WO2012177234A1

WO2012177234A1 - Remote chute rotation system

Info

Publication number: WO2012177234A1
Application number: PCT/US2011/041077
Authority: WO
Inventors: Nicholas Hansen; Matt Lambert; Mark Holloway
Original assignee: Husqvarna Consumer Outdoor Products N.A., Inc.
Priority date: 2011-06-20
Filing date: 2011-06-20
Publication date: 2012-12-27
Also published as: EP2721221A4; US20140157633A1; EP2721221B1; EP2721221A1

Abstract

A remote chute rotation assembly may include a chute, a cable system and a control head. The chute may direct ejected material based on an orientation of the chute. The control head may be operatively coupled to the chute via the cable system. The control head may enable remote adjustment of the orientation of the chute via the cable system. The orientation of the chute may be adjustable through a plurality of positions fixable by a positioning assembly disposed at the chute.

Description

REMOTE CHUTE ROTATION SYSTEM

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] Example embodiments generally relate to outdoor equipment and, more particularly, relate to a remote chute rotation system for use with a device that employs a chute for directing discharge material such as snow.

BACKGROUND

[0002] Lawn care and other outdoor tasks associated with grooming and maintaining property are commonly performed using various tools and/or machines that are configured for the performance of corresponding specific tasks. Certain tasks, like snow removal, are typically performed by snow blowers. The snow blowers may, in some cases, be walk-behind models. However, snow blower attachments can sometimes be added to lawn tractors or other riding lawn care vehicles as well.

[0003] Walk behind snow blowers may be single stage or dual stage snow blowers. A single stage snow blower may include a high speed auger blade that is rotated at the front of the snow blower. The rotation of the auger blade may intake snow and impart momentum on the snow to eject the snow through a chute all in one stage of operation. A dual stage snow blower may add an additional stage by having the auger blade (e.g., the first stage) feed snow into an impeller (e.g., the second stage) that imparts momentum on the snow to eject the snow through a chute. In such an example, the first stage auger may operate at lower speeds since the impeller will provide a momentum boost for snow ejection.

[0004] The chute in either a single or dual stage snow blower may be locally repositioned in some cases. For example, the operator may walk around from the operating position (e.g., behind the snow blower and proximate to the handles and control console) to the front or side of the snow blower and manually adjust the direction the chute faces. To improve convenience, some models may provide operators with an ability to perform remote chute positioning.

However, these remote chute positioning systems may not provide the ease of operation and robust feeling of quality that many operators expect when operating mechanical equipment.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF SOME EXAMPLES [0005] Accordingly, in order to improve operator satisfaction in connection with using a snow blower, some example embodiments may provide an adjustable chute rotation system. Such an adjustable chute rotation system may provide operators with a relatively easy and intuitive way to remotely position the chute. Moreover, in some cases, an adjustable chute rotation system of an example embodiment may also provide for improved tension on the chute itself, so that the entire assembly feels more robust to an operator.

[0006] In one example embodiment, a remote chute rotation assembly is provided. The remote chute rotation assembly may include a chute, a cable system and a control head. The chute may direct ejected material based on an orientation of the chute. The control head may be operatively coupled to the chute via the cable system. The control head may enable remote adjustment of the orientation of the chute via the cable system. The orientation of the chute may be adjustable through a plurality of positions fixable by a positioning assembly disposed at the chute.

[0007] In another example embodiment, a snow blower is provided. The snow blower may include a remote chute rotation assembly and a handlebar assembly. The remote chute rotation assembly may include a chute, a cable system and a control head. The chute may direct ejected material based on an orientation of the chute. The control head may be operatively coupled to the chute via the cable system. The control head may enable remote adjustment of the orientation of the chute via the cable system. The orientation of the chute may be adjustable through a plurality of positions fixable by a positioning assembly disposed at the chute.

[0008] Some example embodiments may improve an operator's ability to manipulate the position of the chute on a snow blower. The user experience associated with operating the snow blower may therefore be improved.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

[0009] Having thus described the invention in general terms, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:

[0010] FIG. 1 A illustrates a perspective view of the rear of the snow blower according to an example embodiment;

[0011] FIG. IB illustrates a perspective view of the front of the snow blower according to an example embodiment; [0012] FIG. 2 illustrates a close up perspective view of a top portion of a main body of the snow blower according to an example embodiment;

[0013] FIG. 3 illustrates a close-up perspective view of the operator's station portion of the snow blower according to an example embodiment;

