Control system for grounds maintenance vehicle, and grounds maintenance vehicle including same

A grounds maintenance vehicle comprising:

• a chassis adapted to be supported upon a ground surface by a plurality of ground-engaging wheels;
• an engine supported by the chassis and adapted to power at least one of the plurality of ground-engaging wheels to propel the vehicle over the ground surface, the engine comprising an electronic governor adapted to control engine speed;
• an implement drive system adapted to selectively couple to the engine, the implement drive system adapted to deliver power to an implement attached to the chassis;
• an electronically controlled clutch mechanism disposed between the implement drive system and the engine, the clutch mechanism being configurable in both a disengaged state, wherein the engine is decoupled from the implement drive system, and an engaged state, wherein the engine is coupled to the implement drive system;
• a user-selectable power take-off (PTO) switch movable between an off position corresponding to the disengaged state of the clutch mechanism, and an on position corresponding to the engaged state of the clutch mechanism;
• an engine speed switch movable between any one of three discrete positions comprising:
• a first switch position corresponding to a maximum speed setting of the engine;
• a second switch position corresponding to a medium speed setting of the engine;
• and a third switch position corresponding to a low speed setting of the engine;
• and
• an electronic control unit (ECU) adapted to receive inputs from both the PTO switch and the engine speed switch, wherein the ECU is adapted to output engine speed commands to the electronic governor corresponding to each respective position of the engine speed switch, wherein for at least one of the first, second, and third switch positions, the engine speed is commanded to:
• a first engine speed when the PTO switch is in the off position;
• and a second engine speed, greater than the first engine speed, when the PTO switch is in the on position.

A method of controlling a grounds maintenance vehicle, comprising:

• providing an engine speed switch positionable in at least a discrete first and second position corresponding, respectively, to first and second speed settings of an engine of the vehicle;
• selecting the first position with the engine speed switch;
• transmitting an input signal, corresponding to the first position of the engine speed switch, to an electronic control unit (ECU);
• transmitting, from the ECU to an engine speed regulator of the engine, a first engine speed command corresponding to the first speed setting, ultimately resulting in the engine attaining a first engine speed;
• receiving, with the ECU, a signal indicative of movement of a PTO switch from an off position to an on position;
• transmitting, from the ECU to the engine speed regulator, a clutch engage engine speed command corresponding to a predetermined clutch engage engine speed;
• transmitting from the ECU to the engine speed regulator, a second engine speed command corresponding to a second engine speed that is higher than the clutch engage engine speed;
• and
• transmitting a clutch engage command from the ECU to a clutch mechanism while the engine speed is increasing from the clutch engage engine speed to the second engine speed.