JP2013121333A - Electric work vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electric work vehicle capable of spraying liquid material in addition to a main operation.SOLUTION: An electric lawnmower 10 includes: a pair of right and left rear tires 13 and 13; a pair of right and left travelling motors 16 and 16 respectively driving the rear tires 13; a mower blade for performing lawn-mowing work; and a mower motor 15 for driving the mower blade, and a driver rides on the electric lawnmower when the lawn-mowing work is performed. The electric lawnmower also has a tank WT that can store water capable of being sprayed, and a pipe WP for spraying water for spraying stored water in the tank WT over the ground to be remote controlled using a GPS satellite without a driver for driving when water is sprayed.

Description

  The present invention relates to an electric work vehicle including a pair of left and right drive wheels, a pair of left and right travel motors that drive the drive wheels, a working unit for working, and a work motor for driving the working unit. .

  Conventionally, lawn mowers (work vehicles) mow turf (grass) by rotating two mower blades provided in a mower deck so as to be substantially horizontally rotatable by engine power. And it was comprised so that the cut grass could be discharged toward back.

Japanese National Patent Publication No. 11-509798

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

  However, such technology development is not very active in the field of work equipment. In particular, in the field of lawn mowers, there has been no technical development at an operable level. Therefore, developing an electric lawn mower has an important significance.

  On the other hand, lawn mowing work is not frequently performed on one lawn, and in addition to lawn mowing work as a main work, Lawnmore can perform spraying work such as liquid herbicide, liquid fertilizer, water, etc. Raise the operating rate (usage rate) of Lawnmore. However, the current situation is that the electric lawn mower that combines the lawn mowing work and the spraying work has not been developed to such an extent that it can be carried out. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an electric work vehicle capable of spraying a liquid substance in addition to main work.

For this reason, the invention described in claim 1 includes a pair of left and right drive wheels,
A pair of left and right travel motors for driving the respective drive wheels;
A working section for main work,
A working motor for driving the working unit;
An electric work vehicle on which a driver gets on when performing the main work,
A tank capable of storing dispersible liquid substances;
Spraying means for spraying the liquid substance stored in the tank toward the ground;
When spraying the liquid substance, the driver travels autonomously using a GPS satellite without getting on.

Invention of Claim 2 makes the said tank detachable in the electrically-driven work vehicle of Claim 1,
With steps for the driver to place his feet while driving,
When spraying the liquid substance, the tank is placed on the step.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the electric work vehicle according to the second aspect, when the tank is placed on the step, a presser for pressing the tank so as not to drop off is provided. To do.

The invention according to claim 4 is the electric work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the working portion is used for mowing.
The working unit is
A mower blade attached to the work motor;
An electric work vehicle composed of a mower deck provided to cover the mower blade,
The spraying means is the mower blade;
A liquid substance is sent from the tank into the mower deck, and the liquid substance is sprayed on the rotating mower blade and sprayed.

The invention according to claim 5 is the electric work vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a control valve between the tank and the spraying means,
An electric work vehicle capable of increasing or decreasing the amount of the liquid substance sprayed from the spraying means by opening and closing the control valve,
The control valve opens and closes according to the rotational speed of the traveling motor.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, a pair of left and right drive wheels, a pair of left and right traveling motors for driving the respective drive wheels, a working unit for main work, and for driving the working unit An electric work vehicle on which a driver rides when performing the main work, a tank capable of storing a dispersible liquid substance, and the liquid substance stored in the tank on the ground Spraying means for spraying toward the vehicle, and when spraying the liquid substance, the driver autonomously travels using a GPS satellite without getting on.

  Therefore, in addition to the main work, an electric work vehicle capable of spraying a liquid substance can be provided. In addition, when the liquid substance is sprayed, unmanned maneuvering can be performed using a GPS satellite, so there is no need for a driver to ride and labor saving can be achieved. In addition, the electric work vehicle can spray liquid in addition to the main work, and the operating rate of the electric work vehicle can be increased. Therefore, it is possible to achieve the labor saving of the personnel and the improvement of the operation rate of the work vehicle at the same time. Further, for example, when an electric work vehicle is applied to an electric lawn mower, when a lawn mowing work (main work) is not performed, for example, a spraying work (sub work) such as liquid herbicide, liquid fertilizer, and water may be performed. In addition to increasing the usage rate (operating rate) of the electric loan mower, it is possible to save the driver's labor by autonomously traveling unattended.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, the tank is detachable and includes a step for a driver to place his / her foot during driving, and the tank is placed on the step when the liquid substance is sprayed. Therefore, the tank can be placed in a step that is not used when the liquid substance is sprayed for unattended operation, and the space of the electric work vehicle can be effectively utilized. Thereby, it can contribute to size reduction of an electrically-driven work vehicle.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the presser for holding the tank so as not to drop off is provided when the tank is placed on the step, the liquid substance can be sprayed safely.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electric working vehicle that uses the working unit for mowing, the working unit being provided with a mower blade attached to the working motor and covering the mower blade. An electric work vehicle configured with a mower deck, wherein the spraying means is the mower blade, and a liquid substance is sent from the tank into the mower deck, and the liquid substance is applied to the rotating mower blade to form a mist. And spray.

  Thereby, a mower blade can be used as a spraying means, and an electric work vehicle with a reduced number of parts can be provided. Further, the liquid substance can be efficiently dispersed by the mower blade.

