JP2018102223A - Mower - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a mower which can transmit motive power with a compact configuration.SOLUTION: A mower includes: an operation part which operates a mowing operation upon receiving motive power from a body; an offset mechanism part which can be moved to an offset position in which the operation part is offset to a side of a travel direction of the body; and a motive power transmission part which transmits the motive power to the operation part. The motive power transmission part includes a roller chain wound between a pair of sprockets. The motive power transmission part may include a tensioner for providing tensile force from outside toward inside of the roller chain.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a mower. In particular, the present invention relates to an offset type mowing machine that is attached to the rear part of a traveling machine body and performs mowing work on the side of the traveling machine body.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a mower is known as an agricultural machine that performs mowing work to remove weeds on farm roads and wasteland. Generally, a mowing machine advances a mowing work by towing a working part with a traveling machine such as a tractor. In recent years, a working unit that performs mowing work is movable to the side of the traveling machine body, and an offset type mowing machine that performs mowing work on the side of the traveling machine body is known (Patent Documents 1 and 2).

JP 2012-39941 A JP 2012-191864 A

  The mowing machines described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 both transmit the power of the traveling machine body to the working unit by connecting the traveling machine body and the working unit using a universal joint. The power transmitted to the working unit is used as power for rotating the claw shaft of the work rotor.

  However, as described in Patent Document 1, since the bending angle of the universal joint is limited, various restrictions are imposed on the design of the working unit. For example, with regard to a universal joint, it is generally known that when the torque is constant, the life becomes shorter as the bending angle of the universal joint increases.

  In order to secure the offset amount of the working part while considering the life of the universal joint, it is conceivable to increase the length of the universal joint, but in that case, when working in a place close to the traveling aircraft body, There is a problem that the length of the universal joint gets in the way and the accessibility of the work is impaired. Also, as the universal joint becomes longer, the entire center of gravity shifts backward by the length of the universal joint, so after the work in the offset position is completed, the working unit is moved to the rear of the traveling machine body and the traveling machine body is advanced. There is also a problem that the overall balance is deteriorated and the running stability is impaired.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a mower capable of transmitting power with a compact structure.

  A mowing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a working unit that receives power from a traveling machine body and performs a mowing operation, and an offset capable of moving the working part to a position that is laterally offset with respect to a traveling direction of the traveling machine body. A mechanism unit and a power transmission unit configured to transmit the power to the working unit, and the power transmission unit includes a roller chain wound between a pair of sprockets.

  The mower according to the embodiment of the present invention described above can transmit power input from the traveling machine body to the working unit with a compact structure.

It is a top view which shows the structure of the mower in 1st Embodiment. It is a side view which shows the structure of the mower in 1st Embodiment. It is a rear view which shows the structure of the mower in 1st Embodiment. It is a top view which shows the structure of the power transmission part of the mower in 1st Embodiment. It is a top view which shows the structure at the time of the operation | work of the mower in 1st Embodiment. It is a rear view which shows the structure at the time of the operation | work of the mower in 1st Embodiment. It is a rear view which shows the state which the working part of the mower in 1st Embodiment rotated below (clockwise). It is a rear view which shows the state which the working part of the mower in 1st Embodiment rotated upwards (counterclockwise). It is a top view which shows the structure of the power transmission part of the mower in 2nd Embodiment.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the mower of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the mower of the present invention can be implemented in many different modes, and is not construed as being limited to the description of the examples shown below. Note that in the drawings referred to in this embodiment, the same portions or portions having similar functions are denoted by the same reference numerals, and repetitive description thereof is omitted.

  For convenience of explanation, words indicating directions such as upward, downward, forward, backward, rightward, and leftward are used, but the direction in which gravity works is downward, and vice versa. The traveling direction of the traveling machine body is the front, and the reverse is the rear. Furthermore, toward the front, the right side is right and the left side is left.

<First Embodiment>
[Composition of mower]
Hereinafter, the schematic configuration of the mower 100 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a configuration of a mower 100 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view illustrating the configuration of the mower 100 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a rear view illustrating the configuration of the mower 100 according to the first embodiment.

