Lawn tractor with removable battery packs
AssigneeBriggs & Stratton Corporation
InventorNicholas J. Zeidler
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A ride-on outdoor power equipment, comprising a chassis a pair of front wheels coupled with the chassis, a pair of rear wheels coupled with the chassis, a mower deck supported by the chassis, and a battery assembly configured to power a drive motor. The battery assembly may include a plurality of battery packs, and a receptacle defined in part by a bottom wall. The receptacle may include a plurality of bays, each bay having a receiver extending away from the bottom wall, the receiver configured to guide a battery pack within the bay, and a power connector spaced a distance from the bottom wall, the power connector configured to engage the pack connector to electrically couple the battery pack to the receptacle, where the receptacle is angled at an acute angle relative to an operating plane.
Claims20
A ride-on outdoor power equipment, comprising:
- a chassis having a front portion and a rear portion;
- a pair of front wheels coupled with the chassis, the pair of front wheels located at the front portion of the chassis;
- a pair of rear wheels coupled with the chassis, the pair of rear wheels located at the rear portion of the chassis;
- a mower deck supported by the chassis, the mower deck including a plurality of mower blades;
- a cover rotatably coupled to a front portion of the chassis;
- and
- a battery assembly arranged underneath the cover, when the cover is in a closed position, the battery assembly configured to power a drive motor, the battery assembly comprising:
- a plurality of battery packs, each battery pack including a plurality of lithium-ion battery cells and a pack connector;
- and
- a receptacle defined in part by a bottom wall, the receptacle comprising a plurality of bays, each bay having:
- a receiver extending away from the bottom wall, the receiver configured to guide a battery pack within the bay;
- and
- a power connector spaced a distance from the bottom wall, the power connector configured to engage the pack connector to electrically couple the battery pack to the receptacle,
- wherein the receptacle is angled at an acute angle relative to an operating plane.
A ride-on outdoor power equipment, comprising:
- a hood rotatable between an open position and a closed position;
- a plurality of battery packs, each battery pack including a plurality of lithium-ion battery cells and a pack connector, wherein each of the battery packs is enclosed by the hood, when the hood is in the closed position;
- and
- a receptacle defined in part by a bottom wall, the receptacle comprising a plurality of bays, each bay having:
- a receiver extending away from the bottom wall, the receiver configured to guide a battery pack within the bay;
- and
- a power connector spaced a distance from the bottom wall, the power connector configured to engage the pack connector to electrically couple the battery pack to the receptacle,
- wherein at least one of the plurality of battery packs is angled at an acute angle relative to an operating plane.
A ride-on outdoor power equipment, comprising:
- a hood rotatable between an open position and a closed position;
- and
- a receptacle defined in part by a bottom wall and enclosed by the hood, when the hood is in the closed position, the receptacle comprising a plurality of bays, each bay having:
- a receiver extending away from the bottom wall, the receiver configured to guide a battery pack within the bay;
- and
- a power connector spaced a distance from the bottom wall, the power connector configured to engage a pack connector to electrically couple the battery pack to the receptacle,
- wherein the battery pack includes an upper portion and a lower portion, and a central axis extending between the upper portion and the lower portion, and
- wherein the central axis of the battery pack is angled relative to an operating plane.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.