[0014] FIG. 4 illustrates an isolated perspective view of components of a remote chute rotation assembly according to an example embodiment;

[0015] FIG. 5A illustrates a perspective view of the remote chute rotation assembly with a housing thereof removed and a chute base of the remote chute rotation assembly being in a first orientation condition based on the corresponding position of a control head according to an example embodiment;

[0016] FIG. 5B illustrates a perspective view of the remote chute rotation assembly with a housing thereof removed and a chute base of the remote chute rotation assembly being in a second orientation condition based on the corresponding position of a control head according to an example embodiment; and

[0017] FIG. 6 illustrates an exploded perspective view of various components of the remote chute rotation assembly according to an example embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] Some example embodiments now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all example embodiments are shown. Indeed, the examples described and pictured herein should not be construed as being limiting as to the scope, applicability or configuration of the present disclosure. Rather, these example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. Furthermore, as used herein, the term "or" is to be interpreted as a logical operator that results in true whenever one or more of its operands are true.

[0019] Some example embodiments may improve an operator's experience associated with operating a snow blower generally by improving the operator's ability to manipulate the position of the discharge chute on the snow blower. In an example embodiment, a remote chute rotation assembly may be provided that enables the user to adjust a position of the discharge chute using a control head that is disposed at the operator's station, but operably coupled to a chute base via cables. Moreover, the control head may be positioned on the same side of the snow blower as the operator's station. In other words, the control head may be disposed to face the operator on the same side of the snow blower as the operator when the operator is walking behind a walk behind snow blower during normal operation. In some embodiments, the control head may be provided with a rotating handle and/or may be positioned to lie in the same plane as the handlebar assembly of the snow blower (or parallel to the plane of the handlebar assembly) to enable the operator to easily apply leverage sufficient to rotate the control head without twisting the operator's hand and thereby sacrificing comfort and requiring grip adjustment to maintain the force applied. The chute base may also include a positioning assembly (e.g., a detent and detent receiver combination) that locks or fixes a position of the chute base other than when the cable system is employed to make adjustments. Thus, rather than relying on cable tension to hold the chute in place in a situation where the positioning assembly is located at the control head, the positioning assembly that is locally positioned at the chute base may maintain chute position to provide a greater feeling of rigidity and quality to the operator.

[0020] FIG. 1, which includes FIGS. 1A and IB, illustrate a walk behind snow blower 10 according to an example embodiment. However, it should be appreciated that example embodiments may also be practiced in connection with any other device that may benefit from having a remote chute repositioning system. Thus, remote chute positioning for other than walk behind snow blower models or devices that eject materials other than snow may also be provided in accordance with some example embodiments. FIG. 1 A illustrates a perspective view of the rear of the snow blower 10 according to an example embodiment. FIG. IB illustrates a perspective view of the front of the snow blower 10 according to an example embodiment. FIG. 2 illustrates a close up perspective view of a top portion of a main body of the snow blower 10 according to an example embodiment. FIG. 3 illustrates a close-up perspective view of the operator's station portion of the snow blower 10 according to an example embodiment. FIG. 4 illustrates an isolated perspective view of components of a remote chute rotation assembly according to an example embodiment. A description of various components of the snow blower 10 will now be described in reference to FIGS. 1-4.

[0021] In some embodiments, the snow blower 10 may include a hood assembly 20. The hood assembly 20 may be either removable or rotatable to expose engine components and/or other snow blower components. The hood assembly 20 may be configured to mate with side panels 22 between which engine components and/or ejection system components may be disposed. In some embodiments, the snow blower 10 may include wheels 24 or tracks on which a substantial portion of the weight of the snow blower 10 may rest, when the snow blower 10 is operated. The wheels 24 or tracks may also provide for mobility of the snow blower 10. In this regard, for example, drive power may be selectably provided to the wheels 24 or tracks in some cases from the engine.

[0022] The example shown in FIG. 1 is a single stage snow blower. Thus, the ejection system of this example includes auger blade 30 providing the only stage for snow removal. When removing snow, the auger blade 30 may be operatively coupled to the engine of the snow blower 10 such that the auger blade 30 may be selectively rotated about an axis that extends in a direction oriented between the side panels (and therefore parallel to the surface of the ground). Snow may be drawn inwardly and then ejected through a discharge chute 40. It should be appreciated, however, that example embodiments could also be used in connection with dual stage snow blowers in some cases.