  The mower 100 according to the present embodiment includes a mounting unit 10, an offset mechanism unit 20, a power transmission unit 30, a working unit 40, and a rotation mechanism unit 50. Specifically, the mower 100 is connected to the traveling machine body 200 such as a tractor by the mounting unit 10. The mounting unit 10 and the working unit 40 are connected via the offset mechanism unit 20 and the power transmission unit 30. Thereby, the mower 100 is pulled according to the traveling of the traveling machine body 200, and the mowing work by the working unit 40 is performed.

  The mounting unit 10 is connected to a three-point link mechanism 220 (only the lower link is indicated by a dotted line here) provided between the two rear tires 210 of the traveling machine body 200 such as a tractor. The three-point link mechanism 220 is generally composed of a top link, a lift rod, and a lower link. Since the three-point link mechanism 220 is a known mechanism, a description thereof is omitted here.

  The mounting portion 10 includes a hitch frame 11 extending in the left-right direction, which is the width direction of the traveling aircraft body 200, and the hitch frame 11 is configured to be connectable to a three-point link mechanism 220 provided at the rear portion of the traveling aircraft body 200. . A gear box (not shown) is provided at the lower center of the hitch frame 11, and an input shaft (not shown) that receives power from the traveling machine body 200 is provided in the gear box. The input shaft is configured such that power is transmitted from a PTO shaft 230 provided in the traveling machine body 200 via a universal joint (not shown).

  The offset mechanism unit 20 is a mechanism for performing the offset movement of the working unit 40. Specifically, the offset mechanism unit 20 can move the working unit 40 to a position offset laterally with respect to the traveling direction of the traveling machine body 200. The offset mechanism unit 20 of this embodiment includes an offset frame 21, a link rod 22, a support frame 23, and a telescopic member 24.

  The offset frame 21 is a long frame made of a hollow member and is disposed below the power transmission unit 30. One end of the offset frame 21 is rotatably connected to the hitch frame 11 on a horizontal plane, and the other end is connected to the support frame 23.

  The link rod 22 is a long member composed of a cylindrical member and has a length comparable to that of the offset frame 21. One end of the link rod 22 is connected to the hitch frame 11 so as to be rotatable on a horizontal plane, and the other end is connected to the support frame 23. The connecting position of the offset frame 21 and the link rod 22 on the hitch frame 11 is different.

  The support frame 23 is a short member composed of a cylindrical member, and is a member that connects the offset frame 21 and the link rod 22 to each other. The offset frame 21 and the link rod 22 are connected to the support frame 23 so as to be rotatable. Further, the support frame 23 is disposed substantially parallel to the hitch frame 11.

  With the above configuration, the hitch frame 11, the offset frame 21, the link rod 22, and the support frame 23 constitute a parallelogram link mechanism having each side as a side. By this link mechanism, the offset mechanism unit 20 can offset the working unit 40.

  The expansion / contraction member 24 is a power source (actuator) of the offset mechanism unit 20 and includes, for example, a gas cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, or the like. One end of the elastic member 24 is connected to the hitch frame 11, and the other end is connected to the rear side of the offset frame 21 (for example, in the vicinity of the connection portion with the support frame 23). The offset mechanism unit 20 is driven by the expansion / contraction of the expansion / contraction member 24, and the offset amount (movement amount in the offset direction) of the working unit 40 can be controlled.

  The power transmission unit 30 is a mechanism for transmitting power from the traveling machine body 200 received by an input shaft (not shown) of the mounting unit 10 to the working unit 40 side. The mower 100 of this embodiment is not a conventional universal joint but a chain drive mechanism as the power transmission unit 30. Specifically, the power transmission unit 30 includes at least a drive sprocket 31, a driven sprocket 32, and a roller chain 33. The roller chain 33 is configured to be wound around the drive sprocket 31 and the driven sprocket 32.

  The drive sprocket 31 is a gear that is actively rotated by the power received from the input shaft. The driven sprocket 32 is a gear that passively rotates with the rotational power transmitted from the drive sprocket 31 via the roller chain 33. The roller chain 33 is a mechanical element that transmits power and the like as tension. Details of the configuration of the power transmission unit 30 will be described later.

