Patent Application
20200137950
The following includes information that may be useful in understanding the present disclosure. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art nor material to the presently described or claimed inventions, nor that any publication or document that is specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
The present invention relates generally to the field of landscaping and more specifically relates to a multi-use landscaping tool with interchangeable and removable attachments.
Generally, landscaping refers to activities which modify the visible features of the land. Such features may include plants, hardscape, and non-solid landforms (e.g., sand, gravel, mulch, etc.). As such, many different tools may be required to adequately perform landscaping duties. One such application of landscaping includes golf courses.
A golf course is the location the game of golf is played. It includes a series of holes located on a mostly grass surfaces, which may include a teeing ground (i.e., tee-box), a fairway, the rough, greens, and/or hazards. Other surfaces may include sand, such as a bunker. Generally speaking, the teeing ground, fairway, and rough may include differing heights of grass, with the green including the shortest length of grass and requiring the most maintenance. Also, it may be desirable to remove excess water from some surfaces.
The professionals that maintain a golf course are often referred to as a ‘groundskeeper’. The groundskeeper's duties may include the trimming of grass, grooming of bunkers, and maintaining greens. With a golf course being an outside venue, outside elements may affect the groundskeeper's duties. As such, a groundskeeper may be required to use many tools to maintain a golf course in a desired condition. It is desired to provide a tool that allows a groundskeeper to maintain a golf course (or other landscape) without the need for a plurality of tools. A suitable solution is desired.
U.S. Pub. No. 2013/0247533 to Andy T. Zupan relates to a landscape and construction tool with multiple heads. The described landscape and construction tool with multiple heads includes a landscaping tool comprising a rigid shaft having a proximal and distal end and presenting a central axis, a rake head having a rake base, and a plurality of tines extending outwardly from the rake base. The rake head is oriented from about 90° to 120° relative to said central axis. A brace comprises two arms, each of the arms joined to the head at opposing sides and extending from the head and converging at the shaft. The device optionally further comprises additional heads.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known landscaping art, the present disclosure provides a novel interchangeable landscaping tool system. The general purpose of the present disclosure, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a tool useful for landscaping which includes a wide variety of interchangeable components such that the device may be used for many different landscaping tasks in a single device.
An interchangeable landscaping tool system is disclosed herein. The interchangeable landscaping tool system provides a multi-purpose rake that can be used to rake sand, leaves and large debris or to smooth small amounts of sand in sand traps on golf courses or other landscapes.
The landscaping tool has an elongated shaft having a first-end and a second-end, a rake head having a channel and a plurality of tines, and at least one interchangeable head having a base and an engaging-member. The first-end of the elongated shaft is provided as a handle of the tool and the rake head is positioned at the second-end of the elongated shaft. The channel extends along a top-edge of the rake head and is configured to slidably receive and removably engage one of the at least one interchangeable heads at the engaging-member for use. The at least one interchangeable head is friction fit within the channel and the slot of the channel. The engaging-member extends along a bottom-edge of the base of the at least one interchangeable head and is configured to mate with the channel extending along a top-edge of the rake head. The plurality of tines extend from a bottom-edge of the rake head opposing the channel. The at least one interchangeable head includes a squeegee-head, a first-brush-head, and a second-brush-head.
The tool provides a user with a single landscaping tool with multiple uses.
For purposes of summarizing the invention, certain aspects, advantages, and novel features of the invention have been described herein. It is to be understood that not necessarily all such advantages may be achieved in accordance with any one particular embodiment of the invention. Thus, the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein. The features of the invention which are believed to be novel are particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings and detailed description.
The figures which accompany the written portion of this specification illustrate embodiments and methods of use for the present disclosure, an interchangeable landscaping tool system, constructed and operative according to the teachings of the present disclosure.
The various embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein like designations denote like elements.
As discussed above, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to landscaping and more particularly to an interchangeable landscaping tool system as used to provide an effective and efficient multi-use landscaping tool with interchangeable and removable attachments.
The present disclosure includes a rake that can be used to rake sand, leaves and large debris or to smooth small amounts of sand in sand traps on golf courses or other landscapes. Several additional heads for performing tasks necessary on golf courses (and/or other landscapes) may be attached to the same handle.
The device provides a single, multi-use tool needed for keeping golf courses and/or yards well-maintained. The rake head, attached at the end of the handle, has a slot for attaching one of several heads to the opposite side. These other heads include a squeegee for removing water from different surfaces, like greens on a golf course or a driveway, and two different brushes. The brush head with short bristles is ideal for removing debris from putting surfaces (e.g., greens) while the brush head with longer bristles can be used like a broom as desired. The bottom edges of these attachments are shaped to fit into the slot on the top edge of the rake and to lock securely into place.
The tool can be simply rotated when the user desires to use the head attached to the opposite side of the apparatus. The tool will be constructed from high-density recycled plastic, such that the device will maintain its integrity and durability during multiple uses and outside elements. The interchangeable landscaping tool may be available in different colors, dependent upon user preferences and specific uses.
The unique features of this product provide the following benefits for consumers everywhere: a single tool that can be used for doing a variety of tasks necessary for maintaining golf courses and yards, the rake head is one unit and is as wide as an average push broom, the design of the lock between the rake head and other attachments will be made with a tight tolerance, so the other heads can be attached without needing additional hardware, the tool will be available with different colored handles, including black and green, and will be handy to use when cleaning around a golf course or a homeowner's back yard, as this single tool can be used instead of having to use several other tools.
Referring now more specifically to the drawings by numerals of reference, there is shown in
As shown in
As above, the interchangeable landscaping tool system 100 may include the at least one interchangeable head 140 is friction fit within the channel 122 and the slot 123 of the channel 122. The landscaping tool 110 is rotatable 180 degrees to use the at least one interchangeable head 140 and the rake head 120 alternatively depending on task requirements. The elongated shaft 112 may be constructed from a wide variety of materials. As such, the materials may include high-density recycled plastic materials. Alternate materials may include other plastics, plastic-like materials, metallic materials, fiberglass, carbon-fiber, or a combination thereof. Similarly, the rake head may be constructed from any suitable material.
According to one embodiment, the interchangeable landscaping tool system 100 may be arranged as a kit 105. In particular, the interchangeable landscaping tool system 100 may further include a set of instructions. The instructions may detail functional relationships in relation to the structure of the interchangeable landscaping tool system 100 such that the interchangeable landscaping tool system 100 can be used, maintained, or the like, in a preferred manner.
The embodiments of the invention described herein are exemplary and numerous modifications, variations and rearrangements can be readily envisioned to achieve substantially equivalent results, all of which are intended to be embraced within the spirit and scope of the invention. Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientist, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application.
The present application is related to and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/674,579 filed May 21, 2018, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62674579 | May 2018 | US |
