Robotic mower height of cut adjustment assembly

• US 8,234,848 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2010
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Messina, Thomas M., Elhardt, Paul M., Mouser, John D.
• Primary Examiner(s): TORRES, ALICIA M
• Application Number:
  US12/845,094
• Publication Number:
  US 20120023880A1
• Time in Patent Office: 741 Days
• Field of Search: 56/171, 56/172, 563/201, 403/118, 411327-329, 411/437, 411/546, 411/535
• US Class Current: 56/17.1
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/008 for automated or remotely controlled operation
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/74 Cutting-height adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/81 Casings; Housings A01D34/71 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/20 for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/40 Working vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/16 DC brushless machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/46 Wheel motors, i.e. motor connected to only one wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/28 Four wheel or all wheel drive
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0061 relating to electrical machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/52 characterised by DC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

A height of cut adjustment assembly for a robotic mower includes a height of cut drum secured to a bottom chassis of the robotic mower and having internal spiral threads, a motor cup supporting a cutting blade motor and having external spiral threads that engage the height of cut drum, and a blade shield fastened to the motor cup. The blade shield and the motor cup may be rotated to change height of cut. The blade shield and motor cup may be rotated one revolution to move the motor cup and blade shield vertically between a minimum and a maximum cutting height. Detents engage the motor cup with the drum at a plurality of different cutting heights.

Claims

1. A robotic mower height of cut adjustment assembly, comprising:

a height of cut drum secured to a bottom chassis of the robotic mower and having an internal circumferential surface with spiral threads having detents;

a motor cup supporting a cutting blade motor and having an external circumferential surface with spiral threads that engage the height of cut drum, the spiral threads on the motor cup having detents;

a blade shield fastened to the motor cup;

the blade shield and the motor cup are rotatable to change height of cut, the detents on the height of cut drum engaging the detents on the motor cup to hold and maintain the blade shield and motor cup at a plurality of different heights of cut.

2. The robotic mower height of cut adjustment assembly of claim 1 wherein the blade shield and motor cup are rotatable one revolution to move the motor cup and blade shield vertically between a minimum and a maximum cutting height.

3. The robotic mower height of cut adjustment assembly of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of inserts into the height of cut drum.

4. The robotic mower height of cut adjustment assembly of claim 1 wherein the spiral threads on the internal circumferential surface and the spiral threads on the external circumferential surface each have a plurality of thread starts.

5. The robotic mower height of cut adjustment assembly of claim 1 wherein the detents flex radially outwardly to slide up a plurality of ramped surfaces on the external threads of the motor cup, and flex radially inwardly into gaps between the ramped surfaces.

6. A robotic mower height of cut adjustment assembly, comprising:

a cylindrical height of cut drum mounted to and extending through an opening in a bottom chassis;

a blade motor mounted in a motor cup and engaging the height of cut drum at a plurality of different cutting heights, each cutting height defined by detents in a helical thread path on the motor cup and on the height of cut drum that engage to hold and maintain the motor cup relative to the height of cut drum at a plurality of cutting heights.

7. The robotic mower height of cut adjustment assembly of claim 6, wherein the motor cup is rotatable a maximum of about one revolution to change the cutting height from a lowest position to a highest position.

8. The robotic mower height of cut adjustment assembly of claim 6 further comprising a blade shield mounted to the motor cup.

9. The robotic mower height of cut adjustment assembly of claim 6 further comprising a plurality of plastic inserts positioned in the height of cut drum, each insert engaging the motor cup at every cutting height between a maximum and a minimum cutting height.

10. A robotic mower height of cut adjustment assembly, comprising:

an electric motor having a vertical shaft attached to a cutting blade, the motor mounted in a motor cup, the motor cup having a threaded external circumferential surface engaged to a threaded internal circumferential surface of a height of cut drum so that the motor cup is rotatable with respect to the drum to raise and lower the motor cup, and

a plurality of detents along the threaded surfaces of the motor cup and drum that engage to hold and maintain the motor cup relative to the drum at a plurality of different heights of cut.

11. The robotic mower height of cut adjustment assembly of claim 10, further comprising a blade shield mounted to the motor cup.

12. The robotic mower height of cut adjustment assembly of claim 10, wherein the motor cup has a plurality of thread starts that engage the height of cut drum.

13. The robotic mower height of cut adjustment assembly of claim 10, wherein the motor cup is rotatable one revolution to move vertically from a lowest position to a highest position.