CA2918031A1

CA2918031A1 - Lighted guide for a snow plow blade

Info

Publication number: CA2918031A1
Application number: CA2918031A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Donald George Cordingley
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2016-01-15
Filing date: 2016-01-15
Publication date: 2017-07-15

Abstract

A blade guide for a snow plow blade is described. The blade guide includes: an elongate tube having a first opening at a first end, the tube being at least 20 inches long and defining a central bore that extends longitudinally within the tube; a light source inserted in the central bore of the tube; a power supply connector connected to the light source, wherein at least a first section of the power supply connector protrudes from the tube; and a rod mount affixed to the first end of the tube, the rod mount being adapted to be secured to the snow plow blade.

Description

LIGHTED GUIDE FOR A SNOW PLOW BLADE
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present disclosure relates to a device for use with snow plows and, in particular, to lighted rods for use in guiding and illuminating snow plow blades.
BACKGROUND

[0002] A snow plow can be mounted on a vehicle and used to remove snow and ice from outdoor surfaces. Typically, a snow plow blade is attached to the front of a vehicle and forward motion of the vehicle combined with controlled movement of the snow plow causes snow to be pushed to the side or straight ahead on sidewalks, roads, railway tracks, etc.
A snow plow may include one or more side wing blades which protrude out from sides of the vehicle on which it is mounted. An operator of a snow plow will constantly monitor and control the location of the snow plow blade for safe and effective use of the snow plow. Drivers of nearby vehicles, including those driving behind, beside or in an opposite direction as a snow plow vehicle, will also closely monitor the snow plow blade to anticipate its location and drive accordingly in order to avoid accidents. Large volumes of accumulated snow and dark or icy road conditions can make locating or controlling a snow plow blade a challenging task.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0003] Reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings which show example embodiments of the present application and in which:

[0004] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a blade guide in accordance with example embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0005] FIG. 2 shows an exploded perspective view of the blade guide of FIG. 1;

[0006] FIG. 3 shows a side view of the blade guide of FIG. 1;

[0007] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a light source and a power supply connector in accordance with an example embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0008] FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of an example snow plow blade having blade guides mounted thereon.

[0009] Like reference numerals are used in the drawings to denote like elements and features.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

[00010] In one aspect, the present disclosure describes a blade guide for a snow plow blade. The blade guide includes an elongate tube having a first opening at a first end.
The tube is at least 20 inches long and defines a central bore that extends longitudinally within the tube. The blade guide also includes a light source which is inserted in the central bore of the tube and a power supply connector connected to the light source. A section of the power supply connector protrudes from the tube when the light source is inserted in the central bore.
The blade guide also includes a rod mount affixed to the first end of the tube, where the rod mount is adapted to be secured to the snow plow blade.

[00011] In another aspect, the present disclosure describes a snow plow blade.
The snow plow blade has one or more blade guides mounted on the snow plow blade. The blade guide includes an elongate tube having a first opening at a first end. The tube is at least 20 inches long and defines a central bore that extends longitudinally within the tube. The blade guide also includes a light source which is inserted in the central bore of the tube and a power supply connector connected to the light source. A section of the power supply connector protrudes from the tube when the light source is inserted in the central bore. The blade guide also includes a rod mount affixed to the first end of the tube, where the rod mount is adapted to be secured to the snow plow blade.

[00012] In yet another aspect, the present disclosure describes a snow plow.
The snow plow includes a snow plow blade that has one or more blade guides mounted on the blade. The blade guide includes an elongate tube having a first opening at a first end. The tube is at least 20 inches long and defines a central bore that extends longitudinally within the tube.
The blade guide also includes a light source which is inserted in the central bore of the tube and a power supply connector connected to the light source. A section of the power supply connector protrudes from the tube when the light source is inserted in the central bore. The blade guide also includes a rod mount affixed to the first end of the tube, where the rod mount is adapted to be secured to the snow plow blade.

[00013] Other example embodiments of the present disclosure will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from a review of the following detailed descriptions in conjunction with the drawings.

