Patent Application
20050257940
The present invention relates to, for example, a preferably universal, lock or holding, attachment system for trimmer line to be attached to hand-held, powered tool either with a very long handle or of a compact, hand-gun-like design or the like, for doing various chores, mostly garden-related, generally characterized in the long handled version as a “Weed-Eater” type of device or in the “hand-gun-like” version as a “power drill”type device, as well as to other rotary drives, including hand-held devices such as powered hand-held rotary drives or power drills such as those that are used to drive drills, screws and the like, as well as perform other types of work with a change of heads or tool ends. More particularly, the locking system of the invention preferably is used in connection with either a specialized or general rotated head device, typically removable from its drive, for locking and holding the trimmer line to the rotated head, which trimmer line typically is consumed during used and needs to be replaced from time to time.
The following is a list of patents which may be of interest for at least general background information:
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,513,563 patent discloses a lawn mower rotary assembly where a single filament has an attachment (see
The U.S. Pat. No. 6,374,585 patent discloses the concept of two filaments secured in a single hole; while the U.S. Pat. No. 6,094,825 patent discloses a retaining collar for a single strand (see
Patents U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,197,264, 4,962,630 & 4,905,465 disclose simple loops to retain a single strand in a weed cutter, with the U.S. Pat. No. 4,905,465 patent disclosing the use of multiple holes to loop the strand through.
The U.S. Pat. No. 6,247,539 patent discloses a cultivator implement with castellated cultivating protrusions and a multi-implemented, powered, cultivation system.; while the U.S. Pat. No. 5,651,418 patent discloses a convertible, user-supported, garden cleaning implement for cutting/mascerating weeds; and the U.S. Pat. No. 5,491,963 patent discloses a garden cleaning implement for cutting/mascerating weeds above and below the ground.
In this relatively “crowded” art, the line locking system of the present invention includes substantial, innovative, “unobvious” differences over the prior art, as brought out more fully below, particularly with respect to the claims hereof. It is believed that the present invention represents an innovative, substantial advance in the prior art and a valuable contribution to the “useful arts.”
As previously noted, the present invention relates to, for example, a preferably lock or holding system for trimmer lines to be easily and securely attached to hand-held, powered tool either with a very long handle or of a compact, hand-gun-like design or the like, for doing various chores, mostly garden-related, generally characterized in the long handled version as a “Weed-Eater” type of device or in the “hand-gun-like” version as a “power drill”type device, as well as to other rotary drives, including hand-held devices such as powered hand-held rotary drives or power drills such as those that are used to drive drills, screws and the like, as well as perform other types of work with a change of heads or tool ends. More particularly, the locking system of the invention preferably is used in connection with either a specialized or general, rotated head device, typically removable from its drive, for locking and holding the trimmer line securely to the rotated head so that the line(s) does/do not fall out or get pulled out of their attachment to the rotating head, which trimmer line typically is consumed during used and needs to be replaced from time to time or infrequently, depending on the quality of the trimmer line and the obstacles it might be exposed to during use.
The currently, most preferred embodiments of the present invention are relatively “universal,” that is, the locking elements can be used in connection with, for example, most of the powered, weed trimming devices currently on the market to lock or hold the filament trimmer line to the rotating head of the powered devices.
The exemplary embodiments disclosed herein comprises a number of different devices for replacing, for example, a spool of filament in, for example, a weed cutter.
In one embodiment, the spool of filament in a weed cuter is replaced with one or more, relatively short filaments, each filament being secured with a special, innovative “button” like device. In another embodiment, a special button having two holes of a first diameter and two holes of a second diameter is used to hold the filament (the difference in diameters allows the button to hold twines or lines of different diameters, with thinner twine in the smaller diameter holes and larger twine in the larger diameter holes).
In another embodiment, an easy on-off, anchor-shaped device is used to secure the filament. In another, the filament has secured thereto a cone-shaped member to prevent the filament from sliding through a hole in a weed cutter.
In another embodiment or application, very flexible string is used in a weed cutter to function as a broom.
The currently preferred, trimmer line lock of the invention preferably provides a “universal” method of installing regular trimmer line in order to be inserted into a replacement cutter head attachment, as well as many other conventional trimmer head attachments. The string lock helps protect the head, as well as provide a measure of string security, that is, the trimmer line ideally or preferably will stay in place and not come off or break off until the user determines that it is time for line replacement, particularly in the case of using nylon trimmer line. Also, in some exemplary embodiments described more fully below, the locking elements preferably provide the user with the option to use different size or diameter trimming line or filament.
The string or trimmer lock system can be used in those “other” heads with filament spools but eliminating the need for the bump/spool method of delivering filament or nylon string through their cup/head openings. In this prior art “spool” method the nylon string, typically used in the spool, breaks off easily and does not last at all and string entanglement usually is the result during trimming, as well as when changing the spool.
Other exemplary “heads” with which the embodiments of the present invention include battery operated, electric and gas and even walk behind trimmers.
Using the preferred embodiments of the locking system of the present invention results in longer line, including nylon line, life.
The foregoing and additional features and innovative approaches of the present invention further are disclosed and discussed below.
For a further understanding of the nature, objects, and advantages of the present invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description, read in conjunction with the attached drawings, in which like elements are given the same or analogous reference numbers and wherein:
FIGS. 1A-C are perspective views showing the sequential steps of inserting one segment of trimmer line or filament into one of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention very similar to that shown in close-up in
FIGS. 11A-D are perspective, exploded, “prior art” views showing an exemplary embodiment of a combined cultivator/cutter of the '536 patent being attached to different ones of exemplary types of prior art, hand-held powered devices with an exemplary connection sub-system, including a female-threaded-member (e.g. a nut or female threaded end), a male threaded-member (e.g. bolt or male threaded end) and washer combination, varying in its details for different ones of the hand-held powered devices, a different one of the exemplary powered, hand-held devices being shown in each of these figures. The cutter part of the cultivator/cutter, add-on device exemplifies one exemplary application for the line locking system of the present invention; while
In the prior art various types of two-hand-held, long handle, powered devices, typically for yard or gardening work are well known, a number of which are of the “Weed-Eater” type. A “Weed-Eater” type of device typically uses a rotating spool of filament at its bottom with a feed bumper (note spool 6 and bumper 7 of FIGS. 21A & B of Patent U.S. Pat. No. 6,247,539, the disclosure of which is incorporated hereby by reference) for cutting grass and the like with the end portions of the filament line, as the spool is rotated about a “vertical” axis.
The lengths of the handles of these types of powered devices typically are of the order of a number of feet, typically at least about four to six (4-6′) feet. As can be seen in FIGS. 1A-D of the '539 patent, the bottom ends 2a-2d of these types of devices 1a-1d typically include powered, rotatable, end threaded members, either of the male or female type, for attaching, for example, the filament spool or other implement that came with the original, powered device.
For convenience of reference copies of these drawings are included with this specification as
For a further, exemplary, example, any implement [e.g. a filament spool, or other type of implement (e.g. note the various implements shown in the above listed patents), etc.] attached to the bottom end (2a-2d) of the hand-held powered device (1a-1d) is removed. Then, as shown in FIGS. 11A-D, an appropriate threaded member 3a-3d, typically either a nut 3a/3c (
As can be seen in FIGS. 11A-D and in the '539 patent, an exemplary cultivator/cutter implement or substitute attachment 10 (see also the more advanced cultivator/cutter or trimmer attachment 20 of
The curved side wall of the body 11 preferably is relatively thin, continuous and of constant thickness, although some deviation of the body's side wall is possible as long as the deviation(s) do not significantly impede the movement and penetration of the side wall down into the ground in the implement's cultivator action and as long as the side wall has the necessary structural integrity and strength. Additionally, peripherally spaced about its bottom 15 are a series of spaced, cultivator extensions tines 16, along with a series of dual opening or hole sets 17 through which the ends of cutting filament line segments 18 are placed for cutting functions. When it is desired to use the implement 10 as a filament line cutter, an appropriate number of line trimmer segments 18 are placed in the hole sets 17 as seen in FIGS. 11A-D, as further discussed in detail in the '539 patent in connection with FIGS. 24A & B of that patent, but as altered in accordance with the principles of the present invention.
The locking system, exemplary embodiments of the present invention include short, trimmer line filaments, of, for example, about ten to about fourteen (12-14″) inches in length, with twelve (12″) inches being exemplary, which can be used in, for example, weed cutters in place of the continuous filament on a spool, such as, for example, the spool 6 of
In its simplest version, the filament is simply cut and threaded through two holes in a special weed cutter head, for example, the exemplary cultivator/adapter 10 (
Exemplary variations of the filament holding buttons or button-like elements are shown in
An advantage of the button-held filament is that it is able to flex more easily than filament attached to a spool, such as, for example, the spool 6 of
These various embodiments will be described in connection with the figures hereof.
