HEATABLE HIGH PRESSURE CLEANING APPLIANCE

Abstract

A heatable high pressure cleaning appliance is provided with an undercarriage and a housing lower part, arranged on the undercarriage, in which a motor and a pump driven by the motor for pressurizing water are arranged, and with a fuel-operated heat exchanger for heating the water and a fuel tank for storing liquid fuel for the heat exchanger. In order to further develop the heatable high pressure cleaning appliance in such a way that it has a high mechanical stability and is producible in a cost-effective manner, it is proposed that the fuel tank is configured as a one-piece plastic hollow body, which forms the housing lower part and is held on a rigid support frame, wherein the support frame forms a shock protector that at least partially surrounds the fuel tank in the circumferential direction.

Claims

1. A heatable high pressure cleaning appliance with a undercarriage on which a plurality of wheels are rotatably mounted, and with a housing lower part, arranged on the undercarriage, in which a motor and a pump driven by the motor for pressurizing water are arranged, and with a fuel-operated heat exchanger for heating the water, and a fuel tank for storing liquid fuel for the heat exchanger, wherein the fuel tank is configured as a one-piece plastic hollow body, which forms the housing lower part and which is held on a rigid support frame, wherein the support frame forms a shock protector that at least partially surrounds the fuel tank in the circumferential direction.

2. The heatable high pressure cleaning appliance in accordance with claim 1, wherein the support frame forms the undercarriage.

3. The heatable high pressure cleaning appliance in accordance with claim 1, wherein the support frame projects beyond a front side and a rear side of the fuel tank in relation to a main movement direction of the high pressure cleaning appliance.

4. The heatable high pressure cleaning appliance in accordance with claim 1, wherein the support frame projects transversely to the main movement direction of the high pressure cleaning appliance beyond a first longitudinal side and a second longitudinal side of the fuel tank.

5. The heatable high pressure cleaning appliance in accordance with claim 1, wherein the support frame comprises two rigid side frame parts, which are arranged on mutually opposing longitudinal sides of the fuel tank.

6. The heatable high pressure cleaning appliance in accordance with claim 5, wherein the side frame parts are each configured as self-contained support frame side portions.

7. The heatable high pressure cleaning appliance in accordance with claim 5, wherein a covering is removably held at least on a side frame part, said covering covering a face side of the pump.

8. The heatable high pressure cleaning appliance in accordance with claim 7, wherein an opening is arranged between the at least one side frame part and the covering removably held thereon.

9. The heatable high pressure cleaning appliance in accordance with claim 1, wherein the support frame comprises a rigid front frame part, which is arranged on the front side of the fuel tank.

10. The heatable high pressure cleaning appliance in accordance with claim 9, wherein the front frame part is configured as a U-shaped support frame front portion.

11. The heatable high pressure cleaning appliance in accordance with claim 1, wherein the support frame comprises a rigid base frame part, which forms the undercarriage of the high pressure cleaning appliance.

12. The heatable high pressure cleaning appliance in accordance with claim 11, wherein the base frame part is configured as a U-shaped support frame base portion.

13. The heatable high pressure cleaning appliance in accordance with claim 1, wherein the support frame comprises at least one rigid back frame part, which projects beyond the rear side of the fuel tank and forms a grip of the high pressure cleaning appliance.

14. The heatable high pressure cleaning appliance in accordance with claim 13, wherein the support frame comprises two rigid rear frame parts, which are arranged at a distance from one another and project beyond the rear side of the fuel tank and each form a grip of the high pressure cleaning appliance.

15. The heatable high pressure cleaning appliance in accordance with claim 13, wherein at least one rigid rear frame part is of stirrup-shaped configuration.

16. The heatable high pressure cleaning appliance in accordance with claim 1, wherein the support frame comprises a rigid attachment frame part for attaching a crane hook or a lifting strap.

17. The heatable high pressure cleaning appliance in accordance with claim 16, wherein the attachment frame part engages over the fuel tank.

18. The heatable high pressure cleaning appliance in accordance with claim 16, wherein the attachment frame part is arranged between the motor and the fuel tank in relation to the main movement direction of the high pressure cleaning appliance.

19. The heatable high pressure cleaning appliance in accordance with claim 16, wherein the attachment frame part comprises two support frame attachment portions oriented at an angle to one another.

20. The heatable high pressure cleaning appliance in accordance with claim 1, wherein the support frame consists of metal.

21. The heatable high pressure cleaning appliance in accordance with claim 1, wherein the support frame comprises a plurality of bent pipes that are rigidly connected to one another.

