JP2003336235A - Snowplow - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To bring a clutch for traveling into an on-state, only when the on- operations of a plurality of levers are intentionally performed, each time a snowplow is made to travel. <P>SOLUTION: In this snowplow 10, a snowplow body is equipped with a power source, a traveling body and an auger; the clutch for the traveling is provided in a traveling power transmission mechanism for transmitting power to the traveling body from the power source; and a traveling clutch lever 91 for the on-off operation of the clutch for the traveling is provided. Furthermore, the snowplow 10 is equipped with: a lever fixing mechanism 150 for fixing the clutch lever 91 in an arbitrary position; a lever returning mechanism 170 for forcedly returning the clutch lever 91 to an off-position when the mechanism 150 is in an unoperated state; and an auxiliary lever 110 which puts the mechanism 150 into an operated state by being held by an operator, and puts the mechanism 150 into the unoperated state when the holding of the auxiliary lever 110 is released. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a snow blower of a self-propelled type having a traveling body such as a crawler and an auger for removing snow.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As this type of snow remover, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 63-223207, "Small Snow Remover" (hereinafter referred to as "prior art") is known. The outline of the above-mentioned conventional technique will be described below.

FIG. 20 is a schematic view of a conventional snow remover, and FIG. 7 of JP-A-63-223207 is reproduced again. The reference numerals were reassigned. In the conventional snow remover 300, the power of the engine 301 is passed through the belt-type traveling power transmission mechanism 302, the traveling clutch 303, and the transmission 304 to the traveling body 30.
5 is transmitted to the drive sprockets 306, 306, and the power of the engine 301 is transmitted to the auger 314 and the blower 315 via the belt-type auger power transmission mechanism 311, the auger clutch 312, and the rotating shaft 313.

By operating the shift lever 321 from the neutral position to an arbitrary shift position, the transmission 304 can be shifted. The traveling clutch 303 is on only when the condition that the shift lever 321 is in the shift position and the condition that the traveling lever 322 is in the on position are achieved, that is, when the traveling clutch on condition is satisfied, The power of the engine 301 can be transmitted to the traveling body 305. On the other hand, only when the clutch lever 323 is in the on position, the auger clutch 312 is on, and the power of the engine 301 can be transmitted to the auger 314 and the blower 315.

[0005]

In the above conventional technique, the traveling lever 322 is switched to the off position when the operator releases the traveling lever 322, so that the traveling clutch 303 can be turned off. In this case, the shift lever 321 remains in the shift position. After that, the operator grips the traveling lever 322 again, so that the traveling lever 3
22 switches to the on position. As a result, the traveling clutch on condition is satisfied, so that the traveling clutch 303
Will turn on again.

As described above, even if the shift lever 321 is not returned to the neutral position, the travel lever 322 can be returned to the off position and the travel clutch 303 can be turned off simply by releasing the hand from the travel lever 322. Therefore, the snow blower 3
This is convenient when the travel of 00 is to be stopped urgently.

However, after the emergency stop, the traveling lever 3
When only 22 is gripped, the traveling clutch 303 is turned on. It is not preferable that the snow blower 300 starts traveling only by gripping the traveling lever 322. Therefore, the snow blower 3
When 00 is stopped suddenly, after the shift lever 321 is once returned to the neutral position, the traveling lever 322 is gripped again and the shift lever 321 is re-operated to an arbitrary gear shift position to start traveling of the snow blower 300. I am trying. This is tedious to operate.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of turning on the traveling clutch only when the plurality of levers are intentionally turned on each time the snow blower is run.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above object, a traveling power transmission mechanism for transmitting power from the power source to the traveling body is provided for traveling, and the vehicle body is provided with a power source, a traveling body and an auger. In a snow remover equipped with a clutch and equipped with a traveling clutch lever for operating the traveling clutch on and off, the snow removal machine is provided with a lever fixing mechanism for fixing the traveling clutch lever at an arbitrary position. It is equipped with a lever return mechanism that forcibly returns the traveling clutch lever to the off position when it is in the inoperative state, and
It is characterized in that the operator is provided with an auxiliary lever which, when gripped by an operator, brings the lever fixing mechanism into an activated state and when the operator releases the grip, the lever fixing mechanism is deactivated.

When the operator grips the auxiliary lever (that is, turns it on) to activate the lever fixing mechanism,
The traveling clutch lever can be fixed at any position. As a result, the traveling clutch can be maintained in the on state. After that, the worker releases the auxiliary lever (that is, performs the OFF operation) to bring the lever fixing mechanism into the inoperative state, whereby the traveling clutch lever can be released from the fixed state. Therefore, by forcibly returning the traveling clutch lever to the off position by the lever return mechanism, the traveling clutch can be turned off.

Therefore, each time the snow blower is run, the running clutch can be turned on only when the running clutch lever and the auxiliary lever are intentionally turned on. Therefore, when the auxiliary lever is gripped, there is no fear that the traveling clutch is turned on against the intention.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the machine body is provided with a power source, a traveling body, and an auger, and a traveling power transmission mechanism for transmitting power from the power source to the traveling body is provided with a traveling clutch. In a snow remover that is turned on and off, the operation handle is extended rearward from the machine body, and the operation handle is operated while the worker walks, the snow removal machine uses the traveling clutch lever at an arbitrary position. A lever fixing mechanism for fixing the lever is provided, and a lever returning mechanism for forcibly returning the traveling clutch lever to the off position when the lever fixing mechanism is in an inoperative state is provided. It is equipped with an auxiliary lever that turns the lever fixing mechanism into the non-operating state via the connecting mechanism when the grip is released and moves forward when it hits an object behind the aircraft. The rear object detection member that deactivates the lever fixing mechanism via the connection mechanism is provided at the rear end of the machine body, and the connection mechanism is provided with the interference prevention mechanism that prevents interference between the rear object detection member and the auxiliary lever. Thus, when the rear object detecting member hits a rear object and moves forward, the traveling clutch lever is returned to the off side via the lever returning mechanism without affecting the auxiliary lever.

