Quick-change blade system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9736981-B2
Application number	US-201414228970-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 28, 2014
Priority date	Sep 29, 2011
Publication date	Aug 22, 2017
Grant date	Aug 22, 2017

Abstract

A lawn care device may include a cutting deck housing at least one blade, a rotatable shaft, and a blade mount operably coupled to the rotatable shaft. The blade mount may include at least one engagement slot configured to enclose at least a portion of the at least one blade. The blade mount may further include at least one protruding member disposed within the engagement slot to secure the at least one blade within the engagement slot responsive to insertion of the at least one blade into the engagement slot.

First claim

That which is claimed:

1. A lawn care device comprising:
a cutting deck housing at least one blade;
a rotatable shaft; and
a blade mount operably coupled to the rotatable shaft, the blade mount comprising:
a blade mount base comprising:
at least one blade reception channel;
an attachment orifice disposed at a center portion of the blade mount base within the at least one blade reception channel;
at least one alignment protrusion disposed within the at least one blade reception channel offset relative to a longitudinal centerline of the at least one blade and separated from the attachment orifice, the alignment protrusion being configured to engage at least one alignment slot disposed in the at least one blade to secure the at least one blade within the at least one blade reception channel responsive to insertion of the at least one blade into the at least one blade reception channel, wherein the at least one alignment slot is disposed in the at least one blade offset relative to and separated from a bolt receiver of the at least one blade, the bolt receiver being disposed at an axis of rotation of the at least one blade such that the bolt receiver is centered around a longitudinal center of the at least one blade; and
at least one locking post;

a clamping device operably coupled to the blade mount base and configured to rotate about an axis of rotation between an unclamped position and a clamped position to releasably secure the at least one blade within the at least one blade reception channel, the clamping device comprising:
a latch assembly comprising a wire element, wherein the wire element is configured to engage with the at least one locking post of the blade mount base to secure the clamping device in the clamped position, wherein the blade mount base engages one face of the at least one blade and the clamping device engages an opposite face of the at least one blade when the clamping device is in the clamped position.

2. The lawn care device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one alignment protrusion is provided at the blade mount base, and the at least one alignment protrusion comprises a first alignment protrusion and a second alignment protrusion, the first and second alignment protrusions being disposed substantially equidistant from respective opposing sides of a longitudinal centerline of the blade mount base.

3. The lawn care device of claim 2 , wherein the first and second alignment protrusions are disposed to be offset relative to a transverse centerline of the blade mount base.

4. The lawn care device of claim 3 , wherein at least a majority portion of the first alignment protrusion is disposed on a first side of the transverse centerline of the blade mount base and at least a majority portion of the second alignment protrusion is disposed on a second side of the transverse centerline of the blade mount base.

5. The lawn care device of claim 1 , wherein the latch assembly further comprises a latch cover, wherein the wire element is disposed on the latch cover, and wherein the latch cover is configured to rotate about a roll pin to enable the wire element to engage with the at least one locking post of the blade mount base.

6. The lawn care device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one locking post comprises a set of locking posts, and wherein the blade mount base further comprises a set of guide posts, wherein the set of guide posts and the set of locking posts are disposed on opposing sides of the at least one blade reception channel of the blade mount base, and wherein the latch assembly further comprises a latch cover, wherein the wire element is disposed on the latch cover, and wherein the latch cover is configured to rotate about a roll pin to enable the wire element to engage with the set of locking posts of the blade mount base.

7. The lawn care device of claim 6 , wherein the wire element is rotatably coupled with the rotatable clamp to provide a spring force to pull the latch cover down toward the clamping device when the latch cover is rotated such that a substantial portion of the latch cover lies in a plane substantially perpendicular to a plane in which the clamping device lies while the wire element engages the set of locking posts.

8. The lawn care device of claim 1 , wherein the attachment orifice is a non-circular shaped aperture configured to receive a correspondingly shaped protrusion therein to couple the blade mount to the rotatable shaft.

9. The lawn care device of claim 8 , wherein the non-circular shaped aperture comprises a star-shaped hole.

10. The lawn care device of claim 7 , wherein the clamping device further comprises a locking assembly, the locking assembly further enabling the latch assembly to secure the clamping device in the clamped position, wherein the locking assembly comprises a locking protrusion configured to extend through a lock receiver attached to or otherwise forming a portion of the latch cover, and wherein the locking protrusion comprises a rotatable catch disposed at a distal end thereof.

11. The lawn care device of claim 1 , wherein the blade mount base further comprises at least one magnet receptacle disposed within the latch assembly to house at least one magnet therein, the at least one magnet enabling the blade to be held proximate to the blade mount base while the rotatable clamp of the latch assembly is rotated.

12. The lawn care device of claim 1 , wherein there is no contact between the rotatable shaft and the at least one blade or the bolt receiver.

13. A blade mount configured to couple a blade to a rotatable shaft, the blade mount comprising:
a blade mount base comprising:
at least one blade reception channel;
an attachment orifice disposed at a center portion of the blade mount base within the at least one blade reception channel;
at least one alignment protrusion disposed within the at least one blade reception channel offset relative to a longitudinal centerline of the blade and separated from a side of the attachment orifice, the alignment protrusion being configured to engage at least one alignment slot disposed in the blade to secure the blade within at least one the blade reception channel responsive to insertion of the blade into the at least one blade reception channel, wherein the at least one alignment slot is disposed in the blade offset relative to and separated from a bolt receiver of the blade, the bolt receiver being disposed at an axis of rotation of the blade such that the bolt receiver is centered around a longitudinal center of the blade; and
at least one locking post;

a clamping device operably coupled to the blade mount base and configured to rotate about an axis of rotation between an unclamped position and a clamped position to releasably secure the blade within the at least one blade reception channel, the clamping device comprising:
a latch assembly comprising a wire element, wherein the wire element is configured to engage with the at least one locking post of the blade mount base to secure the clamping device in the clamped position, wherein the blade mount base engages one face of the blade and the clamping device engages an opposite face of the blade when the clamping device is in the clamped position.

14. The blade mount of claim 13 ,
wherein the at least one alignment protrusion is provided at the blade mount base and the at least one alignment protrusion comprises a first alignment protrusion and a second alignment protrusion, the first and second alignment protrusions being disposed substantially equidistant from respective opposing sides of a longitudinal centerline of the blade mount base.

15

Assignees

• Husqvarna Ab

Inventors

• Roth Chris
• Chandler Darren
• Rhoades Lennie
• Brinkman Steve
• Dwyer Sean

Classifications

• E05C19/14

  with toggle action · CPC title

• A01D34/81

  Casings; Housings (A01D34/71 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A01D34/664

  Disc cutter bars · 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

• A01D34/733 Primary

  Cutting-blade mounting means · CPC title