Pivotable Blade Disk for Autonomous Mower Cutting Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional battery-powered autonomous mowers face challenges in delivering efficient performance, especially in poor conditions like wet or deep grass, due to difficulties in producing enough force to maintain adequate blade speed, leading to increased wear and tear, and impacting size, weight, and cost.
Innovation Solution
A high-efficiency cutting system for autonomous mowers featuring a blade disk with a central portion, top side, bottom side, and outer circumference, with pivotably mounted cutting blades arranged at angles to reduce rotational loading and enhance grass cutting efficiency, including a housing with a downwardly directed outer circumference to minimize debris accumulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If larger electric motors are provided to maintain adequate blade speed in poor conditions, then cutting performance is improved, but size, weight and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the cutting blades pivotable rather than fixed, allowing them to adapt their angle dynamically based on cutting conditions. This dynamic adjustment optimizes cutting efficiency across varying grass conditions without requiring a larger motor, thus maintaining productivity while avoiding increased weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of blade angle from fixed to variable through pivotable mounting. This parameter change allows the cutting system to optimize performance across different operating conditions (wet grass, deep grass, etc.) without needing a more powerful motor, thereby maintaining cutting performance while avoiding weight and size increases.
2Productivity
If conventional fixed blades are used, then device complexity is reduced, but cutting efficiency deteriorates in poor conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamic capability through pivotable blade mounting, allowing blades to adjust their angle during operation. This dynamic feature improves cutting efficiency in varying conditions while adding minimal complexity compared to fixed blade systems, as the pivot mechanism is straightforward and maintains structural simplicity.
3Productivity
If frequent mowing is scheduled to remove less grass each time, then cutting performance is improved, but loss of time and increased wear occur
Solution Approach 1:
The pivotable blade design allows the system to handle varying grass conditions efficiently in fewer passes. By adapting blade angles to match cutting conditions, the system maintains high cutting performance even when encountering deeper or wetter grass, reducing the need for frequent re-mowing and thereby minimizing time loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The ability to change blade mounting parameters (angles) allows optimal cutting performance across different grass conditions. This parameter adaptability enables the system to effectively cut through varying grass depths and moisture levels in single passes, reducing the frequency of required mowing sessions and associated time loss.
4Productivity
If higher blade speed is maintained to improve cutting performance, then productivity increases, but energy consumption and motor size requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The pivotable blade system dynamically adjusts blade angles to optimize cutting efficiency at various speeds. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to maintain effective cutting performance even at lower blade speeds by optimizing the cutting geometry, thereby reducing energy consumption while maintaining productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
By changing the blade mounting angle parameter, the system optimizes cutting efficiency to maintain productivity at lower rotational speeds. This parameter optimization reduces the energy required to achieve effective cutting, allowing adequate blade speed to be maintained with lower energy consumption and smaller motor requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
A high-efficiency cutting system for an autonomous mower provides a multiple blade tip cutting radius for a cleaner cut, and more complete mow. The system includes a spinning blade disk provided within a housing including a vertical standoff. The blade disk includes a first pair of cutting blades located between the center of the blade disk and the circumference of the blade disk, and a second pair of cutting blades located radially inward from the first pair of cutting blades. The cutting blades extend downward and away from the blade disk at an angle.