Abstract:
Multifunctional recycling mower replaces separate lawn mowers for mulching, side discharge, and bag collection into one multifunctional lawn mower using a single multifunctional shell. The multifunctional recycling lawn mower consists of a multifunctional shell and a rotational blade and a handle. The multifunctional shell is used for in situ recycling and discharge and bag collection of grass and weed clippings. The shell is moved and controlled by using the handle which is connected to the shell. The multifunctional shell functions as a recycling mower when it is set and moved in one direction and functions as a discharge and bag collection mower when it is set and moved in the opposite direction.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention lies in the field of mechanical engineering and more particularly improving landscape lawn mowers.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Present invention replaces separate lawn mowers or lawnmower parts for mulching, side discharge, and rear bag collection of grass clippings into one lawn mower. Said multifunctional lawn mower consists of a multifunctional shell and a rotational blade and a handle. Said multifunctional shell is used for in situ recycling and side discharge and bag collection of grass and weed clippings by incorporating variables of rotational direction of said rotational blade and direction of said multifunctional shell. Said multifunctional shell has a front section and an end section and in between has a center preferably under which said rotational blade is connected to said multifunctional shell. Said multifunctional shell is moved and controlled by using said handle which is connected to said shell and functions as a recycling mower when moved in the direction of front section and functions as a discharge and rear bag collection mower when moved in the direction of end section. Prior art reviewed did not show or suggest a single multifunctional shell shaped to operate as a recycling mower and a discharge mower as a function of its direction. Relevant examples of prior art on lawn mowers are summarized below.  
           [0003]    U.S. Pat. No. 6085508 discloses a mower deck having a cutting chamber including a rotating cutter head disposed within the cutting chamber with the cutter head which is movable so that it can adopt a number of operating position.  
           [0004]    U.S. Pat. No. 5910091 discloses a cutter housing of an electric lawn mower of a walking type is inclined toward rear and that the battery load is distributed so that the running direction of the electric lawn mower can easily be changed.  
           [0005]    U.S. Pat. No. 5826414 discloses a cutting device including a power unit and a cutting unit connected a single pivot point. The power unit is preferred to be mounted on drive wheels.  
           [0006]    U.S. Pat. No. 5572856 discloses a remotely controlled mower which can be easily converted to an edger, a trimmer, and a blower with replaceable kits.  
           [0007]    U.S. Pat. No. 4951449 discloses a convertible lawn mower including a chute which can be selectively blocked with a chute plug to selectively put mower in a mulching mode.  
           [0008]    U.S. Pat. No. 4916889 discloses a towed mower having a rectangular frame and a pair of diagonally related blades and the frame provide two different mowing width depending on from which side the frame is towed.  
           [0009]    U.S. Pat. No. 5163275 discloses a pivoting handle mounting arrangement for lawn mower which includes an improved releasable and reversible handle assembly.  
           [0010]    U.S. Pat. No. 474458 discloses a tow hitch for use with a tractor having one or more lawn mower to increase the width of a cut area for each cycle.  
           [0011]    U.S. Pat. No. 4326370 discloses a rotary lawn mower including a housing having a discharge port which can be blocked for use as a mulching mower as well as having a releasable chute or a bag for receiving grass.  
           [0012]    U.S. Pat. No. 3797213 discloses a rotary power-operated lawnmower with an upstanding handle pivotally supported on the deck for reversal or flip over movement to facilitate opposite directional motion.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0013]    Present invention improves weed and grass mowers, hereafter lawn mowers, which has a power source such as an electric motor or a gasoline engine and has a rotational blade which is powered by said power source to cut grass and weeds. Said power source provides power to the wheels of a self propelled lawn mower as well as the rotational blade. Present invention replaces separate lawn mowers for mulching, side discharge, and rear bag collection into one multifunctional recycling lawn mower. Said multifunctional lawn mower consists of a multifunctional shell and a rotational blade and a handle. Said multifunctional shell is used for in situ recycling and discharge and rear bag collection of grass and weed clippings by incorporating variables of rotary direction of the rotational blade and direction of said multifunctional shell. Said multifunctional shell has a front section and an end section and in between has center section preferably under which said rotational blade is connected to said multifunctional shell. Said multifunctional shell is moved and controlled by using said handle which is connected to said shell using shell connectors. Said multifunctional shell functions as a recycling mower when moved in the direction of front section and functions as a discharge and rear bag collection mower when moved in the direction of end section.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]    [0014]FIG. 1 is a side view of a multifunctional lawn mower showing multifunctional shell and handle positioned at both recycling and discharge and collection positions.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 2 is a top view of a multifunctional lawn mower showing multifunctional shell and wheels and handle positioned at both recycling and discharge and collection positions.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 3 is a side view of a multifunctional lawn mower showing multifunctional shell and blade set with an angle facing front section and multifunctional shell positioned to move in the direction of front section and handle positioned to move lawn mower in the direction of front section.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 4 is a side view of a multifunctional recycling lawn mower set with an angle facing front section and a handle and a multifunctional shell positioned to move in the direction of end section and a rear collection bag connected to multifunctional shell using discharge port.