Highly maneuverable mowing vehicle with Mecanum wheels
First Claim
1. A highly maneuverable mowing vehicle, comprising:
- a frame;
a prime mover mounted to the frame;
an alternator mounted to the frame and engaged with the prime mover;
a battery mounted to the frame and in electrical communication with the alternator;
a controller mounted to the frame and in electrical communication with the battery;
a mowing deck mounted to the frame and in electrical communication with the controller;
a set of four variable drive units mounted to the frame and in electrical communication with the controller;
a set of four Mecanum wheels, each mounted to one of the set of four variable drive units; and
a joystick mounted on the vehicle and in electrical communication with the controller, the joystick comprising a stalk pivotable about a pivot point and rotatable about a twist axis to provide user input to the controller;
wherein a rotational speed and a rotational direction of each of the four variable drive units are based on at least one of a pivot position of the stalk and a rotational position of the stalk.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Highly maneuverable utility vehicles having Mecanum wheels capable of traveling in a variety of different directions and turning in a zero turn manner may include one or more controllers in communication with drive units for powering the Mecanum wheels. A multi-axis interface, such as a joystick, may be connected to the controller for proportionally controlling the direction and speed of the vehicle, and for providing different manners in which the vehicle may enter zero-turn mode. The joystick may include at least one pushbutton for switching between programmed travel modes or selecting an auxiliary function. The controller may be programmed to permit the vehicle to operate in different operating modes.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A highly maneuverable mowing vehicle, comprising:
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a frame; a prime mover mounted to the frame; an alternator mounted to the frame and engaged with the prime mover; a battery mounted to the frame and in electrical communication with the alternator; a controller mounted to the frame and in electrical communication with the battery; a mowing deck mounted to the frame and in electrical communication with the controller; a set of four variable drive units mounted to the frame and in electrical communication with the controller; a set of four Mecanum wheels, each mounted to one of the set of four variable drive units; and a joystick mounted on the vehicle and in electrical communication with the controller, the joystick comprising a stalk pivotable about a pivot point and rotatable about a twist axis to provide user input to the controller; wherein a rotational speed and a rotational direction of each of the four variable drive units are based on at least one of a pivot position of the stalk and a rotational position of the stalk. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A vehicle, comprising:
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a frame; a prime mover mounted on the frame; an alternator mounted on the vehicle and engaged with the prime mover via a belt and pulley assembly; a battery mounted on the vehicle and in electrical communication with the alternator, the alternator to charge the battery; a controller mounted on the vehicle and in electrical communication with the battery; a set of four variable drive units mounted on the frame and powered by the controller; a set of four Mecanum wheels, each mounted to one of the set of four variable drive units; a mowing deck mounted to the frame and powered by the controller, the mowing deck comprising a first cutting blade having a first cutting area and a second cutting blade having a second cutting area, wherein the first cutting area extends beyond the sides of a first pair of the set of four Mecanum wheels on a first side of the vehicle, and the second cutting area extends beyond the sides of a second pair of the set of four Mecanum wheels on a second side of the vehicle; and a joystick mounted on the vehicle and in electrical communication with the controller, the joystick comprising a stalk pivotable about a pivot point and rotatable about a twist axis, to provide user input to the controller; wherein a rotational speed and a rotational direction of each of the four variable drive units are based on at least one of a pivot position of the stalk and a rotational position of the stalk. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A hybrid vehicle comprising:
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a frame; a set of wheel hub motors mounted to the frame; a set of Mecanum wheels respectively engaged with the set of wheel hub motors; a prime mover mounted to the frame; an alternator mounted to the frame and engaged with the prime mover; a battery mounted to the frame and in electrical communication with the alternator; a mowing deck mounted to the frame; a joystick mounted to the frame comprising a stalk pivotable about a pivot point and rotatable about a twist axis; and a controller mounted to the frame and in electrical communication with the set of wheel hub motors, the battery, the mowing deck, and the joystick, wherein a rotational speed and a rotational direction of each of the set of wheel hub motors are based on at least one of a pivot position of the stalk and a rotational position of the stalk. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification