CUTTING MACHINE

Abstract

The present invention provides a cutting machine that cuts a structure by pressing a disk-shaped blade against the structure while rotating the blade, comprising: a machine body having wheels and rotatably supporting the blade; a motor for rotationally driving the blade; and a battery that stores electric power to be supplied to the motor, wherein the battery is arranged on an opposite side of the blade with respect to the motor in a width direction of the cutting machine.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a cutting machine.

Description of the Related Art

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-140817 discloses a concrete cutter that rotates a rotary blade by power of an engine. Further, in the concrete cutter described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-140817, an electric motor for obtaining a propulsive force is provided.

In recent years, in order to reduce CO₂ emissions in view of climate-related disasters, electrification of work machines has been advanced, and work machines are shifting to configurations in which work is performed by power of a motor. Also in a cutting machine (cutter) that cuts a structure such as the ground, there are plans to use a motor and a battery to rotationally drive a rotary blade (blade). In the cutting machine, since dust is generated by cutting work of a structure, it is desirable to arrange components such as a motor and a battery to reduce the influence of the dust.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides, for example, a cutting machine capable of reducing the influence of dust generated in cutting work.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cutting machine that cuts a structure by pressing a disk-shaped blade against the structure while rotating the blade, comprising: a machine body having wheels and rotatably supporting the blade; a motor for rotationally driving the blade; and a battery that stores electric power to be supplied to the motor, wherein the battery is arranged on an opposite side of the blade with respect to the motor in a width direction of the cutting machine.

Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a view illustrating a configuration example of a cutting machine according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a view illustrating a configuration example of a battery and a holder;

FIG. 3 is a view illustrating a configuration example of the battery and the holder;

FIG. 4 is a view illustrating a configuration example of the battery and the holder;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a cutting machine according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a cutting machine according to the embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the following embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention, and limitation is not made an invention that requires all combinations of features described in the embodiments. Two or more of the multiple features described in the embodiments may be combined as appropriate. Furthermore, the same reference numerals are given to the same or similar configurations, and redundant description thereof is omitted.

A cutting machine 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. In each drawing described below, arrows X, Y, and Z indicate directions orthogonal to each other, with an X direction indicating the front-and-rear direction of the cutting machine 10, a Y direction indicating the width direction (left-and-right direction) of the cutting machine 10, and a Z direction indicating the up-and-down direction of the cutting machine 10. In the present embodiment, the +X direction indicates the traveling direction of the cutting machine 10, and with respect to the traveling direction, the +Y direction indicates the left direction (the left side of the cutting machine 10), and the −Y direction indicates the right direction (the right side of the cutting machine 10).

[Configuration Example of Cutting Machine]

FIG. 1 illustrates a configuration example of the cutting machine 10 according to the present embodiment. The cutting machine 10 is a work machine that cuts a structure by pressing a disk-shaped blade 11a against the structure while rotating the blade, and may be referred to as a cutter. The cutting machine 10 of the present embodiment is an electric work machine including a working unit 11, a motor 12, a battery 13, a power control unit 14, a machine body 15 (base), a pair of left and right wheels 16, and a handle 17. Examples of the structure to be cut by the cutting machine 10 according to the present embodiment include a road surface, a floor surface, and a floor plate made of concrete, asphalt, or the like. Note that the cutting machine 10 of the present embodiment is configured as a hand push type in which the operator travels by gripping and manually pushing the handle 17, but it may be configured as a tractor type that the operator can board.

The working unit 11 is a unit for performing cutting work of a structure by rotating the blade 11a by the power of the motor 12. In the case of the present embodiment, the working unit 11 may include the disk-shaped blade 11a rotatably supported by the machine body 15 and a cover member 11b attached to the machine body 15 to cover an upper portion of the blade 11a. Note that the working unit 11 is not limited to a configuration that performs cutting work by rotating the blade 11a, and may have another type of configuration. In the example of FIG. 1, the working unit 11 is provided on the side portion of the machine body 15, but is not limited thereto, and may be provided at any position of the machine body 15 (for example, a center portion of the machine body 15 in the width direction).

