Battery tray and wiring harness for a walk-behind reel greensmower

• US 7,434,642 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2005
• Issued: 10/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Textron Inc
• Original Assignee: Textron Inc
• Inventors: Dettmann, Benjamin D.
• Primary Examiner(s): FABIAN-KOVACS, ARPAD
• Application Number:
  US11/311,861
• Publication Number:
  US 20060096266A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,030 Days
• Field of Search: 56/119, 562/94, 562/49, 180/68.5, 372/46, 429/100, 429/163
• US Class Current: 180/68.5
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/58 electric
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 69/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/20 for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/40 Working vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/425 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

A greensmower having a cutting reel and a traction member and an independent electric circuit and motor for driving each. A handle is attached to the reel for mower guidance by an operator in a walk-behind position. Separate electric controls are connected to each motor for separate speeds for each motor and thereby control the clip rate of the mowing. There are low battery power read-outs and automatic shutoffs. Provision is made for traction powering of the mower even when the reel motor is not operating because of low battery power. A lift-out battery pack is shiftably mounted on the mower for producing the desired force of the mower on the ground.

Claims

1. A battery-powered mower assembly comprising:

a frame having a rotatable grass cutting reel, said frame including a pair of support members, said support member having an axis;

an electric motor supported on said frame and being in driving relationship with said grass cutting reel, said electric motor having an output shaft rotating about an axis;

a battery tray coupled to said frame, said battery tray defining a longitudinal axis which is transverse to the axis of said support members so that said tray spans between the support members, said battery tray including a first connector positioned below the tray and between said pair of support members;

a wiring harness electrically interconnecting said first connector and said electric motor; and

a battery box having a battery enclosed therein, said battery electrically coupled to a second connector mounted on said battery box, said battery box being mounted on said tray such that during mounting, said battery box or said connector is moved along an axis perpendicular to said motor output shaft axis so that said second connector is electrically coupled to said first connector along said perpendicular axis.

2. The battery-powered mower assembly of claim 1 wherein said first connector includes a female receptacle mounted to a substantially horizontal base plate of said battery tray.

3. The battery-powered mower assembly of claim 2 wherein said second connector includes a male plug downwardly extending from said battery box.

4. The battery-powered mower assembly of claim 1 further including a ground engaging traction member, said traction member being selectively driven to provide motive force to said mower assembly, said wiring harness electrically interconnecting said first connector and a second electric motor, said second electric motor being supported on said frame and being in driving relationship with said traction member.

5. The battery-powered mower assembly of claim 4 wherein the rotational speed of said electric motor and said second electric motor are separately controllable.

6. The battery-powered mower assembly of claim 1 wherein said motor output shaft axis is positioned substantially parallel to the ground.

7. A battery-powered mower assembly comprising:

a frame having a rotatable grass cutting reel, said frame including a pair of support members, said support member having an axis;

an electric motor supported on the frame and being in driving relationship with the grass cutting reel;

a battery tray coupled to the frame, the battery tray having a bottom surface including an aperture extending therethrough, said battery tray defining a longitudinal axis which is transverse to the axis of said support members so that said tray spans between the support members;

a receptacle mounted to the battery tray below said bottom surface and in alignment with the aperture positioned between said pair of support members;

a wiring harness electrically interconnecting the receptacle and the electric motor; and

a battery box having a battery enclosed therein, the battery being electrically coupled to a plug mounted on the battery box, the plug extending through the bottom surface to be received within the receptacle and being electrically coupled to the receptacle by placement of the battery box upon the bottom surface of said battery tray.

8. The battery-powered mower assembly of claim 7 wherein the electric motor has an output shaft positioned a first distance above a ground surface and wherein the battery box engages the bottom tray at a second distance from the ground surface less than the first distance.

9. The battery-powered mower assembly of claim 8 wherein the battery tray includes a substantially planar support surface extending substantially parallel to the ground surface.

10. The battery-powered mower assembly of claim 9 wherein the battery box includes spaced apart feet in engagement with the support surface.

