Snow removal device and snow removal method using the same

Abstract

To provide a snow removal device and a snow removal method using the same, which enable safe and efficient removal of snow accumulated on branches of a target tree for snow removal even when approach to the tree is impossible.SOLUTION: A snow removal device 1a of the present invention includes: a housing 2 made from plastic that includes a blower part 3 having an intake port 3a on a side surface 2a, a nozzle 4 provided in front of the blower part 3 and formed of a long cylindrical body in which an open end 4a functions as a discharge port for snowballs and a snowball supply port is formed on a side surface 4b, and a grip 5 provided behind the blower part 3; a battery 6 detachably mounted on the housing 2; and a snowball supply mechanism 7a made of a cylindrical body, installed on the nozzle 4. Furthermore: the blower part 3 incorporates a fan motor, a thermal fuse, and the like; and an opening 5a is provided in front of the grip 5, and a switch 8 is provided in and protrudes to an inner side of the opening 5a, the switch 8 being configured to switch current conduction states of wiring connecting the fan motor and the battery 6.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for preventing power facilities from being damaged by fallen trees due to the weight of snow, and particularly to a snow removal device capable of efficiently removing snow accumulated on the branches of trees likely to fall, and a snow removal method using the same.

Background Art

[0002] In the heavy snow season, power facilities may be damaged by fallen trees due to the weight of snow accumulated on the branches. Since the restoration work of the damaged power facilities and the removal work of the fallen trees take a lot of time and cost, it is necessary to take some measures before the trees fall. There is also a method of pre-cutting trees that may damage power facilities if they fall, but in addition to the fact that the area containing the trees to be cut is large, tree cutting work may be difficult depending on the location. There is also a method in which a worker riding in the bucket of an aerial work platform uses a rod-shaped tool to shake off the snow accumulated on the branches, but such a method is extremely inefficient.

[0003] Regarding the technology for removing snow accumulated on roofs, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses an invention related to a device used for removing snow from roofs and a snow removal method using the same, named "Snow Removal Method and Device". Explaining using the reference numerals shown in the drawings of Patent Document 1, Patent Document 1 describes a snow removal device 1 including a compressor 2, a hose 3, a grip 4, and a nozzle 5. FIG. 7 shows that compressed air supplied from the compressor 2 is ejected from the nozzle 5 using the snow removal device 1 and blown against the snow 11 accumulated on the roof to blow off and remove the snow 11, and warm water is blown against the remaining snow 11 to liquefy or vaporize and remove it. According to such a method, even a person without physical strength can easily and safely remove the snow on the roof.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-346584 [Summary of the Invention] [Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

[0005] In the invention disclosed in Patent Document 1, there is a problem that snow 11 cannot be removed from places where the nozzle 5 cannot reach or where an aerial work vehicle cannot enter. In addition, the method of spraying warm water on the snow 11 to liquefy or vaporize it for removal is difficult to apply to the removal of snow accumulated on tree branches that may collapse onto power facilities because there is a possibility of water getting on the power facilities.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of such conventional circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a snow removal device that can safely and efficiently remove snow accumulated on the branches of a tree even when it does not approach the tree that is the object of snow removal, and a snow removal method using the same. [Means for Solving the Problems]

[0007] To achieve the above object, a snow removal device according to a first invention includes a long cylindrical body provided with a snowball supply port on a side surface, a snowball launching means installed on the rear end side of the cylindrical body for pushing the snowball toward the front end side, and a cylindrical snowball supply mechanism for supplying the snowball into the inside of the cylindrical body through the snowball supply port. The snowball supply mechanism is characterized in that one end is fixed to the side surface so as to be orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical body. Note that the front end in the first invention corresponds to the opening end of the nozzle described in the embodiment. In the first invention, while operating the snowball launching means with a plurality of snowballs installed in the snowball supply mechanism, when the snowball supply mechanism is tilted so that the opening end faces upward, or the snowball arranged closest to the opening end is pushed into the cylindrical body, as a result of the launching of the snowball inside the cylindrical body, the next snowball is supplied from the snowball supply mechanism into the inside of the cylindrical body, and the snowball is continuously launched from the cylindrical body.

