JP4606244B2 - Brush cutter - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a brush cutter capable of driving a cutter using either an engine or an electric motor as a power source.

  A brush cutter, also called a mower, is used to cut undergrowth weeds, mountain forests, and other undergrowth and pasture. There are two types of brush cutters: an arm connection type in which a cutter is attached to the tip of the operating arm and a power source is attached to the rear end, and a linear motion type in which a cutter is directly attached to the output shaft of the power source. There are a case where an engine is used and a case where an electric motor is used as a source.

  As a brush cutter using an electric motor as a power source, for example, as described in Patent Document 1, there is a linear motion type in which an electric motor is attached to the tip of an operation arm and a cutter is directly attached to the shaft of the electric motor. Many. Further, as a brush cutter using an engine as a power source, as described in Patent Document 2, for example, there are many arm connection types in which a cutter is disposed on the front end side of the operation arm and the engine is disposed on the other end side. .

For the arm connection type with the cutter attached to the tip of the operation arm and the engine attached to the other end, a back belt type with the engine mounted on the backrest and a loop belt attached to the operation arm. There are a shoulder type that can be hung on the shoulder, a handle type that is operated by holding the handle attached to the operation arm, and the handle includes a loop handle and a two-hand handle.
Japanese Utility Model Publication No.5-2620 JP 2004-8054 A

  There are two types of brush cutters that use an electric motor as a power source: a power connection type that uses a power connector connected to a commercial power supply terminal and a battery-mounted type that uses a battery. Although it can be used when there is a commercial power supply terminal at a relatively close location, it cannot be used as it is in a place where there is no power supply terminal, and a generator is required to use it. On the other hand, since the battery-equipped brush cutter has a limited battery capacity, it is necessary to replace or charge the battery. On the other hand, a brush cutter using an engine as a power source can be used even when there is no commercial power terminal at a location relatively close to the place of use, and it can work for a long time by replenishing fuel. However, the engine noise during operation is larger than that when the motor is driven.

  As described above, the electric motor type brush cutter does not generate a large noise, but the place of use is limited when using a commercial power supply, and the work for replacing or charging the battery is used when using a battery. Is required. On the other hand, the engine-type brush cutter can be used for a long time even when the power terminal is not nearby, such as when cutting undergrowth or pasture in the forest, but weeds are harvested in densely populated areas. In some cases, noise will be transmitted to nearby residents. The user of the brush cutter selects either the electric type or the engine type according to the usage environment, but the usage environment is limited by the drive source.

  An object of the present invention is to enable a brush cutter to be driven using either an engine or an electric motor as a power source in accordance with the use environment.

In the brush cutter of the present invention, a brush cutter body is formed by an operating arm made of a hollow bar provided with a handle that is gripped by an operator at the center in the longitudinal direction , the cutter is connected to one end, and the driven side connecting portion attached to the bush cutter main body rotatably to the driven shaft is provided, and the engine output side joint drive coupling part connected is incorporated in the driven-side connecting portion provided on the output shaft of the engine, the electric motor One end of the brush cutter main body is a driven side joint that is selectively attached to the motor output side joint that is provided on the output shaft and that is connected to the driven side connecting portion and that is connected to the driven side connecting portion. to provided, provided with a fastening groove that bends in an L-shape respectively in the motor casing of the electric motor and engine cover of the engine, set the respective latches in the interior of the fastening groove The also selectively engaged with any of the fastening groove and latch to the fastening groove and latches provided on the engine cover provided on the electric motor casing, the motor output side joint and the engine output side joint And a fastening lever for selectively fastening the driven side joint to the driven side joint is provided on the driven side joint so as to be swingable. The fastening lever rotates from the release position to the fastening groove and the latch. When the engaging position is engaged with the fastening groove and the latch, the posture is along the outer surface of the engine cover or the outer surface of the motor case .

