Patent ID: 8104255

Claim:
An improved lawn mower of the type having a downwardly facing cutting chamber that includes a top wall and a circumferential sidewall, the sidewall having a side discharge opening therein, and further including a side discharge chute having a closed position in which the discharge opening is covered and closed off and an open position in which the discharge opening is uncovered to allow grass clippings circulating inside the cutting chamber to flow through the uncovered discharge opening and to thereby exit the cutting chamber, wherein the improvement relates to the side discharge chute which comprises: (a) a side door that pivots on the sidewall of the cutting chamber about a substantially vertical pivot axis, wherein the side door in the closed position of the discharge chute lies adjacent the sidewall to overlie and close off the discharge opening, and wherein the side door in the open position of the discharge chute has been pivoted outwardly relative to the sidewall about the vertical pivot axis so that the side door has swung away from and opened the discharge opening; and (b) a top deflector that pivots on the side door about a substantially horizontal pivot axis, wherein the top deflector in the closed position of the discharge chute rests atop the top wall of the cutting chamber, and wherein the top deflector in the open position of the discharge chute has cleared the top wall of the cutting chamber to be able to pivot downwardly relative to the side door about the substantially horizontal pivot axis.