FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to snow shovels. More specifically, the present invention is concerned with a show shovel head and a snow shovel.
BACKGROUND
Snow throwers and snow blowers combine the maneuverability of a snow shovel with throwing mechanics of a snowblower, for saving the work of cleaning snow from a surface to a remote surface. They may be fueled or electrical, either corded or battery-powered. Snow throwers collect and propel snow through a discharge chute. They are typically powered by electricity, either with a plug-in cord or a rechargeable battery, with limitations either due to cord lengths or battery life respectively. A rotating impeller scoops up snow and creates a force that expels the snow out of a discharge chute, to a distance away from the path to be cleaned. Battery-powered snow throwers are typically heavier. Both may have limited efficiency in snow-clearing capabilities depending on the snow conditions and and/or in snow throwing directivity.
There is still a need in the art of a snow shovel.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
More specifically, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a snow shovel head comprising an open front casing, an impeller rotately connected to an axle in the casing, a discharge chute and a chute handle, the casing comprising a back wall, a circumferential wall, a cut out bottom wall with front opposite lateral corners at the circumferential wall, and an output to the chute located on the circumferential of the casing; the bottom wall of the casing extending laterally from the back wall of the casing to the front opposite lateral corners of the bottom wall at the circumferential wall of the casing, and centrally from the back wall of the casing to the open front of the casing up to a tip recessed from said lateral corners; and the back wall extending to the lateral corners of the bottom wall at the circumferential wall; the impeller, when rotating, scooping up snow from the open front of the casing to an inner lateral surface of the circumferential wall of the casing towards the output to the chute for discharge of the snow.
There is further provided a snow shovel comprising a shovel head, a motor and a handle, the snow shovel head comprising an open front casing, an impeller rotately connected to an axle in the casing, a discharge chute and a chute handle, the casing comprising a back wall, a circumferential wall, a cut out bottom wall with opposite lateral corners at the circumferential wall, and an output to the chute located on the circumferential wall of the casing; the bottom wall of the casing extending laterally from the back wall of the casing to the lateral corners at the circumferential wall of the casing, and centrally from the back wall of the casing to the open front of the casing up to a tip; and the back wall extending to the lateral corners of the bottom wall at the circumferential wall; wherein, when rotating, the impeller scoops up snow from the open front of the casing to an inner lateral surface of the circumferential wall towards the output to the chute; the handle connecting the axle of the impeller to the motor.
Other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading of the following non-restrictive description of specific embodiments thereof, given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the appended drawings:
FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a snow shovel head according to an embodiment of an aspect of the disclosure;
FIG. 1B is a perspective view of a snow shovel according to an embodiment of an aspect of the disclosure;
FIG. 2 is a front view of the snow shovel head of FIG. 1A according to an embodiment of an aspect of the disclosure;
FIG. 3 is a side view of the snow shovel head of FIG. 1A according to an embodiment of an aspect of the disclosure; and
FIG. 4 is a back view of the snow shovel head of FIG. 1A according to an embodiment of an aspect of the disclosure;
FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the snow shovel head of FIG. 1A according to an embodiment of an aspect of the disclosure; and
FIG. 6 shows details of a snow shovel head according to an embodiment of an aspect of the disclosure;
FIG. 7A shows details of a snow shovel head according to an embodiment of an aspect of the disclosure;
FIG. 7B shows details of a snow shovel head according to an embodiment of an aspect of the disclosure;
FIG. 8A shows details of a snow shovel head according to an embodiment of an aspect of the disclosure;
FIG. 8B shows details of a snow shovel head according to an embodiment of an aspect of the disclosure;
FIG. 8C shows details of connection between a casing and a chute of a snow shovel head according to an embodiment of an aspect of the disclosure;
FIG. 9A is a front perspective view of a snow shovel head with a front skirt according to an embodiment of an aspect of the disclosure;
FIG. 9B shows the snow shovel of FIG. 9A with the front skirt removed according to an embodiment of an aspect of the disclosure;
FIG. 9C and FIG. 9D show details of skid shoe height adjustment of a snow shovel head according to an embodiment of an aspect of the disclosure;
FIG. 10 shows details of a shovel according to an embodiment of an aspect of the disclosure;
FIG. 11A is a perspective view of a snow shovel impeller according to an embodiment of an aspect of the disclosure;
FIG. 11B shows the impeller of FIG. 11A mounted in a snow shovel head according to an embodiment of an aspect of the disclosure;
FIG. 11C shows blades of the impeller of FIG. 11A according to an embodiment of an aspect of the disclosure;
FIG. 12A is a back view of a snow shovel head according to an embodiment of an aspect of the disclosure;
FIG. 12B is a first side view of the snow shovel head of FIG. 12A;
FIG. 12C is a bottom view of the snow shovel head of FIG. 12A;
FIG. 13A shows details of a snow shovel head according to an embodiment of an aspect of the disclosure; and
FIG. 13B is a front view of the snow shovel head of FIG. 13A.
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is illustrated by the following non-limiting examples.
