High-altitude snow removal equipment

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] The present invention relates to a snow removal device that performs snow removal by discharging water and compressed air to snow-covered locations at high altitudes.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as snow removal work on the roof of a house, the main work has been for residents to actually climb onto the roof and use a scoop or the like to remove the snow, and there has been no significant change even at present.

[0003] However, the labor required for snow removal is extremely large. In rural areas with a significant decline in the birthrate and aging population, it is difficult to even climb onto the roof, and there has been a problem that accidents such as falls and drops are likely to occur. Therefore, there has been a demand for a device that can remove the snow on the roof without climbing onto the roof.

[0004] In order to solve the above problems, a technical proposal described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-151123 (Patent Document 1) has been made. That is, in Patent Document 1, a technical proposal is made to discharge pressurized warm water onto the roof to melt the snow on the roof.

[0005] However, in the technical proposal described in Patent Document 1, fuel for heating with a boiler is required to generate pressurized warm water from snow, and there has been a problem that the roof itself is damaged by foreign substances contained in the snow used for water discharge.

[0006] The applicant of the present invention focused on the risks associated with snow removal, and based on the idea of whether it would be possible to safely remove snow at high altitudes, developed a high-altitude snow removal device capable of performing snow removal on the roof by extending a horizontal axis up to directly above the roof with a magic hand mechanism and ejecting water and air from above, leading to the proposal of the "high-altitude snow removal device" according to the present invention.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2015-151123 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

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

[0009] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides a main body, a main shaft whose base end is connected to the main body and which extends and retracts vertically by a hydraulic cylinder, and a hydraulic cylinder connected near the tip of the main shaft The formula's expansion and contraction Cylinder Opening and closing operation of the link plate A main arm equipped with a magic hand mechanism that extends and retracts laterally, a discharge nozzle provided at the tip of the main arm for discharging fluid downwards, and a water supply pump that supplies water from a water supply means to the discharge nozzle via a water supply pipe, A discharge nozzle is provided at the tip of the main arm to release compressed air downwards, A compressor that supplies the generated compressed air to a discharge nozzle, and The main arm has two link plates connected to an extension cylinder at its base end. When the extension cylinder is retracted, the link plates close and the main arm is extended, and when the extension cylinder is extended, the link plates open and the main arm is retracted. We will adopt the following method.

[0010] Furthermore, the present invention employs a means by which the main arm can change its vertical angle using the connection point with the main shaft as a pivot point. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] The snow removal device at high altitudes according to the present invention has the excellent effect of being able to melt snow while preventing refreezing by using water and compressed air as snow removal means.

[0012] Furthermore, the high-altitude snow removal device according to the present invention offers excellent advantages, such as the ability to change the vertical angle of the main arm using the connection point with the main shaft as a pivot point, thereby adjusting the angle of the main arm to match the angle of the roof to be snow removed and spraying water or compressed air. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of the high-altitude snow removal device according to the present invention. [Figure 2] This is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of the high-altitude snow removal device according to the present invention. [Figure 3] This is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of the high-altitude snow removal device according to the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] The most distinctive feature of the high-altitude snow removal device 1 according to the present invention is that it ejects water and compressed air from above by extending the main arm 20. Hereinafter, embodiments of the high-altitude snow removal device 1 according to the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

[0015] Furthermore, the high-altitude snow removal device 1 according to the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below, and can be appropriately modified within the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present invention, that is, within the range of shapes, dimensions, materials, etc. that can achieve the same effects and functions.

[0016] Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of the high-altitude snow removal device 1 according to the present invention. Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of the high-altitude snow removal device 1 according to the present invention, more specifically, (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. Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of the high-altitude snow removal device 1 according to the present invention, more specifically, (a) is an explanatory diagram when water is discharged to the snow removal target area by the water discharge nozzle 30, and (b) is an explanatory diagram when compressed air is discharged from the discharge nozzle 31 to the snow removal target area after (a). The high-place snow removal device 1 according to the present invention mainly includes a main body 2, a main shaft 10, a main arm 20, a water discharge nozzle 30, and a discharge nozzle 31.