11. The battery-powered mower assembly of claim 10 wherein the battery tray includes substantially parallel, spaced apart side rails interconnected by the support surface, the side rails restricting lateral movement of the battery box relative to the battery tray.

12. The battery-powered mower assembly of claim 7 further including a releasable latch mounted to the battery tray and being operable to restrict vertical movement of the battery box relative to the battery tray.

13. The battery-powered mower assembly of claim 7 further including a ground engaging roller selectively driven by power provided by the battery.

14. A battery-powered mower assembly comprising:

a frame having spaced apart vertically oriented side plates interconnected by fore and aft cross-members, the frame rotatably supporting a grass cutting reel and a ground engaging roller;

an electric motor supported on the frame and being in driving relationship with the grass cutting reel;

a battery tray having a bottom plate, said battery tray defining a longitudinal axis which is transverse to the axis of said support members so that said tray spans between the support members;

a first connector mounted to the battery tray bottom plate and positioned below said plate positioned between said pair of support members and being in electrical communication with the electric motor; and

a battery box having a battery enclosed therein, the battery being electrically coupled to a second connector, the second connector extending through said bottom plate and being electrically coupled to the first connector by placement of the battery box on the bottom plate.

15. The battery-powered mower assembly of claim 14 wherein the bottom plate is substantially planar extending substantially parallel to the ground.

16. The battery-powered mower assembly of claim 15 wherein the first connector is mounted to a bottom surface of the bottom plate and in communication with an aperture extending through the bottom plate.

17. The battery-powered mower assembly of claim 16 wherein the battery tray spans across the ground engaging roller.

18. The battery-powered mower assembly of claim 17 wherein the battery tray spans the ground engaging roller in a direction substantially perpendicular to a roller axis of rotation.

19. The battery-powered mower assembly of claim 18 wherein an axis of rotation of the electric motor is positioned further from the ground than the battery tray is positioned from the ground.

20. The battery-powered mower assembly of claim 14 wherein the battery tray includes substantially parallel, spaced apart side rails interconnected by the bottom plate, the side rails restricting lateral movement of the battery box relative to the battery tray.

21. The battery-powered mower assembly of claim 14 wherein the grass cutting reel and the ground engaging roller rotate about spaced apart axes extending substantially parallel to the ground.

22. A battery-powered mower assembly comprising:

a frame supporting a grass cutting reel rotatable about a reel axis, said reel axis extending substantially parallel to a ground surface, said frame including a pair of support members, said support member having an axis;

an electric motor supported on said frame and being in driving relationship with said grass cutting reel, said electric motor having an output shaft rotating about an axis parallel to said reel axis;

a battery tray coupled to said frame, said battery tray defining a longitudinal axis which is transverse to the axis of said support members so that said tray spans between the support members;

a first connector fixed to said battery tray positioned below the tray and between said pair of support members;

a wiring harness electrically interconnecting said first connector and said electric motor; and

a battery box having a removable battery enclosed therein, said battery being electrically coupled to a second connector mounted to said battery box, said battery box being mounted on said tray such that during mounting, said battery box or said connector is moved along an axis perpendicular to said motor output shaft and said reel axes so that said second connector is electrically coupled to said first connector along said perpendicular axis.

23. The battery-powered mower assembly of claim 22 wherein said battery box and said battery tray are spaced apart from said electric motor.

24. The battery-powered mower assembly of claim 22 wherein said output shaft is positioned a first distance above the ground surface and wherein said battery box engages said bottom tray at a second distance from the ground surface less than said first distance.

25. The battery-powered mower assembly of claim 22 further including a ground engaging traction member, said traction member being selectively driven to provide motive force to said mower assembly, said wiring harness electrically interconnecting said first connector and a second electric motor, said second electric motor being supported on said frame and being in driving relationship with said traction member.

26. The battery-powered mower assembly of claim 25 wherein the rotational speed of said electric motor and said second electric motor are separately controllable.