This application relates generally to snow throwing power equipment, and more specifically to snow throwing power equipment including at least two stages, the final stage including an impeller with wipers.
Currently available powered snow throwers are generally provided with mechanisms configured to throw quantities of snow, ice, water, etc. after the quantities enter a housing at the front of the snow thrower. The mechanisms often include impellers located within an impeller housing. The impellers and the impeller housings are typically constructed of metal, and a gap is designed to exist between the impeller and the impeller housing to prevent contact between the two structures such as U.S. Pat. No. 7,121,021. This gap allows snow, ice, and water to accumulate in the gap, decreasing the efficiency of the impeller.
Other snow throwers or material movers can include linear impeller blades having wipers attached to the impeller blades to lessen the accumulating material between the impeller and the impeller housing such as U.S. Pat. No. 7,597,219. However, the wipers are fixed relative to the impeller blades and cannot account for imperfections in the impeller housing, wear on the wipers, etc. Accordingly, improvements to snow thrower impellers are desired.
The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basic understanding of some example aspects of the disclosure. This summary is not an extensive overview. Moreover, this summary is not intended to identify critical elements of the disclosure nor delineate the scope of the disclosure. The sole purpose of the summary is to present some concepts in simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.
According to one aspect, the subject application involves an impeller assembly. The impeller assembly includes an impeller located within an associated impeller housing. The associated impeller housing defines an interior wall. The impeller includes a central axis of rotation and an outer circumference. The impeller defines a mounting slot. The impeller includes a hub located about the central axis of rotation and an impeller blade connected to the hub. The impeller blade extends from the hub toward the outer circumference. The impeller assembly also includes a wiper mounted adjacent the impeller blade. The wiper includes a wiper portion that slides into the mounting slot to mount the wiper to the impeller. The wiper contacts the interior wall of the associated impeller housing during rotational operation of the impeller in order to limit a gap between the impeller blade and the interior wall.
According to another aspect, the subject application involves an impeller assembly including an impeller located within an associated impeller housing. The associated impeller housing defines an interior wall. The impeller includes a central axis of rotation and an outer circumference. The impeller also includes a hub located about the central axis of rotation. The impeller further includes an impeller blade connected to the hub. The impeller blade includes a first blade portion and a second blade portion. The impeller blade extends from the hub toward the outer circumference. The second blade portion of the impeller blade extends at a non-zero angle from the first blade portion of the impeller blade.
According to another aspect, the subject application involves a method of improving an efficiency of a snow thrower impeller. The method includes the step of providing a multiple-stage snow thrower comprising an impeller assembly. The impeller assembly includes an impeller housing that defines an interior wall. The impeller assembly also includes an impeller located within the impeller housing. The impeller includes a central axis of rotation and an outer circumference, and the impeller defines a mounting slot. The impeller includes a hub located about the central axis of rotation and an impeller blade connected to the hub. The impeller blade extends from the hub toward the outer circumference. The impeller assembly also includes a wiper mounted adjacent the impeller blade. The wiper includes a wiper portion, and the wiper is mounted without the use of fasteners or tools. The wiper contacts the interior wall of the impeller assembly during rotational operation of the impeller in order to limit a gap between the impeller blade and the interior wall. The method also includes the step of inserting the wiper into the mounting slot by hand and without the use of tools. The method further includes the step of operating the impeller by providing a rotational force to the impeller, wherein the wiper maintains contact with the interior wall during impeller rotation.
The foregoing and other aspects of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure relates upon reading the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Example embodiments that incorporate one or more aspects of the present disclosure are described and illustrated in the drawings. These illustrated examples are not intended to be a limitation on the present disclosure. For example, one or more aspects of the present disclosure can be utilized in other embodiments and even other types of devices. Moreover, certain terminology is used herein for convenience only and is not to be taken as a limitation on the present disclosure. Still further, in the drawings, the same reference numerals are employed for designating the same elements.
