JP2008263920A - Riding lawn mowing vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an improved riding lawn mowing vehicle whose front and rear frames are connected to each other in a body-bendable state and whose body-bending angle can be changed in interlock with the operation of an operation section. <P>SOLUTION: This riding lawn mowing vehicle having a front frame 14 for supporting two front wheels, a rear frame 18 for supporting two rear wheels, a connection portion 20 for connecting the front frame 14 to the rear frame 18 in a body-bendable state, a steering device for changing a body-bending angle between the front frame 14 and the rear frame 18 in interlock with the operation of a steering wheel 22 which is an operation section, and a lawn mower 34 is characterized in that an exhaust duct 60 which connects the lawn mower 34 to a grass-collecting tank 62, and a power transmission mechanism 50 which can transmit the power of a motor 46 for driving the lawn mower to the lawn mower 34 are placed between electric motors for driving the two front wheels. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention includes a front frame that supports at least two front wheels, a rear frame that supports at least two rear wheels, a connecting portion that connects the front frame and the rear frame so that the body can be bent, and operation of the operating portion. The present invention relates to a riding lawnmower vehicle that includes a steering device that changes a body refraction angle between a front frame and a rear frame, and a lawn mower.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a lawn mower vehicle equipped with a lawn mower, a walk-behind lawn mower vehicle that is operated by a person on the rear side of the vehicle and a riding lawn mower vehicle that a person rides and operates are known. In addition, a riding-type lawnmower vehicle that includes a main drive wheel that is driven by a driving power source and a lawnmower has been considered.

  Such a riding-type lawn mowing vehicle is used to adjust the lawn to a predetermined length by a lawn mower while a person gets on and operates. In addition, as a kind of riding lawn mowing vehicle, the front frame is supported by the front frame, the rear frame is supported by the rear wheel, and the front frame and the rear frame can be bent by the connecting portion, that is, the body can be bent. A riding type lawnmower vehicle having a so-called articulated turning mechanism to be connected is considered. In the case of a riding-type lawn mower vehicle having such an articulated turning mechanism, it is provided with a steering device that changes the body refraction angle between the front frame and the rear frame in conjunction with the operation of the operation unit such as the steering wheel. It is considered.

In the case of the riding lawn mower vehicle described in Patent Document 1, the front portion and the rear portion of the vehicle body are connected by a connecting portion including a catch arm and a ball. An operator can be ridden on the front part, and an engine, a generator, and an inverter are mounted on the rear part. Further, a driving wheel driven by a motor is supported on the front side portion, and a caster wheel is supported on the rear side portion.
As prior art documents related to the present invention, there are Patent Document 2 to Patent Document 4 in addition to Patent Document 1.

US Pat. No. 6,591,593 US Pat. No. 7,017,327 International Publication No. 2006/086412 Pamphlet US Pat. No. 3,732,671

  In the case of a riding-type lawn mower vehicle having an articulated turning mechanism that connects the front frame and the rear frame so that the body can be bent, there is room for improvement in terms of increasing the degree of effective use of the vehicle space. There is. For example, in the case of a conventionally conceived structure, a grass collection duct that connects a lawn mower and a grass collection tank, and a power transmission mechanism that transmits the power of a lawn mower drive motor to the lawn mower. There is room for improvement with respect to the arrangement position, and there is room for improvement in terms of increasing the degree of effective use of the space. There is also room for improvement in terms of saving fuel and sharing parts.

  On the other hand, in the case of the riding-type lawn mowing vehicle described in Patent Document 1, it is not disclosed to have an articulated turning mechanism. In addition, the riding lawn mowing vehicle described in Patent Document 1 has room for improvement in terms of increasing the degree of effective use of space. There is also room for improvement in terms of sharing parts. Thus, the riding-type lawn mowing vehicle described in Patent Document 1 has room for improvement. The riding lawn mower described in Patent Document 2 to Patent Document 4 does not have an articulated turning mechanism.

  An object of the present invention is to improve the structure of a riding lawnmower vehicle in which a front frame and a rear frame are connected so as to be able to bend the body, and the body refraction angle can be changed in conjunction with the operation of the operation unit. is there.

  Among the riding-type lawn mowing vehicles according to the present invention, the riding-type electric lawn mowing vehicle according to the first invention includes a front frame that supports at least two front wheels, and a rear frame that supports at least two rear wheels. A connecting portion that connects the front frame and the rear frame so that the body can be bent; a steering device that changes a body refraction angle between the front frame and the rear frame in conjunction with an operation of the operation portion; and a lawn mower. A riding lawn mower vehicle, a grass collection duct connected between the lawn mower and the grass collection tank, a power transmission mechanism capable of transmitting the power of the lawn mower drive motor to the lawn mower, The power transmission mechanism includes a plurality of power transmission shafts connected via universal joints or a belt that spans at least two pulleys, and drives two front wheels for driving each of the two front wheels. Same as motor Between the grass duct, out of the power transmission mechanism, a riding lawn mowing vehicle, characterized in that it is positioned to one or both.

  Of the riding lawn mowers according to the present invention, the riding electric lawn mowing vehicle according to the second invention includes a front frame supporting at least two front wheels and a rear supporting at least two rear wheels. A frame, a connecting part that connects the front frame and the rear frame so as to be able to bend the body, a steering device that changes the body refraction angle between the front frame and the rear frame in conjunction with the operation of the operation part, and a lawn mower; A lawn mowing vehicle comprising: an at least one of an internal combustion engine, a generator, a secondary battery, a fuel cell, a capacitor, and an inverter fixed to a rear frame. This is a riding-type lawn mowing vehicle.

  Preferably, at least one of an internal combustion engine, a generator, a secondary battery, and a fuel cell is positioned between the two rear wheels.

  More preferably, the secondary battery is fixed to the lower side of the driver seat in the front frame.

  Among the riding lawn mowing vehicles according to the present invention, the riding electric mowing vehicle according to the third invention includes a front frame supporting at least two front wheels and a rear supporting at least two rear wheels. A frame, a connecting part that connects the front frame and the rear frame so as to be able to bend the body, a steering device that changes the body refraction angle between the front frame and the rear frame in conjunction with the operation of the operation part, and a lawn mower; A lawn mower driving motor for driving a lawn mower is fixed to a front frame.

  Of the riding lawn mowing vehicles according to the present invention, the riding electric lawn mowing vehicle according to the fourth invention includes a front frame supporting at least two front wheels and a rear supporting at least two rear wheels. A frame, a connecting part that connects the front frame and the rear frame so as to be able to bend the body, a steering device that changes the body refraction angle between the front frame and the rear frame in conjunction with the operation of the operation part, and a lawn mower; The electric lawn mowing vehicle includes a traveling electric motor, an internal combustion engine, and a generator driven by the internal combustion engine, and travels the electric power generated by the generator directly or via a power storage unit. And the power of the internal combustion engine can be transmitted to the lawn mower by the power transmission mechanism. The power transmission mechanism is connected to the power transmission rotating shaft with a pulley or a gear. The intermediate element includes a fixed intermediate element, and the intermediate element is capable of transmitting power between the two power transmission elements. The swing center of the connecting portion of the front frame and the rear frame, the power transmission rotary shaft, Is a riding lawn mowing vehicle, characterized in that is positioned on the same axis.

  Of the riding lawn mower vehicles according to the present invention, the riding electric lawn mower vehicle according to the fifth invention includes a front frame that supports at least two front wheels, and a rear that supports at least two rear wheels. A frame, a connecting part that connects the front frame and the rear frame so as to be able to bend the body, a steering device that changes the body refraction angle between the front frame and the rear frame in conjunction with the operation of the operation part, and a lawn mower; Is a riding lawn mower vehicle in which one or both of front wheels and rear wheels are driven by an electric motor for traveling.

  Preferably, at least one of the two front wheels and the two rear wheels is driven by two independent traveling electric motors on both the left and right sides.

  In the fifth aspect of the invention, it is preferable that at least one of the two front wheels and the two rear wheels is driven by a common electric motor for traveling on both sides common to the two front wheels or the two rear wheels. To do.

  In the fifth invention, preferably, two front wheels or two rear wheels are driven by two independent electric motors for traveling, and two rear wheels or two front wheels are two. The rear wheels or the two front wheels are driven by a common electric motor for traveling on both sides.

  Further, in the fifth invention, at least one of the two front wheels and the two rear wheels is driven by a common electric motor for driving on both sides common to the two front wheels or the two rear wheels, Alternatively, in the fifth invention, two front wheels or two rear wheels are driven by two independent electric motors for traveling, and two rear wheels or two front wheels are two rear wheels. In the configuration in which the two or both front wheels are driven by the common electric motor for both-side traveling, more preferably, the electric motor for both-side common traveling, the reduction gear device having one or more reduction gears, and the differential gear device Thus, a single motor unit is constructed, and the power of the electric motor for traveling on both sides can be transmitted to the two rear wheels or the two front wheels via the reduction gear device and the differential gear device.

  More preferably, the differential gear device is provided with a differential lock mechanism that allows two rear wheels or two front wheels to rotate integrally at the same rotational speed.

  More preferably, the differential gear mechanism is provided with a differential limiting mechanism that generates a differential limiting force in accordance with a rotational speed difference between two rear wheels or between two front wheels or an input torque to the differential gear device. Provide.

