Mower Unit Ride-Over Deck with Tethered Wheel Guide
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mower units for mid-mount grass mowers lack an efficient mechanism for transitioning between storage and bridging positions, which complicates the process of riding over the mower unit and affects convenience and stability.
Innovation Solution
A mower unit with a blade cover featuring a top plate, side plates, ride-over deck units, a wheel guide member movable between home and bridging positions, and a tethering member that limits the wheel guide member's movement, ensuring stable bridging and storage positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the wheel guide member is made movable between home and bridging positions to enable ride-over operation, then the convenience of mounting is improved, but the structural stability and control of movement deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The tethering member acts as an intermediary element between the wheel guide member and the support deck. It provides controlled connection that allows the wheel guide member to move between home and bridging positions while preventing uncontrolled movement, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and structural stability
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the connection state parameter of the wheel guide member through the tethering member. When the wheel guide member is in the home position, the tethering member maintains a connected state for stability. When moving to the bridging position, the tethering member allows controlled displacement. This parameter change enables both stability and ease of operation at different operational states
2Ease of operation
If the wheel guide member is allowed free movement between positions, then the ease of transitioning is improved, but the risk of unintended movement and loss of control increases
Solution Approach 1:
The tethering member serves as a mediator that controls the movement of the wheel guide member. It allows intentional transition between home and bridging positions while preventing unintended movement, thus improving both ease of transitioning and control reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The tethering member provides continuous feedback on the position and movement of the wheel guide member. This feedback mechanism ensures that the wheel guide member moves only when intended and maintains reliable control throughout the transition process
3Shape
If the wheel guide member is stored in the support deck at home position, then the appearance and compactness are improved, but the ease of access to bridging position deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The tethering member acts as an intermediary that maintains connection between the wheel guide member and support deck even when stored. This allows the wheel guide member to be compactly stored for improved appearance while enabling easy access to the bridging position through simple movement, resolving the contradiction between compactness and ease of access
Data Source
AI summary
A mower unit is detachably mounted between front wheels and rear wheels of a mid-mount grass mower. The mower unit includes a blade cover having a top plate and a side plate extending from a circumferential edge of the top plate, a pair of right and left ride-over deck units provided on the top plate. Each ride-over deck unit includes a support deck fixed to an upper face of the top plate, a wheel guide member movable between a home position for storage in the support deck and a bridging position for bridging between the support deck and a ground surface, and a tethering member for tethering the support deck with the wheel guide member.