The snow thrower 20 is configured to remove piled-up snow and propels, or throws the snow from a chute 26 to a different location. The chute 26 is operatively connected to a housing 28 into which snow, ice, etc. enters the snow thrower 20 as the snow thrower 20 moves in a forward direction (represented by arrow 30). For the remainder of the disclosure, the snow thrower 20 will be shown and discussed in the form of a multi-stage snow thrower having a first stage auger device driven on a shaft substantially perpendicular to the direction of travel of the snow thrower 20, a second stage auger device driven on a shaft substantially parallel with the forward direction 30 of the snow thrower 20, and a third stage impeller device. It is to be understood that the described impeller assembly 24 can also be used on snow throwers 20 having two stages, four stages, etc., with the final stage being the impeller assembly 24. Other examples of the snow thrower 20 can include an accelerator (not shown) that moves snow into the impeller housing 34.
As shown in
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The snow thrower 20 includes at least two augers 46, wherein at least one auger 46 is attached to each portion of a lateral drive shaft 48 extending from the gear assembly 44, as shown in
It should be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the augers 46 can be configured in a corkscrew or spiral shape or orientation relative to the drive shaft 40, 48 to which they are attached such that rotation of the augers 46 push snow along the axis of rotation of the respective drive shaft. For example, the augers 46 are configured to rotate and push or transport the snow in the direction from the side walls of the housing 28 toward the centrally-located gear assembly 44 and toward the impeller housing 34.
The snow thrower 20 includes the rotatable impeller assembly 24 operatively connected to the longitudinal drive shaft 40. The impeller assembly 24 includes an impeller 54 located within an impeller housing 34 which defines an interior wall 56, as shown in
In one example, the longitudinal drive shaft 40 is powered by the power supply such that the longitudinal drive shaft rotates between about 50 to about 1500 RPM. In one example, the impeller assembly 24 and the augers 46 are operatively connected to the longitudinal drive shaft 40 such that the impeller assembly 24 and the augers 46 rotate at substantially the same rotational velocity as the longitudinal drive shaft 40.
As shown in
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While not required, the impeller 54 can also include a back plate 68. The hub 64 can be attached to the back plate 68 and located about the central axis of rotation 58. In the examples of the impeller 54 including the back plate 68, the impeller blade 66 can be connected to the hub 64 indirectly through the back plate 68 while not contacting the hub 64 directly. However, certain designs may include the impeller blades 66 directly connected to the hub 64 even when there is a back plate 68. In the examples with the back plate 68, the impeller blades 66 can extend from an interior location of the back plate 68 toward the outer circumference of the impeller 54 without contacting the hub 64.
The impeller assembly 24 also includes a wiper 70 mounted adjacent the impeller blade 66. In one example, the wiper 70 is composed of a flexible, resilient material, such as a rubber compound. For example, the wiper 70 can be composed of a rubber material including a fabric layer sandwiched within the rubber compound. The fabric layer can serve as reinforcement for the wiper structure. Any number of other flexible, resilient materials can be used to form the wiper 70.
Turning to
The wiper 70 contacts the interior wall 56 of the impeller housing 34 during rotational operation of the impeller assembly 24 in order to limit and/or eliminate a gap 74 between the impeller blade 66 and the interior wall 56. Reduction and/or elimination of the gap 74 can lead to several benefits. For example, minimization of the gap 74 can lessen and/or eliminate quantities of snow, ice, etc. from accumulating in the annular space created by the gap 74, thereby reducing and/or eliminating recirculation of the material to be thrown by the snow thrower 20. This leads to greater efficiency of the snow thrower 20. Additionally, reduction and/or elimination of the gap 74 can lead to increased material throw distances for the snow thrower 20.