  According to the invention of claim 5, a control valve is provided between the tank and the spraying means, and the spraying amount of the liquid substance sprayed from the spraying means can be increased or decreased by opening and closing the control valve. In the electric work vehicle, the control valve opens and closes according to the number of revolutions of the travel motor. Therefore, when the travel speed of the electric work vehicle is high, the amount of liquid substance applied is increased, and the travel speed of the electric work vehicle is increased. When it is slow, the amount of liquid substance sprayed can be reduced. For this reason, the liquid substance can be sprayed in a constant amount regardless of the traveling speed of the electric work vehicle.

It is a top view of the electric lawn mower as an example of the electric work vehicle of this invention. It is a side view of an electric lawn mower. It is an expansion perspective view of the front part of an electric lawn mower. It is a perspective view of the chassis which comprises an electric lawn mower. It is a figure which shows the attachment structure of a watering pipe, (a) is a figure which shows the attachment condition of a bracket, (b) is a top view, (c) is a side view near a watering pipe. (A) is a figure for demonstrating the condition which attached the hose to the watering pipe, (b) is a partially expanded view of the hose. It is an enlarged plan view of the presser foot periphery of the step. (A) is a figure which shows the positional relationship between a tongue and a step left side part, (b) is a figure which shows the positional relationship between a buckle and a step right side part. It is a perspective view from the left front of a battery. It is a perspective view from the right rear of a battery. It is an expansion perspective view of a rotation part. (A) is a schematic view of the periphery of a cylindrical portion, (b) is a schematic view of a locking shaft, and (c) is a perspective view of a retaining pin. It is a perspective view of a machine body rear part. It is the principal part enlarged view. It is another principal part enlarged view of FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating a mode that a battery is attached to the rear part of an airframe. It is a principal part enlarged explanatory view for demonstrating a mode that a battery is attached to the rear part of a body. (A) of a water spray tank is a perspective view, (b) is an A arrow bottom view of (a). (A) is a partial plan view, (b) is a partial side view, and (c) is a diagram for explaining a connection structure between a watering tank and a watering pipe, with the electric lawn mower with the watering tank attached. It is a figure for demonstrating in more detail the state which attached the watering tank, (a) is the figure seen from the step left side, (b) is the figure seen from the step right side. It is a figure for demonstrating the autonomous traveling system of the electric lawn mower using a GPS satellite. It is a top view of the mower deck of the example using a mower blade as watering means. (A), (b) shows another example of a presser.

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In this specification, “front” refers to the forward direction of the electric work vehicle, “rear” refers to the reverse direction, “left / right” refers to “left / right”, “up / down”, respectively. Each means the “up and down” direction of the electric work vehicle. FIG. 1 is a plan view of an electric lawn mower 10 as an example of the electric work vehicle of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a plan view thereof.

  The electric lawn mower (electric work vehicle) 10 performs lawn mowing work as the main work. The electric lawn mower 10 includes a chassis (body frame) 11, a pair of front tires 12 on the lower front side of the chassis 11, a pair of rear tires (drive wheels) 13 on the lower rear side, and the like. Further, a mower deck 14 is provided between the front tire 12 and the rear tire 13. The side surface of the rear portion of the mower deck (working unit) 14 is opened to discharge the cut grass to the rear. Inside the mower deck 14, two mower blades (working units) (not shown) are provided side by side. More motors (working motors) 15 and 15 are attached to the rotation centers of the mower blades (the mower blades are rotated by the mower motor 15 to mow the grass). Note that the rotation center of the right mower blade is slightly rearward in the straight direction as compared with that on the left side.

  A main body cover (cowl) 20 is placed on the chassis 11. The main body cover 20 covers the entire chassis 11. A driver's seat 21 is provided on the main body cover 20 slightly in front of the rear tire 13. On the left and right sides of the driver's seat 21, traveling operation levers 22 and 22 for operating the electric lawn mower 10 are provided.

  The electric lawn mower 10 is driven by an electric motor in addition to mowing, and includes a traveling motor 16 inside each of the pair of rear tires 13, 13. Each is driven independently (in-wheel motors may be provided in the wheels of the rear tires 13, 13).

  The electric power of the two mower motors 15 and the two traveling motors 16 is supplied from the battery 25. The battery 25 is provided in the rear part of the aircraft (described later).

  A control unit (not shown) is provided below the driver seat 21. This control unit also controls the traveling motor 16 of the electric lawn mower 10. The control unit controls the rotation direction and the rotation speed of the traveling motor 16 according to the tilting amount of the traveling operation lever 22. In addition to the control of the traveling motor 16, the control unit also has a role of controlling the rotation of the mower motor 15 and correcting a minute voltage fluctuation of the battery 25. The rotation of the mower motor 15 is controlled so as to be interlocked with the rotation speed of the traveling motor 16. That is, when the traveling speed is increased, the rotational speed of the mower blade is also increased, and when the traveling speed is decreased, the rotational speed of the mower blade is also decreased.

  Each of the front tires 12 and 12 is rotatably attached to the front tire bracket 17 via a shaft (that is, the front tire 12 rotates following the front tire bracket 17). The front tire bracket 17 is formed in a gate shape, and a through hole is provided in the center of the top surface portion. Bolts are passed through the through holes upward and fixed in the cylindrical front tire post 18. As a result, the front tire bracket 17 is rotatable with respect to the front tire post 18.

  The side surfaces of the left and right front tire posts 18 are respectively fixed to the end portions of the front frame 19. The front frame 19 is formed in an arc shape at both side ends.

