Riding type lawn mower

Abstract

To provide a riding type lawn mower which improves work efficiency by stabilizing a workload in a lawn mower in which an electric motor is driven by a battery.SOLUTION: In a riding type lawn mower, drive wheels are provided in a travel vehicle body, a mower 5 having a mowing blade is provided at a lower side of the vehicle body, the drive wheels are driven by a motor for travel, and the mower 5 is driven by a motor for work. A display section 58 is provided for displaying a workload level which is calculated based on a load current value of the motor for load. A display panel 55 is disposed on a top face of a handle post, the display section 58 is disposed at an outer peripheral front-order side of the display panel 55, and a line L1 connecting a high-order side of a grip part of a steering handle 8 with the display section 58 is positioned between a front end of a mower deck 20 of the mower 5 and a gauge wheel 26 which is provided in front of the mower deck 20.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a riding lawnmower in which a traction motor and a working motor are driven by an on-board battery as a power source. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, a riding lawnmower is known in which the mower is driven by a work motor, and the load current value of the work motor is detected to control the rotation of the cutting blade (Patent Document 1).

[0003] An electric motor is provided to drive the left and right drive wheels that move the traveling body, and an electric motor is provided to drive the blade of the mower deck, and the electric motors are driven by a battery mounted on the traveling body. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-124355 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the conventional lawn mowers described above, the rotation of the working motor is controlled to the rated rotation speed to perform lawn mowing work, but when the workload is light and the load current value detected by the current detection sensor is lower than the standard range, power consumption can be reduced by changing to a low reference rotation speed that does not require much power, and when the load current value is higher than the standard range, the rotation speed is changed to a high reference rotation speed to increase the rotation of the cutting blade, thereby increasing cutting power and enabling efficient lawn mowing work.

[0006] However, in a configuration where a driving motor that drives the left and right drive wheels that propel the vehicle body and the above-mentioned work motor are provided and the vehicle is powered by a battery mounted on the vehicle body, if the operator changes the vehicle speed at will while mowing the lawn, the load on the driving motor will increase, affecting the lawn mowing operation performed by the work motor.

[0007] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a riding lawnmower in which an electric motor is driven by a battery, which stabilizes the workload and improves work efficiency. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention provides the following technical means to solve the above problems.

[0009] The invention described in claim 1 is a riding lawnmower having drive wheels 2 and 3 on a traveling body 1, a mower 5 with a cutting blade 4 below the body 1, the drive wheels 2 and 3 driven by traveling motors 40 and 43, and the mower 5 driven by a work motor 25, and is provided with a display unit 58 that displays the work load level calculated based on the load current value of the work motor 25.

[0010] The invention described in claim 2 is configured in the invention described in claim 1 such that a display panel 55 is placed on the upper surface of the handle post 7, a display unit 58 is placed in front of the outer periphery of this display panel 55, and a line L1 connecting the higher side of the grip of the steering handle 8 and the display unit 58 is located between the front end of the mower deck 20 of the mower 5 and a gauge wheel 26 provided in front of the mower deck 20.

[0011] The invention described in claim 3 is configured such that in the invention described in claim 1, a line L2 connecting the lower side of the grip portion of the steering handle 8 and the display unit 58 is set to be forward of the mower deck 20.

[0012] The invention described in claim 4 is the invention described in claim 1, wherein the display unit 58 is configured as a pair of symmetrical display units 58L and 58R on the left and right, and is configured so that the center unit lights up sequentially from the left and right ends as the workload level increases. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the invention described in claim 1, the workload level can be displayed, so that it is possible to determine the workload on the work motor 25, and by changing the speed of the traveling vehicle body 1 according to the workload, work efficiency can be improved.

[0014] According to the invention of claim 2, in addition to the effect of claim 1, by providing the display unit 58 at the front of the outer periphery of the display panel 55 on the upper part of the handle post 7, it is within the field of view of the operator even when sitting in the operator's seat 9, making it easy to check the workload level. Also, by having the line L1 connecting the display unit 58 and the high side of the steering handle 8 located in front of the mower deck 20, it is possible to work while maintaining approximately the same line of sight or posture to view the display unit 58 and the state of the tip of the mower deck 20.

