JP4463062B2 - Working machine - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a working machine having an operation handle such as a lawn mower.

  In general, a lawn mower is detachably attached with a grass collection basket for collecting the cut grass at the rear of the lawn mower body. The lawn mower has an operation handle for operating the lawn mower body, and the operation handle moves back and forth between the operation posture protruding rearward from the lawn mower body and the storage posture tilted forward. It is comprised so that rotation is possible (for example, refer to cited reference 1).

  In this lawn mower, when turf accumulates in the grass collecting basket, the grass collecting basket is removed from the lawn mower body, and the lawn is thrown away at a predetermined place. When removing the grass basket from the lawn mower body, if the operation handle is in the operating position, it will interfere with the removal work of the grass collecting basket. Therefore, the operation handle is tilted toward the storage position. In this lawn mower, when removing the grass basket, if the operation handle is tilted toward the storage posture, the protrusion provided in the middle of the operation handle is engaged with the upper surface of the plate-like handle stay provided on the lawn mower body. The operation handle is held at an inclination that does not reach the stowed position so that the operation handle does not get in the way when the grass basket is removed or remounted.

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 6-7420

  By the way, when the lawnmower is stored in a predetermined place, it is preferable that the lawn mower can be stored in as small a space as possible. For this reason, the operation handle is set in the stowed position tilted forward. However, in the conventional lawn mower, when the operating handle is in the storage position, it is necessary to further push down (fall down) the protrusion provided in the middle of the operating handle from the state of being locked to the handle stay. In order to do this, a large force is required to elastically deform the handle stay. Furthermore, in order to rotate the operation handle to the storage position, the handle stay must be elastically deformed, and during that time, a large force must be continuously applied to the operation handle. Such work problems are not limited to lawn mowers, but are common to this type of work machine used in other various machines.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a working machine that can easily perform the operation of rotating the operation handle to the retracted position with a small force.

The present invention times back and forth between the working machine retracted position B in which rotatable operating handle 7 to the support shaft 28 around the main body 2 is tilted to the operating position A and a forward projecting rearwardly from the machine body 2 The work machine 1 is movably mounted, and the operation handle 7 is prevented from rotating to the storage posture B side by its own weight in the rear opening posture E of the storage posture B side from the vertical direction. Stoppers 51 and 52 for locking the locking portion 50 are provided on the work machine main body 2 side, and the stoppers 51 and 52 are locked with a locking position D1 for locking the locked portion 50 of the operation handle 7. And a urging means 54 that urges the stoppers 51 and 52 toward the locking position D1. The locked portion 50 and the stoppers 51 and 52 include Arranged in the middle of the support shaft 28, the biasing means 54 It is characterized in that provided on the support shaft 28.

  In the above configuration, when the operation handle 7 is rotated from the operation posture A or the rear opening posture E toward the storage posture B, the stoppers 51 and 52 are released from the locking position D1 against the biasing force of the biasing means 54. Since the locked state between the locked portion 50 of the operation handle 7 and the stoppers 51 and 52 is easily released simply by moving to the position D2, after the stoppers 51 and 52 are moved to the release position D2, The operation handle 7 can be rotated with a small force to easily set the storage posture B.

  Note that, as the above configuration, the stoppers 51 and 52 can be directly operated to move from the locking position D1 to the release position D2. Further, an operation member that is connected to or interlocked with the stoppers 51 and 52 and that is different from the stoppers 51 and 52 is provided, and by operating this operation member, the stoppers 51 and 52 are moved from the locking position D1 to the release position D2. It can also be. In any case, the stopper 51 and 52 are moved from the locking position D1 to the release position D2 against the urging force of the urging means 54, so that the locked portion 50 of the operation handle 7 is locked with the stopper. Since the state is easily released, the operation handle 7 can be rotated with a small force to easily enter the storage posture B.

In the working machine 1 of the present invention, as characterized in that supporting shaft 28 is a stopper 51, 52 by movement in the axial direction is movable in support shaft 28 moves between the locked position D1 and a release position D2 Yes.

