Snow Vehicles

Abstract

To provide a vehicle for moving on snow suitable for moving and transporting on snow. [Solution] This snow moving body is characterized by having a plurality of rotating paddles 1 each having a plurality of plate-like parts 2 arranged radially from a rotating shaft 3, and by the rotation of the rotating paddles 1, the plate-like parts 2 plow the snow to transmit the driving force to the snow surface and propel the vehicle forward, and by pressing the rotating paddles 1 onto the snow surface with the elastic force of an elastic member 16, the amount of penetration of the plate-like parts 2 into the snow surface is automatically adjusted independently for each rotating paddle 1. Also, the vehicle may have one or more pairs of rotating paddles 1 on the left and right, each of which is provided with a motor for driving the rotating paddles 1, and may have the characteristic of controlling the direction of travel or turning on the spot depending on the difference in rotation speed and direction of each rotating paddle 1.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle suitable for moving or transporting on snow. [Background technology]

[0002] Generally, snowcats and snowmobiles are used as vehicles for moving and transporting on snow. Although normal automobiles can be used on shallow snow on hard ground such as roads, crawler-type vehicles such as snowcats and snowmobiles are mostly used on deep snow. However, crawlers are difficult to manufacture lightweight due to their complex structure, large number of parts, and the presence of heavy parts.

[0003] A vehicle that obtains propulsive force by plowing snow using a rotating plate-like object can be manufactured to be lighter than a crawler-type vehicle. Such vehicles are disclosed in the cited documents 1 and 2. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2006-044619 A [Patent Document 2] Publication No. 47-030212 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Patent documents 1 and 2 disclose moving bodies that obtain propulsion by plowing snow with the rotation of a plate-like object, but in the moving body of Patent document 1, the amount of penetration of the blade into the snow surface is adjusted manually with a shock absorber height adjustment screw, and adjustment cannot be made while moving, and since the left and right bladed wheels are connected by a shaft, the amount of penetration of the blade into the snow surface and the rotation speed of the bladed wheels cannot be adjusted independently for the left and right. In the moving body of Patent document 2, the amount of penetration of the blade into the snow surface is adjusted by replacing the blade with a bolt, and adjustment cannot be made while moving, and since the left and right blades are connected by a main shaft, the amount of penetration of the blade into the snow surface and the rotation speed of the blades cannot be adjusted independently for the left and right.

[0006] The present invention provides a snow-moving vehicle in which the rotation of the rotating paddles 1 causes the plate-shaped parts 2 to plow through the snow to generate propulsion, and the amount of penetration of the plate-shaped parts 2 into the snow surface is automatically adjusted independently for each rotating paddle 1 while the vehicle is moving. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The vehicle for moving on snow is characterized by comprising a plurality of rotating paddles 1 each having a plurality of plate-like parts 2 arranged radially from a rotating shaft 3, the plate-like parts 2 shoveling snow as the rotating paddles 1 rotate, transmitting driving force to the snow surface to propel the vehicle, and automatically adjusting the amount of penetration of the plate-like parts 2 into the snow surface independently for each rotating paddle 1 by pressing the rotating paddles 1 onto the snow surface with the elastic force of an elastic member 16. The vehicle may also comprise one or more pairs of rotating paddles 1 on the left and right, each of which is provided with a motor for driving the rotating paddles 1, and may have the characteristic of controlling the direction of travel or turning on the spot by the difference in rotation speed and direction of rotation of each rotating paddle 1. Effect of the Invention

[0008] The rotating paddle 1 of the snow vehicle of the present invention can be manufactured to be lighter than a crawler, so the snow vehicle of the present invention can be manufactured to be lighter than a crawler-type vehicle. Light weight is an important factor for moving on unstable snow, because it increases the possibility of recovery by human power even if the vehicle becomes unable to move due to a bad road.

[0009] In the rotating paddle 1 of the snow moving body of the present invention, it is assumed that the plate-shaped parts 2 are moderately flexible. As the load on the plate-shaped parts 2 varies, the degree of flexibility varies, and the interval between adjacent plate-shaped parts 2 also varies. This makes it difficult for snow to get stuck between the plate-shaped parts 2, and even if it does get stuck, it is easy to remove.