[0017] The main body 2 is a base for mounting the main shaft 10 of the high-place snow removal device 1. The main body 2 is a base for connecting the base end of the main shaft 10, and a mode of providing a plurality of (preferably four at the corners) outriggers 3 as shown in FIG. 1 is suitable. By adopting such a mode, the outriggers 3 are extended to the ground surface and fixed to the ground or road surface, etc., and by adjusting the height of the outriggers 3 to keep the main body 2 horizontal, the floating of the main body 2 and the main shaft 10 can be prevented, and the accuracy of the working position can be improved. There is no particular limitation on the outriggers 3 provided in such a mode, and a conventionally known one can be used. Also, although not shown in the figure, a mode of providing moving wheels on the main body 2 is also desirable. By adopting such a mode, the movement of the main body 2 accompanying the change of the snow removal location becomes easy. Further, a mode of mounting a water supply pump 12 for pumping the water discharged from the water discharge nozzle 30, a water tank as a water supply means, a compressor 14 for generating compressed air discharged from the water discharge nozzle 30, etc. on the main body 2 is also suitable. There is no particular limitation on the size of the main body 2, but it will be configured to be large enough to withstand the weight and telescopic 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 extend upward by a hydraulic cylinder, the base end is connected to the main body 2, and the main arm 20 is connected near the tip end. The main shaft 10 is a columnar body that extends upward by the operation of a hydraulic cylinder. Since the base end is connected and fixed to the main body 2, the upper part, which is the tip end, will extend. Also, there is no limitation on the shape of the main shaft 10, and shapes such as a cylinder or a polygonal column can be considered. Further, there is no particular limitation on the height of the main shaft 10, but when considering a single-story house as the snow removal target, a height of approximately 5 m in total for the base end and the tip end is required. In addition to the mode in which the main shaft 10 is fixed to the main body 2 as shown in FIG. 1, a mode in which the base end portion or the tip end portion of the main shaft 10 rotates horizontally and the extension position of the main arm 20 can be adjusted is also conceivable. There is no particular limitation on the rotation mechanism used in such a mode. For example, a gear mechanism configured to rotate the main shaft 10 horizontally is provided, and by transmitting the rotation of a gear connected to the gear mechanism motor or the like, a mode in which the main shaft 10 and the main arm 20 also rotate horizontally at the same time is also conceivable.

[0019] The hydraulic cylinders used for the main shaft 10, the main arm 20, the angle adjustment cylinder 26 described later, etc. are classified into double-acting cylinders, telescopic cylinders, etc. according to their structures, but there is no particular limitation, and they are appropriately selected according to the mode of the installation location.

[0020] The main arm 20 is connected near the tip end portion of the main shaft 10 and expands and contracts horizontally by a magic hand mechanism. As shown in FIG. 1, the main arm 20 is connected near the tip end portion of the main shaft 10, so that it can extend horizontally from above the roof to be snow-removed. The main arm 20 uses a magic hand mechanism using a plurality of link plates 22 as shown in FIG. 2, and the entire link plate 22 expands and contracts by opening and closing the base end portion of the link plate 22.

[0021] The magic hand mechanism according to the present invention is made up of a series of link plates 22, and by using pin joints (movable joints / rotating ends) at the connection points, it takes advantage of the fact that even if the four sides are the same, the shape can change into a rectangle with different angles. In other words, it is the mechanism used in conventional magic hands, which are toys that use a lattice structure to extend and retract the handle and gripping part for play. More specifically, as shown in Figure 2, the central parts of two link plates 22 are pin-joined to form an X-shape, and one end of a link with the same structure is pin-joined to each of these links. This mechanism allows the opening and closing operation performed by the two link plates 22 at the base end to be linked to each of the pin-joined links. For example, by closing the base end and reducing the angle between the link plates 22, the diagonal side also changes by the number of rectangles formed by the link plates 22, resulting in a large movement at the tip. The distance traveled by the extension and retraction of the magic hand mechanism is proportional to the number of pin-joined links.

