GB2504428A

GB2504428A - Hand tool provided with a device for attaching at least one tool head to the end of at least one handle

Info

Publication number: GB2504428A
Application number: GB1319897.3A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Alban Gamot
Original assignee: Castorama France SAS
Current assignee: Castorama France SAS
Priority date: 2011-05-13
Filing date: 2012-05-10
Publication date: 2014-01-29
Also published as: FR2975033B1; GB201319897D0; FR2975033A1; WO2012156621A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a hand tool (1), in particular a gardening or crafting tool, including: a head (2) provided with an end (20); a handle (3) defining an axial direction (X) and provided with an end (30); and an attachment device including: a female element (31) having an axial cavity (32); a male element (21) having an axial coupling pin (22) having a cross-section that is complementary to that of said axial receiving cavity (32) of the female element (31), and suitable for engaging with said cavity (32) in order to produce the rotating coupling of the male element (21) and the female element (31), wherein first and second elements selected from the male element and the female element are provided at the end (20) of the head (2) and the end (30) of the handle (3), respectively; and a system (4) for locking/unlocking the male element (21) from the female element (31), which is designed to lock the relative movement of said two elements in the axial direction; and characterized in that said receiving cavity (32) and said coupling pin (22) have complementary truncated cone-shaped longitudinal cross-sectional portions.

Description

HAND TOOL PROVIDED WITH A DEVICE FOR ATTACHING AT LEAST ONE

TOOL HEAD To THE END OF AT LEAST ONE HANDLE

The present invention relates to the field of hand

toots, especially garden tools..

More parLicularly, the invention relates to a device for quickly attaching a head to the end of a handle or grip for receiving/manipulating the head.

In the field of tools, particularly garden tools, it is known to design a tool comprising a handle for receiving various interchangeable heads by means of a quick-attach device. This two-pece design is particularly advantageous for too:! transport and storage, as the size of the tool, particularly lengthwise, is significantly reduced when the head and handle are in the detached configuration. It also allows providing a plurality of interchangeable heads for different functions, such as a shovel, a rake, a fork, a leaf rake, etc., that can be mounted at the end of the same handle by means of a quick-attach device.

It is also possible to have different handles of different lengths and/or equipped at one end with a hand grip or other accessories, to which different heads can be attached that are appropriate for the work the user wants to perform. A user can then, for example, take a handle of substantial length (about 1.5 m) to which he or she can fit a head such as a hoe, spade, etc. in order to perform outside work, and can change to a shorter handle (20 to 30 cm) to which he or she can fit a head such as a garden fork or trowel for more precise work, for example in a flower box.

Patent US 4,466,377 discloses an example of such a quick-attach device which comprises a connecting bushing associated with a handle, and an insert integrally attached to the active part of a head and intended fo.ri nsertion into the bushing. Thersert has a rectangular cross-section and a hole with which a catch on a leaf spring integral with the bushing is intended to engage in order to lock the head to the handle. The separation of these two assemblies is obtained by actuating a push-button adapted to act on one end of The leaf spring, causing the catch 1 to cxit the hole and thus allowing removal of the head from the handle. An elastic sleeve provided at a connecting piece integral with the head is intended to be arranged between the end of the handle receiving the head and said connecting piece, in the assembled configuration of the two ensembles, to compensate for fit tolerances in the axial direction and ensure a seating that is free from play.

However, such a fastening device has the disadvantage that the insertion of the head insert into the connecting bushing is difficult: the head insert, which has a rectangular cross-section, must be inserted substantially without play in the radial direction into a cavity of complementary cross-section provided in the connecting bushing integral with the handle. This insertion requires carefully placing the insert opposite the cavity opening before it is possible to slide it into said cavity and complete the assembly of head and handle by locking the insert into the cavity via the catch of the leaf spring. This operation is tedious and requires a certain amount of time.

Moreover, once the head insert is in place and locked inside the cavity of the bushing equipping the handle, if there is play in the radial direction between these two elements due to manufacturing tolerances, the mounted head will be wobbly in the radial direction relative to the handle.

US patent 5,168,693 also discloses a quick-attach device that has substantially the same disadvantages.

