US 5,718,255 AGranted

Flow-responsive diverting valve

AssigneeGenerac Corporation

InventorsRichard J. Gilpatrick, Wes Sodemann

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A flow-responsive diverting valve is particularly useful with pressure washers of the type having a water pump coupled to an internal combustion engine equipped with a pull-rope starter. The valve provides an "easy-start" feature and has a valving chamber and a fluid inlet and two fluid outlets. A magnet is fixed on the valve body and when fluid flows into the inlet at the low flow rate occurring when operating the starter, a valving device, e.g., a check ball, is restrained by the magnet. When fluid flows into the inlet at a higher flow rate (as when the engine is running and the pump is delivering water at a substantial rate), the device closes the first outlet and diverts water to the second outlet. A method for operating a pressure washer includes magnetically restraining the valving device away from the first outlet while operating the starter and then running the engine, thereby urging the device to close the first outlet.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A portable pressure washer including an engine-driven pump having a spray wand and a flow-responsive diverting valve coupled thererto, and wherein the wand may be open for spraying or closed for shutting off flow therethrough, the diverting valve including:

a valve body having a valving chamber;
a fluid inlet and first and second fluid outlets, the inlet and outlets being formed in the body in flow communication with the chamber;
a magnet fixed with respect to the body and providing a magnetic field;
a valving device in the chamber;
a pressure-actuated mechanism movable with respect to the first outlet;
and
a passage in flow communication with the second outlet and the pressure-actuated mechanism;
and wherein:
when fluid flows from the pump into the inlet at a first flow rate during engine startup, the device is restrained by the magnet, the first outlet is open and the second outlet is closed by a piston against a seat;
when the engine runs and the wand is open, fluid flows from the pump into the inlet at a second flow rate higher than the first flow rate, and the device closes the first outlet and diverts fluid through the second outlet, thereby urging the piston away from the seat;
and
when the wand is closed, pressure in the passage actuates the mechanism and urges the device toward the magnetic field.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.