Walk-behind snowplow

Abstract

To provide a walking-type snow blower capable of further improving safety by responding to various postures and situations of an object when detecting the object such as a driver at the time of retreating.SOLUTION: A walking-type snow blower comprises a machine body 10, an engine 20 mounted on the machine body 10, a traveling section 30 arranged below the machine body 10 and traveling the machine body 10 by being driven by the engine 20, a forward / backward lever 60 capable of switching a traveling state of the machine body 10 by the traveling section 30 to either forward or backward, a snow removal section 40 provided on the machine body 10 and driven by the engine 20, and a retreat regulation section 2 arranged in a rear part of the machine body 10 and capable of switching the machine body 10 during retreat to stop or advance by coming into contact with an object, and the retreat regulation section 2 comprises a first regulating section 100 extending in the cross direction of the machine body 10, and an arranged second regulating section 200 below the first regulating section 100.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a walking snow remover.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a walking snow remover in which an operator operates a traveling machine body while walking, and snow removal is performed by a snow removal unit provided on the machine body. This type of snow remover can usually move forward and backward, and has a function of detecting contact and stopping backward movement when the snow remover comes into contact with an operator during backward movement (for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The walking snow remover described in Patent Document 1 above has an object detection member that detects an object such as an operator during backward movement, and the object detection member is disposed at a height around the waist of the walking operator. Therefore, it is assumed that it is difficult to detect the operator when the operator falls or assumes a low posture during backward movement.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a walking snow remover that can improve safety by being able to cope with various postures and situations of an object when detecting an object such as an operator during backward movement.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] (1) The walking snowblower of the present invention comprises a machine body, a power source for driving mounted on the machine body, a driving unit located below the machine body and driven by the power source for driving the machine body, an operating unit that can switch the driving state of the machine body by the driving unit to either forward or backward, a snow removal unit provided on the machine body and driven by the power source for snow removal, and a backward restricting unit located at the rear of the machine body that can stop the machine body in backward or switch it to forward when it comes into contact with an object, wherein the backward restricting unit comprises a first restricting unit extending in the width direction of the machine body and a second restricting unit located below the first restricting unit.

[0007] (2) In (1), the aircraft has a handle at the rear, and it is preferable that the distance between the first restricting part and the second restricting part in the height direction is greater than the distance between the handle and the first restricting part.

[0008] (3) In (1) or (2), it is preferable that the rear end of the second restricting portion is located forward of the rear end of the first restricting portion.

[0009] (4) In (1) to (3), it is preferable that the second restricting portion protrudes outward in the width direction of the aircraft body more than the first restricting portion.

[0010] (5) In (1) to (4), when viewed from the rear, it is preferable that at least a portion of the second restricting section overlaps with the running section.

[0011] (6) In (1) to (5), the retraction restrictor has a pair of left and right parallel links that support the retraction restrictor so as to be able to swing in the front-rear direction relative to the aircraft body, and the parallel links include two links, and the second restrictor preferably includes an extension portion that extends integrally from one of the two links in the direction of extension of that one link.

[0012] In (7)(6), the parallel link preferably includes a front link and a rear link positioned behind the front link, and the extension portion is preferably included in the front link. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, when detecting an object such as a driver while reversing, it is possible to provide a walking-type snowplow that can respond to various postures and situations of the object, thereby further improving safety. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] This is a side view of a walk-behind snowplow according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a rear view of a walk-behind snowplow according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view showing the transmission mechanism and reverse control unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a side view showing the transmission mechanism and reverse control unit according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a perspective view showing the rear of a walk-behind snowblower according to an embodiment of the product. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0015] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below.

[0016] Figure 1 is a side view of a walk-behind snowblower 1 according to an embodiment. Figure 2 is a rear view of the walk-behind snowblower 1. In Figures 1 and 2, the front of the walk-behind snowblower 1 is indicated by arrow Fr, the rear by arrow Rr, the left side by arrow L, and the right side by arrow R. Directions such as front, back, left, and right in the following description are based on these directions. The same applies to Figures 3 to 5. Furthermore, the up and down directions in the description refer to the up and down directions when the walk-behind snowblower 1 is stationary or moving.

