An article such as grass clippings collected by work equipment, such as a lawn mower, and stored in a container is allowed to be transported to an area for discarding such a collected article in an energy efficient and a work efficient way without imposing any undue burden on the operator. A collected article container device provided with a collected article container and capable of traveling autonomously is detachably connected to a work equipment main body that has a work unit such as a cutting blade device and is able to travel, the container device being configured to travel in a detached state to a collected article destination by itself. Further, the container device is provided with a lifting device that moves the rear wheels vertically relative to a device frame.

A lawn mower contains: a work unit including a housing having a downward-facing opening and a cutter blade rotatably provided in the housing such that when rotated, the cutter blade cuts grass and generates a transport air flow flowing from the opening of the housing to inside; a grass clippings receptacle configured to receive grass clippings cut by the work unit; a grass clippings transport passage connecting an interior of the housing with the grass clippings receptacle; a shutter device including a shutter configured to selectively open and close the grass clippings transport passage and an actuator configured to drive the shutter; a controller configured to control the shutter device; and a pressure sensor provided in the grass clippings transport passage to detect a pressure in the grass clippings transport passage, wherein the controller is configured to control the shutter device in accordance with the pressure detected by the pressure sensor.

A yard waste collection assembly comprising a yard waste collector (200) comprising a yard waste inlet, a conveyor (100) configured to receive yard waste at a receiving end of the conveyor (100) and discharge the yard waste at a discharge end of the conveyor (100), wherein the conveyor comprises a telescopic seal (102) configured to cover an outlet (103), at the discharge end, in a shut position when the conveyor (100) is not engaged with the yard waste collector (200), and wherein the telescopic seal (102) is further configured to slide along a longitudinal axis (L) of the conveyor (100) to an open position when the conveyor engages the yard waste collector (200) causing the outlet (103) to be uncovered.

Uneven distribution of grass clippings in a grass clippings receptacle of a lawn mower can be minimized. A lawn mower includes: a work unit including a housing having a downward-facing opening and a cutter blade rotatably provided in the housing such that the cutter blade cuts grass and generates a transport air flow flowing from the opening of the housing to inside; a grass clippings receptacle configured to receive mowed grass clippings; a grass clippings transport passage connecting an interior of the housing with the grass clippings receptacle; a shutter device including a shutter configured to open and close the grass clippings transport passage and an actuator configured to open/close-drive the shutter; a controller configured to control the shutter device; and a speed sensor for detecting a travel speed of the lawn mower, wherein the controller is configured to open/dose-control the shutter device based on the travel speed.

Systems and methods for providing a communications and relative positioning capability using frequency-modulated continuous-wave radar installed on multiple mobile and/or stationary objects, providing secure/reliable determination of signal origin from a select one of a plurality of geographically mobile machines, equipment, devices, or systems and subsequent selective establishment/facilitation of direct/deterministic/reliable communication therewith.

A discharge accessory for a lawnmower includes an inlet end and a hook disposed at the inlet end. The hook defines a channel. A lever arm extends from the hook in a direction transverse to the channel, and a protrusion is disposed in the channel. The protrusion extends in a first direction transverse to the channel and to the lever arm, and the protrusion extends in a second direction transverse to the channel.

Methods, systems, and devices for performing autonomous self-service are described. A robotic device may identify a status of a chamber associated with the robotic device based on sensor data received from a sensor of the robotic device and pause an autonomous debris collection process of the robotic device based on the identified status. The robotic device may automatically remove a first container from the chamber based on the identified status and discard the first container away from the robotic device. In some examples, the robotic device may discard the first container at a fixed position within a geo-boundary corresponding to the debris collection process. The robotic device may resume the autonomous debris collection process based on an introduction of a second container.

A material collection system sensor assembly for a material collection system including a collection container having a clipping receiving chamber and at least one wall with a generally rigid portion and a chute inlet defined in the generally rigid portion. The sensor assembly includes a capacitive sensor positioned on the generally rigid portion of an external side of the wall. The capacitive sensor creates an electric field that extends into the clipping receiving chamber. A microcontroller is associated with the sensor and at least one indicator. The microcontroller is configured to activate at least one indicator when clippings within the clippings chamber are consistently within the electric field and thereby trigger the capacitive sensor.

A combination collection and bagging disposal system is provided. The system includes an intake hose configured to connect to a lawn mower via a lawn mower output adapter. The intake hose connects to a collection housing unit configured to temporarily store debris. The collection housing unit may include an airflow screen to facilitate airflow through the system while keeping the debris trapped in the collection housing unit. A flexible debris collection tube is connected to the collection housing unit and expands as debris is collected. Once a desired capacity is reached, the flexible debris collection tube is cut and sealed for disposal.

A work equipment that can temporarily store an article that is collected while traveling, and includes a work equipment main body, a container device configured to store the article collected by the work equipment main body while being connected to the work equipment main body, and to travel to and back from a collected article destination by being detached from the work equipment main body, a travel drive unit configured to cause the container device to travel, a battery mounted to the container device to power the travel drive unit, a battery state of charge sensor configured to detect a remaining battery charge of the battery, and a control unit that determination whether the container device may be detached from the work equipment main body or not according to the remaining battery charge.