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 5 is a side view of a multifunctional recycling lawn mower set with no angle and multifunctional shell positioned to move in the direction of front section and handle positioned to move lawn mower in the direction of front section.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 6 is a side view of a multifunctional recycling lawn mower set with an angle facing front section using wheel height adjustments and multifunctional shell positioned to move in the direction of front section using handle.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 7 is a side view of a multifunctional recycling lawn mower and multifunctional shell positioned to move in the direction of end section and handle positioned to move lawn mower in the direction end section and secondary side discharge shell connected to multifunctional shell.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 8 is a top view of a multifunctional recycling lawn mower showing multifunctional shell positioned to move in the direction of end section and handle positioned to move lawn mower in the direction of end section and secondary side discharge shell connected to multifunctional shell. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0022]    [0022]FIG. 1 shows a side view of a multifunctional recycling lawn mower  10  including multifunctional shell  11  and a handle  12  which is positioned at plane  12 A to operate as a recycling lawn mower and positioned at  12 B to operate as a discharge and collection lawn mower. Said handle is preferred to be adjustable in length. FIG. 1 also shows a center section  13  and an end distribution section  14  with an elastic end cover  23  and a front recycling and circulation section  15  with elastic front cover  24  of shell  11 . Multifunctional shell  11  consists of two primary defining cross sectional angles of end angle  16  shown as B and front section angle  17  shown as C both of which said angles  16  and  17  are opposite of each other from the center  13  as shown in FIG. 1. A collection port  11 A is covered by a collection port cover  11 C using collection port connector  11 B which connects said cover  11 C to said shell  11  as shown in FIG. 1. A power source  18  is connected to multifunctional shell  11  and a rotary blade  19  is set at an angle of  20  shown as A relative to ground beneath said shell  11  as shown in FIG. 1. Said blade  19  is powered by said power source  18  using main power transmitter  21  which connects said rotary blade  19  and power source  18  as shown in FIG. l. A shell connector  22  and a pair of shell connector guides  22 A connect handle  12  and multifunctional shell  11  and secure said handle at desired positions  12 A.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 2. shows a top view of a multifunctional recycling lawn mower showing a pair of wheels  25 A and  25 B connected multifunctional shell  11 , and defining horizontal functional curve of  26  shown as D which shapes top of multifunctional shell  11  between angles  16  and  17 .  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 3 shows a multifunctional recycling lawn mower apparatus  10  to cut grass and to recycle cut grass clippings into the cut grass. Said multifunctional lawn mower  10  comprises of a multifunctional shell  11  having a front section  15  and a end section  14  in opposite sides from the center  13 . Said shell  11  is moved forward in the direction of front circulation section  15  to function as a recycling mower as shown in FIG. 3 and moved forward in the direction of end distribution section  14  to function as a discharge and collection lawn mower as shown in FIG. 4. Both FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 show a rotary blade  19  connected to said shell  11  and may be set at an angle of  20  shown as A relative to ground beneath said shell  11 . A power source  18  is connected to said shell  11  and powers said rotary blade  19  using main power transmitter  21 . An adjustable handle  12  is connected to said main shell  11  using shell connector  22  and connector guides  22 A. FIG. 3- 4  show a and adjustable handle  12  positioned at  12 A and  12 B to move lawn mower  10  and its shell  11  in the direction of front section  15  and in the direction of end section  14  from the center  13  to function as recycling mower and bag collection mower respectively. A collection port  11 A is connected to front section  15  of said shell  11  and a collection port cover  11 c is connected to said collection port  11 A using collection port connector  11 B shown at open position while a collection bag  27  is connected to said shell  11  as demonstrated in FIG. 4. A collection bag  27  is connected to said shell  11  using said collection port  11 A for discharge and collection of cut grass clippings  31 . A shell connector  22  and shell connector guides  22 A and  22 B are connected to said multifunctional shell  11  and said handle  12  is secured said at desired positions of  12 A and  12 B as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 respectively. FIG. 3 shows power connectors  22 C and  22 D for towing and pushing said shell  11  and said power connectors connects said shell  11  with a power source designed to tow and push said shell  11  using  22 A or  22 B.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 3 also shows grass  28  being cut by multifunctional lawn mower  10  using rotary blade  19  cuts grass  28  in increments shorter and shorter from height of Hi down to H 2  due to rotational direction of said blade  19  and horizontal shell angle  16  and vertical shell angle  17  and said blade angle  20  as said shell  11  moves forward. Cut grass clippings are circulated in front section  15  and is cut further depending on the speed of said shell  11  and rotational direction and velocity of said blade  19  before discharged from end section  14  into to cut grass  29  in the form of recycled cut grass  30 .  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 4 shows grass  28  being cut by multifunctional recycling lawn mower  10  using rotary blade  19  set at without or with an angle of  20  which cuts grass  28  as shell  11  moves forward by manually using handle  12  or by wheels  25 B powered by power source  18 . Cut grass clippings are moved to front section  15  from end section  14  before discharged to collection bag  27  through collection port  11 A and collected in the form of grass clippings  31  and cut grass  29  is left free of grass clippings. Collection bag  27  is connected to shell  11  using collection port  11 A by means of opening collection port cover  11 C using collection cover connector  11 B as shown in FIG. 4.  
