Patent Grant
10266153
This patent specification relates to the field of snow and ice removal from vehicles. More specifically, this patent specification relates to a device for preventing and removing snow and ice accumulation from the roof of a vehicle.
Large vehicles, such as tractor drawn trailers, trucks, and busses are widely used to transport goods. These vehicles typically have at least one large roof surface. In cooler climates ice and snow often accumulates on the roof surface of vehicles in the course of their use and storage. Unfortunately, as a vehicle moves, and especially at highway speeds, the snow and ice is propelled off the vehicle. Every year, people are seriously injured or killed by falling ice projectiles and blinding snow landing on the windshields of vehicles adjacent to or following directly behind these large vehicles.
While some vehicle operators will check and remove the snow and ice from the roof of their vehicle manually, this can be time consuming and labor intensive. Stationary apparatuses configured to remove snow and ice from the roof of vehicles exist, however, they large, expensive, and are only effective if the vehicle does not have to travel far in order to reach the apparatus. Other vehicle mounted snow and ice removal systems exist, but they are complex, expensive, and offer less than ideal results.
Therefore a need exists for a novel device for preventing and removing snow and ice accumulation from the roof of a vehicle. There is also a need for novel snow and ice removal device which is not stationary or coupled to a ground or ground based structure. A further need exists for novel snow and ice removal device that is not overly complex or expensive.
A snow and ice removal device for a vehicle is provided. The device may be used to prevent and remove snow and ice accumulation from one or more roof surfaces of a vehicle to which the device is coupled. In some embodiments, the device may include a plurality of vent apertures coupled to the roof of the vehicle which may be in communication with a source of pressurized air that may be configured to deliver pressurized air to the vent apertures. A heating element may be disposed proximate to the vent apertures on the roof surface of the vehicle. A control unit may be configured to govern the flow of pressurized air through the vent apertures and to govern the ability of the heating element to produce heat. Heat may be applied to the roof surface by the heating element to loosen and accumulated ice or snow, and pressurized air from the vent apertures may dislodge and propel the ice or snow from the roof surface and off the vehicle.
In further embodiments, the device may comprise a plurality of vent apertures coupled to the roof surface of the vehicle, and the vent apertures may be configured to release pressurized air. A compressor may be configured to deliver pressurized air to the vent apertures. A heating element for producing heat may be coupled to the roof surface of the vehicle. A control unit may be configured to govern the flow of pressurized air through the vent apertures and also configured to govern the ability of the heating element to produce heat. A solar panel may be in communication with the control unit, and the solar panel may provide electrical power to the control unit.
In still further embodiments, the communication of pressurized air out of a vent aperture is governed by an air valve. Optionally, an air valve may comprise a body having an entrance aperture and an exit aperture. The entrance aperture may be in communication with a source of pressurized air, and the exit aperture may be in communication with a vent aperture. A control shaft may be movably coupled to the body and configured to extend through portions of the body, and the control shaft may comprise a governing aperture. By rotating the control shaft the governing aperture may be aligned with the entrance aperture and the exit aperture to enable pressurized air to pass through the apertures and also by rotating the control shaft the governing aperture may be un-aligned with the entrance aperture and the exit aperture to prevent pressurized air from pass through the apertures.
Some embodiments of the present invention are illustrated as an example and are not limited by the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like references may indicate similar elements and in which:
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well as the singular forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
For purposes of description herein, the terms “upper”, “lower”, “left”, “right”, “rear”, “front”, “side”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, and derivatives thereof shall relate to the invention as oriented in
Although the terms “first”, “second”, etc. are used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another element. For example, the first element may be designated as the second element, and the second element may be likewise designated as the first element without departing from the scope of the invention.
As used in this application, the term “about” or “approximately” refers to a range of values within plus or minus 10% of the specified number. Additionally, as used in this application, the term “substantially” means that the actual value is within about 10% of the actual desired value, particularly within about 5% of the actual desired value and especially within about 1% of the actual desired value of any variable, element or limit set forth herein.
Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one having ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and the present disclosure and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.
In describing the invention, it will be understood that a number of techniques and steps are disclosed. Each of these has individual benefit and each can also be used in conjunction with one or more, or in some cases all, of the other disclosed techniques. Accordingly, for the sake of clarity, this description will refrain from repeating every possible combination of the individual steps in an unnecessary fashion. Nevertheless, the specification and claims should be read with the understanding that such combinations are entirely within the scope of the invention and the claims.