[00014] Reference is first made to FIG. 1, which shows a perspective view of an example blade guide 100 for a snow plow blade. In at least some embodiments, the blade guide 100 may be used for visually indicating the width and/or location of a snow plow blade during operation of a snow plow. For example, one or more blade guides 100 may be mounted on a snow plow blade to assist in illuminating the snow plow and surrounding areas during operation of the snow plow in adverse environmental conditions (e.g. dark roads, extreme weather conditions, etc.). As a further example, two or more blade guides 100 may be affixed to a snow plow blade and used as markers for the lateral edges of the snow plow. In some cases, a snow plow may employ a blade that is wider than the width of the vehicle to which the snow plow is mounted.
A snow plow blade may also be supplemented by one or more side wing extensions that attach to lateral edges of the snow plow blade and protrude from the sides of a vehicle. As a result, a snow plow mounted on a vehicle can sometimes extend, at least partially, into neighboring lanes or beyond the edges of a road. In some embodiments, one or more blade guides 100 may be mounted on the side wing extensions of snow plows. The blade guides 100 can visually demarcate the boundaries of a snow plow blade to oncoming traffic as well as nearby vehicles and pedestrians.

[00015] It will be appreciated that the blade guide 100 may be adapted for applications other than use with a snow plow blade. By way of example, the blade guides 100 may be attached to the front bumper of a vehicle to assist a driver of the vehicle to ascertain the location of the ends of the bumper. The blade guide 100 may be suitable for use on a wide range of vehicles, including service and pickup trucks, utility vehicles, front end loaders and rail cars. In some cases, the blade guides 100 may be mounted to manual or motorized wheelchairs for use as markers to assist nearby drivers and pedestrians to visually recognize the wheelchairs. For example, the blade guides 100 may be adapted to attach to one or more wheels of a wheelchair or extend from the sides of a wheelchair to demarcate the locations of the wheels.

[00016] The blade guide 100 includes a tube 102. In at least some embodiments, the tube 102 is translucent. For example, the tube 102 may be constructed of a relatively light and rigid material such as plastic, hard rubber or acrylic glass. In some other embodiments, the tube 102 may be transparent. For example, glass or transparent ceramics may be used to construct the tube 102.
The tube 102 may have a bright color to promote the alerting function of the blade guide 100.
For example, the tube 102 may be colored bright orange.

[00017] The tube 102 is elongate, having a length greater than 20 inches. That is, the two longitudinal ends of the tube 102 are spaced at least 20 inches apart. The length of the tube 102 may depend on the size of the snow plow blade with which it is used. For example, the tube 102 may be longer than 30 or 40 inches for certain uses. In at least some embodiments, the tube 102 is generally cylindrical. In the example of FIG. 1, the tube 102 has a uniform circular cross-section along its length. In other embodiments, the tube 102 may have a different shape. For example, the tube 102 may be a rectangular beam of a predetermined length.

[00018] The tube 102 has a first opening 103 at a first end and a second opening 105 at a second end opposite to the first end. The tube 102 defines a central bore 104 that extends longitudinally within the tube 102, between the first opening 103 and the second opening 105.
In at least some embodiments, the central bore 104 is cylindrical. The radius of the circular cross-section of the central bore 104 may range between 3 and 10 millimeters. The blade guide 100 includes a cap member 112 for covering the second opening 105. The cap member 112 may be configured to engage the tube 102 at the second end and be secured to the tube 102 so as to fit over the second opening 105. The cap member 112 may completely block the second opening 105, thereby preventing water or debris from entering the central bore 104 from the second end of the tube 102.

[00019] The blade guide 100 includes a luminescent light source 106. The light source 106 is inserted in the central bore 104 of the tube 102. In at least some embodiments, the light source 106 is a translucent rod encasing a plurality of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) within the rod. For example, the light source 106 may be an acrylic rod containing multiple LEDs in its interior.
Where an LED rod is used as the light source 106, the LEDs may be distributed evenly within the rod to cause uniform illumination throughout the rod surface. The light source 106 may also include two or more electrical conductors routed internally to the light source 106. For a light source based on LED luminescence, the electrical conductors may be used to connect the LEDs inside the light source. In at least some embodiments, the light source 106 rigidly holds the LEDs in fixed position inside the light source 106. In particular, the LEDs are held in fixed relative position with respect to each other inside the light source 106.

[00020] The light source 106 is sized to be retained in the central bore 104 of the tube 102 and may extend along the entire length of the central bore 104 or only along a partial section of the central bore 104. In some embodiments, the light source 106 may be constructed of an elastic material such as flexible rubber. The light source 106 is connected to a power supply connector (not shown in FIG. 1), for connecting the light source 106 to a remote power source.

[00021] As shown in FIG. 1, the blade guide 100 includes a rod mount 110 affixed to the first end of the tube 102. The rod mount 110 is adapted to be affixed to a snow plow blade, securing the blade guide 100 to the snow plow blade during operation of the snow plow.
The rod mount 110 will be described in greater detail below with reference to FIG. 2.

