Lawn Mower Recharging Base Extraction and Signal Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automatic lawn mowers are prone to damage from obstacles and the recharging base, and the recharging means is not adequately safeguarded, leading to potential harm to the mower's components and cutting efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The recharging base is positioned outside the cutting area, and the mower uses a control unit with sensor means to maintain a safe distance from the perimeter cable, allowing for efficient navigation and recharging without risking damage to the recharging means or cutting blades.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the recharging base is positioned inside the cutting area, then the lawn mower can easily access the base for recharging, but the recharging means and cutting blades are exposed to potential damage from obstacles and collisions
Solution Approach 1:
The recharging base is extracted from the cutting area and positioned outside the perimeter cable boundary. This separation removes the vulnerable recharging means from the hazardous environment where collisions with obstacles could occur, while still allowing the lawn mower to access it by navigating along the perimeter cable.
2Productivity
If the lawn mower frequently changes direction to avoid obstacles during cutting, then the cutting operation can continue, but the recharging means in the front part is exposed to collision damage
Solution Approach 1:
The recharging means is extracted from the front part of the lawn mower where it would be exposed to collision hazards during obstacle avoidance maneuvers. By positioning the recharging base outside the cutting area, the system eliminates the risk of damage to recharging components while maintaining cutting productivity.
3Reliability
If the perimeter cable is configured with a specific conformation for recharging, then the lawn mower can reliably locate the recharging base, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses electrical signal characteristics (analogous to color changes) in the perimeter cable to encode location information. The management device generates electric signals with specific conformations that the lawn mower's sensor means can detect, allowing reliable location identification without mechanical complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical approach of physically positioning the recharging base at a fixed location is replaced with an electrical signal-based system. The perimeter cable carries encoded electrical signals that guide the lawn mower to the recharging position, reducing mechanical complexity while improving reliability.
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
This configuration enhances the resistance of mower components to damage, safeguards the recharging means, and ensures more reliable cutting operations by preventing collisions and ensuring uninterrupted operation.
Implementation Method 1
sensor means for detecting the electric signal
Implementation Method 2
inductive recharging means for recharging the supplying unit from the recharging base
Data Source
Figure 1~1a
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention discloses an apparatus for cutting grass comprising a lawn mower (1) configured for operating in a cutting area (S), a perimeter cable (2), bounding the cutting area (S), wherein the perimeter cable has at least a first portion (Q) having a first set conformation (C1), a management device (3) for generating an electric signal (ES) and propagating the electric signal (ES) in the cable (2), a recharging base (80) positioned outside the cutting area (S), wherein the lawn mower (1) comprises a control unit (60) configured for controlling movement means (20), such as to move back the lawn mower along a direction d until it meets the recharging base 80.