Electric walk behind greens mower
An electric walk behind greens mower includes an electric reel motor rotating a cutting reel; an electric traction motor rotating at least one traction drive roller; and an electronic control unit commanding the electric traction motor and the electric reel motor to rotate at reduced speeds during a turn if an electronic signal indicates a deviation from a normal walk speed. The electronic control unit also may determine if the actual speed of the electric traction motor is substantially less than the speed specified by a speed lever, and then command the electric reel motor and the electric traction motor to rotate at a lower speed than specified by the speed lever. The electric walk behind greens mower also may include a battery management system that activates a low voltage power supply if a key switch is turned from the off position to the run position, and that provides a start signal to an electronic control unit if the key switch is momentarily turned from the run position to the start position whereby the electronic control unit activates a high voltage power supply to the electric reel motor and the electric traction motor.
1. An electric walk behind greens mower, comprising:
an electric reel motor rotating a cutting reel;
an electric traction motor rotating at least one traction drive roller; and
an electronic control unit commanding the electric traction motor and the electric reel motor to rotate at reduced speeds during a turn around if the electronic control unit receives a first electronic signal compared to a threshold value indicating a deviation from a normal walk speed.
2. The electric walk behind greens mower of claim 1 wherein the first electronic signal is a current spike from the electric traction motor.
3. The electric walk behind greens mower of claim 1 wherein the first electronic signal is a spike from an accelerometer mounted on the electric walk behind greens mower.
4. The electric walk behind greens mower of claim 1 wherein the first electronic signal is from a touch sensor on a handle of the electric walk behind greens mower.
5. The electric walk behind greens mower of claim 1 wherein the electronic control unit includes a confidence level algorithm that ignores the first electronic signal indicating a deviation from the normal walk speed if there is a high confidence level that the electric walk behind greens mower is not at an edge of a green.
6. The electric walk behind greens mower of claim 1 wherein the electronic control unit includes a timer for limiting how long the electric traction motor and the electric reel motor rotate at the reduced speeds.
7. The electric walk behind greens mower of claim 1 wherein the electronic control unit includes an angle sensor providing a second electronic signal to the electronic control unit indicating if the turn around is complete.
8. The electric walk behind greens mower of claim 1 wherein the electronic control unit provides commands to the electric traction motor and the electric reel motor to rotate at the reduced speeds via a CAN bus.
9. An electric walk behind greens mower, comprising:
an electric reel motor rotating a cutting reel;
an electric traction motor rotating at least one traction drive roller; and
an electronic control unit determining if an actual speed of the electric traction motor is substantially less than a speed specified by a speed lever when the speed lever changes position, and then commanding the electric reel motor and the electric traction motor to rotate at a lower speed than specified by the speed lever.
10. The electric walk behind greens mower of claim 9 wherein the electronic control unit commands the electric reel motor and the electric traction motor to ramp up their rotational speeds in a plurality of steps toward the speed specified by the speed lever.
11. The electric walk behind greens mower of claim 9 wherein the electronic control unit commands the electric traction motor not to start rotating unless the speed lever is in a slow speed position below a low threshold.