Autonomous Snow Blower Control for Safe Low-Velocity Throwing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current snow removal methods, including manual sweeping, snow melting, and mechanical snow blowers, are labor-intensive, costly, and inefficient, with mechanical devices often causing damage to road surfaces and having poor snow removal effects.

Innovation Solution

An automatic moving snow removal device equipped with a working module, moving module, energy module, detection module, and control module, which includes a snow scraping component, snow throwing component, and obstacle detection system, allowing for autonomous operation and efficient snow removal based on environmental detection and pre-set paths.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If manual sweeping is used for snow removal, then labor intensity and time consumption increase, but sweeping efficiency remains low

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesweeping efficiencyVSAvoidtime consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual mechanical sweeping with an automated snow removal system that uses a snow collecting device (spiral auger or snow shovel), snow throwing device (blower or impeller), and automated moving system with sensors and control modules to autonomously navigate and remove snow, dramatically improving productivity while reducing time consumption

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The snow removal device is equipped with detection modules (ultrasonic sensors, infrared sensors, collision sensors) and control modules that enable the system to autonomously detect obstacles, navigate paths, and operate without continuous human intervention, achieving self-service operation that eliminates manual labor while maintaining high efficiency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Productivity

If snow melting method using heat energy or chemical agents is used, then energy consumption increases and cost rises, but environmental pollution and road surface corrosion occur

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesnow removal effectVSAvoidenvironmental pollution and road surface corrosion
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces thermal and chemical snow melting methods with a purely mechanical snow removal system that collects snow using a spiral auger or snow shovel and throws it aside using a blower or impeller, achieving effective snow removal without energy-intensive heating or harmful chemical agents, thus eliminating environmental pollution and road surface corrosion

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system extracts and removes snow from the road surface mechanically, separating the snow removal function from harmful thermal and chemical methods, allowing snow to be physically removed and discarded rather than melted or chemically treated, thereby avoiding pollution and corrosion

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Productivity

If large mechanical snow removal devices are used, then cost increases and snow removal effect deteriorates, but damage action to road surface occurs due to huge size

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesnow removal effectVSAvoiddamage to road surface
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the snow removal device into compact, modular components including a small prime motor, transmission device, snow collecting device, snow throwing device, and control modules, creating a compact system that is easy to maneuver on roads without causing damage, while maintaining effective snow removal capability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses a small prime motor (electromotor or small engine) instead of large mechanical systems, combined with automated control and sensing technologies, to achieve effective snow removal with a compact device that minimizes road surface damage while reducing operational cost

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

4Ease of operation

If hand push operation is used to control snow blower, then labor intensity reduces, but automation degree remains low and manual operation is required

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelabor intensityVSAvoidautomation degree
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSExtent of automation

Solution Approach 1:

The snow removal device is equipped with detection modules (ultrasonic sensors, infrared sensors, collision sensors) and control modules that enable the system to autonomously detect obstacles, navigate paths, and operate without continuous human intervention, achieving self-service operation that eliminates manual labor while maintaining high efficiency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces manual hand push operation with an automated moving system driven by a prime motor, combined with sensor-based obstacle detection and control modules that autonomously control movement and snow removal operations, dramatically increasing automation degree while reducing labor intensity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentEP3412833B1Automatic walking snow removal apparatus
Publication Date: 2022.05.18 POSITEC POWER TOOLS (SUZHOU) CO LTD
  • EP3412833B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3412833B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3412833B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

An automatic moving snow removal device including a moving module, driving a snow blower to move; a working module, including a working motor and a snow throwing mechanism driven by the working motor, the snow throwing mechanism is driven by the working motor to collect accumulated snow and inclusions on the ground and throw out of the snow throwing mechanism; and a control module, configured to control a rotary speed of the working motor to cause a speed when the inclusions depart from the snow throwing mechanism is not higher than 41m/s. The robot device provided by the present invention can provide safe snow throwing energy, and avoids the injury to people or the damage to objects in an unattended case.