Elastic Thread Section for Lawn Mower Vibration Damping

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Solution Overview

Problem

Lawn mowers, particularly autonomous ones, suffer from increased noise emissions during operation due to vibration and unbalanced cutting devices, which affect performance and user experience.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of an elastically displaceable thread section in the height adjustment device of the lawn mower, featuring threads with varying pitch and flank widths, and offset flanks, reduces axial play between rotating and sliding components, thereby dampening vibrations and noise. This design ensures the cutting device and motor are securely supported while allowing for precise height adjustment without unintended movement.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If a standard thread connection is used in the height adjustment device, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but axial play occurs between rotating and sliding components causing increased noise and vibration

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenoise emissionVSAvoidthread structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The thread connection is designed with elastic displaceability, allowing dynamic adjustment and compensation of axial play between the rotating body and sliding seat. The elastic element enables the thread connection to adapt to operational variations while maintaining tight engagement, thereby reducing noise and vibration without requiring a completely complex rigid structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The thread geometry is modified by varying the thread tooth width and pitch width along the thread engagement. This parameter variation creates an optimized thread profile that reduces axial play and improves engagement stability. The changed thread parameters allow better load distribution and reduced clearance, directly addressing the noise and vibration issues while maintaining manufacturability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Object-affected harmful factors

If thread tooth width is increased to reduce axial play, then noise and vibration are reduced, but manufacturing precision requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevibration transmissionVSAvoidthread tooth width tolerance
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The thread structure implements local quality variation by having different thread tooth widths and pitch widths at different locations along the thread engagement. This allows critical sections to have tighter effective engagement for vibration reduction, while other sections maintain standard tolerances. The localized modification of thread parameters achieves vibration control without requiring high precision across the entire thread structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The thread connection combines rigid thread elements with elastic displacement capability, creating a composite mechanical system. This composite approach allows the rigid threads to provide structural strength while the elastic element accommodates manufacturing tolerances and provides continuous contact, reducing vibration without demanding extremely tight manufacturing precision on all components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

3Object-affected harmful factors

If an elastically displaceable thread section is implemented, then axial play is reduced and noise is dampened, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenoise emissionVSAvoidheight adjustment device complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The elastic displacement capability is merged directly into the thread connection itself, rather than being a separate component. The thread structure incorporates elastic elements or elastic geometry that provides the displacement capability as an integrated feature. This merging approach reduces the number of separate components and simplifies the overall device structure while still achieving noise dampening through elastic compliance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The thread parameters (tooth width, pitch width) are varied to create inherent elastic displacement capability within the thread engagement. By changing the geometric parameters of the thread, the connection gains the ability to elastically deform and compensate for axial play. This parameter-based solution achieves the desired noise reduction through geometric design rather than adding complex mechanical elastic components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution effectively reduces noise emissions and vibration transmission, enhancing the operational quietness and stability of the lawn mower, while maintaining easy height adjustment and self-locking functionality, thus improving user experience and reducing maintenance needs.

Implementation Method 1

one thread section, in particular an elastically displaceable thread section, preferably a thread section that is elastically displaceable radially to the thread axis

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Implementation Method 2

reduces axial play between the threads, thereby dampening vibrations and noise

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectVibration damping: Damping

Data Source

PatentEP3837949B1Lawn mower
Publication Date: 2023.12.13 ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
  • EP3837949B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3837949B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3837949B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a lawnmower (11), in particular an autonomous lawnmower (11), comprising at least a chassis (45), a motor (15) for driving a cutting device (200) and a height adjustment device (16) for displacing the cutting device (200) and the motor (15) relative to the chassis (45), at least for setting a working height (h) of the cutting device (200) relative to the chassis (45), in particular for setting a cutting height (s) of a cutting tool (18) of the cutting device (200), wherein the height adjustment device (16) comprises a rotating body (118), in particular a hollow cylindrical body, and a sliding seat (204) surrounding the rotating body (118), the sliding seat having corresponding threads (206, 208), so that a rotation of the rotating body (118) causes a linear displacement of the sliding seat (204).It is proposed that at least one of the threads (206, 208) has at least two thread sections (236, 238), wherein one thread section (236), in particular an elastically displaceable thread section (236), preferably a thread section (236) that is elastically displaceable radially to the thread axis, comprises means which increase a thread tooth width (b1) of the one thread section (236) and/or decrease a thread pitch width (g1) of the one thread section (236) and/or cause an offset (a1) of a flank (242) and/or an offset of a pitch (P1) of the one thread section (236) compared to the further thread section (238).