Patent Description:
This type of mower unit is provided with a water discharging section for discharging cleaning water supplied to a water feeding section towards the blades (see e.g. Patent Document <NUM> "<CIT>").

However, with the mower unit disclosed in Patent Document <NUM>, when the inner wall of the housing is to be cleaned, water is discharged from the water discharging section toward the respective blades in association with rotation of the blades and water splashed back from the blades is stirred inside the housing, thereby to clean the inner wall of the housing. Namely, of the inner wall of the housing, portions thereof where a large amount of e.g. cut grass pieces is accumulated and portions thereof where only a small amount of cut grass pieces or the like is accumulated are cleaned indifferently by stirred water. As a result, although the accumulated cut grass pieces or the like may be removed sufficiently at the portions of small accumulation, the cut grass pieces or the like may sometimes remain unremoved at the portions of large accumulation. For allowing such cut grass pieces or the like to be removed, water discharging needs to be further continued, so the cleaning operation cannot be carried out in an efficient manner.

In view of the above, the object of the present invention is to provide a mower unit that allows a cleaning operation to proceed in an efficient manner.

A mower unit according to the present invention is defined in claim <NUM>.

With the above-described configuration, the water discharging section discharges cleaning water toward the inner wall face of the housing. As the water discharging section discharges the cleaning water to the inner wall face of the housing, it becomes possible to clean with emphasis the inner wall face where cut grass pieces or like can be easily accumulated, e.g. the inner wall faces of corner portions between the ceiling wall and the side wall inside the housing. Further the cleaning water discharged toward the inner wall face will be splashed back from the inner wall face to hit the blade, whereby the cleaning water will be stirred inside the housing. Therefore, while the portion of the inner wall face of the housing where the cut grass pieces or the like can be easily accumulated is cleaned with emphasis, the entire inner wall of the housing can be cleaned, so the cleaning operation can proceed in an efficient manner.

Moreover, with the above-described configuration, since the water discharging section is provided in the space formed between the vertical wall portion and the rear wall portion, adherence of cut grass pieces or the like to the water discharging section can be suppressed and it is also possible to suppress occurrence of collision of small stones or the like bounced off by the blade against the water discharging section to damage this water discharging section.

Further, with the above-described configuration, it is possible to arrange such that a plurality of branch water feeding pipes are connected to and branch from the main water feeding pipe, whereby the cleaning water can be fed from one water feeding section to a plurality of water discharging section. Moreover, as the branch water feeding pipe is disposed in the space between the vertical wall portion and the rear wall portion, it is possible to suppress occurrence of collision of small stones or the like bounced off by the rotatably driven blade against the branch water feeding pipe to damage this branch water feeding pipe.

In the present invention, preferably, the water discharging section discharges water toward a ceiling face of the inner wall face.

With the above-described arrangement, the cleaning water discharged against the ceiling face of the housing will drop onto the blade or the cleaning water will flow on/along the side wall portion or the front and rear wall portions of the housing. As a result, it becomes possible to clean not only the ceiling face of the housing, but also the side wall portion, the front and rear wall portions, etc. of the housing as well as the blade.

In the present invention, preferably, the water discharging section discharges water toward at least a portion of the inner wall face overlapped with the rotational trajectory of the blade as seen in a plan view.

With the above-described arrangement, the cleaning water discharged against the ceiling face will drop onto the blade. As a result, the blade will be cleaned by the cleaning water dropped onto the blade. Moreover, in case the blade is being rotatably driven, the cleaning water will be stirred by the rotatably driven blade, so that the inside of the housing can be cleaned.

With the above-described arrangement, the cleaning water fed from the water feeding section will flow through the main water feeding pipe and will be fed from the main water feeding pipe via the branch connecting portion to the branch water feeding pipe. Here, since the branch connecting portion is provided under an inclined state inclined on the downstream side of the water flowing direction, the cleaning water can smoothly flow into the branch connecting portion from the main water feeding pipe. As a result, it is possible to prevent decrease in the momentum of the flowing of the cleaning water at the branching point.

In accordance with the present invention, the water feeding section is provided upwardly of the housing and on one side in the width direction of the housing.

With the above-described arrangement, since the water feeding section is provided on one side in the width direction of the housing, access to this water feeding section is made easier than an arrangement of it being provided at the center in the width direction of the housing. Moreover, since it is provided upwardly of the housing, the access to the water feeding section is made even easier. As a result, when a hose or the like is to be connected to the water feeding section, a worker can carry out this connecting operation easily.