  The working unit 40 is a part that actually performs mowing work, and includes a working rotor 41, a rotor cover 42, two side plates 43, and a cutting blade driving unit 44. The working unit 40 performs the mowing work by the cutting blade driving unit 44 receiving the power transmitted from the power transmission unit 30 and driving the work rotor 41.

  The working rotor 41 includes a rotating shaft 41a disposed between the side plates 43 and a plurality of cutting blades 41b provided radially on the rotating shaft 41a. The rotating shaft 41 a is provided in a horizontal direction orthogonal to the traveling direction of the traveling machine body 200. The working rotor 41 rotates the rotary shaft 41a and cuts weeds and the like with the cutting blade 41b.

  The rotor cover 42 is a cover member disposed so as to cover the work rotor 41. The rotor cover 42 prevents scattering of weeds cut by the cutting blade 41b, soil adhering to the weeds, pebbles falling on the work surface (ground surface), and returns the cut weeds back to the cutting blade 41b. , Has the effect of crushing finely.

  The side plate 43 supports the rotor cover 42 while rotatably supporting the rotating shaft 41a via a ball bearing or the like. In the present embodiment, a cutting blade driving unit 44 is provided for the left side plate 43.

  The cutting blade drive unit 44 transmits the rotational power transmitted from the traveling machine body 200 via the power transmission unit 30 to the rotation shaft 41 a of the work rotor 41. As shown in FIG. 2, the cutting blade drive unit 44 of the present embodiment includes a drive pulley 44a, a driven pulley 44b, a belt 44c, and a tensioner 44d. The belt 44c is wound around the driving pulley 44a and the driven pulley 44b. The tensioner 44d is disposed on the side where the belt 44c is pushed from the drive pulley 44a toward the driven pulley 44b, and applies tension from the inside to the outside of the belt 44c.

  In the cutting blade drive unit 44 having the structure described above, the drive pulley 44a is rotated by the rotational power transmitted from the power transmission unit 30, and the rotational power is transmitted to the driven pulley 44b via the belt 44c. The driven pulley 44b transmits the rotational power given from the drive pulley 44a to the rotating shaft 41a, and drives the work rotor 41.

  The rotation mechanism unit 50 is a mechanism for rotating the working unit 40 about the axis when the traveling direction of the traveling machine body 200 is used as an axis. The power output from the power transmission unit 30 is transmitted to the cutting blade drive unit 44 via the first transmission shaft 51, the rotation mechanism unit 50, and the second transmission shaft 52. The rotation of the working unit 40 will be described later.

(Configuration of power transmission unit)
The structure of the power transmission part 30 used for the mower 100 of this embodiment is demonstrated using FIG. FIG. 4 is a plan view illustrating a configuration of the power transmission unit 30 included in the mower 100 according to the first embodiment.

  In FIG. 4, a roller chain 33 is wound between the drive sprocket 31 and the driven sprocket 32. A part of the roller chain 33 is omitted by a dotted line. Here, a portion of the roller chain 33 that moves from the drive sprocket 31 toward the driven sprocket 32 is a portion that is pressed by the drive sprocket 31. For convenience of explanation, in this specification, this portion is referred to as a slack side 33a. Further, a portion of the roller chain 33 that moves from the driven sprocket 32 toward the drive sprocket 31 is a portion that is pulled by the drive sprocket 31. In this specification, this portion is referred to as the tension side 33b.

  The power transmission unit 30 of the present embodiment further includes a tensioner 34a disposed outside the slack side 33a of the roller chain 33 and a tensioner 34b disposed inside the slack side 33a of the roller chain 33. The outer side here is the outer side of the annular roller chain 33 (the region not surrounded by the roller chain 33), and the inner side is the inner side of the roller chain 33.

  The tensioner 34 a is pulled by the elastic force of the elastic member 35 and applies tension to the roller chain 33 from the outside toward the inside. In the present embodiment, a tension coil spring is used as the elastic member 35, but other spring members may be used.

