Lawn mower having an engine disposed rearwardly of a driver's seat

• US 7,458,434 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2005
• Issued: 12/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kubota Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kubota Corporation
• Inventors: Kawabata, Hiroshi, Komorida, Takeshi, Togoshi, Yoshikazu, Samejima, Kazuo, Tsuchihashi, Hironori, Shimamura, Teruo
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis; Christopher
• Assistant Examiner(s): WALTERS, JOHN DANIEL
• Application Number:
  US11/180,296
• Publication Number:
  US 20060016632A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,238 Days
• Field of Search: 180/68.1, 180/68.2, 180/68.4, 180/68.6, 180/69.24, 180/69.2, 180/89.17, 123/41.49, 123/41.7, 123/41.48, 123/41.56, D15/23
• US Class Current: 180/68.1
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/82 Other details

Abstract

A lawn mower comprises: a plurality of wheels; a vehicle body supported by the wheels; a mower unit supported by said vehicle body; a driver'"'"'s seat supported by said vehicle body; an engine supported by said vehicle body rearwardly of said driver'"'"'s seat; a radiator disposed between said engine and said driver'"'"'s seat; a hood for covering said engine; and a dust filtering case disposed at a forward portion of said hood for allowing ambient cooling air to be drawn into said radiator, the dust filtering case surrounding at least a part of the radiator and having a net portion on at least one side thereof, the net portion extending rearwardly beyond a front surface of said radiator.

Claims

1. A lawn mower comprising:

a plurality of wheels;

a vehicle body supported by the wheels;

a mower unit supported by said vehicle body;

a driver'"'"'s seat supported by said vehicle body;

an engine supported by said vehicle body rearwardly of said driver'"'"'s seat;

a radiator disposed between said engine and said driver'"'"'s seat;

a hood for covering said engine; and

a dust filtering case disposed at a forward portion of said hood for allowing ambient cooling air to be drawn into said radiator, the dust filtering case surrounding at least a part of the radiator and having a net portion on at least one side thereof, the net portion extending rearwardly beyond a front surface of said radiator;

wherein the net portion has a front face net portion, upper net portion and a pair of lateral net portions that extend continuously from the front face net portion;

wherein the upper net portion is continuous with a corresponding portion of the engine hood; and

wherein the pair of lateral net portions are continuous with corresponding portions of the engine hood.

2. A lawn mower as defined in claim 1, wherein the net portion of the dust filtering case extend rearwardly beyond a rear surface of said radiator.

3. A lawn mower as defined in claim 2, further comprising a cooling fan disposed between said engine and said radiator, the net portion of the dust filtering case extending rearwardly beyond a front surface of said cooling fan.

4. A lawn mower as defined in claim 3, wherein the net portion of the dust filtering case extends rearwardly beyond a rear surface of said cooling fan.

5. A lawn mower as defined in claim 1, wherein said engine hood has a lower edge extending rearwardly at a position substantially lower than an upper surface of the hood, and a vertical edge extending downwardly from said lower edge, the net portion of the dust filtering case that extends rearwardly being located adjacent said lower edge and said vertical edge.

6. A lawn mower as defined in claim 1, further comprising a partition plate for separating an engine room and a front of said radiator, said partition plate having a side portion extending rearwardly, said dust filtering case being connected to said side portion.

7. A lawn mower as defined in claim 1, further comprising a rollover protection frame disposed forwardly of said radiator, and having a pair of legs, at least a part of said net portion protruding into a space between said pair of legs.

8. A lawn mower as defined in claim 1, wherein at least a lateral side of the net portion of the dust filtering case extends forwardly beyond a rear surface of said driver'"'"'s seat.

9. A lawn mower as defined in claim 8, wherein said at least lateral side of the net portion extending forwardly has an inclined upper surface.

10. A lawn mower as defined in claim 1, wherein the net portion having an upper net portion and lateral net portions extending respectively in an upper portion and lateral portions of said dust filtering case and wherein the upper net portion and the lateral net portions extend rearwardly beyond a rear surface of said radiator.

11. A lawn mower as defined in claim 10, wherein said dust filtering case is connected to said engine hood such that the dust filtering case can be opened and closed with said engine hood.

12. A lawn mower as defined in claim 1, wherein said engine is water-cooled.

13. A lawn mower as defined in claim 1, further having a lock member located in the hood near the dust filtering case for locking the hood in place.

14. A lawn mower as defined in claim 1, wherein said dust filtering case is connected to said engine hood such that the dust filtering case can be opened and closed with said engine hood.

15. A lawn mower as defined in claim 1, wherein

at least a front portion of the engine hood is shaped such that a lateral width of the at least a front portion increases in a forward direction;

and

the dust filtering case is shaped such that a lateral width of the dust filtering case increases in a forward direction in correspondence with the shape of the at least a front portion of the engine hood.