Snow removal machine

Abstract

To solve the following problem in which a snow removal unit back auto lift control or back auto lift down control, which are effective functions for continuous snow removal work with walking type snow removal machines, kept an auger rotating when moving backwards, and it was dangerous to move backwards with the auger rotating at high speed in a high position, especially with large machines.SOLUTION: When moving backward, the rotational speed of an auger is lowered to a certain set rotational speed, or a blower clutch is cut to stop the rotation of the blower and auger, and when moving forward for re-clearing snow, the engine rotational speed is manually set, thereby improving safety.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a small walk-behind snowplow used primarily by individuals, farms, stores, offices, small and medium-sized businesses, and the like, and relates to improving the maneuverability and efficiency of the snowplow. [Background technology]

[0002] Small walk-behind snowplows are now widely used in snowy regions for individual small-lot use, separate from large ride-on snowplows used on national and prefectural public roads and public facilities. In particular, in mountainous and foothill areas where large snowplows cannot enter, they are now in high demand, almost like a necessity in snowy regions. Traditionally, snowplow work was considered the job of adult men, but with the changing times of declining birthrates and an aging population, manufacturers have made various improvements and improvements to the operability of snowplows so that elderly people and women who lack physical and physical strength can perform the work as well as skilled men. The applicant has also commercialized automatic horizontal control (rolling control), automatic elevation control (pitching control) for the snowplow (Patent No. 6307731), automatic lift control when reversing (back auto lift), and automatic elevation control when reversing (back auto lift down), and has contributed to snowy regions by aiming to create snowplows that anyone can use easily and comfortably. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2004-278052 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 6040139 [Patent Document 3] Utility Model Publication No. 61-11294 [Patent Document 4] Patent No. 7235936 [Patent Document 5] Patent Publication 2014-152564 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The applicant has previously developed the automatic back auto lift down control of the snow removal unit, which is an effective function for continuous snow removal work such as intermittent snow removal, forward and backward snow removal, and normal one-way snow removal, where the snow removal unit moves forward, then moves backward to the starting position and starts moving forward again. The applicant has also attempted to control it with AI for the first time, making it possible for each person to easily and comfortably perform continuous snow removal work. In other words, the applicant has realized the automatic back auto lift down control of the snow removal unit, which raises the auger to the height that the operator normally operates when moving backward, and lowers the auger to the height that the operator normally operates when returning to the starting position and moving forward. (Patent Document 4)

[0005] However, as the model was expanded and many units were distributed to various destinations, a problem that had been hidden until now began to become apparent. This was the rotation of the auger when reversing. When reversing during continuous snow removal work, with conventional machines without automatic functions, beginners and experts alike would notice and lower the throttle lever to idle or turn off the blower clutch to stop the auger rotation, then raise the auger and move into reverse, but careless people would simply raise the auger and move into reverse with the auger still rotating. With the automatic functions of reverse auto lift and reverse auto lift down, the auger would automatically rise when the forward snow removal operation was stopped and the auger would automatically rise, eliminating the need to operate a series of levers or switches, but the auger would just keep rotating. In the early stages of development, the reverse auto lift function was initially developed for small machines aimed at beginners, so this was difficult to notice as a problem. Since then, development has progressed and evolved into the back auto lift-down function, which has been installed on larger machines, but the engine idle noise is loud and the sight of the large auger rotating at high speed in a high position has appeared to be dangerous to anyone who has seen it. It is the same as when you sometimes see agricultural machinery such as rice transplanters or tractors with attachments driving on public roads with the rear rotating work part rotating at high speed, perhaps because they forgot to stop.