[0022] In the magic hand mechanism used when extending the main arm 20, it is preferable to connect a hydraulic cylinder to the two link plates 22 that form the base end of the main arm 20, as shown in Figure 2. By adopting this configuration, the main arm 20 is extended by retracting the telescopic cylinder 21 at the base end, which causes the base end of the link plate 22 to close with the connection point B as the pivot point. Conversely, the main arm 20 is retracted by extending the telescopic cylinder 21, which causes the base end of the link plate 22 to open with the connection point B as the pivot point.

[0023] The support plate 23 is a plate-like body provided at the tip of the link plate 22, and supports the nozzle base 24, which will be described later, while controlling the behavior of the tip of the main arm 20. As shown in Figure 2, the support plate 23 is a plate-like body connected to the tips of the two link plates 22. The connection points with the link plates 22 and both ends of the support plate 23 are fitted into elliptical through holes 27 that penetrate the ends of the support plate 23 to prevent the tips of the link plates 22 from falling off. The support plate is fitted in a way that prevents interference with the connection point even if the width between the tips changes due to the extension and retraction movement of the magic hand mechanism. Furthermore, the size of the through-hole 27 is not particularly limited, but it will be determined from the distance between the width of the link plate 22 when it is fully extended and when it is at its minimum contraction.

[0024] The nozzle base 24 is a plate-shaped body connected to the support plate 23 and constitutes the tip of the main arm 20. As shown in Figure 2, the nozzle base 24 is connected to the support plate 23 at its base end, and operates in conjunction with the extension and retraction of the link plate 22. The nozzle base 24 is equipped with a water discharge nozzle 30 and a discharge nozzle 31 from the central part to the tip. There are no particular limitations on the size of the nozzle base 24; it just needs to be large enough to accommodate the water discharge nozzle 30 and the discharge nozzle 31.

[0025] When extending the main arm 20, if 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 to be cleared of snow, it is also preferable to have a sub-arm 25 as shown in Figure 1. The base end of the sub-arm 25 is connected to the vicinity below 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 is equipped with an angle adjustment cylinder 26 for pushing upward from the bottom surface of the main arm 20. The length of the sub-arm 25 is not particularly limited, but it is desirable to make it about half the length of the main arm 20 to avoid contact with the house. Furthermore, it is desirable that a hydraulic cylinder be used as the pushing mechanism for the angle adjustment cylinder 26. In addition, although not shown in the figures, it is also conceivable that a balancing weight be attached near the base end of the sub-arm 25, or / or near the base end of the main arm 20, in order to distribute the pressure on the sub-arm 25 when the angle adjustment cylinder 26 is pushed upward by the extension of the main arm 20. The addition of the sub-arm 25 allows the main arm 20 to be angled vertically, with the connection point A with the main shaft 10 as the pivot point.

[0026] The water discharge nozzle 30 is located at the tip of the main arm 20 and is a nozzle that discharges water onto the area to be snow removed. The water discharge nozzle 30 is a nozzle for discharging water sent from the water supply pump 12 (described later) via the water supply pipe 13, and is positioned below the tip of the main arm 20, enabling discharge onto snow-covered areas. While there are no particular limitations on the shape of the water discharge nozzle 30, a straight-line nozzle that discharges water in a straight line is preferred. By adopting such a shape, it becomes possible to melt the snow up to the roof surface in a short time with water discharged in a straight line, which contributes to increased work efficiency. Furthermore, there are no particular limitations on the number of water discharge nozzles 30 installed; it is also preferable to have multiple nozzles installed to discharge water from multiple locations simultaneously and expand the snow-melting area.