[0008] The second invention, in the first invention, comprises a pipe holder having a plurality of emission ports each formed as a through hole opening in the same direction, and a plurality of pipes respectively connecting the front end of the cylindrical body and the emission ports of the pipe holder. In the pipe holder, a snowball supply port is formed on the side surface instead of the cylindrical body, and a plurality of bottomed holes penetrating perpendicularly to the plurality of emission ports are provided inside. Instead of the snowball supply mechanism supplying snowballs inside the cylindrical body, one end is fixedly provided on the side surface of the pipe holder so as to be able to supply snowballs into the inside of the bottomed holes through the snowball supply port. In the second invention, in addition to the operation of the first invention, when snowballs are supplied from the snowball supply mechanism to the plurality of bottomed holes, snowballs are respectively arranged at the plurality of emission ports.

[0009] The third invention, in the first invention or the second invention, the snowball supply mechanism is composed of a cylindrical fixture installed at the snowball supply port and a cylindrical snowball supply tool detachably attached to the fixture, and the snowball supply tool has a stepped structure composed of a small-diameter portion inserted into the fixture and a large-diameter portion following the small-diameter portion. In the third invention, since the snowball supply tool is attached to the fixture by inserting the small-diameter portion into the fixture and the snowball supply tool is removed from the fixture by pulling out the small-diameter portion from the fixture, in addition to the operation of the first invention or the second invention, it has the effect that the attachment work and removal work of the snowball supply tool are easy. Further, the third invention has the effect that it becomes easy to carry by removing the snowball supply tool from the fixture and the storage space is saved.

[0010] The fourth invention, in the third invention, comprises a stopper that can be freely inserted and removed with respect to an insertion hole provided on the side surface of the large-diameter portion, and the stopper prevents the movement of snowballs from the large-diameter portion side to the small-diameter portion side by being inserted into the insertion hole. In the fourth invention, in addition to the operation of the third invention, even when a snowball feeder in a state where snowballs are stored in the large-diameter portion is attached to the fixture, the snowballs are not supplied to the cylinder unless the stopper is withdrawn from the insertion hole of the large-diameter portion.

[0011] The fifth invention is characterized in that, in the fourth invention, a lid is detachably installed at the open end of the large-diameter portion of the snowball feeder. In the fifth invention, in addition to the operation of the fourth invention, even if the snowball feeder in a state where snowballs are stored in the large-diameter portion is tilted so that the open-end side of the large-diameter portion faces downward, when a lid is installed at the open end, the snowballs do not spill out of the open end to the outside of the snowball feeder.

[0012] The sixth invention is characterized in that, in the first invention or the second invention, the snowball launching means includes a blower installed behind the cylinder, a blower section that sends air sucked from a suction port provided on the side surface into the inside of the cylinder, a fan motor built in the blower section, a battery that supplies power to the fan motor, and a switch that switches the energization state of the wiring connecting the battery and the fan motor. In the sixth invention, in addition to the operation of the first invention or the second invention, the snowballs inside the cylinder are pushed out of the cylinder by the air sent by the blower.

[0013] The seventh invention is characterized in that, in the first invention or the second invention, the snowball launching means includes a push rod provided with a gripping tool at one end and a pressing tool at the other end, and an elastic string-like body arranged parallel to the longitudinal direction of the cylinder. One end of the elastic string-like body is fixed to the gripping tool and the other end is fixed to the cylinder so as to bias the push rod inserted loosely from the rear end side of the cylinder toward the front end side together with the pressing tool arranged movably in the front-rear direction inside the cylinder. In the seventh invention, in addition to the operation of the first or second invention, when holding the gripper by hand and pulling the push rod backward against the restoring force of the elastic string-like body while placing a snow ball in front of the pressing tool and then releasing the hand from the gripper, the push rod moves forward inside the cylinder due to the restoring force of the elastic string-like body, so that the snow ball is pushed out of the cylinder by the pressing tool attached to the tip of the push rod.

[0014] The eighth invention is characterized in that, in the first or second invention, a shoulder strap with both ends fixed to the cylinder is provided. In the eighth invention, when the shoulder strap is put on the shoulder, the load of the entire snow removal device is applied to the shoulder, eliminating the need to hold the cylinder by hand. Therefore, in addition to the operation of the first or second invention, it has the effect of facilitating carrying and operation.

