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EP-4740721-A1 - MANUALLY GUIDED MOBILE DEVICE FOR GROUND MAINTENANCE PROVIDED WITH A TILT-ADJUSTABLE HANDLEBAR

EP4740721A1EP 4740721 A1EP4740721 A1EP 4740721A1EP-4740721-A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a mobile device for the maintenance of lands comprising movement means for moving within a work area, a frame with tools for maintenance operations and a handle allowing an operator to guide the device. The handle includes a first member fixed to the frame and a second member with a gripping portion for the user, the latter rotatable with respect to the first member. The handle also comprises a joint with couplings that allow to lock or unlock the rotation between the two members in different angular positions, thanks to a tilting element that controls the engagement of the couplings. In accordance with further aspects, the device comprises a control lever rotatable relative to the frame to allow an operator to adjust an inclination of the handle.

Inventors

  • D'Agostini, Mauro
  • BACCHIN, Gian Luca
  • ZANOLIN, Alessandro

Assignees

  • Stiga S.P.A.

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20251107

Claims (15)

  1. Mobile device for the maintenance of lands, in particular lawns or gardens, comprising: - movement means (2) configured to allow a movement of the mobile device within a work area, - a frame (3) comprising at least one work tool for performing maintenance operations on the work area, - a handle (4) configured to allow an operator to guide and optionally move said mobile device within the work area, - at least one control lever (6) carried by the frame (3) and comprising: ∘ a rotatable body (7) having an eccentric hole (13) to which an end of the handle (4) is engageable, said rotatable body (7) being rotatably movable relative to the frame (3) about an orientation axis (Y), ∘ a gripping portion (8) integral with the rotatable body (7) and configured to allow it to rotate with respect to the frame (3) when operated by an operator, - a closing knob (9) selectively in contact with the rotatable body (7) of the control lever (6) to block its rotation with respect to the frame (3), wherein the gripping portion (8) of the control lever (6) is interposed between the handle (4) and the closing knob (9) along a direction parallel to the orientation axis of the rotatable body (7).
  2. Device according to the preceding claim, wherein the closing knob (9) can be configured between: - a fixing condition in which said closing knob (9) contacts the rotatable body (7) of the control lever (6) to prevent movement of the handle (4) with respect to the frame (3), - an adjustment condition in which the closing knob (9) is spaced from the rotatable body (7) of the control lever (6), allowing the gripping portion (8) of the control lever (6) to rotate freely with respect to the frame (3) in a plurality of angular positions, so as to progressively vary the inclination of the operating handlebar (4).
  3. Device according to the preceding claim, wherein the operating handlebar (4) is engaged to the rotatable body (7) of the control lever (6) by means of a pin (10), optionally a threaded bolt, wherein the control lever (6), in the condition of adjustment of the closing knob (9), moves the pin (10) along a circular trajectory to cause a contextual variation in height of the handlebar (4).
  4. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the gripping portion (8) of the control lever (6), optionally in the condition of adjustment of the joint (7), is rotatable relative to the frame (3) along a circular trajectory, optionally said gripping portion (8) of the control lever (6) travelling along a 360° angle.
  5. Device according to the two preceding claims, wherein the circular trajectory travelled by the gripping portion (8) of the control lever (6) is concentric to the circular trajectory travelled by the pin (10).
  6. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the gripping portion (8) of the control lever (6) is positioned radially externally to the closing knob (9).
  7. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the gripping portion (8) of the control lever (6) defines an end of the control lever (6) located opposite the rotatable body (7).
  8. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the control lever (6) comprises: - a shoulder (14) extending radially around the rotatable body (7), said shoulder being configured to contact the frame (3) and prevent a movement of the control lever (6) along a direction parallel to the orientation axis (Y) of the rotatable body (7), - an intermediate body (12) connecting the gripping portion (8) to the shoulder (14).
  9. Device according to any one of the preceding claims comprising at least one fixing bracket (5) constrained to the frame (3) and couplable to the handle (4) by means of the control lever (6), optionally by means of the rotatable body (7) of the control lever (6), wherein the fixing bracket (5) has a through opening (11) defining a seat for housing the rotatable body (7) of the control lever (6).
  10. Device according to the preceding claim, wherein the through opening (11) is delimited by a perimeter edge defining a sliding guide of the rotatable body (7) when rotated relative to the frame (3).
  11. Device according to any one of the preceding claims comprising a plurality of control levers (6) carried by the frame (3) and having respective rotatable bodies (7) with eccentric holes (13) in which respective ends of the handle (4) are engageable, each control lever (6) having a gripping portion (8) integral with a respective rotatable body and configured to allow rotation of the rotatable body with respect to the frame (3) when operated by an operator.
  12. Device according to any one of the preceding claims comprising a plurality of fixing brackets (5) constrained to the frame (3) and couplable at the end of the handle (4) by means of a respective control lever (6).
  13. Method for adjusting the inclination of a handle (4) of a mobile device according to any one of the preceding claims, said method comprising the following steps: - decoupling the closing knob (5) from the control lever (6) to allow it to move with respect to the frame (3), - rotating the control lever (6) with respect to the frame (3) at any one of a plurality of angular positions to adjust the position of the rotatable body (7) and vary the inclination of the handle (4) with respect to the frame (3), - coupling again the closing knob (5) to the control lever (6) to block the handle (4) in the selected position
  14. Method according to the preceding claim using the device according to claim 3, wherein during the step of rotating the control lever (6) with respect to the frame (3) the pin remains engaged with the closing knob (9) and/or the rotatable body (7).
  15. Method according to any one of the two preceding claims, wherein the step of rotating the control lever (6) with respect to the frame (3) does not provide for the extraction, either complete or partial, of the pin (10) from the rotatable body (7) of the control lever (6) and/or from the closing knob (9).

