EP4704547A1 - Grass bag release and dumping architecture for a riding lawn mower - Google Patents

Abstract

A riding lawn care vehicle (10) may include an engine (50) to selectively power the riding lawn care vehicle (10) and turn a cutting blade within a cutting deck (40), a bagging attachment (12, 100) operably coupled to the riding lawn care vehicle (10) to collect debris or clippings ejected from the cutting deck (40) responsive to rotation of the cutting blade where the bagging attachment (12, 100) is pivotable to empty contents thereof in an unlocked state, a locking assembly (120) that prevents the bagging attachment (12, 100) from pivoting in a locked state and enables the bagging attachment (12, 100) to pivot in the unlocked state, a unlocking lever (150) operably coupled to the locking assembly (120) via a coupling assembly to transition the locking assembly (120) between the locked state and the unlocked state, and a biasing assembly operably coupled to the locking assembly (120) to bias the locking assembly (120) toward the locked state. The coupling assembly is configured to facilitate overcoming the biasing assembly to transition to the unlocked state responsive to operation of the unlocking lever (150).

Description

GRASS BAG RELEASE AND DUMPING ARCHITECTURE FOR A

RIDING LAWN MOWER

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] Example embodiments generally relate to outdoor power equipment and, more particularly, relate to a riding lawn mower with a grass bag release and dumping architecture that reduces the effort needed to empty the grass bag.

BACKGROUND

[0002] Lawn care tasks are commonly performed using various tools and/or machines that are configured for the performance of corresponding specific tasks. Certain tasks, like grass cutting, are typically performed by lawn mowers. Lawn mowers themselves may have many different configurations to support the needs and budgets of consumers. Walk-behind lawn mowers are typically compact, have comparatively small engines and are relatively inexpensive. Meanwhile, at the other end of the spectrum, riding lawn mowers, such as lawn tractors, can be large. Riding lawn mowers can sometimes also be configured with various functional accessories (e.g., trailers, grass collectors, tillers and/or the like) in addition to grass cutting components. Riding lawn mowers provide the convenience of a riding vehicle as well as a typically larger cutting deck as compared to a walk-behind model.

[0003] When riding lawn mowers are provided with grass bags or grass collectors, cutting is generally interrupted when the operator intends to empty the grass bag. In the past, emptying of the grass bag required the operator to dump the grass bag by using a lever. To the extent the dumping task is divided into two activities (unlocking and dumping) at the same time, doing so would likely be a difficult task and require substantial operator effort. [0004] Accordingly, what is needed is an architecture that reduces the effort required to empty the grass bag, and more particularly, reduces the effort required to perform the dumping while also ensuring that the grass bag is unlocked and ready to be dumped.

Example embodiments are directed to providing this improvement.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF SOME EXAMPLES

[0005] Some example embodiments may provide a riding lawn care vehicle that may include an engine to selectively power the riding lawn care vehicle and turn a cutting blade within a cutting deck, a bagging attachment operably coupled to the riding lawn care vehicle to collect debris or clippings ejected from the cutting deck responsive to rotation of the cutting blade where the bagging attachment is pivotable to empty contents thereof in an unlocked state, a locking assembly that prevents the bagging attachment from pivoting in a locked state and enables the bagging attachment to pivot in the unlocked state, a unlocking lever operably coupled to the locking assembly via a coupling assembly to transition the locking assembly between the locked state and the unlocked state, and a biasing assembly operably coupled to the locking assembly to bias the locking assembly toward the locked state. The coupling assembly is configured to facilitate overcoming the biasing assembly to transition to the unlocked state responsive to operation of the unlocking lever.

[0006] In another example embodiment, a coupling assembly for coupling an unlocking lever to a locking assembly of a bagging attachment of a riding lawn care vehicle may be provided. The bagging attachment may be pivotable to empty contents thereof in an unlocked state and the locking assembly may prevent the bagging attachment from pivoting in a locked state. The unlocking lever may transition the locking assembly between the locked state and the unlocked state responsive to repositioning thereof. The coupling assembly may include a bellcrank receiving a motion input from the unlocking lever, and transferring an output motion to the locking assembly to transition the locking assembly to the unlocked state against a bias provided by a biasing assembly operably coupled to the locking assembly. The bellcrank may facilitate overcoming the biasing assembly to transition to the unlocked state responsive to operation of the unlocking lever.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) [0007] Having thus described the invention in general terms, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein: [0008] FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of the riding lawn care vehicle according to an example embodiment;

[0009] FIG. 2 illustrates a functional block diagram of components associated with unlocking and emptying a bagging attachment of an example embodiment;

[0010] FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of an unlocking lever according to an example embodiment;

