Mower
By designing the front and rear cutting parts on the lawn scissors and independently adjusting the cutting surface angle, the problem of lawn scissors being easily unbalanced on the slope ground in the prior art is solved, and stable driving and uniform grass cutting effects are achieved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2024231839
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-12-27
- Publication Date
- 2025-03-21
- Estimated Expiration
- 2041-08-23
AI Technical Summary
Existing self-propelled lawn scissors are prone to imbalance when used on sloped ground, and the cutting blades are complexly configured, which increases the risk of weight imbalance.
A lawn scissor is designed, with cutting parts on the front and back, and the angles of each cutting surface are independently adjusted to ensure uniform weight distribution.
The stable driving and grass cutting on the ridge and slope ground is achieved, avoiding imbalances, while simplifying the structural design and reducing the risk of weight imbalances.
Smart Images

Figure 2025039611000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical field]
[0001] The present invention relates to a grass mower, and more particularly to a self-propelled grass mower. [Background technology]
[0002] Conventionally, in order to remove weeds and the like that grow on the top surface or slope of a ridge, mowing work on the ridge has been performed periodically using a mower. Patent Document 1 discloses a self-propelled mower that mows the top surface (top surface) and slope of a ridge while traveling over the ridge by remote control via wireless communication. The mower described in Patent Document 1 is equipped with a blade unit having a horizontal cutting blade and an inclined cutting blade at the front of the machine body, and is capable of removing weeds and the like that grow on the top surface of the ridge using the horizontal cutting blade while traveling, and removing weeds and the like that grow on the slope of the ridge using the inclined cutting blade. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-176153 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0004] The grass mower described in Patent Document 1 has a blade unit at the front of the machine body, so the weight of the machine body is placed at the front of the machine body, which causes the machine to lose balance. In addition, a mechanism is required to ensure the inclination adjustment range of the inclined blade while reducing interference between the horizontal blade and the inclined blade, so the blade unit configuration is more complicated than conventional configurations, and the weight of the blade unit may be more likely to be placed at the front of the machine body than conventional ones. As a result, the grass mower in Patent Document 1 may lose balance easily when mowing.
[0005] An object of one embodiment of the present invention is to provide a grass mower that can travel stably on a ridge and can mow the top surface and slopes of the ridge. [Means for solving the problem]
[0006] A grass mower according to one embodiment of the present invention is a grass mower that cuts grass while traveling on a ridge, and is equipped with a cutting part that has a blade portion and is provided in front of the running part, and a cutting part that has a blade portion and is provided behind the running part.
[0007] When viewed from behind, the blade portion of the cutting part provided at the front and the blade portion of the cutting part provided at the rear may be arranged side by side in the left-right direction and may be arranged so as to partially overlap.
[0008] When viewed from the rear, the blade portion of the cutting part provided at the front and the blade portion of the cutting part provided at the rear are arranged side by side in the left-right direction, and when the blade portion of the cutting part provided at the front and the blade portion of the cutting part provided at the rear are combined, there are at least three blade portions, and the angle of the cutting surface, which is the surface including the trajectory of the blade portion cutting the grass, relative to the horizontal plane of the two blade portions located at both ends in the left-right direction of the at least three blade portions may each be independently adjustable.
[0009] Of the at least three blade portions, the remaining blade portions excluding the two blade portions located at both ends in the left-right direction may be provided between the two blade portions located at both ends in the left-right direction, and may have a control unit capable of independently driving the two blade portions located at both ends in the left-right direction and the remaining blade portions.
[0010] The blade portions of the cutting unit provided at the rear may be the two blade portions located at both ends in the left-right direction, and the blade portions of the cutting unit provided at the front may be the remaining blade portions of the at least three blade portions excluding the two blade portions located at both ends in the left-right direction.
[0011] The mower may be provided with a battery and an engine that serve as power sources for driving the blade portion of the cutting part provided at the front and the blade portion of the cutting part provided at the rear, and the battery may transmit power to one of the blade portions of the cutting part provided at the front or the cutting part provided at the rear, and the engine may transmit power to the other blade portion.
[0012] The mower is equipped with a battery and an engine that serve as power sources for driving the blade portion of the mowing unit provided at the front and the blade portion of the mowing unit provided at the rear, and when viewed from behind, the mowing unit provided at the front and the mowing unit provided at the rear are arranged side by side in the left-right direction, and when the mowing unit provided at the front and the mowing unit provided at the rear are combined, there are at least three blade portions, and of the at least three blade portions, the angles of the mowing surface, which is a surface including the trajectory of the blade portion cutting grass, relative to a horizontal plane are independent of each other in two blade portions located at both ends in the left-right direction. the two blade portions located at both ends in the left-right direction are blade portions of either the cutting portion provided at the front or the cutting portion provided at the rear, and the remaining blade portions of the at least three blade portions, excluding the two blade portions located at both ends in the left-right direction, are provided between the two blade portions located at both ends in the left-right direction and are the other blade portions of the cutting portion provided at the front or the cutting portion provided at the rear, and the battery may supply power to the blade portions located at both ends in the left-right direction, and the engine may supply power to the remaining blade portions.
[0013] The two blade portions located at both ends in the left-right direction are blade portions of the cutting part provided at the rear, and the remaining blade portion is the cutting part provided at the front, and the battery may be provided rearward of the position where the engine is provided in the direction of travel of the traveling part.
[0014] The mowing machine includes a body connected to the running section, a connecting member supporting the cutting section, a connection section connecting the connecting member to the body and supporting the connecting member so that it can rotate in the vertical direction, and a lower limiting section limiting the lower limit rotation position of the connecting member relative to the body. Effect of the Invention
[0015] According to one embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to provide a grass mower that can travel stably on a ridge and can mow the top surface and slopes of the ridge. [Brief description of the drawings]
[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view showing a configuration of a grass mower according to one embodiment. FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a left side view showing a configuration of a grass mower according to one embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram for explaining the flow of power in the grass mower 100 according to one embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a rear view showing the configuration of the top surface reaping unit and the slope reaping unit according to one embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a rear view showing the configuration of the top surface reaping unit and the slope reaping unit according to one embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a configuration of a blade portion according to one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0017] The mower of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the mower of the present invention can be implemented in many different ways, and should not be construed as being limited to the description of the examples shown below. In the drawings referred to in this embodiment, the same parts or parts having similar functions are given the same reference numerals or the same reference numerals followed by alphabets, and repeated explanations are omitted. In addition, when the same or similar parts are provided on the left and right sides of the traveling direction, L (left side member) or R (right side member) is added after the reference numeral of the part. When there is no particular distinction between the left and right members, L and R may be omitted in the explanation.
[0018] In the specification and claims of this application, "up" refers to the direction vertically away from the ridge when the mower is moving forward while mowing the ridge, and "down" refers to the opposite direction to "up". For ease of explanation, "front" refers to the direction in which the top-field cutting unit is located relative to the traveling unit, and "rear" refers to the opposite direction to "front". Furthermore, "left" and "right" refer to the left and right of the rear of the mower.
[0019] In the specification and claims of this application, the left-right length of each component part of the grass mower is referred to as the "width." Furthermore, when the center line of the grass mower in a plan view (a line parallel to the direction of travel and passing through the center of the grass mower) is used as the reference, the side closer to the center line is referred to as the "inner side," and the side farther from the center line is referred to as the "outer side."
[0020] First Embodiment [Configuration of the grass cutter 100] The mower 100 of this embodiment is a self-propelled mower that mows ridges while traveling. Specifically, the mower is remotely controlled by a remote controller and self-propels over ridges to mow.
