Lawn mower

Abstract

A lawn mower includes a cutting device placed underneath a mower deck housing that surrounds the cutting device. The lawn mower further comprises a grass outlet in the mower deck housing. The outlet is leading cut grass via a discharge chute to a bag where the grass is collected. The end of the discharge chute is provided with a door that closes the discharge chute when the bag is removed from the lawn mower. The door is rotatable around an axis parallel to the axial direction of the discharge chute and automatically rotated to not cover the end of the discharge chute when the bag is secured to the lawn mower.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1) Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates generally to lawn mowers, and more particularly, to walk behind lawn mowers and devices therefor.

[0003] 2) Description of Prior Art

[0004] Walk behind lawn mowers are available in different sizes with different cutting widths and models. A lawn mower comprises at least one rotating cutting blade for cutting grass or other vegetation. The cutting blade is surrounded by a mower deck housing in order to increase safety for the operator and to prevent undesirable spreading of the cut grass. A combustion engine or an electric motor can power the cutting blades. The cut grass is led from the cutting area via an exit opening in the mower deck housing via a channel to a grass receptacle often placed on the aft of the mower. The grass receptacle is removed from the lawn mower when the bag is filled with cut grass and emptied by the operator before it is returned to the position on the aft of the mower.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The following presents a simplified summary of the invention in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the invention. This summary is not an extensive overview of the invention. It is intended to neither identify key or critical elements of the invention nor delineate the scope of the invention. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.

[0006] In accordance with an aspect of the present invention a device in a lawn mower is provided. The device includes a cutting device placed underneath a housing that surround the sides and top of the cutting device, a grass outlet in the housing is leading cut grass via a discharge chute to a bag where the grass is collected, the end of the discharge chute is provided with a door that closes the discharge chute when the bag is removed from the lawn mower, wherein the door is rotatable around an axis parallel to the axial direction of the discharge chute and automatically rotated to not cover the end of the discharge chute when the bag is secured to the lawn mower.

[0007] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a lawn mower is provided. The lawn mower includes a housing; a discharge chute coupled to the housing; a door adapted to selectively cover an opening of the discharge chute; and a pivot member coupled to the door such that the door is rotatable about an axis that extends in a substantially horizontal direction.

[0008] In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, a lawn mower is provided which includes: a housing; a discharge chute coupled to the housing; a door adapted to selectively cover an opening of the discharge chute; an airflow indicator coupled to a grass receptacle, the airflow indicator being configured to provide a visual indication to a user when the grass receptacle is full; and a handle, wherein a height of the handle is adjustable.

[0009] In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, a lawn mower is provided which includes: a housing; a grass receptacle coupled to the housing; and an airflow indicator integrally provided with the grass receptacle, the airflow indicator configured to visually indicate to a user when the grass receptacle is full.

[0010] In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, a lawn mower is provided which includes: a housing; and a handle comprising upper and lower members, the upper and lower members being pivotally adjustable with respect to each other via a quick adjust lever assembly.

[0011] In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, a lawn mower is provided. The lawn mower includes a housing having a discharge means for cut grass coupled thereto; a door adapted to selectively cover an opening of the discharge means; and means for pivoting the door in a side-to-side manner between a position where the opening of the discharge means is covered and a position where the opening of the discharge means is uncovered; wherein the door is not visible when a grass receptacle is coupled to the lawn mower.

[0012] The following description and the annexed drawings set forth in detail certain illustrative aspects of the invention. These aspects are indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed and the present invention is intended to include all such aspects and their equivalents. Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] The foregoing and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the present invention relates upon reading the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0014] FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a walk behind lawn mower in accordance with an aspect of the present invention.

[0015] FIG. 2 illustrates a discharge door of a lawn mower in a closed position in accordance with an aspect of the present invention.

[0016] FIG. 3 illustrates a discharge door of a lawn mower in an open position in accordance with an aspect of the present invention.

[0017] FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of a discharge device of a lawn mower coupled to a supporting frame of a grass receptacle in accordance with an aspect of the present invention.

[0018] FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of a grass receptacle for a lawn mower in accordance with an aspect of the present invention.

[0019] FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the areas encircled and labeled 6 within FIG. 5, and illustrates a material flap of a grass receptacle for a lawn mower in accordance with an aspect of the present invention.

[0020] FIG. 7 illustrates a perspective view of a handle for a lawn mower in accordance with an aspect of the present invention.

[0021] FIG. 8 illustrates a perspective view of a lever of a handle for a lawn mower in accordance with an aspect of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EXAMPLE EMBODIMENT

[0022] The present invention relates to a walk behind lawn mower and devices therefor. The present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. It is to be appreciated that the various drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale from one figure to another nor inside a given figure, and in particular that the size of the components are arbitrarily drawn for facilitating the understanding of the drawings. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It may be evident, however, that the present invention can be practiced without these specific details.

