Oscillating Grass Mower Cover with Integrated Engaging Member
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional grass collecting apparatuses for lawn mowers face difficulties in easily positioning and removing the grass collecting container due to the engaging mechanism, which requires lifting the heavy container and complicates disengagement.
Innovation Solution
A grass collecting apparatus with a container cover that oscillates horizontally, featuring an engaging member that positions and disengages the grass collecting container by switching between closed and opened positions, allowing for easy attachment and detachment without additional operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the grass collecting container is positioned using the conventional engaging member and opening, then the container is securely held on the container supporting member, but the container becomes difficult to remove and requires lifting which increases operational burden
Solution Approach 1:
The engaging member is made movable relative to the container opening edge through a operating lever mechanism. The engaging member can shift between an engaged position (securing the container) and a disengaged position (allowing easy removal). This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by providing secure positioning during operation while enabling easy removal when needed, eliminating the need to lift the heavy container for disengagement
Solution Approach 2:
The operating lever acts as an intermediary mechanism between the user and the engaging member. By manipulating the lever, the user can control the engaging member's movement without directly lifting the container. This intermediary mechanism transfers the user's small mechanical input into the larger movement needed to disengage the container, significantly reducing operational burden
2Device complexity
If the engaging member is fixed to the container supporting member, then the positioning structure is simple, but the container cannot be easily disengaged without lifting
Solution Approach 1:
The engaging member transitions from a fixed structure to a dynamically controllable one. The operating lever mechanism allows the engaging member to move between engaged and disengaged states, adding only minimal structural complexity while dramatically improving ease of operation. The container can now be removed by simply manipulating the lever rather than lifting the entire container
3Ease of operation
If the container cover oscillates between closed and opened positions, then the engaging member can engage and disengage the container, but the mechanism requires additional components
Solution Approach 1:
The container cover serves multiple functions: it protects the container contents and simultaneously acts as the operating lever to control the engaging member. By integrating these functions into a single component, the design avoids adding separate complex mechanisms while still providing easy engagement and disengagement through the cover's oscillating motion
Solution Approach 2:
The operating lever function is merged with the container cover structure. Instead of being separate components, the cover and lever work as an integrated system where the cover's natural oscillating motion directly controls the engaging member's position. This merging reduces the number of parts and simplifies the overall mechanism while maintaining ease of operation
Data Source
AI summary
A grass collecting apparatus for a lawn mower comprises a frame (22) supported by a vehicle body, a container supporting member (26) for supporting a grass collecting container (21) for storing grass clippings and including a container supporting surface (27) for receiving an opening edge of the grass collecting container, and a container cover (23) mounted on the frame to be oscillatable about a horizontal axis between a closed position and an opened position. An engaging member (35) is mounted on the container cover (23). The engaging member (35) is engageable with the opening edge (21b) of the grass collecting container (21) with oscillation of the container cover (23) from the opened position to the closed position, thereby positioning and maintaining the grass collecting container (21) on the container supporting member (26), and disengageable from the opening edge (21b) of the grass collecting container (21) with oscillation of the container cover (23) from the closed position to the opened position.