Cutting blade device

Abstract

This system enables a reduction in maintenance costs in cases of damage to clipper blades or deterioration over time. [Solution] A clipper blade device is provided, comprising a clipper blade and a drive unit for driving the clipper blade, wherein the drive unit comprises a drive gear that rotates when driven by a drive source and a crank mechanism coupled to the drive gear that converts the rotational motion of the drive gear into reciprocating motion of the clipper blade, the clipper blade has a cutting blade on one side in the width direction, and a plurality of the crank mechanisms are coupled to the drive gear, with each of the crank mechanisms driving the clipper blade.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cutting blade apparatus. [Background Art]

[0002] Conventionally, among cutting blade apparatuses used for removing weeds and the like on the sides of roads and wastelands, there has been known an apparatus that cuts an object to be cut such as weeds with a clipper blade. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a cutting blade apparatus provided with a so-called double-edged type clipper blade in which cutting blades are provided on both sides in the width direction. [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2022-178363 [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0004] As disclosed in Patent Document 1, a conventional cutting blade apparatus provided with a double-edged type clipper blade generally cuts an object to be cut in contact with the cutting blades by reciprocating two vertically overlapping blades, in which cutting blades are formed on both sides in the width direction with respect to a metal plate or the like, in a direction perpendicular to the cutting edge of the cutting blades by a crank mechanism.

[0005] However, in such a cutting blade apparatus, for example, if one of the cutting blades formed on both sides in the width direction is damaged, the clipper blade needs to be replaced during maintenance even if the other cutting blade is not damaged. As described above, in the conventional cutting blade apparatus, when maintenance is required for a part of the clipper blade, the part that does not require maintenance is also replaced together, which causes a problem that maintenance cost increases.

[0006] This invention was proposed to address these circumstances. Specifically, its purpose is to reduce maintenance costs in the maintenance of clipper blades and other components of a cutting device, such as in cases of damage or deterioration over time. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve these problems, the present invention has the following configuration. A clipper blade device comprising a clipper blade and a drive unit for driving the clipper blade, wherein the drive unit comprises a drive gear that rotates when driven by a drive source and a crank mechanism coupled to the drive gear that converts the rotational motion of the drive gear into reciprocating motion of the clipper blade, the clipper blade having a cutting blade on one side in the width direction, and a plurality of the crank mechanisms coupled to the drive gear, with each of the crank mechanisms driving the clipper blade. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] Such a cutting device can reduce maintenance costs in cases of damage to clipper blades or deterioration over time. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] A top view showing the external appearance of a cutting blade device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] A top view showing the inside of a cutting blade device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] An enlarged view of the drive unit shown in Figure 2. [Figure 4] A front view showing an example of use of a cutting blade device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] A top view showing an example of use of a cutting blade device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] A top view showing the interior of a modified example 1 of the cutting blade device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] A top view showing the interior of a modified example 2 of the cutting blade device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] A top view showing an example of use in a modified example 2 of the cutting blade device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same reference numerals indicate parts with the same function, and redundant explanations in each figure will be omitted as appropriate. In addition, "front" and "rear" as shown in the drawings refer to directions along the direction in which the cutting blade 13 of the cutting blade device 1 is facing, with "front" referring to the forward direction, which is one side, and "rear" referring to the rear direction, which is the opposite direction to the forward direction. In addition, "up" refers to the direction away from the ground, and "down" refers to the direction towards the ground. In addition, "left" and "right" are directions that intersect the front-rear direction and the up-down direction, and refer to lateral directions with reference to the front-rear direction. In the following description, explanations using front, rear, up, down, left, and right are based on "front," "rear," "up," "down," "left," and "right" as shown in the drawings.

[0011] The cutting blade device 1 of this embodiment will be described using Figures 1 to 3. As shown in Figure 1, the cutting blade device 1 comprises a clipper blade 10 and a drive unit 20. The clipper blade 10 consists of two blades, an upper blade 11 and a lower blade 12, which are elongated in one direction and overlap vertically. The upper blade 11 and the lower blade 12 are driven by the drive unit 20 to reciprocate with a phase difference while overlapping vertically and in surface contact with each other, thereby cutting weeds and the like. In addition, an upper plate 31 and a lower plate 32 are provided above and below the clipper blade 10, respectively. The upper plate 31 and the lower plate 32 are elongated plate-like members in one direction, similar to the clipper blade 10, and the upper plate 31 and the lower plate 32 are fixed to each other by connecting bolts 33. Note that since Figure 1 is a top view of the cutting blade device 1, the lower plate 32 is not visible.

