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US 10,868,435 B2Granted
Charging station mounted on a powered driveable machine
AssigneeGreen Industry Innovators, L.L.C.
InventorsSteffon Hoppel, Todd Pugh
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A mower having a supplemental battery charging station mounted thereon is provided. The mower utilizes a flywheel/alternator arrangement to output a selected voltage. The voltage is directed to the supplement battery charging station. The supplemental batteries are thereby charged at the charging station as the mower is driven forward or in another direction. The lawn mower also includes a rack (which may be in the form of a hook) to carry a battery powered supplemental lawn maintenance tool, such as a weed trimmer, hedger, edger, or leaf blower, amongst others.
Claims19
A method comprising:
- transferring electrical power from a power source on a powered drivable machine to a terminal in a battery pack base on the powered drivable machine,
- charging a supplemental battery connected to the terminal in the battery pack base;
- supporting a supplemental tool via a support on the powered drivable machine, wherein the support orients a maximum dimension of the supplemental tool nonparallel to a vertical direction of the powered drivable machine, wherein the supplemental tool includes a battery receptacle sized to receive the supplemental battery, wherein the supplement tool is configured to be powered by the supplemental battery when the supplemental tool is removed from the support on the powered drivable machine and the supplemental battery is connected to the battery receptacle and the powered drivable machine is not moving;
- positioning the supplemental tool on the support with the battery receptacle closer to an operator support than a distal head of the supplemental tool;
- and
- wherein at least one of the supplemental tool and the battery pack base is open to the environment.
3 more elements
A method comprising:
- removing a supplemental battery from a battery pack base on a powered drivable machine that is not moving;
- removing a supplemental tool from a connection with the powered drivable machine without altering a center of gravity of the powered drivable machine by more than 5%, wherein the connection supports the supplemental tool and orients the supplemental tool in a position in which a maximum dimension of the supplemental tool is nonparallel to a vertical axis of the powered drivable machine, wherein the vertical axis is defined from a bottom to a top of the powered drivable machine;
- connecting the supplemental battery to the supplemental tool;
- powering the supplemental tool with the supplemental battery to deplete an electrical charge of the supplemental battery;
- disconnecting the supplemental battery from the supplemental tool;
- connecting the supplemental battery to the battery pack base to recharge the supplemental battery;
- and
- reattaching the supplement tool to the connection with the Powered drivable machine without altering the center of gravity of the powered drivable machine by more than 5%, and orienting the maximum dimension of the supplemental tool nonparallel to the vertical axis.
5 more elements
A method comprising the steps of:
- powering an alternator with an engine supported by a mower frame;
- charging a repeatably removable supplemental battery in a battery pack base supported by the mower frame, wherein the supplemental battery configured to power a distinct battery powered tool when the supplemental battery is removed from the battery pack base, wherein the battery pack base is positioned forward of an operator support for the mower frame that enables an operator to reach both drive controls and the supplemental battery in the battery pack base without dismounting from the operator support;
- supporting the distinct battery powered tool via a rack that orients a maximum dimension of the supplemental tool nonparallel to a vertical direction of the mower frame, and wherein a longitudinal direction is defined from a front end to a rear end of the mower frame having a first dimension measured from the bottom to the top and the maximum dimension of the distinct battery powered tool is less than the first dimension;
- separating the distinct battery powered tool from the rack indirectly supported by the mower frame;
- removing the supplemental battery from the battery pack base;
- connecting the supplemental battery to the distinct battery powered tool;
- actuating an element on the distinct battery powered tool with an electrical charge from the supplemental battery while simultaneously depleting potential energy from the supplemental battery;
- removing the supplemental battery from the distinct battery powered tool;
- reconnecting the supplemental battery to the battery pack base;
- recharging the supplemental battery while supported by the battery pack base;
- and
- attaching the battery powered tool to the rack.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.