A snow shovel head 16 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure as illustrated in FIGS. 1A, 2-13 comprises an open front casing 22 housing an impeller 18 and connected to a discharge chute 12, and a chute handle 14 at a proximal end of the discharge chute 12.
The casing 22 is an open front cylindrical body comprising a back wall 34, a circumferential wall 9, a bottom wall 25, and an output 17 to the chute 12 on the circumferential wall 9.
The snow shovel head 16 comprises a handle 200 extending from the back wall 34 of the casing. The snow shovel head 16 may be connected to an extension handle 201 supporting a handle and motor unit (see locking connection 232 in FIG. 12A for example) as shown according to an embodiment of an aspect of the present disclosure illustrated for example in FIG. 1B. The extension handle 201 comprises a main grip 230 at a distal end thereof, for gripping by the user with one hand for example, and a midgrip 220 at a distance from the main grip 230, for gripping by the user with the other hand for example. In FIG. 1B, a button 231 is shown on the handle 201, used for selection a rotation speed of the motor M when starting the motor for activating rotation of a shaft inside the handles 201 and 200 (not shown), thus activating rotation of the impeller 16 of the snow shovel head. The motor M is started using a trigger on the motor M as known in the art, the shaft driving a gear set (not seen) inside a gear box, to rotate the impeller 18 about its axle 300 within the casing 22 (see for example FIG. 11B). A user may drive and maneuver the snow shovel with one hand, while using the other hand to operate the chute by acting on the chute handle 14 as described hereinbelow.
The handle 201 and motor M may be attached and detached from the snow shovel head 16 by unlocking and detaching the extension handle 201 from the handle 200 of the snow shovel head 16.
The motor M may be an electrical engine, with a rechargeable battery; alternatively, it may be corded for plugging into a power outlet, or it may be a fuel engine.
The impeller 18 is actuatable in rotation within the casing 22 about its rotating shaft 300 connected to the gear box attached to the back wall of the casing 22 and activated as described hereinabove for example. It may be removed, for replacement for example, from the open front of the casing 22 by unfastening the impeller from its rotating shaft 300.
FIG. 11A for example shows 3 blades 37 extending from the back wall 61 of the impeller towards the open front of the casing on a first length 63, then bending forward in the direction of the impeller rotation 61 (see backward curvature C), and extend on a second length 65 to their free edge; looking at the impeller from the front in the figures herein, the rotation is counter-clockwise and the output to the chute is to the right; in case the output to the chute is located on the left, the rotation of the impeller is clockwise and the curvature of the blades is reversed.
The bottom wall 25 of the casing extends from the back wall 34 of the casing to lateral corners at the circumferential wall of the casing, and to the open front of the casing on a length corresponding to the first length 63 of the blades 37 from the back wall 61 of the impeller up to the tip of the V cut out shown in FIG. 1A for example, thereby presenting a cut out front edge: at the tip of the V cut out, the front edge of the bottom wall is recessed relative to at the opposite lateral corners of the front edge 11; the back wall 34 of the casing extends to the lateral corners of the bottom wall, meeting the circumferential wall at these corners, thus forming a converging shape of the inner surface of the casing, which further converges the snow into the casing as the snow volume collected by the impeller is moved to the right under the rotation of the impeller, as will be detailed hereinbelow.
In operation the blades 37 of the rotating impeller scoop up snow from the bottom wall and the open front of the casing 22 to a sliding surface 27 on the inner lateral surface of the circumferential wall of the casing 22 to the output to the chute 12 (see arrow A in FIGS. 7A and 7B).
In FIGS. 1A, 2, 5, 6, 7B, 8A, 9A-9B, 10, 11B, 13A, the bottom wall of the casing is illustrated with a cut out front edge, shown with a V cut out in FIG. 1A for example, with side bottom wall parts 11A and 11B extending into front bottom parts 9A and 9B respectively of the circumferential wall 9; other shapes, such as U or square cut out front edge of the bottom wall may be contemplated. The side bottom wall parts extending into the respective front bottom parts of the circumferential wall 9 is found to contribute to the pickup and directing of the snow towards the output to the chute to the chute 12.
Such bottom and circumferential walls of the casing, output to the chute and impeller blades combination efficiently collects and converges the snow to the output t the chute 17 leading to the chute, without snow jamming at the front of the snow shovel and/or within the casing 22 between the blades and the impeller wall for example.
The impeller blades may be molded in a polymer, selected for resistance to impact at low temperatures, such as a thermoplastic alloy of (PC) polycarbonate and (ABS) acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (PC-ABS) for example.
The impeller 18 illustrated in FIGS. 1-8A, 9A, 9B and 10 is a four blades impeller. The impeller may comprise three blades 37 as shown in FIGS. 11A, 11B or 13 for example. The number and/or the curvature from the back wall of the impeller to their outer edge, and/or the shape of the blades may be selected according to at least one of: the inner size of the casing, the bottom wall of the casing 22, the diameter of the impeller 18, the rotational speed (rpm) of the impeller 18, a target snow pick up and discharge efficiency of the snow shovel head. Different shapes of blades may be selected, such as spoons or flat paddles for example.