The aim of the present invention is to overcome these disadvantages and propose a hand tool, particularly a gardening or hone improvement tool, which comprises: a head equipped with an end; a handle defining an axis and equipped with an end; -an aLnachntent device comprising: * a female element having an axial cavity; a male element having an ax3ai coupling pin for which the transverse cross-section is complementary to that of said axial receiving cavity of the female element, and adapted Lo engage with said cavity in order to achieve the rotational coupling of the ma[.e element and the female element, first and second elements selected from* Lhe male element and the female clement being respectively provided at the end of the head and an the end of the handle; * a system for locking/unlocking the male element relative to the female element, adapted to lock the relative movement of these two elements in the axial direction; and characterized in that said receiving cavity and said coupling pin have complementary truncated-cone-shaped longitudinal cross-sectional portions.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the complementary truncated-cone-shaped longitudinal cross-sectional portions of the cavity and of the pin extend over at least half, in particular over two-thirds of the length that the male element is inserted into the female element."Truncated-cone-shaped longitudinal cross-sectional portions" is here understood to mean that the outer envelope of the pin -and respectively the inner envelope of the cavity -obtained by the surface of revolution, around the axis defined by the handle, of a generatrix connecting the points of at least a portion of the pin that are the furthest from this axis -respectively the closest to this axis for at least a portion of the caviLy -substantlaijy has the shape of a cone or a truncated cone.

These arrangements facilitate the insertion of Lhe pin of the male element insido the female element, a centering effect being obtained by the cooperation of the tapered hearing surfaces respectively provided on the pin and the cavity. With such a quick-attach device, a user does not need to accuraLely position the head relative tc the handle until their respective axes coincide and then complete the insertion of*Lhe pin into the cavity; the device according to the invention, because of its cruncated-cone bearing surfaces, allows a certain misalignment of the axes of the pin and axial cavity prior to insertion, the truncated-cone-shaped longitudinal cross-sections of these two elements therefore achieving the alignment of said axes once the pin is inserted into the cavity, thereby facilitating this insertion operation.

Once it is in the inserted position inside the cavity, the head is locked relative to the handle in the axial direction by means of the locking system, and is housed free from play in the axial and radial directions because of the conical bearing surfaces respectively provided on said pin and said cavity. Specifically, these complementary conical bearing surfaces provided on the pin and cavity serve as a stop in the axial direction, limiting the movement of said pin relative to said cavity in the direction of insertion of the tool head into the handle, the locking/unlocking system serving to lock the pin inside the cavity axially in the direction of extraction.

In the field of hand tools, and in particular

gardening tools, the tools are mass-produced and the manufacturing tolerances for the parts can be relatively large. Play can therefore appear when the various components of a device are assembled, causing unpleasant sensations of vibration when it is used.

With a quick-attach device according to the invention, the manufacturing tolerances of the various components used can be compensated for, and the tool and the handle can be assembled together free from play. The manufacturing cosus of the parts used in the assembly can thus be reduced.

In addition, the attachment devices described in the aforementioned documents allow only two configurations for inserting and locking the head and the handle, the position of the head relative to the handle in the second configuration being offset by 180° relative to the position of the tool in the first configuration. The user must therefore place the head and the handle in one of its two relative configurations to be able to attach these two elements, which makes this operation even more laborious.

A user may also be interested in having more than two relative configurations for the assembly of the handle and the head that is fitted onto it. In the field of gardening, it may be of particular interest when performing certain kinds of work such as digging, or using a garden claw or fork, to use handles where the end opposite the head has a hand grip to give the user a better hold on the tool and/or to allow the user to apply greater torque about the axis of the head and handle than when using a handle that is substantially symmetrical about said axis. In the case of a handle and/or head that does not have rotational symmetry, it may be advantageous, especially for ergonomic reasons and ease of use, to have an attachment device allowing various relative angular configurations for inserting and locking the head relative to the handle.

Thus, in an advantageous embodiment of the tool according to the invention, the complementary transverse cross-sections of the receivLng caviby and of Llie coupling pin are star-shaped, particularly a star with four or six arms.

