Patents Assigned to Briggs & Stratton, LLC
  • Patent number: 11859590
    Abstract: A battery pack for use in providing starting power for a starter motor of an internal combustion engine and to supply power to one or more auxiliary loads. The battery pack includes an outer housing that encloses a plurality of battery cells. The battery pack further includes a control module. The control module includes a processing circuit configured to control one or more functions associated with the internal combustion engine and an interface circuit configured to interface with the internal combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Briggs & Stratton, LLC
    Inventor: Robert Koenen
  • Patent number: 11858489
    Abstract: A riding lawn mower includes a chassis having longitudinal support beam, a drive wheel, an electric motor coupled to the drive wheel, a suspended subframe having a longitudinal subframe beam pivotally coupled to the longitudinal support beam about a pivot axis, and a suspension device coupled between the longitudinal subframe beam and the longitudinal support beam. The longitudinal subframe beam at least partially supports the electric motor. The drive wheel and the electric motor are configured to translate relative to the chassis via the pivotal coupling between the longitudinal support beam and the longitudinal subframe beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Briggs & Stratton, LLC
    Inventors: Erik R. Slegelis, Travis Rasch
  • Patent number: 11832542
    Abstract: A dethatcher includes a frame having a front and a rear end, a handle coupled to the frame and movable between a use position and a storage position, multiple wheels coupled to the frame, a cutting reel housed in the frame, and an engine for powering a drive mechanism of the shaft. The cutting reel includes a shaft having a first end and a second end, at least one cutting mechanism located between the first end and the second end of the shaft, and the drive mechanism for powering the shaft. When the handle is in the use position, the handle extends away from the front end of the frame and when the handle is in the storage position the handle extends toward the front end of the frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: Briggs & Stratton, LLC
    Inventors: Kyle Harvey, Ryan Jaskowiak, Matthew S. Zurawski
  • Publication number: 20230380319
    Abstract: A turf aerator includes a frame, a tine shaft rotatably supported by the frame, a plurality of tines coupled to the tine shaft, a swing arm supporting the plurality of tines, and an input. The swing arm being rotatably supported by the frame and configured to rotate the plurality of tines between an operating position and a retracted position. Actuation of the input (i) actuates the swing arm to transition the plurality of tines from the retracted position to the operating position and (ii) activates the tine shaft to move the plurality of tines.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2023
    Publication date: November 30, 2023
    Applicant: Briggs & Stratton, LLC
    Inventors: Brandon King, William Coates
  • Patent number: 11827294
    Abstract: A walk behind lawn mower including a frame including a handle, an engine mounted to the frame, a transmission coupling the engine to a plurality of wheels, and a user interface coupled to the transmission and including a static link rigidly coupled to the handle, a forward link coupled to a forward lever and to the static link, a reverse link coupled to a reverse lever and to the static link, and a joining link coupled between the forward link and the reverse link. The user interface is actuatable between a forward configuration and a reverse configuration using a single hand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: Briggs & Stratton, LLC
    Inventors: Robert Laurin, Derrick Camenga, James Marshall, Joe Ferris, Tom Burkard
  • Publication number: 20230378849
    Abstract: A generator includes an internal combustion engine including an engine block including a cylinder including a piston, a crankshaft configured to rotate about a crankshaft axis in response to movement by the piston, and a spark plug configured to periodically generate a spark to ignite fuel in the cylinder to control the movement of the piston. The generator further includes an alternator including a rotor and a stator, the rotor configured to rotate with the rotation of the crankshaft to generate alternating current electrical power, a controller configured to control a rate of fuel supply to the internal combustion engine, and a switch configured to selectively enable the flow of a first type of fuel into the cylinder and disable the flow of a second type of fuel, wherein the controller is configured to receive an indication of a fuel type based on a position of the switch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2023
    Publication date: November 23, 2023
    Applicant: Briggs & Stratton, LLC
    Inventors: Joshua Thurnbauer Cirillo, Philip Helwig, Sie Teong Lim, Mark Thomas Molinski, Kenny Jalmas Stair, Robert Townsend, Jeffrey H. Whitmore, Svetlana Byaliy
  • Patent number: 11820218
    Abstract: A scalable power unit for powering one or more electric motors of a riding vehicle and/or a piece of outdoor power equipment includes a number of interconnected battery packs. The battery pack are received in a battery tray or stacked to form the scalable power unit. Each battery pack is configured to be removed and used separately or added to a combination of battery packs. A control unit selectively opens and closes switching elements to separately control the connections between the battery packs and an electrical load, such as a motor. During charging, the control unit opens and closes switching elements to control the charging rate of the individual battery packs. When the battery packs are connected to an electrical load, the control unit controls the state of the switching elements to selectively discharge the battery packs to power the riding vehicle and/or electric loads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: Briggs & Stratton, LLC