[0006] This application places renewed emphasis on the control function essential for safety of lowering the auger rotation to idling or stopping it when reversing at a high position during snow removal, which was originally a long-standing common practice for the purpose of saving fuel consumption, and aims to achieve a higher level of perfection in the automatic control functions for the back auto-lift and back auto-lift down, truly and completely realizing "easy, comfortable, and safe operation for anyone," thereby providing an excellent snow removal machine that has improved safety and dramatically improved maneuverability and snow removal efficiency. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The means taken in the present invention to solve the above problems is a snow removal machine equipped with a prime mover, in which a snow removal section is composed of an auger that cuts and collects snow, a blower that ejects snow, and a chute that determines the direction of snow throwing, and the snow removal section is driven by an actuator so that it can swing up and down in the direction of travel of the machine body. An inclination sensor is provided in either the snow removal section or the machine body which moves up and down together with the snow removal section, and the height position of the snow removal section is automatically controlled by the auger ECU (U1) based on the signal from the sensor. When the HST lever 64, which controls forward / reverse travel and its speed, is pushed backward by the operator and the linked reverse switch S2 is turned on, the snow removal section is raised to a preset inclination angle position (height position) when moving backward under automatic control of the auger ECU (U1). Furthermore, after moving backward, the HST lever 64 is returned by the operator, and the linked reverse switch S When the HST lever 64 is pushed backward and the reverse switch S2 is turned on to move backward, the auger ECU (U1) controls the engine speed to the set engine speed so as to reduce the auger speed, or the auger ECU (U1) sends a signal to the deadman ECU (clutch ECU) (U2) which controls the blower & auger and travel power clutch to turn off the blower clutch and stop the blower & auger rotation, and at the same time reduce the engine speed to the set engine speed. This safety mechanism is provided when reversing with the back auto lift function or back auto lift down function for continuous snow removal.

[0008] Furthermore, the auger ECU (U1) controls the engine speed to reduce, and releases the throttle lever brake (652) disposed on the pivot shaft which holds the raised and lowered rotational position of the throttle lever (65) for a set time (switching control), releasing the holding of the raised and lowered rotational position of the throttle lever (65) for a set time, and the throttle lever rotational position is returned to a set position (i.e., set engine speed) by a spring return mechanism, so that when the HST lever 64 is returned to the forward side by the operator after reversing and the reverse switch S2 linked to the lever is turned off, the engine speed is prevented from suddenly increasing to full throttle for snow removal work, and the engine speed for re-snow removal can be set at the operator's discretion and operation. Effect of the Invention

[0009] By implementing the above-mentioned means, the present invention has the following effects.

[0010] The potential problems with the reverse auto lift-down function have been resolved, making the device more complete and truly realizing the concept that "anyone can operate it easily, comfortably, and safely." This has dramatically improved operability and snow removal efficiency, making snow removal easier and more comfortable for even beginners, the elderly, and women. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an overall view showing a walk-behind rotary snow removal machine. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a right side view showing the walk-behind rotary snow removal machine. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the installation of a tilt sensor on an auger housing. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a hydraulic control circuit that controls the lift / dump (lifting / lowering) operation and the rolling operation of the snow removal unit. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a throttle mechanism (engine speed operation mechanism). [Figure 6]FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the power transmission mechanism for the rotation and travel of the blower and auger. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 shows a push button operator of the snowplow and a control panel for operating the snowplow. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing how to reduce the engine speed during reverse travel and also how to disengage the power clutch. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] When starting to reverse, either the engine speed is reduced to idle and the blower & auger speed is reduced, or the blower clutch is cut and the blower & auger rotation is stopped. Since there are concerns about the durability of the belt tension pulley type blower clutch due to repeated on and off, the method of reducing the engine speed to idle is used for medium and large machines, and the clutch is cut for small machines that can use an electromagnetic clutch, so the reverse auto lift and reverse auto lift down functions are improved in all models from small to large. EXAMPLES

[0013] An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a snowplow of the first embodiment, seen from the snowplow side (upper figure) and the control side (lower figure). A snowplow usually uses an auger 11 to scrape or scrape snow, collect and collect it in the center, rotate at high speed with a blower (not shown) located at the back of the center of the auger 11, and discharge the snow at the blower peripheral speed, and throw it at the location intended by the operator with a chute 3. When the snowplow 1 is operated manually, the lift position and left and right rolling positions are controlled with a snowplow cross lever switch 61 on the operation panel 6. Similarly, the left and right direction and the distance of the thrown snow are controlled with a chute cross lever switch 62. The auger, blower, and chute are mounted on the upper body 4 together with other control parts and the engine 2 (FIGS. 5 and 6). On the other hand, the crawler 51 and traveling transmission (not shown) that move the snowplow are mounted on the lower body 5. For traveling, forward and backward movement and the speed are controlled with an HST lever 64 (FIGS. 1 and 7).

