Snowmobile Throttle Motor Snow Shield Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Snowmobiles with air-intake equipment ahead of the engine are prone to snow accumulation, which adversely affects the electronic throttle motor, leading to potential malfunctions due to exposure.
Innovation Solution
A snowmobile design where an intake box, made of resin and positioned ahead of the throttle motor, serves as a snow shield, blocking snow while allowing air to pass through to the engine, and incorporates a filtration member to prevent snow from reaching the throttle motor, along with strategic placement of the throttle motor and heat sources to maintain temperature.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If air-intake equipment and air box are disposed ahead of the engine, then the snowmobile body can be compact in the fore-aft direction, but snow can enter the engine room and adversely affect the throttle motor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a snow shield as an intermediary component positioned between the air box and the throttle motor. This snow shield acts as a mediator that allows air to pass through while blocking snow from reaching the throttle motor, thus resolving the contradiction between compact design and throttle motor protection
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the air intake system into distinct functional zones: the air box for air intake, the snow shield for snow blocking, and the throttle motor for throttle control. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function without interfering with others, enabling compact arrangement while protecting the throttle motor
2Length of moving object
If the throttle motor is disposed ahead of the engine for compact design, then the snowmobile body can be more compact, but the throttle motor is exposed to snow and loses temperature
Solution Approach 1:
The snow shield serves as a protective intermediary between the external environment and the throttle motor. It blocks snow from reaching the throttle motor while allowing air flow, thus protecting the throttle motor from both snow exposure and temperature loss without requiring additional heating systems
Solution Approach 2:
The air box and snow shield arrangement allows the throttle motor to benefit from the relatively warmer air flow through the air box while being protected from snow. The system uses the existing air intake flow to help maintain throttle motor temperature without requiring additional active heating mechanisms
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 effectively reduces snow exposure to the throttle motor, minimizing adverse effects and maintaining the motor's temperature, thus ensuring reliable operation even in snowy conditions.
Implementation Method 1
at least a portion of the intake box which includes a downstream side from the filtration member in terms of the intake air flow is located ahead of the throttle motor... the intake box works both in supplying intake air to the engine and blocking snow to the throttle motor
Implementation Method 2
the intake box is provided with a filtration member arranged to clean the intake air
Implementation Method 3
this portion receives radiation heat from the engine and in addition, this portion is not exposed to snow since the filtration member prevents snow from entering. Hence, this portion does not lose temperature easily
Data Source
AI summary
A snowmobile has a structure that reduces and minimizes adverse affects of snow on a throttle motor. The snowmobile includes a snowmobile body including an engine room therein, an engine which is disposed inside the engine room, a throttle valve arranged to adjust intake air supplied to the engine, a throttle motor arranged to drive the throttle valve and disposed ahead of the engine, and an air box arranged to pass the intake air through toward the engine, disposed ahead of the engine and including a portion located ahead of the throttle motor.