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EP-4737696-A1 - SNOW GROOMER

EP4737696A1EP 4737696 A1EP4737696 A1EP 4737696A1EP-4737696-A1

Abstract

Snow groomer provided with a propulsion system (3) in which an endothermic engine (8) is accommodated in an engine compartment adjacent to the cabin (5); the engine (8) is provided with a liquid cooling system provided with a radiator (10) coupled to a fan (11) for sucking an air flow (LF) into the engine compartment. An electronic control unit (22) controls the on/off cycle of the fan (11) based on a signal T water that is a function of the measured temperature of the cooling liquid in the radiator (10) and a reference signal T Water_ref representing a target temperature. The control unit is also designed to process a further control signal Tc relating to the amount of the heat flow from the engine (8) to the cabin, the electronic control unit is configured to compare the control signal Tc with a reference signal Tcref to control the start-up of the fan in order to generate the intake of air at room temperature into the engine compartment and the expulsion of hot air from the engine compartment thus decreasing as a whole, the heat flow from the engine to the cabin.

Inventors

  • SALIS, Francesco
  • PAOLETTI, Alberto
  • Pegoraro, Roberto

Assignees

  • PRINOTH S.p.A.

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20251030

Claims (4)

  1. A snow groomer comprising a frame (2), a propulsion system (3) mounted on the frame (2), a plurality of drive wheels (4) operated by the propulsion system (3) and a cabin (5) designed to accommodate at least one operator in charge of driving the snow groomer (1); the propulsion system (3) comprises a heat engine (8) housed in an engine compartment adjacent to the cabin (5); the engine (8) is provided with: - a liquid cooling system provided with a first radiator (10) coupled to a fan (11) for sucking an air flow (LF) into the engine compartment, the air taken in contributes to reducing the temperature of the engine cooling liquid; - a liquid cooling system of a hydraulic system provided with a second radiator (14) coupled to a fan (15) for sucking an air flow (LF) into the engine compartment, the air taken in contributes to reducing the oil temperature of the hydraulic system; - an intercooler system, in which a third radiator (18) is configured to lower the temperature of the air coming from the compressor before introducing it into the cylinders of said engine (8); the third radiator (18) is coupled to a fan (20) for sucking an air flow (LF) into the engine compartment, the air taken in reduces the temperature of the air compressed by the turbocharger; an electronic control unit (22) controls the on/off cycle at least of the first fan (11); the electronic control unit (22) is configured to: receive a signal T water that is a function of the measured temperature of the cooling liquid in the first radiator (10) and compare this signal T water (summing block S1) with a reference signal T Water_ref representing a target temperature, the difference signal ΔTW = ( T Water - T Water_ref ) is sent to a first regulator R1 which is designed to control the motor M1 of the first fan (11), receive a signal T oil that is a function of the measured oil temperature in the radiator (14) and compare this signal T oil (summing block S2) with a reference signal T Oil_ref representing a target temperature, the difference signal ΔTO = ( T oil - T Oil_ref ) is sent to a second regulator R2 which is designed to control the motor M2 of the second fan (15); and receive (22) a signal T Air that is a function of the temperature sucked into the engine and compare this signal T Air (summing block S3) with a reference signal T Air_ref representing a target temperature, the difference signal ΔTA = ( T Air - T Air_ref ) is sent to a third regulator (R3) which is designed to control the motor M3 of the third fan (20); characterized in that it comprises determining means (40) designed to send, to the electronic control unit (22), a further control signal Tc relating to the amount of the heat flow from the engine (8) to the cabin (5), the electronic control unit (22) is configured to compare the control signal Tc with a reference signal Tcref to control the start-up of one or more of the first motor M1, the second motor M2 and the third motor M3 in order to decrease, as a whole, the heat flow from the engine to the cabin.
  2. The snow groomer according to claim 1, wherein said determining means (40) comprise a temperature sensor arranged inside the cabin (5).
  3. The snow groomer according to claim 1, wherein said determining means (40) comprise a temperature sensor located in the space between a wall (32) of the cabin (5) and the engine (8).
  4. The snow groomer according to claim 1, wherein said determining means (40) comprise an algorithm for estimating the heat flow based on signals / parameters measured in the engine and/or in the vehicle (8).

