JPH11248313A - Artificial snow spraying method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To produce particulate artificial snow efficiently at low cost utilizing a machine producing coil-like ice particles. SOLUTION: Ice particles 4 produced by an ice making machine 1 are stored in an ice storage tank 5 and fed to an ice crushing machine 15 where the ice particles 4 are crushed. Carrying air 31 is fed through an air blower to a main air pressure feed path 32 and snow produced on the suction path side is pressure fed to the forward end part 32b of the main air pressure feed path 32 from a mixing path 45 communicating between a suction path 25 on the ice crushing machine 15 side and the main air pressure feed path 32. The forward end part 32b is coupled with a flexible spray hose 49 which is carried by workers in order to spray artificial snow toward a slope.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for spraying artificial snow on a ski slope at a ski resort.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art The applicant has previously proposed an ice making apparatus in a ski resort (an example described in JP-A-9-133444). This ice making apparatus produces 10-yen coin-shaped ice particles (flake ice), unlike water and air mixed to make artificial snow and the artificial snow is scattered in a spray form from a nozzle. Device. The advantages of this ice making device are that the manufacturing cost is low, the number of units installed on the slope is smaller than that of the nozzle-injection type artificial snow sprayer, and ice and snow can eliminate the ice burn condition. .

[0003] However, the ice making device alone cannot easily spread the ice grains on the slope, and it is necessary to efficiently level the ice grains made by the ice making device on the slope by using a maintenance vehicle. There is a problem that ice-like particles cannot be further crushed and dispersed. Therefore, while utilizing an ice making device for producing 10-yen coin-shaped ice particles, it is possible to efficiently produce artificial snow at low cost and to easily disperse the artificial snow on the slopes. The emergence of a method is potentially required.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned demands, and a first object of the present invention is to provide a low-cost granular device using an ice making apparatus for producing 10-yen coin-shaped ice particles. That is, artificial snow can be produced efficiently. A second object is to be able to easily spray granular artificial snow on a slope. In particular, it is possible to fly artificial snow farther by using rapid carrier air, and to spread the artificial snow widely at a desired place on the slope. A third object is that an ice grain crusher used in the ice grain crushing step smoothly receives the ice grains falling from the ice storage tank and efficiently removes the ice grains slid toward the crushing blade. That it can be crushed. A fourth object of the present invention is to be able to drive an ice making device when desired, and to smoothly store iced ice particles in an ice storage tank. In addition, the fifth object is to be able to supply ice particles in the ice storage tank 5 to the ice particle crusher 15 by a fixed amount.

[0005]

According to the method for dispersing artificial snow of the present invention, an ice particle producing step A for producing ice particles 4 by an ice maker 1 is provided.
An ice storage / ice supply step B for storing the ice particles 4 produced in the ice particle production process A in an ice storage tank 5 and supplying the ice particles 4 to an ice particle crusher 15; Grain supply step B
A hopper-shaped ice particle crusher 15 having a crushing blade 20 in the crushing chamber forming section 21 to crush the ice particles 4 supplied by the crusher into a snow shape, and a carrier air blowing device 39. Conveying air 31 via air blower unit 30
And a suction medium 25 communicating with the crushing chamber forming part 21 on the side of the ice particle crusher 15 and an air pressure path 32 on the side of the conveying air blower 39. In the mixing path 45 which branches communicate with each other, the granular artificial snow 45 produced in the ice particle crushing step C is pneumatically compressed through the rapid transport air 31 continuously supplied by the transport medium supplying step D. The artificial snow mixing and pumping step E of suctioning and feeding to the tip 32b side of the feed path 32, and the flexible scatter hose 49 connected to the tip 32b of the pneumatic feed path 32 are connected to the worker 5
And an artificial snow spraying step F in which the spray is sprayed toward the slope G while holding 0.