[0011] FIGS. 4 A, 4B and 4C illustrate a process of dumping the bagging attachment of an example embodiment; [0012] FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate isolated perspective views of components associated with unlocking a bagging attachment using a flexible coupling assembly according to an example embodiment;

[0013] FIG. 6 illustrates a perspective view of an unlocking lever according to another example embodiment;

[0014] FIGS. 7A, 7B and 7C illustrate a process of dumping the bagging attachment of an example embodiment; and

[0015] FIGS. 8A and 8B illustrate isolated perspective views of components associated with unlocking a bagging attachment using a rigid coupling assembly according to an example embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] Some example embodiments now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all example embodiments are shown. Indeed, the examples described and pictured herein should not be construed as being limiting as to the scope, applicability or configuration of the present disclosure.

Rather, these example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. Furthermore, as used herein, the term “or” is to be interpreted as a logical operator that results in true whenever one or more of its operands are true. Additionally, the term “lawn care” is meant to relate to any yard maintenance activity and need not specifically apply to activities directly tied to grass, turf or sod care. As used herein, operable coupling should be understood to relate to direct or indirect connection that, in either case, enables functional interconnection of components that are operably coupled to each other.

[0017] Dumping of a grass bag or grass collector on a riding lawn mower typically requires the operator to simultaneously overcome the spring loaded forces that bias hooks that otherwise lock the grass bag in contact with the rear of the mower while also dumping the grass bag itself. This dual effort, which must be performed simultaneously, can be a challenge for some operators to accomplish (particularly while remaining seated). The hooks that normally hold the grass bag in contact with the rear of the mower must hold the grass bag tightly in place to secure the grass bag against leakage while the riding lawn mower traverses rough or uneven terrain. Preventing rattling or even having the bag fall off, if not secured tightly enough is also a concern. Accordingly, the spring loading applied to the hooks to bias them toward the locked position tends to be quite high. Thus, the operator must maintain sufficient force on the unlocking lever used to unlock the hooks from the grass bag to overcome the spring loading, while also applying sufficient force on the grass bag to tilt it for dumping. Example embodiments provide an improved locking assembly that reduces the effort needed to unlock the grass bag so that tilting and dumping can be more easily accomplished.

[0018] FIG. 1 illustrates an example lawn care device in the form of a riding lawn care vehicle 10 having a bagging attachment 12, which may be referred to as a grass bag or grass collector. The riding lawn care vehicle 10 may include an operations panel 14 that may display operational information regarding the riding lawn care vehicle 10 and host various controls, gauges, switches, lights, displays, and/or the like. As shown and described herein, the riding lawn care vehicle 10 may be a riding lawn mower (e.g., a lawn tractor, front-mount riding lawn mower, riding lawn mower with a zero or near zero degree radius of turn, cross mower, stand-on riding lawn mower, and/or the like). However, example embodiments may also or alternatively be employed on other outdoor power equipment devices that employ grass or debris collection.

[0019] The riding lawn care vehicle 10 may include a steering assembly 20 (e.g., including a steering wheel, handle bars, or other steering apparatus) functionally connected to wheels of the riding lawn care vehicle 10 to which steering inputs are provided (e.g., the front and/or rear wheels in various different embodiments) to allow the operator to steer the riding lawn care vehicle 10. In some embodiments, the riding lawn care vehicle 10 may include a seat 30 that may be disposed at a center, rear, or front portion of the riding lawn care vehicle 10. The operator may sit on the seat 30, which may be disposed to the rear of the steering assembly 20 to provide input for steering of the riding lawn care vehicle 10 via the steering assembly 20. The seat 30 may also be forward of the bagging attachment 12.

[0020] The riding lawn care vehicle 10 may also include, or be configured to support attachment of, a cutting deck 40 having at least one cutting blade mounted therein. In some cases, a height of the at least one cutting blade may be adjustable by an operator of the riding lawn care vehicle 10. The cutting deck 40 may be a fixed or removable attachment in various different embodiments. Moreover, a location of the cutting deck 40 may vary in various alternative embodiments. For example, in some cases, the cutting deck 40 may be positioned in front of the front wheels 42, behind the rear wheels 44, or in between the front and rear wheels 42 and 44 (as shown in FIG. 1) to enable the operator to cut grass using the at least one cutting blade when the at least one cutting blade is rotated below the cutting deck 40. In some embodiments, the cutting deck 40 may be lifted or rotated relative to the lawn mower frame to permit easier access to the underside of the lawn mower without requiring removal of the cutting deck 40.