[0015] The ninth invention is a snow removal method using the snow removal device according to the first or second invention for a tree with snow accumulated on its branches, characterized by hitting the snow balls ejected from the snow removal device against the snow and scattering them. In the ninth invention, the operation of the snow removal device according to the first or second invention is similarly exerted.

Advantages of the Invention

[0016] According to the first invention, different from the case of performing snow removal using high-pressure air ejected from a nozzle, if the branches of the tree to be snow-removed are within the range of the snow ball ejection means, snow removal can be performed even when the branches of the tree are in a place where the nozzle cannot reach or when the tree is in a place where an aerial work vehicle cannot enter. Also, different from the case of spraying water on the snow to melt it, it can be safely used even when removing the snow accumulated on the branches of a tree that may collapse onto power facilities that dislike being wetted with water. Furthermore, in the first invention, by continuously ejecting snow balls, the hitting accuracy of the snow balls against the snow accumulated on the branches to be snow-removed is improved, so that the snow removal work can be efficiently performed.

[0017] In the second invention, since a plurality of snow balls arranged at a plurality of ejection ports of the pipe holder are ejected simultaneously in the same direction, the hitting accuracy of the snow balls against the snow accumulated on the branches to be snow-removed is further improved. Therefore, according to the second invention, the effect of the first invention, that is, the snow-removing work can be carried out efficiently, is further exerted.

[0018] According to the third invention, since the attachment work and the removal work of the snow ball supply tool are easy, in addition to the effects of the first invention or the second invention, the work efficiency at the time of snow-removing is increased. Further, in the third invention, since the snow ball supply tool can be easily carried by removing it from the fixture and the storage space is saved, in addition to good workability, it is possible to reduce the cost required for storage.

[0019] In addition to the effect of the third invention, the fourth invention has high safety because even when the snow ball ejection means operates with the snow ball supply tool in a state where the snow balls are stored in the large-diameter portion attached to the fixture, if a stopper is inserted into the insertion hole of the large-diameter portion, the snow balls will not be ejected inadvertently.

[0020] According to the fifth invention, even when the snow ball supply tool in a state where the snow balls are stored in the large-diameter portion is tilted so that the opening end side of the large-diameter portion faces downward, if a lid is installed at the opening end of the large-diameter portion, the snow balls will not spill out of the opening end to the outside of the snow ball supply tool. Therefore, in addition to the effect of the fourth invention, it has the effect of being easy to handle. Further, if a stopper is inserted into the insertion hole of the large-diameter portion and a lid is installed at the opening end of the large-diameter portion, the snow balls stored in the snow ball supply tool will not spill out. Therefore, a plurality of snow ball supply tools loaded with snow balls can be prepared. In this case, if the snow ball supply tool in which all the snow balls have been ejected and the inside has become empty is removed from the fixture and replaced with another snow ball supply tool loaded with snow balls, more snow balls can be continuously hit against the snow accumulated on the branches of the tree. Therefore, according to the fifth invention, it is possible to surely scatter and remove the snow accumulated on the branches of the tree.

[0021] According to the sixth invention, since a commercially available blower can be used as the snowball launching means, in addition to the effects of the first invention or the second invention, there is an effect that the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

[0022] In the seventh invention, since the snowball launching means does not use electric power as a driving source, in addition to achieving the effects of the first invention or the second invention, there is no worry of becoming unusable due to battery depletion. Further, since the seventh invention has a lightweight and simple structure, in addition to being easy to carry and handle, the same effect as in the case of the sixth invention, that is, the manufacturing cost can be reduced, is exhibited.

[0023] According to the eighth invention, by hanging the shoulder strap on the shoulder, carrying and operation become easy, and in addition to the effects of the first invention or the second invention, there is an effect that the work efficiency at the time of snow removal is increased.

[0024] According to the ninth invention, the effects of the snow removal device according to the first invention or the second invention are similarly exhibited.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0025]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0026] The snow removal device according to the embodiment of the present invention, the snow removal method using the same, and their operations and effects will be specifically described with reference to Figs. 1 to 7. In the following description, the case where the snow removal device is used while being held by hand or hung on the shoulder using a shoulder strap is described. However, the snow removal device may have a structure in which it is used while being installed in the bucket of an aerial work vehicle. In this case, the snow ball supply mechanism may be configured to send the snow balls inside the hose into the inside of the nozzle or the cylinder by the force of compressed air. Also, the number of ejection ports provided in the pipe holder is not limited to 4 and can be appropriately changed. Further, the stopper for the snow balls provided in the snow ball supply mechanism is not limited to a rod-shaped body and may be a plate-shaped body.

