Solar powered mower

A powered mower has a cordless electric power source defined by a rechargeable battery and a solar panel. The rechargeable battery is connected to a direct current motor for driving the mower blade and drive system for the powered mower. The solar panel supplies the rechargeable battery with additional voltage and current to assist the battery in maintaining its functional operating level.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to power mowers and more particularly to power 
mowers powered by electrical motors. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Present day power mowers can be powered either by a 4-cycle gasoline engine 
or a 2-cycle gasoline engine for providing power to drive a cutting blade 
of either the rotary or reel type. Other power mowers have an electric 
motor that drives a cutting blade of either type the rotary or reel type. 
Such electric motor powered mowers have the power supply provided to the 
motor through an extensible cord which connects to a standard domestic 
power supply. 
The use of gasoline engine constitutes a substantial source of air 
pollution which in time could become regulated by the E.P.A. as are larger 
engines for powering automobiles and other motor vehicles. The alternative 
to such gasoline engines is a cord type electric motor driven mower. Such 
mowers, however, are not as mobile as gasoline engine mowers in that they 
must be connected to a power supply by a cord during their operation. Such 
power cords are susceptible to being cut by the blade to produce exposed 
power leads. Additionally, while not a direct polluter, such electric 
powered mowers are powered from a central power plant which, if fossil 
fuel fired, can be a significant source of pollutants unless suitable 
waste recovery systems are incorporated in the central system. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Accordingly, a feature of the present invention is to provide a powered 
mower with a power supply that has little or no emissions therefrom. 
Another feature of the present invention is to provide an electrically 
powered mower with a power supply that does not require a cord for 
supplying electrical power thereto. 
Another feature of the present invention is to provide a powered mower with 
a rotary blade driven by an electrical drive motor which is connected to a 
cordless source of power including a primary power source for providing 
electrical power to the drive motor and further including a secondary 
source of power that generates power solely on exposure to light energy. 
Still another feature is to provide powered mowers of the type set forth in 
the preceding objects wherein the source of power includes a cordless 
power supply for an electric drive motor located on the upper surface of a 
protective housing; the cordless power supply including a primary source 
of electrical power for driving the electric motor and further including a 
secondary source of electrical power for charging the primary source of 
electrical power as power is supplied from said primary source of 
electrical power to the electric drive motor. 
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an electric power 
mower having a solar panel with solar cells thereon for charging onboard 
batteries which supply primary power to the electric motor of the 
electriccally powered mower so as to eliminate the need for a power cord. 
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a power mower 
with a rotary blade driven by an electric motor having a primary source of 
power defined by rechargeable batteries mounted on the mower and including 
a secondary source of power mounted on the mower for charging the 
rechargeable batteries as they supply power to the drive motor. 
Other objects of the present invention is to provide power mowers of the 
preceding object wherein the secondary power source is a solar panel 
located in overlying relationship to the drive motor in a pattern to 
intercept sunlight from different directions as the mower is driven in a 
cutting pattern across a lawn surface. 
These and other features, advantages and objects of the present invention 
will become more apparent in view of the accompanying written description 
of a preferred embodiment of the invention when taken in conjunction with 
the appended drawings wherein:

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring now to FIG. 1, a powered mower 10 is illustrated including a 
protective housing 12 for a rotary blade 14. The blade 14 is suspended 
within the protective housing 12 by a drive train 16 including an electric 
clutch and brake unit 18. The drive train 16 is connected to a direct 
current energized electric drive motor 20 by the drive shaft 20a of the 
drive motor. The motor 20 is supported on the top 12a of the protective 
housing 12. 
The powered mower 10 is powered by a primary source of power in the form of 
rechargeable batteries 22, 24 located on either side of the drive motor 20 
where they are secured by suitable hold down fixtures (not shown) to the 
top 12a of the protective housing 12. 
One feature of the present invention is that the provision of an onboard 
source of power for the drive motor 20 eliminates the need for power cords 
as presently found on electrically powered mowers. The present invention 
thereby obviates the attendant problem of accidental cutting of power 
cords during mower operation. 
Another feature of the present invention is the provision of a solar cell 
system 30 for charging the batteries during mower operation to maintain 
the rechargeable batteries 22, 24 at a functional operating level. The 
provision of an onboard recharging source eliminates the need to connect 
the batteries for recharging from a central power source so as to 
eliminate power plant emissions which can be generated during such 
recharging. Initial charging will be necessary as may be periodic charging 
due to some loss from sitting, unless the mower is left in the sunlight 
after use until the next mowing. A further advantage of electric powered 
mowers is that they eliminate pollutants and emissions produced by mowers 
of the type powered by either four or two cycle engines fueled by existing 
sources of fossil fuel. Such fossil fueled, internal combustion engines do 
not include emission control systems and in the aggregate produce 
combustion products that constitute a substantial source of nitrous 
oxides, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, as well as direct evaporation of 
the fuel supply all requiring regulation in order to protect the world 
environment. 