[0015] According to the invention as set forth in claim 3, by keeping the line L2 in the field of view, the worker can work while maintaining substantially the same line of sight or posture for viewing the display unit 58 and viewing the distant situation.

[0016] According to the invention described in claim 4, in addition to the effect described in claim 1, the pair of left and right display units 58L, 58R are configured so that the center unit lights up sequentially from the left and right ends as the workload level increases, making it easy to check the level of workload. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view of a riding lawnmower according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a riding lawnmower. [Figure 3] FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a mower of a riding lawn mower, and FIG. 1B is a power transmission diagram of a working motor. [Figure 4] FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing rotation control of the work motor. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the handle post and the display unit. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a side view of a riding lawnmower. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the examples shown in the drawings.

[0019] The front and rear of the traveling vehicle body 1 are equipped with front wheels 2L, 2R and rear wheels 3L, 3R, respectively, and a mower 5 for cutting grass with a cutting blade 4 is mounted below the front of the vehicle body 1 and in front of the front wheels 2L, 2R, constituting a so-called front mower. A handle post 7 is erected on a floor 6 above the front of the vehicle body 1, and a steering handle 8 for steering is mounted above the post 7. A driver's seat 9 is also provided behind the steering handle 8.

[0020] The frame structure of the vehicle body 1 will be described in detail below. It comprises a floor frame 10 that supports the floor 6, driver's seat 9, etc. from the front side, and a pair of left and right side frames 14L, 14R that support a battery 12 for the motor and a motor control unit 13, which will be described later.

[0021] The floor frame 10 has a front side formed in a U-shape in a plan view, and is provided to support the column 7 at its front and to support the cockpit 9 and operation boxes for various levers and the like at its rear. The side frames 14L, 14R are configured to support left and right support pillars 15L, 15R of a safety guard 15, and the upper ends of these left and right support pillars 15L, 15R are connected by a head frame 15H.

[0022] An upper frame 17 is formed at a slightly higher position above the side frames 14L, 14R. The upper frame 17 is formed in a U-shape in plan view, with a curved portion at the rear and left and right front ends connected to adjacent frames.

[0023] As shown in Figure 1, a collector 32 for collecting cut grass (grass clippings) is provided behind the safety guard 15 and above the upper frame 17. The collector 32 is configured to be raised relative to the upper frame 17 of the traveling vehicle by collector lift cylinders 33L, 33R and collector dump cylinders (not shown), and dumped rearward, with a rear lid 34 that can be opened to allow the grass inside to be discharged.

[0024] As shown in Figure 3, gear cases 21L, 21R are provided on the upper left and right sides of the mower deck 20 of the mower 5, and left and right cutting blade shafts 23L, 23R, each of which is equipped with a cutting blade 4 for cutting grass, are vertically supported. The transmission mechanisms in the left and right gear cases 21L, 21R are connected by a transmission shaft 24, and the left and right cutting blade shafts 23L, 23R are driven by a work motor 25 (described later) which links the transmission mechanism in the left gear case 21L.

[0025] A chute 36 leading to the collector 32 is provided at the rear center of the mower deck 20, and grass cut by the cutting blade 22 below the mower deck 20 is transported into the collector 32 by the suction force of a blower 35.

[0026] The driving force of the work motor 25 is transmitted to the left cutting blade shaft 23L, which is supported vertically downward on the left gear case 21L, and is further transmitted from the left gear case 21L via the transmission shaft 24 to the right cutting blade shaft 23R, which is supported vertically downward on the right gear case 21R, thereby driving the right cutting blade shaft 23R.

[0027] As described above, the side frames 14L, 14R are provided, with the battery 12 mounted on top of them, and the motor control unit 13 housed in a casing mounted on top of that. The electrodes for the motor are provided on the top surface of the battery 12 and covered by the motor control unit 13, with the associated cords extending and wired from the sides of the motor control unit 13. An additional battery 12 may be provided separately on the left and right sides of the driver's seat 9 above the front wheels 2L, 2R and covered with a cover. It is also preferable to provide a DC battery as a power source for lighting, etc., in addition to the drive battery 12. The cords from the battery 12 and motor control unit 13 to the work motor 25 are routed along the outer surface of the chute 36.

