JP2012130257A - Electric sulky lawn mower - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electric sulky lawn mower which can selectively perform lawn-mowing work or transporting work.SOLUTION: The electric lawn mower 10 includes a mower blade, a mower deck 15, a pair of right and left rear wheels 12, two travelling motors for independently driving a pair of the rear wheels 12, respectively, and right and left traveling operation levers 14L, 14R for independently operating the driving of the two travel motors, respectively, wherein the traveling operation levers 14L, 14R are operated to perform the forward or backward movement or right or left turning of the lawn mower, is characterized in that the lawn mower has a driver's seat 13 and a step ST for putting the legs of the driver thereon, when the driver gets in or out; the direction of the driver's seat 13 can be changed forward or backward; the travel motors can forward or backward be rotated; the traveling operation levers 14L, 14R can be operated, even when the driver's seat 13 is directed forward or backward; when the driver's seat 13 is set in the backward direction, one or more articles can be put on the step ST.

Description

  The present invention includes a mower blade, a mower deck, a pair of left and right drive wheels, two traveling motors that independently drive the pair of driving wheels, and a pair of left and right operations that independently operate the driving of the two traveling motors. And an electric riding mower that moves forward and backward and turns left and right by operating a pair of operation units.

  In recent years, from the viewpoint of preventing global warming, the movement to regulate exhaust gases including greenhouse gases has become a social trend. The response to this movement is remarkable in the automobile industry, and so-called eco cars such as hybrid cars and electric cars are being developed. In particular, in recent years, technological development for practical application of electric vehicles using a battery as a power source has been activated.

  However, such technological development is not very active in the field of agricultural machinery. In particular, in the field of riding lawn mowers, there is currently no technical development at a practicable level. Therefore, it is important to develop an electric lawn mower (passenger mower).

  On the other hand, a conventional utility vehicle (UTV) includes an engine, a pair of front wheels, a pair of rear wheels that are driven by the engine, a driver's seat, and a loading platform provided at the rear of the driver's seat, and is used for various types of transportation. It has been used for agriculture, forestry, leisure, and golf course development.

JP 2010-95110 A

  By the way, for example, when carrying out maintenance of a golf course, after mowing with lawn mower and then transporting materials for maintenance of the golf course, UTV is additionally required in addition to lawn mower. There is a problem that a space for storing two types of work vehicles is required, and maintenance of the two work vehicles takes time. Then, this invention is providing the electric riding mower which can selectively perform a mowing work and a conveyance work.

Therefore, the invention according to claim 1 is a mower blade that rotates and mows grass.
A mower deck covering the mower blade from above and from the side;
A pair of left and right drive wheels for traveling;
Two travel motors that independently drive the pair of drive wheels,
A pair of left and right operation units for independently operating the driving of the two travel motors,
An electric riding mower that moves forward and backward and turns left and right by operating the pair of operation units,
A driver seat where a driver is seated when operating the operation unit;
Provided at the front of the fuselage, the step for the driver to place his / her feet when getting on and off,
The driver's seat can be changed forward and backward, and the traveling motor can rotate both forward and backward,
Further, the operation unit can be operated regardless of whether the driver's seat is facing forward or backward,
When the driver's seat is facing backward, an object is placed on the step.

The invention according to claim 2 comprises, in the electric riding mower according to claim 1, a detection means for detecting whether the driver's seat is forward or backward, under the driver's seat,
The control mode of the traveling motor is switched depending on the direction of the driver's seat detected by the detecting means.

The invention described in claim 3 is the electric riding mower according to claim 1, further comprising a rear step used when the driver gets on and off when the driver's seat is facing backward, behind the driver's seat,
The rear step is provided with a rear footrest for placing a foot.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the electric riding mower according to the third aspect, the rear footrest is provided so as to be able to appear and retract.

The invention according to claim 5 is the electric riding mower according to claim 1, wherein a pair of rear wheels,
A pair of left and right fenders provided on the left and right sides of the driver's seat to cover the rear wheel from above at a certain distance;
An electric riding mower integrally formed with the pair of left and right fenders for holding a beverage container,
The holding portion is formed in a front portion of one of the fenders and reachable from the driver's seat when the driver's seat is facing forward, and at the rear of the other fender, the driver's seat is facing backward. The holding portion is sometimes formed at a position that can be reached from the driver's seat.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the electric riding mower according to the first aspect of the present invention, a hook is provided on both sides of the step in the width direction for hooking the fall prevention net.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the electric riding mower according to the first aspect, a protective portion having a height higher than the step is provided on both sides in the width direction of the step.

The invention according to claim 8 is the electric riding mower according to claim 1, further comprising a vessel for placing the object.
When the vessel is not in use, the vessel is stored below the driver seat,
When the vessel is used, the vessel is placed on the step.

The invention according to claim 9 is the electric riding mower according to claim 8, comprising a vehicle body frame,
A support base for supporting the driver's seat from below is fixed on the vehicle body frame,
The vessel is pivotally connected to the front portion of the support;
When the vessel is not used, the vessel is placed upside down and placed on the support base,
When the vessel is used, the vessel is rotated on the front side around the front portion of the support base and is placed on the step.

The invention according to claim 10 is the electric riding mower according to claim 9, wherein a bracket for attaching the driver's seat is provided on the support base,
A relief hole for escaping the bracket is provided at the bottom of the vessel, and a closing member for closing the relief hole is detachably attached to the inside of the side of the vessel,
When the vessel is used, the closing member is closed by being attached to a relief hole at the bottom of the vessel.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the mower blade that rotates and mows the grass, the mower deck that covers the mower blade from above and from the side, the pair of left and right drive wheels for traveling, and the pair of drive wheels, respectively Electric riding that has two traveling motors that are driven independently and a pair of left and right operation units that operate the driving of the two traveling motors independently, and that moves forward and backward and turns left and right by operating the pair of operation units A lawn mower comprising a driver's seat where the driver is seated when operating the operating unit, and a step provided on the front of the fuselage for the driver to place his / her feet when getting on and off, with the driver's seat facing forward In addition to being able to change to the rear, the traveling motor can be rotated back and forth, and the operation unit can be operated whether the driver's seat is forward or rearward, and the driver's seat is rearward When to step Placing the body.

  Thus, for example, when carrying out maintenance of a golf course, after carrying out lawn mowing with an electric lawn mower, when transporting materials (objects) for maintenance of the golf course, it is only necessary to turn the driver's seat backwards to perform UTV work. You will be able to Therefore, it is possible to provide an electric riding mower capable of selectively performing mowing work and transport work. According to the present invention, two types of work vehicles, a lawn mower for lawn mowing and a UTV for golf course maintenance, have been required so far, a large storage space is required, and maintenance of the two types of work vehicles has been troublesome. However, these problems can be solved.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, the detection means for detecting whether the driver's seat is facing forward or backward is provided under the driver's seat, and the control mode of the travel motor is determined depending on the direction of the driver's seat detected by the detector. Therefore, the direction of the driver's seat can be easily detected. Further, it is possible to easily control the travel motor adapted to the direction of the driver's seat.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, the rear step used when the driver gets on and off when the driver's seat is facing backward is provided at the rear of the driver's seat, and the rear footrest for placing the foot is provided at the rear step. Thus, when the driver's seat is set to face rearward and the electric lawn mower is run, the driver can place his / her feet on the rear footrest, and driving comfort can be ensured.

  According to the invention described in claim 4, since the rear footrest is provided so as to be able to appear and retract, the rear footrest can be accommodated when driving the electric lawn mower with the driver's seat facing forward. Thus, when the rear footrest is not used, it is possible to prevent the driver from unnecessarily tripping or getting caught in the rear footrest, and safety can be improved. Moreover, a rear footrest can be accommodated and a luggage | load (object) can be mounted and conveyed in a rear step.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the apparatus includes a pair of rear wheels and a pair of left and right fenders provided on the left and right sides of the driver's seat that cover the rear wheels from above at a certain distance and hold the beverage container. An electric riding mower integrally formed with a pair of left and right fenders for holding the holding portion at the front of one of the fenders and reachable from the driver's seat when the driver's seat is facing forward At the same time, a holding portion is formed at the rear of the other fender and at a position that can be reached from the driver's seat when the driver's seat is facing backward.

  Therefore, regardless of whether the driver's seat is facing forward or backward, the holding portion on either the left or right fender can be used.

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, since the hook for hanging the fall prevention net is provided on both sides in the width direction of the step, when the load or material (object) is placed on the step, it is dropped. Can be reliably prevented.

  According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, since the protective portions having heights higher than the step are provided on both sides in the width direction of the step, when a load or a material (object) is placed on the step, the electric mower is Even when left-right folding, turning in the left-right direction, or vibrating in the up-down direction, the loaded luggage or material can be prevented from falling from the step to the side.

  According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, a vessel for placing an object is provided. When the vessel is not used, the vessel is stored below the driver's seat, and when the vessel is used, the vessel is placed on the step. , Drop the object.

  According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, the vehicle body frame is provided, the support base that supports the driver's seat from below is fixed on the vehicle body frame, and the vessel is rotatably connected to the front portion of the support base. When not in use, the vessel is placed upside down and placed on the support base. When the vessel is in use, the vessel is rotated around the front of the support base toward the front and placed on the step. The

  Therefore, the vessel can be always provided for the electric lawn mower, and the vessel can be used whenever necessary. In addition, when the vessel is not used, it is stored upside down on the support table, so that the storage space can be saved. Furthermore, since the vessel is connected to the support base, there is no need to use a fastener or the like separately to fix the vessel.

  According to the invention of claim 10, the bracket for attaching the driver's seat is provided on the support base, the escape hole for escaping the bracket is provided at the bottom of the vessel, and the closing member for closing the escape hole is provided in the vessel. At the time of using the vessel, the closing member is attached to the relief hole at the bottom of the vessel and closed.

  Therefore, when the vessel is not used, the vessel can be covered with the support base without causing interference between the vessel and the bracket placed on the support base, and the space for storing the vessel can be further saved.

It is a right perspective view of an electric lawn mower as an example of the electric riding mower of the present invention. (A) is a perspective view of the vicinity of the driver's seat, (b) is a diagram showing a state where the driver's seat is removed, and (c) is a diagram showing a seat mounting member and a coil spring. (A) is a perspective view which shows the state which covered the vessel upside down on the seat support part, (b) is an enlarged view of the attachment part to the seat support part of a vessel. It is a perspective view of a seat support part. (A) is a figure which shows the state which the pressing member has turned on the limit switch of the driver's seat front side, (b) is a figure which shows the positional relationship of the limit switch and coil spring of the driver's seat rear side. It is a figure which shows the detail of a vessel, (a) is a perspective view which shows the state turned upside down when the vessel is not used, (b) and (c) are perspective views of the grommet, and (d) is when the vessel is used It is a perspective view which shows the state of. It is a figure which shows the principal part of a travel control lever, (a) is a perspective view near a fixed part, (b) is an overall perspective view of the lever part, (c) is a side view of the fixed part, (d) is a stopper. A perspective view and (e) are front views for explaining a mounting state of a spring. It is a figure for showing the connection situation of a seat support part and a fender, (a) is a principal part expansion front view, and (b) is a top view of (a). (A) is a perspective view of the front part of an electric lawn mower, (b), (c) is a perspective view which shows the state which attached the vessel to the footrest. It is a perspective view of the electric lawn mower at the time of UTV work (when using a vessel). It is a figure for demonstrating attachment of a travel control lever. It is a figure which shows a rear part footrest, (a) is a whole perspective view, (b) is a top view, (c) is X arrow sectional drawing of (b). (A) is a perspective view of a hook provided in a vehicle body frame, (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrow Z of (a), (c) is a partially enlarged view of a fall prevention net, and (d) is a further part of (c). FIG. 4E is an enlarged view showing a state where an object is covered with a fall prevention net.