[0014] Figure 2 shows how the lifting and lowering control of the snow removal unit 1 works. A pitching cylinder H3 is supported between the upper frame 41, which supports the entire upper body 4 including the snow removal unit 1, and the lower frame 53, which supports the lower body 5 that constitutes the traveling unit, and its extension and contraction causes the entire upper body 4 including the snow removal unit 1 to rotate up and down around the shaft of the drive sprocket 52 of the crawler 51, on the opposite side of the upper frame 41 from the side supporting the snow removal unit 1. The upper figure shows the upper body in a nearly horizontal state, and the lower figure shows the state in which the pitching cylinder H3 is extended and lifted. Meanwhile, the snow removal unit 1 is supported by a metal structure between the body side of the auger case 12 and the tip of the upper frame 41 of the upper body 4, and a rolling cylinder H1 is supported between them (not shown), and its extension and contraction causes the snow removal unit 1 to rotate left and right around the metal in the direction of travel of the snow remover.

[0015] When the pitching cylinder H3 first came into use, a single-acting cylinder was sometimes used, but nowadays, due to the importance of the step-cutting snow removal function and the need to push it more aggressively below horizontal, a reciprocating cylinder is almost always used. In other words, when the snow removal unit 1 is lowered below horizontal on the road surface, the front of the traveling unit 5 rises by that amount. The above is the general configuration of walk-behind snow removal machines that are widely used today, but in the case of small machines, an electric cylinder or an electric hydraulic cylinder is used. The applicant of this application was also the first to invent this mechanism. (Patent Document 3)

[0016] 3 shows the mounting state of the tilt sensor S1 which detects the lift-down angle of the snow removal unit 1. A bracket 121 is fixed approximately horizontally to the rear side of the auger housing 12, and the tilt sensor S1 is bolted to the approximately horizontal surface. The bracket 121 also mounts a motor and a gear reducer which rotates the chute 3.

[0017] FIG. 4 shows an actual diagram of the hydraulic circuit that lifts and rolls the snow removal unit 1. The four-way output of the solenoid valve H2 is connected to the input ports for extending and retracting the pitching cylinder H3 and the rolling cylinder H1. The rolling of the snow removal unit 1 is performed by rolling (rotating) the front of the upper body 4 independently of the chute 3, whereas the lifting and down of the snow removal unit 1 is performed by lifting and dumping (rotating) the entire upper body 4 including the snow removal unit 1 with the axis of the sprocket 52 as the pivot point. The basic operation of the snow removal unit 1 is to extend and retract the reciprocating pitching cylinder H3 from one pair of two-way switching valve outputs A1 and B1 of the hydraulic solenoid valve H2 to lift and down the snow removal unit 1. On the other hand, the reciprocating rolling cylinder H1 is extended and retracted from the other pair of two-way switching valve outputs A2 and B2 to roll the snow removal unit 1. Currently, a cross lever switch 61 is normally used for manual switching between the four hydraulic circuit directions. The hydraulic solenoid valve H2 outputs one of the four ports, and cannot output from multiple ports at the same time, but nowadays, the auger ECU (U1) automatically controls pitching and rolling simultaneously during snow removal work using time-sharing alternating control (Patent Document 5), with a response time of 0.1 ms.

