Automatic snow removal device and safe snow throwing method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12006645-B2
Application number	US-202016808039-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 3, 2020
Priority date	Sep 4, 2017
Publication date	Jun 11, 2024
Grant date	Jun 11, 2024

Abstract

A self-moving snow removal device and a safe snow throwing method protecting a human or an object from damage by snow or miscellaneous matter. The snow removal device includes: a moving module, driving the snow removal device to move; a working module, including a working motor and a snow throwing mechanism, where the snow throwing mechanism is driven by the working motor to collect accumulated snow and miscellaneous matter on the ground and throw the accumulated snow and miscellaneous matter out of the snow throwing mechanism, and a maximum height of a thrown object in the air from the ground is referred to as a snow throwing height; and a control module, configured to control the working module or the moving module to enable the snow throwing height to be less than a predetermined snow throwing height threshold.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A self-moving snow removal device protecting a human or an object from damage by thrown snow or miscellaneous matter, comprising:
a moving unit configured to drive the self-moving snow removal device to move;
a working motor, a snow removing head and a snow thrower cylinder having a safe flow guide plate at an end portion of the snow thrower cylinder, wherein the snow removing head is driven by the working motor to collect accumulated snow and miscellaneous matter on a ground and throw the accumulated snow and miscellaneous matter out through the snow thrower cylinder to a maximum height in air from the ground; and
a control circuit configured to control at least one of a rotational speed of the snow removing head and a throwing angle of the safe flow guide plate in association with the other to restrict a maximum height to be not greater than a predetermined snow throwing height safety threshold, wherein the predetermined snow throwing height safety threshold is set to a value ranging from 0.8 meters to 1.1 meters.

2. The self-moving snow removal device according to claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to control a set of power supplies to be serially connected when the self-moving snow removal device is in a working state.

3. The self-moving snow removal device according to claim 2 , wherein the predetermined snow throwing height safety threshold is 0.8 meters.

4. The self-moving snow removal device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the self-moving snow removal device further comprises a snow throwing mechanism;
the snow throwing mechanism comprises the snow removing head rotating around a central axis, and the working motor that drives the snow removing head to rotate to collect the accumulated snow and miscellaneous matter on the ground into the snow throwing mechanism; and
the control circuit is configured to: when it is detected that a throwing speed reaches a predetermined speed threshold, control a snow throwing height to be less than the predetermined snow throwing height threshold.

5. The self-moving snow removal device according to claim 4 , wherein a value range of the predetermined speed threshold is 18 meters/second to 19 meters/second.

6. The self-moving snow removal device according to claim 5 , wherein a radius of the snow removing head is 0.088 meters, and the rotational speed of the snow removing head is 1800 revolutions/minute to 2000 revolutions/minute.

7. The self-moving snow removal device according to claim 4 , wherein a speed at which the snow throwing mechanism throws a thrown object is referred to as a throwing speed, an initial throwing angle relative to a horizontal direction is a throwing angle, and a height of a throwing point is an initial height, wherein at least one of the throwing speed, the throwing angle, and the initial height is controlled to control the snow throwing height.

8. The self-moving snow removal device according to claim 7 , wherein a radius of the snow removing head is 0.08 meters to 0.12 meters, and the rotational speed of the snow removing head is 1500 revolutions/minute to 2500 revolutions/minute.

9. The self-moving snow removal device according to claim 7 , wherein the initial height is controlled to be 200 mm to 800 mm.

10. The self-moving snow removal device according to claim 7 , wherein the throwing speed is controlled to be 15 m/s to 20 m/s.

11. The self-moving snow removal device according to claim 7 , wherein the throwing angle is controlled to be −10 degrees to 25 degrees.

12. The self-moving snow removal device according to claim 1 , further comprising simultaneously controlling a snow throwing distance to satisfy a predetermined requirement.

13. The self-moving snow removal device according to claim 7 , wherein the initial height and a radius of the snow removing head are given, and the rotational speed of the snow removing head and/or the throwing angle are controlled to control the snow throwing height.

