Front-mounted stand-on lawn care vehicle

• US 10,099,714 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2016
• Issued: 10/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Husqvarna AB (HUSQVARNA)
• Original Assignee: Husqvarna AB (HUSQVARNA)
• Inventors: Oswald, Kevin, Dwyer, Sean, Cushing, Leanne, Adams, Michael, Reese, Braxton, Bednar, Richard D., Flynn, James, Sandy, Jerry, Limpo, Thomas, Brinkman, Steve, Glomski, Krzysztof
• Primary Examiner(s): Winner, Tony H
• Application Number:
  US15/204,218
• Publication Number:
  US 20160311458A1
• Time in Patent Office: 831 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 2101/00 Lawn-mowers
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/001 Accessories not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/006 Control or measuring arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/66 with two or more cutters
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/82 Other details
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/824 Handle arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 42/00 Mowers convertible to apparatus for purposes other than mowing; Mowers capable of performing operations other than mowing mowers combined with apparatus performing additional operations while mowing A01D43/00
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 42/04 Soil working
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/28 characterised by arrangement, location, or type of power take-off
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/12 Hand levers
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 11/04 by means of separate power sources
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 11/06 by means of a single main power source
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 51/02 the driver standing in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 61/065 with single rear wheel

Abstract

A riding lawn care vehicle may include: (a) a frame to which a pair of front wheels and a rear wheel assembly of the riding lawn care vehicle are attachable; (b) an engine mounted to the frame substantially between the front wheels; (c) a steering assembly having steering levers operably coupled to respective ones of the front wheels of the riding lawn care vehicle via respective hydrostatic drive pumps driven by the engine; (d) a support platform coupled to the frame rearward of the engine to support a standing rider; and (e) a front mount assembly configured to detachably couple the riding lawn care vehicle to an attachment that enables performance of a yard maintenance activity, where (f) a majority of the support platform is disposed rearward of an axis of rotation of the front wheels and forward of an axis of rotation of the rear wheel assembly.

Claims

1. A riding lawn care vehicle comprising:

a frame to which a pair of drive wheels of the riding lawn care vehicle are operably coupled;

an engine operably coupled to the frame and disposed substantially between the drive wheels;

a steering assembly comprising control levers operably coupled to respective ones of the drive wheels of the riding lawn care vehicle via respective hydrostatic drive pumps driven by the engine, the steering assembly enabling steering of the riding lawn care vehicle based on drive speed control of the drive wheels responsive to positioning of the control levers of the steering assembly;

a support platform operably coupled to the frame to support a standing rider at a rear of the riding lawn care vehicle; and

a cutting deck operably coupled to the frame,

wherein the steering assembly is disposed at an operating station, the operating station being disposed to extend substantially upward relative to a plane in which the frame lies,

wherein the control levers are disposed substantially between a front support bar and a back support bar, the front support bar having a width that is larger than a width of the back support bar,

wherein the control levers each have a distal end such that distal ends of the control levers extend toward each other and are spaced apart from each other by a separation distance, and

wherein the separation distance between the distal ends of the control levers is about equal to the width of the back support bar.

2. The riding lawn care vehicle of claim 1, wherein the front support bar extends transversely, relative to a longitudinal centerline of the riding lawn care vehicle, across a majority portion of a width of the control panel.

3. The riding lawn care vehicle of claim 2, wherein the front support bar comprises at least one forwardly progressing bend along a portion thereof.

4. The riding lawn care vehicle of claim 3, wherein the rear support bar extends transversely, relative to the longitudinal centerline of the riding lawn care vehicle, across a width of the control panel substantially parallel to a direction of extension of the front support bar.

5. The riding lawn care vehicle of claim 4, wherein the rear support bar comprises at least one bend along a portion thereof.

6. The riding lawn care vehicle of claim 5, wherein the at least one bend along the portion of the rear support bar causes corresponding portions of the front support bar and rear support bar to be parallel to each other on respective opposite sides of the at least one bend.

7. The riding lawn care vehicle of claim 3, wherein the control levers comprise handle portions that bend to a substantially horizontal orientation.

8. The riding lawn care vehicle of claim 7, wherein the control levers are further bent to correspond to an orientation of the front support bar.