[0018] The above is the conventional operating mechanism for the general snow removal unit 1, which is manually operated with the cross lever switch 61 or automatically controlled with the auger ECU (U1) (Figs. 2 and 4). Of these, most machines have a back auto lift control (back auto lift down control for the applicant's large machines) as one of the automatic controls for lifting and lowering the snow removal unit. The conventional control is extremely simple, and when the back auto lift switch 631 (Fig. 7) is pressed and the reverse switch S2 (Fig. 7, mechanism diagram omitted) linked to the HST lever 64 that adjusts the forward and reverse movement and its speed is turned on, the inclination angle of the snow removal unit at that time (snow removal unit height position) is read by the inclination sensor S1, and while the reverse switch S2 is on (during reverse movement), the snow removal unit 1 is raised to a preset height, and furthermore, with the back auto lift down function, the snow removal unit 1 is lowered until it reaches the reading of the inclination sensor S1 before reverse movement when the reverse switch S2 is turned off (forward snow removal starts again). After that, they also tried to incorporate the latest AI control technology and further refined it (Patent Document 4). It was supposed to be perfect for continuous snow removal work that involves repeated forward and backward movement, but as this has become commonplace, its potential drawbacks have become apparent, as mentioned above.

[0019] Figure 5 shows engine speed control by throttle lever 65. The lever mechanism is the same as the conventional mechanism, and the connected throttle wire 651 expands and contracts in response to the up and down rotation of throttle lever 65 (middle diagram). However, in the large machine developed this time, the throttle potentiometer S3 is rotated by the expansion and contraction of throttle wire 651 (lower diagram), and the output voltage signal is sent to the engine ECU (U3). The engine ECU (U3) receives this and controls the engine speed (upper diagram). The engine installed in this developed machine is an engine that complies with the 2013 exhaust gas regulations regulated to 25 PS or more, and is controlled by a Bosch diesel engine common rail electronic fuel injection control system. It is an excellent system that removes PM with a DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter) and nitrogen oxides with a DOC (Diesel Oxdation Catalyst), and was once the standard for European cars.

[0020] The interface with this unit is a throttle potentiometer S3 output of approximately 1V to 4V, which corresponds to engine speeds from idling to full throttle. The potentiometer used is a highly accurate and reliable non-contact type with a Hall IC. A U-shaped grooved potentiometer shaft U-lever 654 is fixed to the input shaft, and the expansion and contraction of the throttle wire 651 is converted into the rotation of the throttle pivot link 653, which is then contact-connected to the U-shaped groove and converted into the rotation of the potentiometer shaft U-lever, minimizing the radial and axial loads applied to the potentiometer shaft and preventing breakdowns and deterioration over time. Furthermore, a throttle lever brake 652 is attached to the pivot shaft of the throttle lever 65 to hold the rotation position of the throttle lever 65. The brake is a non-excitation type friction-type electromagnetic brake that is always locked and released when energized (center diagram).

[0021] To reduce the engine speed using the reverse safety function, when the reverse autolift switch 631 (Figure 7) is pressed and the HST lever 64 is tilted towards the reverse side, turning on the linked reverse switch S2 (Figure 7, mechanism diagram omitted), the auger ECU (U1) sends a short-term (about 1 second) energization signal to the throttle lever brake 652 to briefly release it, and at the same time the throttle lever 65 returns to the set rotation position by the spring return mechanism and the throttle potentiometer S3 also returns to the set position, the engine speed is reduced to the set engine speed (about twice the idle speed) and the auger speed is reduced to the set speed, ensuring safety when reversing.

[0022] When the engine speed was reduced during reverse travel, it was initially reduced all the way to idle speed as a safety feature, but this resulted in a slower reverse speed and reduced work efficiency. Therefore, the engine speed can now be set within a range that takes safety into consideration and does not impede work efficiency.