The back surface of the blades 37 may be reinforced by ribs 67 as shown in FIG. 13B for example. In FIGS. 1112C, 13A for example, the three blade 37 have ribs 67 on their back surface; the tip end of the ribs 67 form teeth 60. Such teeth 60 protruding from the front edge of the blades may be provided for breaking compacted snow or ice.
Matter collected from the ground is directed uncompressed by rotation of the blades of the impeller and directed to the sliding surface 27 at the inner side walls of the casing 22; thus, rocks, branches or pieces of debris that may be picked up from the ground together with snow for example are expelled outside of the casing from the open front before getting stuck between the back wall 34 of the casing 22 and the blade wall 38 (indicated in FIG. 9B for example) at the inner rear of the casing 22.
The collecting width of the snow shovel head, depending on the diameter of the open front and the inner size of the casing 22, may be up to 16 inches for example. In case of a front skirt, the collecting width of the snow shovel is mainly determined by the opening, i. e., width, of the front skirt in front of the shovel; an open skirt, i. e. too wide in relation to the diameter of the impeller, may result in the snow being pushed more than collected into the casing, which may cause snow compression as the snow is swiped up by the rotating blades.
In an embodiment of an aspect of the present disclosure as illustrated for example in FIGS. 8, at its distal end the chute 12 is rotately connected at the output 17 of the casing 22 for rotation about a generally vertical axis, and a deflector is pivotably connected about a generally horizontal axis at its proximal end for tilting upwards and downwards relative to the longitudinal axis of the output 17. FIG. 8A shows details of a swivel auto locking chute according to an embodiment of an aspect of the present disclosure. The illustrated chute 12 is 180 degrees rotatable about the cylinder output 17 to the chute (see arrow C in FIG. 8A), for controlling the position of the snow discharge ground in a generally horizontal plane around the position of the user; the deflector 13 is pivotably connected to the chute 12 for upwards and downwards tilting (see arrow B in FIG. 8A), for controlling the distance of the position of the snow discharge ground from the user's position; by maneuvering the chute handle 14, the user may thus pivot the deflector 15 upwards for discharge the snow on farther remote discharge ground, or downwards to direct the snow discharge closer discharge ground relative to his cleared space, thereby controlling the distance of the discharge of snow and its even distribution on discharge grounds surface away from the cleaned surface as he goes along.
FIG. 8C shows details of a rotating connection of the chute 12 at the output to the chute 17 according to an embodiment of an aspect of the disclosure, with locking balls 402 on the inner wall of the chute 12 (for example one shown in transparency in FIG. 8C, and as seen from the outer surface of the chute 12 in FIG. 12B) interfering with ribs 404 on the outer circumference of the output to the chute 17. The locking balls 402 are positioned on a flexible tab keeping it in contact against the series of ribs 404 all around the chute 12 attached to the output to the chute 17. A ball positioned between two ribs locks the position of the chute. When forcing to rotate the chute 12 to the left or to the right, the ball flexibly passes over the corresponding rib to the left or to the right thereof thus disengaging, and rotation is possible, with the ball maintaining the resulting position of the chute 12 when locked again between two other ribs. Two locking such interfering elements flexibly connected to the inner wall of the chute 12 as the balls 402 may be used for example, to lock the rotation the position of the chute. Thus the user is able to control the position of the snow discharge around, and away from, his position, to control rotation of the chute and tilt of the deflector. Maneuvering the chute handle 14, the user monitors the rotation of the chute about the output of the casing and the inclination of the deflector about its connection axis to the chute, and is able to precisely direct the snow discharge jet to target remote surfaces and control its height on the target remote surfaces, while guiding the snow shovel with the other hand on the main grip.
Skid shoes 28 may be attached to the circumferential wall 9 of the casing 22, allowing adjusting the height of the casing 22 relative to the ground surface (see FIG. 1A). The length of the skid shoes 28 extending below the bottom wall 25 of the casing 22 may be adjustable using lock bolt 29 (FIGS. 1A, 9, see arrow FIG. 9D) according to a target clearance height of the snow shovel head from the ground for optimized snow pick up efficiency, while easing movement of the snow shovel head over the ground surface, when clearing snow on a gravel surface for example, to remove snow from the surface while leaving the gravel undisturbed in place.
As illustrated in FIGS. 1A, 8A, 9A for example, a front skirt 26 may be provided at the front circumferential edge of open front of the casing 22 for converging the snow inside the casing 22. The front skirt may be removable (see arrows in FIG. 9A, see FIG. 9B: snow shovel head without front skirt). A front bar 31 may be provided to connect opposite front corners of the front edge 11, as illustrated for example in FIG. 10, for purpose of rigidifying the front skirt.
The walls of the casing 22 may be in a plastic material of a thickness in a range between 3 and 4 mm for example. Increased thickness may be used. The back ball 34 of the casing 22 may comprise reinforcing ribs 80; the rear wall 30 of the gear box at the outer surface of the back ball 34 of the casing 22 may comprise reinforcing legs 70 as shown for example in FIG. 12A.
The scope of the claims should not be limited by the embodiments set forth in the examples, but should be given the broadest interpretation consistent with the description as a whole.
Patent Application
20250027285
