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US 12,686,981 B2Granted
High efficiency and high performance multi-stage snow thrower
AssigneeMTD Products Inc
InventorAxel Schaedler
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electric powered snow thrower having high efficiency and high performance is disclosed. The electric powered snow thrower can incorporate an impeller that achieves high throw distances even at significantly lower power than conventional devices. Additionally, aspects of the electric powered snow thrower enable adjustment between different performance and power levels to adjust snow throw distance to optimize performance with power consumption and battery longevity. In some disclosed aspects, the performance level is coupled with a chute deflector height to simplify a selection between low power consumption and short throwing distance and high power consumption and long throwing distance, and all ranges there between.
Claims31
A snow thrower, comprising:
- a drive element configured to move the snow thrower on a surface;
- an auger housing and an auger positioned within the auger housing for moving material within the auger housing toward an output of the auger housing;
- an impeller housing coupled to the auger housing and having an intake through which the material is received at the impeller housing from the output of the auger housing;
- an impeller configured to receive the material at the intake of the impeller housing and expel the material from the impeller housing by way of a chute coupled to the impeller housing, the impeller comprising:
- a blade arm extending from a first end near a center of rotation of the impeller to a second end near a perimeter of the impeller and having a blade arm length and defining a blade arm surface, and
- a wiper positioned adjacent to the blade arm surface and that is movable a predefined distance beyond the blade arm length of the blade arm and in a direction substantially parallel to the blade arm surface;
- a power system comprising:
- an electric motor that generates mechanical power as an output and receives electrical power as an input, and
- a distribution system configured to transfer a portion of the mechanical power to rotate the impeller within the impeller housing to facilitate expelling the material from the impeller housing by way of the chute;
- and
- a boost mode actuator configured to increase a magnitude of the mechanical power generated by the electric motor or configured to increase the portion of the mechanical power transferred by the distribution system to rotate the impeller from an operating mode to a boosted mode in response to actuation of the boost mode actuator, and is further configured to return the magnitude of the mechanical power generated or the portion of the mechanical power transferred to the operating mode from the boosted mode in response to de-actuation of the boost mode actuator.
8 more elements
A snow thrower apparatus, comprising:
- a frame;
- a drive element secured to the frame and supporting the frame above a surface, wherein the drive element is configured to move the snow thrower apparatus with respect to the surface;
- an impeller housing;
- an impeller rotatably disposed within the impeller housing;
- an auger housing adjacent the impeller housing;
- an auger rotatably disposed within the auger housing;
- an electric motor secured to the frame;
- a power source electrically coupled to the electric motor to provide electric power to the electric motor;
- a motor drive powered by an output of the electric motor and mechanically coupled at least to the impeller for rotating the impeller within the impeller housing;
- an impeller controller configured to vary an impeller rotation speed of the impeller within a range defined by a low impeller speed at one end of the range and a high impeller speed at a second end of the range;
- and
- an impeller drive control input device configured to cause the impeller controller to vary the impeller speed between the range defined by the low impeller speed and the high impeller speed, wherein when positioned in the low impeller speed the motor drive has a mechanical rotation per minute (rpm) in a range from about 1000 rpm to about 1400 rpm and when positioned in the high impeller speed the motor drive has a second mechanical rpm in a second range from about 1700 rpm to about 2300 rpm.
9 more elements
A snow thrower apparatus, comprising:
- a drive element supporting the snow thrower apparatus above a surface and configured to move the snow thrower apparatus with respect to the surface;
- an auger housing containing an auger rotatably disposed within the auger housing;
- an impeller housing adjacent the auger housing and containing an impeller rotatably disposed within the impeller housing;
- a chute secured to the impeller housing and having an intake opening in fluid communication with an output of the impeller housing and a chute deflector rotatably secured to an upper portion of the chute between a lowered position and a raised position;
- an electric motor and power source for providing mechanical power to the impeller, the auger, the drive element or a combination thereof;
- an impeller controller configured to vary an impeller rotation speed of the impeller within a range defined by a low impeller speed at one end of the range and a high impeller speed at a second end of the range;
- an impeller drive control input device movable by an operator between a low power position and a high power position and configured to cause the impeller controller to vary the impeller rotation speed between the low impeller speed and the high impeller speed;
- and
- a motor control chute deflector coupling secured to the chute deflector and responsive to the impeller drive control input device, wherein:
- in response to the impeller drive control input device being moved to the low power position the motor control chute deflector coupling is configured to move the chute deflector to the lowered position, and
- in response to the impeller drive control input device being moved to the high power position the motor control chute deflector coupling is configured to move the chute deflector to the raised position.
8 more elements
A snow thrower, comprising:
- a drive element configured to move the snow thrower on a surface;
- an auger housing and an auger positioned within the auger housing for moving material within the auger housing toward an output of the auger housing;
- an impeller housing coupled to the auger housing and having an intake through which the material is received at the impeller housing from the output of the auger housing;
- an impeller configured to receive the material at the intake of the impeller housing and expel the material from the impeller housing by way of a chute coupled to the impeller housing, the impeller comprising:
- a blade arm extending from a first end near a center of rotation of the impeller to a second end near a perimeter of the impeller and having a blade arm length and defining a blade arm surface, and
- a wiper positioned adjacent to the blade arm surface and that is movable a predefined distance beyond the blade arm length of the blade arm and in a direction substantially parallel to the blade arm surface;
- a power system comprising:
- an electric motor that generates mechanical power as an output and receives electrical power as an input, and
- a distribution system configured to transfer a portion of the mechanical power to rotate the impeller within the impeller housing to facilitate expelling the material from the impeller housing by way of the chute, wherein:
- the distribution system transfers a second portion of the mechanical power to rotate the auger within the auger housing, and
- the distribution system includes a mechanical drive exchange configured to rotate the impeller a first number, x, of rotations for each second number, n, of rotations of the auger, wherein x is selected from a range of about five to seven and n is one.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.