As can be seen in the sequential figures of FIGS. 1A-C, the distal ends 101 of a segment of trimmer line 100 initially are inserted (note dashed lines) into selected, side-by-side holes 201 in the button-like locking element 200, ultimately producing the joined line and locking element 300 of
As illustrated, the locking element 200 has at least two holes 201 through it for fitting and holding the trimmer line segment 100 or multiple pairs of holes, for example, four or two pair 201, 202, as illustrated, the latter allowing two segments of trimmer line to be added to the locking element 200.
After the line 100 and the locking element 200 are fully joined together to form the assembly 300, it should be understood from the drawings that the distal ends 101 and the adjacent sections of the trimmer line extend all on one side of the locking element, except for the mid-section 102 which is on the other side of the locking element at least generally in contact therewith.
Once assembled together to produce the joined line and locking element 200 of
As can be seen in the drawings, various different, exemplary, button-like locking elements are disclosed herein. For example, the locking element 200 in FIGS. 1A-C is a relatively flat, circular, button-like structure with four holes forming two pair 201, 202 of side-by-side line holes; likewise with respect to
For further examples, note the squared off button-like locking element 210 of
With further reference to
It is noted that many additional designs are possible for the button-like locking elements in addition to those particularly disclosed and illustrated herein. For example, many additional designs and configurations are shown in the drawings of the parent provisional application 06/402,518, all of which are incorporated herein by reference. Applicant reserves the right to add additional drawings or figures from the provisional patent application to this specification. Of course, even the many more designs and configurations illustrated in the provisional application were not intended to be exhaustive, although quite extensive, of all of the possible designs for the locking elements of the present invention.
With reference again to
Alternatively, again with reference to
As can be seen in
Because the more sophisticated attachment 20 has multiple numbers of line holes at each side, a relatively large number of line/locking-element assemblies 300 can be added to it, if so desired, as illustrated in
For an exemplary, alternative application to weed cutting, it is noted that the line selected for adding to the rotatable head could be, for further example, highly flexible string instead of the relatively hard filament line 100, allowing the powered device to then be used, for example, as a broom or blower, etc.
Thus, the present invention provides a very handy, supplemental device or product with multiple uses.
One of the biggest problem with the current, “prior art” weed trimmer designs are the functional inadequacies of the nylon trimmer line and the system or mechanism that feeds the line. The line frequently breads off and usually draws back into the head causing in some instances the trimmer to jam. In other instances it is difficult to advance or feed trimmer line through; the user has to “bump” to feed the line and in some cases has to take apart the head and manually re-spool the line due to entanglement. Also, some trimmer attachments have rotating blades that are dangerous and not effective and serve only a single, functional purpose.
The present invention in many of its aspects is the “ultimate” nylon string holder. It makes the nylon last longer. It also make the nylon rotate at the same time as the head, as well as secure the nylon line. It also provides a faster and easier nylon string insertion and removal methodology.
The exemplary methodology for the exemplary embodiments of the present invention includes either using pre-cut, trimmer line segments of, for example, twelve (12″) inches in length or taking a larger supply of line and cutting from it such lengths. Each trimmer line segment is then bent in half back unto itself, preferably making sure that the bent over portions are of equal length. The two end tips of the trimmer line segment are then inserted into selected ones of the locking element holes, either concurrently or sequentially.
The distal ends 101 of the trimmer line 100 with the button-like locking element (200-290) attached (300) at its mid-section is then inserted from the interior into at least a selected one or more preferably two, adjacent openings, if available, in the outer, circular wall of the rotatable head (head previously holding spool 6, 10 or 20) of the user's powered trimming machine with the distal tips and the adjacent sections, that is, most of the trimmer line segment 100 extending out of the head.
The procedure is then repeated for the at least some, preferably all, of the remaining filament holes in the head with the total number of the supplemental devices 300 symmetrically or equally spaced about the axis of rotation of the rotatable head.
Of course, if the powered trimming machine is of the spool type, the spool 6 needs to be removed from the machine's rotatable head before adding the supplemental devices 300 to the head's eyelets.
Some weed trimmers of the spool & “bump” type have channel(s) instead of eyelets. In such cases, the supplemental devices 300 are added as before, but then the “bump” will need to be reattached to the trimmer ensuring that the supplemental devices stay in place during use. In some other trimmer designs it will be necessary to replace the “bump” as well as the spool to keep the supplemental devices 300 in place.