[0010] The snow surface is not flat, and the hardness of snow is not constant. In the on-snow moving body of the present invention, each rotating paddle 1 is independently adjusted automatically to the penetration depth of the plate-shaped part 2 according to the condition of the snow surface. Specifically, by pressing the rotating paddle 1 against the snow surface by the elastic force of the elastic member 16, the penetration depth is reduced on hard snow surfaces and increased on soft snow surfaces such as new snow. This operation allows the on-snow moving body to be propelled efficiently. Without this adjustment mechanism, the resistance to the plate-shaped part 2 trying to penetrate deeply into the hard snow surface would increase the running resistance, or the penetration depth of the plate-shaped part 2 would be insufficient on soft snow surfaces, causing the rotating paddle 1 to spin freely and making it impossible to move forward. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of the rotary paddle 1 of the first embodiment in an exploded state. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] The vehicle for moving on snow is characterized by comprising a plurality of rotating paddles 1 each having a plurality of plate-like parts 2 arranged radially from a rotating shaft 3, the plate-like parts 2 shoveling snow as the rotating paddles 1 rotate, transmitting driving force to the snow surface to propel the vehicle, and automatically adjusting the amount of penetration of the plate-like parts 2 into the snow surface independently for each rotating paddle 1 by pressing the rotating paddles 1 onto the snow surface with the elastic force of an elastic member 16. The vehicle may also comprise one or more pairs of rotating paddles 1 on the left and right, each of which is provided with a motor for driving the rotating paddles 1, and may have the characteristic of controlling the direction of travel or turning on the spot by the difference in rotation speed and direction of rotation of each rotating paddle 1.

[0013] 1-2 show Example 1 of the on-snow vehicle. In Example 1, the on-snow vehicle is constructed by mounting a frame section, a drive section, etc. on a commercially available sled 21. The frame section includes a main frame 4, a tip sliding surface 5, a middle sliding surface 6, a heat-insulating box 7, and a sled mounting beam 8. The drive section includes a rotating paddle 1, a rotating shaft 3, a swing arm 9, a swing arm rotating shaft 10, and a swing arm rotating bearing 11. Although not shown, a motor and a reduction mechanism are provided in the swing arm 9 and the swing arm rotating shaft 10. Although FIGS. 1-3 depict the main structure and do not depict electric wires, bolts and nuts, connecting fittings, etc., the absence of these does not mean that these are not necessary.

[0014] Regarding the configuration of the first embodiment, which is divided into a commercially available sled 21, a frame unit, and a drive unit, there are various sizes of commercially available sleds 21. When manufacturing the present snow vehicle to accommodate these sleds, instead of individually designing and manufacturing each sled 21 of each size, the drive unit is standardized to facilitate various configurations. For example, assuming that two types of drive units, large and small, are prepared, a pair (two sets) of drive units (small) on the left and right sides of a small sled 21 can be easily implemented for the purpose of transporting light luggage, and three pairs (six sets) of drive units (large) on the left and right sides of a large sled 21 can be easily implemented for the purpose of transporting hunting prey (bears, deer, etc.) or transporting multiple people. Standardization is not limited to the drive unit, and standardization of the leading sliding surface 5 of the frame unit, the middle sliding surface 6, the heat-insulating box 7, etc. is also effective.

[0015] In the first embodiment, the sled 21 and the left and right frame parts and drive parts can be easily separated as shown in Fig. 2. This separation makes it easy to transport and store, and if the sled 21 is small, it can be transported in a normal passenger car.

[0016] This snow vehicle is structured so that the majority of the total weight (at least 50% of the total weight), which is the sum of the weight of the main body and the weight of the load, is supported by the bottom surface and sliding surfaces (tip sliding surface 5, middle sliding surface 6) of the sled 21. This structure reduces the load on the rotating paddle 1 and the rotating paddle pressing mechanism, making the structure of these parts smaller and lighter. It also has the effect of preventing the plate-shaped portion 2 from digging into the snow surface more than necessary, compared to when the total weight is supported only by the rotating paddle 1.

[0017] FIG. 3 shows the disassembled part of the rotating paddle 1 of the first embodiment. In the rotating paddle 1 of the first embodiment, the plate-shaped portion 2 is made of a separate structure of a plate-shaped member 13 and a hub 14, and a plurality of plate-shaped members 13 are stacked on one plate-shaped portion 2 and sandwiched and fixed by the hub 14. In addition, a reinforcing member 15 having tensile rigidity and compressive flexibility is provided between adjacent plate-shaped portions 2. Due to the separate structure of the plate-shaped member 13, only the damaged portion of the plate-shaped portion 2 can be replaced when the plate-shaped portion 2 is damaged, and due to the stacked structure of the plurality of plate-shaped members 13, the plate-shaped portion 2 is not likely to break even when greatly deformed, and the reinforcing member 15 suppresses excessive deformation of the plate-shaped portion 2 under high load, etc. In addition, the reinforcing member 15 is made to have a width, and when the reinforcing member 15 is in the snow, the reinforcing member 15 acts as a resistance, thereby suppressing the sliding of the vehicle on snow.

