Cutting platform locking device with forced extraction

Abstract

A riding yard maintenance vehicle includes: a frame to which front and rear wheels of the riding yard maintenance vehicle are attachable; a steering assembly configured to receive steering input from an operator of the riding yard maintenance vehicle; and a mounting assembly disposed at a front end of the riding yard maintenance vehicle to which a working assembly is attachable. The working assembly receives power via a plug assembly and is configured to transition between a working position and a maintenance position while operatively coupled to the mounting assembly. The mounting assembly may include a locking assembly configured to prevent transition from the working position to the maintenance position when the plug assembly provides power to the working assembly.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Exemplary embodiments relate generally to yard maintenance vehicles and, more particularly, to a riding yard maintenance vehicle utilizing a front mounted powered cutting deck that can be rotated from its normal use position to a maintenance position. Background Art

[0002] Lawn care tasks are often performed using a variety of tools and / or machines configured to perform the corresponding specific tasks. Specific tasks such as mowing are typically performed by a lawn mower. The lawn mower itself can have many different configurations to support the needs and budgets of consumers. Walk-behind lawn mowers are typically compact, have relatively small engines, and are relatively inexpensive. Meanwhile, at the other extreme, riding lawn mowers such as lawn tractors and articulated ride-on devices can be larger. In addition to the mowing components, riding lawn mowers can sometimes be configured with various functional accessories (e.g., trailers, tillers, etc.). Compared to walk-behind models, riding lawn mowers offer the convenience of a riding vehicle and a typically larger cutting platform.

[0003] As can be seen from the above description, riding yard maintenance vehicles can come in many different sizes and their performance can vary greatly. However, in addition to variations in size and functionality, riding yard maintenance vehicles can also have a variety of variations in configuration, which provide for the various functions they can perform. For example, some riding yard maintenance vehicles may have accessories that are rear-mounted, front-mounted, or even mounted between the front and rear wheels.

[0004] For a riding yard maintenance vehicle having a front mounted cutting deck, a significant advantage is the ability to pivot or rotate the cutting deck from its normal use position (or cutting position) into a maintenance position. The maintenance position is typically achieved by pivoting the front end of the cutting deck upward while the rear end of the cutting deck remains operatively coupled to the riding yard maintenance vehicle. Thus, the cutting deck is rotated approximately 90 degrees about the pivot point at the intersection between the cutting deck and the mounting portion of the riding yard maintenance vehicle to expose the blade and underside of the cutting deck for cleaning or other maintenance.

[0005] When the cutting deck is pivoted to the maintenance position, it is necessary to ensure that the blade is inoperable. For belt drive models, this may be relatively easy to achieve. However, as more electric drive components are added to riding yard maintenance vehicles (e.g., including a powered cutting deck), achieving this goal may become difficult.

[0006] Therefore, it may be desirable to develop a way to ensure that even for an electrically driven cutting deck that can be pivoted to a maintenance position, the cutting deck cannot still have power supplied to it while in the maintenance position. Summary of the invention

[0007] In an exemplary embodiment, a riding yard maintenance vehicle may be provided. The riding yard maintenance vehicle may include: a frame to which front and rear wheels of the riding yard maintenance vehicle may be attached; a steering assembly configured to receive steering input from an operator of the riding yard maintenance vehicle; and a mounting assembly disposed at a front end of the riding yard maintenance vehicle to which a working assembly may be attached. The working assembly may receive power via a plug assembly and may be configured to transition between a working position and a maintenance position while being operatively coupled to the mounting assembly. The mounting assembly may include a locking assembly configured to prevent transition from the working position to the maintenance position when the plug assembly provides power to the working assembly.

