Lawn mower

The grass cutter with a swivel and swing mechanism efficiently cuts grass on slopes and uneven ground by adjusting to ground contours, enhancing cutting efficiency and incorporating digging and leveling capabilities.

JP7872215B2Active Publication Date: 2026-06-09MATSUMOTO SYSTEM ENGINEERING CO LTD

Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
MATSUMOTO SYSTEM ENGINEERING CO LTD
Filing Date
2022-11-10
Publication Date
2026-06-09

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing grass cutting adapters for excavators struggle to efficiently cut grass on sloping or uneven ground due to the fixed position of hammer knives, which limits their effectiveness on non-flat surfaces.

Method used

A grass cutter with a swivel mechanism and swing mechanism attached to a construction machine, allowing the cutting unit to swing left and right and rotate laterally, with the pivot axis positioned below or in front of the swing axis to avoid interference and follow the ground's contours, combined with a bucket for digging and leveling.

Benefits of technology

Improves grass cutting efficiency on slopes and uneven terrain by allowing the cutting unit to adjust to ground contours, while also enabling digging and leveling functions without needing to replace attachments.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

Smart Images

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Patent Text Reader

Abstract

To provide a grass cutter capable of improving efficiency of grass cutting on a cutting part, on a slope land.SOLUTION: A grass cutter 1, 101 of the invention comprises: a grass cutter main body 6, 106 fitted to an arm of a construction machine; a cutting part 10, 110 for cutting grass; a swing mechanism 12, 112 which is fitted to the grass cutter main body, and swings the cutting part to the grass cutter main body in a lateral direction; and a revolving mechanism 14, 114 for revolving the cutting part with respect to the grass cutter main body in a plane in a lateral direction. The revolving mechanism comprises: a support part 27, 116 fitted to the swing mechanism; and a rotation support part 28, 118 which is rotatably fitted to the support part. A revolving shaft part of the revolving mechanism is supported on the support part, and the cutting part is supported from an upper side by the rotation support part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a grass cutter, and particularly to a grass cutter attached to the arm of a construction machine.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as shown in Patent Document 1, a grass cutting adapter attached as an attachment to the tip of the driving arm of an excavator is known.

Prior Art Document

Patent Document

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the grass cutting adapter as shown in Patent Document 1, the guide pieces on both sides of the attachment are brought into contact with the ground where grass is growing, and the grass is cut by running the excavator in this state. However, the grass cutting adapter in Patent Document 1 is suspended from the driving arm of the excavator, and the guide pieces on both sides are fixed to a cover body that connects these guide pieces. A large number of hammer knives are arranged at substantially the same height at a position where the hammer knives do not protrude from the lower end portions of the guide pieces, and are adapted to cut grass. In this way, with the guide pieces on both sides in contact with the ground, it is difficult for the hammer knives suspended at substantially the same height to efficiently cut the grass growing on the ground such as a sloping ground or a ground with unevenness.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to provide a grass cutter capable of improving the efficiency of cutting grass with a cutting portion on a sloping ground.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a grass trimmer that can be attached to the arm of a construction machine, comprising: a grass trimmer body attached to the arm; a cutting unit for cutting grass; a swing mechanism attached to the grass trimmer body for swinging the cutting unit left and right relative to the grass trimmer body; and a swivel mechanism for rotating the cutting unit in a lateral plane relative to the grass trimmer body, wherein the swivel mechanism comprises a support unit attached to the swing mechanism and a rotatable support unit rotatably attached to the support unit, the swivel axis of the swivel mechanism is provided on the support unit, and the cutting unit is supported from above by the swivel support unit. In the present invention configured as described above, the swivel mechanism comprises a support part attached to the swing mechanism and a rotatable support part rotatably attached to the support part. The swivel axis of the swivel mechanism is provided on the support part, and the cutting part is supported from above by the rotatable support part. This allows the swing mechanism to swing the cutting part left and right relative to the lawnmower body, positioning the cutting part in a direction along the ground, such as a slope, for example, in a direction parallel to the ground. Furthermore, the swivel mechanism allows the cutting part to swivel in a direction along the ground, such as a slope, thereby improving the efficiency of cutting grass with the cutting part.

[0007] In the present invention, preferably, in the grass-cutting position in which the cutting part cuts grass growing on the ground, the pivot axis of the swivel mechanism is located below the swing axis of the swing mechanism. In the present invention configured as described above, in the grass-cutting position in which the cutting section cuts grass growing on the ground, the pivot axis of the swivel mechanism is located below the swing axis of the swing mechanism. This makes it less likely for the swing mechanism and the swivel mechanism to interfere with each other in the grass-cutting position in which the cutting section cuts grass growing on the ground, while the swing mechanism swings the cutting section from side to side relative to the grass-cutting machine body, and then the pivot axis of the swivel mechanism, which is located below the swing axis, rotates the cutting section in a direction that follows the ground, such as on a slope, thereby further improving the efficiency of grass cutting by the cutting section.

[0008] In the present invention, preferably, in the grass-cutting posture in which the cutting part cuts grass growing on the ground, the pivot axis of the swivel mechanism is located forward of the swing axis of the swing mechanism. In the present invention configured as described above, in the grass-cutting position where the cutting section cuts grass growing on the ground, the pivot axis of the swivel mechanism is located in front of the swing axis of the swing mechanism. This makes it less likely for the swing mechanism and the swivel mechanism to interfere with each other when cutting grass growing on the ground with the cutting section, while the swing mechanism swings the cutting section left and right relative to the grass-cutting machine body, and then the pivot axis of the swivel mechanism, which is located in front of the swing axis, rotates the cutting section in a direction that matches the ground, such as a slope, thereby further improving the efficiency of cutting grass with the cutting section.

