pruning machine

Abstract

To provide a pruning machine that has good operability during branch pruning and cutting work and is difficult to fall over even when placed on the ground or on a mounting stand or the like.SOLUTION: According to one aspect of the invention, a pruning machine is provided. The pruning machine comprises: a pruning mechanism having a pruning blade on the tip side; a pole connected to the proximal side of the pruning mechanism; and a hook mechanism with a hook, which protrudes to the side approximately perpendicular to the central axis of the pole and is displaceably disposed between a first position where the end is away from the central axis and a second position where the end is close to the central axis. The hook is configured to maintain the first position when a first external force in a direction from the proximal side to the distal side is applied and to be displaced from the first position to the second position when a second external force is applied in the direction from the distal side to the proximal side and / or in the direction from the side to the central axis.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a pruning machine.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, pruning tools used for grass cutting, pruning of branches and leaves, branch beating of trees, etc. are known (see Patent Document 1). This pruning tool includes a tool part and a pole connected to the tool part. Further, the pruning tool includes a hook assembly disposed on the tool part or the pole. By using the hook assembly, the pruned branches caught on the tree can be pulled down.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, according to the study of the present inventor, if the size of the hook assembly is large, it is easy to pull down the pruned branches, but it becomes an obstacle when the pruning tool reaches the branch for pruning purposes. On the other hand, if the size of the hook assembly is small, it is less likely to be an obstacle when the pruning tool reaches the branch for pruning purposes, but it becomes difficult to pull down the pruned branches. Further, when the size of the hook assembly is large, when the pruning tool is placed on the ground or a mounting table, the pruning tool loses its balance and falls over.

[0005] In addition, Patent Document 1 also discloses an example in which the hook assembly is configured to be manually rotatable, but in order to rotate the hook assembly, it is necessary to temporarily interrupt the pruning work or the like. In view of the above circumstances, the present invention aims to provide a pruning machine that has good operability during branch pruning work and branch beating work, and is difficult to fall over even when placed on the ground or a mounting table. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, a pruning machine is provided. This pruning machine comprises a pruning mechanism having a pruning blade at its tip, a pole connected to the base end of the pruning mechanism, and a hook mechanism having a hook that protrudes laterally substantially perpendicular to the central axis of the pole and is displaceable between a first position where the end is spaced away from the central axis and a second position where the end is close to the central axis. The hook is configured to maintain the first position when a first external force is applied in the direction from the base end toward the tip, and to be displaced from the first position to the second position when a second external force is applied in the direction from the tip end toward the base and / or from the side toward the central axis.

[0007] According to this configuration, it is possible to provide a pruning machine that offers good operability during branch pruning and trimming work, and that is less likely to tip over when placed on the ground or a stand. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a pruning machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a plan view of the pruning machine shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a side view of the pruning machine shown in Figure 1. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a plan view of the pruning mechanism. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the hook mechanism. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a perspective view showing other configurations of the hook mechanism. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The various features shown in the embodiments below can be combined with each other.

[0010] Incidentally, the program for implementing the software appearing in this embodiment may be provided as a computer-readable non-transitory computer-readable medium, or it may be provided so that it can be downloaded from an external server, or it may be provided so that the program is launched on an external computer and its functions are realized on a client terminal (so-called cloud computing).

[0011] Furthermore, in this embodiment, "part" may also include, for example, hardware resources implemented by circuits in a broad sense, and the information processing of software that can be specifically realized by these hardware resources. In addition, various types of information are handled in this embodiment, and these types of information can be represented, for example, by the physical values ​​of signal values ​​representing voltage and current, the high or low values ​​of signal values ​​as a set of binary bits composed of 0s or 1s, or by quantum superposition (so-called qubits), and communication and calculations can be performed on circuits in a broad sense.

[0012] Furthermore, a circuit in a broad sense is a circuit realized by combining at least a suitable combination of circuits, circuits, processors, and memory. In other words, it includes application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), programmable logic devices (for example, simple programmable logic devices (SPLDs), complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs), and field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs)), etc.