[0008] In another exemplary embodiment, a mounting assembly for securing a powered cutting deck to a riding yard maintenance vehicle may be provided. The mounting assembly may include: an attachment frame including an attachment track disposed at a front portion of the riding yard maintenance vehicle; a coupling frame including a coupling track disposed at the cutting deck and configured to engage with the attachment frame; and a locking assembly configured to be operatively coupled to at least a portion of both the attachment frame and the coupling frame. The cutting deck may be configured to transition between a working position and a maintenance position when operatively coupled to the riding yard maintenance vehicle. The locking assembly may be configured to prevent transition between the working position and the maintenance position when the plug assembly provides power to the cutting deck. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Having thus generally described the invention, it will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and in which:

[0010] Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a riding yard maintenance vehicle;

[0011] Figure 2 A perspective view of a mounting assembly for a riding yard maintenance vehicle is shown in accordance with an exemplary embodiment;

[0012] Figure 3 Another perspective view of a mounting assembly for a riding yard maintenance vehicle is shown according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0013] Figure 4 shows a perspective view of a plug assembly and a locking assembly according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0014] Figure 5 shows a front view of a plug assembly and a locking assembly according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0015] Figure 6 According to an exemplary embodiment, Figure 5 the same view as shown in , except that the plug of the plug assembly is removed to allow the locking assembly to be unlocked; and

[0016] Figure 7 A perspective view of a locking assembly according to an exemplary embodiment is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] Some exemplary embodiments will be described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some but not all exemplary embodiments are shown. In fact, the examples described and depicted herein should not be construed as limiting the scope, applicability or construction of the present disclosure. On the contrary, these exemplary embodiments are provided so that the present disclosure will meet applicable legal requirements. Throughout the text, similar reference numerals refer to similar elements. In addition, the term "or" as used herein should be interpreted as a logical operator whose result is true when one or more operands in its multiple operands are true. Operable connection as used herein should be understood to involve direct or indirect connection, and in either case, both can achieve the functional interconnection of components operatively connected to each other.

[0018] Some exemplary embodiments can provide improved capabilities, making the cutting deck inoperable when switched to the maintenance position. In this case, exemplary embodiments can be configured so that the cutting deck cannot be converted to the maintenance position without first removing the power supply of the cutting deck.

[0019] Figure 1 A riding yard maintenance vehicle 10 is shown as an example of a conventional belt-driven model. The particular model shown includes front mounted equipment and is an articulated ride, but it should be understood that the exemplary embodiments are not limited to such a model. Therefore, other models, including models without articulated steering, may also be operated utilizing the mounting assembly as described herein.

[0020] In some embodiments, the riding yard maintenance vehicle 10 may include a seat 20, which may be disposed at a center portion, a rear portion, or a front portion of the riding yard maintenance vehicle 10. The riding yard maintenance vehicle 10 may also include a steering assembly 30 (e.g., a steering wheel, a handlebar, a joystick, etc.) operatively coupled to the rear wheels 32 of the riding yard maintenance vehicle 10 to allow an operator to steer the riding yard maintenance vehicle 10 via steering input communicated with the rear wheels 32 (or the front wheels 34). However, other steering arrangements are possible in other embodiments, and the type of steering assembly 30 used is not limited to the exemplary embodiment.

[0021] The steering assembly 30 may include a steering wheel 36 and a steering column 37. The steering column 37 may be operatively connected to additional steering assembly components, or in other embodiments, to the front wheels 34. Additionally, the steering column 37 may extend into a steering console 38, which may provide a cover to improve the aesthetic appearance of the riding yard maintenance vehicle 10 by obscuring the view of the various mechanical components associated with the steering assembly 30. In some cases, the steering assembly 30 may include other devices (e.g., a steering bar or handlebars) instead of the steering wheel 36.

[0022] The operator may sit on the seat 20, which may be disposed to the rear of the steering assembly 30, to provide input for steering of the riding yard maintenance vehicle 10 via the steering assembly 30. The riding yard maintenance vehicle 10 may also include additional control-related components that may be disposed at a control panel 40 that may be positioned proximate the seat 20 to provide the operator with easy access to a plurality of control-related components located at the control panel 40. The control-related components may include levers, switches, and the like configured to provide control of certain functions or components such as a blade speed adjuster, a choke control, a cutting height adjuster, and / or a cutting unit lift controller.

