Lawn Mower

• US 20130128043A1
• Filed: 11/17/2011
• Published: 05/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avnery, Tzvi
• Original Assignee: Avnery, Tzvi
• Inventors: Avnery, Tzvi
• Granted Patent: US 8,857,137 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/001 Accessories not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/008 for automated or remotely controlled operation
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/73 Cutting apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/84 for edges of lawns or fields, e.g. for mowing close to trees or walls for embankments A01D34/86 takes precedence; edge trimmers A01G3/00
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 42/00 Mowers convertible to apparatus for purposes other than mowing; Mowers capable of performing operations other than mowing mowers combined with apparatus performing additional operations while mowing A01D43/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/002 specially adapted for covering the peripheral part of the vehicle, e.g. for viewing tyres, bumpers or the like integrated in the windows B60R1/001; combined with rear-view mirrors B60R1/08
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/105 using multiple cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/303 using joined images, e.g. multiple camera images
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/50 characterised by the display information being shared, e.g. external display, data transfer to other traffic participants or centralised traffic controller
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/802 for monitoring and displaying vehicle exterior blind spot views
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

A vegetation cutting apparatus including a movable carriage having a conveyance system for facilitating conveyance of the carriage over ground. The conveyance system can have conveyance members for facilitating such conveyance. A cutting system can be mounted to the carriage for cutting vegetation. The cutting system can include at least one cutting member which is positionable laterally around the periphery of at least one conveyance member for enabling cutting of vegetation laterally around the at least one conveyance member.

Claims

1. A vegetation cutting apparatus comprising:

a movable carriage having a conveyance system for facilitating conveyance of the carriage over ground, the conveyance system including conveyance members for facilitating such conveyance; and

a cutting system mounted to the carriage for cutting vegetation, the cutting system including at least one cutting member which is positionable laterally around the periphery of at least one conveyance member for enabling cutting of vegetation laterally around the at least one conveyance member.

2. The cutting apparatus of claim 1 in which the cutting apparatus is a lawn mower.

3. The cutting apparatus of claim 1 in which the conveyance members comprise a set of wheels.

4. The cutting apparatus of claim 3 in which the at least one cutting member is positionable laterally around the set of wheels for enabling cutting of vegetation laterally around the set of wheels.

5. The cutting apparatus of claim 4 in which the set of wheels comprise two side drive wheels, and front and rear free wheeling wheels.

6. The cutting apparatus of claim 5 in which the front and rear free wheeling wheels comprise swiveling caster wheels.

7. The cutting apparatus of claim 1 in which the cutting system comprises a rotary member rotatably mounted about a rotary member rotational axis which rotates at least one cutting blade laterally around the at least one conveyance member.

8. The cutting apparatus of claim 7 in which the rotary member has two rotary arms extending on opposite sides of the rotary member rotational axis, each rotary arm for rotating a respective cutting blade around the at least one conveyance member.

9. The cutting apparatus of claim 8 in which each cutting blade is also rotated relative to its respective rotary arm about a respective cutting blade rotational axis.

10. The cutting apparatus of claim 8 in which the cutting system further includes a stationary peripheral vegetation ring member positioned around the at least one conveyance member for laterally engaging the vegetation, the rotating cutting blades being rotated relative to and adjacent to peripheral surfaces of the stationary peripheral vegetation ring member for cutting the laterally engaged vegetation.

11. The cutting apparatus of claim 10 in which the peripheral surfaces of the stationary peripheral vegetation ring member includes at least one portion that has a curve with an increasing radius moving in a rotary arm rotational direction for facilitating cutting action.

12. The cutting apparatus of claim 8 in which the cutting blades are replaceable.

13. The cutting apparatus of claim 3 in which the set of wheels includes drive wheels for driving the cutting apparatus, the cutting apparatus further comprising first and second cameras mounted thereto that face in two different directions, images from the first and second cameras being combined together to form a single combined image to provide remote viewing of the cutting apparatus.

14. The cutting apparatus of claim 13 in which the images are combined together with pixel smoothing.

15. The cutting apparatus of claim 13 in which the cameras are mounted to a structure extending above the carriage and each have views, one camera being angled downwardly forwardly and the other camera being angled downwardly rearwardly, the views of the cameras being overlapped with each other, the single combined image showing front and rear ends, and sides, of the cutting apparatus as well as some adjacent environment.

16. The cutting apparatus of claim 13 in which the cutting apparatus includes more than two cameras mounted thereto, and the images from the more than two cameras being combined together to form a single combined image.

17. The cutting apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a protective grill substantially surrounding a lateral periphery of the cutting system, the protective grill comprising a series of grill members that are spaced apart from each other for blocking lateral passage of large objects to the cutting system while allowing the passage of vegetation to be cut.

18. A lawn mower comprising:

a movable carriage including a conveyance system having a set of wheels for conveying the carriage over ground;

a cutting system mounted to the carriage for cutting grass, the cutting system including a rotary member which rotates cutting blades laterally around the set of wheels for enabling cutting of the grass laterally around the set of wheels.

19. A vegetation cutting apparatus comprising:

a stationary peripheral vegetation ring member for laterally engaging vegetation; and

a rotary blade rotating relative to and adjacent to peripheral surfaces of the stationary peripheral vegetation ring member for cutting the laterally engaged vegetation.

