Elastomeric Blade Holder for Road Maintenance Plough
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing blade constructions for road maintenance vehicles and snow ploughs experience reduced cleaning efficiency when encountering obstacles due to changes in the angle between the blade and the road surface, caused by the absence of a natural parallelogram behavior, leading to bouncing and inefficiency in clearing road irregularities.
Innovation Solution
An elastically deforming blade holder made from elastomeric material with gaps, functioning similarly to a four bar linkage, allowing for natural movement and maintaining the blade's angle relative to the road surface, and comprising modules for adjustable width and rigidity to accommodate various road surfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the blade holder is made rigid to maintain blade angle stability, then cleaning efficiency is improved, but the blade cannot accommodate road irregularities and experiences increased stress
Solution Approach 1:
The blade holder is divided into multiple segments connected by joints, allowing each segment to move independently while maintaining overall structural integrity. This segmentation enables the blade to follow road irregularities without compromising cleaning efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The blade holder uses elastomeric material with variable rigidity parameters, allowing it to be flexible enough to accommodate road irregularities while maintaining sufficient rigidity to preserve blade angle and cleaning efficiency
2Reliability
If the blade holder is made flexible to accommodate road irregularities, then blade durability is improved, but cleaning efficiency is reduced due to angle changes
Solution Approach 1:
The blade holder features asymmetric joint design where certain joints allow movement in specific directions while constraining movement in other directions, enabling the blade to follow road irregularities vertically while maintaining its cleaning angle horizontally
Solution Approach 2:
The blade holder transitions from a static rigid structure to a dynamic system with controlled degrees of freedom, allowing it to adapt its flexibility based on operational conditions and maintain optimal blade angle during cleaning operations
3Device complexity
If the blade holder follows natural parallelogram behavior, then structural simplicity is maintained, but bouncing occurs when crossing road irregularities
Solution Approach 1:
The blade holder incorporates pre-configured joints and elastomeric elements that are designed in advance to counteract the bouncing effect, allowing the blade to smoothly follow road irregularities without the instability associated with natural parallelogram behavior
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables improved kinematics and rigidity, allowing the blade to effectively follow road irregularities and maintain a consistent angle, enhancing cleaning efficiency and durability by mimicking a four bar linkage mechanism.
Implementation Method 1
An elastically deforming blade holder made from elastomeric material with gaps
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3C
AI summary
The invention is related to plough blade holder of a road maintenance vehicle, wherein the blade holder is made of an elastically deforming material. With this blade holder, the blade is enabled to follow unevenness of the processed surface. The blade holder of the invention comprises a part made of an elastically deforming material, which has one or several hollow spaces, such that the blade holder operates similar to a paralelogram.