Patent Application
20140150267
The present invention relates to landscape trimmers, and more particularly, to string heads or other heads for landscape trimmers.
Generally, landscape trimmers are used to cut grass and weeds, and are often used to edge around trees, near fences and walls, and along landscape borders. Conventional landscape trimmers include an elongated shaft with a rotating element or gear head near the end of the elongated shaft, and a spool or string head is attached to the gear head. Typically, the string head includes a monofilament line (i.e., trimmer line) that is rotated by the gear head for cutting and trimming along landscaped areas, fences, and walls.
In one construction, the invention provides a trimmer head for use with a trimmer. The trimmer head includes a housing rotatable about an axis, the housing defining a cavity and a housing mating feature, and a spool receivable in the cavity for carrying a length of trimmer line. The trimmer head also includes a first cap member having a first mating feature operable to cooperate with the housing mating feature to selectively and releasably couple the first cap member with the housing. The first mating feature is formed as one piece with the first cap member. The first cap member cooperates with the housing to retain the spool in the cavity. The trimmer head also includes a second cap member having a second mating feature operable to cooperate with the housing mating feature to selectively and releasably couple the second cap member with the housing. The second mating feature is formed as one piece with the second cap member. The second cap member provides a cutting feature independent from the trimmer line. The first cap member and the second cap member are releasably and interchangeably coupleable to the housing without the use of tools.
In another construction, the invention provides a landscape trimmer having a motor, an output shaft driven by the motor, and a trimmer head. The trimmer head includes a housing rotatable about an axis, the housing defining a cavity and a housing mating feature, and a spool receivable in the cavity for carrying a length of trimmer line. The trimmer head also includes a first cap member having a first mating feature operable to cooperate with the housing mating feature to selectively and releasably couple the first cap member with the housing. The first mating feature is formed as one piece with the first cap member, and the first cap member cooperates with the housing to retain the spool in the cavity. The trimmer head also includes a second cap member having a second mating feature operable to cooperate with the housing mating feature to selectively and releasably couple the second cap member with the housing. The second mating feature is formed as one piece with the second cap member. The second cap member provides a cutting feature independent from the trimmer line. The first cap member and the second cap member are releasably and interchangeably coupleable to the housing without the use of tools.
In yet another construction, the invention provides a trimmer head for use with a trimmer. The trimmer head includes a housing rotatable about an axis, the housing including a circumferential wall defining a cavity and a housing mating feature associated with the circumferential wall. A spool is receivable in the cavity for carrying a length of trimmer line. The trimmer head also includes a first cap member and a second cap member. The first cap member has a first mating feature operable to cooperate with the circumferential wall and the housing mating feature to selectively and releasably couple the first cap member with the housing. The first mating feature is formed as one piece with the first cap member. The first cap member cooperates with the housing to retain the spool in the cavity. The second cap member has a second mating feature operable to cooperate with the circumferential wall and the housing mating feature to selectively and releasably couple the second cap member with the housing, the second mating feature being formed as one piece with the second cap member. The second cap member provides a cutting feature independent from the trimmer line. The first cap member and the second cap member are releasably and interchangeably coupleable to the housing without the use of tools.
Other aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings.
Before any independent embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other independent embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
The trimmer 12 includes an output shaft 14 (
As illustrated in
The spool cap member 24 includes a mating feature 26 for removably coupling the spool cap member 24 to a mating feature 30 of the housing 18. The housing mating feature 30 is associated with the circumferential wall 48 of the housing 18.
In the illustrated construction, the spool cap member 24 includes prongs 26 or snap-fits extending in an axial direction (parallel to axis A) for removably snap fitting with the housing 18, specifically with the circumferential wall 48 of the housing 18. In the illustrated construction, the mating feature 30 of the housing 18 includes circumferential openings 30 in the circumferential wall 48.
The prongs 26 include radial flanges 28 for mating with respective circumferential openings 30 in the circumferential wall 48. The flanges 28 are received in the respective openings 30 and are actuatable radially inwards towards the central axis A by a user from outside the housing 18 to remove the spool cap member 24 in the direction of the axis A (see
In other constructions (not shown), the mating features 26, 30 may include other types of snap-fit structures, configurations, shapes, etc. and may include only one or more than two prongs or snap-fit structures. Furthermore, in yet other constructions (not shown), the spool cap member 24 and housing 18 may be removably coupled by way of other types of other mating features, such as magnets, threads, connectors, fasteners, etc. Accordingly, the housing 18 may include other mating features corresponding to the structure of the mating features of the spool cap member 24.
Also, it should be understood that the mating features of the spool cap member 24 and the housing 18 may be reversed (e.g., the prongs 26 may be formed as one piece with the housing 18 (e.g., as a portion of the cylindrical wall 48), and the spool cap member 24 may include a circumferential wall having circumferential openings 30, etc.).
As illustrated in
The accessory cap member 36 cooperates with the housing 18 to enclose the spool cavity 38 in the same way as the spool cap member 24 described above. That is, the accessory cap member 36 includes the same mating feature as the spool cap member 24 such that the spool cap member 24 and the accessory cap member 36 are interchangeable. In the illustrated construction, the accessory cap member 36 includes prongs 26 with radial flanges 28 for mating with respective circumferential openings 30 in the housing 18, as described above.
As also described above, in other constructions (not shown) the accessory cap member 36 and the housing 18 may employ other snap-fit structures, configurations, shapes, sizes and types of mating features, and the mating features may be reversed. In other constructions (not shown), the mating features of the spool cap member 24 and the accessory cap member 36 may be different from each other but still able to cooperate with the housing mating feature 30 to selectively couple each cap member 24, 36 to the housing 18.
In the illustrated construction, the accessory cap member 36 includes blades 40. The blades 40 extend radially from the accessory cap member 36 and are pivotably coupled to the accessory cap member 36. In the illustrated construction, the blades 40 are coupled by way of pins 42; however, other types of connections may be employed. The blades 40 are generally tapered as they extend radially away from the accessory cap member 36. The blades 40 include teeth 44 along both opposing longitudinal edges and a beveled cutting edge 46 at a distal end thereof
In other constructions (not shown), other types of blades having other cutting features, shapes, toothforms, etc. may be employed. In other constructions (not shown), the accessory cap member 36 may include other accessories providing other functions to the trimmer head 10.
For example,
Each line 52 is fixedly coupled to the fixed line holder 50 of the accessory cap member 36′ by way of two substantially parallel through-holes 54 through which the line 52 is passed in succession at substantially the midpoint of the line 52.
In operation, a user may insert a spool 20 into the cavity 38 and attach a spool cap member 24 to the housing 18 and operate the trimmer 12 using the line 22 to cut vegetation. The user may remove the spool cap member 24 by pressing inwardly on the flanges 28 and pulling the spool cap member 24 out of engagement with the housing 18 in the axial direction. The user may replace the spool cap member 24 with the accessory cap member 36 with or without removing the spool 20 from the cavity 38. The user may then operate the trimmer 12 using the functionality of the accessory cap member 36. For example, the user may operate the trimmer 12 using blades 40 to cut vegetation.
Thus, the invention may provide, among other things, a quick-change trimmer head for a powered trimmer having various cap members providing different functional features and being interchangeable without the use of a tool. One or more independent features and independent advantages of the invention may be set forth in the following claims.
