GB2394159A

GB2394159A - Nesting grass collector receptacles

Info

Publication number: GB2394159A
Application number: GB0224210A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ian Zetterstrom Smith
Original assignee: Electrolux Outdoor Products Ltd
Current assignee: Husqvarna UK Ltd
Priority date: 2002-10-17
Filing date: 2002-10-17
Publication date: 2004-04-21
Also published as: GB0228401D0; GB2394160A; GB0224210D0; DE60323918D1

Abstract

A grass collector comprises two or more grass collection receptacles 10, 11 arranged to be nested within each other. In use, the inner receptacle 11 is filled with grass cuttings and may be removed to allow the outer receptacle 10 to be filled. By these means, the number of trips to dispose of grass cuttings are reduced.

Description

! 1 2394159

P507510GB

Grass Collector The present invention relates to a grass collector for collecting grass cuttings cut by a lawn mower, and to a lawn mower having a grass collector.

Various lawn mowers are available which, as well as being arranged to cut grass, are also able to collect a major proportion of the grass cuttings. Most recently, efforts have been made to design lawn mowers which will collect as large a quantity of grass cuttings as is possible in order to reduce the frequency with which the user must carry 10 the grass cuttings from the lawn mower to a grass disposal point, such as a compost heap or bin. In this respect, considerable progress has been made. For example, EP 0614603 discloses a lawn mower in which the collected grass cuttings are deposited within a grass box, and the air which carried the grass cuttings into the grass box is drawn by an impeller through the base and side walls of the grass collector, thereby 15 effecting substantial compaction of the collected grass cuttings.

In some of the most recent lawn mower products, an air permeable basket is carried within the rigid body of a lawn mower such that, once full, the lid of the lawn mower may be opened and the basket lifted out and emptied, with the grass cuttings contained 20 within the basket having been compacted by the air leaving the basket via air permeable regions of the basket.

It is an aim of the present invention to reduce the frequency at which a user must walk to a grass disposal point during cutting of a lawn, and to improve the operation of a 25 lawn mower. In this regard, according to a first aspect of the present invention, a grass collector comprises two or more grass collection receptacles arranged to be nested within each other. In this way, once the inner receptacle is filled, the user can briefly stop cutting the lawn, and lift out the inner receptacle and put it to one side before continuing to mow the lawn whilst filling the next receptacle. Once each of the 30 receptacles have been filled the user can make a single journey to the grass disposal point, stopping only to collect each of the receptacles which have been put to one side.

( 2 Once emptied, the receptacles can be nested one inside another again and carried back to the lawn mower where they can be replaced on the lawn mower so that the user can continue to mow the lawn.

5 One of the collection receptacles might be an outer receptacle within which the or each other receptacle is locatable. Depending on the arrangement, each of the collection receptacles may, in fact, be identical, arranged such that each will nest inside another.

However, in some arrangements, it will be preferable for the outer receptacle to be different from the receptacle or receptacles which is locatable within it. This might 10 depend on the space available to house the collection receptacles.

Where the outer receptacle is different, it might have an air permeable region which is able to collect finer debris than the or each inner receptacle. This would have the effect of reducing the additional resistance to the flow of air through the grass collector when IS all of the receptacles are nested within each other. In some arrangements, this might not be a problem, in which case, the fineness of the air permeable region in each receptacle can be the same. This would certainly be most appropriate where all of the receptacles are identical.

20 It should be also be appreciated that this grass collector may be applied to various different types of lawn mower, including wheelsupported lawn mowers and lawn mowers which are supported, in use, by a cushion of air whereby it hovers just above the ground. The grass collector may be arranged so as to be located above the grass cutting chamber, or may be arranged to be supported behind the grass collecting 25 chamber, perhaps supported from the handle of the lawn mower.

It is also preferred that the receptacles are in the form of baskets which may be simply lifted from the grass collector to be emptied. The grass collector may additionally include an enclosure casing within which the receptacles are located, and the enclosure 30 casing could be defined by one or more walls of the body of a lawn mower. The enclosure would preferably include an openable cover which, once open, permits the removal of the receptacles.

