A lawnmower obstacle avoidance device

Abstract

This invention discloses an obstacle avoidance device for a lawnmower, relating to the field of lawn mowing and weeding technology. It includes a mowing assembly comprising a frame and a mowing blade mounted at the front end of the frame; and an obstacle avoidance assembly comprising an obstacle avoidance cylinder mounted on one side of the frame and a protective cover mounted outside the mowing blade. The frame includes an adjusting arm, a connecting column at the front end of the adjusting arm, and an annular mounting base outside the connecting column. By incorporating the obstacle avoidance cylinder, in the event of a collision, the piston of the cylinder can be controlled to extend and retract, pulling the adjusting arm and causing the mowing blade at the front end of the adjusting arm to move away from the obstacle, thus achieving obstacle avoidance. A movable protective cover mounted on the annular mounting base effectively protects the lower mowing blade from collisions. In the event of a collision, the protective cover moves along the direction of the impact force, meaning the lower mowing blade can move forward the same distance in the opposite direction of the impact force to remove as much weed as possible around the obstacle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of lawn mowing and weeding technology, and in particular to an obstacle avoidance device for lawn mowers. Background Technology

[0002] A photovoltaic (PV) site is a specific area dedicated to the installation and operation of a photovoltaic (PV) power generation system. It typically has a large area to accommodate a large number of PV panels, which can be built in various locations such as open plains, desert areas, or rooftops. When selecting a PV site, several factors need to be considered, such as the abundance of solar radiation resources, land availability and cost, and grid connection conditions. On a PV site, PV panels receive sunlight and convert it into electricity, providing clean and renewable energy for homes, businesses, and even the power grid. However, tall weeds can shade the PV panels, reducing the amount of sunlight they receive and lowering PV power generation efficiency. Furthermore, tall weeds can increase the risk of fire in dry conditions, and excessive weeds can hinder heat dissipation from the PV panels, affecting equipment performance and lifespan. Therefore, PV sites require regular weeding.

[0003] Because the photovoltaic (PV) supports are not very high in the air, manual mowing is inconvenient. Therefore, weeding in PV areas is usually done using a smart cart equipped with a mowing device. To ensure safety, obstacle avoidance wheels are typically installed on the outside of the mower blades to prevent collisions with PV supports, large rocks, or other obstacles. However, the installation of these wheels increases the distance between the mower blades and obstacles, resulting in less effective weed clearing around obstacles. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this section is to outline some aspects of embodiments of the present invention and to briefly describe some preferred embodiments. Simplifications or omissions may be made in this section, as well as in the abstract and title of this application, to avoid obscuring the purpose of these documents; however, such simplifications or omissions should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention.

[0005] In view of the problem that existing lawnmowers are not effective at clearing weeds around obstacles during the mowing process, this invention is proposed.

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a lawnmower obstacle avoidance device, comprising: a mowing assembly including a frame and a mowing blade disposed at the front end of the frame; and an obstacle avoidance assembly including an obstacle avoidance cylinder disposed on one side of the frame and a protective cover disposed outside the mowing blade; the frame includes an adjusting arm, a connecting column disposed at the front end of the adjusting arm, and an annular mounting seat disposed outside the connecting column; the mowing blade is movably disposed at the bottom of the connecting column, the protective cover has an assembly hole in the middle, and the protective cover is movably connected to the annular mounting seat; the piston rod end of the obstacle avoidance cylinder is hinged to the adjusting arm.

[0007] As a preferred embodiment of the lawnmower obstacle avoidance device of the present invention, the annular mounting base includes a positioning ring fixedly sleeved on the outside of the connecting column, and a support ring arranged coaxially with the positioning ring, wherein a connecting rod arranged radially is circumferentially between the support ring and the positioning ring.

[0008] As a preferred embodiment of the lawnmower obstacle avoidance device of the present invention, the longitudinal section of the mounting hole is cross-shaped, including a central hole and a mounting part; wherein, the diameter of the central hole is larger than the outer circumferential diameter of the positioning ring, and the upper and lower sides of the support ring are provided with circumferentially arranged ball bearings, and the ball bearings on the upper and lower sides of the support ring respectively roll in contact with the upper and lower surfaces of the mounting part.

