High-altitude snow removal device

Abstract

To provide a high-altitude snow removal device that can remove snow from a roof by extending a main arm directly above the roof using a magic hand mechanism and spraying water and air from above.SOLUTION: The high-altitude snow removal device comprises: a main body; a main shaft whose base end part is connected to the main body and which expands and contracts in a vertical direction using a hydraulic cylinder; a main arm provided with a magic hand mechanism connected near a tip end part of the main shaft and which expands and contracts in a horizontal manner using the hydraulic cylinder; a water-discharging nozzle provided at a tip end part of the main arm to discharge water downward; a water supply pump which sends water from water supply means to the water-discharging nozzle via a water supply pipe; a discharge nozzle provided at the tip end part of the main arm to discharge compressed air downward; and a compressor which sends generated compressed air to the discharge nozzle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] This relates to a snow removal device that removes snow by releasing water and compressed air onto areas where snow has accumulated at high altitudes. [Background technology]

[0002] Traditionally, the main method of removing snow from roofs of houses was for residents to go up onto the roof and remove the snow using a shovel or other tool, and this method has not changed significantly even today.

[0003] However, removing snow requires a lot of effort, and in rural areas where the birthrate is declining and the population is aging, it is difficult to even get onto the roof, making it easy for accidents such as tripping or falling to occur. Therefore, there was a need for a device that could remove snow from the roof without climbing onto the roof.

[0004] In order to solve the above problems, a technical proposal has been made as described in JP 2015-151123 A (Patent Document 1). That is, Patent Document 1 proposes a technical proposal in which pressurized hot water is sprayed onto a roof to melt the snow on the roof.

[0005] However, the technical proposal described in Patent Document 1 requires fuel to be heated in a boiler to generate pressurized hot water from the snow, and furthermore, there is the problem that foreign matter contained in the snow used to spray the water can damage the roof itself.

[0006] The applicant focused on the dangers involved in removing snow and came up with the idea of ​​whether it might be possible to safely remove snow from high places. He developed a high-altitude snow removal device that uses a magic hand mechanism to extend the horizontal axis to just above the roof and sprays water and air from above to remove snow from the roof, which has led to the proposal of the ``high-altitude snow removal device'' of the present invention. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] JP 2015-151123 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] In view of the above problems, the present invention has an objective of providing a high-altitude snow removal device that can extend the main arm to just above the roof using a magic hand mechanism and remove snow from the roof by spraying water and air from above. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention employs a means consisting of a main body, a main shaft whose base end is connected to the main body and which extends and retracts vertically via a hydraulic cylinder, a main arm connected near the tip of the main shaft and equipped with a magic hand mechanism which extends and retracts horizontally via a hydraulic cylinder, a discharge nozzle equipped at the tip of the main arm which discharges fluid downward, a water supply pump which sends water from the water supply means to the discharge nozzle via a water supply pipe, and a compressor which sends the generated compressed air to the discharge nozzle.

[0010] The present invention also employs a means for changing the vertical angle of the main arm with the connection point with the main shaft as a fulcrum. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the high altitude snow removal device of the present invention, by using water and compressed air as snow removal means, it is possible to achieve the excellent effect of melting snow while preventing it from refreezing.

[0012] In addition, with the high-altitude snow removal device of the present invention, the main arm can change its up and down angle using the connection point with the main shaft as a fulcrum, which has the excellent effect of making it possible to change the angle of the main arm to match the angle of the roof from which snow is to be removed, and to spray water or compressed air. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of a high-altitude snow removal device according to the present invention. FIG. [Diagram 2] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of a high-altitude snow removal device according to the present invention. FIG. [Diagram 3] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of a high-altitude snow removal device according to the present invention. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] The greatest feature of the high altitude snow removal device 1 according to the present invention is that water and compressed air are ejected from the upper part by extending the main arm 20. Hereinafter, an embodiment of a high altitude snow removing device 1 according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0015] Furthermore, the high-altitude snow removal device 1 according to the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described below, but can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present invention, i.e., within the scope of shapes, dimensions, materials, etc. that can achieve the same functional effects.

