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US 9,433,147 B2Granted
Vertically storable engine and mower
AssigneeBriggs & Stratton Corporation
InventorJacob J. Schmalz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A gas powered walk behind mower is configured to be stored in a vertical position or orientation without leaking contained engine fluids.
Claims27
An apparatus comprising:
- a gas powered walk behind mower comprising:
- a deck;
- a gas powered engine supported by the deck;
- and
- a rotating cutting blade driven by the gas powered engine, wherein the deck is configured to be stored in a generally vertical orientation without leaking of fluid contained in the gasoline powered engine, wherein the deck carries a plurality of wheels and wherein at least one of the wheels is elevated off ground when the deck is in the vertical orientation and wherein a handle extends substantially parallel to the deck when the deck is in the vertical orientation;
- a mechanical latch actuatable between a locked state in which the latch locks the handle in a collapsed position along the deck and an unlocked state in which the handle is pivotable to an extended use position;
- and
- an actuator to actuate the latch between the locked state and the unlocked state,
- wherein the gas powered engine comprises:
- a fuel tank having a vent to permit escape of vapor from the fuel tank when the mower is in a substantially horizontal operating orientation and wherein the fuel tank is configured to prevent gasoline from passing through the vent when the fuel tank is maximally filled with gasoline when in the substantially horizontal operating orientation and while the deck is in the vertical orientation,
- wherein the fuel tank comprises:
- a cap having a vent opening providing the vent;
- and
- a filler skirt projecting into an interior of the tank by a distance to form a vapor lock volume when the mower is in a substantially horizontal operating orientation and wherein the vapor lock volume is no less than an internal volume of the tank above a lower end of the skirt when the deck is in the vertical orientation.
11 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- a gas powered walk behind mower comprising:
- a deck;
- a gas powered engine supported by the deck;
- and
- a rotating cutting blade driven by the gas powered engine, wherein the deck is configured to be stored in a generally vertical orientation without leaking of fluid contained in the gasoline powered engine, wherein the deck carries a plurality of wheels and wherein at least one of the wheels is elevated off ground when the deck is in the vertical orientation and wherein a handle extends substantially parallel to the deck when the deck is in the vertical orientation;
- a mechanical latch actuatable between a locked state in which the latch locks the handle in a collapsed position along the deck and an unlocked state in which the handle is pivotable to an extended use position;
- and
- an actuator to actuate the latch between the locked state and the unlocked state,
- wherein the gas powered engine comprises:
- a fuel tank having a vent to permit escape of vapor from the fuel tank when the mower is in a substantially horizontal operating orientation and wherein the fuel tank is configured to prevent gasoline from passing through the vent when the fuel tank is maximally filled with gasoline when in the substantially horizontal operating orientation and while the deck is in the vertical orientation,
- wherein the fuel tank comprises:
- a sealing cap;
- a vent opening extending through a wall of the fuel tank to provide the vent, the opening being spaced from the sealing cap;
- and
- a filler skirt projecting into an interior of the tank by a distance to form a vapor lock volume when the mower is in a substantially horizontal operating orientation and wherein the vapor lock volume is no less than an internal volume of the tank above a lower end of the vent opening when the deck is in the vertical orientation.
12 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- a gas powered walk behind mower comprising:
- a deck;
- a gas powered engine supported by the deck;
- and
- a rotating cutting blade driven by the gas powered engine, wherein the deck is configured to be stored in a generally vertical orientation without leaking of fluid contained in the gasoline powered engine, wherein the deck carries a plurality of wheels and wherein at least one of the wheels is elevated off ground when the deck is in the vertical orientation and wherein a handle extends substantially parallel to the deck when the deck is in the vertical orientation;
- a mechanical latch actuatable between a locked state in which the latch locks the handle in a collapsed position along the deck and an unlocked state in which the handle is pivotable to an extended use position;
- and
- an actuator to actuate the latch between the locked state and the unlocked state,
- wherein the gas powered engine comprises:
- a fuel tank having a vent to permit escape of vapor from the fuel tank when the mower is in a substantially horizontal operating orientation and wherein the fuel tank is configured to prevent gasoline from passing through the vent when the fuel tank is maximally filled with gasoline when in the substantially horizontal operating orientation and while the deck is in the vertical orientation,
- wherein the fuel tank comprises a cap comprising:
- a vent opening;
- and
- a valve configured to permit escape of vapor from the fuel tank when the mower is in a substantially horizontal operating orientation and configured to prevent gasoline from passing through the vent when the fuel tank is maximally filled with gasoline when in the substantially horizontal operating orientation and while the deck is in the vertical orientation.
11 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- a gas powered walk behind mower comprising:
- a deck;
- a gas powered engine supported by the deck;
- and
- a rotating cutting blade driven by the gas powered engine, wherein the deck is configured to be stored in a generally vertical orientation without leaking of fluid contained in the gasoline powered engine, wherein the deck carries a plurality of wheels and wherein at least one of the wheels is elevated off ground when the deck is in the vertical orientation and wherein a handle extends substantially parallel to the deck when the deck is in the vertical orientation;
- a mechanical latch actuatable between a locked state in which the latch locks the handle in a collapsed position along the deck and an unlocked state in which the handle is pivotable to an extended use position;
- and
- an actuator to actuate the latch between the locked state and the unlocked state,
- wherein the gas powered engine comprises:
- a fuel tank having a vent to permit escape of vapor from the fuel tank when the mower is in a substantially horizontal operating orientation and wherein the fuel tank is configured to prevent gasoline from passing through the vent when the fuel tank is maximally filled with gasoline when in the substantially horizontal operating orientation and while the deck is in the vertical orientation;
- a carburetor bowl configured to store a volume of gas between uses of the mower;
- and
- a bowl vent having a vent outlet located to extend above a level of the volume of gas when the deck is in the vertical orientation;
- an oil sump, the sump comprising a passage through which a governor shaft extends, wherein the governor shaft passage is located below oil within the sump when the mower is stored with the deck in the vertical orientation;
- and
- a seal about the governor shaft passage inhibiting oil leakage from the sump through the passage.
13 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.