CA2559000A1 - Ergonomic free standing gardening tool - Google Patents
Ergonomic free standing gardening tool Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- CA2559000A1 CA2559000A1 CA 2559000 CA2559000A CA2559000A1 CA 2559000 A1 CA2559000 A1 CA 2559000A1 CA 2559000 CA2559000 CA 2559000 CA 2559000 A CA2559000 A CA 2559000A CA 2559000 A1 CA2559000 A1 CA 2559000A1
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- handle
- gardening
- ergonomic
- sleeve
- rake
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
- A01D—HARVESTING; MOWING
- A01D7/00—Rakes
Abstract
An ergonomically designed gardening tool such as a rake has an elongated handle slidably and removably mounted to the tool head. A spike or an auxiliary gardening implement is mounted at the lower end of the handle such that the spike may be operated to secure the rake at an upright free standing position on a lawn or solid ground surface. The handle is secured to tool head with a latch mechanism which is operative to secure or release the handle from the rake head selectively. The removed handle with the auxiliary implement mounted thereon may also be used for various gardening tasks.
Description
ERGONOMIC FREE STANDING GARDENING TOOL
This invention relates to gardening tools and particularly an ergonomically designed gardening tool such as a rake which can be affixed temporarily on the ground in an upright free standing position to facilitate convenient use.
Gardening such as raking is a strenuous operation and it requires the user to twist and bend the back frequently; thus it can cause a large amount of strain and stress to the user's back.
Moreover, in carry out the gardening operation, the user must from time to time place the tool down on the ground or aside to pick up or collect the worked material, and then must bend down again to pick up the tool from the ground to resume gardening. Such frequent back bending can often cause injury to the user's back. Some tools provide a bend handle so as to alleviate the amount of bending by the user during gardening. However, they have not eliminated the need by the user having to bend down frequently to pick up the tool from the ground.
U. S. Patent No.5,878,563 to P. L. Dutcher shows the incorporation of a rotatable stand attached to the head of the rake. The stand may be turned to a position at an angle to the head of the rake to support the rake to stand in an upright manner on the ground when it is not being used such that the user is not necessary to bend down to pick it up from the ground. However, the stand does not provide a satisfactory secure support of the rake on an uneven or sloping lawn surface or in a windy condition.
It is a principal object of the present invention to provide an ergonomically designed gardening tool particularly a rake which can securely rest on the ground in an upright freestanding position.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a rake having a securing system incorporated thereon for securing it on uneven or sloping lawn surface.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an ergonomically designed rake having a securing system for affixing it firmly on a lawn in a windy condition.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an ergonomically designed garden tool having different parts therein removable for various gardening operations.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an ergonomically designed rake which is simple in structure, easy to operate and inexpensive to produce.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments thereof in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective front elevation view of the ergonomically designed rake according the present invention.
Figure 2 is a perspective side elevation view thereof.
Figure 3 is an isolated perspective side elevation view showing the securement of the rake to the ground to maintain it in an upright position.
Figure 4 is an isolated enlarged elevation view of the releasable locking mechanism for the handle of the rake.
Figure 5 is an isolated enlarged elevation view showing the release of the locking mechanism to allow the ground spike provided at the lower end of the handle to be extended to affix the rake on the lawn temporarily.
Figure 6 is an isolated enlarged top elevation view of an alternative locking mechanism of the handle.
This invention relates to gardening tools and particularly an ergonomically designed gardening tool such as a rake which can be affixed temporarily on the ground in an upright free standing position to facilitate convenient use.
Gardening such as raking is a strenuous operation and it requires the user to twist and bend the back frequently; thus it can cause a large amount of strain and stress to the user's back.
Moreover, in carry out the gardening operation, the user must from time to time place the tool down on the ground or aside to pick up or collect the worked material, and then must bend down again to pick up the tool from the ground to resume gardening. Such frequent back bending can often cause injury to the user's back. Some tools provide a bend handle so as to alleviate the amount of bending by the user during gardening. However, they have not eliminated the need by the user having to bend down frequently to pick up the tool from the ground.