It should be understood that, when the rotatable heads of the powered devices are rotatably driven at the relatively high speeds that these types of devices produce, which, for example, are rotated at about eight thousand (8,000 rpm) revolutions per minute [typically not to exceed about ten thousand (10,000 rpm) revolutions per minute], the main body of the line 100 extending on the outside of the rotatable heads become extended out in a radial direction during the weed trimming or other type operation. Additionally, with the great amount of centrifugal force that is created by such high speed rotation, the outwardly directed surface of the locking element(s) 200 become even more locked or otherwise held to the inner surface(s) of the then rotating head.
It is noted that, although flat, round, button-like elements 200 have been found to work well in actual use and can be manufactured at reasonable cost, more complex shapes are possible, as noted above. For example, the locking elements could have a curved outward surface to mate in face-to-face engagement with the inner surface of the typically cylindrically shaped work heads of the powered tools.
It also should be understood that typical dimensions for weed cutting filaments 100 which can be used as discussed above with the locking elements 200 are ones preferably made of flexible nylon having diameters of about eight hundredths (0.080″) of an inch or otherwise within a range of about a five hundredths of an inch to about one hundred and five thousandths (0.050″-0.105″) of an inch, typically of a length of about ten to about fourteen (10″-14″) inches, with twelve (12″) inches being exemplary. The exemplary diameters of the side filament openings in the spool 6 typically are about one hundred and twenty-five thousandths to about one hundred and thirty thousandths (0.125″-0.135″) of an inch, and the exemplary diameter of the filament openings in the special, attachment heads 10/20 typically are about one hundred and twenty-five thousandths (0.125″) of an inch.
Of course, as the diameters of the filaments to be used substantially change, so possibly will the sizes of the locking openings 201/202 change, although the locking openings can be made sufficiently large to handle most, if not all, filament sizes that might be used. Substantial flexibility of size is allowed is allowed in the preferred designs by the use of two, associated openings 201 and/or 202, respectively, with the filament being used at its middle in a “U” shaped configuration as it inter-nests with the inner side of the locking element 200 and with the distal ends of the filament line extending radially out from the outer surface of the locking element a substantial distance of preferably about twelve (12″) inches.
It is also noted that, although the user can insert the filament 100 into the locking element 200 as shown in
Of course, the width and height (or diameter) size of the locking elements 200 must be sufficiently large so that they cannot be pulled through the filament openings and be of a size that accommodates the desired filament openings 201 (202), etc. through it. The thickness and material of the locking element 200 must provide sufficient strength to keep it from breaking during normal use, either in the handling of it, the insertion of the filament into it and during high speed rotation. Heat treated metal has been found to be a suitable, exemplary material.
Of course, the foregoing details are exemplary and/or preferred and are subject to some variation, as long as the basic purpose and intended function of the devices are reasonably maintained.
Once the filament line segment 100 wears out, the locking element 200 typically is re-usable and can be put back into service with new piece(s) of filament line section inserted into it for weed cutting use (including, for example, undesired grass length trimming).
It should be understood that the foregoing dimensions, materials, variations and alternatives, etc., are merely exemplary, and many other changes are possible within the teachings of the present invention.
Thus, it is further noted that the embodiments of the universal, trimmer ling lock systems described herein in detail for exemplary purposes are of course subject to many different variations in structure, design, application and methodology. Because many varying and different embodiments may be made within the scope of the inventive concept(s) herein taught, and because many modifications may be made in the embodiments herein detailed in accordance with the descriptive requirements of the law, it is to be understood that the details herein generally are to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
Thus, the foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only; and the scope of the present invention is to be defined only by the following claims read in light of the specification.
This application claims the priority of Provisional Application 60/402,518 filed Aug. 9, 2002 entitled “Cutting Filaments for Weed Cutters,” which incorporated various disclosures, including the inventor's prior application Ser. No. 09/909,032 filed Jul. 19, 2001, and Ser. No. 09/885,374 filed Jun. 19, 2001, with the former being a continuation-in-part of the latter, the disclosures of both of which are incorporated herein, as well as the complete disclosure of said provisional patent application. Although the claims of this application are directed to the line trimmer locking system included as part of the disclosure of the provisional patent application, there are other new aspects as well, and the inventor reserves the right to file one or more divisional applications of this application directed to one or more of the other inventions disclosed in the provisional application.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60402518 | Aug 2002 | US |
