Rotary zero-turn steer-by-wire mower
First Claim
1. A rotary zero-turn steer-by-wire mower comprises:
- a chassis;
engine means and transmission means mounted on said chassis;
forward drive wheels rotatably mounted on said chassis;
rear wheels rotatably and swivelably mounted on said chassis;
at least one mower deck mounted underneath said chassis and connected to said engine means;
a steer-by-wire speed and direction control system including;
operator control means mounted on said chassis;
a computer control module operatively connected to and interposed between said operator control means and said engine means and said transmission means;
said computer control module operative to interpret the relative positioning of said operator control means and forward commands to said engine means and said transmission means to control rotation of said forward drive wheels free of mechanical connections between said operator control means and said engine means and said transmission means thereby reducing mechanical breakdown possibilities.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A rotary zero-turn steer-by-wire mower for golf courses includes a chassis, forward drive wheels mounted on axles mounted underneath the chassis and connected to an engine and transmission and swivel-mounted rear wheels mounted on the chassis. Side-by-side rear mower decks are mounted underneath the chassis with three side-by-side mounted forward mower decks mounted on a forward mower deck mounting structure extending forwards from the chassis, each of the five mower decks being independently mounted on a floating mount structure with hydraulic connections for driving the mower blades mounted therewithin. The mower unit is controlled by a steer-by-wire twin stick speed and direction control system which eliminates mechanical connection between the mower controls and steering and throttle systems, thereby reducing mechanical breakdown possibilities.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. A rotary zero-turn steer-by-wire mower comprises:
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a chassis; engine means and transmission means mounted on said chassis; forward drive wheels rotatably mounted on said chassis; rear wheels rotatably and swivelably mounted on said chassis; at least one mower deck mounted underneath said chassis and connected to said engine means; a steer-by-wire speed and direction control system including; operator control means mounted on said chassis; a computer control module operatively connected to and interposed between said operator control means and said engine means and said transmission means; said computer control module operative to interpret the relative positioning of said operator control means and forward commands to said engine means and said transmission means to control rotation of said forward drive wheels free of mechanical connections between said operator control means and said engine means and said transmission means thereby reducing mechanical breakdown possibilities. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A rotary zero-turn steer-by-wire mower comprises:
- a chassis;
engine means and transmission means mounted on said chassis; forward drive wheels rotatably mounted on said chassis; rear wheels rotatably and swivelably mounted on said chassis; at least one mower deck mounted underneath said chassis and connected to said engine means; a steer-by-wire speed and direction control system including; left and right operator control levers mounted on said chassis, said left and right operator control levers operative to control said transmission and said engine to drive said forward drive wheels whereby said forward drive wheels are independently operable to permit operation and control of said mower; a computer control module operatively connected to and interposed between said left and right operator control levers and said engine means and said transmission means; said computer control module operative to interpret the relative positioning of said left and right operator control levers and forward commands to said engine means and said transmission means to control rotation of said forward drive wheels free of mechanical connections between said left and right operator control levers and said engine means and said transmission means thereby reducing mechanical breakdown possibilities. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
- a chassis;
Specification