U.S. patent application number 14/126670 was filed with the patent office on 2014-06-12 for remote chute rotation system.
This patent application is currently assigned to HUSQVARNA CONSUMER OUTDOOR PRODUCTS, N.A., INC.. The applicant listed for this patent is Nicholas Hansen, Mark Holloway, Matt Lambert. Invention is credited to Nicholas Hansen, Mark Holloway, Matt Lambert.
Application Number | 20140157633 14/126670 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 47422838 |
Filed Date | 2014-06-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140157633 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hansen; Nicholas ; et
al. |
June 12, 2014 |
Remote Chute Rotation System
Abstract
A remote chute rotation assembly may include a chute, a cable
system and a control head. The chute may direct ejected material
based on an orientation of the chute. The control head may be
operatively coupled to the chute via the cable system. The control
head may enable remote adjustment of the orientation of the chute
via the cable system. The orientation of the chute may be
adjustable through a plurality of positions fixable by a
positioning assembly disposed at the chute.
Inventors: |
Hansen; Nicholas;
(Fayetteville, GA) ; Lambert; Matt; (Harrisburg,
NC) ; Holloway; Mark; (Charlotte, NC) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Hansen; Nicholas
Lambert; Matt
Holloway; Mark |
Fayetteville
Harrisburg
Charlotte |
GA
NC
NC |
US
US
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
HUSQVARNA CONSUMER OUTDOOR
PRODUCTS, N.A., INC.
Charlotte
NC
|
Family ID: |
47422838 |
Appl. No.: |
14/126670 |
Filed: |
June 20, 2011 |
PCT Filed: |
June 20, 2011 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/US2011/041077 |
371 Date: |
December 16, 2013 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
37/260 ;
193/16 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E01H 5/09 20130101; E01H
5/045 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
37/260 ;
193/16 |
International
Class: |
E01H 5/09 20060101
E01H005/09; E01H 5/04 20060101 E01H005/04 |
Claims
1. A snow blower comprising: a handlebar assembly; and a remote
chute rotation assembly, wherein the remote chute assembly
comprises: a chute for directing ejected material based on an
orientation of the chute; a cable system; and a control head
operatively coupled to the chute via the cable system, the control
head enabling remote adjustment of the orientation of the chute via
the cable system, wherein the orientation of the chute is
adjustable through a plurality of positions fixable by a
positioning assembly disposed at the chute.
2. The snow blower of claim 1, wherein the positioning assembly is
passive such that no secondary operator action is required to
perform orientation adjustments.
3. The snow blower of claim 1, wherein the positioning assembly
comprises a detent configured to detachably engage one of a
plurality of discrete detent receivers that correspond to
respective different discrete orientations of a chute base of the
chute.
4. The snow blower of claim 3, wherein the detent is biased toward
engagement with a proximately located one of the plurality of
discrete detent receivers.
5. The snow blower of claim 3, wherein the plurality of discrete
detent receivers is provided on a portion of the chute base.
6. The snow blower of claim 1, wherein the control head is affixed
to at least one cable of the cable system, and the chute is also
affixed to the at least one cable such that movement of the control
head induces movement of the cable to correspondingly move the
chute.
7. The snow blower of claim 6, wherein the control head includes a
pulley, and a diameter of the pulley and a diameter of a chute base
of the chute are substantially equal.
8. The snow blower of claim 1, wherein the control head includes a
handle rotatable through a full range of motion of the control head
without requiring an operator to bend at a wrist of the
operator.
9. The snow blower of claim 1, wherein the control head includes a
handle that is rotatably coupled to a lever arm to enable free
rotation of the handle relative to the lever arm as the lever arm
is moved through a full range of rotation of the control head.
10. The snow blower of claim 9, wherein movement of the control
head is translated through the cable system to urge corresponding
movement of a chute base of the chute such that rotation of the
control head clockwise or counter-clockwise from a neutral position
that corresponds to a chute orientation in front of the snow blower
causes proportional movement of the chute base to alter the chute
orientation toward a right side of the snow blower for clockwise
rotation of the control head and to a left side of the snow blower
for counter-clockwise rotation of the control head.
11. The snow blower of claim 1, wherein the control head lies in a
plane that is parallel to a plane in which arms of the handlebar
assembly of the snow blower lie.
12. The snow blower of claim 11, wherein the control head is
disposed on a console between the arms of the handlebar assembly,
and wherein the control head is disposed on a same side of the snow
blower as an operator during operation of the snow blower.
13. The snow blower of claim 1, wherein the snow blower is a single
stage or dual stage snow blower.
14. The snow blower of claim 1, wherein the control head is
disposed to lie in a plane forming an angle of between about thirty
degrees and about sixty degrees relative to an operator standing to
operate a device employing the remote chute rotation assembly.