[0021] The cutting deck 40 may have one, two, three, or more cutting blades driven by one, two, three, or more rotatable shafts. The shafts may be rotated by any number of mechanisms. For example, in some embodiments, the shafts are coupled to a motor via a system of belts and pulleys. In other embodiments, the shafts may be coupled to the motor via a system of universal joints, gears, and/or other shafts. In still other embodiments, such as in an electric lawn mower, the shaft may extend directly from an electric motor positioned over the cutting deck. In any case, rotation of the blade or blades may generate airflow under the cutting deck 40, which may propel grass clippings or other debris into the bagging attachment 12 through a passage that extends from the cutting deck 40 into the bagging attachment 12 (when the bagging attachment 12 is in the operating position, as shown in FIG. 1).

[0022] In some embodiments, the front wheels 42 and/or the rear wheels 44 may have a shielding device positioned proximate thereto in order to prevent material picked up in the wheels from being ejected toward the operator. Fender 46 is an example of such a shielding device. When operating to cut grass, the grass clippings may be captured by a collection system (e.g., bagging attachment 12), mulched, or expelled from the cutting deck 40 via either a side discharge or a rear discharge.

[0023] The riding lawn care vehicle 10 may also include additional control -related components such as one or more speed controllers, brakes, cutting height adjusters, and/or the like. Some of the controllers, such as the speed controllers and/or brakes, may be provided in the form of foot pedals that may sit proximate to a footrest 48 (which may include a portion on both sides of the riding lawn care vehicle 10) to enable the operator to rest his or her feet thereon while seated in the seat 30.

[0024] In the pictured example embodiment of FIG. 1, an engine 50 of the riding lawn care vehicle 10 is disposed substantially forward of a seated operator. However, in other example embodiments, the engine 50 could be in different positions such as below or behind the operator. In some embodiments, the engine 50 may be operably coupled to one or more of the wheels of the riding lawn care vehicle 10 in order to provide drive power for the riding lawn care vehicle 10. In some embodiments, the engine 50 may be capable of powering two wheels, while in others, the engine 50 may power all four wheels of the riding lawn care vehicle 10. Moreover, in some cases, the engine 50 may manually or automatically shift between powering either two wheels or all four wheels of the riding lawn care vehicle 10. The engine 50 may be housed within a cover that forms an engine compartment to protect engine 50 components and improve the aesthetic appeal of the riding lawn care vehicle 10. Notably, engine 50 is merely one example of a power source for the riding lawn care vehicle 10, and other such sources may be employed in various alternatives. For example, the engine 50 could be replaced by a battery powered motor in some cases.

[0025] In an example embodiment, the engine compartment may be positioned proximate to and/or mate with portions of a steering assembly housing 60. The steering assembly housing 60 may house components of the steering assembly 20 to protect such components and improve the aesthetic appeal of the riding lawn care vehicle 10. In some embodiments, a steering wheel 62 of the steering assembly 20 may extend from the steering assembly housing 60 and a steering column (not shown) may extend from the steering wheel 62 down through the steering assembly housing 60 to components that translate inputs at the steering wheel 62 to the wheels to which steering inputs are provided.

[0026] In some embodiments, the engine 50 may also provide power to turn the cutting blade or blades disposed within the cutting deck 40. In this regard, for example, the engine 50 may be used to turn a shaft upon which the cutting blade or blades may be fixed (e.g., via a belt and pulley system and/or other mechanisms). The turning of the shaft, at high speeds, may move the cutting blade or blades through a range of motion that creates air movement that tends to straighten grass for cutting by the moving blade and then eject the cut grass out of the cutting deck 40 (e.g., to the bagging attachment 12 or to the back or side of the riding lawn care vehicle 10), unless the blade and mower are configured for mulching.

[0027] In an example embodiment, the bagging attachment 12 may be pivoted or tilted for dumping using a dump lever 70. The dump lever 70 may extend upward from the position shown in FIG. 1 to provide increased leverage to the operator for pivoting or tilting the bagging attachment 12 in the direction of arrow 72. In some cases, a lever 80 may be provided such that the operator, while remaining seated in the seat 30, can unlock the bagging attachment 12. The lever 80 may take numerous forms, and may be located at multiple different positions relative to the operator in the seat 30. Thus, while the lever 80 depicted in FIG. 1 is on the right side of the seat, it may be possible to alternatively place the lever 80 on the left side of the seat 30, and the lever 80 may also be alternately shifted more forward or rearward in different example embodiments. Later shown examples will directly illustrate these alternatives.

[0028] As mentioned above, in a typical situation, the lever 80 requires effort not only to unlock the bagging attachment 12, but also to maintain the bagging attachment 12 unlocked while the operator simultaneously lifts the dump lever 70 for better leverage, and then pivots the bagging attachment 12 in the direction of arrow 72. This additional effort is desirable to reduce or eliminate. To accomplish this, example embodiments aim to make the locking assembly that is operated by the lever 80 easier to maintain in the unlocked state. FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic diagram of components and assemblies of components that may be used to accomplish this goal in association with an example embodiment.

