Autonomous Grass Container Transport for Lawn Mower Disposal

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Solution Overview

Problem

The transportation of full grass containers from lawn mowers is inefficient, requiring significant manual effort or large equipment, and existing solutions either burden the operator or lack energy efficiency.

Innovation Solution

A self-traveling grass container device equipped with a second travel unit, energy source, and autonomous navigation capabilities, allowing it to detach from the mower and travel to a disposal area independently, using electric motors and sensors for navigation and unloading.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the grass container is detached and transported by operator, then the container can be moved to disposal area, but the operator burden increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoperator burdenVSAvoidcontainer weight
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The grass container device is equipped with its own travel unit and energy source, enabling it to autonomously transport itself to the disposal area without requiring manual handling by the operator. This self-service capability directly eliminates the operator burden associated with transporting heavy containers.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Productivity

If the entire work equipment travels to disposal area, then all grass clippings can be discarded, but energy consumption and work inefficiency increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvework efficiencyVSAvoidenergy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system is divided into two independent parts: the work equipment main body that remains stationary and the grass container device that can detach and travel independently. This segmentation allows only the necessary component (container with clippings) to move to the disposal area, rather than moving the entire work equipment, thereby improving work efficiency and reducing energy consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The grass container device is extracted as a separate, independently mobile unit from the work equipment main body. This extraction enables the container to be transported separately to the disposal area without requiring the main body to travel, thus avoiding the energy waste and inefficiency of moving the entire work equipment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Ease of operation

If manual transportation method is used, then simple equipment is required, but significant manual work is required

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanual work requirementVSAvoidtransportation equipment
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The grass container device autonomously handles its own transportation through its integrated travel unit and energy source, eliminating the need for manual handling while avoiding the complexity of external transportation equipment. The system serves itself, requiring neither significant manual work nor complex external equipment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP3545750B1Work machine
Publication Date: 2021.06.16 HONDA MOTOR CO LTD
  • EP3545750B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3545750B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3545750B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An article such as grass clippings collected by work equipment, such as a lawn mower, and stored in a container is allowed to be transported to an area for discarding such a collected article in an energy efficient and a work efficient way without imposing any undue burden on the operator. A collected article container device (70) provided with a collected article container and capable of traveling autonomously is detachably connected to a work equipment main body (20) that has a work unit such as a cutting blade device (40) and is able to travel, the container device (70) being configured to travel in a detached state to a collected article destination by itself.