SNOW REMOVAL TRAILER AND VEHICLE EQUIPPED WITH SUCH A TRAILER

Abstract

The invention relates to a snowplow trailer (1) comprising at least one axle and equipped with a drawbar (14) for towing a vehicle (2). A snowplow blade (11) is mounted on at least one side of the trailer (1), said blade (11) being movable between a rest position where the blade (11) is oriented parallel to a direction (D) of movement of the trailer (1) and a working position where the blade (11) is oriented angularly with respect to the direction (D) of movement of the trailer (1). The invention also relates to a vehicle (2) towing such a trailer (1). Figure to be published with the abstract: Fig. 6

Description

Title of the invention: SNOW REMOVAL TRAILER AND VEHICLE EQUIPPED WITH SUCH A TRAILER

[0001] The present invention relates to a snow removal trailer and a vehicle equipped with such a trailer.

[0002] The term "vehicle" here encompasses all types of self-propelled land vehicles. Non-limiting examples include snowplows, trucks, agricultural machinery, construction equipment, specialized snow removal equipment, vans, pickup trucks, and others. Such vehicles may or may not be equipped with means for pushing and / or removing snow from a roadway. They may or may not include means for treating the roadway. In all cases, these are vehicles used during snow removal operations. The expression "snow removal trailer" here refers to a non-self-propelled, wheeled vehicle, regardless of its length, the number of axles, and / or the load and / or equipment placed on the trailer, which, in all cases, is a vehicle whose function is to participate in snow removal operations.

[0003] When a vehicle is working on a roadway to clear snow, this generally occurs on an open road, and therefore in the presence of other road users such as cars or trucks. It frequently happens that other vehicles hinder or slow down the snowplow, particularly when the vehicles are not equipped with snow tires or chains. This means they cannot move normally and they block traffic on at least part of the roadway, thus preventing the snowplow from working. Furthermore, regulations, at least in France, prohibit overtaking a snowplow in operation, so as not to impede it. However, this prohibition is often disregarded because the speed of the snowplow is relatively low, and other road users therefore tend to overtake it.Furthermore, the snow removal equipment, namely the snowplow blade and / or the snow blower and / or suction unit and / or the inter-axle sweeper mounted on the vehicle, has an overall footprint close to the maximum width of the vehicle. This is to allow the snowplow to pass on roads of varying widths. Therefore, for certain types of roads, such as dual, triple, or quadruple lanes without a central reservation, airport runways and taxiways, maritime loading docks, parking lots, or similar areas, it is necessary to make several passes and / or use several vehicles, simultaneously or not, to clear the snow. traffic lane across its entire width. There is therefore a need for a vehicle capable of clearing traffic lanes in a minimum number of passes, while limiting the impact of other vehicle traffic on the snow removal process.

[0004] The invention aims to meet this dual need by offering a means of snow removal that optimizes the number of passes on the traffic lane, is easy to use, can move on various types of traffic lanes and can be put into service without being hindered by the traffic of other vehicles.

[0005] To this end, the invention relates to a snowplow trailer comprising at least one axle and equipped with a drawbar for a tractor vehicle, characterized in that a snowplow blade is mounted on at least one side of the trailer, said blade being movable between a rest position where a main longitudinal axis of the blade is oriented parallel to a direction of movement of the trailer and a working position where the main longitudinal axis of the blade is oriented angularly with respect to the direction of movement of the trailer.

[0006] Thus, thanks to the invention, a snow removal device is available that can be mounted on a snowplow trailer towed by a vehicle without the overall size of the unit, in its resting position, obstructing traffic, as its size is essentially that of the trailer alone. Thanks to the invention, in its working position, the snowplow blade can have a significant working width, close to the length of the trailer. This working width of the snowplow blade complements the working width of any snow removal equipment that may be mounted on the towing vehicle. It is therefore possible to clear a large area, corresponding to several lanes of traffic, for example, the two lanes of a highway, in a single pass with a single vehicle towing the trailer.

[0007] According to advantageous but not mandatory aspects of the invention, such a trailer may include one or more of the following features:

[0008] The direction of movement of the trailer is defined by the tread pattern of the trailer's tires.

[0009] The movement of the trailer is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the towing vehicle when the trailer is coupled to said vehicle.

[0010] At least one axle of the trailer is mounted pivoting around a vertical axis orthogonal to a main longitudinal axis of the trailer.

