Rear-Mounted Snow Plow Trunk Power Unit and Flexible Blade Actuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing snow plow systems for motor vehicles are limited in their ease of use and installation, requiring modifications to the vehicle and lacking efficient mechanisms for raising and lowering the plow blade, especially for clearing snow without damaging the blade or ground surfaces.
Innovation Solution
A snow plow system with a frame, electrically powered actuator, and wireless remote control that allows the blade to be raised and lowered efficiently, featuring a flexible member for tripping over obstacles and a torsion spring biasing mechanism, with a power unit placed in the trunk and a power connection line that traverses through a gasket-sealed space, enabling operation without vehicle modifications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a rear-mounted snow plow system is installed on an automobile, then snow clearing capability is provided, but the system requires vehicle modifications and has complex installation requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The snow plow system is divided into separate modular components: a frame assembly with hitch, a blade assembly, and a power unit. This segmentation allows the system to be independently manufactured and installed on various vehicles without requiring modifications to the vehicle itself, resolving the contradiction between versatility and installation complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
A universal hitch receiver serves as an intermediary interface that connects the frame assembly to the automobile without requiring vehicle modifications. This standardization enables easy installation and removal while maintaining compatibility across different vehicle models, addressing both adaptability and ease of installation.
2Productivity
If an electrically powered actuator is used to raise and lower the blade, then operational efficiency is improved, but the system requires additional power components and wiring
Solution Approach 1:
The power unit is extracted as a separate, self-contained module that can be independently installed and maintained. This extraction reduces the complexity of integrating power systems into the overall plow assembly, as the power unit can be connected through simple electrical interfaces rather than requiring complex wiring integration with the vehicle's electrical system.
Solution Approach 2:
The manual or hydraulic actuation mechanisms are replaced with an electrically powered actuator that receives power through a simple electrical connection. This substitution eliminates the need for complex mechanical linkages and hydraulic systems, reducing overall device complexity while improving operational efficiency through electric actuation.
3Ease of operation
If the power unit is placed within the trunk space, then the blade can be raised and lowered efficiently, but the power connection line must traverse through sealed spaces
Solution Approach 1:
A flexible power connection line is used to traverse through the gasket-sealed trunk space. The flexible nature of the cable allows it to pass through the sealed opening without compromising the trunk's weather seal, while still transmitting electrical power efficiently. This solution resolves the contradiction by maintaining both operational efficiency and sealed space integrity.
4Reliability
If a flexible member is used for tripping over obstacles, then the blade can clear obstacles without damage, but the mechanism becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The rigid connection between the actuator and blade is changed to a flexible connection using a flexible member. This parameter change from rigid to flexible allows the blade to trip over obstacles smoothly without damage, improving reliability. The flexibility absorbs the shock and movement required for obstacle clearance while maintaining the functional connection, resolving the contradiction between reliability and complexity.
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 provides efficient snow clearing with reduced complexity and weight, allowing easy installation on various vehicles, including compact cars, and ensures the blade operates smoothly over obstacles without damage, while maintaining the power unit's security within the trunk.
Implementation Method 1
a torsion spring biasing mechanism that biases the blade downwardly about the pivot axis into a snow-clearing position in contact with an underlying ground surface beneath the blade
Implementation Method 2
a flexible member having a tensionable and relaxable connection between the actuator and the blade, by which operation of the actuator in the lifting and lowering directions with the flexible member in a tensioned state raises and lowers the blade
Data Source
AI summary
A snow plow system for an automobile features a frame connectable to a hitch receiver, a blade movable by an electrically powered actuator between a lowered snow-clearing position a raised transport position, a power unit placed within a trunk space of the automobile, a power connection line between the power unit and the actuator, and a wireless remote operable from a passenger cabin of the automobile. The power connection line traverses through a gasket sealed space between the trunk lid and trunk walls, thereby powering the device without any modification to the automobile. A flexible member connected between the actuator and the blade is operable to raise and lower the blade in a controlled manner under operation of the actuator, while allowing the blade to momentarily trip over ground level obstructions during use. A biasing mechanism forces the blade back into the snow-clearing position once the obstruction is cleared.