Power washer with pulsing boost power mode

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10512944-B2
Application number	US-201616060183-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 8, 2016
Priority date	Dec 9, 2015
Publication date	Dec 24, 2019
Grant date	Dec 24, 2019

Abstract

An electric power washer contains a main body having a pump and an electric power source, a hose, a handle, and a control circuit. The hose contains a first end fluidly-connected to the pump and a second end fluidly-connected to the handle, which has a button operatively-connected to the control circuit, which is operatively-connected to the pump and the electric power source. The control circuit controls the pump output and contains a timer. The control circuit permits the pump to normally operate at up to 100% normal power. However, when the button is activated, the control circuit permits the pump to operate at a boost power mode of from about 103% normal power to about 300% normal power. The control circuit intermittently pulses the boost power mode and terminates the boost power mode after a predetermined period of time or when the button is no longer activated, whichever is shorter.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electric power washer comprising:
A. a main body comprising a pump and an electric power source, wherein the pump is operatively-connected to the electric power source;
B. a hose comprising a first end and a second end opposite the first end, wherein the first end is fluidly-connected to the pump;
C. a handle fluidly-connected to the second end, wherein the handle comprises a button; and
D. a control circuit operatively-connected to the pump, and the control circuit operatively-connected to the electric power source, wherein the control circuit controls the output of the pump, wherein the control circuit comprises a timer operatively-connected to the control circuit, and wherein the button is operatively-connected to the control circuit,
wherein the control circuit permits the pump to normally operate at up to 100% normal power, wherein when the button is activated, the control circuit permits the pump to operate at a boost power mode of from about 103% normal power to about 300% normal power, and wherein the control circuit intermittently pulses the boost power mode.

2. The electric power washer according to claim 1 , further comprising a transmitter operatively-connected to the button and a receiver operatively-connected to the control circuit and wherein the transmitter transmits a signal to the receiver.

3. The electric power washer according to claim 2 , wherein the transmitter is a wireless transmitter and wherein the receiver is a wireless receiver.

4. The electric power washer according to claim 3 , wherein the handle further comprises a handle battery and wherein the transmitter is powered by the handle battery.

5. The electric power washer according to claim 2 , wherein the signal is selected from the group consisting of a radio signal, a light signal, a sonic signal, an electric signal, a magnetic signal and a combination thereof.

6. The electric power washer according to claim 5 , wherein the signal is a radio signal.

7. The electric power washer according to claim 5 , wherein the signal is a light signal selected from the group consisting of an infrared signal, an ultraviolet light signal, and a combination thereof.

8. The electric power washer according to claim 2 , wherein the transmitter and the receiver comprise an encryption key and wherein the signal is encrypted with the encryption key.

9. The electric power washer according to claim 1 wherein the control circuit terminates the boost power mode after a predetermined period of time or when the button is no longer activated whichever is shorter.

10. The electric power washer according to claim 1 , wherein the electric power source comprises an electric battery.

11. The electric power washer according to claim 1 , wherein the electric power washer comprises an AC power supply operatively-connected to the control circuit, and wherein the electric power washer is an AC/DC hybrid power washer.

12. The electric power washer according to claim 11 , wherein the AC power supply is the main power supply to the control circuit and wherein an electric battery provides at least a portion of the power for the boost power mode.

13. A method of boosting the power of a pump on a power washer by the steps of:
A. providing a control circuit operatively-connected to the pump and wherein the control circuit controls the pump;
B. providing an electric power source operatively-connected to the control circuit, wherein the electric power source is operatively-connected to the pump and wherein the control circuit permits the pump to normally operate at up to 100% normal power;
C. providing a boost power mode, wherein for the boost power mode the control circuit permits the pump to operate at from about 103% normal power to about 300% normal power, and wherein the control circuit intermittently pulses the boost power mode.

14. The method according to claim 13 , further comprising the steps of:
providing a button operatively-connected to a transmitter;
providing a receiver operatively-connected to the control circuit, and
wherein when the button is activated, the transmitter transmits a signal to the receiver whereupon the receiver signals the control circuit to permit the pump to operate in the boost power mode.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the the transmitter is a wireless transmitter and wherein the receiver is a wireless receiver.

16. The method according to claim 14 , further comprising the step of:
terminating the boost power mode after a predetermined period of time or when the button is no longer activated whichever is shorter.

17. The method according to claim 16 , further comprising the step of:
providing a motor and a battery, the battery defined as the electric power source;
measuring a characteristic selected from the group consisting of a current usage, a battery temperature, a motor temperature, a pump temperature, a motor speed, a pump speed, and a combination thereof, and adjusting the predetermined period of time based on the characteristic.

18. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the electric power source is an electric battery.

19. The method according to claim 13 , further comprising the steps of providing a cool-down period, wherein during the cool-down period the control circuit will not start the boost power mode, even if the button is activated.

20. The method according to claim 13 , further comprising the step of:
providing a motor and a battery, the battery defined as the electric power source;
measuring a characteristic selected from the group consisting of a current usage, a battery temperature, a motor temperature, a pump temperature, a motor speed, a pump speed, and a combination thereof, and adjusting the intermittent pulsing of the boost power mode based on the characteristic.

Assignees

• Tti Macao Commercial Offshore Ltd

Inventors

• Rickey Todd
• Eschrich Sven

Classifications

• B05B9/0403

  with pumps for liquids or other fluent material (B05B9/043 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B05B12/02

  for controlling time, or sequence, of delivery · CPC title

• B05B15/63

  Handgrips · CPC title

• B05B12/002

  Manually-actuated controlling means, e.g. push buttons, levers or triggers (for single units B05B11/00) · CPC title

• B05B1/02

  designed to produce a jet, spray, or other discharge of particular shape or nature, e.g. in single drops, {or having an outlet of particular shape}(B05B1/26, B05B1/28, B05B1/34 take precedence) · CPC title