[0016] Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of a high-altitude snow removal device 1 according to the present invention. Fig. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of a high-altitude snow removal device 1 according to the present invention, in which (a) is an explanatory diagram when the main arm 20 is extended, and (b) is an explanatory diagram when the main arm 20 is retracted. Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of a high-altitude snow removal device 1 according to the present invention, in which (a) is an explanatory diagram when water is discharged by the water-discharge nozzle 30 to a location to be removed by snow, and (b) is an explanatory diagram when compressed air is discharged from the discharge nozzle 31 to the location to be removed by snow after (a). The high altitude snow removal device 1 according to the present invention is mainly composed of a main body 2, a main shaft 10, a main arm 20, a water-discharging nozzle 30, and a discharge nozzle 31.

[0017] The main body 2 is a base on which the main shaft 10 of the high altitude snow removal device 1 is mounted. The main body 2 is a base for connecting the base end of the spindle 10, and preferably has a plurality of outriggers 3 (preferably at the four corners) as shown in Fig. 1. By adopting such a configuration, the outriggers 3 can be extended to the ground surface and fixed to the ground or road surface while the height of the outriggers 3 can be adjusted to keep the main body 2 horizontal, thereby preventing the main body 2 and the spindle 10 from moving freely and improving the accuracy of the working position. There are no particular limitations on the outriggers 3 provided in such a configuration, and it is sufficient to use conventionally known ones. Although not shown, it is also desirable to provide wheels for movement on the main body 2. By adopting such an embodiment, it becomes easier to move the main body 2 when changing the location of snow removal. Furthermore, it is also desirable to mount on the main body 2 a water supply pump 12 that draws up water to be discharged from the water-discharging nozzle 30, a water tank as a water supply means, a compressor 14 that generates the compressed air to be discharged from the water-discharging nozzle 30, etc. There is no particular limitation on the size of the main body 2, but it must be large enough to withstand the weight and extension / retraction movement of the main shaft 10 and the main arm 20 connected to the main shaft 10.

[0018] The main shaft 10 is a columnar body that can be extended upward by a hydraulic cylinder, and has a base end connected to the main body 2 and a main arm 20 connected near the tip end. The main shaft 10 is a columnar body that extends upward by the operation of a hydraulic cylinder, and the base end is connected and fixed to the main body 2, so that the upper portion, which is the tip end, extends. There is no limitation on the shape of the main shaft 10, and possible shapes include a cylinder, a polygonal prism, etc. There is also no particular limitation on the height of the main shaft 10, but when considering a one-story house as the target for snow removal, the total height of the base end and the tip end of the main shaft 10 needs to be about 5 m. 1, the main shaft 10 may be fixed to the main body 2, or the base end or tip end of the main shaft 10 may rotate laterally to adjust the extension position of the main arm 20. There is no particular limitation on the rotation mechanism used in such an embodiment, and for example, a gear mechanism configured to rotate the main shaft 10 laterally may be provided, and the rotation of a gear connected to a motor or the like of the gear mechanism may be transmitted to rotate the main shaft 10 and the main arm 20 laterally at the same time.

[0019] Hydraulic cylinders used for the spindle 10, main arm 20, angle adjustment cylinder 26 (described later), etc. are classified into double-acting cylinders, telescope cylinders, etc. depending on their structure, but there are no particular limitations and an appropriate selection can be made depending on the installation location.

[0020] The main arm 20 is connected to the vicinity of the tip of the main shaft 10 and is extendable and contractable in the lateral direction by a hand mechanism. As shown in FIG. 1, the main arm 20 is connected to the vicinity of the tip of the main shaft 10, so that it can be extended laterally from above the roof of the object of snow removal. The main arm 20 uses a hand mechanism using multiple link plates 22 as shown in Figure 2, and is structured so that the entire link plate 22 can be extended and retracted by opening and closing the base end of the link plate 22.

[0021] The magic hand mechanism of the present invention is a mechanism used in a magic hand, a conventional toy that uses a lattice structure to expand and contract the handle and grip, in which the link plates 22 are assembled in series and the joints are pin-jointed (movable joints / rotating ends) to change into a rectangle with different angles even though the four sides are the same. In other words, it is a mechanism used in a magic hand, which is a toy that uses a lattice structure to play with by extending and contracting the handle and grip. In detail, as shown in FIG. 2, one end of a link with the same structure is pin-jointed to one end of two link plates 22 in the center of which is pin-jointed to form an X-shape, and the opening and closing operation performed by the two link plates 22 on the base end side is linked to each of the pin-jointed links. For example, by closing the base end side to reduce the angle formed by the link plates 22, a rectangle with the same angle on the diagonal side changes by the number of rectangles formed by the link plates 22, and the tip side moves significantly. The movement distance expanded and contracted by the operation of the magic hand mechanism is proportional to the number of pin-jointed links.

