Self-propelled snow remover

• US 20070022637A1
• Filed: 07/26/2006
• Published: 02/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Kawakami, Toshiaki, Wakitani, Tsutomu
• Granted Patent: US 7,681,339 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 37/245
• CPC Class Codes: E01H 5/04 Apparatus propelled by animal or engine power; Apparatus propelled by hand with driven dislodging or conveying levelling elements, conveying pneumatically for the dislodged materialE01H5/10, E01H5/12 take precedence

Abstract

A self-propelled snow remover is disclosed which includes travel units capable of turning and moving straight forward, at least one steering member operable to turn the travel units, a snow-removing implement, a lift drive mechanism and a control unit. The control unit controls the lift drive mechanism such that it lifts the snow-removing implement when the steering member is turned and lowers the snow-removing implement when turning of the steering member is stopped.

Claims

1. A self-propelled snow remover comprising:

travel units capable of turning and moving straight forward;

at least one steering member operable to turn the travel units;

a machine body on which the travel units are mounted;

a snow-removing implement mounted to the machine body in such a manner as to lift, lower and roll;

a lift drive mechanism for lifting and lowering the snow-removing implement; and

a control unit for controlling the lift drive mechanism, wherein

the control unit issues a lift drive instruction to the lift drive mechanism so as to lift the snow-removing implement when a condition in which the steering members are turned is determined to be satisfied, and issues a lowering drive instruction to the lift drive mechanism so as to lower the snow-removing implement when the condition is determined to be no longer satisfied.

2. The snow remover of claim 1, wherein the control unit stores in memory a height position of the snow-removing implement at the time at which the condition is determined to be satisfied, and issues the lowering drive instruction for returning a height position of the snow-removing implement to the stored original height position when the condition is determined to be no longer satisfied.

3. The snow remover of claim 2, further comprising:

a rolling drive mechanism for rolling the snow-removing implement, wherein

the control unit stores in memory a rolling position of the snow-removing implement at the time at which the condition is determined to be satisfied, and issues an adjustment drive instruction to the rolling drive mechanism so as to match tilt of the snow-removing implement to the stored original rolling position when the condition is determined to be no longer satisfied.

4. The snow remover of claim 2, further comprising:

a rolling drive mechanism for rolling the snow-removing implement, wherein

the control unit issues an adjustment drive instruction to the rolling drive mechanism so as to match tilt of the snow-removing implement to a pre-set rolling reference position when the condition is determined to be no longer satisfied.