Patent Application
20140083884
Example embodiments generally relate to chainsaws and, more particularly, relate to a packaging technique and the packaging employed for the same.
Chainsaws are commonly sold in one of various different conditions. First, the chainsaw may be sold completely assembled with the bar already attached, and the chain installed on the bar and properly connected to the clutch. Selling chainsaws in this manner supplies a chainsaw already fully and correctly assembled, but requires additional assembly time and corresponding expense. A second common condition in which chainsaws are sold is with the bar and chain not yet assembled. For example, the bar and chain may be placed in the box or packaging in which the chainsaw is sold separately from each other and the chainsaw body. As yet another alternative, the chain may be placed over the bar, but the entire assembly may be placed into a back or loose fitting packaging container. The buyer may then be expected to install the chain onto the bar, and install the bar and chain combination onto the chainsaw, or at least maintain the chain properly on the bar while installing the bar and chain combination onto the chainsaw.
Installing the bar and chain onto the chainsaw may be a relatively simple task for experienced chainsaw owners. However, for many first time or relatively inexperienced buyers, installation of the bar and chain may be a bit more tricky. For example, it is possible to install the chain backwardly on the bar. Backward installation of the chain will not properly dispose the cutters on the chain toward the lumber to be cut, and thus cutting efficiency could be vastly reduced. Furthermore, even when the chain is correctly oriented on the bar, it may be difficult to install the bar/chain combination onto the chainsaw and properly connect the chain to the clutch. These difficulties and corresponding buyer complaints may lead many manufacturers to take the extra step and costs associated with completing assembly. However, shipping costs may also be increased due to the larger size of the resulting packaging needed for shipment of a fully assembled chainsaw. Moreover, bar/chain replacement may also be just as difficult for chainsaw users to handle themselves. Thus, full assembly may not be a completely satisfying option.
Some example embodiments may therefore provide a packaged bar and chain assembly and a method of packaging the same. The packaged bar and chain assembly may be provided such that the packaging holds the chain properly installed on the bar. The bar, with chain provided thereon, may then be installed onto the chainsaw without removal of the packaging (or at least a substantial portion of the packaging that is forward of the clutch cover of the chainsaw). Thus, assembly of the chainsaw by a buyer or user of the chainsaw may be made simpler and easier.
In one example embodiment, a chainsaw bar assembly is provided. The chainsaw bar assembly includes a chainsaw bar, a chain and a first packaging material. The chainsaw bar includes a chainsaw body engagement portion configured to engage a body of a chainsaw proximate to a drive member. The chain is provided for operable engagement with the chainsaw bar. The first packaging material is applied at a portion of the chainsaw bar that is forward of the chainsaw body engagement portion. The first packaging material holds the chain affixed to the chainsaw bar to enable engagement of the chain to the drive member of the chainsaw and engagement of the chainsaw bar to the body of the chainsaw without removal of the first packaging material.
In another example embodiment, a method of packaging is provided. The method may include installing a chain onto a chainsaw bar. The chainsaw bar may be separate from a chainsaw body of a chainsaw onto which the chainsaw bar is designed to fit for operation of the chainsaw when the installation of the chain is performed. The method may further include applying a first packaging material at a portion of the chainsaw bar that is forward of a chainsaw body engagement portion of the chainsaw bar. The first packaging material may hold the chain affixed to the chainsaw bar to enable engagement of the chain to a drive member of the chainsaw and may also enable engagement of the chainsaw bar to a body of the chainsaw without removal of the first packaging material.
Some example embodiments may improve the ability of operators to install a chainsaw bar and its chain without complication and thereby improve the operator experience.
Having thus described the invention in general terms, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:
Some example embodiments now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all example embodiments are shown. Indeed, the examples described and pictured herein should not be construed as being limiting as to the scope, applicability or configuration of the present disclosure. Rather, these example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. Furthermore, as used herein, the term “or” is to be interpreted as a logical operator that results in true whenever one or more of its operands are true. As used herein, operable coupling should be understood to relate to direct or indirect connection that, in either case, enables functional interconnection of components that are operably coupled to each other.
