US 2001/0043862 A1Published application

Rotary valve to feed artificial snow at constant rate

AssigneeKoyo Industry Co., Ltd.

InventorTakamasa Fujiwara

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Abstract

An apparatus preventing adhesion, growth and freezing of ice pieces, which tend to happen with quality artificial snow such as fine flake snow and powder snow. The rotary valve 1 to feed artificial snow at a constant rate includes: impeller rotary shaft 3 which is placed in cylindrical casing 2 along the length direction of the cylinder; a plurality of impellers 4 which are arranged around impeller rotary shaft 3 at an equal distance from each other in the radial direction; opening 25 for loading of artificial snow which connects the top portion of a wall of cylindrical casing 2 with the top portion of a housing; opening 7 for receiving compressed air which is formed on casing side wall 6 to receive said compressed air from a blower; and an exit 10 for artificial snow formed at the other casing side wall 9 to blow out artificial snow, cut in a given amount, with compressed air. The impeller 4 is connected with the adjacent impeller at its end contacting impeller rotary shaft 3 by a smooth surface of arched plate 14 having arc 15. The opening 7 for loading of artificial snow on casing side wall 6 and the exit 10 for artificial snow on the other casing side wall 9 are arranged across from each other in arc 15 between impellers 4.

Claims7

Dependent claims

A rotary valve to feed artificial snow at a constant rate comprising:

a cylindrical casing;
an impeller rotary shaft which is placed in said cylindrical casing along the length direction of the cylinder;
a plurality of impellers which are arranged around said impeller rotary shaft at an equal distance from each other in the radial direction;
a housing which supports said cylindrical casing therein;
an opening for loading of artificial snow, which connects the top portion of a wall of said cylindrical casing with the top portion of said housing;
an opening for receiving compressed air, which is formed on the side wall of said casing at one end of said impeller rotary shaft to receive said compressed air from a blower;
and
an exit for artificial snow, which is formed on the other end of said casing wall to blow out artificial snow cut in a given amount with compressed air,
wherein the diameter of said impeller rotary shaft is established to be about one half of the diameter of said cylindrical casing,
wherein said impeller is connected with the adjacent impeller at its end contacting said impeller rotary shaft by a smooth surface of an arched plate having an arc;
and
wherein said opening for receiving compressed air on one end of the side wall of said casing and said exit for artificial snow on the other end of the side wall of said casing are arranged across from each other in said arc between said impellers.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/835,624Filed 17 Apr 2001
Priority: JP 2000-14538117 May 2000
Published: 22 Nov 2001
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

F25C 3/04
Processes or apparatus specially adapted for producing ice or snow for winter sports or similar recreational purposes, e.g. for sporting…: for…
B65G 53/4633
With axis of turning perpendicular to flow: the element having pockets, rotated from charging position to discharging position, i.e. discrete flow
F25C 2400/02
Auxiliary features or devices for producing, working or handling ice: freezing surface state
F25C
Producing, working or handling ice