JP7615400B2 - Cutting machine - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a cutting machine.

Patent document 1 discloses a concrete cutter that uses engine power to rotate a rotary blade.

Utility Model Registration No. 3052653

In recent years, in order to reduce _CO2 emissions from the perspective of climate-related disasters, work machines have been increasingly electrified, and are moving to configurations in which work is performed using motor power. It is planned to use motors in cutting machines (cutters) that cut structures such as road surfaces and floor surfaces, and it is desirable to efficiently cool the motors installed in such cutting machines.

Therefore, the present invention aims to provide technology that can efficiently cool the motor installed in a cutting machine.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, one aspect of the present invention is a cutting machine that cuts a structure by rotating a disc-shaped blade and pressing it against the structure, and is characterized in that it comprises a body having wheels and rotatably supporting the blade, a tank arranged above the blade in the vertical direction and storing water that is supplied to the blade to cool the blade, a motor for rotating the blade, a flow path for circulating water around the motor, a first tube connected to the tank for supplying the water stored in the tank to the blade by gravity without passing through the flow path, and a second tube connected to the tank for supplying the water stored in the tank to the flow path .

The present invention provides technology that can efficiently cool a motor installed in a cutting machine.

The accompanying drawings are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a cutting machine according to the present invention; FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a cutting machine according to the present invention; FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a cutting machine according to the present invention; FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a cutting machine according to the present invention; FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a cutting machine according to the present invention; FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a cutting machine according to the present invention; FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a schematic diagram of another embodiment of a cutting machine according to the present invention.

The embodiments are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the invention. Two or more of the features described in the embodiments may be combined in any desired manner. In addition, the same reference numbers are used for identical or similar configurations, and duplicate descriptions are omitted.

An embodiment of a cutting machine 10 according to the present invention will be described. In each of the figures described below, arrows X, Y, and Z indicate directions that are perpendicular to each other, with the X direction indicating the front-to-rear direction of the cutting machine 10, the Y direction indicating the left-to-right direction (width direction) of the cutting machine 10, and the Z direction indicating the up-to-down direction of the cutting machine 10. Note that in this embodiment, the +X direction indicates the traveling direction of the cutting machine 10, and the +Y direction indicates the left direction (left side of the cutting machine 10) and the -Y direction indicates the right direction (right side of the cutting machine 10) relative to that traveling direction.

[Example of cutting machine configuration]
FIG. 1 shows an example of the configuration of a cutting machine 10 according to the present embodiment. The cutting machine 10 is a working machine that cuts a structure by pressing a disk-shaped blade 11a against the structure while rotating, and may be called a cutter. The cutting machine 10 according to the present embodiment is an electric working machine including a working unit 11, a motor 12, a battery 13, a power control unit 14, a power transmission mechanism 15, a tank 16, a machine body 17 (base), a pair of left and right wheels 18, and a handle unit 19. Examples of structures to be cut by the cutting machine 10 according to the present embodiment include road surfaces, floor surfaces, and decks made of concrete, asphalt, and the like. The cutting machine 10 according to the present embodiment is configured as a push type that travels when pushed by an operator, but may also be configured as a tractor type on which an operator can ride.

The working unit 11 is a unit for rotating the blade 11a by the power of the motor 12 to perform cutting work on a structure. In the case of this embodiment, the working unit 11 may include a disk-shaped blade 11a rotatably supported by the machine body 17, and a cover member 11b attached to the machine body 17 so as to cover the upper part of the blade 11a. Note that the working unit 11 is not limited to a configuration in which cutting work is performed by rotating the blade 11a, and may be configured in other types.

The motor 12 has a stator (not shown) and a rotor 12a, and is a driving source that generates power (rotational force) to rotate the rotor 12a by passing electricity through a coil provided on one of the stator and the rotor 12a. The rotor 12a may be understood as the rotation shaft of the motor 12, and may be referred to as the rotation shaft 12a below. In the case of this embodiment, the motor 12 is arranged so that the rotation shaft 12a extends in the left-right direction (Y direction). The motor 12 is also arranged on the machine body 17 between the working unit 11 (blade 11a) and the wheels 18 in the front-rear direction (X direction). The specific arrangement of the motor 12 will be described later.

