Segmented Cutting System for Robotic Lawn Mower
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional battery-powered lawn mowers have limited cutting widths due to high electrical power requirements, restricting their efficiency and battery life.
Innovation Solution
A vegetation cutting apparatus with a movable carriage and a cutting system that includes laterally positionable cutting blades and a stationary peripheral vegetation ring, allowing for larger cutting widths while minimizing energy consumption using small, lightweight blades and a efficient conveyance system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If battery-powered lawn mowers use larger cutting blades to increase cutting width, then the cutting width is improved, but the electrical power requirements increase and battery life decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting system is segmented into multiple independent cutting members (first cutting member, second cutting member, third cutting member) positioned at different locations around the conveyance member. Each cutting member operates independently with its own drive mechanism, allowing the total cutting width to be distributed across multiple smaller cutting elements rather than requiring one large high-power blade.
Solution Approach 2:
The cutting members are arranged in a three-dimensional configuration around the conveyance member (front, rear, and side positions), utilizing spatial distribution to achieve increased effective cutting width without requiring proportionally increased power for a single blade. This multi-dimensional arrangement allows parallel cutting action across multiple zones.
2Productivity
If battery-powered lawn mowers increase cutting width, then productivity is improved, but battery duration decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting function is divided into multiple independent cutting members, each with its own motor drive. This segmentation allows the total power requirement to be distributed across multiple smaller motors that can operate more efficiently individually, reducing overall energy consumption for the same total cutting width, thereby extending battery life.
Solution Approach 2:
The multiple cutting members operate simultaneously and continuously across different zones, providing uninterrupted cutting action across the entire width. This continuous parallel operation maximizes productivity per unit time while maintaining efficient power utilization, allowing the battery to sustain operation longer.
3Power
If conventional mowers use thick heavy blades for sufficient cutting power, then cutting capability is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using one or two large heavy blades requiring high power, the system employs multiple smaller cutting members distributed around the conveyance member. Each small cutting member requires minimal power to operate, but collectively they provide sufficient total cutting power across the entire cutting width, dramatically reducing overall electrical power requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the fundamental parameters of the cutting system by transitioning from large thick blades to small thin cutting members. This parameter change includes reducing blade mass, reducing individual blade size, and increasing the number of cutting members, which collectively reduces the power-to-cutting-width ratio and energy consumption.
Data Source
AI summary
A vegetation cutting apparatus including a movable carriage having a conveyance system for facilitating conveyance of the carriage over ground. The conveyance system can have conveyance members for facilitating such conveyance. A cutting system can be mounted to the carriage for cutting vegetation. The cutting system can include at least one cutting member which is positionable laterally around the periphery of at least one conveyance member for enabling cutting of vegetation laterally around the at least one conveyance member.