[0028] 4 shows a power transmission system for the left and right front wheels 2L, 2R and rear wheels 3L, 3R as drive wheels. Power is transmitted from a front-wheel drive motor 40, which serves as a driving motor with its output shaft facing forward, to the left and right front wheels 2L, 2R via a front differential mechanism 41 and left and right speed reduction mechanisms 42L, 42R, and from a rear-wheel drive motor 43, which serves as a driving motor with its output shaft facing rearward, to the left and right rear wheels 3L, 3R via a rear differential mechanism 44 and left and right speed reduction mechanisms 45L, 45R. The rotation of the front-wheel drive motor 40 is detected by a front axle rotation sensor 46F, and the rotation of the rear-wheel drive motor 43 is detected by a rear axle rotation sensor 46R. Because the front-wheel drive motor 40 and the rear-wheel drive motor 43 are located inside the front and rear axles, the running vehicle body 1 does not become long.

[0029] It is also possible to use separate wheel electric motors for the left and right front wheels 2L, 2R and the left and right rear wheels 3L, 3R.

[0030] 5 is a control block diagram of each motor and each electric cylinder, in which power from battery 12 is controlled by motor control unit 13 and supplied to front wheel drive motor 40, rear wheel drive motor 43, work motor 25, blower motor 47 that drives blower 35, etc. Of these, the rotation speed of the travel motors of front wheel drive motor 40 and rear wheel drive motor 43 is controlled by a travel operation unit 51 such as an increase / decrease button or a reciprocating operation lever. In addition, drive / stop and rotation speed control of work motor 25 that drives cutting blade 4 are controlled by a work operation unit 52, and drive / stop and rotation speed control of blower motor 47 are controlled by a blower operation unit 53.

[0031] Additionally, a DC battery 49 supplies power to lights and a motor control device 50 .

[0032] The motor control device 50 receives rotation speeds from the front axle rotation sensor 46F and the rear axle rotation sensor 46R, and inputs operation signals from a travel operation unit 51, a work operation unit 52, a blower operation unit 53, and the like.

[0033] The motor control device 50 performs the following control.

[0034] First, when the traveling speed of the traveling vehicle body 1 is decelerated or braked, regenerative power is charged into the battery 12 from the front wheel drive motor 40 and the rear wheel drive motor 43, and when switching from four-wheel drive to two-wheel drive, the non-drive side motor is switched to power generation mode and the regenerative power is charged into the battery 12.

[0035] When the work operation unit 52 is turned from on to off and the work motor 25 stops rotating, the mode is switched to power generation, the braking stop time is adjusted, and regenerative power is charged to the battery 12. Also, when the cutting blade is rotated by an external force, the mode is switched to power generation, and regenerative power is charged to the battery 12.

[0036] The load condition of the work motor 25 is displayed on a display panel 55 provided on the top surface of the handle post 7. That is, the display panel 55 has a color LCD screen 57 and a display section 58 that can display multiple sections in a lit band pattern, and the LCD display section 57 has a remaining battery capacity display section 59, an accumulated operating time display section 60 that displays the accumulated time that either the front wheel drive motor 40, the rear wheel drive motor 43, or the work motor 25 has been operating, an accumulated power-on time display section 61, etc., and in the center of the LCD screen is a motor shaft rotation speed display section 62 of the work motor 25, etc.

[0037] The display unit 58 indicates the workload level, and as the workload increases, the display unit 58 lights up sequentially from the end toward the center, and the more lights up, the higher the workload level can be visually recognized. In this embodiment, the display units 58 are arranged symmetrically on the left and right, and as the workload level increases, the center lights up sequentially.

[0038] The workload level is calculated based on the magnitude of the load current value of the work motor 25; the larger the load current value, the higher the workload level. The number of lights on the display unit 58 is preset based on the level of this workload level.

