EP3003573B1

EP3003573B1 - A dispensing wand for washing devices

Info

Publication number: EP3003573B1
Application number: EP14730989.2A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Alessandro Casalgrandi
Original assignee: Annovi Reverberi SpA
Current assignee: Annovi Reverberi SpA
Priority date: 2013-05-28
Filing date: 2014-05-27
Publication date: 2017-08-16
Anticipated expiration: 2034-05-27
Also published as: ITRE20130038A1; WO2014191824A1; CN105246599A; EP3003573A1; CN105246599B; DK3003573T3

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an extensible wand for liquid dispensing devices.
In more detail, the invention relates to an extensible wand for high-pressure washing devices, such as for example water-pressure washer machines and the like.

PRIOR ART

As is known, high-pressure washing devices or water-pressure washer machines comprise a high-pressure pump for sourcing a washing fluid, for example water, the delivery conduit of which is connected to a flexible tube serving a dispenser gun.
The dispenser gun generally comprises an elongate body provided with a grip to which a dispensing wand is removably associated, supporting at a free end thereof a dispensing nozzle.
The dispensing gun comprises a trigger which is located at the grip and activates a tap which enables or disables the flow of the washing fluid from the pump to the dispensing nozzle.
To guarantee the user's safety, the minimum distance between the nozzle and the trigger is usually 750mm, which is to prevent or at least limit the possibility that the dispensing nozzle can be turned towards the user's face. Further, for various uses, for example in order to effectively clean surfaces distant from the user, for example located in high places, a sufficiently long wand is required so as to enable the dispensing nozzle to be arranged in proximity of the distant surface without incurring an excessive loss of pressure in the fluid to be dispensed.
To attain these aims, use is known of modular wands, i.e. made in several tubular sections reciprocally connected at heads thereof by means of bayonet fittings or similar connections, in which the first tubular section is connected to the dispensing gun and the final section is connected to the dispensing nozzle.
A drawback encountered in the use of these extensible modular wands is that they are unwieldy for the user, who has to mount or demount the various tubular sections according to the distance of the surface which is to be treated by the user, making it further necessary to transport the various tubular sections to the treatment area, in order that they can be immediately available for use in case of need.
Telescopic extensible wands are also known, which are composed by a telescopic support of which a side is connected to the dispensing gun, while the other side bears the dispensing nozzle.
These wands exhibit the drawback of requiring a flexible conduit which connects the dispensing gun with the nozzle.
When the telescopic support is at a maximum length thereof, the conduit is located by a side of the support, while when the support is at the minimum length thereof, or an intermediate length thereof, it forms a loop by a side of the support which by force of gravity is arranged more or less in the vertical plane.
The loop constitutes a very awkward obstacle for the operator, which signficantly limits use of the wand.
To obviate this drawback, telescopic wands are known which comprise at least a first tubular section a first end of which is connectable to a grip and support body of a supply conduit of a pressurized washing fluid and a second open end that dispenses the washing fluid, in which a second tubular section is associated telescopically to the first section by interposing seal means and resolvable blocking means which reciprocally block the first section and the second section at a desired length. A generic extensible cleaning wand is known from US2012/0168535 , which shows the preamble of claim 1. Telescopic wands are described in Italian patent application no. RE2013A000014 in the name of the present Applicant.
They have, however, the drawback that in a case of malfunctioning of the blocking means during use of the wand, under the pressure of the water the wand unexpectedly lengthens to the maximum length thereof, creating a risk for the user and the people in the vicinity.
An aim of the present invention is to obviate the above-mentioned drawbacks in the prior art, with a solution that is simple, rational and relatively inexpensive.
The aims are attained with the characteristics of the invention reported in the independent claim. The dependent claims delineate preferred and/or especially advantageous aspects of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In particular, the invention discloses a telescopically-extensible dispensing wand according to claim 1, for washing devices which comprises at least a first tubular section a first end of which is connectable to a gripping and supporting body of a supply conduit of a pressurized washing fluid and a second section telescopically inserted in the first.
A flexible hydraulic connecting conduit joins the end upstream of the second section with the gripping body.
This flexible conduit, when the second section is completely inserted in the first section, bends on itself and is thus arranged in a folded position internally of the first section by a side of the second section, forming an annular loop.
With this arrangement, when pressurised water is introduced into the flexible conduit, should the sections be deconstrained from one another, it becomes arranged spontaneously in a folded position by a side of the first section, drawing the second section internally of the first section.
Also obviated is the need for slidable sealing means between the first and the second section, which exhibit only a delicate construction and are subject to wear.
The invention comprises resolvable blocking means between the first and the second section, for blocking the wand at the desired length; when the wand is in use the blocking means are continuously stressed in the direction that prevents exit of the second section from the first section; the wand, should the blocking means malfunction, is automatically arranged in the minimum-length configuration thereof.
The blocking means comprise at least an engaging element associated to the first section and able to selectively engage to a housing seating of a plurality of housing seatings spaced axially and provided along the second section.
In this way the axial position of the second section can be blocked along the first section in more than one position, enabling adjustment of the overall length of the dispensing wand as desired.
The hooking element is solidly associated in translation to the end of the first section which receives the second section.
The hooking element advantageously comprises at least a button slidably inserted in a housing cradle realised at the end of the external conduit and opening in an external direction therefrom, the button comprising at least a mobile engaging appendage mobile from an engaged position, in which it is inserted in at least one of the housing seatings, to a disengaged position therefrom, in opposition to elastic means, in which it does not interact with the housing seatings.
Thanks to this solution the blocking of the second section with respect to the first section and the release thereof is easy, rapid and repeatable with a consequent immediacy of the extension or shortening operations of the dispensing wand, according to operative needs.
In a further advantageous aspect of the invention, the plurality of housing seatings is defined by a rack having a longitudinal axis that is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the first section which extends over a portion of the first section interposed between the first end and the second end.
Thanks to this solution, the realising of the housing seatings is especially rapid and productively effective.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge from a reading of the following description provided by way of non-limiting example, with the aid of the figures illustrated in the accompanying tables of drawings.

