EP1060800A2

EP1060800A2 - Control device for high-pressure washers or the like

Info

Publication number: EP1060800A2
Application number: EP00111070A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Giancarlo Lanfredi
Original assignee: Lavorwash Srl
Current assignee: Lavorwash Srl
Priority date: 1999-06-10
Filing date: 2000-06-02
Publication date: 2000-12-20
Also published as: EP1060800A3; IT1307196B1; ITPD990125A1

Abstract

A control device for high-pressure washers or the like which comprises a box-like machine body (11) containing a motor drive with a pump (12) connected at its intake, by means of a flexible hose, to a supply of liquid and at its delivery, by means of a flexible hose (14) which ends with a grip (15), to a delivery nozzle (16). The control device comprises a remote control (19) arranged in the grip (15) and capable of sending a signal to a receiver module (22) connected to a starter system (30) of the motor.

Description

The present invention relates to a control device for high-pressure washers or the like.
High-pressure washers, which substantially operate by ejecting a jet of highly pressurized water, are currently particularly appreciated and used in various applications.
High-pressure washers, in particular, are used for cleaning tasks where the impact energy of the pressurized water jet is used, the jet cooperating with, or replacing, the solvent and detergent action of other chemically-acting liquids.
The constructive structure of high-pressure washers currently comprises a box-like machine body which contains a motor drive with a pump connected at the intake, by means of a flexible hose, to a supply of liquid (mains water) and at the delivery, by means of a flexible hose which ends with a pistol grip, to a delivery nozzle.
The control for delivering pressurized water through the nozzle is currently provided by means of a lever arranged on the grip and opens and closes a corresponding valve.
The closure of the valve arranged in the grip by means of the lever causes a sudden increase in the pressure on the delivery of the pump, which runs constantly, until a preset threshold value is reached which opens a bypass connected to the pump and circulates the water of the delivery directly back to the intake.
The presence of the valve for opening/closing the flow toward the delivery device arranged in the grip and actuated by a lever considerably increases the constructive complexity of the structure of the grip.
Furthermore, the valve is a rather complicated and delicate component.
The fact should also be noted that in many of the currently commercially available machines the motor and the pump operate continuously, and this is bad in terms of energy savings; but even worse, when delivery is interrupted the machine is under a higher stress than in normal operating conditions, since the bypass recirculation is provided, as mentioned, at a pressure which is higher than the operating pressure when the flow is closed by means of the pistol grip.
The recirculation also causes an increase in the temperature inside the machine, with the danger of damaging to the sealing elements.
The aim of the present invention is to provide a control device for high-pressure washers or the like which makes high-pressure washers constructively simpler and safer in operation.
Within the scope of this aim, a consequent primary object is to reduce the constructive complexity of the grip connected to the delivery nozzle.
Another object is to have a lower energy consumption than current high-pressure washers that provide a bypass of the fluid in continuous operation when the flow is closed.
Another object is to simplify the elements located inside the machine body.
Another object is to provide a high-pressure washer which is functionally equivalent to conventional ones, is more convenient and has lower running costs than current high-pressure washers.
These and other objects which will become better apparent hereinafter are achieved by a control device for high-pressure washers or the like comprising a box-like machine body which contains a motor drive with a pump which is connected at its intake, by means of a flexible hose, to a supply of liquid and at its delivery, by means of a flexible hose which ends with a grip, to a delivery nozzle, the device being characterized in that inside said grip there is a remote control which is capable of sending a signal to a receiver module located in the machine body and connected to a starter system of said motor drive so as to actuate it or not.
Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the detailed description of an embodiment thereof, illustrated only by way of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a high-pressure washer provided with the control device according to the invention;
Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the pistol grip with delivery nozzle included in the high-pressure washer of Figure 1.
With reference to the above figures, a high-pressure washer is generally designated by the reference numeral 10 and comprises a box-like machine body 11, which in this case is wheeled. The body contains a motor system with a pump, both of which are per se known and are shown schematically and in dashed lines by the parallelepiped designated by the reference numeral 12 in Figure 1.
The pump is connected to a source of liquid, for example mains water, at its intake by means of a flexible hose of which Figure 1 shows only the connector for connection to the machine, designated by the reference numeral 13, and is connected at its delivery, by means of a flexible hose 14 which ends with a grip 15, to a delivery nozzle 16.