[0027] The discharge nozzle 31 is located at the tip of the main arm 20 and is a nozzle that releases compressed air towards the area to be snow removed. The discharge nozzle 31 is a nozzle for releasing compressed air sent from the compressor 14 (described later) via the air supply pipe 15, and is located below the tip of the main arm 20, enabling discharge to areas with snow. While there are no particular limitations on the shape of the discharge nozzle 31, a straight-line nozzle that discharges air in a straight line, similar to the water discharge nozzle 30, is preferred. By adopting such a shape, it becomes possible to melt the snow up to the roof surface in a short time with compressed air discharged in a straight line, which contributes to increased work efficiency. Furthermore, if a water discharge nozzle 30 is provided in front of the discharge nozzle 31, as shown in Figure 3, by releasing compressed air to the area (a) where the snow up to the roof surface has melted due to the water discharge from the water discharge nozzle 30, the compressed air flows downward along the roof surface and melts the snow (b), which has the excellent effect of promoting the snow to fall due to its own weight. Furthermore, there are no particular limitations on the number of discharge nozzles 31 installed; it is also preferable to have multiple nozzles to discharge from multiple locations simultaneously and expand the snow-melting area.

[0028] The water supply pump 12 supplies water to the water discharge nozzle 30 via the water supply pipe 13. The water supply pump 12 draws water from the water supply pipe 13 and sends it to the water discharge nozzle 30 while applying pressure through the action of the pump. The specific structure of the water supply pump 12 can be any conventionally known design. Furthermore, the water supply means for storing the water pumped up by the water supply pump 12 can include a water storage tank or a water tank, or it can be supplied directly from a water supply system.

[0029] The compressor 14 is installed 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). Regarding the specific structure of the compressor 14, it is sufficient to use one that is conventionally known, but since it is discharged directly to the snow removal area, it is desirable to have a foreign matter separation device (such as a cyclone separator or oil filter) that removes 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 supplied to the discharge nozzle 31 via the supply pipe 15.

[0030] The water supply pipe 13 is a pipe that sends water pumped up by the water supply pump 12 to the water discharge nozzle 30. While there are no particular limitations on the material of the water supply pipe 13, it is desirable to use a material made of resin or rubber with high bending resistance, as it needs to expand and contract or bend and store any excess piping as the main arm 20's grabber mechanism operates. Furthermore, since it is used during the winter, it is preferable to protect the area around the piping with insulating material. Furthermore, 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 the connection point A to the water discharge nozzle 30 connected to the tip of the main arm 20 when it is fully extended. Similar to the water supply pipe 13, the air supply pipe 15, which is the piping for supplying compressed air generated by the compressor 14 to the discharge nozzle 31, is not limited in material, and it is also preferable to protect the area around the piping with insulating material. Similarly, the length required is the length from the compressor 14 to the main arm 20 via connection point A. Although not shown in the diagram, it is preferable to have a structure that allows the lengths of the water supply pipe 13 and the air supply pipe 15 to be changed automatically or manually in accordance with the extension and retraction of the main arm 20. For example, one possible configuration is to install a hose drum on the main body 2 and extend or retract the hose to the required length in accordance with the extension and retraction of the main arm 20.

[0031] After snow melting work, any water remaining that is not discharged from the water discharge nozzle 30 is mostly discharged by gravity by detaching the end of the water supply pipe 13 from the water supply pump, causing it to hang downwards. However, if the water supply pipe 13 is meandering due to the reduced main arm 20, some of the water may remain and not be discharged. Therefore, it is desirable to supply compressed air from the air supply pipe 15 into the water supply pipe 13 to discharge the remaining water to the outside. There are no particular limitations on the method of supplying air into the water supply pipe 13 in such a configuration. For example, one could attach an attachment that connects the water discharge nozzle 30 and the discharge nozzle 31 and supply air, or one could connect the end of the water supply pipe 13 to the compressor 14.

[0032] As shown in Figure 2, it is desirable that the nozzle base 24 be equipped with a camera 32 that allows the snow melting state by water or compressed air to be checked from above. It is also desirable that a monitor 4 on which the image captured by the camera 32 can be checked be provided at a predetermined location on the main unit 2. By adopting this configuration, the work area can be checked from the vicinity of the main unit 2, and work efficiency can be increased by moving the main unit 2 according to the snow melting situation.