A new device for preventing and removing snow and ice accumulation from the roof of a vehicle is discussed herein. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be evident, however, to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details.
The present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the invention, and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated by the figures or description below.
The present invention will now be described by example and through referencing the appended figures representing preferred and alternative embodiments.
The device 100 may comprise one or more heating elements 13 which may be coupled to a roof surface 205 of the vehicle and which may be configured to provide heat to the roof surface 205 thereby raising the temperature of all or portions of the roof surface 205. Preferably, the one or more heating elements 13 may be coupled to a roof surface 205 so as to be generally evenly spaced across the roof surface 205. In further embodiments, all or portions of a heating element 13 may disposed proximate, such as between 0.1 to 36 inches, to at least one vent aperture 11. In the example of
In some embodiments, a heating element 13 may comprise or be a device that converts electricity into heat through the process of resistive or Joule heating. Electric current passing through the heating element 13 encounters resistance, resulting in heating of the element 13. An electric heating element 13 may comprise one or more Peltier chips, metal heating elements, such as nichrome, Kanthal (FeCrAl), and the like, ceramic heating elements, such as molybdenum disilicide (MoSi2), polymer heating elements, such as PTC rubber, composite heating elements, such as fine coil of nichrome (NiCr) resistance heating alloy wire, that is located in a metallic tube (of stainless steel alloys, such as Incoloy, or copper) and insulated by magnesium oxide powder, and Combination heating element systems, such as those using thick film technology, or any other device that converts electricity into heat.
In further embodiments, a heating element 13 may receive heat generated by the vehicle 200, such as by the engine of the vehicle 200, and convey this heat to a roof surface 205 of the vehicle 205. In still further embodiments, a heating element 13 may utilize a liquid, such as antifreeze, to transport heat to the roof surface 205 of the vehicle 205. For example, the liquid may comprise a volume of engine coolant which may be circulated through the engine of the vehicle 205 and through the roof of the vehicle 200. As another example, the liquid may be separate from the engine coolant of the vehicle 200 but may be in thermal communication with the engine coolant of the vehicle 200 and the liquid may be pumped through the roof of the vehicle 200. As a further example, the liquid may be in thermal communication with the engine exhaust system of the vehicle 200 and the liquid may be pumped through the roof of the vehicle 200.
The device 100 may comprise one or more, such as a plurality, of vent apertures 11 which may be in communication with a source of pressurized air that may be configured to deliver pressurized air to the vent apertures 11. In some embodiments, the vehicle 200 may be or provide the source of pressurized air, such as a compressor used to power air brakes and other pneumatic elements of the vehicle 200. In other embodiments, the device 100 may comprise a compressor 12 for generating pressurized air 91. Pressurized air 91 may exit the vent apertures 11 to clear snow and ice accumulation 301 from the roof surface 205 of the vehicle as ejected accumulation 302 which may fall onto the ground or other surface proximate to the vehicle 200. One or more supply lines 22, such as duct work, air hoses, pipe, etc., or any suitable method may be used for coupling the vent apertures 11 to the compressor 12. Preferably, the vent apertures 11 may be disposed in a grid pattern or any other pattern across the roof surface 205 of the vehicle 205. For example, a grid pattern may be formed by 1000 vent apertures 11 dispersed across the roof surface 205 in ten columns with each column having one hundred vent apertures 11. Vent apertures 11 may be configured in any size and shape.
The device 100 may comprise a compressor 12 that which may be configured to deliver pressurized air to the vent apertures 11. A compressor 12 may comprise any device that converts power (using an electric motor, diesel or gasoline engine, etc.) into potential energy stored in pressurized air. A compressor 12 may optionally include or be coupled to a tank for storing pressurized air. A compressor 12 may comprise a positive-displacement compressor which works by forcing air into a chamber whose volume is decreased to compress the air, such as a Piston-type air compressor, Rotary screw compressor, and Vane compressor, a Dynamic displacement air compressor which uses centrifugal force generated by a spinning impeller to accelerate and then decelerate captured air, which pressurizes the air, such as a centrifugal compressor, and an axial compressor, a compressor of the vehicle 200, such as used for air brakes, or any other device for generating pressurized air.
The communication of pressurized air 91 out of the vent apertures 11 may be governed by any suitable device or method for controlling the release of air, gasses, and/or liquids. In some embodiments, the device 100 may comprise one or more air valves 15 with each air valve 15 configured to govern the release of air from one or more vent apertures 11. In preferred embodiments, the device 100 may comprise two or more air valves 15 with each air valve 15 configured to govern the release of air from one or more vent apertures 11 independently from one or more other vent apertures 11.