[0011] The pivot angle of at least one axle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the trailer is represented by the angle between the direction of the tread of the tires mounted on the axle and the longitudinal axis of the trailer.

[0012] At least one blade spreading device from the side of the trailer is mounted between the blade and the side of the trailer.

[0013] Four spreading members are distributed along the length of the main body of the blade, between the blade and the side of the trailer.

[0014] The stroke of each spreading member during the spreading of the blade is identical, the longitudinal axis of the body of the blade spread away from the trailer being parallel to the longitudinal axis of the trailer.

[0015] The stroke of each spreading member during the spreading of the blade is different, the longitudinal axis of the body of the blade spread away from the trailer not being parallel to the longitudinal axis of the trailer.

[0016] At least one end of the blade is arranged angularly with respect to the body of the blade.

[0017] The trailer is provided with a blade on each of its sides parallel to the longitudinal axis of the trailer.

[0018] The invention also relates to a vehicle equipped with a snow removal trailer conforming to any one of the preceding characteristics.

[0019] The invention will be better understood and other advantages thereof will become more apparent upon reading the following description, given solely by way of non-limiting example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0020] [Fig. 1] is a side view of a vehicle towing a snowplow trailer according to an embodiment of the invention, the blade being in the rest position,

[0021] [Fig.2] is a top view of the vehicle and trailer illustrated in [Fig. 1],

[0022] [Fig.3] is a front view of the vehicle towing the trailer illustrated in Figures 1 and 2,

[0023] [Fig.4] is a rear view of the vehicle and trailer illustrated in Figures 1 and 2,

[0024] [Fig.5] is a side view similar to [Fig.1] of a vehicle towing a trailer, with the blade in the working position,

[0025] [Fig.6] is a top view similar to [Fig.2], of the vehicle coupled to a trailer, of [Fig.5], the blade being in the working position,

[0026] [Fig.7] is a front view similar to [Fig.3] of the vehicle and trailer shown in Figures 5 and 6, with the blade in the working position and

[0027] [Fig.8] is a rear view, similar to [Fig.4], of the vehicle and trailer in Figures 5 and 6, with the blade in the working position.

[0028] Figure 1 illustrates one embodiment of the invention. Here, a snowplow trailer 1 is coupled to a tractor vehicle 2, which will hereafter be referred to simply as the vehicle. The vehicle 2 is a truck equipped with a tipper body 3 containing, for example, de-icing salt or another product for treating traffic lanes. The truck 2 is also equipped, at the front, with a device 4 for attaching a snowplow attachment, for example, a blade, a snow blower, or a snow suction device. The device 4 is schematically represented by a plate, particularly visible in Figures 3 and 7. It can be seen that the vehicle 2 can Vehicle 2 must be a different type of vehicle than a truck, for example, agricultural machinery, construction equipment, a specific snow removal vehicle, a van, a pickup truck, or other. Similarly, vehicle 2 may lack a tipper body and / or a device for attaching a snow removal attachment.

[0029] The snow removal trailer 1 is here a flatbed trailer on which is mounted, either permanently or removably, a skip 5 containing, advantageously, salt brine or another product used during winter road maintenance operations. A hopper 6 for distributing the product, in this case brine, is installed in the lower part of the trailer 1, behind the axles. The trailer 1 comprises at least one axle; in this example, the trailer comprises two axles 7 and 8, each equipped with at least one tire, 9 and 10, at each end of each axle. Alternatively, the number of axles and / or tires differs from that illustrated.

[0030] In [Fig. 1], a snowplow blade 11 is mounted on the right side of the trailer 1. The right side is defined according to the direction of travel of the trailer 1 towed by the vehicle 2, i.e., from left to right when looking at [Fig. 1]. The side preferably equipped with the snowplow blade 11 depends on the side of travel of the vehicle 2 towing the trailer 1. Thus, at least the side of the trailer corresponding to the side of the lane used for travel is equipped with the blade 11. For example, in France and most European countries, in Canada, and in the USA, it is the right side, and in the United Kingdom and in Japan, it is the left side. The blade 11, in the illustrated example, is a blade 11 comprising a rectangular main body 12 with a rectangular end 13 arranged angularly with respect to a main longitudinal axis A12 of the body 12.In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 to 4, axis A12 of the main body 12 is parallel to a main longitudinal axis A1 of the trailer 1, and therefore parallel to the direction of travel of the trailer in [Fig. 1] when the blade is in the rest position. The end 13 is oriented towards the trailer 1, more particularly towards a drawbar 14 connecting the vehicle 2 and the trailer 1. The main longitudinal axis A13 of the end 13 makes an angle A1 between 25° and 35° with the axis A12 of the body 12 of the blade.