The motor 12 is a driving source that includes a stator and a rotor, and generates power (rotational force) for rotating the rotor by energizing a coil provided on one of the stator and the rotor. In the present embodiment, the motor 12 is arranged such that the rotary shaft (rotor) extends in the width direction (Y direction). That is, the motor 12 is arranged such that the direction parallel to the rotary shaft of the motor 12 is the width direction. The rotary shaft (rotor) of the motor 12 and the rotary shaft of the blade 11a are connected by a power transmission mechanism such as a belt, and the power of the motor 12 is transmitted to the blade 11a via the power transmission mechanism, and thus the blade 11a can be rotationally driven. Note that the blade 11a can be attachable to and detachable from the machine body 15 (replaceable).

The battery 13 is an electric power source that stores electric power to be supplied to the motor 12. The battery 13 of the present embodiment can be an attachable and detachable battery configured to be attachable to and detachable from the machine body 15. For example, the cutting machine 10 may be configured to include a holder for attachably and detachably holding the battery 13 on the machine body 15. A configuration example of the battery 13 and the holder thereof will be described later. In the example of FIG. 1, a plurality of (two) batteries 13 are mounted on the cutting machine 10, but only one battery 13 may be mounted, or three or more batteries 13 may be mounted.

The power control unit 14 is, for example, a power control unit (PCU), and controls power to be supplied from the battery 13 to the motor 12. In FIG. 1, the power control unit 14 is arranged above the motor 12. By arranging the power control unit 14 in this manner, the power control unit 14 can be arranged away from the contact part between the structure in which dust is generated and the blade 11a, and the influence of dust on the power control unit 14 can be reduced. Note that the power control unit 14 may be integrated with the motor 12.

The machine body 15 is configured as a base that supports the working unit 11, the motor 12, the battery 13, and the like. That is, the working unit 11, the motor 12, the battery 13 (or the holder of the battery 13), and the like are attached to the machine body 15. Further, a pair of left and right wheels 16 are pivotally supported to be rotatable on a rear portion of the machine body 15. Specifically, an axle 16a extending in the width direction (Y direction) is pivotally supported to be rotatable by the machine body 15, and a pair of left and right wheels 16 are attached to an end portion of the axle 16a. Note that, although the cutting machine 10 of the present embodiment has a configuration including a pair of left and right two wheels 16, it may have a configuration including three or more wheels. For example, in addition to the pair of left and right wheels 16 provided at the rear portion of the machine body 15, a three-wheel or four-wheel configuration including one or more wheels provided at the front portion of the machine body 15 may be employed.

The handle 17 is a member gripped by an operator to manually push the cutting machine 10. A work machine having such a handle 17 is called a hand push type work machine or a walking type work machine, and an operator can perform cutting work by gripping the handle 17 in an upright state and pushing the cutting machine 10. The handle 17 may be provided with an operation unit for an operator to operate the cutting machine 10.

Although not illustrated in FIG. 1, the cutting machine 10 may be provided with a tank that stores water for cooling the blade 11a in which frictional heat has been generated in the cutting work. For example, a tube (water supply path) is connected to the tank and the cover member 11b of the working unit 11, and a certain amount of water is sequentially supplied from the inside of the tank to the blade 11a via the tube by gravity. Thus, the blade 11a can be cooled in the cutting work.

[Configuration Example of Battery and Holder]

Hereinafter, a configuration example of the battery 13 and the holder 20 thereof will be described. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration example of the holder 20, and illustrates the holder 20 in a state of holding the battery 13. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the holder 20 of the present embodiment can be configured to hold the battery 13 in a state where the battery 13 is inclined backward such that the upper portion of the battery 13 is positioned closer to the rear side (−X direction side) than the lower portion of the battery 13. As a result, when the operator inserts and removes the battery 13 into and from the holder 20, some of the weight of the battery 13 is supported by the holder 20, and thus workability of attaching and detaching (replacing) the battery 13 to and from the holder 20 can be improved.

The holder 20 includes, for example, a frame 21 that supports the battery 13, a connection terminal 22 electrically connected to a terminal of the battery 13, and a connection mechanism that attachably and detachably connects the terminal of the battery 13 and the connection terminal 22. The connection terminal 22 is electrically connected to the power control unit 14 by a cable 23.

