Patent Application
20060108449
This invention relates generally to apparatus that provides pressurized fluids such as pressure washers and liquid sprayers.
Pressure washers are well known in the art to provide a highly-pressurized spray of water or other fluid, for cleaning or other purposes. Conventional pressure washers comprise a power unit (e.g., an engine) that drives a pump to provide the pressurized liquid to a rigid wand or other conduit. A regulator is typically coupled to the pump to regulate the output pressure and flow of the water or other fluid from the pump. Nozzles are often coupled to the rigid wand to discharge the pressurized fluid from the rigid wand.
The present invention provides, in one aspect, a nozzle kit for use with a pressurized fluid delivery apparatus having an output device for discharging a pressurized fluid. The kit includes first and second distinct nozzles individually connectable with the output device. The first and second nozzles have respective first and second orifices through which the pressurized fluid is dischargeable. The first orifice is larger than the second orifice such that the first and second nozzles output the pressurized fluid at different output pressures and flow rates. The kit also includes a package containing the first and second nozzles.
The present invention provides, in another aspect, a pressurized fluid delivery apparatus including a frame, a power unit supported by the frame, a pump operatively coupled to the power unit and adapted to provide unregulated, pressurized fluid, an output device fluidly connected with the pump to receive the unregulated, pressurized fluid, and a plurality of distinct nozzles individually connectable with the output device to regulate the pressure and flow of the pressurized fluid. At least some of the nozzles have differently-sized orifices such that these nozzles output the pressurized fluid at different output pressures and flow rates.
The present invention provides, in yet another aspect, a kit for use with a pressurized fluid delivery apparatus having an output device. The kit includes a plurality of nozzles individually connectable with the output device. Each of the nozzles has a respective discharge characteristic and a visual indicator associated with each discharge characteristic. The kit also includes a user interface correlating the visual indicators of the respective nozzles with potential user applications of the nozzles.
The present invention provides, in a further aspect, a pressurized fluid delivery apparatus including a frame, a power unit supported by the frame, a pump operatively coupled to the power unit and adapted to provide a pressurized fluid, an output device fluidly connected with the pump to receive the pressurized fluid, and at least one nozzle connectable with the output device. The nozzle has a discharge characteristic and a visual indicator associated with the discharge characteristic. The pressurized fluid delivery apparatus also includes a user interface correlating the visual indicator of the nozzle with at least one potential user application of the nozzle.
The present invention provides, in another aspect, a label for use with a pressurized fluid delivery apparatus having an output device and first and second nozzles individually connectable with the output device. Each of the nozzles has a respective discharge characteristic and a visual indicator associated with each discharge characteristic. The label includes a first side having an adhesive substance thereon to bind to the pressurized fluid delivery apparatus, and a second side having a user interface disposed thereon. The user interface includes a data field corresponding to each of the first and second nozzles. Each of the data fields identifies at least one potential user application associated with the respective nozzle.
Other features and aspects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the following detailed description, claims and drawings.
In the drawings, wherein like reference numerals indicate like parts:
Before any features of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or being carried out in various ways. Also, it is understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including”, “having”, and “comprising” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. The use of letters to identify elements of a method or process is simply for identification and is not meant to indicate that the elements should be performed in a particular order.
The wand 22 is coupled to a gun assembly 30 and acts as an extension to the gun assembly 30. The gun assembly 30 includes a hand grip 34 for a user to grasp with one hand, and the wand 22 includes a handle 38 to grasp with the other hand. A trigger 42 is located near the hand grip 34 to allow the user to selectively operate the gun assembly 30. The trigger 42 is coupled to a valve (not shown) inside the gun assembly 30. When the trigger 42 is pulled, the valve opens to allow the pressurized fluid to flow through the valve.
The gun assembly 30 is fluidly connected with the pump 26 by a flexible hose 46, which allows the power unit 18 and pump 26 to remain in one place while the user moves around and operates the gun assembly 30. Any number of conventional fluid couplings may be used to fluidly connect and secure the hose 46 to the pump 26 and to the gun assembly 30, respectively. Further, the power unit 18 and pump 26 may be transportable by a wheeled frame or cart 50.