[0031] The blade 11 is a simple snowplow blade, not articulated along its width and therefore not articulated along its working height. Alternatively, the blade is articulated along its length and / or height, for example, in several articulated segments. Here, the blade 11 is permanently mounted on the trailer 1. Alternatively, it is removable so that the blade on the trailer can be changed depending on the snow-clearing conditions and / or the road to be cleared. In other embodiments, as mentioned above, the snowplow blade is mounted on the left side of the trailer or, in another embodiment, a snowplow blade, identical or not, is fitted to each side of the trailer. Such variants allow the invention to be used on various traffic routes, not only depending on the side of the road but also depending on other constraints such as the width of the road to be cleared of snow.

[0032] The blade 11, both at the body 12 and the end 13, has an upper edge curved towards the ground so that it can easily form a windrow during use. The blade 11 is connected to the trailer 1 by at least one spreading member 15. Here, four identical spreading members 15 are evenly distributed along the length of the main body 12 of the blade 11. In this case, they are hydraulic cylinders. Alternatively, the members may differ in number and / or type; they may be, for example, pantographs, electric or pneumatic cylinders, telescopic supports, or others. The spreading members 15 are fixed, either permanently or temporarily, at one end to the chassis of the trailer 1 and at their other end to the blade 11.

[0033] When the blade 11 is in its rest position, as illustrated in Figures 1 to 4, the spreading members 15 are in a rest position corresponding to a minimum distance between the blade 11 and the trailer 1. In this case, the main body 12 of the blade 11 is parallel to and as close as possible to the side of the trailer 1 to which the blade 11 is fixed, the end 13 also being as close as possible to the drawbar 14. As can be seen from Figures 3 and 4, the trailer 1 is adapted to provide, in the lower part of the trailer chassis, an area defining a housing for the blade 11 in its rest position so that the blade is as close as possible to, or even resting against, the trailer chassis, above the axles 7 and 8 and under the tipper body 5. In this configuration, the overall width of the trailer 1 with the blade 11 is substantially the same as the width of the trailer 1 alone.In other words, in its resting position, the overall dimensions of the trailer 1 with the blade 11 are essentially the same as without the blade 11, allowing for optimal movement of the combination. The width of the trailer equipped with the blade 11 does not exceed, or is at a minimum, the width of the vehicle 2, thus permitting circulation on open public roads, it being understood that in France, the authorized width of a road vehicle combination must not exceed 2.55 m. Furthermore, the rear visibility of the driver of vehicle 2 is not affected by the presence of the blade 11 in its resting position.

[0034] Figure 5 illustrates a configuration where the blade 11 is in its working position, i.e., snow-clearing position. In this embodiment, the blade 11 is moved away from the trailer 1 so that the main axis A12 of the body 12 of the blade 11 is oriented angularly with respect to a longitudinal axis A2 of the vehicle 2. In this working position, the blade 11 forms an angle [3] between 10° and 45° with respect to the direction of travel of the vehicle 2 and trailer 1 combination, which is defined by the longitudinal axis A2 of the vehicle 2, it being understood that during snow clearing, the blade 11 is in a position such that the angle [3 is approximately 30° to achieve optimal snow removal. Such an angle corresponds to a working angle of a snowplow blade, whether the latter is mounted on a trailer 1 or on a device at the front of the vehicle 2.

[0035] As shown in [Fig. 6], in the illustrated embodiment, the four spreading members 15 are all in the same working position in which the distance of the blade 11 from the trailer 1 is at its maximum. In this embodiment, the axis A12 of the main body 12 of the blade 11 is always parallel to the longitudinal axis A1 of the trailer 1. The angle of a main longitudinal axis A13 of the end 13 of the blade 11 relative to the longitudinal axis A2 of the vehicle 2 is variable. Indeed, in order for the angle [3] to remain close to 30° during the movement of the vehicle 2, it is necessary to orient the trailer 1 more or less angularly, and therefore to modify the angular position of the end 13 relative to the vehicle 2, particularly when turning right or left on the road to be cleared of snow.It is noted that, in all cases, whether in resting or working position, the direction of movement of the trailer 1 is defined by the direction D of the tread B of the tires 9, 10.