The battery 13 is a power source that supplies power to the motor 12 via a cable (not shown). In this embodiment, the battery 13 is disposed above the motor 12 and attached to the motor 12 (i.e., supported by the motor 12). However, the battery 13 may be disposed at any location, and may be attached to the machine body 17 (i.e., supported by the machine body 17), for example. The battery 13 may be attached to the machine body 17 in a state where it is integrated with the motor 12 and the power control unit 14. Furthermore, although the example of FIG. 1 shows an example in which one battery 13 is mounted on the cutting machine 10, multiple batteries 13 (two or more) may be mounted.

The power control unit 14 is, for example, a PCU (Power Control Unit), and controls the power supplied from the battery 13 to the motor 12. Although FIG. 1 shows an example in which the power control unit 14 is disposed behind the battery 13, the position of the power control unit 14 is arbitrary. In addition, the power control unit 14 may be provided in a state in which it is integrated with the motor 12 and/or the battery 13.

The power transmission mechanism 15 is a mechanism that transmits the power (rotational force, driving force) of the motor 12 to the working unit 11 (blade 11a). In this embodiment, the power transmission mechanism 15 is provided with a rotatable shaft (not shown) that is connected to the rotating shaft 12a of the motor 12 via a belt or the like, and the blade 11a is attached to the shaft. Therefore, by transmitting the power of the motor 12 (i.e., the rotational force of the rotating shaft 12a) to the shaft via a belt or the like to rotate the shaft, the power of the motor 12 can be transmitted to the blade 11a and the blade 11a can be rotated. The blade 11a is detachable (replaceable) from the shaft of the power transmission mechanism 15.

The tank 16 is a water storage container that stores water to be supplied to the blade 11a to cool the blade 11a, which generates frictional heat during cutting work, and is disposed above the working unit 11 (blade 11a) in the vertical direction (Z direction). A tube 21 (water supply passage) is connected to the bottom of the tank 16 and the cover member 11b of the working unit 11, and a certain amount of water is successively supplied from inside the tank 16 to the blade 11a via the tube 21 by gravity. In addition, a supply port 16a is provided at the top of the tank 16 to supply water to the tank 16.

The machine body 17 is configured as a base supporting the working unit 11, the motor 12, the battery 13, the tank 16, etc. That is, the working unit 11, the motor 12, the battery 13, etc. are attached to the machine body 17. In addition, a pair of left and right wheels 18 are rotatably supported at the rear of the machine body 17. Specifically, an axle 18a extending along the left-right direction (Y direction) is rotatably supported on the machine body 17, and a pair of left and right wheels 18 are attached to the end of the axle 18a. Note that the cutting machine 10 of this embodiment is configured to include only two left and right wheels 18, but may be configured to include three or more wheels. For example, it may be configured to have four wheels, with two pairs of left and right wheels 18 arranged in the front-rear direction.

The handle portion 19 is a member that an operator grips to manually push the cutting machine 10. A working machine having such a handle portion 19 is called a push-type working machine or a walk-behind working machine, and an operator can perform cutting work by gripping the handle portion 19 and pushing the cutting machine 10 in a standing position. The handle portion 19 may also be provided with an operating portion that enables the operator to operate the cutting machine 10.

Here, in the cutting machine 10 of this embodiment, the water stored in the tank 16 for cooling the blade 11b is also used to cool (water-cool) the motor 12. This allows the motor 12 to be cooled (water-cooled) efficiently, and also eliminates the need to provide a separate tank for storing water for cooling the motor 12, which can be advantageous in making the cutting machine 10 more compact.

In the example of FIG. 1, a water jacket 12b (flow path) for circulating water around the motor 12 is provided around the motor 12, and the motor 12 can be cooled (water-cooled) by flowing water in the tank 16 through the water jacket 12b via tubes 22-23. The tube 22 connects the bottom of the tank 16 to the water jacket 12b and is a water supply path for supplying water in the tank 16 to the water jacket 12b. The tube 23 connects the bottom of the tank 16 to the water jacket 12b and is a drainage path for discharging water that has flowed through the water jacket 12b into the tank 16. In the example of FIG. 1, the water in the tank 16 is circulated around the motor 12 using the pump 16b, but this is not limited thereto, and the water in the tank 16 may be circulated around the motor 12 using the power of the motor 12.

The cutting machine 10 of this embodiment is also provided with a sensor 16c that detects the amount of water stored in the tank 16, and an alarm unit 20 that notifies by voice or other means that the amount of water detected by the sensor 16c has fallen below a threshold. The threshold can be set, for example, to the amount of water that can be circulated around the motor 12 to cool the motor 12. By providing such a sensor 16c and alarm unit 20, the operator can know whether or not the amount of water that can be circulated around the motor 12 is stored in the tank 16, i.e., whether or not there is a shortage of water to circulate around the motor 12.