  In the above configuration, by moving the stoppers 51 and 52 in the axial direction of the support shaft 28, the stoppers 51 and 52 move from the locking position D1 to the release position D2, and the locked portion 50 of the operation handle 7 Since the locked state with the stoppers 51 and 52 is easily released, after the stoppers 51 and 52 are moved to the release position D2, the operation handle 7 is rotated with a small force to easily change the storage posture B. can do. Further, the structure in which the stoppers 51 and 52 are provided on the support shaft 28 of the operation handle 7 makes it possible to make the stoppers 51 and 52 and a mechanism for moving the stoppers 51 and 52 compact.

  In the working machine 1 according to the present invention, one end of the support shaft 28 is exposed to the outside of the work machine main body 2, and the urging means 54 urges the support shaft 28 toward one end thereof, and one end of the support shaft 28. The stoppers 51 and 52 are moved to the release position D2 by pressing the terminal toward the other end.

  In the above configuration, since one end of the support shaft 28 is exposed to the outside of the work machine body 2, when the stoppers 51 and 52 are moved from the locking position D1 to the release position D2, the exposed portion of the support shaft 28 is changed. The operation handle 7 can be rotated by an easy and easy operation such as a pressing operation.

  According to the present invention, the stopper is provided so as to be movable between the locking position for locking the locked portion of the operation handle and the release position for releasing the locked state. In particular, it is possible to easily and easily perform the operation for setting the storage posture.

  Hereinafter, an example in which a working machine according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied to a lawn mower will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 is a front view of a lawn mower omitted, FIG. 2 is a partially broken plan view of the lawn mower, FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the lawn mower, FIG. 4 is an enlarged plan sectional view of the main part, and FIG. Is a front sectional view showing the shape of the end of the support shaft, FIGS. 6 and 7 are enlarged front sectional views showing the relationship between the stopper and the locked portion according to the position of the operation handle, and FIG. 8 is the end of the support shaft. It is front sectional drawing showing the shape and retaining ring.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the lawn mower 1 has a lawn mower main body 2, and the lawn mower main body 2 has a divided main body 3 and a lower main body 3 and a set screw 5. It is assembled by fixing with. The lawn mower 1 has an operation handle 7 used when operating the lawn mower 1. The operation handle 7 is switchable between an operation posture A that protrudes rearward from the lawn mower body 2 and a storage posture B that is tilted forward and extends in the front-rear direction of the lawn mower body 2. A grass basket 9 into which the cut grass is thrown is detachably provided on a hook 6 provided at the rear portion of the lawn mower body 2. A pair of guide plates 80 for indicating the cutting width of the lawn mower 1 are provided on both sides in the width direction (upper and lower in FIG. 2) in the front portion of the lawn mower body 2. . The distance L between the pair of guide plates 80 is set to be approximately the same as the width direction of the rotary blade 17 shown in FIG. Since the guide plate 80 can easily check the width of the rotary blade 17 and the end thereof, a cutting operation without any uncut portion can be performed.

  A wheel 10 is rotatably provided around the support shaft 11 at the front portion of the lower main body 3, and a support portion 12 is provided to support the wheel 10 rotatably around the support shaft 11 as shown in FIG. 3. It has been. A roller 13 is provided at the rear portion of the lower main body 3 so as to be rotatable around the support shaft 14, and a support portion 15 is provided to support the roller 13 so as to be rotatable around the support shaft 14. A fixed blade 16 and a rotary blade 17 are disposed between the wheel 10 and the roller 13 of the lawn mower body 2 (lower body portion 3). The rotary blade 17 is configured to be rotatable about the support shaft 20, and as shown in FIG. 2, a driving unit 21 for rotating the rotary blade 17 about the support shaft 20 is mounted on the lawn mower body 2. ing. Both the fixed blade 16 and the rotary blade 17 are attached to the lawn mower main body 2 through different support portions 18 and 19 so as to be exchangeable.

