Flail Mower Connecting Device Routing Power Elements
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing landscape maintenance machines, such as brush cutters, face difficulties in accessing hard-to-reach areas due to obstacles and have issues with power hoses/cables getting tangled or torn, leading to mechanical stress and inefficient operation.
Innovation Solution
A machine design with an articulated arm and a connecting device that allows power elements to pass through an opening in the connecting device, reducing excess length and minimizing the risk of tangling, featuring a mechanism for rotational movement and a support interface to secure the power elements, ensuring a more direct path and protection from obstacles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the hose or cable is made longer to accommodate the articulated arm and tool movements, then the range of motion is improved, but the hose becomes more prone to tangling and damage
Solution Approach 1:
The power element (hose or cable) is routed through the connecting device structure, nesting it within the mechanical framework. This prevents the power element from being exposed to external obstacles and reduces tangling by integrating it into the existing structural geometry, thereby maintaining reliability while preserving range of motion.
Solution Approach 2:
The connecting device serves as an intermediary structure that mediates between the articulated arm and the tool. By routing the power element through this intermediate connecting device, the system protects the power element from direct exposure to obstacles and reduces mechanical stress, resolving the contradiction between mobility and durability.
2Reliability
If the hose is made shorter to reduce tangling risk, then reliability is improved, but the articulated arm cannot achieve full range of motion
Solution Approach 1:
The power element is nested within the connecting device structure, allowing it to be shorter while avoiding tangling. The connecting device geometry guides the power element through its movement path, eliminating the need for excessive length and reducing exposure to damage risks.
Solution Approach 2:
The power element routing utilizes the three-dimensional space created by the connecting device structure. By moving the power element through the connecting device's internal geometry rather than extending it linearly, the system achieves full range of motion without requiring excessive hose length, thereby improving reliability.
3Reliability
If the connecting device allows power element passage through an opening, then the power element is protected from obstacles, but the connecting device structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The power element routing through the connecting device opening integrates seamlessly into the existing structural geometry. The connecting device's framework naturally accommodates the power element passage, and the opening is configured to guide the power element through its movement path, providing protection without requiring additional complex components.
Solution Approach 2:
The connecting device serves multiple functions: it connects the articulated arm to the tool, provides structural support, and simultaneously protects the power element through its opening. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate protective components, thereby limiting the increase in overall device complexity while achieving reliable power element protection.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a machine for landscape maintenance, more particularly of the flail mower or brush cutter type, suitable and intended to be fitted to a motorized vehicle, the machine comprising: - an arm (1) articulated on a frame (8) suitable for mounting on the motorized vehicle, - a tool (2) articulated to one end of the arm (1), - a linkage device (3) ensuring the mechanical link between the tool (2) and the arm (1) and comprising a first part fixed to the arm (1) and a second part fixed to the tool (2), an axis of rotation between the first part and the second part and a mechanism for driving the rotational movement, - at least one elongated power supply element (4),flexible or flexible characterized in that the element or at least one of the feeding element(s) (4) passes through the connecting device (3) by being guided in an opening made through the connecting device (3) and that the machine comprises a connection interface (5; 5') and a support (51; 51'). It also relates to a motorized rolling vehicle equipped with such a machine.