[0023] In some cases, one or more additional controls may be provided in the form of foot pedals that may be located near footrests 46 (which may include portions located on both sides of the riding yard maintenance vehicle 10 (e.g., on opposite sides of the steering console 38)) to enable the operator to rest his or her feet on the foot pedals while sitting in the seat 20. These foot pedals may provide speed control for forward and / or reverse operation, pause, cutting deck lift, or other functions. In other examples, other levers, operators, or components are also possible.

[0024] The steering assembly 30 may be implemented as an assembly of metallic or other rigid components that may be welded, assembled, bolted, or otherwise operatively coupled to each other and to the wheels (e.g., rear wheels 32 and / or front wheels 34) of the riding yard maintenance vehicle 10 to which the steering input is provided. For example, the steering assembly 30 may include or otherwise be coupled with a steering cable assembly or a mechanical linkage system (e.g., pulleys, connecting rods, cams, and / or other mechanical components) to convert rotational motion applied to the steering assembly 30 (and more specifically the steering wheel 36) into a directional input to orient the wheels accordingly. In some alternative embodiments, other steering control systems may also be used.

[0025] The riding yard maintenance vehicle 10 may also include a cutting deck 50 or an attachment configured to support the cutting deck having at least one cutting blade mounted therein. The cutting deck 50 may be a removable attachment that may be positioned in a position forward of the front wheels 34 to enable an operator to rotate the cutting blades under the cutting deck 50 and the cutting deck 50 in a cutting position (which is a Figure 1 ) in the position shown in the figure, the cutting blade is used to cut grass. When operating to cut grass, grass clippings may be captured, covered or discharged from the cutting deck 50 by a collection system (e.g., via a discharge port that can be directed to the cutting deck and / or the side or rear of the riding yard maintenance vehicle 10). In some cases, the cutting deck 50 can be replaced by other working attachments to change the configuration of the riding yard maintenance vehicle 10 and correspondingly change the tasks that can be performed by the riding yard maintenance vehicle 10. Thus, for example, a scraper or snowplow attachment can be provided to transform the riding yard maintenance vehicle 10 into a snow removal device. Alternatively, a tiller attachment can be provided to transform the riding yard maintenance vehicle 10 into a riding or remotely controlled tiller. Other attachments and configurations are also possible, such as a sweeper, a brush remover, etc. In each case, different types of attachments can be regarded as corresponding different types of accessories that can be powered by the riding yard maintenance vehicle 10 (as an exemplary main device).

[0026] exist Figure 1 In the illustrated example of , the engine of the riding yard maintenance vehicle 10 is arranged in an engine compartment 60, which is located behind the operator seated in the rear portion of the riding yard maintenance vehicle 10. However, in other exemplary embodiments, the engine can be located in a different position, such as in front of or below the operator. In some embodiments, the engine can be operatively coupled to one or more of the multiple wheels of the riding yard maintenance vehicle 10 to provide driving force for the riding yard maintenance vehicle 10. In some embodiments, the engine can be capable of powering two wheels, while in other embodiments, the engine can power all four wheels of the riding yard maintenance vehicle 10. In addition, in some cases, the engine can be manually or automatically switched between powering some wheels or all four wheels of the riding yard maintenance vehicle 10.

[0027] The engine, steering assembly 30, cutting deck 50, seat 20, and other components of the riding yard maintenance vehicle 10 may be operatively connected (directly or indirectly) to the frame of the riding yard maintenance vehicle 10. The frame may be a rigid structure configured to provide support, connectivity, and interoperability functions to the various components of the riding yard maintenance vehicle 10. In some embodiments, the frame may be split or articulated such that, for example, the front wheels 34 are disposed on a portion of the frame opposite the portion of the frame where the rear wheels 32 are disposed relative to an articulated joint 70 in the frame. However, as described above, the articulated joint 70 shown here is only one example, and many models may not use an articulated joint 70.

