Mower Deck Harness Joint Section for Accessible Maintenance

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional mower units face difficulties in maintenance due to the inaccessibility of the vehicle body-side electric component, leading to cumbersome harness connection and disconnection operations and potential hindrances during maintenance.

Innovation Solution

A mower unit with a joint section on the mower deck for connecting and disconnecting the harness between the deck-side and vehicle body-side electric components, allowing for easier access and maintenance, and incorporating a dust/water-proof arrangement to prevent connection failures.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the harness connection is made at a location near the vehicle body-side electric component, then the electrical connection is established, but the connection and disconnection operations become troublesome due to inaccessibility

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveelectrical connectionVSAvoidharness connection and disconnection operation

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The harness connection location is segmented from the vehicle body-side electric component location. The joint section is separated and positioned on the mower deck where it is accessible, while the vehicle body-side electric component remains at its original location. This segmentation allows the harness to be connected at an accessible point without requiring movement of the electric component.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If the harness is disconnected at the vehicle body-side electric component location, then the electrical connection is broken, but a part of the harness remains on the deck-side electric component and hinders maintenance operation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveelectrical connectionVSAvoidmaintenance operation

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of repair

Solution Approach 1:

The joint section is extracted from the vehicle body-side electric component and relocated to the mower deck. This extraction allows the harness to be completely disconnected from the deck-side electric component when maintenance is performed, with no harness parts remaining to hinder the maintenance operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Ease of operation

If the joint section is provided on the mower deck, then the harness connection and disconnection operations become easy, but the joint section may be exposed to dust and water

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveharness connection and disconnection operationVSAvoiddust and water exposure

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

A dust/water-proof arrangement is implemented at the joint section to protect the electrical connection from environmental exposure. This protective arrangement allows the joint section to be positioned on the accessible mower deck while preventing dust and water from causing connection failures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Data Source

PatentUS10667464B2Mower unit

Publication Date: 2020.06.02 KUBOTA CORP

AI summary

Disclosed is a mower unit including, on a mower deck that rotatably supports a blade, a deck-side electric component configured to drive the blade, and a joint section for effecting connection and disconnection of a harness that electrically connects the deck-side electric component to a vehicle body-side electric component.