[0021] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the configuration of the mower 100 of this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a left side view showing the configuration of the mower 100 of this embodiment. FIG. 3 is a block diagram for explaining the flow of power of the mower 100 of this embodiment. FIG. 4 is a rear view showing the configuration of the mower 100 of this embodiment. FIG. 5 is a rear view showing the configuration of the mower 100 of this embodiment. In the mower 100 according to this embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the state of the slope cutting unit 80 is adjusted to a position parallel or approximately parallel to the horizontal plane 203 (see FIG. 4), and adjusted to a position where the length (width) in the left-right direction is maximum. In the mower 100 according to this embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the state of the slope cutting unit 80 is adjusted to an angle α between the cutting surfaces 204L and 204R and the horizontal plane 203 according to the inclination of the slope 202 of the ridge 200.
[0022] 1 or 2, the mower 100 of this embodiment includes a machine body 10, a traveling unit 20, a mowing unit 120 having a top surface mowing unit 30 and a slope surface mowing unit 80, a control unit 40, a link mechanism 50, an engine 60, an alternator 70, and a battery 41, and the drive of each unit is controlled by the control unit 40. The mower 100 is self-propelled by the traveling unit 20, and controls the drive of the top surface mowing unit 30 and the slope surface mowing unit 80, so that it can mow the top surface 201 and slope surface 202 of a ridge 200 in one run.
[0023] The machine body 10 is a frame that forms the skeleton of the grass mower 100. The machine body 10 also includes a support plate 15 that is fixed to the machine body 14 and extends forward. The support plate 15 is provided with mounting members 11L and 11R for mounting the top surface mowing unit 30. Also, a slope mowing unit mounting member 12 for mounting the slope mowing unit 80 is provided at the rear of the machine body 14. The machine body 10 can be constructed using a metal material (e.g., steel, aluminum), fiber reinforced plastic (FRP) material, etc., but is not limited to these examples.
[0024] The traveling unit 20 has a pair of left and right crawlers 20L and 20R, and functions as traveling means of the mower 100. In rear view, the crawler 20L is the traveling means on the left side facing the traveling direction of the mower 100, and the crawler 20R is the traveling means on the right side. Note that the structure of the crawler 20R is the same as that of the crawler 20L, so the following description will focus on the crawler 20L.
[0025] As shown in FIG. 2, the crawler 20L includes a crawler belt 21L, a driving wheel 22L, a driven wheel 23L, a crawler frame 24L, and a driving unit 54L. The crawler belt 21L is stretched across the driving wheel 22L and the driven wheel 23L, and rotates according to the rotation of the driving wheel 22L. In this embodiment, the crawler belt 21L is made of an elastic member (specifically, rubber) and has a plurality of lugs (protrusions). The driving wheel 22L rotates by the power transmitted from the driving unit 54L (FIG. 3). In this embodiment, a motor is used as the driving unit 54L, and the driving unit 54L is driven by the electric power supplied from the alternator 70 and the battery 41. The power generated by the rotation of the driving wheel 22L is transmitted to the driven wheel 23L via the crawler belt 21L. The crawler frame 24L supports the driving wheel 22L and the driven wheel 23L so that they can rotate.
[0026] The reaping unit 120 has a top field reaping unit 30 provided in front of the traveling unit 20, and a slope reaping unit 80 provided behind the traveling unit 20. The slope reaping unit 80 has a pair of left and right slope reaping units, a left slope reaping unit 80L and a right slope reaping unit 80R. As will be described in detail later, the top field reaping unit 30 is provided in the direction in which the machine body 10 travels (forward) and functions as a grass-cutting means for cutting grass such as weeds that grow on the ridges (grass-cutting work). The top field reaping unit 30 is provided between the left slope reaping unit 80L and the right slope reaping unit 80R in the left-right direction.
[0027] The control unit 40 is provided above the machine body 10 and has the function of controlling the traveling unit 20, the mowing unit 120, and the battery 41. The control unit 40 has, for example, an electronic circuit board equipped with a calculation device, a memory, a communication circuit, and the like. The control unit 40 (memory) stores a control program for controlling each part of the grass cutter 100, the calculation device reads the control program from the memory, and the control unit 40 is a central part that controls the traveling unit 20, the top surface mowing unit 30, and the slope mowing unit 80 based on the control program.
[0028] The link mechanisms 50L and 50R connect the machine body 10 and the traveling section 20, and have the function of relatively changing the positional relationship between the machine body 10 and the traveling section 20. The link mechanism 50L is the left link mechanism when facing the traveling direction of the mower 100, and is connected to the crawler 20L. The link mechanism 50R is the right link mechanism and is connected to the crawler 20R.
[0029] The link mechanism 50L includes a link arm 51L, a link arm 52L, and an electric cylinder 53L. The link mechanism 50R includes a link arm 51R, a link arm 52R, and an electric cylinder 53R. Note that the structure of the link mechanism 50R is the same as that of the link mechanism 50L, so the following description will focus on the link mechanism 50L.
[0030] In the link mechanism 50L, one end of the link arm 51L is rotatably connected to the crawler frame 24L, and the other end is rotatably connected to the electric cylinder 53L. The link arm 51L has a bent portion, and is rotatably connected to the machine body 10 at the bent portion. The link arm 52L has one end connected to the crawler frame 24L, and the other end connected to the machine body 10. As a result, a parallel link is formed by the link arm 51L, the link arm 52L, the crawler frame 24L, and the machine body 10. The electric cylinder 53L is extended and retracted in response to the unevenness of the ground to operate the parallel link, thereby changing the vertical positional relationship between the machine body 10 and the traveling part 20, and the machine body 10 is configured to be able to travel while keeping it horizontal.
[0031] As shown in FIG. 2 or 3, the engine 60 is provided above the machine body 10 and functions as a power source for the drive units 33L and 33R that drive the blade units 32L and 32R included in the top field reaping unit 30, and as a power source for the alternator 70. The power generated by the engine 60 is transmitted to the drive units 33L and 33R and the separately provided alternator 70 via a power transmission means (not shown) constituted by a belt or the like. The power transmission means includes a first power transmission means for transmitting power to the alternator 70 and a second power transmission means for transmitting power to the top field reaping unit 30.
[0032] The alternator 70 is provided above the machine body 10. A belt (not shown) of a first power transmission means is stretched between the alternator 70 and the engine 60. The power of the engine is transmitted through the belt, and the alternator 70 generates electric power. The alternator 70 supplies the generated electric power to the battery 41, and also functions as a power source for the drive units 83L and 83R (FIGS. 1 and 3) that drive the blade units 82L and 82R included in the slope reaping unit 80, and the drive units 54L and 54R (FIG. 3) that drive the traveling unit 20. The electric power generated by the alternator 70 is supplied to the drive units 83L and 83R, the drive units 54L and 54R, the drive units 33L and 33R, and the battery 41 via a power supply means (not shown) that supplies electric power and / or control signals (electrical signals) called a wire harness, harness cable, or the like.
[0033] The alternator 70 is equipped with a power generation control circuit (not shown) for controlling power generation. The grass mower 100 is provided with a sensor that detects the battery voltage, and the power generation control circuit monitors the detection result, and the alternator 70 itself controls the power generation state. That is, the power generation control circuit monitors the battery voltage, and controls the alternator 70 so that if the battery voltage falls below a predetermined value, the alternator 70 generates power and enters a power supply state, and if the battery voltage exceeds the predetermined value, the alternator 70 stops supplying power.