[Motor placement requirements]
Next, the layout requirements of the motor 12 in the cutting machine 10 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 2 to 6. Figures 2 to 6 are block diagrams that show the blade 11a, motor 12, tank 16, machine body 17, wheels 18, handle section 19, and tubes 21 to 23 in the cutting machine 10 shown in Figure 1, and are used below to explain the layout requirements of the motor 12. Since the blade 11a and the motor 12 are each a heat source, it is preferable to arrange them so that the heat generated by them is reduced from interacting with each other. Note that in the cutting machine 10 of this embodiment, not all of the layout requirements 1 to 7 shown below are essential, and it is preferable that at least one of the layout requirements 1 to 7 is satisfied. In addition, the cutting machine 10 of this embodiment may include layout requirements specified (defined) from Figures 1 to 6 in addition to or instead of the layout requirements 1 to 7 below.

(Placement requirement 1)
2, the layout requirement 1 is that the motor 12 is arranged so that the upper end of the motor 12 is higher than the upper ends of the blades 11a in the vertical direction (Z direction). This layout brings the motor 12 closer to the tank 16 and shortens the path for circulating water around the motor 12 (e.g., the length of the tubes 22-23), so that the motor 12 can be cooled efficiently. In addition, the motor 12 can be separated from the blades 11a in the vertical direction (Z direction), so that the effect of heat generated by the blades 11a on the motor 12 is reduced, and the motor 12 can be cooled efficiently.

(Placement requirement 2)
Layout requirement 2 is that the motor 12 is arranged so that the front end of the motor 12 is behind the front end of the blade 11a in the front-rear direction (X direction) as shown in Fig. 3. With this arrangement, the center of gravity of the cutting machine 10 is located between the front end of the blade 11a and the wheels 18, so that the operator can easily lift the blade 11a from a structure (e.g., a road surface) using the wheels 18 as a fulcrum by lowering the handle portion 19. In addition, since the motor 12 can be separated from the blade 11a in the front-rear direction (X direction), the influence of heat generated by the blade 11a on the motor 12 is reduced, and the motor 12 can be efficiently cooled.

(Placement requirement 3)
The layout requirement 3 is that the motor 12 is arranged so that the front end of the motor 12 is located behind the rotation axis A of the blade 11a in the front-rear direction (X direction) as shown in FIG. 4. This layout can further enhance the effect of the layout requirement 2 described above. Specifically, since the center of gravity of the cutting machine 10 is arranged between the rotation axis A of the blade 11a and the wheels 18, the operator can more easily lift the blade 11a from the structure (e.g., the road surface) with the wheels 18 as the fulcrum by lowering the handle part 19. In addition, since the motor 12 can be separated from the blade 11a in the front-rear direction (X direction), the influence of the heat generated by the blade 11a on the motor 12 is further reduced, and the motor 12 can be cooled more efficiently.

(Placement requirement 4)
5, the layout requirement 4 is that the motor 12 is arranged forward of the rear ends of the wheels 18 in the fore-and-aft direction (X direction). This layout brings the motor 12 closer to the tank 16 in the fore-and-aft direction (X direction) and shortens the path for circulating water around the motor 12 (e.g., the length of the tubes 22-23), so that the motor 12 can be cooled efficiently.

(Placement requirement 5)
4, the layout requirement 5 is that the motor 12 is disposed between the rotation shaft of the blade 11a and the rotation shaft (axle 18a) of the wheel 18 in the front-rear direction (X direction). This layout requirement 5 is a further restriction of the layout requirements 2 to 4, and therefore can further enhance the above-mentioned effects of the layout requirements 2 to 4.

(Layout requirement 6)
5, the motor 12 is arranged so that the upper end of the motor 12 is lower than the lower end of the tank 16 in the vertical direction (Z direction). With this arrangement, the motor 12 is located lower than the lower end of the tank 16 in the vertical direction (Z direction), so that the water in the tank 16 is easily and efficiently supplied to the periphery of the motor 12 by gravity. Therefore, the load on the power source (e.g., pump 16b) for circulating water around the motor 12 can be reduced, and the motor 12 can be efficiently cooled.

