled cleaning fluid from the surface to be cleaned;

wherein the heater and the vacuum motor are at least partially disposed within the partition, and are disposed between the supply tank and the recovery tank;

wherein the heater comprises an upper end, a lower end, a heater inlet in fluid communication with the supply tank and a heater outlet in fluid communication with the steam conduit of the flexible hose; and

wherein the heater is oriented with the lower end of the heater toward the base and the upper end of the heater farther from the base than the lower end of the heater, and the heater inlet and the heater outlet are disposed at the lower end of the heater.

2 . The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the heater is disposed in a heater cavity on the hand-carried body, wherein the heater cavity is disposed partially in the base and partially in the partition.

3 . The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the heater inlet and the heater outlet are disposed at lower end of the heater cavity.

4 . The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the vacuum motor is disposed in a motor cavity on the hand-carried body, wherein the motor cavity is disposed partially in the base and partially in the partition.

5 . The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the hand-carried body comprises a front side, a rear side opposite the front side, a first horizontal longitudinal axis from the front side to the rear side, a first lateral side disposed between the front side and the rear side, a second lateral side disposed between the front side and the rear side, and a second horizontal longitudinal axis from the first lateral side to the second lateral side;

the supply tank is disposed on a first side of the first horizontal longitudinal axis;

the recovery tank is disposed on a second side of the first horizontal longitudinal axis;

the heater is disposed on one side of the second horizontal longitudinal axis; and

at least a majority of the vacuum motor is disposed on an opposing side of the second horizontal longitudinal axis.

6 . The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the base has a first zone, a second zone, and a third zone arranged along a horizontal axis;

wherein the first zone includes a supply tank seat configured to receive the supply tank;

wherein the second zone is coupled with the partition;

wherein the third zone includes a recovery tank seat configured to receive the recovery tank;

wherein the horizontal axis defines a vertical plane through the first, second, and third zones; and

wherein the heater is disposed on one side of the vertical plane and at least a portion of the vacuum motor is disposed on the opposite side of the vertical plane.

7 . A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

a hand-carried body adapted to be hand-carried by a user, the hand-carried body comprising:

a base adapted to rest on a floor surface;

a partition extending upwardly from the base;

a supply tank removably mounted to the hand-carried body on a first side of the partition;

a recovery tank removably mounted to the hand-carried body on a second side of the partition;

a liquid supply pump in fluid communication with the supply tank;

a steam supply pump in fluid communication with the supply tank;

a heater in fluid communication with the steam supply pump; and

a vacuum motor in fluid communication with the recovery tank;

a flexible hose mounted to the hand-carried body and comprising a liquid conduit in fluid communication with the liquid supply pump, a steam conduit in fluid communication with the heater, and a suction conduit in fluid communication with the recovery tank; and

a cleaning tool coupled with an end of the hose and comprising a liquid distributor to deliver liquid cleaning fluid, a steam distributor to deliver steam, and an extraction nozzle to recover soiled cleaning fluid from the surface to be cleaned;

wherein the heater and the vacuum motor are at least partially disposed within the partition, and are disposed between the supply tank and the recovery tank;

wherein the liquid supply pump and the steam supply pump are disposed in the base and are arranged on opposing sides of the heater; and

wherein one of the liquid supply pump and the steam supply pump is disposed below the supply tank and the other one of the liquid supply pump and the steam supply pump is disposed below the recovery tank.

8 . The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the heater comprises an electric heating element and a fluid-conducting tube encased in a thermally conductive body with the electric heating element.

9 . The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the fluid-conducting tube comprises two spaced tube portions and a bend between the two tube portions, wherein the bend is disposed within the partition at the upper end of the heater.

10 . The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the hand-carried body comprises a carry handle on an upper portion of the partition, and the heater and the vacuum motor are positioned below the carry handle.

11 . The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 7 , wherein:

the heater comprises an upper end, a lower end, a heater inlet in fluid communication with the supply tank and a heater outlet in fluid communication with the steam conduit of the flexible hose; and

the heater is oriented with the lower end of the heater toward the base and the upper end of the heater farther from the base than the lower end of the heater, and the heater inlet and the heater outlet are disposed at the lower end of the heater.

12 . The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the heater is disposed in a heater cavity on the hand-carried body, wherein the heater cavity is disposed partially in the base and partially in the partition.

13 . The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the heater comprises a heater inlet in fluid communication with the supply tank and a heater outlet in fluid communication with the steam conduit of the flexible hose, and the heater inlet and the heater outlet are disposed at lower end of the heater cavity.

14 . The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the vacuum motor is disposed in a motor cavity on the hand-carried body, wherein the motor cavity is disposed partially in the base and partially in the partition.

15 . The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 7 , wherein:

the hand-carried body comprises a front side, a rear side opposite the front side, a first horizontal longitudinal axis from the front side to the rear side, a first lateral side disposed between the front side and the rear side, a second lateral side disposed between the front side and the rear side, and a second horizontal longitudinal axis from the first lateral side to the second lateral side;

the supply tank is disposed on a first side of the first horizontal longitudinal axis;

the recovery tank is disposed on a second side of the first horizontal longitudinal axis;

the heater is disposed on one side of the second horizontal longitudinal axis; and

at least a majority of the vacuum motor is disposed on an opposing side of the second horizontal longitudinal axis.

16 . The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the heater comprises an electric heating element and a fluid-conducting tube encased in a thermally conductive body with the electric heating element.

17 . The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 16 , wherein:

the heater comprises an upper end, a lower end, a heater inlet in fluid communication with the supply tank and a heater outlet in fluid communication with the steam conduit of the flexible hose;

the heater inlet is disposed at the lower end of the heater; and

the fluid-conducting tube comprises two spaced tube portions and a bend between the two tube portions, wherein the bend is disposed within the partition at the upper end of the heater.

18 . The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the hand-carried body comprises a carry handle on an upper portion of the partition, and the heater and the vacuum motor are positioned below the carry handle.

19 . The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the base has a first zone, a second zone, and a third zone arranged along a horizontal axis;

wherein the first zone includes a supply tank seat configured to receive the supply tank and a space below the supply tank seat for the one of the liquid supply pump and the steam supply pump;

wherein the second zone is coupled with the partition;

wherein the third zone includes a recovery tank seat configured to receive the recovery tank and a space below the recovery tank seat for the other one of the liquid supply pump and the steam supply pump is disposed below the recovery tank;

wherein the carry handle is aligned with the second zone; and

wherein the horizontal axis defines a vertical plane through the first, second, and third zones, and the heater is disposed on one side of the vertical plane.