US 11,944,038 B1 · Electric lawnmowers with interchangeable mowing units and methods of operating thereof

Abstract

Electric lawnmowers comprise drive units and mowing units disengageably coupled to the drive units. For example, a drive unit can be disengageably coupled to any one of multiple mowing units (e.g., rotating mowing units, reel mowing units) collecting forming a mowing system. For example, each of the drive and mowing units may be equipped with corresponding mechanical-engagement structures that are configured to be disengageably coupled. Each mowing unit is equipped with its electric motor (e.g., for rotating the cutting blades or the reel of that unit). The electric motor may comprise an electric connector, which is disengageably coupled to the drive unit's electrical wiring. In some examples, each mowing unit can also form a liquid disengageable coupling for circulating a thermal liquid between the drive unit and mowing unit, e.g., for cooling various components of the drive unit.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An electric lawnmower comprising:

a drive unit comprises a thermal liquid tubing, a power electronics unit, a battery, and a drive motor, powered by the battery;
and
a mowing unit that is disengageably coupled to the drive unit and comprising a mowing-unit electric motor and a set of cutting blade units, wherein:
the mowing-unit electric motor comprises a set of electric connectors disengageably coupled to an electrical wiring to the battery of the drive unit,
the mowing unit comprises a set of fluid couplers disengageably coupled to the thermal liquid tubing of the drive unit,
each unit in the set of cutting blade units comprises a blade enclosure comprising a fluid passage, fluidically connected to the set of fluid couplers, a shaft protruding through the blade enclosure, and a cutting blade connected to the shaft and at least partially surrounded by the blade enclosure, and
the shaft of each unit in the set of cutting blade units is mechanically coupled to the mowing-unit electric motor.

4 more elements

A method of replacing a mowing unit of an electric lawnmower with an additional mowing unit, the mowing unit comprising a drive unit, the method comprising:

operating the electric lawnmower with the mowing unit connected to the drive unit, wherein:
the drive unit comprises an electric wiring and a thermal liquid tubing,
the mowing unit comprises a mowing-unit electric motor and a set of cutting blade units,
the mowing unit comprises a set of fluid couplers disengageably coupled to the thermal liquid tubing of the drive unit, and
the set of cutting blade units comprises a blade enclosure comprising a fluid passage, fluidically connected to the set of fluid couplers;
disconnecting the thermal liquid tubing of the drive unit from the set of fluid couplers of the mowing unit;
disconnecting the electric wiring of the drive unit from the mowing-unit electric motor of the mowing unit;
disengaging a set of drive-unit mechanical-engagement structures of the drive unit from a set of mowing-unit mechanical-engagement structures of the mowing unit;
positioning the mowing unit away from the drive unit aligning the additional mowing unit with the drive unit;
engaging the set of drive-unit mechanical-engagement structures of the drive unit to a set of additional mowing-unit mechanical-engagement structures of the additional mowing unit;
connecting the electric wiring of the drive unit to an additional mowing-unit electric motor of the additional mowing unit;
connecting the thermal liquid tubing to additional dis-engageable fluidic couplings of the additional mowing unit;
and
operating the electric lawnmower with the additional mowing unit attached to the drive unit.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Electric lawnmowers with interchangeable mowing units and methods of operating thereof

Life of this patent

Electric lawnmowers with interchangeable mowing units and methods of operating thereof

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20