  According to the present invention, since either the engine or the electric motor can be selectively mounted on the brush cutter body, the cutter of the brush cutter can be driven by the engine and can be driven by the electric motor. . Therefore, by preparing an engine and an electric motor as attachments, the brush cutter can be used as either an engine-driven type or a motor-driven type according to the usage environment of the cutting operation. In addition, a user who purchases a brush cutter body and an engine or an electric motor as a set switches the brush cutter from an electric type to an engine driven type or an engine driven type to an electric type by additionally purchasing an electric motor or an engine. be able to.

  By making the brush cutter body an operation arm provided with a handle, an operator can manually operate the operation arm to perform a mowing operation. The brush cutter can be a backpack type or a shoulder type.

  According to the present invention, the engine output side joint and the motor output side joint can be easily fastened to the driven side joint by operating the fastening lever provided on the driven side joint. The engine and electric motor can be easily attached and detached.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a brush cutter according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 (A) shows a state in which an engine is mounted on a brush cutter body, and FIG. The state where the motor is mounted is shown. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a part of the brush cutter shown in FIG. 1 (A), and FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a part of the brush cutter shown in FIG. 1 (B).

  The brush cutter shown in FIG. 1 is of an arm connection type, and has an operation arm 10 as a main body of the brush cutter. The operation arm 10 is constituted by a hollow bar-like member, and as shown in FIGS. A driven shaft 11 is rotatably mounted. A holder 12 is attached to the tip of the operation arm 10, and a disk-shaped metal cutter 13 having a large number of saw blades formed on the outer peripheral surface thereof is rotatably attached to the holder 12. The cutter 13 is connected to the tip of the driven shaft 11 via a bevel gear pair (not shown). A cover 14 is attached to the distal end portion of the operation arm 10 so as to cover a part of the cutter 13, thereby ensuring work safety. The cutter 13 may be a cutter made of a plurality of strings extending radially from the center of rotation, instead of the disk-shaped metal shown in the figure.

  Two handles 15 are attached to the central portion of the operation arm 10 in the longitudinal direction, and an operator can perform grass cutting work by holding the handle 15 with both hands. In the illustrated case, the brush cutter is a two-hand handle type by attaching two handles 15 to the operation arm 10, but instead of this, a loop handle type may be used. It is also possible to attach a belt to the brush cutter and make it a shoulder type.

  A joint on the brush cutter side, that is, a driven joint 16 is attached to the rear end of the operating arm 10, and the operating arm 10 is a portion of the driven joint 16, which includes the engine 17 as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 1B, both the electric motor 18 and the electric motor 18 are selectively detachably mounted.

  FIG. 4 is a front view showing details of the engine, and FIG. 5 is a front view showing details of the electric motor.

  As shown in FIG. 4, a four-cycle single-cylinder gasoline engine is used as the engine 17, and a crankcase that rotatably supports an engine output shaft 22 including a crankshaft shown in FIG. An engine structural member (not shown) such as a cylinder, which is attached to the crankcase and on which a piston is reciprocally mounted, is incorporated, and the engine output shaft 22 is rotationally driven using gasoline in the fuel tank 23 as fuel. As shown in FIG. 2, a cooling fan 24 is attached to the output shaft 22, and when the engine 17 is operated, cooling air for cooling the engine 17 is generated. A recoil starter is provided to start the engine 17 by manually rotating the output shaft 22, and the engine 17 can be started by pulling the recoil knob 25 as shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the electric motor 18 has a motor case 26 having a substantially hexagonal column shape, and a motor output shaft 27 comprising an amateur shaft shown in FIG. A motor constituent member (not shown) such as an armature fixed to the motor output shaft 27 and a magnet facing the armature is incorporated in the motor 26. A battery 28 is mounted on the outer periphery of the electric motor 18. The battery 28 is a rechargeable battery such as a lithium ion battery. The electric motor 18 is driven by electric power supplied from the battery 28. The The battery 28 is slidably attached in the axial direction of the output shaft 27. When charging, the battery 28 is detached from the electric motor 18 and charged by a charger (not shown).