[0017] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the walking snow remover 1 of the embodiment includes a machine body 10, an engine 20 mounted on the machine body 10, a traveling unit 30 for traveling the machine body 10, and a snow removing unit 40 provided on the front side of the machine body 10. The walking snow remover 1 of the embodiment is driven by a driver (not shown) standing behind the machine body 10. The engine 20 of the embodiment drives both the traveling unit 30 and the snow removing unit 40. That is, in the walking snow remover 1 of the embodiment, one engine 20 serves as both a power source for traveling and a power source for snow removal.

[0018] The engine 20 is mounted inside the machine body 10, and the traveling unit 30 is disposed below the machine body 10. Further, the snow removing unit 40 is disposed in front of the machine body 10. In the walking snow remover 1 of the embodiment, the traveling unit 30 and the snow removing unit 40 are driven by the engine 20.

[0019] The driving force of the engine 20 is transmitted to the traveling unit 30 through a clutch unit 21, a transmission unit 22, and a reduction unit 23 disposed inside the machine body 10. A forward / reverse lever 60 is connected to the transmission unit 22 via a transmission mechanism 50. The forward / reverse lever 60 protrudes on an operation panel 11 disposed at the rear of the machine body 10 and is provided slidable in the front-rear direction. The clutch unit 21 is operated by a clutch lever 61 behind the operation panel 11.

[0020] Behind the operation panel 11, the handle 12 is arranged. The handle 12 is fixed to the upper part of the rear end of the machine body 10. As shown in FIG. 2, the handle 12 has a grip portion 12a extending in the width direction (left - right direction) of the machine body 10 and support portions 12b at both ends of the grip portion 12a. As shown in FIG. 1, each support portion 12b has a shape that extends obliquely rearward as it extends upward after extending upward from the lower end. The lower end portion of each support portion 12b is fixed to the machine body 10. The grip portion 12a is located at the rear end portion of the handle 12. In the walking - type snow remover 1 of the embodiment, when the grip portion 12a of the handle 12 and the clutch lever 61 are simultaneously grasped and the clutch lever 61 is tilted backward, the clutch portion 21 becomes clutch - on and running becomes possible. That is, it has a safety function that running is not possible unless the clutch lever 61 is operated.

[0021] The traveling unit 30 includes a pair of left - right traveling mechanisms 31 respectively arranged below the machine body 10. The left - right traveling mechanisms 31 are of the crawler type that rotates a crawler belt 32 grounded on the road surface M. The traveling mechanism 31 includes a drive wheel 33 around which the crawler belt 32 is wound, a front idler wheel 34, a plurality of lower idler wheels 35, and an upper idler wheel 36. These drive wheel 33, front idler wheel 34, plurality of lower idler wheels 35, and upper idler wheel 36 are rotatably supported by a crawler frame 37. The drive wheel 33 is arranged at the rear end portion. This drive wheel 33 is connected to the speed - change portion 22 via the speed - reduction portion 23.

[0022] Note that the traveling mechanism 31 constituting the traveling unit 30 is not limited to the crawler type, and other types such as the wheel type may be used.

[0023] The speed - change portion 22 is operated by sliding the forward - reverse lever 60 in the front - rear direction. The speed - change portion 22 is a continuously variable transmission that can continuously change the output of the engine 20 from the maximum forward output to the maximum reverse output.

[0024] When the forward / reverse lever 60 is in the neutral position midway between the forward and reverse directions, the engine 20 continues to rotate, while the rotation of the output shaft of the transmission unit 22 stops. When the forward / reverse lever 60 is slid forward from the neutral position, the forward rotation speed of the output shaft of the transmission unit 22 gradually increases steplessly, and when returned to the neutral position, the rotation of the output shaft of the transmission unit 22 stops. On the other hand, when the forward / reverse lever 60 is slid backward from the neutral position, the rotation of the output shaft of the transmission unit 22 is converted to rotation in the reverse direction, and the rotation speed gradually increases steplessly, and when returned to the neutral position, the output shaft of the transmission unit 22 stops. The rotation speed of the drive wheels 33 of the travel mechanism 31 changes according to the rotation speed of the output shaft of the transmission unit 22, and the travel speed fluctuates accordingly. The forward / reverse lever 60 is an example of an operating unit of the present invention that can switch the travel state of the machine body 10 by the travel unit 30 to either forward or reverse.