[0023] Referring initially to FIG. 1, a lawn mower 10 is depicted in accordance with an aspect of the present invention. As shown, the lawn mower 10 can be a walk-behind self-propelled working machine. However, it is to be appreciated that the invention may be used within various other types of machines. The lawn mower 10 comprises a housing 15 with left and right front wheels 20 provided at a front portion of the housing 15 and left and right rear wheels 22 provided at a rear portion of the housing 15. The lawn mower 10 also includes an engine 25 provided at a top portion of the housing for powering the lawn mower 10, a grass receptacle 30 and an operating handle 35 extending rearward from the housing 15. A lower portion of the housing 15 opens downward and is adapted to surround the sides and top of a cutting blade (not shown) that is rotated by the engine 25 via an output shaft (not shown). The housing 15 includes a discharge chute 40 that can be materially integral to the housing 15 or a separate component coupled thereto. The discharge chute 40 is adapted to lead cut grass to the grass receptacle 30 placed on an aft portion of the lawn mower 10. The grass receptacle 30 is coupled to the lawn mower 10 via a supporting frame 45. The supporting frame 45 is attached to a docking device 50 on the lawn mower 10. Accordingly, grass cut by the cutting blade is received in the grass receptacle 30 through the discharge chute 40.

[0024] Turning now to FIGS. 2-4, the docking device 50 and the engagement of the docking device 50 to the supporting frame 45 is illustrated in greater detail in accordance with an aspect of the present invention. A material cover 80 of the grass receptacle 30 is removed from the illustrations of FIGS. 2-4 in order to more clearly see the components of the docking device 50 and the supporting frame 45. However, during use, the material cover 80 is provided over a receptacle frame 52. Such an arrangement is shown in FIG. 4. The docking device 50 is shaped with a substantially flat section 55 that corresponds with a front side of the grass receptacle 30. The discharge chute 40 for the cut grass terminates in an opening 60 in the flat section 55 of the docking device 50. A door 65 that is pivotable or rotatable in a side-to-side manner can selectively cover the opening 60. The door 65 is coupled to and adapted to pivot or rotate about a substantially horizontal axis. More specifically, the door 65 rotates about an axle 70 that is substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the discharge chute end portion that forms the opening 60 in the flat section 55. The axle 70 extends substantially transverse from the flat section 55. A spring 75 is coupled between the docking device 50 and the door 65 to bias the door 65 into a closed position. The closed position of the door 65 is shown in FIG. 2. Thus, the door 65 is closed automatically when the grass receptacle 30 is released from docking device 50.

[0025] During a bagging operation of the lawn mower 10, the grass receptacle 30 is coupled to the supporting frame 45. The cut grass is collected in the grass receptacle 30 from the discharge chute 40. When the grass receptacle 30 is full, the bag 30 can be easily released from the docking device 50 and emptied. The bag 30 is released by pulling on a portion of the supporting frame 45 and unlatching a quick release fastener 77 coupled to the docking device 50. It is to be appreciated that any suitable fastener can be provided on any suitable structure to couple the supporting frame 45 or the receptacle frame 52 to the docking device 50. Likewise, the grass receptacle 30 can be easily snapped into engagement with the docking device 50 via the fastener 77 and the engagement of the corresponding components between the grass receptacle 30 and the docking device 50. The front end of the supporting frame 45 is provided with a handle 85 on the topside of a bar 90 that extends across a top front end portion of the grass receptacle 30. The supporting frame 45 also includes a support member 100 that extends along a longitudinal direction of the grass receptacle 30 and a connector bar 105 that is adapted to engage a rod 110, which is part of the receptacle frame 52 of the grass receptacle 30. This coupling can be seen more clearly in FIG. 4. The connector bar 105 and rod 110 coupling facilitate easy removal of the grass receptacle 30 from the supporting frame 45 in the event that the cover 80 of the bag 30 needs replaced or the like.