In particular, the grip 15 is pistol-shaped and can be composed for example of a plurality of half- shells 17 and 18 which are joined for example by interlocking or by threaded elements.
The half- shells 17 and 18 are joined so as to enclose the last portion of the hose 14, arranging the nozzle 16 at the tip.
According to the invention, in the grip 15 there is a remote control 19, for example of the conventional infrared and/or ultrasound and/or radio type, whose button 20 can be directly available to the action of the user or actuated by a lever-type actuator 21.
The remote control 19 is able to send a signal, of the infrared and/or ultrasonic and/or radio type, as mentioned, or the like, to a conventional receiver module 22, which is located in the machine body 11 and is connected to a starter system of the motor drive so as to actuate it or not, by acting for example on an electric power supply switch 30.
Therefore, by operating the remote control 19 the motor drive is started or stopped and therefore the operation of the pump is started or stopped, and the pump sends pressurized water to the nozzle 16 or not.
The nozzle 16, preferably made of brass or ceramic material, is constituted by a body composed of two parts 23 and 24 which are arranged coaxially in succession and are joined for example by means of a threaded coupling and a sealing ring 25.
A calibrated passage hole 26, with an inside diameter generally between 0.8 and 1.2 mm, is formed in the nozzle 16, and the hole 26 is interrupted by a seat 27 in which there is a ball valve 28 with a pusher spring 29 which acts in contrast with the action of the pressurized stream arriving from the machine body 11.
The spring is set to an appropriate pressure, for example 40 bar, and therefore allows the fluid to pass only when it has exceeded this threshold, or closes the passage when the pressure drops below the threshold because the pump is no longer running.
The ball valve 28 prevents gradual starting and stopping of the delivery of the fluid, i.e., prevents the jet from beginning or ending gradually.
In this case, the pump is not provided with the bypass circuit that is present in conventional high-pressure washers, because the command to stop delivery deactivates the operation of the pump because it switches off the motor drive.
Accordingly, the pump is not provided with a whole set of rather complicated and expensive components.
As regards the grip 15, it should be noted that it has no throttling or flow closure valve and therefore it, too, is far less complicated than conventional grips, to the point that the grip 15 can be sold disassembled in the same package as the high-pressure washer 10, thus eliminating the bulk problems that it currently causes, and can then be fitted by the user onto the last portion of the flexible hose 14.
In practice it has been observed that the intended aim and objects of the present invention have been achieved.
In fact, while providing equal functionality, the control device of a high-pressure washer has been simplified and accordingly a significant proportion of the elements of the machine have been simplified, at the same time increasing operating safety and bearing in mind that the motor drive now runs only when delivery is required instead of being placed under stress.
As mentioned, the grip, which in current high-pressure washers creates bulk problems due to its considerable length, now simply acts as a rigid support for the last portion of the flexible hose 14 and as the support for the remote control 19, and can therefore be split, disassembled and divided so that it can then be assembled directly by the user.
A drastic reduction in the costs of the product is expected although functionality is unchanged and safety is improved.
The invention thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims.
All the details may furthermore be replaced with other technically equivalent elements.
In practice, the materials used, so long as they are compatible with the contingent use, as well as the dimensions, may be any according to requirements.
The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. PD99A000125 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.
Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly, such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims

A control device for high-pressure washers or the like comprising a box-like machine body containing a motor drive with a pump connected at its intake, by means of a flexible hose, to a supply of liquid and at its delivery, by means of a flexible hose which ends with a grip, to a delivery nozzle, the device being characterized in that inside said grip there is a remote control which is capable of sending a signal to a receiver module located in the machine body and connected to a starter system of said motor drive so as to actuate it or not.
The device according to claim 1, characterized in that said remote control is an infrared and/or ultrasound and/or radio remote control.
The control device according to claim 1, characterized in that said receiver module acts on a switch for the electric power supply of said motor drive.
The device according to claim 1, characterized in that a ball valve with a spring for contrasting the delivery flow, set to a preset pressure, is arranged upstream of said nozzle.
The device according to claim 1, characterized in that it has a modular grip which surrounds a terminal portion of said flexible delivery hose and carries said nozzle at the tip.
The device according to claim 5, characterized in that it is composed of two or more half-shells which are connected by interlocking or by means of threaded elements.