Autonomous Grass Collection Container for Mower Disposal

Solution Overview

Problem

The transportation of full or heavy grass containers from lawn mowers is inefficient, requiring significant manual effort or large equipment, leading to energy inefficiency and operator burden, whether by detachment or tilting for disposal.

Innovation Solution

A self-traveling container device equipped with a travel unit, drive unit, and energy source, capable of autonomous navigation to a disposal area, allowing efficient transportation without operator burden, and featuring a tiltable container for easy unloading.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the grass container is detached from the mower main body for transport, then the grass clippings can be disposed of at a prescribed area, but the operator must manually transport the container which requires substantial effort when the container is bulky or heavy

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of grass container transportVSAvoidweight of grass container

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The grass container is equipped with a travel drive unit including drive wheels and a drive source, enabling it to move autonomously from the mowing area to the grass disposal area without requiring manual transport by the operator. The container serves itself by providing its own propulsion capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Ease of operation

If the grass container is tilted to discard grass clippings, then the operator is not required to transport the container, but the lawn mower must travel to the disposal area or hauling equipment is required

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of grass disposalVSAvoidwork efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system is divided into two independent functional units: the mower main body for cutting grass and the grass container for collecting and transporting clippings. The container can detach from the mower and operate independently to travel to the disposal area, allowing the mower to remain stationary and continue working.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The grass container is equipped with a travel drive unit including drive wheels and a drive source, enabling it to move autonomously from the mowing area to the grass disposal area without requiring manual transport by the operator. The container serves itself by providing its own propulsion capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Productivity

If large equipment is used to haul the lawn mower to disposal areas, then grass clippings can be discarded, but energy efficiency and work efficiency are poor due to the need to travel repeatedly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvework efficiencyVSAvoidenergy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system is divided into two independent functional units: the mower main body for cutting grass and the grass container for collecting and transporting clippings. The container can detach from the mower and operate independently to travel to the disposal area, allowing the mower to remain stationary and continue working.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The grass container is equipped with a travel drive unit including drive wheels and a drive source, enabling it to move autonomously from the mowing area to the grass disposal area without requiring manual transport by the operator. The container serves itself by providing its own propulsion capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS11716931B2Work equipment with autonomous collection container

Publication Date: 2023.08.08 HONDA MOTOR CO LTD

AI summary

A collected article container device provided with a collected article container and capable of traveling autonomously is detachably connected to a work equipment main body that has a work unit such as a cutting blade device and is able to travel, the container device being configured to travel in a detached state to a collected article destination by itself.