Snow removal vehicle

Abstract

To provide a snow removal vehicle suitable for removing snow and snow cornices accumulated on high places such as roofs. [Solution] This snow removal vehicle is a remote-controlled or autonomous vehicle designed to remove snow and snow cornices that have accumulated on roofs and other high places, and is equipped with a blade 1, a plate-like member that is approximately linear in at least one direction within the range in which it can be inserted into the snow, and when the vehicle is placed horizontally, an angle 20 between the approximately linear direction of the blade 1 and the vertical direction is in the range of 10 to 60 degrees, and the blade 1 can be moved in the approximately linear direction, allowing the blade 1 to be inserted deeper into the snow than the snow surface on which the vehicle stands. It may also be characterized by the ability to change the angle 20.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a snow removal vehicle suitable for removing snow and snow cornices that have accumulated on high places such as roofs. [Background technology]

[0002] In order to remove snow and snow cornices that have accumulated on high places such as roofs, people often climb onto the roof to work, but this results in many falling accidents every year, including many fatalities.There are tools available to remove snow and snow cornices from roofs from the ground without having to climb onto the roof, but most of these tools are limited in the range and height at which they can be used.

[0003] Cited documents 1 and 2 disclose remotely controlled mobile bodies that can remove snow and snow cornices that have accumulated on roofs without requiring people to climb onto the roof. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Publication No. 61-155414 [Patent Document 2] Patent Publication No. 2021-080806 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Cited documents 1 and 2 disclose remotely controlled vehicles as devices for removing snow and snow cornices that have accumulated on roofs without requiring a person to climb onto the roof, but the remotely controlled snow removal vehicle in Cited document 1 requires space in the blade to accommodate a heating element large enough to generate enough heat to prevent snow from adhering, and the blade must be quite thick, which means that when the blade is used to insert into the snow to cut it, there is a lot of resistance to insertion. Also, because the blade is angled vertically, it is not possible to obtain the following effects: the propulsion force of the vehicle is used to insert the blade; the effect of favoring the traction required for the vehicle's forward movement; and the effect of creating a slope when cutting the snow, as will be described later. Although the self-propelled working machine in Cited Document 2 is not intended for removing snow from roofs, it is thought that it can also be used for removing snow from roofs. In the self-propelled working machine in Cited Document 2, the shape of the blade is not approximately linear in the direction of blade movement, so when the blade is used to insert into snow to cut it, there is a large resistance to insertion.

[0006] To provide a snow removal vehicle in which the resistance to inserting a blade into snow is small and various effects can be obtained by inserting the blade obliquely. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] This snow removal vehicle is a remote-controlled or autonomously operated vehicle intended to remove snow and snow cornices that have accumulated on roofs and other high places, and is equipped with a blade 1, which is a plate-like member that is approximately linear in at least one direction within the range in which it can be inserted into the snow, and when the vehicle is placed horizontally, an angle 20 between the approximately linear direction of the blade 1 and the vertical direction is in the range of 10 to 60 degrees, and the blade 1 can be moved in the approximately linear direction, allowing the blade 1 to be inserted deeper into the snow than the snow surface on which the vehicle stands. The vehicle may also be characterized by being able to change the angle 20. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The basic operational sequence of the snow removal vehicle of the present invention is shown in Figures 1(a) to 1(c). The vehicle, located on the snow surface of the roof, inserts blade 1 into the snow surface and cuts the snow (Figure 1(a)). As the vehicle advances, the cut snow is pushed by blade 1 and separated. As the vehicle advances further, it moves from the snow surface onto the roof surface. The vehicle advances until it removes the separated snow from the roof (Figure 1(b)), and then returns to the snow surface (Figure 1(c)). Snow from the roof is generally removed by repeating Figures 1(a) to 1(c). However, if the amount of snow is heavy, inserting blade 1 once will not be enough to cut it all the way to the roof surface, so the work must be done in multiple layers. It is also possible to remove snow from a snow cornice simply by inserting blade 1 into the base of the cornice.

[0009] By moving the plate-shaped blade 1, which has a substantially linear orientation, in a substantially linear direction and inserting it into the snow surface, the resistance to insertion can be reduced, and the power required for insertion can be reduced. With a blade that does not have a substantially linear orientation, or when the blade has a substantially linear orientation but is moved in a direction other than a substantially linear orientation, the resistance generated by pushing aside or crushing the snow when inserting it into the snow increases, and the power required for insertion increases.