Figure 1 is a lateral view of a wand, according to the invention, in a retracted configuration.
Figure 2 is a lateral view of the wand of figure 1 in an extended configuration.
Figure 3 is the axial section of figure 1.
Figure 4 is the axial section of figure 2.
Figure 5 is an exploded lateral view of the wand with the grip applied.

BEST WAY OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

With particular reference to the figures, reference numeral 10 denotes in its entirety a dispensing gun of a washing liquid connectable to a supply pump of the washing fluid, not shown because of known type.
The dispensing gun 10 (as visible in figure 5) comprises an elongate and hollow body 20 provided with a grip 21 arranged at an end thereof which comprises a connection fitting 200 with the pressurised water supply, and a trigger 22 able to actuate a closing and opening valve of the fitting, as known to a skilled person in the sector.
At the opposite end of the grip 21, the elongate body 20 comprises a usual connector, for example of the female type, equipped with rapid-coupling means of the bayonet snap-fit or screw type, as known to the skilled person in the sector.
The dispensing gun 10 comprises a dispensing wand 30 (shown in detail in figures 1 - 4), which axially extends the elongate body 20 and inserts into the connector thereof and supports, at the opposite end thereof, a dispensing nozzle 40, as will become more apparent in the following.
The wand 30 comprises a hollow external first section 31 at a first end 311 of which a first connector 100 is placed, for example of the male type, which can sealingly engage to the connector provided at the end of the elongate body 20.
The second end 312 of the first section 31 is open so as to receive, by telescopic insertion, a second section 32 of the wand 30.
The internal cavity of the first section 31 comprises a long intermediate area 314 having an internal diameter greater than the diameter of the tapered zone, in which the second section 32 of the wand is located.
A plurality of housing seatings 326 are formed on the cylindrical wall of the second section 32 and are aligned along an imaginary line parallel to the longitudinal axis of the first section and spaced from one another (for example, equidistant).
In the illustrated example the housing seatings 326 are defined by a rack 327 made in a single piece (or in any case fixed) to an external wall of the second section 32 and positioned on a single circular sector (lower in the figure) of the external wall.
In practice, the rack 327 is made from a plurality of arcuate teeth flanked along the longitudinal axis of the second section 32 between which housing seatings 326 are defined.
It is possible, however, for the rack 327 to be defined by a plurality of circular teeth which develop over the entire section of the second cylindrical section 32.
The second section 32 has an axial conduit and comprises a first end inserted in the first section 31 and provided with a first connector 320, and an opposite free second end, which includes a second connector 321 for example of the female type and equipped with snap-fitting organs, to which the dispensing nozzle 40 is removably attachable.
A flexible conduit 50 hydraulically sealedly connects the connector 100 fixed to the end of the first section 31 with the connector 320 fixed to the end of the second section 32 internally of the first section 21.
The length of the flexible conduit is such that when the second section 32 is completely extracted from the first section 31, the conduit 50 forms a closed-ring loop 500.
When the second section 32 is fully retracted into the first section 21, the conduit 50 still bent in a ring, is arranged at the side of the second section 32. With this arrangement of the flexible conduit, the water pressure internally thereof causes the dilation of the loop 500 and the subsequent recall of the second section internally of the first section.