    Inventors: Jeffrey Zeiler, Robert John Koenen, Jacob Schmalz, Albert Liu, Nick Zeidler, Scott Funke, David Procknow
  • Publication number: 20230366518
    Abstract: A light tower includes a base having a plurality of wheels, an extendible mast coupled to the base, a battery pack positioned between the wheels and the extendible mast, a housing coupled to the base and having a main battery receiver and a supplemental battery receiver, a light assembly coupled to the extendible mast and electrically coupled to the battery pack, and an inverter configured to receive and convert a direct current power from the battery pack into an alternating current power. The main battery receiver defines an internal cavity having an open top side, and the supplemental battery receiver defines a slot arranged on an exterior of the housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2023
    Publication date: November 16, 2023
    Applicant: Briggs & Stratton, LLC
    Inventors: Kyle Harvey, Nicholas Zeidler
  • Publication number: 20230364540
    Abstract: An air filter assembly includes a housing having an interior surface that defines an interior volume, a filter element positioned within the interior volume and having a filter media, an air intake formed in the housing, a debris outlet formed in the housing, a filtered air outlet formed in the housing, and a plurality of ribs. The filter element is spaced from the interior surface so that a gap is formed between the filter element and the interior surface to allow air to flow between the filter element and the interior surface. The plurality of ribs extend into the interior volume of the housing so that air flowing from the air intake is directed into the gap and around the filter element to complete a cyclonic filtering pass before flowing along a second airflow pass through the filter element. The outlet passage is configured to direct filtered air into a third airflow pass in a direction opposite to the second airflow pass.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2023
    Publication date: November 16, 2023
    Applicant: Briggs & Stratton, LLC
    Inventors: Steven G. Gleixner, Robert Johnson
  • Publication number: 20230369880
    Abstract: A trailer includes a first power equipment having an equipment battery pack, a charging device having a primary battery pack, and a docking station electrically connected to the primary battery pack. When the first power equipment is positioned in the docking station, the docking station supplies power from the primary battery pack to the equipment battery pack to recharge the equipment battery pack.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2023
    Publication date: November 16, 2023
    Applicant: Briggs & Stratton, LLC
    Inventors: Robert J. Koenen, Scott A. Funke, Todd Johnson, Mark Noller, Nicholas Joseph Ziedler, Jacob Zuehl
  • Publication number: 20230363309
    Abstract: A lawn mower includes a chassis supporting a wheel, a cutting deck supported by the chassis and defining a cutting chamber, a battery supported by the chassis, and a chore motor electrically coupled to the battery. The chore motor includes a housing with a coil assembly, a rotor, and a drive shaft extending out of the housing. The chore motor is attached to the cutting deck so that at least a portion of the housing and the drive shaft are positioned in the cutting chamber. The lawn mower further includes a blade coupled to the drive shaft so that the blade rotates within the cutting chamber when the chore motor rotates the drive shaft, and a spring washer coupled between the drive shaft and the blade. Relative rotation between the blade and the drive shaft occurs in response to a torque on the blade exceeding a threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2023
    Publication date: November 16, 2023
    Applicant: Briggs & Stratton, LLC
    Inventors: Jeffrey M. Zeiler, Scott A. Funke, Mark Noller, Nick Joseph Zeidler, Christopher Krajewski, Joshua Kowalski
  • Patent number: 11817731
    Abstract: A battery assembly includes a housing having a handle, rechargeable battery cells disposed within the housing, and a mating feature configured to selectively connect the battery assembly with a receptacle of at least one of a power equipment and a charging station. The mating feature includes a connector having at least two electrical ports electrically connected to the battery cells, and a data port configured to provide data communication between the battery assembly and at least one of a power equipment and a charging station. The mating feature also protrudes away from a side portion of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: Briggs & Stratton, LLC
    Inventors: Jeffrey Zeiler, Christopher Krajewski, Kyle Harvey, Ryan S. Jaskowiak, Nicholas Zeidler, Mark Noller, Todd Johnson
  • Patent number: 11815058