(Placement requirement 7)
6, the layout requirement 7 is that the motor 12 is arranged inside a circle C having a radius of a straight line L connecting the upper end of the tank 16 and the lower end of the blade 11a in a side view of the cutting machine 10 seen from the Y direction. This layout can be advantageous for making the cutting machine 10 compact because it can prevent the motor 12 from being too far away from the blade 11a and the tank 16 when the blade 11a and the tank 16 are used as reference points.

<Other embodiments>
In the above embodiment, the motor 12 is cooled by flowing water in the tank 16 through the water jacket 12b provided around the motor 12, but the present invention is not limited to this, and at least a part of the motor 12 may be disposed inside the tank 16 as shown in Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a block diagram showing a schematic diagram of the cutting machine 10 of this embodiment, and shows the blade 11a, the motor 12, the tank 16, the body 17, the wheels 18, and the handle portion 19. With this configuration, the motor 12 can be efficiently cooled using the water stored in the tank 16.

Summary of the embodiment
1. The cutting machine of the above embodiment 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,
A body (e.g., 17) having wheels (e.g., 18) and rotatably supporting the blade;
a tank (e.g., 16) for storing water to be supplied to the blades for cooling the blades;
A motor (e.g., 12) for rotating the blade;
Equipped with
The motor is cooled using water stored in the tank.
With this configuration, the motor can be cooled (water-cooled) efficiently, and there is no need to provide a separate tank to store water for cooling the motor, which is also advantageous for making the cutting machine more compact.

2. In the above embodiment,
The water stored in the tank is circulated around the motor to cool the motor.
According to this configuration, the motor can be efficiently cooled using the water for cooling the blades.

3. In the above embodiment,
The engine further includes a pump (eg, 16b) for circulating the water stored in the tank around the motor.
According to this configuration, the motor can be efficiently cooled using the water stored in the tank for cooling the blades.

4. In the above embodiment,
The power of the motor is used to circulate the water stored in the tank around the motor.
According to this configuration, the motor can be efficiently cooled using the water for cooling the blades without the need to provide a separate pump for circulating the water around the motor.

5. In the above embodiment,
At least a portion of the motor is disposed within the tank.
According to this configuration, the motor can be efficiently cooled using the water stored in the tank for cooling the blades.

6. In the above embodiment,
The tank is disposed above the blade in the vertical direction.
With this configuration, a constant amount of water can be successively supplied to the blade from within the tank by gravity.

7. In the above embodiment,
The motor is disposed so that an upper end of the motor is higher than an upper end of the blade in the vertical direction.
With this configuration, the motor can be moved closer to the tank and the path for circulating water around the motor can be shortened, allowing the motor to be cooled efficiently. Also, the motor can be separated from the blades in the vertical direction, reducing the effect of heat generated by the blades on the motor, allowing the motor to be cooled efficiently.

8. In the above embodiment,
The motor is disposed such that a front end of the motor is rearward of a front end of the blade in the front-rear direction.
With this configuration, the center of gravity of the cutting machine is located between the front end of the blade and the wheels, so the blade can be easily lifted from the structure using the wheels as a fulcrum. Also, since the motor can be separated from the blade in the front-rear direction, the effect of heat generated by the blade on the motor is reduced, and the motor can be cooled efficiently.

9. In the above embodiment,
The motor is disposed such that a front end of the motor is rearward of the rotation shaft of the blade in the front-rear direction.
With this configuration, the center of gravity of the cutting machine is located between the rotation axis of the blade and the wheels, so the blade can be easily lifted from the structure using the wheels as a fulcrum. Also, since the motor can be separated from the blade in the front-rear direction, the effect of heat generated by the blade on the motor is further reduced, and the motor can be cooled efficiently.

10. In the above embodiment,
The motor is disposed so that an upper end of the motor is lower than a lower end of the tank in the vertical direction.
With this configuration, the motor is positioned below the lower end of the tank in the vertical direction, so that gravity allows the water in the tank to be easily and efficiently supplied to the area around the motor, thereby efficiently cooling the motor.

11. In the above embodiment,
The motor is disposed forward of the rear end of the wheel.
With this configuration, the motor can be brought closer to the tank in the front-to-rear direction, and the path for circulating water around the motor can be shortened, thereby making it possible to cool the motor efficiently.

