Patent ID: 8607404

Claim:
A surface cleaning apparatus comprising: a foot assembly for movement along a surface to be cleaned; a handle assembly mounted to the foot assembly; a vacuum source mounted to at least one of the foot assembly and the handle assembly; a forward suction inlet in fluid communication with the vacuum source and positioned at a forward portion of the foot assembly; a rearward suction inlet in fluid communication with the vacuum source and positioned at a rearward portion of the foot assembly; a steam delivery system mounted at least in part to the foot assembly, the steam delivery system comprising a steam generator and at least one steam distributor in fluid communication with the steam generator and provided on the foot assembly to supply steam to the surface to be cleaned; and a shuttle plate mounted to the foot assembly for reciprocal movement between a forward position and a rearward position; wherein the shuttle plate is configured to block the forward suction inlet in the forward position, and to block the rearward suction inlet in the rearward position; and wherein the forward suction inlet is blocked when the shuttle plate is in the forward position, and the forward suction inlet is unblocked and open when the shuttle plate is in the rearward position.