[0036] In another embodiment not shown, the axis A12 of the main body 12 of the blade 11 is not always parallel to the longitudinal axis Al of the trailer 1. For this reason, the strokes of the four spacing elements 15 are not identical and, advantageously, are individually adjustable. In such an embodiment, another means of varying the angular position of the blade 11 relative to the vehicle 2 is available, thus optimizing snow removal.

[0037] As noted in [Fig. 6], the trailer 1 also forms an angle with respect to the vehicle 2. Here, the angle Q between the longitudinal axis A1 of the trailer 1 and the longitudinal axis A2 of the vehicle 2 is approximately between 25 and 35 degrees, preferably close to 30°, in order to easily maintain an angle [3] close to 30° when the blade 11 is spread apart and parallel to the side of the trailer 1 to which it is fixed. It is also noted that the axis A13 of the end 13 of the blade 11 also forms an angle with a longitudinal axis A15 of the spreading member 15 closest to the end 13.Thus, in the preferred embodiment illustrated, not only the blade 11 but also the trailer 1 are oriented angularly with respect to the direction of movement of the vehicle 2 which is defined by the longitudinal axis A2 of the vehicle 2, knowing that the axis A12 of the body 12 of the blade 11 is also oriented angularly with respect to the direction of movement of the trailer 1 materialized by the direction D of the tread B of the tires 9, 10. .

[0038] As can be seen in particular in Figures 7 and 8, the angular displacement of the trailer 1 is obtained by pivoting the wheels, and therefore the tires 9 and 10, of the trailer 1. For this purpose, the axles 7 and 8 are mounted to pivot about a vertical axis. orthogonal to the longitudinal axis A1 of the trailer 1. The wheels, therefore the tires 9, 10, are articulated at the ends of the axles 7, 8. and allow, when the axles are pivoted, a so-called crab-like translation of the trailer 1, the latter always moving in the same direction as the vehicle 2 but with their respective axes A1 and A2 not parallel and not coincident, as was the case when the trailer 1 was towed with the blade 11 in the rest position illustrated in Figures 1 to 4. Thus it is possible to obtain a significant snow-clearing width given the length of the blade 11 which, here, is essentially the same as the length of the trailer 1. This snow-clearing width is added, if necessary, to the snow-clearing width obtained by a blade placed at the front of the vehicle 2.Alternatively, the length of the blade 11 differs from the length of the trailer 1, being either shorter or longer, which directly affects the snow-clearing width. In another embodiment, the snow-clearing blade is composed of several segments along its length, each segment being able to be independently positioned for rest or work, thus allowing the snow-clearing width to be varied. The orientation of the end 13 directs the snow onto the body 12 of the blade 11, preventing it from getting trapped between the vehicle 2 and the trailer 1. The length of the body 12 is sufficient to ensure that the snow is discharged behind the trailer, towards the outside of the traffic lane. Furthermore, the road surface is cleared over a wider area since this is carried out using the tipper 3 of the vehicle 2 and the hopper 6 mounted on the trailer 1, which is therefore offset relative to the tipper 3.

[0039] It is easy to understand that if the wheels 9, 10 are rotated by a greater or lesser amount, the angle of inclination of the trailer 1 relative to the vehicle 2 is greater or lesser, and therefore de facto a greater or lesser snow removal width, bearing in mind that the blade must have an inclination of approximately 30° relative to its direction of travel to ensure effective snow removal. In another embodiment, the trailer 1 remains aligned with the vehicle 2, the longitudinal axis Al of the trailer 1 coinciding with the longitudinal axis A2 of the vehicle 2. The spacing elements 15, with different strokes, ensure the angular spacing of the blade 11 relative to the trailer 1. In this case, the trailer does not move sideways, the direction of movement given by the direction D of the treads of the tires 9, 10 coinciding with at least the longitudinal axis Al of the trailer 1.As shown in [Fig.8], spacing devices 15A, advantageously of the pantograph type, are arranged between the chassis of the trailer 1 and the blade 11. They allow the inclination of the blade 11 to be varied in the vertical plane so that the latter is always normal, i.e. perpendicular, to the roadway when in working configuration.

[0040] In another embodiment not shown, the pivoting of the trailer 1 is combined not only by pivoting the wheels 9, 10 mounted on the axles 7, 8 but also the variable spacing of the blade 11 by different strokes of the spacing members 15, which makes it possible to obtain a working width of the blade 11 with a larger range and easily adaptable to the snow removal conditions.

