Mower with engine-driven blade and electrical propulsion

• US 20020104300A1
• Filed: 02/06/2001
• Published: 08/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Hunt, Kenneth Edward
• Granted Patent: US 6,604,348 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 56/10.6
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/008 for automated or remotely controlled operation
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/80 fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 69/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 56/07 Remote control implement

Abstract

A self-propelled robotic or autonomous mower includes an internal combustion engine directly driving mowing structure such as a single blade or reel, or multiple blades or reels. Drive wheels are driven by one or more electric motors powered from a source including batteries and an engine-driven alternator. A controller connected between the wheel motors and the source and to a navigation system controls the wheel drive and steers the mower over a selected path. The mowing structure may be driven from the engine through a direct clutched or unclutched connection to the engine drive shaft, a belt drive, a hydraulic drive, or another similar direct drive arrangement which eliminates the limitations of an electric blade or reel drive.

Claims

1. A self-propelled mower having a frame supporting internal combustion engine structure, a source of electrical energy driven by the engine structure, and a driven cutting device for cutting vegetation, the mower including drive wheel structure supporting the frame, an electrical motor operably connected to the drive wheel structure and to the source of electrical energy for propelling the mower over the ground where the vegetation is present, and a cutter drive connected between the engine structure and the cutting device and driving the cutting device from the engine structure whereby mower propulsion is provided primarily from the source of electrical energy and cutter drive is provided primarily from the engine structure.

2. The self-propelled mower set forth in claim 1 wherein the cutter drive includes an engine drive shaft and wherein the cutting device is connected directly to the engine drive shaft, and wherein the source of electrical energy includes an engine-driven generating device and a battery.

3. The self-propelled mower set forth in claim 1 wherein the cutter drive includes an upright shaft connected to the engine and wherein the cutting device includes mower blade connected to the upright shaft for rotation about an axis parallel to the upright shaft.

4. The self-propelled mower set forth in claim 1 wherein the cutting device includes at least two mower blades supported from the frame and belt drive structure connected between the engine and the mower blades.

5. The self-propelled mower set forth in claim 1 wherein the cutting device includes at least two mower blades supported from the frame for rotation about generally parallel axes, and wherein the cutter drive includes a drive shaft extending from the engine, and a belt drive connected between the drive shaft and the mower blades and rotating the mower blades about the axes.

6. The self-propelled mower set forth in claim 5 wherein the parallel axes are upright and the drive shaft is generally parallel to axes.

7. The self-propelled mower set forth in claim 1 wherein the cutter drive comprises a hydraulic drive with a hydraulic pump powered by the engine.

8. The self-propelled mower set forth in claim 1 wherein the cutting device comprises a grass cutting reel.

9. The self-propelled mower set forth in claim 8 wherein the cutter drive comprises a hydraulic motor connected to the grass cutting reel and a hydraulic pump member connected to the engine.

10. The self-propelled mower set forth in claim 1 including a controller connected to the wheel structure and to the source of electrical energy and a navigation system connected to the controller and providing autonomous control of the mower.

11. A self-propelled mower having a frame supporting an engine, a source of electrical energy driven by the engine, and a driven cutting device for cutting vegetation, the mower including drive wheel structure supporting the frame, an electrical motor operably connected to the drive wheel structure and to the source of electrical energy for propelling the mower over the ground where the vegetation is present, and a cutter drive connected between the engine and the cutting device and driving the cutting device directly from the engine.

12. The self-propelled mower set forth in claim 11 wherein the drive includes a shaft connected to the engine and wherein the cutting device is connected to the shaft.

13. The self-propelled mower set forth in claim 11 wherein the drive includes an upright shaft connected to the engine and wherein the cutting device includes mower blade attached to the upright shaft for rotation about an axis parallel to the upright shaft by the engine.

14. The self-propelled mower set forth in claim 11 wherein the cutting device comprises a reel mower driven by the engine.

15. The self-propelled mower set forth in claim 11 including a controller connected to the source of electrical energy and to the drive wheel structure and providing automatic control of the mower.

16. The self-propelled mower set forth in claim 15 wherein the drive wheel structure includes first and second drive wheels connected to first and second electric motors, and wherein the first and second electric motors are connected to the controller and are independently controllable to provide steering for the mower.

17. The self-propelled mower set forth in claim 15 wherein the cutter drive includes a clutch device connected to the controller and selectively connecting the engine to the cutting device.

18. The self-propelled mower set forth in claim 15 further comprising a navigation system connected to the controller and providing autonomous control of the mower.

20. The autonomous mower set forth in claim 19 including an electrical controller connected between the source of electrical power and the electric motor structure to provide steer by driving function for the drive wheel structure, and a navigation system connected to the controller and steering the mower over a selected path.

21. The autonomous mower set forth in claim 20 including an electrically activated clutch connecting the cutting device to the drive shaft, wherein the clutch is connected to the electrical controller.

22. The autonomous mower set forth in claim 21 wherein the clutch is connected to the drive shaft and the cutting device includes a blade, wherein the drive shaft and blade have a common axis of rotation.

23. The autonomous mower set forth in claim 20 wherein the grass cutting device comprises at least two blades having axes of rotation, and a belt-type drive connected between the shaft and the blades for rotating the blades about the axes.

24. The autonomous mower set forth in claim 23 wherein two blades comprise winged blades for creating a material moving air flow adjacent the blades.

25. The autonomous mower set forth in claim 19 wherein the source of electrical power includes battery structure supported by the frame and wherein the drive wheel structure is driven exclusively by the source of electrical power and the grass cutting device is driven exclusively by the engine independently of source of electrical power.

27. The self-propelled autonomous mower set forth in claim 26 wherein the means operably connecting the internal combustion engine to the grass cutting device comprises a clutch connected to the engine and a drive shaft connected to the grass cutting device and to the clutch.

28. The self-propelled autonomous mower set forth in claim 26 wherein the engine includes a vertical drive shaft, the grass cutting device comprises a blade rotatable about a vertical axis, and the means operably connecting the internal combustion engine to the grass cutting device includes a mounting directly connecting the blade to the vertical drive shaft.

19. An autonomous mower comprising a frame, drive wheel structure supporting the frame for movement over grass to be cut, an internal combustion engine supported on the frame, a source of electrical power including a generating device driven by the engine, a drive shaft extending from the engine, a grass cutting device operably connected to the drive shaft for drive by the engine, electric motor structure connected to the drive wheel structure and to the source of electrical power for electrically propelling the frame over the grass, whereby the grass cutting device is driven directly from the engine and the drive wheel structure is driven by the source of electrical power.

26. A self-propelled autonomous mower comprising a frame, drive structure supporting the frame for movement over grass to be cut, an internal combustion engine supported on the frame, a source of electrical power including an engine-driven generating device supported by the frame, a grass cutting device, means operably connecting the internal combustion engine to the grass cutting device for direct drive by the engine, electric motor structure connected to the drive structure, and means connecting the electric motor to the source of electrical power for electrically propelling the frame over the grass, whereby the grass cutting device is driven exclusively from the internal combustion engine and the drive wheel structure is driven exclusively by the source of electrical power.