An operator grips the auxiliary lever (that is, turns it on) to activate the lever fixing mechanism via the connecting mechanism, whereby the traveling clutch lever can be fixed at an arbitrary position. As a result, the traveling clutch can be maintained in the on state. After that, the worker releases the auxiliary lever (that is, performs the OFF operation) to bring the lever fixing mechanism into the inoperative state, whereby the traveling clutch lever can be released from the fixed state. Therefore, by forcibly returning the traveling clutch lever to the off position by the lever return mechanism, the traveling clutch can be turned off.

Therefore, every time the snow blower is run, the running clutch can be turned on only when the running clutch lever and the auxiliary lever are intentionally turned on. Therefore, when the auxiliary lever is gripped, there is no fear that the traveling clutch is turned on against the intention.

Furthermore, when the snow removal machine is moved backward, the rear object detection member hits an object at the rear of the machine body and moves forward, whereby the lever fixing mechanism can be deactivated through the connecting mechanism. By disengaging the lever fixing mechanism, the traveling clutch lever can be released from the fixed state. Therefore, the lever return mechanism
By forcibly returning the traveling clutch lever to the off position,
The traveling clutch can be turned off. As a result, when the snow removal machine comes in contact with an object behind the vehicle body while the vehicle is moving backward, the traveling clutch can be promptly turned off to stop the snow removal machine. Therefore, it is possible to further protect the object behind the fuselage and the snow blower itself when the snow blower goes backward.

Moreover, since the coupling mechanism is provided with the interference preventing mechanism for preventing the rear object detecting member and the auxiliary lever from interfering with each other, when the rear object detecting member hits the rear object and moves forward, the auxiliary lever is affected. It has no effect.

[0017]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, "before", "after",
“Left”, “right”, “upper”, and “lower” follow the direction viewed from the operator, Fr indicates the front side, Rr indicates the rear side, L indicates the left side, and R indicates the right side. Further, the drawings are to be viewed in the direction of reference numerals.

FIG. 1 is a left side view of a snow remover according to the present invention. The snow remover 10 is a crawler type work in which a machine body 11 is provided with an engine 14 as a power source, a traveling body 20, an auger 31 and a blower 32. It is a machine. The machine body 11 includes a traveling frame 12 and a machine frame 13 connected to an upper rear portion of the traveling frame 12 so as to be vertically swingable.

The traveling frame 12 includes a transmission (second traveling clutch) 54 and a traveling body 20. Traveling body 20
Is the front idler wheel 21, and the three lower roller wheels 22, 2
3, 24, rear drive wheel 25, drive wheel 25 and idler wheel 21
It is composed of a crawler belt 26 hung on and.

The machine base frame 13 includes an engine 14, an auger 31, a blower 32, a snow removing section housing 33, and a shooter 34. The auger 31 collects snow on the road in the center and sends it to the blower 32.
You can project snow through 4.

Further, the snow remover 10 is provided with an operation panel 41 at the upper rear portion of the machine base frame 13, and an operation handle 42 is extended rearward from the machine base frame 13 so that a worker can operate the operation handle 42 while walking. It is a self-propelled walk-behind snowplow designed to do so. In the figure, 43 is a cover and 44 is an auger height adjusting cylinder.

FIG. 2 is a drive system diagram of the snow blower according to the present invention.
0 (see FIG. 1) for driving power transmission mechanism 5
1 and an auger power transmission mechanism 71 for transmitting power from the engine 14 to the auger 31 and the blower 32 via the auger transmission shaft 35.

The traveling power transmission mechanism 51 is provided with a belt type transmission mechanism 52, a first traveling clutch 53 and a second traveling clutch 54. The belt type transmission mechanism 52 is
Drive pulley 61 mounted on the output shaft 14a of the engine 14
And a driven pulley 62 attached to the input shaft 55 of the second traveling clutch 54, and a belt 63 hung between these pulleys 61, 62.

The first traveling clutch 53 transmits power by pressing the tension roller 66 against the belt 63 wound around the pair of pulleys 61 and 62 to stretch it, and returns the tension roller 66 to loosen the belt 63. It consists of a belt tension mechanism that does not transmit power.

The second traveling clutch 54 is composed of a continuously variable transmission, and in response to the engine power taken from the input shaft 55, a neutral position where the rotation of the output shaft 56 is stopped and the output shaft 56 is normally rotated in a continuously variable manner. The shift control can be performed between a forward rotation shift zone in which the output shaft 56 is shifted in the forward direction and a reverse rotation shift zone in which the output shaft 56 is continuously changed in the reverse rotation. At the neutral position, the state is the same as when the clutch is off, and in the forward rotation speed change zone and the reverse rotation speed change zone, the state is the same as when the clutch is on. As described above, since the continuously variable transmission having the neutral position for stopping the rotation of the output shaft 56 is adopted, it is referred to as the traveling clutch 54 in the present invention. As such a continuously variable transmission, for example, there is a known hydrostatic continuously variable transmission. The output shaft 56 is a drive shaft that transmits power to the drive wheels 25 (see FIG. 1).

By the traveling clutch lever 91, the rod 1
By swinging the gear shift operation arm 57 of the second traveling clutch 54 via 44, the second traveling clutch 54 can be operated for clutch on / off and gear shifting.

The auger power transmission mechanism 71 is provided with a belt type transmission mechanism 72 and an auger clutch 73.

The belt type transmission mechanism 72 includes a drive pulley 81 attached to the output shaft 14a of the engine 14, a driven pulley 82 attached to the auger transmission shaft 35, and a belt 83 hung between the pulleys 81 and 82. Consists of. With the auger clutch lever 92, the auger clutch 73 can be turned on and off via the wire cable 194.

