Snow removing machine

• US 6,742,290 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2002
• Issued: 06/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Hanafusa, Jitsumi
• Primary Examiner(s): PEZZUTO, ROBERT ERIC
• Application Number:
  US10/124,351
• Publication Number:
  US 20020152646A1
• Time in Patent Office: 777 Days
• Field of Search: 180/53.7, 180/233, 180/257, 372/48, 372/44, 372/52, 372/56
• US Class Current: 37/248
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 27/112 with flat friction surfaces, e.g. discs

Abstract

A snow removing machine having an electromagnetic clutch mounted to an output shaft of an engine, and a drive pulley. The electromagnetic clutch is mounted to a proximal end of the output shaft to be remotely separate from the engine. As a result, heat generated in the engine during operation thereof is not directly transferred to the electromagnet clutch whose magnetic force generated during operation is not deteriorated. The drive pulley is mounted to the output shaft at an area closer to the engine. The drive pulley has a lower weight than the electromagnet clutch, thereby mitigating load to be exerted to a part which supports the output shaft.

Claims

1. A snow removing machine comprising:

a prime mover having an output shaft for outputting power from the prime mover, the output shaft having a proximal end portion close to a body of the prime mover and a distal end portion remote from the body of the prime mover;

a snow-removing work section, having a rotary shaft driven by power from the output shaft of the prime mover to perform snow-removing work;

a drive pulley rotatably mounted on the proximal end portion of the output shaft for free rotational movement relative to the output shaft;

a driven pulley fixedly connected to the rotary shaft of the snow-removing work section;

a transmission belt extending between the drive pulley and the driven pulley; and

an electromagnetic clutch mounted on the distal end portion of the output shaft with the drive pulley disposed between the electromagnetic clutch and the body of the prime mover, the electromagnetic clutch being operative to connect or disconnect the output shaft and the drive pulley for selectively effecting or blocking power transmission between the output shaft and the drive pulley.

2. A snow removing machine according to claim 1;

wherein the electromagnetic clutch comprises a main member coupled to the output shaft for joint rotation with the output shaft, a submember connected to the drive pulley and disposed in opposed relation to the main member, a yoke disposed on the opposite side of the main member with respect to the submember and rotatably mounted on a part of the main member for free rotational movement relative to the main member, and an excitation coil mounted on the yoke for causing the submember to be attracted against the main member upon energization of the excitation coil so that rotational power of the output shaft of the prime mover is transmitted from the main member via the submember to the drive pulley.

3. A snow removing machine according to claim 2;

further comprising preventing means for preventing the yoke from rotating in unison with the main member, the preventing means comprising a detent member projecting from the yoke in a direction parallel to an axis of the output shaft, a resilient member mounted on the detent member, and an anchoring member fixed in position and engaged with the resilient member to anchor the detent member in position against movement relative to the anchoring member.

4. A snow removing machine according to claim 3;

wherein the anchoring member includes a support bracket having a pair of confronting support walls, and the resilient member is held between the support walls of the support bracket.

5. A snow removing machine according to claim 3, wherein the anchoring member includes a support bracket having a cylindrical holder portion, and the resilient member has a cylindrical shape and is fitted in the cylindrical holder portion of the support bracket.

6. A snow removing machine according to claim 5, wherein the cylindrical resilient member is comprised of an inner peripheral portion forming an inner periphery of the cylindrical resilient member, an outer peripheral portion forming an outer periphery of the cylindrical resilient member, and an intermediate portion disposed between the inner peripheral portion and the outer peripheral portion and forming a body part of the cylindrical resilient member, the inner and outer peripheral portions having a higher hardness than the intermediate portion.

7. A snow removing machine comprising:

a prime mover having an output shaft for outputting rotary power from the prime mover, the output shaft having a proximal end portion proximate to a body of the prime mover and a distal end portion remote from the body of the prime mover;

a snow-removing section having a rotary shaft for performing snow removal in response to rotation of the rotary shaft;

a drive pulley rotatably mounted on the output shaft;

a driven pulley fixedly connected to the rotary shaft;

at least one transmission belt extending around the drive and driven pulleys for transmitting rotary power from the drive pulley to the driven pulley to thereby rotationally drive the rotary shaft; and

an electromagnetic clutch mounted on the distal end portion of the output shaft with the drive pulley disposed between the electromagnetic clutch and the body of the prime mover, the electromagnetic clutch being switchable between a clutching state for connecting the drive pulley to the output shaft for rotation therewith and a non-clutching state for disconnecting the drive pulley from the output shaft.

8. A snow removing machine according to claim 7;

including another drive pulley fixedly connected to the output shaft for rotation therewith for rotationally driving an accessory of the prime mover, the another drive pulley being disposed between the first-mentioned drive pulley and the body of the prime mover.

9. A snow removing machine according to claim 7;

wherein the electromagnetic clutch comprises a main member connected to the output shaft for rotation therewith, a submember connected to the drive pulley for rotation therewith, the submember being disposed in opposed confronting relation with respect to the main member and being movable into and out of engagement with the main member to define the clutching and non-clutching states, a yoke rotatably mounted on the main member for free rotational movement relative thereto, and an energizeable excitation coil carried by the yoke and switchable between an energized state to effect movement of the submember into engagement with the main member and a deenergized state to enable movement of the submember out of engagement with the main member.

10. A snow removing machine according to claim 9;

further including a detent member connected to and projecting outwardly from the yoke;

a resilient member connected to the detent member; and

an anchoring member fixedly mounted on a frame portion of the snow removing machine, the anchoring member having two spaced-apart opposed wall portions with the detent member disposed therebetween such that the resilient member engages the opposed wall portions thereby preventing the yoke from rotating together with the main member.

11. A snow removing machine according to claim 10;

wherein the resilient member has a cylindrical shape and is comprised of an inner peripheral portion forming an inner periphery of the cylindrical resilient member, an outer peripheral portion forming an outer periphery of the cylindrical resilient member, and an intermediate portion disposed between the inner peripheral portion and the outer peripheral portion and forming a body part of the cylindrical resilient member, the inner and outer peripheral portions having a higher hardness than the intermediate portion.

12. A snow removing machine according to claim 11;

wherein the anchoring member includes a holder portion having a cylindrical opening defined by a cylindrical inner surface, the detent member being disposed in the cylindrical opening, and diametrically opposed portions of the cylindrical inner surface constituting the two spaced-apart opposed wall portions of the anchoring member.