[0009] In the present invention, preferably, two swing mechanisms are provided in the front-rear direction, and in the grass-cutting position in which the cutting part cuts grass growing on the ground, the pivot axis of the swivel mechanism is located between the swing axes of the two swing mechanisms. In the present invention configured as described above, two swing mechanisms are provided in the front-to-back direction, and in the grass-cutting position where the cutting section cuts grass growing on the ground, the pivot axis of the swivel mechanism is positioned between the swing axes of the two swing mechanisms. This allows the swivel mechanism to rotate stably when cutting grass growing on the ground with the cutting section, thereby improving the efficiency of grass cutting with the cutting section.

[0010] In the present invention, preferably, the cutting section comprises a plurality of blades consisting of a movable blade and a fixed blade, and a cutting section drive unit that drives the movable blade to reciprocate. In the present invention configured as described above, the cutting section comprises a plurality of blades consisting of a movable blade and a fixed blade, and a cutting section drive unit that drives the movable blade to reciprocate. This allows for efficient grass cutting.

[0011] In the present invention, preferably, the cutting section drive unit of the cutting section is equipped with a cam mechanism that reciprocates a movable blade. In the present invention configured as described above, the cutting drive unit of the cutting unit is equipped with a cam mechanism that reciprocates the movable blade. This cam mechanism transmits the force of the cutting drive unit to the movable blade, allowing the movable blade to reciprocate smoothly and effectively.

[0012] In the present invention, preferably, the cam mechanism comprises a cam that rotates around a laterally extending shaft. In the present invention configured in this way, the cam mechanism includes a cam that rotates around a laterally extending shaft, so the lateral dimensions can be reduced, resulting in a compact structure.

[0013] In the present invention, preferably, the cam mechanism comprises a cam that rotates around a vertically extending shaft. In the present invention configured in this way, the cam mechanism includes a cam that rotates around a vertically extending shaft, so the height dimension can be reduced, resulting in a compact structure.

[0014] Preferably, the present invention further includes a bucket attached to the lawnmower body for digging soil. In the present invention configured as described above, a bucket for digging soil is further attached to the main body of the brush cutter. This allows the brush cutter's bucket to dig the ground, remove stones, level the ground, etc., while cutting grass, and the cutting section further improves the efficiency of grass cutting. In addition, on slopes, the bucket can be placed on the ground to assist in moving and correcting the posture of construction machinery, allowing construction machinery to be moved on slopes in forests and other areas, and further improving grass cutting performance.

[0015] In the present invention, preferably, the bucket is provided so as to open on the opposite side of the pivot axis of the pivot mechanism from the swing axis of the swing mechanism. In the present invention configured as described above, the bucket is provided so as to open on the side opposite to the turning shaft portion of the turning mechanism with respect to the swinging shaft portion of the swinging mechanism. Thereby, in the lawn mower, the bucket, the turning mechanism, and the cutting portion can be used properly, and even on a ground that is not flatly leveled or on a ground having obstacles such as stones, rocks, fallen trees, etc., without replacing the attachment attached to the arm, the bucket of the lawn mower can be used to level the land while performing the lawn mowing operation with the cutting portion.

[0016] In the present invention, preferably, in the lawn mowing posture in which the grass growing on the ground is mowed by the cutting portion, in a top view, the rear end of the cutting portion is located on the front side of the opening of the bucket. In the present invention configured as described above, in the lawn mowing posture in which the grass growing on the ground is mowed by the cutting portion, in a top view, the rear end of the cutting portion is located on the front side of the opening of the bucket. Thereby, when the lawn mower is in a vertical posture and the ground is dug with the bucket, the cutting portion can be made less likely to interfere with the ground.

Advantages of the Invention

[0017] According to the lawn mower of the present invention, the efficiency of mowing grass by the cutting portion on a sloping ground can be improved.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018] [Figure 1] It is a side view showing a state where the lawn mower according to the first embodiment of the present invention is attached to the arm of a self-propelled construction machine. [Figure 2] It is a perspective view of the lawn mower according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] It is a side view of the lawn mower in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] It is a top view of the lawn mower in FIG. 2. [Figure 5] It is a front view of the lawn mower in FIG. 2. [Figure 6] It is a diagram schematically showing the lawn mowing range by the lawn mower according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7]This figure shows the swivel mechanism and cutting section of the brush cutter in Figure 1 being swung to the right by the swing mechanism. [Figure 8] This figure shows the swivel mechanism and cutting section of the brush cutter in Figure 1 being swung to the left by the swing mechanism. [Figure 9] Figure 7 shows the cutting section of the lawnmower rotated 90 degrees clockwise by the swivel mechanism. [Figure 10] This figure shows the cutting section of the brush cutter in Figure 8 rotated 90 degrees clockwise by the swivel mechanism. [Figure 11] This figure shows the state in which the bucket of the lawnmower shown in Figure 1 begins to dig into the ground. [Figure 12] Figure 1 shows how the bucket of a lawnmower assists in moving a self-propelled construction machine. [Figure 13] This is a side view of a lawnmower according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] This is a top view of a lawnmower according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] This is a front view of a lawnmower according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] This is a rear view of a lawnmower according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] This is a cross-sectional view showing the turning mechanism of a lawnmower according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 18] This is a cross-sectional view showing the cutting blade drive unit of a grass trimmer according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 19] This is a plan view showing the cutting section of a grass trimmer according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] The following describes a lawnmower according to an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the attached drawings. First, the basic structure of the lawnmower according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 5. Figure 1 is a side view showing a lawnmower according to the first embodiment of the present invention attached to the arm of a self-propelled construction machine, Figure 2 is a perspective view of the lawnmower according to the first embodiment of the present invention, Figure 3 is a side view of the lawnmower in Figure 2, Figure 4 is a top view of the lawnmower in Figure 2, and Figure 5 is a front view of the lawnmower in Figure 2.