14. The self-moving snow removal device according to claim 13 , wherein:
the snow throwing mechanism further comprises a snow thrower roller and the snow thrower cylinder, and the snow thrower roller provides the thrown object from the snow removing head with secondary power and throws the thrown object from the snow thrower cylinder.

15. The self-moving snow removal device according to claim 14 , wherein at least one of the rotational speed of the snow removing head, a rotational speed of the snow thrower roller, and the throwing angle is controlled to control the snow throwing height.

16. The self-moving snow removal device according to claim 1 , wherein the control circuit adjusts a speed of the moving unit according to a thickness of snow to enable the snow throwing height to be not greater than the predetermined snow throwing height safety threshold.

17. The self-moving snow removal device according to claim 16 , wherein when the thickness of snow is less than 4 cm, the control circuit controls a moving speed of the moving unit to be 20 m/min to 30 m/min or when the thickness of snow is greater than 4 cm, the control circuit controls the moving speed of the moving unit to be 10 m/min to 25 m/min.

18. The self-moving snow removal device according to claim 4 , further comprising a combination of a throwing height control structure and/or a thrown object energy control structure:
a baffle structure disposed at an end portion of the snow throwing mechanism, wherein a baffle angle is adjustable, and the baffle angle is adjusted to adjust the throwing angle;
a grating disposed inside or at the end portion of the snow throwing mechanism, and configured to block miscellaneous matter to reduce miscellaneous matter in a thrown object; and
a pocket having an air-permeable function or a porous structure.

19. A safe snow throwing method for controlling a self-moving snow removal device to protect a human or an object from damage by snow or miscellaneous matter, wherein the self-moving snow removal device comprises a moving unit, a working unit, and a control circuit, the safe snow throwing method comprising:
driving, by the moving unit, the self-moving snow removal device to move;
driving, by a working motor, a snow throwing mechanism to collect accumulated snow and miscellaneous matter on a ground and throw the accumulated snow and miscellaneous matter out of the snow throwing mechanism, wherein a maximum height of a thrown object in air from the ground is referred to as a snow throwing height, the snow throwing mechanism having a safe flow guide plate at an end portion of a thrower cylinder; and
controlling, by the control circuit, at least one of a rotational speed of a snow removing head and a throwing angle of the safe flow guide plate in association with the other to restrict a maximum height to be not greater than a predetermined snow throwing height safety threshold, wherein the predetermined snow throwing height safety threshold is set to a value ranging frombetvleen 0.8 meters to 1.1 meters.

20. A self-moving snow removal device protecting a human or an object from damage by thrown snow or miscellaneous matter, comprising:
a moving unit configured to drive the self-moving the snow removal device to move; and
a working unit, comprising a working motor and a snow throwing mechanism driven by the working motor, wherein the snow throwing mechanism is driven by the working motor to collect accumulated snow and miscellaneous matter on a ground and throw the accumulated snow and miscellaneous matter out of t

Assignees

• Positec Power Tools Suzhou Co Ltd

Inventors

• Zha Xiahong
• Zhao Fengli
• Cheng Kun

Classifications

• E01H1/00

  Removing undesirable matter from roads or like surfaces, with or without moistening of the surface (for snow or ice E01H5/00; cleaning tramway rails E01H8/00; obstruction removers on vehicles B60R19/00; in combination with application of bitumen or the like E01C19/16; in combination with application of traffic line E01C23/16 {; Sweeping apparatus, particularly for lawns A01G20/30, A01G20/40; removing undesirable matter from floors and similar surfaces A47L5/00 - A47L13/00}) · CPC title

• E01H5/098 Primary

  about horizontal or substantially horizontal axises perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the direction of clearing · CPC title

• E01H5/045 Primary

  Means per se for conveying or discharging the dislodged material, e.g. rotary impellers, discharge chutes (dislodging apparatus provided therewith E01H5/07, E01H5/08, E01H5/104, E01H5/12) · CPC title