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EP-4737643-A1 - SNOW TILLER

EP4737643A1EP 4737643 A1EP4737643 A1EP 4737643A1EP-4737643-A1

Abstract

A snow tiller (1) for preparing ski piste has a frame (2) configured to be coupled to a crawler vehicle (3) and advanced in a forward direction (D1); at least one rotor (4) rotatably supported around an axis of rotation (A1) by the frame (2); an electric motor (10) driving the rotor (4); and a plurality of linear actuators (12, 13, 14) of control, each of which is a DC electric actuator or a hydraulic actuator driven by a hydraulic pump (16) and a hydraulic circuit mounted on board the snow tiller (1), the hydraulic pump (16) being driven by an additional electric motor (15) mounted on board the snow tiller (1) or by the electric motor (10) driving the rotor (10).

Inventors

  • Pegoraro, Roberto
  • UNTERHOLZNER, Markus
  • PAOLETTI, Alberto

Assignees

  • PRINOTH S.p.A.

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20251029

Claims (13)

  1. A snow tiller for preparing ski piste the snow tiller comprising: - a frame (2) configured to be coupled to a crawler vehicle (3) and advanced in a forward direction (D1); - at least one rotor (4; 18) rotatably supported around an axis of rotation (A1; A2, A3) by the frame (2); - an electric motor (10; 22) driving the rotor (4); - a plurality of linear actuators (12, 13, 14) of control, each of which is a DC electric actuator or a hydraulic actuator driven by a hydraulic pump (16) and hydraulic circuit mounted on board the snow tiller (1), the hydraulic pump (16) being driven by an additional electric motor (15) mounted on board the snow tiller (1) or by the electric motor (10; 22)) driving the rotor (4; 18).
  2. The snow tiller as claimed in claim 1 and comprising: - a rotor housing (5, 21) arranged around the rotor (4; 18); - a finisher (6) arranged downstream of the rotor (4; 18) in the forward direction (D1) and attached to the rotor housing (5; 21) to define a snow working chamber with the rotor (4; 18); - two side wings (7) hinged to the frame (2) at the opposite ends of the frame (2), the said plurality of linear actuators (12, 13, 14) of which includes: - a first linear actuator (12) to adjust the position of the rotor (5; 18)) relative to the snowpack; - at least one second linear actuator (13) to adjust the relative position between the rotor housing (5; 12) and the rotor (4; 18) and/or the relative position between the rotor housing (5; 12) and the finisher (6); and - two third linear actuators (14) to adjust the position of the respective side wings (7).
  3. The snow tiller as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which the rotor (18) comprises two drums (19) connected by a homokinetic joint (20) and rotating around respective axes (A2, A3) coincident with and supported by two respective rotor housing (21) mounted to the main frame (2) so that the drums (19) can adapt to the conformation of the snowpack transversely to the forward direction (D1).
  4. The snow tiller as claimed in claim 3, wherein said electric motor (22) is connected to said homokinetic joint (20) by means of a first mechanical transmission (24).
  5. The snow tiller as claimed in claim 3, in which said electric motor (22) is connected to one end of one of the drums (19) by means of a second mechanical transmission (25).
  6. The snow tiller as claimed in claim 3, in which said electric motor (22) is connected to one end of both drums (19) by means of an additional mechanical transmission (26).
  7. The snow tiller as claimed in claim 3 and comprising two electric motors (22), each of which is connected directly to the opposite ends of the drums (19).
  8. The snow tiller as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein said electric motor (10; 22) and any additional electric motor (15) are AC electric motors.
  9. The snow tiller as claimed in claim 8, in which each electric motor (19; 22) and/or each additional electric motor (16) includes a respective inverter (11; 23) to switch hightension direct current to alternating current.
  10. The snow tiller as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, and comprising at least one equipment (27) of track tracing for preparing a cross-country ski piste, which includes an additional rotor (29) for milling the snowpack arranged downstream of the snow finisher (6); an additional electric motor (30) to drive the additional rotor (29); a tracking device (31) arranged downstream of the additional rotor (29); a fourth linear actuator (32) to adjust the vertical position of the additional rotor (29); a fifth linear actuator (33) to adjust the position of the further rotor (29) in a direction transverse to the forward direction (D1); and a sixth linear actuator (34) to adjust the working depth of the tracking device (31), where the fourth, fifth, and sixth linear actuators (32, 33, 34) are DC electric actuators or hydraulic actuators driven by the hydraulic pump (16) and hydraulic circuit mounted on board the snow tiller (1).
  11. The snow tiller as claimed in any one of the preceding claims and comprising and electrical connector (36) for connecting to an electrical connector (35) of the crawler vehicle (1) so as to transfer electrical power from the crawler vehicle (3) to the snow tiller (1).
  12. The snow tiller as claimed in any of the preceding claims and comprising a DC power distribution BUS including at least one line (37) of high voltage, specifically 700 volts to power said electric motor (10; 22; 15).
  13. The snow tiller as claimed in claim 12 and comprising a plurality of lines (38) at low voltage to feed said linear actuators (12, 13, 14; 12, 13, 14, 32, 33, 34).

