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US 2006/0188241 A1Published application
Fluid heater
AssigneeGreen Weeder Holdings Ltd.
InventorsAnthony Higham, Peter Clark, Brendon Tait
Life of this patent
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AssigneeGreen Weeder Holdings Ltd.
InventorsAnthony Higham, Peter Clark, Brendon Tait
Estimating the term…
A portable fluid heating tool capable of heating a flow of water under mains pressure to about 107 degrees Celsius and has a connection to a water supply via a hose. Water flows through an electrical heater within the tool, then to a thermally controlled pressure regulating valve (80) and then to the outlet nozzle. This valve (80) has a moveable member such as a diaphragm (83) sealing off a pressure chamber (88). Movement of the diaphragm (83) causes a valve (85) to open or at least partly close. When closed the valve (85) impedes, or restricts the flow of water from an inlet (86) to an outlet (87) through the valve. On the other side of the diaphragm a small quantity of water is trapped within the pressure chamber (88), so that as the valve (80) heats up, pressure within the pressure chamber (88) rises as the water turns to water vapour and the air within the chamber also expands. This increase in pressure within the pressure chamber (88) causes the diaphragm (83) to move slightly outwardly causing a pintle (84) to allow the ball valve (85) to open and allow maximum flow of the heated water through the valve (80) to the nozzle of the tool.
A fluid heater capable of heating a flow of fluid to a desired temperature, said fluid heater having a fluid inlet for connection to a source of fluid, fluid heating means connected to the inlet, and an outlet for delivering heated fluid supplied by the fluid heating means, wherein there is a temperature controlled pressure regulating valve between the inlet and the outlet, the temperature controlled pressure regulating valve having flow restriction means capable of regulating the flow of heated fluid delivered to the outlet, and heat exchange means allowing the temperature controlled pressure regulating valve to be in heat exchange with the fluid heating means or with the heated fluid leaving the fluid heating means, such that heating or cooling of the temperature controlled pressure regulating valve will cause the flow restriction means to open or close to allow an increase or decrease in the flow of heated fluid leaving the outlet, to thereby control the temperature of the heated fluid leaving the outlet.
A portable hand tool capable of heating a flow of water to a temperature suitable for killing vegetation, said hand tool having a water inlet for connection to a source of water, water heating means connected to the inlet, an outlet nozzle for delivering heated fluid supplied by the water heating means, wherein there is a temperature controlled pressure regulating valve between the inlet and the outlet nozzle, the temperature controlled pressure regulating valve having flow restriction means capable of regulating the flow of heated fluid delivered to the outlet nozzle, and heat exchange means allowing the temperature controlled pressure regulating valve to be in heat exchange with the water heating means or with the heated fluid leaving the water heating means, such that heating or cooling of the temperature controlled pressure regulating valve will cause the flow restriction means to open or close to allow an increase or decrease in the flow of heated fluid leaving the nozzle, to thereby control the temperature of the heated fluid leaving the nozzle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.