[0013] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a pruning machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a plan view of the pruning machine shown in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a side view of the pruning machine shown in Figure 1. Figure 4 is a plan view of the pruning mechanism. Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the hook mechanism. In the following explanation, the X, Y, and Z axes are defined to specify the direction, as shown in each figure. Therefore, the positive side in the X-axis direction corresponds to the "tip side," and the negative side in the X-axis direction corresponds to the "base side." As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the pruning machine 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a pruning mechanism 10, a pole (operating rod) 20 connected to the negative side (base end side) of the pruning mechanism 10 in the X-axis direction, and a drive mechanism 30 connected to the negative side (hand side) of the pole 20 in the X-axis direction.

[0014] The pruning mechanism 10 has a pruning blade 111 on its positive X-axis side (tip side). In this embodiment, the pruning section 11 of the pruning mechanism 10 is a chainsaw having a continuously moving pruning blade 111. In this pruning mechanism 10, the chain, which is engaged with a sprocket in the gearbox 12, slides along the circumference of the guide plate 112, causing the pruning blade 111 mounted on the chain to move continuously. In other words, the pruning blade 111 is configured to rotate along an elliptical orbit with its major axis aligned with the central axis O of the pole 20. The pruning section 11 may be, for example, a saw with pruning blades that can reciprocate along a central axis O, scissors with pruning blades that can be opened and closed via the central axis O, or a disc or the like with pruning blades that can rotate around a rotation axis parallel to or inclined with respect to the central axis O.

[0015] The drive mechanism 30 has a prime mover for driving the pruning mechanism 10. An engine or an electric motor can be used as the prime mover. If the prime mover is an engine, the drive mechanism 30 includes a fuel tank for storing the engine's operating fuel. On the other hand, if the prime mover is an electric motor, the drive mechanism 30 includes a battery for supplying electricity to the electric motor. Note that the drive mechanism 30 may be configured to be separated from the pole 20 and worn on the body by an operator carrying it on the back or winding it around the waist. The power generated by the drive mechanism 30 is transmitted to the gear box 12 of the pruning mechanism 10 provided on the positive side in the X-axis direction of the pole 20 via a flexible transmission shaft (not shown) provided inside the pole 20.

[0016] On the pole 20, a first grip 21, a handle 22, an operation unit 23, and a second grip 25 are provided in order from the positive side to the negative side in the X-axis direction along the central axis O. The grip 21 is provided so as to cover the outer periphery of the pole 20. The handle 22 is composed of an annular curved pipe-shaped member and is provided so as to be substantially orthogonal to the central axis O. If the second grip 25 and the first grip 21 or the handle 22 are gripped to perform the pruning operation, the workability can be improved and the safety is also high. The operation unit 23 is provided with operation buttons or the like for turning on / off and shifting the drive mechanism 30. If the second grip 25 is gripped, it is easy to safely operate the operation unit 23. According to such a pruning machine 1, in a state where an operator grips the second grip 25 with one of the left and right hands and grips the first grip 21 or the handle 22 (preferably the handle 22) with the other hand, the pruning mechanism can be turned upward or horizontally, and pruning work on trees, branch hitting work, etc. can be performed. In addition, between the grip 21 and the handle 22, a fixing mechanism 24 for attaching and fixing a pole 20 to which different types of pruning mechanisms 10 (pruning parts 11) are connected is provided. When the pole 20 has a telescopic mechanism, it can be configured to expand and contract the pole 2 by operating the fixing mechanism 24.