Examples

[0027] Figs. 1(a) and 1(b) are respectively a front view and a plan view of the snow removal device 1a according to the embodiment of the present invention. Also, Fig. 2(a) is a right side view of the snow removal device shown in Fig. 1(a), Fig. 2(b) is an enlarged view of the location where the fixture 9 of the snow ball supply mechanism 7a is installed on the nozzle 4 seen from the side of the open end 9b of the fixture 9, and Fig. 2(c) is a partially enlarged view of the cross section of the snow ball supply mechanism 7a. Note that Fig. 2(a) shows the state where the snowball supply device 10 is removed from the fixture 9, and Fig. 2(c) shows the state where the nozzle 4 and the snowball supply mechanism 7a are cut by a plane passing through the center lines of the fixture 9 and the snowball supply device 10. Also, in Fig. 2(c), the snowball SB is shown by a dashed line.

[0028] As shown in Figs. 1(a) and 1(b), the snow removal device 1a includes a blower unit 3 provided with a suction port 3a on its side surface 2a, a nozzle 4 formed of a long cylindrical body provided in front of the blower unit 3, the open end 4a of which functions as a snowball SB (see Fig. 2(c)) ejection port and a snowball supply port 4c (see Fig. 2(b)) is provided on its side surface 4b, a grip 5 provided behind the blower unit 3, a plastic housing 2 having these components, a battery 6 detachably attached to the housing 2, and a snowball supply mechanism 7a formed of a cylindrical body installed on the rear end side of the nozzle 4 (the side closer to the blower unit 3 than the center in the longitudinal direction). The blower unit 3 incorporates a fan motor, a temperature fuse, etc. In front of the grip 5, an opening 5a is provided where a switch 8 for switching the energization state of the wiring connecting the fan motor and the battery 6 protrudes inward. And the opening 5a is formed in a size that allows an operator to operate the switch 8 while holding the grip 5. With such a structure, in the snow removal device 1a, the snowball SB (see Fig. 2(c)) inside the nozzle 4 is pushed out to the outside of the nozzle 4 by the air sent in by a blower having a structure including the housing 2 having the blower unit 3 incorporating a fan motor, etc. and the grip 5, as well as the battery 6 and the switch 8. That is, in the snow removal device 1a, a commercially available blower can be used as the snowball ejection means, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost. Note that the nozzle 4 and the snowball supply mechanism 7a are not limited to cylindrical bodies, and may be cylindrical bodies having a cross-sectional shape other than a circle. Even in this case, the functions and effects of the snow removal device 1a described below are similarly exhibited.

[0029] As shown in FIGS. 2(a) to 2(c), the snowball supply mechanism 7a is composed of a cylindrical fixture 9 having the same inner diameter as the nozzle 4 and installed at the snowball supply port 4c of the nozzle 4 so as to be orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, and a snowball supply tool 10 detachably attached to the fixture 9. The snowball supply tool 10 has a stepped structure composed of a small-diameter portion 11 inserted into the fixture 9 and a large-diameter portion 12 following the small-diameter portion 11 and having a shape in which a part is bent at an obtuse angle so as to form an arc. Further, the snowball supply port 4c of the nozzle 4 forms a circle having the same diameter as the inner diameter of the fixture 9 in a plan view, and the end portion 9a of the fixture 9 is fixed to the side surface 4b of the nozzle 4 so that the circle formed by its inner peripheral surface coincides with the above-mentioned circle formed by the snowball supply port 4c when the fixture 9 is viewed in the axial direction.