[0023] The discharge chute 40 may include a chute deflector 42 that may be adjusted up and down (as shown by the arrow in FIG. 2) to control the height of the discharge stream of snow that is ejected via the discharge chute 40. In an example embodiment, the discharge chute 40 may be directly or indirectly coupled to a portion of a remote chute rotation assembly 50 (see FIG. 4). In this regard, for example, the discharge chute 40 may be coupled to a chute base 52 that may form a portion of the remote chute rotation assembly 50. The chute base 52 may then be coupled to a control head 54 via a cable system 56 as shown in FIG. 4. In some

embodiments, orientation of the chute base 52 may be adjusted using the cable system 56 by operation of the control head 54 as described in greater detail below. Moreover, in some embodiments, a positioning assembly may be provided at the chute base 52 in order to locally facilitate adjustment of the orientation of the chute base 52 via the interface with the control head 54 that is provided by the cable system 56. The positioning assembly may be configured to enable the orientation of the chute base 52 to be adjusted through a plurality of discrete and alternately fixable positions. By enabling the orientation of the chute base 52 to be locally fixed at the chute base 52, a feeling of rigidity and quality may be felt when the discharge chute 40 is manually attempted to be moved. [0024] It should also be appreciated that the positioning assembly of some example embodiments may enable orientation of the chute defined by the chute base 52, the discharge chute 40 and/or the chute deflector 42 by connection with any portion thereof and remote operation at the control head 54. Thus, although an example shown herein provides for connection of the cable system 56 to the chute base 52 to control the orientation of the chute, some other embodiments may connect the cable system to another part of the chute such as the discharge chute 40 or even the chute deflector 42. Moreover, in some embodiments, the chute base 52, the discharge chute 40 and/or the chute deflector 42 may be unitary and molded or otherwise formed from a single piece of material. Thus, the chute may not even include separate pieces corresponding to the chute base 52, the discharge chute 40 and/or the chute deflector 42 in some embodiments. However, in each instance, some embodiments may enable orientation of the chute to be modified using the positioning assembly locally at the chute via remote connection to the control head 54. Because the operator need only take primary action at the control head 54 in one motion (e.g., rotation of the control head 54), and no further activity by the operator is needed, the positioning assembly may be considered to be passive such that no secondary operator action (e.g., no secondary operator action such as a button push, trigger activation, or enabling activity to allow the control head 54 to be operated) is required to perform orientation adjustments.

[0025] In an example embodiment, the snow blower 10 may further include a control panel 60, which may include ignition controls and/or other controls or informational gauges. The control panel 60 may be provided to be accessible from the rear of the snow blower 10 by an operator standing or walking behind the snow blower 10 (e.g., at an operator's station) and capable of pushing, steering or otherwise controlling movement of the snow blower 10 using a handlebar assembly 70 or some other steering assembly. In some examples, the handlebar assembly 70 may include at least two arms 72 that may extend up and rearward away from the side panels 22 to provide a structure for an operator to hold to facilitate direction and operation of the snow blower 10. The arms 72 may extend substantially parallel to each other and may be positioned to extend at an angle of between about 30 degrees to 60 degrees from the horizontal back toward an operator standing or walking behind the snow blower 10 at the operator's station. In some cases, the arms 72 may include handles at the end of each respective one of the arms 72. The handles may include controls for snow blower 10 operation in some cases. In an example embodiment, a cross bar 74 may extend between distal ends of the arms 72 to provide an additional hand rest option for the operator. The cross bar 74 may also provide support for the distal ends of the arms 72.

[0026] In some example embodiments, the snow blower 10 may further include a console 80 disposed to extend between the arms 72. In some example embodiments, such as embodiments where separate handles are positioned at the ends of the arms 72, the console 80 may provide some degree of structural support for distal ends of the arms 72. Alternatively or additionally, the console 80 may provide a structure to which accessories or components of the snow blower 10 may be added. For example, in some embodiments, the console 80 may provide a structure for supporting one or more lights 82. In an example embodiment, the console 80 may also provide a structure for supporting the control head 54. In this regard, for example, the control head 54 may be disposed at a rear portion of the console 80 (e.g., a portion of the console 80 that faces the operating station or an operator walking or standing behind the snow blower 10).