  The traveling operation lever 22 is provided so as to be tiltable. When the driver tilts the traveling operation lever 22 forward, the traveling motor 16 rotates in the forward direction. On the other hand, when the traveling operation lever 22 is tilted later, the traveling motor 16 rotates in the reverse direction. Furthermore, the rotational speed of the traveling motor 16 changes depending on the tilting degree of the traveling operation lever 22. That is, when the traveling operation lever 22 is largely moved forward (rearward), the traveling motor 16 rotates faster in the forward (reverse) direction, and when the traveling operation lever 22 is moved forward (rearward) smaller, the traveling motor 16 moves forward (rearward). Slowly rotate in the backward direction. The driver can move straight forward, turn left and right, or turn by appropriately operating the traveling operation levers 22 and 22 forward and backward.

  The fender 20FR on the right side of the driver's seat 21 is provided with operation buttons, for example, a mowing switch for turning on and off the two mower blades in the mower deck 14, a height adjusting button for the mower deck 14, In addition, an autonomous running start button, which will be described later, is provided. The mowing switch is a limit type switch, which is turned on when the driver presses it with a finger, and turned off when pressed again. The fender 20FL on the left side of the driver's seat 21 includes a cup folder, a tray for placing small items, and the like. Reference numeral 24 denotes a deck raising / lowering pedal for raising and lowering the mower deck 14. The height of the mower deck 14 can be adjusted by pressing the above-described height adjustment button while operating the deck lifting pedal 24 with the right foot.

  In front of the driver's seat 21, a step ST is provided for the driver to put his / her feet on and when getting on and off. Step ST is a flat surface portion of the main body cover 20 formed so as to follow the shape of the chassis 11. And on both sides of step ST, left and right side portions LS, RS which are raised by one step are continuously provided. The left and right side portions LS, RS are formed so as to follow left and right step portions 11L, 11R of the chassis 11 described later. The left side LS includes two tongues TG and TG, and the right side RS includes two buckles BK and BK. Further, a mower deck adjusting pedal 24 for adjusting the height of the mower deck 14 from the ground is provided outside the right side portion RS.

  A watering pipe (dispersing means) WP is provided in front of the front tire 12 in the vehicle width direction of the electric lawn mower 10. Moreover, the front part of step ST is equipped with the opening-and-closing lid mentioned later.

  The wireless communication means SE is exposed in the main body cover 20 directly below the driver seat 21. Details of the wireless communication means SE will be described later.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the front portion SL of step ST is inclined upward toward the front, and the opening / closing lid DR is disposed on the inclined front portion SL. The open / close lid DR is formed in a substantially rectangular shape with a reinforced plastic plate. On the edge of the opening / closing lid DR, the finger-hanging portion DR1 is formed to bend upward. Further, a pair of hinges DR2 and DR2 are provided at the lower end of the open / close lid DR. Hinge DR2 is provided at the boundary between front SL and step ST. Therefore, the opening / closing lid DR is attached to the step ST through the hinge DR2 so as to be rotatable. When a finger is placed on the finger hanging part DR1 and the opening / closing lid DR is opened, a gap between the front frame 19 and the front end of the chassis 11 is seen. The open / close lid DR is for passing a hose HS described later.

  FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the main part of this example (in FIG. 4, the watering pipe WP is omitted). The chassis 11 is formed by bending both sides of a substantially rectangular metal plate. Both the left and right step portions 11L and 11R of the chassis 11 are formed by being bent into a substantially gate shape in a sectional view. In the left and right step portions 11L and 11R, two openings 11H are formed in a rectangular shape.

  A driver seat support frame 40 for mounting the driver seat 21 is attached on the chassis 11. The driver's seat support frame 40 accommodates electrical components such as the control unit described above. Traveling motors 16 and 16 are attached near the rear end of the chassis 11, and rear tires 13 are attached to the traveling motors 16 via transmission cases, respectively.

  Brackets (front connection portions) 31 and 31 are fixed to the front left and right ends of the chassis 11 with bolts BT1. The tip of the bracket 31 is connected to the front frame 19 by welding or the like.

  As shown in FIGS. 5A to 5C, the watering pipe WP is attached to and supported by a pair of left and right brackets BR and BR. The bracket BR is formed by bending a rectangular metal plate twice at a substantially right angle. At both ends, through holes for passing the bolts BT are formed. One end of the bracket BR is attached to the lower surface of the front frame 19 with a bolt. On the other hand, the sprinkling pipe WP is placed on the tip of the bracket BR, the fixing member PL is disposed so as to cover it from above, and the fixing member PL and the bracket BR are fixed by the bolt BT. Moreover, the watering pipe WP is formed in a cylindrical shape, and its both ends are closed.

  As shown in FIG. 6A, the mounting portion HC is provided with a protrusion HC1, and the tip of the hose HS can be fitted to the protrusion HC1. The rear end of the hose HS is connected to a watering tank via a control valve as will be described later. Moreover, as shown in FIG.6 (b), the several water spray hole HR is formed in the lower part of the water sprinkling pipe WP by the predetermined space | interval. Reference sign WPE indicates a closed surface at the side end of the mountain water pipe WP. Since it is comprised in this way, the water W in a watering tank flows in into the watering pipe WP from the hose HS through the protrusion part HC1, and is sprinkled toward the ground from the watering hole HR.

  7 and 8 show details of the tongue TG and the buckle BK (in FIG. 7, the arrows indicate the forward direction of the electric lawn mower 10). The tongue TG is formed of a metal plate and is processed so that the tip is slightly narrowed. A rectangular opening TO is formed at the tip portion. The front end of the belt BT is attached to the rear end of the tongue TG. The rear end of the belt BT is wound up by a belt retractor RT. The belt BT is unwound from the belt retractor RT when pulled at a constant speed, and is unwound when released. On the other hand, the belt retractor RT is provided with a stopper, and when the belt BT is about to be unwound rapidly, this is prevented by the stopper.