[0030] When the snowball supply tool 10 is attached to the fixture 9 by inserting the small-diameter portion 11 into the fixture 9 with the opening end 12a of the large-diameter portion 12 facing upward, the snowball SB introduced from the opening end 12a moves to the small-diameter portion 11 while rolling in the large-diameter portion 12, and further, as shown by the arrow in FIG. 2(c), it is supplied into the nozzle 4 through the snowball supply port 4c. Note that the large-diameter portion 12 of the snowball supply tool 10 does not necessarily have to be a shape in which a part is bent at an obtuse angle. For example, when the large-diameter portion 12 is a straight pipe, by tilting the snowball supply mechanism 7a so that the opening end 12a of the large-diameter portion 12 faces upward, or by pushing the snowball SB arranged closest to the opening end 12a toward the nozzle 4, as a result, the snowball SB moves from the large-diameter portion 12 to the small-diameter portion 11, and the above-mentioned action that the snowball SB is continuously supplied from the snowball supply port 4c into the nozzle 4 is similarly exhibited.

[0031] In the snow removal device 1a having the above structure, when the blower, which is the snowball launching means, is operated with a plurality of snowballs SB installed in the snowball supply mechanism 7a, as the snowballs SB inside the nozzle 4 are launched, the next snowball SB is supplied from the snowball supply mechanism 7a into the nozzle 4, and as a result, the snowballs SB are continuously launched from the nozzle 4. Thus, unlike the invention disclosed in Patent Document 1 which performs snow removal using high-pressure air ejected from a nozzle, in the snow removal device 1a, if the branches of the tree to be snow-removed are within the range of the snow ball shooting means, snow removal can be performed even when the branches of the tree are in a place where the nozzle cannot reach or when the tree is in a place where the aerial work vehicle cannot enter. Also, unlike the case of spraying water on the snow to melt it, it can be safely used even when removing the snow accumulated on the branches of a tree that may collapse onto power facilities that dislike being wetted with water. Furthermore, in the snow removal device 1a, since the snow balls SB can be continuously ejected, the hitting accuracy of the snow balls SB against the snow accumulated on the branches to be snow-removed can be increased. Therefore, by using the snow removal device 1a, the snow removal work can be efficiently performed.

[0032] In the snow removal device 1a, the snow ball feeder 10 is attached to the fixture 9 by inserting the small-diameter portion 11 into the fixture 9, and the snow ball feeder 10 is removed from the small-diameter portion 11 by pulling out the small-diameter portion 11 from the fixture 9. That is, according to the snow removal device 1a, since the attachment work and removal work of the snow ball feeder 10 are easy, the efficiency of the snow removal work is increased. Also, in the snow removal device 1a, by removing the snow ball feeder 10 from the fixture 9, it becomes easy to carry and storage space is saved. Therefore, in addition to good workability, it is possible to reduce the cost required for storage.

Embodiment

[0033] FIG. 3(a) is a front view of the snow removal device 1b according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 3(b) and 3(c) are an external view and a cross-sectional view of the snow ball supply mechanism 7b shown in FIG. 3(a), respectively. Note that FIG. 3(c) shows a state in which the snow ball feeder 10 is cut by a plane passing through the center line. Also, in FIG. 3(c), the snow balls SB are shown by broken lines, and in order to avoid complication of the figure, only one snow ball SB is labeled with a reference sign. Furthermore, for the components already described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the same reference signs are attached and the description thereof is omitted as appropriate.

[0034] As shown in FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b), the snow removal device 1b is different from the snow removal device 1a in that it is provided with a snow ball supply mechanism 7b instead of the snow ball supply mechanism 7a, and both ends of the shoulder strap 13 are fixed near the opening end 4a of the nozzle 4 and the opening 5a with respect to the housing 2, respectively. The snow ball supply mechanism 7b has a structure in which a lid 14 is detachably installed at the opening end 12a of the large diameter portion 12 in the snow ball supply mechanism 7a, and a rod-shaped stopper 15 is freely inserted into an insertion hole 12c provided on the side surface 12b of the large diameter portion 12 near the joint with the small diameter portion 11. According to such a structure, when the shoulder strap 13 is put on the shoulder, the load of the entire snow removal device is applied to the shoulder, and there is no need to hold the nozzle 4 by hand, so carrying and operation become easy. As a result, the efficiency of the snow removal work is increased.