15. A remote chute rotation assembly comprising: a chute for
directing ejected material based on an orientation of the chute; a
cable system; and a control head operatively coupled to the chute
via the cable system, the control head enabling remote adjustment
of the orientation of the chute via the cable system, wherein the
orientation of the chute is adjustable through a plurality of
positions fixable by a positioning assembly disposed at the
chute.
16. The remote chute rotation assembly of claim 15, wherein the
positioning assembly is passive such that no secondary operator
action is required to perform orientation adjustments.
17. The remote chute rotation assembly of claim 15, wherein the
positioning assembly comprises a detent configured to detachably
engage one of a plurality of discrete detent receivers that
correspond to respective different discrete orientations of a chute
base of the chute.
18. The remote chute rotation assembly of claim 17, wherein the
detent is biased toward engagement with a proximately located one
of the plurality of discrete detent receivers.
19. The remote chute rotation assembly of claim 17, wherein the
plurality of discrete detent receivers is provided on a portion of
the chute base.
20. The remote chute rotation assembly of claim 15, wherein the
control head is affixed to at least one cable of the cable system,
and the chute is also affixed to the at least one cable such that
movement of the control head induces movement of the cable to
correspondingly move the chute.
21. The remote chute rotation assembly of claim 20, wherein the
control head includes a pulley, and a diameter of the pulley and a
diameter of a chute base of the chute are substantially equal.
22. The remote chute rotation assembly of claim 15, wherein the
control head includes a handle rotatable through a full range of
motion of the control head without requiring an operator to bend at
a wrist of the operator.
23. The remote chute rotation assembly of claim 15, wherein the
control head includes a handle that is rotatably coupled to a lever
arm to enable free rotation of the handle relative to the lever arm
as the lever arm is moved through a full range of rotation of the
control head.
24. The remote chute rotation assembly of claim 23, wherein
movement of the control head is translated through the cable system
to urge corresponding movement of a chute base of the chute such
that rotation of the control head clockwise or counter-clockwise
from a neutral position that corresponds to a chute orientation in
front of a snow blower to which the assembly is mounted causes
proportional movement of the chute base to alter the chute
orientation toward a right side of the snow blower for clockwise
rotation of the control head and to a left side of the snow blower
for counter-clockwise rotation of the control head.
25. The remote chute rotation assembly of claim 15, wherein the
control head lies in a plane that is parallel to a plane in which
arms of a handlebar assembly of a snow blower to which the remote
chute rotation assembly attaches lie.
26. The remote chute rotation assembly of claim 25, wherein the
control head is disposed on a console between the arms of the
handlebar assembly, and wherein the control head is disposed on a
same side of the snow blower as an operator during operation of the
snow blower.
27. The remote chute rotation assembly of claim 15, wherein the
control head is disposed to lie in a plane forming an angle of
between about thirty degrees and about sixty degrees relative to an
operator standing to operate a device employing the remote chute
rotation assembly.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] Example embodiments generally relate to outdoor equipment
and, more particularly, relate to a remote chute rotation system
for use with a device that employs a chute for directing discharge
material such as snow.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Lawn care and other outdoor tasks associated with grooming
and maintaining property are commonly performed using various tools
and/or machines that are configured for the performance of
corresponding specific tasks. Certain tasks, like snow removal, are
typically performed by snow blowers. The snow blowers may, in some
cases, be walk-behind models. However, snow blower attachments can
sometimes be added to lawn tractors or other riding lawn care
vehicles as well.
[0003] Walk behind snow blowers may be single stage or dual stage
snow blowers. A single stage snow blower may include a high speed
auger blade that is rotated at the front of the snow blower. The
rotation of the auger blade may intake snow and impart momentum on
the snow to eject the snow through a chute all in one stage of
operation. A dual stage snow blower may add an additional stage by
having the auger blade (e.g., the first stage) feed snow into an
impeller (e.g., the second stage) that imparts momentum on the snow
to eject the snow through a chute. In such an example, the first
stage auger may operate at lower speeds since the impeller will
provide a momentum boost for snow ejection.
[0004] The chute in either a single or dual stage snow blower may
be locally repositioned in some cases. For example, the operator
may walk around from the operating position (e.g., behind the snow
blower and proximate to the handles and control console) to the
front or side of the snow blower and manually adjust the direction
the chute faces. To improve convenience, some models may provide
operators with an ability to perform remote chute positioning.
However, these remote chute positioning systems may not provide the
ease of operation and robust feeling of quality that many operators
expect when operating mechanical equipment.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF SOME EXAMPLES
[0005] Accordingly, in order to improve operator satisfaction in
connection with using a snow blower, some example embodiments may
provide an adjustable chute rotation system. Such an adjustable
chute rotation system may provide operators with a relatively easy
and intuitive way to remotely position the chute. Moreover, in some
cases, an adjustable chute rotation system of an example embodiment
may also provide for improved tension on the chute itself, so that
the entire assembly feels more robust to an operator.