[0023] This mechanism is explained in detail in the middle diagram of Figure 5. The support shaft of the throttle lever 65 is shown in a see-through view. When the throttle lever 65 support shaft was first developed, it was supported only by the throttle lever brake 652 at the back of the see-through view. With this mechanism, when the auger ECU (U1) sends an energization signal to the throttle lever brake 652 to release it, the spring return mechanism instantly pulls the lever down to the idle position (lowest position). The mechanism shown in the figure prevents this from happening and stops it midway. The throttle lever 65 is held down by lateral pressure using a nut (lock nut) and spring washer that secure the support shaft in the foreground. This is a mechanism for manual operation of the lever, in which case a collar or seat nut is attached to the throttle lever brake 652. A fixing plate is also installed to ensure that the fixing nut does not loosen (symbol omitted). The lever's rotational position is fixed by the lateral pressure, but the lateral pressure is slightly weaker than when there is only a manual operation mechanism. This makes the lever return slow (for a few seconds) due to the spring return mechanism, and the return position of the lever is adjusted by briefly releasing (switching) the throttle lever brake 652.

[0024] Apart from this, because this was a safety control but it resulted in a slowdown and reduced work efficiency, the applicant took this development as an opportunity to extend the groove length on the left side of the H-groove HST lever guide 641 of the HST lever 64, which is the speed control, on the reverse side (near side) of the work speed adjustment side, and to extend the speed adjustment range, returning the applicant's voluntary reverse speed safety standard of 1.8km / h or less, which was based on the applicant's emphasis on safety for conventional manually operated models, to 2.5km / h or less, the reverse speed safety standard of the Snowplow Safety Council, and to extend the reverse speed adjustment range. Taking this review into account, a balance was achieved between safety control and work efficiency in models equipped with automatic control. The right side of the H-groove, the travel speed adjustment side, is left as it is because it is still manually operated.

[0025] When snow removal is restarted after reversing, the driver sets the engine speed by operating the throttle lever. This prevents the risk of the engine speed suddenly increasing and running out of control when the operator returns the HST lever 64 to the forward position and turns off the reverse switch S2 linked to the lever when snow removal is restarted after reversing. The above is for the large machine developed in this project. For conventional diesel engines of 25 PS or less that are not subject to exhaust gas regulations for small and medium-sized machines, the throttle can be reset when snow removal is restarted by simply connecting the throttle wire 651 to the throttle lever on the engine side. Initially, instead of the electromagnetic brake mechanism for this throttle lever, we were proceeding with development of a monolever mechanism with a brake drum and brake or pulley and pulley brake, which has long been used in automatic reset mechanisms for rod levers in agricultural and construction machines. However, because it was a large-scale mechanism for its small size and because it was basically a mechanical control and not suitable for ECU control, we switched to electromagnetic brake control.

[0026] Another safety function for reverse drive is to turn off the power clutch and stop the auger rotation. When the HST lever 64 is tilted to the reverse side while the reverse auto lift switch 631 (Fig. 7) is pressed, and the linked reverse switch S2 (Fig. 7, mechanism diagram omitted) is turned on, the Deadman ECU (clutch ECU) (U2) turns off the blower clutch and stops the auger rotation. Figure 6 shows a schematic diagram of the power transmission mechanism. The Deadman clutch mechanism was established in the snow removal machine safety standard in 2015 and is now standard regardless of manufacturer. A V-belt is attached between the engine pulley 21 directly connected to the output shaft of the engine 2 and the blower pulley 131, and the blower latch tension pulley 134 is pressed against this belt to connect the clutch and transmit power to the blower 13 and auger 12. The schematic is shown in the figure below. A strong pressing force is obtained by pulling the end of the lever to which the blower latch tension pulley 134 is attached with the blower latch wire 133. At the same time, the blower brake wire 132 is also pulled to release the brake. Another safety standard requires that the blower and auger rotation must be stopped within 5 seconds when the clutch is disengaged to stop, so for safety reasons, the brake is always applied when the clutch is disengaged to stop.