[0026] The bar 90 of the supporting frame 45 includes a downwardly extending projection 95 that is adapted to extend through a recess or groove 97 provided through a top portion of the docking device 50. Prior to engagement of the grass receptacle 30 with the docking device 50, the door 65 is biased by the spring 75 into a closed position, as illustrated in FIG. 2. In this position, the grass cut by the cutting blade is not able to pass through the opening 60 of the docking device 50. Accordingly, the lawn mower 10 operates in a mulching mode, provided that the cutting blade is adapted for mulching. To change the operation of the lawn mower 10 from the mulching mode, or a non-bagging mode, to the bagging mode, the grass receptacle 30 is secured to the docking device 50 by sliding the grass receptacle 30 and the supporting frame 45 from a position above the docking device 50, as shown in FIG. 2, downward in a direction substantially parallel to the flat section 55 and toward the top portion of the docking device 50. The downwardly extending projection 95 enters the recess or groove 97 of the docking device 50 until the bar 90 of the supporting frame 45 contacts the top portion of the docking device 50, as illustrated in FIG. 3. The configuration of the downwardly extending projection 95 and the corresponding recess 97, including the length of the projection 95 and the position of the recess 97 is selected so that the projection 95 can engage a side of the door 65 such that the door 65 is forced to pivot or rotate in a side-to-side manner about the axle 70 and finally to a position where the opening 60 is substantially uncovered, thereby allowing cut grass to pass therethrough. The pivoting or rotating of the door 65 increases tension on the spring 77 such that when the downwardly extending projection 95 is lifted out of engagement with the door 65, the door 65 pivots or rotates back to the closed position.

[0027] The door 65, as shown in FIGS. 1-4 is not visible when the collection bag 30 is coupled to the lawn mower 10.

[0028] Turning now to FIGS. 5 and 6, the grass receptacle 30 of the lawn mower 10 is illustrated in further detail. As discussed above, the grass receptacle 30 comprises a receptacle frame 52 substantially covered by a material 80. The material 80 is preferably flexible and can be made from any conventional material used for lawn mower bags. The material is preferable porous to permit air flow. The grass receptacle 30 includes an open end portion 115 for receiving cut grass from the discharge chute 40. The grass receptacle 30 also includes an airflow indicator 120. As illustrated in greater detail in FIG. 6, the airflow indicator 120 comprises a vented portion 125 provided through the material 80 of the grass receptacle 30. The vented portion 125 includes one or more apertures of a size large enough for air to pass through and small enough such that grass and other debris within the receptacle cannot pass through. The vented portion 125 can comprise an array of apertures provided through the material 80. Alternatively, the grass receptacle 30 can include a meshed insert of any suitable material as the vented portion 125. A material flap 130 is adapted to substantially cover the vented portion 125 when no air is passing through the vented portion 125. When air is passing through the vented portion 125, the material flap 130 is opened, as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6. Thus, airflow indicator 120 operates to visually indicate to a user when the grass receptacle 30 is full. When the grass receptacle 30 is not full, air is able to circulate within the grass receptacle 30 and out of the vented portion 125, thereby opening the material flap 130. On the other hand, when the grass receptacle 30 is full, air is not able to pass through the vented portion 125, and thus the material flap 130 is in a relaxed state and lies substantially flat against the receptacle 30.

[0029] Turning now to FIGS. 7 and 8, the handle 35 of the lawn mower is depicted in greater detail in accordance with an aspect of the present invention. The handle 35 includes an upper member 135 and a lower member 140, wherein the upper member 135 is pivotally adjustable with respect to the lower member 140, which in turn, adjusts an overall height of the handle 35 when coupled to the lawn mower body. The upper and lower members 135, 140 are adjusted via a pair of quick adjust lever 145 and bracket 150 assemblies. Each of the brackets 150 includes two or more, preferably three, apertures 155 provided therethrough. The apertures 155 are adapted to receive a corresponding pin 160 extending through each of the legs of the lower member 140. The angle of the upper member 135 with respect to the lower member 140 is dependent upon which of the apertures 155 of the bracket 150 through which the pin 160 extends.

[0030] End portions of legs of the upper member 135 are adapted to couple to a mating portion of the corresponding brackets 150. The leg end portions of the upper member 135 and the corresponding brackets 150 are coupled between corresponding sides of the lower member 140 and corresponding quick adjust levers 145 via a pair of fasteners 165. The engagement between the quick adjust lever 145 and the corresponding fastener 165 is such that when the quick adjust lever 145 is in a first position 170, the upper member 135 and lower member 140 are biased together and the pin 160 is received through and engaged with a selected aperture 155. When the quick adjust lever 145 is in a second position 175, the lever 145 acts to bias the end portion of the upper member 135 away from the lower member 140 thereby disengaging the pin 160 from the previously selected aperture 155. In this position, the upper member 135 can be pivoted to a new position and the pin 160 can be aligned with a different selected aperture 155 to correspond with the new position. The quick adjust lever 145 is then moved back to the first position 170 to engage the pin 160 with the different selected aperture 155.

[0031] Although the present invention has been described with respect to a walk-behind mower, it is to be appreciated that similar configurations described herein can be adapted to be used with a riding mower, a towed mower, a stand-upon mower, or the like.

[0032] What has been described above includes some exemplary implementations of the present invention. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the present invention, but one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that many further combinations and permutations of the present invention are possible. Accordingly, the present invention is intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. Device in a lawn mower comprising a cutting device placed underneath a housing that surround the sides and top of the cutting device, a grass outlet in the housing is leading cut grass via a discharge chute to a bag where the grass is collected, the end of the discharge chute is provided with a door that closes the discharge chute when the bag is removed from the lawn mower, wherein the door is rotatable around an axis parallel to the axial direction of the discharge chute and automatically rotated to not cover the end of the discharge chute when the bag is secured to the lawn mower.