[0006] In the above, the ice particle crusher 15 used in the ice particle crushing step C is attached to a drive motor 18 mounted on a carriage 16 in a horizontal state and an output shaft 19 of the drive motor 18. A crushing blade 20 having a blade-shaped cutter portion 20a; a crushing chamber forming portion 21 provided in a case shape at one end of the carriage 16 for accommodating the crushing blade 20; And a hopper-like guide chamber forming part 24 having an opening 23 for receiving the ice particles 4 falling from the ice storage tank 5. The ice making machine 1 used in the ice grain production process A is placed on the floor 3 on the second floor, while the ice storage tank 5 used in the ice storage / ice grain supply process B is placed on the floor 6 on the first floor. The ice particles 4 which are placed and made by the ice making machine 1 are guided into the ice storage tank 5 through the chute 8. Further, when the switch provided on the control panel 10 is turned “ON”, the ice storage tank 5 in the ice storage / ice particle supply step B is rotated to supply the ice particles in the ice storage tank 5 to the ice particle crusher 15 by a fixed amount. And a discharge means 9 for performing the operation.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 will be described. First, A is an ice particle production process for producing 10-yen coin-shaped ice particles (flake ice) by the ice maker 1. The ice maker 1 is mounted on the floor 3 on the second floor of a so-called two-story prefabricated house 2 assembled with aggregate as shown in FIG. The ice making machine 1 is disclosed in, for example,
An example manufactured by "North Star Ice Equipment Corporation" described in Japanese Patent No. 33444 is used. North Star Ice Machine 1
Is a base 1a, a tubular heat-insulating layer provided on the base, a fiberglass cover covering the heat-insulating layer, an icing surface formed on the inner wall surface of the heat-insulating layer via a refrigerant chamber, and a rotating motor. A rotating shaft that is spirally provided on the rotating shaft via a support plate, and has a blade or the like for shaving ice generated on the frozen surface into flake ice.

B temporarily stores the ice particles 4 produced in the ice particle manufacturing process A in a hopper-shaped ice dispenser (hereinafter referred to as an "ice storage tank") 5 and, if necessary, ice. This is an ice storage / ice particle supply step of supplying the particles 4 to an ice singer (hereinafter, referred to as an “ice particle crusher”). The ice storage tank 5 is mounted on a floor 6 of the first floor of the prefabricated house 2 via a support 7.

The ice storage tank 5 is arranged below the ice making machine 1 as shown in FIG. Then, the ice particles 4 made by the ice maker 1 slide down into the ice storage tank 5 via the chute 8 connecting the ice particle discharge port and the receiving port of the ice storage tank 5. The ice storage tank 5 is an ice storage tank 5
There is provided a means for stirring the ice particles stored therein so as not to harden, and a screw-shaped discharge means 9. Unloading means 9
When a switch provided on the control panel 10 installed on the wall surface of the floor 6 on the first floor is turned “ON”, the switch is rotated by the driving force of a drive motor (not shown) and is rotated by a fixed amount (equally). The ice grains 4 are fed to an ice grain crusher 15.

The prefabricated house 2 is preferably provided with an air-cooled condenser 11 and a refrigerator 12 as shown in FIG.
It is preferable that the condenser 11 and the refrigerator 12 are connected to the ice maker 1 via a circulation pipe (not shown).

C is an ice grain crushing step in which the ice grains 4 supplied in the ice storage / ice grain supply step B are crushed into a snow shape by an ice grain crusher 15. The ice particle crushing step C is a so-called artificial snow manufacturing step. The ice particle crusher 15 used in the ice particle crushing step C is configured as shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, and the crushing blade forming a part of the ice particle crusher 15 is as shown in FIG. Has a blade-shaped cutter portion on one side.

