Abstract: To prolong a lifetime of a starter battery, a starting system (5) for an internal combustion engine (3) includes: a starter battery (22) constituted of a lithium-ion battery and configured to supply electric power to a starter motor (21); and a controller (51) configured to drive the starter motor (21) by the electric power from the starter battery (22) to perform cranking operations of the engine (3) intermittently, wherein the controller (51) is configured to prohibit the cranking operations for a first time interval before the cranking operations are performed a prescribed number of times within a prescribed time window, and to prohibit the cranking operations for a second time interval longer than the first time interval right after the cranking operations are performed the prescribed number of times within the prescribed time window.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: To prolong a lifetime of a starter battery, a starting system (5) for an internal combustion engine (3) includes: a starter battery (22) constituted of a lithium-ion battery and configured to supply electric power to a starter motor (21); and a controller (51) configured to drive the starter motor (21) by the electric power from the starter battery (22) to perform cranking operations of the engine (3) intermittently, wherein the controller (51) is configured to prohibit the cranking operations for a first time interval before the cranking operations are performed a prescribed number of times within a prescribed time window, and to prohibit the cranking operations for a second time interval longer than the first time interval right after the cranking operations are performed the prescribed number of times within the prescribed time window.

Abstract: A present invention is a charge coil unit, comprising an inductor that generates an induced current based on power of a source of power, a capacitor connected in series to the inductor, and a circuit unit provided to be able to charge the capacitor by the induced current generated in the inductor, thereby, the output voltage of the charge coil unit can be stabilized.

Abstract: There is provided with a driving machine capable of easily performing switching from a power saving mode to an engine drivable mode. A driving machine comprises an engine; a battery; an operation unit including an emergency stop switch that stops the engine; and a control unit having operation modes, the operation modes including a normal mode in which the engine is drivable and a power saving mode in which the engine is not drivable and a power consumption amount of the battery is suppressed to be smaller than a power consumption amount of the battery in the normal mode, wherein the control unit switches from the power saving mode to the normal mode based on an input of the emergency stop switch when the operation mode is the power saving mode.

Abstract: A lawn mower includes a cutter blade having flaps and a flap drive mechanism. The flap drive mechanism includes a flap drive source and an intermediate power transmission unit. The intermediate power transmission unit is provided on a power transmission path between the flap drive source and the flaps and provided coaxially with a blade rotation axis. An output axis of a motor is provided coaxially with a blade rotation axis and the intermediate power transmission unit.

Abstract: A work machine determines, when a request to restart an engine is made, whether or not a reason indicated by stop information stored in a memory is a reason related to locking of the work portion. The machine sets an operation mode of the engine and a work portion to a safe mode if it determines that the reason indicated by the stop information is a reason related to locking of the work portion. The safe mode is an operation mode for lessening damage resulting from causing the engine and the work portion to work during the work portion locked or damage resulting from an object coming into contact with the work portion during the engine and the work portion working.

Abstract: A snowplow having a snow removal mechanism, the snowplow comprises: an obtainment unit configured to obtain topography information prior to snow accumulation; and a projection unit configured to, based on the topography information prior to snow accumulation obtained b the obtainment unit, project an image indicating the topography information prior to snow accumulation on a surface of accumulated snow that is to be removed by the snow removal mechanism.

Abstract: Work equipment configured to unload a collected article from the storage container and resistant to tipping over when unloading the collected article. The work equipment includes a vehicle body; a storage container provided on the vehicle body so as to be moveable between a horizontal position for storing a collected article and an inclined position for unloading the collected article; a drive unit provided between the vehicle body and the storage container and configured to change a container inclination angle defined as an angle of the storage container with respect to the vehicle body; an inclination angle sensor detecting a vehicle body inclination angle defined as an inclination angle of the vehicle body with respect to a horizontal plane; and a control unit configured to control a driving operation of the drive unit according to the vehicle body inclination angle.

Abstract: 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 and 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. The work equipment main body is provided with a container lifting device that lifts the container device in a connected state to the work equipment main body so as to raise the front and rear wheels from the ground.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A lawn mower includes: a work unit including a housing having a downward-facing opening end 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 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 humidity sensor for detecting a humidity of an environment surrounding the lawn mower, wherein the controller is configured to open/close-control the shutter device based on the humidity.

Abstract: 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/close-control the shutter device based on the travel speed.

Abstract: A control device according to the invention, comprises a first electrode, electrically connected to a power unit, that receives a first electric power from the power unit as charging power of a battery, a second electrode, provided to be able to be electrically connected to a predetermined power source, that can receive a second electric power from the predetermined power source as the charging power of the battery, and a rectifier element, arranged in an electric path between the first electrode and both the battery and the second electrode, so as to allow passage of the first electric power from the power unit to the battery, and to regulate passage of the second electric power from the predetermined power source electrically connected to the second electrode to the power unit.

Abstract: A present invention is a charge coil unit, comprising an inductor that generates an induced current based on power of a source of power, a capacitor connected in series to the inductor, and a circuit unit provided to be able to charge the capacitor by the induced current generated in the inductor, thereby, the output voltage of the charge coil unit can be stabilized.

Abstract: A work machine comprises an engine, a work unit configured to be driven by the engine, a clutch provided between an output shaft of the engine and a power shaft of the work unit, and configured to transmit or cut off power from the output shaft of the engine to the power shaft, a sensor configured to detect an engine speed of the engine; and a control unit configured to control the engine and the clutch based on the engine speed of the engine. The control unit predicts, based on the engine speed of the engine detected by the sensor, whether or not the work unit will become locked by a load, and control the clutch to switch over from a transmission state to a cut-off state upon predicting that the work unit will become locked.

Abstract: The present invention is a working machine with a working unit configured to perform a work, comprising a battery and a control unit, wherein the control unit has, as operation modes, a normal mode in which the working unit is operable based on power of the battery, and a power saving mode in which the working unit is made inoperable by limiting some of functions, as compared with the normal mode, and power consumption of the battery is suppressed, as compared with the normal mode, thereby, it is possible to improve the usability of the working machine and to appropriately prevent the battery down of a working machine.

Abstract: The configuration includes: a motor for driving a driving wheel (rear wheel) provided to a body; a slip ratio calculating section for calculating a slip ratio while the lawn mower is traveling; a friction coefficient calculating section for calculating a friction coefficient of a ground on which the lawn mower is traveling; a determination section for determining whether the ground on which the lawn mower is traveling is a lawn based on a relationship between the slip ratio and the friction coefficient and a drive controlling section for controlling the motor based on a determination result from the determination section. This configuration allows suitable driving operability for both of a case where the ground on which a lawn mowers traveling is a lawn and a case where the ground is other than a lawn.

Abstract: An information generating apparatus obtains usage state information about mobile bodies from the mobile bodies and maintenance information about the mobile bodies. The information generation apparatus estimates a maintenance time for each mobile body based on the usage state information and the maintenance information, determines, based on locations of the mobile bodies and the maintenance time estimated for each mobile body, a route by which a maintenance worker of the mobile bodies visits the locations of the mobile bodies, and generates route information including the route determined. The information generating apparatus specifies the mobile bodies of which the worker visits the locations based on whether the maintenance time estimated is within a first period.