The frame 21 includes a first frame 21a, a second frame 21b, and a third frame 21c. The first frame 21a is a member extending in the insertion and removal direction (direction of arrow A) of the battery 13, and is arranged as a left and right pair on the side portion of the battery 13 in the Y direction. A placement member 24 on which the battery 13 is placed is connected to the lower end portions of the pair of left and right first frames 21a. Each of the second frame 21b and the third frame 21c is a member extending in the circumferential direction of the battery 13, and is fixed to the first frame 21a.

The connection terminal 22 has, for example, a plurality of terminal pins fittable and connectable to the terminal of the battery 13, and supplies electric power output from the terminal of the battery 13 to the power control unit 14 via the cable 23. The connection terminal 22 is supported by a support member 25 that is movable in the insertion and removal direction of the battery 13. The support member 25 is supported by the frame 21 to be movable (slidable) in the insertion and removal direction of the battery 13.

The connection mechanism includes an operation lever 26 and an extending member 27.

The operation lever 26 is a member for operating attachment or detachment between the terminal of the battery 13 and the connection terminal 22 via the extending member 27, and includes a grip portion 26a and an L-shaped member 26b. The grip portion 26a is a member gripped by an operator, and extends in the Y direction. The L-shaped member 26b is connected to both end portions of the grip portion 26a in the Y direction. The L-shaped member 26b is a member formed in substantially an L shape, and is turnably supported by the upper end of the first frame 21a at an intermediate position thereof.

The extending member 27 is a member extending in the insertion and removal direction of the battery 13, and is a link plate that links to an operation of the operation lever 26 to move the support member 25 in the insertion and removal direction. The extending member 27 is provided on each side of the battery 13 in the Y direction. The upper end portion of the extending member 27 is turnably attached to the end portion of the L-shaped member 26b (the end portion on the opposite side of the grip portion 26a) in the operation lever 26. The lower end portion of the extending member 27 is turnably attached to the end portion of the support member 25.

Next, connection between the terminal of the battery 13 held by the holder 20 and the connection terminal 22 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 4. FIG. 3 is a view of the holder 20 from the side in a state where the terminal of the battery 13 and the connection terminal 22 are not connected. FIG. 4 is a view of the holder 20 from the side in a state where the terminal of the battery 13 and the connection terminal 22 are connected.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the battery 13 is inserted into the holder 20 in a state where the operation lever 26 is tilted. In a state where the operation lever 26 (grip portion 26a) is tilted, the extending member 27 and the support member 25 are lowered by the L-shaped member 26b of the operation lever 26, and the terminal of the battery 13 and the connection terminal 22 are separated from each other. Then, as illustrated in FIG. 4, when the operator operates the operation lever 26 (grip portion 26a) in the direction of arrow B, the extending member 27 and the support member 25 are moved by the L-shaped member 26b of the operation lever 26, and the terminal of the battery 13 and the connection terminal 22 can be connected.

[Arrangement Requirements of Components in Cutting Machine]

In the cutting machine 10, since dust is generated by cutting work of a structure, it is desirable to arrange components such as the motor 12 and the battery 13 to reduce the influence of the dust. Hereinafter, component arrangement requirements for reducing the influence of dust generated in the cutting work of a structure will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 6. FIGS. 5 to 6 are block diagrams schematically illustrating the blade 11a, the motor 12, the battery 13, the power control unit 14, the machine body 15, the wheel 16, and the handle 17 in the cutting machine 10, and are used to describe the following arrangement requirements 1 to 6. In the cutting machine 10 of the present embodiment, not all of the arrangement requirements 1 to 6 described below are essential. The arrangement requirement 1 may be understood as being essential to the cutting machine 10 of the present embodiment, but the arrangement requirement 2 to 6 can be applied to the cutting machine 10 of the present embodiment in any manner. In addition, the cutting machine 10 of the present embodiment may include configuration requirements specified (defined) in FIGS. 1 to 6 in addition to or instead of the following arrangement requirements 1 to 6.

(Arrangement Requirement 1)

The arrangement requirement 1 is that, as illustrated in FIG. 5, the battery 13 is arranged on the opposite side of the blade 11a with respect to the motor 12 in the width direction (Y direction). FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the cutting machine 10 from the front. According to such an arrangement, the battery 13 can be arranged away from the contact part between the structure in which the dust is generated and the blade 11a, and the influence of the dust on the battery 13 and/or the holder 20 can be reduced. In particular, it is possible to reduce electrical connection failure between the terminal of the battery 13 and the connection terminal 22 of the holder 20 due to dust. In addition, since the motor 12 and the battery 13, which are heavy objects, are arranged in the width direction, the weight balance in the width direction in the cutting machine 10 can be made uniform, and the traveling stability of the cutting machine 10 can be improved. Here, the motor 12 may be arranged between the battery 13 and the blade 11a.