[0022] In the hand-operated mechanism used when extending the main arm 20, a preferred embodiment is one in which hydraulic cylinders are connected to the two link plates 22 at the base end of the main arm 20, as shown in Fig. 2. By adopting this embodiment, by contracting the telescopic cylinder 21 at the base end, the base end of the link plate 22 closes with connection point B as the fulcrum, and the main arm 20 is extended. Conversely, by extending the telescopic cylinder 21, the base end of the link plate 22 opens with connection point B as the fulcrum, and the main arm 20 is contracted, performing an extension / retraction operation.

[0023] The support plate 23 is a plate-like body provided at the tip of the link plate 22, and supports a nozzle base 24 (described later) while controlling the behavior of the tip of the main arm 20. As shown in FIG. 2, the support plate 23 is a plate-like body connected to the tip ends of the two link plates 22. The connection part with the link plate 22 and both ends of the support plate 23 are attached to elliptical through holes 27 that penetrate the ends of the support plate 23 to prevent the tip ends of the link plates 22 from falling off. The support plate 23 is fitted in place without being fixed in place so that the connection part is not affected even if the width between the tips changes due to the extension and retraction operation of the magic hand mechanism. The size of the through hole 27 is not particularly limited, but is determined between the width of the link plate 22 when it is fully extended and the width of the link plate 22 when it is fully contracted.

[0024] The nozzle base 24 is a plate-like body that is connected to the support plate 23 and constitutes the tip of the main arm 20 . As shown in FIG. 2, the nozzle base 24 has its base end connected to the support plate 23 so that it operates in conjunction with the extension and contraction of the link plate 22, and is provided with a water-discharging nozzle 30 and a discharge nozzle 31 from the center to the tip. There is no particular limitation on the size of the nozzle stand 24, as long as it is large enough to accommodate the water-discharging nozzle 30 and the discharge nozzle 31.

[0025] When the main arm 20 is extended, in a case where the height of the water-discharge nozzle 30 provided at the tip of the main arm 20 needs to be changed depending on the shape and height of the roof from which snow is to be removed, it is also preferable to have a sub-arm 25 as shown in FIG. 1. The base end of the sub-arm 25 is connected to the lower vicinity of the connection point A between the main shaft 10 and the main arm 20, and is a columnar body extending in the same direction as the main arm 20. The tip end is provided with an angle adjustment cylinder 26 for pushing the sub-arm 25 upward from the bottom surface of the main arm 20. The length of the sub-arm 25 is not particularly limited, but it is preferable to configure it to be about half the length of the main arm 20 to avoid contact with the house. In addition, a structure using a hydraulic cylinder is preferable as a pushing-up structure for the angle adjustment cylinder 26. Furthermore, although not shown, in order to distribute the pressure on the sub-arm 25 applied when the angle adjustment cylinder 26 extends the main arm 20, a mode in which a balancing weight is attached near the base end of the sub-arm 25 and / or near the base end of the main arm 20 can be considered. By providing the sub-arm 25, the angle of the main arm 20 can be adjusted in the vertical direction with the connection point A with the main shaft 10 as the fulcrum.

[0026] The water-discharging nozzle 30 is provided at the tip of the main arm 20 and is a nozzle that discharges water onto the area to be cleared of snow. The water-discharge nozzle 30 is a nozzle for discharging water sent from the water supply pump 12 described below through the water supply pipe 13, and by being provided below the tip of the main arm 20, it becomes possible to discharge water onto areas where snow has accumulated. Although there are no particular limitations on the shape of the water-discharging nozzle 30, a straight nozzle that discharges water in a straight line is preferable. By adopting such a shape, it becomes possible to melt snow up to the surface of the roof in a short period of time by the water discharged in a straight line, which contributes to improving work efficiency. There is also no particular limit to the number of water-discharging nozzles 30 that can be installed, and it is also preferable to provide multiple water-discharging nozzles 30 so that water can be discharged from multiple locations simultaneously to expand the snow melting area.

