Mower blade

• US 10,440,885 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2013
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kubota Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kubota Corporation
• Inventors: Shiotsuki, Motosumi, Minoura, Akira, Koike, Kazuo, Ito, Hirokazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Will, Thomas B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Mai T
• Application Number:
  US14/015,111
• Publication Number:
  US 20140196428A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,237 Days
• Field of Search: 56 175, 56255, 56295, 56DIG 19, 56DIG 20
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/73 Cutting apparatus

Abstract

Mower blade utilizes a blade portion formed on the blade main body and an air circulator portion formed on the blade main body and generating airflow via rotation centered around the vertically-oriented axis of the mower blade. The blade portion is arranged in a length-direction end portion of the blade main body and extends along a predetermined area in the length-direction. The air circulator portion is located opposite the blade portion in a width direction, has a rising upward portion, and extends along a predetermined area in the length-direction. A boundary portion is arranged between the blade main body and a rising upward portion of the air circulator portion has a portion inclined or angled with respect to the blade portion such that, beginning at the length-direction end portion, a distance between the boundary portion and the blade portion increases along the length-direction and moving toward the vertically-oriented axis. A height of an upper end portion of the air circulator portion measured from a surface of the blade main body is a substantially constant height.

Claims

1. A multi-blade mower deck blade to be used with at least one adjacent mower deck blade, said mower deck blade rotatably driven and centered around a vertically-oriented axis in an interior of a housing, said mower deck blade comprising:

a blade main body having a length-direction and being configured to rotate about an axis center of the blade main body, the blade main body comprising;

a first portion having a hole configured to receive a rotation shaft at the axis center;

opposite sides of the blade main body having same geometry blade portions and same geometry air circulator portions;

each of the opposite sides of the blade main body further comprising;

a second portion comprising a length-direction end portion and positioned at a lower height than the first portion; and

a third portion located between the first portion and the second portion and inclined downwardly from the first portion to the second portion;

each blade portion being arranged only in the second portion of the blade main body and extending along a predetermined area in the length-direction;

each air circulator portion being located opposite each respective blade portion in a width direction, has a rising upward portion, and extends along a predetermined area in the length-direction;

a boundary portion, arranged between the blade main body and each air circulator portion, has a portion inclined or angled with respect to each respective blade portion such that, beginning at the length-direction end portion, a distance between each respective boundary portion and each respective blade portion increases along the length-direction and moving toward the axis center;

each boundary portion, beginning at a length-direction end, being angled and non-parallel relative to a plane bisecting the blade in the length-direction and passing through the axis center, the air circulator portion thereby being configured to generate an airflow in a direction inside of a mower blade rotation direction, said airflow non-interfering with an airflow of an air circulation portion of an adjacent mower deck blade;

each boundary portion having a bend extending to a second portion inclined or angled by a greater amount than the portion of each boundary portion; and

a height of an upper end portion of each respective air circulator portion measured from a surface of the blade main body is a substantially constant height,

wherein;

the predetermined area of each blade portion has a first length;

the predetermined area of each air-circulator portion has a second length; and

a distance, measured in the length-direction, between the axis center and a beginning of the second length is greater than the second length.

2. The mower deck blade according to claim 1, wherein a distance between a cutting edge of each blade portion and a position where each respective boundary portion extends to a length-direction end portion, measured along the width direction, is substantially equal to a distance between an imaginary center line of the blade main body extending along the length-direction and each cutting edge of the blade portion.

14. The mower deck blade according to claim 1, wherein said distance, measured in the length-direction, between the axis center and the beginning of the second length is greater than the second length.

17. The mower deck blade according to claim 1, wherein:

in a plan view, the blade main body has a leading edge extending in a straight line along the first, second, and third portions.

18. The mower deck blade according to claim 1, wherein:

the second length of the air circulation portion is 45% to 70% of the first length of the cutting portion.