By the way, the snow blower 10 has an auxiliary lever 110.
And a rear object detection member 120. Auxiliary lever 110
Is an operation member for operating the position of the traveling clutch lever 91 and the position of the auger clutch lever 92. Further, the auxiliary lever 110 is connected to the first lever via the wire cable 69.
The traveling clutch 53 can be turned on and off. The rear object detection member 120 is a control member that controls the position of the traveling clutch lever 91.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the operation panel according to the present invention, in which the auger clutch lever 92 is arranged at the right end of the operation panel 41 seen from the upper rear side so as to be swingable back and forth.
The traveling clutch lever 91 is arranged so as to be able to swing forward and backward, and the shooter direction operating lever 93, the snow removal portion housing attitude operating lever 94, the left side clutch lever 95 for left turn traveling, the right side clutch lever 96 for right turn traveling, and various other types. The lamps 97, 98, and 99 are arranged. The snow removal machine 10 can be moved forward by tilting the traveling clutch lever 91 forward, and can be moved backward by tilting backward. By tilting the auger clutch lever 92 forward,
The auger clutch can be turned on.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the operation handle, the traveling clutch lever, the auger clutch lever, the auxiliary lever and the rear object detecting member according to the present invention. Operation handle 42
Is the left and right handle portions 101, 101 extending rearward from the machine frame 13 (see FIG. 1) and the grip 102 hung between the rear ends of these handle portions 101, 101.
And a U-shaped member in plan view. The left and right handle parts 101, 101 include flat plate-shaped brackets 103, 103 extending downward from the base part.

The auxiliary lever 110 is a U-shaped lever in plan view provided above the operation handle 42 and substantially along the operation handle 42. To be more specific, the auxiliary lever 110 is mounted on the left and right brackets 103, 103 by the support shaft 1.
Left and right flat plate-shaped base end portions 112 and 112 mounted rotatably back and forth with 11, 111, left and right handle portions 113 and 113 extending rearward and upward from the base end portions 112 and 112, and these handle portion 113, The grip 114 is provided between the rear ends of the grips 113. Such an auxiliary lever 1
10 can swing up and down so that the grips 102 and 114 approach and separate from each other.

The left base end 112 is a wire cable 69.
The end of is attached. The operation of the right base end portion 112 and the operation of the right parallel link mechanism 130 described later can be transmitted to the traveling clutch lever 91 via the intermediate shaft 163. The intermediate shaft 163 extends in parallel with the grip 114, and is attached to the machine frame 13 via the bracket 13a.
The rotating shaft is rotatably supported (see FIG. 1). Further, the operation of the right base end portion 112 can be transmitted to the auger clutch lever 92 via a connecting link 211 described later.

The rear object detecting member 120 is the operation handle 4
It is a U-shaped member in a plan view, which is provided below 2 and substantially along the operation handle 42. Specifically, the rear object detection member 1
Reference numeral 20 denotes left and right flat plate-shaped arm portions 121, 121 attached to the lower portions of the left and right brackets 103, 103 so as to be movable back and forth via parallel link mechanisms 130, 130, respectively.
And a horizontal bar 122 extending between the rear ends of the arms 121, 121 extending rearward. In this way, the rear object detection member 120 that can move in the front-rear direction can be provided at the rear end of the machine body 11 (see FIG. 1).

The left and right parallel link mechanisms 130, 130 are
Since the rear links 134, 134 are connected by the connecting bar 137, they can operate smoothly without being twisted with each other.

FIG. 5 is a left side view around the operation handle, the traveling clutch lever, the auxiliary lever and the rear object detecting member according to the present invention. In this figure, a first lever fixing mechanism 150 for fixing the traveling clutch lever 91 to an arbitrary position on the snow remover 10, and a connecting mechanism 16 for connecting the first lever fixing mechanism 150 to the snow removing machine 10.
When the auxiliary lever 110, which is operated to the operating state or the non-operating state via 0, and the first lever fixing mechanism 150 are in the non-operating state, the traveling lever lever 91 is forcibly returned to the off position. 1 lever fixing mechanism 1
The rear object detection member 120 for deactivating 50 via the coupling mechanism 160, and the interference prevention mechanism 181, 1 for preventing interference between the rear object detection member 120 and the auxiliary lever 110.
82 is provided. Interference prevention mechanism 181,182
Will be provided in the connecting mechanism 160. Reference numeral 116 is a stopper for the auxiliary lever.

FIG. 6 shows a traveling clutch lever according to the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a first lever fixing mechanism and a first lever returning mechanism, showing a traveling clutch lever 91 and a first lever fixing mechanism 1.
It is shown that the traveling clutch lever mechanism 140 is formed by combining 50 and the first lever return mechanism 170.

In the traveling clutch lever mechanism 140, a lever shaft 142 is rotatably attached to the operation panel 41 via a bearing 141, and the traveling clutch lever 91 is attached to the lever shaft 142.
Attach the operating arm 143 to the traveling clutch lever 91.
Is provided, the rod 144 is connected to the operation arm 143, and the brake drum 157 of the first lever fixing mechanism 150 and the cam 171 of the first lever returning mechanism 170 are attached to the lever shaft 142. First lever fixing mechanism 1
Reference numeral 50 denotes a brake mechanism in which the fixed plate 151 that covers the brake drum 157 is attached to the operation panel 41, and the fixed plate 151 supports the brake operating shaft 155.

FIGS. 7 (a) and 7 (b) are configuration diagrams of the traveling clutch lever, the first lever fixing mechanism and the first lever returning mechanism according to the present invention, and the first lever fixing mechanism 150 shown in FIG. 7 (a). It is shown in association with the first lever return mechanism 170 shown in (b).

The first lever fixing mechanism 150 (a) is a diameter-expanding drum brake, and includes brake shoes 153 and 153 attached to the fixed plate 151 with anchor pins 152, and a cam 154 for expanding the diameter of the brake shoes 153 and 153. ,
Brake actuating shaft 155 integrated with cam 154 (see FIG. 6)
And a brake operating arm 156 for rotating the brake operating shaft 155, a brake drum 157 surrounding the brake shoes 153, 153, and return springs 158, 158 for reducing the diameter of the brake shoes 153, 153.

By expanding the diameter of the brake shoes 153, 153 by the brake operating arm 156, the braking action can be exerted by the frictional force between the brake shoes 153, 153 and the brake drum 157. By fixing the lever shaft 142 at an arbitrary position in this manner, the traveling clutch lever 91 of (b) can be fixed at an arbitrary position.

The first lever return mechanism 170 of (b) is a fan 171 having a fan-like shape in side view, a roller 173 contacting a cam surface 172 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cam 171, and a roller 173 rotatably. Slender swing arm 17 to attach
4, a support shaft 175 for attaching the swing arm 174 to the operation panel 41 (see FIG. 6) so that the swing arm 174 can swing toward and away from the cam surface 172, and a roller 173 on the cam surface 172.
And a return spring (tensile spring) 176 that elastically swings the swing arm 174 in the direction of contacting the.