According to a second aspect of the invention, a lawn mower comprises a grass cutting system, and a grass collector including two or more grass collection receptacles arranged to be nested within each other. The lawn mower may be one which is 5 wheel-supported, or one which is supported, in use, upon a cushion of air generated by the mower. The cutting system is most preferably a rotary cutting system including a cutter blade rotatable about a vertical axis, but could also include other types of cutting systems, such as a cylindrical cutter blade rotatable about a horizontal axis.

10 The grass collector may be arranged to be disposed generally above the cutting system and generally around the centre of gravity of the lawn mower. In such a case, the collector may include an enclosure casing defined by the body of the lawn mower within which the receptacles may be located. It is preferred that the receptacles are in the form of air permeable baskets which, once full, may be lifted out through an 15 opening in the top of the enclosure. It is also preferred that the enclosure is closed by an openable cover.

Alternatively, the grass collector could be located to the rear of the grass cutting system.

It might be supported by the handle of the lawn mower, or from the body of the lawn 20 mower. From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that the concept of this invention is very broad, and may be applied to a variety of different arrangements lawn mowers.

According to a third aspect of the invention, a method of operating a lawnmower of the type which collects grass cuttings during mowing comprises mowing a lawn; removing 25 a first grass collector from the lawnmower nesting within a second grass collector; continuing to mow the lawn; and removing the second grass collector from the lawnmower. An embodiment of the present invention will now be disclosed by way of example only 30 and with reference to the drawings in which Figure I is a sectional side view of a lawn mower according to the present invention;

( 4 Figure 2 is a perspective view of the lawn mower of Figure I with the lid opened, and the nesting receptacles shown lifted out and partially lifted out; 5 Figure 3 is a perspective view of the lawn mower of figures I and 2 with a filled inner receptacle lifted out and placed to one side; and Figure 4 is a perspective view of two filled receptacles stacked for carrying to a grass disposal point.

Referring to Figures I and 2, a lawn mower I is shown having a blade housing 2 defining a cutting chamber within which a cutter blade 3 is mounted for rotation about a vertical axis, together with an impeller 4. The cutter blade 3 and impeller 4 are driven by a motor 5 via a drive line (not shown) in the form a belt. The lawn mower I is one 15 which is supported above the ground upon a cushion of air generated by the rotating impeller 4. In use, rotation of the cutter blade 3 and impeller 4 results in the blade 3 cutting the grass as is required by the user. As the lawn mower is pushed forwards, the cutter blade 3 cuts the grass and leaves the grass cuttings on the ground as it passes.

Because the cutter blade 3 rotates in one direction the grass cuttings tend to collect in a 20 narrow windrow at one side of the lawn mower I. The motor 5 is located towards the very front of the lawn mower I so as to maximise the space above the blade housing 2 for grass collection.

25 It will be seen, most clearly from Figure 2, that the lawn mower I includes a rigid body 6 around the outside of the lawn mower I having an interior edge 7 which defines an opening in the top of the body 6. The opening is closed by a lid 8 which is pivotally mounted on the rigid body 6. The lid 8 may include a catch by which it is held in the closed position, although no catch is indicated in the drawings. The rigid body 6 30 defines, at least in part, a substantial enclosure within the lawn mower 1. The rear wall of the rigid body 6 defines the rear wall of the enclosure, and the front of the enclosure

is defined by a wall separating it from the motor S. The lower boundary of the enclosure is defined by the blade housing 2 and by an opening to the impeller 4.

As can be seen in Figure 1, at the rear of the rigid body 6, and just above the ground, is S an inlet 9 opening into the enclosure. This inlet 9 is positioned so as to face the ground just above the position at which the windrow is left by the cutter blade 3 as the lawn mower I is pushed forward.

