Field of the invention

The present invention can be applied in general to the technical field of apparata for cleaning roads and surfaces and relates in particular to a snowplow device adapted to be applied as accessory to the power shaft of an engine for removing snow from roads, pavements and surfaces in general.

Background art

Snowplow devices are known, that are composed of a timing case inside which a worm screw or an Archimedean screw is housed, adapted to be rotated for conveying the collected snow towards a predetermined discharge area. In the simplest embodiments, typically with manual handling, the rotation movement of the worm screw is obtained by friction with the ground, while the sump is manually handled and directioned by an operator. More complex arrangements, having more discharging efficiency, instead provide for a plurality of blades connected to an engine to rotate with a high number of revolutions and quickly remove the snow. A similar arrangement is known, from example from JP11256536, wherein a worm screw-type tool is housed in a sump provided with conveying and discharging tubes for the collected snow, in addition to a handle for the easy directioning of the device.

Such arrangements, however, though being highly efficient, are very costly and relatively encumbrant, since the engine cannot be disconnected from the assembly formed of sump and tool, without having first taken care of removing the tool from the sump .

Consequently, the following packaging of the device could be performed only by specialised personnel, making it de facto incapable of being disassembled by the end user.

Moreover, the sump-tool assembly can be applied only to the specific engine for which it has been designed and cannot be applied to other engines equipped as output with a power shaft adapted to be removably connected to the motion- transmitting mechanism of the worm screw.

Summary of the invention

Object of the present invention is overcoming the above-stated inconveniencies, making available a snowplow device that is simple and relatively cheap to manufacture.

A particular object of the present invention is providing a snowplow device that can be applied as accessory in a simple and quick way to the power shaft of an external engine, not necessarily designed for such accessory, such as the power shaft of an engine for a bush-cutter or other motored tool for gardening.

Another object of the invention is providing a snowplow device that is light and easily driven by a user.

Still another object if providing a snowplow device that can be efficiently used on surfaces of any material or slope, and also when frozen snow is present.

Another object of the present invention is providing a snowplow device that has a relatively high capability of removing snow.

Such objects, in addition to other ones that will more clearly appear from the following description, are obtained with a snowplow device adapted to be applied as accessory to the power shaft of an engine, that, according to claim 1, comprises a hollow support frame with at least one opening to collect snow to be plowed and at least one dumping part for the collected snow, at least one blade-type tool rotatably housed in said hollow frame to rotate around a first predetermined axis in order to remove and convey the collected snow towards said at least one dumping part.

The device further comprises motion- transmitting means that can be coupled with the external engine and are operatively coupled with said first rotation axis of said tool in order to rotatingly drag it around said first axis.

According to the invention, the motion transmitting means comprise a connecting element that can be integrally and removably coupled with the power shaft of the engine to be dragged in rotation around a second, predetermined rotation axis and to allow the removable application of the tool to the external engine and the transmission to the engine of the rotation motion of said power shaft. Due to this particular configuration, the device can be manufactured without having already an engine associated therewith.

On the contrary, it can be applied to any engine having a power shaft with an output diameter falling withing a preset range.

In particular, the device can be designed to be coupled with the drive shaft of a bush-cutter or another gardening tool in which the operating accessory is removably applied to the engine. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are defined according to the dependent claims. Brief description of the drawings Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will more clearly appear from the following detailed description of preferred, but not exclusive, embodiments of a snowplow device according to the invention, shown as a non-limiting example with the help of the enclosed tables of drawing in which: - FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a snowplow device according to the invention in a first prefered embodiment and applied to the engine of a bush-cutter;

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the device of Fig. 1 not coupled with the engine; FIG. 3 is a top view of a part of the device of Fig. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a snowplow device according to the invention in a second preferred embodiment thereof.

Detailed description of a preferred embodiment

With reference to the cited figures, a snowplow device, globally designated as 1, can be used on any snow-covered surface, such as asphalt paved roads or bad surface roads, concrete pavements, stairs, gardens, roofs of civil or industrial buildings.

As can be seen in Fig. 1, the device 1 can be applied as accessory to the power shaft 2 of an engine 3, both of the electric and of the explosion types, in particular an engine 3 of a bush-cutter or another motored device for gardening, configured in order to allow removing the working tool from the engine. According to the invention, a snowplow device 1 comprises a hollow support frame 4 with at least one opening 5 to collect snow to be plowed and at least one dumping part 6 for the collected snow.

In particular, the frame 4 can comprise a semicylindrical shell 7 open for its whole length and having a single, substantially cylindrical dumping part 6 made on its side surface.

The device 1 further comprises at least one blade-type tool 8 to remove and convey the collected snow into the shell 7.

The tool 8 will be rotatingly housed in the shell 7 to rotate around a first predetermined axis A and convey snow towards the dumping part 6.

Means 9 are also present for transmitting motion, that can be associated with the external engine 3 and are operatively associated with the first rotation axis X of the tool 8 to drag the tool in rotation around the axis.

According to a peculiar feature of the invention, the motion-transmitting means 9 comprise a connecting element 10 that is adapted to rotate around a second, predetermined rotation axis Y and to be integrally and removably coupled with the power shaft 2 of the external engine 3. In this way, the connecting element 10 can be dragged in rotation around the second rotation axis Y to allow the removable application of the tool 8 to the external engine 3 so that the rotation motion of the power shaft 2 is transmitted thereto. In particular, the motion-transmitting means 9 can comprise a kinematic chain 11 interposed between the connecting element 10 and the tool 8 to connect the first rotation axis X to the second rotation axis Y. The kinematic chain 11 can be composed of one or more transmission elements interposed between the two rotation axes X, Y that can therefore be mutually angled by a predetermined angle α.