With these arrangements, the user will be able to place the head and handle in a plurality of rela Live configuraLlons, particularly four or six different configurations, which facilitates the assembly of these two elements and improves the ergoncmics of the whole when performing certain work where it is helpful to have a plurality of relative configurations between the head and the handle.

Moreover, the rotational coupling achieved by the cooperation of complementary star shapes has a better ratio of mechanical strength, especially in terms of torque capacity, to volume of material, than the rotational couplings achieved by cooperation of cofflementary shapes that are square, rectangular, hexagonal, etc. The material costs of the various elements and the total weight are reduced.

In preferred embodiments of the invention, one or more of the following arrangements may optionally be used: -said locking/unlocking system comprises: * an axial stop portion provided on the coupling pin, * an axially locking elastic element fastened to the female element and cooperating, when in the locking position, with said axial stop portion in order to prevent the withdrawal of the coupling pin from the receiving cavity, * an actuating element which, when actuated, exerts force on the locking elastic element so as to disengage the axial stop portion of the coupling pin and allow withdrawal of the pin from the recoiving cavity, said actuating element being returned to the rest position by the return of the elasLic eleiaeiiL Lo Ltie locking position; -the axial stop portion of the coupling pin is formed by an axial stcp surface, in particular a shoulder defined by a groove in said pin; this axial stop surface may also be obtained by forming a slot or a flat portion in said pin. This groove, slot, or flat portion could for example be created by macitining or forging the pin; -the locking elastic element comprises: * an attachment portion for fastening to said female element; * at least one flexible portion adapted to flex upon actuation of the actuating element; * an axial retaining portion intended, in the locking position, to cooperate with the axial stop portion of the coupling pin; and * an actuating portion which is acted upon by the actuation of the actuating element so as to release said axial retaining portion of said axial stop portion; -the locking elastic element is in the form of a leaf spring securely attadhed to the female element, and: * the attachment portion is formed of at least one bracket for fastening to the female element; * the at least one flexible portion is formed of at least one axial segment extending in the axial direction and

B

at feast one sloping segment forming an angle with the axial segment and extending in the direction of the axis of the cavity of the female efement, said sloping segment constituting the actuating portion of the elastic element which the actuating element acts upon when it is activated; and * the axial retainIng portion is formed of at least one axial retaining tab provided at the end of the at least one flexible portion; -the leaf spring is substantially Y-shaped, the attachment portion for fastening to the female element forming the stem of this Y with an axial segment of the flexible portion, and two sloping segments of said flexible portion forming the arms of the Y; -the actuating element of the locking/unlocking system is in the form of a manually operable button translationally received, in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axis defined by the handle, inside a housing formed in the female element and opening into the receiving cavity, and which, when actuated, applies force on the axially locking elastic element arranged in the locking position, thus disengaging it from the stop surface of the coupling pin and allowing the withdrawal of said coupling pin from the cavity; -a device for retaining the actuating element inside the housing is provided, in order to limit the travel of said element and prevent its withdrawal from said housing; -the actuating element has a transverse cross-section that is substantially shaped like an inverted If having a base which a user acts upon to actuate the acuuating element and two arms, and when said element is actuated, the arrrLs of the actuating element come in contact with the actuating portion of LIie leaf spring and exert force upon it so that the flexible portion bends and the axial retaining portion is disengaged from the axial stop portion provided on the coupling pin, the spacing between said arms being sufficient to aILow said pin to pass between them and permit its withdrawal from the cavity; -the actuating element has a pn ejection portion which exerts an axial force on said pin in the direction of extraction of the pin from the receiving cavity when the tocking/unlocking system is unlocked; -the pin ejection portion formed on the actuating element is in the form of a sloped surface or incline intended to cooperate with the end of the coupling pin when unlocking the locking/unlocking system and to exert an axial force on the pin in the direction of extraction of the pin from the receiving cavity; -the end of the head and/cr the end of the handle is equipped with a sleeve comprising at least one end portion made of an elastic material which is compressed in the axial direction when said head is locked onto said handle. Such an arrangement further improves the capacity of the quick-attach device of the invention to compensate for tolerance end play atlowances, and to absorb vibrations that may arise within it. Furthermore, unlocking the locking/unlocking system causes said portion of elastic material to expand, which contributes to ejecting the head from the handle.

