Excavating – Snow or ice removing or grooming by portable device – Motorized rotary excavating tool
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-07
2001-12-11
Batson, Victor (Department: 3671)
Excavating
Snow or ice removing or grooming by portable device
Motorized rotary excavating tool
Reexamination Certificate
active
06327799
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improvement in a snow-removing machine comprising a machine body having a snow-removing section mounted at a front portion thereof, a steering handlebar mounted at a rear portion thereof and a power unit mounted at an intermediate portion thereof. A drive section has driven wheels driven by a wheel driving shaft of the power unit and can be turned relative to the machine body about the wheel driving shaft. An expandable and contractible regulating mechanism is coupled between the machine body and the drive section and is capable of regulating the level of the snow-removing section relative to the drive section. The expandable and contractible regulating mechanism is comprised of a cylinder connected to one of the machine body and the drive section, a piston which is slidably received in the cylinder and which divides the inside of the cylinder into a first chamber and a second chamber, a piston rod which is coupled to the piston, passes through the second chamber and is connected to the other of the machine body and the drive section, a communication passage permitting the communication between the first and second chambers, and an on-off valve capable of opening and closing the communication passage as desired.
2 Description of the Prior Art
A snow-removing machine is already known, for example, as disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Registration Publication No. 61-23059.
In such known snow-removing machine, oil is filled in first and second chambers in an expandable and contractible regulating mechanism to flow through a communication passage. To regulate the level of the snow-removing section, an on-off valve is opened, thereby permitting the oil to flow between the first and second chambers to expand or contract the expandable and contractible regulating mechanism. After the regulation of the level of the snow-removing section, the on-off valve is closed to inhibit the flow of oil, thereby hydraulically locking the expandable and contractible regulating mechanism.
However, when the expandable and contractible regulating mechanism is locked hydraulically, the machine body and the drive section are brought into rigidly connected states, whereby a vertical vibration applied to the drive section is transmitted directly to the steering handlebar grasped by an operator during the removal of snow. This causes fatigue of the operator to be hastened.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a snow-removing machine, wherein the vibration applied to the drive section can be absorbed utilizing the expandable and contractible regulating mechanism for regulating the level of the snow-removing section during removal of snow, thereby easily alleviating the fatigue of the operator.
To achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a snow-removing machine comprising a machine body having a snow-removing section mounted at a front portion thereof, a steering handlebar mounted at a rear portion thereof and a power unit mounted at an intermediate portion thereof. A drive section has driven wheels driven by a wheel driving shaft of the power unit and can be turned relative to the machine body about the wheel driving shaft, and an expandable and contractible regulating mechanism is coupled between the machine body and the drive section and is capable of regulating the level of the snow-removing section relative to the drive section. The expandable and contractible regulating mechanism is comprised of a cylinder connected to one of the machine body and the drive section, a piston slidably received in the cylinder which divides the inside of the cylinder into a first chamber and a second chamber, a piston rod coupled to the piston, passing through the second chamber and connected to the other of the machine body and the drive section, a communication passage permitting the communication between the first and second chambers, and an on-off valve capable of opening and closing the communication passage as desired, wherein a first end face of the piston facing the first chamber is wider than a second end face of the piston facing the second chamber. A high-pressure gas is filled in the first and second chambers, such that the high-pressure gas is permitted to flow through the communication passage upon opening of the on-off valve to enable the expansion and contraction of the cylinder and the piston rod relative to each other, and the flow of the high-pressure gas through the communication passage is inhibited upon closing of the on-off valve, whereby the expansion and compression of the high-pressure gas in the first and second chambers are permitted.
With this first feature of the present invention, when the on-off valve is opened, the flow of high-pressure gas between the fist and second chambers is permitted. Therefore, the machine body can be turned about the wheel driving shaft, while expanding and contracting the cylinder and the piston rod relative to each other, thereby regulating the level of the snow-removing section. When the on-off valve is closed after the regulation, the flow of high-pressure gas between the fist and second chambers is inhibited and hence, the snow-removing section is maintained at a given level. Moreover, the high-pressure gas in the first and second chambers, which are isolated from each other, is capable of being expanded and compressed and hence, when a vertical vibration is applied to the drive section during a snow-removing operation, the high-pressure gas in the first and second chambers can be expanded and compressed to moderately expand and contract the cylinder and the piston rod relative to each other, i.e., exhibit a damper function to absorb the vibration, thereby reducing the transmission of the vibration to the steering handlebar to alleviate the fatigue of the operator. Therefore, an exclusive damper for absorbing the vibration is not required, which contributes to the simplification of the structure.
According to a second aspect and feature of the present invention, in addition to the first feature of the invention, the center of gravity of the machine body is located to the rear of the wheel driving shaft, and the expandable and contractible regulating mechanism is coupled between the machine body and the drive section at a position rearwardly of the wheel driving shaft, such that a moment provided around the wheel driving shaft by the weight of the machine body is substantially balanced with a moment provided around the wheel driving shaft of the machine body due to the difference between thrusts exerted to the first and second end faces by the high-pressure gas.
With the second feature, when the on-off valve is opened, the machine body can be turned by a relatively small lifting and lowering force applied to the steering handlebar under the substantial balance of the two moments applied to the machine body, thereby easily regulating the level of the snow-removing section.
According to a third aspect and feature of the present invention, in addition to the first or second feature, the expandable and contractible regulating mechanism is positioned, such that the second chamber is located below the first chamber, and the cylinder includes a slide bearing and an oil seal which are provided at a lower end thereof, and through which the piston rod is slidably passed, oil being stored in a bottom of the second chamber with its surface being in contact with the high-pressure gas.
With the third feature, it is possible to lubricate the slide bearing and the oil seal by the oil stored in the bottom of the second chamber to smooth the operation of the piston rod, and to effectively inhibit the leakage of the high-pressure gas from the slide bearing and the oil seal. Therefore, it is possible to maintain the expanding function and the damper function of the expandable and contractible regulating mechanism over a long period.
According to a fourth aspect and feature of the present invention,
Hanafusa Jitsumi
Ito Tomoki
Sakai Seishu
Yamamoto Masayuki
Yamamoto Takahiro
Arent Fox Kintner & Plotkin & Kahn, PLLC
Batson Victor
Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
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