22. The mower deck blade according to claim 1, wherein:

for each of the opposite sides of the blade main body, the boundary portion is angled with respect to each respective blade portion by 10 to 30 degrees.

3. A multi-blade mower deck blade to be used with at last one adjacent mower deck blade, said mower deck blade comprising:

a blade main body having a length-direction, an axis center and opposite first and second cutting ends having a same geometry;

in a plan view, the blade main body having a leading edge extending in a straight line from the axis center to a length-direction end;

each of the first and second cutting ends comprising;

an air circulator portion arranged opposite a cutting portion;

the cutting portion extending to the length-direction end of the blade main body and extending along only a constant height in the length-direction; and

a boundary line defined by where the air circulator portion meets a surface of the blade main body, the boundary line including a first portion extending from the length-direction end along the length-direction and at an angle relative to a plane bisecting the blade in the length-direction and passing through the axis center, the air circulator portion thereby being configured to generate an airflow in a direction inside of a mower blade rotation direction, said airflow non-interfering with an airflow of an air circulation portion of an adjacent mower deck blade,

wherein a distance between the boundary line at the length-direction end and the cutting edge of the cutting portion is less than a distance between the boundary line and the cutting portion at a position spaced from the length-direction end, said position being defined by an imaginary line that passes through the axis center and intersects the boundary line at a point of intersection,

wherein at a position spaced more greatly from the length-direction end than the point of intersection, the boundary line includes a second portion bend extending in a direction away from the cutting edge of the cutting portion;

wherein a height of an upper end portion of the air circulator portion, measured from the surface of the blade main body, is a substantially constant height over a predetermined length, and

wherein;

the predetermined area of the cutting portion has a first length;

the air circulation portion has a second length measured in the length-direction;

a middle portion of the blade main body contains the axis center, extends to a beginning of each respective said cutting portion, and has a third length measured in the length-direction; and

at least one of;

the first length is less than the third length; and

/or

the second length is less than the third length.

4. The mower deck blade according to claim 3, wherein the first length is greater than the second length.

15. The mower deck blade according to claim 3, wherein each of:

the first length is less than the third length;

the second length is less than the third length; and

each boundary line has portions that are arranged on opposite sides of an imaginary line passing through the axis center and oriented along the length-direction.

19. The mower deck blade according to claim 3, wherein:

the second length of the air circulation portion is 45% to 70% of the first length of the cutting portion.

23. The mower deck blade according to claim 3, wherein:

the angle is within a range of 10 to 30 degrees.

5. A multi-blade mower deck blade to be used with at last one adjacent mower deck blade, said mower deck blade comprising:

a blade main body having a centrally disposed mounting hole, a length-direction and oppositely arranged first and second cutting ends;

in a plan view, the blade main body having a leading edge extending in a straight line from the axis center to a length-direction end;

each of the first and second cutting ends being geometrically the same and comprising;

an air circulator portion arranged opposite a cutting portion, the cutting portion extending along only a constant height in the length-direction; and

a boundary line defined by where the air circulator portion meets a surface of the blade main body, the boundary line extending along the length-direction and, beginning at a length-direction end, at an angle that is not parallel to an imaginary centerline that bisects the blade main body while passing through a center of the mounting hole and extending along the length-direction, the air circulator portion thereby being configured to generate an airflow in a direction inside of a mower blade rotation direction, said airflow non-interfering with an airflow of an air circulation portion of an adjacent mower deck blade;

wherein the distance between a first portion of the boundary line and the imaginary center line changes continuously by a first amount and the distance between a second portion of the boundary line and the imaginary center line changes continuously by a second greater amount,

wherein the boundary line includes a second portion connected by a bend to the first portion, the second portion being inclined relative to the imaginary centerline more greatly that the first portion, and

wherein;

the cutting portion has a first length measured in the length-direction;

the air circulator portion has a second length measured in the length-direction;

a middle portion of the blade main body contains the mounting hole, extends to a beginning of each respective cutting portion, and has a third length measured in the length-direction; and

each of;

the first length is less than the third length; and

the second length is less than the third length, and

wherein a length, measured in the length-direction, from the center of the mounting hole to a start of each respective air circulator portion is greater than the first length.

