Snow groomer
AssigneeRolic Invest S.Ar.L.
InventorMichel Pelletier
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A snow groomer having a frame extending along a longitudinal axis; ten supporting wheels connected to the frame by respective axle shafts to form a row of five supporting wheels on each longitudinal side of the frame, each supporting wheel on one longitudinal side of the frame facing a supporting wheel on the opposite longitudinal side of the frame, so that facing pairs of supporting wheels define a first, second, third, fourth, and fifth axle; two tracks, each looped about the supporting wheels aligned along a respective longitudinal side of the frame; an engine assembly of over 430 HP; and a mass distributed as follows: 16%+/−2% on the first axle; 20%+/−2% on the second axle; 20%+/−2% on the third axle; 22%+/−2% on the fourth axle; and 22%+/−2% on the fifth axle.
Claims11
A snow groomer comprising:
- a frame extending along a longitudinal axis;
- ten supporting wheels connected to the frame by respective axle shafts to form a row of five supporting wheels on each longitudinal side of the frame, each supporting wheel on one longitudinal side of the frame facing a supporting wheel on the opposite longitudinal side of the frame, so that facing pairs of supporting wheels define a first axle, a second axle, a third axle, a fourth axle, and a fifth axle;
- two tracks, each track looped about the supporting wheels aligned along a different one of the respective longitudinal sides of the frame;
- an engine assembly of over 430 horsepower;
- a plurality of sensors, each located at a respective axle shaft to emit a load signal related to a load on the respective axle shaft;
- and
- a control unit configured to receive said load signals and to calculate mass distributions of the snow groomer on the first axle, the second axle, the third axle, the fourth axle, and the fifth axle such that the mass distribution of the snow groomer is as follows:
- (a) 16%+/−2% on the first axle;
- (b) 20%+/−2% on the second axle;
- (c) 20%+/−2% on the third axle;
- (d) 22%+/−2% on the fourth axle;
- and
- (e) 22%+/−2% on the fifth axle.
A snow groomer comprising:
- a frame extending along a longitudinal axis;
- ten supporting wheels connected to the frame by respective axle shafts to form a row of five supporting wheels on each longitudinal side of the frame, each supporting wheel on one longitudinal side of the frame facing a supporting wheel on the opposite longitudinal side of the frame such that facing pairs of supporting wheels define a first axle, a second axle, a third axle, a fourth axle, and a fifth axle;
- two tracks, each track looped about the supporting wheels aligned along a different one of the respective longitudinal sides of the frame;
- an engine assembly of over 430 horsepower;
- a plurality of sensors, each located at a respective axle shaft to emit a load signal related to a load on the respective axle shaft;
- a plurality of powered adjusting devices, each located between a respective axle shaft and the frame to move the respective supporting wheel;
- and
- a control unit configured to receive said load signals and to calculate mass distributions of the snow groomer on the first axle, the second axle, the third axle, the fourth axle, and the fifth axle, wherein the control unit includes:
- a comparing module configured to compare the load on each axle shaft with designated values, and a control module configured to emit control signals to control movements of the powered adjusting devices.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.