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In this specification, “front” refers to the forward direction of the electric riding mower, “rear” refers to the reverse direction, “left / right” refers to “left / right”, “up / down” toward the forward direction, respectively. Respectively means the “up and down” direction of the vehicle. FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an electric lawn mower (electric riding mower) 10 as an example of the electric riding mower of the present invention. An electric lawn mower (airframe) 10 includes a body frame (chassis) 18, left and right front wheels 11, left and right rear wheels (drive wheels) 12, a driver's seat 13, a travel operation lever 14 (right: 14R, left: 14L), a mower blade. (Not shown) includes a mower deck 15 (the mower blade and mower deck 15 are collectively referred to as a working unit). The body frame 18 is provided with a pair of left and right beams extending in the front-rear direction at regular intervals, and is provided with a floor plate so as to be passed over the pair of beams. The front wheel 11 has a metal wheel at its center, and a rubber tire on the outside of the wheel. The axle 11A is penetrated through the center of rotation of the wheel. The wheel is rotatable with respect to the axle 11A (that is, the front wheel 11 is driven to rotate).

  The axle 11 </ b> A is attached to the lower end portion of the front wheel bracket 16. The front wheel bracket 16 is formed by forming a metal plate in a gate shape. A cylindrical portion 17 is placed on the top surface of the front wheel bracket 16. A rotation shaft is rotatably provided at the center of the cylindrical portion 17, and a lower end of the rotation shaft is fixed to the front wheel bracket 16 with a bolt or the like. Both ends of the horizontal frame 19 are fixed to the side surfaces of the left and right cylindrical portions 17 by welding or the like. And the front-end | tip of the vehicle body frame 18 is fixed to the position of the horizontal frame 19 a little apart from the left and right cylindrical parts 17 and 17 by welding etc., respectively. The cylindrical portion 17 is a metal cylinder, and the body frame 18 and the lateral frame 19 are metal square tubes. The vehicle body frames 18 and 18 are paired on the left and right sides, and are arranged so as to extend substantially linearly in the forward direction of the electric lawn mower 10, respectively. A floor plate FL made of a metal plate is passed to the lower surfaces of the body frames 18 and 18 and fixed from below with bolts or the like.

  A mower deck 15 is provided below the body frame 18 and between the front wheels 11 and the rear wheels 12. The mower deck 15 is formed in an elliptical deep dish shape, and two mower blades (not shown) are rotatably provided in the mower deck 15. Two mower motors (working motors) WM are mounted on the upper surface of the mower deck 15, and the rotation shafts are passed through the mower deck 15. And the front-end | tip of each rotating shaft is fitted to the center part of a mower blade.

  Auxiliary wheels 23 are attached to both longitudinal sides of the front portion of the mower deck 15. The auxiliary wheel 23 includes a metal wheel at the center and a rubber tire on the outside of the wheel. The axle 23A is passed through the center of rotation of the wheel. The wheel is rotatable with respect to the axle 23A (that is, the auxiliary wheel 23 is driven to rotate). When mowing the lawn, the auxiliary wheel 23 is always in contact with the traveling surface.

  The mower deck 15 is suspended from the vehicle body frame 18 via a link mechanism 21 so as to be movable up and down. The link mechanism 21 is connected to the lifting operation lever 27. In FIG. 1, the mower deck 15 is shown in a lowered state (a state where the auxiliary wheel 23 is grounded).

  A footrest FR is provided at the front of the electric lawn mower 10. The footrest FR has a surface inclined so as to face the driver's seat 13 and is formed in a triangular prism shape extending in the vehicle width direction.

  Below the driver's seat 13, two batteries (not shown) are arranged side by side. The battery is preferably a lithium ion battery. Specifically, it is desirable to use a battery having a high energy density and a long life, such as a lithium manganese dioxide battery, a lithium fluoride graphite battery, a thionyl lithium chloride battery, a lithium copper oxide battery, a lithium iron disulfide battery, and a lithium iodine battery. Two batteries are connected in series. A storage case (not shown) is provided above the battery to store electronic devices such as a battery controller (voltage equalizing device). The battery controller corrects minute voltage fluctuations of the battery. (Note that the battery controller may be housed in fenders 24L and 24R described later.)

  Then, the seat support portion (support base) SB is fixed on the vehicle body frame 18 so as to cover the battery from above. A driver's seat 13 is mounted on the seat support portion SB via a seat mounting member 30. The seat attachment member 30 attaches the driver's seat 13 to the vehicle body. In addition, fenders 24L and 24R are provided on both sides of the seat support portion SB. The fenders 24 </ b> L and 24 </ b> R are provided with notches so that rear portions thereof do not interfere with the upper portion of the rear wheel (drive wheel) 12. In addition, a cup folder 25 is provided on the upper surfaces of the left and right fenders 24L and 24R. The fenders 24L and 24R are made of reinforced plastic and integrally formed with a cup folder 25 and the like.

  The vicinity of the center of the body frame 18 in front of the driver's seat 13 is formed flat and becomes step ST. Step ST is used for the driver to get on and off the driver's seat 13.

  Inside the left and right rear wheels 12, there are provided travel motors DM for driving the rear wheels 12, respectively. One traveling motor DM is provided for each of the left and right rear wheels 12 and 12. The traveling motor DM may be an in-wheel motor. The driver of the travel motor DM is housed in a control box (not shown) below the driver's seat 13 (described later).

  The driver of the travel motor DM controls the rotation direction and the rotation speed of the travel motor DM according to the amount of tilt of the travel operation lever 14. The rotation of the mower motor WM is controlled so as to be interlocked with the rotation speed of the traveling motor DM. That is, when the traveling speed is increased, the rotational speed of the mower blade is also increased, and when the traveling speed is decreased, the rotational speed of the mower blade is also decreased.