20. A spreading apparatus comprising:

a movable carriage having a conveyance system for facilitating conveyance of the carriage over ground, the conveyance system including conveyance members for facilitating such conveyance; and

a spreading system mounted to the carriage for spreading spreadable components, the spreading system including at least one spreading member which is positionable laterally around the periphery of at least one conveyance member for enabling spreading of the spreadable components laterally around the at least one conveyance member.

21. A viewing system for a mobile apparatus comprising:

a first viewing camera mounted above the mobile apparatus and angled downwardly forwardly;

a second viewing camera mounted above the mobile apparatus and angled downwardly rearwardly, images from the first and second cameras being overlapped with each other and combined together to form a single combined image showing front and rear ends, and sides, of the mobile apparatus as well as some adjacent environment, to provide remote viewing of the mobile apparatus.

38. The method of claim 21 further comprising substantially surrounding a lateral periphery of the cutting system with a protective grill, the protective grill comprising a series of grill members that are spaced apart from each other for blocking lateral passage of large objects to the cutting system while allowing the passage of vegetation to be cut.

22. A method of cutting vegetation comprising:

conveying a movable carriage of a cutting apparatus over ground, the moveable carriage having conveyance system with conveyance members for facilitating such conveyance; and

cutting the vegetation with a cutting system that is mounted to the carriage, the cutting system including at least one cutting member which is positionable laterally around the periphery of at least one conveyance member for enabling cutting of vegetation laterally around the at least one conveyance member.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising forming the cutting apparatus as a lawn mower.

24. The method of claim 22 further comprising providing a set of wheels as the conveyance members.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising positioning the at least one cutting member laterally around the set of wheels for enabling cutting of vegetation laterally around the set of wheels.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising providing the set of wheels with two side drive wheels, and front and rear free wheeling wheels.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising providing swiveling caster wheels as the free wheeling wheels.

28. The method of claim 22 further comprising rotating at least one cutting blade of the cutting system laterally around the at least one conveyance member with a rotary member, the rotary member being rotatably mounted about a rotary member rotational axis.

29. The method of claim 28 further comprising providing the rotary member with two rotary arms extending on opposite sides of the rotary member rotational axis, each rotary arm for rotating a respective cutting blade around the at least one conveyance member.

30. The method of claim 29 further comprising also rotating each cutting blade relative to its respective rotary arm about a respective cutting blade rotational axis.

31. The method of claim 29 further comprising laterally engaging the vegetation with a stationary peripheral vegetation ring member positioned around the at least one conveyance member, the rotating cutting blades being rotated relative to and adjacent to peripheral surfaces of the stationary peripheral vegetation ring member for cutting the laterally engaged vegetation.

32. The method of claim 31 further comprising providing the peripheral surfaces of the stationary peripheral vegetation ring member with at least one portion that has a curve with an increasing radius moving in a rotary arm rotational direction for facilitating cutting action.

33. The method of claim 29 further comprising providing the cutting system with cutting blades that are replaceable.

34. The method of claim 24 in which the set of wheels includes drive wheels for driving the cutting apparatus, the method further comprising mounting first and second cameras to the cutting apparatus that face in two different directions, images from the first and second cameras being combined together to form a single combined image to provide remote viewing of the cutting apparatus.

35. The method of claim 34 further combining the images together with pixel smoothing.

36. The method of claim 34 further comprising mounting the cameras to a post extending above the carriage and each camera viewing views, one camera being angled downwardly forwardly and the other camera being angled downwardly rearwardly, the views of the cameras being overlapped with each other, the single combined image showing front and rear ends, and sides, of the cutting apparatus as well as some adjacent environment.

37. The method of claim 34 further comprising mounting more than two cameras to the cutting apparatus and combining the images from the more than two cameras together to form the single combined image.

39. A method of mowing a lawn comprising:

conveying a movable carriage of a lawn mower over ground, the movable carriage including a conveyance system having a set of wheels;

cutting grass with a cutting system mounted to the carriage, the cutting system including a rotary member which rotates cutting blades laterally around the set of wheels for enabling cutting of the grass laterally around the set of wheels.

40. A method of cutting vegetation comprising:

laterally engaging vegetation with a stationary peripheral vegetation ring member on a cutting apparatus; and

cutting the laterally engaged vegetation with a rotary blade rotating relative to and adjacent to peripheral surfaces of the stationary peripheral vegetation ring member.

41. A method of spreading spreadable components comprising:

conveying a movable carriage of a spreading apparatus over ground, the movable carriage including a conveyance system having a set of wheels;

spreading the spreadable components with a spreading system mounted to the carriage, the spreading system including at least one spreading member which is positionable laterally around the periphery of at least one conveyance member for enabling spreading of the spreadable components laterally around the at least one conveyance member.

42. A method of viewing a mobile apparatus comprising:

mounting a first viewing camera above the mobile apparatus and angled downwardly forwardly;

mounting a second viewing camera above the mobile apparatus and angled downwardly rearwardly, images from the first and second cameras being overlapped with each other and combined together to form a single combined image showing front and rear ends, and sides, of the mobile apparatus as well as some adjacent environment, to provide remote viewing of the mobile apparatus.