In particular, the second section 32 includes resolvable blocking means able to reciprocally block the first section 31 and the second section 32.
In particular, the resolvable blocking means can temporarily block the second section 32 with respect to the first section 31 in the desired intermediate position between the end positions.
The resolvable blocking means comprise at least an engaging element 37 associated with the first section 31, able to selectively engage one of the housing seatings 326 spaced axially along the second section 32.
In particular, the engaging element 37, as shown in figure 3 comprises a button 371 slidably inserted in a housing cradle fashioned in proximity of the end 312 of the first section 31.
The button 371 further includes an engaging appendage which branches from the lower wall thereof (substantially at right angles with it) and is inserted into the through-opening of the bottom wall of the housing cradle.
A compression spring 375 is interposed between the bottom of the housing cradle and the button 371 (the lower wall thereof), which spring 375 is for example helical and inserted on a pin 365 rising from the bottom wall of the housing cradle and maintaining the engaged position.
In practice, the button 371 is mobile from an engaged position (shown in figures 3 and 4) in which at least one of the housing seatings 326 is inserted, to a disengaged position therefrom in opposition to the elastic force exerted by the compression spring which tends to bring the button 371 into the engaged position.

Claims

An extensible dispensing wand (30) for washing devices which comprises at least a first tubular section (31) a first end (311) of which is connectable to a gripping and support body (20) of a supply conduit of a pressurized washing fluid and a second end (312) that is open and able to telescopically receive a second section (32) connectable, at an end external of the first section, to a dispensing nozzle (40), where the first section (31) comprises a connector (100) at the first end thereof, and the second section (32) comprises a further connector (320) at an internal end thereof, resolvable blocking means being provided to reciprocally block the first section (31) and the second section (32), characterised in that it comprises a flexible conduit (50) which connects, internally of the first section (31), the connector (100) of the first section (31) with the further connector of the second section (32), a length of the flexible conduit (50) being such as to enable formation, internally of the first section (31) of a ring-conformed loop (500) even when the second section (32) is completely extracted from the first tract (31),
characterized in that, when the second section (32) is fully retracted into the first section (31), the conduit (50), still bent in a ring, is arranged at the side of the second section, with this arrangement of the flexible conduit the water pressure internally thereof causes the dilation of the loop (500) and the subsequent recall of the second section (32) internally of the first section (31).
The wand (30) of claim 1, wherein the resolvable blocking means comprise at least an engaging element (37) associated to the first section (31) and able to selectively engage to a housing seating (326) of a plurality of housing seatings (326) spaced axially and provided along the second section (32).
The wand (30) of claim 2, wherein the engaging element (37) is associated to the second end (312) of the first section (31).
The wand (30) of claim 3, wherein the engaging element (37) comprises at least a button (371) inserted slidably in a housing cradle realised at the second end (312) of the first section (31), the button (371) comprising at least an engaging appendage mobile from an engaged position, in which it is inserted in at least one of the housing seatings (326), to a disengaged position therefrom, in opposition to elastic means (375).