    Abstract: A battery pack is configured to be coupled to outdoor power equipment and includes a battery positioned in a housing, the housing comprising an interface surface, a plurality of high current pins electrically connected to the battery and accessible through the interface surface, a plurality of low current pins electrically connected to the battery and accessible through the interface surface, and a battery controller electrically coupled to the battery, the plurality of low current pins, and the plurality of high current pins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: Briggs & Stratton, LLC
    Inventors: Kyle Michael Harvey, Bryan Keith Dandridge
  • Patent number: 11805729
    Abstract: An outdoor power equipment unit includes independent suspension system having a frame, a first wheel assembly, a second wheel assembly, a first laterally-extending suspension arm pair, and a second laterally-extending suspension arm pair. The first wheel assembly includes a first wheel and a first side suspension arm. The first side suspension arm is pivotably coupled at a first end to a first side structural member and is fixedly coupled at a second opposite end to a joint of the first wheel assembly. The second wheel assembly is arranged similarly to the first wheel assembly. Both the first laterally-extending suspension arm pair and the second laterally-extending suspension arm pair are configured to independently pivot about the frame to be vertically displaceable relative to the frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: Briggs & Stratton, LLC
    Inventors: Christopher Krajewski, Robert S. Laurin, E. Mark Lynch
  • Publication number: 20230337599
    Abstract: A debris-collecting apparatus includes a mobile frame, an input portion configured to receive incoming air and debris, and a bagging system having a porous bag and a dust skirt surrounding the porous bag.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2023
    Publication date: October 26, 2023
    Applicant: Briggs & Stratton, LLC
    Inventors: G. Kent Lauer, William Jackson Morton, III
  • Publication number: 20230343154
    Abstract: An ignition coil includes an ignition circuit having a first winding and a second winding, a controller in communication with the ignition circuit, and a light. The ignition circuit is configured to output an ignition timing signal. The controller is configured to establish a rule that limits an engine speed to a maximum engine speed to be provided by the ignition timing signal. The light is configured to illuminate and indicate the maximum engine speed in response to an output signal from the controller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2023
    Publication date: October 26, 2023
    Applicant: Briggs & Stratton, LLC
    Inventors: Kyle Clasen, Daniel Roche
  • Publication number: 20230332557
    Abstract: A method of operating a fan for an air-cooled internal combustion engine includes starting the air-cooled internal combustion engine, operating the fan in a first operating mode in which the fan rotates in a first direction, and operating the fan in a second operating mode in which the fan rotates in a second direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2023
    Publication date: October 19, 2023
    Applicant: Briggs & Stratton, LLC
    Inventors: Ryan A. Sullivan, Gary S. Johnson
  • Publication number: 20230320264
    Abstract: A service vehicle for storing and transporting outdoor power equipment includes a loading/unloading ramp, a charging bay configured to charge a rechargeable battery pack mounted on a first piece of outdoor power equipment, a spare battery charging station configured to store and selectively charge a spare rechargeable battery pack, a user interface having a display, and a controller in communication with the user interface and having a processing circuit with a charging module. The controller is configured to receive a charge level of the rechargeable battery pack and the spare rechargeable battery pack from the charging module and instruct the user interface to display the charge levels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2023
    Publication date: October 12, 2023
    Applicant: Briggs & Stratton, LLC
    Inventors: Jeffrey M. Zeiler, Ryan T. Hahn, Kyle Harvey, Todd Johnson, Robert Pjevach, Jacob Schmalz, Peter D. Shears, Nicholas Zeidler
  • Publication number: 20230327224
    Abstract: A battery pack includes a housing and a plurality of cell module assemblies arranged within the housing. Each of the cell module assemblies includes a positive collector plate, a negative collector plate, and a plurality of battery cells. Each of the plurality of battery cells includes a positive terminal connected to the positive collector plate and a negative terminal connected to the negative collector plate. A number of the plurality of the cell module assemblies within the housing defines a capacity of the battery pack.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2023
    Publication date: October 12, 2023
    Applicant: BRIGGS & STRATTON, LLC
    Inventors: Jeffrey Zeiler, Jacob Schmalz, Nick Zeidler
  • Publication number: 20230313719
    Abstract: A small-air cooled internal combustion engine includes an engine block including a cylinder, a piston within the cylinder, a crankshaft configured to be driven by the piston, a blower system including a fan that is configured to pull air over the engine block, a fuel system for supplying an air-fuel mixture to the cylinder, and an exhaust system for removing exhaust from the cylinder. The exhaust system comprises an exhaust inlet, a muffler and, a catalytic converter including a catalyst. The catalyst comprises a precious metal loading having ruthenium as a primary element by mass.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2021
    Publication date: October 5, 2023
    Applicant: BRIGGS & STRATTON, LLC
    Inventors: Jacob Zuehl, Michael D. Pitcel