  More preferably, the axle fixed to the rear wheel or the front wheel is rotatably supported by a bearing provided on the rear frame or the front frame.

  More preferably, the both-side common travel electric motor is offset so as to be displaced from the center position in the width direction of the vehicle.

  More preferably, a grass collection tank is provided on the rear side of the driver's seat, and the grass collection tank is connected to the lawn mower through a grass collection duct.

  More preferably, at least one of an internal combustion engine, a generator, a secondary battery, a fuel cell, a capacitor, and an inverter is disposed below the grass collection tank.

  More preferably, a grass collection duct connected between the lawn mower and the grass collection tank is provided, and when the vehicle is viewed from one side in the width direction to the other side, the lawn mower drive motor and the secondary At least one of the battery, the capacitor, and the dust collecting duct are overlapped.

  More preferably, a grass collecting duct connected between the lawn mower and the grass collecting tank is provided, and the grass collecting duct is at least partially configured in a bellows shape, and is provided with two pieces from the lawn mower. It extends so as to pass between the front wheels, the rear side of the driver's seat, and the upper side of the connecting portion of the front frame and the rear frame, and is connected to the grass collection tank.

  More preferably, a grass collection duct connected between the lawn mower and the grass collection tank is provided, and the grass collection duct is at least partially configured in a bellows shape, and the two front wheels from the lawn mower are provided. Connect to the grass collection tank.

  More preferably, a lawnmower driving device for driving the lawn mower and a grass collection duct connected between the lawn mower and the grass collection tank, the lawnmower driving device and the grass collection device are provided. At least one of the ducts is offset from the center in the width direction of the vehicle.

  More preferably, at least one of an inverter, a DC / DC converter, and a control circuit unit is disposed below the driver's seat.

  According to the riding lawn mowing vehicle according to the present invention, it is possible to improve the structure in which the front frame and the rear frame are connected so as to be able to bend the body and the body refraction angle can be changed in conjunction with the operation of the operation unit. For example, according to the riding lawn mower vehicle according to the first aspect of the invention, a grass collecting duct connected between the lawn mower and the grass collecting tank, and the power of the mower driving motor is transmitted to the lawn mower. A power transmission mechanism, and the power transmission mechanism includes a plurality of power transmission shafts connected via universal joints or a belt that spans at least two pulleys, and drives each of the two front wheels. Since one or both of the grass collecting duct and the power transmission mechanism are positioned between the two front wheel drive motors, the space between the two front wheel drive motors Effective use can be achieved, and the degree of effective use of space can be increased. In addition, when a grass collection duct is positioned between the two front wheel drive motors, the lawn mower and the grass collection tank can be easily connected by a substantially straight grass collection duct, and the grass collection capacity Can be improved easily.

  According to the riding lawn mowing vehicle according to the second aspect of the present invention, at least one of the internal combustion engine, the generator, the secondary battery, the fuel cell, the capacitor, and the inverter is provided on the rear frame. Therefore, when a driver's seat is provided on the front frame, the space on the rear frame side can be used effectively, and the degree of effective use of the space can be increased.

  In the riding lawn mower vehicle according to the third aspect of the invention, the lawn mower driving motor for driving the lawn mower is fixed to the front frame, so that the mechanism for driving the lawn mower is disposed on the rear frame. It is not necessary to provide it on the side, and the degree of effective use of the space can be increased. Also, by shifting the position of the lawn mower drive motor and lawn mower in the vehicle length direction, the space between the lawn mower and the front frame can be widened, and the space can be used effectively. Can be further increased. That is, by making the size of this space the same as in the past, the front frame and the rear frame can be lowered, the space below the vehicle can be used effectively, and the degree of effective use of the space of the vehicle is increased. be able to. Further, the center of gravity of the vehicle can be lowered by the amount that the front frame and the rear frame can be lowered. Furthermore, it is possible to share some parts of a conventional lawn mower that can transmit power from an internal combustion engine to a lawn mower by a power transmission mechanism. Reduction can be achieved.

  Further, according to the riding lawn mower vehicle according to the fourth aspect of the invention, the distance between the intermediate element and the lawn mower and the distance between the intermediate element and the internal combustion engine regardless of the change in the trunk refraction angle. None of them change. For this reason, it is possible to share some parts of a conventional lawn mower vehicle that can transmit power from an internal combustion engine to a lawn mower by a power transmission mechanism. Cost can be reduced. Further, even when at least one of the two power transmission elements is constituted by a belt that is stretched over at least two pulleys, a tension adjusting mechanism for maintaining the belt tension constant is not required. Further, at least one of the two power transmission elements can be constituted by a plurality of power transmission shafts connected via a universal joint.

  Further, according to the riding type lawn mowing vehicle according to the fifth aspect of the invention, one or both of the front wheels and the rear wheels are driven by the traveling electric motor, so that the front frame and the rear frame can be bent. It is possible to reduce the fuel consumption of the structure that can be connected and change the body refraction angle in conjunction with the operation of the operation unit.

[First Embodiment]
Embodiments according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. 1 to 2 are diagrams showing a first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a lawnmower vehicle 10 that is a riding lawn mower vehicle of the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along a line AA in FIG. In the following description, front and rear mean front and rear of the vehicle, for example, right and left in FIGS. In the following description, a secondary battery is used as a power supply source for the electric motor, but a capacitor may be used instead of the secondary battery.

  In addition, the electric motor for driving the wheel is not limited to the case of using an electric motor that merely functions as an electric motor that supplies electric power and outputs a rotational driving force to at least the main driving wheel. Moreover, what has a function as a generator which collect | recovers regenerative energy at least when a brake is applied to a wheel can be used. Further, the lawnmower vehicle according to the present embodiment is a so-called power supply source for the electric motor, which is a power supply unit, a secondary battery that is a power storage unit, and an engine and a generator that are used as a power supply source for the secondary battery. It is a hybrid type. Moreover, as a power supply unit, what has a self-power generation function like a fuel cell, a solar cell, etc. can be used instead of the secondary battery which receives supply of stored electric power from the outside. For example, a solar cell power generation panel can be provided on the body, fender, sun visor, grass collection tank, etc. of a lawn mower. Further, in the following description, it is not limited to the four-wheel drive type in which all of the front wheels and the rear wheels are driven by the electric motor, but only one of the front wheels and the rear wheels is driven by the electric motor and the other is driven wheels. It can also be set as a two-wheel drive type.

  The lawnmower vehicle 10 has a so-called articulated turning mechanism, a front frame 14 that supports two front wheels 12, a rear frame 18 that supports two rear wheels 16, a front frame 14 and a rear frame. A steering unit 24 that changes the fuselage refraction angle between the front frame 14 and the rear frame 18 in conjunction with the operation of a steering wheel 22 (FIG. 1) that is an operation unit, and a connecting part 20 that connects the frame 18 so that the body can be bent. (FIG. 2).

  As shown in FIG. 1, the connecting portion 20 includes a front side connecting member 26 connected to a center portion in the width direction (back and front direction in FIG. 1) of the rear end portion (right end portion in FIG. 1) of the front frame 14, and the rear frame. 18 includes a tubular rear-side connecting member 28 connected to the center portion in the width direction of the front end portion of 18 (left end portion in FIG. 2), and a center pin 30. The front-side connecting member 26 is formed by bending both ends of a plate material such as a metal plate in the same direction. A rear-side connecting member 28 is disposed on the inner side of the center pin 30 supported in the vertical direction of the front-side connecting member 26. The portion is inserted inside the rear side connection member 28.

  Further, the steering device 24 includes a turning cylinder 32 (FIG. 2) connected between the front frame 14 and the rear frame 18, and the turning cylinder 32 expands and contracts in conjunction with the operation of the steering wheel 22 (FIG. 1). By doing so, the front frame 14 is bent with respect to the rear frame 18 with respect to the center pin 30, that is, is swung, and the body refraction angle is changed in accordance with the rotation amount of the steering wheel 22. Further, the center pin 30 constituting the connecting portion 20 between the front frame 14 and the rear frame 18 is arranged between the axles of the rotation center of the front wheel 12 and the rotation center of the rear wheel 16 in the vehicle front-rear direction (left-right direction in FIG. 2). It is located in the center of. That is, the distance from the center of rotation of the front wheel 12 to the center pin 30 and the distance from the center of rotation of the rear wheel 16 to the center pin 30 are equally ½ of the length L between the axles, that is, L / 2. However, the center pin 30 can be shifted from the center between the axles of the rotation center of the front wheel 12 and the rotation center of the rear wheel 16 with respect to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle (the left-right direction in FIG. 2).

  In the example shown in FIG. 2, one turning cylinder 32 is provided only on one side in the vehicle width direction (the lower side in FIG. 2) between the front frame 14 and the rear frame 18. Another turning cylinder may be provided on the other side in the vehicle width direction (upper side in FIG. 2) between the vehicle and the rear frame 18. In this case, pressure oil is supplied to the two chambers inside the two turning cylinders so that when one of the two turning cylinders 32 is extended, the other turning cylinder is reduced. Exclude.