  6A is a side view showing details of the driven side joint, FIG. 6B is a front view of the driven side joint shown in FIG. 6A, and FIG. 7 shows a fastening groove, a fastening lever, and the like. It is sectional drawing which shows this fastening structure.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the driven joint 16 is formed in a cup shape having a larger diameter than the operation arm 10 and is fixed to the rear end portion of the operation arm 10. As shown in FIG. 6B, a clutch drum 31 as a driven side connecting portion is incorporated in the driven side joint 16, and this clutch drum 31 is fixed to the driven shaft 11 as shown in FIG. When the clutch drum 31 rotates, the driven shaft 11 also rotates. Further, a square flange portion 16a is provided at the open end of the driven side joint 16, and a pair of fastening levers 33 are mounted on both sides of the flange portion 16a by a pin 32 so as to be swingable. The fastening lever 33 has a lever portion 33a that is operated by an operator, and a fastening arm portion 33b that shifts outward with respect to the lever portion 33a and protrudes on the opposite side of the pin 32 from the lever portion 33a. .

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4, the engine cover 21 is provided with an engine output side joint 34 that is detachably attached to the driven side joint 16, and the engine output side joint 34 is recessed in a cylindrical shape. A joint recess 34a is provided, and the driven side joint 16 is adapted to be fitted into the engagement recess 34a in a cylindrical inlay 16b provided at the opening end thereof. Further, the engine cover 21 is formed with a pair of fastening grooves 35 located on both sides of the engine output side joint 34. As shown in FIG. 7, these fastening grooves 35 are L-shaped from the opening. The portion on the back side of the engine cover 21 is an engagement surface 35a.

  When the engine output side joint 34 is attached to the driven side joint 16, the fastening arm portion 33b of the fastening lever 33 at the release position protrudes into the fastening groove 35 as shown by a one-dot chain line in FIG. When the fastening lever 33 is rotated in the clockwise direction in the drawing to the fastening position indicated by the solid line, the fastening arm portion 33b engages with the engagement surface 35a of the fastening groove 35. Further, a latch 36 is provided inside the fastening groove 35. When the fastening arm portion 33b is engaged with the engaging surface 35a, the latch 36 is engaged with the back surface of the fastening arm portion 33b. The arm portion 33b is held in a state of being engaged with the engagement surface 35a. That is, by engaging the fastening lever 33 provided on the driven side joint 16 with the latch 36 provided on the engine cover 21, the fastening lever 33 is locked at the fastening position, and the engine output side joint 34 is connected to the driven side joint 16. Can be concluded.

  The engine cover 21 is provided with a lock release button 37. When the lock release button 37 is pressed, the latch 36 moves to the outside of the fastening groove 35, thereby releasing the lock of the fastening arm portion 33b by the latch 36. Is done. Accordingly, by returning the fastening lever 33 while the lock release button 37 is pressed, the engagement between the fastening arm portion 33b and the engagement surface 35a is released, and the engine side of the driven side 16 is connected to the engine output side. The joint 34 can be removed.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the electric motor 18 is provided with a motor output side joint 38 that is detachably attached to the driven side joint 16 of the motor case 26. The motor output side joint 38 has a cylindrical shape. An engagement recess 38a is provided to be recessed, and the driven joint 16 is engaged with the engagement recess 38a in the inlay 16b. The motor case 26 is formed with fastening grooves 35 that are located on both sides of the motor output side joint 38 and have the same shape and size as those formed on the engine cover 21. 35 is provided with an engaging surface 35a and a latch 36 similar to those provided on the engine cover 21. Therefore, the fastening arm portion 33b of the fastening lever 33 is engaged with the fastening groove 35 by operating the fastening lever 33 of the driven side joint 16 with the motor output side joint 38 attached to the driven side joint 16. The motor output side joint 38 can be fastened to the driven side joint 16 by engaging with the mating surface 35a and engaging the latch 36 with the back surface of the fastening arm portion 33b. Further, the engagement between the fastening arm portion 33b and the engagement surface 35a is released by operating the return of the fastening lever 33 while the lock release button 37 provided on the motor case 26 is pressed, and the follower is driven. The motor output side joint 38 can be removed from the side joint 16. In other words, the fastening lever 33 provided on the driven side joint 16 selectively engages both the latch 36 provided on the engine output side joint 34 and the latch 36 provided on the motor output side joint 38, thereby Either the engine output side joint 34 or the motor output side joint 38 can be selectively fastened to the driven side joint 16.

