LAWN-MOWER

• US 20080282658A1
• Filed: 04/23/2008
• Published: 11/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fabrizio Bernini
• Original Assignee: Fabrizio Bernini
• Inventors: Bernini, Fabrizio
• Granted Patent: US 7,613,552 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 56/10.2E
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/008 for automated or remotely controlled operation

Abstract

Lawn-mower comprising one or more motor-driven wheels and at least one cutting device, and further comprising means for determining a distance value of an external mass to modify the behaviour of said lawn-mower in response to said distance.

Claims

1. Lawn-mower (1) comprising:

a motor-drive (2),

at least one cutting device (3),

at least one presence sensor (4) for detecting the presence of an external mass within a predetermined distance which is greater than or equal to zero, and

means for operating said lawn-mower (1) in response to said sensor (4).

2. Lawn-mower according to claim 1, wherein at least one presence sensor is a proximity sensor.

3. Lawn-mower according to claim 1, comprising:

a holding shell,

an motor-drive which is activable/deactivable under control, comprising one or more motor-driven wheels (2) associated with said shell,

at least one cutting device (3) which is activable/deactivable under control and attached to said shell,

means for determining a distance value of an external mass detected by said sensor from at least one point of the shell.

4. Lawn-mower according to claim 1, wherein said means for operating the lawn-mower (1) comprise means for modifying the condition of motion of same lawn-mower (1).

5. Lawn-mower according to claim 1, wherein said means for operating the lawn-mower comprise means for interrupting/restoring the operation of said cutting device (3).

6. Lawn-mower according to claim 1, comprising a presence sensor (4) able to detect the presence/absence of a grass surface (E) above and/or below a predetermined height (T).

7. Lawn-mower according to claim 1, comprising a presence sensor (4) able to detect the presence of an external mass (M) including an external body at a horizontal distance (H).

8. Lawn-mower according to claim 1, wherein said cutting device (3) is a rotating blade disposed under the shell.

9. Lawn-mower according to claim 1, wherein at least one presence sensor (4) is disposed below and in close proximity of the cutting device (3).

10. Lawn-mower according to claim 1, wherein said presence sensor (4) comprises an electronic proximity sensor including MOS junction components.

11. Lawn-mower according to claim 1, wherein said presence sensor (4) is selected among sensors of mechanical, optical, chromatic, radio, capacitive, inductive, or ultrasound type.

12. Method for operating a lawn-mower apparatus (1) comprising a motor-drive (2) and at least one cutting device (3), the method comprising the steps of detecting the presence of a mass within a predetermined distance which is greater than or equal to zero and operating said lawn-mower (1) in response to said presence/absence detection.

13. Method according to claim 12, wherein said lawn-mower (1) comprises a holding shell, and said presence detection consists in the detection of a mass within a distance form a point of said shell.

14. Method according to claim 12, wherein said presence detection comprises a proximity detection.

15. Method according to claim 12, wherein said step of detecting the presence of an external mass comprises the detection of absence of grass surface below a height (T), and said step of operating the lawn-mower (1) comprises a step of modifying the direction of motion of the lawn-mower (1) and of searching for a cut region with the presence of grass surface.

16. Method according to claim 12, wherein said step of detecting the presence of an external mass comprises the detection of presence of grass surface above a height (T), and said operating step comprises the actuation of the cutting device.

17. Method according to claim 12, wherein said step of detecting the presence of an external mass comprises the detection of the presence of grass surface below a height (T) and the absence of grass surface above said height (T).

18. Method according to claim 12, wherein said step of detecting the presence of an external mass comprises the detection of the presence of an external body within a predetermined distance (H), and said step of operating the lawn-mower (1) comprises a step of interrupting the operation of the cutting device (3).