  The buckle BK is for hanging the tongue TG. A button BU interlocked with the hooking claw is provided in the approximate center of the tongue TG. An opening TO of the tongue TG can be latched to the hooking claw, and the latched tongue TG can be released by pressing the button BU. The tongue TG, the buckle BK, and the belt BT are collectively referred to as a presser, and the watering tank WT (described later) is pressed by the presser so as not to drop off from the step ST due to vibration or the like.

  The details of the battery 25 are shown in FIGS. The battery 25 is covered from above by a cover 26. The cover 26 is formed by connecting a cover body 26A and a lid portion 26B via a hinge 26C. The cover body 26A is made of hard resin, and is attached to the battery body 27 so as to cover the battery body 27 from above. The lid portion 26B is made of the same resin as the cover body 26A, and is rotatable with respect to the cover body 26A with the hinge 26C as a fulcrum. Note that. A recess 26BF is provided at the lower end of the lid portion 26B. On the other hand, a concave portion 26AF is provided at a position of the cover main body 26A in contact with the concave portion 26BF. The concave portion 26BF is formed so that an operator can easily touch when the lid portion 26B is opened and closed. The concave portion 26AF is used when the lid portion 26B is opened and closed. It is an escape.

  Two metal plates (not shown) are attached to the lower end of the lid portion 26B, and a magnet is attached to the cover main body 26A where the metal plate abuts when the lid portion 26B is closed. Accordingly, the lid portion 26B is fixed to the cover body 26A with a constant force. When the lid 26B is opened, the upper part of the battery body 27 is exposed. A power supply port 28 for inserting a plug when charging the battery body 27 is provided on the upper part of the battery body 27. The power supply port 28 is provided with two types of plugs for charging the battery 25 by inserting an electric cord connected to a household power source, and a plug for quick charging having a larger diameter than the plug. An AC adapter and a charging device are appropriately provided between the battery 25 and the plug.

  Reinforcing portions 40S and 40S are formed on both side surfaces 27S of the battery body 27. The reinforcing portion 40 is formed by punching out a metal plate constituting the side surface 27S, and reinforces the side surface 27S. Each of the reinforcing portions 40S is provided with a rotating portion 29 (the rotating portion 29 is appropriately connected to the battery body 27 inside the reinforcing portion 40S). Both ends of the gripping part 30 are fixed to the rotating part 29 by welding or the like. The holding part 30 is formed in a substantially gate shape by bending a metal pipe. The gripping part 30 rotates about the rotating part 29 with respect to the battery body 27 (details of the rotating part 29 will be described later). Note that the rotation fulcrum of the rotation unit 29 is preferably near the center of gravity of the battery body 27. Wheel frames 32 are attached to both side surfaces 27 </ b> S of the lower part of the battery body 27 via attachment plates 31, respectively. The mounting plate 31 is fixed to the wheel frame 32 by welding or the like. The mounting plate 31 is fixed to the side surface 27S by bolts.

  The wheel frame 32 has a rectangular tube shape and is formed by being bent into a substantially U-shape. Front wheel brackets 33 and 33 are fixed to both ends of the wheel frame 32 by welding or the like. The front wheel bracket 33 is formed in a gate shape by bending a metal plate twice at a substantially right angle. Through holes are formed on both sides, and the front wheel 34 is rotatably attached via a bolt or the like. On the other hand, the attachment portions 35 are fixed to the central portion of the wheel frame 32 by welding or the like. A side surface of the cylindrical portion 36 is fixed to the attachment portion 35. A rear wheel bracket 37 is pivotally attached to the cylindrical portion 36. The rear wheel bracket 37 is formed in a gate shape, and a through hole is provided in the center of the top surface portion. Bolts are passed through the through holes upward and fixed in the cylindrical portion 36. As a result, the rear wheel bracket 37 is rotatably supported with respect to the cylindrical portion 36. The rear wheel bracket 37 is formed in a gate shape by bending a metal plate twice at a substantially right angle. Through holes are formed on both sides, and the rear wheel 38 is rotatably attached via a bolt or the like. Thus, the rear wheel 38 can rotate around the cylindrical portion 36.

  A mounting bracket (battery side fixing portion) 39 is fixedly provided at the upper center of the back surface 27B of the battery body 27. The mounting bracket 39 is composed of a pair of metal plates and includes a through hole 39H at the center of each. A pair of reinforcing portions 40B and 40B are formed on the back surface 27B so as to extend in the vertical direction. The reinforcing portion 40 is formed by punching out a metal plate constituting the back surface 27B.

  As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12A to 12C, the rotating portion 29 provided on both side surfaces 27S of the battery body 27 is fixed to a rotating shaft (rotating fulcrum) 72 and the rotating shaft 72. Bracket 76, bracket 76, locking shaft 74 that can be inserted into and removed from the bracket 76, and cylindrical portion 73 that is fixed inside the bracket 76 (the rotation shaft 72 is connected to the cylindrical portion 73. And a cylindrical guide portion 75 fixed to the outside of the bracket 76 (the guide portion 75 can be inserted into the lock shaft 74 so as to be freely inserted and removed). Therefore, the locking shaft 74 is in a position eccentric with respect to the rotation shaft 72.

