A WATER CLEANER MACHINE

Abstract

 A water cleaner machine comprising at least two motors (M1, M2) each activating a respective pump (P1, P2), the pumps being connected in parallel to a water supply line and leading a common dispensing conduit comprising a high-pressure lance activated by a trigger; the machine comprises a single switch (2) having a manual activation which can be positioned in a first position in which both the motors (M1, M2) are disconnected from an electric power source (figure 1), in a second position in which only one motor (M1) is connected to the electric power source (figure 2) and in a third position in which both the motors (M1, M2) are connected to an electric power source (1); a normally-closed pressure switch (5) is placed on a delivery conduit of one of the pumps (P1, P2), which pressure switch (5) is adapted to open when the pressure exceeds a calibration value.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to high-pressure water cleaner machines, comprising at least an electric pump activated by an electric motor, which is placed in communication with a water supply source and supplies a hand-manoeuvred high-pressure dispensing lance.

[0002] To satisfy the requirements of the operator, and make available various flow rates of pressurised water dispensed by the lance, Chinese utility model CN 204672602 discloses high-pressure water cleaner machines having a plurality of operating modes.

[0003] The machines comprise a main pump activated by a main electric motor, and an auxiliary pump activated by an auxiliary electric motor, placed in parallel with the main pump.

[0004] The main pump and the auxiliary pump are supplied by a single water source via a three-way connector.

[0005] The outlet conduits of the main and auxiliary pumps both flow, by means of a three-way connector, into a supply conduit of a high-pressure lance.

[0006] In particular, the main pump has a maximum pressure value which is greater than the maximum pressure value of the auxiliary pump.

[0007] Each of the two pumps is activated by an independent electric motor; the two electric motors have a different power, proportional to the maximum dispensing pressure of the relative pump.

[0008] The command circuit of the water cleaner machine comprises a single main switch that is hand-operated, and a selector-switch, also hand-operated, which enables both the activating motors of the main and auxiliary pumps to operate, or only one of them to operate.

[0009] A pressure switch is located on the supply circuit of each of the motors, which pressure switch is normally closed when the delivery pressure of the respective pump is lower than a predetermined calibration value, and opens automatically when the pressure exceeds the calibration value.

[0010] The opening of the pressure switch causes the halting of the respective pump.

[0011] The opening of the pressure switch takes place when the dispensing lance is closed, with a consequent increase in pressure upstream thereof.

[0012] The known solution, while enabling a considerable energy saving, obtained by adapting the functioning of one or both of the pumps of the water cleaner machine to the operator's needs, is however not free of drawbacks.

[0013] In fact the water cleaner machine is excessively complicated, comprises a large number of components and does not enable automatically adapting the functioning to the operator's needs.

[0014] The aim of the present invention is to obviate the drawbacks of the prior art with a solution that is simple, reliable and economical.

[0015] The aim is attained by a water cleaner machine having the characteristics set down in the main claim; the secondary claims relate to constructional variants aimed at improving the results of the invention.

[0016] The water cleaner machine of the invention comprises two identical electric pumps in parallel, supplied by a single water source, and connected to a single dispensing lance of water at a high pressure, via appropriate three-way connectors

[0017] Each pump is activated by a respective electric motor.

[0018] The command circuit of the two identical electric motors which activate the pumps comprises a three-way switch, activated by the operator.

[0019] In a first position of the switch the electric power source to both the motors is OFF;
in a second position of the switch, only one electric pump is electrically supplied;
in the third position of the switch both the electric pumps are electrically supplied.

[0020] The invention includes a single pressure switch, located on the conduit into which the delivery conduits of the two electric pumps flow, and which in turn is connected to the dispensing lance.

[0021] The pressure switch is normally-closed, in the ON position, and opens into the OFF position when the pressure exceeds a predetermined value.

[0022] Exceeding this value is caused by the closing of the dispensing lance by the operator.

[0023] The advantages and functional and constructional characteristics of the invention will emerge from the detailed description that follows, which with the aid of the appended tables of drawings illustrates a particular preferred embodiment thereof, given by way of non-limiting example.

Figure 1 is the electrical and hydraulic diagram of the invention in non-active conditions.

Figure 2 is the electrical and hydraulic diagram of the invention with only one pump motor active.

