Steering assembly indicator system for a lawn care or zero-turn vehicle

• US 9,491,903 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2011
• Issued: 11/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Husqvarna AB (HUSQVARNA)
• Original Assignee: Husqvarna AB (HUSQVARNA)
• Inventors: Dwyer, Sean
• Primary Examiner(s): WILSON, BRIAN P
• Application Number:
  US14/354,752
• Publication Number:
  US 20140262560A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,845 Days
• Field of Search: 1/1, 180/6.2, 180/6.48, 180/6.5, 562/29, 563/201, 563/202, 56/102.R, 744/88, 74491-500, 745/19, 745/43, 745/511
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 2101/00 Lawn-mowers
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/001 Accessories not otherwise provided for
• 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: A01D 34/82 Other details
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/824 Handle arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/589 Wireless data transfers
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/782 on the steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/52 Control of displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/589 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/782 on the steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/81 for controlling displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/85 Arrangements for transferring vehicle- or driver-related data
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/00 Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 , e.g. haptic signalling
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/046 Adaptations on rotatable parts of the steering wheel for accommodation of switches
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/12 Hand levers
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0825 using optical means

Abstract

A riding lawn care vehicle may include a steering assembly and an indicator system may be incorporated into a portion of the steering assembly. The steering assembly, which may be, for example, a steering lever on a zero-turn vehicle, is coupled to a mechanism to move at least one wheel, and the indicator system may includes at least one illuminating element and/or display device that is configured to visually communicate information to an operator in response to detection of a predetermined trigger or condition occurring.

Claims

1. A lawn care vehicle comprising:

a first steering lever operably coupled to a first wheel of the lawn care vehicle for steering the lawn care vehicle,

a second steering lever operably coupled to a second wheel of the lawn care vehicle for steering the lawn care vehicle, and

an indicator system comprising a first illuminating element and second illuminating element, the first illuminating element being integral to a first grip portion of the first steering lever, and the second illuminating element being integral to a second grip portion of the second steering lever, wherein the first illuminating element and the second illuminating element are configured to illuminate in response to detection of a predetermined trigger or condition thereby providing an alert to an operator of the lawn care vehicle,

wherein the indicator system further comprises a display screen located on a portion of the lawn care vehicle that is separate from the first steering lever and the second steering lever so that no display screen is located on the first steering lever or the second steering lever, the display screen being configured to present textual information about the alert.

2. The lawn care vehicle of claim 1, wherein the predetermined trigger comprises detecting an incoming communication, and

wherein, in response to the detecting the incoming communication, the first illuminating element and the second illuminating element are configured to illuminate a predetermined color associated with the incoming communication and the display screen is configured to display a textual message regarding the incoming communication.

3. The lawn care vehicle of claim 2, further comprising:

a wireless communication device configured to communicate with a mobile device,

wherein the detecting the incoming communication comprises detecting that the mobile device is receiving at least one of;

a cellular telephone call;

an incoming email;

a short range wireless communication call;

a text message;

a page;

or

a calendar reminder.

4. The lawn care vehicle of claim 2, wherein the display screen is configured to display information about a sender of the incoming communication.

5. The lawn care vehicle of claim 1, wherein the predetermined trigger or condition is based on an incline level.

6. The lawn care vehicle of claim 1, wherein the display screen is mounted to a side console located to the side of a seat for supporting the operator.

7. The lawn care vehicle of claim 1, wherein each steering lever has a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end being located proximate to a frame of the lawn care vehicle and the distal end being proximate to the respective grip portion of each steering lever, and wherein the distal end of the first steering lever opposes the distal end of the second steering lever.

8. The lawn care vehicle of claim 1, wherein each of the first illuminating element and the second illuminating element comprises a light emitting diode.

9. A riding lawn mower comprising:

a vehicle frame;

an operator station operably coupled to the vehicle frame and configured to hold an operator during operation of the riding lawn mower;

a cutting deck operably coupled to the vehicle frame and comprising at least one cutting blade for cutting grass;

a steering assembly operably coupled to a mechanism to move at least one wheel; and

an indicator system operably coupled to the steering assembly, the indicator system configured to provide information to the operator about operation of the riding lawn mower,

wherein the indicator system comprises a first illuminating element and a second illuminating element, and wherein the first illuminating element is integral to a first grip portion of a first steering lever of the steering assembly, and the second illuminating element is integral to a second grip portion of a second steering lever of the steering assembly, wherein the first illuminating element and the second illuminating element are configured to illuminate in response to detection of a predetermined trigger or condition thereby providing an alert to the operator of the riding lawn mower,

wherein each steering lever has a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end being located proximate to the vehicle frame of the riding lawn mower and the distal end being proximate to the respective grip portion of each steering lever, and wherein the first illuminating element is mounted at the distal end of the first steering lever and the second illuminating element is mounted at the distal end of the second steering lever,

wherein the indicator system further comprises a display screen located on a portion of the riding lawn mower that is separate from the first steering lever and the second steering lever so that no display screen is located on the first steering lever or the second steering lever, the display screen being configured to present textual information about the alert.

10. The riding lawn mower of claim 9, wherein the display screen is mounted to a side console located to the side of the operator station.

11. The riding lawn mower of claim 9, wherein the distal end of the first steering lever opposes the distal end of the second steering lever.

12. The riding lawn mower of claim 9, wherein the predetermined trigger comprises detecting an incoming communication, and

wherein, in response to the detecting the incoming communication, the first illuminating element and the second illuminating element are configured to illuminate a predetermined color associated with the incoming communication and the display screen is configured to display a textual message regarding the incoming communication.

13. The riding lawn mower of claim 12, further comprising:

a wireless communication device configured to communicate with a mobile device,

wherein the detecting the incoming communication comprises detecting that the mobile device is receiving at least one of;

a cellular telephone call;

an incoming email;

a short range wireless communication call;

a text message;

a page;

or

a calendar reminder.

14. The riding lawn mower of claim 12, wherein the display screen is configured to display information about a sender of the incoming communication.

15. The riding lawn mower of claim 9, wherein the predetermined trigger or condition is based on an incline level.

16. A zero-turn vehicle comprising:

a first drive wheel;

a second drive wheel configured to be driven at a different speed or in a different direction than the first drive wheel;

a first lever at least partially controlling speed or direction of the first drive wheel;

a second lever at least partially controlling speed or direction of the second drive wheel; and

an indicator system comprising a first illuminating element integral to a first grip portion of the first lever and a second illuminating element integral to a second grip portion of the second lever, the indicator system configured to visually communicate information to an operator of the zero-turn vehicle, wherein the first illuminating element and the second illuminating element are configured to illuminate in response to detection of a predetermined trigger or condition thereby providing an alert to the operator,

wherein the indicator system further comprises a display screen located on a portion of the zero-turn vehicle that is separate from the first lever and the second lever so that no display screen is located on the first lever or the second lever, the display screen being configured to present textual information about the alert.

17. The zero-turn vehicle of claim 16, wherein the first illuminating element and the second illuminating element are configured to illuminate in a plurality of different colors or flashing sequences in response to detection of the predetermined trigger or condition.

18. The zero-turn vehicle of claim 16, wherein the display screen is mounted to a side console located to the side of a seat for supporting the operator.

19. The zero-turn vehicle of claim 16, wherein the predetermined trigger or condition is based on an incline level.