  In the cylindrical portion (lock mechanism) 73, a through hole 73A and a through hole 73B having the same diameter are formed so as to penetrate in the diameter direction. On the other hand, a through-hole having substantially the same diameter as the through-holes 73A and 73B is formed in the rotation shaft 72 so as to penetrate in the diameter direction. A retaining pin (lock mechanism) PN2 can be inserted into the through holes 73A and 73B and the through hole of the rotating shaft 72 (in FIGS. 12A and 12B, the retaining pin PN2 is inserted into the through hole 73A. In this state, it is referred to as a transfer position described later). Further, a through hole 75A is formed in the guide portion 75 so as to penetrate in the diameter direction. The locking shaft 74 is also formed with a through hole substantially the same as the through hole 75A so as to penetrate in the diameter direction. A retaining pin PN <b> 2 can be inserted into the through hole 73 </ b> A of the guide portion 75 and the through hole of the locking shaft 74. The retaining pin PN2 includes a head portion and an insertion portion PN2B, and a retaining portion PN2A is rotatably attached to the head portion. The rotation shaft 72 is rotatably supported by the rotation support portion 71. The rotation support portion 71 is attached to the battery main body 27 with a bolt. The locking shaft 74 can be inserted into a guide portion 50G of the bracket 50 described later. The cylindrical portion 73 and the retaining pin PN2 are collectively referred to as a lock mechanism.

  As shown in FIGS. 13 to 15, brackets (airframe side connecting portions) 50 and 50 are fixed to the rear ends of the chassis 11 and 11 with bolts. A through hole is formed at the rear end of the bracket 50, and a cylindrical guide portion 50G is inserted and fixed by welding or the like. The abutting portion 51 is passed over the rear portions of the chassis 11 and 11 and fixed with bolts. The contact portion 51 is formed by processing a metal plate, and its main portion is a flat surface formed so as to incline in the forward direction. The portion 51 is not limited to this shape, and may be any shape as long as the back surface 27B of the battery 25 can be provided, and may be composed of a plurality of members). A rubber plate (buffer part) (not shown) is affixed to the surface of the contact part 51 so as to alleviate the impact when the battery 25 is put on and contacted. A mounting portion 52 is provided on the contact portion 51, and a pair of brackets 53 and 53 are mounted on both sides of the mounting portion 52. Coil springs (buffer portions) 54 are respectively attached to the upper side of the bracket 53. A mounting bracket (airframe side fixing portion) 56 is fixed between the brackets 53 and 53 via a bracket 55. In addition, a buffer part is not limited to the coil spring 54, All elastic members can be applied.

  The mounting bracket 56 is composed of a pair of metal plates, and a through hole is formed at the center of each of the mounting brackets 56, and a cylindrical guide portion 56G is inserted therein and fixed by welding or the like. A locking rod 57 is inserted into the guide portion 56G. The locking rod 57 is formed of a metal rod, and one end of the locking rod 57 is prevented from coming off. Further, a through hole is formed in the radial direction at the other end. The fixing pin PN1 is fitted into the through hole. The head of the fixing pin PN1 is provided with a ring for hooking a finger or the like when pulling out. The spacing between the mounting brackets 56, 56 is formed wider than the spacing between the mounting brackets (battery side fixing portions) 39, 39 provided in the battery 25, and the mounting brackets (battery side fixing portions) 39, 39 are the mounting brackets. It is configured to be disposed between 56 and 56. Further, the through hole 39H formed in the mounting bracket 39 is formed to a size that allows the locking rod 57 to be inserted and removed.

  A horizontal frame 58 is fixed between the chassis 11 and 11 below the contact portion 51, and a pair of brackets 59 and 59 are fixed to the horizontal frame 58. A roller (contact promoting portion) 60 is rotatably attached to each bracket 59. The roller 60 includes a rubber tire portion and a wheel portion that supports the tire portion from the inside. A through hole is formed in the center of the wheel portion, and the support shaft 61 is inserted. The roller 60 is freely rotatable around the support shaft 61. One end of the support shaft 61 is fixed to the bracket 59, and the other end is fixed to the receiving portion 62. The receiving part 62 is fixed to the horizontal frame 58. The roller 60 is for facilitating the operation of applying the battery 25 to the contact portion 51, as will be described later. The contact promoting portion is not limited to the roller 60, and may have any shape as long as the same effect can be obtained.

  In the electric lawn mower 10 configured as described above, the battery 25 can be removed and moved alone to be charged. A method of attaching the charged battery 25 to the machine of the electric lawn mower 10 will be described next. As shown in FIG. 16, the battery 25 is pushed while holding the grip portion 30 of the battery 25, and is brought close to the main unit of the electric lawn mower 10. Next, as shown in FIG. 17, the grip 30 is rotated from the transport position to the attachment position (see also FIGS. 11 and 12 (a) to 12 (c)). Specifically, when the latching portion PN2A of the retaining pin PN2 inserted in the cylindrical portion 73 is rotated and separated from the insertion portion PN2B, the retaining pin PN2 is unlocked, and the retaining pin PN2 passes through the cylindrical portion 73. Remove from hole 73A.

  As a result, the grip portion 30 can be rotated around the rotation shaft 72 and the grip portion 30 is rotated forward. Then, the through-hole of the rotation shaft 72 and the through-hole 73B of the cylindrical portion 73 are aligned, and the insertion portion PN2B of the retaining pin PN2 is inserted. Further, the retaining portion PN2A is rotated to the vicinity of the insertion portion PN2B so that the retaining pin PN2 is not pulled out of the cylindrical portion 73. In this way, the grip portion 30 is in the attachment position as shown in FIG. 17 (in FIG. 17, the alternate long and short dash line indicates the state where the grip portion 30 is in the transport position).