  The lawnmower vehicle 10 includes a lawn mower (mower) 34 that is a working machine, and travels on the ground with the front wheels 12 and the rear wheels 16. Near the driver's seat 35 where the operator sits, an operation unit for operating the lawnmower 34 and accelerating and braking the lawnmower vehicle 10 is provided. Further, by rotating the steering wheel 22 provided in the vicinity of the driver's seat 35 in either direction, the turning cylinder expands or contracts by a size corresponding to the operation amount of the steering wheel 22. As a result, the front frame 14 and the rear frame 18 bend the body by an angle corresponding to the amount of rotation of the steering wheel 22 on either side with the center pin 30 as the center, so that the lawnmower vehicle 10 turns. .

  The lawnmower vehicle 10 is an internal combustion engine 36 that is used as a drive source, a generator 38 that is connected to the output shaft of the engine 36 and that is rotated by a driving force supplied from the engine 36, and supplies power from the generator 38. A secondary battery 40 (see FIG. 2) for storing the electric power, and two front wheel driving electric motors 42 for driving the front wheel 12 and the rear wheel 16 independently for driving the front wheel 12 and the rear wheel 16 respectively. And an electric motor 44 for driving the rear wheels. The front wheel driving electric motor 42 and the rear wheel driving electric motor 44 correspond to the traveling electric motor, respectively.

  In the engine 36, a drive shaft constituting the generator 38 is connected to an end portion of the output shaft, or the output shaft of the engine 36 and the drive shaft of the generator 38 are integrally configured by a common shaft. The drive pulley is fixed to the end of the output shaft of the engine 36, and the generator 38 is driven by the engine 36 via the drive pulley, the belt, and the driven pulley fixed to the drive shaft of the generator 38. It can also be possible.

  The electric motors 42 and 42 are driven by electric power supplied from the secondary battery 40. The cases constituting the front wheel driving electric motor 42 and the rear wheel driving electric motor 44 are respectively fixed to the front frame 14 and the rear frame 18. Further, the lawn mower 34 is supported on the front frame 14 via a support mechanism (not shown) so as to be positioned in front of the front wheel 12. The lawn mower 34 is operatively connected to a lawn mower drive motor 46 which is a power source for driving the lawn mower 34. The lawn mower driving motor 46 is located at the lower position of the front frame 14 on the front frame 14 and the deck 48, which is a cover constituting the lawn mower 34, on the rear side in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, that is, in the front-rear direction. It is fixed at a position shifted to the right side of FIG.

  The mower driving motor 46 is, for example, an electric motor or a hydraulic motor. In the case of the illustrated example, a power transmission mechanism 50 is provided between the lawn mower driving motor 46 and the lawn mower 34. The lawn mower 34 is provided with one or a plurality of lawn mowing blades (not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) supported on the inside of the deck 48 and driven to rotate about a vertical axis. The power transmission mechanism 50 can transmit the power of the lawn mower driving motor 46 to the lawn mower 34. The power transmission mechanism 50 is configured by a belt 56 being wound around a driving pulley 52 fixed to the rotation shaft of the lawn mower driving motor 46 and a driven pulley 54 fixed to the driving shaft of the lawn mowing blade. In other words, the lawn mower 34 is operatively connected to the lawn mower driving motor 46 by the power transmission mechanism 50, that is, capable of transmitting power. The lawn mower driving motor 58 and the power transmission mechanism 50 constitute a lawn mower driving device 58.

  The lawn mower 34 can be adjusted in height by a working machine lifting / lowering actuator (not shown). For example, the working machine lifting / lowering actuator may be configured to include a hydraulic cylinder, and a hydraulic pump as a hydraulic source that supplies pressure oil to the hydraulic cylinder may be driven by the electric motor or the engine 36. Further, the lawn mower 34 can be provided with an auxiliary caster wheel (not shown). The lawn mower 34 is connected to a discharge duct 60 that is a duct for collecting grass for discharging the cut grass to the rear. A part of the discharge duct 60 is formed in a bellows shape, and the front end is connected to the center portion in the width direction of the rear end portion of the deck 48, and between the two front wheels 12 from the rear end portion of the deck 48, the front It extends obliquely upward so as to pass through the upper side of the connecting portion 20 of the frame 14 and the rear frame 18 and the rear side of the driver's seat 35 and is connected to the grass collection tank 62. Therefore, the grass collection tank 62 is connected to the lawn mower 34, that is, the rear end portion of the deck 48 constituting the lawn mower 34 by the discharge duct 60. The lawn mowing blade may be configured such that a tip or the like is provided with a wire made of steel or resin such as polyamide resin. When a wire is provided at the tip of the lawn mowing blade, the lawn can be easily mowed by swinging the wire with the wire protruding to the side of the deck 48. Further, in the power transmission mechanism that transmits the power of the lawn mower driving motor 46 to the lawn mowing blade, a speed reduction device having a speed reduction part such as one or more speed reduction gears may be provided.

  Further, both the discharge duct 60 and the power transmission mechanism 50 are positioned between the two right and left front wheel driving electric motors 42. Note that only one of the discharge duct 60 and the power transmission mechanism 50 can be positioned between the two right and left front wheel driving electric motors 42. Further, when the lawnmower vehicle 10 is viewed from one side in the width direction to the other side (from the front side to the back side in FIG. 1 and from the lower side to the upper side in FIG. 2), the lawn mower driving motor 46 and the discharge duct 60 are overlapped. ing. When the lawnmower vehicle 10 is viewed from one side in the width direction to the other side, the lawn mower driving motor 46, the secondary battery 40, at least one of the capacitors, and the discharge duct 60 are overlapped. You can also In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, the lawnmower driving device 58 is offset so as to be shifted in the width direction from the center in the width direction of the lawnmower vehicle 10. It should be noted that one or both of the lawnmower driving device 58 and the discharge duct 60 can be offset from the center of the lawn mower vehicle 10 in the width direction.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the engine 36, the generator 38, and the secondary battery 40 are fixed to the lower side of a flat plate-like horizontal plate portion that constitutes the rear frame 18. That is, the engine 36, the generator 38, and the secondary battery 40 are located below the grass collection tank 62 (FIG. 1). Note that at least one of the engine 36, the generator 38, the secondary battery 40, the fuel cell, the capacitor, and the inverter can be fixed to the rear frame 18. Further, at least one of the engine 36, the generator 38, the secondary battery 40 (FIG. 2), the fuel cell, the capacitor, and the inverter can be positioned below the grass collection tank 62 (FIG. 1). Further, the engine 36, the generator 38, and the secondary battery 40 are positioned between the two rear wheels 16. Note that at least one of the engine 36, the generator 38, the secondary battery 40, the fuel cell, the capacitor, and the inverter can be positioned between the two rear wheels 16.

  Further, the lower ends of the engine 36 and the secondary battery 40 are located at the same position as the rotation center axis O (FIG. 1) of the rear wheel 16 in the vertical direction or below the rotation center axis O of the rear wheel 16. I am doing so. Further, the secondary battery 40 can be easily removed from the rear frame 18 or a member fixed to the rear frame 18 by clamping or the like. In addition, at least one of the secondary battery 40, the capacitor, and the fuel cell can be easily removed by clamping the rear frame 18 (or the front frame 14) or a member fixed to the rear frame 18 (or the front frame 14). It can also be supported.

  Further, the present embodiment relates to the size of the engine 36 as compared with a general non-hybrid lawn mowing vehicle in which one or both of the front wheels and the rear wheels are driven by the power of the engine without using an electric motor. Then, a small engine 36 is used. Also, for fuel tanks such as gasoline, a smaller fuel tank is used than in the case of a general lawnmower vehicle.

  Further, when viewed from one side in the width direction of the vehicle to the other side, the engine 36 and the secondary battery 40 are superimposed on each other. Further, when viewed from one side in the width direction of the vehicle to the other side, the engine 36, the secondary battery 40, the radiator 64 that is a cooling device, and the rear wheel 16 are superimposed. The radiator 64 cools cooling water for cooling the engine 36. Further, an oil cooler 65 that cools oil for lubricating the engine 36 or cooling the electric motors 42 and 44 is provided behind the radiator 64. In addition, while fixing the secondary battery 40 to the rear frame 18, or it can replace with this, another secondary battery can also be arrange | positioned under the driver's seat of the front frame 14. FIG.

  In addition, a motor control unit 66 that comprehensively controls the operation of each component such as the secondary battery 40, the front wheel drive electric motor 42, and the rear wheel drive electric motor 44 is provided on the driver seat 35 on the upper surface side of the front frame 14. It is arranged at the lower position. The motor control unit 66 includes a controller that is a control circuit unit, an inverter, and a DC / DC converter. Note that at least one of the controller, the inverter, and the DC / DC converter may be disposed below the driver seat 35.

  The front wheel driving electric motor 42 and the rear wheel driving electric motor 44 are each a DC brushless motor or the like, and can be driven to rotate in both forward and reverse directions. Further, the rotational speeds of the electric motors 42 and 44 can be controlled.

