Joint mechanism for mowing machine

Joints and connections – Biased catch or latch – Leaf spring

Reexamination Certificate

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Details

C403S372000, C403S225000, C030S276000, C056S012700

Reexamination Certificate

active

06213677

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a joint mechanism between a power unit and a working unit of a mowing machine, such as a brush cutter, or a trimmer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Mowing machines of the prior art having large total lengths include those which are divided into a power unit (for example, an engine) and a working unit (in a brush cutter, for example, a rod provided with a cutting blade which is rotatably mounted on the end thereof), which can be freely joined and detached. This is so that the mowing machine can be stored or carried easily. A representative configuration of a joint provided in such a mowing machine which can be freely separated and joined is shown in the longitudinal sectional view of
FIG. 6
(Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 6-21296). In
FIG. 6
, C denotes a power unit comprising an engine and B denotes a working unit with a cutting blade (not shown) mounted on the end thereof via a rod
10
.
In this configuration of a joint mechanism a casing
21
for a power output section is formed at a protruding side of an output shaft
11
as a part of an engine cover
26
of the power unit C, and the casing
21
has a support member
21
a
of cylindrical configuration which extends in the axial direction. A holder
22
of cylindrical configuration wherein a rod
10
is mounted is supported by the support member
21
a
via a cylindrical damper
23
which prevents vibration of the power unit C from being transmitted to the rod
10
. In order to prevent the holder
22
and the damper
23
from unintentionally separating from the support member
21
a
of the casing, a lid member
24
, which has an opening
24
a
formed at the center thereof to allow the rod
10
and a drive shaft
15
to penetrate therethrough, is attached to the end face of the support member
21
a
on the side of working unit B in the axial direction, (on left-hand side in
FIG. 6
) by means of a plurality of screws
25
.
The holder
22
has a slit
22
a
formed in the axial direction and flanges
22
e
,
22
f
are formed adjacent the slit
22
a
on both sides thereof as shown in
FIG. 7
(view in line VII—VII of FIG.
6
). A bolt
13
which is set in a through hole formed in the flange
22
f
is screwed into a threaded hole formed in the flange
22
e,
thereby to hold the rod
10
detachably onto the holder
22
. The casing
21
has an opening
21
d
formed therein to face the flanges
22
e
,
22
f
inwardly, so that the bolt
13
can be attached, detached and turned from the opening
21
d.
As shown in
FIG. 6
, the support member
21
a
of the casing rotatably supports an output shaft
11
which is linked to a clutch drum
14
of the engine via a bearing
12
on the side of the power unit C in the axial direction of the support member
21
a
, namely on a base end side (on right-hand side of the support member
21
a
in FIG.
6
). The output shaft
11
is made in a hollow shape, while the base end of the drive shaft
15
which is arranged rotatably in the rod
10
is linked to the output shaft
11
by means of a spline or the like in the hollow space to rotate together with the output shaft
11
.
In a joint mechanism of such a configuration as described above, however, assembling and disassembling of the joint mechanism requires it to attach or detach the lid member
24
onto or from the casing
21
by handling the plurality of screws
25
, thus making the operation tedious.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been accomplished to solve the problem of the prior art described above, and an object of the present invention is to provide a joint mechanism of a mowing machine which allows easy assembly and disassembly.
In order to achieve the object described above, this invention contemplates a joint mechanism for a mowing machine comprising a cylindrical support member formed on a casing of a power output section formed adjacent a protruding side of an output shaft of a power unit and extending in the axial direction. The invention also contemplates a cylindrical holder inserted in the support member, and a rod which is inserted in the holder and is held by clamping the holder, wherein a cylindrical damper which prevents vibration of the power unit from being transmitted to the rod, the holder, and a clamp which prevents the damper and the holder from unintentionally separating from the support member are inserted in the support member; and the clamp has a flexible arm extending in the axial direction and an engagement hook formed at an end of the arm; and the support member has an engagement hole to which the engagement hook of the clamp engages.
According to this joint mechanism of the mowing machine, the joint mechanism can be assembled simply by inserting the clamp together with the holder and the damper into the support member of the casing and engaging the engagement hook of the clamp with the engagement hole. Also the joint mechanism can be disassembled simply by releasing the engagement, thus making easier to assemble and disassemble the joint mechanism.
In accordance with this invention the support member can have an engaging portion for positioning of the damper in the circumferential direction formed on the inner surface of the support member. An engaged portion for positioning in the circumferential direction, which fits therein, can be formed on the outer surface of the damper. A recess for positioning of the clamp in the circumferential direction wherein the arm of the clamp fits in the axial direction can be formed on the outer surface of the damper. According to this configuration, because the arm of the clamp is positioned while being fastened in the circumferential direction with respect to the support member of the casing via the damper, the engagement hook of the clamp can be easily engaged with the engagement hole of the support member. This thereby makes it even more easy to assemble the joint mechanism.
In accordance with the invention the damper can have an engaging portion for positioning of the holder in the circumferential direction and in the axial direction formed on the inner surface of the damper, and an engaged portion for positioning in the circumferential direction and in the axial direction which fits therein can be formed on the outer surface of the holder. According to this configuration, because the holder is positioned while being fastened both in the circumferential direction and axial direction onto the damper and is integrally combined with the damper, the damper can be easily pulled out of the support member of the casing together with the holder when disassembling the joint mechanism. When the damper is positioned in the circumferential direction with respect to the support member as mentioned above, the holder is also positioned in the circumferential direction with respect to the support member via the damper, and therefore the holder is positioned in the circumferential direction with respect to the support member, namely the casing, thereby making it more easy to assemble the joint mechanism.
In accordance with the invention the holder can have a relief hole formed therein so that, in case the arm is deflected inwardly when the engagement hook of the clamp engages with the engagement hole of the support member, a portion of the damper which makes contact with the arm can be deflected inwardly in the relief hole. According to this configuration, because the arm can easily deflect inwardly due to the relief hole being formed in the holder, the engagement hook of the clamp can be easily engaged in the engagement hole of the support member and released therefrom, thereby making it more easy to assemble and disassemble the joint mechanism.
In accordance with this invention an engagement lock projection, of which a protruding end face becomes substantially flush with the outer surface of the rod when engaged in the relief hole and the rod can be inserted, is formed on the inner surface of the damper. According to this configuration, because it becomes difficult for the arm t

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