[0025] The snow removal unit 40 includes a blower 41 located at the front of the machine body 10, an auger 42 located in front of the blower 41, a housing 43 covering the upper part between the blower 41 and the auger 42, and a chute 44 located above the blower 41. The rotation of the engine 20 is transmitted to the blower 41 and the auger 42 via a power transmission unit (not shown) incorporated within the machine body 10. The axis of rotation of the auger 42 extends in the width direction of the machine body 10.

[0026] In the walking snowblower 1 of this embodiment, when the engine 20 rotates with the clutch unit 21 clutched, the rotation of the engine 20 is transmitted to the drive wheels 33 via the clutch unit 21, the transmission unit 22, and the reduction unit 23. When the drive wheels 33 are rotated, the crawler belt 32 rotates, and the machine body 10 moves forward and backward on the road surface M.

[0027] In the walking-type snowblower 1 of this embodiment, the rotation of the engine 20 is transmitted to the blower 41 and auger 42 simultaneously with the machine's movement. When the machine moves forward with the auger 42 rotating, the snow accumulated on the road surface M in front of the walking-type snowblower 1 is gathered towards the center of the machine in the width direction. This snow is sucked into the blower 41 and ejected in a certain direction through the chute 44. In this way, snow is removed from the road surface M while the walking-type snowblower 1 is moving.

[0028] Furthermore, it is preferable that the walking-type snowblower 1 has an up-and-down swinging mechanism that swings the machine body 10 up and down relative to the running section 30. Having such an up-and-down swinging mechanism allows the auger 42 to move up and down together with the machine body 10, enabling more efficient snow removal.

[0029] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the gear shifting mechanism 50 has one end of an operating lever 52a connected to the operating shaft 22a of the gear shifting unit 22, and the other end of the operating lever 52a is connected to the first lever 53a of a connecting member 53 via a first connecting rod 52b. This connecting member 53 is rotatably mounted on the machine body 10 via a support shaft 54, and the forward / reverse lever 60 is connected to the second lever 53b of the connecting member 53 via a second connecting rod 52c.

[0030] The walking snowplow 1 of this embodiment further includes a reversing restrictor 2. The reversing restrictor 2 has a first restrictor 100 and a second restrictor 200 located below the first restrictor 100.

[0031] The first restrictor 100 and the second restrictor 200 are positioned at the rear of the aircraft 10 so as to be movable in the longitudinal direction via a pair of left and right parallel links 70. The first restrictor 100 and the second restrictor 200 are normally held in a rearward standby position by a return spring 73, and move forward from that standby position when subjected to a forward-pressing stress. When the first restrictor 100 and the second restrictor 200 move forward, the aforementioned transmission unit 22 enters a neutral state, and the engine 20 stops.

[0032] As shown in Figure 4, the retraction restricting section 2 has a connecting bar 74. The rear end of a connecting rod 75 is connected to this connecting bar 74 via a fourth lever 76. The front end of the connecting rod 75 is slidably connected to a guide slit 78 of a plate 77, and the plate 77 is supported by a connecting member 53. As a result, the plate 77 can swing in the front-rear direction around the connecting member 53 as an axis.

[0033] The plate 77 has a fan-shaped form in which the plate width gradually increases from the lower end to the upper end. The in-plane direction of the plate 77 is perpendicular to the left-right direction. The lower end of the plate 77 is rotatably supported by a support shaft 54 ​​of the connecting member 53. The support shaft 54 ​​extends in the left-right direction. The upper edge of the plate 77 is formed in an arc shape centered on the support shaft 54, which is the rotation center of the connecting member 53.

[0034] The guide slit 78 of plate 77 is an elongated hole that extends in a circular arc along the upper end of plate 77, from its front end 78a to its rear end 78b, and penetrates in the left-right direction. This guide slit 78 is concentric with the support shaft 54, which is the rotation center of the connecting member 53.

[0035] As shown in Figure 4, the connecting member 53 constituting the gear shifting mechanism 50 has a cylindrical body 80 rotatably mounted on a support shaft 54, the cylindrical body 80 is rotatably supported by a support bracket (not shown), a first lever 53a is attached to the right end of the cylindrical body 80, and a second lever 53b is attached to the left end of the cylindrical body 80.