  The tensioner 34b is disposed upstream of the tensioner 34a (that is, the side closer to the drive sprocket 31). The position of the tensioner 34b is fixed and functions as a guide member for fixing the track of the roller chain 33. Therefore, when the tensioner 34a applies tension to the roller chain 33 from the outside to the inside, the tensioner 34b relatively applies tension to the roller chain 33 from the inside to the outside.

  As described above, in this embodiment, tension is applied to the roller chain 33 using the tensioner 34a and the tensioner 34b, thereby preventing the roller chain 33 from slackening during power transmission and efficiently transmitting rotational power. be able to. Note that the tensioners 34a and 34b are not essential, and may be omitted, or the tensioner 34a alone may be provided.

  The drive sprocket 31, the driven sprocket 32, the roller chain 33, the tensioner 34 a, the tensioner 34 b and the elastic member 35 described above are accommodated in the chain case 36 and the outside thereof is covered with the chain cover 37. The power transmission unit 30 is disposed on a support member (not shown) mounted on the upper portion of the offset frame 21 and moves together with the offset frame 21. That is, in this embodiment, it can be said that the power transmission unit 30 constitutes a part of the offset mechanism unit 20.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the mower 100 according to this embodiment transmits the power input from the traveling machine body 200 to the working unit 40 using the power transmission unit 30 that operates in a chain drive system. That is, unlike the conventional mower, it is not necessary to connect the mounting part 10 and the working part 40 with a universal joint. Therefore, the offset amount of the working unit 40 can be freely controlled without being limited by the bending angle of the universal joint.

  In addition, as an advantage of not using a universal joint as a power transmission unit, there is no harmful effect that the life of the power transmission unit is shortened depending on the offset amount of the working unit, and thus it is possible to realize a highly durable mower. .

  Furthermore, since the power transmission unit 30 of the present embodiment can freely set the distance between the drive sprocket 31 and the driven sprocket 32, there is no adverse effect such as the length of the joint getting in the way. Therefore, there is no adverse effect that the accessibility of the work is deteriorated when working in a place close to the traveling machine body 200. After the work at the offset position is completed, the working unit 40 is moved to the rear of the traveling machine body 200, and the traveling machine body 200 is moved. As the vehicle travels, there is no negative effect that the overall balance becomes worse and the running stability is impaired.

  In addition, when a chain drive system is employ | adopted as the power transmission part 30 like this embodiment, there also exists a merit that the rotational speed of the working rotor 41 can be changed easily by the change of the diameter of a sprocket. That is, the rotational speed of the working rotor 41 and the torque can be improved by only a simple work of replacing the sprocket.

  As described above, the mower 100 according to this embodiment can transmit the power input from the traveling machine body 200 to the working unit 40 with a compact structure.

(Mower operation)
A state in which the working unit 40 of the mower 100 according to the first embodiment is offset is described. FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a normal working state of the mower 100 in the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a rear view showing the configuration of the normal working state of the mower 100 according to the first embodiment.

  Here, “normal time” refers to a state in which the working unit 40 remains offset from the non-working state toward the working state. That is, the working unit 40 is offset to the side with respect to the traveling direction of the traveling machine body 200 and is in a position substantially parallel to the horizontal plane. For example, the state where the mowing operation of the farm scene where the traveling machine body 200 travels corresponds to the normal operation state.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, during the mowing operation, the working unit 40 is offset to the right with respect to the traveling direction of the traveling machine body 200 by driving the offset mechanism unit 20. As a result, the mowing work can be performed at a position offset laterally with respect to the traveling direction of the traveling machine body 200.

  At this time, the mower 100 according to the present embodiment can offset the working unit 40 to the extent that the power transmission unit 30 and the working unit 40 are connected on a substantially straight line. That is, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the mowing operation can be performed in a state of being offset to the right by a larger amount than the rear tire 210 of the traveling machine body 200. This is because, as described above, since a chain drive system mechanism is employed as the power transmission unit 30, the conventional universal joint is not limited by the bending angle.