[0020] As shown in Figure 1, the brush cutter 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is attached to the arm 4 of a self-propelled construction machine 2 such as a power shovel. The self-propelled construction machine 2 is a self-propelled vehicle. The self-propelled construction machine 2 may also be a forestry machine capable of traveling on slopes, etc. The brush cutter 1 is attached to the arm 4 as an attachment and is interchangeable with other attachments such as buckets on a power shovel.

[0021] As shown in Figure 2, the lawnmower 1 is equipped with a lawnmower body 6 attached to an arm 4. The lawnmower body 6 is attached to the arm 4 by a link mechanism 8 (see Figure 1), and the lawnmower body 6 can change its angle in the front-rear direction (angle in the up-down direction) relative to the arm 4 by the operation of the link mechanism 8. The lawnmower body 6 is located in the same front-rear direction plane as the arm 4. The link mechanism 8 is attached to the arm 4 and applies hydraulic force generated by hydraulic cylinders (boom cylinder, arm cylinder, bucket cylinder, etc.) to the lawnmower body 6, thereby changing the position and orientation of the lawnmower body 6. Therefore, the lawnmower body 6 of the lawnmower 1 can freely change its orientation from a mowing orientation extending parallel to the flat ground G as shown in Figure 1, to a vertical orientation extending perpendicular to the ground G as shown in Figure 11, etc. The mowing position of the lawnmower 1 is such that the multiple blades 13 of the cutting section 10 of the lawnmower 1 are positioned close to the ground G in order to cut grass. The lawnmower 1 can also assume positions in which the cutting section 10 is swung or rotated, as described later. In the following description of the first embodiment of the present invention, for the sake of convenience of explanation, as shown in Figure 1, the direction in which the arm 4 of the self-propelled construction machine 2 extends is referred to as the front side, and the rear side of the arm 4 is referred to as the rear side. As shown in Figure 2, the right side of the arm 4 when viewed from the front side is referred to as the right side, the left side is referred to as the left side, the upper side of the lawnmower body 6 is referred to as the upper side, and the opposite side is referred to as the lower side.

[0022] The grass trimmer 1 further includes a cutting unit 10 for cutting grass, a swing mechanism 12 attached to the grass trimmer body 6, and a swivel mechanism 14 for swiveling the cutting unit 10 in a lateral plane relative to the grass trimmer body 6.

[0023] The cutting section 10 comprises a cutting section body 11 extending linearly in the front-rear direction, and a plurality of blades 13 provided on the right and left outer edges of the cutting section body. The cutting section body 11 forms a linearly extending plate. A rotational support part 28 extending from a pivot shaft part 22 is connected to the upper surface of the cutting section body 11, and the cutting section 10 is supported from above by the rotational support part 28 extending from the pivot shaft part 22. The cutting section 10 forms a saw-shaped trimmer section by the cutting section body 11 and the blades 13. The plurality of blades 13 extend laterally from the cutting section body 11. Therefore, the plurality of blades 13 are arranged on the same plane extending laterally from the cutting section body 11. Among the plurality of blades 13, the movable blade (reciprocating blade) can cut grass, branches, etc. by reciprocating at high speed relative to the fixed blade. The reciprocating speed of the movable blade is, for example, 400 times / minute. The multiple blades 13 of the cutting section 10 are made of metal material. Of the multiple blades 13, the movable blades are driven by a cutting blade drive unit 17 such as a hydraulic motor or an electric motor. The cutting blade drive unit 17 drives a cam mechanism 18, and the driving force is transmitted to the movable blades via this cam mechanism 18. The cam mechanism 18 has a cam that rotates around an axis that extends laterally. Therefore, the cam mechanism 18 is designed to transmit rotational motion as shown by arrow J1 while converting it into forward and backward motion as shown by arrow J2.

[0024] The multiple blades 13 of the cutting section 10 are arranged from the front end to the rear end of the cutting section 10. The length L1 from the front end to the rear end of the cutting section 10 is in the range of 500 mm to 2000 mm, for example, 1200 mm. Thus, the cutting section 10 is a large cutting section that can be attached to the arm of a power shovel or the like. The length L2 of the multiple blades 13 of the cutting section 10, from the tip of the right blade to the tip of the left blade (width in the left-right direction), is in the range of 200 mm to 500 mm, for example, 300 mm. As described above, the cutting section 10 is a large cutting section and is configured to mow a relatively wide area simultaneously. In addition, the cutting section 10 is a relatively large cutting section that can rotate, and the grass cutter 1 is an arm-supported type grass cutter that mows grass while being supported in the air at a distance from the self-propelled construction machine 2 by the arm 4.

[0025] The cutting section 10 comprises a first portion 10a located in front of the pivot shaft 22 in the grass-cutting position shown in Figures 1 and 3, and a second portion 10b located behind the pivot shaft 22. In the grass-cutting position of the grass mower 1, when the cutting section 10 is not rotated as described later, the first portion 10a is located in front of the second portion 10b. At this time, the length L3 of the first portion 10a is longer than the length L4 of the second portion 10b. By making the first portion 10a relatively long, the area over which grass is cut by the blade 13 can be made relatively large. Furthermore, by making the second portion 10b relatively short, and making it short enough not to reach the tip or middle of the bucket 30, the cutting section 10 can be prevented from hitting the ground when the bucket 30 digs into the ground G, thereby improving the usability of the bucket 30. Furthermore, in areas where it is difficult to cut grass with the first part 10a, the second part 10b can be used to cut the grass, improving the usability of the grass cutter 1. In this way, the cutting section 10 forms a cutting section that is asymmetrical in front of and behind the pivot shaft section 22.