The cam surface 172 has a first cam surface 177 having a V-shape when viewed from the side, which is locked by the circular roller 173, and a position P offset from the lever shaft 142 on the side opposite to the first cam surface 177. The second cam surface 178 has a circular arc shape as the center. The radius r1 of the arc of the second cam surface 178 is the same as or substantially the same as the radius r2 of the arc Q about the lever shaft 142. By doing so, the second cam surface 178
Can be an inclined surface having a downward slope toward the first cam surface 177.

The first cam surface 17 at the center of the cam 171
By locking the roller 173 to 7, the off position (that is, the neutral position) of the traveling clutch lever 91 can be set. On the other hand, when the cam 171 swings,
That is, when the roller 173 is mounted on the second cam surface 178 having a downward slope toward the first cam surface 177, the roller 173 elastically repelled by the return spring 176 moves the second cam surface 178 to the lever shaft 142 side. By pushing to, the cam 171 can be forcibly returned to the neutral position of (b).

As is clear from the above description, the traveling clutch lever 91 can be forcibly returned to the off position when the first lever fixing mechanism 150 is in the non-braking state, that is, in the non-operating state.

Now, returning to FIG. 5, the description will be continued. The connecting mechanism 160 includes a first arm 162 connected to the right base end portion 112 of the auxiliary lever 110 via a first tension spring 161, and an intermediate shaft 163 to which the first arm 162 is attached.
A second arm 164 attached to the intermediate shaft 163, and a second arm
The arm 164 includes a second tension spring 165 that connects the brake operating arm 156.

The parallel link mechanism 130 includes the bracket 10
Two links (front link 133 and rear link 134) attached to the lower part of 3 by front connecting pins 131 and 132 so as to swing forward and backward, and a rear object detection at the lower end of the front link 133 and the lower end of the rear link 134. It is composed of lower connecting pins 135 and 136 connecting the member 120. The front link 133 and the rear link 134 have the same size and are combined in parallel.

The front link 133 in the right parallel link mechanism 130 has an upper connecting pin 131 and a lower connecting pin 13.
5, a connecting link 167 is attached by an intermediate connecting pin 166 so as to be vertically swingable. Further, the connecting link 167 is extended forward, and a long hole 167a which is long in the front and rear direction is formed at the front end portion thereof, and the connecting pin 16 is inserted in the long hole 167a.
The third arm 169 was connected at 8, and the third arm 169 was attached to the intermediate shaft 163. The connection link 167 and the third arm 169 are a part of the connection mechanism 160. In this way, the connection mechanism 160 can be connected to the rear object detection member 120.

As described above, since both the auxiliary lever 110 and the rear object detecting member 120 are connected to the connecting mechanism 160, it is necessary to prevent interference between the auxiliary lever 110 and the rear object detecting member 120. In order to deal with this, a first interference prevention mechanism 181 is provided at the connecting portion of the first arm 162 with respect to the auxiliary lever 110, in which the first tension spring 161 is interposed. Further, a second interference prevention mechanism 182 formed by the long hole 167a and the connecting pin 168 is provided at the connecting portion of the third arm 169 with respect to the connecting link 167.

The first interference prevention mechanism 181 is a mechanism for preventing the auxiliary lever 110 from being affected when the rear object detection member 120 is activated. The second interference prevention mechanism 182 is a mechanism that prevents the rear object detection member 120 from being affected when the auxiliary lever 110 is operated.

8A and 8B are explanatory views of the parallel link mechanism and the rear object detecting member according to the present invention, and the reason why the rear object detecting member 120 can be held in the neutral state will be described. In the neutral state shown in (a), the right parallel link mechanism 130 has the front / rear link 13 with respect to the vertical line V.
Inclining 3,134 rearward and downward by an angle θ, the upper connecting pin 132 and the lower connecting pin 1 in the rear link 134.
36 is provided with a connecting bar 137 (including a pin), and a tension spring (return spring) is provided between the connecting bar 137 and the lower connecting pin 135 of the front link 133.
It is characterized in that it is multiplied by 138.

In (a), the distance from the lower connecting pin 135 of the front link 133 to the connecting bar 137, that is, the length of the tension spring 138 is L1. When the parallel link mechanism 130 is swung clockwise in the drawing to the state (b), the length of the tension spring 138 changes to L2.
The length L2 of the tension spring 138 of (b) is larger than the length L1 of the tension spring 138 of (a). Therefore, in order to swing the parallel link mechanism 130 clockwise in the drawing, a force sufficient to pull the tension spring 138 is required.

By the way, the center of gravity of the rear object detecting member 120 with respect to the parallel link mechanism 130 is rearward (right side in the figure).
Therefore, the rear object detection member 120 tries to swing the parallel link mechanism 130 clockwise by the weight of the rear object detection member 120. Therefore, with the tension spring 138 slightly stretched by the weight of the rear object detection member 120, the rear object detection member 12
0 can be held in a neutral state. Further, when the rear object detection member 120 is pushed forward and moved, when the pushing force is released, the rear object detection member 120 can be forcibly returned to the neutral state by the elastic force of the tension spring 138. it can.

Next, the traveling clutch lever 9 having the above structure
1, the operation of the auxiliary lever 110, the rear object detection member 120, the first lever fixing mechanism 150, and the first lever returning mechanism 170 will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 13.

9 (a) and 9 (b) are action diagrams (No. 1) of the traveling clutch lever, the auxiliary lever and the rear object detecting member according to the present invention. (A) is a traveling clutch lever 91,
It shows that the auxiliary lever 110 and the rear object detection member 120 are in the neutral position. The first lever fixing mechanism 150 is in the non-braking state, that is, the non-operating state. The first lever return mechanism 170 shown in (b) of the first cam surface 177 has a roller 17
When 3 is locked, the traveling clutch lever 91 is held at the neutral position (off position). The connecting pin 168 is located at the front end position of the elongated hole 167a in the connecting link 167. The first and second traveling clutches 53, 54 (see FIG. 2) are in the off position.

