Riding lawn mower

• US 8,544,570 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2008
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kanzaki Kokyukoki Mfg. Co., Ltd. (Yanmar Holdings Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Kanzaki Kokyukoki Mfg. Co., Ltd. (Yanmar Holdings Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ishii, Norihiro, Sasahara, Kengo, Koga, Kazunari, Matsuura, Jun, Ebihara, Tomoyuki, Mizukawa, Katsumoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N
• Assistant Examiner(s): YEAGLEY, DANIEL S
• Application Number:
  US12/014,579
• Publication Number:
  US 20090000839A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,086 Days
• Field of Search: 180/236, 180/6.2, 180/6.48, 180/6.5, 477/1, 701/41
• US Class Current: 180/6.5
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/006 Control or measuring arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/43 mounted on a vehicle, e.g. a tractor, or drawn by an animal or a vehicle
• 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: B60K 17/043 Transmission unit disposed in on near the vehicle wheel, or between the differential gear unit and the wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2007/0076 the motor axle being horizontal
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 7/0007 the motor being electric
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2036 Electric differentials, e.g. for supporting steering vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/40 Working vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/44 Wheel Hub motors, i.e. integrated in the wheel hub
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/24 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/461 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/465 Slip
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/642 Slope of road
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/22 by presence detection
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/24 by lever actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/26 by pedal actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/40 using propulsion power supplied by capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/62 charged by low-power generators primarily intended to support the batteries, e.g. range extenders
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 : Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 : Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/40 : for controlling a combination of batteries and fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 8/003 : Converting light into electric energy, e.g. by using photo-voltaic systems
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 11/003 : Electric or electronic control systems
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 11/04 : by means of separate power sources
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 11/24 : Endless track steering specially adapted for vehicles having both steerable wheels and endless track
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• 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 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 : Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

A riding lawnmower includes left and right wheels, at least one caster wheel, a lawnmower blade or reel, and a control section. The left and right wheels are independently driven by electric rotary machines to travel. The lawnmower blade or reel is driven for mowing. The control section, in response to turn instruction input by a turn operator, controls the left and right wheels according to preset standard setting conditions, or according to deceleration setting conditions which differ from the standard setting conditions, under which at least one of a vehicle movement speed and vehicle turning speed is decelerated more than under standard setting conditions. The riding lawnmower includes a section designating either standard setting conditions or deceleration setting conditions. In a riding lawnmower, left and right wheels are caused to turn around a turn center position corresponding to a turn instruction according to designated setting conditions.

Claims

1. A riding lawnmower, comprising:

left and right wheels as main drive wheels that are each independently driven by an electric rotary machine;

at least one caster wheel as a steering control wheel;

a lawnmower blade or a lawnmower reel that is driven for lawn mowing;

a control section that receives a turn instruction input of a turn operator as an electric signal, and, in response to the turn instruction input by the turn operator, electrically controls, via control of the electric rotary machine, the driving of each of the left and right wheels in accordance with preset standard setting conditions or in accordance with deceleration setting conditions under which at least one of a vehicle movement speed during a turn and a vehicle turning speed is decelerated more than under the standard setting conditions that are different from the standard setting conditions, the vehicle turning speed being a speed of change in speeds of the left and right wheels during a turn; and

a unit that selectively designates one of the standard setting conditions and the deceleration setting conditions;

wherein the left and right wheels are caused to turn around a turn center position corresponding to a turn instruction in accordance with the designated setting conditions; and

wherein the unit that selectively designates one of the standard setting conditions and the deceleration setting conditions is a selection switch or a structure that switches between the standard setting drive mode and the deceleration setting mode in response to a signal of a slope-to-horizontal plane angle from a slope sensor.

2. The riding lawnmower according to claim 1, wherein

the control section:

maintains a mean traveling speed with respect to an intermediate position between the left and right wheels at a constant speed while proceeding with a turn with a decreasing turning radius when executing the standard setting conditions; and

gradually decelerates the mean traveling speed from the constant speed of the standard setting conditions in accordance with a progress of a turn when executing the deceleration setting conditions.

3. The riding lawnmower according to claim 2, wherein

in an event where a turn center position is determined to be on outside of either one of the left and right wheels on an extension in an axle direction of the left and right wheels,

the control section

determines and acquires left and right wheel speeds that are respective traveling speeds of the left and right wheels corresponding to the turn center position;

drives the left and right wheels in accordance with the left and right wheel speeds that are acquired to cause the left and right wheels to turn around the turn center position;

maintains a mean traveling speed with respect to an intermediate position between the left and right wheels at a constant speed while proceeding with a turn when executing the standard setting conditions; and

gradually decelerates the mean traveling speed from the constant speed of the standard setting conditions in accordance with a progress of a turn when executing deceleration setting conditions.

4. The riding lawnmower according to claim 3, wherein

the turn operator is a two lever-type operator that obtains the left and right wheel speeds as a turn instruction input;

and

the control section comprises;

a unit that determines a turn center position in response to a turn instruction input of the two lever-type operator and determines and acquires left and right wheel speeds as respective traveling speeds of the left and right wheels corresponding to the turn center position; and

a drive unit that drives the left and right wheels in accordance with left and right wheel speeds that are instructed by input to cause the left and right wheels to turn around the turn center position.

5. The riding lawnmower according to claim 4, wherein the riding lawnmower further comprises:

a steering frame to which an axle of a caster wheel and a steering control wheel electric rotary machine are attached, the steering frame rotatable around a steering axis in a direction vertical to a ground surface;

a rotary gear disposed on top of the steering frame, wherein when the rotary gear is rotated by a steering actuator, the rotary gear rotates the steering frame about the steering axis; and

a gear mechanism provided, inside the steering frame, between the steering control wheel electric rotary machine and the axle of the caster wheel;

wherein the steering control wheel electric rotary machine is attached on the same side of the steering frame as the caster wheel.

6. The riding lawnmower according to claim 1, wherein

the control section,

when a turn center position is at an area on an inner side of the left and right wheels and a speed of a wheel on one side and a speed of a wheel on another side are in opposite directions to each other, when executing the standard setting conditions, maintains a mean traveling speed at a constant speed until the turn center position enters an area on the inner side of the left and right wheels, and after the turn center position enters the area on the inner side of the left and right wheels, decelerates the mean traveling speed under predetermined conditions as the turn center position approaches an intermediate position between the left and right of the vehicle;

and

when executing the deceleration setting conditions, while continuing to take the mean traveling speed as being the same as under the standard setting conditions, decelerates a speed of a wheel on one side more than the speed under the standard setting conditions.