  The traveling operation lever 14 is tiltably provided, and when the driver tilts the traveling operation lever 14 forward, the traveling motor DM rotates in the forward direction. On the other hand, when the travel operation lever 14 is tilted later, the travel motor DM rotates in the reverse direction. Furthermore, the rotational speed of the traveling motor DM changes depending on the tilting degree of the traveling operation lever 14. That is, when the traveling operation lever 14 is largely moved forward (rear), the traveling motor DM rotates faster in the forward (reverse) direction, and when the traveling operation lever 14 is moved forward (rear) smaller, the traveling motor DM is moved forward ( Slowly rotate in the backward direction. The travel operation levers 14L and 14R provided on the left and right sides of the driver's seat 13 correspond to the rotation operations of the left and right travel motors DM and DM, respectively. Therefore, the driver can perform forward and backward movement, left and right turn, turning, and the like by appropriately operating the left and right traveling operation levers 14L and 14R forward and backward. With such a configuration, it is not necessary to provide a steering mechanism for turning the vehicle left and right and turning, and the configuration of the vehicle can be simplified.

  A flat surface is formed on the body frame 18 behind the driver's seat 13 and serves as a rear step BST. The rear step BST is used for the driver to get on and off the driver's seat 13 when the electric loan mower 10 is in the UTV operation, as will be described later.

  2A to 2C show details in the vicinity of the driver's seat 13. The bottom of the driver's seat 13 is fixed to the seat mounting member 30 with screws or the like. The seat mounting member 30 includes side portions 30S and 30S, a top portion 30U, and a front portion 30F after being cut into a predetermined shape and then bent. The top portion 30U includes spring mounting portions 30US and 30US on both sides thereof. Through holes 30A and 30A are formed in the front ends of the side portions 30S and 30S, respectively. Further, the tip of a coil spring (elastic member) 32 is fixed to the rear part of the spring mounting part 30US.

  The seat mounting member 30 is fixed to the bracket 29A of the seat support portion SB via the seat fixing rod 31. Each of the brackets 29AL and 29AR is provided upright on the left and right of the front upper surface of the seat support portion SB. The brackets 29BL and 29BR are provided upright on the left and right sides of the rear upper surface of the seat support portion SB. A vessel 40 is provided between the seat mounting member 30 and the seat support portion SB. The vessel 40 is formed in a container shape having an open upper surface, and is placed so as to cover the seat support portion SB while being turned upside down.

  FIGS. 3A and 3B show a state where the vessel 40 is attached to the seat support portion (support base) SB, and FIG. 4 shows a detailed structure of the seat support portion SB. The seat support portion SB is fixed on the floor plate of the vehicle body frame 18 (a plate connecting the step ST and the rear step BST). The seat support portion SB is formed of a metal plate and includes a front portion 28 and a pair of left and right side portions 29L and 29R. The front portion 28 is formed by bending a metal plate into an inverted L shape, and a pair of stay-like holding portions 28X and 28X are fixed to the front surface by welding or the like. The holding portion 28X is provided with a through hole for allowing the vessel support rod 64 to pass therethrough. The side portions 29L and 29R are formed in a Z shape by bending the upper and lower ends of the metal plate in opposite directions. The lower ends of the side portions 29L and 29R are respectively fixed on the body frame 18 with bolts (not shown) and the upper ends are fixed to the front portion 28 with bolts or the like. Further, the rear ends of the side portions 29L and 29R are in contact with the front surface of the rear frame 55. The rear frame 55 reinforces the airframe at the rear of the vehicle body frame 55 and is used to place the fenders 24L and 24R. Reference numeral 54 denotes a reinforcing frame, which reinforces the side portions 29L and 29R, and is fixed between the side portions 29L and 29R.

  Here, the width of the top surface 29RU of the side portion 29R is formed wider than the top surface 29LU of the side portion 29L. This is to place limit switches (detection means) 65A and 65B, which will be described later. The brackets 29AL and 29BL for fixing the driver's seat 13 are fixed to the top surface 29LU by welding or the like in an upright state. The brackets 29AR and 29BR for fixing the driver's seat 13 are fixed to the top surface 29RU by welding or the like in an upright state. On the top surface 29RU, a limit switch (detection means) 65A is provided with a certain distance from the bracket 29AR, and a limit switch (detection means) 65B is provided with a certain distance from the bracket 29BR. The limit switches 65A and 65B are connected to a control unit (not shown) described later. Coil springs 32 and 32 are inserted between the bracket 29AR and the limit switch 65A and between the bracket 29BR and the limit switch 65B as described later.

  Each of the brackets 29AL, 29AR, 29BL, and 29BR is formed with a through hole H1 for allowing the seat fixing rod 31 to pass therethrough. The brackets 29AL and 29AR are provided along the width direction of the fuselage on the front side of the side portions 29L and 29R so that the through holes H1 face each other. Similarly, the brackets 29BL and 29BR are provided on the rear side of the side portions 29L and 29R along the width direction of the airframe so that the through holes H1 face each other.

  Relief holes 40BL and 40BR are formed on the left and right sides of the bottom of the vessel 40, respectively. The relief hole 40BL is for escaping the brackets 29AL and 29BL when the vessel 40 is put on the seat support portion SB. The relief hole 40BR is a bracket 29AR when the vessel 40 is put on the seat support portion SB. 29BR and limit switches 65A and 65B (the escape holes 40BR and 40BL are also used to escape the coil spring 32 as will be described later). Therefore, the escape hole 40BR is formed larger than the escape hole 40BL. Reference numeral 70 denotes a control box for storing electrical components such as a driver of the traveling motor DM, a driver of the mowing motor WM, and a battery control unit.

  5A and 5B show details of attaching the driver's seat 13 in the forward direction (at the time of lawn mowing work). In this state, the limit switch 65A is pressed in contact with the pressing member 31A provided in the metal seat fixing rod 31, and is turned on. When the limit switch 65A is turned ON, that fact is electrically transmitted to the control unit via a wiring (not shown). Based on this information, the control unit recognizes that the traveling direction of the electric lawn mower 10 is when the traveling operation levers 14L and 14R are pushed and tilted in the forward direction. Thus, the travel motor DM is set so that the maximum vehicle speed and acceleration in the forward running direction are larger than the maximum vehicle speed in the reverse running direction. As described above, when the limit switch 65A is turned ON, the control unit is in the control mode in which the driver's seat 13 is facing forward.