(Arrangement Requirement 2)

The arrangement requirement 2 is that, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the battery 13 is arranged such that an upper end 13U of the battery 13 is positioned above an upper end 11U of the blade 11a in the up-and-down direction (Z direction). FIG. 6 is a schematic view of the cutting machine 10 from the side. According to such an arrangement, the operator can improve workability when attaching and detaching the battery 13 to and from the cutting machine 10 (holder 20), such as replacement of the battery 13. For example, even when the operator attaches and detaches the battery 13 to and from the blade 11a, it is possible to avoid the blade 11a (working unit 11) from becoming an obstacle and to improve workability of attaching and detaching (replacing) the battery 13.

(Arrangement Requirement 3)

The arrangement requirement 3 is that, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the battery 13 is arranged such that the battery 13 and the blade 11a at least partially overlap each other in a side view of cutting machine 10 (that is, when the cutting machine 10 is viewed from the side). According to such an arrangement, since the weight of the battery 13 itself is applied as a force for pressing the blade 11a against the structure, the workability of the cutting work can be improved.

(Arrangement Requirement 4)

The arrangement requirement 4 is an additional requirement in the arrangement requirement 3, and is that the battery 13 is arranged such that a front end 13F of the battery 13 is positioned behind a front end 11F of the blade 11a in the side view of the cutting machine 10. In the cutting machine 10 of the present embodiment, when the cutting work is finished, the operator lowers the handle 17 in the direction of the arrow C in FIG. 6 to pull the blade 11a away from the structure with the wheel 16 as a fulcrum. At this time, when the center of gravity of the cutting machine 10 is too far forward, it may be difficult to lower the handle 17 and pull the blade 11a away from the structure. Therefore, according to such an arrangement, it is possible to reduce the center of gravity of the cutting machine 10 from being too forward in the front-and-rear direction (X direction) and to improve the workability of the cutting work.

(Arrangement Requirement 5)

The arrangement requirement 5 is that, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the battery 13 is arranged such that a length L1 of the battery 13 in the width direction (Y direction) is shorter than a length L2 of the battery 13 in the front-and-rear direction (X direction). Since the cutting machine 10 may be used on a narrow road or the like, such an arrangement may be advantageous for making the cutting machine 10 compact in the width direction.

(Arrangement Requirement 6)

The arrangement requirement 6 is that the plurality of batteries 13 are arranged side by side in the front-and-rear direction (X direction) in a case where the plurality of batteries 13 can be mounted on the cutting machine 10. Such an arrangement can be advantageous for making the cutting machine 10 compact in the width direction.

SUMMARY OF EMBODIMENTS

1. A cutting machine of the above embodiments is a cutting machine (e.g. 10) that cuts a structure by pressing a disk-shaped blade (e.g. 11a) against the structure while rotating the blade, comprising:

a machine body (e.g. 15) having wheels (e.g. 16) and rotatably supporting the blade;

a motor (e.g. 12) for rotationally driving the blade; and

a battery (e.g. 13) that stores electric power to be supplied to the motor,

wherein the battery is arranged on an opposite side of the blade with respect to the motor in a width direction of the cutting machine.

According to this configuration, the battery can be arranged away from the contact part between the structure in which the dust is generated and the blade, and the influence of the dust on the battery can be reduced. In addition, the weight balance in the width direction in the cutting machine can be made uniform, and the traveling stability of the cutting machine can be improved.

2. In the above embodiments,

the motor is arranged between the battery and the blade.

According to this configuration, the weight balance in the width direction in the cutting machine can be made uniform, and the traveling stability of the cutting machine can be improved.

3. In the above embodiments,

the battery is configured to be attachable to and detachable from the machine body.

According to this configuration, since a portable battery can be used, usability of the cutting machine can be improved.

4. In the above embodiments,

the cutting machine further comprises: a holder (e.g. 20) that has a connection terminal (e.g. 22) connected to a terminal of the battery and attachably and detachably holds the battery.