The invention also concerns a set of tools comprising a tool as dofined above, the head having a first function, said set comprisii-ig at least one additional heea'd having an end and a second function different from the first, a first additional element being provided at the end of tho additional head, tho first element and the first additional element being identical; it also concerns s set of tools comprising a tool as defined above, the handle having a first function, said set comprising at least one additional handle having an end and a second function different from the first, a second additional element being provided at the end of the additional handle, tho second element and the second additional, element being identical..

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of one of its embodiments given by way of non-limiting example, and the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings: -figure 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the quick-attach device of the invention in the configuration where the head is separated from the handle; -figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of an embodiment of the quick-attach device of the invention, in the configuration where the head and handle are assembled; -figures 2a to 2c are sectional views along lines AA, 33, and CC in figure 2, respectively; 1.1 -figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of another embodiment of the quick-attach device of the inventjon in the configuration where the head and handle are assembled; -figures 3a-3o are soctional views along lines A, BE, and CC in figure 3, respectively; -figures 4u-4d illustrate various embodiments of the elastic element wh. ch is in the form of a leaf spring; -figure 5 illustrates a sot of tools comprising two tool heads of different functions, namely a garden trowel tool head and a garden fork tool head, which can be adapted to two different handles, namely a long handle, particularly a telescoping handle with a hand grip, and a short handle.

In the various figures, the same references are used to designate identical or similar eleirLeflts.

In the embodiment illustrated hero, the male element 21 is on the tool head 2 and the female element 31 is on the handle. However, this arrangement could be reversed without departing from the scope of the invention.

With reference to figure 1, which illustrates an embodiment of the tool according to the invention in a configuration with the head separated from the handle, the hand tool 1 is a gardening tool comprising an elongated handle 3 defining an axis X and having a first particular function such as a telescoping handle function, and a tool head 2 having a first particular function, in this case a garden trowel function.

The handle 3 has an end 30 for receiving an end of a tool head 2 and locking said head in the axial direction X, and comprises a female element 31 defining a cavity 32 for rocciving a coupling pin 22 provided at the end 20 of the tooi head 2.

In the embodiment illustrated here, the handle 3 has a rotational symmetry about the axis X, but this handle does not S have to have such symmetry and may for example havc a transverse cross-section in the shape of a square, rectangle, ovoid, etc. Tn the invention, the cavity 32 of the female element 31, here arranged at the end 30 of the handle 3, and tho pin 22 of the male element 21, here arranged at the end 20 of the head 2, have complementary truncated-cone-shaped longitudinal cross-sectional portions. Advantaqoously, the complementary truncated-cone-shaped longitudinal cross-sectional portions of the cavity 32 and the pin 22 extend over at least half, and in particular over two thirds of tho length of insertion of the male element inside the female element. Such complementary cross-sections act to center and guide the coupling pin 22 inside the receiving cavity 32, thereby facilitating insertion of the head 2 Into the handle 3.

In fact, due to these truncated-cone-shaped cross-sections, the insertion of the coupling pin 22 of the head 2 into the cavity 32 of the handle 3 is done by engaging the pin end where the dimensions are smallest into the cavity end where the dimensions are largest, with clearance between them. s the pin 22 engages with the cavity 32, the clearance between these two elements is reduced and a guiding effect is obtained. Once the pin is inserted into the cavity and locked in the axial direction relative to the cavity, the contact between said pin and said cavity occurs at least along the closed line defining the faces of the complementary transverse cross-sections of these two elements, compensating for any play that may exist between these two elements, particularly due to manufacturing tolerances.

These complementary conical heariug surfaces provided on the pin 22 and the cavity 32 also act as a stop in the S axial direction to limit the movcmcnt of said pin 22 relative to said cavity 32 in tho diroction of inscrtion I of the tool head 2 into the handle, the locking/unlocking system acLing to lock the pin 2 inside the cavity 3 in the axial direction of extraction E. In an advantageous embodiment of the hand tool of the invention, and in relation to the embodiment illustrated in figures 1 and 2, the cavity 32 and the pin 22 have complementary star-shaped cross-secUons, Sn this case with six arms as oan be seen in figure 20.