  The operation handle 7 is formed in a U-shape as a whole, and its base end portions 24 and 25 are rotatable on the rear upper surface of the lower main body portion 3 via separate support shafts 28 and 29, respectively. It is supported. The support shafts 28 and 29 are separate members but are arranged on the same axis.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, a protrusion 27 having a recess 30 (columnar space) recessed inward in the width direction at the upper portion of the lower main body 3 and at the rear portion on one side in the width direction. Is provided. One support shaft 28 is inserted from an insertion hole 32 formed in the bottom plate portion 31 of the projecting portion 27, and the distal end portion 26 side of the support shaft 28 is a first support box assembled in the lawn mower body 2. 35 is inserted. The first support box 35 includes an upper box forming portion 36 and a lower box forming portion 37 that are aligned in the vertical direction and fixed to each other by a plurality of set screws 38. In addition, an opening 40 for inserting the support shaft 28 is formed. A rib formed on the inner wall of the first support box 35 is a support member 45 that is inserted into and supported by the first support box 35 movably in the axial direction (the width direction of the lawn mower body 2). The interior is fixed via 35a. Although the support shaft 28 is formed in a columnar shape, the tip end portion 26 has a flat portion 46 formed in a C-cut cross-sectional shape as shown in FIG. Thus, the support member 45 is fixed to the first support box 35, and the tip end portion 26 of the support shaft 28 has the flat surface portion 46 and is inserted into the support member 45. It is non-rotating around 28a.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 4, 6, and 7, one base end portion 24 of the operation handle 7 is rotatable about the support shaft 28 via a posture switching device 48. The posture switching device 48 includes a locked portion 50 that is externally provided in the middle of the support shaft 28, and cylindrical stoppers 51 and 52 that are integrally protruded radially outward in the middle of the support shaft 28. An operating body 53 that is assembled to the projecting portion 28b of the support shaft 28 that protrudes from the concave portion 30 and presses the support shaft 28 toward the tip end portion 26, and the bottom plate portion 31 and the operation body 53. A coil spring 54 is disposed as an urging means that urges the support shaft 28 toward one side in the axial direction (outward in the width direction of the lawn mower body 2).

  The locked portion 50 includes a large-diameter cylindrical portion 55A on one axial side, a small-diameter cylindrical portion 55B formed radially inward of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 55A, and an engaged portion on the other axial side. It is formed integrally with the stop protrusions 56 and 57. The base end portion 24 of the operation handle 7 is fixed to the large-diameter cylindrical portion 55A of the locked portion 50, and the small-diameter cylindrical portion 55B and the locked protrusions 56 and 57 are loosely fitted in the middle of the support shaft 28. Has been.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the locked projections 56 and 57 are provided in a pair so as to be spaced apart from each other by 180 ° in the circumferential direction. As shown in FIG. The first support box 35 is disposed at a position where it is inserted into the opening 40. The locked protrusions 56 and 57 are each formed in a fan shape when viewed from the front by setting the circumferential length on the radially outer side longer than the circumferential length on the radially inner side. Therefore, gaps 58 and 59 having a predetermined circumferential length are provided between the locked protrusions 56 and 57. Side surfaces along the radial direction of the support shaft 28 in the locked protrusions 56 and 57 are used as locked surfaces 60 and 61. The stoppers 51 and 52 are disposed in the middle of the support shaft 28 in the axial direction (substantially the axial center position) and spaced apart by 180 ° in the circumferential direction. More specifically, it is composed of a single cylindrical pin that is press-fitted and fixed in a through-hole vertically formed on the axis 28 a of the support shaft 28, and a portion that protrudes through the support shaft 28 is a stopper 51. , 52.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the operating body 53 is integrally formed at the center of the operating portion 63 with the operating portion 63 formed in a circle when viewed from the front, and is externally fixed to the protruding portion 28 b of the support shaft 28. And a fixing portion 64. The operation portion 63 is formed to be slightly smaller in diameter than the recess 30, so that the operation portion 63 can be moved in and out of the recess 30, and a force for pressing the operation portion 63 to the other side in the axial direction of the support shaft 28 is applied. Otherwise, the operation body 53 protrudes from the recess 30 and is exposed from the lawn mower body 2. In the middle of the support shaft 28, the protruding amount of the operating portion 63 protruding from the recessed portion 30 is determined by contacting the rib 35 b formed on the inner wall of the first support box 35 on the axially outward side from the side surface. In addition, a retaining ring 65 for retaining the support shaft 28 is fitted.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a support shaft 29 (formed in a columnar shape) that supports the base end portion 25 on the other side of the operation handle 7 is a second support box 66 fixed in the lawn mower body 2. A part of the support shaft 29 protrudes outward in the axial direction from the second support box 66, and the base end portion 25 on the other side of the operation handle 7 rotates around the protruding portion 29 a of the support shaft 29. It is fitted externally. The second support box 66 is configured such that a lower box forming part 70 and an upper box forming part 71 are aligned in the vertical direction and fixed to each other by a plurality of set screws 72. Note that, similarly to the first support box 35, the second support box 66 is also formed with ribs (reference numerals are omitted) for holding the support shaft 29 along the width direction.