[0028] The cutting deck 50 can be attached to the frame of the riding yard maintenance vehicle 10 via the mounting assembly 80. The belt drive assembly 82 can also operatively couple the engine of the riding yard maintenance vehicle 10 to the blade inside the cutting deck 50 to drive the blade to cut when the cutting deck 50 is in the cutting position. At the same time, the cutting deck 50 can be rotated or pivoted in the direction indicated by the arrow 90 to Figure 1 The maintenance position 92 is generally shown by the dashed line in FIG.

[0029] For those with Figure 1 In the device of the belt drive assembly 82, a v-belt extending from a pulley located on the machine prevents the cutting deck 50 from being completely separated from the machine or falling off the machine. At the same time, the structure of such a device can also ensure that there is no possibility of operating the belt when the cutting deck 50 is rotated to the maintenance position 92. However, in the case where the blade inside the cutting deck 50 is powered by electricity rather than by a belt drive, there will obviously be no such v-belt. In this case, it is expected that the electric cutting deck may have a removable plug (i.e., it can be unplugged) to remove the power supply of the cutting deck. Once removed, there will be no obstacle to the cutting deck falling off the machine or being completely separated from the machine. In addition, there will not necessarily be any obstacle to switching the cutting deck to the maintenance position while keeping it plugged in, so it is possible to provide power in the maintenance position. Therefore, the exemplary embodiment provides a structure for keeping the cutting deck in contact with the machine when switching to the maintenance position, and the power supply needs to be disconnected before switching to the maintenance position.

[0030] Figures 2 to 7 An exemplary embodiment is shown that provides a mounting assembly that is configured to ensure that power is removed from the cutting deck prior to switching to a service or maintenance position. Figure 2 and Figure 3, the riding lawn maintenance vehicle 200 is shown having a cutting deck 210 mounted to the front of the front wheel 202. The cutting deck 210 is mounted to the riding lawn maintenance vehicle 200 via an attachment frame 220 disposed in front of the front wheel 202. The attachment frame 220 may include two parallel attachment tracks 222 that are spaced apart from each other to extend along opposite sides of the riding lawn maintenance vehicle 200. The attachment tracks 222 may have a reinforcing rod 224 extending between them to provide them with strength, and other components such as connection points, reinforcing members, and joints may also be defined between the attachment frame 220 and the frame or chassis of the riding yard maintenance vehicle 200, but such other components are outside the scope of the present disclosure. However, it should be understood that all of these components may be considered as parts of a mounting assembly configured to operatively couple the attachment frame 220 and the coupling frame 230. Thus, the mounting assembly includes the attachment frame 220 and the coupling frame 230 and components thereof.

[0031] The attachment frame 220 of the riding yard maintenance vehicle 100 may be configured to interface with the coupling frame 230 of the cutting deck 210 to maintain the cutting deck 210 in an operating position or cutting position (which is Figure 2 and Figure 3 The coupling frame 230 may include coupling rails 232 that extend substantially parallel to each other and are spaced apart from each other such that when the cutting deck 210 is operatively coupled to the riding lawn maintenance vehicle 200, the coupling rails 232 correspond to a corresponding one of the attachment rails 222 of the attachment frame 220.

[0032] One or more locking features may be included to maintain coupling frame 230 in contact with attachment frame 220 when in the cutting position. At the same time, such locking features may be released to allow cutting deck 210 to slide forward relative to riding yard maintenance vehicle 100 (i.e., in the direction of arrow 240) to enable cutting deck 210 to pivot in the direction of arrow 242 to the maintenance position.

[0033] Since the cutting deck 210 of this embodiment is electric, a plug assembly 250 is provided to electrically connect the riding yard maintenance vehicle 200 to the cutting deck 210 to provide power to the cutting deck 210 to rotate the blade therein. The plug assembly 250 may include a plug 252 and a socket 254. In this example, the plug 252 is part of the cutting deck 210 and the socket 254 is part of the riding yard maintenance vehicle 200. However, in some examples, this arrangement may be reversed.

