Patent ID: 7124563
Filing Date: 2006-10-24
Classification: A01D

Abstract:
1. A grass collecting system having a grass collecting duct for transmitting grass clippings reaped by a mower unit to a grass catcher in a grass collecting position, said grass catcher being swingable to a grass discharge position, wherein said grass collecting duct includes a top plate and right and left side plates for guiding the grass clippings from the mower unit to the grass catcher, an outlet portion being defined by an end of a space surrounded by the top plate and the right and left side plates, said grass collecting system comprising: a grass clippings discharge path for transmitting the grass clippings received from said mower unit, from the outlet portion of said grass collecting duct into said grass catcher; a bottom plate unit locatable in said outlet portion to be swingable about a pivot shaft from a first position corresponding to a guide position for preventing falling of the grass clippings to a second position corresponding to an upstanding position, the bottom plate unit having flat plate portions that cover at least a part of a downward opening defined in the grass collecting duct when the bottom plate unit is in the first position, the pivot shaft being supported to a part associated with the grass catcher; and wherein said bottom plate unit has a shortening mechanism for shortening a distance between a forward end of said bottom plate unit projecting into said grass collecting duct and said pivot shaft, said distance measured along a straight line extending between the forward end of said bottom plate unit and said pivot shaft.