[0009] As a preferred embodiment of the lawnmower obstacle avoidance device of the present invention, wherein: a fixed shaft is provided in the middle of the connecting rod and arranged parallel to the connecting column; an adjusting rod is movably connected to the outside of the fixed shaft; a sliding groove is provided along the length direction of the adjusting rod; a sliding member is provided in the sliding groove; a protrusion is provided at one end of the sliding member; and the protrusion is fixedly connected to the hole wall of the central hole.

[0010] As a preferred embodiment of the lawnmower obstacle avoidance device of the present invention, wherein: a tensioning assembly for maintaining the protective cover and the connecting column in a coaxial and stable state is provided between the positioning ring and the support ring; the tensioning assembly includes a first tensioning member and a second tensioning member, the first tensioning member and the second tensioning member are distributed in a figure-eight shape, and the intersection of the first tensioning member and the second tensioning member is hinged to the end of the adjusting rod away from the sliding groove by a pin; the end of the first tensioning member away from the adjusting rod is hinged to the positioning ring, and the end of the second tensioning member away from the adjusting rod is hinged to the support ring.

[0011] As a preferred embodiment of the lawnmower obstacle avoidance device of the present invention, the first tension member and the second tension member have the same structure, both including springs with hooks at both ends, and hooks disposed at both ends of the springs.

[0012] As a preferred embodiment of the obstacle avoidance device for lawnmowers according to the present invention, wherein: a through hole is provided in the middle of the connecting column along the axial direction, a drive shaft is movably connected in the through hole, a drive motor is provided at one end of the drive shaft, and the other end of the drive shaft is connected to the lawnmower blade.

[0013] As a preferred embodiment of the obstacle avoidance device for lawnmowers according to the present invention, the lawnmower disc includes a cutter frame, the cutter frame is connected to the drive shaft by bolts, and cutters arranged in a circular pattern are connected to the outside of the cutter frame by bolts.

[0014] As a preferred embodiment of the obstacle avoidance device for lawnmowers according to the present invention, wherein: a collision protection shell is provided on the side of the protective cover facing the cutting disc, the collision protection shell being arc-shaped and located at the front end of the cutting disc in the direction of travel.

[0015] As a preferred embodiment of the obstacle avoidance device for lawnmowers described in this invention, the anti-collision shell has U-shaped grooves with bottom openings arranged along the arc surface, and the U-shaped grooves are used for weeds to pass through.

[0016] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: By setting an obstacle avoidance cylinder, when a collision occurs, the piston of the obstacle avoidance cylinder can be controlled to extend and retract, pulling the adjusting arm so that the front end of the adjusting arm, the cutting blade, moves away from the obstacle, thus achieving obstacle avoidance. By installing a movable protective cover on the annular mounting base, the cutting blade below is effectively protected against collision. When a collision occurs, the protective cover moves along the direction of the collision force, that is, the cutting blade below can move forward the same distance in the opposite direction of the collision force to cut the weeds around the obstacle as much as possible. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings used in the following description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 2 This is a bottom-view structural diagram of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional structural diagram of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure between the protective cover and the annular mounting base in this invention.

[0022] Figure 5 for Figure 4Enlarged view of point A in the middle.

[0023] Figure 6 This is a top view showing the connection between the protective cover and the annular mounting base in this invention.

[0024] Figure 7 for Figure 6 Enlarged view of point B in the middle.

[0025] Figure 8 This is a cross-sectional view of the protective cover in this invention. Detailed Implementation

[0026] To make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0027] Many specific details are set forth in the following description in order to provide a full understanding of the invention. However, the invention may also be practiced in other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar extensions without departing from the spirit of the invention. Therefore, the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0028] Secondly, the term "one embodiment" or "embodiment" as used herein refers to a specific feature, structure, or characteristic that may be included in at least one implementation of the present invention. The phrase "in one embodiment" appearing in different places in this specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a single or selective embodiment that is mutually exclusive with other embodiments.