In some embodiments, and as shown in
In other embodiments, an air valve 15 may comprise a flow control valve, pressure regulating valve, relief valve, ball valve, a gate valve, butterfly valve, diaphragm valve, globe valve, check valve, pressure balanced valve, locking valve, solenoid valve, or any other type of valve or controller which may be used to enable, disable, or otherwise govern the ability of air to exit through one or more vent apertures 11.
In some embodiments, the device 100 may comprise one or more solar panels 14 which may preferably be positioned on one or more sides of the vehicle 200, such as on portions of the right and left side of a trailer 202. A solar panel 14 may be in electrical communication with the control unit 50 and/or one or more other elements of the device 100, and the solar panel 14 may be configured to supply electrical power to one or more elements of the device 100. A solar panel 14 may comprise any electrical device, such as a photovoltaic cell or photovoltaic array that converts the energy of light directly into electricity by the photovoltaic effect. In some embodiments, a solar panel 14 may comprise Crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, Thin Film photovoltaic cells, Multi junction photovoltaic cells, Perovskite solar cells, Liquid inks, Quantum dot solar cells, Dye-sensitized solar cells, Photon upconversion and downconversion solar cells, Organic/polymer solar cells, Adaptive solar cells, and/or any other type of cell which converts the energy of light into electricity using the photovoltaic effect.
As perhaps best shown in
The components and elements (50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 12, 13, 14, and 15) are communicatively coupled via a local interface 58. The local interface 58 can be, for example but not limited to, one or more buses, circuit boards, wiring harnesses, or other wired connections or wireless connections, as is known in the art. The local interface 58 can have additional elements, which are omitted for simplicity, such as controllers, buffers (caches), drivers, repeaters, and receivers, among many others, to enable communications. Further, the local interface 58 may include address, control, and/or data connections to enable appropriate communications among the aforementioned components.
The processor 51 is a hardware device for executing software instructions. The processor 51 can be any custom made or commercially available processor, a central processing unit (CPU), an auxiliary processor among several processors associated with the control unit 50, a semiconductor-based microprocessor (in the form of a microchip or chip set), or generally any device for executing software instructions. When the processing unit 50 is in operation, the processor 51 is configured to execute software stored within the memory 55, to communicate data to and from the memory 55, and to generally control operations of the device 100 pursuant to the software instructions. In an exemplary embodiment, the processor 51 may include a mobile optimized processor such as optimized for power consumption and mobile applications.
The I/O interfaces 52 can be used to by a user to provide input to the device 100, to receive output from the device 100, and/or to generally control functions of the device 100. The I/O interfaces 52 can also include, for example, buttons, knobs, switches, LED indicator lights, LED display, LCD display, a serial port, a parallel port, a small computer system interface (SCSI), an infrared (IR) interface, a radio frequency (RF) interface, a universal serial bus (USB) interface, and the like.
A thermostat 53 may provide temperature data to the processor 51. The temperature data may describe the temperature of a roof surface 205 of the vehicle 200, the temperature of air provided by the compressor 12 and/or vent aperture 11, and/or the temperature of the one or more heating elements 13. In preferred embodiments, the thermostat 53 may provide temperature data to the processor 51 to control or maintain the amount of heat generated by the one or more heating elements 13. A thermostat 53 may comprise a temperature sensor such as a thermocouple, a resistive temperature device (RTDs, thermistors), an infrared temperature sensor, a bimetallic device, a liquid expansion device, a molecular change-of-state device, a silicon diode, or any other type of temperature sensor configured to electrically communicate temperature information.
An optional data store 54 may be used to store data. The data store 54 may include any of volatile memory elements (e.g., random access memory (RAM, such as DRAM, SRAM, SDRAM, and the like)), nonvolatile memory elements (e.g., ROM, hard drive, tape, CDROM, and the like), and combinations thereof. Moreover, the data store 54 may incorporate electronic, magnetic, optical, and/or other types of storage media.
The memory 55 may include any of volatile memory elements (e.g., random access memory (RAM, such as DRAM, SRAM, SDRAM, etc.)), nonvolatile memory elements (e.g., ROM, hard drive, etc.), and combinations thereof. Moreover, the memory 55 may incorporate electronic, magnetic, optical, and/or other types of storage media. Note that the memory 55 may have a distributed architecture, where various components are situated remotely from one another, but can be accessed by the processor 51. The software in memory 55 can include one or more software programs, each of which includes an ordered listing of executable instructions for implementing logical functions.