  The pressing member 31 </ b> A is formed of a cylindrical rubber or the like and is fitted into the seat fixing rod 31. The pressing member 31A is disposed at a position where the limit switch 65A is pushed in when the seat fixing rod 31 is inserted into the brackets 29AR and 29AL. The pressing member 31 </ b> A is restricted from moving in the left-right direction by friction with the seat fixing rod 31. Note that through holes are formed at both ends of the seat fixing rod 31, and a fixing pin PN for preventing removal is inserted therein.

  On the other hand, the coil springs 32 and 32 provided at the rear portion of the driver's seat 13 are respectively placed on the top surfaces 29LU and 29RU of the side portions 29L and 29R. At this time, the coil spring 32 disposed on the right side of the driver's seat 13 is disposed between the bracket 29BR and the limit switch 65B (similarly, the coil spring 32 provided on the left side of the driver's seat 13 includes the bracket 29AR and the limit switch). 65A).

  The vessel 40 is made of plastic (or metal), and specifically, is formed as shown in FIGS. That is, the vessel 40 is a container having an opening composed of a pair of side surface portions 40SL, 40SR, a first surface portion 40F, a second surface portion 40J, and bottom surface portions 40TM, 40TL, 40TR. Along the edge of the opening, the edge portions 40D are continuously provided on the side surface portions 40SL, 40SR and the first surface portion 40F. The edge portion 40D is curled by a predetermined amount toward the outside. Further, stays 40AL and 40AR are formed on the edge portion 40D of the first surface portion 40F so as to stand upright at a predetermined interval. A through hole is formed in each of the centers of the stays 40AL and 40AR. The vessel support rod 64 is passed through this through hole. At both ends of the vessel support rod 64, a retaining process is appropriately performed so as not to fall off the stays 40AL and 40AR.

  The side surface portions 40SL and 40SR are plate-like and are inclined outward at a predetermined angle toward the opening end. On the other hand, the first surface portion 40F has a plate shape and rises at a substantially right angle from the bottom surface portions 40TM, 40TL, and 40TR. The bottom surface portion 40TM is disposed at the center of the bottom surface, and a bottom surface portion 40TR is formed on the right side and a bottom surface portion 40TL is formed on the left side. A predetermined amount of step is formed between the bottom surface portion 40TM and the bottom surface portions 40TL and 40TR in order to reinforce the bottom surface. That is, the bottom surface portion 40TM has a raised bottom shape with respect to the bottom surface portions 40TL and 40TR. Two clearance holes 40BR and 40BR are formed in the bottom surface portion 40TR. On the other hand, two escape holes 40BL and 40BL are formed in the bottom surface portion 40TL. As described above, the bracket 29AR, the limit switch 65A, and the coil spring 32 (or the bracket 29BR, the limit switch 65B, and the coil spring 32) can enter the clearance hole 40BR. The bracket 29AL and the coil spring 32 (or the bracket 29BL and the coil spring 32) can enter the escape hole 40BL. Therefore, the escape hole 40BR is formed larger than the escape hole 40BL. Specifically, the escape hole 40BR is formed longer in the vehicle width direction than the escape hole 40BL.

  On the side surface portion 40SL, two projecting portions 40EL and 40EL projecting inward are formed at a predetermined interval. The protrusion 40EL is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape with rounded corners. Inside the side surface portion 40SR, two projecting portions 40ER and 40ER projecting inward are formed at a predetermined interval. The protrusion 40ER is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape with rounded corners.

  When the escape hole 40BL is not used, a grommet (closing member) 42 is attached to close the escape hole 40BL. When the escape hole 40BR is not used, a grommet (blocking member) 41 is attached to close the escape hole 40BR. Each of the grommets 41 and 42 is a rubber cap having a substantially rectangular shape with rounded corners. Grooves 41S and 42S are formed in the center of the side portion over the entire circumference. Further, the inner sides of the grommets 41 and 42 are formed in a concave shape, and fitting portions 41B and 42B are formed.

  When the grommet 41 is not used, the fitting portion 41B is fitted to the protruding portion 40ER. On the other hand, when the grommet 42 is not used, the fitting portion 42B is fitted to the protruding portion 40EL. When using the grommet 41, the grommet 41 is detached from the projecting portion 40ER and fitted into the relief hole 40BR. At this time, the groove portion 41S of the grommet 41 is fitted to the plate thickness portion of the bottom surface portion 40TR. By doing in this way, the grommet 41 can be reliably attached to the escape hole 40BR. Moreover, when using the grommet 42, it removes from the protrusion part 40EL and it fits into the relief hole 40BL. At this time, the groove portion 42S of the grommet 42 is fitted to the plate thickness portion of the bottom surface portion 40TL. By doing in this way, the grommet 42 can be reliably attached to the escape hole 40BL.

  7A to 7E show details of the travel operation lever 14R. The travel operation lever 14R includes a grip portion gripped by the driver, a lever portion 14R1, a connecting portion 14R2 provided at the lower end of the lever portion 14R1, a fixing portion 14R3 that rotatably fixes the connecting portion 14R2, and a fixing portion 14R3. Link bar 14R4 and the like. The lever portion 14R1 is a metal cylinder (or round bar) whose upper portion is bent at a substantially right angle. A connecting portion 14R2 is provided at the lower end of the lever portion 14R1. The connecting portion 14R2 is formed of a thick metal plate and includes two through holes HX1 and HX2. The ends 50C and 50D of the stopper 50 are inserted into the through holes HX1 and HX2, respectively. The stopper 50 is formed by bending a metal rod into a substantially U-shape. Of the two tips 50C and 50D formed continuously on both sides of the handle portion 50H, the tip 50D is formed longer than the tip 50C by a predetermined amount. Through holes 50A1 and 50A2 are provided at the tips 50C and 50D, respectively.