In another embodiment illustrated in figure 3, the complementary star-shaped transverse cross-sections of the cavity 32 and the pin 22 have four arms, as can be seen in figure 3c.

As stated earlier, such an arrangement allows the user to place the head and handle in a plurality of relative configurations, particularly four or six different configurations, which facilitates the assembly of these two elements and improves the general ergonomics when performing certain work where it is helpful to have a plurality of relative configurations between the head and the handle.

Moreover, this rotational coupling achieved by cooperation of complementary star shapes has a better ratio of mechanical strength, especially in terms of torgue capacity, to volume of material, than the rotational couplings achieved by cooperation of complementary shapes that are square, rectangular, hexagonal, etc. The material costs of the various elements and the total weight are reduced.

Still in relation to figure 1, the handle 3 can be equipped with an outer sleeve 35 locked in the axial direction and fitted onto the end 30 of a handle section 34 for receiving the tool head 2. This sleeve 35 has an opening 36 to acconodaLe the actuating element 6 of the locking/unlocking system, and is intended to cooperate with a complementary outer sleeve 25 provided on the tool head in order to form an outer envclopc that is substantially continuous over the area where the handle 3 and the head 2 are joined in the assembled configuration of these two elements.

According Lo one embodiment of the invention, the sleeve 35 assocated with the handle 3 and/or the sleeve 25 associated with the tool head 2 includes at least a portion made of elastic matorial which is compressed in the axial direction when said head is locked onto said handle. This further improves the capacity of the quick-attach device of the invention to compensate for tolerance and play allowances, and to absorb vibrations that may arise within it. Furthermore, as will be explained below, unlocking the locking/un ocking system causes said portion of elastic material to expand, which can contribute to the partial.

ejection of the head from the handle.

Lastly, one will note in figure 1 that the coupling pin has an annular groove 24 defining an axial stop portion, or axial shoulder 23, which is part of the locking/unlocking system which will now be described with reference to figures 2, 2A, 2B, 20 and 3, 3A, 3, 30. Figures 2 and 3 correspond to sectional views of the quick-attach device of the invention in which only the actuating element 6 and the elastic element 5 are shown in an external view.

The locking/unlocking system comprises an axially looking elastic element 5 integral with the female element 31 and intended, in the locking position, to engage the axial stop portion 23 in order to prevent extraction of the ooupling pin 22 from the receiving cavity 32, in direction E. Spocifically, in figures 2 or 3, said locking elastic element is in the form of a leaf spring that is substantially Y-sliaped, comprising an aLtaclunerit portion 51 for fastening to the female element, in this case one or more attachment tabs tightly fitted into a groove arranged in the female element 31, a flexible porLicn 52 extending substantial I y entirely inside a housing or recess 33 shaped in the female element 31, and in this case having an axial segment 521 in contact with the female element and forming with the attachment portion 51 the stem of the 1, and two segments 522 sloping in the diroction of the axis X to form the arms of the Y, and an axial retaining portion 53 provided at the end of the flexible portion 52, in this case at the end of each sloping segment 522, and having the form of axial rotaining Labs 53 intended to engage with the axial stop surface or portion 23 provided on the pin 22.

As can be seen in figures 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, and 4a, the substantially 1-shaped leaf spring can be obtained from a metal sheet from which a generally Yshaped pattern is cut, said pattern then being folded for example to form the attachment portion 51, the angled segments 522 of the flexible portion 52 and the axial retaining portion 53 of the locking elastic element 5.

Alternatively, and as is respectively shown in figures 4b to 4d in which the same reference numerals are used to denote eguivalent elements but are accompanied by a, , and 30, the leaf spring may be substantially I-shaped, or 1-shaped with no opening between the arms, or U-shaped, without departing from the scope of the invention.

The looking/unlocking system further comprises an actuating element, in this case an actuating hutton 6 movable in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axis X within a housing 33 arranged in the female element 31 and opening into the cavity 32. When actuaLed, said button exerts forco on the actuating portion of the locking elastic element which flexes the flexible portion 52 and disengages the retaining portion 53 of the stop portion 23.