[0026] The swing mechanism 12 swings the cutting section 10 to the left and right, i.e., to the right and / or left, relative to the brush cutter body 6, around the swing axis X1 of the swing shaft 20. The swing mechanism 12 is equipped with a swing drive unit 24. The swing drive unit 24 can swing the swivel mechanism 14 and the cutting section 10, which are located at the tip of the swing shaft 20, in the left and right directions by rotational drive of a hydraulic motor. Furthermore, the swing mechanism 12 can tilt the cutting section 10 to any angle around the swing shaft 20 and then maintain that position.

[0027] The swivel mechanism 14 rotates the cutting section 10 360 degrees around the swivel axis X2 of the swivel shaft section 22. The swivel mechanism 14 is equipped with a swivel mechanism drive unit 26. The swivel mechanism drive unit 26 can rotate the cutting section 10 on the tip side of the swivel shaft section 22 relative to the swivel mechanism drive unit 26 by rotational drive of a hydraulic motor. The swivel shaft section 22 of the swivel mechanism 14 is provided on a support section 27 attached to the swing mechanism 12. The aforementioned rotating support section 28 is rotatably attached to this support section 27. The swivel mechanism 14 can freely set the rotation direction (clockwise or counterclockwise) of the cutting section 10. The swivel mechanism 14 can also freely set the rotation angle of the cutting section 10. Furthermore, the swivel mechanism 14 can continuously rotate the cutting section 10, and can also stop the cutting section 10 at any position and maintain that position. The swivel mechanism 14 has the function of allowing the position of the cutting section 10 to be freely adjusted by swiveling to make it easier to cut grass, and the swivel mechanism 14 also has the function of driving the cutting section 10 while swiveling it to achieve wide-area grass cutting.

[0028] As shown in Figures 1 and 3, in the grass-cutting position where the cutting section 10 cuts grass growing on the ground, the pivot axis 22 of the swivel mechanism 14 is located below the swing axis 20 of the swing mechanism 12. Also, in the grass-cutting position where the cutting section 10 cuts grass growing on the ground, the pivot axis 22 of the swivel mechanism 14 is located in front of the swing axis 20 of the swing mechanism 12. For example, in a top view, the pivot axis 22 is located in front of the swing axis 20.

[0029] The lawnmower 1 is further equipped with a bucket 30 attached to the lawnmower body 6 for digging soil. The bucket 30 is a metal bucket that can be used for so-called construction machinery applications and can be used for digging soil, transporting soil and sand, leveling the ground, etc. The bucket 30 is formed integrally with the lawnmower body 6. It is a metal component. In the lawnmower 1's mowing position as shown in Figures 1 and 3, the bucket 30 is positioned to open to the rear and upward. Thus, the bucket 30 is provided to open on the opposite side of the pivot shaft portion 22 of the pivot mechanism 14 relative to the swing shaft portion 20 of the swing mechanism 12. The tip of the bucket 30, the claw portion 31, extends to the rear opposite to the swing shaft portion. The claw portion 31 is made of metal and is formed from the right end to the left end on the rear side.

[0030] As shown in Figures 1 and 3, in the grass-cutting position where the cutting section 10 cuts grass growing on the ground, the bucket 30 is positioned at a height above the cutting section 10. Also, the bucket 30 is positioned offset from the cutting section 10, for example, when viewed from above. As shown in Figure 3, in the grass-cutting position, when viewed from above, the rear end 10c of the second section 10b is located forward of the opening 30a of the bucket 30.

[0031] The lawnmower 1 is further equipped with a control unit 32 that controls the swing mechanism 12, the swivel mechanism 14, the cutting blade drive unit 17, etc. The control unit 32 controls the swing mechanism 12 and the swivel mechanism 14, respectively, via a hydraulic pump (not shown) and a hydraulic circuit (not shown). The control unit 32 has a built-in CPU and memory, etc., and controls the connected equipment to perform the swing operation of the swing mechanism 12, the swivel operation of the swivel mechanism 14, the grass cutting operation of the cutting unit 10, etc., based on a predetermined control program recorded in the memory, etc. The control unit 50 is electrically and / or hydraulically connected to the hydraulic pump, the cutting blade drive unit 17, etc. as described above.

[0032] Next, the operation of the lawnmower 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1, 2, 6 to 12. Referring to Figure 1, we will first explain the grass-cutting posture and motion. As shown in Figure 1, the grass cutter 1 attached to the tip of the arm 4 is positioned so that multiple blades 13 are located on a plane parallel to the ground G, slightly above the flat ground G. For example, the multiple blades 13 at the bottom of the cutting section 10 are located a few centimeters above the ground G. In this state, when the cutting section 10 is driven, the grass in the area where the cutting section 10 is located can be cut by the multiple blades 13. As shown in Figure 6, the operator can extend the arm 4 around the self-propelled construction machine 2 and cut grass in the grass-cutting range D up to the tip of the cutting section 10. The grass-cutting range D is a circular area centered on the self-propelled construction machine 2.

[0033] As shown in Figures 2, 7, and 8, the swing mechanism 12 of the grass trimmer 1 allows the cutting section 10 to swing left and right relative to the grass trimmer body 6, that is, to the right and to the left.

[0034] As shown in Figure 7, the cutting unit 10 can be positioned in a position swung to the right relative to the main body of the grass trimmer 6. The cutting unit 10 swings to the right along an arc centered on the swing axis 20. The multiple blades 13 of the cutting unit 10 can be positioned at an angle of inclination within a range from a position not limited to horizontal to a position swung 90 degrees to the right, for example, from a horizontal position as shown in Figure 2 to a vertical position 90 degrees to the right. For example, the multiple blades 13 of the cutting unit 10 shown in Figure 7 are positioned at an inclination of 30 degrees to the right relative to the multiple blades 13 of the cutting unit 10 shown in Figure 2. Therefore, even when the ground is sloped or uneven, the grass can be efficiently cut by tilting the cutting unit 10 and adjusting the multiple blades 13 to follow the direction of the ground.