[0036] The rear end of the second connecting rod 52c is connected to the third lever 81. The third lever 81 is attached to the aircraft body 10 via a bracket 82. The lower end of the forward / reverse lever 60 is rotatably supported by the third lever 81.

[0037] According to the gear shifting mechanism 50, when the forward / reverse lever 60 is positioned in the neutral position, the operating lever 52a connected to the operating shaft 22a of the gear shifting unit 22 is positioned in the neutral position. As a result, the gear shifting unit 22 enters a neutral state where it does not output power.

[0038] Furthermore, when the forward / reverse lever 60 is positioned at the maximum forward speed position, the operating lever 52a is positioned at the maximum forward speed position. As a result, the gear shift unit 22 enters the maximum forward speed state, outputting the maximum forward speed.

[0039] Furthermore, when the forward / reverse lever 60 is positioned in the maximum reverse speed position, the operating lever 52a is positioned in the maximum reverse speed position. As a result, the gear shift unit 22 enters the maximum reverse speed state, outputting the maximum reverse speed.

[0040] The connecting bar 74 of the retraction restricting section 2 extends in the width direction of the machine body 10 below the handle 12. The base end of the fourth lever 76 is rotatably supported on this connecting bar 74. The left and right ends of the connecting bar 74 are fixed to fixing plates 83 which are fixed to the rear of the machine body 10. These fixing plates 83 are each provided with a pair of parallel links 70 of the same configuration.

[0041] A pair of left and right parallel links 70 are provided with a first restricting section 100 and a second restricting section 200. That is, the first restricting section 100 and the second restricting section 200 are located at the rear of the aircraft body 10 via the pair of left and right parallel links 70 and a fixing plate 83.

[0042] The parallel link 70 includes two parallel links, namely a front link 72 and a rear link 71 positioned behind the front link 72. The upper ends of both the rear link 71 and the front link 72 are rotatably supported in the front-rear direction by a fixing plate 83. These links 71 and 72 extend parallel to each other downward and diagonally rearward from the fixing plate 83. The front link 72 is longer than the rear link 71. The portion of the front link 72 that is longer than the rear link 71 constitutes part of the second restricting section 200, which will be described later.

[0043] The first restrictor section 100 includes a pair of left and right stay sections 102 extending in the front-rear direction, and a first bar section 101 spanning between the rear ends of these stay sections 102. The first bar section 101 extends in the width direction of the machine body 10 and is positioned higher than the stay sections 102 in the height direction. Between the rear ends of the left and right stay sections 102 and the first bar section 101, there is a curved end section 103 that curves outward in the width direction. As shown in Figure 3, when viewed from the side, the curved end section 103 extends diagonally backward as it goes upward. By forming both ends in a curved shape in this way, the impact is mitigated even if both ends of the first restrictor section 100 come into contact with the driver, ensuring safety.

[0044] The lower ends of each link 71 and 72 of the parallel link 70 are rotatably pin-connected to each stay portion 102 of the first restricting section 100. The first restricting section 100 is movable in the front-rear direction as the parallel link 70 swings in the front-rear direction relative to the fixed plate 83.

[0045] The second restrictor section 200 includes a second bar section 201 extending in the width direction of the aircraft body 10 and an extension section 202 of the front link 72. The extension section 202 is the portion of the front link 72 that is longer than the rear link 71. This extension section 202 is integral with the front link 72 and extends diagonally backward as it goes downward. The second bar section 201 is spanned between the lower ends of each extension section 202 that extend downward from the left and right front links 72. Both ends of the second bar section 201 protrude outward in the left and right direction, passing through the lower ends of the left and right extension sections 202. For safety, caps 204 are fitted over the tips of these protruding sections 203.

[0046] As shown in Figure 4, the rear end of an extension bar 84, which extends slightly forward and downward, is fixed to the upper part of the front link 72 of the right parallel link 70. The tip of the extension bar 84 has a tip portion 84a that bends inward in the width direction of the machine body 10. The return spring 73 is locked in a tensile state between this tip portion 84a and a projection 85 (see Figure 3) that protrudes from the operation panel 11.

