Battery powered lawn care vehicle with efficient drive controller

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9226444-B2
Application number	US-201114131837-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 14, 2011
Priority date	Jul 14, 2011
Publication date	Jan 5, 2016
Grant date	Jan 5, 2016

Abstract

A riding lawn care vehicle may include a battery power source, an electric drive motor, at least one blade drive motor, a current sensor, and a drive controller. The electric drive motor may be powered by the battery power source. The electric drive motor may be operably coupled to a wheel of the riding lawn care vehicle to provide drive power for the riding lawn care vehicle. The at least one blade drive motor may be powered by the battery power source. The at least one blade drive motor may be operably coupled to at least one cutting blade of the riding lawn care vehicle. The current sensor may be disposed to monitor total current drawn from the battery power source. The drive controller may receive total current data from the current sensor and provide a drive control signal related to operation of the electric drive motor based on the total current data.

First claim

That which is claimed:

1. A riding lawn care vehicle comprising:
a battery power source;
an electric drive motor powered by the battery power source, the electric drive motor being operably coupled to a wheel of the riding lawn care vehicle to provide drive power for the riding lawn care vehicle;
at least one blade drive motor powered by the battery power source, the at least one blade drive motor being operably coupled to at least one cutting blade of the riding lawn care vehicle;
a current sensor disposed to monitor total current drawn from the battery power source; and
a drive controller receiving total current data from the current sensor and providing a drive control signal related to operation of the electric drive motor based on the total current data.

2. The riding lawn care vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the drive controller is configured to receive the total current data and compare the total current data to a threshold value, and wherein the drive controller is configured to communicate the drive control signal as a direction to change a speed of the electric drive motor in response to the threshold value being exceeded.

3. The riding lawn care vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the drive control signal is a direction to slow down the electric drive motor.

4. The riding lawn care vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the drive controller is configured to receive the total current data and compare the total current data to a predefined operational range for the riding lawn care vehicle, and wherein the drive controller is configured to communicate the drive control signal as a direction to change a speed of the electric drive motor in response to total current being outside of the predefined operational range.

5. The riding lawn care vehicle of claim 4 , wherein the drive control signal is a direction to slow down the electric drive motor.

6. The riding lawn care vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising-user interface disposed at a portion of the riding lawn care vehicle to enable an operator seated on the riding lawn care vehicle to enable an operation mode of the drive controller to be selected.

7. The riding lawn care vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the operation mode of the drive controller is selectable as an automatic mode or a manual mode.

8. The riding lawn care vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the drive control signal is automatically provided to the electric drive motor in the automatic mode.

9. The riding lawn care vehicle of claim 7 , wherein an indication indicative of the drive control signal is provided via the user interface in response to the electric drive motor being in the manual mode.

10. The riding lawn care vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the user interface is disposed proximate to a seat of the riding lawn care vehicle, proximate to a steering column of the riding lawn care vehicle, or at a portion of a steering wheel of the riding lawn care vehicle.

11. A drive controller for a riding lawn care vehicle comprising a battery power source, an electric drive motor, powered by the battery power source, and at least one blade drive motor, wherein the electric drive motor is operably coupled to a wheel of the riding lawn care vehicle to provide drive power for the riding lawn care vehicle, and the at least one blade drive motor is operably coupled to at least one cutting blade of the riding lawn care vehicle, the drive controller comprising:
a device interface configured to receive total current data from a current sensor disposed to monitor total current drawn from the battery power source; and
processing circuitry configured to receive total current data from the device interface and provide a drive control signal related to operation of the electric drive motor based on the total current data.

12. The drive controller of claim 11 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to receive the total current data and compare the total current data to a threshold value, and wherein the processing circuitry is configured to communicate the drive control signal as a direction to change a speed of the electric drive motor in response to the threshold value being exceeded.

13. The drive controller of claim 12 , wherein the drive control signal is a direction to slow down the electric drive motor.

14. The drive controller of claim 11 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to receive the total current data and compare the total current data to a predefined operational range for the riding lawn care vehicle, and wherein the processing circuitry is configured to communicate the drive control signal as a direction to change a speed of the electric drive motor in response to total current being outside of the predefined operational range.

15. The drive controller of claim 14 , wherein the drive control signal is a direction to slow down the electric drive motor.

16. The drive controller of claim 11 , further comprising a user interface disposed at a portion of the riding lawn care vehicle to enable an operator seated on the riding lawn care vehicle to enable an operation mode of the drive controller to be selected.

17. The drive controller of claim 16 , wherein the operation mode of the drive controller is selectable as an automatic mode or a manual mode.

18. The drive controller of claim 17 , wherein the drive control signal is automatically provided to the electric drive motor in the automatic mode.

19. The drive controller of claim 17 , wherein an indication indicative of the drive control signal is provided via the user interface in response to the electric drive motor being in the manual mode.

20. The drive controller of claim 16 , wherein the user interface is disposed proximate to a seat of the riding lawn care vehicle, proximate to a steering column of the riding lawn care vehicle, or at a portion of a steering wheel of the riding lawn care vehicle.

21. A method of controlling drive speed of a riding lawn care vehicle, the riding lawn care vehicle comprising a battery power source, an electric drive motor powered by the battery power source, and at least one blade motor, wherein the electric drive motor is operably coupled to a wheel of the riding lawn care vehicle to provide drive power for the riding lawn care vehicle, and the at least one blade drive motor is operably coupled to at least one cutting blade of the riding lawn care vehicle, the method comprising:
receiving total current data from a current sensor disposed to monitor total current drawn from the battery power source; and
providing a drive control signal related to operation of the electric drive motor based on the total current data.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein providing the drive control signal comprises comparing the total current data to a threshold value and providing a direction to change a speed of the electric drive motor in response to the threshold value being exceeded.

23. The method of claim 21 , further comprising enabling an operator seated on the riding lawn care vehicle to select an operation mode with respect to providing the drive control signal via a user interface disposed at a portion of the riding lawn care vehicle.

24. The method of claim 21 , wherein the total current data comprises data about current drawn from the battery power source by the by the electric drive motor and the at least one blade drive motor.

25. A riding lawn care vehicle comprising:
a battery power source;
an electric drive motor powered by the

Assignees

• Schygge Sebastian
• Carlsson Daniel
• Dernebo Lars
• Mejegård Peter
• Husqvarna Ab

Inventors

• Schygge Sebastian
• Carlsson Daniel
• Dernebo Lars
• Mejegård Peter

Classifications

• A01D34/78

  electric · CPC title

• A01D34/662

  to the front of the vehicle · CPC title

• B60L15/20

  for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed · CPC title

• A01D34/006 Primary

  Control or measuring arrangements · 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