Conversion mechanism for switching extractor cleaning machine from floor cleaning to hose cleaning

A surface cleaning machine comprising:

• a base including a suction nozzle;
• a handle pivotally connected to the base, the handle including an actuating surface and pivotable between an upright hose-use position and an inclined floor-cleaning position;
• a supply tank removably secured to the handle;
• a hose fluidly connected to a hose inlet;
• a suction source;
• a recovery tank removably secured to the base, the recovery tank including:
• a lid, the lid including a lid handle, a passage extending from a passage inlet to a passage outlet, and a valve member coupled to the lid for movement between a closed position where the valve member blocks the passage outlet and an open position,
• a tank base, the tank base including a chamber, an air outlet, the hose inlet, and a rearwardly-facing wall, and
• a conversion mechanism, the conversion mechanism including:
• an actuator assembly including an actuator base, an actuator, and a biasing element, the actuator assembly secured to the rearwardly-facing wall of the tank base, the actuator movable within the actuator base between a first position for floor-cleaning and a second position for hose-use, and the actuator biased to the first position by the biasing element, and
• the actuating surface contacting the actuator to move the actuator toward the second position as the handle is moved from the floor-cleaning position to the hose-use position and to hold the actuator in the second position when the handle is in the hose-use position;
• a floor-cleaning airflow path extending between the suction source and the nozzle and formed at least in part by the nozzle, the passage, the chamber, and the air outlet;
• and
• a hose-use airflow path extending between the suction source and the hose and formed at least in part by the hose, the hose inlet, the chamber, and the air outlet;
• wherein the conversion mechanism moves the valve member to the closed position as the handle is moved to the hose-use position, thereby blocking the passage outlet and the floor-cleaning airflow path.

A surface cleaning machine comprising:

• a base including a suction nozzle;
• a handle pivotally coupled to the base and moveable between a substantially upright position and an inclined position;
• a suction source;
• and
• a removable recovery tank, the recovery tank defining a collection chamber in fluid communication with the suction source when the recovery tank is coupled to the surface cleaning machine, the recovery tank including a passage having an inlet in communication with the suction nozzle when the recovery tank is coupled to the surface cleaning machine, the recovery tank also including a valve member moveable between a closed position that interrupts fluid communication between the passage and the collection chamber and an open position affording fluid communication between the passage and the collection chamber, wherein movement of the handle to the substantially upright position moves the valve member to the closed position, and wherein movement of the handle to the inclined position allows movement of the valve member to the open position.