[0017] The pruning machine 1 further includes a hook mechanism 40. In the present embodiment, the hook mechanism 40 is provided on the negative side (base end side) in the X-axis direction of the gear box 12 of the pruning mechanism 10. As shown in Figure 5, a flat mounting portion 13 is formed on the lower part of the gearbox 12 on the negative side in the X-axis direction, protruding toward the negative side in the Z-axis direction. A cylindrical shaft portion 131 is formed on this mounting portion 13, protruding toward the positive side in the Y-axis direction. A screw groove 131a is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the shaft portion 131. Furthermore, the mounting portion 13 has a through hole 132 that penetrates along the Y-axis direction. The two surfaces facing the shaft portion 131 of the gearbox 12 constitute contact surfaces 121 and 122, to which the hook 41, described later, makes contact. Contact surface 121 is a surface approximately perpendicular to the X-axis, and contact surface 122 is a surface approximately perpendicular to the Z-axis. Therefore, contact surfaces 121 and 122 are approximately perpendicular to each other.

[0018] A hook mechanism 40 is attached to the mounting portion 13. The hook mechanism 40 includes a hook 41, a torsion spring (biasing member) 42, and a screw 43. The hook 41 is made up of a narrow plate-like member and has a thin-walled portion 411 at its end on the positive side in the Z-axis direction. A cylindrical retaining portion 412 for holding a torsion spring 42 is formed protruding from this thin-walled portion 411 toward the negative side in the Y-axis direction. A through hole 412a is formed in the retaining portion 412 and the thin-walled portion 411, passing through them continuously. The shaft portion 131 is inserted into the through hole 412a. As shown in Figure 4, the size of the hook 41 in its longitudinal direction increases from the positive side to the negative side (from the tip side to the base side) in the X-axis direction. In this embodiment, the hook 41 has a curved convex end face 414 at its end. The hook 41 also has a curved concave side surface 415 on its negative side in the X-axis direction.

[0019] The torsion spring 42 has a spring body 421 formed by winding a wire into a cylindrical shape, an end 422 that is continuous with the spring body 421 and extends in the negative direction in the Y-axis direction, and an end 423 that is continuous with the spring body 421 and extends in the negative direction in the X-axis direction. Furthermore, the end 422 is bent toward the positive direction in the X-axis direction midway along its Y-axis direction. The spring body 421 of the torsion spring 42 is placed on the outer circumference of the holding portion 412 of the hook 41. In this state, the end portion 422 is inserted through the through hole 132, the bent portion is hooked onto the periphery on the negative side of the Y-axis direction of the through hole 132, and the shaft portion 131 is inserted into the through hole 412a of the holding portion 412. At this time, the end portion 423 of the torsion spring 42 abuts against the stepped portion 413 of the hook 41. Then, the screw 43 is inserted through the through hole 412a, and the threads of the screw portion 431 are screwed into the screw groove 131a of the shaft portion 131. As a result, the hook 41 (hook mechanism 40) is attached to the mounting portion 13 of the gearbox 12.

[0020] In the hook mechanism 40 with this configuration, the hook 41 protrudes in the negative Z-axis direction (to the side substantially perpendicular to the central axis O of the pole 20) and is provided so as to be rotatable (displaceable) between a first position in which the end is spaced away from the central axis O and a second position in which the end is close to the central axis O. The end of the hook 41 that is rotatably attached to the mounting portion 13 is also referred to as the "mounting end," and the end of the hook 41 opposite to the mounting portion 13 is also referred to as the "free end." Then, the hook 41 contacts the contact surface (first contact portion) 121 of the gearbox 12 in the first position (the position shown in Figure 4), and contacts the contact surface (second contact portion) 122 of the gearbox 12 in the second position (a position approximately parallel to the central axis O). Therefore, the free end of the hook 41 can rotate within a range (approximately 90°) between a position facing the negative side of the Z axis and a position facing the negative side of the X axis.

