Electric walk behind greens mower

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10813284-B2
Application number	US-201816025572-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 2, 2018
Priority date	Jul 2, 2018
Publication date	Oct 27, 2020
Grant date	Oct 27, 2020

Abstract

An electric walk behind greens mower having a traction drum split into a first half and a second half, each half rotatable at a different speed to provide traction drive and steering for the mower in response to actuation of hand controls by an operator, or in response to commands from an electronic controller based on the signals from a proximity sensor on the mower. The electric walk behind greens mower includes a pair of electric traction drive motors, one of the electric traction drive motors rotating each half of the split traction drum.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electric walk behind mower, comprising:
a traction drum split into a first drum and a second drum, the first drum rotatable at a first rotational speed and the second drum rotatable at a second rotational speed independent of the first rotational speed;
a first control lever pivotably mounted to a handle on the mower for an operator to control the rotational speed of the first drum and a second control lever pivotably mounted to the handle for the operator to control the rotational speed of the second drum for steering of the mower;
a vehicle controller connected to the first and the second control levers and that reduces the rotational speed of the first drum if the second drum is at zero rotational speed; and
a proximity sensor on the mower, wherein the vehicle controller can set the first rotational speed and the second rotational speed to follow a path identified by the proximity sensor.

2. An electric walk behind mower, comprising:
a traction drum supporting the mower, and split into a left drum and a right drum;
a pair of electric traction drive motors on the mower including a first electric traction drive motor rotating the left drum and a second electric traction drive motor rotating the right drum;
a pair of control levers mounted on a handle of the mower including a left control lever controlling a rotational speed of the second electric traction drive motor and a right control lever controlling a rotational speed of the first electric traction drive motor; and
an electronic controller on the mower that controls the speed of the first electric traction drive motor and the second electric traction drive motor in response to signals the controller receives from a proximity sensor.

3. The electric walk behind mower of claim 2 wherein the electronic controller reduces the speed of one of the first electric traction drive motor and the second electric traction drive motor when the mower is turned around.

4. The electric walk behind mower of claim 2 further comprising a battery housing slideable vertically into a bracket on the mower.

5. An electric walk behind mower, comprising:
a traction drum split into a first drum and a second drum, the first drum rotatable at a first rotational speed and the second drum rotatable at a second rotational speed independent of the first rotational speed;
a first control lever pivotably mounted to a handle on the mower for an operator to control the rotational speed of the first drum and a second control lever pivotably mounted to the handle for the operator to control the rotational speed of the second drum for steering of the mower;
a vehicle controller connected to the first and the second control levers and that reduces the rotational speed of the first drum if the second drum is at zero rotational speed; and
an electric reel motor that is speed adjusted based on the rotational speeds of the first drum and the second drum to maintain a specified frequency of clip.

6. The electric walk behind mower of claim 5 further comprising a first electric traction drive motor rotating the first drum and a second electric traction drive motor rotating the second drum.

7. An electric walk behind mower, comprising:
a traction drum split into a first half and a second half, each half rotatable at a different speed to provide traction drive and steering for the mower in response to actuation of hand controls, or in response to commands from an electronic controller based on signals from a proximity sensor on the mower;
a pair of electric traction drive motors, one of the electric traction drive motors rotating each half of the split traction drum; and
an electric reel motor for rotating a plurality of spiral cutting blades at a rotational speed based on the rotational speed of the pair of electric traction drive motors.

8. The electric walk behind mower of claim 7 wherein the electronic controller can slow one of the pair of electric traction drive motors during a turn if the other electric traction drive motor is not rotating.

9. The electric walk behind mower of claim 7 further comprising a removable battery housing with a downwardly facing connector that mates with an upwardly facing connector mounted to a bracket on the mower.

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Shoaf Gilbert
• Musser James W

Classifications

• A01D34/475 Primary

  Driving mechanisms (for the cutters A01D34/56) · CPC title

• A01D34/84

  for edges of lawns or fields, e.g. for mowing close to trees or walls ({for embankments A01D34/86 takes precedence;} edge trimmers A01G3/00) · CPC title

• A01D34/006

  Control or measuring arrangements · CPC title

• A01D2101/00

  Lawn-mowers · CPC title

• A01D34/53

  Helically shaped cutting members · CPC title