[0029] Secondly, the present invention is described in detail with reference to the schematic diagrams. When detailing the embodiments of the present invention, for ease of explanation, the cross-sectional views illustrating the device structure may be partially enlarged, not according to the usual scale. Furthermore, the schematic diagrams are merely examples and should not limit the scope of protection of the present invention. In addition, actual fabrication should include three-dimensional spatial dimensions of length, width, and depth.

[0030] Example 1

[0031] Reference Figures 1-5 The first embodiment of the present invention provides a lawnmower obstacle avoidance device, which is installed at the front end of a fully automatic intelligent vehicle and includes a lawnmower component 100 and an obstacle avoidance component 200. The lawnmower component 100 is used to cut weeds and regularly clean the photovoltaic site. The obstacle avoidance component 200 is used to protect the lawnmower component 100 and prevent the lawnmower component 100 from contacting the support of the photovoltaic site and causing collision damage.

[0032] Furthermore, the mowing assembly 100 includes a frame 101 and a mowing blade 102 disposed at the front end of the frame 101; wherein the frame 101 includes an adjustable swing arm 101a, a connecting post 101b disposed at the front end of the adjustable swing arm 101a, and an annular mounting base 101c disposed outside the connecting post 101b.

[0033] Specifically, the adjusting arm 101a is welded to the connecting column 101b, and the end of the adjusting arm 101a away from the connecting column 101b is hinged to the front end of the fully automatic intelligent vehicle.

[0034] Furthermore, the cutting blade 102 is movably disposed at the bottom of the connecting post 101b. A through hole 101b-1 is provided in the middle of the connecting post 101b along the axial direction. A drive shaft 103 is movably connected in the through hole 101b-1. A drive motor 104 is provided at one end of the drive shaft 103, and the other end of the drive shaft 103 is connected to the cutting blade 102.

[0035] Specifically, the output end of the drive motor 104 is fixedly connected to one end of the drive shaft 103, and the mowing disc 102 is connected to the other end of the drive shaft 103 by bolts, which makes it easy to replace the appropriate mowing disc 102 according to different working environments. When working, the drive motor 104 starts and drives the mowing disc 102 to rotate through the drive shaft 103, cutting the weeds around the mowing disc 102. Furthermore, it controls the fully automatic intelligent vehicle to move in the photovoltaic site, thereby realizing the comprehensive weed cleaning of the photovoltaic site.

[0036] Furthermore, the mowing disc 102 includes a cutter frame 102a and cutters 102b disposed on the outer periphery of the cutter frame 102a; wherein, the cutter frame 102a is connected to the drive shaft 103 by bolts, the cutters 102b are used to cut weeds, and multiple cutters 102b are arranged in a circle on the outer periphery of the cutter frame 102a, and each cutter 102b is connected to the cutter frame 102a by bolts for easy replacement after wear. During operation, the cutters 102b are controlled by the drive motor 104 and rotate synchronously with the cutter frame 102a to perform rotary cutting of weeds.

[0037] Furthermore, the obstacle avoidance assembly 200 includes an obstacle avoidance cylinder 201 disposed on one side of the frame 101, and a protective cover 202 disposed outside the grass cutting disc 102.

[0038] Specifically, the piston rod end of the obstacle avoidance cylinder 201 is hinged to the adjusting swing arm 101a, and the cylinder body end of the obstacle avoidance cylinder 201 is hinged to the front end of the fully automatic intelligent vehicle through a hinge. When mowing, by controlling the extension and retraction of the piston rod of the obstacle avoidance cylinder 201, the adjusting swing arm 101a is driven to deflect, thereby achieving obstacle avoidance during mowing. In addition, a hydraulic spring is sleeved on the outside of the piston rod of the obstacle avoidance cylinder 201, which is used to pull the piston rod back to the initial state in the event of malfunction of the obstacle avoidance cylinder 201, so as to ensure that the adjusting swing arm 101a can be reset normally after obstacle avoidance.