[0034] The battery 41, like the alternator 70, is provided above the machine body 10 and behind the engine 60. The battery 41 stores the electric power generated by the alternator 70. The battery 41 functions as a power source that supplies the stored electric power to the drive units 83L and 83R (FIGS. 1 and 2) that drive the blade units 82L and 82R included in the slope reaping unit 80, and the drive units 54L and 54R (FIG. 3) that drive the traveling unit 20 forward and backward. The battery 41 also functions as a power source that supplies the stored electric power to the electric cylinders 53L and 53R that operate the link mechanisms 50L and 50R that change the vertical positional relationship between the machine body 10 and the traveling unit 20. The electric power stored in the battery 41 is supplied to the drive units 83L and 83R, the drive units 54L and 54R, and the electric cylinders 53L and 53R through a power supply means similar to that of the alternator 70.
[0035] The grass mower 100 of this embodiment may include a cover member. The cover member has a role of covering and protecting the battery 41, the control unit 40, the alternator 70, and the engine 60. The cover member may be configured to cover parts of the battery 41, the control unit 40, the alternator 70, and the engine 60.
[0036] As shown in FIG. 1, the mower 100 according to this embodiment is provided with a top field cutting section 30 in front of the machine body 10, and a right slope cutting section 80R and a left slope cutting section 80L in the rear of the machine body 10, which are symmetrical with respect to the center line 110. In addition, in a rear view, the top field cutting section 30 is arranged to be located between the right slope cutting section 80R and the left slope cutting section 80L, and the top field cutting section 30, the right slope cutting section 80R, and the left slope cutting section 80L are arranged to form a triangle. Therefore, the weight of the cutting section 120 is not concentrated in the front as in the conventional mower. In addition, the control section 40, the alternator 70, and the engine 60 are arranged on the center line 110 above the machine body 10. With this configuration, the grass mower 100 according to this embodiment is less likely to lose balance while driving because the weight of the grass mower 100 is prevented from being concentrated in a specific position on the grass mower 100. Therefore, the grass mower 100 according to this embodiment can travel stably over ridges and can mow the tops and slopes of the ridges.
[0037] In addition, in the grass mower 100 according to this embodiment, the top surface cutting unit 30 is provided in front of the running unit 20, so the grass growing on the top surface 201 can be cut before it is toppled by the running unit 20, resulting in a good finish of the ridges after mowing. From the viewpoint of distributing the weight of the cutting unit 120, the arrangement of the top surface cutting unit 30 and the slope cutting unit 80 is not limited to that of this embodiment, and it is also possible to provide the slope cutting unit 80 in front of the running unit 20 and the top surface cutting unit 30 behind the running unit 20.
[0038] [Configuration of Tenba Harvesting Department 30] The configuration of the top field reaping unit 30 and the configuration of the slope reaping unit 80 will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 1, 2, 4, and 5. First, the configuration of the top field reaping unit 30 will be described. The top field reaping unit 30 is supported so as to be suspended from the support plate 15 via the mounting member 11. The top field reaping unit 30 is provided forward of the traveling unit 20, and is configured to be able to cut grass such as weeds that grow on the top surface of the ridges.
[0039] As shown in FIG. 1 or 2, the top field mowing unit 30 includes a casing 31, two blade units 32L and 32R arranged side by side, and drive units 33L and 33R. The casing 31 covers the upper and sides of the blade units 32L and 32R to prevent soil, pebbles, grass, etc. from scattering to the surroundings. The structure of the blade unit 32R and the drive unit 33R is the same as that of the blade unit 32L and the drive unit 33L, so the blade unit 32L and the drive unit 33L will be described here. The blade unit 32L has a plurality of grass cutting blades 32La and a blade mounting unit 32Lb to which the plurality of grass cutting blades 32La are attached. The blade mounting unit 32Lb is connected to a rotating shaft 32Lc of the drive unit 33L and rotates by power from the engine 60. The rotation of the blade mounting part 32Lb also rotates the multiple grass cutting blades 32La, and the blade part 32L is configured to cut grass. The drive part 33L has a second power transmission means (not shown) including a belt (not shown), and transmits the power from the engine 60 to the multiple grass cutting blades 32La via the blade mounting part 32Lb. The second power transmission means is equipped with an (electric) clutch (not shown), and is configured so that the control part 40 can control whether or not to transmit the power of the engine 60 to the top field cutting part 30 by controlling the clutch. In this embodiment, the second power transmission means has multiple gears (not shown) that branch the rotation force of the belt and transmit it to both the drive parts 33L and 33R. The multiple gears are designed so that the drive force of the engine 60 transmitted via the belt is transmitted (almost) evenly to both the drive parts 33L and 33R. Therefore, the multiple grass cutting blades 32La of the blade portion 32L and the multiple grass cutting blades 32Ra of the blade portion 32R rotate at the same timing and at the same speed.
[0040] In the mower 100 according to this embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the width (mowing width) at which the blade sections 32L and 32R can cut grass growing on the top surface 201 (Fig. 4) is mowing width W1, and the width (crawler width) between the left end of the crawler belt 21L and the right end of the crawler belt 21R is crawler width W2. In this embodiment, the mowing width W1 is configured to be larger than the crawler width W2, and the blade sections 32L and 32R cut the grass before the crawlers 20L and 20R knock down the grass, so it is possible to prevent grass from being left uncut due to the crawlers 20L and 20R knocking down the grass.
[0041] As shown in FIG. 1, the blades 32L and 32R are provided symmetrically or approximately symmetrically with respect to the center line 110 of the machine body 10. The multiple grass cutting blades of the blades 32L and 32R are arranged so that their rotation trajectories overlap. Furthermore, the multiple grass cutting blades constituting the blades 32L and 32R are misaligned without contacting each other when stationary. As a result, the grass cutter 100 according to this embodiment can cut grass growing on the top surface 201 of the ridge 200 without leaving any grass uncut. In this embodiment, the rotation trajectory is the trajectory drawn by the tip of the outermost grass cutting blade when the grass cutting blade constituting the blade rotates around the rotation axis. For example, the rotation trajectory is the trajectory drawn by the tip of the outermost grass cutting blade 32La when the grass cutting blade 32La constituting the blade 32L rotates around the rotation axis 32Lc.
[0042] In the mower 100 according to this embodiment, the blades 32L and 32R are arranged out of phase with each other so as not to interfere with each other. The second power transmission means is configured to branch the power from the engine 60 and drive the blades 32L and 32R at the same timing and speed via the drive units 33L and 33R. When the rotating shaft of the engine 60 rotates, the rotating shafts 32Lc and 32Rc of the drive units 33L and 33R rotate via the second power transmission means, and the blades 32L and 32R connected to the drive units 33L and 33R also rotate. As a result, the blades 32L and 32R can cut grass growing on the top surface 201. Since the output of the engine 60 is relatively large, the engine 60 can stably transmit power to the drive units 33L and 33R. As a result, the drive units 33L and 33R transmit power stably to the blade units 32L and 32R, and the blade units 32L and 32R do not leave any grass growing on the top surface 201 of the ridge 200 uncut, allowing the mower 100 of this embodiment to perform stable mowing work.
[0043] In the mower 100 according to the present embodiment, an example has been shown in which the engine 60 is used as the power source for rotating the blade section 32 of the field cutting section 30. However, the present invention is not limited to the example described here, and it is also possible to use a motor as the power source for rotating the blade sections 32L and 32R. In this case, the control section 40 may be used to independently control the drive sections 33L and 33R, and independently drive the blade sections 32L and 32R.
