Vibration reduction of HST control lever
AssigneeKubota Corporation
InventorsTasuku Teraoka, Yuto Fujii
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A control lever of a working machine having a main operating frequency includes, a tube having a mass and a length extending from a first end to a second end. The tube defines a lumen extending from the second open end towards the first end of the tube. The control lever includes a rod having a predetermined mass and a length extending from a first end to a second end. The rod is fixed to the tube and is disposed in the lumen at a predetermined position with respect to the second end of the tube. In embodiments, the mass of the rod is determined based at least on the mass of the tube and the main operating frequency of the working machine, and the control lever has a natural frequency that is less than the main operating frequency of the working machine.
Claims20
A control lever for maneuvering a zero-turn mower, the mower being powered by an engine having an operating frequency corresponding to an operating engine speed, the control lever comprising:
- a tube having a mass and a length extending from a first end to a second end, the tube defining a lumen extending from the second end towards the first end of the tube;
- a rod having a predetermined mass and a length extending from a first end to a second end, the rod fixed to the tube such that the rod is fixed in position relative to the tube and disposed in the lumen at a predetermined position with respect to the second end of the tube.
A zero-turn mower powered by an engine having an operating frequency corresponding to an operating engine speed, the mower comprising:
- a vehicle body;
- a pair of right and left driving wheels that movably support the vehicle body;
- a pair of control levers pivotally coupled to the vehicle body, the control levers configured to pivot about a horizontal axis extending in a vehicle body transverse direction and capable of adjusting rotational speeds of the right and left driving wheels respectively, wherein each control lever includes:
- a tube having a mass and a length extending from a first end, pivotally coupled to the vehicle body, to a second free end, the tube defining a lumen extending in a direction from the second end toward the first end of the tube;
- a rod having a predetermined mass and a length extending from a first end to a second end, the rod fixed to the tube such that the rod is fixed in position relative to the tube and disposed in the lumen at a predetermined position with respect to the second end of the tube.
A control lever for maneuvering a zero-turn mower, the mower being powered by an engine having an operating frequency corresponding to an operating engine speed, the control lever comprising:
- a lateral portion having a rod arranged therein and fixed in position relative to the lateral portion, the lateral portion having a first weight per unit length;
- and
- an upright portion coupled to the lateral portion, the upright portion having a second weight per unit length that is less than the first weight per unit length.
A method of manufacturing a control lever for maneuvering a zero-turn mower that is powered by an engine having an operating frequency corresponding to an operating engine speed, the method comprising:
- providing a tube extending from a first end to a second end, the tube defining a lumen extending in a direction from the second end toward the first end of the tube;
- introducing a rod into the lumen of the tube through the second end of the tube, the rod having a length extending from a first end to a second end;
- positioning the rod in the lumen to a predetermined position with respect to the second end of the tube;
- and
- fixing the rod to the tube at the predetermined position such that the rod is fixed in position relative to the tube.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.