Patent ID: 8051587

Claim:
A snow deflector apparatus for mounting to an end of a blade of a snow plow, said apparatus comprising: a deflector plate comprising a top portion and a bottom portion, wherein each of said top portion and said bottom portion comprise a bottom edge, a front edge, a rear edge, an inside surface and an outside surface, wherein said deflector plate is manufactured of a substantially rigid material, wherein a substantial portion of said inside surfaces of said top portion and said bottom portion of said deflector plate and said outside surfaces of said top portion and said bottom portion of said deflector plate are planar, and wherein said deflector plate is dimensioned to obstruct at least a substantial portion of the end of the blade of the snow plow such that an amount of snow that is sloughed off of the blade is minimized when said deflector plate is in a deployed position; a deflector plate rotator mechanism adapted to selectively rotate said deflector plate between said deployed position and an undeployed position, said deflector plate rotator mechanism comprising: a shaft rotatably attached to said deflector plate; and a drive screw assembly in communication with said shaft comprising: a pivot arm fixedly attached to said shaft; an electric motor; a drive screw; and a swivel connector; wherein said electric motor is in communication with said drive screw through said swivel connector; and at least two springs in communication with said top portion and said bottom portion of said deflector plate, wherein said at least two springs are disposed so as to allow said bottom portion of said deflector plate to move upward when said bottom edge of said bottom portion of said deflector plate contacts an obstruction and to force said bottom edge of said bottom portion of said deflector plate downward when said bottom edge of said bottom portion of said deflector plate is no longer in contact with the obstruction.