The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 05, 2010
Filed:
Nov. 13, 2008
John O. Hurst, Lakeville, MN (US);
Chris A. Wadzinski, Inver Grove Heights, MN (US);
John O. Hurst, Lakeville, MN (US);
Chris A. Wadzinski, Inver Grove Heights, MN (US);
The Toro Company, Bloomington, MN (US);
Abstract
A walk behind lawn mower has an exit tunnel that is opened and closed by a pivotal mulch door to convert the mower between collecting and mulching modes of operation. An operating handle fixed to the mulch door includes a vertically reciprocal push button for releasing locking tabs that engage detents for holding the mulch door in the open and closed positions thereof. The bottom wall of the exit tunnel has a steeply inclined rear ramp section that is angled upwardly relative to the horizontal at least approximately 45°. The rear discharge opening of the exit tunnel occupies approximately an upper quarter of the area of the rear face of the cutting deck. Grass clippings flow into the upper portion of a grass collector through this high, steeply angled exit tunnel to promote even and full filling of the grass collector in the collecting mode.