Autonomous Lawn Mower with Edger and Control Method Thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024415051-A1
Application number	US-202418818350-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 28, 2024
Priority date	May 30, 2018
Publication date	Dec 19, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

An autonomous lawn mower, moving and working in a working region, includes: a housing, including a central axis in the longitudinal direction; a movement module, driving the housing to move; a cutting module, rotating with a first rotational axis being the center to form a cutting region, and including a cutting element; a cut-to-edge module, rotating with a second rotational axis being the center to form a cut-to-edge region, and including a cut-to-edge element, the cut-to-edge element being different from the cutting element; and a control module, controlling the autonomous lawn mower to move and work, where the first rotational axis and the second rotational axis are respectively located on two sides of the central axis. The autonomous lawn mower can perform cutting to an edge and has a compact layout.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An autonomous lawn mower comprising:
a housing, comprising a central axis in a longitudinal direction; a movement module, configured to drive the housing to move; a cutting module, mounted in the housing, and configured to be activated to form a cutting region, the cutting region including a first midpoint in a transverse direction, and the cutting module comprising a cutting element; a cut-to-edge module, mounted in the housing, and configured to be activated to form a cut-to-edge region, the cut-to-edge region including a second midpoint in the transverse direction, and the cut-to-edge module comprising a cut-to-edge element; and a control module, electrically connected to the movement module, the cutting module, and the cut-to-edge module, wherein the autonomous lawn mower is configured to operate in at least one of a cut-along-edge mode or a cut-to-edge mode; the control module is configured to control the cutting module to start in the cut-along-edge mode, control the cut-to-edge module to start in the cut-to-edge mode, and control the cut-along-edge mode to start before the cut-to-edge mode; and in the cut-to-edge mode, the control module is configured to control the autonomous lawn mower to move along a boundary of a working region, with a side where the second midpoint is located facing outward from the working region.

2 . The autonomous lawn mower according to claim 1 , wherein in the cut-to-edge mode, the control module is further configured to control the cutting module and the cut-to-edge module to work.

3 . The autonomous lawn mower according to claim 1 , wherein the control module is further configured to control the autonomous lawn mower to move along the boundary of the working region in the cut-along-edge mode.

4 . The autonomous lawn mower according to claim 1 , wherein the control module is further configured to control the autonomous lawn mower to start the cut-to-edge mode after the cut-along-edge mode is completed.

5 . The autonomous lawn mower according to claim 1 , wherein during a movement of the autonomous lawn mower, a trajectory formed by a cut-along-edge region at least partially overlaps with a trajectory formed by the cut-to-edge region.

6 . The autonomous lawn mower according to claim 1 , wherein a distance between the first midpoint and the central axis is a first distance, a distance between the second midpoint and the central axis is a second distance, and the first distance is smaller than the second distance.

7 . The autonomous lawn mower according to claim 1 , wherein the cutting module and the cut-to-edge module are at different heights, and projections of the cutting region and the cut-to-edge region in a height direction of the housing are at least partially overlapping with each other.

8 . The autonomous lawn mower according to claim 7 , wherein the projections of the cut-to-edge region and the cutting region that are in the height direction of the housing are arranged at intervals.

9 . The autonomous lawn mower according to claim 1 , wherein the first midpoint is a first rotational axis, and the cutting module rotates about the first rotational axis to form the cutting region; and
the second midpoint is a second rotational axis, and the cut-to-edge module rotates about the second rotational axis to form the cut-to-edge region.

10 . An autonomous lawn mower comprising:
a housing, comprising a central axis in a longitudinal direction; a movement module configured to drive the housing to move; a cutting module, mounted in the housing, and configured to be activated to form a cutting region, the cutting region including a first midpoint in a transverse direction, and the cutting module comprising a cutting element; a cut-to-edge module, mounted in the housing, and configured to be activated to form a cut-to-edge region, the cut-to-edge region including a second midpoint in the transverse direction, and the cut-to-edge module comprising a cut-to-edge element; and a control module, electrically connected to the movement module, the cutting module, and the cut-to-edge module, wherein the autonomous lawn mower is configured to operate in a cut-to-edge mode; the control module is configured to control the cutting module and the cut-to-edge module to work; and in the cut-to-edge mode, the control module is configured to control the autonomous lawn mower to move along a boundary of a working region, with a side where the second midpoint is located facing outward from the working region.

11 . The autonomous lawn mower according to claim 10 , wherein during a movement of the autonomous lawn mower, a trajectory formed by a cut-along-edge region at least partially overlaps with a trajectory formed by the cut-to-edge region.

12 . The autonomous lawn mower according to claim 10 , wherein a distance between the first midpoint and the central axis is a first distance, a distance between the second midpoint and the central axis is a second distance, and the first distance is smaller than the second distance.

13 . The autonomous lawn mower according to claim 10 , wherein the cutting module and the cut-to-edge module are at different heights, and projections of the cutting region and the cut-to-edge region in a height direction of the housing are at least partially overlapping with each other.

14 . The autonomous lawn mower according to claim 13 , wherein the projections of the cut-to-edge region and the cutting region that are in the height direction of the housing are arranged at intervals.

15 . An autonomous lawn mower comprising:
a movement module configured to drive the autonomous lawn mower to move; a cutting module configured to be activated to form a cutting region, the cutting region including a first midpoint in a transverse direction, and the cutting module comprising a cutting element; a cut-to-edge module configured to be activated to form a cut-to-edge region, the cut-to-edge region including a second midpoint in a transverse direction, and the cut-to-edge module comprising a cut-to-edge element; and a control module, electrically connected to the movement module, the cutting module, and the cut-to-edge module; wherein the autonomous lawn mower is configured to operate in at least one of a cut-along-edge mode or a cut-to-edge mode; the control module is configured to control the cutting module to start in a cut-along-edge mode, control the cut-to-edge module to start in a cut-to-edge mode, and control the cut-along-edge mode to start before the cut-to-edge mode; and in the cut-to-edge mode, the control module is configured to control the autonomous lawn mower to move along a boundary of the working region, with a side where the second midpoint is located facing outward from the working region.

Assignees

• Positec Power Tools Suzhou Co Ltd

Inventors

• Zhao Fengli
• Zha Xiahong
• Zhou Xiaoqing

Classifications

• 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

• A01D34/416

  Flexible line cutters · CPC title

• A01D43/16

  with lawn edgers · 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

• A01D2101/00

  Lawn-mowers · CPC title