[0027] Both wires are pulled with a strong pulling force by a wire driver (not shown) driven by a motor, and the Deadman ECU (clutch ECU) (U2) controls this driver and thus the blower and auger clutch and brake. The ECU also separately controls the travel clutch, transmitting power to the travel pulley, tension pulley, HST, travel transmission, and crawler 51. When traveling, the parking brake of the travel transmission is engaged when the machine is stopped (details omitted). In small and medium-sized machines that can use an electromagnetic clutch and brake, it is common to connect it directly between the engine output shaft and the engine pulley 21, and to control it similarly with the Deadman ECU (U2). In this case, the tension pulley and wire driver are no longer necessary, and the belt is tensioned.

[0028] Figure 7 shows the control panel 6 of the snowplow developed in this application. The snowplow operation procedure involves first gripping the handle 42, which turns on the deadman switch (not shown), and the deadman ECU (U2) receives the signal, which engages the traveling clutch and enables the auger clutch switch 632 to be turned on. The deadman switch is also the traveling clutch switch. After pressing the auger clutch switch 632 to engage the snowplow clutch and drive the snowplow unit 1, the driving speed is controlled by the HST lever 64, the up / down and rolling position of the snowplow unit 1 is controlled by the snowplow unit cross lever switch 61, and the snow throwing position is controlled by the shooter cross lever switch 62, all of which are operated almost in parallel, so a certain degree of proficiency is required. Of these, the HST lever 64 and the snowplow unit cross lever switch 61 also have deadman switches built into the grips of the levers (not shown), which also function as the traveling clutch switch, just like the handle 42. Since the snow removal load must be constantly controlled during snow removal work, the operator will often be gripping the HST lever 64, which adjusts the travel speed, the up and down movement of the snow removal unit 1, and the snow removal unit cross lever switch 61, which adjusts the rolling position. Beginners, elderly people, women, etc. often grip the handlebars to stabilize their driving position, but some experienced users skip the handlebar levers and immediately grip these switches, turn on the travel clutch, and begin snow removal work immediately.

[0029] When any of the three deadman switches are ON, the snowplow will assume that the operator is present to operate it and will continue to operate. However, when all of them are OFF, it will assume that the operator has left his station due to some abnormality (falling, losing consciousness, etc.), and this safety device, called deadman control, will cut off power to the drive and snowplow. Currently, this three-switch configuration is the standard. However, taking into consideration the interruption time required to change hands when operating the snowplow, power is not cut off immediately when the switch is OFF, but rather there is usually a slight delay (about 1 second). At the beginning of development, there were also models that had a deadman switch built into the shooter cross-lever switch 62, but since this is operated much less frequently than the other two levers, this is rarely seen today. Aside from building a switch into the operating lever, various methods have been tried to detect the presence of the operator, but none have been put to practical use.

[0030] When the back auto lift switch 631 (Fig. 7) is pressed on the deadman ECU (clutch ECU) (U2), which controls this deadman safety function, and the HST lever 64 is tilted to the reverse side and the linked reverse switch S2 is turned on (mechanism diagram omitted), the blower clutch is disengaged and the blower and auger rotation is stopped, ensuring safety during reverse. At the same time, as in the case of engine speed control, an energization signal is sent to the throttle lever brake 652 to release the restraint, and the throttle lever 65 position and throttle potentiometer S3 position are reset to their set positions. When snow removal is to be resumed after reverse, the auger clutch switch 632 is pressed to engage the blower clutch, and the engine speed is set by operating the throttle lever 65 to start snow removal. This prevents the risk of the auger suddenly rotating at full throttle and running out of control when the HST lever 64 is returned to the forward side by the operator and the linked reverse switch S2 is turned off when snow removal is to be resumed after reverse.

[0031] However, when turning off the power clutch to stop the auger rotation, there is no problem with small and medium-sized machines that can use an electromagnetic clutch and brake, but with the tension pulley type clutch of a large machine, the clutch mechanism and the clutch & brake wire driver mechanism are put to heavy use, so even if it is designed for durability and passes a continuous durability test, there are still concerns about its durability life. Therefore, as a safety function when reversing with the back auto lift or back auto lift down function, of the two methods, for large machines, although it depends on the destination and user, we have commercialized the method that reduces the engine speed as much as possible.