[0034] The plug 252 of this embodiment can be removed from the socket 254 by pulling the plug 252 in the direction of arrow 240. When the plug 252 is removed from the socket 254, no power is provided to the cutting platform 210, and the maintenance of the cutting platform 210 can be completed without the possibility of powered operation. Interlocks, switches, etc. can be provided to cut off the power supply of the cutting platform 210 based on various positions of the components (including, for example, based on sliding it forward in the direction of arrow 242 before the cutting platform 210 pivots or based on pivoting the cutting platform 210 in the direction of arrow 242). However, such interlocks or switches may age and / or become damaged due to various environmental conditions. Therefore, physically removing the plug 252 from the socket 254 is the most reliable way to ensure that the power supply has been removed from the cutting platform 210 before moving to the maintenance position.

[0035] Thus, the mounting assembly of the exemplary embodiment may include a locking assembly 300 that is Figure 3 It can be seen in Figures 4 to 6 20. The locking assembly 300 may be configured such that the cutting deck 210 cannot be converted to the maintenance position unless the locking assembly 300 has been unlocked. In addition, the locking assembly 300 is also configured such that the locking assembly 300 cannot be unlocked before the plug 252 is removed from the receptacle 254. Thus, the locking assembly 300 has a dual purpose of ensuring that the cutting deck 210 remains locked in connection with the riding yard maintenance vehicle 200 before being unlocked, and preventing such unlocking before the power source is completely removed from the cutting deck 210.

[0036] The locking assembly 300 may include a bracket 310 connected to a handle 312 and pivotally mounted to one of the attachment tracks 222 of the attachment frame 220. In the example shown, the locking assembly 300 is arranged on the attachment track 222 located on the left side of the riding yard maintenance vehicle 200, but the arrangement can be easily reversed so that the locking assembly 300 is disposed on the right side of the riding yard maintenance vehicle 200. In this example, there are two mounting members 320 (e.g., mounting bolts, posts, etc.) rigidly attached to the attachment track 222. One of the mounting members 320 may be used only for alignment, and the other of the mounting members 320 may include a spring 322 disposed between the bracket 310 and a head 324 of the mounting member 320 near a receiving hole formed at a top portion of the bracket 310. The spring 322 may exert a force on the top portion of the bracket 310 to maintain the bracket 310 in a locked position (which is in a locked position). Figure 4 and Figure 5 In the locked position, the surface of the attachment track 222 can be adjacent to and substantially parallel to the contact surface of the bracket 310.

[0037] The coupling track 232 corresponding to the attachment track 222 may include a protrusion 330. The width of the protrusion 330 may be greater than the width of the coupling track 232, or otherwise extend inwardly from the coupling track 232 a distance sufficient to engage the bracket 310 when the bracket 310 is in the rest or normal (locked) position. When the cutting deck 210 is in the cutting position, the coupling track 232 and the attachment track 222 may cross each other so that the protrusion 330 is held by the bracket 310. In this case, the bracket 310 may interfere with and prevent the withdrawal of the cutting deck 210 in the direction of arrow 240. In addition, when the plug 252 is attached to the socket 254, the plug 252 further blocks any pivoting or movement of the handle 312 sufficient to enable the protrusion 330 to be released from contact with the bracket 310. Therefore, as long as the plug 252 is located in the socket 254, it is impossible to move the bracket 310 out of the blocking and interfering position relative to the protrusion 330. Thus, the protrusion 330 is retained by the bracket 310 as long as the plug 252 is located in the receptacle 254 , until the bracket 310 can be pivoted away from the protrusion 330 .

[0038] Figure 6 254. As can be seen from this state, the handle 312 is obviously lifted upward (due to the absence of the plug 252) as shown by arrow 340. Lifting the handle 312 causes the handle 312 to move to the Figure 6 24. The bracket 310 is shown in an unlocked position 350 as shown in dashed lines in FIG. In the unlocked position 350, the bracket 310 no longer blocks and holds the protrusion 330. Therefore, the protrusion 330 is free to move through the bracket 310, and the cutting deck 210 can slide forward in the direction of arrow 240 to allow the cutting deck 210 to be rotated to the maintenance position. When the handle 312 is lifted, the spring 322 is compressed between the bracket 310 and the head 324 of the mounting member 320 to which the spring 322 is attached. When the handle 312 is released, the spring 322 releases to allow the bracket 310 to move back into contact with the surface of the attachment track 222.