The impeller 54 can further include upper blade extensions 76 attached to the impeller blades 66. The upper blade extensions 76 can extend away from a top edge 78 of the impeller blade 66. The upper blade extensions 76 can generally extend axially away from the impeller blades 66, toward a direction of rotation 80, or a combination of these two directions. Inclusion of the upper blade extensions 76 can prevent snow, ice, water, etc. from leaving the impeller housing 34 through the outlet aperture 38 and returning to the housing 28 by acting as a rotating barrier to help keep the snow, ice, water, etc. within the impeller housing 34 prior to being thrown into the chute 26. In other words, the upper blade extensions 76 can act as “scoops” or “spoons” that help maintain the snow, ice, etc. in a path moving from the housing 28 to the chute 26. Additionally, the upper blade extensions 76 can also act as force concentration points which break-up larger chunks of snow and/or ice accumulations as the impeller rotates.
The impeller 54 defines a mounting slot 84, and the wiper 70 includes a wiper portion 86 that slides into the mounting slot 84 to mount the wiper 70 adjacent to the impeller blade 66. In one embodiment as shown in
In another embodiment as shown in
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In each of the above described embodiments, the construction of the impeller 54 and the wiper 70 enable the wiper 70 to move in a generally radial direction away from the hub 64 in order to maintain contact with the interior wall 56 of the impeller housing 34.
For example, in the first embodiment as shown in
In the second embodiment as shown in
Enabling the wiper 70 to move radially can benefit the impeller 54 and the snow thrower 20 in multiple ways. In one example, rotation of the impeller 54 during normal operation may wear away an amount of the wiper 70 at the point of contact with the interior wall 56 of the impeller housing 34. As the wiper 70 wears, contact with the interior wall 56 can be maintained as the wiper 70 simply moves radially outward to compensate for the worn away wiper material.
In another example, the wiper 70 is not statically fixed to the impeller blade 66, and can thus move radially to contact the interior wall 56, regardless of the distance between the hub 64 and the interior wall 56. This enables the wiper 70 to automatically move without requiring an operator to manually move the wiper 70.
In yet another example, the interior wall 56 of the impeller housing 34 may include manufacturing imperfections such that the cross-section of the interior wall 56 is not perfectly circular. Even with potential inconsistencies in the radius of the interior wall 56, the wiper 70 will move radially out and radially in to maintain contact with the interior wall 56 as the impeller 54 rotates. This constant contact helps ensure that the previously described benefits of the wipers 70 are maintained throughout the entire arc of rotation of the impeller 54.
In still yet another example, one step during assembly of the snow thrower 20, can include passing the impeller assembly 24 through the opening 36 from the housing 28 into the impeller housing 34 where the impeller assembly 24 can then be secured to the drive shaft 40. In some of those instances, the opening 36 can be of a smaller diameter than the diameter of the interior wall 56 of the impeller housing 34. However, the intent of the wipers 70 is to be in a position of the wider interior wall diameter to contact the interior wall 56. This would normally create a physical interference, preventing the step of passing the impeller assembly 24 through the opening 36. However, as the wipers 70 can be moved radially, the assembly step can include an operator moving the wipers 70 radially inward such that the diameter of the impeller 54 with the wipers 70 is less than the diameter of the opening 36. This eases the assembly process of the snow thrower 20. Then, during normal operation, centrifugal force will move the wipers to increase the effective diameter of the impeller 54 such that the wipers 70 contact the interior wall 56 of the impeller housing 34 during normal operation.
It is to be understood that additional mass within the wipers 70 can accentuate the effect of the centrifugal force pushing the wipers 70 into contact with the interior wall 56. As such, the wiper 70 can have various appendages or add-ons that increase the weight to improve the effectiveness of the wiper 70 contact with the interior wall 56. In one example, the wiper 70 can include a metal layer surrounded by rubber. However, appropriate care must be taken during design of this particular wiper such that the metal content of the wiper will never contact the interior wall 56, even after anticipated wear of the relatively soft wiper material. Metal-on-metal contact within the impeller housing can be detrimental to performance of the snow thrower 20.