  The fixing portion 14R3 is formed by bending a rectangular metal plate twice at a substantially right angle. Positioning holes HA and HB and a center hole HC, which are circular through holes, are formed in both side portions 14R3S and 14R3S, respectively. The centers of the positioning holes HA and HB are equidistant from the center of the center hole HC. Further, an angle formed by a line connecting the center of the positioning hole HA and the center of the center hole HC and a vertical line passing through the center of the center hole HC, and a line connecting the center of the positioning hole HB and the center of the center hole HC. The angle formed with the vertical line passing through the center of the hole HC is configured to be the same angle in the opposite direction. Therefore, the lever portion 14R1 is inclined at the same angle in the opposite direction when it is set during the mowing operation (forward direction) and when it is set during the UTV operation (reverse direction).

  The connecting portion 14R2 enters the fixed portion 14R3 with a predetermined gap. The fixing portion 14R3 is fixed to the upper end portion of the link bar 14R4 by welding or the like. A rotation sensor (not shown) is attached to the lower end of the link bar 14R4, and the driving of the travel motor DM is controlled by the rotation amount and rotation direction detected by the rotation sensor.

 In order to assemble the connecting portion 14R2 to the fixing portion 14R3, the connecting portion 14R2 is inserted between the pair of side portions 14R3S of the fixing portion 14R3, and the tip 50D of the stopper 50 is inserted by aligning the through hole HX2 and the center hole HC. (As will be described later, the center hole HC is the center of rotation of the lever portion 14R1). Next, the lever portion 14R1 is tilted in the advancing direction of the lawn mower 10, and the tip 50C of the stopper 50 is inserted by aligning the through hole HX1 and the positioning hole HA. Then, the retaining pin 51 is inserted into the through hole 50A1 of the tip 50C to prevent the retaining. On the other hand, after the spring SP is inserted into the tip 50D until the tip contacts the fixing portion 14R3, the washer ZG is inserted and pressed against the rear end of the spring SP. At this time, the washer ZG is pushed inward against the elastic force of the spring SP until the through hole 50A2 is positioned outside the washer ZG. Then, the pin 51 is passed through the through hole 50A2 from the outside of the washer ZG to prevent the washer ZG from coming off (the through hole 50A2 has a handle portion more than the through hole 50A1 by the thickness of the washer ZG and the spring SP). It is formed at a position away from 50H).

  By this spring SP, the stopper 50 is urged in a direction in which the handle portion 50H is directed toward the fixed portion 14R3. In this way, the lever portion 14R1 becomes the grass cutting work position of the lawn mower 10, the lever portion 14R1 is fixed to the link bar 14R4, and the link bar 14R4 rotates in accordance with the rotation of the lever portion 14R1. (Note that when the through hole HX1 and the positioning hole HB are aligned and the tip 50C of the stopper 50 is inserted, it becomes the UTV working position of the lawn mower 10. Details will be described later). As will be described later, a rotation fulcrum 14R5 is provided at the lower end of the link bar 14R4. A rotation sensor is attached to the rotation fulcrum 14R5 so as to control the rotation speed, acceleration, and the like of the travel motor DM according to the amount of rotation. It has become. The structure of the traveling operation lever 14L is the same as that of the traveling operation lever 14R.

  By the way, as shown to Fig.8 (a), (b), the attachment member 29LE is protrudingly provided in the front side surface of the side part 29L. The attachment member 29LE is a metal plate formed in a gate shape in a cross-sectional view, and includes a through hole at the top end portion of the top surface. On the other hand, a mounting member 24LE is projected from the front inner surface of the fender 24L. The attachment member 24LE is a metal plate formed in a U-shape that is square in a cross-sectional view, and includes a through hole at the tip of the bottom surface (this attachment member 24LE may be formed integrally with the fender 24L). And the through-hole of the attachment member 29L and the through-hole of the attachment member 24LE are match | combined, and the attachment member 29L and the attachment member 24LE are connected through the volt | bolt BO here. The rear part of the fender 24L is placed and fixed on the vehicle body frame 55. The connection between the fender 24R and the side portion 29R has the same configuration as the connection between the fender 24L and the side portion 29L.

  Next, the case of performing UTV work with the electric loan mower 10 (during UTV work) will be described with reference to FIGS. First, the fixing pin PN of the seat fixing rod 31 is removed, the seat fixing rod 31 is removed from the brackets 29AL and 29AR, and the driver's seat 13 is removed from the seat support portion SB. Next, the vessel 40 is rotated around the vessel support rod 64 and placed on the step ST with the opening facing upward. Further, the grommet 41 is fitted into the escape hole 40BR, and the grommet 42 is fitted into the escape hole 40BL. And the front-end | tip of the 2nd surface part 40J of the vessel 40 is fixed to footrest FT. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 9A to 9C, two through holes HL1 and HL1 formed in the lower end portion of the footrest portion FT1 of the footrest FT are formed at the tip of the second surface portion 40J of the vessel 40. According to the two through holes HL3 and HL3, the bolts BT1 are tightened and fixed. Further, the through holes HL2 formed one by one on the both side surface portions FT2 of the footrest FT are aligned with the through holes HL4 formed one by one on the both side surface portions 40J of the vessel 40, and are fastened and fixed by the bolts BT2.

  Next, the driver's seat 13 is rotated 180 degrees on the horizontal plane from the original position (frontward) to face rearward, and the left and right coil springs 32 and 32 are placed on the top surface 29RU between the bracket 29AR and the limit switch 65A and the bracket 29AL. Are placed on the top surface 29LU. Then, after inserting both ends of the seat fixing rod 31 with the through holes 30A formed in the both side portions 30S, 30S of the seat mounting member 30 being aligned with the through holes H1, H1 of the brackets 29BL, 29BR, respectively, the seat fixing rod The fixing pin PN is inserted into the through-holes at both ends of the 31 to prevent it from coming off. At this time, the pressing member 31A of the seat fixing bar 31 contacts and pushes the tip of the limit switch 65B, and the switch is turned ON.

