Hydraulic Snow Roller Accessory for Aggregate Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Snow blower devices often pick up aggregate materials like pebbles or gravel when clearing snow, which are redeposited onto lawns and gardens, leading to additional cleanup costs and increased service charges for contractors.
Innovation Solution
A snow roller accessory for snow blower devices, featuring a steel cylinder with a rubber surface cover, adjustable via hydraulic pistons connected to the vehicle's hydraulic system, allowing for height adjustment and snow compaction, is designed to be mounted on mechanical vehicles, ensuring efficient snow removal without redepositing aggregates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a snow blower is used to remove snow from surfaces with aggregate materials, then snow removal is achieved, but aggregate materials are picked up and redeposited onto lawns and gardens
Solution Approach 1:
A snow roller accessory is introduced as an intermediary device between the snow blower and the ground. The roller compacts snow into a dense mat that adheres to the roller surface, preventing aggregate materials from being picked up and redeposited. This mediator transforms the snow into a useful product (compactable snow mat) while eliminating the harmful effect of aggregate redistribution.
Solution Approach 2:
The snow roller performs preliminary compaction of snow before it can be blown by the snow blower. By rolling and compacting the snow in advance, the system creates a dense snow mat that can be efficiently moved without picking up aggregates, thus preventing the harmful redeposition effect before it occurs.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If a snow roller accessory is added to compact snow and prevent aggregate redeposition, then aggregate redeposition is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The snow roller accessory is designed to perform multiple functions: compacting snow, preventing aggregate redeposition, and creating a clean snow mat for removal. By consolidating these functions into a single accessory that can be attached to existing snow blowers, the system adds minimal complexity while achieving multiple benefits simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The snow roller is designed to be self-contained with its own hydraulic cylinder and control system, requiring minimal integration with the existing snow blower. The accessory serves itself by having independent mounting brackets, ball bearing supports, and hydraulic control, thus adding little complexity to the overall system while effectively preventing aggregate redeposition.
3Measurement precision
If hydraulic pistons are used to adjust the snow roller height, then adjustment precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Hydraulic pistons are used to provide precise height adjustment of the snow roller. The hydraulic system, powered by the existing vehicle hydraulic system, offers controlled and accurate positioning of the roller relative to the ground. This hydraulic actuation mechanism provides fine adjustment capability while leveraging the already-present hydraulic infrastructure on mechanical vehicles.
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 snow roller accessory effectively compacts snow, preventing aggregate redeposition and reducing cleanup costs for contractors, thereby maintaining client satisfaction and lowering service charges.
Implementation Method 1
at least one hydraulic piston having an upper end and a lower end, wherein the at least one hydraulic piston is configured to adjust the snow roller accessory in relation to a ground level
Implementation Method 2
the cylinder includes a surface material cover consisting of rubber, wherein the surface material cover is configured to limit the tendency for the snow to stick to the cylinder
Data Source
AI summary
A snow roller accessory for use on a snow blower device installed on a mechanical vehicle comprising a support frame having a first end and a second end; a first bracket coupled to the first end, and a second bracket coupled to the second end; a first ball bearing member attached to the first bracket, and a second ball bearing member attached to the second bracket; a cylinder rotationally connected to the first and second ball bearing members; and at least one hydraulic piston having a upper end and a lower end, wherein the at least one hydraulic piston is configured to adjust the snow roller accessory in relation to a ground level.