Lawn mower having passages for engine cooling air

• US 5,199,521 A
• Filed: 04/22/1991
• Issued: 04/06/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kubota Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kubota Corporation
• Inventors: Takei, Terutaka, Takemoto, Akiyoshi, Umemoto, Hideya, Morita, Shigeru, Togoshi, Yoshikazu, Kawahara, Yoshihiro, Samejima, Kazuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Mitchell, David M.
• Application Number:
  US07/689,197
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• Field of Search: 180/68.1, 180/68.4, 180/68.3, 180/69.21, 180/69.2, 180/291, 56/6, 56/7
• US Class Current: 180/68.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/04 Arrangement or mounting of radiators, radiator shutters, or radiator blinds B60K11/085 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 11/12 Filtering, cooling, or silencing cooling-air

Abstract

A lawn mower having a driver'"'"'s section and a grass cutting unit forwardly of a vehicle body; an engine mounted between front and rear wheels; and a pair of main frames extending longitudinally of the vehicle body, each of the main frames including a front frame member, and a rear frame member connected to the front frame member and disposed at a lower level than the front frame member. The engine is mounted below the main frames between the front and rear wheels, and has a radiator disposed rearwardly of the engine and having an upper portion projecting upwardly of the rear frame members. The engine is surrounded by a first cover assembly including side covers depending respectively from the main frames, lower covers connecting the respective side covers to lower positions of the engine, and a front cover for closing an area forwardly of the engine. The first cover assembly defines first ambient air intake openings. A second cover is disposed rearwardly of the driver'"'"'s section for covering the upper portion of the radiator. The second cover defines a second ambient air intake opening in a forward portion thereof. Cooling air flows produced by a fan disposed adjacent the radiator are drawn through the first and second ambient air intake openings, at least a large part of the cooling air flows being exhausted rearwardly through the radiator.

Claims

1. A lawn mower having a driver'"'"'s section and a grass cutting unit forwardly of a vehicle body, and an engine mounted between front and rear wheels, comprising;

a pair of main frames extending longitudinally of the vehicle body, each of said main frames including a front frame member, and a rear frame member connected to said front frame member and disposed at a lower level than said front frame member,

said engine being mounted below the front frames between said front and rear wheels,

a radiator disposed rearwardly of said engine and having an upper portion projecting upwardly of the rear frame members,

first cover means for covering said engine, said first cover means including side covers depending respectively from said main frames, lower covers connecting the respective side covers to lower positions of said engine, and a front cover for closing an area forwardly of said engine, said radiator defining a rear wall of said first cover means,

second cover means disposed rearwardly of said driver'"'"'s section for covering said upper portion of said radiator, said second cover means defining a second ambient air intake opening in a forward portion thereof, and

a fan disposed adjacent said radiator, cooling air flows produced by said fan being drawn through said first and second ambient air intake openings, at least a large part of said cooling air flows being exhausted rearwardly through said radiator.

2. A lawn mower having a driver'"'"'s section and a grass cutting unit forwardly of a vehicle body, and an engine mounted between front and rear wheels, comprising:

a radiator disposed rearwardly of said engine,

first cover means for covering said engine, and defining first ambient air intake openings,

second cover means disposed rearwardly of said driver'"'"'s section for covering a region upwardly of said radiator, said second cover means defining a second ambient air intake opening in a forward portion thereof,

a fan disposed adjacent said radiator, cooling air flows produced by said fan being drawn through said first and second ambient air intake openings, at least a large part of said cooling air flows being exhausted rearwardly through said radiator, and

a pair of main frames extending longitudinally of the vehicle body, wherein said first cover means includes side covers depending respectively from said main frames extending longitudinally of the vehicle body, lower covers connecting the respective side covers to lower positions of said engine, and a front cover for closing an area forwardly of said engine.

3. A lawn mower as claimed in claim 2, wherein said radiator defines a rear wall of said first cover means.

4. A lawn mower as claimed in claim 3, wherein said first ambient air intake openings are defined in said side covers.

5. A lawn mower as claimed in claim 2, wherein said radiator projects upwardly of said main frames, and said second cover means is pivotably connected to said main frames.

6. A lawn mower as claimed in claim 5, wherein said second ambient air intake opening is defined in a front wall of said second cover means.

7. A lawn mower as claimed in claim 5, wherein said second cover means contains an oil cooler disposed forwardly of said radiator.

8. A lawn mower as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a partition wall extending between a lower face of said second cover means and an upper face of said radiator.

9. A lawn mower as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a shield disposed rearwardly of said radiator and extending between a lower face of said second cover means and said main frames, and a fuel tank disposed inside said second cover means and rearwardly of said shield.

10. A lawn mower as claimed in claim 2, wherein said first and second ambient air intake openings have mesh members, respectively, the mesh members of said second ambient air intake openings having a larger mesh than the mesh member of said first ambient air intake opening.