22. The heatable high pressure cleaning appliance in accordance with claim 21, wherein the pipes are welded to one another.

23. The heatable high pressure cleaning appliance in accordance with claim 1, wherein the support frame comprises a base plate on which the heat exchanger is arranged.

24. The heatable high pressure cleaning appliance in accordance with claim 1, wherein the fuel tank forms a motor receiving part into which the motor is insertable and which comprises supporting bodies for supporting the motor.

25. The heatable high pressure cleaning appliance in accordance with claim 24, wherein the motor receiving part comprises a through-duct, which is molded into the fuel tank and extends from a top side to a bottom side of the fuel tank.

26. The heatable high pressure cleaning appliance in accordance with claim 1, wherein the fuel tank comprises a recess, which forms a decoupling tank that comprises an inlet connectable to a water supply network and that is in flow connection with the pump.

27. The heatable high pressure cleaning appliance in accordance with claim 26, wherein a fill level-dependent valve is arranged at the inlet of the decoupling tank.

28. The heatable high pressure cleaning appliance in accordance with claim 1, wherein the fuel tank is produced by rotational molding.

29. The heatable high pressure cleaning appliance in accordance with claim 1, wherein the high pressure cleaning appliance comprises a housing upper part, which is arranged on the housing lower part.

30. The heatable high pressure cleaning appliance in accordance with claim 29, wherein the housing upper part is configured as a one-piece closed plastic hollow body.

31. The heatable high pressure cleaning appliance in accordance with claim 29, wherein the housing upper part is produced by rotational molding.

32. The heatable high pressure cleaning appliance in accordance with claim 16, wherein the high pressure cleaning appliance comprises a housing upper part, which is arranged on the housing lower part, wherein the housing upper part comprises a through-channel, which extends from a top side to a bottom side of the housing upper part, wherein the attachment frame part of the support frame is accessible to the user by way of the through-channel.

33. The heatable high pressure cleaning appliance in accordance with claim 29, wherein the housing upper part forms at least one winding hook for winding up a hose and/or an electrical cable.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0060] FIG. 1 shows a perspective depiction of a heatable high pressure cleaning appliance obliquely from behind;

[0061] FIG. 2 shows a perspective depiction of the high pressure cleaning appliance from FIG. 1 obliquely from the front;

[0062] FIG. 3 shows a plan view of the high pressure cleaning appliance from FIG. 1;

[0063] FIG. 4 shows a perspective depiction of a housing lower part of the high pressure cleaning appliance from FIG. 1 in the form of a fuel tank;

[0064] FIG. 5 shows a perspective depiction of the fuel tank from FIG. 4 with a motor that is inserted in a motor receiving part of the fuel tank;

[0065] FIG. 6 shows a perspective depiction of a housing upper part of the high pressure cleaning appliance from FIG. 1;

[0066] FIG. 7 shows a perspective depiction of a support frame of the high pressure cleaning appliance from FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0067] Schematically depicted in the drawing is an advantageous embodiment of a heatable high pressure cleaning appliance in accordance with the invention, which is designated as a whole with the reference numeral 10. The high pressure cleaning appliance 10 comprises a housing lower part 12 as well as a housing upper part 14 that is arranged on the housing lower part 12 and covers same.

[0068] The high pressure cleaning appliance 10 is configured to be able to move. For this purpose, it comprises two wheels 16, 18 as well as two steering rollers 20, 22. The wheels 16, 18 and the steering rollers 20, 22 are rotatably mounded on an undercarriage 24. A main movement direction of the high pressure cleaning appliance 10 is indicated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 by the arrow 26.

[0069] A heatable heat exchanger 28 that is positioned on a base plate 30 is arranged on the undercarriage 24 behind the housing lower part 12 in the main movement direction 26.

[0070] The housing lower part 12 is formed by a fuel tank 32 that is configured as a one-piece plastic hollow body and can be filled with liquid fuel, in particular with heating oil or with diesel fuel, by way of a fill opening 34 for operating the heat exchanger 28. The fill opening 34 is arranged on a front side 36 of the fuel tank 32 and is closeable by means of a hinged lid 40.

[0071] In the embodiment depicted, the fuel tank 32 is made from a plastic material by means of rotational molding. It forms a seamless hollow body, the internal volume of which accommodates the liquid fuel.

[0072] As can be seen in particular in FIGS. 4 and 5, the fuel tank 32 forms, among other things, a motor receiving part 42, which comprises a through-duct 44 that extends from a top side 46 of the fuel tank 32 to a bottom side 48 of the fuel tank 32.