[0044] In the mower 100 according to the present embodiment, the blades 32L and 32R of the top cutting section 30 are composed of a plurality of rotating grass cutting blades 32La and 32Ra. However, the blades 32L and 32R are not limited to the example described here, and may be composed of two blade members each having a plurality of mountain-shaped blades, with the mountain-shaped blades of the blade members shifted and stacked, and one of the two blade members may move left and then right, and the other may move right and then left (i.e., moving in different directions to the left and right), or the two blade members may rotate in different rotation directions to allow the mower 100 to cut grass. In this case, the blades 32L and 32R are, for example, blades similar to those provided on clippers.
[0045] [Configuration of the slope reaping unit 80] Next, the configuration of the slope cutting unit 80 will be described in detail. As shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 2, a slope cutting unit mounting member 12 is fixed to the rear of the machine body 10 at a position passing through the center line 110, and the slope cutting unit 80 is supported by the machine body 14 via the slope cutting unit mounting member 12. The slope cutting unit 80 includes a pair of left and right slope cutting units 80L and 80R. Although details will be described later, the left and right slope cutting units 80L and 80R are configured so that the angle of multiple grass cutting blades can be adjusted from a horizontal state to an angle that matches the inclination of the slope, and are configured to be able to cut grass such as weeds that grow on the top surface of the ridge or the slope.
[0046] As shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 2 or Fig. 4, the slope mowing part 80 has a connection member 88 connected to the machine body 14, a connecting member 90 rotatably supported by the connecting member 88, a pair of left and right support members 86L and 86R extending from the connecting member 90 to the left and right and supported by the connecting member 90, a pair of left and right slope mowing parts 80L and 80R each having a blade, and a pair of left and right angle adjustment mechanisms 130L and 130R for adjusting the angle between the horizontal plane 203 and a surface (mowing surface) 204L or 204R including the trajectory along which the blades of the left and right slope mowing parts 80L and 80R cut grass. In this embodiment, the mowing surface 204L or 204R is a surface including the trajectory along which the slope mowing part 80 (the blade 82L of the left slope mowing part 80L and the blade 82R of the right slope mowing part 80R) cuts grass. For example, in the case of a rotating blade portion as in this embodiment, the cutting surface 204L or 204R is a surface that includes the rotation trajectory of the blade portion, and in the case of a blade portion that includes two blade-shaped members that move back and forth in different left and right directions such as the hair clippers described above, the cutting surface 204L or 204R is a surface that includes the movement trajectory of the blade portion moving in the left and right direction.
[0047] As shown in FIG. 2, the connection member 88 supports the left slope reaping part 80L and the right slope reaping part 80R via the coupling member 90. The front part of the connection member 88 is configured to be insertable and detachable with respect to the slope reaping part mounting member 12 of the machine body 14. A protrusion 88a is provided at the rear part of the connection member 88. The protrusion 88a is formed with an insertion hole through which the pin-shaped member 88b is inserted. The pin-shaped member 88b is inserted into the insertion hole and an insertion hole formed in the arm part 90b, and the protrusion 88a rotatably supports the connection member 90 (arm part 90b) with the center point of the pin-shaped member 88b as the rotation fulcrum (the central axis is the rotation axis). Although details will be described later, in this embodiment, the configuration in which the connection member 90 is rotatably supported by the connection member 88 (protrusion 88a) allows the slope reaping part 80 to escape upward from an obstacle. Further, the rear end 88c of the protrusion 88a functions as a member that limits the lower limit position of the connecting member 90. That is, the rear end 88c of the protrusion 88a is configured to come into contact with an engaged member 90a provided on the connecting member 90, thereby limiting the downward rotational movement of the connecting member 90. In this specification, the rear end 88c of the protrusion 88a is referred to as a lower limit portion.
[0048] 1, 2, or 4, the connecting member 90 has an arm portion 90b provided with a pin-shaped member 88b, and a mounting member 90c provided at the rear of the arm portion 90b for mounting the support members 86L and 86R. A pin-shaped engaged member 90a is provided in a protruding manner on the arm portion 90b.
[0049] As shown in FIG. 4, the angle adjustment mechanism 130 (130L and 130R) connects the support member 86L to the left slope cutting part 80L, and connects the support member 86R to the right slope cutting part 80R. The structure of the angle adjustment mechanism 130R is the same as that of the angle adjustment mechanism 130L, so the angle adjustment mechanism 130L will be described here. The angle adjustment mechanism 130L has a function of adjusting the blade part 82L included in the left slope cutting part 80L from a horizontal state to an angle that matches the inclination of the slope, and adjusts the angle of the blade part 82L by rotating the left slope cutting part 80L around the cutting part mounting pin 89La. The angle adjustment mechanism 130L includes, for example, a lock plate 84L, a cam part 87L, a support member 89L connected to the cam part 87L, and a spring 97L connected between the lock plate 84L and the left slope cutting part 80L.
[0050] As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 4, the left slope cutting part 80L and the right slope cutting part 80R include casings 81L and 81R, blade parts 82L and 82R, and drive parts 83L and 83R, respectively. In the mower 100 according to this embodiment, the drive parts 83L and 83R can be independently controlled and the blade parts 82L and 82R can be independently driven using the control part 40. The blade parts 82L and 82R are parts that are composed of a plurality of mowing blades 82La and 82Ra, mowing blade attachment parts 82Lb and 82Rb, and rotating shafts 82Lc and 82Rc, similar to the blade parts 32L and 32R of the top field cutting part 30, and the grass growing on the ridges is cut by the rotation of the plurality of mowing blades 82La and 82Ra. Also, like the blades 32L and 32R of the top field mowing part 30, the blades 82L and 82R are configured by stacking two blade members each having a plurality of mountain-shaped blades with the mountain-shaped blades of the blade members shifted from one another, and the two blade members may reciprocate in different left and right directions, or rotate in different rotational directions, so that the mower 100 can cut grass. Note that the structure of the right slope mowing part 80R is the same as that of the left slope mowing part 80L, so the left slope mowing part 80L will be described below.
[0051] The casing 81L is connected to the lock plate 84L via a spring 97L, and is connected to the cam portion 87L via a support member 89L. As a result, the left slope reaping portion 80L is supported by the support member 86L. As shown in FIG. 2, the casing 81L covers the blade portion 82L in the left slope reaping portion 80L, and prevents soil, pebbles, grass, etc. from scattering to the surroundings, as with the casing 31 of the top reaping portion 30. One end of the spring 97L that spans between the casing 81L and the lock plate 84L is connected to the casing 81L. The casing 81L is provided with a pair of support members 89L that are connected to the cam portion 87L. The casing 81L is provided with a handle 140L that serves as a grip for adjusting the angle of the left slope reaping portion 80L. The drive unit 83L is a part for rotating the blade portion 82L, and has a motor that is driven by power supplied from the alternator 70 and the battery 41.
[0052] In the mower 100 according to this embodiment, the control unit 40 can be used to independently control the drive units 83L and 83R, and independently drive the blade units 82L and 82R. The drive units 83L and 83R supply power supplied from the alternator 70 or the battery 41 to the blade units 82L and 82R. In this embodiment, when the blade units 82L and 82R are driven, in the normal case (when the battery voltage is equal to or higher than a predetermined value), the alternator 70 is in a state of stopping power generation (power supply), and power only from the battery 41 is supplied to the blade units 82L and 82R. On the other hand, when the supply of power from the battery 41 is insufficient (when the battery voltage is lower than a predetermined value), the alternator 70 generates power and enters a power supply state, and in addition to the power supply from the battery 41, the power generated by the alternator 70 is also supplied to the blade units 82L and 82R.