[0018] In the first embodiment, a sliding surface (tip sliding surface 5, middle sliding surface 6) is provided in front of each rotating paddle 1. As a result, the rotating paddle 1 transmits the driving force to the snow surface that has been compacted by the sliding surface, and therefore the driving force can be transmitted more efficiently than to an uncompacted snow surface.

[0019] In the first embodiment, the elastic force of an elastic member 16 that connects the tip of a lever 12 fixed to a swing arm rotating shaft 10 to the main frame 4 rotates the swing arm 9 to press the rotating paddles 1 against the snow surface. This allows the penetration depth of the plate-shaped portion 2 of each rotating paddle 1 to be automatically and independently adjusted according to the condition of the snow surface. Specifically, the penetration depth is smaller on hard snow surfaces and larger on soft snow surfaces such as new snow.

[0020] Example 1 is equipped with a hand-pull brake. The hand-pull brake is composed of a rod-shaped member 18 that rotates around a fulcrum 17 installed on the main frame 4. By pulling a grip 19 installed near the end of the rod-shaped member 18, the other end of the rod-shaped member 18 penetrates the snow surface, acting as a brake. In Example 1, brake fins 20 are attached to the part of the rod-shaped member 18 that penetrates the snow surface to increase resistance and improve the braking effect. Also, the structure allows the rod-shaped member 18 to be fixed in place while penetrated into the snow surface, so that it also functions as an anchor.

[0021] In the first embodiment, the battery for driving the motor, the motor control device, and the wireless communication device are placed in a heat-insulating box 7 installed on the intermediate running surface 6. This allows the heat generated by the motor control device to be used to keep the battery warm. Since some types of batteries are extremely sensitive to low temperatures, it is also effective to install a heater in the heat-insulating box 7.

[0022] In the first embodiment, the vehicle is controlled by a controller 22 that is detachably installed on the heat-insulating box 7. An operation signal from the controller 22 is wirelessly transmitted to motor control devices in the left and right heat-insulating boxes 7 to control the motors. As the controller 22 is detachable, the vehicle can be controlled remotely whether the vehicle is being driven by a rider or not.

[0023] Although not shown in the figure, the first embodiment is provided with a mechanism for fixing the swing arm 9 at its upper limit of movement (a position where the rotating paddle 1 does not contact the snow surface). By fixing the swing arm 9 at its upper limit of movement, the on-snow vehicle can be used as a towing sled, so that it can be towed by another vehicle or by human power in the event of a breakdown, dead battery, or on impassable terrain.

[0024] Although not shown in the figure, it is also effective to make it possible to detachably attach a metal claw or a fin perpendicular to the plate-shaped part 2 to the tip of the plate-shaped part 2 of the rotating paddle 1. Attaching a metal claw allows for efficient propulsion on ice floes or hard-frozen snow surfaces, and attaching a fin has the effect of preventing skidding on one-sided slopes.

[0025] The first embodiment is merely one example of the embodiment of the vehicle on snow of the present invention, and the vehicle on snow of the present invention is not limited to the first embodiment. For example, the first embodiment is designed to use a commercially available sled 21, but it is also useful to design the vehicle on snow independently with a cabin like a snowcat or with a seat like a snowmobile. It is also possible to mold the rotating paddle 1 as a single unit. [Explanation of symbols]

[0026] 1 Rotation Paddle 2 Plate-shaped part 3 Rotation Axis 4. Mainframe 5 Tip running surface 6. Intermediate running surface 7. Insulation Box 8 Sled mounting beam 9. Swingarm 10 Swing arm rotation axis 11 Swingarm rotating bearing 12 Lever 13 Plate-shaped members 14. Hub 15 Reinforcement members 16 Elastic member 17 Fulcrum 18 Rod-shaped member 19 handfuls 20 Brake fins 21 Sledding 22 Controller

Claims

[Claim 1] A snow-moving vehicle comprising: a plurality of rotating paddles (1) each having a plurality of plate-shaped portions (2) arranged radially from a rotating shaft (3); the rotation of the rotating paddles (1) causes the plate-shaped portions (2) to plow snow, thereby transmitting driving force to the snow surface and propelling the vehicle; the elastic force of an elastic member (16) presses the rotating paddles (1) onto the snow surface, thereby automatically adjusting the amount of penetration of the plate-shaped portions (2) into the snow surface for each rotating paddle (1); one or more pairs of rotating paddles (1) on the left and right sides, each rotating paddle (1) provided with a motor for driving the rotating paddles (1), and the difference in rotational speed and direction of each rotating paddle (1) allows for control of the direction of travel and turning on the spot.

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