  In the above configuration, when mowing the lawn mower 1 by operating (using) the lawn mower 1, the operation handle 7 is set to the operation posture A, and the lawn mower 1 is driven by pushing the operation handle 7. Then, by driving the drive unit 21, the rotary blade 17 rotates, and the turf is cut between the rotary blade 17 and the fixed blade 16, and the cut turf is sequentially put into the grass collection basket 9.

  By the way, since the support shaft 28 is always urged to one side in the axial direction by the elastic force of the coil spring 54, the support shaft 28 moves to the one side in the axial direction to a position where the retaining ring 65 contacts the rib 35b. Therefore, the stoppers 51 and 52 are in the locking position D1 moved to the one side in the axial direction together with the support shaft 28. At the locking position D1, the stoppers 51 and 52 are in the gaps 58 and 59 between the locked projections 56 and 57. Accordingly, the widths of the gaps 58 and 59 need to be long enough for the stoppers 51 and 52 to enter as predetermined circumferential lengths. Furthermore, the operating portion 63 is in a state of protruding from the recess 30 at the locking position D1 of the stoppers 51 and 52. Even when the stoppers 51 and 52 are in the locking position D1, in the operation posture A of the operation handle 7, the stoppers 51 and 52 and the locked protrusions 56 and 57 are in a positional relationship in which they are not locked in the circumferential direction. Thus, the operation handle 7 and the lawn mower body 2 rotate around the support shafts 28 and 29 to the position of the rear opening posture E within a range in which the locked projections 56 and 57 are locked (contacted) with the stoppers 51 and 52. Is relatively rotatable. By doing in this way, even if there is a undulation on the turf surface, the lawn mower body 2 can follow the undulation. As shown in FIG. 1, the rotation of the operation handle 7 on the anti-rear opening posture E side (clockwise direction in FIG. 1) in the operation posture A is controlled by the base end 24 of the operation handle 7 mowing the lawn. This is done by contacting a contact portion 2b provided in the machine main body 2.

  By the way, when the lawn mowing work has progressed and the grass has accumulated in the grass basket 9, the grass basket 9 is removed from the hook 6, and the grass is discarded in a predetermined place. When the grass basket 9 is removed from the hook 6, the operation of removing the grass basket 9 is obstructed if the operation handle 7 is left in the operation posture A. Therefore, by pushing the operating handle 7 and rotating it around the support shafts 28 and 29, the operating handle 7 is tilted slightly forward from the vertical direction to open the rear portion of the lawn mower body 2 to the rear opening posture E. . Then, the stoppers 51 and 52 are in the locking position D1, and the outer peripheral surfaces of the stoppers 51 and 52 and the locked surfaces 60 and 61 of the locked projections 56 and 57 are locked in the circumferential direction, respectively. The operation handle 7 is held in a state where the operation handle 7 does not fall further forward, and the operation of removing the grass basket 9 from the hook 6 is facilitated. Further, it is more effective that the operation handle 7 is further rotated forward from the rear opening posture E by the stopper 51 and the locked surface 60 and the stopper 52 and the locked surface 61 being locked in pairs. Can be prevented.