In the embodiments illusLrated in figures 2 arid 3, the actuating ci enent is in the form of an actuating button having a transverse crossscction in the shape of an inverted U (see figures 2A, 2B and 3A, 33 in particular) wi.th. a base 61 the user acts upon to actuate the actuating element, and two arias 62 that exert force on the respective actuating portions 522 of the elastic element when the actuating element is actuated which causes the sloping sections 522 of the flexible portion 52 to flex and disengages the corresponding retaining tabs 53 from the stop surface 23, thereby unlocking the movement of the pin relative to the cavity in the axial direction of extraction E, the spacing e between the arms 62 of the U being sufficient to allow the pin 22 to pass between them and permit its withdrawal from the cavity 32.

Advantageously, a device for retaining the actuating element 6 inside the housing 33 is provided, to limit the traveL of said element and prevent its withdrawal from said housing 33.

As is shown in particular in figures 2b and 3b, the retaining device may be formed of at least one lateral proj ection 63 arranged on the outer face of at least one arm 62 of the actuating element 6 and intended to cooperate with at least one stop surface 34 arranged in the female element 31, when the actuating element is in the rest position.

Finally, as is illustrated in dashed lines in figures 2 and 3, the actuating element has a pin 22 ejection portion 64, intended to exert an axial force on said pin in the direction of its withdrawal from the receiving cavity 32 during release of the locking/unlocking system 4. This ejection portion is in the form of a sloped surface or incline 64 intended Lo coocerate with the axial end of the coupling pin 22 when unlocking the locking/unlocking system 4 and to exert an axial force on said pin in the direction of extraction E of the pin 22 from the receiving cavity 32. As is particularly visible in figures 2a, 2b, 3a, and 3b, this sloped surface can be defined by a central rib 64 formed on the surface of the base 61 of the button 6, facing the pin 22.

A sequence of locking/unlocking the tool head 2 on the handle 3 will now be described in relation to figures 1 to 3.

Starting from a configuration in which the tool head 2 and the handle 3 are separated, as illustrated in figure 1, a user inserts the pin 22 into the cavity 32; as explained above, as the pin 22 advances into the cavity 32, the complementary truncated-cone-shaped bearing surfaces act as guides and provide compensation for tolerance ailowances The pin 22 end where the dimensions are smallest then comes into contact with the flexible portion 52, and more particularly with the sloping segments 522 of the elastic element 5, and as the insertion movement continues, this causes said flexible portion 52 to flex inside the recess 33 of the female element 31 and away from the axis X. When the bearing surface or truncated-cone shaped portion of the pin 22 comes substantially in abutment in the axial direction of insertion against the bearing surface or truncated-cone shaped portion of the cavity 32, the flexible portion 52 is released and the retaining portion 53 provided at the end of the flexible portion 52 of the etastic element 5 enters the groove 24 formed in the pin 22 and comes in contact with the axial scop portion 23, which acts as a look in the axial direction of extracLion F of the pli. 22 from the cavity 32.

Particularly advantageously, when the pin 22 end where the dimensions are smallest passes beyond the flexible portion 52 of tho olastic element 5 and said flexible portion is released, there is an audible noise, for example a metallic noise if the pin and the elastic clomont are made of metal, indicating to the user that the pin 22 of the tool head 2 is locked within the cavity 32 of the female element 3 equipping the handle 3.

In another advanLageous arrangement of the invention, when the pin 22 of the tool head 2 is locked inside the caviLy 32 of the female element 31 equipping the handle 3, at least an end portion of elastic material provided on the sleeve 35 associated with the handle 3 and/or on the sleeve 25 associated with the tool head is compressed in the axial direction.

As can be seen in particular in figures 2 and 3, the female element 31 is prosont in the form of an element having a transverse cross-section complementary to that of the handle section 34 and intended to be inserted and locked in place within said section 34 at the handle end 30 intended for receiving the tool head 2. A housing or recess 33 for accorrinodating the actuating element 6, into which the actuating portion of the elastic element 5 also extends, as well as a fastening groove intended for receiving the autachment portion of said elastic element 5, are provided in the female element 31.