In this state, when the operator grips the auxiliary lever 110 together with the operation handle 42, the auxiliary lever 110 is swung clockwise, and the first tension spring 16 is rotated.
1, first arm 162, intermediate shaft 163, second arm 16
The brake actuating arm 156 is swung counterclockwise in the figure via the fourth and second tension springs 165. As a result,
The first lever fixing mechanism 150 is in an operating state in which a braking action by a frictional force is exerted. The frictional force at this time is set to such a magnitude that the traveling clutch lever 91 can be swung with an operation force above a certain level. Further, by gripping the auxiliary lever 110, the first traveling clutch 53 (see FIG. 2) can be turned on via the wire cable 69.

FIGS. 10 (a) and 10 (b) are action diagrams (No. 2) of the traveling clutch lever, the auxiliary lever and the rear object detecting member according to the present invention. (A) shows a state after gripping the auxiliary lever 110. After that, the traveling clutch lever 91 of (a) is swing-operated (on-operated) forward or backward from the neutral position shown by the imaginary line. For example, push it forward as shown by the solid line. The force for swinging the traveling clutch lever 91 may be any force that exceeds the frictional force of the first lever fixing mechanism 150. Then, when the traveling clutch lever 91 is released, the traveling lever lever 91 in the collapsed state is held by the first lever fixing mechanism 150 by its own frictional force.

By swinging the operating arm 143 together with the traveling clutch lever 91, the rod 144 can be pulled to perform the clutch operation and the shift control of the second traveling clutch 54 (see FIG. 2). Second traveling clutch 5
4 switches to the ON position when the traveling clutch lever 91 is displaced forward or backward from the neutral position shown by the imaginary line. Further, the shift degree of the second traveling clutch (continuously variable transmission) 54 changes according to the swing angle of the traveling clutch lever 91.

When the auxiliary lever 110 swings clockwise in the drawing, the connecting pin 168 of the third arm 169 is connected.
Moves to the rear end of the long hole 167a. Therefore, when the auxiliary lever 110 is operated, the rear object detection member 120 is not affected. In the first lever return mechanism 170 of (b), the roller 173 is placed on the second cam surface 178.

As described above, the operator grips the auxiliary lever 110 (that is, turns it on) and the first lever fixing mechanism 1
By putting 50 into the operating state, the traveling clutch lever 91
Can be fixed at any position. As a result, the second
The traveling clutch 54 can be maintained in the ON state.

11 (a) and 11 (b) are action diagrams (part 3) of the traveling clutch lever, the auxiliary lever and the rear object detecting member according to the present invention. (A) shows a state after the auxiliary lever 110 is gripped and the traveling clutch lever 91 is tilted. After that, when the worker releases the auxiliary lever 110, the auxiliary lever 110 automatically swings counterclockwise in the drawing by the elastic force of the return spring described later, and returns to the original neutral position.

As a result, since the operating force of the auxiliary lever 110 is released, the first lever fixing mechanism 150 releases the braking action by the elastic force of the built-in return spring.

By the way, as described above, the second cam surface 178 of the first lever return mechanism 170 of (b) is an inclined surface having a downward slope toward the first cam surface 177. The elastic force of the return spring 176 causes the roller 17
The pressing force f1 acts on the second cam surface 178 from No. 3.
Therefore, the rotational force f2 in the clockwise direction in the figure acts on the second cam surface 178.

When the braking action of the first lever fixing mechanism 150 is released, the second cam surface 178 has the rotational force f.
2 rotates clockwise in the figure. In this way, the cam 171 can be forcibly returned to the neutral position. As a result, the traveling clutch lever 91 returns to the neutral position (off position), and the second traveling clutch 54 passes through the rod 144.
Turn off (see FIG. 2). Furthermore, the auxiliary lever 1
Since the force pulling the wire cable 69 is released by releasing 10, the first traveling clutch 53 (see FIG. 2) is automatically turned off by the elastic force of the return spring (not shown).

As described above, the operator releases the auxiliary lever 110 (that is, turns it off) and the first lever fixing mechanism 1
By deactivating 50, the traveling clutch lever 9
1 can be released from the fixed state. Therefore, by forcibly returning the traveling clutch lever 91 to the off position by the first lever returning mechanism 170, the second traveling clutch 54 can be turned off.

Therefore, each time the snow blower 10 is run, the second running clutch 54 can be turned on only when the running clutch lever 91 and the auxiliary lever 110 are intentionally turned on. it can. Therefore, when only the auxiliary lever 110 is gripped, there is no fear that the second traveling clutch 54 is turned on against the intention.

12 (a) and 12 (b) are action diagrams (No. 4) of the traveling clutch lever, the auxiliary lever and the rear object detecting member according to the present invention. (A) shows that the force Fw acts from the rear on the rear object detection member 120 when the auxiliary lever 110 is gripped and the traveling clutch lever 91 is tilted. The rear object detection member 120 moves forward and displaces the connecting link 167 forward through the parallel link mechanism 130. The rear end of the long hole 167a in the connecting link 167 pushes the connecting pin 168 to swing the third arm 169 clockwise in the drawing, whereby the operating force of the auxiliary lever 110 can be canceled.

Since the operating force by the auxiliary lever 110 is canceled, the first lever fixing mechanism 150 releases the braking action by the elastic force of the built-in return spring. Since the braking action is released, the first lever returning mechanism 170 in (b) forcibly returns the traveling clutch lever 91 to the neutral position. As a result, the second traveling clutch 54
(See FIG. 2) is turned off.

The auxiliary lever 110 is attached to the first tension spring 1
Since the first arm 162 is connected via 61, even if the rear object detection member 120 moves forward, the first tension spring 16
1 only extends and does not affect the auxiliary lever 110. Since the auxiliary lever 110 is still held, the state where the wire cable 69 is pulled continues. First
The traveling clutch 53 (see FIG. 2) remains on.

FIGS. 13 (a) and 13 (b) are action diagrams (No. 5) of the traveling clutch lever, the auxiliary lever and the rear object detecting member according to the present invention (part 5), and the rear object detecting member 120 moves forward. , Indicates that the traveling clutch lever 91 has automatically returned to the neutral position.

