LAWN-MOWER

• US 20090183478A1
• Filed: 01/13/2009
• Published: 07/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fabrizio Bernini
• Original Assignee: Fabrizio Bernini
• Inventors: BERNINI, FABRIZIO
• Granted Patent: US 7,668,631 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 56/10.20A
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 69/008 automatic
• 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 2201/0208 Lawn mower

Abstract

A lawn-mower (1) comprises: a motor unit (2) for the directional displacement of the lawn-mower; a cutting device (3) means for detecting a perimeter (L) of a cut area (A); means for detecting a condition of alignment of lawn-mower (1) with said perimeter (L); a control unit (20) operatively associated with the alignment-condition detecting means for receiving a signal therefrom representative of the condition of alignment with the perimeter, and operatively connected to the motor unit to cause a displacement of the lawn-mower along the same perimeter in response to the alignment signal.

Claims

1. Lawn-mower (1) comprising:

a motor unit (2) for the directional displacement of the lawn-mower,

a cutting device (3),

means for detecting a perimeter (L) of a cut area (A),

characterized in that it comprises means for detecting a condition of alignment of lawn-mower (1) with said perimeter (L) and in that it comprises a control unit (20) operatively associated with said alignment condition-detecting means for receiving a signal therefrom representative of the condition of alignment with said perimeter, and operatively connected to said motor unit to cause a displacement of the lawn-mower along the same perimeter in response to the alignment signal.

2. Lawn-mower according to claim 1, comprising means for causing the lawn-mower to move in a preset direction of displacement along said perimeter.

3. Lawn-mower according to claim 2, wherein said means for aligning the lawn-mower with the perimeter comprise two sensors (4a, 4b) and said means for determining the direction of displacement are active for keeping both sensors in proximity of the perimeter.

4. Lawn-mower according to claim 1, wherein said means for detecting a condition of proximity of the lawn-mower with respect to said perimeter comprise a sensor of mechanical contact type.

5. Lawn-mower according to claim 1, wherein said perimeter is defined by a line of grass surface (E) having height greater than a value (T), and said means for detecting a condition of alignment comprise a proximity sensor (4) able to detect the presence if any of a grass surface exceeding said height.

6. Lawn-mower according to claim 1, wherein said perimeter is defined at least partly by a perimetric wire, and said means for detecting a condition of alignment comprise a sensor able to detect the presence if any of said wire.

7. Apparatus for cutting grass, comprising a lawn-mower according to claim 1, and further comprising a lawn-mower-recovery base disposed along said perimeter (L) of the cut area (A) with an accessible aperture (11) allowing the entry of the lawn-mower moving along said perimeter.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said lawn-mower is a self-propelled, battery-rechargeable lawn-mower, and said base is a recharge base provided with an electric connection to a power supply, and wherein said base and said lawn-mower are provided with respective electric connections (13, 14;

15, 16) to establish an electric connection between said power supply and said lawn-mower and to carry out a recharge of said batteries.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said respective connections are preset for establishing said electric connection between the power supply and the lawn-mower in an automatic mode upon the entry of the lawn-mower into the base (10).

10. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said respective connections are of inductive coupling type.

11. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said recharge base comprises a guide device to guide said lawn-mower (1) when the latter is at a predetermined distance from said base (10).

12. Lawn-mower (1) comprising:

a motor unit (2) for the directional displacement of the lawn-mower,

a cutting device (3),

means for detecting a perimeter (L) of a cut area (A),

characterized in that it comprises means for detecting a condition of proximity of the lawn-mower (1) with respect to said perimeter (L) and in that it comprises a control unit (20) operatively associated with said proximity condition-detecting means for receiving a signal therefrom representative of the condition of proximity to said perimeter (L), and operatively connected to said motor unit (2) to cause a displacement of the lawn-mower (1) over a predetermined trajectory with respect to the same perimeter (L) in response to said proximity signal.

13. Lawn-mower according to claim 12, wherein said predetermined trajectory with respect to said perimeter (L) is trajectory comprising a succession of arcs of a circle.