  The motor control unit 66 includes an electric motor drive circuit corresponding to each of the electric motors 42 and 44. The electric motor drive circuit drives the electric motors 42 and 44 by a control signal from the CPU. The electric motors 42 and 44 feed back to the motor control unit 66 signals representing the rotation speed, the rotation direction, the current value, and the like. Further, a brake unit (not shown) that operates electrically to brake the front wheel 12 or the rear wheel 16 is provided corresponding to the electric motors 42 and 44, and is controlled by a control signal from the motor control unit 66. Yes. Electric power generated by the generator 38 can be supplied directly or via the secondary battery 40 to the electric motors 42 and 44. Corresponding to braking of one or both of the front wheels 12 and the rear wheels 16, the corresponding electric motors 42 and 44 serve as generators, and the generated electric power corresponds to the respective electric motors 42 and 44. The secondary battery 40 may be charged via the power regeneration unit.

  The secondary battery 40 has a function of storing electric energy and supplying electric power to a load such as the electric motors 42 and 44 as necessary, and uses a lead storage battery, a lithium ion assembled battery, a nickel hydride assembled battery, or the like. be able to.

  The lawn mower driving motor 46, which is a power source related to the lawn mower 34, is supplied with electric power from the secondary battery 40, for example. The operation of the lawn mower driving motor 46 is controlled by turning on / off a lawn mower start switch (not shown) provided near the driver's seat 35 (FIG. 1). For example, when the lawn mower driving motor 46 is an electric motor, the motor control unit 66 detects the ON / OFF state of a lawn mower start switch (not shown), and the detection results in detecting the lawn mower driving motor 46 driving. The lawn mower drive motor 46 is operated or stopped by controlling the operation of the circuit. Thus, when the mower driving motor 46 is an electric motor, the mower 34 can be driven with the engine 36 stopped, and the noise during the mowing operation can be reduced.

  Further, the rotational speed is changed between the left and right sides of the electric motors 42 and 44 (FIG. 2) according to the body refraction of the front frame 14 and the rear frame 18 corresponding to the operation of the steering wheel 22. You can also For example, when the vehicle turns left (or right), the right front wheel 12 and rear wheel 16 are outside (or inside) when turning, and the left front wheel 12 and rear wheel 16 are inside (or inside) when turning. Therefore, the rotational speeds of the right front wheel 12 and the rear wheel 16 are higher (or lower) than the rotational speeds of the left front wheel 12 and the rear wheel 16, respectively. Control the rotation speed. The operation amount of the steering wheel 22 (FIG. 1) is transmitted to the motor control unit 66 using an operation amount sensor which is an operation amount detection unit, and the operation of the electric motors 42 and 44 is controlled. At the same time, according to the operation direction and the operation amount of the steering wheel 22, the turning cylinder 32 is expanded and contracted by a corresponding expansion / contraction amount via the actuator. A power steering device is provided to reduce the operating force of the steering wheel 22 (FIG. 1), and a hydraulic pump as a hydraulic source that supplies pressure oil to a hydraulic cylinder constituting the power steering device is replaced with an electric motor or an engine 36. It can also be set as the structure driven by.

  According to the riding-type lawn mowing vehicle of the present embodiment, the front frame 14 that supports the front wheels 12, the rear frame 18 that supports the rear wheels 16, and the front frame 14 and the rear frame 18 are coupled so as to be able to bend the body. Since the steering device 24 that changes the body refraction angle between the front frame 14 and the rear frame 18 in conjunction with the operation of the connecting portion 20 and the steering wheel 22 is provided, the direction of the front wheel 12 and the direction of the rear wheel 16 during turning The slippage of the front wheel 12 and the rear wheel 16 can be suppressed. The connecting portion 20 has a mechanism (not shown) that allows the front frame 14 and the rear frame 18 to swing around the rotation axis in the front-rear direction. Thereby, even when traveling on rough terrain, the ground contact state of the four front wheels 12 and the rear wheels 16 can be maintained.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to improve the structure in which the front frame 14 and the rear frame 18 are connected so as to be able to bend the body, and the body refraction angle can be changed in conjunction with the operation of the steering wheel 22. First, a discharge duct 60 connected between the lawn mower 34 and the grass collection tank 62 and a power transmission mechanism 50 that can transmit the power of the lawn mower drive motor 46 to the lawn mower 34 are provided. The transmission mechanism 50 includes a belt 56 that spans two drive pulleys 52 and a driven pulley 54. Further, both the discharge duct 60 and the power transmission mechanism 50 are positioned between the two front wheel drive electric motors 42 (FIG. 2) for driving the two front wheels 12 respectively. For this reason, the effective use of the space between the two front-wheel drive electric motors 42 can be achieved, and the degree of effective use of the space can be increased. Further, the lawn mower 34 and the grass collection tank 62 (FIG. 1) can be easily connected by the substantially straight discharge duct 60, and the grass collection ability can be easily improved.

  Since the engine 36, the generator 38, and the secondary battery 40 (FIG. 2) are fixed to the rear frame 18, the driver seat 35 (FIG. 1) is attached to the front frame 14 as in the present embodiment. ), It is possible to effectively use the space on the rear frame 18 side and increase the degree of effective use of the space.

  Further, since the mower driving motor 46 for driving the lawn mower 34 is fixed to the front frame 14, it is not necessary to provide a mechanism for driving the lawn mower 34 on the rear frame 18 side. The degree of use can be increased. Further, the space between the lawn mower 34 and the front frame 14 is widened by shifting the positions of the lawn mower driving motor 46 and the lawn mower 34 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, that is, the front-rear direction. And the degree of effective use of the space can be further increased. That is, by making the size of this space the same as in the prior art, the front frame 14 and the rear frame 18 can be lowered, the space below the vehicle can be used effectively, and the degree of effective use of the space of the vehicle Can be increased. Further, the center of gravity of the vehicle can be lowered by the amount that the front frame 14 and the rear frame 18 can be lowered. Furthermore, the attachment of some parts of a conventional lawn mower vehicle, for example, a driven pulley 54, which enables transmission of power from the engine 36 to the lawn mower 34 by a power transmission mechanism. The cost can be reduced by sharing parts.

  Further, since both the front wheel 12 and the rear wheel 16 are driven by the front wheel driving electric motor 42 and the rear wheel driving electric motor 44, respectively, the front frame 14 and the rear frame 18 are coupled so as to be able to bend the body, and steering is performed. Fuel consumption can be reduced by a structure that can change the body refraction angle in conjunction with the operation of the wheel 22.

  Further, the lower ends of the engine 36 and the secondary battery 40 are located at the same position as the rotation center axis O (FIG. 1) of the rear wheel 16 or below the rotation center axis O of the rear wheel 16. Yes. Therefore, the center of gravity of the lawnmower vehicle 10 can be lowered, the space below the lawnmower vehicle 10 can be effectively used, and the degree of effective use of the space of the lawnmower vehicle 10 can be increased. A front wheel driving electric motor 42 and a rear wheel driving electric motor 44 are fixed to the front frame 14 and the rear frame 18, respectively, and the front and rear wheels can rotate with respect to the cases of the electric motors 42 and 44. Therefore, all the tires of the front wheel 12 and the rear wheel 16 can be easily made common.

[Second Embodiment]
FIG. 3 is a view corresponding to the right end portion of FIG. 2, showing a second embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, in the first embodiment described above, the two rear wheels 16 are rear-wheel drive electric motors 44a that are electric motors for both-side common travel between the two rear wheels 16. It can be driven by. For this purpose, a single motor unit 68 is fixed to the lower side of the rear frame 18. The motor unit 68 includes a rear-wheel drive electric motor 44a that is commonly used for driving the two rear wheels 16, a reduction gear device 70 having one or more reduction gears, and a differential gear device 72. The gear case 74 that covers the entire reduction gear device 70 and the differential gear device 72 and the case 76 that constitutes the rear wheel drive electric motor 44a are integrally fixed.

  The rear-wheel drive electric motor 44a is offset in the rear frame 18 so as to be shifted from the center position in the vehicle width direction (vertical direction in FIG. 3) to one side in the width direction (upper side in FIG. 3). Further, the motor unit 68 is also offset in the rear frame 18 so as to be shifted from the center position in the width direction of the vehicle (on the right side (upper side in FIG. 10) in the illustrated example). Thus, by arranging the motor unit 68 so as to be offset from the center position in the width direction of the vehicle, the engine 36 is mounted on the side opposite to the side where the motor unit 68 is provided in the rear frame 18 in the width direction of the vehicle. It is easy to do, and the degree of effective use of space can be improved. Further, by using the single motor unit 68 for driving the rear wheels 16 in this way, it is not necessary to provide separate electric motors for driving the two rear wheels 16, and the cost can be reduced. Further, the extent of effective use of the space below the lawnmower vehicle 10 by making the dimension of the motor unit 68 in the vertical direction (front and back direction in FIG. 3) smaller than the dimension in the front-rear direction (left and right direction in FIG. 3). Can be high.

  Further, the left and right rear wheels 16 are respectively fixed to the left and right axles 78 engaged with the differential side gear of the differential gear device 72. Each axle 78 is constituted by connecting a plurality of connecting shafts via a constant velocity joint. The power of the rear-wheel drive electric motor 44a can be transmitted to the left and right rear wheels 16 via the reduction gear device 70, the differential gear device 72, and the left and right axles 78. Further, a pair of bearings 80 are directly provided at both ends in the width direction of the rear frame 18, that is, the outer ring of the bearing 80 is directly fixed to the rear frame 18, and the intermediate portion of the axle 78 can be rotated by these bearings 80. I support it. The axle 78 on the right side (upper side in FIG. 3) is shorter than the axle 78 on the left side (lower side in FIG. 3).

