IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,721,256
Granted Patent B2
US 12,721,256 · App. 18/620,158 · Granted Sep 1, 2026

Lawn mower

Inventors: Misago Morii (Wako, JP); Fumio Minami (Wako, JP); Keisuke Matsubara (Wako, JP)
Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
A01D34/006A01D34/81A01D34/82
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,721,256
App. No.
18/620,158
Granted
Sep 1, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An aspect of a lawn mower according to the present disclosure is equipped with an accommodation container disposed in a front housing, a first passage that places the front housing and the accommodation container in communication, and a flow path adjustment unit disposed between an operation unit and the accommodation container, and at a position where transporting air that flows through the first passage can be adjusted. A control unit, in accordance with a predetermined condition in relation to a load of the operation unit, controls a degree of opening of the flow path adjustment unit.

Claims (54)

1 . A lawn mower, comprising:

an operation unit configured to cut a work object by rotating, and configured to generate transporting air;

a drive source configured to drive the operation unit;

a control unit configured to control the drive source;

a housing including a blade housing in which the operation unit is accommodated, and a front housing configured to project out in a frontward direction from the blade housing, and to communicate with the blade housing;

an accommodation container provided for the front housing;

a first passage configured to place the front housing and the accommodation container in communication; and

a flow path adjustment unit disposed between the operation unit and the accommodation container, and provided at a position where the transporting air that flows through the first passage is adjustable;

wherein the control unit comprises at least one processor configured to execute a computer-executable instruction that is stored in a memory, and by the computer-executable instruction being executed by the at least one processor, in accordance with a predetermined condition in relation to a load of the operation unit, controls a degree of opening of the flow path adjustment unit.

2 . The lawn mower according to claim 1 , further comprising an electrical current sensor configured to detect an electrical current value supplied to the drive source,

wherein:

in a case that the electrical current value is greater than or equal to a first predetermined value, the control unit determines that a first predetermined condition is satisfied; and

in a case that the electrical current value satisfies the first predetermined condition, the control unit increases the degree of opening of the flow path adjustment unit.

3 . The lawn mower according to claim 2 , wherein:

a second passage is provided in the blade housing, and configured to place the blade housing and the accommodation container in communication; and

in a case that the electrical current value satisfies a second predetermined condition, the control unit opens the second passage.

4 . The lawn mower according to claim 3 , wherein, in a case that the electrical current value is less than or equal to a second predetermined value which is less than the first predetermined value, the control unit determines that the second predetermined condition is satisfied.

5 . The lawn mower according to claim 1 , further comprising an external environment recognition unit configured to recognize a state of the work object,

wherein, in a case that the state of the work object satisfies a first predetermined condition, the control unit increases the degree of opening of the flow path adjustment unit.

6 . The lawn mower according to claim 5 , wherein the first predetermined condition is a condition related to at least one from among a height of the work object, a density of the work object, a type of the work object, or a state of wetness of the work object.

7 . The lawn mower according to claim 6 , wherein:

a second passage is provided in the blade housing, and configured to place the blade housing and the accommodation container in communication; and

in a case that the state of the work object satisfies a second predetermined condition, the control unit opens the second passage.

8 . The lawn mower according to claim 7 , wherein, in a case that the state of the work object is less than or equal to a second predetermined value which is lower than a first predetermined value that is a threshold value of the first predetermined condition, the control unit determines that the second predetermined condition is satisfied.

9 . The lawn mower according to claim 1 , further comprising a traveling state acquisition unit configured to acquire a traveling state of the lawn mower itself,

wherein, in a case that the traveling state satisfies a first predetermined condition, the control unit increases the degree of opening of the flow path adjustment unit.

10 . The lawn mower according to claim 9 , wherein the first predetermined condition is a condition related to at least one from among a turning state of the lawn mower itself, an acceleration of the lawn mower itself, a velocity of the lawn mower itself, or a traveling mode of the lawn mower itself.

11 . The lawn mower according to claim 10 , wherein the first predetermined condition is at least one from among:

that a steering angle is greater than or equal to a predetermined first steering angle;

that a rate of change in a yaw rate over time is greater than or equal to a predetermined first rate of change in the yaw rate over time;

that an absolute value of the acceleration, when the acceleration is negative, is greater than or equal to an absolute value of a predetermined first acceleration;

that the velocity is less than or equal to a predetermined first velocity;

that the velocity is greater than or equal to a predetermined second velocity that is greater than the first velocity; or

that the traveling mode is set to a spiral mode.

12 . The lawn mower according to claim 11 , wherein:

a second passage is provided in the blade housing, and configured to place the blade housing and the accommodation container in communication; and

in a case that the traveling state satisfies a second predetermined condition, the control unit opens the second passage.

13 . The lawn mower according to claim 12 , wherein the second predetermined condition is at least one from among:

that the steering angle is less than the predetermined first steering angle;

that the rate of change in the yaw rate over time is less than the predetermined first rate of change in the yaw rate over time;

that the absolute value of the acceleration is less than the absolute value of the predetermined first acceleration; or

that the velocity is greater than the first velocity and is less than the second velocity.

14 . The lawn mower according to claim 1 , wherein:

the lawn mower is an autonomous working machine configured to perform work autonomously;

the control unit includes a map that is divided into small regions, and an operation mode is set to each of the small regions; and

in a case that the lawn mower itself enters into a predetermined first area, the control unit increases the degree of opening of the flow path adjustment unit.

15 . The lawn mower according to claim 14 , wherein:

a second passage is provided in the blade housing, and configured to place the blade housing and the accommodation container in communication; and

in a case that the lawn mower itself enters into a predetermined second area, the control unit opens the second passage.

16 . The lawn mower according to claim 15 , wherein:

the map includes:

the predetermined first area to which a bagging mode is allocated, the work object being delivered from the front housing to the accommodation container in the bagging mode;

the predetermined second area to which a returning flow mode is allocated, the work object being returned from the accommodation container into the blade housing in the returning flow mode; and

a third area to which a mulching mode is allocated, the work object being discharged downwardly of the housing in the mulching mode.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 3, 2024
From: MORII, MISAGO; MINAMI, FUMIO; MATSUBARA, KEISUKE
To: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 067601/0170 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250301946A1 · Oct 2, 2025
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