[0012] The upper blade 11 and lower blade 12 each have comb-shaped cutting blades 13 that protrude in directions perpendicular to the direction of their respective reciprocating motions. The upper blade 11 and lower blade 12 reciprocate with a stroke approximately equal to the pitch of the cutting blades 13 (width A shown in Figure 2, described later), allowing them to cut weeds and other vegetation that get caught between the cutting blades 13. The upper plate 31 is provided with multiple bolt holes 311 through which bolts (not shown) for fixing it to the fixing plate 30, described later, are inserted. In addition, the upper plate 31 is provided with multiple connecting bolts 33 that communicate with the clipper blades 10 and fix them to the lower plate 32.

[0013] The drive unit 20 includes a drive source (not shown), such as an engine or motor, a drive gear 21, and a crank mechanism 22. The output of the drive source is transmitted to the clipper blade 10 via the drive gear 21 and the crank mechanism 22. Note that the drive unit 20 shown in Figure 1 is covered by the drive unit case 20A, and the drive gear 21 and crank mechanism 22 inside the drive unit case 20A are not visible. The operation of the drive source is controlled by a control unit (not shown). The control unit can be a hydraulic control device or an electric control device, for example. In Figures 1 to 3, hydraulic hoses in hydraulic control and wiring in electric control are omitted from the illustration.

[0014] Furthermore, in the cutting blade device 1, the upper plate 31 is fixed to the drive unit case 20A with bolts 23, and the clipper blade 10 has an upper blade 11 and a lower blade 12 that are detachably fixed to an upper blade crank member 110 and a lower blade crank member 120, respectively, inside the drive unit case 20A (see Figure 2).

[0015] Figure 2 shows the cutting blade device 1 in the state shown in Figure 1 with the drive unit case 20A, drive source (not shown), upper plate 31 and lower plate 32 removed. As shown in Figure 2, the clipper blade 10 has a cutting blade 13 on one side in the width direction (front-to-back direction shown), and the cutting blade device 1 functions as a so-called double-edged type by having two clipper blades 10: one with the cutting blade 13 facing forward and another with the cutting blade 13 facing rear. Specifically, a crank mechanism 22 is coupled to the left front and left rear of the drive gear 21, and the clipper blades 10 are provided there. The clipper blade 10 provided on the left front of the drive gear 21 has the cutting blade 13 facing forward, and the clipper blade 10 provided on the left rear of the drive gear 21 has the cutting blade 13 facing rear, and the two clipper blades 10 are provided in parallel. The two clipper blades 10 are then driven by a single drive gear 21, to which each of the crank mechanisms 22 is connected.

[0016] Figure 3 is an enlarged view of the drive unit 20 shown in Figure 2. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the drive unit 20 includes a drive gear 21 that rotates when driven by a drive source such as a motor or engine, and a crank mechanism 22 that is coupled to the drive gear 21 and converts the rotational motion of the drive gear 21 into reciprocating motion. The crank mechanism 22 includes an axle gear 221 coupled to the drive gear 21, an eccentric cam 222 through which the shaft rod 221A of the axle gear 221 passes and which rotates integrally with the axle gear 221, and an upper blade crank member 110 to which the upper blade 11 is fixed and a lower blade crank member 120 to which the lower blade 12 is fixed. In the drive unit 20, the upper blade crank member 110 and the lower blade crank member 120 are removable, and the upper blade 11 fixed to the upper blade crank member 110 and the lower blade 12 fixed to the lower blade crank member 120 are also removable.

[0017] The eccentric cam 222 is disc-shaped, and the shaft rod 221A of the shaft gear 221 passes through the outer edge side of the eccentric cam 222 relative to the center thereof and is fixed thereto. The upper blade crank member 110 and the lower blade crank member 120 are respectively formed with crank holes 111 and 121 having a substantially elliptical shape extending in the front-rear direction as illustrated, and the eccentric cam 222 is respectively accommodated in the crank holes 111 and 121. The left-right width of the crank holes 111 and 121 is substantially the same as the diameter of the eccentric cam 222, and the left-right end portions of the outer edge of the eccentric cam 222 are in contact with the inner edges of the crank holes 111 and 121.

[0018] When the drive gear 21 rotationally moves and the shaft gear 221 rotates, the eccentric cam 222 rotationally moves around the shaft rod 221A, and slides on the inner edge surfaces of the crank holes 111 and 121, thereby converting the rotational motion of the drive gear 21 into the reciprocating motion of the upper blade crank member 110 (upper blade 11) and the lower blade crank member 120 (lower blade 12). The movement width of the rotational movement of the eccentric cam 222 in the left-right direction becomes the movement width of the reciprocating motion of the upper blade 11 and the lower blade 12.