[0041] Such an invention finds its use among other things in the case of clearing snow from multiple traffic lanes since the trailer 1 in working position with the vehicle 2 makes it possible to clear several lanes at the same time, without the risk of an unauthorized vehicle, for example a car or a truck, passing the snow removal vehicle and blocking it in its work.

[0042] The pivoting of the trailer 1 and / or the spacing of the blade 11 is carried out from the driver's cab of the vehicle 2 by the driver or by a person dedicated to this action by means of a specific control, the wiring and motor components being included in the trailer 1 and passing through the drawbar 14. Alternatively, the control of the spacing of the blade 11 and / or the pivoting of the wheels 9, 10 of the trailer 1 is carried out wirelessly via a control unit which is managed either at the driver's cab of the vehicle 2 or from a following vehicle or from a person located on the traffic lane, thus precisely adjusting the orientation of the trailer and / or the spacing of the blade according to the lane to be cleared of snow by visualizing the situation from outside the vehicle.

[0043] Such an invention can be fitted to any existing vehicle, especially since control can be achieved via a wireless link between the trailer, the blade, and the driver's cab. Alternatively, a snow removal unit is equipped with such an invention from the outset. Thanks to the invention, snow removal is carried out efficiently, much faster, and using less equipment and personnel, since, overall, a trailer attached to a vehicle completes in a single pass the work that normally requires several passes by the same vehicle or at least two separate snow removal vehicles working simultaneously.

[0044] Such a trailer can either be originally equipped with the blade, in accordance with the embodiment described or, alternatively, be an existing trailer on which the blade and, if necessary, pivoting axles are fixed.

Claims

Claims

1. Snow removal trailer (1) comprising at least one axle (7, 8) and equipped with a drawbar (14) for coupling to a towing vehicle (2), a snow removal blade (11) being mounted on at least one of the sides of the trailer (1), said blade (11) being movable between a rest position where a main longitudinal axis (A12) of the blade (11) is oriented parallel to a direction (D) of movement of the trailer (1) and a working position where the main longitudinal axis (A12) of the blade (11) is oriented angularly relative to the direction (D) of movement of the trailer (1), characterized in that the blade (11) comprises a rectangular main body (12) with at least one end (13) also rectangular,of the blade (11) arranged angularly relative to a main longitudinal axis (A12) of the body (12) of the blade (11) and in that the main longitudinal axis (A13) of the end (13) makes with the axis (A12) of the body (12) of the blade (11) an angle (al) of between 25° and 35°.,

2. Trailer according to claim 1, characterized in that the direction (D) of movement of the trailer (1) is defined by the direction (D) of the tread of the tires (9, 10) of the trailer (1).

3. Trailer according to claim 1, characterized in that the direction of movement of the trailer (1) is parallel to a longitudinal axis (A2) of the towing vehicle (2) when the trailer (1) is coupled to said vehicle (2).

4. Trailer according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one axle (7, 8) of the trailer (1) is pivotally mounted about a vertical axis orthogonal to a longitudinal axis (Al) of the trailer (1).

5. Trailer according to claim 4, characterized in that the pivot angle of the at least one axle (7, 8) relative to the longitudinal axis (Al) of the trailer (1) is represented by the angle between the direction (D) of the tread of the tires (9, 10) mounted on the axle (7, 8) and the longitudinal axis (Al) of the trailer (1).

6. Trailer according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one spacer member (15) of the blade (11) from the side of the trailer (1) is mounted between the blade (11) and the side of the trailer (1).

7. Trailer according to claim 6, characterized in that four spacer members (15) are distributed along the length of the main body (12) of the blade (11), between the blade (11) and the side of the trailer (1).

8. Trailer according to claim 6, characterized in that the stroke of each spreading member (15) when spreading the blade (11) is identical, the longitudinal axis (A12) of the body (12) of the blade (11) moved away from the trailer (1) being parallel to the longitudinal axis (Al) of the trailer (1).

9. Trailer according to claim 6, characterized in that the stroke of each spreading member (15) during the spreading of the blade is different, the longitudinal axis (A12) of the body (12) of the blade (11) spread from the trailer (1) not being parallel to the longitudinal axis (Al) of the trailer (1).

10. Trailer according to claim 1, characterized in that the trailer (1) is provided with a blade on each of its sides parallel to the longitudinal axis (Al) of the trailer (1).

11. Vehicle (2) equipped with a snow removal trailer (1) according to any one of the preceding claims.

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