Motor-powered apparatus and method of controlling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9782884-B2
Application number	US-201514941990-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 16, 2015
Priority date	Nov 26, 2014
Publication date	Oct 10, 2017
Grant date	Oct 10, 2017

Abstract

A motor-powered apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises a motor, a drive switch, a reverse switch, and a control unit. The control unit is configured to drive the motor in a reverse direction when a drive command is inputted via the drive switch after a reverse command is inputted via the reverse switch and to drive the motor in a forward direction when the drive command is inputted again via the drive switch.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A motor-powered apparatus comprising:
a motor;
a drive switch that is configured to input a drive command for the motor;
a reverse switch that is configured to input a reverse command that switches a rotational direction of the motor from a forward direction to a reverse direction, the reverse direction being a rotational direction opposite to the forward direction; and
a control unit that is configured to
drive the motor in the reverse direction without driving the motor in the forward direction when the drive command is inputted via the drive switch after the reverse command is inputted via the reverse switch,
set the rotational direction of the motor in the forward direction when the input of the drive command is stopped, and
drive the motor in the forward direction without driving the motor in the reverse direction when the drive command is inputted again via the drive switch without the input of the reverse command.

2. The motor-powered apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the control unit is configured to limit a drive time of the motor during a drive of the motor in the reverse direction to be equal to or less than a predefined set time, the drive of the motor in the reverse direction taking place when the drive command is inputted via the drive switch after the reverse command is inputted via the reverse switch.

3. The motor-powered apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the control unit is configured to drive the motor in the reverse direction, when the drive command is inputted via the drive switch after the reverse command is inputted via the reverse switch, until the input of the drive command via the drive switch is stopped.

4. The motor-powered apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the control unit is configured to set a drive speed during a drive of the motor in the reverse direction equal to or less than a drive speed during a drive of the motor in the forward direction.

5. The motor-powered apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the control unit is configured to selectively execute one of (i) a first function and (ii) a second function in accordance with a select command inputted from outside of the motor-powered apparatus,
wherein the first function is a function that limits a drive time during a drive of the motor in the reverse direction to be equal to or less than a predefined set time, the drive of the motor in the reverse direction taking place when the drive command is inputted via the drive switch after the reverse command is inputted via the reverse switch; and,
wherein the second function is a function that drives the motor in the reverse direction, when the drive command is inputted via the drive switch after the reverse command is inputted via the reverse switch, until the input of the drive command via the drive switch is stopped.

6. The motor-powered apparatus according to claim 5 comprising a given switch,
wherein the control unit is configured to switch between the first function and the second function when the given switch is operated continuously for a set time or longer.

7. The motor-powered apparatus according to claim 6 ,
wherein the given switch is the reverse switch.

8. The motor-powered apparatus according to claim 1 comprising an operation panel comprising the reverse switch and a different switch that comprises an operation portion, and,
wherein the reverse switch comprises a smaller operation portion than the operation portion of the different switch.

9. The motor-powered apparatus according to claim 8 comprising a grip portion that is configured to be held by a user of the motor-powered apparatus, and,
wherein the operation portion of the reverse switch is disposed at a location where the user can operate the operation portion while holding the grip portion and is arranged at a location more distant from the grip portion than a location of the operation portion of the different operation switch.

10. The motor-powered apparatus according to claim 8 ,
wherein the different operation switch is configured to set a drive speed of the motor.

11. The motor-powered apparatus according to claim 9 ,
wherein the different operation switch is configured to set a drive speed of the motor.

12. A method of controlling a motor-powered apparatus that comprises a motor; a drive switch that is configured to input a drive command for the motor; and a reverse switch that is configured to input a reverse command to switch a rotational direction of the motor from a forward direction to a reverse direction, the reverse direction being a rotational direction opposite to the forward direction,
the method comprising:
detecting that the reverse command is inputted via the reverse switch;
detecting that the drive command is inputted via the drive switch after detecting that the reverse command is inputted via the reverse switch;
driving the motor in the reverse direction without driving the motor in the forward direction when detecting that the drive command is inputted via the drive switch after the reverse command is inputted;
setting the rotational direction of the motor in the forward direction when the input of the drive command is stopped;
detecting that the drive command is inputted again via the drive switch after the input of the drive command is stopped; and
driving the motor in the forward direction when detecting that the drive command is inputted again via the drive switch without the input of the reverse command.

13. The motor-powered apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the motor-powered apparatus is a grass mover.

14. The method according to claim 12 ,
wherein the motor-powered apparatus is a grass mover.

Assignees

• Makita Corp

Inventors

• Ota Tomoyuki
• Nojiri Hiroshi
• Kusakawa Takuya

Classifications

• A01D34/78

  electric · CPC title

• B25F5/00 Primary

  Details or components of portable power-driven tools not particularly related to the operations performed and not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• A01D2034/907

  Control levers for portable mowing machines · CPC title

• A01D34/90

  for carrying by the operator · CPC title

• A01D34/6806

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