Lawnmower with operation protection and safety switch mechanism thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9060463-B2
Application number	US-201313962389-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 8, 2013
Priority date	Oct 15, 2012
Publication date	Jun 23, 2015
Grant date	Jun 23, 2015

Abstract

A lawnmower with operation protection and a safety switch mechanism. The safety switch mechanism include: an inner pipe and a pipe sleeve slidably connected with and enclosing the inner pipe, a safety switch with a contact tab mounted inside the pipe sleeve, a trigger configured to trigger the safety switch by contacting the contact tab when the inner pipe slides, and an elastomer configured to drive the trigger to keep from contacting with the contact tab. All of the safety switch, the trigger and the elastomer are arranged on the same side of the inner pipe. The safety switch mechanism functions to disable the motor upon accidental proximity of the operator to the cutter body to thereby lower the possibility of an accident.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A slide-triggered safety switch mechanism, comprising:
an inner pipe and a pipe sleeve capable of movement relative to each other wherein the inner pipe is equipped with a safety shift structure; and
a safety switch assembly mounted inside the pipe sleeve wherein the safety switch assembly comprises a safety switch and a trigger assembly configured to trigger the safety switch when the safety shift structure of the inner pipe is moved relative to the pipe sleeve from a safety location and to reset the safety switch when the safety shift structure returns to the safety location.

2. The slide-triggered safety switch mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the trigger assembly comprises a moveable contact tab with one end fixedly connected with the safety switch and another other end being a free end for contacting the inner pipe wherein the moveable contact tab is biased to move towards a reset position when no external force is applied thereto by the inner pipe.

3. The slide-triggered safety switch mechanism according to claim 2 , wherein the safety shift structure is a receiving groove configured to accommodate the free end of the moveable contact tab.

4. The slide-triggered safety switch mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the trigger assembly further comprises a moveable contact tab with one end fixedly connected with the safety switch, a trigger configured to contact the inner pipe and press the moveable contact tab to trigger the safety switch when the inner pipe slides relative to the pipe sleeve, and a reset component configured to move the trigger towards a reset position when no external force is applied thereto by the inner pipe to keep the trigger from triggering the safety switch, and wherein another end of the moveable contact tab is a free end for contacting and cooperation with the trigger.

5. The slide-triggered safety switch mechanism according to claim 4 , wherein the safety shift structure is a receiving groove configured to accommodate the trigger.

6. The slide-triggered safety switch mechanism according to claim 5 , wherein all of the safety switch, the trigger and the reset component are arranged on the same side of the inner pipe, and the trigger is arranged between the inner pipe and the reset component.

7. The slide-triggered safety switch mechanism according to claim 5 , wherein the trigger is provided with a notched groove configured to accommodate and contact the free end of the moveable contact tab, and an arc-like contact surface is formed on a side of the notched groove proximate to the inner pipe.

8. The slide-triggered safety switch mechanism according to claim 5 , wherein the trigger is rotatably connected with the pipe sleeve.

9. The slide-triggered safety switch mechanism according to claim 8 , wherein the reset component is an elastomer with elasticity to move the trigger towards the reset position by means of elastic energy and wherein the elastomer is at least one of a helical spring with one end fixedly connected with the pipe sleeve and another end pressed against the trigger and a torsion spring arranged at a rotation axis of the trigger.

10. The slide-triggered safety switch mechanism according to claim 9 , wherein the rotation axis of the trigger is perpendicular to the direction in which the inner pipe is slideably connected to the pipe sleeve.

11. The slide-triggered safety switch mechanism according to claim 10 , wherein the trigger is provided with a round and smooth end for contacting with the inner pipe.

12. A lawnmower with operation protection, comprising:
a cutter body and a hollow level-1 handle rotatably connected with the cutter body;
a motor carried by the cutter body;
a controller electrically connected to the motor to control the operation thereof; and
a slide-triggered safety switch mechanism comprising an inner pipe and a pipe sleeve capable of movement relative to each other wherein the inner pipe is equipped with a safety shift structure and a safety switch assembly mounted inside the pipe sleeve wherein the safety switch assembly comprises a safety switch and a trigger assembly configured to trigger the safety switch when the safety shift structure of the inner pipe is moved relative to the pipe sleeve from a safety location and to reset the safety switch when the safety shift structure returns to the safety location;
wherein the pipe sleeve is arranged at an end of the hollow level-1 handle, the inner pipe is at least partially encased within the pipe sleeve inside the level-1 handle to constitute a slidable connection therewith, and the safety switch is electrically connected with the controller.

13. The lawnmower with operation protection according to claim 12 , wherein the trigger assembly comprises a moveable contact tab with one end fixedly connected with the safety switch and another end being a free end for contacting the inner pipe wherein the moveable contact tab is biased to move towards a reset position when no external force is applied thereto by the inner pipe and wherein the safety shift structure is a receiving groove configured to accommodate the free end of the moveable contact tab.

14. The lawnmower with operation protection according to claim 12 , wherein the trigger assembly further comprises a moveable contact tab with one end fixedly connected with the safety switch a trigger configured to contact the inner pipe and press the moveable contact tab to trigger the safety switch when the inner pipe slides relative to the pipe sleeve, and a reset component configured to move the trigger towards a rest position when no external force is applied thereto by the inner pip to keep from triggering the safety switch and wherein another end of the moveable contact tab is a free end for contacting and cooperation with the trigger.

15. The lawnmower with operation protection according to claim 14 , wherein the safety shift structure is a receiving groove configured to accommodate the trigger, and all of the safety switch, the trigger and the reset component are arranged on the same side of the inner pipe, and the trigger is arranged between the inner pipe and the reset component.

16. The lawnmower with operation protection according to claim 15 , wherein the trigger is provided with a notched groove configured to accommodate and contact the moveable contact tab, and an arc-like contact surface is formed on a side of the notched groove proximate to the inner pipe.

17. The lawnmower with operation protection according to claim 15 , wherein the trigger is rotatably connected with the pipe sleeve.

18. The lawnmower with operation protection according to claim 17 , wherein the reset component is an elastomer with elasticity to move the trigger towards the reset position by means of elastic energy and wherein the elastomer is at least one of a helical spring with one end fixedly connected with the pipe sleeve and another end pressed against the trigger and a torsion spring arranged at a rotation axis of the trigger.

19. The lawnmower with operation protection according to claim 18 , wherein the rotation axis of the trigger is perpendicular to the direction in which the inner pipe is slidablely connected to the pipe sleeve.

20. The lawnmower with operation protection according to claim 19 , wherein the trigger is provided with a round and smooth end for contact with the inner pipe.

Assignees

• Chervon Hk Ltd

Inventors

• Yamaoka toshinari
• Nie Fangjie
• Xu Haishen
• Shao Xiandian

Classifications

• H01H15/10

  Operating parts · CPC title

• A01D34/828 Primary

  Safety devices · CPC title

• A01D34/68

  with motor driven cutters or wheels · CPC title

• H01H3/16

  adapted for actuation at a limit or other predetermined position in the path of a body, the relative movement of switch and body being primarily for a purpose other than the actuation of the switch, e.g. for a door switch, a limit switch, a floor-levelling switch of a lift · CPC title

• A01D34/6806

  Driving mechanisms (for the cutters A01D34/76) · CPC title