As indicated above, assembly of a chainsaw involving the attachment of the chain and bar to the main body of the chainsaw can be complicated for inexperienced operators. The chain itself must be inserted into the groove that extends around the periphery of the bar and must then be attached to the drive member or drive sprocket (e.g., clutch) of the chainsaw while the bar is also attached to the main body of the chainsaw. This assembly process first requires that the chain be oriented properly onto the bar. Then, the chain must be tightly held (typically by one hand of the operator) to the bar while exposing slack in the chain at the end of the bar that engages the main body of the chainsaw. The bar must then be held in a proper orientation while the slack portion in the chain is provided over the drive sprocket (e.g., clutch) of the chainsaw and the bar is installed onto the main body of the chainsaw. Some operators may struggle to maintain the proper alignments and orientations while attempting this assembly.
Some example embodiments may provide a packaging method that provides the chain and bar as a prepackaged assembly that is ready for relatively easy installation onto the main body of the chainsaw without removal of at least a portion of the packaging material. In fact, the portion of the packaging material that is not removed may hold the chain in its proper alignment with the bar and also keep exposed slack in the chain at the portion of the chain that is to be engaged with the drive sprocket.
An example embodiment will now be described in connection with the drawings shown in
Referring now to
Among other things, the chainsaw 10 may include a drive member or drive sprocket that is rotated responsive to operation of the engine of the chainsaw 10. The drive sprocket may be operably connected to a saw chain 20, which may include cutters 22 disposed on all or some of a series of chain links 24 that are interconnected to form a continuous flexible chain. Some or all of the chain links 24 may include engagement teeth 26 that are configured to fit within and slidably engage a guide slot 28 that extends around a periphery of a bar 30 (e.g., a chain bar or guide bar) that is operably coupled to the chainsaw 10.
In some embodiments, the drive sprocket (or drive member) may be embodied as a part of a clutch (see clutch 52 in
The bar 30 may be a unitary, substantially flat metallic member that is elongated to form a substantially oblong blade. However, in some embodiments, the bar 30 may not necessarily be unitary, but may include component parts that are combined to form a flat blade with the guide slot 28 extending around peripheral edges thereof. In any case, the bar 30 may include at least two general portions, namely an exposed portion 32 and a chainsaw body engagement portion 34. The exposed portion 32 may include the portion of the bar 30 that exposes cutters 22 for use in cutting lumber. Meanwhile, the chainsaw body engagement portion 34 may be the portion of the bar 30 that is hidden by a drive sprocket cover or a clutch cover 40 (see
The drive sprocket may be hidden from view on the chainsaw 10 by the drive sprocket cover 40 (or clutch cover in embodiments where the drive sprocket is embodied as a clutch). The drive sprocket cover 40 may cover over the chainsaw body engagement portion 34 of the bar 30. In other words, the drive sprocket cover may cover over all portions of the bar 30 other than the exposed portion 32. In an example embodiment, the exposed portion 32 may be considered to be the portion of the bar 30 that is forward of the drive sprocket cover 40 or not covered by the drive sprocket cover 40 when the bar 30 is installed on the chainsaw 10 and the drive sprocket cover 40 is also installed.