[0035] Also, when the snow ball SB is put into the large diameter portion 12 from the opening end 12a with the lid 14 removed while the stopper 15 is inserted into the insertion hole 12c, the snow ball SB is prevented from moving to the small diameter portion 11 by the stopper 15. That is, in the snow removal device 1b, even when the snow ball supply tool 10 in a state where the snow ball SB is stored in the large diameter portion 12 is attached to the attachment tool 9, the snow ball SB is not supplied to the nozzle 4 unless the stopper 15 is pulled out from the insertion hole 12c of the large diameter portion 12. Therefore, even if the blower, which is the snow ball launching means, operates in this state, the snow ball SB will not be launched, so it is safe.

[0036] Furthermore, even if the snow ball supply tool 10 in a state where the snow ball SB is stored in the large diameter portion 12 is tilted so that the opening end 12a of the large diameter portion 12 faces downward, the snow ball SB does not spill out of the opening end 12a to the outside of the snow ball supply tool 10 when the lid 14 is installed at the opening end 12a, so it is easy to handle. In addition, in the snowball supply mechanism 7b, when the stopper 15 is inserted into the insertion hole 12c of the large-diameter portion 12 and the lid 14 is attached to the open end 12a, the snowball SB put into the snowball supply tool 10 is held as shown in Fig. 3(c) so as to be sandwiched between the stopper 15 and the lid 14. In this state, when carrying the snowball supply tool 10 or attaching it to the fixture 9, there is no risk of the snowball SB accidentally spilling from the open end 11a of the small-diameter portion 11 or the open end 12a of the large-diameter portion 12. Therefore, if a plurality of snowball supply tools 10 loaded with the snowball SB are prepared in advance, the snowball supply tool 10 whose snowball SB has been all launched and whose interior has become empty is removed from the fixture 9 and replaced with another snowball supply tool 10 loaded with the snowball SB, it becomes possible to continuously hit more snowballs SB against the snow accumulated on the branches of the tree. Therefore, according to the snow removal device 1b, the snow accumulated on the branches of the tree can be surely scattered and removed.

Embodiment

[0037] Figs. 4(a) and 4(b) are respectively a front view and a plan view of the snow removal device 1c according to an embodiment of the present invention. Further, Fig. 5(a) is a front view of the pipe holder 16 and a pair of snowball supply mechanisms 7a, 7a shown in Fig. 4(a), Fig. 5(b) is an enlarged view of the pipe holder 16 as viewed from the side of the end portion 9a of the fixture 9 of the snowball supply mechanism 7a, and Fig. 5(c) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in Fig. 5(b). Note that, for the components already described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3, the description thereof will be appropriately omitted by attaching the same reference numerals. As shown in Figs. 4(a) and 4(b), the snow removal device 1c is characterized in that, in the snow removal device 1a, it includes a rectangular parallelepiped-shaped pipe holder 16 having four emission ports 16a (see Fig. 5(a)) formed of through holes opening in the same direction and arranged in two rows vertically and horizontally, four pipes 25 connecting the four emission ports 16a and the open end 4a respectively, and a pair of snowball supply mechanisms 7a, 7a installed on the pipe holder 16.

[0038] As shown in FIGS. 5(a) to 5(c), inside the pipe holder 16, a pair of bottomed holes 17, 17 are provided which penetrate perpendicularly to the two emission ports 16a, 16a, connect them, and form a circular snowball supply port 17a on the side surface 16b. The snowball supply port 17a of the bottomed hole 17 has a circular shape with a diameter substantially equal to the inner diameter of the fixture 9 of the snowball supply mechanism 7a. The end portion 9a of the fixture 9 is fixedly provided so as to coincide with the snowball supply port 17a when viewed in the axial direction with respect to the side surface 16b of the pipe holder 16. On the lower side of the inner peripheral surface of the bottomed hole 17, mountain-shaped convex portions 17b having gentle slopes are respectively formed so as to rise upward between the pair of emission ports 16a, 16a and between the emission port 16a and the snowball supply port 17a. Note that the number of the emission ports 16a of the pipe holder 16 is not limited to four. Also, the number of the pipes 25 is not limited to four, and the pair of bottomed holes 17 is not limited to a pair. That is, the number of the emission ports 16a of the pipe holder 16 can be appropriately changed, and the numbers of the pipes 25 and the bottomed holes 17 are determined according to the number of the emission ports 16a.

