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US 5,529,460 AGranted
Pressure washer with flow control switch
AssigneeColeman Powermate, Inc.
InventorsJohn A. Eihusen, Kenneth M. Frank, Dean L. Tietz, Stephen W. Leutbecher, Bob Crum
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pressure washer is provided with a flow control switch and a bypass passage. The flow control switch shuts the motor of the pressure washer off when fluid is not being supplied to the pressure washer or when the spray gun of the pressure washer is closed. The bypass passage relieves excess outlet pressure and activates the flow control switch when the spray gun is closed. The pressure washer may include a soap pump for injecting soap into low pressure fluid at the inlet of the pressure washer.
Claims20
A pressure washer comprising;
- a fluid pump housing having an inlet and an outlet,
- a pumping piston movably mounted in the housing for pumping fluid from the inlet to the outlet,
- a motor for driving the pumping piston,
- a nozzle connected to the outlet and including a valve for opening and closing the nozzle,
- a flow switch on the pump housing which automatically shuts off the motor when fluid is not flowing into the inlet, and
- means for relieving excess outlet pressure when the nozzle is closed, said pressure relieving means including a bypass passage in the pump housing extending from the outlet to the inlet, and valve means in the bypass passage for closing the bypass passage until the fluid pressure at the outlet exceeds a predetermined value, the pump housing being provided with a switch-actuating passage which extends from the bypass passage to the flow switch whereby fluid flowing through the bypass passage flows into the switch-actuating passage and opens the flow switch, thereby shutting off the motor.
3 more elements
A pressure washer comprising;
- a fluid pump hosing having an inlet and an outlet,
- a pumping piston movably mounted in the housing for pumping fluid from the inlet to the outlet,
- a motor for driving the pumping piston,
- a nozzle connected to the outlet and including a valve for opening and closing the nozzle,
- a flow switch on the pump housing which automatically shuts off the motor when fluid is not flowing into the inlet, and
- means for relieving excess outlet pressure when the nozzle is closed, the pump housing including a switch passage which communicates with the inlet, and the flow switch including a first magnet movably mounted in the switch passage, a second magnet movably mounted on the pump housing outside of the switch passage, and an electrical switch mounted adjacent the second magnet and having a contact element which is engageable by the second magnet to close the electrical switch and is disengageable from the second magnet to open the switch, the electrical switch being connected to the pump which is turned on when the switch is closed and is turned off when the switch is opened, whereby when fluid flows through the inlet the first magnet is moved toward the second magnet and the second magnet is magnetically repulsed to close the electrical switch and when fluid is not flowing through the inlet the electrical switch is open.
3 more elements
A pressure washer comprising;
- a fluid pump hosing having an inlet and an outlet,
- a pumping piston movably mounted in the housing for pumping fluid from the inlet to the outlet,
- a motor for driving the pumping piston,
- a nozzle connected to the outlet and including a valve for opening and closing the nozzle,
- a flow switch on the pump housing which automatically shuts off the motor when fluid is not flowing into the inlet, and
- means for relieving excess outlet pressure when the nozzle is closed, the pump housing including a switch passage which communicates with the inlet, and the flow switch including a first magnet movably mounted in the switch passage, a second magnet movably mounted on the pump housing outside of the switch passage, and an electrical switch mounted adjacent the second magnet and having a contact element which is engageable by the second magnet to close the electrical switch, whereby when fluid flows through the inlet the first magnet is moved toward the second magnet and the second magnet is magnetically repulsed to close the electrical switch and when the fluid is not flowing through the inlet the electrical switch is open, said pressure washer further including an inlet fitting which is secured to the pump housing and which is provided with an internal bore and a spring positioned in the internal bore and extending toward the first magnet, the first magnet being engageable with the spring when the first magnet moves away from the second magnet.
3 more elements
A pressure washer comprising;
- a fluid pump housing having an inlet and an outlet,
- a pumping piston movably mounted in the housing for pumping fluid from the inlet to the outlet,
- a motor for driving the pumping piston,
- a nozzle connected to the outlet and including a valve for opening and closing the nozzle,
- a flow switch on the pump housing which automatically shuts off the motor when fluid is not flowing into the inlet, and
- means for relieving excess outlet pressure when the nozzle is closed, the pump housing including a switch passage which communicates with the inlet, and the flow switch including a first magnet movably mounted in the switch passage, a Second magnet movably mounted on the pump housing outside of the switch passage, and an electrical switch mounted adjacent the second magnet and having a contact element which is engageable by the second magnet to close the electrical switch, whereby when fluid flows through the inlet the first magnet is moved toward the second magnet and the second magnet is magnetically repulsed to close the electrical switch and when the fluid is not flowing through the inlet the electrical switch is open, the pressure relieving means including a bypass passage in the pump housing extending from the outlet to the inlet, valve means in the bypass passage for closing the bypass passage until the fluid pressure at the outlet exceeds a predetermined value, and a switch-actuating passage which extends from the bypass passage to the switch passage whereby fluid flowing through the bypass passage flows into the switch-actuating passage and moves the first magnet away from the second magnet, thereby opening the electrical switch.
3 more elements
A pressure washer comprising;
- a fluid pump hosing having an inlet and an outlet,
- a pumping piston movably mounted in the housing for pumping fluid from the inlet to the outlet,
- a motor for driving the pumping piston,
- a nozzle connected to the outlet and including a valve for opening and closing the nozzle,
- a flow switch on the pump housing which automatically shuts off the motor when fluid is not flowing into the inlet, and
- means for relieving excess outlet pressure when the nozzle is closed, the motor including means for reciprocating the piston, a soap pump mounted adjacent the reciprocating means and including a soap pump housing and a soap pump piston reciprocably mounted in the soap pump housing, the soap pump piston being engageable by the reciprocating means for reciprocating the soap pump piston, the soap pump housing having a soap inlet and a soap inlet, and means for delivering soap from the soap outlet to the inlet of the fluid pump housing.
3 more elements
A pressure washer comprising:
- a pump housing having an inlet adapted to be connected to a source of fluid, an outlet, a pumping chamber, a pump motor, a first inlet passage extending from the inlet, a second inlet passage extending from the first inlet passage to the pumping chamber, an outlet passage extending from the pumping chamber to the outlet, and a bypass passage extending from the outlet passage to the second inlet passage,
- a first magnet movably mounted in the first inlet passage,
- a second magnet movably mounted on the pump housing outside of the first inlet passage,
- an electrical switch mounted adjacent the second magnet and having a contact element which is engageable by the second magnet to close the switch and is disengageable from the second magnet to open the switch, the electrical switch being connected to the pump motor which is turned on when the switch is closed and is turned off when the switch is opened, and
- a bypass valve mounted in the bypass passage for closing the bypass passage until the fluid pressure in the outlet passage exceeds a predetermined value.
2 more elements
In a pressure washer having:
- a fluid pump housing having an inlet and an outlet, a pumping piston reciprocably mounted in the housing for pumping fluid from the inlet to the outlet, means for reciprocating the piston, the improvement comprising:
- a soap pump mounted adjacent the reciprocating means and including a soap pump housing and a soap pump piston reciprocably mounted in the soap pump housing, the soap pump piston being engageable by the reciprocating means for reciprocating the soap pump piston, the soap pump housing having a soap inlet and a soap outlet, and means for delivering soap from the soap outlet to the inlet of the fluid pump housing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.