[0035] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8, the cutting unit 10 can be positioned in a position swung to the left relative to the lawnmower body 6. The cutting unit 10 swings to the left along an arc centered on the swing axis 20. The multiple blades 13 of the cutting unit 10 can be positioned at an angle of inclination within a range from a position not limited to horizontal to a position swung 90 degrees to the left, for example, from a horizontal position as shown in Figure 2 to a vertical position 90 degrees to the left. For example, the multiple blades 13 of the cutting unit 10 shown in Figure 8 are positioned at an inclination of 30 degrees to the left relative to the multiple blades 13 of the cutting unit 10 shown in Figure 2. Therefore, even when the ground is sloped or uneven, the cutting unit 10 can be tilted to adjust the multiple blades 13 to follow the direction of the ground, allowing for efficient grass cutting. Furthermore, for example, when the multiple blades 13 of the cutting section 10 are swung 90 degrees to a vertical position, or when they are swung at an arbitrary angle to a vertical position where the multiple blades are on a vertical plane, it becomes possible to cut the sides of standing trees, trim them evenly on a vertical plane, and so on.

[0036] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 9 and 10, the swivel mechanism 14 of the grass trimmer 1 allows the cutting section 10 to rotate 360 ​​degrees around the swivel axis X2 of the swivel shaft section 22. In Figure 9, the cutting section 10 is swung to the right as shown in Figure 7, and the swivel mechanism 14 rotates the cutting section 10 90 degrees clockwise, stopping the cutting section 10. In Figure 10, the cutting section 10 is swung to the left as shown in Figure 8, and the swivel mechanism 14 rotates the cutting section 10 90 degrees clockwise, stopping the cutting section 10. Of course, even in the grass-cutting position shown in Figure 2, the swivel mechanism 14 allows the cutting section 10 to rotate 360 ​​degrees around the swivel shaft section 22. By rotating the cutting section 10 with the swivel mechanism 14, grass can be efficiently cut within the circular area E1 (see Figure 6) around which the cutting section 10 rotates, without having to move the arm 4 in small increments. In Figure 6, to clearly show the mowing range that the cutting section 10 can cut when the arm 4 is in a specific position, within region E1, in addition to the cutting section 10 extending forward and backward in the mowing posture as shown in Figure 4 (the position of the cutting section 10 extending forward and backward is indicated by F0), the cutting section 10 rotated 90 degrees to the right in the mowing posture (the position of the cutting section 10 rotated 90 degrees to the right is indicated by F1), and the cutting section 10 rotated 90 degrees to the left in the mowing posture (the position of the cutting section 10 rotated 90 degrees to the left is indicated by F2) are also shown. Similarly, in regions E2, E3, E4, E5, and E6, examples of the cutting section 10 in similar positions are shown. Note that the arm 4 extending to the mower 1 in the positions corresponding to regions E2, E3, E4, E5, and E6 is not shown. In this way, grass can be efficiently mowed over a relatively wide area. For example, as shown in Figure 6, the grass can be efficiently mowed within the circular regions E1, E2, E3, E4, E5, and E6 around the example position of the grass cutter 1 (the center position of regions E1, E2, E3, E4, E5, and E6) around which the cutting unit 10 rotates. The circular regions E1, etc., are circular regions with the first part 10a as the radius, for example, a circular region with a diameter of 1600 mm. The grass can be mowed by rotating the cutting unit 10 using the rotation mechanism 14 while driving the cutting blade drive unit 17, or the grass can be mowed with the rotation stopped in a specific posture, as shown in Figures 9 and 10.Since the pivot shaft portion 22 of the pivot mechanism 14 is provided on the support portion between the swing shaft portion 20 of the swing mechanism 12 and the cutting portion 10, the swinging inclined cutting portion 10 can be further rotated to mow grass, allowing for efficient mowing of grass on slopes and other areas in a circular area along the ground. Furthermore, the pivot mechanism 14 may be used to re-rotate the rotating portion 10, which is stopped after being rotated as shown in Figures 9 and 10, to any further arbitrary angle. Alternatively, the swing mechanism 12 may be used to swing the rotated cutting portion 10, which is stopped as shown in Figures 9 and 10, to any arbitrary angle. Moreover, it is not necessary to stop the cutting portion 10 at the rotation angle shown in Figures 9 and 10, as the pivot mechanism 14 allows the cutting portion 10 to rotate continuously.

[0037] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 11, the bucket 30 of the brush cutter 1 can be used to perform tasks such as digging soil, transporting soil and sand, and leveling the ground. When using the bucket 30 of the brush cutter 1 toward the ground G, the front end of the brush cutter body 6, that is, the front end of the cutting section 10, is lifted upward so as to be pulled towards the arm 4, and the brush cutter body 6 of the brush cutter 1 is raised to a vertical position. Then, the lower bucket 30 of the brush cutter 1 is applied to the ground G. For example, in Figure 11, the brush cutter 1 in the state where the bucket 30 is beginning to dig the ground is shown by H1 (dashed line), and the brush cutter 1 in the state where the bucket 30 is continuing to dig the ground is shown by H2. Therefore, if there are obstacles such as stones or rocks during grass cutting, these can be removed, or the ground leveled after grass cutting can be efficiently performed using the grass cutter 1 of this embodiment, without having to prepare another power shovel or replace the grass cutter 1 with an attachment such as a different bucket. In addition, in the grass cutting position of the grass cutter 1, the rear end 10c of the cutting section 10 is located in front of the opening of the bucket 30 when viewed from above. When the grass cutter 1 is in a vertical position and the bucket 30 is used to dig the ground, the cutting section is less likely to interfere with the ground G.