[00022] Reference is now made to FIG. 2, which shows an exploded perspective view of the blade guide 100 of FIG. 1. The blade guide 100 includes a tube 102, a light source 106 and a rod mount 110. The rod mount 110 defines a first opening 202 at a first end 204.
The rod mount 110 also defines a receiving bore 206 which extends axially from the first opening 202 into the rod mount 110. In the example of FIG. 2, the first opening 202 has a circular cross-section and the receiving bore 206 extends from the first opening 202 of the rod mount 110.
The rod mount 110 of FIG. 2 includes a cylindrical portion 210 near the first end 204 and a substantially flat plate portion 208 extending longitudinally away from the cylindrical portion. More specifically, at least a section of the lateral wall of the cylindrical portion 210 of the rod mount 110 is angled, extending longitudinally to define a pair of substantially parallel surfaces forming the plate portion 208.

[00023] The rod mount 110 is affixed to the first end 205 of the tube 102. The first opening 103 of the tube 102 is in communication with the first opening 202 of the rod mount 110. That is, the first opening 103 and the first opening 202 provide passage between the tube 102 and the receiving bore 206. In at least some embodiments, the receiving bore 206 is sized to receive a section of the tube 102 that includes the first end 205. For example, the respective radii of the circular first opening 202 and the cross-section of the receiving bore 206 may be greater than the cross-sectional radius of the tube 102. In such cases, the tube 102 may be partially inserted in the receiving bore 206 through the first opening 202 such that at least a section of the tube 102 that includes the first end 205 is retained in the receiving bore 206. Once the tube 102 is partially inserted in the receiving bore 206, the tube 102 can be secured to the rod mount 110, for example, by molding or gluing or by a friction fit connection. The rod mount 110 may also be secured to the tube 102 by partially inserting the tube 102 in the receiving bore 206 and pinching at least a portion of the wall of the rod mount 110 to cause part of the inserted section of the tube 102 to be wedged between the pinched portions of the rod mount wall.

[00024] As shown in FIG. 2, the light source 106 is connected to a power supply connector 212.
In at least some embodiments, the power supply connector 212 is attached at the end of the light source 106 that is proximal to the first end 103 of the tube 102 when the light source 106 is inserted in the central bore 104 of the tube 102. A portion of the power supply connector 212 protrudes from the tube 102. For example, in at least some embodiments, a section of the power supply connector 212 protrudes through the first opening 103 of the tube 102 when the light source 106 is inserted in the central bore 104.

[00025] Reference is now made to FIG.3, which shows a side view of the blade guide 100 of FIG. 1. The rod mount 110 defines an aperture 302 on the lateral wall of the rod mount 110. The aperture 302 extends through the lateral wall of the rod mount 110 between the wall of the receiving bore 206 and the outer surface of the rod mount 110. In at least some embodiments, a first portion 304 of the power supply connector 212 extends out of the receiving bore 206 through the aperture 302. The first portion 304 is a portion of the power supply connector 212 that protrudes from the tube 102 through the first opening 103. When the light source 106 is inserted in the central bore 104 of the tube 102, the first portion 304 of the power supply connector 212 extends partially into the receiving bore 206 through the first opening 202 and out of the receiving bore 206 through the aperture 302. The first portion 304 of the power supply connector 212 may be of an appropriate length to allow the power supply connector 212 to extend to and reach a remotely located power source. With the first portion 304 of the power supply connector extending out through the aperture 302, the unfilled portion of the aperture 302 may be sealed. For example, adhesives, caulking or other sealants may be applied to completely cover the unfilled portion of the aperture 302. In some embodiments, the seal may overlap with the first portion 302 of the power supply connector 212 to cooperatively cover the aperture 302.

[00026] The rod mount 110 defines one or more holes 306 to receive screws for fixedly securing the rod mount 110 to the blade of a snow plow. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the aperture 302 is positioned closer to the first end 204 of the rod mount 110 than either of the holes 306. This allows the first portion 304 of the power supply connector 212 to extend out of the aperture 302 when the rod mount 110 is secured to a snow plow blade by screws received in the holes 306 such that the power supply connector 212 can be connected to a remote power source.

[00027] Reference is now made to FIG. 4, which shows a perspective view of a light source 106 and a power supply connector 212. The light source 106 is connected to the power supply connector 212, which allows electrical power to be provided to the LEDs of the light source 106 from a remote power source. The power supply connector 212 includes two or more electrical wires 404, where each of the electrical wires 404 is connected to a corresponding electrical conductor 402 of the light source 106. The ends of the electrical conductors 402 of the light source 106 may protrude from the light source 106 and be connected to the electrical wires 404 at a point of connection 406. In at least some embodiments, the power supply connector 212 also includes a wiring harness connector plug 408 at one end of the power supply connector 212. The electrical wires 404 are bound together into a bundle and connected to the wiring harness connector plug 408 which allows the electrical wires to transmit power from a remote power source. For example, the wiring harness connector plug 408 may be a weather pack connector.