  In addition, a detachable clutch 82 that can be connected or disconnected manually or automatically is provided between the rotating shaft of the rear wheel driving electric motor 44 a and the rotating shaft constituting the reduction gear device 70. The detachable clutch 82 cuts off the power transmission on both sides so that the vehicle can be easily moved when, for example, the rear wheel drive electric motor 44a fails. Further, a braking portion 84 is provided in a part of the reduction gear device 70 so that the rotation of the rotating shaft of the rear wheel drive electric motor 44a can be stopped by the braking portion 84. The braking unit 84 is provided, for example, on the outer peripheral portion of the disk fixed to the rotating shaft constituting the reduction gear device 70, and the outer peripheral portion of the disk can be clamped from both sides by the braking unit 84. The braking unit 84 is operated by an operator's operation unit or automatically. Further, a differential lock mechanism 88 is provided between a ring gear that meshes with the drive shaft 86 that constitutes the differential gear device 72 and the axle 78 on one side (the upper side in FIG. 3). The differential lock mechanism 88 locks the differential of the differential gear device 72 with a clutch in accordance with the ON operation of the differential lock on / off switch by the operator, and enables the two rear wheels 16 to rotate integrally at the same rotational speed. . This makes it easy to prevent the rear wheels 16 from slipping even when the rear wheels 16 on the right and left sides enter a low friction path such as mud.

  According to the present embodiment as described above, the pair of bearings 80 are provided at both ends in the width direction of the rear frame 18, and the intermediate portion of the axle 78 is rotatably supported by these bearings 80. Therefore, it is possible to effectively prevent an excessive load from being applied to the rotation support portion between the gear case 74 and the axle 78 constituting the 68. A limited slip differential that is a differential limiting mechanism that generates a differential limiting force according to the rotational speed difference between the two rear wheels 16 or the input torque to the differential gear device 72 in the differential gear device 72. A mechanism (LSD) can also be provided. For example, it is possible to employ a limited slip differential mechanism that obtains a differential limiting effect by adjusting the pressure acting on the friction plate with hydraulic pressure. Other configurations and operations are the same as those in the first embodiment described above, and thus illustrations and descriptions relating to equivalent parts are omitted. In the present embodiment, either one of the left and right axles 78 may be constituted by a single axle instead of a plurality of connecting shafts connected by a constant velocity joint. it can.

  In the present embodiment, the case where the single motor unit 68 is provided for driving the rear wheels 16 has been described. However, a similar single motor unit is provided for driving the front wheels together with or instead of this. You can also In addition, when a single motor unit 68 is provided for each of the front wheel drive and the rear wheel 16 drive, it is possible to share parts by using a motor unit 68 having the same structure. When a single motor unit is provided for driving the front wheels, as in the case of driving the rear wheels 16, at least one of a detachable clutch, a braking portion, a differential lock mechanism, and a limited slip differential mechanism is provided. A pair of bearings may be provided at both ends in the direction, and the axle fixed to the front wheel may be rotatably supported by the pair of bearings. Further, the differential lock mechanism is not limited to a configuration that is linked to a differential lock on / off switch that is manually operated by an operator, but is configured to detect a wheel slip and automatically operate by this detection. You can also.

[Third Embodiment]
FIG. 4 shows the third embodiment of the present invention and corresponds to FIG. 2 described above. In the present embodiment, in the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 2, the two front wheels 12 are front-wheel common driving electric motors common to the two front wheels 12. It can be driven by the drive electric motor 42a. For this purpose, a single motor unit 68 a is fixed to the lower side of the front frame 14. The motor unit 68a has a configuration similar to that of the motor unit 68 in the case of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 3, and is used in common for driving the two front wheels 12. Electric motor 42a, a reduction gear device 70 (see FIG. 3) having one or more speed reduction portions, and a differential gear device 72 (see FIG. 3). The entire reduction gear device 70 and the differential gear device 72 are The covering gear case 74 and the case 76 constituting the front wheel driving electric motor 42a are integrally fixed. The front wheel drive electric motor 42a is offset in the front frame 14 so as to be shifted from the center position in the width direction of the vehicle to one side in the width direction (upper side in FIG. 4). Further, the motor unit 68a is also offset in the rear frame 18 so as to be shifted from the center position in the width direction of the vehicle to one side in the width direction.

  Further, the left and right front wheels 12 are fixed to the left and right axles 89 (FIG. 4) engaged with the differential side gear of the differential gear device 72 (see FIG. 3). Each axle 89 is constituted by connecting a plurality of connecting shafts via a constant velocity joint. The power of the front wheel drive electric motor 42a can be transmitted to the left and right front wheels 12 via a reduction gear device 70 (see FIG. 3), a differential gear device 72 (see FIG. 3), and left and right axles 89. Further, a pair of bearings 80 are directly provided at both ends in the width direction of the front frame 14, that is, the outer ring of the bearing 80 is directly fixed to the front frame 14, and the middle part of the axle 89 can be rotated by these bearings 80. I support it.

  Further, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the discharge duct 60 a connected between the deck 48 constituting the lawn mower 34 and the grass collection tank 62 is provided outside the two front wheels 12 from the deck 48. The vehicle extends rearward from the outside in the width direction of the vehicle so as to pass through and is connected to the grass collection tank 62. Other configurations and operations are the same as those of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 2 or the second embodiment shown in FIG. In addition, overlapping explanation is omitted.

[Fourth Embodiment]
FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a lawnmower vehicle 10 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, in the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 2, the lawn mowing blade (not shown) constituting the lawn mower 34 can be driven by the power from the engine 36. Yes. For this purpose, at the lower end portion of the center pin 30 that is the rotating shaft for power transmission that constitutes the connecting portion 20, a portion protruding from the lower end of the front side connection member 26 is rotatably supported by the gear case 90, and A first intermediate pulley 92 is fixed to the lower end.

  Further, the gear (not shown) is fixed by following the lower end portion of the center pin 30 existing in the gear case 90 and fixed to the front end portion (left end portion in FIG. 5) of the power transmission shaft 94 arranged in the horizontal direction. The driven bevel gear (not shown) and the driven bevel gear are engaged with each other. A second intermediate pulley 96 is fixed to the rear end (right end in FIG. 5) of the power transmission shaft. Further, the belt 98 is stretched between a drive pulley fixed to the output shaft of the engine 36 and the second intermediate pulley 96, and the belt 56 is connected to the first intermediate pulley 92 and a driven pulley 54 fixed to the drive shaft of the lawn mowing blade. I'm hanging over. A bevel gear mechanism is constituted by the driven bevel gear fixed to the center pin 30 and the drive bevel gear fixed to the power transmission shaft 94. Further, the intermediate element 99 is constituted by the center pin 30 to which the first intermediate pulley 92 is fixed. The intermediate element 99 enables power transmission between the power transmission shaft 94 and the belt 56 which are two power transmission elements. The swing center of the connecting portion 20 of the front frame 14 and the rear frame 18 and the center pin 30 are located on the same axis.

  When the lawn mower 34 is driven by the engine 36, it is hung on the belt 98, the power transmission shaft 94, the bevel gear mechanism, the first intermediate pulley 92 and the driven pulley 54, which are stretched between the driving pulley and the second intermediate pulley 96. Power is transmitted from the engine 36 to the lawn mower 34 via the passed belt 56. The power of the engine 36 is turfed by a belt 98 spanned between the drive pulley and the second intermediate pulley 96, a power transmission shaft 94, a bevel gear mechanism, and a belt 56 spanned between the first intermediate pulley 92 and the driven pulley 54. A power transmission mechanism capable of transmitting to the mower 34 is configured. A secondary battery 40 is fixed to the lower side of the driver seat 35 of the front frame 14.

  According to the present embodiment, the distance between the intermediate element 99 and the lawn mower 34 and the intermediate element 99 and the engine regardless of the change in the body refraction angle between the front frame 14 and the rear frame 18. None of the distance to 36 changes. For this reason, it is possible to share some parts of a conventional lawn mower vehicle that can transmit power from the engine 36 to the lawn mower 34 by a power transmission mechanism. Can reduce the cost. Regardless of whether the power transmission element of the two power transmission elements that transmits power by the intermediate element 99 is constituted by the belt 56 that spans the driven pulley 54 and the first intermediate pulley 92, the belt A tension adjusting mechanism for keeping the tension of 56 constant is not necessary. Since other configurations and operations are the same as those of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 2 described above, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

[Fifth Embodiment]
FIG. 6 is a view corresponding to the left end portion of FIG. 5, showing the fifth embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, in the fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the lawn mowing blade (not shown) constituting the lawn mower 34 is driven by the power from the engine 36 (see FIG. 5). It is possible. For this purpose, at the lower end portion of the center pin 30 that is the rotating shaft for power transmission that constitutes the connecting portion 20, a portion protruding from the lower end of the front side connection member 26 is rotatably supported by the gear case 90, and Two bevel gears are fixed to the lower end. The bevel gear fixed to the front end portion of the power transmission shaft 94 and the upper bevel gear of the two bevel gears in the gear case 90 are meshed with each other.

