High-efficiency lawn maintenance tool and high-efficiency cutting blade

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10806076-B2
Application number	US-201816152440-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 5, 2018
Priority date	Oct 6, 2017
Publication date	Oct 20, 2020
Grant date	Oct 20, 2020

Abstract

A high-efficiency blade for a lawn maintenance tool includes a central axis and a mounting portion located on the central axis. The high-efficiency blade includes a cutting blade and a cutting blade sharpened leading edge. A cleaning blade is vertically offset from the cutting blade and is configured to mulch the associated clippings from vegetation and reduce an associated accumulation of clippings on an underside of an associated mower deck. The lawn maintenance tool can also include a deck having a separation distance between the cleaning blade and an underside of the deck. The deck can include an elevation change to vary the separation distance. The deck and high-efficiency blade can also include a forward or rearward tilt.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A high-efficiency blade for a lawn maintenance tool comprising:
a central axis;
a mounting portion located on the central axis;
a cutting blade, wherein the cutting blade comprises:
at least one segment;
a cutting blade sharpened leading edge, the cutting blade sharpened leading edge is on the lower surface of the cutting blade, wherein the cutting blade sharpened leading edge is generally parallel to a driven surface and the cutting blade sharpened leading edge is configured to cut clippings from vegetation; and
a cleaning blade, the cleaning blade comprising a cleaning blade sharpened leading edge, wherein the cleaning blade sharpened leading edge is on an upper surface of the cleaning blade, wherein the cleaning blade is vertically offset from the cutting blade and is configured to mulch the associated clippings from vegetation and reduce an associated accumulation of clippings on an underside of an associated mower deck,
wherein the cleaning blade sharpened leading edge is formed at a reverse angle when compared to the cutting blade sharpened leading edge.

2. The high-efficiency blade according to claim 1 , wherein the cutting blade and the cleaning blade are separate arms that extend from the mounting portion.

3. The high-efficiency blade according to claim 1 , wherein the cleaning blade is configured to be maintained at a relatively close distance from the underside of the associated mower deck.

4. The high-efficiency blade according to claim 1 comprising three cutting blades and three cleaning blades in alternating positions around the mounting portion.

5. The high-efficiency blade according to claim 1 comprising four cutting blades and four cleaning blades in alternating positions around the mounting portion.

6. The high-efficiency blade according to claim 1 , wherein the mounting portion defines a drive aperture and the high-efficiency blade is attached to the lawn maintenance tool with a leaf spring, the leaf spring including drive knobs configured to cooperate with the drive aperture to provide rotational power to the high-efficiency blade.

7. The high-efficiency blade according to claim 1 , wherein high-efficiency blade further comprises:
three arm sections, wherein each arm section includes one cleaning blade and one cutting blade.

8. A high-efficiency lawn maintenance tool comprising:
a frame;
a deck, wherein the deck is attached to the frame and the deck defines a downward facing space;
a high-efficiency blade located within the downward facing space, the high-efficiency blade comprising;
a central axis;
a mounting portion located on the central axis of the high-efficiency blade;
a cutting blade, wherein the cutting blade comprises:
at least one segment;
a cutting blade sharpened leading edge, wherein the cutting blade sharpened leading edge is generally parallel to an associated driven surface and the cutting blade sharpened leading edge is configured to cut clippings from vegetation; and
a cleaning blade, wherein the cleaning blade is vertically offset from the cutting blade,

a power source, wherein the power source is attached to one of the frame or the deck and the power source provides rotational power to the high-efficiency blade; and
a plurality of ground engaging members, wherein the ground engaging members are attached to one of the frame or the deck,
wherein the cleaning blade is configured to follow a rotational path about the central axis, and a portion of the cleaning blade is located within 1-inch to 1/16-inch of the deck over a majority of the rotational path, and
the deck defines an elevation change such that the cleaning blade is not located within 1-inch to 1/16-inch of the deck over a minority of the rotational path of the cleaning blade.

9. The high-efficiency lawn maintenance tool according to claim 8 , wherein the cleaning blade is located within ½-inch to 1/16-inch of the deck over the majority of the rotational path of the cleaning blade, and the cleaning blade is not located within ½-inch to 1/16-inch of the deck at the elevation change.

10. The high-efficiency lawn maintenance tool according to claim 8 , wherein the cleaning blade is located within ¼-inch to 1/16-inch of the deck over the majority of the rotational path of the cleaning blade, and the cleaning blade is not located within ¼-inch to 1/16-inch of the deck at the elevation change.

11. The high-efficiency lawn maintenance tool according to claim 8 , wherein the elevation change is located at a forward-facing side of the lawn maintenance tool where the cutting blade first strikes uncut grass and vegetation, and the elevation change extends to an area several degrees past center in the direction of rotation of the high-efficiency blade.

12. The high-efficiency lawn maintenance tool according to claim 8 , wherein the elevation change defined by the deck comprises a central, generally horizontal portion, an inlet transition portion prior to the generally horizontal portion and an outlet transition portion after the generally horizontal portion.

13. The high-efficiency lawn maintenance tool according to claim 8 , wherein the deck includes a deck vertical dimension and the high-efficiency blade includes a blade vertical dimension the deck vertical dimension is about the same as the blade vertical dimension.

14. The high-efficiency lawn maintenance tool according to claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to optimize the cutting operation by altering the speed and torque of the electric motor.

15. A high-efficiency lawn maintenance tool comprising:
a frame;
a deck, wherein the deck is attached to the frame and the deck defines a downward facing space;
a high-efficiency blade located within the downward facing space, the high-efficiency blade comprising;
a central axis;
a mounting portion located on the central axis of the high-efficiency blade;
a cutting blade, wherein the cutting blade comprises:
at least one segment;
a cutting blade sharpened leading edge, wherein the cutting blade sharpened leading edge is configured to cut clippings from vegetation, wherein the cutting blade is generally horizontal; and
a cleaning blade, the cleaning blade comprising a cleaning blade sharpened leading edge, wherein the cleaning blade is vertically offset from the cutting blade, wherein the cleaning blade is configured such that a portion of the cleaning blade is generally parallel to the underside of the deck,

a power source, wherein the power source is attached to one of the frame or the deck and the power source provides rotational power to the high-efficiency blade; and
a plurality of ground engaging members, wherein the ground engaging members are attached to one of the frame or the deck,
wherein the deck and the high-efficiency blade are tilted such that the central axis is not vertical.

16. The high-efficiency lawn maintenance tool according to claim 15 , wherein the central axis is tilted rearward such that a forward part of the high-efficiency blade is higher than a rearward part of the high-efficiency blade.

17. The high-efficiency lawn maintenance tool according to claim 16 , wherein the central axis is tilted forward such that a forward part of the high-efficiency blade is lower than a rearward part of the high-efficiency blade.

Assignees

• Mtd Products Inc

Inventors

• Schaedler Axel
• Buchanan Peter J

Classifications

• A01D34/003

  Means for cleaning the machine · CPC title

• A01D34/005

  Mulching means · CPC title

• A01D34/78

  electric · CPC title

• A01D34/733

  Cutting-blade mounting means · CPC title

• A01D34/68

  with motor driven cutters or wheels · CPC title