[0027] The discharge nozzle 31 is provided at the tip of the main arm 20 and is a nozzle that discharges compressed air to the area to be cleared of snow. The discharge nozzle 31 is a nozzle for discharging compressed air sent from the compressor 14 described below through the air supply pipe 15, and is provided below the tip of the main arm 20, making it possible to discharge the air onto areas where snow has accumulated. Although there are no particular limitations on the shape of the discharge nozzle 31, a straight nozzle that discharges in a straight line, like the water-discharging nozzle 30, is preferable. By adopting such a shape, it becomes possible to melt snow up to the surface of the roof in a short time by the compressed air discharged in a straight line, which contributes to improving work efficiency. Furthermore, if the water-discharging nozzle 30 is provided in front of the discharge nozzle 31, as shown in Figure 3, by discharging compressed air to a location (a) where snow up to the surface of the roof has melted by the discharge of water from the water-discharging nozzle 30, the compressed air flows downward along the surface of the roof and melts the snow (b), which has the excellent effect of making it easier to encourage the snow to fall under its own weight. There is also no particular limit to the number of release nozzles 31 that can be installed, and it is also preferable to provide multiple nozzles to allow water to be released from multiple locations simultaneously, thereby expanding the snow melting area.

[0028] The water supply pump 12 supplies water to the water-discharging nozzle 30 via a water supply pipe 13 . The water supply pump 12 draws up water from the water supply pipe 13 and sends it to the water-discharging nozzle 30 while applying pressure to it through the pump action. It is sufficient to use a conventionally known structure for the water supply pump 12. In addition, the water supply means for storing the water pumped by the water supply pump 12 may be a water tank or a water tank, or water may be supplied directly from a water main.

[0029] The compressor 14 is disposed in the main body 2 and is a machine that compresses the atmosphere to generate compressed air at a predetermined pressure or higher (for example, 0.7 MPa). The specific structure of the compressor 14 may be any known one, however, since the compressed air is discharged directly to the snow removal location, it is preferable to have a foreign matter separation device (such as a cyclone separator or oil filter) installed to remove foreign matter such as oil mist and dust contained in the compressed air, or to use an oil-free compressor 14. The compressed air generated by the compressor 14 is sent to the discharge nozzle 31 via the air supply pipe 15.

[0030] The water supply pipe 13 is a pipe for sending the water pumped up by the water supply pump 12 to the water-discharging nozzle 30. The material of the water supply pipe 13 is not particularly limited, but it is preferable to use a resin or rubber material with high bending resistance because it is necessary to bend and store the surplus pipe or the pipe that expands and contracts with the operation of the magic hand mechanism of the main arm 20. Furthermore, since it is used in winter, it is preferable to protect the periphery of the pipe with a heat insulating material. The length of the water supply pipe 13 must be the sum of the distance from the water supply pump 12 to the connection point A between the main shaft 10 and the main arm 20 and the distance from said connection point A to the water-discharging nozzle 30 connected to the tip of the main arm 20 when it is fully extended. As with the water supply pipe 13, the material of the air supply pipe 15, which is a pipe for supplying compressed air generated by the compressor 14 to the discharge nozzle 31, is not particularly limited, and a mode in which the periphery of the pipe is protected with a heat insulating material is also preferable. Similarly, the length is required to be the length from the compressor 14 to the main arm 20 via the connection point A. Although not shown, a structure in which the lengths of the water supply pipe 13 and the air supply pipe 15 can be changed automatically or manually in accordance with the extension and retraction of the main arm 20 is preferable. For example, a hose drum can be provided on the main body 2 and can be extended or retracted to the required length in accordance with the extension and retraction of the main arm 20.

[0031] After the snow melting operation, most of the water remaining without being discharged from the water-discharge nozzle 30 will hang down by gravity and be discharged from the end of the water supply pipe 13 by removing the end of the water supply pipe 13 from the water supply pump. However, if the water supply pipe 13 is meandering due to the contracted main arm 20, some of the water may not be discharged and may remain. For this reason, it is desirable to supply compressed air from the air supply pipe 15 into the water supply pipe 13 and discharge the accumulated water to the outside. There are no particular limitations on the method of supplying air into the water supply pipe 13 employed in this embodiment, and possible methods include, for example, a method of attaching an attachment that connects the water-discharge nozzle 30 and the discharge nozzle 31 to supply air, or a method of connecting the end of the water supply pipe 13 to the compressor 14.