  Further, the three power transmission shafts 102a, 102b, and 102c are connected via a universal joint so that power can be transmitted, and the power transmission shaft on the rear end side of the three power transmission shafts 102a, 102b, and 102c. The bevel gear fixed to 102 c is engaged with the lower bevel gear of the two bevel gears in the gear case 90. As a result, the power of the engine 36 can be transmitted to the drive shaft of the lawn mowing blade.

  In this embodiment, the intermediate element 99a is constituted by the center pin 30 to which two bevel gears are fixed. The intermediate element 99a enables power transmission between the two power transmission shafts 94 and 102c, which are two power transmission elements.

  In the case of this embodiment as well, the distance between the intermediate element 99a and the lawn mower 34, and the intermediate element 99a and the engine, regardless of the change in the body refraction angle between the front frame 14 and the rear frame 18. None of the distance to 36 changes. For this reason, it is possible to share some parts of a conventional lawn mower vehicle that can transmit power from the engine 36 to the lawn mower 34 by a power transmission mechanism. Can reduce the cost. In addition, one of the two power transmission elements that enables power transmission by the intermediate element 99a can be configured by a plurality of power transmission shafts 102a, 102b, and 102c connected via a universal joint. Other configurations and operations are the same as those of the fourth embodiment shown in FIG.

[Sixth Embodiment]
FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the lawnmower 34 and the lawnmower drive motor 104 in the sixth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a view as seen from the top to the bottom of FIG. In the case of the present embodiment, the motor support member 106 is fixed on the upper side of the deck 48 constituting the lawn mower 34. A case constituting the mower driving motor 104 is fixed to the upper side of the motor support member 106, and the lower end portion of the rotating shaft of the mower driving motor 104 is inserted inside the motor support member 106. The lawn mower driving motor 104 is disposed above the lawn mower 34, that is, the deck 48 of the lawn mower 34 so that the rotation axis thereof is oriented in the vertical direction. Further, the overall length La of the lawn mower driving motor 104 in the axial direction is made smaller than the outer diameter Da of the case constituting the lawn mower driving motor 104 (La <Da).

  Further, a belt 56 is stretched between a driven pulley 54 fixed to the driving shaft of the lawn mowing blade 108 provided in the deck 48 and a driving pulley 52 fixed to the rotating shaft of the mower driving motor 104. Yes. As shown in FIG. 8, the lawn mowing blades 108 include two, and a belt 56 is stretched between a driven pulley 54 fixed to each lawn mowing blade 108 and a driving pulley 52. Further, the tension pulley 110 is pressed against the belt 56 by the elasticity of an elastic force applying means such as a spring so that the tension of the belt 56 can be maintained at a desired magnitude. Thus, when the mower driving motor 104 is driven, the power of the mower driving motor 104 is transmitted to the mowing blade 108 via the driving pulley 52, the belt 56, and the driven pulley 54, and the mower 34 is To drive.

  In this embodiment, a lawnmower 34 driven by a lawn mower driving motor 104 is provided, and the total length La of the lawn mower driving motor 104 in the axial direction is smaller than the outer diameter Da. The lawn mower driving motor 104 is arranged above the deck 48 constituting the lawn mower 34 above the lawn mowing blade 108 constituting the lawn mower 34 so that the rotation axis thereof is directed in the vertical direction. is doing. For this reason, although the mower driving motor 104 is disposed on the deck 48 of the mower 34, the upper end of the mower driving motor 104 can be lowered. For this reason, the space between the deck 48 of the lawn mower 34 and the front frame 14 (see FIG. 1) can be widened, and the degree of effective use of the space of the vehicle can be increased. That is, by making the size of this space the same as in the prior art, the front frame 14 and the rear frame 18 (see FIG. 1) can be lowered, the space below the vehicle can be used effectively, and the vehicle space can be used effectively. The degree of can be increased. Further, the center of gravity of the vehicle can be lowered by the amount that the front frame 14 and the rear frame 18 can be lowered. Since other configurations and operations are the same as those of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 2 described above, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and overlapping illustrations and descriptions are omitted.

  In the present embodiment, the power transmission unit between the mower driving motor 104 and the lawn mower 34 is wound around a gear mechanism having one or more speed reduction units, or at least two sprockets. It can also be provided with a chain. In addition, when providing a gear mechanism in the power transmission part between the lawn mower driving motor 104 and the lawn mower 34, a gear having a worm reduction mechanism, a planetary gear reduction mechanism, or the like can be used as this gear mechanism.

[Seventh Embodiment of the Invention]
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the lawnmower 34 and the lawnmower driving motor 104 in the seventh embodiment of the present invention. In the case of the present embodiment, the gear cover 112 is fixed on the upper side of the deck 48 constituting the lawn mower 34. Further, a case constituting the mower driving motor 104 is fixed integrally with the gear cover 112 on the upper side of the deck 48. The lawn mower driving motor 104 is arranged on the deck 48 so that the rotating shaft thereof is oriented in the horizontal direction, and the tip of the rotating shaft is inserted inside the gear cover 112. Further, the overall length La of the mower driving motor 104 in the axial direction is made larger than the outer diameter Da of the case constituting the mower driving motor 104 (La> Da).

  Further, the gear 114 is fixed if the driven shaft of the lawn mowing blade 108 provided in the deck 48 is fixed, and the driving bevel gear 116 is fixed to the rotating shaft of the mower driving motor 104 and further driven. The gear 114 and the driving bevel gear 116 are engaged with each other. In addition, the driven saddle gear 114 is meshed with the driven rotary gear gear fixed to another lawn mowing blade (not shown) directly or via a gear (not shown). As a result, when the lawn mower driving motor 104 is driven, the power of the lawn mower driving motor 104 is transmitted to the lawn mowing blade 108 via the driving bevel gear 116 and the driven bevel gear 114, and the lawn mower 34. Drive. Gears such as a driving bevel gear 116 and a driven bevel gear 114 are arranged inside the gear cover 112. Further, the number of teeth of the driving bevel gear 116 is made smaller than the number of teeth of the follower bevel gear 114, so that the speed reducing portion having a one-stage speed reducing mechanism is provided. It is also possible to provide two or more speed reduction sections by providing another gear between the driving bevel gear 116 and the driven bevel gear 114.

  In this embodiment, a lawnmower 34 driven by a lawnmower driving motor 104 is provided, and the total length La in the axial direction of the lawnmower driving motor 104 is larger than the outer diameter Da. The lawn mower driving motor 104 is disposed above the deck 48 constituting the lawn mower 34 and above the lawn mowing blade 108 constituting the lawn mower 34 so that the rotation axis thereof is oriented in the horizontal direction. is doing. Therefore, as in the sixth embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 to 8, the lawn mower driving motor 104 is disposed on the deck 48 of the lawn mower 34, despite the lawn mower driving motor 104 being disposed on the deck 48. The upper end of the machine drive motor 104 can be lowered. For this reason, the space between the deck 48 of the lawn mower 34 and the front frame 14 (see FIG. 1) can be widened, and the degree of effective use of the space of the vehicle can be increased. That is, by making the size of this space the same as in the prior art, the front frame 14 and the rear frame 18 (see FIG. 1) can be lowered, the space below the vehicle can be used effectively, and the vehicle space can be used effectively. The degree of can be increased. Further, the center of gravity of the vehicle can be lowered by the amount that the front frame 14 and the rear frame 18 can be lowered. Since other configurations and operations are the same as those of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 2 described above, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and overlapping illustrations and descriptions are omitted.

  In the present embodiment, a power transmission portion between the mower driving motor 104 and the mower 34 is wound around at least two pulleys, or at least two sprockets. It can also be provided. In addition, when providing a gear mechanism in the power transmission part between the lawn mower driving motor 104 and the lawn mower 34, a gear having a worm reduction mechanism, a planetary gear reduction mechanism, or the like can be used as this gear mechanism.

[Eighth Embodiment]
FIG. 10 is a sectional view showing the lawnmower 34 and the lawnmower driving motor 104 in the eighth embodiment of the present invention. In the case of the present embodiment, a motor support portion 118 having a bottom plate portion is fixed to the side of the deck 48 constituting the lawn mower 34 (right side in FIG. 10). A case constituting the mower driving motor 104 is fixed on the bottom plate portion of the motor support portion 118, and a rotating shaft of the mower driving motor 104 is protruded above the case. The lawn mower driving motor 104 is positioned on the side of the deck 48 of the lawn mower 34 so that the rotation axis thereof is oriented in the vertical direction. Further, a belt 56 is stretched between a driven pulley 54 fixed to the driving shaft of the lawn mowing blade 108 provided in the deck 48 and a driving pulley 52 fixed to the rotating shaft of the mower driving motor 104. Yes. Other configurations and operations are the same as those of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 2 or the sixth embodiment shown in FIGS. Parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and overlapping illustrations and descriptions are omitted.