[0053] The battery 41 and the drive units 83L and 83R, and the alternator 70 and the drive units 83L and 83R are connected, for example, by a wire harness. As described above, the left slope mowing unit 80L and the right slope mowing unit 80R are provided with angle adjustment mechanisms 130L and 130R, and the positions of the drive units 83L and 83R are changed. However, the grass mower 100 uses the battery 41 or the alternator 70 as the power source for the blade units 82L and 82R and the drive units 83L and 83R, and is configured to connect the drive units 83L and 83R to the battery 41 or the alternator 70 by a wire harness, and transmits the power for rotating the blade units 82L and 82R to the blade units 82L and 82R using the wire harness. In other words, the grass mower 100 does not require a power transmission means that would be necessary if the power source were an engine, and is able to supply power (with a simple configuration) to the left side slope mowing unit 80L and the right side slope mowing unit 80R, whose positions change depending on the drive units 83L and 83R.
[0054] [Driving the top surface reaping unit 30 and the slope reaping unit 80] A method for driving the top surface reaping unit 30 and the slope surface reaping unit 80 will be described with reference to Figs.
[0055] The control unit 40 controls each unit by executing control based on signals acquired from a remote controller (not shown) in accordance with a control program stored in the control unit 40. The control unit 40 also has a function of executing various types of control, such as control based on signals acquired from various sensors (not shown) provided in the mower 100, position control using the GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System), and control based on commands acquired from a server or the like.
[0056] First, an example will be described in which both the top surface reaping unit 30 and the slope surface reaping unit 80 are driven. For example, the control unit 40 receives a first operation signal from a remote controller (not shown) for driving both the top surface reaping unit 30 and the slope surface reaping unit 80 to perform an operation of mowing grass growing on the top surface 201 (FIG. 4) of the ridge 200 (FIG. 4) and grass growing on the slope surface 202 (FIG. 4) of the ridge 200.
[0057] The control unit 40 operates the engine 60 based on the first work signal. Before receiving the first work signal, the grass mower 100 has the clutch of the second power transmission means for transmitting power to the top field cutting unit 30 in a disengaged state. However, when the control unit 40 receives the first work signal and receives a clutch control signal by the user's remote controller operation or the like after the engine 60 is operated upon receiving the first work signal, it controls the clutch to switch from the disengaged state to the connected state. As a result, the power of the engine is transmitted to the drive units 33L and 33R of the top field cutting unit 30, and the blade units 32L and 32R of the top field cutting unit 30 rotate. The drive units 83L and 83R of the slope cutting unit 80 are controlled by the control unit 40 to start driving by receiving both cutting unit drive control signals by the user's remote controller operation or the like after receiving the first work signal and operating the engine 60. Similarly, after the engine 60 is operating, when a driving control signal is received by the user operating a remote controller, etc., the control unit 40 starts driving the drive units 54L and 54R of the running unit 20 and the electric cylinders 53L and 53R of the running unit 20, and controls the operation of these units according to a predetermined program.
[0058] Furthermore, when the first operation signal is received and the engine starts operating, the power generation control circuit of the alternator 70 starts monitoring the battery voltage. Then, the power generation control circuit controls the power generation state of the alternator 70 so that the alternator 70 does not generate power when the battery voltage is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, and generates power when the battery voltage is lower than the predetermined value.
[0059] The power generated by the alternator 70 is supplied to the drive units 83L and 83R of the slope mowing unit 80 and the drive units 54L and 54R of the traveling unit 20, and the surplus power not supplied to these is supplied to and stored in the battery 41. In other words, the alternator 70 functions as a supplementary power source for the drive units 83L and 83R of the slope mowing unit 80 and the drive units 54L and 54R of the traveling unit 20 when the battery voltage drops.
[0060] As a result, while traveling with the machine body 10 kept horizontal, the mower 100 can use the blades 32L and 32R to cut grass growing on the top surface 201 of the ridge 200, and can also use the blades 82L and 82R to cut grass growing on the slope 202 of the ridge 200. In this embodiment, even if the battery voltage drops, the alternator 70 can supply power to the drive units 83L and 83R of the slope mowing unit 80 and the drive units 54L and 54R of the traveling unit 20 to drive them stably, so that it is possible to mow all grass while traveling with the mower 100.
[0061] Next, an example of driving the top field reaping unit 30 and either the left side slope reaping unit 80L or the right side slope reaping unit 80R will be described. For example, the control unit 40 receives a second operation signal from a remote controller (not shown) to drive the top field reaping unit 30 and either the left side slope reaping unit 80L or the right side slope reaping unit 80R to perform an operation of mowing grass growing on the top surface 201 (FIG. 4) of the ridge 200 and grass growing on either the right or left slope 202 (FIG. 4) of the ridge 200.
[0062] The control unit 40 operates the engine 60 based on the second work signal. The driving of the top field reaping unit 30, the driving of the traveling unit 20, and the power generation control of the alternator 70 are the same as when the first work signal is received, so detailed explanations are omitted. Here, as an example, an example of driving the left slope reaping unit 80L will be explained.
[0063] After receiving the second work signal and driving the engine 60, the control unit 40, when receiving a left reaping unit drive control signal by the user operating the remote controller or the like, starts driving only the drive unit 83L of the left slope reaping unit 80L without driving the drive unit 83R of the right slope reaping unit 80R. If the battery voltage falls below a predetermined value while the drive unit 83L of the left slope reaping unit 80L is being driven, the alternator 70 starts supplying power, and power is also supplied from the alternator 70 to the drive unit 83L.
[0064] As a result, while traveling on the traveling part 20, the lawnmower 100 can use the blade parts 32L and 32R to cut grass growing on the top surface 201 of the ridge 200, and can also use the blade part 82L (or blade part 82R) to cut grass growing on the slope 202 on the left side (or right side) of the ridge 200.
[0065] Next, an example of driving only the top field reaping unit 30 will be described. For example, the control unit 40 receives a third operation signal by the user's remote controller operation or the like to drive only the top field reaping unit 30 out of the top field reaping unit 30 and the slope reaping unit 80, and to perform the operation of mowing grass growing on the top surface 201 (FIG. 4) of the ridge 200. The control unit 40 operates the engine 60 based on the third operation signal. After the engine 60 operates, when the control unit 40 receives a top field reaping unit drive control signal by the user's remote controller operation or the like, it controls the top field reaping unit 30 to start driving the drive units 33L and 33R without driving the slope reaping unit 80. The drive of the top field reaping unit 30, the drive of the traveling unit 20, and the power generation control of the alternator 70 are the same as the drive based on the first operation signal described above.
[0066] When only the top surface reaping unit 30 is driven, the control unit 40 does not receive a drive control signal for driving the drive unit of the slope reaping unit 80 after receiving the third work signal. Therefore, after receiving the third work signal, the control unit 40 controls the engine 60 so that power is not supplied from the battery 41 and the alternator 70 to the drive units 83L and 83R of the slope reaping unit 80 even if the engine 60 is driven, and does not drive the drive units 83L and 83R of the slope reaping unit 80. When the battery voltage falls below a predetermined value and the alternator 70 generates power, the power of the alternator 70 is not supplied to the drive units 83L and 83R of the slope reaping unit 80, but is supplied to the drive units 54L and 54R of the traveling unit 20, and the surplus power is stored in the battery 41.
