Snow blower and non-clogging chute

Abstract

A snow blower may include a frame, a rotatable auger, one or more wheels, and a chute body. The frame may define an inlet opening and an outlet opening. The outlet opening may be circumferentially bounded about a chute axis. The rotatable auger may be mounted to the frame rearward from the inlet opening and below the outlet opening to motivate snow to the outlet opening. The one or more wheels may be mounted to the frame apart from the rotatable auger to support the snow blower. The chute body may extend from the frame along the chute axis above the outletopening.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A snow blower comprising:
 a frame defining an inlet opening and an outlet opening, the outlet opening being circumferentially bounded about a chute axis;   a rotatable auger mounted to the frame rearward from the inlet opening and below the outlet opening to motivate snow to the outlet opening;   one or more wheels mounted to the frame apart from the rotatable auger to support the snow blower; and   a chute body extending from the frame along the chute axis above the outletopening,   wherein the outlet opening defines an average cross-sectional area of an enclosed outlet volume over an outlet height and an opening ratio of the average cross-sectional area over the outlet height, and   wherein the opening ratio is greater than or equal to 350.   
     
     
         2 . The snow blower of  claim 1 , wherein the frame encircles the chute axis to define the outlet opening and the enclosed outlet volume along the chute axis for an entirety of the outlet height. 
     
     
         3 . The snow blower of  claim 1 , wherein the frame comprises an auger housing comprising a pair of side walls, a rear wall, and a top wall, the pair of side walls defining the inlet opening, the outlet opening being defined through the topwall. 
     
     
         4 . The snow blower of  claim 1 , wherein the opening ratio is greater than 1000. 
     
     
         5 . The snow blower of  claim 1 , wherein the opening ratio is less than 2000. 
     
     
         6 . The snow blower of  claim 1 , wherein the chute body defines a unenclosed slot extending perpendicular to the chute axis and therealong from the outlet opening. 
     
     
         7 . The snow blower of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more wheels define a wheel axis parallel to a lateral direction and about which the one or more wheels rotate, and wherein the rotatable auger defines an auger axis non-parallel to the lateral direction and about which the rotatable auger rotates. 
     
     
         8 . The snow blower of  claim 7 , wherein the rotatable auger comprises a first auger segment and a second auger segment movable relative to the first auger segment, the second auger segment being spaced apart from the first auger segment along the auger axis. 
     
     
         9 . The snow blower of  claim 1 , further comprising a breaker collar disposed on the frame upstream from the chute body, the breaker collar comprising one or more radial blades extending toward the chute axis to disperse snow from the rotatable auger to the chute body. 
     
     
         10 . The snow blower of  claim 9 , wherein the one or more radial blades comprises a plurality of rigid radial blades radially spaced apart from the chute axis. 
     
     
         11 . A snow blower comprising:
 a frame defining an inlet opening and an outletopening;   a rotatable auger defining an auger axis and mounted to the frame rearward from the inlet opening to motivate snow to the outlet opening, the rotatable auger comprising a first auger segment and a second auger segment movable relative to the first auger segment, the second auger segment being spaced apart from the first auger segment along the auger axis;   one or more wheels mounted to the frame apart from the rotatable auger to support the snow blower; and   a chute body extending from the frame downstream from the outlet opening and the rotatable auger.   
     
     
         12 . The snow blower of  claim 11 , wherein the frame comprises an auger housing comprising a pair of side walls, a rear wall, and an upper wall, the pair of side walls defining the inlet opening, the outlet opening being defined through the upperwall. 
     
     
         13 . The snow blower of  claim 11 , wherein the frame comprises an auger housing comprising a pair of side walls, a rear wall, and an upper wall, the pair of side walls defining the inlet opening, the outlet opening being defined one sidewall of the pair of sidewalls. 
     
     
         14 . The snow blower of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more wheels define a wheel axis parallel to a lateral direction and about which the one or more wheels rotate, and wherein the rotatable auger defines an auger axis non-parallel to the lateral direction and about which the rotatable auger rotates. 
     
     
         15 . The snow blower of  claim 11 , further comprising a breaker collar disposed on the frame upstream from the chute body, the breaker collar comprising one or more radial blades extending toward a chute axis to disperse snow from the rotatable auger to the chute body. 
     
     
         16 . The snow blower of  claim 15 , wherein the one or more radial blades comprises a plurality of rigid radial blades radially spaced apart from the chute axis. 
     
     
         17 . A snow blower comprising:
 a frame defining an inlet opening and an outlet opening, the outlet opening being circumferentially bounded about a chute axis;   a rotatable auger mounted to the frame rearward from the inlet opening and below the outlet opening to motivate snow to the outlet opening;   one or more wheels mounted to the frame apart from the rotatable auger to support the snow blower;   a chute body extending from the frame along the chute axis downstream from the outlet opening; and   a breaker collar disposed on the frame upstream from the chute body, the breaker collar comprising one or more radial blades extending toward the chute axis to disperse snow from the rotatable auger to the chute body.   
     
     
         18 . The snow blower of  claim 17 , wherein the one or more radial blades comprises a plurality of rigid radial blades radially spaced apart from the chute axis. 
     
     
         19 . The snow blower of  claim 17 , wherein the frame comprises an auger housing comprising a pair of side walls, a rear wall, and an upper wall, the pair of side walls defining the inlet opening, the outlet opening being defined through the upperwall. 
     
     
         20 . The snow blower of  claim 17 , wherein the frame comprises an auger housing comprising a pair of side walls, a rear wall, and an upper wall, the pair of side walls defining the inlet opening, the outlet opening being defined one sidewall of the pair of sidewalls.