The nozzles 54a, 54b, 54c, 54d are configured to exhibit respective different discharge characteristics of the pressurized fluid. Specifically, the nozzles 54a, 54b, 54c, 54d include respective differently-sized orifices 78a, 78b, 78c, 78d to discharge the pressurized fluid at different output pressures. The differently-sized orifices 78a, 78b, 78c, 78d of the respective nozzles 54a, 54b, 54c, 54d define different flow areas. For example, the nozzles 54a, 54b, 54c, 54d may include respective orifices 78a, 78b, 78c, 78d having nominal diameters of 0.025″, 0.035″, 0.045″, and 0.055″, which yield progressively larger flow areas. Alternatively, the nozzles 54a, 54b, 54c, 54d may be configured with respective orifices 78a, 78b, 78c, 78d having any of a number of different nominal diameters. Further, the nozzles 54a, 54b, 54c, 54d may include respective orifices having non-circular shapes, provided the orifices define different flow areas.
When the nozzles 54a, 54b, 54c, 54d are used with the pressure washer 10, nozzles 54a, 54b having relatively small orifices 78a, 78b yield higher output pressures and lower flow rates, while nozzles 54c, 54d having relatively large orifices 78c, 78d yield lower output pressures and higher flow rates. As such, the nozzles 54a, 54b, 54c, 54d are operable to regulate the output pressure and flow of the discharged pressurized fluid. Thus, the user may reconfigure the pressure washer 10 by merely changing the nozzles 54a, 54b, 54c, 54d to achieve a desired output pressure and flow of the discharged pressurized fluid according to a particular user application. Conventional pressure washers often require the user to adjust a pressure regulator to control the output pressure and flow of the discharged pressurized fluid, which can be troublesome for a user to achieve repeatable settings between adjustments. The combination of the pressure washer 10 and the nozzle kit 14 of the present invention allows the user to achieve repeatable settings of output pressure and flow of the discharged pressurized fluid between adjustments.
The nozzles 54a, 54b, 54c, 54d may be also be configured to exhibit other discharge characteristics of the pressurized fluid. For example, in addition to providing respective different output pressures, the nozzles 54a, 54b, 54c, 54d may also shape the discharged pressurized fluid into a spray pattern desirable for performing particular cleaning applications. For example, one of the nozzles 54a, 54b, 54c, 54d may be configured to provide a wide-angle spray pattern to clean a large surface, while another nozzle 54a, 54b, 54c, 54d may be configured to provide a narrow-angle spray pattern to clean a small surface.
The nozzle kit 14 may also include a user interface 82 for the user of the pressure washer 10 to reference in determining which of the nozzles 54a, 54b, 54c, 54d to use for a particular user application. As shown in
Each of the data fields 86a, 86b, 86c, 86d identifies potential user applications for the nozzle 54a, 54b, 54c, 54d associated with the data field 86a, 86b, 86c, 86d. For example, the data fields 86a, 86b may be associated with relatively high-pressure/lower flow rate nozzles 54a, 54b and may include potential user applications that would benefit from using the relatively high-pressure/lower flow rate nozzles 54a, 54b. For example, data fields 86a, 86b list potential user applications of spraying a driveway, sidewalk, wood deck, and vinyl siding. Similarly, the data fields 86c, 86d may be associated with the relatively low-pressure/higher flow rate nozzles 54c, 54d and may include potential user applications that would benefit from using the relatively low-pressure/higher flow rate nozzles 54c, 54d. For example, data fields 86c, 86d list potential user applications of spraying a car, vinyl siding, and glass windows. As shown in
With reference to
Further, other visual indicators may be used with the nozzles 54a, 54b, 54c, 54d to allow a user to correlate a particular nozzle 54a, 54b, 54c, 54d with a particular data field 86a, 86b, 86c, 86d. For example, the nozzles 54a, 54b, 54c, 54d may be labeled with symbols, letters, words, and/or numbers to provide a visual indicator to the user which nozzle 54a, 54b, 54c, 54d is associated with which data field 86a, 86b, 86c, 86d. Such symbols, letters, words, and/or numbers may be integrally formed with the nozzles 54a, 54b, 54c, 54d, or may be printed on stickers or labels that are applied to the nozzles 54a, 54b, 54c, 54d. The nozzles 54a, 54b, 54c, 54d may also be configured with unique shapes to provide a visual indicator to the user which nozzle 54a, 54b, 54c, 54d is associated with which data field 86a, 86b, 86c, 86d.
As shown in
Alternatively, the user interface 82 may be disposed on one or more laminated sheets 98 (see
Various aspects of the present invention are set forth in the following claims.