According to this configuration, since a portable battery can be used, usability of the cutting machine can be improved.

5. In the above embodiments,

the battery is arranged such that an upper end (e.g. 13U) of the battery is positioned above an upper end (e.g. 11U) of the blade in an up-and-down direction of the cutting machine.

According to this configuration, the operator can improve workability when attaching and detaching the battery to and from the cutting machine, such as replacement of the battery.

6. In the above embodiments,

the battery is arranged such that the battery and the blade at least partially overlap each other in a side view of the cutting machine.

According to this configuration, since the weight of the battery itself is applied as a force for pressing the blade against the structure, the workability of the cutting work can be improved.

7. In the above embodiments,

the battery is arranged such that a front end (e.g. 13F) of the battery is positioned behind a front end (e.g. 11F) of the blade in a side view of the cutting machine.

According to the configuration, it is possible to reduce the center of gravity of the cutting machine from being too forward in the front-and-rear direction and to improve the workability of the cutting work.

8. In the above embodiments,

the battery is arranged such that a length (e.g. L1) of the battery in the width direction is shorter than a length (e.g. L2) of the battery in a front-and-rear direction of the cutting machine.

This configuration is advantageous for making the cutting machine compact in the width direction.

9. In the above embodiments,

a plurality of the batteries are provided in the cutting machine, and the plurality of batteries are arranged side by side in a front-and-rear direction of the cutting machine.

This configuration is advantageous for making the cutting machine compact in the width direction.

10. In the above embodiments,

the cutting machine further comprises: a power control unit (e.g. 14) configured to control electric power to be supplied from the battery to the motor,

wherein the power control unit is arranged above the motor.

According to this configuration, the power control unit can be arranged away from the contact part between the structure in which the dust is generated and the blade, and the influence of the dust on the power control unit can be reduced.

11. In the above embodiments,

the width direction is a direction parallel to a rotary shaft of the blade.

According to this configuration, a cutting machine is provided in which a battery is arranged on an opposite side of a blade with respect to a motor in a width direction parallel to a rotary shaft of the blade.

12. In the above embodiments,

the cutting machine is a hand push type work machine having a handle (e.g. 17) gripped by an operator.

According to this configuration, a hand push type cutting machine is provided.

The invention is not limited to the foregoing embodiments, and various variations/changes are possible within the spirit of the invention.

Claims

1. A cutting machine that cuts a structure by pressing a disk-shaped blade against the structure while rotating the blade, comprising: a machine body having wheels and rotatably supporting the blade;a motor for rotationally driving the blade; anda battery that stores electric power to be supplied to the motor,wherein the battery is arranged on an opposite side of the blade with respect to the motor in a width direction of the cutting machine.

2. The cutting machine according to claim 1, wherein the motor is arranged between the battery and the blade.

3. The cutting machine according to claim 1, wherein the battery is configured to be attachable to and detachable from the machine body.

4. The cutting machine according to claim 1, further comprising: a holder that has a connection terminal connected to a terminal of the battery and attachably and detachably holds the battery.

5. The cutting machine according to claim 3, wherein the battery is arranged such that an upper end of the battery is positioned above an upper end of the blade in an up-and-down direction of the cutting machine.

6. The cutting machine according to claim 1, wherein the battery is arranged such that the battery and the blade at least partially overlap each other in a side view of the cutting machine.

7. The cutting machine according to claim 6, wherein the battery is arranged such that a front end of the battery is positioned behind a front end of the blade in a side view of the cutting machine.

8. The cutting machine according to claim 1, wherein the battery is arranged such that a length of the battery in the width direction is shorter than a length of the battery in a front-and-rear direction of the cutting machine.

9. The cutting machine according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the batteries are provided in the cutting machine, and the plurality of batteries are arranged side by side in a front-and-rear direction of the cutting machine.

10. The cutting machine according to claim 1, further comprising: a power control unit configured to control electric power to be supplied from the battery to the motor,wherein the power control unit is arranged above the motor.

11. The cutting machine according to claim 1, wherein the width direction is a direction parallel to a rotary shaft of the blade.

12. The cutting machine according to claim 1, wherein the cutting machine is a hand push type work machine having a handle gripped by an operator.