[0029] Referring now to FIG. 2, a grass bag 100 is shown as one example of the bagging attachment 12 of FIG. 1, which may pivot about a pivot axis 102 to rotate in the direction of arrow 104 to dump or empty the grass bag 100 responsive to the grass bag 100 being unlocked and ready to dump. FIG. 2 also shows a pivot lever 110, which is an example of the dump lever 70 of FIG. 1, extending out of a top portion of the grass bag 100. The pivot lever 110 of FIG. 2 is shown extended, and ready for operation to pivot the grass bag 100 about an axis of rotation (i.e., the pivot axis 102).

[0030] The pivoting described above is only possible when a locking assembly 120 is unlocked. The locking assembly 120 of this example includes one or more instances of a hook or latch member 122. This example shows two latch members 122, but other examples may include one instance of the latch member 122, or more than two. The latch members 122 may each be configured to releasably engage a corresponding instance of a locking slot 124 formed at an attachment interface 130 portion of the grass bag 100. The attachment interface 130 may lie adjacent to a bag interface portion at a rear of the riding lawn care vehicle 10 of FIG. 1. In some cases, the attachment interface 130 may be substantially planar, and may lie against the bag interface portion of the riding lawn care vehicle 10 when the grass bag 100 is not being dumped. The locking slots 124 may be disposed at a bottom portion of the attachment interface 130, opposite the pivot axis 102.

[0031] When attachment interface 130 is adjacent to the bag interface portion, the latch members 122 may extend through the locking slots 124, and engage the locking slots 124. In this regard, the latch members 122 may include a catch portion 126 that may be retained in through contact with the locking slots 124 when inserted therethrough until the latch members 122 are pivoted in the direction of arrows 128. When so pivoted, the catch portion 126 may disengage the locking slots 124 to allow the grass bag 100 to pivot in the direction of arrow 104.

[0032] In some embodiments, the catch portion 126 may be sloped at its leading edge to allow the catch portion 126 to ride over the bottom edge of the locking slot 124 and pivot slightly in the direction of arrow 128 until the catch portion 126 passes over the locking slot 124 to mate the attachment interface 130 to the bag interface portion. Thus, for example, after dumping, the operator may release the pivot lever 110 and the weight of the grass bag 100 may cause the grass bag 100 to pivot in a direction opposite that of arrow 104 to force the attachment interface 130 against the bag interface portion (due to gravity) while the locking slots 124 are carried over the catch portions 126 of the respective latch members 122. Thus, the latch members 122 may only pivot up and down (e.g., in a direction of arrow 128 when pivoting up, and opposite the direction of arrow 128 when pivoting down) and the relative motion between the latch members 122 and the locking slots 123 is due to movement of the locking slots 124 toward (and past) the catch portions 126 of the latch members 122. [0033] The locking assembly 120 may be located at the rear of the riding lawn care vehicle 10 (e.g., at the meeting point of the bag interface portion and the attachment interface 130). In this example, the latch members 122 may be operably coupled to the riding lawn care vehicle 10, and may extend rearward toward the grass bag 100, and the locking slots 124 may be located at the attachment interface 130 on the grass bag 100. However, it may be possible to reverse this paradigm in some embodiments.

[0034] In the depicted example, the latch members 122 may be operably coupled to a mounting assembly 140 (located at the riding lawn care vehicle 10). In this regard, as noted above, the latch members 122 may be pivotally mounted to the mounting assembly 140 and may include a pivot axis defined at the mounting assembly 140. The mounting assembly 140 could be a single component, or collection of components such that each of the latch members 122 may be individually operable separately (and therefore mounted separately also).

[0035] An unlocking lever 150 (an example of lever 80 of FIG. 1) may be provided to cause the latch members 122 to pivot (e.g., in the direction of arrows 128) relative to the mounting assembly 140 to unlock the locking assembly 120 (and permit the grass bag 100 to pivot in the direction of arrow 104). The unlocking lever 150 may be operably coupled to the mounting assembly 140 and/or to the latch members 122 themselves via a coupling assembly 160. Moreover, in some cases, the unlocking lever 150, the mounting assembly 140, the latch members 122 and/or the coupling assembly 160 may be operably coupled to a biasing assembly 170. The biasing assembly 170 may work to assist in transitioning the latch members 122 to (or holding them in) an unlocked state (i.e., pivoted in the direction of arrows 128) thereby reducing the effort needed by the operator to unlock the grass bag 100 to permit rotation using the pivot lever 110.

