Patent ID: 7624933

Claim:
In a pressure washing system comprising, during operation, a high pressure fluid pump in fluid communication with a source of fluid and a high pressure primary circuit including a binary valve, and further comprising a lance having an ejection nozzle in fluid communication with the high pressure circuit, wherein the lance is linked to an extension member to increase the reach of the lance relative to an operator and whereby fluid emanating from the ejection nozzle is intended to impinge upon a target surface, a variable reactive force arrangement comprising: a variable bypass valve having a housing defining a bypass input, a bypass primary output and a bypass secondary output, and further having a movable element for selectively directing fluid from the bypass input to the bypass primary output and/or the bypass secondary output wherein the bypass input is coupled to the high pressure primary circuit of the system and the bypass primary output is coupled to the lance ejection nozzle; and a dump nozzle coupled to the bypass secondary output by a dump tube wherein the dump nozzle and/or dump tube is mounted to one of the lance or the extension member at a location between the bypass valve housing and the lance ejection nozzle, and is oriented in a direction substantially different from that of the lance ejection nozzle whereby fluid emanating from the dump nozzle does not substantially impinge upon the target surface subject to fluid emanating from the lance ejection nozzle.