  Then, the battery 25 is further approached toward the apparatus. Next, the latching portion PN2A of the retaining pin PN2 inserted into the retaining shaft 74 is rotated to be separated from the insertion portion PN2B, and the retaining pin PN2 is removed from the guide portion 75 and the retaining shaft 74. Further, the locking shaft 74 is extracted from the bracket 76 and the guide portion 75. In this state, the battery 25 is brought closer so that the bracket 50 on the machine side is positioned between the brackets 76 on the battery side. Furthermore, the guide part 75 and the guide part 50G are match | combined, and the latching shaft 74 is inserted in both. Then, the retaining pin PN2 is inserted into the guide portion 75 and the locking shaft 74 again to prevent the locking shaft 74 from coming off. In this way, the battery 25 is connected to the chassis (airframe) 11 of the electric lawn mower 10.

  Next, the grip 30 is rotated counterclockwise in the drawing. Then, the front wheel 34 of the battery 25 is lifted and the back surface 27B of the battery body 27 comes into contact with the roller 60. At this time, since the tire portion of the roller 60 is made of rubber, the impact on the battery main body 27 due to contact can be reduced. In this state, the center of gravity of the battery 25 is located behind the rotation center of the grip portion 30.

  When the grip portion 30 is further rotated counterclockwise, the back surface 27 </ b> B of the battery body 27 moves while contacting the roller 60. Since the roller 60 is rotatable, the battery body 27 can be easily moved. The battery 25 rotates around a locking shaft (a connecting portion between the battery 25 and the machine body) 74 while being in contact with the roller 60. At this time, since the reinforcing portions 40B and 40B are formed at positions where the two rollers 60 and 60 abut, it is possible to prevent the back surface 27B from being deformed by the roller 60.

  Further, the gripping portion 30 is rotated counterclockwise so that the back surface 27B of the battery main body 27 is brought into contact with the contact portion 51, thereby completing the operation of holding the electric loan mower 10 of the battery 25 to the body. . At this time, since the rubber plate (buffer part) and the coil spring (buffer part) 54 disposed on the surface of the contact part 51 receive the back surface 27B of the battery 25, the impact when the back surface 27B contacts the contact part 51 is affected. It is possible to relax (the buffer portion may not be provided. Further, only one of the rubber plate and the coil spring 54 may be disposed as the buffer portion).

  Before starting the work of attaching the battery 25 to the airframe (or during the work), the locking rod 57 inserted in the mounting brackets (airframe side fixing portions) 56, 56 attached to the rear part of the airframe is preliminarily attached. Pull it out. Specifically, the fixing pin PN1 inserted in the diameter direction at the tip of the locking rod 57 is pulled out to release the latching, and then the locking rod 57 is pulled out from the mounting bracket 56. When the back surface 27B of the battery body 27 comes into contact with the contact portion 51, the mounting bracket (battery side fixing portion) 39 is disposed between the mounting brackets 56, and the through hole 39H and the guide portion 56G are combined to Insert the stop rod 57. When the insertion is completed, the fixing pin PN1 is inserted into the tip of the locking rod 57 and latched. Thereby, the battery 25 is fixed to the airframe.

  In this state, the battery 25 is stable because the center of gravity of the battery 25 is positioned ahead of the rotation center of the grip portion 30. A cord having a coupler is provided on each of the battery 25 side and the machine body side, and the power of the battery 25 can be supplied to the machine body side by connecting both the couplers.

  18A and 18B show a watering tank (tank) WT. Since the water spray tank WT is attached to and detached from the electric lawn mower 10, a lightweight material that can be transported manually, such as a resin, is preferable. A water supply port is provided on the upper surface of the water spray tank WT so that water (liquid substance) can be supplied and stored with a water hose or the like. A cap CP is screwed to the water supply port so that it can be closed. A depression EP is formed on the left side of the front portion WTF of the water spray tank WT. This depression EP is for escaping the mower deck adjusting pedal 24 when the watering tank WT is placed on the electric lawn mower 10.

  Further, an inclined portion WT1 is formed on the lower surface of the front portion WTF of the water spray tank WT. It is desirable that the inclination of the inclined part WT1 is substantially the same as that of the front part SL of step ST. Further, an attachment portion HC is provided near the lower end of the front portion WTF of the water spray tank WT. The attachment portion HC is the same as that provided in the watering pipe WP, and includes a protrusion HC1 so that the end of the hose HS can be fitted into the protrusion HC1. The width L of the water spray tank WT is set to be slightly smaller than the width of the step ST. Accordingly, the movement of the lower portion of the side surface of the water spray tank WT in the vehicle width direction is restricted by the side portions RS and LS.

  Next, the attachment method of the watering tank WT is demonstrated using FIG. In this example, since the watering operation is performed unmanned by autonomous traveling, the watering tank WT can be attached to the step ST. Driving the electric lawn mower 10 autonomously eliminates the need for a driver and enables labor saving of watering work. In order to autonomously travel, it is necessary to obtain in advance the location information of the area where the watering work is performed. For this purpose, the outer edge of the watering work area must be manned before attaching the watering tank WT to step ST. To do. In acquiring the position information of the area where the watering operation is performed, first, the position information acquisition button disposed on the right fender FR is pressed before traveling. Then, after manned traveling on the outer edge of the watering work area and returning to the original position, the position information acquisition button is pressed again. Thereby, the position information of the watering work area is stored in the control unit (processing unit 110 described later).