The configuration of the ice particle crusher 15 will now be described with reference to FIGS. First 16 is caster 1
7 is a trolley. Reference numeral 18 denotes a drive motor mounted on the carriage 16 in a horizontal state. Reference numeral 19 denotes an output shaft of the drive motor 18, and a rotating plate-shaped crushing blade 20 having a blade-shaped cutter portion 20a on one side is attached to the protruding tip of the output shaft 19. Reference numeral 21 denotes a pulverizing chamber forming part which is provided in a case shape at one end (right end with reference to FIG. 6) of the carriage 16 and houses the pulverizing blade 20. One side wall (right side wall based on FIG. 4) 21 of the pulverizing chamber forming portion 21
A discharge joint 22 for guiding artificial snow made (crushed) in the crushing chamber forming section 21 to a suction path (suction pipe or suction hose) 25 is mounted on the upper part of the horizontal direction. I have. Reference numeral 23 denotes a hopper-shaped guide chamber forming part 24 having an opening 23 at an upper portion for receiving the ice particles 4 falling from the ice storage tank 5, and the guide chamber forming part 24 is crushed so as to be located forward of the crushing blade 20. Other side wall 21b of the chamber forming part 21
It is connected to. In this embodiment, the opening 23 serving as an ice particle inlet is located above the discharge joint 22 described above, and the hopper-shaped guide chamber forming part 24 is
The ice particles 4 thrown into the crusher 3 are the cutter portions 20a of the crushing blades 20.
Has an inclined wall 24a so as to slide in the direction of.

In this embodiment, the ice particle crusher 15 is disposed on the first floor 6 so as to be located below the ice storage tank 5 as shown in FIG. In this case, the ice particles 4 are dropped (input) directly from the ice storage tank 5 to the opening 23 of the guide chamber forming portion 24 of the ice particle crusher 15, but the ice particles 4 are indirectly utilized using a chute (not shown). 4 may be carried to the opening 23 by ice.

D is disposed on the floor 6 of the first floor of the prefabricated house 2 or near the slope G, and transfers the carrier air 31 through the air blower unit 30 to the main air pressure transmission path (pneumatic pressure transmission pipe or air pressure This is a conveyance medium supply step of supplying the medium to the supply hose 32.

As shown in FIG. 2, the air blower unit 30 used in the transporting medium supply step D includes a table-shaped drive source support base 35 disposed near the slope G.
A drive source (drive motor) 36 provided laterally on the top plate 35 a of the drive source support base 35, receiving the driving force of the drive source 36 via the transmission means 37, and A carrier air blower 39 for producing the air 31 and blowing the carrier air 31 to the air silencer (silencer) 38 side at the same time as the air silencer 38;
It is interposed between the mounting end 32a of the pneumatic feed passage 32 and the discharge pipe 40 of the carrier air blower 39, and suppresses noise generated from the carrier air blower 39 to a low level.

E is a crushing chamber forming part 21 on the side of the ice particle crusher 15.
Is continuously supplied in the transport medium supply step D in the mixing path 45 in which the suction path 25 communicating with the air supply path 32 and the air pressure supply path 32 on the side of the transport air blower 39 communicate in a branched (Y-shaped) manner. This is an artificial snow mixing and pumping step in which the artificial snow 45 produced in the ice particle crushing step C through the air 31 is suction-fed to the tip portion 32b of the air pressure feeding path 32.

In the artificial snow mixing and feeding step E, for example, the flow of the carrier air 31 flowing through the air
Since the distance is about 0 km, the artificial snow 46 on the suction path 25 side is vigorously sucked in the branch-shaped mixing path 45 in the flow direction of the carrier air 31, and is mixed with the carrier air 31 while being mixed with the tip of the pneumatic transmission path 32. It flows to the part 32b.

F is sprayed toward the slope G while the worker 50 has a flexible spraying hose (for example, a flexible hose) 49 connected to the distal end portion 32b of the pneumatic transmission path 32 via the connecting means 48. This is an artificial snow spraying process.
In the artificial snow spraying step F, since the spray hose 49 is a flexible member, the worker 50 can spray the artificial snow 46 toward a desired location on the slope G. As described above, the granular artificial snow 46 is transported at a speed of 120 km / h.
In this embodiment, since the air is blown out from the tip of the spraying hose 49 while riding on the vehicle 1, it flies about 20 meters.