In accordance with the present invention: in an outer wall face of the housing, there is provided a protection portion for protecting the water feeding section.

With the above-described arrangement, even when a tree, a rock, etc. may hit the housing during a reaping work, the water feeding section is protected by the protection portion, so damage of the water feeding section due to such collision or the like can be suppressed.

With the above-described arrangement, the water feeding section is protected by a simple arrangement of it being protected by the two protection members consisting of the first protection member and the second protection member. Further, since the water feeding section is located between the first protection member and the second protection member and the heights of the upper ends of the first protection member and the second protection member are higher than the height of the upper end of the water feeding section, even if a worker tramps down the housing erroneously, the water feeding section will be protected.

In the present invention, preferably:
the water feeding section is configured to discharge water toward the direction along a flowing direction of air current generated in association with rotation of the blade.

With the above-described arrangement, cleaning water discharged from the water discharging section will increase in its momentum by the air current generated in association with the rotation of the blade. And, with this cleaning water increased in its momentum, the inside of the housing can be cleaned in a favorable manner.

In the present invention, preferably, the water feeding section is provided in a front side wall of the housing.

Next, a mower unit relating to the present invention will be explained with reference to the accompanying drawings, by way of an example in which the mower unit is mounted on a riding grass mowing machine called a zero-turn mower. In this embodiment, when the front/rear direction of the machine body is to be defined, this definition will be made along the machine body advancing direction at a utility work state. Whereas, when the left/right direction of the machine body is to be defined, this definition will be made as seen in the machine body advancing direction. Namely, the direction denoted with a sign (F) in <FIG>, etc. will be defined as the machine body front side, the direction denoted with a sign (B) in <FIG>, etc. will be defined as the machine body rear side, the direction denoted with a sign (L) in <FIG>, etc. will be defined as the machine body left side, and the direction denoted with a sign (R) in <FIG>, etc. will be defined as the machine body right side, respectively.

As shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, in this embodiment, a mower unit <NUM> is a side-discharge mower configured such that a traveling machine body includes left and right front wheels <NUM> and left and right rear wheels <NUM>, and between the front wheels <NUM> and the rear wheels <NUM> of a vehicle body frame <NUM> of this traveling machine body, the mower unit <NUM> is mounted via a link mechanism <NUM> to the lower side of a driving section floor <NUM>.

The traveling machine body includes, in addition to the left and right front wheels <NUM> and the left and right pair of rear wheels <NUM>, an engine section having an engine <NUM> and provided at a rear portion of the vehicle body, a driving section having a driver's seat <NUM> and a pair of left and right maneuvering levers <NUM>, a ROPS (Roll-Over Protective Structure) frame <NUM> disposed adjacent the rear side of the driver's seat <NUM>, a transmission device <NUM> supporting the left and right rear wheels <NUM>, and a rotational shaft <NUM> for transmitting driving power of a PTO shaft <NUM> disposed at a front portion of the transmission device <NUM> to a blade driving mechanism <NUM> of the mower unit <NUM>.

The left and right front wheels <NUM> are supported to an end portion of a front wheel support frame <NUM> coupled to a front portion of the vehicle body frame <NUM> to be pivotable about a vertical axis via front wheel support forks <NUM>. The left and right front wheels <NUM> are freely pivoted relative to the front wheel support frame <NUM> together with the front wheel support forks <NUM>. The left and right rear wheels <NUM> are driven independently of each other by a pair of hydrostatic stepless speed changer device (not shown) included in the transmission device <NUM> and are speed-changed independently of each other to the forward traveling side and reverse traveling side and also stopped by separate speed changing operations of the pair of hydrostatic stepless speed changer devices by the pair of left and right maneuvering levers <NUM>.

The link mechanism <NUM> is configured as follows. Namely, a single-action type lift cylinder <NUM> is coupled to a drive arm <NUM> connected to the link mechanism <NUM> and as the lift cylinder <NUM> is expanded with feeding of pressure oil thereto, the link mechanism <NUM> is elevated relative to the vehicle body frame, whereas as the cylinder is contracted with discharging of pressure oil therefrom, the link mechanism <NUM> is lowered by the weight of its own relative to the vehicle body frame <NUM>.

Namely, by contracting and expanding the lift cylinder <NUM>, the mower unit <NUM> can be lowered to a work posture where left and right gauge wheels <NUM> provided rearwardly of the mower unit <NUM> are placed in approximate contact with the ground surface for effecting a reaping work or the mower unit <NUM> can be elevated to a non-work posture where the gauge wheels <NUM> are lifted off the ground surface not to effect any reaping work.