Figure 3 is the electrical and hydraulic diagram of the invention with both motor pumps active.

[0024] The figures show the supply line 1 of the electric current, which comprises two cables of which one, L, is the live line and the other N, is the neutral phase.

[0025] The cables L and N lead from a switch 2 activated manually by means of a button S, from which the electric supply cables for two electric motors M1 and M2 lead to the high-pressure pumps P1 and P2.

[0026] The button S places the switch 2 in three different positions.

[0027] In a first position, illustrated in figure 3, the button S connects the line cable L with a cable 12 terminating at the motor M2 and with a cable 10 terminating at the motor M1.

[0028] In a second position, illustrated in figure 2, the switch 2 connects the line cable L with the cable 10 terminating only at the motor M1.

[0029] In a third position, illustrated in figure 1, the switch 2 interrupts the connection of the cable L with both motors.

[0030] In all three positions, the switch 2 connects the cable of the neutral phase N with a cable 4 terminating at a pressure sensor 5.

[0031] The pressure sensor 5 is positioned on the delivery line 6 of the pump P1, the supply conduit of which is denoted by reference numeral 66.

[0032] The supply conduit 77 of the pump P2 is placed in parallel with the conduit 66, and both source from a single supply conduit 67 via a three-way connector, not illustrated in detail.

[0033] The supply conduit 6 of the pump P1 and the delivery conduit 7 of the pump P2 both flow into a single supply conduit 76 via a three-way connector, not illustrated in detail.

[0034] A one-way valve 8 is positioned on the delivery conduit 7, which prevents back-flow of the water towards the pump P2.

[0035] The conduit 76 terminates at a dispensing lance, not illustrated, which is activated by the operator by means of a trigger.

[0036] The pressure switch 5 places the neutral phase cable N in communication with both the motors M1 and M2, when the water pressure delivered by the pump P1 is lower than a determined value.

[0037] The invention functions as follows.

[0038] In rest conditions the switch 2 is in the illustrated position in figure 1, and the dispensing lance (not illustrated) is in the closed configuration.

[0039] In this configuration both the motors M1 and M2 are inactive, and the pumps P1 and P2 are both inactive.

[0040] The pressure-sensitive switch 5 is in the closed position, since the dispensing pressure of the pump P1 is zero.

[0041] When the operator wishes to set the water cleaner machine in operation, it is sufficient to activate the manual switch 2 so as to power one or both of the motors M1 and M2.

[0042] In this position at least the pump P1 is set in motion and brings the dispensing pressure to a value of greater than the calibration value.

[0043] The pressure-sensitive switch 5 opens, as the pressure exceeds the calibration value, and the motor M1, or both motors M1 and M2 halt.

[0044] When the operator desires to dispense pressurised water, it is sufficient to operate the trigger of the dispensing lance and the water pressure upstream diminishes, the pressure-sensitive switch 5 closes and the motor M1 or both the motors M1 and M2, according to the position of the switch 2, start up.

[0045] The only activities requested of the operator are the activating of the switch 2, and the trigger which opens the dispensing of the lance.

[0046] When the operator desires to halt dispensing of the pressurised water, it is sufficient to operate the trigger to close the dispensing lance, at which the water pressure upstream of the lance increases beyond the calibration value and the pressure-sensitive switch 5 opens and halts one of or both of the motors M1 and M2.

[0047] It is understood that the invention is not limited to the above-described example, and that variants and improvements may be made thereto without its forsaking the protective scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A water cleaner machine comprising at least two motors (M1, M2) each activating a respective pump (P1, P2), the pumps being connected in parallel to a water supply line and leading to a common dispensing conduit comprising a high-pressure lance activated by a trigger, characterised in that it comprises a single switch having a manual activation which can be positioned in a first position in which both the motors are disconnected from an electric power source, in a second position in which only one motor is connected to the electric power source and in a third position in which both the motors are connected to an electric power source, a normally-closed pressure switch (5) being placed on a delivery conduit of one of the pumps (P1), which pressure switch (5) is adapted to open when the pressure exceeds a calibration value.

2. The water cleaner machine of claim 1, characterised in that the two pumps (P1, P2) are identical.

3. The water cleaner machine of claim 1, characterised in that the two motors (M1, M2) are identical.

Drawing