[0067] As a result, the grass mower 100 can drive the blade portions 32L and 32R without driving the drive portions 83L and 83R, and can cut grass growing on the top surface 201 of the ridge 200 using the blade portions 32L and 32R.
[0068] Next, an example will be described in which only the slope cutting unit 80 is driven without driving the top surface cutting unit 30. In this case, for example, the control unit 40 receives a fourth operation signal from a remote controller (not shown) to drive only the slope cutting unit 80 and perform an operation of cutting grass growing on the slope 202 of the ridge 200.
[0069] The control unit 40 operates the engine 60 based on the fourth work signal. Then, when the control unit 40 receives a drive control signal for driving the drive unit of the slope reaping unit 80, it starts driving the drive unit of the slope reaping unit 80, and when it receives a travel control signal for driving the travel unit 20, it starts driving the drive units 54L and 54R and the electric cylinders 53L and 53R. At this time, since the control unit 40 does not receive a clutch control signal, the clutch of the second power transmission means is maintained in a disconnected state and is controlled so that the power from the engine 60 is not transmitted to the top field reaping unit 30 (the drive units 33L and 33R). Therefore, the power of the engine 60 is not transmitted to the drive units 33L and 33R, and the blade units 32L and 32R of the top field reaping unit 30 do not rotate. The power of the engine 60 is used as a power source for generating electricity for the alternator 70. The operations other than the power from the engine being not transmitted to the field reaping unit 30 are the same as those when the first work signal is received as described above.
[0070] As a result, the mower 100 drives the blade portions 82L and 82R without driving the drive portions 33L and 33R, and can use the blade portions 82L and 82R to cut grass growing on the slope 202 of the ridge 200. Note that, although a configuration in which both the blade portions 82L and 82R of the left side slope mowing portion 80L and the right side slope mowing portion 80R are driven has been described here, it is also possible to control so that only the blade portion 82 of the left side slope mowing portion 80L or the right side slope mowing portion 80R is driven to rotate.
[0071] [Escape mechanism for the slope cutting unit 80] Next, the operation of the slope cutting part 80 moving upward and downward according to the slope 202 or the top surface 201 will be described with reference to FIG. 2. In this embodiment, the mechanism by which the slope cutting part 80 moves up and down according to the shape of the ridge (the shape of the slope 202 or the top surface 201) to be worked on is called an escape mechanism. When the mower 100 of this embodiment performs a mowing operation, if the slope cutting part 80 collides with an obstacle such as a lump of soil or a stone, an upward force from the slope 202 or the top surface 201 acts on the slope cutting part 80. Since the connecting member 90 is rotatably supported by the connecting member 88 via the pin-shaped member 88b, when an upward force is applied to the slope cutting part 80 from the slope 202 or the top surface 201 by an obstacle, the connecting member 90 rotates upward with the pin-shaped member 88b as a rotation fulcrum (rotation axis) in response to the force. Then, when the slope cutting part 80 leaves the obstacle, the slope cutting part 80 returns to a position where the engaged member 90a abuts against the rear end 88c of the protruding part 88a by its own weight. That is, the connecting member 90 rotates upward or downward with respect to the machine body 10 (machine body main body 14), and the rear end 88c (lower limit limiting part) of the protruding part 88a restricts the downward rotation with respect to the machine body 10. Thus, in the grass cutter 100 of this embodiment, even if an obstacle such as a lump of earth or a stone comes into contact with the slope cutting part 80, the slope cutting part 80 can escape from below to above, and damage to the slope cutting part 80 can be prevented. Also, the slope cutting part 80 of this embodiment can perform grass cutting work while moving from below to above and from above to below, following the unevenness of the ridge.
[0072] In this embodiment, a part of the connecting member 88 (rear end 88c of the protruding portion 88a) functions as the lower limit limiting portion, but the configuration of the lower limit limiting portion is not limited to this. For example, the connecting member 90 may be rotatably supported on the slope mowing unit mounting member 12, and a member that serves as the lower limit limiting portion may be provided on the slope mowing unit mounting member 12. In this case, instead of configuring the machine body 14 and the slope mowing unit mounting member 12 as separate members as in this embodiment, it is also possible to configure the machine body 14 and the slope mowing unit mounting member 12 as an integral unit. Note that a configuration in which a stopper that functions as the lower limit limiting portion is separately attached may also be used.
[0073] In the present embodiment, the slope reaping unit 80 is configured to be rotatable up and down with respect to the machine body 14, and the lower limit position is limited by the lower limit limiting unit. However, a similar configuration can be applied to the top field reaping unit 30. In this case, the support plate 15 is supported to be rotatable up and down with respect to the machine body 14, and a lower limit limiting unit that limits the lower limit position of the support plate 15 is provided at the front end of the machine body 14. The machine body 14 and the support plate 15 may be connected via a connecting unit (not shown) provided separately from the machine body 14 and fixed to the machine body 14, or the machine body 14 may be connected by providing a function for connecting the support plate.
[0074] [Angle adjustment mechanism for the slope reaping unit 80] The mower 100 according to this embodiment has an angle adjustment mechanism 130 (130L and 130R), and can independently adjust the positions of the left slope mowing part 80L and the right slope mowing part 80R, and the angle α between the mowing surface 204L or 204R and the horizontal plane 203 in advance according to the width of the top surface 201 of the ridge 200 and the inclination of the slope 202 (see FIG. 4). Note that the structure of the angle adjustment mechanism 130R is the same as that of the angle adjustment mechanism 130L, so the following description will focus on the angle adjustment mechanism 130L.
[0075] As shown in FIG. 4, the angle adjustment mechanism 130L includes, as described above, for example, a lock plate 84L, a slider 85L that can slide the support member 86L in the left-right direction, a support member 89L connected to the slider 85L, and a spring 97L that is stretched between the lock plate 84L and the left slope cutting part 80L.
[0076] As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the lock plate 84L connects the support member 86L and the left slope mowing part 80L. The lock plate 84L has a pair of lock plate members 84Lc and 84Ld arranged facing each other in the front and rear, and a connecting pin 84Le that connects the pair of lock plate members 84Lc and 84Ld at their upper ends. Each lock plate member 84Lc and 84Ld is formed elongated, and a comb-shaped long groove 84La is formed. The long groove 84La has a plurality of positioning recesses 84Lf (five in this embodiment) that engage with an angle adjustment pin 84Lb (described later) fixed to the slider 85L to position and fix the angle of the left slope mowing part 80L (blade part 82L). The positioning recesses 84Lf are configured to incline obliquely upward in rear view when the angle adjustment pin 84Lb is engaged so that the engaged angle adjustment pin 84Lb is unlikely to fall off. The lower ends of the lock plate members 84Lc and 84Ld are rotatably connected to a support member 89L fixed to the left slope cutting part 80L. A spring 97L is connected between the lower end of the long groove 84La of each of the lock plate members 84Lc and 84Ld and the connection part between the support member 89L and the lower end of the long groove 84La.
[0077] The slider 85L is composed of a slider body 85Ld inserted into the support member 86L, an upper clamping member 85Lb, and a lower clamping member 85Lc, and is integrally formed with a clamping portion 85Lbc for clamping the slider 85L to the support member 86L. An angle adjustment pin 84Lb inserted into the long groove 84La of the lock plate 84L is fixed to the lower part of the slider body 85Ld. In addition, a reaping unit attachment portion 98L for attaching the support member 89L is fixed to the lower clamping member 85Lc. The reaping unit attachment portion 98L is connected to the support member 89L via the reaping unit attachment pin 89La, and the support member 89L is configured to be rotatable relative to the reaping unit attachment portion 98L.
