Lawnmower with airflow boost system
A lawnmower includes a seat configured to receive a lawnmower operator; a mowing deck having one or more cutting implements and a discharge chute; and a bagging system in fluid communication with the discharge chute through a tube, wherein the lawnmower has a first configuration when the tube is coupled to the lawnmower, wherein the lawnmower has a second configuration when the tube is not coupled to the lawnmower, wherein the tube is disposed at a lateral side of the lawnmower in the first configuration, wherein the lawnmower defines a maximum lateral width in a lateral direction, and wherein the lateral width is less than 38 inches in both the first configuration and the second configuration.
1 . A lawnmower comprising:
a seat configured to receive a lawnmower operator;
a mowing deck having one or more cutting implements and a discharge chute; and
a bagging system in fluid communication with the discharge chute through a tube, wherein the bagging system comprises:
a bagger defining a volume configured to receive debris discharged from the mowing deck through the tube; and
a boost system including a fan driven by a motor, the boost system configured to increase a rate of airflow through the tube,
wherein the bagging system is configured to receive debris discharged from the mowing deck through the tube when the boost system is active and inactive;
wherein the lawnmower has a first configuration when the tube is coupled to the lawnmower, wherein the lawnmower has a second configuration when the tube is not coupled to the lawnmower, and
wherein a speed of the motor of the boost system is automatically activated from an inactive state to an active state in view of a detected mowing condition reaching a threshold level and wherein the motor is automatically controlled between at least two active speeds in the active state.
2 . The lawnmower of claim 1 , wherein a speed of the motor of the boost system is infinitely variable over a range of speeds.
3 . The lawnmower of claim 1 , wherein the bagger has a door, wherein the door of the bagger is configured to be operated by the lawnmower operator using a release accessible from the seat, and wherein the door is angled relative to a horizontal plane when the door is in a closed position.
4 . The lawnmower of claim 3 , wherein the bagger comprises a bagger frame and a deformable material, wherein the frame, deformable material, and door together define the volume of the bagger, and wherein the bagger frame is removably coupled to a frame of the lawnmower.
5 . The lawnmower of claim 1 , wherein the at least two active speeds comprise at least a low speed, a medium speed, and a high speed.
6 . The lawnmower of claim 1 , wherein the boost system comprises a tube disposed between the fan and the bagger, and wherein the tube is selectively closable to fluidly disconnect the fan from the bagger.
7 . The lawnmower of claim 1 , wherein the boost system has operating modes selected from a group consisting of a variable speed mode, a time limited mode, and a motor load feedback mode.
8 . The lawnmower of claim 1 , wherein the boost system is coupled to the tube downstream of the discharge chute.
9 . The lawnmower of claim 1 , wherein the boost system is powered by a battery of the lawnmower, and wherein control of one or more operating modes of the boost system is performed by a control integrated into the lawnmower.
10 . The lawnmower of claim 9 , wherein the lawnmower detects a presence of the boost system, and wherein the control is configured to permit control of the boost system when the boost system is present.
11 . The lawnmower of claim 1 , wherein the one or more cutting implements each comprises a cross cut blade, the cross cut blades each comprising a coating configured to disrupt air flow across the blade and a sweep feature configured to minimize air vortices.
12 . The lawnmower of claim 1 , wherein a speed of the motor of the boost system automatically changes speed when the detected mowing condition reaches a second threshold level.
13 . The lawnmower of claim 12 , wherein the detected mowing condition is a detected air flow rate within the tube or a detected moisture content of the debris.
14 . A lawnmower comprising:
a seat configured to receive a lawnmower operator;
a mowing deck having one or more cutting implements and a discharge chute;
a bagging system in fluid communication with the discharge chute through a tube, the bagging system comprising:
a bagger defining a volume configured to receive debris discharged from the mowing deck through the discharge chute, wherein the bagger has a door, the door configured to be operated by the lawnmower operator using a release; and
a boost system including a fan driven by a motor to propel airflow from the mowing deck to the bagger, wherein the motor automatically activates from an inactive state to an active state in view of a detected mowing condition reaching a threshold level, wherein the motor is automatically controlled between two or more active speeds in the active state, and wherein the bagger is configured to receive debris discharged from the mowing deck through the discharge chute when the boost system is in the active state and the inactive state.
15 . The lawnmower of claim 14 , wherein the motor changes speed in response to a load on the motor.
16 . The lawnmower of claim 14 , wherein the detected mowing condition is a detected air flow rate within the tube or a detected moisture content of the debris.
17 . The lawnmower of claim 14 , wherein the boost system comprises a tube disposed between the fan and the discharge chute, and wherein the tube is selectively closable to fluidly disconnect the fan from the discharge chute.
18 . A method of operating a lawnmower, the method comprising:
installing a tube of a bagging system on the lawnmower;
operating one or more cutting implements of the lawnmower, wherein debris generated by the one or more cutting implements is discharged from a mowing deck of the lawnmower to a bagger through the tube;
automatically activating a boost system from an inactive state to an active state in view of a detected mowing condition reaching a threshold level and selecting between two or more active drive speeds in the active state to increase airflow through the tube, wherein the bagger is configured to receive debris discharged from the mowing deck through the tube when the boost system is active and inactive; and
emptying the bagger using a release, wherein the release is accessible from a seat of the lawnmower.
19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the detected mowing condition is a detected air flow rate within the tube or a detected moisture content of the debris.
20 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the bagger comprises a door disposed at a relative angle with respect to a horizontal plane when the door is in a closed position, and wherein using the release moves the door from the closed position to an open position.