In the above configuration, first, an ice particle manufacturing process A
And an ice storage / ice grain supply step B is performed. From the ice maker 1, ice particles 4 in the shape of a 10-yen coin are made. The ice particles 4 produced in the ice particle production process A are guided to the ice storage tank 5 on the first floor by sliding the chute 8 from the ice maker 1 on the second floor. If the desired amount of ice particles 4 is not stored in the ice storage tank 5,
Preferably, an ice particle crusher 15 or an air blower unit 3
0 is not driven.

Next, when a desired amount of ice particles 4 is stored in the ice storage tank 5, the operator operates each switch of the control panel 10. Then, at the same time as the unloading means 9 in the ice storage tank 5 rotates, the ice particle crushing step (artificial snow manufacturing step) C and the transport medium supply step D are started synchronously.

As described above, when the carrying-out means 9 in the ice storage tank 5 rotates, the ice particles 4 are supplied from the ice storage tank 5 to the ice particle crusher 15 by a predetermined amount. Then, the ice particles 4 dropped from the ice storage tank 5 enter the opening 23 of the guide chamber forming part 24, and are guided by the inclined wall 24a while the crushing blade 20
Slide towards. Since the crushing blade 20 continues to rotate like a so-called fan by the driving force of the driving motor 18, the ice particles 4 hitting the cutter portion 20 a of the crushing blade 20.
Are sequentially crushed into artificial snow 46.

On the other hand, in the transport medium supply step D, when the drive motor 36 of the air blower unit 30 is started, the transport air 31 is blown from the transport air blower 39 to the air silencer 38 side. The air silencer 38
The noise generated from the carrier air blower 39 is reduced to a low level.

Thus, the carrier air 31 that has passed through the air silencer 38 enters one end 32a of the air pressure feed path 32, and flows vigorously to the other end 32b. Then, when the carrier air 31 reaches the mixing passage 45 in which the suction passage 25 on the side of the ice particle crusher 15 and the air pressure feed passage 32 of the carrier air blower 39 communicate with each other, the air present in the suction passage 25 is conveyed by the carrier air. Suctioned into 31 rapid streams. Therefore,
Artificial snow 46 produced in the crushing chamber forming section 21 of the ice particle crusher 15 is sucked into the suction passage 25 through the discharge joint 22, and further combined with the rapid transport air 31 in the mixing passage 45. The other end 32b of the pneumatic feed path 32 in a so-called mixed state.
Flows vigorously to

Therefore, an artificial snow spraying step F is performed.
As shown in FIG.
9, the artificial snow 46 discharged from the spraying hose 49 is sprayed toward a desired location on the slope G.

[0025]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In one embodiment described in the embodiment of the present invention, an ice making machine 1 used in an ice grain production process A and an ice storage tank 5 used in an ice storage / ice grain supply process B are provided. Is provided with a chute 8. Since the chute 8 is an example of an ice particle conveying means, for example, a gutter-shaped chute 8 is provided with a screw-shaped conveyance rotating shaft or an ice particle leveling plate movable vertically. They may be combined (for example, as in the embodiment described in JP-A-7-4804).

[0026]

As is clear from the above description, the present invention has the following effects. (1) Granular artificial snow can be efficiently produced at low cost while utilizing an ice making device for producing 10-yen coin-shaped ice particles. Therefore, it is possible to efficiently disperse the artificial snow, which is closer to natural snow and is capable of eliminating the ice-burn state, instead of the 10-yen coin-shaped ice particles as in the related art. (2) It is possible to easily spray granular artificial snow on a slope. In particular, the granular artificial snow is made to fly farther by using the rapid transport air, so that the worker can spray the granular artificial snow widely at a desired place on the slope. (3) The ice making device can be driven when desired, and the ice made ice particles can be stored in the ice storage tank. (4) The invention described in claim 2 is an ice grain crusher used in the ice grain crushing step, which smoothly receives the ice grains falling from the ice storage tank and slides the ice grains toward the crushing blade. The grains can be pulverized efficiently. (5) According to the third aspect of the present invention, the ice grains produced by the ice maker are dropped from a high place, so that the ice can be smoothly stored in the ice storage tank. (6) According to the fourth aspect of the invention, the ice particles in the ice storage tank 5 can be supplied to the ice particle crusher 15 in a fixed amount.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a process chart showing an example of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic explanatory view for explaining a process of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic explanatory view showing an arrangement state of each device used in each step of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic explanatory view from the right side of an ice particle crusher used in the ice particle crushing step of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view of an ice particle crusher used in the ice particle crushing step of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic explanatory view from the front of an ice particle crusher used in the ice particle crushing step of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic explanatory view of a crushing blade of the ice particle crusher.