As described above, when the snow blower 10 (see FIG. 1) is moved backward, the rear object detection member 120 hits an object (for example, an operator) behind the machine body 11 and moves forward, thereby fixing the first lever. The mechanism 150 can be deactivated. When the first lever fixing mechanism 150 is in the inoperative state, the traveling clutch lever 91 can be released from the fixed state. Therefore, the first lever return mechanism 17
By forcibly returning the traveling clutch lever 91 to the off position by 0, the second traveling clutch 54 (see FIG. 2)
Can be turned off. As a result, the snow blower 10
When the vehicle comes in contact with an object behind the machine body 11 while the vehicle is moving backward, the second traveling clutch 54 can be promptly turned off to stop the snow remover 10. Therefore, when the snow remover 10 is moving backward, the object behind the machine body 11 and the snow remover 10 itself can be further protected.

FIG. 14 is a left side view around the operation handle, auger clutch lever and auxiliary lever according to the present invention. This figure shows a snow remover 10 with an auger clutch lever 9
A second lever fixing mechanism 200 for fixing 2 to an arbitrary position (on position), the auxiliary lever 110 for operating the second lever fixing mechanism 200 to an operating state or a non-operating state, and
It is shown that a second lever returning mechanism (which will be described later with reference to FIG. 16) is provided forcibly returning the auger clutch lever 92 to the off position when the second lever fixing mechanism 200 is in the inoperative state. 46 is a stopper for an auger clutch lever.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the auger clutch lever and the second lever fixing mechanism according to the present invention. The auger clutch lever 92 and the second lever fixing mechanism 200 are combined to form an auger clutch lever mechanism 190. Show.

The auger clutch lever mechanism 190 includes a horizontal support shaft 1 on the operation panel 41 via a bracket 191.
92 is attached, and the auger clutch lever 9 is attached to the support shaft 192.
2 is attached so that it can swing forward and backward, an operation arm 193 is provided on the auger clutch lever 92, and an auger clutch 73 (see FIG. 2) is connected to the operation arm 193 via a wire cable 194, and further, a second lever fixing mechanism 200
It is a combination of.

The second lever fixing mechanism 200 includes a support shaft 19
Auger clutch lever 9 to rotate around position 2
Disc-shaped first cam 201 integrally provided on the second disc 2 and a disc-shaped second cam 202 rotatably attached to the support shaft 192.
And to engage with these first and second cams 201, 202 1
Individual lock arms 203, an arm support shaft 204 on which the lock arms 203 are swingably attached to the bracket 191, and the lock arms 203 are attached to the first and second cams 20.
1, 202 and a return spring (tensile spring) 205 that elastically springs.

The first cam 201 and the second cam 202 are adjacent to each other in the axial direction of the support shaft 192 and can rotate relative to each other. The second cam 202 is connected to the auxiliary lever 110 (see FIG. 14) via a connection link 211. Further, this drawing shows that a return spring (tensile spring) 212 for holding the auxiliary lever 110 and the second cam 202 in the neutral position is attached to the operation panel 41.

FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing the auxiliary lever, the auger clutch lever mechanism and the auger clutch according to the present invention, and is an exploded view of the auger clutch lever mechanism 190. That is, the second cam 202, the first cam 201, and the auger clutch lever 92, which are swingably (rotatably) provided on one support shaft 192, are shown side by side in this order, and further, the first and second cams 201, The state where one lock arm 203 is engaged with 202 is shown.

The first cam 201 has an outer peripheral surface on which the first cam groove 20 is formed.
1a, the second cam 202 has a second cam groove 20 on the outer peripheral surface.
2a. The first cam groove 201a is provided on the lock arm 203 when the auger clutch lever 92 is in the ON position.
It is in a position where the tip of The second cam groove 202a is located at a position where the tip of the lock arm 203 is engaged when the auxiliary lever 110 is gripped.

The auger clutch 73 includes a pair of pulleys 8
The tension roller 8 is attached to the belt 83 wound around 1, 82.
It is a belt tension mechanism that pushes 6 to stretch it to transmit power, and returns the tension roller 86 to loosen the belt 83 to stop transmission of power. The auger clutch 73 includes a tension roller 86 attached to the clutch arm 85 and a return spring (tension spring) 87 that returns the tension roller 86 via the clutch arm 85.
Consists of. The first traveling clutch 53 shown in FIG. 2 has the same configuration as the auger clutch 73.

The return spring 87 functions as a "second lever return mechanism" forcibly returning the auger clutch lever 92 to the off position when the second lever fixing mechanism 200 is in the inoperative state. 88 is a tension spring.

Next, the auxiliary lever 110, the auger clutch lever mechanism 190, and the auger clutch 73 having the above structure.
The operation will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 16 to 19.

FIG. 16 shows the auxiliary lever 110 in the neutral position and the auger clutch lever 92 in the off position. In this state, the first and second cam grooves 201
Both a and 202a are disengaged from the lock arm 203. In this state, the worker grips the auxiliary lever 110 together with the operation handle 42 against the elastic force of the return spring 212, thereby swinging the auxiliary lever 110 clockwise in the drawing and pulling the connecting link 211. As a result, the second cam 202 swings clockwise in the figure.

FIG. 17 is an operation diagram (part 1) of the auxiliary lever, the auger clutch lever mechanism and the auger clutch according to the present invention. As a result of the second cam 202 swinging clockwise in the drawing, the second cam groove 202a is formed. It shows that the front end of the lock arm 203 is encountered. Then, against the resilience of the return spring 87, the operator tilts the auger clutch lever 92 forward from the off position to turn it on. As a result, the operation arm 193 swings counterclockwise in the drawing, pulls the wire cable 194, and turns on the auger clutch 73. Further, the first cam 201 swings counterclockwise in the drawing together with the auger clutch lever 92.

FIG. 18 is an action diagram (part 2) of the auxiliary lever, the auger clutch lever mechanism and the auger clutch according to the present invention. As a result of the first cam 201 swinging counterclockwise in the figure, the first cam groove 201a is formed. Is the lock arm 203
Indicates that you have reached the tip of the. As a result, the first cam groove 20
Both 1a and the second cam groove 202a have lock arms 20.
Face the tip of 3. The lock arm 203 swings by the elastic force of the return spring 205, and locks the first and second cam grooves 201a and 202a. Therefore, the second lever fixing mechanism 200 is activated. After that, even if the user releases the auger clutch lever 92, the auger clutch lever 92 can be maintained in the ON position.

