Spring-Biased Snow Plow Cutting Edge for Uneven Road Contact
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional snow plows with fixed edges struggle to effectively clear snow from uneven road surfaces due to cambered designs, obstacles, and environmental concerns, leading to sub-par snow removal and excessive wear, requiring costly repairs or replacements.
Innovation Solution
A snow plow cutting edge device with independently removable and replaceable cutting edge attachments, featuring an adapter plate and springs that allow each edge to adjust to road conditions independently, ensuring consistent contact with the surface and easy installation without modifying the plow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a fixed blade arrangement is used, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but it performs poorly on uneven road surfaces and suffers from extensive wear and tear
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting edge is divided into multiple independently replaceable segments or attachments that can be individually removed and replaced when worn, rather than replacing the entire blade assembly. This segmentation allows for easier maintenance while maintaining structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces adjustable or flexible blade arrangements that can adapt to uneven road surfaces through mechanical adjustment mechanisms, allowing the blade to dynamically conform to varying road conditions rather than maintaining a rigid fixed position.
2Ease of manufacture
If traditional fixed snow plows are used, then installation is straightforward, but they require costly repairs or replacements due to extensive wear and tear
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting edge attachments are designed as separate, modular components that can be independently replaced without replacing the entire blade or snow plow assembly, significantly reducing maintenance costs while keeping installation straightforward.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables easy removal and replacement of worn cutting edge attachments, allowing the worn parts to be discarded or sent for reconditioning while the main blade structure is retained and reused, reducing overall maintenance expenses.
3Adaptability or versatility
If fixed cutting edges are used, then the device complexity is low, but they cannot conform to variable road surfaces effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting edge attachments are designed with adjustment mechanisms that allow them to dynamically adapt to varying road surfaces, enabling conformance to cambered surfaces, obstacles, and uneven conditions while maintaining relatively simple device architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs adjustable parameters such as blade angle, position, and pressure that can be modified to optimize performance on different road surface conditions, enhancing adaptability without significantly increasing device 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 solution provides efficient snow removal on uneven surfaces, reduces environmental impact by minimizing salt use, and allows for easy repair and replacement of worn parts, lowering maintenance costs.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of springs bias the cutting edge toward the road surface so that the bottom edge of the cutting edge maintains contact with the road surface
Data Source
AI summary
A snow plow blade attachment includes a blade retainer, springs, and blade. The blade retainer includes a front plate, back plate, and bushings insertable through holes defined in the front plate and back plate. The blade includes elongated openings for receiving the bushings, a top edge having notches for receiving springs, and a bottom edge. The blade retainer secures the blade to an adapter plate using fasteners inserted through the bushings, the elongated openings of the blade, and holes defined in the adapter plate. The springs are disposed between the notches and a top portion of the blade retainer in a manner to bias the blade toward the road surface. The blade moves vertically as the bushings travel within the elongated openings when an upward force is applied to the blade.