[Explanation of symbols]

A: ice grain production process, B: ice storage / ice grain supply process, C: ice grain crushing process (artificial snow production process), D: conveyance medium supply process,
E: artificial snow mixing and pumping step, F: artificial snow spraying step, 1: ice making machine, 4 ... ice grains, 5 ... ice storage tank, 7 ... supporting stand, 8 ... chute, 9 ... discharging means, 10 ... control panel, 15 ... Ice grain crusher, 16 ... Dolly, 18 ... Drive motor, 19 ... Output shaft, 2
0: crushing blade, 21: crushing chamber forming part, 23: opening, 24 ...
Guide room forming part, 25: suction path, 30: air blower unit, 31: conveying air, 32: air pressure feeding path, 35: driving source support base, 36: driving source, 38: air silencer, 39: conveying air blowing machine , 40 ... discharge pipe, 45 ... mixing path, 46 ... artificial snow, 49 ... flexible spraying hose, 50 ...
Operator.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An ice particle manufacturing process A for manufacturing ice particles 4 by an ice maker 1, ice particles 4 made in the ice particle manufacturing process A are stored in an ice storage tank 5, and the ice particles 4 are iced. Granulator 15
Storage / ice-particle supplying step B to be supplied to the crushing chamber forming unit 2 and the ice particles 4 supplied by the ice storage / ice-particle supplying step B
1 is a hopper-shaped ice particle crusher 15 having a crushing blade 20 therein.
An ice particle pulverizing step C for pulverizing into a snow-like shape, a transport medium supplying step D for supplying the transport air 31 to a main air pressure feed path 32 via an air blower unit 30 having a transport air blower 39, In the mixing path 45 in which the suction path 25 communicating with the pulverizing chamber forming section 21 on the side of the granule pulverizer 15 and the air pressure feeding path 32 on the side of the conveying air blower 39 are connected in a branched manner, the conveying medium supply step D continues. An artificial snow mixing and pumping step E for sucking and pumping the granular artificial snow 45 produced in the ice particle crushing step C to the tip 32b side of the air pressure feeding path 32 via the rapidly supplied air 31 which is rapidly supplied. , Pneumatic transmission path 3
2 flexible spraying hose 49 connected to the tip 32b
An artificial snow spraying step F in which the operator 50 sprays the snow toward the slope G. 2. The ice particle crusher 15 used in the ice particle crushing step C according to claim 1, wherein a driving motor 18 mounted on a carriage 16 in a horizontal state, and an output shaft 19 of the driving motor 18 are provided. A crushing blade 20 having a blade-shaped cutter portion 20a, and a crushing chamber forming portion 21 provided in a case shape at one end of the carriage 16 for accommodating the crushing blade 20.
And a hopper-shaped guide chamber forming part 24 connected to the crushing chamber forming part 21 and having an opening 23 for receiving the ice particles 4 falling from the ice storage tank 5. How to spray snow. 3. The ice making machine 1 used in the ice particle manufacturing step A according to claim 1, is placed on a floor 3 on the second floor,
The ice storage tank 5 used in the ice storage / ice particle supply step B is placed on the floor 6 of the first floor, and the ice particles 4 made by the ice making machine 1 are supplied to the ice storage tank 5 through the chute 8. A method for dispersing artificial snow, which is guided into the inside. 4. The ice storage tank 5 in the ice storage and ice particle supply step B is rotated when a switch provided on the control panel 10 is turned “ON” to remove the ice particles in the ice storage tank 5. A method for dispersing artificial snow, comprising a carrying-out means 9 for supplying a fixed amount to the ice particle crusher 15 at a time.