Zero-turn radius lawnmower with suspension system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11981196-B2
Application number	US-202017139424-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 31, 2020
Priority date	May 7, 2012
Publication date	May 14, 2024
Grant date	May 14, 2024

Abstract

Ride-on equipment includes a pair of front wheels, a pair of rear wheels, a main frame, a subframe pivotally coupled to the main frame about a pivot axis, a power source, and a transaxle assembly. The power source is coupled to and supported by the main frame and includes a drive pulley. The transaxle assembly is configured to pivot with respect to the power source, is operably coupled to the pair of rear drive wheels, and includes at least one driven pulley. The drive pulley and the at least one driven pulley are operably coupled by a belt such that the at least one driven pulley of the transaxle assembly is configured to be driven by the drive pulley of the source via the belt.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. Ride-on equipment comprising:
a pair of front wheels;
a pair of rear drive wheels;
a main frame;
a subframe pivotally coupled to the main frame about a pivot axis;
a power source coupled to and supported by the main frame, the power source comprising a drive pulley; and
a transaxle assembly coupled to and supported by the subframe such that the transaxle assembly is configured to pivot with respect to the power source, wherein the transaxle assembly is operably coupled to the pair of rear drive wheels and comprises at least one driven pulley, wherein the drive pulley and the at least one driven pulley are operably coupled by a belt such that the at least one driven pulley of the transaxle assembly is configured to be driven by the drive pulley of the power source via the belt.

2. The ride-on equipment of claim 1 , wherein the transaxle assembly comprises a pair of hydrostatic transaxles.

3. The ride-on equipment of claim 1 , wherein the drive pulley is coupled to a power take-off shaft of the power source.

4. The ride-on equipment of claim 1 , wherein the subframe is located at least partially below the main frame.

5. The ride-on equipment of claim 1 , further comprising a pulley and belt drive assembly, the pulley and belt drive assembly comprising at least one belt idler pulley positioned outside of the subframe and supported by the main frame, wherein the belt is an endless belt, the endless belt coupled with the at least one belt idler pulley and the at least one driven pulley.

6. The ride-on equipment of claim 1 , wherein each one of the pair of rear drive wheels is operably coupled to the transaxle assembly on a respective side of the subframe.

7. The ride-on equipment of claim 6 , wherein the pair of rear drive wheels comprises a first rear drive wheel and a second rear drive wheel, wherein the first rear drive wheel is operably coupled to the transaxle assembly via a first drive axle extending along a first drive axis, wherein the second rear drive wheel is operably coupled to the transaxle assembly via a second drive axle extending along a second drive axis.

8. The ride-on equipment of claim 7 , wherein the pivot axis, the first drive axis, and the second drive axis are parallel to each other.

9. The ride-on equipment of claim 1 , further comprising at least one motion- absorbing suspension component at least partially coupling the main frame with the subframe.

10. Ride-on equipment comprising:
a pair of front wheels;
a first rear drive wheel;
a second rear drive wheel;
a main frame;
a subframe pivotally coupled to the main frame about a pivot axis;
a power source coupled to and supported by the main frame; and
a transaxle assembly coupled to and supported by the subframe;
wherein the first rear drive wheel is operably coupled to the transaxle assembly via a first drive axle extending along a first drive axis, wherein the second rear drive wheel is operably coupled to the transaxle assembly via a second drive axle extending along a second drive axis, and wherein the pivot axis, the first drive axis, and the second drive axis are parallel to each other.

11. The ride-on equipment of claim 10 , wherein the power source comprises a drive pulley, wherein the transaxle assembly comprises at least one driven pulley.

12. The ride-on equipment of claim 11 , further comprising a pulley and belt drive assembly, the pulley and belt drive assembly comprising at least one belt idler pulley positioned outside of the subframe and supported by the main frame, wherein the belt is an endless belt, the endless belt coupled with the at least one belt idler pulley and the at least one driven pulley.

13. The ride-on equipment of claim 11 , wherein the drive pulley is coupled to a power take-off shaft of the power source.

14. The ride-on equipment of claim 10 , wherein the transaxle assembly comprises a pair of hydrostatic transaxles.

15. The ride-on equipment of claim 10 , wherein the subframe is located at least partially below the main frame.

16. The ride-on equipment of claim 10 , further comprising a mower deck, wherein the mower deck is suspended at least partially below the main frame.

17. The ride-on equipment of claim 16 , wherein the mower deck is positioned between the pair of front wheels and the first and second rear drive wheels.

18. A zero-turn radius lawnmower comprising:
a first rear drive wheel;
a second rear drive wheel;
a main frame;
a power source having a drive pulley, the power source attached to the main frame;
a mower deck coupled to the main frame;
a subframe pivotally coupled to the main frame about a pivot axis;
a first transaxle having a first driven pulley, the first transaxle coupled to the first rear drive wheel along a first drive axis;
a second transaxle having a second driven pulley, the second transaxle coupled to the second rear drive wheel along a second drive axis; and
a belt coupled to the drive pulley, the first driven pulley, and the second driven pulley such that the power source drives the first transaxle and the second transaxle via the belt;
wherein the first transaxle and the second transaxle are attached to the subframe such that the first transaxle and the second transaxle pivot with the subframe relative to the main frame; and
wherein the pivot axis, the first drive axis, and the second drive axis are parallel to each other.

19. The zero-turn radius lawnmower of claim 18 , wherein the power source is an engine.

20. The zero-turn radius lawnmower of claim 18 , further comprising:
a plurality of idler pulleys attached to the subframe such that the plurality of idler pulleys, the first driven pulley, and the second driven pulley are located in a common plane and pivot with the subframe relative to the main frame.

Assignees

• Briggs & Stratton Llc

Inventors

• Melone Mark J
• Marshall James F
• Smith Richard
• Lynch Mark
• Rasch Travis
• Slegelis Erik
• Weber Steven J
• Oswald Denis

Classifications

• B60K17/105 Primary

  Units comprising at least a part of the gearing and a torque-transmitting axle, e.g. transaxles (B60K17/14 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A01D34/64

  mounted on a vehicle, e.g. a tractor, or drawn by an animal or a vehicle (A01D34/695 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60G9/003

  the axle being rigidly connected to a trailing guiding device · CPC title

• B60G2204/18

  Mounting of vehicle engines · CPC title

• B60G2204/19

  Mounting of transmission differential · CPC title