[0006] In one example embodiment, a remote chute rotation assembly
is provided. The remote chute rotation assembly may include a
chute, a cable system and a control head. The chute may direct
ejected material based on an orientation of the chute. The control
head may be operatively coupled to the chute via the cable system.
The control head may enable remote adjustment of the orientation of
the chute via the cable system. The orientation of the chute may be
adjustable through a plurality of positions fixable by a
positioning assembly disposed at the chute.
[0007] In another example embodiment, a snow blower is provided.
The snow blower may include a remote chute rotation assembly and a
handlebar assembly. The remote chute rotation assembly may include
a chute, a cable system and a control head. The chute may direct
ejected material based on an orientation of the chute. The control
head may be operatively coupled to the chute via the cable system.
The control head may enable remote adjustment of the orientation of
the chute via the cable system. The orientation of the chute may be
adjustable through a plurality of positions fixable by a
positioning assembly disposed at the chute.
[0008] Some example embodiments may improve an operator's ability
to manipulate the position of the chute on a snow blower. The user
experience associated with operating the snow blower may therefore
be improved.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)
[0009] Having thus described the invention in general terms,
reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are
not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:
[0010] FIG. 1A illustrates a perspective view of the rear of the
snow blower according to an example embodiment;
[0011] FIG. 1B illustrates a perspective view of the front of the
snow blower according to an example embodiment;
[0012] FIG. 2 illustrates a close up perspective view of a top
portion of a main body of the snow blower according to an example
embodiment;
[0013] FIG. 3 illustrates a close-up perspective view of the
operator's station portion of the snow blower according to an
example embodiment;
[0014] FIG. 4 illustrates an isolated perspective view of
components of a remote chute rotation assembly according to an
example embodiment;
[0015] FIG. 5A illustrates a perspective view of the remote chute
rotation assembly with a housing thereof removed and a chute base
of the remote chute rotation assembly being in a first orientation
condition based on the corresponding position of a control head
according to an example embodiment;
[0016] FIG. 5B illustrates a perspective view of the remote chute
rotation assembly with a housing thereof removed and a chute base
of the remote chute rotation assembly being in a second orientation
condition based on the corresponding position of a control head
according to an example embodiment; and
[0017] FIG. 6 illustrates an exploded perspective view of various
components of the remote chute rotation assembly according to an
example embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0018] Some example embodiments now will be described more fully
hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
some, but not all example embodiments are shown. Indeed, the
examples described and pictured herein should not be construed as
being limiting as to the scope, applicability or configuration of
the present disclosure. Rather, these example embodiments are
provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal
requirements. Like reference numerals refer to like elements
throughout. Furthermore, as used herein, the term "or" is to be
interpreted as a logical operator that results in true whenever one
or more of its operands are true.
[0019] Some example embodiments may improve an operator's
experience associated with operating a snow blower generally by
improving the operator's ability to manipulate the position of the
discharge chute on the snow blower. In an example embodiment, a
remote chute rotation assembly may be provided that enables the
user to adjust a position of the discharge chute using a control
head that is disposed at the operator's station, but operably
coupled to a chute base via cables. Moreover, the control head may
be positioned on the same side of the snow blower as the operator's
station. In other words, the control head may be disposed to face
the operator on the same side of the snow blower as the operator
when the operator is walking behind a walk behind snow blower
during normal operation. In some embodiments, the control head may
be provided with a rotating handle and/or may be positioned to lie
in the same plane as the handlebar assembly of the snow blower (or
parallel to the plane of the handlebar assembly) to enable the
operator to easily apply leverage sufficient to rotate the control
head without twisting the operator's hand and thereby sacrificing
comfort and requiring grip adjustment to maintain the force
applied. The chute base may also include a positioning assembly
(e.g., a detent and detent receiver combination) that locks or
fixes a position of the chute base other than when the cable system
is employed to make adjustments. Thus, rather than relying on cable
tension to hold the chute in place in a situation where the
positioning assembly is located at the control head, the
positioning assembly that is locally positioned at the chute base
may maintain chute position to provide a greater feeling of
rigidity and quality to the operator.
[0020] FIG. 1, which includes FIGS. 1A and 1B, illustrate a walk
behind snow blower 10 according to an example embodiment. However,
it should be appreciated that example embodiments may also be
practiced in connection with any other device that may benefit from
having a remote chute repositioning system. Thus, remote chute
positioning for other than walk behind snow blower models or
devices that eject materials other than snow may also be provided
in accordance with some example embodiments. FIG. 1A illustrates a
perspective view of the rear of the snow blower 10 according to an
example embodiment. FIG. 1B illustrates a perspective view of the
front of the snow blower 10 according to an example embodiment.