  Next, the driver gets off and attaches the watering tank WT. First, the opening / closing lid DR in the front portion SL of step ST is opened to expose the opening. Next, an empty watering tank WT is carried out from a warehouse or the like and placed on step ST. Since the water spray tank WT is formed of a light material such as resin, it can be easily carried by one driver. The watering tank WT is placed so that the inclined portion WT1 overlaps the front portion SL of step ST. At this time, the attachment portion HC of the water spray tank WT is located in the opening exposed by the opening / closing lid DR. Next, the rear end of the hose HS is fitted to the protruding portion HC1 of the attachment portion HC. The hose HS is guided forward while passing between the front end 11T of the chassis 11 and the front frame 19.

  Further, the tip of the hose HS is fitted into the protrusion HC1 of the attachment part HC of the watering pipe WP. In addition, a control valve (not shown) is provided in an intermediate portion of the hose HS (a control valve 126 described later). This control valve is connected to the control unit and the coupler in the driver seat support frame 40 below the driver seat 21. It is electrically connected through such as.

  Next, water is supplied to the watering tank WT. Specifically, the cap CP on the top surface of the water spray tank WT is twisted to open the water supply port, and water is supplied using a hose or the like. After water supply, screw cap CP.

  As shown in FIG. 21, the watering operation is performed unattended by an autonomous traveling system using GPS satellites. In addition to the electric lawn mower 10 having the mobile station unit 103, the autonomous traveling system includes a GPS satellite 125 and a reference station unit 104 installed in an area where watering is performed (for example, a golf course).

  The mobile station unit 103 includes a GPS antenna 108, a GPS receiving unit 109, a processing unit 110 as a control unit including a CPU, a RAM, a ROM, and the like, an operation unit 111, a display unit 112, a wireless unit 113, and the like. A radio signal from the GPS satellite 125 received by the GPS antenna 108 is transmitted to the processing unit 110 via the GPS receiving unit 109 by a cable. The operation unit 111 is an interface for performing setting for autonomous driving and initial setting for GPS, which will be described later, and is connected to the processing unit 110 with a cable. The display unit 112 is cable-connected to the processing unit 110 and displays the data processing status in the processing unit 110 and various settings input by the operation unit 111. The wireless unit 113 is used for wireless communication between the mobile station unit 103 and the reference station unit 104.

  Note that the operation unit 111 is not limited in form as long as the operator can perform an input operation such as a keyboard, a switch, a lever, a push button, or a dial. Furthermore, the operation unit 111 and the display unit 112 may be integrated as a touch panel. The operation unit 111 and the display unit 112 are provided in the right fender 20FR. Further, the GPS antenna 108 and the wireless unit 113 constitute the wireless communication means SE of FIG.

  The reference station unit 104 has substantially the same configuration as the mobile station unit 103, and includes a GPS antenna 114, a GPS receiving unit 115, a processing unit 116, an operation unit 117, a display unit 118, a wireless unit 119, and the like.

  The GPS antenna 114 of the reference station unit 104 is installed upright on the ground. Members other than the GPS antenna 114 constituting the reference station unit 104 are housed in a case.

  Next, an autonomous traveling system when performing watering work with the electric lawn mower 10 will be described. The autonomous traveling system includes an autonomous traveling program, a main body sensor 122 that detects various types of information on the electric lawn mower 10, a traveling motor 16, a control valve for watering, and the like.

  A radio signal from the GPS satellite 125 transmitted at a certain time is received by the GPS antenna 108 of the mobile station unit 103 and transmitted to the processing unit 110 via the GPS receiving unit 109.

  A radio wave signal transmitted from the GPS satellite 125 at the same time is also received by the GPS antenna 114 of the reference station unit 104 and transmitted to the processing unit 116 via the GPS receiving unit 115. Further, it is wirelessly transmitted from the wireless unit 119 to the processing unit 110 via the wireless unit 113.

  The processing unit 110 compares and contrasts the radio signal received by the reference station unit 104 with the radio signal received by the mobile station unit 103, and the radio wave signal transmitted at the same time is received by the GPS antenna 108 and the GPS antenna 114. The relative position between the mobile station unit 103 and the reference station unit 104 is calculated based on the phase difference at the time and radio signal information from a plurality of satellites, and the position of the mobile station unit 103 is calculated. The above calculation is performed by an autonomous traveling program stored in the processing unit 110.

  By comprising in this way, the position of the electric lawn mower 10 in the watering work area can be measured with high accuracy and in real time.

  The motion sensor 122 is a generic term for sensors for detecting information necessary for autonomous traveling, such as the traveling speed of the electric lawn mower 10, the three-dimensional posture, and the rotational speed of the traveling motor. More specifically, there are rotational speed sensors, azimuth sensors, inclination sensors, and the like of the left and right traveling motors 16 (for example, a three-dimensional posture is detected, and the electric lawn mower 10 becomes an unstable posture in traveling. You can slow down your driving speed). Detection signals from these motion sensors 122 are transmitted to the processing unit 110.

  Based on the detection signal from the motion sensor 122 and the position information of the electric loan mower 10 by the GPS unit 102, the rotation of the traveling motor 16 of the electric loan mower 10 is controlled by the autonomous traveling program stored in the processing unit 110. In this way, traveling is controlled. In addition, in the autonomous traveling program, the amount of water supplied from the water spray tank WT to the water spray pipe WP is controlled. Specifically, the autonomous running program controls the opening and closing of the control valve 126 provided in the middle of the hose HS connecting the watering tank WT and the watering pipe WP. That is, when the traveling speed of the electric lawn mower 10 becomes slow, the control valve 126 is operated in the closing direction so as to reduce the water supply amount. On the other hand, when the traveling speed of the electric lawn mower 10 is increased, the control valve 126 is operated to open so as to increase the water supply amount.