[0039] Furthermore, the protective cover 202 has an assembly hole 202a in the middle, and the protective cover 202 is movably connected to the annular mounting base 101c.

[0040] Specifically, the size of the protective cover 202 is larger than the size of the mowing blade 102. After the protective cover 202 is installed, it covers the mowing blade 102 and maintains a certain distance, so that it can play a role in preventing collision protection without affecting normal mowing.

[0041] Example 2

[0042] Reference Figures 2-8 This is the second embodiment of the present invention. The difference between this embodiment and the first embodiment is that the annular mounting base 101c includes a positioning ring 101c-1 fixedly sleeved on the outside of the connecting post 101b, and a support ring 101c-2 arranged coaxially with the positioning ring 101c-1. A connecting rod 101c-3 arranged radially is circumferentially arranged between the support ring 101c-2 and the positioning ring 101c-1.

[0043] Furthermore, the longitudinal section of the assembly hole 202a is cross-shaped, including a central hole 202a-1 and a mounting part 202a-2; wherein, the diameter of the central hole 202a-1 is larger than the outer circumferential diameter of the positioning ring 101c-1, and the upper and lower sides of the support ring 101c-2 are provided with circumferentially arranged ball bearings 101c-4, and the ball bearings 101c-4 on the upper and lower sides of the support ring 101c-2 respectively roll in contact with the upper and lower surfaces of the mounting part 202a-2.

[0044] Specifically, the protective cover 202 is movably connected to the annular mounting base 101c. After assembly, a movable gap is maintained between the hole wall of the central hole 202a-1 of the protective cover and the outer wall of the positioning ring 101c-1. Under normal conditions, the protective cover 202 and the positioning ring 101c-1 are arranged coaxially. When a collision occurs, the protective cover 202 can move within the range of the movable gap. The ball bearing 101c-4 can reduce friction during movement and play a role in collision buffering.

[0045] Furthermore, a fixed shaft 101c-5 is provided in the middle of the connecting rod 101c-3, which is arranged parallel to the connecting column 101b. An adjusting rod 203 is movably connected to the outside of the fixed shaft 101c-5. A sliding groove 203a is provided along the length of the adjusting rod 203. A sliding member 204 is provided in the sliding groove 203a. A protrusion 205 is provided at one end of the sliding member 204. The protrusion 205 is fixedly connected to the wall of the central hole 202a-1.

[0046] Specifically, under normal conditions, the adjusting rod 203 is arranged perpendicularly to the connecting rod 101c-3, and the sliding member 204 is located in the middle of the sliding groove 203a. With this arrangement, when the protective cover 202 moves due to a collision, the sliding member 204 can adapt to collisions from different directions and slide to both sides along the sliding groove 203a. At the same time, the adjusting rod 203 can also deflect to both sides around the fixed axis 101c-5 to avoid movement interference.

[0047] Furthermore, a tensioning assembly 300 is provided between the positioning ring 101c-1 and the support ring 101c-2 to keep the protective cover 202 and the connecting column 101b in a coaxial and stable state. The tensioning assembly 300 includes a first tensioning member 301 and a second tensioning member 302. The first tensioning member 301 and the second tensioning member 302 are arranged in a figure-eight shape, and the intersection of the first tensioning member 301 and the second tensioning member 302 is hinged to the end of the adjusting rod 203 away from the sliding groove 203a by a pin. The end of the first tensioning member 301 away from the adjusting rod 203 is hinged to the positioning ring 101c-1, and the end of the second tensioning member 302 away from the adjusting rod 203 is hinged to the support ring 101c-2.

[0048] Specifically, the first tension member 301 and the second tension member 302 have the same structure, both including a spring 301a with hooks at both ends, and hooks 301b set at both ends of the spring 301a.