[0032] As described above, the problem of safety when reversing, which was a potential drawback of the reverse auto lift function or reverse auto lift down function, has been solved, and the goal of "easy, comfortable, and safe operation for anyone" has been truly and completely realized, further increasing safety, dramatically improving maneuverability and snow removal efficiency, and making continuous snow removal easier and more comfortable than ever before for anyone. [Industrial Applicability]

[0033] It can be used with all walk-behind snowplows, from small to large. [Explanation of symbols]

[0034] 1. Snow Removal Department 2 Engine 3 Shooter 4 Upper fuselage 5 Lower fuselage 6 Control Panel 11 Ogre 12 Auger housing 13 Blower 21 Engine pulley 41 Upper Frame 42 Handle 51 Crawler 52 Sprocket 53 Lower frame 61 Snow removal unit cross lever switch 62 Shooter Cross Lever Switch 63 Monitor & Switch Operation Panel 64 HST lever 65 Throttle lever 121 Sensor bracket 131 Blower pulley 132 Prowa brake wire 133 Blower clutch wire 134 Blower clutch tension pulley 631 Back auto lift switch 632 Blower & Auger Clutch Switch 641 HST lever guide 651 Throttle wire 652 Throttle lever brake 653 Throttle rotating link 654 Potentiometer U-lever S1 Snow removal unit inclination sensor S2 Reverse switch S3 Throttle Potentiometer H1 Snow removal unit rolling cylinder H2 Snow removal hydraulic solenoid valve H3 Snow removal pitching cylinder U1 Auger control unit (Auger ECU) U2 Dettman ECU (Clutch ECU) U3 Engine ECU

Claims

1. This snow removal machine is equipped with a prime mover and has a snow removal section consisting of an auger that cuts and collects snow, a blower that ejects snow, and a chute that determines the direction the snow is thrown, and the snow removal section is driven by an actuator so that it can swing up and down in the direction of travel of the machine. An inclination sensor is provided in either the snow removal section or the machine which moves up and down together with the snow removal section, and the height position of the snow removal section is automatically controlled by the auger ECU (U1) based on a signal from the sensor. When the HST lever 64, which controls forward / reverse travel and its speed, is pushed backward by the operator and the linked reverse switch S2 is turned on, the snow removal section is raised to a preset inclination angle position (height position) by automatic control of the auger ECU (U1) when moving backward. In this snow removal machine, when the HST lever 64, which controls the forward / reverse travel and its speed, is pushed backward by the operator and the linked reverse switch S2 is turned on, the snow removal section is raised to a preset inclination angle position (height position) when moving backward. This snowplow is equipped with an automatic lift-down function when reversing (back auto lift-down control) that lowers the snow removal section to the inclination angle position (height position) that would be reached if the HST lever 64 was tilted backward by an operator before reversing and the linked reverse switch S2 was turned on, and when the HST lever 64 is tilted backward and the reverse switch S2 is turned on to move in reverse, the auger ECU (U1) controls the engine speed to a set engine speed, thereby lowering the auger speed, or the auger ECU (U1) sends a signal to a deadman ECU (clutch ECU) (U2) that controls the blower & auger and the traveling power clutch, disengaging the blower clutch and stopping the blower & auger rotation, and at the same time lowering the engine speed to the set engine speed,

2. 2. The snow blower of claim 1, wherein the throttle mechanism is configured so that, when the auger ECU (U1) controls to reduce the engine speed, the throttle lever brake 652 disposed on the pivot shaft which holds the lifted and lowered rotational position of the throttle lever 65 is released for a set time (switching control), the throttle lever brake 652 releases the lifted and lowered rotational position of the throttle lever 65 for a set time, and the spring return mechanism returns the rotational position of the throttle lever 65 to a set position (i.e., set engine speed).

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