[0038] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 12, the bucket 30 of the brush cutter 1 can assist in the movement and posture of the self-propelled construction machine 2. For example, by thrusting the claw portion 31 of the bucket 30 into the ground, an upward force can be applied to the self-propelled construction machine 2, assisting in its movement uphill and downhill on slopes. For example, in Figure 12, H3 indicates the brush cutter 1 in a state where the claw portion 31 of the bucket 30 is thrust into the ground G to assist in the uphill movement of the self-propelled construction machine 2. Also, on slopes, thrusting the claw portion 31 of the bucket 30 into the ground can suppress the downward force on the self-propelled construction machine 2, assisting in its downhill movement. In addition, thrusting the claw portion 31 of the bucket 30 into the ground makes it easier or more stable to correct the position of the self-propelled construction machine 2 even on slopes. Therefore, even on slopes where it would be somewhat difficult for the self-propelled construction machine 2 to move up or down on its own, the bucket 30 can be used to move the self-propelled construction machine 2. For example, the brush cutter 1 can be used to perform grass cutting work on the ground in forests or on sloped ground. In addition, even on ground that is not leveled or has obstacles such as stones, rocks, and fallen trees, the bucket 30 can be used to prepare the land while the brush cutter 1 performs grass cutting work.

[0039] Next, a lawnmower according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 13 to 19. Figure 13 is a side view of the lawnmower according to the second embodiment of the present invention, Figure 14 is a top view, Figure 15 is a front view, and Figure 16 is a rear view. Furthermore, Figure 17 is a cross-sectional view showing the swivel mechanism of the lawnmower according to the second embodiment of the present invention, Figure 18 is a cross-sectional view showing the cutting blade drive unit of the lawnmower, and Figure 19 is a plan view showing the cutting unit of the lawnmower.

[0040] First, as shown in Figure 13, the grass cutter 101 according to the second embodiment includes a grass cutter body 106, which is attached to the arm 4 of the automatic construction machine 2 shown in Figure 1 via a link mechanism 8. Similar to the first embodiment, the grass cutter body 106 can change its angle in the front-rear direction (up-down angle) relative to the arm 4 by the operation of the link mechanism 8.

[0041] The lawnmower 101 further includes a cutting section 110 for cutting grass, a swing mechanism 112 attached to the lawnmower body 106 for swinging (oscillating) the cutting section 110, and a swivel mechanism 114 for rotating the cutting section 110 in a plane laterally relative to the lawnmower body 106.

[0042] As shown in Figures 13 to 16, the swing mechanism 112 is capable of swinging the cutting section 110 to the right and left relative to the lawnmower body 106, for example, up to 45 degrees each, around the swing axis X3 of the swing shaft 120 (see Figure 15). The swing mechanism 112 is equipped with two swing drive units 124 at its front and rear ends, and these swing drive units 124 can swing the swivel mechanism 114 and the cutting section 110, which are located below the swing shaft 120, by rotational drive of a hydraulic motor, respectively. Furthermore, the swing mechanism 112 is capable of tilting the cutting section 110 to any angle around the swing shaft 120 and then maintaining that position.

[0043] As shown in Figure 17, the swivel mechanism 114 is designed to allow the cutting section 110 to rotate 360 ​​degrees around the swivel axis X4. This swivel mechanism 114 includes a support section 116 attached to the swing mechanism 112 described above, and a rotatable support section 118 that is rotatably attached to the support section 116 and supports the cutting section 110.

[0044] A hydraulic motor 121, which is the drive unit for the pivot mechanism, is mounted on the support part 116 at a position spaced apart from the pivot axis X4, and its rotation is supported by a bearing 123. A pinion gear 124 is fitted to the lower end of the shaft 122 of the hydraulic motor 121, and the rotation of the hydraulic motor 121 is transmitted to this pinion gear 124. Although the hydraulic motor 121 is supplied with oil via a hydraulic hose, the hydraulic motor 121 is mounted at a distance from the pivot axis X4, which causes the hydraulic hose to become entangled when the pivot mechanism 114 rotates. To prevent this, a swivel 125 for housing the hydraulic hose is provided on the pivot axis X1.

[0045] On the other hand, the rotation support section 118 is provided with a rotation support section body 119 and an internal gear 126 having teeth formed on its inner circumference, which rotates integrally with the rotation support section body 119, and this internal gear 126 meshes with a pinion gear 124. Furthermore, a bearing 128 is provided on the outer circumference of the internal gear 126, thereby enabling the internal gear 126 (i.e., the rotation support section 118) to rotate around the pivot axis X4. In this embodiment, the rotation speed of the rotation support section 118 is reduced by transmitting the rotation of the hydraulic motor 121 to the internal gear 126 via the pinion gear 124.

[0046] As shown in Figures 14 and 17, a bucket 130 is attached to the rear of the support portion 116 of the slewing mechanism 114, and a claw portion 132 is provided at the tip of this bucket 130. Furthermore, a clamp arm 134 is attached to the upper part of the bucket 130 behind the support portion 116, and this clamp arm 134 is operated so that it can be opened and closed by a hydraulic cylinder 136. The bucket 130 can be used for digging soil, transporting soil and sand, leveling the ground, etc. The clamp arm 134 is used to clamp and carry away large stones or timbers that are not needed when mowing grass, etc.

[0047] Furthermore, the claw portion 132 of the bucket 130 can assist in the movement and posture of the self-propelled construction machine 2, similar to the first embodiment shown in Figure 12.