[0049] Specifically, the first tension member 301 and the second tension member 302 are mutually constrained. Under normal conditions, tension is used to keep the adjusting rod 203 and the connecting rod 101c-3 perpendicularly arranged, and further, to keep the protective cover 202 and the positioning ring 101c-1 in a stable coaxial state. When a collision occurs, the protective cover 202 moves, which in turn causes the adjusting rod 203 to deflect around the fixed shaft 101c-5. Due to the constraint relationship, one of the first tension member 301 and the second tension member 302 is stretched and the other is compressed and shortened. After the collision ends (the protective cover 202 separates from the obstacle), the adjusting rod 203 and the protective cover 202 are pushed to reset under the reset action of the first tension member 301 and the second tension member 302.

[0050] In summary, by installing a movable protective cover 202 on the annular mounting base 101c, the lower mowing blade 102 is effectively protected against collisions. When a collision occurs, the protective cover 202 moves in the direction of the collision force, meaning the lower mowing blade 102 can move forward the same distance in the opposite direction of the collision force to cut away as much weeds as possible around obstacles (such as photovoltaic brackets). By setting up the tensioning component 300, tension is provided to the adjusting rod 203, maintaining it in a normal state (i.e., when a collision occurs). The adjusting rod 203 is arranged perpendicularly to the connecting rod 101c-3, and the protective cover 202 is coaxial with the positioning ring 101c-1. At the same time, it can also provide a restoring force for the adjusting rod 203 and the protective cover 202 after the collision disappears.

[0051] The remaining structure is the same as that in Example 1.

[0052] Example 3

[0053] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 8 This is the third embodiment of the present invention. The difference between this embodiment and the second embodiment is that: a crash shield 206 is provided on the side of the protective cover 202 facing the cutting disc 102. The crash shield 206 is arc-shaped and is located at the front end of the cutting disc 102 in the direction of travel; furthermore, the crash shield 206 has U-shaped grooves 206a with bottom openings arranged along the arc surface, and the U-shaped grooves 206a are used for weeds to pass through.

[0054] Specifically, the anti-collision shell 206 can block large stones, clods of soil, etc., and prevent large stones, protrusions 205, etc. from directly colliding with the cutter 102b and causing damage to the cutter 102b; at the same time, by setting evenly distributed U-shaped grooves 206a on the arc surface of the anti-collision shell 206, the width of the U-shaped grooves 206a is sufficient for weeds to pass through, ensuring that the weeds can be completely cut.

[0055] The remaining structure is the same as that in Example 2.

[0056] It is important to note that the constructions and arrangements of this application shown in several different exemplary embodiments are merely illustrative. Although only a few embodiments are described in detail in this disclosure, those who consult this disclosure will readily understand that many modifications are possible (e.g., changes in the size, dimensions, structure, shape, and proportions of various elements, as well as parameter values ​​(e.g., temperature, pressure, etc.), mounting arrangements, use of materials, color, orientation, etc.) without substantially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter described in this application). For example, an element shown as integrally formed may be composed of multiple parts or elements, the position of elements may be inverted or otherwise altered, and the nature or number or position of discrete elements may be changed or altered. Therefore, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the invention. The order or sequence of any process or method steps may be changed or rearranged according to alternative embodiments. In the claims, any "device plus function" clause is intended to cover the structure described herein that performs the function, and not only structurally equivalent but also equivalent in structure. Other substitutions, modifications, alterations, and omissions may be made in the design, operation, and arrangement of the exemplary embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments, but extends to various modifications that still fall within the scope of the appended claims.

[0057] Furthermore, in order to provide a concise description of exemplary embodiments, not all features of actual embodiments (i.e., those features that are not relevant to the best mode of carrying out the invention as currently considered, or those features that are not relevant to implementing the invention) may be omitted.

[0058] It should be understood that numerous specific implementation decisions can be made during the development of any practical implementation, such as in any engineering or design project. Such development efforts may be complex and time-consuming, but for those skilled in the art who benefit from this disclosure, the development effort will be a routine work of design, manufacturing, and production without requiring much experimentation.