[0019] Furthermore, the center of the eccentric cam 222 in the crank hole 111 of the upper blade crank member 110 and the center of the eccentric cam 222 in the crank hole 121 of the lower blade crank member 120 are arranged to be spaced apart by substantially 180 degrees around the shaft rod 221A of the shaft gear 221, and the upper blade 11 and the lower blade 12 reciprocate with a phase difference of substantially 180 degrees.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of elongated holes 14 are formed in the upper blade 11 and the lower blade 12 along the extending direction of the upper blade 11 and the lower blade 12, and a communication bolt 33 for fixing the upper plate 31 and the lower plate 32 passes therethrough. As described above, the length of the elongated hole 14 indicated by width A in the drawing is approximately the length of the pitch of the cutting blades 13. More specifically, the width A of the reciprocating motion of the upper blade 11 and the lower blade 12 is a length such that the inner edge at the longitudinal end of the elongated hole 14 does not come into contact with the communication bolt 33 during the reciprocating motion of the upper blade 11 and the lower blade 12. The upper blade 11 and the lower blade 12 reciprocate at a pitch of width A, and the communication bolts 33 communicated with the plurality of elongated holes 14 function as guides in the reciprocating direction of the upper blade 11 and the lower blade 12.

[0021] Figures 4 and 5 show examples of the use of the cutting blade device 1 shown in Figures 1 to 3. In the examples shown in Figures 4 and 5, the cutting blade device 1 is mounted on a vehicle body 2. The vehicle body 2 is, for example, a passenger-type tractor such as a small special vehicle that can travel on public roads, a vehicle that can be remotely controlled wirelessly, or an autonomous vehicle. The cutting blade device 1 is mounted on the vehicle body 2 via a mounting mechanism 3. The cutting blade device 1 is fixed to the mounting mechanism 3 by the fixing plate 30 and upper plate 31 of the mounting mechanism 3 being fixed with bolts (not shown). The vehicle body 2 is equipped with a lifting arm 4 that adjusts the vertical height of the cutting blade device 1 via the mounting mechanism 3. The mounting mechanism 3 is also equipped with a mechanism that slides the cutting blade device 1 left and right, so that when performing cutting work, the position of the cutting blade device 1 can be adjusted vertically and horizontally by the lifting arm 4 and the mounting mechanism 3. In the state shown in Figure 4, the cutting blade device 1 is located in front of the traveling body 2, and by driving the drive unit 20 to move the traveling body 2 forward, the object to be cut 40 in front of the traveling body 2 can be cut.

[0022] Figure 5 is a top view showing the state in which the cutting blade device 1 has been offset to the left of the traveling body 2 by the mounting mechanism 3, compared to the state in Figure 4. As shown in Figure 5, by offsetting the cutting blade device 1 to the side, it is possible to cut weeds and other objects to be cut 40 along the roadside. As described above, the cutting blade device 1 functions as a double-edged type with two clipper blades 10 provided at the front and rear. The cutting blade device 1 can cut weeds and other objects to be cut 40 on the front side by moving the traveling body 2 forward while the drive unit 20 is driven, and cut objects to be cut 40 on the rear side by moving the traveling body 2 in reverse.

[0023] In the situation shown in Figure 5, an obstacle 50 is located in front of the cutting blade device 1. When cutting weeds or other objects 40, the cutting blade 13 of the front clipper blade 10 may come into contact with the obstacle 50 when the traveling machine 2 moves forward, potentially damaging the cutting blade 13. In such a case, since the front clipper blade 10 and the rear clipper blade 10 of the cutting blade device 1 are separate components, only the damaged upper blade 11 or lower blade 12 of the clipper blade 10 can be removed from the upper blade crank member 110 and lower blade crank member 120 and replaced. Furthermore, if the upper blade crank member 110 or lower blade crank member 120 is damaged, only the damaged crank member can be removed and replaced. In this way, the cutting blade device 1 allows for the replacement of each component that requires maintenance, thus reducing maintenance costs by eliminating the need to replace components that do not require maintenance.

[0024] Next, a modified example of the cutting blade device 1, the cutting blade device 1A, will be described using Figure 6. Figure 6 shows the cutting blade device 1A with the drive unit case 20A, drive source (not shown), upper plate and lower plate removed.