U. S. Patent No.5,878,563 to P. L. Dutcher shows the incorporation of a rotatable stand attached to the head of the rake. The stand may be turned to a position at an angle to the head of the rake to support the rake to stand in an upright manner on the ground when it is not being used such that the user is not necessary to bend down to pick it up from the ground. However, the stand does not provide a satisfactory secure support of the rake on an uneven or sloping lawn surface or in a windy condition.
It is a principal object of the present invention to provide an ergonomically designed gardening tool particularly a rake which can securely rest on the ground in an upright freestanding position.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a rake having a securing system incorporated thereon for securing it on uneven or sloping lawn surface.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an ergonomically designed rake having a securing system for affixing it firmly on a lawn in a windy condition.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an ergonomically designed garden tool having different parts therein removable for various gardening operations.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an ergonomically designed rake which is simple in structure, easy to operate and inexpensive to produce.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments thereof in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective front elevation view of the ergonomically designed rake according the present invention.
Figure 2 is a perspective side elevation view thereof.
Figure 3 is an isolated perspective side elevation view showing the securement of the rake to the ground to maintain it in an upright position.
Figure 4 is an isolated enlarged elevation view of the releasable locking mechanism for the handle of the rake.
Figure 5 is an isolated enlarged elevation view showing the release of the locking mechanism to allow the ground spike provided at the lower end of the handle to be extended to affix the rake on the lawn temporarily.
Figure 6 is an isolated enlarged top elevation view of an alternative locking mechanism of the handle.
-2-Figure 7 is a front perspective elevation view of the rake of the present invention with a V-shaped tip formed in the spike.
Figure 8 is an exploded front perspective elevation view showing the removable of the handle from the rake head of the rake for other purposes such as weed removable.
Figure 9 is a side perspective elevation view showing the placement of the rake on a solid ground surface.
Figure 10 is a perspective elevation view showing the rake having an auxiliary smaller rake mounted on the handle which is removable for various gardening purposes.
With reference to the drawings in which like reference numerals in the several views designate corresponding parts, the rake 10 according to the present invention has a latch mechanism 11 provided at the center of the front top position of its head 12.
A rake is shown as an example for illustrating the present invention, it can be understood that the construction is applicable to a variety of garden tools. The latch mechanism 11 may consist of a sleeve 13 through which the elongated handle 14 of the rake slidably extends therethrough. The rake head 12 may ergonomically and preferably extend at a small angle about 10 to 25 degrees relative to the vertical longitudinal axis of the sleeve 13. The angle enhances the raking action such that the user may carry out the raking operation in an almost upright position without the usual back bending as in using a common rake. A cam member 15 is rotatably mounted on a bracket 16 located on the side wall of the sleeve 13. The bracket 16 preferably is U-shaped as best shown in Figure 1 to provide a strong support for the latch mechanism. The cam member 15 is rotatable by a latch handle 17 mounted to the cam member 15. The latch handle 17 may be turned to a vertical position to cause a cam portion 18 of the cam member 15 to urge tightly against the
Figure 8 is an exploded front perspective elevation view showing the removable of the handle from the rake head of the rake for other purposes such as weed removable.
Figure 9 is a side perspective elevation view showing the placement of the rake on a solid ground surface.
Figure 10 is a perspective elevation view showing the rake having an auxiliary smaller rake mounted on the handle which is removable for various gardening purposes.
With reference to the drawings in which like reference numerals in the several views designate corresponding parts, the rake 10 according to the present invention has a latch mechanism 11 provided at the center of the front top position of its head 12.