         [0027]    FIGS.  1 - 4  show a combination of variables including blade angle  20 , defining horizontal shell angle  16  and vertical shell angle  17  of section  15 , and a functional shell curve  26 . Functional shell curve  26  connects said vertical angle  17  and horizontal angle  16  in both horizontal and vertical dimensions all of which define the shell  11  to work as a function of direction of shell  11 . Above mentioned variables in aggregation and combination result in a multifunctional shell which functions as a recycling lawn mower when said shell  11  is set to move in the direction of front circulation section of  15 . Said recycling lawn mower cuts grass clippings further received from front circulation section  15  and distribute cut grass clippings  30  into the grass  29  through end distribution section  14  without visible lumps of cut grass clippings on the grass  29 . Therefor, cut grass clippings are distributed evenly and recycled into the grass using said multifunctional shell.  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 5 shows a side view of a multifunctional recycling lawn mower  10  including rotational blade  19 A which is positioned parallel to the ground and set with no angle relative to ground. Multifunctional shell  11  positioned to move in the direction of front section  15  and handle  12  is also positioned to move lawn mower in the direction of front section  15 . FIG. 6 shows two alternatives through which an angel of  20 , shown as A, is established using adjustable same size pairs of wheels  25 A and  25 B. Front section  15  of multifunctional shell  11  is raised to level  33  from level  32  by H using wheel adjustments as shown in FIG. 6 to achieve angle  20 . Same angle of  20  can be achieved by using a larger wheel  25 C which is larger in diameter by H corresponding level  32 . Therefore a combination of wheel adjustments and different wheel sizes in diameter can be used to establish a desired angle of  20 , shown as A in FIG. 5- 6 .  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 show a side and top view of multifunctional shell  11  positioned to function as a side discharge lawn mower including rotational blade  19  set with an angle  20  shown as A facing front section  15 . Multifunctional shell  11  is positioned to move in the direction of end section  14  and handle  12  positioned to move lawn mower in the direction of zone of end  14 . A secondary discharge shell  34  is connected to said multifunctional shell  11  using collection port  11 A. Collection port  11 A is opened using collection port cover  11 C and port cover connector  11 B. Port cover connector  11 B is preferred to be rotational and connected to  11 C and  11 A. FIG. 7 also shows grass  28  is being cut by rotational blade  29  as multifunctional lawn mower  10  and its shell  11  moves forward in the direction of end section  14 . Cut grass clippings are moved to front section  15  from end section  14  to be discharged through secondary discharge shell  34 .  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 8 shows a top view of a multifunctional recycling lawn mower  10  showing multifunctional shell  11  positioned to move in the direction of end section  14 . A handle  12  is also positioned to move lawn mower  10  in the direction of end section  14  and secondary discharge shell  34  is connected to said multifunctional shell  11 . Secondary discharge shell is utilized for side discharge of grass clippings.  
         [0031]    The present invention incorporates variables of rotational blade angle  20 , direction of multifunctional shell, and defined shape of multifunctional shell  11  using defining angles of  16  and  17  and curve  26  as shown in FIG. 1. Said variables give multifunctional lawn mower such as  10  unique ability to function as a recycling lawn mower and side discharge and bag collection lawn mower if moved in opposite directions from the center of said shell. This novel approach provides the following primary benefits and uses  
         [0032]    Ability to operate over overgrown long grass as a recycling lawn mower by means of cutting long grass in increments into short grass clippings which then is recycled into the cut grass and distributed uniformly,  
         [0033]    One lawn mower with no additional parts (except collection bag) is used for cutting grass for recycling and bag collection of grass clippings,  
         [0034]    Quality of end and cut length of grass clippings can easily be adjusted using the angle of the shell adjustments,  
         [0035]    Does not need conversion from collection mower to recycling mower except changing the direction of the lawn mower by means of using the same handle in two different set up positions,  
         [0036]    Same handle and same shell and same blade are utilized without modifications to function as a multifunctional lawn mower for recycling, side discharge, and bag collection.  
         [0037]    While I have fully shown and described embodiments of multifunctional recycling lawn mower no limitations as to the scope of the present invention should be implied from the foregoing description. The true scope of the present invention is limited only by the following claims.