Moreover, in some embodiments, the control head 54 may be disposed to lie in the same plane in which the arms 72 of the handlebar assembly 70 lie or, in some cases, at least in a plane that is parallel to the plane in which the arms 72 of the handlebar assembly 70 lie. This positioning of the control head 54 may provide easy access to remote repositioning of the orientation of the discharge chute 40. For example, an operator standing at the operating station may be enabled to use one hand to reposition the orientation of the discharge chute 40 by adjusting the control 54 head corresponding to the desired change in orientation of the discharge chute 40. By adjusting the control head 54, the cable system 56 may correspondingly move the chute base 52 to change the orientation of the discharge chute 40. In some cases, the operator may even be enabled to steer or direct movement of the snow blower 10 with one hand, while temporarily reaching down to alter the orientation of the discharge chute 40 by adjusting the control head 54 with the other hand.

[0027] In some embodiments, the arms 72 may generally be set to extend from the snow blower at an angle of between about 30 degrees to 60 degrees from the horizontal. Although the arms 72 may be set at approximately 45 degrees in some embodiments, the arms 72 themselves, or the position of the control head 54 may be adjustable within a range around a central position. Thus, for example, in some cases the control head 54 may be disposed to lie in a plane forming an angle of between about 30 degrees and about 60 degrees relative to an operator standing to operate the snow blower 10.

[0028] Operation of the control head 54 to adjust the orientation of the discharge chute 40 will now be described in greater detail in reference to FIGS. 3 to 6. FIG 5, which includes FIGS. 5A and 5B, illustrates an isolated perspective view of the remote chute rotation assembly 50 in two different orientations according to an example embodiment. In this regard, FIG. 5A illustrates a perspective view of the remote chute rotation assembly 50 with a housing thereof removed and the chute base 52 being in a first orientation condition based on the corresponding position of the control head 54 according to an example embodiment. FIG. 5B illustrates a perspective view of the remote chute rotation assembly 50 with a housing thereof removed and the chute base 52 being in a second orientation condition based on the corresponding position of the control head 54 according to an example embodiment. FIG. 6 illustrates an exploded perspective view of various components of the remote chute rotation assembly 50 according to an example embodiment.

[0029] Referring now primarily to FIGS. 3, 4, 5 and 6, it can be seen that in some

embodiments the chute base 52, the control head 54 and the cable system 56 may each include a plurality of components. In this regard, a housing of the control head 54 may include a housing plate 100 that may be attachable to the console 80 via any of various types of fixing mechanisms including glue, a snap fitting, one or more bolts, screws, weld joints, rivets, and/or the like. The housing may also include a cover plate 102 that may be rotatably attached to the housing plate 100 to enclose a pulley assembly 110 within the housing.

[0030] The pulley assembly 110 may include a retaining ring 112 and a pulley 114 that may be enabled to rotate within the housing responsive to movement of a lever arm 120 attached to an axis of rotation of the pulley 114. In an example embodiment, the lever arm 120 may pass through a portion of the cover plate 102 and connect either directly or indirectly to the pulley 114 such that when the lever arm 120 is moved to the right or left (as indicated by the directional arrows in FIG. 3), the cover plate 102 and the pulley 1 14 rotate around an axis of rotation of the pulley 114. The retaining ring 112 may be may be fixable to the housing plate 100 such that the pulley 114 may be rotatably housed within a void space defined between the retaining ring and the housing plate 100. The retaining ring 112 may also be shaped to define cable receiver spaces adjacent to the pulley 114 so that cabling associated with the cable system 56 may be kept in relatively close proximity to the external periphery of the pulley 114 as the pulley 114 rotates responsive to movement of the lever arm 120. Furthermore, the pulley 114 may be affixed to a portion of the cabling associated with the cable system 56. Accordingly, for example, when the lever arm 120 is moved, the pulley 114 may also move correspondingly. Movement of the pulley 114 may cause corresponding movement of the cable system 56, which may be translated to the chute base 52 as described below.

