Harvesters – Motorized harvester – With condition-responsive operation
Patent
1993-03-23
1995-08-29
Melius, Terry Lee
Harvesters
Motorized harvester
With condition-responsive operation
56 102J, 56 119, A01D 3482
Patent
active
054449650
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to an entirely autonomous and automatic device for continuous maintenance of lawns.
The expression `autonomous and automatic` signifies that the device requires no human intervention for the whole or part of the mowing period and takes decisions concerning the evaluation of obstacles, skirting them, searching for zones to be mowed, its running order and the evaluation of the limits of the mowing zones.
Advantageously the device requires no refuelling from an energy source.
By `continuous maintenance of lawns` is understood that the device is constantly activable during the mowing period in function of certain parameters which, among others, allow the problem of collecting the cut grass to be eliminated.
It is known that lawn mowers have undergone a long evolution. Self-propelled models, at present widespread, have considerably reduced the work of the user. Human presence is nevertheless required. Tests have also been conducted to partially or totally automatize the mowing work but have not given complete satisfaction until now.
Thus the U.S. Pat. No. 4,777,785 describes a robot mower model which detects the cut and uncut parts of the lawns, allows the robot to follow the limits of the grass already cut and automatically to mow the remaining surface. The system is nevertheless not entirely automatic. It requires positioning of the machine at each mowing and the manual skirting of obstacles.
The French patent 2 631 466 divulges the application of an entirely automatic system but which necessitates significant work beforehand such as positioning of a series of special function cables.
Most other similar systems which have been offered by the former state of the art necessitate either human intervention (see e.g. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,425,197, 3,924,389, 4,133,404, 4,545,453), namely the placing of buried cables, (U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,550,714, 3,570,227). These devices are moreover heavy, onerous and are not autonomous in respect to their energy supply.
Finally preprogrammed devices are known which follow a predetermined route on the lawn. These can nevertheless accidentally deviate from the preassigned course and furthermore cause damage. They also necessitate manual positioning of the machine at each start of mowing.
All the preceding systems call for a punctual mowing technique--the mower operating intensely for a predetermined period--separated by periods during which the mower is put away.
The purpose of the present invention is to provide an automatic and autonomous device which does not show the aforesaid disadvantages--notably manual intervention, heavy infrastructure, risks of accidents, positioning and putting away the mower--and eliminates the necessity of collecting the cut grass because of its continuous operation,
In relation to former systems, the mowing device according to the present invention shows a significant reduction of weight, allows the utilization of a low powered motor thus promoting safety in utilization, and operates silently.
It has in fact been determined that, in surprising manner, such device can be devised based solely on a source of energy of very low power, less than 100 W. According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the power is from photovoltaic cells, the only source of energy utilized being solar energy. The low power of the device can be compensated by the fact that the mowing takes place in almost permanent manner for the whole or part of the mowing period, the lawn being thus in fact kept mowed.
The invention therefore offers an autonomous lawn mower, with electric motor(s), comprising at least one driving wheel and an electronic operating and control system characterized in that the total power utilized by the aforesaid motor or motors is less than 100 Watts and in that the route is determined by responses to obstacles at the limits of the surface to be mowed and the local condition of the aforesaid surface, responses dependent upon an algorithm stored and processed by a microprocessor, the mower being continuously `activable` and act
REFERENCES:
patent: 3550714 (1970-12-01), Bellinger
patent: 3924389 (1975-12-01), Kita
patent: 4777785 (1988-10-01), Rafaels
patent: 4919224 (1990-04-01), Shyu et al.
Bloom Leonard
Melius Terry Lee
LandOfFree
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