Steering assembly for a riding lawn mower

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9738311-B2
Application number	US-201615005271-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 25, 2016
Priority date	Jan 26, 2015
Publication date	Aug 22, 2017
Grant date	Aug 22, 2017

Abstract

A steering assembly for a lawn maintenance vehicle having a control assembly that receives a user rotational input, a transfer assembly for transferring the rotational input from the user to a pair of wheel assemblies. Each wheel assembly includes a knuckle connected to a pivot bar by way of a kingpin, wherein the kingpin is positioned within the rim of the tire operatively connected to the knuckle. The transfer assembly includes a sector gear having a leading edge that forms a rack that is meshingly engaged to a pinion gear of the transfer assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A steering assembly for a lawn maintenance vehicle having a frame, said steering assembly comprising:
a control assembly including a steering wheel operatively connected to a pinion gear;
a transfer assembly including a sector gear and a pair of tie rods, wherein said sector gear is operatively connected to said frame and rotatable relative thereto, said sector gear having an arcuate leading edge forming a rack that is meshingly engaged with said pinion gear, said leading edge forming said rack of said sector gear is directed forwardly, said pair of tie rods being operatively connected to said sector gear; and
a pair of wheel assemblies, wherein each tie rod of said transfer assembly is attachable to one of said wheel assemblies, and movement of said tie rods in response to rotation of said sector gear causes said wheel assemblies to rotate.

2. The steering assembly of claim 1 , wherein each of said wheel assemblies includes a knuckle having an axle attached thereto, a rim receiving said axle, and a tire mounted on said rim.

3. The steering assembly of claim 2 , wherein said knuckle of each of said wheel assemblies is operatively connected to a pivot bar by a kingpin, said pivot bar being operatively connected to said frame.

4. The steering assembly of claim 3 , wherein each kingpin is substantially vertically aligned.

5. The steering assembly of claim 3 , wherein each kingpin is positioned within said rim.

6. The steering assembly of claim 5 , wherein said kingpin positioned within said rim generates a scrub radius between about 0.0 inches and 1.5 inches.

7. The steering assembly of claim 2 , wherein each of said knuckles is formed of a cast body.

8. A steering assembly for a lawn maintenance vehicle having a frame, said steering assembly comprising:
a control assembly including a steering wheel operatively connected to a pinion gear, wherein rotation of said steering wheel is directly transferred to said pinion gear;
a transfer assembly including a sector gear and a pair of tie rods, said sector gear having a leading edge forming a rack that is meshingly engaged with said pinion gear, and each of said tie rods having one end connected to said sector gear; and
a pair of wheel assemblies, wherein each wheel assembly includes a knuckle, a kingpin for attaching said knuckle to a pivot bar operatively connected to said frame, an axle extending from said knuckle, a rim rotatably attached to said axle, and a tire mounted on said rim, said knuckle being connected to another end of one of said tie rods;
wherein said kingpin is located within said rim.

9. The steering assembly of claim 8 , wherein each knuckle is formed of a cast body having an upper landing having an aperture formed therethrough, a central landing having an aperture formed therethrough, and a lower landing having an aperture formed therethrough.

10. The steering assembly of claim 9 , wherein said kingpin extends through said aperture in said central landing, a substantially vertically-aligned boss of said pivot bar, and said aperture in said lower landing.

11. The steering assembly of claim 9 , wherein one of said pair of tie rods is attached to said upper landing of each of said knuckles.

12. The steering assembly of claim 9 , wherein said upper landing of each of said knuckles extends vertically a sufficient distance to allow said tie rod to clear said tire during a tight turn.

13. A steering assembly for a lawn maintenance vehicle having a frame, said steering assembly comprising:
a control assembly including a steering wheel, a pinion gear, and a steering shaft extending between said steering wheel and said pinion gear;
a transfer assembly including a sector gear and a pair of tie rods, said sector gear having a leading edge forming a rack that is meshingly engaged with said pinion gear, and each of said tie rods operatively connected to said sector gear; and
a pair of wheel assemblies, wherein each wheel assembly includes a knuckle, a kingpin for attaching said knuckle to a pivot bar that is operatively connected to said frame, an axle extending from said knuckle formed of a cast body, a rim rotatably attached to said axle, and a tire mounted on said rim, said knuckle being connected to another end of one of said tie rods;
wherein a scrub radius generated by said kingpin being between about 0.0 inches and 1.5 inches.

Assignees

• Mtd Products Inc

Inventors

• Cmich Ryan

Classifications

• B62D7/12 Primary

  with twin-output steering gear · CPC title

• B62D3/02

  mechanical · CPC title

• A01D2101/00

  Lawn-mowers · 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

• B62D7/08

  the pivotal axes being situated in a single plane transverse to the longitudinal centre line of the vehicle · CPC title