A rake is shown as an example for illustrating the present invention, it can be understood that the construction is applicable to a variety of garden tools. The latch mechanism 11 may consist of a sleeve 13 through which the elongated handle 14 of the rake slidably extends therethrough. The rake head 12 may ergonomically and preferably extend at a small angle about 10 to 25 degrees relative to the vertical longitudinal axis of the sleeve 13. The angle enhances the raking action such that the user may carry out the raking operation in an almost upright position without the usual back bending as in using a common rake. A cam member 15 is rotatably mounted on a bracket 16 located on the side wall of the sleeve 13. The bracket 16 preferably is U-shaped as best shown in Figure 1 to provide a strong support for the latch mechanism. The cam member 15 is rotatable by a latch handle 17 mounted to the cam member 15. The latch handle 17 may be turned to a vertical position to cause a cam portion 18 of the cam member 15 to urge tightly against the
-3-handle 14 so as to retain it securely in position without any sliding movement, or alternatively it may be turned to a downwards away from the vertical position to release the engagement of the cam portion 18 from the surface of the handle 14 such that the latter may be slidably moved up or down through the sleeve 13 relative to the head 12. A spike 19 is mounted at the lower end of the handle 14. An abutment ring 20 is mounted on the handle 17 and located adjacent to its lower end. The abutment ring 20 has an outside diameter larger than the inside diameter of the sleeve 13 so that it serves as an abutment to prevent the handle 14 from sliding upwards outside of the sleeve 13. The spike 19 is located above the raking fingers 21 when the handle 14 is located at such highest position.
For performing the raking operation, the latch handle 17 is operated to lock the rake head 12 at a selected position on the handle 14, normally this would be the lowest position with the abutment ring 20 juxtaposed to the lower end of the sleeve 13 so that the user has the longest handle for the raking operation. Other positions may also be selected conveniently to suit the height of the user. When not performing the raking operation, the user would operate the latch handle 17 to release the securement of the handle 14 to the rake head 12, and the handle 14 would be lowered until the spike 19 passes below the lower edge of the raking fingers 21 and the latch handle 17 is operated to lock the handle 14 at such selected lower position. With the handle 171ocked at such position, the rake 10 may be secured to the lawn or a soil surface by merely pushing the spike 19 into the ground as best shown in Figure 3. The spike 19 provides a firm securement of the rake 10 on the ground in an upright manner regardless of whether the ground surface is uneven or sloping or in a windy condition. Furthermore, the rake head 12 in cooperation with the handle 14 which is already secured into the ground, would also serve as an
For performing the raking operation, the latch handle 17 is operated to lock the rake head 12 at a selected position on the handle 14, normally this would be the lowest position with the abutment ring 20 juxtaposed to the lower end of the sleeve 13 so that the user has the longest handle for the raking operation. Other positions may also be selected conveniently to suit the height of the user. When not performing the raking operation, the user would operate the latch handle 17 to release the securement of the handle 14 to the rake head 12, and the handle 14 would be lowered until the spike 19 passes below the lower edge of the raking fingers 21 and the latch handle 17 is operated to lock the handle 14 at such selected lower position. With the handle 171ocked at such position, the rake 10 may be secured to the lawn or a soil surface by merely pushing the spike 19 into the ground as best shown in Figure 3. The spike 19 provides a firm securement of the rake 10 on the ground in an upright manner regardless of whether the ground surface is uneven or sloping or in a windy condition. Furthermore, the rake head 12 in cooperation with the handle 14 which is already secured into the ground, would also serve as an
-4-additional support of the rake 10 at the upright position.
An alternative embodiment of the latch mechanism is shown in Figure 6, which consists of a threaded bolt 22 threadingly mounted on the bracket 16. A handle such as a round knob 23 is provided on the bolt 22 and it is operative for urging the end of the bolt 22 against the handle 14 to secure it in place within the sleeve 13, and it may be operated to release the securement of the handle 14 to the rake head 12. An arcuate plate 24 may be mounted at the end of the bolt 22 to provide enhance engagement of the latch mechanism with the handle 14.
The elongated handle 14 with the spike 19 provided at its lower end may also be removed from the rake head 12 and be used for other purposes such as weed removable, loosening of the soil, making aeration openings in the lawn, and picking up debris and garbage from the ground.