  When the lawn mowing operation is completed and the lawn mower 1 is stored in a predetermined place, the operation handle 7 is set to the storage posture B so that a space required for storage can be reduced. However, as described above, the stoppers 51 and 52 and the locked protrusions 56 and 57 are locked to each other when the operation handle 7 is tilted to the rear opening posture E, and the operation handle 7 is not further tilted forward. It is. Therefore, the user operates the posture switching device 48 to set the operation handle 7 to the storage posture B. That is, the operating body 53 protruding from the recess 30 is pressed against the other side in the axial direction against the elasticity of the coil spring 54. Then, as the operating body 53 moves, the support shaft 28 moves in the same direction, and the stoppers 51 and 52 move in the same direction as the support shaft 28 moves. Then, the stoppers 51 and 52 are disengaged to the other side in the axial direction with respect to the locked protrusions 56 and 57 from the locking position D1 where the stoppers 51 and 52 are locked to the locked protrusions 56 and 57 in the circumferential direction. Moved to the release position D2 (shown in phantom lines in FIG. 4). Accordingly, there is no obstacle to the rotation of the locked protrusions 56 and 57 around the support shaft 28, and the operation handle 7 can be tilted further forward, so that the operation handle 7 is stored in the storage posture B. It can be. When the pressing of the operating body 53 is released in the state where the operating handle 7 is in the storage posture B, the stoppers 51 and 52 together with the support shaft 28 are always urged to one side in the axial direction by the elastic force of the coil spring 54. Therefore, the stoppers 51 and 52 come into contact with the end surfaces 56a and 57a of the locked projections 56 and 57, and the further movement to one side in the axial direction is restricted by the contact force (elastic force of the coil spring 54). Yes. A position where the stoppers 51 and 52 are in contact with the end faces 56a and 57a is a locking position D3. In this way, it is possible to easily set the operation handle 7 to the storage posture B while reliably holding the operation handle 7 in the rear opening posture E.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, when the operation handle 7 is in the storage posture B, the protrusions 2 a provided on both upper sides of the lawn mower main body 2 are connected to the base end portions 24, 25 (oval shape of the operation handle 7). It is possible to prevent the operation handle 7 from rotating upward by overriding (formed in a cross section). Furthermore, the structure shown in FIG. 9 can be considered as another embodiment. Figure 9 is an enlarged view showing the relationship between the locked projection 57 and the stopper 51 in the retracted position B of the operating handle 7 is a diagram obtained by palm from the lower side Te FIG smell. In FIG. 9, both the locked protrusions 56 and 57 are indicated by solid lines. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 9, in order to securely hold the operation handle 7 in the storage posture B, the stoppers 51, 52 are placed on the end surfaces 56a, 57a of the locked projections 56, 57 with which the stoppers 51, 52 abut. When each of the concave grooves 56b and 57b having an arcuate cross section engageable with each other is formed toward the shaft center 28a of the support shaft 28 and the operation handle 7 is in the storage posture B, the stoppers 51, 52 is engaged. With this configuration, the operation handle 7 can be more reliably held in the storage posture B, and the work machine holding the operation handle 7 can be moved more securely in the storage posture B. When the operating handle 7 is set to the operating posture A, a force sufficient to cause the stoppers 51 and 52 to escape from the concave grooves 56b and 57b against the elastic force of the coil spring 54 may be applied to the operating handle 7.

  Thus, the user simply moves the stoppers 51 and 52 from the locking position D1 to the release position D2 with a simple and small force such as pressing the operating body 53 against the other side in the axial direction against the elasticity of the coil spring 54. It is possible to move the operation handle 7 from the operation posture A or the rear opening posture E to the storage posture B easily. In addition, when storing the lawn mower 1 in a predetermined place, if the lawn mower main body 2 is stored in a raised state, the grass basket 9 is stored separately as being detached from the hook 6.