[0073] On its top side, the motor receiving part 42 comprises hollow supporting bodies 50, 52, 54, 56, which are arranged substantially at the corner points of the passage shaft 44 that is rectangular in plan view and each comprise a concave support face 58, 60, 62, 64. In each case a free end portion of a holding arm 66, 68, 70, 72 that projects outwardly from a motor housing 74 of an electric motor 76 can be positioned on the support faces 58, 60, 62, 64. The electric motor 76 can be inserted into the motor receiving part 42, covering the through-duct 44 and being supported by the supporting bodies 50, 52, 54, 56. A flow of air through the through duct 44 can form to cool the electric motor 76.

[0074] The electric motor 76 bears on a first motor end 78 a pump 80, which projects out of the motor receiving part 42 on a first longitudinal side 81 of the fuel tank 32, and on a second motor end 82 the electric motor 76 bears a blower 84, which projects out of the motor receiving part 42 on a second longitudinal side 85 of the fuel tank 32 that faces away from the first longitudinal side 81. By means of the pump 80, water can be pressurized, which can be directed at an object to be cleaned, and by means of the blower 84, air can be supplied to the heat exchanger 28. The heat exchanger may, as is typical, comprise a coiled tubing, which is heated by a burner and through which the water pressurized by the pump 80 is conducted in order to heat the water. In the region between the motor receiving part 42 and the front side 36, the fuel tank 32 configured as a seamless hollow body forms a pocket-shaped recess 86. The recess 86 forms a decoupling tank 90 that comprises on its top side 92 an inlet 94 at which a fill level-dependent valve in the form of a float valve 96 is arranged. The decoupling tank 90 is in flow connection with a pump inlet of the pump 80 by way of an outlet not depicted in the drawing.

[0075] Connected to the float valve 96 is a water supply line 98, by way of which the decoupling tank 90 is connectable to a public water supply network, such that water can be fed from the water supply network to the decoupling tank 90, said water then being able to be pressurized by the pump 80 and then heated by the heat exchanger 28.

[0076] Arranged over the decoupling tank is a refill container 100 for a descaling solution, which can be admixed to the water in order to prevent calcification of the heat exchanger. The refill container 100 comprises a pivotable filler neck 102, which, for the purpose of filling the refill container, can be pivoted about a vertical pivotal axis 104 from its parking position depicted in FIG. 5 into a refilling position, not depicted in the drawing, in which the filler neck 102 projects beyond the first longitudinal side 81 of the fuel tank 32.

[0077] The fuel tank 32 is configured as a multi-functional part. In the form of a seamless hollow body, it forms not only a storage tank for liquid fuel, but also forms the entire housing lower part 12, which accommodates the electric motor 76 and the pump 80 as well as the blower 84, and which also forms the decoupling tank 90. The configuration in the form of a one-piece closed plastic hollow body gives the fuel tank 32 a significant mechanical stability, the mechanical stability being further increased by the pocket-shaped recess 86 and the through-duct 44.

[0078] For additionally increasing the mechanical stability, the high pressure cleaning appliance 10 comprises a supporting metal structure in the form of a support frame 110, which is formed by bent pipes that are rigidly connected to one another, and thus said support frame 110 is configured as a pipe frame 112. This is made clear in particular in FIG. 7.

[0079] The support frame 110 forms a shock protector for the fuel tank 32, which, in the embodiment depicted, completely surrounds the fuel tank 32 in the circumferential direction. In relation to the main movement direction 26, the support frame 110 projects beyond the front side 36 of the fuel tank 32 and also beyond the rear side 114 thereof. Moreover, the support frame 110 projects transversely to the main movement direction 26 beyond the longitudinal sides 81 and 85 of the fuel tank 32.

[0080] The support frame 110 comprises a first rigid side frame part 116, which is configured as a self-contained support frame side portion 118. The support frame 110 also comprises a second rigid side frame part 120, which is configured as a self-contained second support frame side portion 122. The first side frame part 116 is arranged on the first longitudinal side 81 of the fuel tank 32 and the second side frame part 120 is arranged on the opposing second longitudinal side 85 of the fuel tank 32. A first covering 124 in the form of a perforated metal sheet is removably held on the first side frame part 116, and a second covering 126 in the form of a second perforated metal sheet is removably held on the second side frame part 120. This is clear in particular from FIGS. 1 and 2. Arranged between the first covering 124 and the first side frame part 120 is an opening 128, which enables a user direct access to the face side 130 of the pump 80 facing away from the electric motor 76, in order to be able to perform, for example, adjustment work on the pump 80 and to be able to fill the refill container 100 with a descaling solution.