[0031] In some examples, the lever arm 120 may include a rotatable handle 122. The rotatable handle 122 may be disposed at a distal end of the lever arm 120 to enable a user to move the lever arm 120 to rotate the pulley 114. By making the rotatable handle 122 freely rotatable, the operator may be enabled to comfortably grip the rotatable handle 122 and put force on the lever arm 120 over an entirety of the range of motion of the lever arm 120 without having to readjust grip. In an example embodiment, the rotatable handle 122 may be generally cylindrical in shape and may include ridges, bumps, protrusions, embossed patterns, or other grip enhancing features on an outside surface thereof. To enable free rotation of the rotatable handle 122, the longitudinal center of the rotatable handle 122 may be hollowed out in the form of cylinder to receive a dowel 124. A first end of the dowel 124 may be affixed proximate to a distal end of the lever arm 124 (e.g., via a nut and washer combination or other fixing mechanism). The rotatable handle 122 may then substantially cover other portions of the dowel 124 to a second end of the dowel 124, which may include a cap 126 to hold the rotatable handle 122 in place, while still enabling the rotatable handle 122 to easily rotate around the dowel 124. In an example embodiment, the rotatable handle 122 may be configured to be rotatable through a full range of motion of the control head 54 without requiring an operator to bend at the wrist. The combination of positioning the control head 54 at an angle between 30 degrees and 60 degrees relative to the operator and providing the rotatable handle 122 may enable the operator to move through the full range of motion of the control head 54 while maintaining optimal force on the control head 54 without contorting the shoulder or the wrist of the operator. In other words, the combination of positioning the control head 54 at an angle between 30 degrees and 60 degrees relative to the operator and providing the rotatable handle 122 may enable the operator to maintain an ergonomically correct or advantageous posture throughout remote manipulation of the chute through a full range of motion. [0032] In an example embodiment, the cable system 56 may include multiple cable portions that may be joined together. For example, in the example embodiment of FIG. 6, the cable system 56 includes two cable runners (e.g., first cable runner 130 and second cable runner 132) and two fixed cables (e.g., first fixed cable 134 and second fixed cable 136). However, in some alternative embodiments, more or less cable portions may be employed. Moreover, in one embodiment, as single continuous cable may be employed. In the example of FIG. 6, a first end of the first cable runner 130 may attach to a first end of the first fixed cable 134 and a second end of the first cable runner 130 may attach to a first end of the second fixed cable 136. A first end of the second cable runner 132 may attach to a second end of the first fixed cable 134 and a second end of the second cable runner 132 may attach to a second end of the second fixed cable 136. Thus, the portions of the cable system 56 may be attached end-to-end in order to form a continuous closed loop.

[0033] The cable portions of the cable system 56 may be made from any desirable material. For example, one or more of the cable portions may be formed from braided steel or other metallic components, plastic, composite materials, and/or the like or combinations thereof. For example, the first and second cable runners 130 and 132 may be braided steel that is coated with plastic or some other composite material. In an example embodiment, the first and second cable runners 130 and 132 may be disposed to be maintained in proximity to one of the arms 72 of the handlebar assembly 70. For example, the first and second cable runners 130 and 132 may run along side one of the arms 72. However, in some embodiments, the first and second cable runners 130 and 132 may be positioned within a portion of one of the arms 72 or in a cable way that may be proximately located to one of the arms 72. In any case, the first and second cable runners 130 and 132 may be enabled to freely move as needed to translate movement of the control head 54 to corresponding movement of the chute base 52. To provide direct

correspondence between the movement of the control head 54 and the orientation of the chute base 52, the pulley 114 and the chute base 52 may each have substantially the same diameter. In some cases, the first and second cable runners 130 and 132 may each be the same length and the first and second fixed cables 134 and 136 may also be the same length (but different in length than the first and second cable runners 130 and 132).

[0034] In an example embodiment, the first fixed cable 134 may be affixed to the chute base 52, and the second fixed cable 136 may be affixed to the pulley 114. In an example embodiment, when the orientation of the discharge chute 40 is such that the discharge material ejected from the snow blower 10 is directed in front of the snow blower 10, the chute base 52 may be positioned in what may be referred to as a neutral position. In the neutral position, the lever arm 120 may be positioned in a twelve o'clock position or pointing substantially upward toward the operator. The point on the first fixed cable 134 that is farthest from the pulley 114 may be affixed to the chute base 52. Similarly, the point on the second fixed cable 136 that is farthest from the pulley 114 may be affixed to the chute base 52. As such, any rotation of the lever arm 120 may cause corresponding rotation of the pulley 114 and therefore further cause corresponding movement of the second fixed cable 136. Specifically, the second fixed cable 136 may be rotated around the axis of rotation of the lever arm 120 along the circumferential border defined by the retaining ring 114. The movement of the second fixed cable 136 may then cause a corresponding pull of one of the first or second cable runners 130 or 132 toward the control head 54, while the other of the first or second cable runners 130 or 132 is pulled away from the control head 54 via corresponding movement of the first fixed cable 134.

[0035] The chute base 52 may include a fixed base portion 140 that may be attached to the snow blower 10 proximate to the hood assembly 20. The fixed base portion 140 may be attached using any of various types of fixing mechanisms including glue, a snap fitting, one or more bolts, screws, weld joints, rivets, and/or the like. The fixed base portion 140 may be a substantially plate-like rigid metal or plastic piece that may include an orifice therein. The orifice may be provided for ejection of snow or other material there through during operation of the snow blower 10. The chute base 52 may further include a moveable base portion 142 and a retaining ring 144.