[0010] When the vehicle is placed horizontally, the angle 20 between the vertical and the direction of the approximately linear shape of the blade 1 is in the range of 10 to 60 degrees, and is inclined relative to the vertical, allowing the propulsive force of the vehicle's forward movement to be used to drive the blade 1 into the snow. Furthermore, due to this inclination, when the front surface of the blade 1 pushes the snow, a vertical downward component of force is applied to the blade 1, pressing the vehicle against the snow surface or roof surface, which has the effect of favoring the traction required for the vehicle's forward movement. Furthermore, the inclined cutting surface of the snow also has the effect of providing a slope for the vehicle to travel on. As mentioned above, work using this vehicle requires repeated movement between the snow surface on the roof and the roof surface, but this movement is difficult with a vertical cutting surface.

[0011] By remotely or autonomously changing the angle 20 between the vertical direction and the direction of the approximately linear shape of the blade 1, it is possible to adjust the angle that makes it easier to insert the blade 1 into the snow and to adjust the angle of the cutting surface, i.e., the angle of the slope, which is expected to make it easier to handle sloped roofs. Also, changing the angle 20 while the blade 1 is inserted into the snow acts as a prying motion on the cutting surface, which is an auxiliary motion to separate the cut snow, so it is expected to make separation easier even in situations where separation is difficult by the forward movement of the mobile body alone. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1A to 1C are explanatory diagrams (side views) showing the operation sequence of the snow removal vehicle of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a side view of the first embodiment. [Figure 4] 1A and 1B are perspective views of the blade 1 in Examples 2 and 3. (a) is Example 2, and (b) is Example 3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] This snow removal vehicle is a remote-controlled or autonomously operated vehicle intended to remove snow and snow cornices that have accumulated on roofs and other high places, and is equipped with a blade 1, which is a plate-like member that is approximately linear in at least one direction within the range in which it can be inserted into the snow, and when the vehicle is placed horizontally, an angle 20 between the approximately linear direction of the blade 1 and the vertical direction is in the range of 10 to 60 degrees, and the blade 1 can be moved in the approximately linear direction, allowing the blade 1 to be inserted deeper into the snow than the snow surface on which the vehicle stands. The vehicle may also be characterized by being able to change the angle 20.

[0014] Figures 2 and 3 show Example 1 of this snow removal vehicle. Figure 2 shows blade 1 at its uppermost position, with angle 20 at 30 degrees, while Figure 3 shows blade 1 at its lowermost position, with angle 20 at 10 degrees. In Example 1, blade 1 is flat and can move in a substantially linear direction. A reinforcing member 6 is installed near the top end of blade 1 to reinforce blade 1 and prevent snow from slipping away, but because the area near the top end of blade 1 is outside the range that can be inserted into the snow, this does not adversely affect the resistance of blade 1 to inserting into the snow. The operating mechanism of the blade 1 is a mechanism that includes a feed screw 3 driven by a motor 2, a guide rail 4, and a guide rail receiver 5. By rotating the guide rail receiver 5 with a linear actuator 9 around a guide rail rotation axis 10 installed on the frame 8 and the guide rail receiver 5, the angle 20 between the blade 1 and the vertical direction can be changed within a range of 10 to 45 degrees.

[0015] The propulsion system of the vehicle in Example 1 is a rotating paddle 17 having multiple plate-like portions 13 arranged radially from the rotating paddle rotation axis 11. Adjacent plate-like portions 13 are connected by ropes 14, which reinforce the plate-like portions 13 and prevent damage due to excessive deformation. Snow compactors 15 are attached to the ropes 14, which compact the snow and make it difficult for the rotating paddles 17 to spin freely. Two rotating paddles 17 are provided on each side of the snow removal vehicle, and the direction of travel is controlled by the difference in rotation speed and direction between the left and right rotating paddles 17. Rubber plates 16 are attached to the tips of the plate-like portions 13 to prevent damage to the roof surface and to improve friction with the roof surface. In Example 1, the moving body is remotely controlled, and although not shown, necessary equipment such as communication equipment required for remote control, a motor and reduction mechanism for driving the rotating paddle 17, and a battery are provided inside the frame 8.