FIG. 2 illustrates a close up perspective view of a top portion of
a main body of the snow blower 10 according to an example
embodiment. FIG. 3 illustrates a close-up perspective view of the
operator's station portion of the snow blower 10 according to an
example embodiment. FIG. 4 illustrates an isolated perspective view
of components of a remote chute rotation assembly according to an
example embodiment. A description of various components of the snow
blower 10 will now be described in reference to FIGS. 1-4.
[0021] In some embodiments, the snow blower 10 may include a hood
assembly 20. The hood assembly 20 may be either removable or
rotatable to expose engine components and/or other snow blower
components. The hood assembly 20 may be configured to mate with
side panels 22 between which engine components and/or ejection
system components may be disposed. In some embodiments, the snow
blower 10 may include wheels 24 or tracks on which a substantial
portion of the weight of the snow blower 10 may rest, when the snow
blower 10 is operated. The wheels 24 or tracks may also provide for
mobility of the snow blower 10. In this regard, for example, drive
power may be selectably provided to the wheels 24 or tracks in some
cases from the engine.
[0022] The example shown in FIG. 1 is a single stage snow blower.
Thus, the ejection system of this example includes auger blade 30
providing the only stage for snow removal. When removing snow, the
auger blade 30 may be operatively coupled to the engine of the snow
blower 10 such that the auger blade 30 may be selectively rotated
about an axis that extends in a direction oriented between the side
panels (and therefore parallel to the surface of the ground). Snow
may be drawn inwardly and then ejected through a discharge chute
40. It should be appreciated, however, that example embodiments
could also be used in connection with dual stage snow blowers in
some cases.
[0023] The discharge chute 40 may include a chute deflector 42 that
may be adjusted up and down (as shown by the arrow in FIG. 2) to
control the height of the discharge stream of snow that is ejected
via the discharge chute 40. In an example embodiment, the discharge
chute 40 may be directly or indirectly coupled to a portion of a
remote chute rotation assembly 50 (see FIG. 4). In this regard, for
example, the discharge chute 40 may be coupled to a chute base 52
that may form a portion of the remote chute rotation assembly 50.
The chute base 52 may then be coupled to a control head 54 via a
cable system 56 as shown in FIG. 4. In some embodiments,
orientation of the chute base 52 may be adjusted using the cable
system 56 by operation of the control head 54 as described in
greater detail below. Moreover, in some embodiments, a positioning
assembly may be provided at the chute base 52 in order to locally
facilitate adjustment of the orientation of the chute base 52 via
the interface with the control head 54 that is provided by the
cable system 56. The positioning assembly may be configured to
enable the orientation of the chute base 52 to be adjusted through
a plurality of discrete and alternately fixable positions. By
enabling the orientation of the chute base 52 to be locally fixed
at the chute base 52, a feeling of rigidity and quality may be felt
when the discharge chute 40 is manually attempted to be moved.
[0024] It should also be appreciated that the positioning assembly
of some example embodiments may enable orientation of the chute
defined by the chute base 52, the discharge chute 40 and/or the
chute deflector 42 by connection with any portion thereof and
remote operation at the control head 54. Thus, although an example
shown herein provides for connection of the cable system 56 to the
chute base 52 to control the orientation of the chute, some other
embodiments may connect the cable system to another part of the
chute such as the discharge chute 40 or even the chute deflector
42. Moreover, in some embodiments, the chute base 52, the discharge
chute 40 and/or the chute deflector 42 may be unitary and molded or
otherwise formed from a single piece of material. Thus, the chute
may not even include separate pieces corresponding to the chute
base 52, the discharge chute 40 and/or the chute deflector 42 in
some embodiments. However, in each instance, some embodiments may
enable orientation of the chute to be modified using the
positioning assembly locally at the chute via remote connection to
the control head 54. Because the operator need only take primary
action at the control head 54 in one motion (e.g., rotation of the
control head 54), and no further activity by the operator is
needed, the positioning assembly may be considered to be passive
such that no secondary operator action (e.g., no secondary operator
action such as a button push, trigger activation, or enabling
activity to allow the control head 54 to be operated) is required
to perform orientation adjustments.
[0025] In an example embodiment, the snow blower 10 may further
include a control panel 60, which may include ignition controls
and/or other controls or informational gauges. The control panel 60
may be provided to be accessible from the rear of the snow blower
10 by an operator standing or walking behind the snow blower 10
(e.g., at an operator's station) and capable of pushing, steering
or otherwise controlling movement of the snow blower 10 using a
handlebar assembly 70 or some other steering assembly. In some
examples, the handlebar assembly 70 may include at least two arms
72 that may extend up and rearward away from the side panels 22 to
provide a structure for an operator to hold to facilitate direction
and operation of the snow blower 10. The arms 72 may extend
substantially parallel to each other and may be positioned to
extend at an angle of between about 30 degrees to 60 degrees from
the horizontal back toward an operator standing or walking behind
the snow blower 10 at the operator's station. In some cases, the
arms 72 may include handles at the end of each respective one of
the arms 72. The handles may include controls for snow blower 10
operation in some cases. In an example embodiment, a cross bar 74
may extend between distal ends of the arms 72 to provide an
additional hand rest option for the operator. The cross bar 74 may
also provide support for the distal ends of the arms 72.