[0081] The two side frame parts 116, 120 are rigidly connected to one another by way of a front frame part 132 of the support frame 110. The front frame part 132 comprises a U-shaped support frame front portion 134, which extends from the first side frame part 116 along the front side 36 of the fuel tank 32 to the second side frame part 120.

[0082] The support frame 110 forms the undercarriage 24. For this purpose, the support frame 110 comprises a base frame part 136, which is configured as a U-shaped support frame base portion 138. The support frame base portion 138 comprises a first leg 140 and a second leg 142, which are oriented in parallel to the main movement direction 26 and are connected to one another in one piece by way of a web 144 oriented transversely to the main movement direction 26. The free ends of the two legs 140, 142 facing away from the web 144 are rigidly connected to one another by way of a traverse 146.

[0083] Arranged between the end portions of the two legs 140, 142 facing toward the web 144 is the aforementioned base plate 30, which bears the heat exchanger 28.

[0084] The first leg 140 is welded to the first side frame part 116 by way of two first pipe pieces 148, 150, and the second leg 142 is welded to the second side frame part 120 by way of two second pipe pieces 152, 154.

[0085] Moreover, the support frame 110 comprises a rigid attachment frame part 156, by way of which the first side frame part 116 is rigidly connected, on its top side facing away from the base frame part 136, to the second side frame part 120. The attachment frame part 156 engages over the fuel tank 32, extending transversely to the main movement direction 26. It comprises a first support frame attachment portion 158 and a second support frame attachment portion 160, which are oriented at an obtuse angle to one another and are connected to one another in one piece. In the connecting region between the first support frame attachment portion 158 and the second support frame attachment portion 160, a crane hook, which is not depicted so as to achieve a better overview, can engage around the attachment frame part 156 in order to lift the entire high pressure cleaning appliance 10.

[0086] A first rigid rear frame part 162, which is of stirrup-shaped configuration, extends from a rear side of the first side frame part 116 facing away from the front frame part 132 to the first support frame attachment portion 158 and forms a first grip 164 of the high pressure cleaning appliance 10. A second rigid rear frame part 166, which is also of stirrup-shaped configuration, extends from a rear side of the second side frame part 120 facing away from the front frame part 132 to the second support frame attachment portion 160 and forms a second grip 168 of the high pressure cleaning appliance 10. The two rear frame parts 162, 166, like the base frame part 136, projects counter to the main movement direction 26 beyond the rear side 114 of the fuel tank 32 and beyond the rear side of the heat exchanger 28.

[0087] The support frame 110 forms a shock protector, which ensures that the fuel tank 32 is not damaged upon unintentionally striking an obstacle.

[0088] The housing lower part 12 formed by the fuel tank 32 is covered by the housing upper part 14. The housing upper part 14 is configured as a one-piece closed plastic hollow body and is produced by rotational molding. It comprises a through-channel 170, which extends from a top side 172 of the housing upper part 14 to a bottom side 174 of the housing upper part 14 and which is passed through by an exhaust pipe 176 in a rear region facing away from the front side 36 of the fuel tank 32, by way of which exhaust pipe 176 exhaust gas from the heat exchanger 28 can be released.

[0089] In front of the exhaust pipe 176 in relation to the main movement direction 26, the through-channel 170 provides access to the attachment frame part 156 This makes it possible for the user to fix a crane hook or a lifting strap to the attachment frame part 156 of the support frame 100 without having to reveal the attachment frame part 156 by, for example, removing the housing upper part 14 from the housing lower part 12.

[0090] At a distance from the through-channel 170 in the main movement direction 26, the housing upper part 14 comprises a substantially rectangular perforation 178 on which an operating panel 180 is arranged, which bears on its top side a main switch 182 for switching the electric motor 76 on and off.

[0091] On its rear side 184, the housing upper part 14 forms a winding hook 186 on which, for example, a pressure hose and/or an electrical cable can be wound. The winding hook 186 is arranged between the first grip 164 and the second grip 168.

[0092] The high pressure cleaning appliance 10 is distinguished by low manufacturing costs and by a high mechanical stability. Both the housing lower part 12 and the housing upper part 14 are produced by rotational molding and form one-piece, seamless plastic hollow bodies. The housing lower part 12 is formed by the fuel tank 32, which is supported by the support frame 110 and which not only forms the undercarriage 24 of the high pressure cleaning appliance 10 but also a shock protector that prevents damage to the fuel tank 32 upon the high pressure cleaning appliance 10 impacting an obstacle.