FLOOR CLEANER
A floor cleaner including a suction inlet, a recovery tank that stores liquid drawn through the suction inlet from a surface to be cleaned, a fluid flow path, a suction motor operable to generate a suction airflow to draw liquid-laden air along the fluid flow path into the recovery tank, a sensor that detects liquid in the suction airflow in the fluid flow path, and a controller having an electronic processor. The fluid flow path extends from the suction inlet to an exhaust downstream of the suction motor. The sensor disposed in the fluid flow path between the suction motor and the tank volume and generates a signal corresponding to the detected liquid. The controller determines the presence of liquid in the suction airflow based on the signal of the sensor and controls operation of the floor cleaner based on the sensor signal exceeding a first threshold value.
1 . A floor cleaner comprising:
a suction inlet;
a recovery tank configured to store liquid drawn through the suction inlet from a surface to be cleaned, the recovery tank having a tank inlet, a tank outlet, and a tank volume configured to store the liquid;
a fluid flow path;
a suction motor operable to generate a suction airflow to draw liquid-laden air along the fluid flow path and into the recovery tank, wherein the fluid flow path extends from the suction inlet to an exhaust of the suction motor and directs the suction airflow through the recovery tank toward the suction motor from the suction inlet;
a sensor disposed in the fluid flow path between the suction motor and the tank volume, the sensor configured to detect liquid in the suction airflow in the fluid flow path and generate a signal corresponding to the detected liquid, wherein the suction airflow extends from the suction inlet to the suction motor; and
a controller having an electronic processor, the controller configured to:
determine the presence of liquid in the suction airflow in the fluid flow path based on the signal of the sensor, and
control operation of the floor cleaner based on the sensor signal exceeding a first threshold value.
2 . The floor cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:
reduce the suction airflow generated by the suction motor when the sensor signal exceeds the first threshold value.
3 . The floor cleaner of claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to:
stop the suction airflow generated by the suction motor when the sensor signal exceeds a second threshold value.
4 . The floor cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:
control a speed of the suction motor to control the suction airflow generated by the suction motor when the sensor signal exceeds at least one of the first threshold value and a second threshold value.
5 . The floor cleaner of claim 1 , further comprising:
a supply tank configured to store a dispensing liquid;
a distribution nozzle in fluid communication with the supply tank, the distribution nozzle configured to dispense the dispensing liquid; and
a control device in fluid communication with the supply tank and the distribution nozzle, the control device operable to control the flow of the dispensing liquid from the supply tank to the distribution nozzle.
6 . (canceled)
7 . (canceled)
8 . The floor cleaner of claim 5 , wherein the controller is configured to:
limit the flow of the dispensing liquid out of the supply tank when the sensor signal exceeds the first threshold value.
9 . (canceled)
10 . The floor cleaner of claim 5 , wherein the controller is configured to:
inhibit the flow of the dispensing liquid out of the supply tank when the sensor signal exceeds a second threshold value.
11 . (canceled)
12 . (canceled)
13 . The floor cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the sensor includes a sensing portion, the sensing portion disposed in a portion of the suction airflow in the fluid flow path.
14 . (canceled)
15 . The floor cleaner of claim 13 , wherein the sensing portion of the sensor includes a plurality of electrodes.
16 . The floor cleaner of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of electrodes are arranged in a mesh.
17 . (canceled)
18 . The floor cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is disposed in a portion of the fluid flow path, the portion of the fluid flow path includes at least one selected from a group consisting of: the tank outlet and a lid forming the tank volume.
19 . The floor cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is disposed in the fluid flow path at an angle relative to an airflow direction of the suction airflow.
20 . The floor cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is disposed in the fluid flow path at a non-zero angle relative to the direction of the suction airflow and is configured to shed the detected liquid off a sensing portion of the sensor.
21 . (canceled)
22 . (canceled)
23 . The floor cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the signal of the sensor indicates a conductivity level of the sensor, wherein liquid contacting the sensor changes the conductivity level of the sensor.
24 . The floor cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is disposed in the recovery tank.
25 . (canceled)
26 . The floor cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the recovery tank includes a lid covering the tank volume, wherein the lid includes the tank outlet, and wherein the sensor is connected to the lid, and wherein the fluid flow path extends through a portion of the lid, and wherein the sensor is disposed in the fluid flow path within the lid.
27 . The floor cleaner of claim 26 , wherein the sensor is disposed on a surface of the lid angled from the tank volume.
28 - 31 . (canceled)
32 . The floor cleaner of claim 1 , further comprising a filter positioned between the suction motor and the sensor and configured to filter the suction airflow, where the filter is downstream of the sensor.
33 - 45 . (canceled)
46 . The floor cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the tank volume of the recovery tank is free from a float, rising due to the liquid stored in the recovery tank, for indicating the liquid stored in the recovery tank reached a defined level of in the recovery tank.
47 . The floor cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the recovery tank includes an inlet duct in fluid communication with the recovery tank inlet and the inlet duct includes an outlet aperture, and wherein the recovery tank includes a baffle wall positioned in the fluid flow path between the outlet aperture of the inlet duct and the sensor.