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a manually guided mobile device for the maintenance of lands, for example gardens, lawns or agricultural land. In particular, the mobile device may be a lawn mower having a work tool, for example the cutting blade. The present invention also relates to a method for the maintenance of lands by means of said mobile device. STATE OF THE ART In the field of gardening and maintenance of the land, mobile devices such as lawn mowers, soil tillers and aerators are commonly used to cover the entire intended working area. During the operation, some areas, such as perimeters, boundaries or central areas with obstacles, can be difficult to reach effectively, compromising the overall quality of the work. In manually guided devices, the operator may encounter difficulties in manoeuvring the device around such obstacles, due to the dimensions of the device in height or width, which may interfere with perimeter elements such as hedges. To facilitate use in perimeter areas, some existing solutions provide systems for adjusting the height or inclination of the handlebar. For example, in patent EP3466237A1 a lawn mower is described that integrates a handlebar composed of two members: a first element fixed to the frame of the lawn mower and a second element that can be gripped by the user. Among them, a joint is inserted that allows a rotation of the second member with respect to the first. This rotation is obtained by means of a mechanism of tensioning cables connected to the joint. When the user presses one of the buttons on the handlebar, the tensioning cables are activated, causing the disengagement of a locking element and thus allowing the rotation of the second member with respect to the first. This configuration offers some flexibility in the manoeuvrability of the device, but also has some limitations. The mechanical complexity of the tensioning cable system, in fact, can lead to problems of wear, breakage and require frequent maintenance interventions, reducing the reliability and overall life of the device. Solutions belonging to the state of the art can therefore be improved in certain respects. Continuing with the description of the state of the art, the adjustment of the height or inclination of the handlebar in the gardening devices represents a further critical aspect, and the existing solutions are often complex and impractical for the operator. For example, in European patent EP3099155B1 an inclination adjustment mechanism is described comprising a handlebar connected to the frame by a pin which fixes it in a specific position. To adjust the inclination, the operator must unscrew a locking knob and remove the pin, thus allowing the handlebar to be moved. Once the desired new inclination is reached, the pin must be reinserted and locked again to secure the handlebar firmly. The procedure of extraction and reinsertion of the pin, although effective in ensuring stability, requires careful manual intervention, slowing down the adjustment process and proving not easy for the user. These systems can therefore be improved in certain respects. OBJECT OF THE INVENTION Therefore, the object of the present invention is to solve at least one of the drawbacks and/or limitations of the previous solutions. A first object is to simplify the operations of adjusting the handlebar, making the use of the mobile device more practical and easy for the operator. A further object is to ensure greater durability and reliability of the handlebar, reducing wear on mechanical components and the need for frequent maintenance interventions. A further object is to allow an intuitive and quick adjustment of the inclination of the handlebar, eliminating the complexity of manual unlocking and repositioning operations. A further object is to make available a device with a compact and resistant joint, able to integrate into the device without adding bulk. A further object is to allow the operator to easily adapt the handlebar to the specific conditions of the ground and the obstacles present, facilitating access and manoeuvrability even in the perimeter or border areas of the work area. A further object is to reduce operator fatigue, allowing a smooth and immediate adjustment of the handlebar, optimizing comfort and ergonomics during the use of the device. These objects and others, which will appear more from the following description, are substantially achieved by a mobile device for the maintenance of lands in accordance with one or more of the claims and/or the following aspects. SUMMARY Aspects of the invention are described here below. In a 1st aspect there is provided a mobile device for the maintenance of lands, in particular lawns or gardens, comprising: movement means (2) configured to allow a movement of the mobile device within a work area,a frame (3) comprising at least one work tool for performing maintenance operations on the work area. In a 1st-bis aspect according to the pr