Container and cap assembly for pressure washer

Abstract

A container for use with a pressure washer spray lance includes a hollow member having an opening for housing a chemical and a cap assembly. The cap assembly for the container includes an inner member and an outer member and is configured to allow the use of the container in an inverted or upright position.

1 . A container for coupling to a spray lance of a pressure washer comprising: 
 a hollow member having at least one opening and at least one attachment mechanism for attaching the hollow member to a spray lance, said hollow member being configured to house a chemical.    
     
     
         2 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the attachment mechanism comprises three clips aligned on a side of the hollow member, said clips being configured to attach the hollow member to a spray lance.  
     
     
         3 . The container of  claim 2 , wherein the three clips each have a cross-section and comprise two end clips and a middle clip, with the end clips having a first cross-section and the middle clip having a second cross-section.  
     
     
         4 . The container of  claim 2 , wherein the hollow member has an elongated, tube-like shape that is closed at one end and has an opening at the other end.  
     
     
         5 . The container of  claim 2 , further comprising a cap coupled to the at least one opening for assisting in retaining a chemical in the hollow member.  
     
     
         6 . The container of  claim 5 , wherein the cap includes at least one opening and has three operative positions, a first operative position opening the at least one opening for inverted use of the container, a second operative position opening the at least one opening for upright use of the container, and a third operative position closing the at least one opening.  
     
     
         7 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the hollow member has a length that is equal to or less than a length of a spray lance of a pressure washer.  
     
     
         8 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one attachment mechanism is configured to position the hollow member parallel to a spray lance of a pressure washer.  
     
     
         9 . A container for coupling to a spray lance comprising: 
 a hollow member having at least one opening and at least one attachment mechanism for attaching the hollow member to a spray lance, said hollow member being configured to house a chemical; and    a cap assembly having an inner cap member with a first and a second opening and an outer cap member with a third opening, wherein the outer cap member is movable relative to the inner cap member such that the third opening aligns with the first opening when the cap is in a first operative position, the third opening aligns with the second opening when the cap is in a second operative position, and the third opening aligns with neither the first nor the second opening when the cap is in a third inoperative position.    
     
     
         10 . The container of  claim 9 , further comprising a locking assembly for locking the cap assembly to the hollow member opening, said locking assembly comprising a projection extending from the inner cap member and a catch positioned on the container, said projection configured to engage the catch in a removably locking manner.  
     
     
         11 . A cap assembly for a container that is usable in both an upright and an inverted position, the cap assembly comprising: 
 an inner cap member having a first and a second opening; and    an outer cap member having a third opening and being coupled adjacent to the inner cap member, said outer cap member being rotatable relative to the inner cap member into at least three operative positions, such that the third opening aligns with the first opening when the cap is in a first operative position, the third opening aligns with the second opening when the cap is in a second operative position, and the third opening aligns with neither the first nor the second opening when the cap is in a third inoperative position.    
     
     
         12 . The cap assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the inner cap member includes an attachment mechanism for attaching the cap assembly to an opening of a container in a non-leaking manner.  
     
     
         13 . The cap assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the first operative position is for inverted usage of a container and the second operative position is for upright usage of a container.  
     
     
         14 . The cap assembly of  claim 13 , further comprising a conduit coupled to the second opening and extending into the container for operation in the second operative position.  
     
     
         15 . The cap assembly of  claim 13 , wherein an upstanding rim is positioned around the third opening, said upstanding rim being configured to accept a conduit through which a fluid can exit from the cap assembly.  
     
     
         16 . The cap assembly of  claim 11 , further comprising a locking assembly for locking the cap assembly to a container.  
     
     
         17 . The cap assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the locking assembly comprises a prong extending from a side wall of the inner cap member, the prong being configured to engage a catch positioned on a container.  
     
     
         18 . The cap assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the inner cap member is plastic and the outer cap member is plastic.  
     
     
         19 . The cap assembly of  claim 11 , wherein a seal is positioned in the vicinity of the first opening between the inner cap member and the outer cap member, and a seal is positioned in the vicinity of the second opening between the inner cap member and the outer cap member.  
     
     
         20 . The cap assembly of  claim 11 , further comprising a detent system for informing a user when the outer cap member is positioned in one of the at least three operative positions.  
     
     
         21 . The cap assembly of  claim 20 , wherein the detent system comprises a projection extending outwardly from the outer cap member and at least three recesses defined on the inner cap member, the projection being configured to engage the recesses one at a time upon the angular rotation of the outer cap member, with each recess representing one of the at least three operative positions.  
     
     
         22 . The cap assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the outer cap member is rotatable through about a 90° angular range between the three operative positions.