Electric lawn mower

• US 20030037525A1
• Filed: 06/21/2002
• Published: 02/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Takao, Iida, Tetsuo, Shimizu, Norikazu, Takizawa, Toshiaki
• Granted Patent: US 6,826,895 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 56/11.9
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/6812 Braking or clutching mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/78 electric
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/828 Safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 69/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/22 Microcars, e.g. golf cars
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

In an electric lawn mower, a rechargeable battery and an electric motor activatable by the battery are mounted in a machine body section, and a cutter blade is provided within a cutter housing and rotatable via the electric motor to cut grass. Cover member collectively covers the battery and electric motor. The cover member is shaped to progressively slant upward in a front-to-rear direction of the machine body section, and the cover member has an opening formed in its lower front end portion and an air vent formed in its rear end portion to thereby permit ventilation from the opening to the air vent such that the battery and electric motor can be cooled by air flows.

Claims

1. An electric lawn mower comprising:

a machine body section;

a rechargeable battery and an electric motor activatable by said battery, said battery and electric motor being mounted in said machine body section;

a cutter blade disposed within a cutter housing and rotatable via said electric motor to cut grass; and

a cover member collectively covering said battery and said electric motor,

wherein said cover member is shaped to progressively slant upward in a front-to-rear direction of said machine body section, and said cover member has an opening formed in a lower front end portion thereof and an air vent formed in a rear end portion thereof to thereby permit ventilation from the opening to the air vent such that said battery and said electric motor can be cooled.

2. An electric lawn mower as claimed in claim 1 wherein said cutter housing defines a communication hole communicating with an interior space defined by said cover member, and wherein when said cutter blade is rotating, the communication hole allows an air flow to be produced from the opening and air vent into said cutter housing but when said cutter blade is not rotating, the communication hole allows a reverse air flow to be produced from within said cutter housing to the air vent due to heat of said battery and/or said electric motor.