[0036] The moveable base portion 142 may include a detent receiver ring 150 and a chute attachment portion 152. The detent receiver ring 150 may be a ring shaped portion of metal, plastic or another rigid material that includes a plurality of discrete detent receivers 154 positioned around an external periphery thereof. In an example embodiment, the detent receivers 154 may be provided in the form of grooves and/or teeth that are positioned at regular intervals over a portion (or all) of the external periphery to the detent receiver ring 150. The chute attachment portion 152 may extend substantially perpendicularly from an internal periphery of the detent receiver ring 150 and may provide a surface and/or structure to which the discharge chute 40 may be attached. As such, discharge material being ejected by the snow blower 10 through the discharge chute 40 may pass through the internal periphery of the detent receiver ring 150 and the chute attachment portion 152. The diameter of the chute attachment portion 152 (at least at the external periphery thereof) may be the same as the diameter of the pulley 114 (at least at the external periphery thereof).

[0037] The retaining ring 144 may attach (e.g., via screws, bolts, rivets and/or the like) to the fixed base portion 140 to define a cavity within which the moveable base portion 142 may move responsive to rotation of the control console 54 as communicated via the cable system 56. The first fixed cable 134 may be affixed to the chute attachment portion 152 by a cable holder 160. The cable holder 160 may be a clamp, clasp, or other fastening structure that may be configured to grasp, pinch or otherwise hold a portion of the first fixed cable 134 in fixed connection with the chute attachment portion 152. However, it should be appreciated that the cable holder 160 could be placed on the detent receiver ring 150 in some alternative embodiments. The first fixed cable 134 may then move within the retaining ring 144 responsive to rotation at the control head 54 via corresponding movement of the first and second cable runners 130 and 132. Movement of the first fixed cable 134 may also cause corresponding movement of the moveable base portion 142 based on the attachment of the first fixed cable 134 to the chute attachment portion 152.

[0038] In an example embodiment, a detent 170 may be connected to the fixed base portion 140 and/or the retaining ring 144. The detent 170 may be biased (e.g., with spring 172) toward engagement with one or more of the detent receivers 154 that are proximate to the detent 170. However, in an example embodiment, the detent receivers 154 may be shaped to have rounded edges to facilitate slippage of the detent 170 from one detent receiver 154 (or set of detent receivers) to an adjacent detent receiver (or set of detent receivers) responsive to sufficient rotational force being applied to the moveable base portion 142 via the cable system 56 and the control head 54. In an example embodiment, the spring 172 may be selected to apply sufficient force to the detent 170 to hold the detent 170 into engagement with the detent receiver 154 that is proximate thereto in the presence of normal forces that may be externally provided to the detent receiver ring 150 (e.g., due to manual contact of discharge material or inadvertently encountered forces from humans or objects that are bumped into). However, forces exerted by the spring 172 may be relatively easily overcome using leverage provided by rotation of the pulley 114 using the lever arm 120. The spring 172 of an example embodiment may be positioned at a 90 degree angle to the direction of engagement of the detent 170 with the detent receiver 154. However, in alternative embodiments, a spring could be in line with the detent to employ spring forces to directly pull the detent 170 toward the detent receiver 154 or to push the detent 170 toward the detent receiver 154.

[0039] In an example embodiment, engagement of the detent 170 with each detent receiver 154 may define a corresponding discrete orientation position. As the lever arm 120 is rotated to move the discharge chute 40 out of the neutral position, the discharge chute 40 may pass through a series of discrete orientation positions while the detent 170 cycles through corresponding detent receivers 154. In one example, movement of the lever arm 120 to the right or in a clockwise direction may cause corresponding movement of the discharge chute 40 to the right or in a clockwise direction. In this regard, as the lever arm 120 moves to the right, the pulley 114 also moves to the right and pulls the second fixed cable 136 in a clockwise direction as the pulley 114 rotates. The second cable runner 132 may be pulled away from the chute base 52 and may pull the first fixed cable 134 to cause it to rotate in a clockwise direction to pull the moveable base portion 142 to rotate in the clockwise direction. As the moveable base portion 142 rotates, the spring 172 force may be overcome and the detent 170 may sequentially move in and out of adjacent detent receivers 154 until the rotational force stops when the operator has positioned the discharge chute 40 as desired.

