Actuated Winged Mower Deck for Maneuverability and Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional mower decks with wider cutting paths face challenges in maneuverability and terrain adaptation, particularly when navigating uneven surfaces, and users often risk damaging the deck when dismounting, as the deck is typically positioned between the front and rear wheels.
Innovation Solution
A winged mower deck design with pivotally coupled blade housings that can be angularly displaced relative to a central deck housing, allowing for a wider cutting path when needed and retracting to maintain a compact footprint, featuring caster wheel assemblies for terrain adaptation and user safety by positioning the deck closer to the rear wheels for easier dismounting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the mower deck is made wider to provide a wider cutting path, then productivity is improved, but maneuverability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The mower deck is divided into a central deck housing and multiple angularly displaceable blade housings (first blade housing, second blade housing). These segmented components can be independently positioned to adjust the overall cutting width, allowing the deck to be widened for productivity when needed while maintaining a narrower compact configuration for improved maneuverability in tight spaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The blade housings are configured to be angularly displaceable relative to the central deck housing, creating a dynamic structure that can adapt its width. This dynamic configuration allows the mower deck to transition between a wider cutting path configuration for enhanced productivity and a narrower compact configuration for better maneuverability, directly resolving the contradiction between these two parameters.
2Reliability
If the mower deck is positioned between front and rear wheels to provide stability, then reliability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to damage risk during dismounting
Solution Approach 1:
The mower deck is repositioned closer to the rear wheels and configured with angularly displaceable blade housings that can be raised or lowered. This positional change in the longitudinal dimension, combined with the angular displacement capability, creates additional safety space between the operator and the cutting blades during dismounting, reducing damage risk while maintaining operational stability through the rear-wheel positioning.
3Adaptability or versatility
If blade housings are made angularly displaceable to enhance adaptability, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The blade housings are configured with angular displacement capability, allowing them to pivot relative to the central deck housing. This dynamic mechanism enables the mower deck to adapt to varying terrain conditions and adjust cutting width as needed, providing enhanced versatility without requiring overly complex mechanisms, as the angular displacement is achieved through relatively simple pivot connections.
Data Source
AI summary
A mower includes a pair of drive wheels, a pairs of non-drive wheels, and a mower deck. The mower deck includes a central deck housing, a first blade housing, a second blade housing, and an actuator coupled to the central deck housing and at least one of the first blade housing and the second blade housing. The first blade housing is pivotally coupled to a first side of the central deck housing so as to be angularly displaceable relative to the central deck housing, the second blade housing is pivotally coupled to a second side of the central deck housing so as to be angularly displaceable relative to the central deck housing. The actuator is configured to selectively raise and lower at least one of the first blade housing and the second blade housing relative to the central deck housing.