[0047] The spring force of the return spring 73 biases the extension bar 84 toward the rear of the aircraft body 10. This biases the front link 72 and rear link 71 of the left and right parallel links 70 to swing backward around their upper ends. This backward swing of the parallel links 70 causes the first restricting section 100 and the second restricting section 200 to move together toward the rear of the aircraft body 10. At this point, the rear link 71 comes into contact with the stopper 83a (see Figure 3) provided at the rear end of the fixing plate 83, thereby restricting further backward movement. The first restricting section 100 and the second restricting section 200 are normally in a standby position at this rearmost position.

[0048] When the first regulating section 100 and the second regulating section 200 are in the standby position, the front end of the connecting rod 75, which is slidably connected to the guide slit 78 of the plate 77, is located at the rear end 78b of the guide slit 78. In this state, the plate 77 does not rotate, and the gear shifting section 22 performs normal operation according to the operation of the forward / reverse lever 60. In other words, normal driving operation is performed.

[0049] Next, the operation of the retraction restrictor 2 will be explained.

[0050] During reverse operation of the walk-behind snowblower 1, the operator may come into contact with the first bar portion 101 of the first restrictor portion 100. At that time, the first bar portion 101, the stay portion 102 which is integrated with the first bar portion 101, and the second restrictor portion 200 move forward relative to each other, against the spring force of the return spring 73. As the stay portion 102 moves forward, the parallel link 70 swings forward, and the connecting bar 74 moves forward. Then, the connecting rod 75 connected to the connecting bar 74 moves forward, and the front end of the connecting rod 75 moves forward within the guide slit 78 of the plate 77 and reaches the front end 78a, and as it moves further forward, the plate 77 rotates forward.

[0051] When the plate 77 rotates forward, the operating lever 52a, which was in the retracted position, rotates to the neutral position via the first connecting rod 52b. As a result, the gear shift unit 22 enters the neutral position, interrupting the transmission of rotation from the engine 20 to the travel unit 30, and stopping the backward movement of the walk-behind snowblower 1. Therefore, the operator is not subjected to a force pushing backward from the walk-behind snowblower 1, ensuring safety. When the operator moves away from the first bar portion 101 of the first restricting unit 100, the spring force of the return spring 73 returns the first restricting unit 100 and the second restricting unit 200 to their rearward standby positions.

[0052] In addition to the driver, if the first restricting unit 100 hits a building or road guardrail while reversing, for example, the first restricting unit 100 moves forward as described above, causing the gear shift unit 22 to become neutral and the walk-behind snowblower 1 to stop, thus ensuring safety. However, in this case, the walk-behind snowblower 1 may be set to move forward instead of just stopping.

[0053] This safety-enhancing effect during reversing is not limited to the first restrictor 100; it also occurs when the driver or other objects strike the second restrictor 200 located below the first restrictor 100. In other words, during reverse operation of the walk-behind snowblower 1, an object may strike the second bar portion 201 of the second restrictor 200. At that time, the second bar portion 201, the extension portion 202 extending downward from the front link 72 which is integrated with the second bar portion 201, and the front link 72 move forward against the spring force of the return spring 73. As a result, the parallel link 70 swings forward, and the first restrictor 100 also moves forward as a whole. As a result, the connecting bar 74 moves forward, and the gear shift unit 22 enters a neutral state, similar to the case of the first restrictor 100 described above, interrupting the transmission of rotation from the engine 20 to the travel unit 30, and stopping the reverse movement of the walk-behind snowblower 1. When the driver moves away from the second bar portion 201 of the second restricting portion 200, the spring force of the return spring 73 causes the first restricting portion 100 and the second restricting portion 200 to return to their rearward standby positions.

[0054] The walking-type snowplow 1 of this embodiment has the following features in particular.

[0055] As shown in Figure 1, in the height direction, the distance L1 between the first restricting section 100 and the second restricting section 200 is greater than the distance L2 between the handle 12 and the first restricting section 100. The position in the height direction here refers to the height of the part located at the rearmost end of each. That is, in the first restricting section 100, it is the height of the first bar section 101; in the second restricting section 200, it is the height of the second bar section 201; and in the handle 12, it is the height of the grip section 12a. By defining it in this way, the vertical distance between the first restricting section 100 and the second restricting section 200 is increased, and the driver can be protected over a wide area in the vertical direction.