12. In the above embodiment,
In a side view, the motor is disposed inside a circle (e.g., C) whose radius is a straight line (e.g., L) connecting the upper end of the tank and the lower end of the blade.
According to this configuration, when the blade and the tank are used as reference points, the motor can be prevented from being located too far away from the blade and the tank, which is advantageous for making the cutting machine more compact.

13. In the above embodiment,
A sensor (e.g., 16c) for detecting the amount of water stored in the tank;
An alarm unit (e.g., 20) that notifies the user that the amount of water detected by the sensor has fallen below a threshold value;
It further comprises:
With this configuration, the operator can determine whether or not there is an amount of water stored in the tank that can be circulated around the motor, i.e., whether or not there is a shortage of water to circulate around the motor.

14. In the above embodiment,
The motor is disposed between the rotation axis of the blade (e.g., A) and the rotation axis of the wheel (e.g., 18a) in the front-rear direction.
With this configuration, the motor can be brought closer to the tank in the front-to-rear direction, and the path for circulating water around the motor can be shortened, thereby making it possible to cool the motor efficiently.

15. In the above embodiment,
The cutting machine is a hand-pushed working machine having a handle portion (for example, 19) that is held by an operator.
According to this configuration, a hand-pushed cutter is provided.

The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the following claims are appended to disclose the scope of the invention.

10: cutting machine, 11: working unit, 11a: blade, 12: motor, 13: battery, 14: power control unit, 15: power transmission mechanism, 16: tank, 17: body, 18: wheels, 19: handle unit

Claims (17)

A cutting machine that cuts a structure by pressing a disk-shaped blade against the structure while rotating the blade,
A machine body having wheels and rotatably supporting the blade;
a tank disposed above the blade in the vertical direction and configured to store water to be supplied to the blade for cooling the blade;
A motor for rotating the blade;
a flow path for circulating water around the motor;
a first tube connected to the tank for supplying water stored in the tank to the blade by gravity without passing through the flow path;
a second tube connected to the tank for supplying water stored in the tank to the flow path;
A cutting machine comprising : 2. The cutting machine according to claim 1, wherein the motor is cooled by circulating water stored in the tank within the flow path . 3. The cutting machine according to claim 2, further comprising a pump for circulating the water stored in the tank through the flow path . 3. The cutting machine according to claim 2, wherein the water stored in the tank is circulated within the flow path by using the power of the motor. A cover member that covers an upper portion of the blade is further provided.
5. The cutting machine according to claim 1, wherein the first tube is connected to the tank and the cover member without passing through the flow path. 6. The cutting machine according to claim 1, further comprising a third tube connected to the tank for discharging the water circulated in the flow path into the tank. A cutting machine that cuts a structure by pressing a disk-shaped blade against the structure while rotating the blade,
A machine body having wheels and rotatably supporting the blade;
a tank for storing water to be supplied to the blade for cooling the blade;
A motor for rotating the blade;
Equipped with
13. A cutting machine, comprising: a motor having at least a portion disposed inside the tank so as to be cooled by water in the tank . 8. The cutting machine according to claim 7 , wherein the tank is disposed above the blade in the vertical direction. 9. The cutting machine according to claim 1 , wherein the motor is disposed such that an upper end of the motor is higher than an upper end of the blade in the vertical direction. 10. The cutting machine according to claim 1, wherein the motor is disposed so that a front end of the motor is located rearward of a front end of the blade in the front-rear direction. 11. The cutting machine according to claim 1, wherein the motor is disposed so that a front end of the motor is located rearward of a rotation shaft of the blade in a front-rear direction. 12. The cutting machine according to claim 1 , wherein the motor is disposed such that an upper end of the motor is lower than a lower end of the tank in the vertical direction. 13. The cutting machine according to claim 1, wherein the motor is disposed forward of the rear ends of the wheels. 14. The cutting machine according to claim 1, wherein the motor is disposed inside a circle having a radius defined by a straight line connecting an upper end of the tank and a lower end of the blade when viewed from the side. A sensor for detecting the amount of water stored in the tank;
a notification unit that notifies the user that the amount of water detected by the sensor has become equal to or less than a threshold;
15. The cutting machine according to any one of claims 1 to 14 , further comprising: 16. The cutting machine according to claim 1, wherein the motor is disposed between a rotation shaft of the blade and a rotation shaft of the wheels in the front-rear direction. 17. The cutting machine according to claim 1, wherein the cutting machine is a hand-pushed working machine having a handle portion that is held by an operator.

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