Snow blower and non-clogging chute

Abstract

A snow blower may include a frame, a rotatable auger, one or more wheels, and a chute. The rotatable auger may be mounted to the frame. The one or more wheels may be mounted to the frame apart from the rotatable auger to support the snow blower. The chute may extend from the frame above the rotatable auger. One or more features such as an active heater, a resilient chute body, or a controller configured to direct a blowing operation may further be provided.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A snow blower comprising:
 a frame;   a rotatable auger mounted to the frame;   one or more wheels mounted to the frame apart from the rotatable auger to support the snow blower;   a chute extending from the frame above the rotatable auger; and   an active heater supported on the frame in thermal communication with the chute to heat a predefined area thereof.   
     
     
         2 . The snow blower of  claim 1 , wherein the active heater comprises an electric heating element disposed on the chute at the predefined area in conductive thermal communication therewith. 
     
     
         3 . The snow blower of  claim 1 , wherein the active heater comprises a motor disposed rearward from the chute and an exhaust outlet downstream from the motor, the exhaust outlet being directed at the predefined area in convective thermal communication therewith. 
     
     
         4 . The snow blower of  claim 1 , wherein the frame comprises an auger housing within which the rotatable auger is housed, and wherein the snow blower further comprises a resilient contact flap attached to the auger housing extending therefrom and into a rotational path of the rotatable auger to selectively contact the rotatable auger during rotation of the rotatable auger. 
     
     
         5 . The snow blower of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a secondary motor supported on the frame; and   a vibration arm coupled to the secondary motor in mechanical communication with the chute to selectively transfer vibration-inducing movement from the secondary motor to the chute.   
     
     
         6 . The snow blower of  claim 1 , wherein the rotatable auger defines a lateral gap, wherein the frame comprises an auger housing within which the rotatable auger is housed, and wherein the snow blower further comprises a breaker blade attached to the auger housing extending therefrom and into a rotational path of the rotatable auger at the lateral gap. 
     
     
         7 . The snow blower of  claim 1 , wherein the frame comprises an auger housing within which the rotatable auger is housed, the auger housing comprising a top wall and defining a front opening permitting snow to the rotatable auger, wherein the chute is attached to the frame at the top wall, wherein the chute defines a snow passage extending above the top wall, and wherein the top wall defines an open transverse channel extending continuously from the front opening to the snow passage. 
     
     
         8 . The snow blower of  claim 1 , wherein the frame comprises an auger housing within which the rotatable auger is housed, and wherein the chute comprises a resilient chute body deformable about a chute axis perpendicular to an auger axis, the resilient chute body have a static base non-rotatably fixed to the auger housing. 
     
     
         9 . The snow blower of  claim 1 ,
 an auger motor supported on the frame in mechanical communication with the rotatable auger to motivate rotation thereof; and   a controller in operative communication with the auger motor and configured to direct a blower operation comprising:
 receiving an operational sensor signal, 
 determining a motor output setting based on the received operational sensor signal, and 
 directing the auger motor to rotate the rotatable auger according to the determined motor output setting. 
   
     
     
         10 . A snow blower comprising:
 a frame comprising an auger housing, the auger housing comprising a top wall and defining a front opening permitting snow to the auger housing;   a rotatable auger mounted to the frame and housed within the auger housing below the top wall and rearward from the front opening;   one or more wheels mounted to the frame apart from the rotatable auger to support the snow blower; and   a chute extending from the top wall above the rotatable auger, the chute comprising a resilient chute body deformable about a chute axis perpendicular to an auger axis.   
     
     
         11 . The snow blower of  claim 10 , wherein the snow blower further comprises a resilient contact flap attached to the auger housing extending therefrom and into a rotational path of the rotatable auger to selectively contact the rotatable auger during rotation of the rotatable auger. 
     
     
         12 . The snow blower of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a secondary motor supported on the frame; and   a vibration arm coupled to the secondary motor in mechanical communication with the chute to selectively transfer vibration-inducing movement from the secondary motor to the chute.   
     
     
         13 . The snow blower of  claim 10 , wherein the rotatable auger defines a lateral gap, wherein the frame comprises an auger housing within which the rotatable auger is housed, and wherein the snow blower further comprises a breaker blade attached to the auger housing extending therefrom and into a rotational path of the rotatable auger at the lateral gap. 
     
     
         14 . The snow blower of  claim 10 , wherein the chute defines a snow passage extending above the top wall, and wherein the top wall defines an open transverse channel extending continuously from the front opening to the snow passage. 
     
     
         15 . The snow blower of  claim 10 , wherein the resilient chute body has a static base non-rotatably fixed to the auger housing. 
     
     
         16 . The snow blower of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 an auger motor supported on the frame in mechanical communication with the rotatable auger to motivate rotation thereof; and   a controller in operative communication with the auger motor and configured to direct a blower operation comprising:
 receiving an operational sensor signal, 
 determining a motor output setting based on the received operational sensor signal, and 
 directing the auger motor to rotate the rotatable auger according to the determined motor output setting. 
   
     
     
         17 . A snow blower comprising:
 a frame;   a rotatable auger mounted to the frame;   one or more wheels mounted to the frame apart from the rotatable auger to support the snow blower;   a chute extending from the frame above the rotatable auger;   an auger motor supported on the frame in mechanical communication with the rotatable auger to motivate rotation thereof; and   a controller in operative communication with the auger motor and configured to direct a blower operation comprising:
 receiving an operational sensor signal, 
 determining a motor output setting based on the received operational sensor signal, and 
 directing the auger motor to rotate the rotatable auger according to the determined motor output setting. 
   
     
     
         18 . The snow blower of  claim 17 , wherein the operational sensor signal comprises a motor loading signal received from the auger motor according to an operational load on the auger motor. 
     
     
         19 . The snow blower of  claim 17 , further comprising a temperature sensor in operative communication with the controller, wherein the operational sensor signal comprises a temperature signal received from the temperature sensor. 
     
     
         20 . The snow blower of  claim 17 , further comprising a speed sensor mounted to the frame in operative communication with the controller to detect a speed of the snow blower, wherein the operational sensor signal comprises a velocity signal received from the speed sensor.