In one example, the lengths of the mounting slots 94, 98 and the mounting length 114 and the lengths of the wiper portion 86 can be designed, calculated, and manufactured such that the wiper 70 does not reach the limit of its radially outward potential movement prior to the anticipated life cycle of the snow thrower 20, even when considering normal wear effects on the wiper 70. In another example, the wipers 70 can be replaced by new wipers 70 in the event that so much material has worn away from the wiper 70 that contact is no longer maintained with the interior wall 56. In yet another example, the relatively soft material used for the wiper 70 may enable an operator to cut away a part of the wiper portion 86, enabling the wiper 70 to move farther outward radially to maintain contact with the interior wall 56. Other examples of wipers may include removable sections of the wiper portion 86, enabling the same effect of cutting away a portion of the wiper 70.
In one example, the impeller blade 66 can be substantially flat and straight, extending from the hub 64 along a radius of the impeller 54. In another example, as shown in
In some examples, as shown in
This increase in velocity is depicted in
In other examples, as the one shown in
In another example, each blade 46 includes a tip 50 that extends from the end of the blade 46 in a curved manner. The tips 50 are curved in the direction of rotation of the impeller 54. The curved tips 50 assist in maintaining contact between the snow and the blades 46 as the impeller 54 rotates, thereby preventing the snow from sliding past the ends of the blades 46 to the gap between the blades 46 and the impeller housing 34 before the snow is thrown into and from the chute 26. Preventing the snow from sliding past the end of the blades 46 results in less re-circulation of the snow within the impeller housing 34, thereby making the snow thrower 20 more efficient in expelling the snow. Whereas the augers 46 are configured to push snow axially along the axis of rotation of the auger 46, the impeller 54 is configured to drive or throw snow in a radial direction away from the axis of rotation of the impeller 54. The impeller 54 and the auger 46 immediately adjacent thereto are oriented and timed such that they rotate at the same angular velocity, wherein as the snow slides from the end of the flight 36 of the auger 46 toward the impeller 54, the impeller 54 is positioned such that the snow enters the gap between adjacent blades 46 of the impeller 54 so that re-circulation of the snow is reduced.
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It is to be noted that the impeller assemblies shown in
The description now turns to a method of improving an efficiency of a snow thrower impeller. The method includes the step of providing a multiple-stage snow thrower including the impeller assembly. The impeller assembly includes the impeller housing that defines the interior wall. The impeller assembly also includes the impeller located within the impeller housing. The impeller includes a central axis of rotation and an outer circumference while defining a mounting slot.
The impeller includes a hub located about the central axis of rotation and the impeller blade connected to the hub. The impeller blade extends from the hub toward the outer circumference. The impeller assembly also includes the wiper mounted adjacent the impeller blade. The wiper includes the wiper portion that enables insertion of the wiper portion into the mounting slot without the use of fasteners or tools. The wiper contacts the interior wall of the impeller assembly during rotational operation of the impeller in order to limit the gap between the impeller blade and the interior wall. The method also includes the step of inserting the wiper into the mounting slot by hand and without the use of tools. The method still further includes the step of operating the impeller by providing a rotational force to the impeller, and the wiper maintains contact with the interior wall during impeller rotation.
While this disclosure has been written in conjunction with the specific embodiments described above, it is evident that many alternatives, combinations, modifications and variations are apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the described embodiments of this disclosure, as set forth above are intended to be illustrative only, and not in a limiting sense. Various changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. Combinations of the above embodiments and other embodiments will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon studying the above description and are intended to be embraced therein. Therefore, the scope of the present disclosure is defined by the appended claims, and all devices, processes, and methods that come within the meaning of the claims, either literally or by equivalence, are intended to be embraced therein. Furthermore, to the extent that the term “includes” is used in either the detailed description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising” is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.
This application is a continuation application from U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/544,577, which is incorporated by reference herein, and this application is a National Phase application of PCT/US2016/015111 filed Jan. 27, 2016, which also claims the priority benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/108,116 filed Jan. 27, 2015.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62108116 | Jan 2015 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 15544577 | Jul 2017 | US |
Child | 16358915 | US |