A V-shaped tip 25 is formed in the spike 19 to facilitate its use as a weed remover as shown in Figures 7 and 8.
The rake 10 may also be free standing on a solid ground surface as shown in Figure 9 with the spike and the lower edge of the raking fingers serving as the necessary support stand.
An auxiliary small rake 26 may alternatively mounted on the bottom end of the handle 14 as shown in Figure 10. The handle may be removed from the rake head 12 for using the small rake 26 for various gardening tasks such as cleaning the ground around small areas in a flower bed or loosening the soil in small areas. The small rake 26 may also cooperate with the main rake 12 for resting the rake 10 on the ground in a free standing upright position.
The ergonomically designed garden tool particularly the rake of the present invention, despite of its simple construction, it can be secured to ground firmly and be maintained at a free standing upright position for convenient fetching for use for any ground profile or weather
An alternative embodiment of the latch mechanism is shown in Figure 6, which consists of a threaded bolt 22 threadingly mounted on the bracket 16. A handle such as a round knob 23 is provided on the bolt 22 and it is operative for urging the end of the bolt 22 against the handle 14 to secure it in place within the sleeve 13, and it may be operated to release the securement of the handle 14 to the rake head 12. An arcuate plate 24 may be mounted at the end of the bolt 22 to provide enhance engagement of the latch mechanism with the handle 14.
The elongated handle 14 with the spike 19 provided at its lower end may also be removed from the rake head 12 and be used for other purposes such as weed removable, loosening of the soil, making aeration openings in the lawn, and picking up debris and garbage from the ground.
A V-shaped tip 25 is formed in the spike 19 to facilitate its use as a weed remover as shown in Figures 7 and 8.
The rake 10 may also be free standing on a solid ground surface as shown in Figure 9 with the spike and the lower edge of the raking fingers serving as the necessary support stand.
An auxiliary small rake 26 may alternatively mounted on the bottom end of the handle 14 as shown in Figure 10. The handle may be removed from the rake head 12 for using the small rake 26 for various gardening tasks such as cleaning the ground around small areas in a flower bed or loosening the soil in small areas. The small rake 26 may also cooperate with the main rake 12 for resting the rake 10 on the ground in a free standing upright position.
The ergonomically designed garden tool particularly the rake of the present invention, despite of its simple construction, it can be secured to ground firmly and be maintained at a free standing upright position for convenient fetching for use for any ground profile or weather
-5-condition. It is also simple to use and inexpensive to manufacture.
While the present invention has been shown and described in the preferred embodiments thereof, it will be apparent that various modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and it is desired therefore that only such limiations be placed thereon as are imposed by the appended claim.
While the present invention has been shown and described in the preferred embodiments thereof, it will be apparent that various modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and it is desired therefore that only such limiations be placed thereon as are imposed by the appended claim.
-6-
Claims (12)
1. An ergonomic gardening tool comprising:
a tool head adapted for carrying out a gardening task and a sleeve positioned at a top front portion thereon, an elongated handle slidably extending through said sleeve, a latch mechanism provided on said sleeve, said latch mechanism having a securement operative to secure said tool head at a selected position on said handle, and also operative selectively to release said securement for facilitating sliding movement of said tool head relative to said handle, a spike mounted at a lower end of said handle, a lower end of said spike being located above a lower edge of said tool head when said tool head is located at a lowest position relative to said handle.
a tool head adapted for carrying out a gardening task and a sleeve positioned at a top front portion thereon, an elongated handle slidably extending through said sleeve, a latch mechanism provided on said sleeve, said latch mechanism having a securement operative to secure said tool head at a selected position on said handle, and also operative selectively to release said securement for facilitating sliding movement of said tool head relative to said handle, a spike mounted at a lower end of said handle, a lower end of said spike being located above a lower edge of said tool head when said tool head is located at a lowest position relative to said handle.