[0048] Next, the cutting section 110 will be described with reference to Figures 18 and 19. As shown in Figure 18, the cutting section 110 includes a frame 138, which is the main body of the cutting section, extending in the front-rear direction. This frame 138 is connected to the lower end of the pivotable part 118 of the swivel mechanism 114, as shown in Figure 13. The cutting section 110 further includes a lower cover 140 and a movable blade (reciprocating blade) 142 and a fixed blade 144 sandwiched between the frame 138 and the lower cover 140. The movable blade 142 is located above the fixed blade 114. Furthermore, these movable blade 142 and fixed blade 144 are attached to the frame 138 and the lower cover 144 by six bolts and nuts 146, so that only the movable blade 142 can move in the front-rear direction.

[0049] The frame 138 is equipped with a hydraulic motor 148, which is the drive unit for the cutting section. A cam mechanism 151 is attached to the lower end of the shaft 150 of the hydraulic motor 148. The cam mechanism 151 comprises a disc 152 attached to the lower end of the shaft 150 and a cam 154 attached to the lower surface of the disc 152 at an eccentric position from the shaft 150. The rotation axes X5 of the hydraulic motor 148 and the disc 152 and the rotation axis X6 of the cam 154 are offset when viewed from above. Therefore, when the disc 152 is rotated by the hydraulic motor 148, the cam 154 reciprocates in the forward and backward direction while rotating around the vertically extending rotation axis X5.

[0050] Next, the movable blade 142 and the fixed blade 144 will be described with reference to Figure 19. The movable blade 142 has three pairs of grooves 156 (156a, 156b, 156c, 156d, 156e, 156d) that extend in the front-rear direction. In addition, a cam groove 158 that extends in the width direction is formed between grooves 156c, 156d and grooves 156e, 156d, and a cam 154 is inserted into this cam groove 158.

[0051] Furthermore, a ring-shaped collar 160 is inserted into the bolt of the bolt and nut 146, and there is a small gap between the bolt and the collar 160, allowing the collar 160 to rotate around the bolt and guide the movement of the movable blade 142.

[0052] Since the cam 154 is inserted into the cam groove 158 of the movable blade 142, when the hydraulic motor 148 rotates, the disc 152 rotates, and this rotation of the disc 152 causes the cam 154 to rotate in an eccentric state. This rotation of the cam 154 guides the movable blade 142 on the collar 160, causing it to reciprocate in the front-back direction.

[0053] Next, the effects of the lawnmower 1 of the first embodiment and the lawnmower 101 of the second embodiment described above will be explained. In the aforementioned lawnmowers 1 and 101, the swivel mechanisms 14 and 114 are equipped with support parts 27 and 116 attached to the swing mechanisms 12 and 112, and rotatable support parts 28 and 118 rotatably attached to these support parts 27 and 116. The swivel shafts 22 and 121 of the swivel mechanisms 14 and 114 are provided on the support parts 27 and 116, and the cutting parts 10 and 110 are supported from above by the rotatable support parts 28 and 118. As a result, the swing mechanisms 12 and 112 allow the cutting sections 10 and 110 to swing left and right relative to the mower body 6 and 106, positioning the cutting sections 10 and 110 in a direction along the ground G, such as a slope, or parallel to the ground. Furthermore, the swivel mechanisms 14 and 114 allow the cutting sections 10 and 110 to swivel in a direction along the ground, such as a slope, thereby improving the efficiency of mowing grass with the cutting sections 10 and 110. In addition, even on slopes or uneven ground, the cutting sections 10 and 110 can be positioned in a direction along the ground, and their position can be adjusted by swiveling them, thereby improving the efficiency of mowing grass with the cutting sections 10 and 110.

[0054] Furthermore, in the grass cutters 1 and 101, when the cutting section 10 and 110 are used to cut grass growing on the ground, the pivot shafts 22 and 121 of the swivel mechanisms 14 and 114 are located below the swing shafts 20 and 120 of the swing mechanisms 12 and 112. This makes it less likely for the swing mechanisms 12 and 112 and the swivel mechanisms 14 and 114 to interfere with each other when the cutting section 10 and 110 are used to cut grass growing on the ground. The swing mechanisms 12 and 112 swing the cutting section 10 and 110 left and right relative to the grass cutter body 6. Then, the pivot shafts 22 and 122 of the swivel mechanism 14, which are located below the swing shafts 20 and 120, rotate the cutting section 10 and 110 in a direction that follows the ground, such as on a slope, thereby further improving the efficiency of grass cutting by the cutting section 10 and 110.

[0055] Furthermore, in the lawnmower 1, 101, when the cutting section 10, 110 is used to cut grass growing on the ground, the pivot shafts 22, 122 of the swivel mechanism 14, 114 are positioned in front of the swing shafts 20, 120 of the swing mechanism 12, 112. This makes it less likely for the swing mechanism 12, 112 and the swivel mechanism 14, 114 to interfere with each other when the cutting section 10, 110 is used to cut grass growing on the ground. The swing mechanism 12, 112 swings the cutting section 10, 110 left and right relative to the lawnmower body 6, 106. Then, the pivot shafts 22, 122 of the swivel mechanism 14, 114, which are positioned in front of the swing shafts 20, 120, rotate the cutting section 10, 110 in a direction that matches the ground, such as a slope, thereby improving the efficiency of cutting grass with the cutting section 10, 110.

[0056] Furthermore, in the lawnmower 101, two swing mechanisms 112 are provided in the front-to-back direction, and in the grass-cutting position where the cutting section 110 cuts grass growing on the ground, the pivot axis 122 of the swivel mechanism 114 is positioned between the swing axis 120s of the two swing mechanisms 112. This allows the swivel mechanism 114 to rotate stably when cutting grass growing on the ground with the cutting section 110, thereby improving the efficiency of grass cutting with the cutting section 110.