[0078] With reference to FIG. 4, the angle adjustment operation of the left slope mowing part 80L using the angle adjustment mechanism 130L will be described. The lock plate 84L is operated by holding the handle 140L, and the lock plate 84L is moved so that the angle adjustment pin 84Lb is removed from the positioning recess 84Lf. At this time, the lock plate 84L rotates relative to the support member 89L, and the support member 89L rotates relative to the slider 85L with the mowing part mounting pin 89La as a rotation fulcrum (rotation axis). Then, the lock plate 84L is further moved to fit the angle adjustment pin 84Lb into a positioning recess 84Lf different from the positioning recess 84Lf into which it was initially fitted, thereby changing the angle of the blade part 82L of the left slope mowing part 80L (i.e., the angle α between the mowing surface 204L including the rotation trajectory of the blade part 82L and the horizontal plane 203). The angle α becomes larger as it is fitted into the positioning recess 84Lf located lower. By changing the positioning recess 84Lf into which the angle adjustment pin 84Lb is fitted according to the inclination of the slope 202, the angle α can be adjusted to an angle according to the inclination of the slope 202. Note that in the grass mower 100 of this embodiment, when the angle adjustment pin 84Lb is fitted into the top positioning recess 84Lf, the angle α is 90 degrees, i.e., the mowing surface 204L including the rotation trajectory of the blade portion 82L is vertical, and when the angle adjustment pin 84Lb is fitted into the bottom positioning recess 84Lf, the angle α is 180 degrees, i.e., the mowing surface 204L including the rotation trajectory of the blade portion 82L is horizontal.
[0079] As described above, in the mower 100 according to this embodiment, the lock plates 84L and 84R can be used to adjust the angle α between the mowing surfaces 204L and 204R of the left and right slope mowing parts 80L and 80R and the horizontal plane 203. Therefore, the mower 100 according to this embodiment can perform mowing work suited to the width of the top surface 201 of the ridge 200 and the inclination of the slope 202.
[0080] In addition, the mower 100 according to this embodiment can also perform mowing work with the angle α of the left slope cutting part 80L and the right slope cutting part 80R adjusted horizontally. In this case, in rear view, the blade 32L of the top field cutting part 30 and the blade 82L of the left slope cutting part 80L, and the blade 32R of the top field cutting part 30 and the blade 82R of the right slope cutting part 80R are arranged in the left-right direction with some parts overlapping. In addition, when the angle α of the left slope cutting part 80L and the right slope cutting part 80R is adjusted horizontally, the height of the blades 82L and R is configured to be the same as the height of the blades 32L and R of the top field cutting part 30. As a result, when the angle α of the left slope cutting part 80L and the right slope cutting part 80R is horizontal, it is possible to mow grass in the left-right direction from the blade portion 82L of the left slope cutting part 80L to the blade portion 82R of the right slope cutting part 80R without leaving any grass uncut.
[0081] In addition, the mower 100 of this embodiment can adjust the angle α of the left slope cutting part 80L and the right slope cutting part 80R symmetrically (the angle α is the same) to perform mowing operations, and can also adjust the angle α asymmetrically (to different angles) to perform mowing operations, as shown in Figure 5.
[0082] [Adjustment mechanism for the left-right position of the slope reaping unit 80] The mower 100 according to this embodiment is provided with an adjustment mechanism that adjusts the positions of the left slope cutting part 80L and the right slope cutting part 80R in the left-right direction independently according to the width of the ridge (top surface). The adjustment mechanism is provided on each of the left slope cutting part 80L and the right slope cutting part 80R, but since the left and right sides have the same configuration, only the left adjustment mechanism will be described here. The left adjustment mechanism has the above-mentioned slider 85L configured to be able to slide the support member 86L, and a cam part 87L that locks the slider 85L relative to the support member 86L. The cam part 87L is fixed to the clamping part 85Lbc of the slider 85L. The cam part 87L in this embodiment is formed of a cam lever, and the position of the slider 85L is fixed relative to the support member 86L by operating the lever 87La, by clamping the support member 86L with the upper clamping member 85Lb and the lower clamping member 85Lc. Specifically, when the lever 87La is tilted down, a cam portion (not shown) provided at the base of the lever 87La acts, causing the upper clamping member 85Lb and the lower clamping member 85Lc to clamp the support member 86L and fix the slider 85L. When the lever 87La is raised, the clamping between the upper clamping member 85Lb and the lower clamping member 85Lc and the support member 86L is released, and the slider 85L becomes slidable on the support member 86L.
[0083] Instead of the above configuration, the support member 86L may be configured to extend and retract in the left-right direction, and the position of the left slope mowing part 80L in the left-right direction may be adjusted by changing the length of the support member 86L. For example, the support member 86L may be configured to be made up of at least two or more members, with one member housed inside the other member so that the length of the support member 86L can be extended and retracted. The length of the support member 86L may be fixed by providing the cam portion 87L as described above.
[0084] [Positional relationship between the blade portions 32L and 32R, and between the blade portions 82L and 82R] The positional relationship between the blades 32L and 32R, and the blades 82L and 82R will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the blades 32L and 32R are arranged symmetrically or approximately symmetrically with respect to the center line 110 in a plan view. Also, as shown in FIG. 4, the blades 32L and 32R are arranged to overlap with each other in a rear view. Also, as shown in FIG. 1, the blades 32L and 82L are arranged to overlap with each other along a parallel line 111 parallel to the center line 110 in a plan view, and as shown in FIG. 4, the blades 32L and 82L are arranged to overlap with each other in a rear view. Also, as shown in FIG. 1, the blades 32R and 82R are arranged to overlap with each other along a parallel line 112 parallel to the center line 110 in a plan view, and as shown in FIG. 4, the blades 32R and 82R are arranged to overlap with each other in a rear view.
[0085] It can be understood that the state of the slope cutting part 80 shown in Fig. 1 is a state where the length (width) in the left-right direction is adjusted to a position (maximum width), and the blade part 32L and the blade part 32R overlap, the blade part 32L and the blade part 82L overlap, and the blade part 32R and the blade part 82R overlap. In this state, the mowing width when the mower 100 performs the mowing work is width W3. In addition, it can be understood that the state of the slope cutting part 80 shown in Fig. 4 is a state where the angle is adjusted to the maximum width, and the blade part 32L and the blade part 32R overlap, the blade part 32L and the blade part 82L overlap, and the blade part 32R and the blade part 82R overlap.
[0086] Furthermore, the state of the slope mowing section 80 shown in Figure 5 is a state in which the blade portion 32R of the top surface mowing section 30 and the blade portion 82R of the right-side slope mowing section 80R are adjusted to overlap along a parallel line 112 parallel to the center line 110 in the plan view shown in Figure 1, and it can be understood that, in the rear view, the blade portion 32L and the blade portion 82L overlap, and the blade portion 32R and the blade portion 82R overlap.
[0087] That is, in rear view, the blades 32L, 32R of the top field mowing section 30 are provided so as to be sandwiched between the blades 82L, 82R of the left slope mowing section 80L and the right slope mowing section 80R constituting the slope mowing section 80. In rear view, the blades 32L, 32R, 82L, and 82R are provided so as to be aligned in the left-right direction, and no matter where the left slope mowing section 80L and the right slope mowing section 80R are adjusted in the left-right direction, the blades adjacent to each other on the left and right, i.e., the blades 32L and 82L, and the blades 32R and 82R, are arranged so that their tips partially overlap.