To unlock the head 2 from the handle 3, a user can press the actuating element 6 so that said element exerts yjo 2012/156621 FCTJFR2O12/051034 force on the actuating portion 522 of the elastic element 5 which serves to bend the flexible portion 52 of said elastc element 5 within the recess 33 provided on the female element 31 and to cause the retaining portion 53 to move away from the scop portion 23 of the pin. The locking in the axial direction of extraction F is therefore no longor in effect and the pin 22 of the tool head 2 can be withdrawn from the cavity 32 of the female element 31 equipping the handle 3, the actuating elLement 6 being returned to the rcst position by the return of the elastic clement 5 to the locking position.

When the actuating element 6 is pressod, and in particular after the rclcasc of the retaining portion 53 of tho elastic element 5 so it is distanced from the stop portion 23 of the pin, the ejection portion formed by the sloped surface or incline 64 is brought into contact with the axial end of the coupling pin 22 and exerts an axial force on said pin in the direction of extraction F so as to cause the wi.thdrawal or partial ejection of the pin 22 from the cavity 32. This ejection effect may be further accentuated by the expansion of the elastic portion of the sleeve 35 associated with the handle 3 and/or of the sTheve 25 associated with the head 2, which occurs upon release of the locking/unlocking system.

In the embodiments illustrated in figures 2 and 3, the actuating element 6 has the shape of an inverted U, the arms 62 being spaced apart by a sufficient distance e to permit the axial end of the pin 22 to pass between them and allow its witdrawal from the cavity. In other words, as can be seen in particular in figures 2A and 3A, the distance e between the arms 62 is greater than the largest outside diameter d of the pin 22 at said button to which is added a clearance j of about a millimeter.

As shown in figure 5, the invention also concerns a set of tools comprising a handle 3 and a tool head 2 as defined above, the handle 3 in this non-limiting example being tolescopng and fitted with a hand grip 10 at its end opposite the end associated with the tool head 2, as well as an additional head 2' having a second specific function (hero a garden claw function) and provided with a pin 22' intended for insertion into the cavity 32 of the handle in place of the first tool head 2. The invention also concerns a set of tools comprising a handle 3 and a tool head 2 as defined above, as well as an additional handle 3' havinq a second specific function (in this case a short handle function) and provided with a cavity 32! intended for receiving the pin 22 equipping a tool head 2 in place of the first handle.

The elements previously described and implemented in the hand tool of the invention, and in particular the pin 22 ol the tool head 2 and/or the female element 31 of the handle 3, may be made of ferrous or non-ferrous metal naterial, such as steel, aluminum, or zamak; of plastic material, particularly of a polymeric material such as polyamide, possibly fiber reinforced; or may have coatings with calibrated friccion coefficient in their areas of contact.

