# US 11,306,712 B2 · Pump apparatus and method of operating pump

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- Number: US 11,306,712 B2
- Document ID: US11306712B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/707,268
- Filed: 2019-12-09
- Published: 2020-10-15
- Granted: 2022-04-19
- Earliest claimed: 2019-04-15
- Assignees: Sugino Machine Limited
- Applicants: Sugino Machine Limited
- Inventors: Toyohiro Yamauchi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11306712B2

## CPC

- F04B 49/103: {Responsive to speed}
- A47L 15/0049: {Detection or prevention of malfunction, including accident prevention (arrangements to prevent clogging of filters A47L15/4208; safety arrangements for preventing water damage A47L15/421)}
- A47L 15/4259: {Arrangements of locking or security/safety devices for doors, e.g. door latches, switch to stop operation when door is open}
- B08B 3/02: Cleaning by the force of jets or sprays
- B23Q 11/10: Arrangements for cooling or lubricating tools or work
- F04B 17/00: Pumps characterised by combination with, or adaptation to, specific driving engines or motors
- F04B 49/02: Stopping, starting, unloading or idling control
- B08B 2203/0223: Electric motor pumps
- B08B 2203/0282: Safety devices
- B23Q 11/0891: {arranged between the working area and the operator}
- F04B 2203/0209: Rotational speed
- F04B 2207/703: Stopping
- F04B: POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS (machines for liquids, or pumps, of rotary-piston or oscillating-piston type F04C; non-positive-displacement pumps F04D; pumping of fluid by direct contact of another fluid or by using inertia of fluid to be pumped F04F)
- A47L: DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING (brushes A46B; cleaning quantities of bottles or of other hollow articles of one kind B08B9/00; laundry D06F); SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL (cleaning in general B08)
- B08B: CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL
- B23Q: DETAILS, COMPONENTS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR MACHINE TOOLS, e.g. ARRANGEMENTS FOR COPYING OR CONTROLLING (tools of the kind used in lathes or boring machines B23B27/00); MACHINE TOOLS IN GENERAL CHARACTERISED BY THE CONSTRUCTION OF PARTICULAR DETAILS OR COMPONENTS; COMBINATIONS OR ASSOCIATIONS OF METAL-WORKING MACHINES, NOT DIRECTED TO A PARTICULAR RESULT

## Abstract

Provided is a pump apparatus capable of suppressing an unintentional ejection of a high-pressure liquid from a nozzle. A pump apparatus including: an injection chamber having a door; a nozzle arranged in the injection chamber; a pump connected to the nozzle for discharging liquid; a motor for driving the pump; a door sensor for detecting that the door is closed; and a control device capable of communicating with the door sensor, the control device having a motor rotation unit for supplying driving power to the motor only when the door sensor detects that the door is closed.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of operating a pump of a pump apparatus, comprising:
closing a door of an injection chamber that contains a nozzle;
rotating a motor that drives a pump while the door is closed, the pump connected to the nozzle to eject liquid at a pressure exceeding a safety pressure while cleaning;
detecting a rotation speed of the pump;
inactivating the motor in a state in which the pump is still rotatable while the door is closed to stop the cleaning;
opening the door when the rotation speed of the pump is equal to or less than a threshold value, the threshold value being a rotation speed of the motor at which a discharge pressure of the pump is equal to or less than the safety pressure;
continuing to monitor that the rotation speed of the pump is equal to or less than the threshold value while the door is open; and
stopping the pump apparatus in an emergency when the rotation speed of the pump exceeds the threshold value while the door is open.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of operating the pump according to claim 1, further comprising:
cutting off driving power to the motor while the door is open.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of operating the pump according to claim 2, wherein
the safety pressure is a pressure at which the liquid does not harm a human body.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of operating the pump according to claim 1, wherein
the pump discharges the liquid having a pressure of 5 to 200 MPa while cleaning with the door closed.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of operating the pump according to claim 1, wherein
the safety pressure is a pressure at which the liquid does not harm a human body.