[0039] Although each mounting member 320 may have a corresponding instance of a spring 322, duplicate springs 322 (or any other biasing member) are not required. Instead, the second mounting member 320 provides guidance and retention to limit the possible movement directions of the bracket 310 when the handle 312 is lifted. In this case, the presence of two mounting members 320 ensures that the bracket 310 does not pivot about the axis of the mounting member 320. Instead, the bracket 310 pivots toward the axis of the mounting member 320 (e.g., pivots about the upper edge of the bracket 310 or pivots about the edge closest to the location where the mounting member 320 passes through the bracket 310). The second mounting member 320 also provides for pivoting of the bracket 310 when the protrusion 330 pushes against the second mounting member 320 (e.g., when the cutting deck 210 is forced toward the working position when returning from the maintenance position or for installation).

[0040] In some cases, the bracket 310 may include a ramp portion 360. The ramp portion 360 may allow the protrusion 330 to return to the locked position without requiring the operator to use the handle 312. In this case, for example, Figure 7 As shown in , when it is desired to move the cutting deck 210 back to the cutting position, the bracket 310 may need to be moved to allow the protrusion 330 to pass through the bracket 310 to reach the cutting position and be held by the bracket. To facilitate this, the protrusion 330 can engage the ramp portion 360 and push the bracket 310 to compress the spring 322 when moving in the direction opposite to the direction indicated by the arrow 240, thereby lifting the handle 312 as shown by the arrow 340. When the protrusion 330 has passed through the ramp portion 360 and the bracket 310, the bracket 310 can move back to contact the attachment track 222 and hold the protrusion in place. Figure 7 in the position shown in .

[0041] Some embodiments of the present invention provide a riding yard maintenance vehicle. The riding yard maintenance vehicle may include: a frame to which the front and rear wheels of the riding yard maintenance vehicle can be attached; a steering assembly configured to receive steering input from an operator of the riding yard maintenance vehicle; and a mounting assembly disposed at a front end of the riding yard maintenance vehicle to which a working assembly can be attached. The working assembly can receive power via a plug assembly and can be configured to transition between a working position and a maintenance position while being operatively coupled to the mounting assembly. The mounting assembly may include a locking assembly configured to prevent transition from the working position to the maintenance position when the plug assembly provides power to the working assembly.

[0042] In some embodiments, the riding yard maintenance vehicle (and / or its mounting assembly) may include additional, optional features and / or the above features may be modified or expanded. Some examples of modifications, optional features and expansions are described below. It should be understood that modifications, optional features and expansions may be added individually or they may be added together in any desired combination. In an exemplary embodiment, the working assembly may include a cutting deck, and the working position may be a cutting position. The maintenance position may be achieved by sliding the cutting deck forward and then pivoting the cutting deck around the rear portion of the cutting deck. In an exemplary embodiment, the mounting assembly may include: a coupling frame including a coupling track arranged at the cutting deck; and an attachment frame including an attachment track arranged at the front end of the riding yard maintenance vehicle. The coupling track may engage with the attachment track, and the locking assembly may include a bracket having a locked position and an unlocked position. The bracket may be arranged to contact a portion of one of the attachment tracks in the locked position and prevent the corresponding one of the attachment tracks from moving forward, and arranged to enable the corresponding one of the attachment tracks to move forward in the unlocked position. In some cases, a corresponding one of the coupling tracks may include a protrusion configured to engage with the bracket in the locked position and avoid contact with the bracket in the unlocked position. In an exemplary embodiment, the bracket may be operably connected to a handle that is movable to enable the bracket to switch between the locked position and the unlocked position. The plug assembly may be configured to prevent movement of the handle when the plug of the plug assembly is operably connected to the socket of the plug assembly. For example, the plug may prevent movement of the handle when installed in the socket. In some cases, the bracket may be operably connected to one of the attachment tracks via a mounting member, and a biasing member may be operably connected to the bracket to bias the bracket toward the locked position. In an exemplary embodiment, the biasing member may include a spring that is operably connected to the mounting member to push the bracket toward one of the attachment tracks. In some cases, when the plug is disconnected from the socket, the bracket pivots away from the protrusion relative to the mounting member in response to the lifting of the handle. In an exemplary embodiment, the bracket pivots toward the axis of the mounting member in response to the lifting of the handle. In some cases, the bracket may include a ramp portion configured to engage the protrusion to move the bracket toward the unlocked position in response to rearward movement of the cutting deck, thereby causing the protrusion to contact the bracket.

