Steering Assembly Indicator System for a Lawn Care or Zero-Turn Vehicle

• US 20140262560A1
• Filed: 10/28/2011
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Husqvarna AB (HUSQVARNA)
• Original Assignee: Husqvarna AB (HUSQVARNA)
• Inventors: Dwyer, Sean
• Granted Patent: US 9,491,903 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/6.48
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 2101/00 Lawn-mowers
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/001 Accessories not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/64 mounted on a vehicle, e.g. a tractor, or drawn by an animal or a vehicle A01D34/695 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/82 Other details
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/824 Handle arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/589 Wireless data transfers
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/782 on the steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/81 for controlling displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/85 Arrangements for transferring vehicle- or driver-related data
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/00 Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 , e.g. haptic signalling
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/046 Adaptations on rotatable parts of the steering wheel for accommodation of switches
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/12 Hand levers
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0825 using optical means

Abstract

A riding lawn care vehicle may include a steering assembly and an indicator system may be incorporated into a portion of the steering assembly. The steering assembly, which may be, for example, a steering lever on a zero-turn vehicle, is coupled to a mechanism to move at least one wheel, and the indicator system may includes at least one illuminating element and/or display device that is configured to visually communicate information to an operator in response to detection of a predetermined trigger or condition occurring.

Claims

1. A lawn care vehicle comprising:

a first steering lever operably coupled to a first wheel of the lawn care vehicle for steering the lawn care vehicle, and

an indicator system comprising a first illuminating element, the first illuminating element being mounted to the first steering lever and being configured to illuminate in response to detection of a predetermined trigger or condition thereby providing an alert to an operator of the lawn care vehicle.

2. The lawn care vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first illuminating element is configured to illuminate a predetermined color in response to detection of the predetermined trigger or condition.

3. The lawn care vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first steering lever is configured to be pivoted toward or away from the operator to guide movement of the first wheel in driving the lawn care vehicle.

4. The lawn care vehicle of claim 1, further comprising:

a second steering lever coupled to a second wheel of the lawn care vehicle for steering the second wheel; and

a second illuminating element being mounted to the second steering lever and being configured to illuminate a second predetermined color in response to the detection of the predetermined trigger or condition.

5. The lawn care vehicle of claim 1, wherein the indicator system further comprises a display screen mounted to a portion of the first steering lever, the display screen being configured to present textual information about the alert in response to the detection of the predetermined trigger or condition.

6. The lawn care vehicle of claim 1, wherein the indicator system further comprises a display screen mounted to a portion of the lawn care vehicle that is separate from the first steering lever so that no display screen is located on the first steering lever, the display screen being configured to present textual information about the alert.

7. The lawn care vehicle of claim 5, wherein the display screen is embedded in a handle portion of the first steering lever.

8. The lawn care vehicle of claim 5, wherein the illuminating element surrounds the display screen.

9. The lawn care vehicle of claim 1, wherein the indicator system further comprises a wireless transceiver mounted to the first steering lever, the wireless transceiver configured to wirelessly communicate with a computer system so that the indicator system can wirelessly receive alert information from the computer system.

10. The lawn care vehicle of claim 1, further comprising:

a computer system mounted to a portion of the lawn care vehicle separate from the first steering lever; and

wiring that extends from the indicator system through the first steering lever to the computer system so that the indicator system can receive alert information from the computer system.

11. A riding lawn mower comprising:

a vehicle frame;

an operator station coupled to the frame and configured to hold an operator during operation of the riding lawn mower;

a cutting deck coupled to the frame and comprising at least one cutting blade for cutting grass;

a steering assembly operably coupled to a mechanism to move at least one wheel; and

an indicator system mounted to the steering assembly, the indicator system configured to provide information to the operator about operation of the riding lawn mower.

14. The riding lawn mower of claim 11, wherein the indicator system comprises at least one illuminating element that comprises a first illuminating element and a second illuminating element, and wherein the first illuminating element is mounted to a first steering lever and the second illuminating element is mounted to a second steering lever.

15. The riding lawn mower of claim 14, wherein each steering lever has a proximate end and a distal end, the proximate end being located proximate to a frame of the riding lawn mower and the distal end being proximate to a handle section of each steering lever, and wherein at least one illuminating element is mounted at the distal end of at least one steering lever.

17. The riding lawn mower of claim 14, wherein the indicator system further comprises a display screen that extends from the at least one steering lever.

22. The riding lawn mower of claim 11, wherein the steering assembly comprises a steering wheel and the indicator system is mounted to a center portion of the steering wheel.

23. The riding lawn mower of claim 22, wherein the indicator system moves along with movement of the steering assembly.

12. (canceled)

13. (canceled)

16. (canceled)

18-21. -21. (canceled)

24. A zero-turn vehicle comprising:

a first drive wheel;

a second drive wheel capable of being driven at a different speed or in a different direction than the first drive wheel;

a first lever at least partially controlling speed or direction of the first drive wheel;

a second lever at least partially controlling speed or direction of the second drive wheel; and

an indicator system at least partially incorporated into the first lever, the indicator system configured to visually communicate information to an operator of the zero-turn vehicle.

26. The zero-turn vehicle of claim 24, wherein the indicator system comprises an illuminating element configured to illuminate in a plurality of different colors or flashing sequences in response to detection of a predetermined trigger or condition thereby providing an alert to the operator of the zero-turn vehicle.

30. The zero-turn vehicle of claim 24, wherein the indicator system comprises a display is mounted to a side console located to the side of a seat for supporting the operator.

32. The zero-turn vehicle of claim 24, wherein the indicator system comprises a display device embedded in or extending from the first lever or the second lever,

wherein the display device is configured to display textual or graphical information to the operator.

25. (canceled)

27-29. -29. (canceled)

31. (canceled)

33. (canceled)