[0039] Regarding the load current value, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 7, the load current of the work motor 25 supplied with power from the battery 12 is detected by the current detection sensor 63, and this load current value is input to the work motor control unit 64, which then outputs a predetermined rotation control signal to control the rotation speed of the work motor 25 so that it falls within a preset load current range (work motor control mode). This work motor control mode may also be configured to be selectable. Regardless of whether this selection is enabled or disabled, the current detection sensor 63 can detect the load current and display it on the display unit 58.

[0040] As described above, since the workload level can be displayed, it is possible to determine how much workload is being applied to the work motor 25, and by changing the vehicle speed of the traveling vehicle body 1, for example, depending on the workload, work can be continued with a stable workload, thereby improving work efficiency.

[0041] The display panel 55 is disposed on the upper surface of the handle post 7, and the display unit 58 is disposed in front of the outer periphery of the display panel 55. Therefore, the operator in the operator's seat 9 is positioned inside the grip of the circular steering handle 8 and looks at the display unit 58 from above while operating the steering handle 8. As shown in FIG. 8 , the operator's field of vision when looking at the display unit 58 includes the space between the front end of the mower deck 20 and the front gauge wheel 26 that supports the mower deck 20. That is, the steering handle 8 has a grip that is inclined such that the front is slightly higher and the front is lower, and a line L1 connecting the higher side of the grip and the display unit 58 is positioned between the front end of the mower deck 20 and the gauge wheel 26. Therefore, by locating the display unit 58 in front of the outer periphery of the display panel 55 on the upper side of the handle post 7, the display unit 58 is within the operator's field of vision even when seated in the operator's seat 9, making it easy to check the workload level. Furthermore, since the line L1 connecting the display unit 58 and the higher side of the steering handle 8 is located in front of the mower deck 20, it is possible to work while maintaining approximately the same line of sight or posture to view the display unit 58 and the state of the tip of the mower deck 20.

[0042] In addition, the line L2 connecting the lower side of the grip of the steering handle 8 and the display unit 58 is set to be forward of the mower deck 20. Therefore, by bending down and keeping the line L2 in view, the operator can work while maintaining approximately the same line of sight or posture to view the display unit 58 and the distant situation.

[0043] The display unit 58 is arranged symmetrically as a pair of left and right display units 58L and 58R, and is configured so that as the workload level increases, the center unit lights up in sequence from the left and right ends, making it easy to check the level of the workload. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] 1 Running vehicle 2 Front wheels (drive wheels) 3 Rear wheels (drive wheels) 4 cutting blade 5 Moore 7 Handlebar post 8 Steering wheel 20 Mower Deck 25 Work motor 26 gauge wheels 40 Front wheel drive motor (travel motor) 43 Rear wheel drive motor (driving motor) 55 Display panel 58 Display section 58L Left display 58R Right display L1 line L2 line

Claims

1. A riding lawnmower having drive wheels (2, 3) on a traveling body (1), a mower (5) with a cutting blade (4) provided below the body (1), the drive wheels (2, 3) driven by a traveling motor (40, 43), and the mower (5) driven by a working motor (25), characterized in that the riding lawnmower is provided with a display unit (58) that displays a work load level calculated based on the load current value of the working motor (25).

2. 2. A riding lawnmower according to claim 1, wherein a display unit (56) is disposed on the upper surface of the handle post (7), a display unit (58) is disposed on the outer periphery of the display unit (56) in front thereof, and a line (L1) connecting the higher side of the grip of the steering handle (8) and the display unit (58) is positioned between the front end of the mower deck (20) of the mower (5) and a gauge wheel (26) provided in front of the mower deck (20).

3. 2. The riding lawnmower according to claim 1, wherein a line (L2) connecting the lower side of the grip portion of the steering handle (8) and the display unit (58) is set to be forward of the mower deck (20).

4. 2. The riding lawnmower according to claim 1, wherein the display unit (58) is configured as a pair of symmetrical left and right display units (58L, 58R), and is configured so that as the workload level increases, the center display unit lights up in sequence, starting from the left and right ends.

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