[0036] The mounting assembly 140, the unlocking lever 150, the coupling assembly 160 and the biasing assembly 170 may each take any of multiple specific forms in various example embodiments. One such form will now be described in reference to FIGS. 3-5B. In this regard, FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of a first position 200 and a second position 200’ for an example instance of the unlocking lever 150 of FIG. 2. The first position 200 in this example may be an unlocking position, and the second position 200’ may be a locking position. However, it may be possible to reverse the positions by simply changing various connections and biasing directions described hereinafter.

[0037] FIGS. 4 A, 4B and 4C illustrate a dumping process using initiated responsive to moving the unlocking lever 150 to the first position 200 (from the second position 200’) as shown by arrow 300 in FIG. 4A. Moving the unlocking lever 150 to the first position 200 causes the latch members 122 to pivot to transition the locking assembly 120 to the unlocked state and enable the grass bag 100 to be pivoted as well. Thus, FIG. 4 A shows the latch members 122 being pivoted to allow the grass bag 100 to also be pivoted. In FIG. 4B, the pivot lever 110 is extended from the grass bag 100 to provide increased leverage for pivoting the grass bag 100. In FIG. 4B, the latch members 122 remain pivoted and the locking assembly 120 of FIG. 2 is effectively in the unlocked position or unlocked state. The operator then pulls forward on the pivot lever 110 and the grass bag 100 pivots in the direction of arrow 310 to dump the grass bag 100 as shown in FIG. 4C. When pivoted, the attachment interface 130 is pivoted away from bag interface portion 132.

[0038] FIGS. 5 A and 5B illustrate the componentry used to implement the unlocking lever 150, the mounting assembly 140, the coupling assembly 160 and the biasing assembly 170 in this example. In this regard, the mounting assembly 140 is instantiated in the form of two separate instances of a pivot bracket 400, each one of which is pivotally coupled to a corresponding instance of the latch members 122. The pivot bracket 400 may be rigidly mounted to a portion of the frame or body of the riding lawn care vehicle 10 proximate to the bag interface portion 132. A pivot point or axis of the latch members 122 may be defined by the location of the operable coupling of the latch members 122 to the respective instance of the pivot bracket 400.

[0039] The unlocking lever 150 may be instantiated by an arm 410 operably coupled to a bellcrank 420 of the coupling assembly 160. The arm 410 may provide the input motion for the bellcrank 420, and an output may be transferred to a cable 430, which forms the coupling assembly 160. The cable 430 may extend from the bellcrank 420 and split into two separate segments 432. Each of the segments 422 may be operably coupled to a pivot arm 434 that is in turn operably coupled to a responsive one of the latch members 122. When the arm 410 is shifted forward (i.e., to the first position 200), the bellcrank 420 rotates to pull the cable 430 in the direction of arrow 440. This in turn pulls the pivot arms 434 in the direction of arrow 442 to pivot the latch members 122 in the direction of arrow 444 (i.e., upward) thereby unlocking the locking assembly 120.

[0040] The biasing assembly 170 of this example is instantiated in the form of a first spring 450 that is operably coupled to the bellcrank 420 to bias the bellcrank 420 to the second position 200’, which corresponds to the locked position. The biasing assembly 170 also includes a second spring 452 and third spring 454, each of which is operably coupled to the latch members 122 to bias the latch members 122 in the direction opposite arrow 444 (i.e., downward) biasing the locking assembly 120 toward the locked position. The mechanical advantage of the bellcrank 420, which provides a force through the cable 430 to the pivot arm 434, makes pivoting the latch members 122 to the unlocked position, and holding or maintaining the arm 410 in the unlocked position against the biasing of the first, second, and third springs 450, 452 and 454 much easier than would otherwise be the case. Moreover, in some cases, it may be possible to position the first spring 450 on the bellcrank 420 such that the pivot of the bellcrank 420 defines a center position between the first position 200 and the second position 200’. The bellcrank 420 may actually then be biased to urge the arm 410 toward both the first position 200 and the second position 200’ dependent upon which side of the center position the bellcrank 420 is located.

[0041] As such, for example, if the arm 410 is in the second position 200’ and the operator moves the arm 410 toward the first position 200, doing so will be against the biasing of the first spring 450 until the center position is reached. After the center position is crossed, the first spring 450 will urge the arm 410 toward the first position 200 and assist the operator by holding the arm 410 in the first position 200. The bellcrank 420 is rotated accordingly, and the cable 430 may thus be pulled in the direction of arrow 440 thereby also rotating the pivot arm 434 in the direction of arrow 442, and lifting the latch members 122 against the biasing of the second and third springs 452 and 454. The biasing assembly 170 may therefore assist in retaining the unlocking lever 150 in the unlocked position so that the operator may concentrate on the rotation of the grass bag 100 via the pivot lever 110 instead of having to focus on exerting effort on the unlocking lever 150 simultaneously.

