US 12,520,752 B2Granted

Lawn mower and machine apparatus and method with storage features

AssigneeHonda Motor Co., Ltd.

InventorsScott J. Kaskawitz, Marie-Claire Kore, Christopher Todd Walker, Kenneth F. Linderman, Kyle E. Long

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Abstract

The disclosed subject matter is directed to an electric lawn machine and method for use. The machine can include a housing and a tool, such as a lawnmower blade. A front pair of drive wheels, rear pair of drive wheels, and a storage surface/wheels can be connected to the housing. The housing can be configured to be placed upon a ground surface in two different positions: a use position in which the front pair of drive wheels and the rear pair of drive wheels contact the ground surface; and, a storage position in which the rear pair of drive wheels and the storage surface/wheel(s) contact the ground surface. A handle can be provided that is moveable between a use position, storage position, and an intermediate position in which the machine can be pulled/pushed around into and out of storage by the handle.

Claims16

Dependent claims

An electric lawn machine, comprising:

a housing including a deck;
a rotary tool located under the deck and connected to the housing by a rotary shaft configured to rotate with respect to the housing about a rotary tool axis, the housing being moveable between a use position where the rotary tool axis is substantially perpendicular to a ground surface upon which the electric lawn machine is configured to travel and a storage position where the rotary tool axis is substantially parallel with the ground surface;
a front pair of main wheels each connected to the housing about a respective one of a pair of front rotary main axes, and located at a front side of the housing;
a rear pair of main wheels each connected to the housing about a respective one of a pair of rear rotary main axes, and located at a rear side of the housing such that the rotary shaft is located between the pair of rear rotary main axes and the pair of front rotary main axes;
a handle connected to the housing at a connection location, the handle having two arms extending from the housing and moveable with respect to the housing between a storage state position and a use state position, wherein when the handle is in the use state position a substantial portion of the handle extends from the connection location and in a direction away from the rotary tools axis such that the rotary tool axis is spaced from and does not intersect with the handle, and when the handle is in the storage state position the substantial portion of the handle extends from the connection location and in a direction toward the rotary tool axis such that the rotary tool axis is located between the two arms of the handle;
a storage plastic structure located at a position above the pair of rear wheels in a vertical direction parallel with the rotary tool axis, wherein the storage plastic structure has a coefficient of friction that is less than a coefficient of friction of the housing, and the storage plastic structure includes a first contact point with the ground surface when the housing is in the storage position, wherein
the storage plastic structure is non-rotatable relative to the housing,
the rear pair of main wheels are spaced away from the ground surface when the housing is in the storage position,
the housing includes a second contact point with the ground surface when the housing is in the storage position,
each of the first contact point and the second contact point is non-rotatable, and
the second contact point is spaced away from the first contact point in a direction that is parallel to the rotary tool axis.

8 more elements

An electric lawn machine, comprising:

a housing including a deck;
an electric power source located adjacent the deck;
a tool located within the housing and electrically connected to the electric power source to rotate about a rotary tool axis;
a front pair of main wheels each connected to the housing about a respective one of a pair of front rotary main axes, and located at a front side of the housing;
a rear pair of main wheels each connected to the housing about a respective one of a pair of rear rotary main axes, and located at a rear side of the housing;
a handle connected to the housing at a handle connection location, the handle having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end connected to the housing at the handle connection location and extending away from the housing to the distal end of the handle, the distal end of the handle configured for gripping by a user during use, the handle moveably connected with respect to the housing between a storage state position and a use state position, wherein when the handle is in the use state position the distal end of the handle is located a first distance from the power source, and when the handle is in the storage state position the distal end of the handle is located a second distance from the power source, wherein the first distance is larger than the second distance;
a storage plastic structure located at a position above the pair of rear wheels in a vertical direction such that the storage plastic structure is configured to contact the ground surface when the electric lawn machine is in a storage position rotated away from the use position, wherein
the storage plastic structure includes a first contact point with the ground surface when the housing is in the storage position, the storage plastic structure is non-rotatable relative to the housing,
the rear pair of main wheels are spaced away from the ground surface when the housing is in the storage position,
the housing includes a second contact point with the ground surface when the housing is in the storage position,
each of the first contact point and the second contact point is non-rotatable, and
the second contact point is spaced away from the first contact point in a direction that is parallel to the rotary tool axis.

9 more elements

An electric lawn machine, comprising:

a housing;
a tool located in the housing;
an electric power source located in the housing and configured to rotate the tool about a rotary tool axis;
a front pair of main wheels each connected to the housing about a respective one of a pair of front wheel axes, and located at a front side of the housing;
a rear pair of main wheels each connected to the housing about a respective one of a pair of rear wheel axes, and located at a rear side of the housing;
and
a storage plastic structure located at a rear side of the housing and spaced from the rear pair of main wheels in a vertical direction, wherein
the housing is configured to be placed upon a ground surface in
a use position in which the front pair of main wheels and the rear pair of main wheels contact the ground surface, such that the electric lawn machine is configured to traverse the ground surface during operation of the tool via rolling of the front pair of main wheels and rear pair of main wheels, and
a storage position in which the storage plastic structure contacts the ground surface, such that the electric lawn machine is configured to traverse the ground surface and be placed into storage via sliding the storage plastic structure along the ground surface, wherein
the storage plastic structure includes a first contact point with the ground surface when the housing is in the storage position, the storage plastic structure is non-rotatable relative to the housing, and
the rear pair of main wheels are spaced away from the ground surface when the housing is in the storage position,
the housing includes a second contact point with the ground surface when the housing is in the storage position,
each of the first contact point and the second contact point is non-rotatable, and
the second contact point is spaced away from the first contact point in a direction that is parallel to the rotary tool axis.

12 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.