  In the sixth to eighth embodiments shown in FIGS. 7 to 10, the mower driving motor 104 may be provided with a brake mechanism. The brake mechanism, for example, can arrange the pressing part on both sides of the friction disk fixed to the rotating shaft of the lawn mower driving motor 104, and can hold the friction disk by the pressing part electrically, hydraulically or mechanically. The configuration. Such a brake mechanism makes it possible to stop the rotation of the rotary shaft of the mower driving motor 104. For example, when the friction disk is pinched electrically by the pressing unit, the movable core disposed inside the coil is displaced in the axial direction in response to a signal generated by the operation of the operator's operation unit, thereby being fixed to the movable core. The friction disk can be sandwiched between the pressing portion and another pressing portion. Such a brake mechanism is driven by the lawnmower constituting the lawnmower vehicle 10 of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 or the third embodiment shown in FIG. The motor 46 can also be provided. In the sixth to eighth embodiments shown in FIGS. 7 to 10, the mower driving motor 104 may be either an electric motor or a hydraulic motor.

  Further, in the sixth to eighth embodiments shown in FIGS. 7 to 10, the second to third embodiments shown in FIGS. 3 to 4 are used. Can also be combined.

[Ninth Embodiment]
FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a driving portion of one-side front wheel 12 (or rear wheel 16, the same applies to the present embodiment) in the ninth embodiment of the present invention. In the case of the present embodiment, the front wheel drive electric motor 42 (or the rear wheel drive electric motor 44, the same applies to the present embodiment) in the first embodiment shown in FIGS. The rotational force of the rotary shaft 120 can be transmitted to the front wheels 12 via the two-stage planetary gear mechanisms 122a and 122b. That is, the first stage planetary gear mechanism 122 a includes a sun gear provided at one end (the right end in FIG. 11) of the rotating shaft 120, a pinion gear 124 that meshes with the sun gear, and a ring gear 126 that meshes with the pinion gear 124. In addition, the pinion shaft that supports the pinion gear 124 is supported by the carrier 128, and the second sun gear provided on the outer peripheral surface of the second rotating shaft 130 that is coaxial with the rotating shaft 120 and is supported so as to be capable of relative rotation with each other. The carrier 128 is engaged.

  Further, the second pinion gear 132 constituting the second stage planetary gear mechanism 122b is engaged with the second sun gear and the second ring gear 134, and the front wheel 12 is rotated by the second pinion shaft 136 supported by the second pinion gear 132. Like to do. Further, as shown in FIG. 11, when the front wheel 12 and the driving portion of the front wheel 12 are viewed in a cross section cut along a virtual plane including the rotation center axis, the front wheel 12 is positioned inside the virtual circle including the outer ends P and Q of the front wheel 12. The front-wheel drive electric motor 42 including the rotary shaft 120 is accommodated.

  In addition, the ring gear 126 constituting the first stage planetary gear mechanism 122a and the second ring gear 134 constituting the second stage planetary gear mechanism 122b are fixed to a housing 138 supported on the inner side of the front wheel 12. For this purpose, a plurality of pins are inserted into holes formed in a part of the housing 138, and the inner diameter side ends of the pins are locked to recesses provided on the outer peripheral surfaces of the ring gear 126 and the second ring gear 134. In addition, the inner ring of the pair of bearings is opposed to the outer diameter side end of the pin to prevent the pin from coming off from the housing 138. Accordingly, the ring gear 126 and the second ring gear 134 are supported so as not to rotate with respect to the housing 138.

  Further, while the first stage planetary gear mechanism 122a and the second stage planetary gear mechanism 122b have the same reduction ratio, the tooth width W1 of the second pinion gear 132 of the second stage planetary gear mechanism 122b is The tooth width W2 of the pinion gear 124 of the first stage planetary gear mechanism 122a is made larger (W1> W2).

  Further, a brake device 140 is provided on the other end side (left side in FIG. 11) of the rotating shaft 120. The brake device 140 includes a brake lever 142, and the brake lever 142 swings by pushing and pulling a cable (not shown) connected to the brake lever 142. By this swinging, the deformable member 144 is expanded in the circumferential direction via a cam mechanism or the like, and the front wheel 12 is braked by pressing a fixed annular member against the rotating shaft 120. According to this embodiment, the rotation of the rotating shaft 120 is decelerated in two stages by the two-stage planetary gear mechanisms 122a and 122b. The configuration of the front wheel 12 (or rear wheel 16) on the other side (not shown in FIG. 11) is the same as the above configuration except that the left and right are reversed. Other configurations and operations are the same as those of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 2 described above, and thus redundant illustration and description are omitted.

  In addition, in the structure of the part which transmits the rotational force of the electric motors 42 and 44 to the front wheel 12 or the rear wheel 16, in addition to the structure including a two-stage reduction part as in the present embodiment, a one-stage type The rotational force of the electric motors 42 and 44 can be transmitted to the front wheels 12 or the rear wheels 16 via the speed reducer or the three or more stages of speed reducers, and the torque of the electric motors 42 and 44 can be transmitted. It can also be set as the structure which can be transmitted to the front wheel 12 or the rear wheel 16 without passing through a deceleration part.

  In each of the above embodiments, the grass collection tank 62 provided on the rear side of the driver's seat 35 can be omitted. In this case, the size of the secondary battery 40 fixed to the rear frame 18 can be increased, and the capacity of the secondary battery 40 can be made larger than when the grass collection tank 62 is provided. Further, with the omission of the grass collection tank 62, the discharge duct 60 can also be omitted. The grass cut by the lawn mower 34 can be discharged to the side of the lawn mower 34 in the width direction of the lawn mower. In addition, in order to reduce costs by using common parts, the turf mowing vehicle 10 maker can manufacture both the mowing vehicle without the grass collecting tank 62 and the mowing vehicle 10 with the grass collecting tank 62. The lawn mowing vehicle without the grass collection tank 62 and the lawn mowing vehicle 10 with the grass collection tank 62 can share the front frame 14 and the rear frame 18.

  In each of the above embodiments, the engine 36 is not provided, and power is supplied from the secondary battery 40 to one or both of the front wheel drive electric motors 42 and 42a and the rear wheel drive electric motors 44 and 44a. Also, a so-called all-electric type in which one or both of the front wheels 12 and the rear wheels 16 can be driven can be used. The secondary battery 40 stores electricity by supplying power from the outside. For example, the secondary battery 40 can be supplied with charging power from an external power source by a plug-in method. In addition, in order to reduce the cost by sharing parts, the manufacturer of the lawnmower vehicle 10 includes the hybrid lawnmower vehicle 10 including the engine 36, the generator 38, and the electric motors 42, 42a, 44, 44a, and the engine 36. And an all-electric lawn mower vehicle that omits the generator 38 and the hybrid-type lawn mower vehicle 10 and the all-electric lawn mower vehicle, the front frame 14 and the rear frame 18 can be manufactured. Can be made common.

  In each of the above embodiments, the front wheels 12 or the rear wheels 16 can be driven by the engine 36, and the rear wheels 16 or the front wheels 12 can be driven by an electric motor.

  In each of the above-described embodiments, the electric motors such as the front wheel driving electric motor 42 and the rear wheel driving electric motor 44 are a permanent magnet type synchronous motor, a synchronous reluctance motor using reluctance torque, Various structures such as an axial gap type motor in which a pair of rotors are opposed to each other in the axial direction with a predetermined gap on both sides of a disk-like stator, a vertical solid shaft type motor, and the like can be used. The vertical solid shaft motor includes a stator wound around a winding fixed to a fixed shaft, and a rotor made of a circular or cylindrical permanent magnet disposed around the stator. The stator includes a plurality of stator groups, and each stator group has a protruding electromagnetic pole protruding in the radial direction. By using a permanent magnet type synchronous motor or a synchronous reluctance motor as the motor, the torque capacity of the motor can be increased or the motor can be reduced in size.

  Further, in each of the above embodiments, the electric motors such as the front wheel driving electric motor 42 and the rear wheel driving electric motor 44 are provided in the case together with one or both of the inverter and the controller as a motor unit. Thus, it can be mounted on the lawn mowing vehicle 10.

  Further, in each of the above-described embodiments, each part of the vehicle, such as an electric motor such as the front wheel driving electric motor 42 and the rear wheel driving electric motor 44, a sensor that detects an operation amount of the operation unit such as the steering wheel 22 or the like. Standards such as CANbus, FlexRay, etc., can also be adopted as a vehicle-mounted network system for integrated control of these components. The in-vehicle network allows signals for controlling a plurality of components to be transmitted on a single wiring by multiplex communication, and the CANbus transmits a device connected to the network as necessary. In contrast, FlexRay employs a multiplex communication method called a time trigger type in which a transmission right is given to each device at a predetermined timing, and more components are used than when the CANbus standard is adopted. It is advantageous in that it can be operated immediately (more in real time) and signals can be transmitted at high speed. In particular, when an electric component such as a corresponding electric motor can be electrically controlled according to an operation amount of a steering wheel, a brake, an accelerator pedal, etc. of a vehicle called X-by-Wire, FlexRay is used for signal transmission. Adopting a standard is preferable from the viewpoint that the effect obtained by the adoption becomes more remarkable.