Two air permeable grass receptacles 10 and 11, are shaped, firstly so that the outer 10 receptacle 10 will fit within the enclosure such that its air permeable regions are spaced from the walls of the enclosure. The spaces allow air to pass from the air permeable regions through to the eye of the impeller 4 without undue constriction. This will be explained in more detail below. The inner receptacle 11 is arranged to fit within the outer receptacle 10 such that it conforms substantially with the interior surface of the I S outer receptacle 10. The inner receptacle 1 1 also includes air permeable regions, which in this case, are aligned with the air permeable regions of the outer receptacle 10. In this case, the inner receptacle 11 is also sized so as to be slightly smaller than the outer receptacle 10 so that it will fit therein. Once the inner receptacle 1 1 is nested inside the outer receptacle 10, the volume within the inner receptacle I I for collection of grass 20 cuttings is not substantially less than the volume of the outer receptacle 10 once the inner receptacle 11 is removed. Once installed within the enclosure, the lid 8 can be shut and the lawn mower I is ready for use.

The use and operation of the lawn mower I will now be described.

When the motor 5 is switched on, the cutter blade 3 and impeller 4 are caused to rotate at high speed. The impeller 4 directs air into the cutting chamber defined by the blade housing 2 whereby the cueing chamber is maintained at a high pressure relative to the ambient pressure. This lifts the lawn mower I above the ground (not shown) whereby 30 the air within the cutting chamber escapes beneath the rim of the blade housing 2, which results in hovering of the lawn mower I above the ground. Rotation of the cutter blade 3 about the vertical axis results in grass being cut, and as the lawn mower I is

( 6 pushed across a lawn, the grass passing beneath the lawn mower is cut by the cutter blade 3 and the grass cuttings are dropped on the ground towards one edge of the lawn mower I such that it leaves a windrow of grass cuttings behind it.

5 The air directed beneath the blade housing 2 by the impeller 4 is drawn into the lawn mower 1 via the collection inlet 9 at the rear of the machine and into the inner receptacle 11. From there, it is drawn through the air permeable walls of the inner receptacle 11, then through the air permeable walls of the outer receptacle 10 and then through the space between the outer receptacle 10 and the interior walls of the 10 enclosure to the eye of the impeller 4. The air drawn into the machine via the collection inlet 9, before entering the machine, entrains grass cuttings from the windrow which are carried into the inner receptacle 11.

The air permeable walls of the receptacles 10, 11 are arranged so as to retain the grass 15 cuttings, and may be in the form of a fabric mesh, or merely slots formed in the walls of the receptacles, or by any other suitable arrangement. During use, the inner receptacle 11 will fill up, but the grass cuttings will be compacted by the air passing through the already collected grass cuttings before it reaches the air permeable walls of the receptacles. Once the inner receptacle 11 is full, and in this embodiment, the user can see this because of a window 12 located in the lid 8, the user can stop the machine, open the lid 8, and lift out the inner receptacle 11, putting it to one side, for instance on the grass that has just been cut, as is shown in Figure 3. The lid 8, which is not shown in Figure 25 3, can then be closed, and the user can continue to mow the lawn until the outer receptacle 10 is filled. Once the outer receptacle 10 has been filled, it to may be lifted out of the lawn mower 1, and as the user carries the outer receptacle 10 full of grass towards the grass disposal point, he can also collect the inner receptacle 11, meaning that a single journey can be made. The inner receptacle 11 can be placed on top of the 30 outer receptacle 10 as is shown in Figure 4. Once emptied, the inner receptacle 11 can be nested back within the outer receptacle 10, and the pair of them reinstalled within the body 6 of the lawn mower I so that mowing may be continued. Thus the number of