[0025] The cutting blade device 1A shown in Figure 6, like the cutting blade device 1, has crank mechanisms 22 connected to the drive gear 21 at the front left and rear left, respectively, and is equipped with two clipper blades 10: one with the cutting blade 13 facing forward and another with the cutting blade 13 facing rear. However, unlike the cutting blade device 1, the two clipper blades 10 are not arranged parallel to each other, but are inclined so that the tips 101 in the extending direction of the front and rear clipper blades 10 are closer together. Although not shown, the upper and lower plates provided in the cutting blade device 1A are tapered plate-shaped members with a shape that follows the inclination of the clipper blades 10. The other configurations are the same as those of the cutting blade device 1.

[0026] In the cutting blade device 1A, the front and rear crank mechanisms 22 (upper blade crank member 110 and lower blade crank member 120) coupled to the drive gear 21 are positioned at an angle that brings the tips 101 of the front and rear clipper blades 10 closer together in the extending direction. The angle of the crank mechanism 22 is adjusted to ensure a distance that prevents the tips 101 of the front and rear clipper blades 10 from contacting each other during the reciprocating motion of the upper blade 11 and lower blade 12 of the clipper blade 10. In the example shown in Figure 6, the front clipper blade 10 is positioned parallel to the left and right, and the rear clipper blade 10 is positioned at an angle that brings its tip 101 closer to the front clipper blade 10. However, the device is not limited to this configuration; the rear clipper blade 10 may be positioned parallel to the left and right, and the front clipper blade 10 may be inclined, or both front and rear clipper blades 10 may be inclined.

[0027] When the cutting blade device is mounted on the traveling machine 2 and mowing is performed, the cut material 40, such as weeds, may accumulate on the upper plate of the cutting blade device without sliding off. When weeds accumulate on the upper plate, the accumulated weeds gradually cover the cutting blade 13 on the direction of travel, and the cutting blade 13 is no longer exposed in the direction of travel. In this state, it becomes difficult for the cutting blade 13 to make contact with the material 40 to be cut, which reduces the efficiency of the mowing work. This problem is more likely to occur the wider the width (front-to-back direction) of the cutting blade device, and if the accumulation of weeds cannot be automatically resolved due to vibrations during travel of the traveling machine 2, it may be necessary to interrupt the mowing work and remove the weeds from the upper plate.

[0028] In the cutting blade device 1A, as shown in Figure 6, the clipper blades 10 are tilted in the front-to-back direction, and the width in the front-to-back direction is gradually narrowed. This makes it less likely for weeds to accumulate on the upper plate, at least on the tip 101 side, and suppresses a decrease in the efficiency of the cutting work.

[0029] Next, a modified example of the cutting blade device 1, the cutting blade device 1B, will be described using Figure 7. Figure 7 shows the cutting blade device 1B with the drive unit case 20A, drive source (not shown), upper plate and lower plate removed.

[0030] As shown in Figure 7, the cutting blade device 1B is a so-called single-edged type, with clipper blades 10, each with a cutting blade 13 facing forward, provided on the left and right sides of the drive unit 20. Specifically, crank mechanisms 22 are connected to the left front and right front of the drive gear 21, respectively, and the clipper blades 10 are provided with these two clipper blades 10, each with a cutting blade 13 facing forward, and the two clipper blades 10 are arranged in a straight line. The two clipper blades 10 are driven by a single drive gear 21 to which each crank mechanism 22 is connected. The other configurations are the same as those of the cutting blade devices 1 and 1A.

[0031] Figure 8 shows an example of the use of the cutting blade device 1B, in which a drive unit 20 is provided approximately in the front center of the traveling body 2, and clipper blades 10 are provided extending from the drive unit 20 in both left and right directions. By providing clipper blades 10 as in the cutting blade device 1B, the cutting work of the material to be cut 40 can be performed over a wider area than the cutting blade devices 1 and 1A in a single run of the traveling body 2. The cutting blade device 1B is a single-edged type with a cutting blade 13 facing forward, and the cutting blade device 1B can cut the material to be cut 40 on the front side by moving the traveling body 2 forward while the drive unit 20 is driven. In the cutting blade device 1B, for example, if one of the clipper blades 10 on the left or right side is damaged, maintenance can be performed by replacing only the damaged clipper blade 10, similar to the cutting blade devices 1 and 1A, thus reducing maintenance costs.