Claims

CLAIMS1. Hand tool (1), particularly a gardening or home improvement tool, comprising: -a head (2) equipped with an end (20); -a handle (3) defining an axis (X) and equipped with an end (30); -an attachment device comprising: * a female element (31) having an axial cavity (32); * a male element (21) having an axiel coupling pin (22) for which the transverse cross-section is complementary to that of said axial receiving cavity (32) of the female element (31) , and adapted to engage with said cavity (32) in order ro achieve the rotational coupling of the male element (21) and the female element (31) , first and second elements selected from the male element and the female element being respectively provided at the end (20) of the head (2) and at the end (30) of the handle (3); * a system (4) for locking/unlocking the male element (21) relative to the female element (31), adapted to lock the relative movement of these two elements in the axial direction; and characterized in that said receiving cavity (32) and said coupling pin (22) have complementary truncated-cone-shaped longitudinal cross-sectional portions.
2. Tool according to claim 1, wherein the complementary transverse cross-sections of the receiving cavity (32) and of the coupling pin (22) are star-shaped, particularly a star with four or six arms.
3. Tool according to any of the above claims, wherein said locking/unlocking system comprises: -an axial stop portion (23) provided on the coupling pin (22), -an axially locking elastic element (5) fastened to the female element (31) and cooperating, when in the locking position, with said axial stop portion (23) in order to prevent the withdrawal of the coupling pin (22) from the receiving cavity (32) -an actuating elemenL (6) which, when actuated, exerts force on the locking elastic element (5) so as to disengage the axial stop portion (23) of the coupling pin (22) and allow withdrawal of the coupling pin (22) from the receiving cavity (32), said actuating element (6) being returned to the rest position by the return of the elastic element (5) to the locking position.
4. Tool according to claim 3, wherein the axial stop portion (23) of the coupling pin (22) is formed by an axial stop surface, in particular a shoulder defined by a groove (24) created in said pin (22) or a surface defined by a slot or a flat portion formed in said flat pin (22)
5. Tool according to either of claims 3 or 4, wherein the locking elastic element (5) comprises: -an attachment portion (51) for fastening to said ternale element; -at least one flexible portion (52) adapted to flex upon actuation of the actuating element (6) ; -an axial retaining portion (53) intended, in the locking position, to cooperate with the axial stop portion (23) of the coupling pin (22); and -an actuating portion which is acted upon by the actuation of the actuating element (6) so as to release said axial retaining portion (53) of said axial stop portion (23) -
6. Tool according to claim 5, wherein the locking clastic element (5) is in the form of a leaf spring securely attached to the female element (31) , and wherein: -the attachment portion is formed of at least cne bracket (51) for fastening to the female element (31) -the at least one flexible portion (52) is formed of at least one axial segment (521) exuending in the axial direction and at least one sloping segment (522) forming an angle with the axial segment (521) and extending in the direction of the axis of the cavity (32) of the female element (31) , said sloping segment (522) constituting the actuating portion of the elastic element which the actuating element (6) acts upon when it is actuated; -the axial retaining portion is formed of at least one axial retaining tab (53) provided at the end of the at least one flexible portion (52)
7. Tool according to claim 6, wherein the leaf spring (5) is substantially Y-shaped, the attachment portion (51) for fastening to the female element forming the stem of this Y with an axial segment (521) of the flexible portion (52), and two sloping segments (522) of said flexible portion (52) forming the arms of the Y.
8. Tool according to any of claims 3 to 7, wherein the actuating elemenr (6) of the locking/unlocking system (4) is in the form of a manually operable button (6) translationally received, in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axis defined by the handle (X) , inside a housing (33) fox. med in the female element (31) and opening into the receiving cavity (32) , and which, when actuated, applies force on the axially looking elastic element (5) arranged in the locking position, thus disengaging it from the axial stop portion (23) S of the ooupling pin (22) and allowing the withdrawal o:T said coupling pin (22) from the cavity (32)
9. Tool according to any of claims 6 to 8, wherein the actuating element (6) has a transverse cross-section that is substantially shaped like an inverted U having a base (61) which a user acts upon to actuate the actuating element and two arms (62), and when said element is actuated, the arms (62) of the actuating element (6) come in contact with the actuating portion (522) of the leaf spring (5) and exert force upon it (52) so that the flexible portion (52) bends and the axial retaining portion (53) is disongaged from the axial stop portion (23) provided on the coupling pin (22), the spacing (e) between said arms (62) being sufficient to allow said pin (22) to pass between them and permit its withdrawal from the cavity (32)
10. Tool according to any of the above claims, wherein the actuating element (6) has a pin (22) ejection portion (64) which exerts an axial force on said pin in the direction of extraction of the pin from the receiving cavity (32) when the locking/unlocking system (4) is unlocked.
11. Tool according to the above claim, wherein tte pin ejection portion formed on the actuating element is in the form of a sloped surface or incline (64) intended to cooperate with the axial end of the coupling pin (22) when unlocking the locking/unlocking system (4) and to exert an sxial force on the pin in the direction of extraction of the pin (22) from the receiving cavity (32)
12. Set of tools comprising a tool according to one of claims 1 to 11, the head (2) having a first function, said set comprising at least one additional head (2') having an end and a second function different from the first, a first additional element being provided at the end of the additional head, the first element and the first additional element being identical.
13. Set of tools comprising a tool according to one of claims 1 to 11, the handle (3) having a first function, said set comprising at least one additional handle (3fl having an end and a second function different from the first, a second additional element being provided at the end of the additional handle, the second element and the second additional element being identical.