  Furthermore, the mower 100 of this embodiment rotates in the state which the working part 40 moved offset. FIG. 7 is a rear view showing a state in which the working unit 40 of the mower 100 in the first embodiment is in a position rotated downward. FIG. 8 is a rear view showing a state in which the working unit 40 of the mower 100 in the first embodiment is in a position rotated upward.

  The mower 100 shown in FIG. 7 is rotated downward (here, clockwise) by the rotation mechanism unit 50 in a state where the working unit 40 is offset. As described above, the rotation mechanism unit 50 is a mechanism for rotating the working unit 40 about the axis when the traveling direction of the traveling machine body 200 is used as an axis. The state shown in FIG. 7 is a state in which the working unit 40 performs a mowing work on an inclined surface (slope) located below the traveling machine body 200.

  The mower 100 according to the present embodiment can increase the offset amount while maintaining durability by adopting a chain drive system for the power transmission unit 30, so that the work can be efficiently performed on the slope located below. Is possible.

  The mower 100 shown in FIG. 8 rotates upward (here, counterclockwise) when the working unit 40 is offset. The state shown in FIG. 8 is a state in which the working unit 40 performs a mowing work on an inclined surface (slope) positioned above the traveling machine body 200. Even in this case, the mower 100 according to the present embodiment can efficiently work on an inclined surface (slope) positioned above.

Second Embodiment
In the mower of the second embodiment, the configuration of the power transmission unit is different from that of the first embodiment. Specifically, the mower of the present embodiment is that the power transmission unit 30a includes a drive pulley 31a, a driven pulley 32a, and a belt 33A. In the present embodiment, description will be made by paying attention to the difference in configuration from the mower 100 of the first embodiment, and the same components may be denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof may be omitted.

  FIG. 9 is a plan view illustrating a configuration of a power transmission unit 30a included in the mower according to the second embodiment. While the first embodiment employs a chain drive system, the present embodiment employs a belt drive system. Even in this case, the power transmission unit 30a can be configured without using a conventional universal joint.

  According to this embodiment, since there is no fear of rusting like a chain, a mower that can be easily maintained can be realized. Further, since the operation noise is smaller than that of the chain drive system, a mower with improved quietness can be configured.

  The present invention has been described above with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be appropriately changed without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Mounting part, 11 ... Hitch frame, 20 ... Offset mechanism part, 21 ... Offset frame, 22 ... Link rod, 23 ... Support frame, 24 ... Telescopic member, 30, 30a ... Power transmission part, 31 ... Drive sprocket, 31a ... driving pulley, 32 ... driven sprocket, 32a ... driven pulley, 33 ... roller chain, 33A ... belt, 34a, 34b ... tensioner, 35 ... elastic member, 36 ... chain case, 37 ... chain cover, 40 ... working part, 41 ... work rotor, 41a ... rotating shaft, 41b ... cutting blade, 42 ... rotor cover, 43 ... side plate, 44 ... cutting blade drive unit, 44a ... driving pulley, 44b ... driven pulley, 44c ... belt, 44d ... tensioner, 50 ... Rotating mechanism 51, first transmission shaft, 52, second transmission shaft, 200, traveling machine body, 210 Rear tire, 220 ... three-point link mechanism, 230 ... PTO shaft

Claims (5)

A working unit that receives power from the traveling machine and performs mowing work;
An offset mechanism unit capable of moving the working unit to a position offset laterally with respect to the traveling direction of the traveling machine body;
A power transmission unit for transmitting the power to the working unit;
With
The power transmission unit is a mowing machine including a roller chain wound between a pair of sprockets.   The mower according to claim 1, wherein the power transmission unit includes a tensioner that applies tension toward the inside from the outside of the roller chain.   The mower according to claim 2, wherein the power transmission unit further includes another tensioner that applies tension from the inside to the outside of the roller chain.   The mowing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the working unit includes a working rotor having a plurality of cutting blades attached to a rotating shaft that rotates by receiving the power. The mowing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the working unit is rotatable about the axis when the traveling direction of the traveling machine body is an axis.

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