[0056] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, the second bar portion 201, which is the rear end of the second restricting portion 200, is located L3 forward of the first bar portion 101, which is the rear end of the first restricting portion 100. This makes it less likely for the operator's legs to come into contact with the second bar portion 201 when operating the walk-behind snowblower 1, especially when moving forward, thus reducing interference with operation.

[0057] As shown in Figure 2, the second restrictor 200 protrudes outward in the width direction of the machine body 10 by a distance L4 compared to the first restrictor 100. The portion of the second restrictor 200 that protrudes outward in the width direction is the protruding portion 203 at both ends of the second bar portion 201, and caps 204 are fitted over its tips. These protruding portions 203 protrude outward in the width direction of the machine body 10 than the curved ends 103 at both ends of the first restrictor 100. As a result, the second restrictor 200 can protect the driver over a wide area in the width direction. For example, even if the driver is lying down in the width direction of the machine, the second restrictor 200 can come into contact with the driver and protect them.

[0058] As shown in Figure 4, when the walk-behind snowblower 1 is viewed from the rear, both ends of the second restricting section 200 overlap with the inner ends of the travel mechanism 31 of the travel section 30. In this case, the protruding portion 203 of the second bar portion 201 of the second restricting section 200 overlaps the crawler belt 32 in the width direction by a distance L5. As a result, when reversing, even if the driver falls over and is unable to react quickly, for example, the walk-behind snowblower 1 will stop, and the risk of the driver coming into contact with the crawler belt 32 of the travel section 30 can be avoided.

[0059] The following effects are achieved by the walking-type snowplow 1 according to the embodiment described above.

[0060] The walking snowplow 1 according to this embodiment includes a machine body 10, an engine 20 mounted on the machine body 10, a running unit 30 positioned below the machine body 10 and driven by the engine 20 to move the machine body 10, a forward / reverse lever 60 that can switch the running state of the machine body 10 by the running unit 30 to either forward or backward, a snow removal unit 40 provided on the machine body 10 and driven by the engine 20, and a reverse restricting unit 2 positioned at the rear of the machine body 10 that can stop the machine body 10 in reverse or switch it to forward when it comes into contact with an object such as the operator, the reverse restricting unit 2 includes a first restricting unit 100 extending in the width direction of the machine body 10 and a second restricting unit 200 positioned below the first restricting unit 100.

[0061] With this walk-behind snowblower 1, if an object such as the operator hits at least one of the first restricting section 100 and the second restricting section 200 while the walk-behind snowblower 1 is reversing, the walk-behind snowblower 1 will stop or move forward. Since the second restricting section 200 is located below the first restricting section 100, it is particularly easy to safely protect objects below the first restricting section 100. For example, even if the operator falls or assumes a low posture while reversing, the second restricting section 200 can detect the operator and restrict further reversal, thus ensuring safety. In other words, when detecting objects such as the operator while reversing, it is possible to respond to various postures and situations of the object, thereby further improving safety.

[0062] In the walking snowblower 1 according to this embodiment, the machine body 10 has a handle 12 at the rear, and it is preferable that the distance L1 between the first restricting section 100 and the second restricting section 200 in the height direction is greater than the distance L2 between the handle 12 and the first restricting section 100.

[0063] This increases the vertical distance between the first restricting section 100 and the second restricting section 200, allowing for wider vertical protection of the driver.

[0064] In the walking-type snowplow 1 according to this embodiment, it is preferable that the rear end of the second restricting section 200 is located at a distance L3 forward from the rear end of the first restricting section 100.

[0065] This reduces the likelihood of the driver's feet or legs hitting the second restricting section 200 and interfering with operation, especially when the driver is moving forward while operating the walk-behind snowplow 1.

[0066] In the walking-type snowblower 1 according to this embodiment, it is preferable that the second restricting section 200 protrudes outward by a distance L4 in the width direction of the machine body 10 compared to the first restricting section 100.

[0067] This allows the driver to be protected over a wide area in the width direction by the second restricting section 200.

