Segmented Steel Snowplow Blade Strip for Uneven Surfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing clearing strips with rigid steel reinforcement fail to uniformly clear uneven road surfaces and often damage them due to inelastic properties, as they do not effectively deform to follow road irregularities and overcome mass forces.
Innovation Solution
The clearing strip features divided steel segments vulcanized onto a rubber body, allowing flexible movement and distribution of mass forces, with a steel attachment neck extending between segments for stability, and varying rubber hardness and cavities for enhanced deformation and rigidity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a rigid steel plate is used to reinforce the rubber body, then the clearing strip has sufficient strength and rigidity, but it cannot deform to follow uneven road surfaces and may damage obstacles
Solution Approach 1:
The steel plate is divided into multiple steel segments that are spaced apart from each other, allowing each segment to move and deform independently. This segmentation enables the clearing strip to follow uneven road surfaces while maintaining overall structural strength, as each segment can adapt to local road conditions without requiring the entire rigid plate to deform.
Solution Approach 2:
The rubber body has different hardness values at different locations - softer rubber in regions where deformation is needed to follow road unevenness, and harder rubber in regions where strength is required. This local variation in material properties allows the clearing strip to simultaneously achieve adaptability to road surfaces and sufficient structural strength.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a rigid steel plate is used for reinforcement, then the clearing strip maintains structural integrity, but the mass forces required to move it rapidly are significantly greater
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the steel plate into separate segments, the total mass that must be accelerated is reduced. Each segment has smaller mass, so the forces required to move the clearing strip rapidly are significantly reduced compared to moving a single large rigid plate, while still maintaining structural integrity through the distributed segment arrangement.
3Strength
If steel plates cover a large area on the rubber body, then the clearing strip has sufficient rigidity, but it does not uniformly clear non-uniform roadways
Solution Approach 1:
The steel segments are arranged in a spaced-apart pattern rather than forming a continuous plate. This arrangement allows each segment to independently contact and clear snow and ice at different locations, ensuring uniform clearing across non-uniform roadways while the distributed segments collectively provide sufficient rigidity.
Solution Approach 2:
The steel segments are designed to move and deform dynamically in response to road conditions. When the clearing strip encounters uneven road surfaces, the segments can shift and adjust their positions, allowing the clearing strip to adapt to and uniformly clear non-uniform roadways while maintaining overall rigidity.
4Reliability
If the steel segments are vulcanized onto the rubber body, then the attachment is durable and reliable, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The clearing strip uses a composite structure combining steel segments with a rubber body, where the steel segments are vulcanized onto the rubber. This composite material approach provides durable and reliable attachment between the steel and rubber components, while the vulcanization process, though specialized, is a well-established technique in rubber processing that ensures long-lasting bonding.
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 effective and uniform snow and ice clearing without damaging road surfaces, by allowing flexible deformation and reduced mass forces, ensuring durable attachment and comprehensive snow handling.
Implementation Method 1
the forces that engage can be converted into deformation or bending of the rubber body, and thus bring about a deflection movement of the clearing strip
Implementation Method 2
the steel segments are vulcanized onto the rubber body. In this way, a durable bond between the steel segments and the rubber body is guaranteed
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a clearing strip for the blade of a snowplow, the clearing strip having a steel fastening neck (1) and a rubber body (4) which is vulcanized onto the fastening neck (1) and is reinforced on its outer face by steel plates. The outer faces of the rubber body (4) are reinforced by means of large surface-area, rigid steel plates either on one side or on both sides. The steel plates fastened to the outer surface of the rubber body (4) are divided into separate steel segments (3) that are arranged adjacent each other and together form a uniform clearing edge close to the ground.