[0032] 2, a preferred embodiment is one in which the nozzle base 24 is provided with a camera 32 that allows the state of snow melting by water or compressed air to be confirmed from above. It is also preferred to provide a monitor 4 at a specified location on the main body 2 that allows the image captured by the camera 32 to be confirmed. By adopting such an embodiment, the work location can be confirmed from near the main body 2, and the main body 2 can be moved according to the snow melting situation, improving work efficiency.

[0033] The main operation of the high altitude snow removal device 1 consisting of the above-mentioned components will be described with reference to Figs. First, the main body 2 is moved close to the roof from which snow is to be removed, and the main body 2 is fixed to the ground using the outriggers 3 to prevent it from moving freely. Then, the main shaft 10 is extended upward to a height equal to or higher than the roof from which snow is to be removed and the accumulated snow, and then the link plate 22 is extended laterally by the magic hand mechanism by contracting the telescopic cylinder 21 provided at the base end of the main arm 20. In addition, the lower part of the link plate 22 is pushed upward by the angle adjustment cylinder 26 provided at the tip of the sub-arm 25, and the vertical angle of the main arm 20 is adjusted. By the above operation, the nozzle base 24 connected to the tip of the link plate 22 arrives directly above the area to be cleared of snow.

[0034] Next, the snow removal operation for the snow removal target will be described with reference to Fig. 3. When the water supply pump 12 is started, water is sucked up from the water supply means and sent to the water discharge nozzle 30 via the water supply pipe 13. When the compressor 14 is started, the air in the vicinity of the compressor 14 is compressed to become compressed air, which is sent to the discharge nozzle 31 via the air supply pipe 15. Water is discharged from the water discharge nozzle 30 attached to the nozzle stand 24 that has arrived directly above the area to be removed, melting the snow up to the surface of the roof of the area to be removed within the range of the water discharge nozzle 30, and the water is then drained downward along the surface of the roof. Compressed air is then discharged from the discharge nozzle 31 to the area to be removed. The compressed air discharged from the discharge nozzle 31 is sent downward so as to expand the space where the snow has been melted by the water while melting the surrounding snow. The snow that has been melted on the upper part of the roof by the water and air collapses under its own weight and falls downward along the slope of the roof.

[0035] The basic configuration and operation / effects of the high altitude snow removal device 1 according to the present invention have been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the configuration shown in the above embodiment and drawings. For example, possible configurations include forming the water-discharging nozzle 30 with a narrow aperture and removing snow by cutting through it with pressurized water, providing a brush that rotates vertically with water or compressed air on the nozzle base 24 and directly removing snow by bringing the brush into contact with the snow-covered area, providing a shovel-like cutting edge that extends downward on the nozzle base 24 and cutting a hole in the snow-covered area that reaches the surface of the roof before water is discharged from the water-discharging nozzle, and so on.

[0036] The high-altitude snow removal device of the present invention can be used for work at high altitudes, and can be used as a work device in a variety of industries, such as cleaning solar panels installed on rooftops, painting the exterior walls of buildings and roofs of houses, etc. Therefore, it is believed that the high-altitude snow removal device of the present invention has great industrial applicability. [Explanation of symbols]

[0037] 1. High altitude snow removal equipment 2 Main unit 3 Outrigger 4 Monitors 10 spindle 12 Water Pump 13 Water supply pipe 14 Compressor 15 Air pipe 20 Main Arm 21 Telescopic cylinder 22 Link plate 23 Support plate 24 Nozzle stand 25 Sub-arm 26 Angle adjustment cylinder 27 Through hole 30 Water nozzle 31 Discharge nozzle 32 Camera

Claims

1. A main body, a main shaft whose base end is connected to the main body and which extends and contracts in the vertical direction by a hydraulic cylinder, a main arm having a hand mechanism connected to the vicinity of the tip of the spindle and extending and contracting in the lateral direction by a hydraulic cylinder; A water discharge nozzle provided at the tip of the main arm to discharge water downward; a water supply pump for supplying water from the water supply means to the water-discharging nozzle through a water supply pipe; a discharge nozzle provided at the tip of the main arm for discharging compressed air downward; A high-altitude snow removal device comprising: a compressor that sends the generated compressed air to a discharge nozzle.

2. 2. The high-altitude snow removal device according to claim 1, wherein the main arm is capable of changing its vertical angle with a connection point with the main shaft as a fulcrum.

Images