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This patent application claims priority from Italian patent application no. 102024000024411 filed on October 31, 2024, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a snow groomer. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Generally, a snow groomer comprises a frame, a propulsion system mounted on the frame, a plurality of drive wheels operated by the propulsion system and a cabin mounted in a front portion of the frame and designed to accommodate at least one operator in charge of driving the snow groomer. The propulsion system comprises an endothermic engine housed in an engine compartment arranged in a rear portion of the frame. Furthermore, the snow groomer generally comprises tools, including a front shovel or blade and a rear tiller and trimmer. The blade can be raised, lowered and oriented to move desired amounts of snow, which can thus be removed, accumulated, distributed and shaped in accordance with needs. The rear tool with tiller and trimmer allows instead to obtain the desired trim of the surface of the snowpack. The movement of the tools is carried out by a hydraulic system operated by the endothermic engine. The endothermic engines used by modern snow groomers have high powers (use can be made for example of engines with powers of 500 hp) which produce a high amount of heat that is released from the engine compartment to the external environment through the radiator and by irradiation and convection. Since the endothermic engine is arranged behind the driver's cabin and at a short distance from it, there is a high flow of thermal energy from the engine to the driver's cabin, which is heated in an unsolicited and uncontrolled manner. The Applicant has in fact found that the engine of a snow groomer operating in an environment characterised by low temperatures close to or below zero significantly heats the driver's cabin in such a way that an air conditioning system configured to reduce the temperature of the driver's cabin must be provided. The use of an air conditioning system constitutes an obvious waste of energy as the endothermic engine is required to generate additional power in order to power the compressor of the air conditioner. The Applicant has further noted that the simple provision of a barrier of insulating material between the front cabin and the rear endothermic engine is not sufficient to prevent unwanted heating of the cabin. It is therefore felt the need to realize a snow groomer in which the flow of thermal energy from the engine to the cabin is controlled and it is not necessary to provide an air conditioning system. PREVIOUS DOCUMENTS Patent Document 1: US11505906B2Patent Document 2: CN103362629BPatent Document 3: EP1825110B1Patent Document 4: US2008103635A1 OBJECT OF THE INVENTION Aim of the present invention is to realize a snow groomer that mitigates the drawbacks of the prior art highlighted herein. In accordance with the present invention, a snow groomer of the type described in claim 1 is provided. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become clear from the following description of a non-limiting example of embodiment thereof, with reference to the attached Figures, wherein: Figure 1 is a side view of a snow groomer realized in accordance with the present invention;Figure 2 is a top view of a snow groomer realized in accordance with the present invention; andFigure 3 shows the cabin temperature control system of the snow groomer realized according to the dictates of the present invention and shown in Figures 1 and 2. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION With reference to Figures 1 and 2, number 1 denotes as a whole a snow groomer comprising a frame 2, a propulsion system 3 (Figure 2) mounted on the frame 2, a plurality of drive wheels 4 operated by the propulsion system 3 and a cabin 5 mounted in a front portion of the frame 2 and designed to accommodate at least one operator (not shown) in charge of driving the snow groomer vehicle 1. In the example shown, there are provided two pairs of drive wheels 4 for each side of the frame 2 and a pair of tracks 6 each of which extends between the end drive wheels 4. A plurality of idle wheels 7 (four on each side but the number may be different, see Figure 1) are arranged between the end drive wheels 4 and couple with the tracks 6. The propulsion system 3 comprises an endothermic engine 8 (schematically represented in Figure 2, for example a diesel engine) housed in an engine compartment and arranged in a rear portion of the frame 2. The motor 8 is connected in known manner with the drive wheels through a transmission (not shown). The engine 8 is provided with a liquid cooling system provided with a first radiator 10 coupled to a fan 11 for sucking an air flow LF into the engine compartment, the air taken in contributes in a known manner to reducing the temperature