[0042] The structures of FIGS. 4A-5B illustrate one example for how the unlocking lever 150, the mounting assembly 140, the coupling assembly 160 and the biasing assembly 170 may be implemented. However, alternative structures are also possible. In this regard, FIGS. 6-8B illustrate an alternative structure.

[0043] FIG. 6 illustrates a perspective view of the unlocking lever 150 of FIG. 2 being positioned on the other side (e.g., the right side) of the seat 30 instead of the left side, which was illustrated in FIG. 3. Moreover, the unlocking lever 150 is also located more rearward in the example of FIG. 6. The rearward positioning of the unlocking lever 150 in FIG. 6 provides a shorter distance between the unlocking lever 150 and the locking assembly 120, and therefore the shorter distance can be traversed by the coupling assembly 160 with a more rigid assembly than the cable 430 employed in the example of FIGS. 3-5B.

[0044] FIGS. 7A, 7B and 7C illustrate a dumping process using initiated responsive to moving the unlocking lever 150 rearward in the direction of arrow 500 out of the locked position shown in FIGS. 6 and 7A-7C. Moving the unlocking lever 150 to the unlocking position 200” causes the latch members 122 to pivot (upward) and enable the grass bag 100 to be pivoted as well. Thus, FIG. 7 A shows the latch members 122 being pivoted to allow the grass bag 100 to also be pivoted. In FIG. 7B, the pivot lever 110 is extended from the grass bag 100 to provide increased leverage for pivoting the grass bag 100. In FIG. 7B, the latch members 122 remain pivoted and the locking assembly 120 of FIG. 2 is effectively in the unlocked position. The operator then pulls forward on the pivot lever 110 and the grass bag 100 pivots in the direction of arrow 501 to dump the grass bag 100 as shown in FIG. 7C. When pivoted, the attachment interface 130 is pivoted away from bag interface portion 132. [0045] FIGS. 8 A and 8B illustrate the componentry used to implement the unlocking lever 150, the mounting assembly 140, the coupling assembly 160 and the biasing assembly 170 in this example. In this regard, the mounting assembly 140 is instantiated in the form of two separate instances of a pivot bracket 502, each one of which is pivotally coupled to a corresponding instance of the latch members 122. The pivot bracket 502 may be rigidly mounted to a portion of the frame or body of the riding lawn care vehicle 10 proximate to the bag interface portion 132. A pivot point or axis of the latch members 122 may be defined by the location of the operable coupling of the latch members 122 to the respective instance of the pivot bracket 502.

[0046] The unlocking lever 150 may be instantiated by an arm 510 operably coupled to a bellcrank 520. The arm 510 may provide the input motion for the bellcrank 520, and an output may be transferred to a transfer rod 530, which forms the coupling assembly 160. The transfer rod 530 may extend from the bellcrank 520 to one instance of the latch members 122. A coupling rod 532 may connect the latch members 122 (or pivot arms 535 operably coupled to the latch members 122) to each other so that when the transfer rod 530 moves the one instance of the latch members 122, such movement also carries the other instance of the latch members 122 in the same direction. Accordingly, for example, when the arm 510 is moved rearward (in the direction of arrow 540), the bellcrank 520 rotates in the direction of arrow 542 to push the transfer rod 530 downward in the direction of arrow 544, which pushes the latch members 122 upward into an unlocked position thereby unlocking the locking assembly 120.

[0047] The biasing assembly 170 of this example is instantiated in the form of a first spring 550 and a second spring 552. The first spring 550 attaches a rear portion of one of the instances of the latch members 122 to its corresponding instance of the pivot bracket 502. The second spring 552 attaches a rear portion of the other of the instances of the latch members 122 to its corresponding instance of the pivot bracket 502. Thus, both the first and second springs 550 and 552 bias the latch members 122 downward and toward the locked position (e.g., by pulling the rear ends of the latch members 122 upward).

[0048] As such, for example, if the arm 510 is pulled rearward, as noted above, the downward motion of the transfer rod 530 in the direction of arrow 544 lifts a rear portion of the latch members 122 upward in the direction of arrow 546 to release catch portions of the latch members 122 from the locking slots of the grass bag 100 against the biasing of the first and second springs 550 and 552. The coupling assembly 160 is therefore capable of facilitating overcoming the biasing assembly 170 to assist in retaining the unlocking lever 150 in the unlocked position so that the operator may concentrate on the rotation of the grass bag 100 via the pivot lever 110 instead of having to focus on exerting effort on the unlocking lever 150 simultaneously.