[0039] In the snow removal device 1c having the above structure, when snowballs SB are supplied from the snowball supply mechanisms 7a, 7a to the pair of bottomed holes 17, 17, the snowballs SB are respectively arranged at the four emission ports 16a. When the blower, which is the snowball launching means, is operated in this state, the four snowballs SB arranged at the four emission ports 16a of the pipe holder 16 are simultaneously launched in the same direction, so that the hitting accuracy of the snowballs SB against the snow accumulated on the branches to be snow-removed is further improved. Therefore, according to the snow removal device 1c, the snow removal operation can be performed more efficiently than in the case of the snow removal device 1a.

Example

[0040] FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b) are respectively a front view and a plan view of a snow removal device 1d according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 7(a) and 7(b) are cross-sectional views taken along line B-B in FIG. 6(b). Note that Fig. 7(b) shows a state in which the gripping tool 19 is held by hand in Fig. 7(a) and the push rod 18 is pulled out from the insertion hole 21b of the cylinder 21 by a predetermined length. For the components already described with reference to Figs. 1 to 5, the description thereof will be appropriately omitted by assigning the same reference numerals. As shown in Figs. 6(a) and 6(b) and Figs. 7(a) and 7(b), the snow removal device 1d includes a push rod 18 provided with a gripping tool 19 at one end 18a and a pressing tool 20 movably arranged in the front-rear direction inside the cylinder 21 at the other end 18b, a cylinder 21 provided with a snowball SB ejection port 21a at one end and an insertion hole 21b for the push rod 18 at the other end, a rod-shaped grip 22 having one end fixed to the side surface 21c of the cylinder 21 from the insertion hole 21b, a snowball supply mechanism 7a provided in the cylinder 21, and a pair of rubber strings 23, 23 arranged on both sides of the cylinder 21. In the snow removal device 1d, a rubber string 23 is used as an elastic string-like body for biasing the push rod 18 toward the ejection port 21a of the cylinder 21, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and an elastic member other than a rubber forming a string shape may be used instead of the rubber string 23.

[0041] The gripping tool 19 having a "C" shape in plan view is composed of a cylindrical grip portion 19a and a prismatic contact portion 19b arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the push rod 18 and parallel to each other, and a pair of connecting members 19c, 19c connecting both ends of the grip portion 19a and the contact portion 19b, respectively. Also, one end of each of the pair of rubber strings 23, 23 is fixed to the contact portion 19b of the gripping tool 19, and the other end is fixed to the side surface 21c of the cylinder 21 via a fastener 24. Further, a snowball supply port 21d forming a circle having a diameter equal to the inner diameter of the fixture 9 of the snowball supply mechanism 7a in plan view is provided on the side surface 21c of the cylinder 21, and the end portion 9a of the fixture 9 is fixed to the side surface 21c of the cylinder 21 so that the circle formed by the inner peripheral surface thereof when viewed in the axial direction coincides with the above-described circle formed by the snowball supply port 21d.

[0042] In the snow removal device 1d with the above structure, when holding the gripping tool 19 by hand and pulling the push rod 18 against the restoring force of the pair of rubber strings 23, 23 to the rear of the nozzle 4 and placing the snow ball SB in front of the pressing tool 20 and then releasing the hand from the gripping tool 19, the push rod 18 moves forward in the nozzle 4 due to the restoring force of the pair of rubber strings 23, 23. Therefore, the snow ball SB is pushed out of the nozzle 4 by the pressing tool 20 attached to the tip of the push rod 18. That is, in the snow removal device 1, the cylinder 21, the push rod 18, the gripping tool 19, the pressing tool 20 and the pair of rubber strings 23, 23 constitute the snow ball launching means. Thus, in the snow removal device 1d, since the snow ball launching means does not use electric power as the driving source, unlike the case of the snow removal device 1a, there is no worry of becoming unusable due to the battery 6 running out of charge. In addition, since the snow removal device 1d has a lightweight and simple structure, it is easy to carry and handle, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

[0043] The snow removal method of the present invention is to remove the snow accumulated on the branches of the trees likely to fall by hitting and scattering the snow balls on the snow, and is characterized by being performed using the snow removal devices 1a to 1d. Therefore, in the snow removal method of the present invention, the actions and effects of the snow removal devices 1a to 1d are similarly exhibited.