1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a lawnmower vehicle according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1. It is a figure corresponding to the right end of Drawing 2 showing the lawnmower vehicle of a 2nd embodiment concerning the present invention. It is a figure corresponding to Drawing 2 showing a 3rd embodiment similarly. It is the schematic which shows the structure of the lawn mower vehicle of 4th Embodiment similarly. It is a figure corresponding to the left end part of Drawing 5 showing the lawnmower vehicle of a 5th embodiment similarly. Similarly, in the sixth embodiment, it is a sectional view showing a lawnmower and a lawnmower driving motor. It is the figure seen from the downward direction of FIG. In 7th Embodiment which concerns on this invention, it is sectional drawing which shows the mower and the mower drive motor. Similarly, in the eighth embodiment, it is a sectional view showing a lawnmower and a lawnmower driving motor. Similarly, in the ninth embodiment, it is a cross-sectional view showing a driving portion of a front wheel or a rear wheel on one side.

Explanation of symbols

  10 Lawn Mower Vehicle, 12 Front Wheel, 14 Front Frame, 16 Rear Wheel, 18 Rear Frame, 20 Connecting Portion, 22 Steering Wheel, 24 Steering Device, 26 Front Side Connection Member, 28 Rear Side Connection Member, 30 Center Pin, 32 For Turning Cylinder, 34 Lawn mower (mower), 35 Driver's seat, 36 Engine, 38 Generator, 40 Secondary battery, 42, 42a Front wheel drive electric motor, 44, 44a Rear wheel drive electric motor, 46 Lawn mower drive Motor, 48 deck, 50 power transmission mechanism, 52 drive pulley, 54 driven pulley, 56 belt, 58 lawn mower drive device, 60, 60a discharge duct, 62 grass collection tank, 64 radiator, 65 oil cooler, 66 motor control Unit 68, 68a motor unit 70 reduction gear device 72 Differential gear unit, 74 gear case, 76 case, 78 axle, 80 bearing, 82 detachable clutch, 84 braking part, 86 drive shaft, 88 differential lock mechanism, 89 axle, 90 gear case, 92 first intermediate pulley, 94 power transmission Shaft, 96 Second intermediate pulley, 98 belt, 99, 99a Intermediate element, 102a, 102b, 102c Power transmission shaft, 104 Mower driving motor, 106 Motor support member, 108 Mowing blade, 110 Tension pulley, 112 Gear Cover, 114 driven bevel gear, 116 driving bevel gear, 118 motor support, 120 rotating shaft, 122a, 122b planetary gear mechanism, 124 pinion gear, 126 ring gear, 128 carrier, 130 second rotating shaft, 132 second pinion gear, 134th Ring gear, 136 a second pinion shaft, 138 housing, 140 brake system, 142 brake lever 144 mutation member.

Claims (22)

A front frame that supports at least two front wheels;
A rear frame supporting at least two rear wheels;
A connecting portion for connecting the front frame and the rear frame so that the body can be bent;
A steering device that changes the body refraction angle between the front frame and the rear frame in conjunction with the operation of the operation unit,
A lawn mower with a lawn mower,
A grass collection duct connected between the lawn mower and the grass collection tank;
A power transmission mechanism capable of transmitting the power of the lawn mower drive motor to the lawn mower,
The power transmission mechanism includes a plurality of power transmission shafts connected via a universal joint or a belt that spans at least two pulleys.
Riding type characterized in that one or both of a grass collecting duct and a power transmission mechanism are positioned between two front wheel driving motors for driving each of the two front wheels. Lawn mowing vehicle. A front frame that supports at least two front wheels;
A rear frame supporting at least two rear wheels;
A connecting portion for connecting the front frame and the rear frame so that the body can be bent;
A steering device that changes the body refraction angle between the front frame and the rear frame in conjunction with the operation of the operation unit,
A lawn mower with a lawn mower,
A riding lawn mowing vehicle, wherein at least one of an internal combustion engine, a generator, a secondary battery, a fuel cell, a capacitor, and an inverter is fixed to a rear frame. The riding lawn mower vehicle according to claim 2,
A riding-type lawn mowing vehicle characterized in that at least one of an internal combustion engine, a generator, a secondary battery, and a fuel cell is positioned between two rear wheels. The riding lawn mower vehicle according to claim 2 or claim 3,
A riding-type lawn mowing vehicle characterized in that a secondary battery is fixed to a lower side of a driver seat in a front frame. A front frame that supports at least two front wheels;
A rear frame supporting at least two rear wheels;
A connecting portion for connecting the front frame and the rear frame so that the body can be bent;
A steering device that changes the body refraction angle between the front frame and the rear frame in conjunction with the operation of the operation unit,
A lawn mower with a lawn mower,
A lawn mower driving motor for driving a lawn mower is fixed to a front frame. A front frame that supports at least two front wheels;
A rear frame supporting at least two rear wheels;
A connecting portion for connecting the front frame and the rear frame so that the body can be bent;
A steering device that changes the body refraction angle between the front frame and the rear frame in conjunction with the operation of the operation unit,
A lawn mower with a lawn mower,
An electric motor for traveling;
An internal combustion engine;
A generator driven by an internal combustion engine,
The electric power generated by the generator can be supplied to the electric motor for traveling directly or via the power storage unit,
And the power of the internal combustion engine can be transmitted to the lawn mower by the power transmission mechanism,
The power transmission mechanism includes an intermediate element in which a pulley or a gear is fixed to a power transmission rotating shaft, and the intermediate element enables power transmission between two power transmission elements.
A riding lawn mowing vehicle characterized in that a swing center of a connecting portion of a front frame and a rear frame and a power transmission rotating shaft are coaxially positioned. A front frame that supports at least two front wheels;
A rear frame supporting at least two rear wheels;
A connecting portion for connecting the front frame and the rear frame so that the body can be bent;
A steering device that changes the body refraction angle between the front frame and the rear frame in conjunction with the operation of the operation unit,
A lawn mower with a lawn mower,
One or both of the front wheels and the rear wheels are driven by a traveling electric motor, and the riding lawn mowing vehicle is characterized in that The riding lawn mower vehicle according to claim 7,
At least one of the two front wheels and the two rear wheels is driven by two independent electric motors for traveling on the left and right sides. The riding lawn mower vehicle according to claim 7,
At least one of the two front wheels and the two rear wheels is driven by a common electric motor for driving on both sides common to the two front wheels or the two rear wheels. . The riding lawn mower vehicle according to claim 7,
Two front wheels or two rear wheels are driven by two independent electric motors for traveling, and two rear wheels or two front wheels are two rear wheels or two front wheels. A riding-type lawn mowing vehicle, which is driven by a common electric motor for traveling on both sides. The riding lawn mower vehicle according to claim 9 or 10,
A single motor unit is constituted by the traveling electric motor, the reduction gear device having one or more reduction gears, and the differential gear device,
A riding lawn mowing vehicle characterized in that the power of the electric motor for traveling on both sides can be transmitted to two rear wheels or two front wheels via a reduction gear device and a differential gear device. The riding lawn mower vehicle according to claim 11,
A riding-type lawn mowing vehicle characterized in that a differential gear device is provided with a differential lock mechanism that allows two rear wheels or two front wheels to rotate integrally at the same rotational speed. The riding lawn mower vehicle according to claim 11 or 12,
The differential gear device is provided with a differential limiting mechanism that generates a differential limiting force according to the rotational speed difference between the two rear wheels or between the two front wheels or the input torque to the differential gear device. Riding lawn mowing vehicle. The riding-type lawn mowing vehicle according to any one of claims 10 to 13,
A riding lawn mowing vehicle characterized in that an axle fixed to a rear wheel or a front wheel is rotatably supported by a bearing provided on a rear frame or a front frame. The riding lawnmower vehicle according to any one of claims 10 to 14,
The riding-type lawn mowing vehicle is characterized in that the both-side common travel electric motor is offset so as to be shifted from the center position in the width direction of the vehicle. The riding lawnmower vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 15,
There is a grass collection tank behind the driver's seat,
The riding lawn mowing vehicle is characterized in that the grass collecting tank is connected to a lawn mower by a grass collecting duct. The riding lawnmower vehicle according to claim 16,
A riding-type lawn mowing vehicle, wherein at least one of an internal combustion engine, a generator, a secondary battery, a fuel cell, a capacitor, and an inverter is arranged below the grass collection tank. The riding lawnmower vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 17,
It has a grass collection duct connected between the lawn mower and the grass collection tank,
When the vehicle is viewed from one side in the width direction to the other side, the lawn mower driving motor, the secondary battery, at least one of the capacitors, and the grass collecting duct are superposed. Riding lawn mowing vehicle. The riding lawnmower vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 18,
It has a grass collection duct connected between the lawn mower and the grass collection tank,
The grass collecting duct is at least partially configured in a bellows shape, and passes from the lawn mower between the two front wheels, the rear side of the driver's seat, and the upper side of the connecting portion of the front frame and the rear frame. A riding lawn mowing vehicle characterized in that it is extended and connected to a grass collection tank. The riding lawnmower vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 18,
It has a grass collection duct connected between the lawn mower and the grass collection tank,
The grass-collecting duct has at least a part of a bellows shape, and extends from the lawn mower so as to pass outside the two front wheels and is connected to the grass-collecting tank. . The riding-type lawn mowing vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 20,
A lawn mower driving device for driving the lawn mower;
A grass collection duct connected between the lawn mower and the grass collection tank;
At least one of the lawnmower driving device and the grass collecting duct is disposed so as to be offset from the center in the width direction of the vehicle. The riding lawnmower vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 21,
At least one of an inverter, a DC / DC converter, and a control circuit unit is disposed below the driver's seat.

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