Border-signal generating and wire winding device for border recognition of self-propelled mower

• US 9,690,298 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2015
• Issued: 06/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Egenpower Inc.
• Original Assignee: Egenpower Inc.
• Inventors: Zhu, Fei-Yun, Chiu, Yao-Hsi
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US14/712,379
• Publication Number:
  US 20160334803A1
• Time in Patent Office: 775 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 2101/00 Lawn-mowers
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/008 for automated or remotely controlled operation
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0265 using buried wires
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0276 using signals provided by a source external to the vehicle involving a plurality of vehicles G05D1/0287; automatically controlling vehicle speed responsive to externally generated signals B60K31/0058

Abstract

A border-signal generating and wire winding device for border recognition of a self-propelled mower includes a seat; a reel rotatably installed on the seat; a lever provided at one end of the reel for a user to operate and rotate the reel; two power sockets provided on the seat or on the reel; an electric wire removably wound around the reel and having two plugs at two ends thereof for being detachably plugged into the two power sockets; and a signal-generating module provided on the seat or on the reel and electrically connected to the two power sockets. When the electric wire is connected to the two power sockets through the two plugs, the signal-generating module continuously generates a border signal that is continuously transmitted to the electric wire through the two power sockets.

Claims

1. A border-signal generating and wire winding device for border recognition of a self-propelled mower, comprising:

a seat;

a reel, being rotatably installed on the seat;

a lever, mounted at one end of the reel to be operated to drive the reel;

two power sockets, mounted on the seat or on the reel;

an electric wire, being removably wound around the reel and having two ends thereof each provided with a plug to be detachably plugged into the two power sockets; and

a signal generator, mounted on the seat or on the reel and electrically connected to the two power sockets, so that when the electric wire is connected to the two power sockets through the two plugs, the signal generator continuously generates a border signal that is continuously transmitted to the electric wire through the two power sockets.

2. The border-signal generating and wire winding device of claim 1, wherein the signal generator comprises a microcontroller, a border-signal driving module, a power source module, and a border-signal power module.

3. The border-signal generating and wire winding device of claim 1, wherein the border signal is a pulse signal or a sine wave signal or a consistent DC voltage.

4. The border-signal generating and wire winding device of claim 1, wherein the seat has a bottom and two vertical walls standing at two sides of the bottom, and the reel is rotatably connected to the two vertical walls and passing through the two vertical walls.

5. The border-signal generating and wire winding device of claim 4, wherein the two power sockets are provided on the reel.

6. The border-signal generating and wire winding device of claim 4, wherein the lever is fixed to one of exposed ends of the reel exposed at the two vertical walls.

7. The border-signal generating and wire winding device of claim 4, further comprising a handle that spans across the two vertical walls.

8. The border-signal generating and wire winding device of claim 4, further comprising a plurality of nails provided at an underside of the bottom and extending downward to be inserted into a ground, thereby positioning the border-signal generating and wire winding device in use.

9. The border-signal generating and wire winding device of claim 1, wherein each said plug comprises an openable casing and an electrically conductive fork received in the casing, and is assembled with the electric wire, in which the electrically conductive fork abuts against the electric wire so as to cut into a surface of the electric wire and come into electrical connection with a leading core inside the electric wire, and the casing is closed to cover the electrically conductive fork and a part of the electric wire.