[0057] Furthermore, in the grass trimmers 1 and 101, the cutting section 10 and 110 are equipped with multiple blades 13, 142, and 143 consisting of movable blades and fixed blades, and cutting section drive units 17 and 148 that drive the movable blades to reciprocate. This allows for efficient grass cutting.

[0058] Furthermore, in the lawnmower 1, 101, the cutting section drive units 17, 148 of the cutting section 10, 110 are equipped with cam mechanisms 18, 151 that reciprocate the movable blade. These cam mechanisms 18, 151 transmit the force from the cutting drive units 17, 148 to the movable blade, allowing the movable blade to reciprocate smoothly and effectively.

[0059] Furthermore, in the lawnmower 1, the cam mechanism 18 is equipped with a cam that rotates around a shaft that extends laterally, so the lateral dimensions can be reduced, resulting in a compact structure.

[0060] Furthermore, in the lawnmower 101, the cam mechanism 151 is equipped with a cam 154 that rotates around a vertically extending shaft, so the height dimension can be reduced, resulting in a compact structure.

[0061] Furthermore, the lawnmowers 1 and 101 are equipped with buckets 30 and 130 for digging soil, which are attached to the lawnmower bodies 6 and 106. This allows the lawnmowers 1 and 101 to mow grass while digging, removing stones, leveling the ground, etc., using the buckets 30 and 130, and the cutting sections 10 and 110 further improve the efficiency of grass cutting.

[0062] Furthermore, in the lawnmowers 1 and 101, the buckets 30 and 130 are positioned so as to open on the opposite side of the pivot shafts 22 and 122 of the pivot mechanisms 14 and 114, relative to the swing shafts 20 and 120 of the swing mechanisms 12 and 112. This allows the lawnmowers 1 and 101 to use the buckets 30 and 130, the pivot mechanisms 14 and 114, and the cutting sections 10 and 110 interchangeably. This enables the lawnmowers to perform grass cutting work using the buckets 30 and 130 while simultaneously preparing the land with the buckets 30 and 130, and cutting with the cutting sections 10 and 110, even on uneven ground or ground with obstacles such as stones, rocks, and fallen trees, without changing the attachments mounted on the arm 4.

[0063] Furthermore, in the lawnmower 1, 101, when the cutting section 10, 110 is used to cut grass growing on the ground, the rear ends of the cutting section 10, 110 are positioned in front of the openings of the buckets 30, 130 when viewed from above. This makes it less likely for the cutting section 10, 110 to interfere with the ground when the lawnmower 1, 101 is positioned vertically and the buckets 30, 130 are used to dig the ground. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0064] 1.101 Lawn Mower 2 Self-propelled construction machinery 4 Arms 6,106 Lawn Mower Body 8 Link Mechanism 10, 110 cutting section 10c rear end 12, 112 Swing Mechanism 13 blades 14, 114 Swivel mechanism 20, 120 Swing axis 22, 122 Swivel shaft section 27, 116 Support part 28, 118 Rotating support section 30, 130 buckets 30a opening 31, 132 Nail area 121 Hydraulic motor 124 Pinion Gear 125 Swivel 126 Internal gear 134 Clamp Arm 136 Hydraulic Cylinder G ground

Claims

1. A lawnmower that can be attached to the arm of construction machinery, The lawnmower body is attached to the above arm, The cutting part for cutting grass, A swing mechanism is attached to the above-mentioned lawnmower body and causes the cutting section to swing left and right relative to the above-mentioned lawnmower body, It has a swivel mechanism that rotates the above-mentioned cutting section in a plane laterally relative to the above-mentioned lawnmower body, The above-mentioned swivel mechanism comprises a support part attached to the swing mechanism and a rotatable support part rotatably attached to the support part, the swivel shaft of the swivel mechanism is provided on the support part, and the cutting part is supported from above by the rotatable support part, in a lawnmower.

2. The grass cutter according to claim 1, wherein, in a grass cutting posture in which the above-mentioned cutting section cuts grass growing on the ground, the pivot axis portion of the pivot mechanism is located lower than the swing axis portion of the swing mechanism.

3. The grass cutter according to claim 1, wherein, in a grass cutting posture in which the above-mentioned cutting section cuts grass growing on the ground, the pivot axis of the pivot mechanism is located forward of the swing axis of the swing mechanism.

4. The grass cutter according to claim 1, wherein two swing mechanisms are provided in the front-rear direction, and in a grass cutting position in which the cutting section cuts grass growing on the ground, the pivot axis of the pivot mechanism is located between the swing axis of the two swing mechanisms.

5. The grass trimmer according to claim 1, wherein the cutting section comprises a plurality of blades consisting of a movable blade and a fixed blade, and a cutting section drive unit that drives the movable blade to reciprocate.

6. The grass trimmer according to claim 4, wherein the cutting section drive unit of the cutting section is equipped with a cam mechanism that reciprocates a movable blade.

7. The grass trimmer according to claim 6, wherein the cam mechanism comprises a cam that rotates around a laterally extending shaft.

8. The grass trimmer according to claim 6, wherein the cam mechanism comprises a cam that rotates around a vertically extending shaft.

9. Furthermore, the lawnmower according to claim 1, further comprising a bucket for digging soil, which is attached to the lawnmower body described above.

10. The grass trimmer according to claim 9, wherein the bucket is provided so as to open on the opposite side of the pivot axis of the pivot mechanism with respect to the swing axis of the swing mechanism.

11. The grass cutter according to claim 10, wherein, in a grass cutting position for cutting grass growing on the ground with the above-mentioned cutting section, the rear end of the cutting section is located in front of the opening of the bucket when viewed from above.