As shown in the figures, the first rotation axis X, during use, can be substantially horizontal .

The second rotation axis Y, coinciding with the rotation axis of the power shaft 2, will be substantially orthogonal to the first axis X and slanted with respect to the vertical line with an angle β that can be adjusted by a user.

However, according to alternate embodiments of the device 1 according to the invention, not shown in these figures, the rotation axes X, Y can also be arranged differently.

For example, the first rotation axis X can be substantially vertical, while the second axis Y can be slanted with respect to the first axis by an angle β different from 90°. Advantageously, the coupling between the connecting element 10 and the power shaft 2 of the engine 3 can be obtained through quick-connection means 12 associated with the same element 10.

In this way, the coupling of the device 1 to the power shaft 2 can be obtained by simply engaging the bar of the shaft 2 on the connecting element 10 and by possibly stabilising the coupling by means of a tightening screw or a similar member, not shown. Preferably, the quick-connection means 12 will be defined by a cardan joint 13 with which a transmission shaft 14 can be made integral, such shaft 14 being housed in the frame 4 and rotating around the second axis Y. The transmission shaft 14 will further be operatively coupled with the first axis X through the kinematic chain 11.

However, according to an alternate configuration, not shown, the coupling can be obtained with a flange integral with the interface element 10 and a counterflange, not shown, integral with the free end of the power shaft 2 and adapted to be stably anchored to the flange by means of screw-type members or the like.

Such arrangement, even if provided with lower quickness in coupling the device 1 to the engine 2, will similarly allow the application of the accessory 1 to any external engine, even if it is not necessary that the output diameter of the power shaft coincides with the output diameter of the interface element.

The tool 8 can be formed of a plurality of helical blades, generically designated with 15, that are developed along the first rotation axis X with a preset, substantially constant pitch to define a conveying helix or Archimedean screw.

The blades 15 are integral with the first rotation axis X and shaped as to convey the collected snow inside the frame 4 towards a dumping area 16 previously arranged next to the dumping part 6.

In a first preferred configuration, shown in Fig. 1 to 3, the device 1 will have two substantially identical Archimedean screws 8, 8' rotating on respective first rotation axes X, X ¹ , that are parallel or coinciding, or on a single first axis X.

The Archimedean screws 8, 8' are configured in order to remove snow and convey it, following their rotation, next to a common dumping area 16, preferably arranged in a substantially central position of the frame 4.

The kinematic chain 11 comprises a transmission element 17 composed of a first toothed bevel wheel 18 integral with both first rotation axes X, X' and meshing with a second toothed bevel wheel 19 integral with the second rotation axis Y to define a bevel gear.

The helical collecting blades 15, 15' have respective blade-type peripheral edges 20, 20' to allow using the device 1 efficiently even on frozen snow.

In the configuration of Fig. 4, instead, there is a single conveying Archimedean screw 8 that extends almost for the whole length of the frame 4 and that will be operatively connected to the connecting element 10 through the kinematic chain 11.

The Archimedean screw 8 will be configured to convey the collected snow in a single dumping area 16 laterally placed with respect to the frame 4.

The kinematic chain 11 comprises a transmission element 17 with a bevel gear composed of the second toothed wheel 19 integral with the second rotation axis Y and of the first toothed wheel 18 integral with a transmission shaft 21 substantially parallel with the first rotation axis

X.

The connection between the transmission shaft

21 and the first rotation axis X can be obtained through a transmission belt or chain 22 configured in order to keep a substantially unitary transmission ratio.

It is however clear that the kinematic chain

11 can assume configurations that are also different from the ones shown, depending on the particular arrangement of the rotation axes X, Y and the type and number of tools 8, 8 ¹ , ...

These latter ones, according to a configuration not shown, can also be composed of a simple rotor with vertical blades that radially depart from their own common rotation axis.

Advantageously, the device 1 comprises means

23 for expelling the conveyed snow, arranged in the frame 4 next to the dumping area 6. In particular, the expelling means 23 comprise a rotor 24 composed of a plurality of expelling blades 25 integral with at least one of the first rotation axes X, X ^f in order to rotate integrally with at least one of the tools 8, 8'. In this way, snow conveyed by the Archimedean screws 8, 8' is easily expelled by the expelling blades 25 through the dumping part 6 placed over them.

Next to the dumping part 6, the frame 4 can also be equipped with a piping 26 for directioning the dumped snow in order to send it peripherally to the device 1, avoiding that it accumulates next to areas of the surface to be freed that have already been cleaned. From what has been described above, it is clear that the snowplow device according to the invention obtains its prefixed objects and in particular the object of making a snowplow device that can be coupled as accessory in a quick and removable, but anyway stable way, to the power shaft of an external engine, both of the electric and of the explosion type, such as the shaft of a bush cutter or similar device.

Due to its particular configuration, the device is particularly light and can be esily handled and driven by a user, that can use it even in spaces where access is difficult or on vertical or slanted surfaces.

The device according to the invention is prone to numerous modifications and variations, all falling within the inventive concept expressed in the enclosed claims. All parts can be replaced by other technically equivalent elements, and the materials can be different according to needs, without departing from the scope of the invention.

Although the device has been described with particular reference to the enclosed figures, the reference numbers used in the description and in the claims are used to improve the understanding of the invention and are in no way a limitation of the claimed scope.