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This patent application claims priority from Italian patent application no. 102024000024288 filed on October 30, 2024, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. FIELD OF THE ART The present invention relates to a snow tiller used in the preparation of ski pistes. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Generally, a snow tiller has a frame configured to be coupled to a crawler vehicle, which has the function of advancing the snow tiller in a forward direction and feeding the snow tiller with the power necessary to drive the snow tiller; at least one rotor rotatably supported by the frame and provided with teeth configured to mill the snowpack; a rotor housing arranged around the rotor; a finisher arranged downstream of the rotor to level the milled snowpack; and side wings to prevent powdery snow from depositing upstream of the snow tiller in the forward direction. The snow tiller has a plurality of actuators: at least one rotating actuator to drive the rotor and linear actuators to adjust the relative position between the rotor and the rotor housing and/or the relative position between the rotor and the rotor housing and the position of the side wings. Examples of snow tillers are shown in documents EP 3, 755, 844 B1 and WO 2020/165, 799 A1 of the present Applicant. In addition, a snow tiller can be equipped with additional equipment configured to make cross-country ski pistes with two or more tracks for alternating-pitch cross-country skiing. The additional equipment comprises at least one further rotor arranged downstream of the finisher and a tracer, which is arranged downstream of the further rotor and has shoes for imprinting the tracks in the snowpack as shown in patent EP 3,440,264 B1 of the present Applicant. The additional equipment has at least one further rotary actuator to drive the rotor and further linear actuators to adjust the position of the further rotor and the tracer. Generally, the rotary actuators are hydraulic motors and the linear actuators are hydraulic cylinders so the snow tiller is fed with flexible hoses adapted to contain the hydraulic liquid. Traditionally, the crawler vehicle is equipped with an internal combustion engine, which drives one or more hydraulic pumps to drive with hydraulic power the tracks, the snow tiller and other equipment associated with the crawler vehicle. The energy transition imposes major changes in all areas of mobility. In particular, the land mobility sector has already been subject to strong changes dictated by the electrification of powertrains that is also extending to the crawler vehicles. This paradigm shift requires finding efficient solutions also with regard to the tools associated with the crawler vehicle and the transfer of power from the crawler vehicle to the tools. OBJECT OF THE INVENTION Aim of the present invention is to realize a snow tiller for preparing ski piste that interfaces efficiently to an electrified crawler vehicle. In accordance with the present invention a snow tiller for preparing ski piste is realized, the snow tiller comprising: a frame configured to be coupled to a crawler vehicle and advanced in a forward direction;at least one rotor rotatably supported around an axis of rotation by the frame;at least one electric motor driving the rotor;a plurality of linear actuators of control, each of which is a DC electric actuator or a hydraulic actuator driven by a hydraulic pump and hydraulic circuit, the hydraulic pump being driven by an additional electric motor mounted on board the snow tiller or by the electric motor driving the rotor. In this way, the power supply of the snow tiller involves transferring electrical power from the crawler vehicle and the connection of the snow tiller to the crawler vehicle is simplified. The variant according to which the linear actuators are hydraulic actuators is easily achievable by virtue of the fact that the strokes of the linear actuators are relatively limited so that the hydraulic system can have small dimensions and easily be housed in the snow tiller. In particular, the snow tiller comprises: a rotor housing arranged around the rotor;a finisher arranged downstream of the rotor in the forward direction and attached to the rotor housing so as to define a snow working chamber with the rotor;two side wings hinged to the frame at the opposite ends of the frame, said plurality of linear actuators of which includes:a first linear actuator to adjust the position of the rotor relative to the snowpack;a second linear actuator to adjust the relative position between the rotor housing and the rotor and/or the relative position between the rotor housing and the finisher; andtwo third linear actuators to adjust the position of the respective side wings. In this way it is possible to adjust all the functions of the snow tiller that allow the snow tiller to be adapted to the different conditions of the snowpack in order to obtain high-qualit