[0088] Therefore, in the mower 100 of this embodiment, no matter where the left side slope cutting section 80L and the right side slope cutting section 80R of the slope cutting section 80 are adjusted to, it is possible to cut grass without leaving any grass uncut between the blade section 82L and the blade section 82R when viewed from the rear (direction perpendicular to the traveling direction). When mowing on a flat place, that is, when performing flat mowing, as shown in Fig. 1, if the slope cutting section 80 is deployed horizontally, mowing work can be efficiently performed on ridges or fields with wide top surfaces by utilizing the width from the blade section 82L to the blade section 82R. As shown in Fig. 4, even when the angle of the slope cutting unit 80 is adjusted to correspond to the slope of the ridge and the grass is mowed on the slope, the blades 32L, 32R of the top cutting unit 30 and the blades 82L, 82R of the slope cutting unit 80 overlap, so that not only can the top surface and the slope of the ridge be mowed in one run of the mower 100, but the grass can be mowed without leaving any grass on the ridge shoulder. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 5, even when the right slope cutting unit 80R is controlled by the control unit 40 to cut grass on a plane similar to the top surface of the ridge and the left slope cutting unit 80L is angle-adjusted to correspond to the slope of the ridge, the grass can be mowed on the top surface of the ridge and a plane (plane) parallel or approximately parallel to the left slope cutting unit 80L, and the grass can be mowed without leaving any grass on the ridge shoulder.
[0089] <Second embodiment> In the second embodiment, a mower 100 according to the first embodiment will be described in which the positional relationship of the blades is different.
[0090] FIG. 6(A) is a plan view showing the positional relationship of the blade portions of a mower 100B according to the second embodiment, and FIG. 6(B) is a plan view showing the positional relationship of the blade portions of a mower 100C according to the second embodiment.
[0091] As shown in FIG. 6(A), in the grass mower 100B, the blade portions 32R and 82R are provided in front of the traveling portion 20, and the blade portions 32L and 82L are provided behind the traveling portion 20. The blade portions 32L and 32R are arranged so that a portion of each of them overlaps with respect to the center line 110. The blade portions 32R and 82R are arranged so that they are aligned in the left-right direction, and the blade portions 32R and 82R are arranged so that a portion of each of them overlaps with respect to the parallel line 112 that is parallel to the center line 110. The blade portions 32L and 82L are arranged so that they are aligned in the left-right direction, and the blade portions 32L and 82L are arranged so that a portion of each of them overlaps with respect to the parallel line 111 that is parallel to the center line 110.
[0092] 6(B), the positional relationship of the blade parts in the grass mower 100C differs from the positional relationship of the blade parts in the grass mower 100B in that the blade part 82R is provided forward of the blade part 32R, and the blade part 82L is provided rearward of the blade part 32L. In other respects, the positional relationship of the blade parts in the grass mower 100C is the same as that in the grass mower 100B, so a description thereof will be omitted here.
[0093] Although not shown, in both the grass mower 100B and the grass mower 100C, the blade portion 32L, the blade portion 32R, the blade portion 82L, and the blade portion 82R are arranged so as to be aligned (adjacent) in the left-right direction in rear view, the blade portions 32L and 32R are arranged between the blade portion 82L and the blade portion 82R, the blade portion 82L and the blade portion 32L are arranged so as to partially overlap, the blade portion 32L and the blade portion 32R are arranged so as to partially overlap, and the blade portion 32R and the blade portion 82R are arranged so as to partially overlap. Also, in rear view, the blade portion 32L, the blade portion 32R, the blade portion 82L, and the blade portion 82R are arranged so as to be aligned in the left-right direction, and the blade portion 82L and the blade portion 82R are arranged at both ends. In the grass mower 100B and the grass mower 100C, the positional relationship between the blade section provided in front of the traveling section 20 and the blade section provided in the rear of the traveling section 20 may be reversed front to back.
[0094] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, a person skilled in the art can add, delete, or modify components based on each embodiment as appropriate, and the scope of the present invention is included as long as the gist of the present invention is met. Furthermore, the configurations according to the above-mentioned embodiments can be combined as appropriate as long as there is no mutual contradiction, and technical matters common to each embodiment are included in each configuration even if not explicitly stated.
[0095] Even if there are other effects and advantages different from those brought about by the aspects of each of the above-mentioned embodiments, those which are clear from the description in this specification or which can be easily predicted by a person skilled in the art are naturally understood to be brought about by the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]
[0096] 10: Machine body, 11L, 11R: Mounting member, 12: Slope reaping part mounting member, 14: Machine body, 15: Support plate, 20: Running part, 20L, 20R: Crawler, 21L, 21R: Crawler belt, 22L: Driving wheel, 23L: Driven wheel, 24L: Crawler frame, 30: Top reaping part, 31: Casing, 32, 32L, 32R: Blade part, 33L, 33R: Driving part, 40: Control part, 41: Battery, 50: Link mechanism, 50L, 50R: Link mechanism, 51L, 51R, 52L, 5 2R: Link arm, 53L, 53R: Electric cylinder, 54L, 54R: Drive unit, 70: Alternator, 60: Engine, 80: Slope mowing unit, 80L: Left side slope mowing unit, 80R: Right side slope mowing unit, 81L, 81R: Casing, 82L, 82R: Blade unit, 32La, 32Ra, 82La, 82Ra: Grass cutting blade, 32Lb, 32Rb, 82Lb, 82Rb: Mowing blade attachment unit, 32Lc, 32Rc, 82Lc, 82Rc: Rotating shaft, 83L, 83R: Drive unit, 84L, 84R: Rotor lock plate, 84La, 84Ra: long groove, 84Lc, 84Ld: lock plate member, 84Le: connecting pin, 84Lf, 84Rf: positioning recess, 85L, 85R: slider, 85Lbc, 85Rbc: clamping portion, 85Lb, 85Rb: upper clamping member, 85Lc, 85Rc: lower clamping member, 86L, 86R: support member, 87L, 87R: cam portion, 87La, 87Ra: lever, 88: connection member, 88a: protrusion, 88c: rear end, 89L, 89R: support member, 90: connection member, 9 0a: engaged member, 90b: arm portion, 90c: mounting member, 84Lb, 84Rb: angle adjustment pin, 88b: pin-shaped member, 89La: reaping unit mounting pin, 97L, 97R: spring, 98L, 98R: reaping unit mounting portion, 100: grass cutter, 110: center line, 111: parallel line, 112: parallel line, 120: reaping unit, 130, 130L, 130R: angle adjustment mechanism, 140L, 140R: handle, 200: ridge, 201: top surface, 202: slope, 203: horizontal surface, 204L, 204R: mowing surface
Claims
1. A grass mower that cuts grass while traveling on a ridge, The aircraft and A plurality of running units; Equipped with The traveling portion is A vehicle having a driving unit, a driving wheel rotated by the driving unit, and a single driven wheel that can be rotated by the rotation of the driving wheel, The vertical positional relationship between the body and the running unit is variable, Even if the vertical positional relationship between the body and the running part changes, the vertical positional relationship between the lower end of the running part and the drive part does not change. Lawnmower.
2. Even if the vertical positional relationship between the vehicle body and the traveling part changes, the longitudinal positional relationship between the driving wheels and the driven wheels does not change.
2. A grass mower according to claim 1.
3. The vehicle further includes a plurality of link mechanisms that connect the vehicle body and the traveling section, The link mechanism is capable of changing the vertical positional relationship. A grass mower according to claim 1 or 2.
Citation Information
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