[0032] Furthermore, although the cutting blade device 1B has been described as a single-edged type in which a crank mechanism 22 is connected to the left front and right front of the drive gear 21, and a clipper blade 10 is provided, it may also be a double-edged type in which a crank mechanism 22 is connected to the left rear and right rear, and a clipper blade 10 is provided with a cutting blade 13 facing the rear. In other words, one drive gear 21 may be configured to be the driving source for four clipper blades 10.

[0033] As described above with reference to the drawings, the present invention is a clipper blade device comprising a clipper blade 10 and a drive unit 20 for driving the clipper blade 10, wherein the drive unit 20 comprises one drive gear 21 that rotates when driven by a drive source and a crank mechanism 22 coupled to the drive gear 21 that converts the rotational motion of the drive gear 21 into reciprocating motion of the clipper blade 10, the clipper blade 10 has a cutting blade 13 on one side in the width direction, and a plurality of crank mechanisms 22 are coupled to the drive gear 21, and the clipper blade 10 is driven by each crank mechanism 22. In such a clipper blade device, maintenance costs can be reduced because only the clipper blade 10 (upper blade 11, lower blade 12) that needs to be replaced due to damage or deterioration over time can be replaced during maintenance. Furthermore, in such a clipper blade device, by arranging a plurality of crank mechanisms 22 for a single drive gear 21, a single drive source (drive gear 21) can drive a plurality of clipper blades 10.

[0034] Furthermore, in the cutting blade device, crank mechanisms 22 may be connected to the drive gear 21 on both the front and rear sides, with the front clipper blade 10 having its cutting blade 13 facing forward and the rear clipper blade 10 having its cutting blade 13 facing backward. Such a cutting blade device can function as a double-edged type cutting blade device having cutting blades 13 in the front-rear direction, and if one of the front and rear clipper blades 10 is damaged, only the damaged clipper blade 10 can be replaced. In addition, the cutting blade device is mounted on the traveling machine body 2, and the front and rear clipper blades 10 may be inclined so that their respective tip 101s in the extension direction are closer together. In such a cutting blade device, the width on the tip 101 side is narrowed in the width direction (front-rear direction in the illustration), so that weeds do not accumulate on the top plate at least on the tip 101 side, and the decrease in cutting efficiency due to accumulated weeds covering the cutting blade 13 can be suppressed.

[0035] Furthermore, in the cutting blade device, the drive gear 21 may be coupled with a crank mechanism 22 on both the left and right sides. Such a cutting blade device allows for cutting work over a wide area because the clipper blades 10 extend in both the left and right directions.

[0036] In this embodiment, the cutting blade devices 1, 1A, and 1B have been described as being used mounted on the traveling machine 2 via the mounting mechanism 3. However, the cutting blade devices 1 and 1B may also be used for manual cutting operations without mounting the traveling machine 2.

[0037] Furthermore, the specific configuration is not limited to the embodiments described, and any design changes or other modifications that do not depart from the spirit of the present invention are also included in the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0038] 1,1A,1B: Cutting blade device, 2: Traveling machine body, 3: Mounting mechanism, 4: Lifting arm, 10: Clipper blade, 11: Upper blade, 12: Lower blade, 13: Cutting blade, 14: Slotted hole, 20: Drive unit, 20A: Drive unit case, 21: Drive gear, 22: Crank mechanism, 23: Bolt, 30: Fixing plate, 31: Top plate, 32: Bottom plate, 33: Connecting bolt, 40: Object to be cut, 50: Obstacle, 101: Tip, 110: Upper blade crank member, 111: Crank hole, 120: Lower blade crank member, 121: Crank hole, 221: Axle gear, 222: Eccentric cam, 311: Bolt hole

Claims

1. Clipper blades and The system includes a drive unit for driving the clipper blade, The aforementioned drive unit is It comprises a drive gear that rotates when driven by a drive source, and a crank mechanism coupled to the drive gear that converts the rotational motion of the drive gear into the reciprocating motion of the clipper blade, The clipper blade has a cutting blade on one side in the width direction, A cutting blade device characterized in that a plurality of crank mechanisms are coupled to the drive gear, and each of the crank mechanisms drives the clipper blade.

2. The crank mechanism is connected to the drive gear at the front and rear on one side, either left or right. The front clipper blade has the cutting blade facing forward. The cutting blade device according to claim 1, characterized in that the rear clipper blade has the cutting blade facing rearward.

3. A cutting blade device installed on a traveling machine, The cutting blade device according to claim 2, characterized in that the front and rear clipper blades are inclined such that their respective leading edges in the direction of extension are closer together.

4. The cutting blade device according to claim 1, characterized in that the crank mechanism is coupled to the drive gear on both the left and right sides.

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