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 outlet opening.

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;   a chute body extending from the frame along the chute axis above the outlet opening; and   a clearing blade selectively extending across at least a portion of the outlet opening to disperse snow from the rotatable auger to the chute body.   
     
     
         2 . The snow blower of  claim 1 , further comprising: a blade motor in mechanical communication with the clearing blade and configured to selectively motivate the clearing blade across at least a portion of the outlet opening. 
     
     
         3 . The snow blower of  claim 1 , wherein the clearing blade is horizontally translatable through the outlet opening. 
     
     
         4 . The snow blower of  claim 1 , wherein the clearing blade is rotatable within the outlet opening. 
     
     
         5 . The snow blower of  claim 1 , 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 signal, 
 determining a motor output setting based on the received operational signal, and 
 directing the auger motor to rotate the rotatable auger according to the determined motor output setting. 
   
     
     
         6 . The snow blower of  claim 1 , the chute body comprising a resilient chute body deformable relative to the chute axis. 
     
     
         7 . 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 above the outlet opening;   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 signal, 
 determining a motor output setting based on the received operational signal, and 
 directing the auger motor to rotate the rotatable auger according to the determined motor output setting. 
   
     
     
         8 . The snow blower of  claim 7 , wherein the operational signal comprises a motor loading signal received from the auger motor according to an operational load on the auger motor. 
     
     
         9 . The snow blower of  claim 7 , further comprising: a temperature sensor in operative communication with the controller, wherein the operational signal comprises a temperature signal received from the temperature sensor. 
     
     
         10 . The snow blower of  claim 7 , 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 signal comprises a velocity signal received from the speed sensor. 
     
     
         11 . The snow blower of  claim 7 , wherein the determined motor output setting comprises a rotational auger speed or auger torque. 
     
     
         12 . The snow blower of  claim 7 , wherein the determined motor output setting comprises a pulsed rotation rate for the rotatable auger. 
     
     
         13 . The snow blower of  claim 7 , wherein the determined motor output setting comprises a rotation direction for the rotatable auger. 
     
     
         14 . The snow blower of  claim 7 , 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 an auger axis,
 wherein the determined motor output setting comprises a rotation speed of the first auger segment relative to the second auger segment.   
     
     
         15 . The snow blower of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 a clearing blade selectively extending across at least a portion of the outlet opening to disperse snow from the rotatable auger to the chute body; and   a blade motor in operative communication with the controller and in mechanical communication with the clearing blade, the blade motor being configured to selectively motivate the clearing blade across at least a portion of the outlet opening.   
     
     
         16 . A snow blower comprising:
 a frame defining an inlet opening and an outlet opening;   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 extending from the frame along a chute axis above the outlet opening, the chute comprising a resilient chute body deformable relative to the chute axis.   
     
     
         17 . The snow blower of  claim 16 , wherein the resilient chute body is radially expandable relative to the chute axis. 
     
     
         18 . The snow blower of  claim 16 , the resilient chute body have a static base non-rotatably fixed to the frame. 
     
     
         19 . The snow blower of  claim 16 , further comprising: a chute motor in mechanical communication with the resilient chute body and configured to selectively deform the resilient chute body. 
     
     
         20 . The snow blower of  claim 16 , further comprising
 a clearing blade selectively extending across at least a portion of the outlet opening to disperse snow from the rotatable auger to the resilient chute body; and   a blade motor in mechanical communication with the clearing blade, the blade motor being configured to selectively motivate the clearing blade across at least a portion of the outlet opening.