In some embodiments, the drive sprocket cover 40 may include a chain tensioner 42 disposed thereon to enable the bar to be shifted forward (as shown by arrow 44) or backward (as shown by arrow 46) to adjust the tension of the chain 20 on the bar 30. The bar 30 may be disposed proximate to a main body portion of the chainsaw 10 such that the chainsaw body engagement portion 34 is proximate to the chainsaw 10 while the exposed portion 32 extends away from the chainsaw 10. The main body portion of the chainsaw 10 may include one or more guide posts 48 extending therefrom parallel to each other. The guide posts 48 may be aligned to enable the slot 36 to be fitted over the guide posts 48 as shown in
Example embodiments may eliminate the complication involved in performing these alignments simultaneously by removing the need for the operator to hold the chain 20 to the bar 30. In this regard, an example embodiment may provide for a bar and chain assembly 60 in which the chain 20 is held to the bar 30 by packaging materials that leaves exposed at least the portions of the bar 30 and chain 20 that need to be exposed to facilitate engagement with the drive sprocket (e.g., clutch 52 in
As shown in
In some embodiments, the first packaging material 70 may be a plastic material that may be relatively tightly wrapped around the chain 20 and the bar 30 at the exposed portion 32. However, in some alternative embodiments, the first packaging material 70 may further be a shrink-wrap material such as polyolefin, PVC or another composition that may be heated to constrict the material for shrinkage to tightly fit around the bar 30 and chain 20 to form the bar and chain assembly 60. In yet other embodiments, a plastic, vinyl, or other material may be formed into a rigid cover that can be slid over the bar 30 and chain 20 with a relatively tight tolerance in order to hold the chain 20 to the bar 30 (at least at the exposed portion 32 thereof) to enable the operator to concentrate only on engaging the slack portion of the chain 20 to the drive socket while affixing the bar 30 to the guide posts 48. Although the first packaging material 70 of
As indicated above, the first packaging material 70 may be configured to tightly fit over the bar 30 and chain 20 such that the chain 20 is held affixed to the bar 30 in a relatively tight arrangement. Moreover, the first packaging material may be disposed to hold the chain 20 affixed to the bar 30 to enable engagement of the chain 20 to a drive sprocket (e.g., clutch 52) of the chainsaw 10 and enable engagement of the bar 30 to a body of the chainsaw without removal of the first packaging material 70. In other words, the first packaging material 70 is specifically designed and intended to remain on the bar 30 and chain 20 until the entire bar and chain assembly 60 (formed by the bar 30, chain 20 and first packaging material 70) is installed onto the chainsaw 10. In some cases, the installation may be completed and the drive sprocket cover 40 may also be replaced, and the chain tensioner 42 may also be adjusted so that the chain 20 is taut prior to removal of the first packaging material 70. Alternatively, the first packaging material 70 may be removed prior to adjustment of the chain tensioner 42.
In some embodiments, the first packaging material 70 may include printed information thereon instructing the operator not to remove the first packaging material 70 until installation of the bar and chain assembly 60 is complete. Moreover, in some cases, the first packaging material 70 may include instructions printed thereon to direct the operator as to how to install the bar and chain assembly 60 onto the chainsaw 10. Alternatively or additionally, the first packaging material 70 may include an arrow, text, graphics or other indications to illustrate the proper orientation to be used for installation of the bar and chain assembly 60. In some embodiments, instructions, graphics, or other indications may be printed on the bar 30, and the first packaging material 70 may be transparent so that the instructions, graphics or other indications may be visible to the operator to facilitate assembly.
In some embodiments, the bar and chain assembly 60 may be packaged in connection with second packaging material 80 that may be removed prior to the bar and chain assembly 60 being installed on the chainsaw 10.
In an example embodiment, the second packaging material 80 may include a slot engagement tab 82. The slot engagement tab 82 may be an extension of the second packaging material 80 that may extend through the slot 36 to hold the second packaging material 80 in place relative to the bar and chain assembly 60. In some embodiments, the slot engagement tab 82 may include orientation information, instructions or other printed materials to assist the operator in installing the bar and chain assembly 60 onto the chainsaw 10. However, in other embodiments, the slot engagement tab 82 may not include any printed material thereon, and instead, printed material may be provided on the inside or outside of the second packaging material 80. In embodiments in which the printed material is provided on the outside of the second packaging material, instructions may be provided to indicate that the second packaging material 80 is to be removed prior to installation of the bar and chain assembly 60, but the first packaging material 70 is not to be removed until the bar and chain assembly 60 has been installed on the chainsaw 10.
As shown in
As shown in
Many modifications and other embodiments of the inventions set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which these inventions pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the inventions are not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Moreover, although the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings describe exemplary embodiments in the context of certain exemplary combinations of elements and/or functions, it should be appreciated 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 regard, for example, different combinations of elements and/or functions than those explicitly described above are also contemplated as may be set forth in some of the appended claims. In cases where advantages, benefits or solutions to problems are described herein, it should be appreciated that such advantages, benefits and/or solutions may be applicable to some example embodiments, but not necessarily all example embodiments. Thus, any advantages, benefits or solutions described herein should not be thought of as being critical, required or essential to all embodiments or to that which is claimed herein. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US2011/065064 | 12/15/2011 | WO | 00 | 11/22/2013 |