  Thus, in this brush cutter, the engine output side joint 34 and the motor output side joint 38 can be easily fastened to the driven side joint 16 by operating the fastening lever 33 provided on the driven side joint 16. Further, it is possible to easily attach and detach the engine 17 and the electric motor 18 to / from the operation arm 10 as the main body of the brush cutter.

  FIG. 8 is a transverse cross-sectional view in FIG. 2, and a pair of clutch shoes 41 as drive side connecting portions are provided at the tip of the engine output shaft 22, and these clutch shoes 41 are assembled in the engine output side joint 34. As shown in FIG. 2, when the driven joint 16 is fastened to the engine output side joint 34, these clutch shoes 41 are assembled to the clutch drum 31 to provide a gap between the driven shaft 11 and the engine output shaft 22. The centrifugal clutch 42 is configured. As shown in FIG. 8, the engine output side joint 34 is provided with a disk-shaped rotating plate 43 fixed to the engine output shaft 22, and the clutch shoe 41 is swingably attached to the rotating plate 43 by a pin 44. A tension coil spring 45 is mounted between the clutch shoes 41, and the tension coil spring 45 applies a spring force in a direction in which the friction contact portion 41a is separated from the inner peripheral surface of the clutch drum 31 to the clutch shoe 41. It has been. When the rotational speed of the engine 17 increases, the clutch shoe 41 expands against the spring force of the tension coil spring 45 by centrifugal force, and is pressed against the inner peripheral surface of the clutch drum 31 to be connected to the clutch drum 31. As a result, the engine output shaft 22 is directly connected to the driven shaft 11 via the centrifugal clutch 42. When the engine 17 is started by pulling the recoil knob 25, the centrifugal clutch 42 is in an open state, so that the engine 17 can be easily started without applying a large resistance to the recoil knob 25.

  In this way, when the driven side joint 16 provided in the operation arm 10 is fastened to the engine output side joint 34 provided in the engine 17, the engine 17 is attached to the operation arm 10 as a brush cutter body as shown in FIG. Can be installed. When the driven side joint 16 is fastened to the engine output side joint 34, the engine output shaft 22 is connected to the driven shaft 11 via a centrifugal clutch 42 having a clutch drum 31 and a clutch shoe 41. The cutter 17 can be rotationally driven using the engine 17 as a power source to cut the grass.

  As shown in FIG. 5, a pair of clutch shoes 46 as drive side connecting portions are provided at the front end portion of the motor output shaft 27, and these clutch shoes 46 are incorporated in the motor output side joint 38, as shown in FIG. As shown, when the driven side joint 16 is fastened to the motor output side joint 38, these clutch shoes 46 are assembled to the clutch drum 31, and the centrifugal clutch 47 is provided between the driven shaft 11 and the motor output shaft 27. Composed. A clutch shoe 46 provided on the motor output side joint 38 is swingably mounted on a rotating plate 48 fixed to the motor output shaft 27 by a pin (not shown), and a tension coil spring is provided between the clutch shoes 46. 51 is attached, and a spring force is applied to the clutch shoe 46 by the tension coil spring 51 in a direction in which the frictional contact portion 46 a is separated from the inner peripheral surface of the clutch drum 31. When the rotational speed of the electric motor 18 increases, the clutch shoe 46 expands against the spring force of the tension coil spring 51 by centrifugal force, and is pressed against the inner peripheral surface of the clutch drum 31 to be connected to the clutch drum 31. . As a result, the motor output shaft 27 is directly connected to the driven shaft 11 via the centrifugal clutch 47. When the rotational speed of the electric motor 18 decreases while the grass is entangled between the cutter 13 and the cover 14 and the drive current is supplied from the battery 28, the clutch shoe 46 is disengaged from the clutch drum 31, An overcurrent is prevented from flowing through the electric motor 18.