[0049] Accordingly, some example embodiments may provide a riding lawn care vehicle that may include an engine to selectively power the riding lawn care vehicle and turn a cutting blade within a cutting deck, a bagging attachment operably coupled to the riding lawn care vehicle to collect debris or clippings ejected from the cutting deck responsive to rotation of the cutting blade where the bagging attachment is pivotable to empty contents thereof in an unlocked state, a locking assembly that prevents the bagging attachment from pivoting in a locked state and enables the bagging attachment to pivot in the unlocked state, a unlocking lever operably coupled to the locking assembly via a coupling assembly to transition the locking assembly between the locked state and the unlocked state, and a biasing assembly operably coupled to the locking assembly to bias the locking assembly toward the locked state. The coupling assembly is configured to facilitate overcoming the biasing assembly to transition to the unlocked state responsive to operation of the unlocking lever.

[0050] In some embodiments, the system may include additional, optional features, and/or the features described above may be modified or augmented. Some examples of modifications, optional features and augmentations are described below. It should be appreciated that the modifications, optional features and augmentations may each be added alone, or they may be added cumulatively in any desirable combination. In this regard, for example, the locking assembly comprises one or more latch members corresponding to respective locking slots to selectively engage the locking slots based on a position of the unlocking lever. In an example embodiment, the biasing assembly may bias the latch members in a first direction in which a catch portion of each of the one or more latch members engages the respective locking slots, and the unlocking lever may be movable to pivot the latch members in a second direction that releases the catch portion from engagement with the respective locking slots via the coupling assembly. In some cases, the coupling assembly may include a bellcrank receiving a motion input from the unlocking lever, and transferring an output motion to the one or more latch members. In an example embodiment, the bellcrank may be operably coupled to the one or more latch members via a cable. In some cases, the cable may be operably coupled to a pivot arm that pivots the one or more latch members in the second direction responsive to the unlocking lever being moved to transition the locking assembly to the unlocked state. In an example embodiment, the bellcrank may be operably coupled to the one or more latch members via a transfer rod. In some cases, the transfer rod may be operably coupled to a pivot arm that pivots the one or more latch members in the second direction responsive to the unlocking lever being moved to transition the locking assembly to the unlocked state. In an example embodiment, the one or more latch members may include two latch members each pivotally mounted to a corresponding instance of the pivot arm. In some cases, the two latch members may be connected to each other via a coupling rod such that motion of one of the two latch members is transferred to the other of the two latch members via the coupling rod. In an example embodiment, the one or more latch members may each include a catch portion proximate to a sloped edge, the catch portion engaging the locking slots, the one or more latch members may be disposed at a bottom edge of a grass bag interface portion, and the locking slots may be disposed at a bottom edge of a front portion of the bagging attachment. In some cases, the unlocking lever may be disposed forward of a seat of the riding lawn care vehicle. In an example embodiment, the unlocking lever may be disposed adjacent to a seat of the riding lawn care vehicle. In some cases, the unlocking lever may be biased toward the locked state by a spring of the biasing assembly.

[0051] Many modifications and other embodiments of the inventions set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which these inventions pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the inventions are not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Moreover, although the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings describe exemplary embodiments in the context of certain exemplary combinations of elements and/or functions, it should be appreciated that different combinations of elements and/or functions may be provided by alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In this regard, for example, different combinations of elements and/or functions than those explicitly described above are also contemplated as may be set forth in some of the appended claims. In cases where advantages, benefits, or solutions to problems are described herein, it should be appreciated that such advantages, benefits, and/or solutions may be applicable to some example embodiments, but not necessarily all example embodiments. Thus, any advantages, benefits, or solutions described herein should not be thought of as being critical, required, or essential to all embodiments or to that which is claimed herein. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.

Claims

THAT WHICH IS CLAIMED:

1. A riding lawn care vehicle (10) comprising: an engine (50) to selectively power the riding lawn care vehicle (10) and turn a cutting blade within a cutting deck (40); a bagging attachment (12, 100) operably coupled to the riding lawn care vehicle (10) to collect debris or clippings ejected from the cutting deck (40) responsive to rotation of the cutting blade, the bagging attachment (12, 100) being pivotable to empty contents thereof in an unlocked state; a locking assembly (120) that prevents the bagging attachment (12, 100) from pivoting in a locked state and enables the bagging attachment (12, 100) to pivot in the unlocked state; a unlocking lever (150) operably coupled to the locking assembly (120) via a coupling assembly (160) to transition the locking assembly (120) between the locked state and the unlocked state; and a biasing assembly (170) operably coupled to the locking assembly (120) to bias the locking assembly (120) toward the locked state, wherein the coupling assembly (160) is configured to facilitate overcoming the biasing assembly (170) to transition to the unlocked state responsive to operation of the unlocking lever (150).

2. The riding lawn care vehicle (10) of claim 1, wherein the locking assembly (120) comprises one or more latch members (122) corresponding to respective locking slots (124) to selectively engage the locking slots (124) based on a position of the unlocking lever (150).