[0026] In some example embodiments, the snow blower 10 may further
include a console 80 disposed to extend between the arms 72. In
some example embodiments, such as embodiments where separate
handles are positioned at the ends of the arms 72, the console 80
may provide some degree of structural support for distal ends of
the arms 72. Alternatively or additionally, the console 80 may
provide a structure to which accessories or components of the snow
blower 10 may be added. For example, in some embodiments, the
console 80 may provide a structure for supporting one or more
lights 82. In an example embodiment, the console 80 may also
provide a structure for supporting the control head 54. In this
regard, for example, the control head 54 may be disposed at a rear
portion of the console 80 (e.g., a portion of the console 80 that
faces the operating station or an operator walking or standing
behind the snow blower 10). Moreover, in some embodiments, the
control head 54 may be disposed to lie in the same plane in which
the arms 72 of the handlebar assembly 70 lie or, in some cases, at
least in a plane that is parallel to the plane in which the arms 72
of the handlebar assembly 70 lie. This positioning of the control
head 54 may provide easy access to remote repositioning of the
orientation of the discharge chute 40. For example, an operator
standing at the operating station may be enabled to use one hand to
reposition the orientation of the discharge chute 40 by adjusting
the control 54 head corresponding to the desired change in
orientation of the discharge chute 40. By adjusting the control
head 54, the cable system 56 may correspondingly move the chute
base 52 to change the orientation of the discharge chute 40. In
some cases, the operator may even be enabled to steer or direct
movement of the snow blower 10 with one hand, while temporarily
reaching down to alter the orientation of the discharge chute 40 by
adjusting the control head 54 with the other hand.
[0027] In some embodiments, the arms 72 may generally be set to
extend from the snow blower at an angle of between about 30 degrees
to 60 degrees from the horizontal. Although the arms 72 may be set
at approximately 45 degrees in some embodiments, the arms 72
themselves, or the position of the control head 54 may be
adjustable within a range around a central position. Thus, for
example, in some cases the control head 54 may be disposed to lie
in a plane forming an angle of between about 30 degrees and about
60 degrees relative to an operator standing to operate the snow
blower 10.
[0028] Operation of the control head 54 to adjust the orientation
of the discharge chute 40 will now be described in greater detail
in reference to FIGS. 3 to 6. FIG. 5, which includes FIGS. 5A and
5B, illustrates an isolated perspective view of the remote chute
rotation assembly 50 in two different orientations according to an
example embodiment. In this regard, FIG. 5A illustrates a
perspective view of the remote chute rotation assembly 50 with a
housing thereof removed and the chute base 52 being in a first
orientation condition based on the corresponding position of the
control head 54 according to an example embodiment. FIG. 5B
illustrates a perspective view of the remote chute rotation
assembly 50 with a housing thereof removed and the chute base 52
being in a second orientation condition based on the corresponding
position of the control head 54 according to an example embodiment.
FIG. 6 illustrates an exploded perspective view of various
components of the remote chute rotation assembly 50 according to an
example embodiment.
[0029] Referring now primarily to FIGS. 3, 4, 5 and 6, it can be
seen that in some embodiments the chute base 52, the control head
54 and the cable system 56 may each include a plurality of
components. In this regard, a housing of the control head 54 may
include a housing plate 100 that may be attachable to the console
80 via any of various types of fixing mechanisms including glue, a
snap fitting, one or more bolts, screws, weld joints, rivets,
and/or the like. The housing may also include a cover plate 102
that may be rotatably attached to the housing plate 100 to enclose
a pulley assembly 110 within the housing.
[0030] The pulley assembly 110 may include a retaining ring 112 and
a pulley 114 that may be enabled to rotate within the housing
responsive to movement of a lever arm 120 attached to an axis of
rotation of the pulley 114. In an example embodiment, the lever arm
120 may pass through a portion of the cover plate 102 and connect
either directly or indirectly to the pulley 114 such that when the
lever arm 120 is moved to the right or left (as indicated by the
directional arrows in FIG. 3), the cover plate 102 and the pulley
114 rotate around an axis of rotation of the pulley 114. The
retaining ring 112 may be may be fixable to the housing plate 100
such that the pulley 114 may be rotatably housed within a void
space defined between the retaining ring and the housing plate 100.
