Mower utility bed
View Patent ↗A mower comprises a utility bed that extends at least partially over an air intake screen of an engine.
1. A mower comprising:
a frame;
an engine supported by the frame and having an upwardly facing cooling air intake through which air is drawn to cool the engine; and
a utility bed extending at least partially over the air intake, the bed having an imperforate floor.
2. The mower of claim 1 further comprising a plenum having a top about the air intake and a skirt extending downward from the top.
3. The mower of claim 2 , wherein the air intake has an upwardly facing screen through which air is drawn through to cool the engine.
4. The mower of claim 3 , wherein the skirt has a height of greater than or equal to 1.0 inches.
5. The mower of claim 3 , wherein the bed is pivotably connected to the frame and wherein the plenum is carried by the bed.
6. The mower of claim 5 , wherein the mower has rear wheel axles and wherein the bed is pivotably connected to the frame forward the rear wheel axles.
7. The mower of claim 6 , wherein the bed is pivotable towards a front of the mower.
8. The mower of claim 7 , wherein the mower comprises a seat, wherein the seat is pivotable towards the front of the mower.
9. The mower of claim 8 , wherein the bed has a bottom directly above a portion of the air intake screen and spaced from the air intake screen by less than or equal to 6.0 inches.
10. The mower of claim 1 , wherein the bed comprises a front wall and opposing sidewalls, the sidewalls comprising a first pair of aligned channels to receive a panel to extend across the bed.
11. The mower of claim 10 , wherein the channels are spaced from the front wall by a distance of between 9 inches and 12 inches.
12. The mower of claim 10 , wherein the channels are spaced from the front wall by a distance so as to form a space between the front wall and the panel received within the channels, the space being dimensioned to tightly receive an upwardly oriented 5 gallon bucket.
13. The mower of claim 10 , wherein the sidewalls further comprise a second pair of aligned channels rearward of the first pair of aligned channels, the second pair of aligned channels to receive a second panel to extend across the bed.
14. The mower of claim 13 , wherein the channels each have a width of at least 1.5 inches and less than or equal to 1.75 inches.
15. The mower of claim 1 , wherein the bed comprises a front wall and opposing sidewalls, the sidewalls curving towards each other as the sidewalls approach a rear of the bed.
16. The mower of claim 1 , wherein the mower comprises a muffler at a rear of the engine, wherein the bed projects above the muffler rearwardly of the muffler.
17. The mower of claim 1 , wherein the floor comprises rearwardly directed drain flutes.
18. The mower of claim 1 , wherein the mower comprises a fan below the air intake screen and wherein the bed has a front wall with an interior surface, the interior surface extending rearward of a rotational axis of the fan.
19. The mower of claim 1 , wherein the floor comprises of a double walled molded polymer.
20. The mower of claim 18 , wherein the floor comprises a hollow portion.
21. The mower of claim 1 , further comprising a retainer to releasably retain a rear of the bed to the frame.
22. The mower of claim 20 , wherein the frame comprises a first pair of sleeves, wherein the bed comprises a second pair of sleeves aligned with the first pair of sleeves and wherein the mower further comprises a pair of pins extending through the first pair of sleeves and the second pair of sleeves to pivotally secure a front end of the bed to the frame.
23. A mower comprising:
a frame;
an engine supported by the frame and having an upwardly facing air intake through which air is drawn to cool the engine; and
a utility bed extending at least partially over the air intake; and
a plenum having a top about the air intake and a skirt extending downward from the top, wherein the plenum extends from the utility bed and restricts the flow of heated air from the engine from entering the air drawn through the air intake to cool the engine.