A powered mower 10 having the aforesaid rechargeable batteries 22, 24 and 
solar cell charging system 30 is readily adaptable for use with known 
drive systems. For example, the powered mower 10 can have a conventional 
handle 26 with a control module 28 for setting the control modes to 
operate a standard drive transmission 32 having either a pulley 34 or a 
gear on the drive shaft 20a. A drive belt 36 from the pulley 34 passes 
over a driven pulley 38. The driven pulley 38 can connect to a shaft 40 
carrying a worm gear 42 that engages a worm 44 on the shaft 46 of a drive 
wheel 48. Such a drive transmission or its equivalent can be used to turn 
the wheel (or wheels) of the powered mower 10 allowing the power from the 
onboard electrical power source to pull the mower over grass terrain to 
allow the rotating blade 14 to cut the individual blades of grass in a 
known manner. 
In the illustrated arrangement and as best shown in FIG. 2, the 
rechargeable batteries 22, 24 have negative terminals 50 thereof connected 
to the negative terminal 52 of the D.C. drive motor 20 by suitable leads 
54. Likewise the positive terminal 56 of the motor 20 is connected to 
either an on-off switch 28a on the control module 28 or to a variable 
speed control 28b thereon. When the switch 28a is turned on the power 
circuit is completed across the windings of the D.C. electric drive motor 
20 through suitable leads 58 connected to the positive terminals 59 of the 
batteries 22, 24. 
If a variable speed control 28b is used, the electronic speed control can 
produce a known pulse width modulated signal to the windings of the drive 
motor 20 to vary the r.p.m. of the drive motor 20 to control the cutting 
speed of the blade 14 alone. If a transmission 32 is used to propel a 
drive wheel 48, the speed of the entire unit can be varied by varying the 
output speed of the drive motor 20. 
The electric clutch 16 can serve as an electric brake by directing opposite 
polarity power thereto when a handle safety bar 26a is released. If the 
user's hands are removed from the handle 26 the safety release bar 26a 
conditions a safety switch 26b to condition the clutch 16 to 
instantaneously provide a stop action for the cutting blade 14. The clutch 
16 also absorbs shock if the blade 14 strikes an object. 
As a further safety feature, the onboard powered electric motor 20 of the 
present invention can be instantly stopped by utilizing the safety switch 
26b to reverse the battery polarity to the electric motor 20 when it is 
turning the blade 14 in its normal cutting direction. When the motor stops 
the switch 26b disconnects the motor 20 from the batteries 22, 24 until 
the switch 26b is reset to a starting mode. Alternatively, an 
electromechanical brake band can be provided to apply emergency braking 
directly to a rotating clutch or drum assembly connected to the drive 
shaft 20a. 
In operation, the storage cells or batteries 22, 24 are either dry charged 
or sealed units which are installed on the mower as precharged units from 
the manufacturer. If required the batteries 22, 24 can receive their 
initial charge of power from an external charging source. Once charged, 
however, the batteries 22, 24 can be operated for extended periods of time 
by utilizing the solar cell system 30 as a supplemental power source to 
maintain the initial charge on the primary source of power defined by the 
batteries 22, 24. 
The solar cell system 30, more particularly, includes a pair of solar 
panels 60, 62 joined at a ridge line 64 at a point raised above the top of 
the electric drive motor 20. The solar panels 60, 62 each have a plurality 
of solar cells connected so as to produce a voltage and current supply on 
a lead line 66 which is generated as direct current and voltage when the 
cells are exposed to either the sun or to a bright light source. A voltage 
regulator 70 is connected either to a charging outlet 72 for the initial 
charge or to the lead line 66 to control the current flow with respect to 
the batteries 22, 24. The voltage regulator 70 is operative to maintain a 
safe charging level of voltage and current as additional voltage and 
current is directed from the solar cell system 30 to the batteries to 
maintain them at a functional operating level. 
In the embodiment of the invention in FIG. 5, the solar panels 60, 62 are 
replaced by a generally conically configured solar panel 80. In both the 
case of the solar panel 60, 62 and the conically configured solar panel 
80, the solar cell system 30 is operative to intercept sun rays from a 
plurality of directions during operation of the mower 10 as the mower is 
passed in different cutting patterns across a lawn surface. 
While the invention has been discussed with respect to a powered mower with 
a handle, its adaptability to other mowers such as small ride mowers 
should be apparent In such cases the protective housing of the mower is 
upsized to accommodate a larger number of rechargeable batteries to drive 
a larger load and likewise a larger support base is provided to 
accommodate a larger area of solar cells to provide the secondary source 
of power for charging the batteries. 
While representative embodiments of the present invention have been shown 
and discussed, those skilled in the art will recognize that various 
changes and modifications may be made within the scope and equivalency 
range of the present invention.