The retaining ring 112 may also be shaped to define cable receiver
spaces adjacent to the pulley 114 so that cabling associated with
the cable system 56 may be kept in relatively close proximity to
the external periphery of the pulley 114 as the pulley 114 rotates
responsive to movement of the lever arm 120. Furthermore, the
pulley 114 may be affixed to a portion of the cabling associated
with the cable system 56. Accordingly, for example, when the lever
arm 120 is moved, the pulley 114 may also move correspondingly.
Movement of the pulley 114 may cause corresponding movement of the
cable system 56, which may be translated to the chute base 52 as
described below.
[0031] In some examples, the lever arm 120 may include a rotatable
handle 122. The rotatable handle 122 may be disposed at a distal
end of the lever arm 120 to enable a user to move the lever arm 120
to rotate the pulley 114. By making the rotatable handle 122 freely
rotatable, the operator may be enabled to comfortably grip the
rotatable handle 122 and put force on the lever arm 120 over an
entirety of the range of motion of the lever arm 120 without having
to readjust grip. In an example embodiment, the rotatable handle
122 may be generally cylindrical in shape and may include ridges,
bumps, protrusions, embossed patterns, or other grip enhancing
features on an outside surface thereof. To enable free rotation of
the rotatable handle 122, the longitudinal center of the rotatable
handle 122 may be hollowed out in the form of cylinder to receive a
dowel 124. A first end of the dowel 124 may be affixed proximate to
a distal end of the lever arm 124 (e.g., via a nut and washer
combination or other fixing mechanism). The rotatable handle 122
may then substantially cover other portions of the dowel 124 to a
second end of the dowel 124, which may include a cap 126 to hold
the rotatable handle 122 in place, while still enabling the
rotatable handle 122 to easily rotate around the dowel 124. In an
example embodiment, the rotatable handle 122 may be configured to
be rotatable through a full range of motion of the control head 54
without requiring an operator to bend at the wrist. The combination
of positioning the control head 54 at an angle between 30 degrees
and 60 degrees relative to the operator and providing the rotatable
handle 122 may enable the operator to move through the full range
of motion of the control head 54 while maintaining optimal force on
the control head 54 without contorting the shoulder or the wrist of
the operator. In other words, the combination of positioning the
control head 54 at an angle between 30 degrees and 60 degrees
relative to the operator and providing the rotatable handle 122 may
enable the operator to maintain an ergonomically correct or
advantageous posture throughout remote manipulation of the chute
through a full range of motion.
[0032] In an example embodiment, the cable system 56 may include
multiple cable portions that may be joined together. For example,
in the example embodiment of FIG. 6, the cable system 56 includes
two cable runners (e.g., first cable runner 130 and second cable
runner 132) and two fixed cables (e.g., first fixed cable 134 and
second fixed cable 136). However, in some alternative embodiments,
more or less cable portions may be employed. Moreover, in one
embodiment, as single continuous cable may be employed. In the
example of FIG. 6, a first end of the first cable runner 130 may
attach to a first end of the first fixed cable 134 and a second end
of the first cable runner 130 may attach to a first end of the
second fixed cable 136. A first end of the second cable runner 132
may attach to a second end of the first fixed cable 134 and a
second end of the second cable runner 132 may attach to a second
end of the second fixed cable 136. Thus, the portions of the cable
system 56 may be attached end-to-end in order to form a continuous
closed loop.
[0033] The cable portions of the cable system 56 may be made from
any desirable material. For example, one or more of the cable
portions may be formed from braided steel or other metallic
components, plastic, composite materials, and/or the like or
combinations thereof. For example, the first and second cable
runners 130 and 132 may be braided steel that is coated with
plastic or some other composite material. In an example embodiment,
the first and second cable runners 130 and 132 may be disposed to
be maintained in proximity to one of the arms 72 of the handlebar
assembly 70. For example, the first and second cable runners 130
and 132 may run along side one of the arms 72. However, in some
embodiments, the first and second cable runners 130 and 132 may be
positioned within a portion of one of the arms 72 or in a cable way
that may be proximately located to one of the arms 72. In any case,
the first and second cable runners 130 and 132 may be enabled to
freely move as needed to translate movement of the control head 54
to corresponding movement of the chute base 52. To provide direct
correspondence between the movement of the control head 54 and the
orientation of the chute base 52, the pulley 114 and the chute base
52 may each have substantially the same diameter. In some cases,
the first and second cable runners 130 and 132 may each be the same
length and the first and second fixed cables 134 and 136 may also
be the same length (but different in length than the first and
second cable runners 130 and 132).
[0034] In an example embodiment, the first fixed cable 134 may be
affixed to the chute base 52, and the second fixed cable 136 may be
affixed to the pulley 114. In an example embodiment, when the
orientation of the discharge chute 40 is such that the discharge
material ejected from the snow blower 10 is directed in front of
the snow blower 10, the chute base 52 may be positioned in what may
be referred to as a neutral position. In the neutral position, the
lever arm 120 may be positioned in a twelve o'clock position or
pointing substantially upward toward the operator. The point on the
first fixed cable 134 that is farthest from the pulley 114 may be
affixed to the chute base 52. Similarly, the point on the second
fixed cable 136 that is farthest from the pulley 114 may be affixed
to the chute base 52. As such, any rotation of the lever arm 120
may cause corresponding rotation of the pulley 114 and therefore
further cause corresponding movement of the second fixed cable 136.
