Surface cleaner

Abstract

A wet surface cleaner operable in an upright cleaning mode, an auxiliary cleaning mode, and a lift-off cleaning mode. The surface cleaner has a canister assembly that is coupled to a body in the upright cleaning mode and removed from the body in the auxiliary cleaning mode and the lift-off cleaning mode.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of operating a surface cleaner, the method comprising:
 providing a body having a lower portion and an upper portion opposite the lower portion, the upper portion including a handle;   providing a base pivotably coupled to the lower portion of the body;   providing a canister assembly removably coupled to the body, the canister assembly includes a housing, a supply tank, and a recovery tank;   providing a hose having a first end coupled to the canister assembly and fluidly connected to the recovery tank and a second end coupled to the base and fluidly connected to a nozzle;   providing a suction source in fluid communication with the recovery tank;   operating the surface cleaner in an upright cleaning mode with the canister assembly coupled to the body, operating in the upright cleaning mode includes
 positioning the nozzle of the base adjacent the cleaning surface; 
 moving the nozzle over the cleaning surface by moving the base across the cleaning surface using the handle of the body while the canister assembly is coupled to the body and moving the nozzle over the cleaning surface includes pivoting the body relative to the base using the handle, and 
 operating the suction source to draw fluid and debris from the cleaning surface, through the nozzle, through the hose, and into the recovery tank; and 
   operating the surface cleaner in an auxiliary cleaning mode with the canister assembly uncoupled from the body and the nozzle coupled to the base, operating in the auxiliary cleaning mode includes
 positioning the nozzle of the base adjacent the cleaning surface; 
 moving the nozzle over the cleaning surface by moving the base across the cleaning surface using the handle of the body while the canister assembly is uncoupled from the body and moving the nozzle over the cleaning surface includes pivoting the body relative to the base using the handle, and 
 operating the suction source to draw fluid and debris from the cleaning surface, through the nozzle, through the hose, and into the recovery tank. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising operating the surface cleaner in a lift-off cleaning mode with the hose and the nozzle uncoupled from the base, operating in the lift-off cleaning mode includes,
 positioning the nozzle uncoupled from the base adjacent the cleaning surface,   moving the nozzle over the cleaning surface by moving the nozzle across the cleaning surface without using the handle of the body, and   operating the suction source to draw fluid and debris from the cleaning surface, through the nozzle, through the hose, and into the recovery tank.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein operating in the lift-off cleaning mode includes uncoupling the canister assembly from the body. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein operating in the lift-off cleaning mode includes carrying the canister assembly using a carrying handle of the canister assembly. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein operating in the lift-off cleaning mode includes carrying the canister assembly uncoupled from the body using the carrying handle of the canister assembly while moving the nozzle across the cleaning surface uncoupled from the base. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the lift-off cleaning mode includes positioning the nozzle to clean above a floor such that the cleaning surface is an above-floor surface. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising collapsing the body into a collapsed position such that the lower portion and the upper portion are adjacent in the collapsed position. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein collapsing the body into the collapsed position includes telescoping the upper portion and the lower portion of the body. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein operating the surface cleaner in the upright cleaning mode further includes, distributing fluid from the supply tank through a fluid line to a fluid distributor positioned on the base to distribute fluid to the cleaning surface. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein distributing fluid from the supply tank includes actuating an actuator to selectively dispense fluid from the supply tank through the fluid distributor. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein operating the surface cleaner in the auxiliary cleaning mode includes carrying the canister assembly using a carrying handle of the canister assembly. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein operating the surface cleaner in the auxiliary cleaning mode includes carrying the canister assembly uncoupled from the body using the carrying handle of the canister assembly while moving the nozzle across the cleaning surface using handle of the body and pivoting the body relative to the base. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein operating in the auxiliary cleaning mode includes positioning the nozzle under a table using the handle of the body such that the cleaning surface is under the table. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein operating in the auxiliary cleaning mode includes positioning the nozzle under a couch using the handle of the body such that the cleaning surface is under the couch. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising operating the surface cleaner in a lift-off cleaning mode with the hose uncoupled from the base, operating in the lift-off cleaning mode includes,
 attaching a cleaning tool having a cleaning tool nozzle to the hose,   positioning the cleaning tool nozzle adjacent the cleaning surface,   moving the cleaning tool nozzle over the cleaning surface by moving the cleaning tool across the cleaning surface without using the handle of the body, and   operating the suction source to draw fluid and debris from the cleaning surface, through the cleaning tool nozzle, through the hose, and into the recovery tank.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein operating in the lift-off cleaning mode further includes, uncoupling the second end of the hose from the base and the nozzle and coupling the second end of the hose to the cleaning tool. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein operating the surface cleaner in the lift-off cleaning mode further includes, distributing fluid from the supply tank through a fluid line to a cleaning tool fluid distributor positioned on the cleaning tool to distribute fluid to the cleaning surface. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein operating in the lift-off cleaning mode further includes disconnecting the fluid line from a fluid distributor of the base and connecting the fluid line to the cleaning tool fluid distributor. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein operating in the lift-off mode includes rotating an agitator driven by an agitator motor, the cleaning tool including the agitator and the agitator motor. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein operating in the upright cleaning mode includes rotating an agitator driven by an agitator motor, the base including the agitator and the agitator motor.