Snow thrower with electronic controls

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9903079-B2
Application number	US-201514853748-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 14, 2015
Priority date	Sep 14, 2015
Publication date	Feb 27, 2018
Grant date	Feb 27, 2018

Abstract

A snow thrower includes a body, a chute rotatable relative to the body about a vertical axis, wherein the chute is configured to discharge snow from the snowthrower, a chute motor for rotating the chute, a chute position user interface, and an electronic control unit configured to cause the chute motor to rotate the chute incrementally in response to receiving a first input from the chute position user interface, and to cause the chute motor to rotate the chute to a predetermined position in response to receiving a second input from the chute position user interface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A snow thrower comprising:
a body;
a chute rotatable relative to the body about a vertical axis, wherein the chute is configured to discharge snow from the snowthrower;
a chute motor for rotating the chute;
a chute position user interface; and
an electronic control unit configured to cause the chute motor to rotate the chute incrementally in response to receiving a first input from the chute position user interface, and to cause the chute motor to rotate the chute to a predetermined position in response to receiving a second input from the chute position user interface.

2. The snow thrower of claim 1 , wherein the chute position user interface comprises a joystick.

3. The snow thrower of claim 1 , wherein the first input is provided upon actuation of the chute position user interface for less than a predetermined amount of time and wherein the second input is provided upon actuation of the chute position user interface for at least the predetermined amount of time.

4. The snow thrower of claim 1 , wherein the first input is provided upon movement of the chute position user interface from a neutral position to a first position and wherein the second input is provided upon movement of the chute position user interface from the first position to a second position.

5. The snow thrower of claim 4 , wherein the first position is located between the neutral position and the second position.

6. The snow thrower of claim 5 , wherein a detent provides a physical indication to the user of movement from the first position to the second position.

7. The snow thrower of claim 1 , further comprising:
a drive wheel rotatably coupled to the body;
a speed/direction user interface;
a speed servo configured to control a speed of the drive wheel; and
a direction servo configured to control a direction of the drive wheel;
wherein the electronic control unit is further configured to control the speed servo and the direction servo in response to receiving an input from the speed/direction user interface.

8. The snow thrower of claim 7 , further comprising:
a speed indicator display for displaying the speed and the direction of the drive wheel to a user.

9. A snow thrower comprising:
a body;
a chute rotatable relative to the body about a vertical axis, wherein the chute is configured to discharge snow from the snowthrower;
a chute motor for rotating the chute;
a chute position user interface; and
an electronic control unit configured to cause the chute motor to rotate the chute a first predetermined angular distance in response to receiving a first input from the chute position user interface, and to cause the chute motor to rotate the chute to a second predetermined angular distance greater than the first predetermined angular distance in response to receiving a second input from the chute position user interface.

10. The snow thrower of claim 9 , wherein the chute position user interface comprises a joystick.

11. The snow thrower of claim 9 , wherein the first input is provided upon actuation of the chute position user interface for less than a predetermined amount of time and wherein the second input is provided upon actuation of the chute position user interface for at least the predetermined amount of time.

12. The snow thrower of claim 9 , wherein the first input is provided upon movement of the chute position user interface from a neutral position to a first position and wherein the second input is provided upon movement of the chute position user interface from the first position to a second position.

13. The snow thrower of claim 12 , wherein the first position is located between the neutral position and the second position.

14. The snow thrower of claim 13 , wherein a detent provides a physical indication to the user of movement from the first position to the second position.

15. The snow thrower of claim 9 , further comprising:
a drive wheel rotatably coupled to the body;
a speed/direction user interface;
a speed servo configured to control a speed of the drive wheel; and
a direction servo configured to control a direction of the drive wheel;
wherein the electronic control unit is further configured to control the speed servo and the direction servo in response to receiving an input from the speed/direction user interface.

16. A snow thrower comprising:
a body;
a chute rotatable relative to the body about a vertical axis, wherein the chute is configured to discharge snow from the snowthrower;
a chute motor for rotating the chute;
a chute position user interface; and
an electronic control unit configured to cause the chute motor to rotate the chute at a first speed in response to receiving a first input from the chute position user interface, and to cause the chute motor to rotate the chute to at a second speed greater than the first speed in response to receiving a second input from the chute position user interface.

17. The snow thrower of claim 16 , wherein the chute position user interface comprises a joystick.

18. The snow thrower of claim 16 , wherein the first input is provided upon actuation of the chute position user interface for less than a predetermined amount of time and wherein the second input is provided upon actuation of the chute position user interface for at least the predetermined amount of time.

19. The snow thrower of claim 16 , wherein the first input is provided upon movement of the chute position user interface from a neutral position to a first position and wherein the second input is provided upon movement of the chute position user interface from the first position to a second position.

20. The snow thrower of claim 16 , further comprising:
a drive wheel rotatably coupled to the body;
a speed/direction user interface;
a speed servo configured to control a speed of the drive wheel; and
a direction servo configured to control a direction of the drive wheel;
wherein the electronic control unit is further configured to control the speed servo and the direction servo in response to receiving an input from the speed/direction user interface.

Assignees

• Briggs & Stratton Corp

Inventors

• Palicki Brandon
• Radwill James
• Redman Harold
• Steinike Daniel

Classifications

• 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

• E01H5/09

  the elements being rotary or moving along a closed circular path, e.g. rotary cutter, digging wheels · CPC title

• E01H5/098

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