  As described above, when the driven joint 16 is fastened to the motor output side joint 38, the electric motor 18 can be attached to the operation arm 10 as a brush cutter body as shown in FIG. When the driven side joint 16 is fastened to the motor output side joint 38, the motor output shaft 27 is connected to the driven shaft 11 via the centrifugal clutch 47 having the clutch drum 31 and the clutch shoe 46, so that the brush cutter is The cutter 13 can be rotationally driven using the electric motor 18 as a power source to cut grass. In addition, the code | symbol 52 shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 3 is a rubber-made sealing member.

  With such a configuration, the brush cutter according to the present invention allows the operator to selectively attach both the engine 17 and the electric motor 18 to the single operation arm 10. By preparing the arm 10, the engine 17 as an attachment, and the electric motor 18, respectively, the brush cutter can be used as either an engine driven type or a motor driven type according to the usage environment of the cutting operation. it can. For example, the mowing operation can be performed using the engine 17 as a driving source in a place where quietness is not required, and the mowing operation can be performed using the electric motor 18 as a driving source in a place where quietness is required. The drive source can be selected according to the environment. Further, a user who purchases the operation arm 10 and the engine 17 as a set can additionally switch the brush cutter to an electric type by purchasing the electric motor 18.

  9 is a perspective view showing details of the engine speed regulator shown in FIG. 4, FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing details of the motor speed regulator shown in FIG. 5, and FIG. 11 is a motor shown in FIG. It is a circuit diagram of the variable resistor provided in a rotation speed regulator.

  As shown in FIG. 4, an engine speed adjuster 53 is provided in the engine 17 in order to adjust the speed of the engine 17. The engine speed adjuster 53 is connected to the engine 17 via a cable unit 54. When the engine 17 is mounted on the operation arm 10 as shown in FIG. The handle 15 is detachably attached.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the engine speed adjuster 53 includes a holder 55 and a lever 57 that is swingably supported by the holder 55 by a support pin 56, and the cable unit 54 includes a flexible tube 54a. The cable 54b is movably accommodated in the tube 54a. One end of the cable 54b is connected to the lever 57, and the other end is connected to a throttle (not shown) of the engine 17. Further, one end of the tube 54a is fixed to the holder 55, and the other end is fixed to the engine cover 21, so that the moving path length of the cable 54b between the holder 55 and the engine 17 is a predetermined length by the tube 54a. Is stipulated. Therefore, by operating the lever 57, the throttle can be opened and closed via the cable 54b, and the rotational speed of the engine 17 can be adjusted.

  A mounting band portion 55a having a substantially C-shaped cross section is formed integrally with the holder 55, and a notch portion of the mounting band portion 55a is connected by a bolt 58 and a nut 59. The mounting band portion 55a is disposed on the handle 15. By tightening the bolt 58 and the nut 59, the holder 55, that is, the engine speed regulator 53 can be detachably attached to the handle 15 of the operation arm 10. When the holder 55 is attached to the handle 15, the lever 57 is disposed on the grip portion of the handle 15, so that the operator operates the lever 57 while holding the grip portion of the handle 15 to adjust the rotational speed of the engine 17. Can do.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5, in order to adjust the rotational speed of the electric motor 18, the electric motor 18 is provided with a motor rotational speed adjuster 61. The motor rotation speed adjuster 61 is connected to the electric motor 18 via an electric cord 62. When the electric motor 18 is attached to the operation arm 10 as shown in FIG. One handle 15 is detachably attached.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the motor rotation speed adjuster 61 has a holder 63 and an adjustment dial 65 as an operation member supported by the holder 63 by a support pin 64 so as to be movable, that is, rotatable. Is provided with a variable resistor 66 as shown in FIG. The variable resistor 66 is connected to a control device (not shown) provided in the electric motor 18 via an electric cord 62, and a resistance 67 to which a power supply voltage is applied from the battery 28 and a moving terminal connected to the electric motor 18. 68, and the moving terminal 68 is fixed to the adjustment dial 65 and movably contacts the resistor 67. Therefore, by rotating the adjustment dial 65, the contact position of the moving terminal 68 with the resistor 67 can be changed, thereby changing the drive current supplied from the battery 28 to the electric motor 18 to The rotational speed of the motor 18 can be adjusted.