[00028] In at least some embodiments, at least a portion of the power supply connector 212 protrudes from and extends external to the rod mount 110. This portion of the power supply connector 212 may be exposed to water, dirt and other external conditions. The blade guide 100 may include heat shrink tubing 410 at the point of connection 406 between the light source 106 and the power supply connector 212, insulating parts of the electrical wires 404 and protruding sections of the electrical conductors 402 while providing abrasion resistance and environmental protection for segments of the power supply connector 212. For example, the heat shrink tubing 410 may offer a waterproof cover for the electrical wires 404. The power supply connector 212 may also include a cable jacket to bundle the electrical wires 404 together.
In some embodiments, the heat shrink tubing 410 may overlap with a portion of the cable jacket. The heat shrink tubing 410 and the cable jacket together provide protection for the entire lengths of the electrical wires 404 of the power supply connector 212.

[00029] Reference is now made to FIG. 5, which shows a snow plow blade 502 having blade guides 100 mounted thereon. The blade guides 100 are of the type described above. In the example of FIG. 5, two blade guides 100 are mounted on the snow plow blade 502, with a blade guide being mounted to each lateral edge of the snow plow blade 502. The blade guides 100 are mounted as to extend vertically from the snow plow blade, with at least a portion of the blade guides extending above the top edge of the snow plow blade. The blade guides extend at least 15 inches above the top edge of the snow plow blade. In at least some embodiments, the blade guides may be vertically mounted to the respective ends of the top edge of the snow plow blade.

[00030] In yet another aspect, there is provided a snow plow comprising a blade having one or more blade guides mounted on the blade, where the blade guides are adapted as embodiments of the blade guide 100 as described herein.

[00031] Certain adaptations and modifications of the described embodiments can be made.
Therefore, the above discussed embodiments are considered to be illustrative and not restrictive.

Claims

1. A blade guide for a snow plow blade, the blade guide comprising:
an elongate tube having a first opening at a first end, the tube being at least 20 inches long and defining a central bore that extends longitudinally within the tube;
a light source inserted in the central bore of the tube;
a power supply connector connected to the light source, wherein at least a first section of the power supply connector protrudes from the tube; and a rod mount affixed to the first end of the tube, the rod mount being adapted to be secured to the snow plow blade.

2. The blade guide of claim 1, wherein the light source comprises a plurality of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) encased inside a translucent rod.

3. The blade guide of claim 1, further comprising heat shrink tubing at a point of connection between the light source and the power supply connector.

4. The blade guide of claim 2, wherein the light source includes two or more electrical conductors routed internally to the light source, the electrical conductors connecting the LEDs inside the light source.

5. The blade guide of claim 4, wherein the power supply connector comprises two or more electrical wires, each electrical wire being connected to a corresponding electrical conductor of the light source.

6. The blade guide of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the power supply connector includes a sealed wiring harness connector plug at one end.

7. The blade guide of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the light source is sized to be retained in the central bore of the tube.

8. The blade guide of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the light source extends along an entire length of the central bore of the tube.

9. The blade guide of claim 1, wherein the tube is constructed of plastic.

10. The blade guide of claim 1, wherein the tube is constructed of hard rubber.

11. The blade guide of claim 1, wherein the tube is at least 30 inches long.

12. The blade guide of claim 1, wherein the light source is a luminescent light source.

13. The blade guide of any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the rod mount defines a first opening at a first end and a receiving bore extending axially from the first opening into the rod mount.

14. The blade guide of claim 13, wherein the receiving bore is sized to receive a section of the tube that includes the first end and wherein the tube is partially inserted in the receiving bore through the first opening.

15. The blade guide of any one of claims 13 and 14, wherein the rod mount defines an aperture on a lateral wall of the rod mount and wherein the first section of the power supply connector extends out of the receiving bore through the aperture.

16. The blade guide of any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the rod mount defines one or more holes to receive screws used to fixedly secure the rod mount to the snow plow blade.

17. A snow plow blade having one or more blade guides as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 16 mounted thereon.

18. The snow plow blade of claim 17, wherein the one or more blade guides are mounted to lateral edges of the snow plow blade.

19. A snow plow comprising a blade having one or more blade guides as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 16 mounted on the blade.