  When the lawnmower 1 is used again, since the operation handle 7 is in the storage posture B, it is necessary to set it to the operation posture A. In this case, the stoppers 51 and 52 are in the locking position D3 due to the elasticity of the coil spring 54, and when the operating handle 7 is raised in the vertical direction around the support shafts 28 and 29, the stoppers 51 and 52 are substantially in the rear opening posture E. And the locked protrusions 56 and 57 are locked in the circumferential direction, respectively. Therefore, the operation handle 7 cannot be rotated again to the storage posture B. Therefore, when the operation handle 7 is raised further rearward, the operation handle 7 can be set to the operation posture A. If the grass collection basket 9 is removed from the hook 6, the grass collection basket 9 can be easily attached to the hook 6 by setting the operation handle 7 to the rear opening posture E.

  In the above embodiment, the stopper 51 and the locked surface 60 and the stopper 52 and the locked surface 61 are locked in pairs, but the number of stoppers and the locked protrusion (locked surface) The number is not limited to the above embodiment, and it is sufficient that the operation handle 7 can be reliably prevented from rotating. Moreover, with this configuration, it is possible to arbitrarily set the inclination angle in the rear opening posture E of the operation handle 7. Further, in the above embodiment, the stoppers 51 and 52 and the locked projections 56 and 57 are equally arranged at intervals of 180 °, but they can be arranged at unequal angles. It is also possible to arbitrarily set the inclination angle in the rear opening posture E.

The partial omission front view of the lawn mower which shows embodiment of this invention. A partially broken plan view of the lawn mower. The bottom view of the lawn mower. The principal part enlarged plan sectional view similarly. Similarly, the front sectional view showing the shape of the end portion of the support shaft. Similarly the expanded front sectional view which shows the relationship between the stopper according to the position of an operation handle, and a to-be-latched part. Similarly the expanded front sectional view which shows the relationship between the stopper according to the position of an operation handle, and a to-be-latched part. The front sectional view showing the shape of a spindle end and a retaining ring. The enlarged view showing the relationship between the to-be-latched protrusion and the stopper in the retracted posture of the operation handle according to another embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Lawn mower, 2 ... Lawn mower main body, 7 ... Operation handle, 9 ... Collecting basket, 16 ... Fixed blade, 17 ... Rotating blade, 28 ... Spindle, 30 ... Recess, 48 ... Posture switching device, 51 , 52 ... Stopper, 53 ... Operation body, 54 ... Coil spring, 56, 57 ... Locked protrusion, 63 ... Operation part, A ... Operation posture, B ... Storage posture, D1 ... Locking position, D2 ... Release position , E ... Rear open posture

Claims (3)

An operation handle (7) that is rotatable about the support shaft (28) on the work machine body (2) protrudes rearward from the work machine body (2) and a storage position (B) that is tilted forward. ) Is a work machine (1) that is pivotably mounted back and forth between,
The locked portion (7) of the operating handle (7) prevents the operating handle (7) from rotating to the storing posture (B) side by its own weight in the rear opening posture (E) on the storage posture (B) side from the vertical direction. 50) is provided on the work machine body (2) side, and the stopper (51, 52) locks the locked portion (50) of the operation handle (7). A biasing means configured to be movable between a locking position (D1) and a release position (D2) for releasing the locking state, and biasing the stoppers (51, 52) toward the locking position (D1). equipped with a (54),
The locked portion (50) and the stoppers (51, 52) are disposed in the middle of the support shaft (28), and the urging means (54) is provided on the support shaft (28). Working machine (1)
The supporting shaft (28) to move between the stopper (51, 52) locking position (D1) and a release position (D2) by the movement of the axially movable support shaft (28) The working machine (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the working machine (1) is characterized.
  One end portion of the support shaft (28) is exposed to the outside of the work machine body (2), and the urging means (54) urges the support shaft (28) toward the one end portion side of the support shaft (28). The work machine (1) according to claim 2, wherein the stopper (51, 52) is moved to the release position (D2) by pressing the one end portion toward the other end portion.

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