  The holder 63 is integrally formed with a mounting band portion 63a having a substantially C-shaped cross section similar to the holder 55 of the engine rotational speed adjuster 53. The operating arm 10 is detachably attached to the handle 15. When the holder 63 is attached to the handle 15, the operator can adjust the rotation speed of the electric motor 18 by operating the adjustment dial 65 while holding the grip portion of the handle 15.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, as described in Patent Document 1, the present invention is also applied to a linear motion type brush cutter in which a driving source and a cutter driven by the operating arm 10, that is, the tip of the operating rod are mounted. In this case, the engine and the electric motor are selected and mounted in a housing attached to the tip of the operation arm 10. Furthermore, the present invention can be similarly applied to a brush cutter of a type in which a driving source and a cutter are mounted on a traveling carriage.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the latch 36 is provided in the fastening groove 35 and is configured to lock the fastening lever 33 engaged with the engaging surface 35a of the fastening groove 35. Any structure that can engage with the fastening lever 33 and selectively fasten the driven side joint 16 to either the engine output side joint 34 or the motor output side joint 38 may be used.

  Furthermore, the connection structure between the driving side connecting portion and the driven side connecting portion is not limited to the centrifugal clutch, and for example, a meshing clutch or the like may be used.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a perspective view which shows the brush cutter which is one embodiment of this invention, (A) shows the state which mounted | worn the engine in the brush cutter main body, (B) shows the state which mounted | worn the brush motor main body with the electric motor. . It is an expanded sectional view which shows a part of brush cutter shown in FIG. It is an expanded sectional view which shows a part of brush cutter shown in FIG.1 (B). It is a front view which shows the detail of an engine. It is a front view which shows the detail of an electric motor. (A) is a side view which shows the detail of a driven side joint, (B) is a front view of the driven side joint shown to the same figure (A). It is sectional drawing which shows the fastening structure of the groove | channel for fastening and a fastening lever. It is a cross-sectional view in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the detail of the engine speed regulator shown in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the detail of the motor rotation speed regulator shown in FIG. It is a circuit diagram of the variable resistor provided in the motor rotation speed regulator shown in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

10 Operation arm (Brusher body)
11 driven shaft 13 cutter 15 handle 16 driven side joint 17 engine 18 electric motor 22 engine output shaft 27 motor output shaft 31 clutch drum (driven side connecting portion)
33 fastening lever 34 engine output side joint 36 latch 38 motor output side joint 41, 46 clutch shoe (drive side connecting part)

Claims (1)

A brush cutter body is formed by an operating arm made of a hollow bar provided with a handle that is gripped by an operator at the center in the longitudinal direction,
The driven shaft of the driven-side connecting portion to the other end is connected cutter at one end is provided mounted on the rotatably the bush cutter main body,
An engine output side joint provided with an output shaft of an engine and a drive side connection portion connected to the driven side connection portion; and a drive side connection provided with an output shaft of an electric motor and connected to the driven side connection portion Provided at one end of the brush cutter body with a driven side joint that is selectively detachably attached to any of the motor output side joints incorporating the part,
The engine cover of the engine and the motor case of the electric motor are each provided with a fastening groove that bends in an L shape, and a latch is provided inside the fastening groove,
Also selectively engage in any of the fastening groove and latches provided in the fastening groove and the latch and the electric motor case is provided in the engine cover, and the engine output side joint and the motor output side joint A fastening lever for selectively fastening any of the following to the driven joint is provided swingably on the driven joint ,
The fastening lever rotates from the release position to engage with the fastening groove and the latch, and when the fastening lever is in the fastening position engaged with the fastening groove and the latch, the outer surface of the engine cover or the A brush cutter having a posture along the outer surface of the motor case .

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