3. The riding lawn care vehicle (10) of claim 2, wherein the biasing assembly (170) biases the one or more latch members (122) in a first direction in which a catch portion (126) of each of the one or more latch members (122) engages the respective locking slots (124), and wherein the unlocking lever (150) is movable to pivot the latch members (122) in a second direction (128) that releases the catch portion (126) from engagement with the respective locking slots (124) via the coupling assembly (160).

4. The riding lawn care vehicle (10) of claim 3, wherein the coupling assembly (160) comprises a bellcrank (420, 520) receiving a motion input from the unlocking lever (150), and transferring an output motion to the one or more latch members (122).

5. The riding lawn care vehicle (10) of claim 4, wherein the bellcrank (420) is operably coupled to the one or more latch members (122) via a cable (430).

6. The riding lawn care vehicle (10) of claim 5, wherein the cable (430) is operably coupled to a pivot arm (434) that pivots the one or more latch members (122) in the second direction responsive to the unlocking lever (150) being moved to transition the locking assembly (120) to the unlocked state.

7. The riding lawn care vehicle (10) of claim 4, wherein the bellcrank (520) is operably coupled to the one or more latch members (122) via a transfer rod (530).

8. The riding lawn care vehicle (10) of claim 7, wherein the transfer rod (530) is operably coupled to a pivot arm (535) that pivots the one or more latch members (122) in the second direction responsive to the unlocking lever (150) being moved to transition the locking assembly (120) to the unlocked state.

9. The riding lawn care vehicle (10) of claim 8, wherein the one or more latch members (122) comprise two latch members (122) each pivotally mounted to a corresponding instance of the pivot arm (535).

10. The riding lawn care vehicle (10) of claim 9, wherein the two latch members (122) are connected to each other via a coupling rod (532) such that motion of one of the two latch members (122) is transferred to the other of the two latch members (122) via the coupling rod (532).

11. The riding lawn care vehicle (10) of claim 2, wherein the one or more latch members (122) each include a catch portion (126) proximate to a sloped edge, the catch portion (126) engaging the locking slots (124), wherein the one or more latch members (122) are disposed at a bottom edge of a grass bag interface portion (132), and wherein the locking slots (124) are disposed at a bottom edge of a front portion of the bagging attachment (12, 100).

12. The riding lawn care vehicle (10) of claim 1, wherein the unlocking lever (150) is disposed forward of a seat (30) of the riding lawn care vehicle (10).

13. The riding lawn care vehicle (10) of claim 1, wherein the unlocking lever (150) is disposed adjacent to a seat (30) of the riding lawn care vehicle (10).

14. The riding lawn care vehicle (10) of claim 1, wherein the unlocking lever (150) is biased toward the locked state by a spring of the biasing assembly (170).

15. A coupling assembly (160) for coupling an unlocking lever (150) to a locking assembly (120) of a bagging attachment (12, 100) of a riding lawn care vehicle (10), the bagging attachment (12, 100) being pivotable to empty contents thereof in an unlocked state and the locking assembly (120) preventing the bagging attachment (12, 100) from pivoting in a locked state, the unlocking lever (150) transitioning the locking assembly (120) between the locked state and the unlocked state responsive to repositioning thereof, the coupling assembly (160) comprising: a bellcrank (420, 520) receiving a motion input from the unlocking lever (150), and transferring an output motion to the locking assembly (120) to transition the locking assembly (120) to the unlocked state against a bias provided by a biasing assembly (170) operably coupled to the locking assembly (120), wherein the bellcrank (420, 520) facilitates overcoming the biasing assembly (170) to transition to the unlocked state responsive to operation of the unlocking lever (150).

16. The coupling assembly (160) of claim 15, wherein the locking assembly (120) comprises one or more latch members (122) corresponding to respective locking slots (124) to selectively engage the locking slots (124) based on a position of the unlocking lever (150).

17. The coupling assembly (160) of claim 16, wherein the bellcrank (420) is operably coupled to the one or more latch members (122) via a cable (430).

18. The coupling assembly (160) of claim 17, wherein the cable (430) is operably coupled to a pivot arm (434) that pivots the one or more latch members (122) in the second direction responsive to the unlocking lever (150) being moved to transition the locking assembly (120) to the unlocked state.

19. The coupling assembly (160) of claim 16, wherein the bellcrank (520) is operably coupled to the one or more latch members via a transfer rod (530).

20. The coupling assembly of claim 19, wherein the transfer rod (530) is operably coupled to a pivot arm (535) that pivots the one or more latch members (122) in the second direction responsive to the unlocking lever (150) being moved to transition the locking assembly (120) to the unlocked state.