Mobile surface maintenance machine with an onboard pressure washer

A pressure washer coupled to a mobile surface maintenance machine, the pressure washer comprising:

• a spray wand terminating in a nozzle to dispense a cleaning fluid therethrough;
• a pressure pump fluidly coupled to the spray wand and positioned upstream of the spray wand to supply the cleaning fluid to the spray wand;
• a feed pump positioned at the mobile surface maintenance machine, the feed pump being fluidly coupled to and located upstream of the pressure pump, the pressure pump receiving the cleaning fluid from the feed pump at a first pressure, and pressurizing the received cleaning fluid to a second pressure, the second pressure being greater than the first pressure;
• an electric motor operatively coupled to and configured to drive the pressure pump, the electric motor being configured to receive electric power from an electric power source positioned at the mobile surface maintenance machine;
• and
• a motor controller in operative communication with each of the electric motor and the pressure pump, the motor controller being operatively coupled with the pressure pump, the motor controller receiving signals indicative of one or more operating conditions of the surface maintenance machine and indicative of one or more operation conditions of the electric motor or the pressure pump,
• wherein the motor controller is configured to receive current from the electric power source and supply or stop supplying current to initiate or stop, respectively, operation of the electric motor based on the one or more operating conditions of the surface maintenance machine and the one or more operating conditions of the electric motor or the pressure pump, whereby the supplying of current to initiate operation of the electric motor to drive the pressure pump is configured to provide cleaning fluid to the spray wand at the second pressure,
• wherein the motor controller is housed at a housing, the housing configured to dissipate heat from surfaces of the motor controller, wherein the housing of the motor controller is in fluid communication with the feed pump and is positioned downstream thereof, such that the cleaning fluid from the feed pump passes through the housing of the motor controller, thereby cooling the motor controller.

A pressure washer coupled to a mobile surface maintenance machine, the pressure washer comprising:

• a spray wand terminating in a nozzle to dispense a cleaning fluid therethrough;
• a pressure pump fluidly coupled to the spray wand and positioned upstream thereof to supply the cleaning fluid received from a fluid source from within the mobile surface maintenance machine to the spray wand;
• an electric motor operatively coupled to the pressure pump and configured to drive the pressure pump, the electric motor being configured to receive electric power from an electric power source positioned within the mobile surface maintenance machine;
• and
• a motor controller in operative communication with each of the electric power source, the electric motor and the pressure pump, the motor controller being operatively coupled with the pressure pump, the motor controller being configured to:
• receive signals from the mobile surface maintenance machine indicative of one or more operating conditions of the mobile surface maintenance machine,
• receive signals indicative of one or more operating conditions of the electric motor and the pressure pump respectively,
• determine whether the one or more operating conditions of the mobile surface maintenance machine indicate that the one or more operating conditions of the mobile surface maintenance machine are configured to permit operation of the pressure washer,
• determine whether one or more operating conditions of the electric motor and the pressure pump indicate that the one or more operating conditions of the electric motor and the pressure pump are configured to permit operation of the pressure washer, and
• when it is determined that (i) the one or more operating conditions of the mobile surface maintenance machine indicate that the one or more operating conditions of the mobile surface maintenance machine are configured to permit operation of the pressure washer and (ii) the one or more operating conditions of the electric motor and/or the pressure pump indicate that the one or more operating conditions of the electric motor and/or the pressure pump are configured to permit operation of the pressure washer, send an output signal to the electric motor, whereby, upon receipt of the output signal from the motor controller, the electric motor receives electric power from the electric power source and drives the pressure pump.