In the example of
The program(s) 57 may include various applications, add-ons, etc. configured to provide end user functionality with the device 100. The program(s) 57 may comprise instructions which enable the processor 51 to control a compressor 12, one or more heating elements 13, and one or more air valves 15 to prevent and remove snow and ice accumulation from a roof surface 205 of a vehicle 200 to which the device 100 is coupled. In some embodiments, the program(s) 57 may enable the control unit 50 to control the amount or pressure of air that the compressor 12 may supply to one or more air valves 15. In further embodiments, the program(s) 57 may enable the control unit 50 to control the amount of air released from one or more vent apertures 11 via one or more air valves 15. For example, all the vent apertures 11 may release air simultaneously or the vent apertures 11 may release air sequentially, such as from the front of the vehicle 200 to the back or from one side to the other. In further embodiments, the program(s) 57 may enable the control unit 50 to control the amount and duration of heat generated by the one or more heating elements 13 via temperature information provided via the thermostat 53.
Further, many embodiments are described in terms of sequences of actions to be performed by, for example, elements of the control unit 50 which may be a computing device. It will be recognized that various actions described herein can be performed by specific circuits (e.g., application specific integrated circuits (ASICs)), by program instructions being executed by one or more processors, or by a combination of both. Additionally, these sequence of actions described herein can be considered to be embodied entirely within any form of computer readable storage medium having stored therein a corresponding set of computer instructions that upon execution would cause an associated processor to perform the functionality described herein. Thus, the various aspects of the invention may be embodied in a number of different forms, all of which have been contemplated to be within the scope of the claimed subject matter. In addition, for each of the embodiments described herein, the corresponding form of any such embodiments may be described herein as, for example, “logic configured to” perform the described action.
The control unit 50 may also include a main memory, such as a random access memory (RAM) or other dynamic storage device (e.g., dynamic RAM (DRAM), static RAM (SRAM), and synchronous DRAM (SDRAM)), coupled to the bus for storing information and instructions to be executed by the processor 51. In addition, the main memory may be used for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during the execution of instructions by the processor 51. The control unit 50 may further include a read only memory (ROM) or other static storage device (e.g., programmable ROM (PROM), erasable PROM (EPROM), and electrically erasable PROM (EEPROM)) coupled to the bus for storing static information and instructions for the processor 51.
While some materials have been provided, in other embodiments, the elements that comprise the device 100 such as the vent apertures 11, air valves 15, optional compressor 12, optional heating element 13, optional solar panel 14, and/or any other element discussed herein may be made from durable materials such as aluminum, steel, other metals and metal alloys, wood, hard rubbers, hard plastics, fiber reinforced plastics, carbon fiber, fiber glass, resins, polymers or any other suitable materials including combinations of materials. Additionally, one or more elements may be made from or comprise durable and slightly flexible materials such as soft plastics, silicone, soft rubbers, or any other suitable materials including combinations of materials. In some embodiments, one or more of the elements that comprise the device 100 may be coupled or connected together with heat bonding, chemical bonding, adhesives, clasp type fasteners, clip type fasteners, rivet type fasteners, threaded type fasteners, other types of fasteners, or any other suitable joining method. In other embodiments, one or more of the elements that comprise the device 100 may be coupled or removably connected by being press fit or snap fit together, by one or more fasteners such as hook and loop type or Velcro® fasteners, magnetic type fasteners, threaded type fasteners, sealable tongue and groove fasteners, snap fasteners, clip type fasteners, clasp type fasteners, ratchet type fasteners, a push-to-lock type connection method, a turn-to-lock type connection method, a slide-to-lock type connection method or any other suitable temporary connection method as one reasonably skilled in the art could envision to serve the same function. In further embodiments, one or more of the elements that comprise the device 100 may be coupled by being one of connected to and integrally formed with another element of the device 100.
Although the present invention has been illustrated and described herein with reference to preferred embodiments and specific examples thereof, it will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that other embodiments and examples may perform similar functions and/or achieve like results. All such equivalent embodiments and examples are within the spirit and scope of the present invention, are contemplated thereby, and are intended to be covered by the following claims.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7783400 | Zimler | Aug 2010 | B1 |
| 20110297659 | Bixler | Dec 2011 | A1 |
| 20120193067 | Miller | Aug 2012 | A1 |
| 20140116077 | Pierce | May 2014 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20190061703 A1 | Feb 2019 | US |
