Patent ID: 7827645

Claim:
A floor maintenance machine comprising: a cleaning device for scrubbing contact with a floor; a fluid feed conduit portion adapted to conduct fluid to the cleaning device; a first reservoir; a first fluid conduit portion connecting the first reservoir in fluid flow communication with the fluid feed conduit portion; a second reservoir, the second reservoir being a gravity-feed reservoir; a second conduit portion connecting the second reservoir in fluid flow communication with the fluid feed conduit portion; a discharge flow control device connected in fluid flow communication with the fluid feed conduit portion and operable to control fluid flow to the cleaning device; a pump connected in fluid flow communication with the first conduit portion and operable to pump a first fluid from the first reservoir to the fluid feed conduit portion; a level sensor operable to continuously identify changes in fluid level within the second reservoir and to generate signals indicative of the identified changes in fluid level; and a controller operably connected to the flow control device, pump and level sensor and operable to control operation of the pump and the flow control device in response to the signals from the level sensor to provide a flow of fluid to the cleaning device at a substantially constant ratio of the first fluid from the first reservoir to a second fluid from the second reservoir for substantially all fluid levels of the second reservoir.