Riding Mower Floor Panel Recessed Portion Visibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Riding mowers face difficulty in allowing drivers to visually verify the area between the front wheels and the mower assembly, impacting maneuverability and mowing precision due to limited visibility of the border line between mowed and unmowed areas.
Innovation Solution
A recessed portion is formed on the side edge of the floor panel, extending from the driver seat to the steering post cover, with a specific angle and design that preserves footrest dimensions, allowing drivers to see between the front wheels and the mower assembly while preventing obstacles from blocking the footrests.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the floor panel is designed with a standard flat structure, then the footrest area is sufficient and structurally simple, but the driver cannot visually verify the area between the front wheels and the mower assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The floor panel is segmented into multiple sections: a main body portion, a first recessed portion extending toward the front wheels, and a second recessed portion extending toward the mower assembly. This segmentation creates visual pathways without requiring complete structural redesign of the entire floor panel.
Solution Approach 2:
The recessed portions are strategically positioned only in specific areas where visibility is needed, rather than redesigning the entire floor panel. The recessed portions create localized viewing corridors that allow the driver to see the border line between mowed and unmowed areas while maintaining footrest functionality in other areas.
2Length of moving object
If the vehicle body is shortened to improve maneuverability, then the overall length is reduced, but the footrest area becomes insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The floor panel design extends in the lateral dimension with recessed portions that create viewing corridors. This allows the driver to see forward areas without requiring increased longitudinal space, thus maintaining compact vehicle length while improving visibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The footrest area is segmented into functional zones: the main body portion provides primary footrest space, while the recessed portions are designed to accommodate pedals (accelerator, brake, and neutral pedals) and provide viewing pathways. This segmentation maximizes the utility of limited space.
3Ease of operation
If the recessed portion is made larger to improve visibility, then the driver can see the border line more easily, but the footrest dimensions are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The recessed portions are designed with specific dimensions and positions that provide adequate viewing corridors while preserving sufficient footrest area. The first recessed portion and second recessed portion are strategically sized to create visual pathways without excessively reducing the main body portion's footrest functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The recessed portions extend partially toward the front wheels and mower assembly, providing just enough viewing capability to see the border line between mowed and unmowed areas. This partial extension achieves the visibility goal without creating excessively large recesses that would compromise footrest dimensions.
Data Source
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AI summary
A riding mower is provided with a mower assembly (2) supported on a vehicle body frame (1) between front wheels and rear wheels; a steering assembly configured to be operated by a driver; a driver seat (3) supported on the vehicle body frame (1) on a front-back direction centerline (CL) of the vehicle body; and a floor panel (5) provided extending from an area including the driver seat (3) toward the front. The floor panel (5) is provided with a main panel (50) located in front of the driver seat(3), and a left footrest (55) and a right footrest (56) extending further forward from the main panel (50). A recessed portion is formed on at least one side edge of the floor panel (5), and the recessed portion includes a side edge dropoff point (DP) that, in a plan view, is the shortest distance to the front-back direction centerline (CL) of the vehicle body.