Front Mower Deck Center of Gravity Pivot
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Ergonomic challenges arise during maintenance of lawn mowers with front-mounted mower decks, as operators need to manually hold the deck to prevent it from falling while unlocking the locking mechanism, which is inconvenient and increases the risk of imbalance.
Innovation Solution
The mower deck is designed with its center of gravity in front of the pivot axis, allowing it to pivot automatically and lock securely behind the pivot axis, eliminating the need for manual support during tilting and simplifying unlocking, and a second locking mechanism secures the deck to the chassis in the service position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the locking mechanism is used to fasten the mower deck to the support arms, then the mower deck can be securely held in the upper position, but the operator must manually hold the rear edge of the mower deck while unlocking, which creates ergonomic problems and increases the risk of the deck falling
Solution Approach 1:
The mower deck is pre-positioned with its center of gravity in front of the pivot axis, so that when the locking mechanism is released, the deck automatically pivots upward under its own weight and abuts against the support arms, securing itself without requiring manual holding by the operator
Solution Approach 2:
The mower deck utilizes its own weight and gravitational force to perform the securing action automatically after unlocking, eliminating the need for the operator to manually hold the deck rear edge during the unlocking process
2Ease of operation
If the mower deck is lifted to a high position for service access, then the underside becomes accessible to the operator, but the deck weight creates a load on the locking mechanism and requires manual support during unlocking
Solution Approach 1:
The center of gravity is positioned in front of the pivot axis before lifting, so that during the lifting process the deck automatically rotates and abuts against the support arms, reducing the load on the locking mechanism during the critical unlocking phase
Solution Approach 2:
The support arms are positioned to receive the deck weight through gravitational pivot motion, counterbalancing the load that would otherwise fall entirely on the locking mechanism during unlocking operations
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 design reduces operator strain, enhances ergonomic safety by minimizing the risk of imbalance and falling, and simplifies access to the underside of the mower deck for maintenance, making the process more efficient and accessible.
Implementation Method 1
the mower deck will perform a pivotal motion so it approaches the support arms from below when the mower deck is lifted to the upper position. This pivotal motion is obtained automatically under the influence of the weight of the mower deck, due to the centre of gravity location with respect to the pivot axis
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a lawn mower (1), comprising a chassis (7), a front mounted mower deck (5), and at least one support arm (9) connecting the mower deck (5) with the chassis (7). The support arm (9) is movable with respect to the chassis (7) for lifting the mower deck (5) from a lower position to an upper position. In the upper position, the mower deck (5) is tiltable about a horizontal pivot axis (11) with respect to the support arm (9) without interfering with the ground. The lawn mower is characterised in that the centre of gravity (21) of the mower deck (5) is located in front of the pivot axis (11), with respect to the forward direction of the lawn mower (1), when the mower deck (5) is lifted to the upper position.