Articulated Snow Bucket with Movable Scraper Blade
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing snow collection buckets are limited in versatility and efficiency, as they require tilting to collect snow, which can lead to the front blade sinking into the snow and damaging the road surface, and have a narrow working width, making them ineffective for both scraping and collecting snow efficiently.
Innovation Solution
A bucket design featuring articulated wings and a scraper blade that can pivot between scraping and collecting positions, allowing for wider material collection and preventing the bucket from tilting forward during collection, thus maintaining contact with the substrate and reducing damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the bucket is tilted forward to collect snow, then snow collection is enabled, but the front blade sinks deep into the snow and damages the road surface
Solution Approach 1:
The scraper blade is made movable relative to the bucket body through a lifting mechanism, allowing it to transition between a first position for scraping compacted snow and a second position clear of the substrate during snow collection, eliminating the need to tilt the bucket forward and preventing road damage
Solution Approach 2:
The bucket is divided into functional components: a fixed bucket body for collection and a movable scraper blade for scraping, allowing independent operation of each function without compromising the other and enabling versatile snow removal operations
2Productivity
If the bucket uses a fixed scraper blade configuration, then scraping is effective, but the working width is narrow and material collection is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The scraper blade can be positioned in different locations relative to the bucket body - extending forward for scraping operations or retracting for material collection - allowing the bucket to adapt its working width and maintain both scraping efficiency and collection capability
Solution Approach 2:
The bucket is designed to perform multiple functions with a single device: scraping compacted snow, collecting loose snow, and transitioning between these modes through the movable scraper blade, eliminating the need for separate devices and increasing overall productivity
Data Source
Figure 1a
Figure 1b
Figure 2a
AI summary
The invention relates to a bucket (10) for collecting material, preferably snow, which includes - a frame (12) comprising a floor (14) comprising an opening (16), side walls (18) attached to the floor (14), and a rear wall (20) attached to the floor (14) and to the side walls (18), wherein the frame (12) forms a partly open volume for the material, - a scraper blade (24), arranged through the opening (16) and extending through the floor (14), and - attachment elements (26) for attaching the bucket (10) to a work machine (100), - wings (28), which are attached in an articulated manner by vertical articulated joints (30) to front edges (32) belonging to the side walls (18), for collecting material from an area that is wider than the frame (12) in the bucket (10), and - actuators (34) for pivoting the wings (28) with respect to the articulated joints (30), wherein the bucket (10) has two operating positions, namely a scraping position and a collecting position, wherein, in the scraping position, the scraper blade (24) is arranged so as to engage the material in order to scrape the material off into the bucket (10) and, in the collecting position, the scraper blade (24) is arranged so as to be clear of the material with the wings (28) spread out in order to collect material from an area wider than the frame (12) in the bucket (10).