[0043] With the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing description and the associated drawings, a person skilled in the art of the invention will think of many modifications and other embodiments of the invention set forth herein. Therefore, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, and modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. In addition, although the foregoing description and the associated drawings describe exemplary embodiments in the context of certain exemplary combinations of elements and / or functions, it should be understood that different combinations of elements and / or functions may be provided by alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In this case, for example, different combinations of elements and / or functions clearly described above are also envisioned as being possible in some of the appended claims. Where advantages, benefits, or solutions to problems are described herein, it should be understood that the advantages, benefits, and / or solutions may be applicable to some exemplary embodiments, but not necessarily to all exemplary embodiments. Therefore, any advantages, benefits, and / or solutions described herein should not be considered to be critical, necessary, or essential for all embodiments or the embodiments claimed herein. Although specific terms are used herein, these terms are used only in a general and illustrative sense and not for limiting purposes.

Claims

1. A mounting assembly for securing a powered cutting platform (210) to a riding yard maintenance vehicle (200), the mounting assembly comprising: an attachment frame (220) comprising an attachment track (222) disposed at a front portion of the riding yard maintenance vehicle (200); A coupling frame (230) comprising a coupling track (232) disposed at the cutting platform (210) and configured to engage with the attachment frame (220); as well as A locking assembly (300) configured to be operatively coupled to at least a portion of both the attachment frame (220) and the coupling frame (230), wherein the cutting platform (210) is convertible between a working position and a maintenance position when operatively coupled to the riding yard maintenance vehicle (200), The locking assembly (300) is configured to prevent the cutting platform (210) from switching between the working position and the maintenance position when the plug assembly (250) provides power to the cutting platform (210).

2. The mounting assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The working position is a cutting position, and the maintenance position is achieved by sliding the cutting deck (210) forward and then pivoting the cutting deck (210) about a rear portion of the cutting deck (210).

3. The mounting assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The locking assembly (300) comprises a bracket (310) having a locking position and an unlocking position, wherein the bracket (310) is arranged to contact a portion of one of the attachment tracks (222) in the locking position and prevent a corresponding one of the connection tracks (232) from moving forward, and is arranged to enable the corresponding one of the connection tracks (232) to move forward in the unlocking position.

4. The mounting assembly according to claim 3, wherein: The corresponding one of the coupling tracks (232) includes a protrusion (330) configured to engage with the bracket (310) in the locked position and avoid contact with the bracket (310) in the unlocked position.

5. The mounting assembly according to claim 4, wherein: The bracket (310) is operatively coupled to a handle (312), The handle (312) is movable to switch the bracket (310) between the locked position and the unlocked position, and Wherein the plug assembly (250) is configured to prevent the handle (312) from moving when the plug (252) of the plug assembly (250) is operatively coupled to the receptacle (254) of the plug assembly (250).

6. The mounting assembly according to claim 5, wherein: The bracket (310) is operatively coupled to the one of the attachment rails (222) via a mounting member (320), and Wherein a biasing member is operatively coupled to the bracket (310) to bias the bracket (310) toward the locked position.

7. The mounting assembly according to claim 6, wherein: The biasing member includes a spring (322) operatively coupled to the mounting member (320) to urge the bracket (310) toward the one of the attachment tracks (222).

8. The mounting assembly according to claim 7, wherein: When the plug (252) is disconnected from the socket (254), the bracket (310) pivots relative to the mounting member (320) away from the protrusion (330) in response to lifting of the handle (312).