[0021] As shown in Figure 4, such a hook 41 is configured to maintain a first position by contacting the contact surface 121 of the gearbox 12 when a first external force is applied in direction A from the negative side to the positive side (from the base end to the tip end) in the X-axis direction. That is, in the first position, the contact surface 121 prevents the hook 41 from rotating. On the other hand, the hook 41 is configured to rotate (displace) from the first position to the second position when a second external force is applied in the direction B from the positive side to the negative side in the X-axis direction (from the tip side to the base side) and / or in the direction C from the negative side to the positive side in the Z-axis direction (from the side to the central axis O). In the second position, the hook 41 comes into contact with the contact surface 122 of the gearbox 12, thereby preventing (restricting) further rotation of the free end toward the positive side in the Z-axis direction. Furthermore, when the hook 41 is in the second position, the torsion spring 42 is compressed against its resistance and is in a compressed state. In this state, the torsion spring 42 biases the hook 41 from the second position toward the first position. Therefore, when the second external force in direction B and / or direction C is removed, the hook 41 can rotate (displace) from the second position toward the first position due to the biasing force of the torsion spring 42.

[0022] When the pruning machine 1 uses an electric motor as its prime mover, it incorporates a control board (not shown) that controls the operation of the electric motor. This control board is equipped with arithmetic elements and memory elements. The computing elements consist of components such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and an MPU (Micro Processing Unit). The computing elements realize various functions related to the pruning machine 1 by reading predetermined programs stored in memory elements. In other words, information processing performed by software stored in memory elements is concretely realized by the computing elements. Furthermore, the computing element is not limited to a single element; multiple computing elements may be provided for each function. A combination of these is also acceptable.

[0023] The memory element stores various types of information as defined above. This can be done, for example, as a storage device such as a solid-state drive (SSD) that stores various programs related to the pruning machine 1 executed by the arithmetic element, or as memory such as random-access memory (RAM) that stores temporarily necessary information (arguments, arrays, etc.) related to the calculations of the program. Furthermore, the memory element stores various programs and variables related to the pruning machine 1 that are executed by the arithmetic element.

[0024] Next, we will explain how to use (operate) pruning machine 1. For example, when performing pruning work on branches and leaves or cutting tree branches, the pruning section 11 of the pruning mechanism 10 is passed between branches to reach the branch to be pruned. At this time, the hook 41 in the first position comes into contact with the surrounding branches and receives a second external force in direction B. As a result, the hook 41 rotates toward the second position, preventing it from getting caught on the branches it comes into contact with, and thus allowing it to reach the branch intended for pruning. In particular, since the hook 41 has a curved convex end face 414 at its free end, it moves (slides) smoothly with respect to the branch it comes into contact with, thus more reliably preventing it from getting caught.

[0025] Furthermore, pruned branches may get caught on surrounding branches and be unable to fall to the ground. In this case, the hook 41 is used to hook the pruned branch and pull it down. At this time, the negative side of the hook 41 in the X-axis direction, which is in the first position, is hooked onto the pruned branch and pulled. This applies a first external force in direction A to the hook 41, but the rotation of the hook 41 is restricted because it comes into contact with the contact surface 121 of the gearbox 12. Therefore, the operation of pulling down the pruned branch can be carried out reliably. In particular, since the hook 41 has a curved concave side surface 415 on its negative side in the X-axis direction, it can more reliably hook onto pruned branches. From the viewpoint of maintaining this hooked state well, the side surface 415 may be provided with an anti-slip structure by forming multiple grooves or multiple protrusions, or by attaching a flexible material.

[0026] Furthermore, after completing pruning or branch trimming work, the pruning machine 1 is placed on the ground or a mounting platform. At this time, a second external force in direction C is applied to the hook 41, causing it to rotate from the first position to the second position. This prevents the hook 41 from getting in the way and causing the pruning machine 1 to tip over. When the hook 41 reaches the second position, it comes into contact with the contact surface 122 of the gearbox 12, thereby restricting its rotation. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4, the gearbox 12 has a leg portion 123 protruding from the negative side in the Z-axis direction. Therefore, when the pruning machine 1 is placed on the ground or a mounting platform, the hook 41 in the second position and the leg portion 123 can function as a support mechanism to stably support the pruning machine 1.

