Patent ID: 6109010
Filing Date: 2000-08-29
Classification: B60K

Abstract:
A control circuit for a vehicle, said vehicle having an engine capable of being in an operating condition or in an non-operating condition, said vehicle capable of movement and being in a forward direction condition, a reverse direction condition, or a neutral condition, said vehicle including a selectively operable cutting unit having a disengaged condition or an engaged condition for cutting vegetation, a plurality of vehicle operational states being defined by a combination of said engine operating condition and said engine non-operating condition and said forward direction condition and said reverse direction condition and said neutral condition and said disengaged condition and said engaged condition a first vehicle operational state being defined by the engine operating condition and the neutral condition and the cutting unit engaged condition, a second vehicle operational state being defined by the engine non-operating condition, a third vehicle operational state being defined by the engine operating condition and the reverse direction condition and the cutting unit engaged condition, and a forth vehicle operational state being defined by the engine operating condition and the reverse direction condition and the cutting unit disengaged condition, said control circuit comprising:a PTO switch for selectively controlling the cutting unit between the engaged condition and the disengaged condition;an override switch operatively coupled to the PTO switch for establishing an override condition and a non-override condition, said override switch being responsive to the PTO switch wherein the override condition is released upon activating the PTO switch to place the cutting unit in the disengaged condition so that the vehicle is then in the non-override condition;a reverse switch operatively coupled to the PTO switch which is responsive to the vehicle operating in the reverse direction condition;wherein when the vehicle is in the first state and the override switch is in the non-override condition and the direction condition transitions from the neutral condition to the reverse condition, a next vehicle operational state will be either the second state or the forth state; andwherein when the vehicle is in the first state and in the override condition and the direction condition transitions from the neutral condition to the reverse condition, the next vehicle operational state will be the third state so long as the cutting unit remains engaged, and regardless of the vehicle having been in a forward direction condition subsequent to establishing the override condition.