9. The riding lawn care vehicle of claim 7, wherein the rear support bar extends transversely, relative to the longitudinal centerline of the riding lawn care vehicle, across a width of the control panel substantially parallel to a direction of extension of the front support bar,

wherein the rear support bar comprises at least one bend along a portion thereof,

wherein the at least one bend along the portion of the rear support bar causes corresponding portions of the front support bar and rear support bar to be parallel to each other on respective opposite sides of the at least one bend, and

wherein the control levers are further bent to correspond to an orientation of the front support bar and rear support bar.

10. The riding lawn care vehicle of claim 1, wherein the operating station is disposed to extend substantially vertically out of the plane in which the frame lies and is disposed substantially above the engine, the operating station further extending forward along at least a portion of the operating station, while all portions of the operating station remain rearward of an axis of rotation of the drive wheels of the riding lawn care vehicle.

11. The riding lawn care vehicle of claim 1, wherein the riding lawn care vehicle is a mower having a substantially zero degree turning radius.

12. A steering assembly for a riding lawn care vehicle operable by a standing operator standing on a support platform at a rear portion of the riding lawn care vehicle, the steering assembly being disposed at an operating station that extends substantially upward relative to a plane in which a frame of the riding lawn care vehicle lies, the steering assembly comprising:

control levers operably coupled to respective ones of drive wheels of the riding lawn care vehicle via respective hydrostatic drive pumps driven by an engine, the control levers enabling steering of the riding lawn care vehicle based on drive speed control of the drive wheels responsive to positioning of the control levers;

a front support bar; and

a back support bar,

wherein the control levers are disposed substantially between the front support bar and the back support bar, the front support bar having a width that is larger than a width of the back support bar,

wherein the control levers each have a distal end such that distal ends of the control levers extend toward each other and are spaced apart from each other by a separation distance, and

wherein the separation distance between the distal ends of the control levers is about equal to the width of the back support bar.

13. The steering assembly of claim 12, wherein the front support bar extends transversely, relative to a longitudinal centerline of the riding lawn care vehicle, across a majority portion of a width of the control panel.

14. The steering assembly of claim 13, wherein the front support bar comprises at least one forwardly progressing bend along a portion thereof.

15. The steering assembly of claim 14, wherein the rear support bar extends transversely, relative to the longitudinal centerline of the riding lawn care vehicle, across a width of the control panel substantially parallel to a direction of extension of the front support bar.

16. The steering assembly of claim 15, wherein the rear support bar comprises at least one bend along a portion thereof.

17. The steering assembly of claim 16, wherein the at least one bend along the portion of the rear support bar causes corresponding portions of the front support bar and rear support bar to be parallel to each other on respective opposite sides of the at least one bend.

18. The steering assembly of claim 14, wherein the control levers comprise handle portions that bend to a substantially horizontal orientation, and

wherein the control levers are further bent to correspond to an orientation of the front support bar.

19. The steering assembly of claim 12, wherein the riding lawn care vehicle is a mower having a substantially zero degree turning radius.

20. A riding lawn care vehicle comprising:

a frame to which a pair of drive wheels of the riding lawn care vehicle are operably coupled;

an engine operably coupled to the frame and disposed substantially between the drive wheels;

a steering assembly comprising control levers operably coupled to respective ones of the drive wheels of the riding lawn care vehicle via respective hydrostatic drive pumps driven by the engine, the steering assembly enabling steering of the riding lawn care vehicle based on drive speed control of the drive wheels responsive to positioning of the control levers of the steering assembly;

a support platform operably coupled to the frame to support a standing rider at a rear of the riding lawn care vehicle; and

a cutting deck operably coupled to the frame,

wherein the steering assembly is disposed at an operating station, the operating station being disposed to extend substantially upward relative to a plane in which the frame lies, and

wherein the operating station is disposed to extend substantially vertically out of the plane in which the frame lies and is disposed substantially above the engine such that an air intake of the engine is disposed substantially below the control levers of the operating station, the operating station further extending forward along at least a portion of the operating station, while all portions of the operating station remain rearward of an axis of rotation of the drive wheels of the riding lawn care vehicle,

wherein the control levers each have a distal end such that distal ends of the control levers extend toward each other and are spaced apart from each other by a separation distance, and

wherein the separation distance between the distal ends of the control levers is about equal to the width of the back support bar.