# US 2018/0020616 A1 · Cutting deck flow control assembly > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0020616 A1 - Document ID: US20180020616A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/541,560 - Filed: 2015-01-12 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2015-01-12 - Assignees: Husqvarna AB - Applicants: Husqvarna AB - Inventors: James R. Poole; David Briney - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180020616A1 ## CPC - A01D 34/667: {Means for directing the cut crop} - A01D: HARVESTING; MOWING ## Abstract A cutting deck for housing first and second cutting blades rotatable inside a cutting chamber is provided. The cutting deck includes a weldment including a top plate and side plates. The top plate includes first and second shaft reception orifices, and a flow control assembly extending away from the top plate to define an airflow channel between the flow control assembly and the side plates. The flow control assembly includes a first directional changing portion proximate to the first shaft reception orifice and a second directional changing portion proximate to the second shaft reception orifice. The first and second directional changing portions are separated from each other by straight portions. The first and second directional changing portions are passed over only by respective ones of the first and second cutting blades, and both the first and second cutting blades pass over the straight portions. ## Claims ### Claim 1 Outdoor power equipment comprising: a frame; an engine operably coupled to the frame; and a cutting deck operably coupled to the frame, the cutting deck housing at least a first cutting blade and a second cutting blade, the first and second cutting blades being rotatable responsive to operation of the engine, wherein the cutting deck comprises a weldment comprising: a top plate and one or more side plates defining a cutting chamber in which the first and second cutting blades are rotatable responsive to operation of the engine; and a flow control assembly disposed within the cutting chamber and extending away from the top plate to define an airflow channel between the flow control assembly and the one or more side plates, wherein the flow control assembly comprises a first directional changing portion disposed proximate to the first cutting blade and a second directional changing portion disposed proximate to the second cutting blade, the first and second directional changing portions being separated from each other by substantially straight portions of the flow control assembly, and wherein the first directional changing portion is passed over only by the first cutting blade and the second directional changing portion is passed over by only the second cutting blade, and both the first and second cutting blades pass over the substantially straight portions between the first and second directional changing portions responsive to rotation of the first and second cutting blades. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The outdoor power equipment of claim 1, wherein the flow control assembly comprises a first sidewall portion and a second sidewall portion each of which extend substantially perpendicularly away from the top plate. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The outdoor power equipment of claim 2, wherein the first and second sidewall portions extend across an interior portion of the top plate to inhibit bending or sagging of the top plate. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The outdoor power equipment of claim 2, wherein the first and second sidewall portions each terminate at their respective ends at corresponding bent portions, the bent portions of the first and second sidewall portions meeting to form the first and second directional portions. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The outdoor power equipment of claim 2, wherein the first and second sidewall portions include stiffening ribs disposed in a surface thereof. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The outdoor power equipment of claim 1, further comprising a nose baffle extending into the airflow channel away from a portion of the one or more side plates. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The outdoor power equipment of claim 1, wherein the cutting deck houses one or more additional cutting blades, and wherein the flow control assembly comprises an equal number of directional changing portions to a total number of cutting blades. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The outdoor power equipment of claim 7, further comprising a plurality of nose baffles extending into the airflow channel from respective portions of the one or more side plates that are each substantially equidistant between a respective pair of cutting blades. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The outdoor power equipment of claim 1, wherein the flow control assembly forms a continuous enclosure concentrically disposed within the cutting chamber relative to the one or more side plates. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The outdoor power equipment of claim 1, wherein the one or more side plates extend away from the top plate by a first distance and the flow control assembly extends away from the top plate by a second distance, and wherein the second distance is less than the first distance by at least a blade profile depth amount. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The outdoor power equipment of claim 1, wherein the outdoor power equipment comprises a riding lawn care device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The outdoor power equipment of claim 1, wherein the outdoor power equipment comprises a walk-behind lawn care device. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The outdoor power equipment of claim 1, wherein the cutting deck comprises a side discharge opening provided in the one or more side plates. ### Claim 14 A cutting deck for outdoor power equipment, the outdoor power equipment comprising at least a first cutting blade and a second cutting blade rotatable inside a cutting chamber, the cutting deck comprising a weldment comprising: a top plate and one or more side plates defining the cutting chamber, the top plate comprising at least a first shaft reception orifice through which a shaft of the first cutting blade is extendable and a second shaft reception orifice through which a shaft of the second cutting blade is extendable; and a flow control assembly disposed within the cutting chamber and extending away from the top plate to define an airflow channel between the flow control assembly and the one or more side plates, wherein the flow control assembly comprises a first directional changing portion disposed proximate to the first shaft reception orifice and a second directional changing portion disposed proximate to the second shaft reception orifice, the first and second directional changing portions being separated from each other by substantially straight portions of the flow control assembly, and wherein the first directional changing portion is passed over only by the first cutting blade and the second directional changing portion is passed over by only the second cutting blade, and both the first and second cutting blades pass over the substantially straight portions between the first and second directional changing portions responsive to rotation of the first and second cutting blades. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The cutting deck of claim 14, wherein the flow control assembly comprises a first sidewall portion and a second sidewall portion each of which extend substantially perpendicularly away from the top plate. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The cutting deck of claim 15, wherein the first and second sidewall portions extend across an interior portion of the top plate to inhibit bending or sagging of the top plate, wherein the first and second sidewall portions each terminate at their respective ends at corresponding bent portions, the bent portions of the first and second sidewall portions meeting to form the first and second directional portions, or wherein the first and second sidewall portions include stiffening ribs disposed in a surface thereof. ### Claim 17 (canceled) ### Claim 18 (canceled) ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The cutting deck of claim 14, further comprising a nose baffle extending into the airflow channel away from a portion of the one or more side plates. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The cutting deck of claim 14, wherein the cutting deck houses one or more additional cutting blades, and wherein the flow control assembly comprises an equal number of directional changing portions to a total number of cutting blades. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The cutting deck of claim 20, further comprising a plurality of nose baffles extending into the airflow channel from respective portions of the one or more side plates that are each substantially equidistant between a respective pair of shaft reception orifices. ### Claim 22 (depends on 14) The cutting deck of claim 14, wherein the flow control assembly forms a continuous enclosure concentrically disposed within the cutting chamber relative to the one or more side plates. ### Claim 23 (canceled) ### Claim 24 (canceled)