Specifically, the second fixed cable 136 may be rotated around the
axis of rotation of the lever arm 120 along the circumferential
border defined by the retaining ring 114. The movement of the
second fixed cable 136 may then cause a corresponding pull of one
of the first or second cable runners 130 or 132 toward the control
head 54, while the other of the first or second cable runners 130
or 132 is pulled away from the control head 54 via corresponding
movement of the first fixed cable 134.
[0035] The chute base 52 may include a fixed base portion 140 that
may be attached to the snow blower 10 proximate to the hood
assembly 20. The fixed base portion 140 may be attached using any
of various types of fixing mechanisms including glue, a snap
fitting, one or more bolts, screws, weld joints, rivets, and/or the
like. The fixed base portion 140 may be a substantially plate-like
rigid metal or plastic piece that may include an orifice therein.
The orifice may be provided for ejection of snow or other material
there through during operation of the snow blower 10. The chute
base 52 may further include a moveable base portion 142 and a
retaining ring 144.
[0036] The moveable base portion 142 may include a detent receiver
ring 150 and a chute attachment portion 152. The detent receiver
ring 150 may be a ring shaped portion of metal, plastic or another
rigid material that includes a plurality of discrete detent
receivers 154 positioned around an external periphery thereof. In
an example embodiment, the detent receivers 154 may be provided in
the form of grooves and/or teeth that are positioned at regular
intervals over a portion (or all) of the external periphery to the
detent receiver ring 150. The chute attachment portion 152 may
extend substantially perpendicularly from an internal periphery of
the detent receiver ring 150 and may provide a surface and/or
structure to which the discharge chute 40 may be attached. As such,
discharge material being ejected by the snow blower 10 through the
discharge chute 40 may pass through the internal periphery of the
detent receiver ring 150 and the chute attachment portion 152. The
diameter of the chute attachment portion 152 (at least at the
external periphery thereof) may be the same as the diameter of the
pulley 114 (at least at the external periphery thereof).
[0037] The retaining ring 144 may attach (e.g., via screws, bolts,
rivets and/or the like) to the fixed base portion 140 to define a
cavity within which the moveable base portion 142 may move
responsive to rotation of the control console 54 as communicated
via the cable system 56. The first fixed cable 134 may be affixed
to the chute attachment portion 152 by a cable holder 160. The
cable holder 160 may be a clamp, clasp, or other fastening
structure that may be configured to grasp, pinch or otherwise hold
a portion of the first fixed cable 134 in fixed connection with the
chute attachment portion 152. However, it should be appreciated
that the cable holder 160 could be placed on the detent receiver
ring 150 in some alternative embodiments. The first fixed cable 134
may then move within the retaining ring 144 responsive to rotation
at the control head 54 via corresponding movement of the first and
second cable runners 130 and 132. Movement of the first fixed cable
134 may also cause corresponding movement of the moveable base
portion 142 based on the attachment of the first fixed cable 134 to
the chute attachment portion 152.
[0038] In an example embodiment, a detent 170 may be connected to
the fixed base portion 140 and/or the retaining ring 144. The
detent 170 may be biased (e.g., with spring 172) toward engagement
with one or more of the detent receivers 154 that are proximate to
the detent 170. However, in an example embodiment, the detent
receivers 154 may be shaped to have rounded edges to facilitate
slippage of the detent 170 from one detent receiver 154 (or set of
detent receivers) to an adjacent detent receiver (or set of detent
receivers) responsive to sufficient rotational force being applied
to the moveable base portion 142 via the cable system 56 and the
control head 54. In an example embodiment, the spring 172 may be
selected to apply sufficient force to the detent 170 to hold the
detent 170 into engagement with the detent receiver 154 that is
proximate thereto in the presence of normal forces that may be
externally provided to the detent receiver ring 150 (e.g., due to
manual contact of discharge material or inadvertently encountered
forces from humans or objects that are bumped into). However,
forces exerted by the spring 172 may be relatively easily overcome
using leverage provided by rotation of the pulley 114 using the
lever arm 120. The spring 172 of an example embodiment may be
positioned at a 90 degree angle to the direction of engagement of
the detent 170 with the detent receiver 154. However, in
alternative embodiments, a spring could be in line with the detent
to employ spring forces to directly pull the detent 170 toward the
detent receiver 154 or to push the detent 170 toward the detent
receiver 154.