[0027] The hook mechanism 40 can also be configured as follows: Figure 6 is a perspective view showing other configurations of the hook mechanism. In the configuration shown in Figure 6, a guide 14 is provided at the lower part of the negative side (base end side) in the X-axis direction of the gearbox 12. This guide 14 has a guide rod 141 and a guide groove 142 that extend along the Z-axis direction. The hook 41 is made of a flat plate-shaped member, and a hole 41a is formed along its Z-axis direction into which the guide rod 141 is inserted. The hook 41 is inserted into the guide groove 142 with its thickness direction being the width direction of the guide groove 142. Furthermore, in the configuration example shown in Figure 6, the free end of the hook 41 has a straight end face 414.

[0028] Although not shown in the diagram, a blocking structure is provided at the first position shown in Figure 6 to prevent the hook 41 from detaching from the guide 14. Furthermore, a biasing member (for example, a coil spring) is provided at a predetermined location between the hook 41 and the guide 14 to bias the hook 41 from the positive side to the negative side in the Z-axis direction. In the hook mechanism 40 with this configuration, the hook 41 is provided so as to be slidable (displaceable) between a first position where it protrudes toward the negative side in the Z-axis direction (to the side substantially perpendicular to the central axis O of the pole 20) and its end is spaced away from the central axis O, and a second position which is on the positive side in the Z-axis direction from the first position and its end is closer to the central axis O. In other words, the hook 41 is provided so as to be slidable along the Z-axis direction (a direction substantially perpendicular to the central axis O).

[0029] Such a hook 41 is configured to maintain a first position by contacting the contact surface (first contact portion which is the bottom surface of the guide groove 142) 121 of the gearbox 12 when a first external force is applied in the direction A from the negative side to the positive side (from the base end to the tip side) in the X-axis direction. On the other hand, the hook 41 (end face 414) is configured to slide (displace) from the first position to the second position when a second external force is applied in the direction B from the positive side to the negative side (from the tip side to the base side) in the X-axis direction and / or in the direction C from the negative side to the positive side (from the side to the central axis O) in the Z-axis direction. At the second position, the hook 41 comes into contact with the contact surface (second contact portion) 122 of the gearbox 12, thereby restricting further sliding of the free end toward the positive side in the Z-axis direction.

[0030] Furthermore, when the hook 41 is in the second position, the biasing member is compressed against its resistance and is in a compressed state. In this state, the biasing member biases the hook 41 from the second position toward the first position. Therefore, when the second external force in direction B and / or direction C is removed, the hook 41 can slide (displace) from the second position toward the first position due to the biasing force of the biasing member. Furthermore, the end face 414 of the hook 41 may be curved and concave. In this case, the pruning part 11 of the pruning mechanism 10 can be more easily caught on the end face 414 when passing between branches. This makes it easier to convert the second external force in direction B into a second external force in direction C, and thus the hook 41 can be slid more reliably in the positive direction of the Z axis.

[0031] With the pruning machine 1 described above, the hook 41 is configured to be displaced between a first position and a second position by external force, resulting in good operability during branch pruning and branch trimming work, and making it less likely to tip over when placed on the ground or a mounting platform. In the above embodiment, the hook mechanism 40 is provided at the lower part of the gearbox 12 on the negative side in the X-axis direction, but the installation position is not limited to this. However, it is preferable to provide the hook mechanism 40 at or near the connection point between the pruning mechanism 10 and the pole 20, for example, at the positive end of the pole 20 in the X-axis direction, at the connection point between the pruning mechanism 10 and the pole 20, or at the lower part of the gearbox 12 on the positive side in the X-axis direction (near the leg portion 123). Furthermore, the following embodiments may also be provided.

[0032] (1) A pruning machine comprising: a pruning mechanism having a pruning blade at its tip; a pole connected to the base end of the pruning mechanism; and a hook mechanism having a hook that protrudes laterally substantially perpendicular to the central axis of the pole and is displaceable between a first position where the end is spaced away from the central axis and a second position where the end is approaching the central axis, wherein the hook maintains the first position when a first external force is applied in the direction from the base end toward the tip, and is displaced from the first position to the second position when a second external force is applied in the direction from the tip toward the base and / or from the side toward the central axis.

