Utility machine operable in stand-on and walk-behind modes

Abstract

A utility machine, such as an outdoor power equipment unit such as a lawn mower, includes a work unit performing work in addition to motive power for the utility machine and a trailer occupied by an operator in a standing position. The operator may seamlessly step onto the trailer to operate the machine in stand-on mode and step off the trailer to operate the machine in walk-behind mode. The trailer remains in the deployed condition in both stand-on mode and walk-behind mode.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A lawn mower comprising:
 a mower assembly including:
 a mower frame; 
 a prime mover supported by the mower frame; 
 a mower deck assembly supported by the mower frame and operable to cut grass under the mower deck under the influence of the prime mover; 
 a tractive element supporting the mower frame with respect to a ground surface, the tractive element being operable under the influence of the prime mover to move the lawn mower over the ground surface; 
 a mower support wheel supporting the mower frame with respect to the ground surface and passively rolling over the ground surface in response to movement of the mower assembly, the tractive element and mower support wheel together supporting the mower assembly in an operative condition for cutting grass; and 
   a trailer assembly including:
 an operator platform in a deployed condition for supporting a standing operator for operation of the lawn mower in a standing mode; 
 a platform support wheel supporting the operator platform with respect to the ground surface, the platform support wheel rolling over the ground surface in response to movement of the mower assembly; 
 a platform connector interconnecting the operator platform with the mower frame such that the operator platform is towed behind the mower assembly; 
 an operator interface including a hand control adapted to be manipulated by the operator's hand to control at least one operational aspect of the prime mover, the mower deck assembly, or the tractive element; 
 an interface support assembly interconnecting the operator interface with the platform connector, the interface support assembly being pivotable between a first position in which the hand control is accessible by the operator in the standing mode and a second position in which the hand control is positioned rearward of the operator platform and accessible by the operator in a walking mode in which the operator walks behind the operator platform with the operator platform in the deployed condition. 
   
     
     
         2 . The lawn mower of  claim 1 , wherein the prime mover comprises an internal combustion engine or an electric motor. 
     
     
         3 . The lawn mower of  claim 1 , wherein the tractive element comprises left and right drive wheels or left and right track drives. 
     
     
         4 . The lawn mower of  claim 1 , wherein the platform connector is connected to the mower frame between the tractive element and the mower support wheel such that at least a portion of the weight of the operator is borne by both the tractive element and the mower support wheel. 
     
     
         5 . The lawn mower of  claim 1 , wherein the platform connector is connected to the operator platform by way of a pivot joint having a vertical yaw axis. 
     
     
         6 . The lawn mower of  claim 1 , wherein the platform connector is yoke shaped with first and second arms on opposite sides of the mower frame, and wherein the first and second arms are connected to the mower frame through horizontal platform mounting axles defining a pitch axis about which the operator platform pivots with respect to the machine frame. 
     
     
         7 . The lawn mower of  claim 1 , wherein the tractive element includes a tractive element on each of opposite sides of the mower frame, the lawn mower further comprising a brake-assisted steering system which applies a braking force to the tractive element on an inside radius of a turn in response to applying forces to the hand controls. 
     
     
         8 . The lawn mower of  claim 1 , wherein manipulation of the hand control controls a speed and direction of operation of the tractive element. 
     
     
         9 . The lawn mower of  claim 1 , wherein the hand control is positioned at least nine inches behind the operator platform in the walking mode. 
     
     
         10 . The lawn mower of  claim 1 , wherein the hand control is positioned nine to twelve inches behind the operator platform in the walking mode. 
     
     
         11 . The lawn mower of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the interface support assembly includes a pair of A-frame steering elements and an interface receiver to which the operator interface is mounted;   each A-frame steering element includes an upper portion pivotally interconnected to the interface receiver;   each A-frame steering element includes left and right legs extending down from the upper portion to pivotally interconnect to respective left and right sides of the platform connector; and   each A-frame steering element occupies a plane generally parallel to the plane of the other A-frame steering element.