[0016] Figure 4 shows the blade 1 in Examples 2 and 3 of this snow removal vehicle. The blade 1 in Example 2 (Figure 4(a)) is approximately linear in the direction in which the blade 1 moves, and has a concave curved front in the horizontal direction, perpendicular to the direction of movement. Because it is approximately linear in the direction of movement, resistance to insertion into the snow is kept low, and the concave curved front is expected to have the effect of suppressing snow spillage to the left and right when pushing snow. The blade 1 in Example 3 (Fig. 4(b)) is flat, and side fins 7 are attached to both the left and right ends of the blade 1, perpendicular to the blade 1. When the blade 1 cuts snow, the side fins 7 cut part of the separation surface on both the left and right sides, which is expected to make snow separation easier. In Examples 2 and 3, a reinforcing member 6 is installed near the upper end of the blade 1 in order to reinforce the blade 1 and prevent snow from slipping away. However, since the area near the upper end of the blade 1 is outside the range that can be inserted into the snow, there is no adverse effect on the resistance of the blade 1 to being inserted into the snow.

[0017] Figures 1 to 4 depict only the main structure and do not depict electrical wires, fastening parts such as bolts and nuts, reinforcing members, connecting hardware, etc., but the fact that these are not depicted does not mean that they are not necessary.

[0018] In Example 1, rotating paddle 17 is configured from hub 12, plate-shaped portion 13, rope 14, snow-pressed plate 15, and rubber plate 16, but because this results in a large number of parts, when considering mass production, it is desirable to make the parts corresponding to hub 12, plate-shaped portion 13, and snow-pressed plate 15 into an integrated resin structure. It is clear that by integrating plate-shaped portion 13 and snow-pressed plate 15, a function equivalent to rope 14 can be obtained. Furthermore, rubber plate 16 may also be unnecessary depending on the material and shape of the integrated resin structure, in which case rotating paddle 17 may be realized with just one part.

[0019] In this application, "substantially linear shape" means that the blade 1 has an overall linear shape even if it has slight non-linearities due to fastening parts such as bolts, nuts, and rivets, weld marks, protrusions such as reinforcing members, or dimensional accuracy of the members or manufacturing dimensional accuracy.

[0020] Examples 1 to 3 are merely examples of the snow removal vehicle of the present invention, and the snow removal vehicle of the present invention is not limited to Examples 1 to 3. For example, the propulsion system may be other systems such as tracks or wheels instead of the rotary paddle 17, and the shape of the blade 1 is not limited to Examples 1 to 3, and other shapes are naturally possible. Furthermore, as for the drive system of the blade 1, various systems using a linear actuator, a hydraulic cylinder, a pneumatic cylinder, a rack and pinion, etc. are possible, in addition to the system using the feed screw 3 shown in Example 1. Furthermore, as for the mechanism for changing the angle 20 shown in Example 1, various systems using a hydraulic cylinder, a pneumatic cylinder, a rack and pinion, etc. are also possible. Other than these, the overall configuration, the size and arrangement of the components and devices, the range of change of the angle 20, etc. are not limited to Examples 1 to 3. [Explanation of symbols]

[0021] 1 blade 2 motors 3 Lead screws 4 guide rails 5 Guide rail holder 6 Reinforcing members 7 Side Fins 8 frames 9 Linear Actuators 10 Guide rail rotation axis 11 Rotating paddle rotation axis 12 Hub 13 Plate-shaped part 14 Rope 15 Snowboard 16 Rubber Plate 17 Rotating Paddle 20 Corner

Claims

1. A remotely controlled or autonomously operated mobile body intended to remove snow and snow cornices accumulated on high places such as roofs, The blade (1) is a plate-shaped member that is substantially linear in at least one direction within the range that is inserted into the snow, With this moving body placed horizontally, The angle (20) between the substantially linear shape direction of the blade (1) and the vertical direction is in the range of 10 to 60 degrees, The blade (1) can be moved in the direction of the substantially linear shape, The blade (1) can be inserted into the snow deeper than the snow surface on which the moving object is standing. A snow removal vehicle characterized by:

2. 2. The snow removal vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the angle (20) according to claim 1 can be varied in a range including part or all of the range of 10 to 60 degrees.

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