Segmented Plow Blade With Elastomeric Damping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Plow blades in snowplowing vehicles wear quickly due to uneven road surfaces and obstacles, leading to uneven wear and reduced lifespan, as they lack effective adaptation to road irregularities and do not adequately absorb shock, noise, and vibration.
Innovation Solution
A plow blade design featuring elastomeric material encasing blade segments, allowing them to move independently relative to the moldboard, with bushings for attachment, which absorbs shock, noise, and vibration, and adjusts to road irregularities, reducing wear and damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the plow blade is made rigid for stable cutting, then cutting stability is improved, but wear from road irregularities increases
Solution Approach 1:
The plow blade is divided into multiple independently movable blade segments that can move relative to each other and to the moldboard. This segmentation allows each segment to independently adapt to road irregularities while maintaining overall cutting stability, resolving the contradiction between stability and wear resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The blade segments are designed to be dynamic rather than fixed, allowing them to move independently in response to road surface variations. This dynamic capability enables the blade to maintain cutting stability while reducing impact forces and wear from rigid contact with irregularities.
2Reliability
If the plow blade is made flexible to absorb shock, then shock absorption is improved, but cutting precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the blade into multiple independent units connected by elastomeric materials, the system achieves flexibility for shock absorption while each segment maintains its own cutting edge precision. The segmentation allows localized adaptation without compromising overall cutting accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastomeric material acts as a flexible connection between blade segments and the moldboard, providing shock absorption while maintaining cutting precision. The flexible elastomeric portion allows controlled movement that absorbs impacts without sacrificing the sharpness or accuracy of the cutting edge.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the blade segments are fixed to the moldboard, then structural stability is improved, but adaptability to road irregularities deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The blade segments are designed with controlled mobility through elastomeric connections, transitioning from a static fixed structure to a dynamic system. This allows the segments to move and adapt to road irregularities while maintaining sufficient structural stability for effective snow removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastomeric material provides a flexible connection between the rigid blade segments and moldboard, enabling adaptability to road surface variations while maintaining structural integrity. The flexible elastomeric portion acts as a cushion that allows movement without compromising overall structural stability.
4Ease of manufacture
If the plow blade uses traditional rigid construction, then ease of manufacture is improved, but noise and vibration increase
Solution Approach 1:
The plow blade combines rigid blade segment materials with flexible elastomeric materials to create a composite structure. This composite construction reduces noise and vibration through the elastomeric damping while maintaining the manufacturing simplicity of working with conventional rigid materials for the cutting segments.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastomeric material surrounding the blade segments provides vibration and noise dampening while allowing the rigid blade segments to be manufactured using traditional methods. The flexible elastomeric portion acts as a noise-reducing barrier without complicating the manufacturing of the primary cutting components.
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 design extends the lifespan of the plow blade by reducing wear and damage, allowing it to conform to road surfaces and objects, and provides universal compatibility with various plowing systems.
Implementation Method 1
the elastomeric material reduces or suppresses the forces experienced by the blade edge segments and at least partially absorbs the noise, shock, and vibration from the blade edge
Implementation Method 2
the elastomeric material reduces or suppresses the forces experienced by the blade edge segments and at least partially absorbs the noise, shock, and vibration from the blade edge
Implementation Method 3
the elastomeric material reduces or suppresses the forces experienced by the blade edge segments and at least partially absorbs the noise, shock, and vibration from the blade edge
Implementation Method 4
an elastomeric portion that at least partially surrounds the one or more blade segments and permits the one or more blade segments to move relative to the moldboard
Implementation Method 5
The elastomeric material permits the blade edge segments to adjust to various irregularities in the roadway. As such, the plow blade edge is capable of conforming to the road surface and/or objects in or on the road surface
Data Source
AI summary
The present application discloses a plow blade that may be mounted to a plow moldboard. In one exemplary embodiment, the plow blade comprises one or more blade segments, an elastomeric portion that at least partially surrounds the one or more blade segments and permits the one or more blade segments to move relative to the moldboard, and one or more bushings disposed in the elastomeric portion for attaching the plow blade to the moldboard. The one or more blade segments are generally shaped and positioned within the elastomeric portion such that a portion of each blade segment is disposed between at least one bushing and a top edge of the plow blade.