When the mower unit <NUM> is set to the work posture and the traveling machine body is caused to travel, the mower unit <NUM> will effect a reaping work of reaping grass or lawn by means of three blades <NUM>, 22C, 22R disposed inside a housing <NUM>, and cut grass pieces will be conveyed by air current generated in association with rotation of each blade <NUM>, 22C, 22R to a discharge opening <NUM> disposed at the right end of the housing <NUM> to be discharged to the outside of the traveling machine body.

As shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the mower unit <NUM> includes, in addition to the housing <NUM>, the three blades 22R, 22C, <NUM> and the gauge wheels <NUM>, a vertical wall portion <NUM> having an arcuate shape along the outer shape of the rotational trajectories of the respective blades 22R, 22C, <NUM>, the discharge opening <NUM> formed at the right end of the housing <NUM>, a ground contacting roller <NUM> disposed forwardly of the housing <NUM>, and a pair of ground contacting rollers <NUM> disposed rearwardly of the housing <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, of the left and right gauge wheels <NUM> disposed rearwardly of the mower unit <NUM>, the left gauge wheel <NUM> is disposed on the left rear side of the housing <NUM> and supported to a support member 25a having an approximately L-shape as seen in a plan view. The right gauge wheel <NUM> is disposed on the right rear side of the housing <NUM>.

The ground contacting roller <NUM> is disposed forwardly of the center portion in the width direction of the housing <NUM>. The pair of ground contacting rollers <NUM> are disposed rearwardly of the center portion in the width direction of the housing <NUM> and disposed side by side in the width direction of the housing <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the housing <NUM> is constituted of a ceiling wall 21a and a side wall and configured to cover the blades 22R, 22C, <NUM> and to have its lower face opened. The side wall is constituted of a front side wall 21b extending from the front edge portion of the ceiling wall 21a downwardly of the housing <NUM>, a rear side wall 21c extending from the rear edge portion of the ceiling wall 21a downwardly of the housing <NUM> and a lateral side wall 21d extending from the lateral end portion of the ceiling wall 21a downwardly of the housing <NUM>.

The discharge opening <NUM> is formed by the right end of the ceiling wall 21a, the right end of the front side wall 21b and the right end of the vertical wall portion <NUM>.

The rear side wall 21c is provided along the respective rear ends of arcuate portions 50R, <NUM> on the right and left sides of the vertical wall portion <NUM> and rearwardly of the arcuate portions 50R, 50C, <NUM>. Incidentally, the rear end of the arcuate portion 50C is located forwardly of the rear side wall 21c.

The three blades 22R, 22C, <NUM> are disposed inside the housing <NUM> and side by side in the width direction thereof. The three blades 22R, 22C, <NUM> are arranged in a triangular layout as seen in a plan view, with the blade 22C located at the center in the width direction of the housing <NUM> of the three blades 22R, 22C, <NUM> being slightly offset to the front side. The blade <NUM> is present most distantly from the discharge opening <NUM> and located on the most upstream side in the cut grass flowing direction. The blade 22R is located nearest the discharge opening <NUM> and on the most downstream side in the cut grass flowing direction.

The blades 22R, 22C, <NUM> respectively are rotatably supported to lower end portions of drive shafts <NUM>, 27C, 27R which are rotatably supported to the ceiling wall 21a of the housing <NUM> via unillustrated support members constituted of bearing support cases. With this arrangement, the blades 22R, 22C, <NUM> respectively are rotatably driven together with the drive shafts <NUM>, 27C, 27R about rotational axes XR, XC, XL extending along the vertical direction of the housing <NUM>. Incidentally, each one of the blades 22R, 22C, <NUM> includes cutter blades <NUM> provided at its opposed ends and wind generating blades <NUM> provided on the rear sides of the respective cutter blades <NUM>.

The vertical wall portion <NUM> has an arrangement that arcuate portions 50R, 50C, <NUM> thereof coaxial with rotational axes XR, XC, XL of the respective blades 22R, 22C, <NUM> are disposed side by side along the rotational trajectories TR, TC, TL of the blades 22R, 22C, <NUM> and at the left/right center, there is formed a receded portion formed of the three arcuate portions 50R, 50C, <NUM>. A lid body <NUM> is provided to extend forwardly from the lower end of the vertical wall portion <NUM> in such a manner as to cover a space S formed between the vertical wall portion <NUM> and the rear side wall 21c.