2. An ergonomic gardening tool according to Claim 1 wherein said tool is a rake having a rake head provided with a plurality of raking fingers, and said spike is located above said raking fingers when said rake head is located at a lowest position relative to said handle.
3. An ergonomic gardening tool according to Claim 1 wherein said tool head is positioned at an angle relative to the vertical longitudinal axis of said sleeve.
4. An ergonomic gardening tool according to Claim 2 wherein said raking fingers are positioned at an angle of between 10 to 25 degrees relative to the vertical longitudinal axis of said sleeve.
5. An ergonomic gardening tool according to Claim 2 wherein said latch mechanism comprises a cam member rotatably mounted on a bracket provided on a side wall of said sleeve, said cam member having a cam surface portion extending within said sleeve and being engageable with said handle for securing said handle to said rake head, a latch handle mounted to said cam member and operative to rotate said cam member selectively to a position with said cam surface portion urging against said handle and to a second position with said cam surface portion disengaged from said handle to facilitate sliding positioning of said rake head to a selected position on said handle.
6. An ergonomic tool according to Claim 5 including a ring mounted at a bottom end portion of said handle, said ring having an outside diameter larger than the inside diameter of said sleeve.
7. An ergonomic gardening tool according to Claim 6 wherein said spike has a V-shaped tip.
8. An ergonomic garden tool according to Claim 2 wherein said latch mechanism comprises a threaded bolt threading mounted on a bracket provided on an outer side wall of said sleeve, said bolt having an inner end operative to engage with said handle for securing said rake head to said handle.
9. An ergonomic gardening tool according to Claim 8 including a knob mounted on an outer end of said bolt.
10. An ergonomic gardening tool according to Claim 9 including an arcuate plate mounted on said inner end of said bolt and operative to provide enhance engagement of said bolt with said handle.
11. An ergonomic gardening tool comprising:
a tool head adapted for carrying out a gardening task and a sleeve positioned at a top front portion therein, an elongated handle slidably extending through said sleeve, a latch mechanism provided on said sleeve, said latch mechanism having a securement operative to secure said tool head at a selected position on said handle, and also operative selectively to release said securement for facilitating sliding movement of said tool head relative to said handle, a auxiliary gardening implement mounted at a lower end of said handle, said handle with said auxiliary gardening implement mounted thereon being removable from said tool head for conducting various gardening tasks.
a tool head adapted for carrying out a gardening task and a sleeve positioned at a top front portion therein, an elongated handle slidably extending through said sleeve, a latch mechanism provided on said sleeve, said latch mechanism having a securement operative to secure said tool head at a selected position on said handle, and also operative selectively to release said securement for facilitating sliding movement of said tool head relative to said handle, a auxiliary gardening implement mounted at a lower end of said handle, said handle with said auxiliary gardening implement mounted thereon being removable from said tool head for conducting various gardening tasks.
12. An ergonomic gardening tool according to Claim 11 wherein said auxiliary gardening implement is auxiliary rake having a size smaller than said tool head.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2559000 CA2559000A1 (en) | 2006-09-08 | 2006-09-08 | Ergonomic free standing gardening tool |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2559000 CA2559000A1 (en) | 2006-09-08 | 2006-09-08 | Ergonomic free standing gardening tool |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2559000A1 true CA2559000A1 (en) | 2008-03-08 |
Family
ID=39153667
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2559000 Abandoned CA2559000A1 (en) | 2006-09-08 | 2006-09-08 | Ergonomic free standing gardening tool |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA2559000A1 (en) |
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB2447701A (en) * | 2007-03-23 | 2008-09-24 | Stuart Booth | Turf or soil penetrating device |
-
2006
- 2006-09-08 CA CA 2559000 patent/CA2559000A1/en not_active Abandoned
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB2447701A (en) * | 2007-03-23 | 2008-09-24 | Stuart Booth | Turf or soil penetrating device |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| FZDE | Dead |