[0033] (2) A pruning machine as described in (1) above, wherein the hook is configured to rotate between the first position and the second position.

[0034] (3) A pruning machine as described in (2) above, further comprising a first contact portion that contacts the hook at the first position to prevent the hook from rotating.

[0035] (4) A pruning machine according to (2) or (3) above, further comprising a second contact portion that contacts the hook at the second position to prevent the hook from rotating.

[0036] (5) A pruning machine as described in (1) above, wherein the hook is configured to slide between the first position and the second position along a direction substantially perpendicular to the central axis.

[0037] (6) A pruning machine according to any one of (1) to (5) above, wherein the hook mechanism further includes a biasing member that biases the hook from the second position toward the first position.

[0038] (7) A pruning machine according to any one of (1) to (6) above, wherein the hook has a longitudinal size that increases from the tip side to the base side.

[0039] (8) A pruning machine according to any one of (1) to (7) above, wherein the end of the hook has a straight or curved convex end face.

[0040] (9) A pruning machine according to any one of (1) to (8) above, wherein the hook mechanism is provided at or near the connection between the pruning mechanism and the pole.

[0041] (10) A pruning machine according to any one of (1) to (9) above, wherein the pruning blade is configured to rotate along an elliptical orbit with the direction along the central axis as the major axis. Of course, this is not always the case.

[0042] As previously described, various embodiments of the present invention have been explained, but these are merely examples and do not limit the scope of the invention in any way. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as in the claims of the invention and its equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0043] 1: Pruning machine 10: Pruning mechanism 11: Pruning section 111: Pruning blade 112: Guide Plate 12: Gearbox 121: Contact surface 122: Contact surface 123: Legs 13: Mounting part 131: Shaft 131a: Screw groove 132: Through hole 14: Guide 141: Guide rod 142: Guide groove 20: Paul 21: First grip 22: Handle 23:Operation section 24:Fixing mechanism 25: Second grip 30: Drive mechanism 40: Hook mechanism 41: Hook 41a: Hole 411: Thin-walled section 412: Holding part 412a: Through hole 413: Stepped section 414: End face 415: Side view 42: Torsion spring 421: Spring body 422: End 423: End 43: Screw 431: Screw part A: Direction B :Direction C: Direction O: Central axis

Claims

1. It is a pruning machine, A pruning mechanism having a pruning blade at the tip, A pole connected to the base end of the pruning mechanism, The pole comprises a hook projecting laterally substantially perpendicular to its central axis, and provided to be displaceable between a first position where its end is spaced away from the central axis and a second position where its end is approaching the central axis, and a hook mechanism having a biasing member that biases the hook from the second position toward the first position. A pruning machine in which the hook is configured to maintain a first position when a first external force is applied in the direction from the base end to the tip end, and to be displaced from the first position to the second position when a second external force is applied in the direction from the tip end to the base end and / or from the side toward the central axis.

2. In the pruning machine described in claim 1, A pruning machine in which the hook is configured to rotate between the first position and the second position.

3. In the pruning machine described in claim 2, Furthermore, the pruning machine has a first contact portion that contacts the hook at the first position to prevent the hook from rotating.

4. In the pruning machine described in claim 2, Furthermore, the pruning machine has a second contact portion that contacts the hook at the second position to prevent the hook from rotating.

5. In the pruning machine described in claim 1, A pruning machine in which the hook is configured to slide between the first position and the second position along a direction substantially perpendicular to the central axis.

6. In the pruning machine described in claim 1, The pruning machine wherein the hook, when in the first position, has a longitudinal size that increases from the tip end to the base end.

7. In the pruning machine described in claim 1, A pruning machine in which the end of the hook has a straight or curved convex end face.

8. In the pruning machine described in claim 1, The hook mechanism is provided at or near the connection point between the pruning mechanism and the pole, in a pruning machine.

9. In the pruning machine described in claim 1, A pruning machine in which the pruning blade is configured to rotate along an elliptical orbit with its major axis in the direction along the central axis.

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