[0059] It should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can be made to the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention, and all such modifications or substitutions should be covered within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A lawnmower obstacle avoidance device, characterized in that: include, A mowing assembly (100) includes a frame (101) and a mowing blade (102) disposed at the front end of the frame (101); and, The obstacle avoidance assembly (200) includes an obstacle avoidance cylinder (201) disposed on one side of the frame (101) and a protective cover (202) disposed outside the mowing blade (102). The frame (101) includes an adjustable swing arm (101a), a connecting post (101b) disposed at the front end of the adjustable swing arm (101a), and an annular mounting base (101c) disposed outside the connecting post (101b). The grass-cutting blade (102) is movably disposed at the bottom of the connecting post (101b), and the protective cover (202) is provided with an assembly hole (202a) in the middle, and the protective cover (202) is movably connected to the annular mounting base (101c). The piston rod end of the obstacle avoidance cylinder (201) is hinged to the adjusting swing arm (101a); The annular mounting base (101c) includes a positioning ring (101c-1) fixedly sleeved on the outside of the connecting post (101b), and a support ring (101c-2) coaxially arranged with the positioning ring (101c-1). A connecting rod (101c-3) is arranged radially between the support ring (101c-2) and the positioning ring (101c-1). The longitudinal section of the assembly hole (202a) is cross-shaped, including a central hole (202a-1) and a mounting part (202a-2); wherein, the diameter of the central hole (202a-1) is larger than the outer circumferential diameter of the positioning ring (101c-1), and the upper and lower sides of the support ring (101c-2) are provided with circumferentially arranged ball bearings (101c-4), and the ball bearings (101c-4) on the upper and lower sides of the support ring (101c-2) roll in contact with the upper and lower surfaces of the mounting part (202a-2) respectively; A fixed shaft (101c-5) is provided in the middle of the connecting rod (101c-3) and arranged parallel to the connecting column (101b). An adjusting rod (203) is movably connected to the outside of the fixed shaft (101c-5). A sliding groove (203a) is provided along the length direction of the adjusting rod (203). A sliding member (204) is provided in the sliding groove (203a). A protrusion (205) is provided at one end of the sliding member (204). The protrusion (205) is fixedly connected to the hole wall of the central hole (202a-1). A tensioning assembly (300) is provided between the positioning ring (101c-1) and the support ring (101c-2) to keep the protective cover (202) and the connecting column (101b) in a coaxial and stable state. The tensioning assembly (300) includes a first tensioning member (301) and a second tensioning member (302). The first tensioning member (301) and the second tensioning member (302) are arranged in a figure-eight shape. The intersection of the first tensioning member (301) and the second tensioning member (302) is hinged to the end of the adjusting rod (203) away from the sliding groove (203a) by a pin. The end of the first tensioning member (301) away from the adjusting rod (203) is hinged to the positioning ring (101c-1), and the end of the second tensioning member (302) away from the adjusting rod (203) is hinged to the support ring (101c-2). The first tension member (301) and the second tension member (302) have the same structure, both including a spring (301a) with hooks at both ends, and hooks (301b) provided at both ends of the spring (301a).

2. The lawnmower obstacle avoidance device as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The connecting column (101b) has a through hole (101b-1) in the middle along the axial direction. A drive shaft (103) is movably connected in the through hole (101b-1). A drive motor (104) is provided at one end of the drive shaft (103), and the other end of the drive shaft (103) is connected to the grass cutting disc (102).

3. The lawnmower obstacle avoidance device as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The mowing blade disc (102) includes a cutter holder (102a), which is connected to the drive shaft (103) by bolts, and cutters (102b) arranged in a circle are connected to the outside of the cutter holder (102a) by bolts.

4. The lawnmower obstacle avoidance device as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The protective cover (202) has a crash shield (206) on the side facing the mowing blade (102). The crash shield (206) is arc-shaped and located at the front end of the mowing blade (102) in the direction of travel.

5. The lawnmower obstacle avoidance device as described in claim 4, characterized in that: The anti-collision shell (206) has U-shaped grooves (206a) with bottom openings arranged along the arc surface, and the U-shaped grooves (206a) are used for weeds to pass through.

Images