[0033] The main operating modes of the high-altitude snow removal device 1, which consists of the above components, will be explained with reference to Figures 1 and 2. First, the main unit 2 is moved close to the roof to be cleared of snow, and the outriggers 3 are used to fix the main unit 2 to the ground so that it does not move. Then, the main shaft 10 is extended upward to a height greater than the roof to be cleared and the accumulated snow, and the link plate 22 is extended laterally by the magic hand mechanism by retracting the telescopic cylinder 21 provided at the base end of the main arm 20. In addition, the angle adjustment cylinder 26 provided at the tip of the sub-arm 25 pushes the lower part of the link plate 22 upward, adjusting the vertical angle of the main arm 20. As a result of the above actions, the nozzle base 24 connected to the tip of the link plate 22 will arrive directly above the area to be cleared of snow.

[0034] Next, the snow removal operation on the target area will be explained based on Figure 3. When the water supply pump 12 is activated, the water drawn up from the water supply means is sent to the discharge nozzle 30 via the water supply pipe 13. Also, when the compressor 14 is activated, the air near the compressor 14 is compressed into compressed air, which is then sent to the discharge nozzle 31 via the air supply pipe 15. Water is discharged from a water nozzle 30, which is mounted on a nozzle base 24 that has arrived directly above the area to be cleared. This water melts the snow up to the surface of the roof of the area to be cleared within the discharge range of the water nozzle 30, and the water is then drained downwards along the surface of the roof. Subsequently, compressed air is discharged from a discharge nozzle 31 to the area to be cleared. The compressed air discharged from the discharge nozzle 31 is sent downwards, melting the surrounding snow and expanding the space where the snow has been melted by the water. The snow on the upper part of the roof that has been melted by water and air collapses due to its own weight and falls downwards along the slope of the roof.

[0035] The basic configuration and operation 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 configurations shown in the above embodiments and drawings. For example, the diameter of the water discharge nozzle 30 is made narrow and snow removal is performed by cutting the snow with pressurized water, or a brush that rotates vertically with water or compressed air is provided on the nozzle base 24 and snow removal is performed directly by bringing the brush into contact with the snow-covered area, or a shovel-like blade that extends downward is provided on the nozzle base 24 and a hole is made in the snow-covered area that reaches the surface of the roof before water is discharged from the water discharge nozzle.

[0036] The snow removal device at high altitudes according to the present invention can be used for work at heights, and can be utilized as a work device in various industries, such as cleaning solar panels installed on rooftops and painting the exterior walls of buildings and the roofs of houses. Therefore, we believe that the industrial applicability of the snow removal device at high altitudes according to the present invention is great. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0037] 1. High-altitude snow removal device 2 Main unit 3 Outriggers 4 monitors 10 spindle 12 Water supply pump 13 Water supply pipe 14 Compressors 15. Air supply tube 20 Main Arm 21 Telescopic Cylinder 22 Link Board 23 Support plate 24 Nozzle stand 25 Subarm 26 Angle adjustment cylinder 27 Through hole 30 Water nozzles 31 Discharge nozzle 32 cameras

Claims

1. A main body, a main shaft whose base end is connected to the main body and which extends and retracts vertically by a hydraulic cylinder, A main arm is equipped with a magic hand mechanism that is connected to the vicinity of the tip of the main shaft and extends laterally by the opening and closing of a link plate by a hydraulic telescopic cylinder, A water nozzle is provided at the tip of the main arm to discharge water downwards, A water supply pump that sends water from the water supply means to the water discharge nozzle via a water supply pipe, A discharge nozzle is provided at the tip of the main arm to release compressed air downwards, It consists of a compressor that supplies the generated compressed air to a discharge nozzle, The main arm is characterized in that an extendable cylinder is connected to two link plates at its base end, and the main arm is extended when the extendable cylinder is retracted, and the main arm is retracted when the extendable cylinder is extended, causing the link plates to open.

2. The high-altitude snow removal device according to claim 1, characterized in that the main arm can change its vertical angle using the connection point with the main shaft as a pivot point.

Images