The driving power from the engine <NUM> (see <FIG>) is transmitted to the blade driving mechanism <NUM>. Then, the driving power transmitted to the blade driving mechanism <NUM> drives the drive shaft 27C of the blade 22C and drives also the respective drive shafts 27R, <NUM> of the blades 22R, <NUM> via a belt <NUM> wound around all the three drive shafts <NUM>, 27C, <NUM>. With this arrangement, the respective blades 22R, 22C, <NUM> are rotatably driven about the respective rotational axes XL, XC, XR as indicated by arrows in <FIG>.

Cut grass pieces cut by the respective blades 22R, 22C, <NUM> are conveyed by wind generated by the wind generating blades <NUM> of the respective blades 22R, 22C, <NUM> inside the housing <NUM> toward one lateral end side thereof where the discharge opening <NUM> is located and discharged via this discharge opening <NUM> to the lateral outer side of the housing <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, a cleaning device <NUM> includes a single water feeding section <NUM> for feeding cleaning water, three water discharging sections <NUM> for discharging the cleaning water to the inner wall face (corresponding to what is referred to as "ceiling face" in this invention) of the ceiling wall 21a of the housing <NUM>, a water feeding pipe <NUM> connected to/between the water discharging sections <NUM> and the water feeding section <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the water feeding section <NUM> is supported to the water feeding pipe <NUM>. The water feeding pipe <NUM> is disposed upwardly of the housing <NUM> and at a position on the left side in the width direction of the housing <NUM>.

On the outer wall face of the housing <NUM>, there is provided a protection portion <NUM> for protecting the water feeding section <NUM>. In this embodiment, the protection portion <NUM> is constituted of a first protection member 40a provided on the left side of the water feeding section <NUM> in the width direction thereof and a second protection member 40b provided on the right side of the water feeding section <NUM> in the width direction thereof. Namely, an arrangement is made such that the water feeding section <NUM> is located between the first protection member 40a and the second protection member 40b as seen in a plan view.

Each one of the first protection member 40a and the second protection member 40b is constituted of a bar-like member and provided in the form of a bridge extending from a more front side than the water feeding section <NUM> to the left support member 25a. The first protection member 40a and the second protection member 40b are formed such that heights of the upper ends of the first protection member 40a and the second protection member 40b are higher than the height of the upper end of the water feeding section <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the water feeding pipe <NUM> includes a main water feeding pipe <NUM> connected to the water feeding section <NUM> and three branch water feeding pipes <NUM> branching from the main water feeding pipe <NUM> and connected respectively to the water discharging sections <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the main water feeding pipe <NUM> extends rearwards and downwards from the water feeding section <NUM> and is bent at a first bent portion 56a adjacent the ceiling wall 21a of the housing <NUM>. Further, the main water feeding pipe <NUM> extends from the first bent portion 56a to the rear side of the rear side wall 21c and is bent at a second bent portion 56b and extends in the horizontal direction on the rear side of the rear side wall 21c.

In the water feeding pipe <NUM>, there are provided a stay 62a at the downstream end portion in the water flowing direction of the main water feeding pipe <NUM> and a stay 62b at a position located between the second bent portion 56b of the main water feeding pipe <NUM> and the stay 62a. The stays 62a, 62b define bolt holes (not shown) and as these bolt holes and fastening holes (not shown) formed at portions of the rear side wall 21c corresponding to the bolt holes are fastened by a bolt <NUM> to each other, the water feeding pipe <NUM> is supported to the rear side wall 21c.

As shown in <FIG>, the main water feeding pipe <NUM> includes three branch connecting portions 56c which branch from the main water feeding pipe <NUM> and to which the branch water feeding pipes <NUM> are respectively connected. The branch connecting portions 56c are formed integrally with the main water feeding pipe <NUM> and provided under an inclined state progressively away from the main water feeding pipe <NUM> toward the water flowing direction downstream side of the main water feeding pipe <NUM> from the branching point from the main water feeding pipe <NUM>.

The branch water feeding pipes <NUM> are constituted of flexible connection pipes such as rubber hoses, vinyl hoses, or the like and connected between respective leading end portions of the plurality of branch connecting portions 56c provided in the main water feeding pipe <NUM> and the water discharging sections <NUM>. The branch water feeding pipes <NUM> are disposed in a space S formed between the vertical wall portion <NUM> and the rear side wall 21c located on the side opposite to the side where the blades 22R, 22C, <NUM> are located, relative to the vertical wall portion <NUM>.