l ( 7 journeys that the user has to make to empty the grass is halved. The number of journeys may be further reduced by including more than two receptacles within the body 6. In addition, the receptacles l O and I I could be provided with handles by which the receptacles are supported so that a user can hold one of the receptacles in each hand.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiment shown in Figures 14. Various alternatives arrangements which take advantage of the nesting grass receptacle principle are included in this invention. For example, the lawn mower 1 shown in Figures I and 2, is one supported above the ground by a cushion of air, a hover lawn mower. The 10 nesting grass boxes could equally well be applied to a wheel-supported lawn mower, for example. Also, although the outer receptacle 10 in the embodiment shown is slightly larger than the inner receptacle 11, it would be possible to arrange these to be identical in other embodiments so that it does not matter which receptacle is nested inside the other. However, since each of the receptacles 10 and 11 include air 15 permeable regions, the air passing through the air permeable regions on its way to the impeller 4 could experience too much resistance, and so in such arrangements, the air permeable regions inside the inner receptacle 11 might be relatively coarse, whereas the air pemmeable regions of the outer receptacle 10 might be relatively fine in order to suitably filter the air on its way to the impeller 4. In that case, the outer receptacle 10 20 would have to be arranged so that it is always in the outermost position with the inner receptacle 11 stacking or nesting within it.

The receptacles 10 and 1 l of the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 4, are arranged to be mounted in-board, within the rigid body 6 of the lawn mower l, and above the cutter 25 chamber. However, this could be applied to lawn mowers having the grass collector carried, for example, at the back of the lawn mower attached to the rear of the body of the lawn mower, or hanging from the handle. The inner receptacle 11 would then have to be removable to leave the outer receptacle for grass collection.

30 The grass collection arrangement shown in the embodiment of Figures I to 3 is one which collects grass from the ground behind the lawn mower as the lawn mower is pushed forward. However, other arrangements of grass collection exist where the grass

! 8 cuttings are not dropped on the ground, but directed from the cutting chamber into a receptacle in the air stream generated by the impeller or by upturned vanes at the tips of the cutter blade. The present invention may be applied to cutting systems which collect grass other than from the ground.

This invention is described with respect to the collection of grass cuttings. However, the invention could be applied to other types of apparatus in which other types of debris are collected, such as for the collection of litter, and leaves, and even in completely different fields where debris is collected within a collector of some kind.

Claims

( 9 Claims

1. A grass collector comprising two or more grass collection receptacles arranged to be nested within each other.

s

2. A grass collector according to claim 1, wherein the grass collection receptacles are separable.

3. A grass collector according to claim I or 2, wherein one of the collection 10 receptacles is an outer receptacle within which the or each other receptacle is locatable.

4. A grass collector according to claim 3, wherein the outer receptacle is generally rigid. 15

5. A grass collector according to claim 3, wherein the outer receptacle is at least in part, constructed of a flexible material.

6. A grass collector according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the outer receptacle includes an air permeable region arranged to retain grass cuttings therein.

7. A grass collector according to claim 6, wherein the or each other receptacle includes an air permeable region arranged to retain grass cuttings therein.

8. A grass collector according to claim 7, wherein the air permeable region of the 25 outer receptacle is finer than that of the or each other receptacle.

9. A grass collector according to any one of claims I to 7, wherein each receptacle is substantially identical.

30

10. A grass collector according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the receptacles is a basket.

11. A grass collector according to claim 9, further comprising an enclosure casing within which the receptacles are located.

12. A grass collector comprising according to claim 11, wherein the enclosure casing 5 includes an openable cover.

13. A lawn mower comprising a grass cutting system and a grass collector including two or more grass collection receptacles arrange to be nested within each other.

10

14. A lawn mower according to claim 13 wherein the grass collector is arranged generally above the grass cutting system.

15. A lawn mower according to claim 13 or 14 including a body defining an enclosure for retaining the receptacles.

16. A lawn mower according to any one of claims 13 to 15, wherein the receptacles are arranged as baskets which may be lifted out of the lawn mower.

17. A lawn mower according to any one of claims 13 to 16, wherein the receptacles 20 are substantially identified.

18. A lawn mower constructed and arranged substantially as described herein with reference to Figures I to 4.

25

19. A method of operating a lawn mower of the type which collects grass cuttings during mowing, comprising: mowing a lawn; removing a first grass collector from the lawn mower nesting within a second grass collector; 30 continuing to mow the lawn; and removing the second grass collector from the lawn mower.