Lawn mower with removable battery packs
AssigneeBriggs & Stratton Corporation
InventorNicholas J. Zeidler
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A lawn mower, 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 comprise 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 lawn mower, 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;
- an operator seat;
- a pair of wheel motors configured to drive the rear wheels;
- and
- a battery assembly located at the rear portion of the chassis, 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, a handle, 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, and wherein each wheel motor is electrically coupled to the receptacle, and wherein each of the handles is arranged a same distance from the operator seat and a same height from the operating plane.
Ride-on power equipment, comprising:
- a pair of rear wheels;
- a pair of wheel motors, wherein each wheel motor is coupled to one of the pair of rear wheels and configured to drive the rear wheel in a forward direction and a rearward direction;
- an operator seat;
- a plurality of battery packs, each battery pack including a plurality of lithium-ion battery cells, a handle, 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 at least one of the plurality of battery packs is angled at an acute angle relative to an operating plane, and wherein each of the handles is arranged a same distance from the operator seat.
A lawn mower, comprising:
- a pair of rear wheels;
- a pair of wheel motors, wherein each wheel motor is coupled to one of the pair of rear wheels and configured to independently drive the rear wheel in a forward direction and a rearward direction;
- 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 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, wherein the central axis of the battery pack is angled at an acute angle relative to an operating plane, wherein each of the battery packs within the receptacle includes a handle, and wherein each of the handles is arranged a same height from the operating plane.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.