<FIG> shows an attachment portion for the water discharging sections <NUM>. Each water discharging section <NUM>, as being fitted in a through hole <NUM> defined in each one of the arcuate portions 50R, 50C, <NUM>, is provided at a position located in the space S formed between the vertical wall portion <NUM> and the rear side wall 21c located on the side opposite to the side where the blades 22R, 22C, <NUM> are located, relative to the vertical wall portion <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the water discharging section <NUM> is supported to the housing <NUM> via the support member <NUM>. The support member <NUM> includes an L-shaped abutment member 61a placed in abutment against the ceiling wall 21a and the vertical wall portion <NUM> and a perpendicular member 61b extending perpendicularly from the abutment member 61a. The abutment member 61a extends downwards from the portion of this abutment member 61a placed in contact with the ceiling wall 21a. The water discharging section <NUM>, as being fitted in the through hole <NUM> defined at the portion of the abutment member 61a opposed to the vertical wall portion <NUM>, is supported to the lower end portion of the perpendicular member 61b.

At the portion of the abutment member 61a placed in abutment against the ceiling wall 21a, an elongate hole 61c is formed. The water discharging section <NUM> is fastened and fixed by a bolt <NUM> inserted in the elongate hole 61c and a fastening hole (not shown) defined in the ceiling wall 21a and a nut <NUM>. With this arrangement, the water discharging section54 is posture-adjustable within the hole range of the elongate hole 61c.

Each water discharging section <NUM> is supported with an inclination such that the water discharging section <NUM> approaches the ceiling wall 21a as extending toward the water discharging outlet. And, the water discharging sections <NUM> discharge cleaning water at least to the portions of the ceiling wall 21a overlapped with the rotational trajectories TR, TC, TL (see <FIG>) of the blades 22R, 22C, <NUM> as seen in a plan view.

As shown in <FIG>, for instance, if cleaning water is fed to the water feeding section <NUM> by connecting an unillustrated hose from a water tap to the water feeding section <NUM> will flow through the water feeding pipe <NUM> to be fed to the water discharging sections <NUM> and discharged toward the ceiling wall 21a from the lateral direction to the inner wall face of the ceiling wall 21a of the housing <NUM>. Incidentally, in case the cleaning water is discharged while the blades 22R, 22C, <NUM> are being rotated, the cleaning water will drop from the ceiling wall 21a onto the blades 22R, 22C, <NUM> and can remove cut grass pieces or the like adhering around the respective drive shafts 27R, 27C, <NUM> and cut grass pieces of the like adhering to the inner face of the housing <NUM> in an efficient manner.

Next, other embodiments having modifications made to the foregoing embodiment will be explained. The following other embodiments may be applied in a plurality of combinations to the foregoing embodiment, unless any contradiction results from such combining. Incidentally, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the contents of the respective embodiments.

Claim 1:
A mower unit comprising:
a blade (22R,22C,<NUM>) rotatably driven about a rotational axis to be able to cut grass on the ground surface;
a housing (<NUM>) covering the blade and having a lower face thereof opened;
a water feeding section (<NUM>) provided outside the housing;
a water discharging section (<NUM>) provided inside the housing for discharging cleaning water fed to the water feeding section; and
a water feeding pipe (<NUM>) connected to/between the water feeding section and the water discharging section;
wherein the water discharging section is configured to discharge water toward an inner wall face (21a) of the housing;
wherein inside the housing (<NUM>), there is provided a vertical wall portion (<NUM>) having an arcuate shape along an outer shape of a rotational trajectory of the blade;
wherein the water discharging section (<NUM>) is provided at a portion located in a space (S) formed between the vertical wall portion (<NUM>) and a rear side wall (21c) of the housing located on a side opposite a side where the blade (21R, 22C, <NUM>) is located relative to the vertical wall portion (<NUM>);
wherein the water feeding pipe (<NUM>) includes a main water feeding pipe (<NUM>) connected to the water feeding section (<NUM>) and a branch water feeding pipe (<NUM>) branching from the main water feeding pipe and connected to the water discharging section;
wherein the branch water feeding pipe is disposed in the space (S);
wherein the water discharging section (<NUM>) is fitted in a through hole (<NUM>) in the vertical wall portion (<NUM>); and
wherein the water feeding section (<NUM>) is provided upwardly of the housing (<NUM>)
characterized in that, the water feeding section (<NUM>) is provided on a side in the width direction of the housing (<NUM>); and in that in an outer wall face of the housing, there is provided a protection portion (<NUM>) for protecting the water feeding section (<NUM>).