Further, by the auger clutch lever 92,
By swinging the tension roller 86 via the wire cable 194 and the clutch arm 85, the auger clutch 73 can be turned on.

In this way, the operator holds the auxiliary lever 110 (that is, turns it on) to deactivate the second lever fixing mechanism 200, thereby fixing the auger clutch lever 92 at an arbitrary position. be able to. As a result, the auger clutch 73 can be maintained in the ON state.

FIG. 19 is an operational diagram (No. 3) of the auxiliary lever, the auger clutch lever mechanism and the auger clutch according to the present invention. After that, the auxiliary lever 11 shown in phantom
When the hand is released from 0, the auxiliary lever 110 automatically swings counterclockwise in the drawing by the elastic force of the return spring 212 and returns to the original neutral position shown by the solid line. At the same time, the connection link 211 is also returned to the original position and the second cam 202 is swung counterclockwise in the drawing. As a result, the second cam groove 202
a is disengaged from the lock arm 203. That is, the lock arm 203 is pushed out and is swung clockwise. By swinging the lock arm 203, the lock arm 203 is also disengaged from the first cam groove 201a.

As a result, the return spring 87 pulls back the wire cable 194 by the elastic force to swing the auger clutch lever 92 clockwise in the drawing. The auger clutch lever 92 automatically returns from the on position shown by the imaginary line to the off position shown by the solid line. The first cam 201 integral with the auger clutch lever 92 also swings clockwise in the drawing and returns to the original position. Further, the return spring 87 returns the tension roller 86 via the clutch arm 85. As a result, the auger clutch 73 is turned off.

In this way, the operator releases the auxiliary lever 110 (that is, turns it off) to deactivate the second lever fixing mechanism 200, thereby releasing the auger clutch lever 92 from the fixed state. You can Therefore, the auger clutch lever 92 can be forcibly returned to the off position by the return spring 87 (second lever returning mechanism).

As is clear from the above description, FIG.
Second traveling clutch 54 and auger clutch 7 shown in FIG.
3 can be turned off at the same time. Therefore, the traveling body 20 (see FIG. 1) and the auger 31 and the blower 32 can be stopped at the same time.

Furthermore, every time the snow blower 10 is run,
The traveling clutch lever 91 and the auxiliary lever 110,
Only when two or more levers are intentionally turned on, the second
The traveling clutch 54 can be turned on. Therefore, when only the auxiliary lever 110 is gripped, there is no fear that the second traveling clutch 54 is turned on against the intention. Moreover, since the traveling clutch lever 91 can be forcibly returned to the off position by simply releasing the auxiliary lever 110, the lever operation is easy when the traveling is started after the snowblower 10 is stopped emergency.

On the other hand, each time the auger 31 is driven, the auger clutch 73 can be turned on only when the auger clutch lever 92 and the auxiliary lever 110 are intentionally turned on. Therefore, when only the auxiliary lever 110 is gripped, there is no fear that the auger clutch 73 is turned on against the intention. Moreover, since the auger clutch lever 92 can be forcibly returned to the off position simply by releasing the auxiliary lever 110,
It is easy to operate the lever when the auger 31 and the blower 32 are brought to an emergency stop and then restarted.

In the above embodiment of the present invention,
The power source is not limited to the engine 14, and may be, for example, an electric motor. Further, the traveling body 20 is not limited to the crawler, and may be a wheel, for example. Furthermore, the presence or absence of the first traveling clutch 53 is arbitrary. The second traveling clutch 54 is not limited to the continuously variable transmission as long as it has a clutch on / off function, and may have the same configuration as the first traveling clutch 53, for example. The first and second traveling clutches 53 and 54 are
It is not limited to the belt tension mechanism. Further, the auxiliary lever 110 is not limited to the U-shaped member in plan view.

[0094]

The present invention has the following effects due to the above configuration. A first aspect of the present invention includes a lever fixing mechanism that fixes the traveling clutch lever to an arbitrary position, and a lever returning mechanism that forcibly returns the traveling clutch lever to the off position when the lever fixing mechanism is in an inoperative state. Since the worker has an auxiliary lever that activates the lever fixing mechanism by gripping it and releases the lever fixing mechanism when the grip is released, the operator grips the auxiliary lever to activate the lever fixing mechanism. Thus, the traveling clutch lever can be fixed at any position. As a result, the traveling clutch can be maintained in the on state.

After that, the operator releases the auxiliary lever to deactivate the lever fixing mechanism so that the traveling clutch lever can be released from the fixed state. For this reason,
The traveling clutch can be turned off by forcibly returning the traveling clutch lever to the off position by the lever returning mechanism.

Therefore, every time the snow blower is run, the running clutch can be turned on only when the running clutch lever and the auxiliary lever are intentionally turned on. Therefore, when the auxiliary lever is gripped, there is no fear that the traveling clutch is turned on against the intention. Moreover, since the traveling clutch lever can be forcibly returned to the off position by simply releasing the auxiliary lever, the lever operation is easy when starting traveling after the snowplow is stopped emergency.

A second aspect of the present invention comprises a lever fixing mechanism for fixing the traveling clutch lever at an arbitrary position, and a lever returning mechanism for forcibly returning the traveling clutch lever to the off position when the lever fixing mechanism is in the inoperative state. Since the worker holds an auxiliary lever that makes the lever fixing mechanism operate through the connecting mechanism when the operator holds the lever and deactivates the lever fixing mechanism through the connecting mechanism when the operator releases the grip, the worker uses the auxiliary lever. By squeezing the lever to activate the lever fixing mechanism via the connecting mechanism, the traveling clutch lever can be fixed at an arbitrary position. As a result, the traveling clutch can be maintained in the on state.

After that, the operator releases the auxiliary lever to deactivate the lever fixing mechanism, whereby the traveling clutch lever can be released from the fixed state. For this reason,
The traveling clutch can be turned off by forcibly returning the traveling clutch lever to the off position by the lever returning mechanism.

Therefore, every time the snow blower is run, the running clutch can be turned on only when the running clutch lever and the auxiliary lever are intentionally turned on. Therefore, when the auxiliary lever is gripped, there is no fear that the traveling clutch is turned on against the intention. Moreover, since the traveling clutch lever can be forcibly returned to the off position by simply releasing the auxiliary lever, the lever operation is easy when starting traveling after the snowplow is stopped emergency.