2. Device according to claim 1, wherein the front end of a bag supporting frame is secured to a docking device on the lawn mower.

3. Device according to claim 2, wherein the door is rotated by entering a projection on the bag supporting frame in a recess in the docking device on the lawn mower.

4. Device according to claim 3, wherein the projection is configured to contact and press on the door so that the door is rotated away from the end of the discharge chute.

5. Device according to claim 1, wherein a spring biases the door to cover the end of the discharge chute when the bag is removed from the lawn mower.

6. A lawn mower comprising: a housing; a discharge chute coupled to the housing; a door adapted to selectively cover an opening of the discharge chute; and a pivot member coupled to the door such that the door is rotatable about an axis that extends in a substantially horizontal direction.

7. The lawn mower of claim 6, wherein the pivot member is an axle that extends in a direction that is substantially parallel to an axial direction of the discharge chute at the opening of the discharge chute.

8. The lawn mower of claim 6, further comprising a docking device coupled to the discharge chute, wherein the pivot member extends transverse to a wall of the docking device which has the opening of the discharge chute extending therethrough.

9. The lawn mower of claim 6, further comprising a spring member configured to bias the door in a position in which the door substantially covers the opening of the discharge chute.

10. The lawn mower of claim 6, further comprising a supporting frame for the grass receptacle, the supporting frame including a projection configured to contact a side of the door when the grass receptacle is engaged with the lawn mower.

11. The lawn mower of claim 10, further comprising a docking device coupled to the housing of the lawn mower, the docking device having a recess that corresponds with the projection of the supporting frame.

12. The lawn mower of claim 10, wherein the supporting frame includes a handle.

13. The lawn mower of claim 10, wherein the projection is configured to push the door to a position in which the opening of the discharge chute is substantially uncovered by the door.

14. The lawn mower of claim 6, wherein the door not visible when a grass receptacle is engaged with the lawn mower.

15. The lawn mower of claim 6, further comprising a grass receptacle having an airflow indicator configured to visually indicate to a user when the grass receptacle is full.

16. The lawn mower of claim 15, wherein the airflow indicator includes a vented portion integral with a material cover of the grass receptacle.

17. The lawn mower of claim 6, further comprising a handle, wherein a height of the handle is adjustable via a quick adjust lever.

18. A lawn mower comprising: a housing; a discharge chute coupled to the housing; a door adapted to selectively cover an opening of the discharge chute; an airflow indicator coupled to a grass receptacle, the airflow indicator being configured to provide a visual indication to a user when the grass receptacle is full; and a handle, wherein a height of the handle is adjustable.

19. The lawn mower of claim 18, wherein the handle comprises upper and lower members, the upper and lower members being adjustable with respect to each other via a lever assembly.

20. The lawn mower of claim 18, wherein the door is not visible, in either an open or closed mode, when the grass receptacle is coupled to the lawn mower.

21. A lawn mower comprising: a housing; a grass receptacle coupled to the housing; and an airflow indicator integrally provided with the grass receptacle, the airflow indicator configured to visually indicate to a user when the grass receptacle is full.

22. The lawn mower of claim 21, wherein the airflow indicator comprises a vented portion and a material flap, the material flap being configured to substantially cover the vented portion when no air is passing through the vented portion.

23. The lawn mower of claim 22, wherein the vented portion comprises a plurality of apertures provided through a cover of the grass receptacle.

24. A lawn mower comprising: a housing; and a handle comprising upper and lower members, the upper and lower members being pivotally adjustable with respect to each other via a quick adjust lever assembly.

25. The lawn mower of claim 24, wherein the quick adjust lever assembly includes at least one plate member coupled to at least one side of the upper member, the at least one plate member comprising two or more apertures that correspond to predetermined pivotal positions of the upper member.

26. The lawn mower of claim 25, wherein the two or more apertures are configured to receive a pin member extending through the lower member of the handle to couple the upper and lower members.

27. The lawn mower of claim 26, wherein the quick adjust lever assembly includes a lever configured to move between a first position in which the corresponding pin member is engaged with one of the two or more apertures and a second position in which the corresponding pin member is disengaged with the two or more apertures.

28. A lawn mower comprising: a housing having a discharge means for cut grass coupled thereto; a door adapted to selectively cover an opening of the discharge means; and means for pivoting the door in a side-to-side manner between a position where the opening of the discharge means is covered and a position where the opening of the discharge means is uncovered; wherein the door is not visible when a grass receptacle is coupled to the lawn mower.