  When the limit switch 65B is turned on, that fact is electrically transmitted to the control unit via a wiring (not shown). Based on this information, the control unit recognizes that the traveling direction of the electric lawn mower 10 is when the traveling operation levers 14L, 14R are pushed and tilted in the backward direction. Thereby, the setting of the traveling motor DM is switched so that the maximum vehicle speed and acceleration in the forward running direction are set larger than the maximum vehicle speed in the reverse running direction. In other words, since the forward direction during UTV work is the reverse direction during lawn mowing work, the control unit changes the transmission setting of the travel motor DM, and the travel motor DM rotates in the forward direction during UTV work. Sometimes, control is performed so that the maximum vehicle speed and acceleration are increased. As described above, when the limit switch 65B is turned ON, the control unit is in the control mode in which the driver's seat 13 is facing backward.

  Further, the direction of the traveling operation lever 14L is changed. The retaining pins 51 at the tip 50C of the stopper 50 of the traveling operation lever 24L are each pulled out. Then, the handle 50H is gripped and the stopper 50 is pulled against the urging force of the spring SP. At this time, the stopper 50 is slid so as to remove the tip 50C from the positioning hole HA and the through hole HX1. The tip 50D of the stopper 50 is formed longer than the tip 50C, and the stopper 50 is slid to such an extent that it cannot be removed from the center hole HC and the through hole HX2. (By not removing all the stoppers 50 from the fixing portion 14R3, There is no risk of losing the stopper 50). Then, the lever portion 14R1 is rotated rearward with the tip 50D as the rotation center, the through hole HX1 and the positioning hole HB are aligned, and the stopper 50 is slid so as to penetrate the tip 50C. Thereafter, the retaining pin 51 is inserted into the through hole 50A1 of the tip 50C, and the stopper 50 is retained from the fixing portion 14R3. The procedure for changing the direction of the travel operation lever 14R is the same.

  In order to run the electric lawn mower 10 during the UTV operation, the travel operation levers 14L and 14R are appropriately operated. At this time, the relationship between the tilting amounts of the travel operation levers 14L and 14R and the rotational speed of the travel motor DM is the same as that during the lawn mowing operation.

  In this way, the electric lawn mower 10 can be used for UTV work (FIG. 10). The top surfaces of the fenders 24L and 24R are respectively provided with drink folders (holding portions) 61L and 61R for holding beverage containers and opening spaces 62L and 62R for placing small items. The drink folder 61L is the front part of the fender 24L, and when the driver's seat 13 is facing forward (that is, during lawn mowing work), when the driver is seated on the driver's seat 13, the hand left diagonally forward of the driver's seat 13 is It is formed at the reachable position. On the other hand, the drink folder 61R is a rear part of the fender 24R, and when the driver's seat 13 is facing backwards (that is, during UTV operation), It is formed at the position where it reaches. By doing in this way, even if the electric loan mower 10 arranges the driver's seat 13 in any of the front and rear directions, the hand reaches the drink folder on the left side with respect to the driver's seat 13, which is preferable. Further, an opening space 62L is provided on the fender 24L on the rear side of the electric lawn mower 10. On the other hand, an opening space 62R is provided on the front side of the electric lawn mower 10 on the fender 24R. By doing in this way, even if the electric lawn mower 10 arranges the driver's seat 13 in any of the front and rear directions, the hand reaches the opening space on the right side with respect to the driver's seat 13, which is preferable.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the center of the center hole HC of the fixing portion 14R3 is located on a vertical line VL passing through the center of a columnar rotation fulcrum 14R5 provided at the lower end of the link bar 14R4. The position of the rotation fulcrum 14R5 is a substantially intermediate point of the entire length L of the electric lawn mower 10. Note that the position of the lever 14R shown in FIG. 11 is a neutral position at the time of mowing work (the lever 14R indicated by a one-dot chain line indicates the neutral position at the time of UTV work).

  As shown in FIGS. 12A to 12C, a concave storage portion 64 is formed near the center of the rear step BST, and the rear footrest 65 is folded and stored in the storage portion 64. Has been. The rear footrest 65 includes a rectangular metal box-shaped footrest portion 65A having a predetermined thickness, a rectangular metal plate-shaped support portion 65B, and a hinge portion HN that rotatably couples the two. The The footrest portion 65A and the support portion 65B are folded and overlapped via the hinge portion HN. And the rotation support bar 66 is penetrated on the opposite side to the hinge part HN of the footrest part 65A. The rotation support bar 66 is made of metal, and the footrest portion 65A is rotatably supported around the rotation support bar 66. Both ends of the rotation support bar 66 are fixed by the body frame 18.

  The rear footrest 65 configured as described above is folded and stored in the storage unit 64 when the electric lawn mower 10 is performing lawn mowing work (that is, the rear footrest 65 is not attached to the body of the electric lawn mower 10). And can appear and disappear). At this time, the folded rear footrest 65 can be prevented from being caught on the rear footrest 65 when not in use by making the rear footrest 65 substantially the same height as the upper surface of the body frame 18. is there. When the electric lawn mower 10 performs UTV work, after setting the driver's seat 13 and the traveling operation levers 14L and 14R in the above-described manner, the rear footrest 65 is lifted from the storage portion 64. Then, the end portion 65B1 of the support portion 65B is brought into contact with the rear end 64B of the storage portion 64 while the support portion 65B is opened from the footrest portion 65A. In this way, the rear footrest 65 is assembled. The driver can drive while placing his / her feet on the rear footrest 65 during UTV work. When the UTV work is finished and the electric lawn mower 10 is made into a lawn mowing work, the rear footrest 65 is folded and stored in the storage part 64.

  The rear footrest 65 may not be foldable, but may be fixed in an assembled state and always exposed.