6. The mower deck blade according to claim 5, wherein a height of an upper end portion of the air circulator portion measured from the surface of the blade main body is a substantially constant height over a predetermined length.

7. The mower deck blade according to claim 5, wherein a distance between all portions of the boundary line and the imaginary center line changes continuously.

8. The mower deck blade according to claim 5, wherein the air circulator portion comprises:

a main air circulator portion;

a smaller area air circular portion; and

a boundary line arranged between the main air circulator portion and the smaller area air circulator portion.

9. The mower deck blade according to claim 8, wherein a height of an upper end portion of the main air circulator portion measured from the surface of the blade main body is a substantially constant height over a predetermined length.

10. The mower deck blade according to claim 8, wherein a height of an upper end portion of the smaller area air circulator portion measured from the surface of the blade main body changes continuously over a predetermined length.

16. The mower deck blade according to claim 5, wherein each first portion of each boundary line has portions that are arranged on opposite sides of the imaginary centerline.

20. The mower deck blade according to claim 5, wherein:

the second length of the air circulation portion is 45% to 70% of the first length of the cutting portion.

24. The mower deck blade according to claim 5, wherein:

the angle is within a range of 10 to 30 degrees.

11. A multi-blade mower deck blade to be used with at last one adjacent mower deck blade, said mower deck blade comprising:

a blade main body comprising;

a length-direction;

a middle blade portion comprising an axis center;

opposite geometrically identically configured end areas; and

an intermediate portion disposed between each opposite end area and the middle blade portion;

in a plan view, the blade main body having a leading edge extending in a straight line along the middle portion, intermediate portion, and end area;

each end area being spaced in a height-direction relative to the middle blade portion and comprising;

a cutting portion having a first length measured in the length-direction, the cutting portion extending along only a constant height in the end area;

an air circulator portion having a second length measured in the length direction; and

a boundary portion defining a bottom end portion of the air circulator portion and being inclined or angled with respect to the cutting portion such that the boundary portion and the cutting portion are not parallel to one another and a distance between the boundary portion and the cutting portion increases, beginning at a length-direction end, along the length-direction and moving toward the axis center;

the boundary portion being angled and non-parallel relative to a plane bisecting the blade in the length-direction and passing through the axis center, the air circulator portion thereby being configured to generate an airflow in a direction inside of a mower blade rotation direction, said airflow non-interfering with an airflow of an air circulation portion of an adjacent mower deck blade;

the boundary portion having a first portion and a longer second portion with the first portion being inclined or angled by a greater amount than the second portion; and

a height of an upper end portion of the air circulator portion measured from a surface of the blade main body is a substantially constant height.

12. The mower deck blade according to claim 11, wherein:

the intermediate portion has a third length measured in the length-direction;

the middle blade portion has a fourth length measured in the length-direction; and

at least one of;

the third length is less than a difference between the first and second lengths;

the third length is less half of the fourth length; and

/or

the second length is more than the third length and less than the first length.

13. The mower deck blade according to claim 11, wherein:

the intermediate portion has a third length measured in the length-direction;

the middle blade portion has a fourth length measured in the length-direction; and

each of;

the third length is less than a difference between the first and second lengths;

the third length is less half of the fourth length; and

the second length is more than the third length and less than the first length.

21. The mower deck blade according to claim 11, wherein:

the second length of the air circulation portion is 45% to 70% of the first length of the cutting portion.

25. The mower deck blade according to claim 11, wherein:

for each of the opposite end areas of the blade main body, the boundary portion is angled with respect to the plane bisecting the blade in the length direction by 10 to 30 degrees.