[0040] Similarly, movement of the lever arm 120 to the left or in a counter-clockwise direction may cause corresponding movement of the discharge chute 40 to the left or in a counter-clockwise direction. FIG. 5 illustrates such an example. In this regard, FIG. 5A illustrates the lever arm 120 in the neutral position. The chute base 52 is also positioned correspondingly to eject discharge material directly in front of the snow blower 10. However, when the lever arm 120 is rotated out of the neutral position and to a full In an example embodiment, the discharge chute 40 may move through 180 degrees of motion from an orientation where discharge is ejected about 90 degrees to the right of the snow blower 10 to an orientation where discharge is ejected about 90 degrees to the left of the snow blower 10.

However, some embodiments may limit the range of motion to values that are either below or beyond 180 degrees.

[0041] It should be appreciated that merely by changing the threading of the cables through the pulley 114, the correspondence between movement of the control head 54 and the discharge chute 52 may be reversed. For example, in some cases, by changing the correspondence between which ends of the first and second cable runners 130 and 132 attach to which ends of the first and second fixed cables 134 and 136, clockwise rotation of the pulley 114 may cause counterclockwise rotation of the moveable base portion 142.

[0042] In some example embodiments, the detent 170 and the detent receiver ring 150 having the detent receivers 154 may form the positioning assembly having a plurality of discrete orientations associated therewith. However, it should be appreciated that other example positioning assemblies may also be employed in connection with other example embodiments. For example, a detent may be provided to engage detent receivers positioned on an interior of the detent receiver ring 150 instead of the external periphery. Furthermore, the detent itself could be provided without a separate spring. Other example structures could also be employed.

[0043] Some example embodiments may therefore enable remote operation of the orientation of a discharge chute on a snow blower or other device for ejecting material using a single or multiple stage ejection paradigm. Moreover, some example embodiments use a cable system to translate movement of a lever arm positioned at a control head near an operator's station into corresponding movement of the discharge chute. Example embodiments also place the detent and detent receiver of an example positioning assembly at the chute end. By having the positioning assembly at the chute end, the physical engagement for holding the discharge chute in its discrete orientation is provided locally at the discharge chute rather than through cable tension. Thus, if one attempts to manually move or shift the discharge chute, local tension and a greater feeling of rigidity or solidness may be experienced by an operator and be interpreted as corresponding to a product that has superior quality. Meanwhile, the control head may be held in position by cable tension. However, in some cases, a similar positioning assembly to that which is employed at the chute end could also be provided at the control head. In any case, provision of local engagement and holding of discrete orientation positions of the discharge chute may meet specification standards for prevention of motion of the discharge chute during operation. Thus, providing local engagement and holding may both meet applicable standards and provide desirable characteristics for operators.

[0044] Many modifications and other embodiments of the inventions set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which these inventions pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the inventions are not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Moreover, although the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings describe exemplary embodiments in the context of certain exemplary combinations of elements and/or functions, it should be appreciated that different combinations of elements and/or functions may be provided by alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In this regard, for example, different combinations of elements and/or functions than those explicitly described above are also contemplated as may be set forth in some of the appended claims. In cases where advantages, benefits or solutions to problems are described herein, it should be appreciated that such advantages, benefits and/or solutions may be applicable to some example embodiments, but not necessarily all example embodiments. Thus, any advantages, benefits or solutions described herein should not be thought of as being critical, required or essential to all embodiments or to that which is claimed herein. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.

Claims

THAT WHICH IS CLAIMED:

1. A snow blower comprising:

a handlebar assembly; and

a remote chute rotation assembly, wherein the remote chute assembly comprises:

a chute for directing ejected material based on an orientation of the chute;

a cable system; and

a control head operatively coupled to the chute via the cable system, the control head enabling remote adjustment of the orientation of the chute via the cable system, wherein the orientation of the chute is adjustable through a plurality of positions fixable by a positioning assembly disposed at the chute.

2. The snow blower of claim 1 , wherein the positioning assembly is passive such that no secondary operator action is required to perform orientation adjustments.

3. The snow blower of claim 1, wherein the positioning assembly comprises a detent configured to detachably engage one of a plurality of discrete detent receivers that correspond to respective different discrete orientations of a chute base of the chute.

4. The snow blower of claim 3, wherein the detent is biased toward engagement with a proximately located one of the plurality of discrete detent receivers.

5. The snow blower of claim 3, wherein the plurality of discrete detent receivers is provided on a portion of the chute base.