Further, since a rear object detecting member for deactivating the lever fixing mechanism through the connecting mechanism by hitting an object on the rear side of the machine body to the front side is provided at the rear end portion of the machine body, the snow removal machine is moved backward. When this is done, the rear object detection member hits an object at the rear of the machine body and moves forward, whereby the lever fixing mechanism can be deactivated via the coupling mechanism. By disengaging the lever fixing mechanism, the traveling clutch lever can be released from the fixed state.
Therefore, by forcibly returning the traveling clutch lever to the off position by the lever return mechanism, the traveling clutch can be turned off. As a result, when the snow removal machine comes in contact with an object behind the vehicle body while the vehicle is moving backward, the traveling clutch can be promptly turned off to stop the snow removal machine. Therefore, it is possible to further protect the object behind the fuselage and the snow blower itself when the snow blower goes backward.

Furthermore, since the coupling mechanism is provided with the interference preventing mechanism for preventing the rear object detecting member and the auxiliary lever from interfering with each other, when the rear object detecting member hits the rear object and moves forward, the auxiliary lever is affected. It is possible to return the traveling clutch lever to the off side via the lever return mechanism without affecting.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a left side view of a snow blower according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a drive system diagram of the snow blower according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an operation panel according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view around an operation handle, a traveling clutch lever, an auger clutch lever, an auxiliary lever, and a rear object detection member according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a left side view of an operation handle, a traveling clutch lever, an auxiliary lever, and a rear object detection member according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a traveling clutch lever, a first lever fixing mechanism and a first lever returning mechanism according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram of a traveling clutch lever, a first lever fixing mechanism, and a first lever returning mechanism according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory view of a parallel link mechanism and a rear object detection member according to the present invention.

FIG. 9 is an operation diagram of a traveling clutch lever, an auxiliary lever, and a rear object detection member according to the present invention (No. 1)

FIG. 10 is an operation diagram of a traveling clutch lever, an auxiliary lever, and a rear object detection member according to the present invention (part 2).

FIG. 11 is an operation diagram of a traveling clutch lever, an auxiliary lever, and a rear object detection member according to the present invention (part 3).

FIG. 12 is an operation diagram of the traveling clutch lever, the auxiliary lever, and the rear object detection member according to the present invention (Part 4).

FIG. 13 is an operation diagram of the traveling clutch lever, the auxiliary lever, and the rear object detecting member according to the present invention (Part 5).

FIG. 14 is a left side view around the operation handle, auger clutch lever and auxiliary lever according to the present invention.

FIG. 15 is an auger clutch lever and a second embodiment according to the present invention.
Perspective view of lever fixing mechanism

FIG. 16 is a block diagram and an operation diagram of an auxiliary lever, an auger clutch lever mechanism, and an auger clutch surrounding the present invention.

FIG. 17 is an operation diagram of the auxiliary lever, the auger clutch lever mechanism, and the auger clutch according to the present invention (No. 1)

FIG. 18 is an operation diagram of an auxiliary lever, an auger clutch lever mechanism, and an auger clutch according to the present invention (No. 2)

FIG. 19 is an operational view of the auxiliary lever, the auger clutch lever mechanism, and the auger clutch according to the present invention (part 3).

FIG. 20 is a schematic diagram of a conventional snow blower.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 ... Snowblower, 11 ... Airframe, 14 ... Power source (engine), 20 ... Traveling body, 31 ... Auger, 42 ... Operation handle, 51 ... Traveling power transmission mechanism, 54 ... Second travel clutch, 91 ... Traveling clutch Lever, 110 ... Auxiliary lever,
150 ... Lever fixing mechanism (first lever fixing mechanism), 16
0 ... Connection mechanism, 170 ... Lever return mechanism (first lever return mechanism), 120 ... Rear object detection member, 181, 182 ...
Interference prevention mechanism.

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Hirohashi             410 Dojoji Temple, Hanamaki City, Iwate Prefecture             Inside the company (72) Inventor Osamu Sato             410 Dojoji Temple, Hanamaki City, Iwate Prefecture             Inside the company (72) Inventor Toshihiro Yamazaki             410 Dojoji Temple, Hanamaki City, Iwate Prefecture             Inside the company F-term (reference) 3D036 AA04 AA09 EA01 EA08 EB03                       EB07 EB15 EB16 EB36 EC02                       EC18                 3J070 AA03 AA41 BA90 CD15 DA03

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A traveling power transmission mechanism for transmitting power from the power source to the traveling body is provided with a traveling clutch, and the traveling clutch is turned on / off. In a snow remover equipped with a traveling clutch lever, the snow remover comprises a lever fixing mechanism for fixing the traveling clutch lever at an arbitrary position, and when the lever fixing mechanism is in an inoperative state, the traveling clutch lever is in an off position. A lever returning mechanism for forcibly returning the lever fixing mechanism, and an auxiliary lever for deactivating the lever fixing mechanism when the operator holds the lever fixing mechanism in an operating state when the operator releases the grip. snowblower. 2. A traveling power transmission mechanism for transmitting power from the power source to the traveling body is provided with a traveling clutch, and the traveling clutch is turned on by a traveling clutch lever.・ In a snow remover in which the operation handle is turned off and the operation handle is extended rearward from the machine body so that a worker can operate the operation handle while walking, the snow remover includes the travel clutch lever at an arbitrary position. A lever return mechanism for forcibly returning the traveling clutch lever to the off position when the lever lock mechanism is in a non-actuated state. An auxiliary lever is provided which disengages the lever fixing mechanism via the connecting mechanism when the lever fixing mechanism is activated and the grip is released. A rear object detection member that deactivates the lever fixing mechanism via the connecting mechanism by moving the object forward is provided at a rear end portion of the machine body, and the rear object detection member and the auxiliary lever interfere with each other. When the rear object detection member hits the rear object and moves forward, the interference prevention mechanism for preventing the traveling clutch lever from moving to the off side via the lever return mechanism without affecting the auxiliary lever. A snow blower characterized by being configured to be returned to.