[0068] In the walking-type snowblower 1 according to this embodiment, when viewed from the rear, it is preferable that at least a portion of the second restricting section 200 overlaps with the driving section 30 by a distance L5. This allows the walking-type snowblower 1 to stop when reversing, for example, if the driver falls and is unable to react quickly, thus avoiding the risk of the driver coming into contact with the driving section 30.

[0069] In the walking snowplow 1 according to this embodiment, the retraction restricting section 2 has a pair of left and right parallel links 70 that support the machine body 10 so as to be able to swing in the front-rear direction, and these parallel links 70 include two links 71 and 72, and the second restricting section 200 includes an extension portion 202 that extends integrally from one of the two links 71 and 72, link 72, in the direction of extension of that link 72.

[0070] This allows the retraction restrictor 2 to be supported by the parallel link 70 with high rigidity on the aircraft body 10. Furthermore, the configuration can be simplified by making the extended portion 202 of the link 72 part of the second restrictor 200.

[0071] In the walking snowplow 1 according to this embodiment, the parallel link 70 includes a front link 72 and a rear link 71 positioned behind the front link, and it is preferable that the extended portion 202 is included in the front link 72.

[0072] As a result, the second restricting section 200, including the extended portion 202, is positioned further forward, which further reduces the likelihood of the driver's feet or legs hitting the second restricting section 200 and interfering with operation, especially when the driver is moving forward while operating the walk-behind snowplow 1.

[0073] Although specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and modifications, improvements, etc., within the scope of the present invention are also included, as long as they can achieve the objectives of the present invention.

[0074] For example, the mechanism that detects when an object hits the first restrictor 100 and the second restrictor 200 during reverse movement and switches to stopping or moving forward may be electrically operated instead of mechanically operated as in the above embodiment.

[0075] In this embodiment, one engine 20 drives both the driving unit 30 and the snow removal unit 40. However, two separate power sources may be provided: a driving power source for the driving unit 30 and a snow removal power source for the snow removal unit 40. For example, a hybrid system may be used, where the power source for the driving unit 30 is a battery and a motor, and the power source for the snow removal unit 40 is an engine, or vice versa. [Explanation of symbols]

[0076] 1 Walk-behind snowblower 2. Reverse control section 10 aircraft 12 handles 20. Engine (power source for driving, power source for snow removal) 30 Running section 40 Snow Removal Department 60 Forward / Forward Lever (Operating Part) 70 Parallel Links 71 Rear link 72 Front Link 100 First Regulatory Department 200 Second Regulatory Section 202 Extension part

Claims

1. The aircraft and, The propulsion power source mounted on the aforementioned aircraft, A running unit is positioned below the aforementioned machine and is driven by the aforementioned power source to move the machine, An operating unit that can switch the movement state of the machine by the aforementioned running unit to either forward or reverse, The aforementioned machine includes a snow removal unit, which is driven by a snow removal power source, A walking snowplow is provided with a reverse control unit located at the rear of the machine body, which, by contacting an object, can stop the machine body in reverse or switch it to move forward. The retraction restricting section comprises a first restricting section extending in the width direction of the aircraft body and a second restricting section positioned below the first restricting section. The first and second restricting sections are held in a rearward standby position by a return spring in a walk-behind snowblower.

2. The walking snowblower according to claim 1, wherein the machine has a handle at the rear of the machine body, and in the height direction, the distance between the first restricting part and the second restricting part is greater than the distance between the handle and the first restricting part.

3. The walking snowplow according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the rear end of the second restricting section is located forward of the rear end of the first restricting section.

4. The walking snowplow according to claim 1, wherein the second restricting portion protrudes outward in the width direction of the machine body more than the first restricting portion.

5. The walking snowplow according to claim 1, wherein, when viewed from the rear, at least a portion of the second restricting section overlaps with the traveling section.

6. The aforementioned retraction restrictor has a pair of left and right parallel links that support it so as to be able to swing in the front-rear direction relative to the aircraft body, and the parallel links include two links, The walking snowplow according to claim 1, wherein the second restricting portion includes an extension portion that extends integrally from one of the two links in the direction of extension of that link.

7. The walking snowplow according to claim 6, wherein the parallel link includes a front link and a rear link positioned behind the front link, and the extension portion is included in the front link.

8. The walking snowplow according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first regulating section is provided with curved ends that curve outward in the width direction at both ends thereof.

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