Extendable Wing Plow Assembly for Wide Snow Clearing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wing plow trucks require multiple vehicles to clear multiple lanes and shoulders of a highway, are resource-inefficient, and necessitate long truck chassis, leading to increased complexity and higher costs.
Innovation Solution
A plow system with an extendable and retractable wing moldboard that allows a single vehicle to clear multiple lanes and shoulders simultaneously, featuring hydraulic systems for adjusting the moldboard and push arm configurations to optimize clearing path and vehicle size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple vehicles are used to clear multiple lanes and shoulders, then the clearing capability is improved, but the resource efficiency deteriorates and the complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple plow functions (center plow and wing plow) into a single integrated vehicle system. The moldboard assembly can be extended to include wing sections that clear shoulders, allowing one vehicle to perform work that previously required multiple vehicles, thereby reducing fleet complexity while maintaining or improving clearing capability
Solution Approach 2:
The plow system is designed with multi-functionality, where a single vehicle equipped with the extendable moldboard assembly can clear multiple lanes and shoulders. The system transitions from a single-function center plow to a universal clearing system that adapts to different road configurations and widths, eliminating the need for specialized vehicles for each function
2Productivity
If multiple vehicles are used to clear multiple lanes and shoulders, then the clearing capability is improved, but the resource efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functionality of multiple vehicles into a single integrated system. The moldboard assembly extends to include wing sections that clear shoulders and adjacent lanes, allowing one vehicle to replace multiple vehicles and thereby reducing the quantity of vehicles required while maintaining clearing capability
3Adaptability or versatility
If a long truck chassis is used to accommodate the plow system, then the plowing width capability is improved, but the vehicle size and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The moldboard assembly is designed with dynamic extendability, allowing it to transition between retracted and extended configurations. This dynamic capability enables the system to achieve wide plowing capability only when needed, while maintaining a compact form factor during transport, thereby avoiding the need for a permanently long chassis
Solution Approach 2:
The wing moldboard sections are designed to nest within or alongside the central moldboard when retracted. This nesting arrangement allows the system to achieve extended plowing width capability when deployed, while minimizing the overall footprint and avoiding the need for a long chassis during non-plowing or transport conditions
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 system enables a single vehicle to clear up to 27 feet wide, allowing for efficient use of resources and reducing vehicle size and costs by adapting to different road widths and plowing requirements.
Implementation Method 1
A hydraulic system can be configured to extend or retract the second moldboard relative to the first moldboard
Implementation Method 2
Another hydraulic system can be configured to move the heel end of the moldboard assembly toward or away from the vehicle body by pivoting the push arm assembly
Implementation Method 3
Yet another hydraulic system can be configured to lift the heel end and toe end of the moldboard assembly in a vertical direction by pivoting the push arm assembly and moldboard assembly, respectively
Data Source
AI summary
A wing plow system can include a wing plow assembly with a first moldboard assembly and a second moldboard assembly. The first moldboard assembly can include a first moldboard configured to extend away from a vehicle toward a trailing end of the wing plow assembly. The second moldboard assembly can extend from the first moldboard assembly toward the trailing end of the wing plow assembly. The second moldboard assembly can include a second moldboard slidably supported by the first moldboard to be slidable between an extended position and a retracted position, to move the wing plow assembly between an extended configuration and a retracted configuration.