Lawn mower with respective blade speed detection relative to ground

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9615508-B2
Application number	US-201414483416-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 11, 2014
Priority date	Jan 20, 2014
Publication date	Apr 11, 2017
Grant date	Apr 11, 2017

Abstract

Lawn mower utilizing a work device having a plurality of blades for performing lawn mowing work. A power device is configured to transmit rotational power to each of the plurality of blades, and be capable of optionally changing the rotation number of the rotational power transmitted to each of the plurality of blades. A blade speed detection unit is configured to detect respective speeds of the plurality of blades to a ground. A control device is configured to perform energy-saving control of increasing and decreasing the rotation number of the rotational power transmitted to each of the plurality of blades in accordance with increase and reduction in the detected speed of each of the plurality of blades.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A lawn mower comprising:
a work device having a plurality of blades for performing lawn mowing work, the plurality of blades being driven by rotational power;
a power device configured to transmit rotational power to each of the plurality of blades, and be capable of optionally changing the rotation number of the rotational power transmitted to each of the plurality of blades;
a blade speed detection unit configured to detect respective speeds of the plurality of blades to a ground;
a control device configured to perform energy-saving control during which the plurality of blades rotate at different speeds to achieve reduced power consumption during movement of the lawn mower;
the power device includes a plurality of working motors provided to correspond to the plurality of blades respectively, and configured to generate rotational power by using electric power; and
a traveling machine body connected to the work device, and capable of traveling on the ground, wherein
the blade speed detection unit includes:
a machine body speed detection unit configured to detect a speed and an angular speed of the traveling machine body to the ground; and
a first calculation unit configured to calculate a speed of each of the plurality of blades to the ground based on the detected speed and the detected angular speed of the traveling machine body.

2. The lawn mower as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising
a pair of left and right driving wheels configured to support the traveling machine body, wherein
the machine body speed detection unit includes:
a driving wheel speed detection unit configured to detect speeds of the pair of left and right driving wheels to the ground; and

a second calculation unit configured to calculate the speed and the angular speed of the traveling machine body to the ground based on the detected speeds of the pair of left and right driving wheels.

3. The lawn mower as claimed in claim 2 , wherein
the control device does not decrease the rotation number of rotational power transmitted to each of the blades, in a case where a workload applied to each of the blades is higher than a predetermined threshold value during the energy-saving control.

4. The lawn mower as claimed in claim 3 , wherein
the control device is capable of performing non-energy-saving control of controlling the rotation number of the rotational power transmitted to each of the blades at a constant rotation number regardless of the speeds of the plurality of blades relative to the ground.

5. The lawn mower as claimed in claim 4 , further comprising
a selection unit configured to select any one of the energy-saving control and the non-energy-saving control to enable the control device to implement the selected control.

6. A lawn mower comprising:
a work device having a plurality of blades for performing lawn mowing work, the plurality of blades being driven by rotational power;
a power device configured to transmit rotational power to each of the plurality of blades, and be capable of optionally changing the rotation number of the rotational power transmitted to each of the plurality of blades;
a blade speed detection unit configured to detect respective speeds of the plurality of blades to a ground;
a control device configured to perform energy-saving control during which the plurality of blades rotate at different speeds to achieve reduced power consumption during movement of the lawn mower; and
a traveling machine body connected to the work device, and capable of traveling on the ground, wherein
the blade speed detection unit includes:
a machine body speed detection unit configured to detect a speed and an angular speed of the traveling machine body relative to the ground; and
a first calculation unit configured to calculate a speed of each of the plurality of blades relative to the ground based on the detected speed and the detected angular speed of the traveling machine body.

7. The lawn mower as claimed in claim 6 , further comprising
a pair of left and right driving wheels configured to support the traveling machine body, wherein
the machine body speed detection unit includes:
a driving wheel speed detection unit configured to detect speeds of the pair of left and right driving wheels relative to the ground; and

a second calculation unit configured to calculate the speed and the angular speed of the traveling machine body relative to the ground based on the detected speeds of the pair of left and right driving wheels.

8. The lawn mower as claimed in claim 6 , wherein
the control device does not decrease the rotation number of rotational power transmitted to each of the blades, in a case where a workload applied to each of the blades is higher than a predetermined threshold value during the energy-saving control.

9. The lawn mower as claimed in claim 8 , wherein
the control device is capable of performing non-energy-saving control of controlling the rotation number of the rotational power transmitted to each of the blades at a constant rotation number regardless of the speeds of the plurality of blades relative to the ground.

10. The lawn mower as claimed in claim 6 , wherein
the control device is capable of performing non-energy-saving control of controlling the rotation number of the rotational power transmitted to each of the blades at a constant rotation number regardless of the speeds of the plurality of blades relative to the ground.

11. The lawn mower as claimed in claim 10 , further comprising
a selection unit configured to select any one of the energy-saving control and the non-energy-saving control to enable the control device to implement the selected control.

Assignees

• Kubota Kk

Inventors

• Ito Hirokazu
• Koike Kazuo
• Fujimoto Yoshitomo

Classifications

• A01D34/58

  electric · CPC title

• A01D34/66 Primary

  with two or more cutters · CPC title

• A01D34/76

  Driving mechanisms for the cutters · CPC title

• A01D34/008 Primary

  for automated or remotely controlled operation · CPC title

• A01D69/02

  electric · CPC title