Industrial Applicability

[0044] The snow removal device and the snow removal method using the same of the present invention can be used when removing the snow accumulated on the branches of the trees likely to fall in advance in order to prevent the power facilities from being damaged by the trees fallen due to the weight of the snow.

Explanation of Symbols

[0045] 1a to 1d... Snow removal device 2... Housing 2a... Side surface 3... Blower unit 3a... Suction port 4... Nozzle 4a... Open end 4b... Side surface 4c... Snowball supply port 5... Grip 5a... Opening 6... Battery 7a, 7b... Snowball supply mechanism 8... Switch 9... Fitting 9a... End 9b... Open end 10... Snowball supply tool 11... Small diameter part 11a... Open end 12... Large diameter part 12a... Open end 12b... Side surface 12c... Insertion hole 13... Shoulder strap 14... Cover 15... Stopper 16... Pipe holder 16a... Ejection port 16b... Side surface 17... Bottomed hole 17a... Snowball supply port 17b... Protrusion 18... Pushing rod 18a... One end 18b... The other end 19... Gripping tool 19a... Gripping part 19b... Contact part 19c... Connecting member 20... Pushing tool 21... Cylinder 21a... Ejection port 21b... Insertion hole 21c... Side surface 21d... Snowball supply port 22... Grip 23... Rubber cord 24... Fastener 25... Pipe SB... Snowball

Claims

1. A long cylindrical body having a snowball supply port provided on its side, a snowball launching means installed on the rear end side of the cylindrical body for pushing the snowball toward the front end side, and a cylindrical snowball supply mechanism for supplying the snowball into the interior of the cylindrical body through the snowball supply port, wherein the snowball supply mechanism has one end fixedly provided on the side surface so as to be orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical body. A snow removal device characterized by this.

2. A pipe holder having a plurality of emission ports formed by through holes opening in the same direction, and a plurality of pipes connecting the front end of the cylindrical body and the emission ports of the pipe holder respectively, wherein the pipe holder has a snowball supply port formed on its side surface instead of the cylindrical body, and a plurality of bottomed holes penetrating perpendicularly to the plurality of emission ports are provided inside, wherein instead of the snowball supply mechanism supplying the snowball into the interior of the cylindrical body, one end is fixedly provided on the side surface of the pipe holder so that the snowball can be supplied into the interior of the bottomed hole through the snowball supply port. The snow removal device according to claim 1, characterized by this.

3. The snowball supply mechanism is a cylindrical fixture installed at the snowball supply port, and a cylindrical snowball supply tool detachably attached to this fixture, wherein the snowball supply tool has a small-diameter portion inserted into the fixture, and a stepped structure consisting of a large-diameter portion following this small-diameter portion. The snow removal device according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized by this.

4. It is provided with a stopper that can be freely inserted and removed with respect to an insertion hole provided on the side surface of the large-diameter portion, wherein the stopper blocks the movement of the snowball from the large-diameter portion side to the small-diameter portion side when inserted into the insertion hole. The snow removal device according to claim 3, characterized by this.

5. The snow removal device according to claim 4, characterized in that a lid is detachably installed at the open end of the large-diameter portion of the snowball supply tool.

6. The snowball launching means is a blower installed behind the cylindrical body for sending air sucked from a suction port provided on the side surface into the interior of the cylindrical body, a fan motor built into this blower, a battery for supplying power to this fan motor, and a switch for switching the energization state of the wiring connecting this battery and the fan motor. The snow removal device according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized by consisting of a blower having these.

7. The snowball launching means is A push rod provided with a gripping tool at one end and a pressing tool at the other end, and an elastic string-like body arranged parallel to the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical body, are provided, wherein the elastic string-like body is fixed at one end to the gripping tool and at the other end to the cylindrical body so as to bias the push rod inserted loosely from the rear end side of the cylindrical body and arranged to be movable in the front-rear direction inside the cylindrical body together with the pressing tool toward the front end side. The snow removal device according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that.

8. The snow removal device according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that it is provided with a shoulder strap having both ends fixed to the cylindrical body respectively.

9. A snow removal method using the snow removal device according to claim 1 or claim 2 for a tree with snow accumulated on its branches, characterized in that snow balls launched from the snow removal device are hit against the snow and scattered.

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