  Note that the electric loan mower need not include the vessel 40. As shown in FIGS. 13A and 13B, the vehicle body frame 18 includes a pair of linear frames 18FL, 18FL provided on both sides in the vehicle width direction, and a step plate 18ST provided between the linear frames 18FL, 18FL. The linear frame 18FL is formed in a gate shape in a sectional view. Then, the lower end on the inner side is bent outward at a substantially right angle, placed on the side of the step plate 18ST, and fixed with a bolt or the like. Therefore, the linear frame 18FL becomes the protection part PT having a height higher than that of the step ST. Thus, by providing the linear frame 18FL which is a part of the vehicle body frame 18 at a position higher than the step ST, it can also serve as the protective part PT, and the number of parts can be reduced. By disposing the upper end of the linear frame 18FL at a position higher than the upper surface of the step ST, the linear frame 18FL serves to prevent the fall when the electric lawn mower 10 travels with a load loaded on the step ST during UTV work. Thus, it is possible to prevent the loaded luggage from dropping from the step ST due to vibration during traveling and centrifugal force during left and right folding and turning.

  Furthermore, it is preferable to provide a plurality of hooks FK for hanging the fall prevention net NT on both sides in the width direction of step ST. Specifically, a plurality of through holes are formed at regular intervals on the outer surface of the linear frame 18FL, and pin-like hooks FK are passed through the respective through holes from the inside. And the base end part of the hook FK is fixed by welding etc. in the state which contact | abutted to the inner side of the outer surface of the linear flame | frame 18FL.

  As shown in FIGS. 13 (c) and 13 (d), the fall prevention net NT is formed in a substantially rectangular net shape with a stretchable member such as rubber, and has an end for hooking on the hook FK. A plurality of attachment portions NT1 are provided. As shown in FIG. 13 (e), after the luggage LG is placed in step ST, the luggage LG is covered with a fall prevention net NT from above, and the attachment portions NT1 are respectively hooked on the hooks FK to prevent the fall prevention net. NT is fixed to the body frame 18.

  It should be noted that the upper end of the linear frame 18FL may be arranged at a position higher than the upper surface of the rear step BST at the rear part of the machine body. By doing in this way, at the time of lawn mowing work with the electric lawn mower 10, the rear footrest 65 can be folded and the luggage can be placed and transported on the rear step BST. Further, the hook FK may be formed on the outer surface of the linear frame 18FL at the rear of the machine body as described above. By doing so, it is possible to cover the luggage placed on the rear step BST with the fall prevention net and prevent the luggage from falling from the rear step BST.

  The electric riding mower of the present invention is not limited to lawn mowing work as a lawn mower, and can be applied to any mowing work. Further, the drive source of the mower blade is not limited to the motor, and may be an engine.

10 Electric lawn mower (electric riding mower)
12 Rear wheels (drive wheels)
13 Driver's seat 14L, 14R Traveling control lever (operation part)
15 More deck 18 Body frame 24L, 24R Fender 28 Front part 29AL, 29AR, 29BL, 29BR Bracket 40 Vessel 40BR, 40BL Escape hole 41, 42 Grommet (closing member)
61L, 61R Drink folder (holding part)
65 Rear footrest BST Rear step DM Travel motor FK Hook LG Luggage (object)
NT Fall prevention net PK Protection part SB Seat support base (support base)
ST step WM work motor

Claims (10)

More blades that rotate and mow the grass,
A mower deck covering the mower blade from above and from the side;
A pair of left and right drive wheels for traveling;
Two travel motors that independently drive the pair of drive wheels,
A pair of left and right operation units for independently operating the driving of the two travel motors,
An electric riding mower that moves forward and backward and turns left and right by operating the pair of operation units,
A driver seat where a driver is seated when operating the operation unit;
Provided at the front of the fuselage, the step for the driver to place his / her feet when getting on and off,
The driver's seat can be changed forward and backward, and the traveling motor can rotate both forward and backward,
Further, the operation unit can be operated regardless of whether the driver's seat is facing forward or backward,
An electric riding mower, wherein an object is placed on the step when the driver's seat is facing backward. Under the driver's seat, provided with detection means for detecting whether the driver's seat is forward or backward,
2. The electric riding mower according to claim 1, wherein a control mode of the traveling motor is switched according to the direction of the driver's seat detected by the detection unit. A rear step used when the driver gets on and off when the driver's seat is facing backwards is provided behind the driver's seat,
The electric riding mower according to claim 1, wherein a rear footrest for placing a foot is provided in the rear step.   The electric riding mower according to claim 3, wherein the rear footrest is provided in a freely retractable manner. A pair of rear wheels;
A pair of left and right fenders provided on the left and right sides of the driver's seat to cover the rear wheel from above at a certain distance;
An electric riding mower integrally formed with the pair of left and right fenders for holding a beverage container,
The holding portion is formed in a front portion of one of the fenders and reachable from the driver's seat when the driver's seat is facing forward, and at the rear of the other fender, the driver's seat is facing backward The electric riding mower according to claim 1, wherein the holding portion is formed at a position that can be reached from the driver's seat.   The electric riding mower according to claim 1, further comprising hooks for hooking a fall prevention net on both sides in the width direction of the step.   2. The electric riding mower according to claim 1, further comprising a protective portion having a height higher than that of the step on both sides in the width direction of the step. A vessel for placing the object;
When the vessel is not in use, the vessel is stored below the driver seat,
The electric riding mower according to claim 1, wherein when the vessel is used, the vessel is placed on the step. With a body frame,
A support base for supporting the driver's seat from below is fixed on the vehicle body frame,
The vessel is pivotally connected to the front portion of the support;
When the vessel is not used, the vessel is placed upside down and placed on the support base,
9. The electric riding mower according to claim 8, wherein when the vessel is used, the vessel is rotated and placed on the step with the front portion of the support base as a center. A bracket for mounting the driver's seat on the support base is provided,
A relief hole for escaping the bracket is provided at the bottom of the vessel, and a closing member for closing the relief hole is detachably attached to the inside of the side of the vessel,
10. The electric riding mower according to claim 9, wherein when the vessel is used, the closing member is attached and closed to a relief hole in a bottom portion of the vessel.

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