# US 11,026,366 B2 · Power equipment > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,026,366 B2 - Document ID: US11026366B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/342,483 - Filed: 2017-11-16 - Published: 2019-09-05 - Granted: 2021-06-08 - Earliest claimed: 2016-11-25 - Assignees: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Jun Fukano; Masato Takeda; Keisuke Muraoka - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11026366B2 ## CPC - A01D 34/006: {Control or measuring arrangements} - A01D 34/6806: {Driving mechanisms (for the cutters A01D34/76)} - A01B 33/02: with tools on horizontal shaft transverse to direction of travel - A01B 33/028: {of the walk-behind type (walk-type tractors B62D51/04)} - A01D 34/67: hand-guided by a walking operator - A01D 34/68: with motor driven cutters or wheels - A01D 34/69: with motor driven wheels - A01D 34/78: electric - A01D 69/02: electric - B62D 51/06: Uniaxle walk-type tractors - E01H 5/04: Apparatus propelled by animal or engine power; Apparatus propelled by hand with driven dislodging or conveying {levelling} elements, conveying pneumatically {for the dislodged material}(E01H5/10, E01H5/12 take precedence) - G05D 1/00: Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots (drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00) - A01D 2101/00: Lawn-mowers - A01D: HARVESTING; MOWING - A01B: SOIL WORKING IN AGRICULTURE OR FORESTRY; PARTS, DETAILS, OR ACCESSORIES OF AGRICULTURAL MACHINES OR IMPLEMENTS, IN GENERAL (making or covering furrows or holes for sowing, planting or manuring A01C5/00; mowers convertible to soil working apparatus or capable of soil working A01D42/04; mowers combined with soil working implements A01D43/12; soil working for engineering purposes E01, E02, E21) - B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M) - E01H: STREET CLEANING; CLEANING OF PERMANENT WAYS; CLEANING BEACHES; DISPERSING {OR PREVENTING} FOG IN GENERAL {CLEANING STREET OR RAILWAY FURNITURE OR TUNNEL WALLS}(cleaning in general B08B) - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES ## Abstract Walk-behind power equipment includes: a main body provided with at least one front wheel and left and right rear wheels and a work unit; travel motors provided for the respective rear wheels; a handle extending from the main body rearward and upward; at least one of a tilt angle detector that detects a tilt angle of the main body and a load detector that detects a downward load applied to the handle; a yaw rate detector that detects a yaw rate; and a control unit that drive-controls the travel motors. The control unit determines whether the main body is in a rearward tilted state based on the tilt angle or the downward load, and if it is determined that the main body is not in the rearward tilted state, performs straight-line travel control to set a rotational speed difference between the travel motors to reduce the yaw rate. ## Claims ### Claim 1 Walk-behind power equipment, comprising: a main body provided with at least one front wheel and a pair of left and right rear wheels; a work unit provided on the main body; a pair of left and right travel motors provided for the respective rear wheels; a handle connected to the main body and extending rearward and upward; a tilt angle detector that detects a tilt angle of the main body; a yaw rate detector that detects a yaw rate generated on the main body; and a control unit that drive-controls the travel motors, wherein the control unit determines whether the main body is in a rearward tilted state based on the tilt angle, and if it is determined that the main body is not in the rearward tilted state, the control unit performs straight-line travel control to set a rotational speed difference between the left and right travel motors to reduce the yaw rate, and if it is determined that the main body is in the rearward tilted state, the control unit does not perform the straight-line travel control. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The power equipment according to claim 1, further comprising a lateral load detector that detects a leftward or rightward lateral load applied to the handle, wherein when it is determined that the main body is in the rearward tilted state, the control unit determines a turning direction of the main body based on a direction of the lateral load, and performs turn assist control to set a rotational speed difference between the left and right travel motors such that a rotational speed of the travel motor on a turning direction side is lower than a rotational speed of the other travel motor to assist turning in the turning direction. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The power equipment according to claim 1, wherein when it is determined that the main body is in the rearward tilted state, the control unit determines a turning direction of the main body based on a direction of the yaw rate, and performs turn assist control to set a rotational speed difference between the left and right travel motors such that a rotational speed of the travel motor on a turning direction side is lower than a rotational speed of the other travel motor to assist turning in the turning direction. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The power equipment according to claim 2 wherein in the turn assist control, the control unit drive-controls the travel motor such that the main body turns 180 degrees. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The power equipment according to claim 2, wherein the work unit includes a lawn mowing blade rotated by a work motor, and in the turn assist control, the control unit drive-controls the left and right travel motors such that the main body turns 180 degrees and an amount of lateral displacement of the main body between before and after the turning is less than or equal to a mowing width of the blade. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The power equipment according to claim 2, wherein the work unit includes a tiller blade rotated by a work motor, and in the turn assist control, the control unit drive-controls the left and right travel motors such that the main body turns 180 degrees and an amount of lateral displacement of the main body between before and after the turning is greater than or equal to a lateral width of the tiller blade.