Remote Chute Rotation System

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.

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 includes 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 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.