Apparatus for vertically moving mower unit for riding mower

• US 7,434,379 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2007
• Issued: 10/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kubota Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kubota Corporation
• Inventors: Nogami, Kazuaki, Togoshi, Yoshikazu
• Primary Examiner(s): FABIAN-KOVACS, ARPAD
• Application Number:
  US11/714,092
• Publication Number:
  US 20070271895A1
• Time in Patent Office: 589 Days
• Field of Search: 56/171, 56/172, 563/201, 56/152, 56/111, 56/163, 56/108, 56/6, 56/7
• US Class Current: 56/17.1
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/74 Cutting-height adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/82 Other details

Abstract

A riding lawn mower vehicle having a riding traveling vehicle body and a mower operatively connected via a lifting/lowering link mechanism to the vehicle body to be lifted and lowered relative thereto, the mower vehicle comprising: a pair of right and left hand-operated traveling control members; a lifting control pedal having a lifting stepping face and configured to cause the mower to be lifted; a lowering control pedal having a lowering stepping face and configured to cause the mower to be lowered; and the lifting stepping face and the lowering stepping face being located laterally to each other on a floor of a driving section of the riding traveling vehicle body.

Claims

1. A riding lawn mower vehicle having a riding traveling vehicle body and a mower operatively connected via a lifting/lowering link mechanism to the vehicle body to be lifted and lowered relative thereto, the mower vehicle comprising:

a pair of right and left hand-operated traveling control members;

a lifting control pedal having a lifting stepping face and configured to cause the mower to be lifted;

a lowering control pedal having a lowering stepping face and configured to cause the mower to be lowered; and

the lifting stepping face and the lowering stepping face being located laterally to each other on a floor of a driving section of the riding traveling vehicle body.

2. The riding lawn mower vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a coupling mechanism for operatively coupling the lifting control pedal and the lowering control pedal, the coupling mechanism being configured such that the lowering stepping face is elevated when the lifting stepping face is stepped on, whereas when the lowering stepping face is stepped on, the lifting stepping face is elevated.

3. The riding lawn mower vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a brake pedal for operating a brake;

a braking stepping face of the brake pedal, the lifting stepping face of the lifting control pedal and the lowering stepping face of the lowering control pedal are located laterally to one another in the lateral direction of a driving section of the riding traveling vehicle body.

4. The riding lawn mower vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the driving section of the riding lawn mower vehicle has an inclined face at a front portion thereof, said lifting control pedal and said lowering control pedal each having a portion extending through an opening defined in said inclined face.

5. The riding lawn mower vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a pedal support shaft supported to the vehicle body for pivotally supporting said lifting control pedal and said lowering control pedal;

a lifting boss portion fixed to one end of said lifting control pedal and pivotable about said pedal support shaft;

a lowering boss portion fixed to one end of said lowering control pedal and pivotable about said pedal support shaft;

a lifting control pedal arm fixed to said lifting boss portion and extending in one of an upward direction and a downward direction from said pedal support shaft;

a lowering control pedal arm fixed to said lowering boss portion and extending in the other of the upward direction and the downward direction from said pedal support shaft;

a connecting arm support shaft supported to the vehicle body;

a connecting arm supported by the connecting arm support shaft;

a lifting control pedal connecting member having one end thereof connected to said lifting control pedal arm and the other end thereof connected to said connecting arm; and

a lowering control pedal connecting member having one end thereof connected to said lowering control pedal arm and the other end thereof connected to said connecting arm.

6. The riding lawn mower vehicle according to claim 5, further comprising a drive coupling member having one end thereof connected to a position of said connecting arm offset from said connecting arm support shaft, the other end of said drive coupling member being connected to a control arm of a valve for operating a lifting/lowering cylinder.

7. The riding lawn mower vehicle according to claim 6, wherein said drive coupling member includes a first portion which extends substantially horizontally and a second portion which extends continuously from a rear end of said first portion and extends upwardly with respect to said first portion.

8. The riding lawn mower vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said lawn mower vehicle includes an engine and a driver'"'"'s seat disposed forwardly of the engine.