[0039] In an example embodiment, engagement of the detent 170 with
each detent receiver 154 may define a corresponding discrete
orientation position. As the lever arm 120 is rotated to move the
discharge chute 40 out of the neutral position, the discharge chute
40 may pass through a series of discrete orientation positions
while the detent 170 cycles through corresponding detent receivers
154. In one example, movement of the lever arm 120 to the right or
in a clockwise direction may cause corresponding movement of the
discharge chute 40 to the right or in a clockwise direction. In
this regard, as the lever arm 120 moves to the right, the pulley
114 also moves to the right and pulls the second fixed cable 136 in
a clockwise direction as the pulley 114 rotates. The second cable
runner 132 may be pulled away from the chute base 52 and may pull
the first fixed cable 134 to cause it to rotate in a clockwise
direction to pull the moveable base portion 142 to rotate in the
clockwise direction. As the moveable base portion 142 rotates, the
spring 172 force may be overcome and the detent 170 may
sequentially move in and out of adjacent detent receivers 154 until
the rotational force stops when the operator has positioned the
discharge chute 40 as desired.
[0040] Similarly, movement of the lever arm 120 to the left or in a
counter-clockwise direction may cause corresponding movement of the
discharge chute 40 to the left or in a counter-clockwise direction.
FIG. 5 illustrates such an example. In this regard, FIG. 5A
illustrates the lever arm 120 in the neutral position. The chute
base 52 is also positioned correspondingly to eject discharge
material directly in front of the snow blower 10. However, when the
lever arm 120 is rotated out of the neutral position and to a full
In an example embodiment, the discharge chute 40 may move through
180 degrees of motion from an orientation where discharge is
ejected about 90 degrees to the right of the snow blower 10 to an
orientation where discharge is ejected about 90 degrees to the left
of the snow blower 10. However, some embodiments may limit the
range of motion to values that are either below or beyond 180
degrees.
[0041] It should be appreciated that merely by changing the
threading of the cables through the pulley 114, the correspondence
between movement of the control head 54 and the discharge chute 52
may be reversed. For example, in some cases, by changing the
correspondence between which ends of the first and second cable
runners 130 and 132 attach to which ends of the first and second
fixed cables 134 and 136, clockwise rotation of the pulley 114 may
cause counter-clockwise rotation of the moveable base portion
142.
[0042] In some example embodiments, the detent 170 and the detent
receiver ring 150 having the detent receivers 154 may form the
positioning assembly having a plurality of discrete orientations
associated therewith. However, it should be appreciated that other
example positioning assemblies may also be employed in connection
with other example embodiments. For example, a detent may be
provided to engage detent receivers positioned on an interior of
the detent receiver ring 150 instead of the external periphery.
Furthermore, the detent itself could be provided without a separate
spring. Other example structures could also be employed.
[0043] Some example embodiments may therefore enable remote
operation of the orientation of a discharge chute on a snow blower
or other device for ejecting material using a single or multiple
stage ejection paradigm. Moreover, some example embodiments use a
cable system to translate movement of a lever arm positioned at a
control head near an operator's station into corresponding movement
of the discharge chute. Example embodiments also place the detent
and detent receiver of an example positioning assembly at the chute
end. By having the positioning assembly at the chute end, the
physical engagement for holding the discharge chute in its discrete
orientation is provided locally at the discharge chute rather than
through cable tension. Thus, if one attempts to manually move or
shift the discharge chute, local tension and a greater feeling of
rigidity or solidness may be experienced by an operator and be
interpreted as corresponding to a product that has superior
quality. Meanwhile, the control head may be held in position by
cable tension. However, in some cases, a similar positioning
assembly to that which is employed at the chute end could also be
provided at the control head. In any case, provision of local
engagement and holding of discrete orientation positions of the
discharge chute may meet specification standards for prevention of
motion of the discharge chute during operation. Thus, providing
local engagement and holding may both meet applicable standards and
provide desirable characteristics for operators.
[0044] Many modifications and other embodiments of the inventions
set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to
which these inventions pertain having the benefit of the teachings
presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated
drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the inventions are
not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that
modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included
within the scope of the appended claims. Moreover, although the
foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings describe
exemplary embodiments in the context of certain exemplary
combinations of elements and/or functions, it should be appreciated
that different combinations of elements and/or functions may be
provided by alternative embodiments without departing from the
scope of the appended claims. In this regard, for example,
different combinations of elements and/or functions than those
explicitly described above are also contemplated as may be set
forth in some of the appended claims. In cases where advantages,
benefits or solutions to problems are described herein, it should
be appreciated that such advantages, benefits and/or solutions may
be applicable to some example embodiments, but not necessarily all
example embodiments. Thus, any advantages, benefits or solutions
described herein should not be thought of as being critical,
required or essential to all embodiments or to that which is
claimed herein. Although specific terms are employed herein, they
are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for
purposes of limitation.
* * * * *