9. The mounting assembly according to claim 8, wherein: The bracket (310) pivots about an edge of the bracket (310) that is closest to the axis of the mounting member (320) in response to lifting of the handle (312).

10. The mounting assembly of claim 4, wherein: The bracket (310) includes a ramp portion (360) configured to engage with the protrusion (330) to move the bracket (310) toward the unlocked position in response to rearward movement of the cutting platform (210), thereby causing the protrusion to contact the bracket (310).

11. A riding yard maintenance vehicle (200), comprising: a frame to which the front wheels (202) and rear wheels of the riding yard maintenance vehicle (200) can be attached; a steering assembly configured to receive a steering input from an operator of the riding yard maintenance vehicle (200); as well as a mounting assembly disposed at a front end of the riding yard maintenance vehicle (200) to which a working assembly is attachable, the working assembly receiving power via a plug assembly (250) and configured to transition between a working position and a maintenance position while operatively coupled to the mounting assembly, The installation assembly further comprises a locking assembly (300), wherein the locking assembly is configured to prevent the working assembly from switching from the working position to the maintenance position when the plug assembly (250) provides power to the working assembly.

12. The riding yard maintenance vehicle (200) of claim 11, wherein: The working assembly comprises a cutting platform (210), and The working position is a cutting position, and the maintenance position is achieved by sliding the cutting platform (210) forward and then pivoting the cutting platform (210) around a rear portion of the cutting platform (210).

13. The riding yard maintenance vehicle (200) of claim 12, wherein: The installation assembly includes: A connecting frame (230) comprising a connecting track (232) arranged at the cutting platform (210); and an attachment frame (220) comprising an attachment track (222) disposed at a front end of the riding yard maintenance vehicle (200), wherein the coupling track (232) engages with the attachment track (222), and The locking assembly (300) comprises a bracket (310) having a locking position and an unlocking position, wherein the bracket (310) is arranged to contact a portion of one of the attachment tracks (222) in the locking position and prevent a corresponding one of the connection tracks (232) from moving forward, and is arranged to enable the corresponding one of the connection tracks (232) to move forward in the unlocking position.

14. The riding yard maintenance vehicle (200) of claim 13, wherein: The corresponding one of the coupling tracks (232) includes a protrusion configured to engage with the bracket (310) in the locked position and avoid contact with the bracket (310) in the unlocked position.

15. The riding yard maintenance vehicle (200) of claim 14, wherein: The bracket (310) is operatively coupled to a handle (312), The handle (312) is movable to switch the bracket (310) between the locked position and the unlocked position, and Wherein the plug assembly (250) is configured to prevent the handle (312) from moving when the plug (252) of the plug assembly (250) is operatively coupled to the receptacle of the plug assembly (250).

16. The riding yard maintenance vehicle (200) of claim 15, wherein: The bracket (310) is operatively coupled to the one of the attachment rails (222) via a mounting member (320), and Wherein a biasing member is operatively coupled to the bracket (310) to bias the bracket (310) toward the locked position.

17. The riding yard maintenance vehicle (200) of claim 16, wherein: The biasing member includes a spring (322) operatively coupled to the mounting member (320) to urge the bracket (310) toward the one of the attachment tracks (222).

18. The riding yard maintenance vehicle (200) of claim 17, wherein: When the plug (252) is disconnected from the socket (254), the bracket (310) pivots relative to the mounting member (320) away from the protrusion (330) in response to lifting of the handle (312).

19. The riding yard maintenance vehicle (200) of claim 18, wherein: The bracket (310) pivots about an edge of the bracket (310) closest to the axis of the mounting member in response to lifting of the handle (312).

20. The riding yard maintenance vehicle (200) of claim 14, wherein: The bracket (310) includes a ramp portion (360) configured to engage with the protrusion (330) to move the bracket (310) toward the unlocked position in response to rearward movement of the cutting platform (210), thereby causing the protrusion to contact the bracket (310).

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