  Next, the procedure of autonomous driving of the electric loan mower 10 will be described. First, among the operation buttons arranged on the fender 20FR, the autonomous running start button is pressed to turn on the circuit.

  The electric lawn mower 10 starts autonomous running and watering work based on the autonomous running program stored in the processing unit 110 and the position information of the watering work area. When the autonomous traveling program slows down the traveling speed due to a U-turn or a curve, the control valve 126 is also operated in conjunction to reduce the amount of water spray. Further, when the traveling speed is increased, the control valve 126 is also operated in conjunction to increase the water spray amount. In this way, regardless of the traveling speed of the electric lawn mower 10, the watering amount is always kept constant.

  When the work end point is reached, the electric loan mower 10 automatically ends autonomous driving and stops. When the autonomous traveling is completed, the autonomous traveling start button among the operation buttons arranged on the fender 20FR is pressed again to turn off the circuit.

  Although a plurality of autonomous traveling routes of the electric loan mower 10 can be created, it is desirable to select the route with the shortest traveling route from the viewpoint of work speed. However, in reality, there are obstacles (signboards, tower legs, etc.) in the watering work area, a specific part of the watering work area is soft ground, or a point where the electric lawn mower 10 can enter the watering work area. Various situations are conceivable, such as being restricted to a specific location.

  FIG. 22 shows another example of the present invention (in the figure, the arrow indicates the forward direction of the electric lawn mower 10). In this example, the water in the water spray tank WT is sprinkled into the mower deck 14 ′ instead of watering from the water spray pipe WP. In this case, one through hole is formed on the top surface 14'U of the mower deck 14 'and in the rotation locus TA of each mower blade. And the attachment part HC is attached to the through-hole. The hose HS attached to the water spray tank WT passes through the control valve 126 and then divides the water flow into two hoses using a diversion member. And the front-end | tip of each hose is fitted in the attachment part HC of mower deck 14 '. In addition, since the watering pipe WP becomes unnecessary, the bracket BR for supporting this is also unnecessary. Other configurations are the same as in the previous example. In this example, the mower blade is the spraying means.

  During the watering operation, the mower blade is rotated at a low speed to make the water mist. The rotation speed of the mower blade during the watering operation is much smaller than the rotation speed of the mower blade during the mowing work. For this reason, it is necessary to control the rotation of the mower motors 15 and 15 to the lawn mowing mode and the watering mode by the control unit.

  In the above-described example, the water spray tank WT is placed on the step ST, and the water spray tank WT is stopped from dropping on the step ST using the belt BT, tongue TG, and buckle BK as the presser. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIGS. 23A and 23B, instead of the belt BT, the tongue TG, and the buckle BK, a plurality of protrusions FK are provided so as to protrude outside the left and right side portions LS and RS of the step ST. .

  Then, after hooking one end NT of the rubber rope RR on the protrusion FK on the left side LS, the rubber rope RR is extended to extend the other end NT of the rubber rope RR over the upper surface of the water spray tank WT. Is hooked on the protrusion FK of the right side RS on the opposite side. A plurality of rubber ropes RR are hung on different protrusions FK according to the size and shape of the watering tank WT, and the watering tank WT is fixed. By doing in this way, a presser can be comprised only with the rubber rope RR and protrusion FK, and the structure of the electric lawn mower 10 can be simplified.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described example, and can take any form within a scope not departing from the gist of the invention.

  The electric work vehicle of the present invention is not limited to the electric lawn mower in the above example, and can be applied to an electric work vehicle used for any work. Moreover, what is stored in a water spray tank is not limited to water, For example, it can apply to all the liquids of the objective of spraying, such as a liquid herbicide and a liquid fertilizer.

10 Electric loan mower (electric work vehicle)
13 Rear tire (drive wheel)
15 More motor (working motor)
16 Traveling motor 125 GPS satellite 126 Control valve BK Buckle (presser)
BT belt (presser)
FK protrusion (presser)
RR rubber rope (presser)
ST step TG tongue (presser)
W Water (liquid substance)
WT Watering tank (tank)
WP Sprinkling pipe (dispersing means)

Claims (5)

A pair of left and right drive wheels;
A pair of left and right travel motors for driving the respective drive wheels;
A working section for main work,
A working motor for driving the working unit;
An electric work vehicle on which a driver gets on when performing the main work,
A tank capable of storing dispersible liquid substances;
Spraying means for spraying the liquid substance stored in the tank toward the ground;
An electric work vehicle characterized in that when the liquid substance is sprayed, a driver autonomously travels using a GPS satellite without getting on. The tank is removable;
With steps for the driver to place his feet while driving,
The electric work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the tank is placed on the step when the liquid substance is sprayed.   The electric work vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising a presser for pressing the tank so that the tank does not fall off when the tank is placed on the step. An electric work vehicle using the working unit for mowing,
The working unit is
A mower blade attached to the work motor;
An electric work vehicle composed of a mower deck provided to cover the mower blade,
The spraying means is the mower blade;
2. The electric work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a liquid substance is sent from the tank into the mower deck, and the liquid substance is applied to the rotating mower blade and sprayed in a mist form. A control valve is provided between the tank and the spraying means,
An electric work vehicle capable of increasing or decreasing the amount of the liquid substance sprayed from the spraying means by opening and closing the control valve,
The electric work vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control valve opens and closes according to the number of rotations of the travel motor.

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