6. The snow blower of claim 1, wherein the control head is affixed to at least one cable of the cable system, and the chute is also affixed to the at least one cable such that movement of the control head induces movement of the cable to correspondingly move the chute.

7. The snow blower of claim 6, wherein the control head include a pulley, and a diameter of the pulley and a diameter of a chute base of the chute are substantially equal.

8. The snow blower of claim 1, wherein the control head includes a handle rotatable through a full range of motion of the control head without requiring an operator to bend at a wrist of the operator.

9. The snow blower of claim 1, wherein the control head includes a handle that is rotatably coupled to a lever arm to enable free rotation of the handle relative to the lever arm as the lever arm is moved through a full range of rotation of the control head.

10. The snow blower of claim 9, wherein movement of the control head is translated through the cable system to urge corresponding movement of a chute base of the chute such that rotation of the control head clockwise or counter-clockwise from a neutral position that corresponds to a chute orientation in front of the snow blower causes proportional movement of the chute base to alter the chute orientation toward a right side of the snow blower for clockwise rotation of the control head and to a left side of the snow blower for counter-clockwise rotation of the control head.

11. The snow blower of claim 1 , wherein the control head lies in a plane that is parallel to a plane in which arms of the handlebar assembly of the snow blower lie.

12. The snow blower of claim 11, wherein the control head is disposed on a console between the arms of the handlebar assembly, and wherein the control head is disposed on a same side of the snow blower as an operator during operation of the snow blower.

13. The snow blower of claim 1, wherein the snow blower is a single stage or dual stage snow blower.

14. The snow blower of claim 1, wherein the control head is disposed to lie in a plane forming an angle of between about thirty degrees and about sixty degrees relative to an operator standing to operate a device employing the remote chute rotation assembly.

15. A remote chute rotation assembly comprising:

a chute for directing ejected material based on an orientation of the chute;

a cable system; and

a control head operatively coupled to the chute via the cable system, the control head enabling remote adjustment of the orientation of the chute via the cable system,

wherein the orientation of the chute is adjustable through a plurality of positions fixable by a positioning assembly disposed at the chute.

16. The remote chute rotation assembly of claim 15, wherein the positioning assembly is a passive such that no secondary operator action is required to perform orientation adjustments.

17. The remote chute rotation assembly of claim 15, wherein the positioning assembly comprises a detent configured to detachably engage one of a plurality of discrete detent receivers that correspond to respective different discrete orientations of a chute base of the chute.

18. The remote chute rotation assembly of claim 17, wherein the detent is biased toward engagement with a proximately located one of the plurality of discrete detent receivers.

19. The remote chute rotation assembly of claim 17, wherein the plurality of discrete detent receivers is provided on a portion of the chute base.

20. The remote chute rotation assembly of claim 15, wherein the control head is affixed to at least one cable of the cable system, and the chute is also affixed to the at least one cable such that movement of the control head induces movement of the cable to correspondingly move the chute.

21. The remote chute rotation assembly of claim 20, wherein the control head includes a pulley, and a diameter of the pulley and a diameter of a chute base of the chute are substantially equal.

22. The remote chute rotation assembly of claim 15, wherein the control head includes a handle rotatable through a full range of motion of the control head without requiring an operator to bend at a wrist of the operator.

23. The remote chute rotation assembly of claim 15, wherein the control head includes a handle that is rotatably coupled to a lever arm to enable free rotation of the handle relative to the lever arm as the lever arm is moved through a full range of rotation of the control head.

24. The remote chute rotation assembly of claim 23, wherein movement of the control head is translated through the cable system to urge corresponding movement of a chute base of the chute such that rotation of the control head clockwise or counter-clockwise from a neutral position that corresponds to a chute orientation in front of a snow blower to which the assembly is mounted causes proportional movement of the chute base to alter the chute orientation toward a right side of the snow blower for clockwise rotation of the control head and to a left side of the snow blower for counter-clockwise rotation of the control head.

25. The remote chute rotation assembly of claim 15, wherein the control head lies in a plane that is parallel to a plane in which arms of a handlebar assembly of a snow blower to which the remote chute rotation assembly attaches lie.

26. The remote chute rotation assembly of claim 25, wherein the control head is disposed on a console between the arms of the handlebar assembly, and wherein the control head is disposed on a same side of the snow blower as an operator during operation of the snow blower.

27. The remote chute rotation assembly of claim 15, wherein the control head is disposed to lie in a plane forming an angle of between about thirty degrees and about sixty degrees relative to an operator standing to operate a device employing the remote chute rotation assembly.