JP2002058341A - Hedge trimmer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a hedge trimmer capable of reducing its manufacturing cost while keeping its handling property and operating property sufficiently. SOLUTION: This hedge trimmer equipped with a handle part 2, an arm unit 4 capable of extension and contraction and having a rod 3 capable of extension and contraction and mounted on the handle part as freely capable of extension and contraction, and a hedge trimmer body 5 fixed at the tip end part of the rod 3 capable of extension and contraction as freely angle adjustable, is provided by installing an arm part 11 extending in an upward direction at a part on the way to the handle part 2, a first grip 12 extending in a direction crossing with a plane including the arm part 11 and the handle part 2 almost at a right angle and a second grip 14 extending in an almost length direction of the handle part 2 at the upper directional position of the base end side part of the handle part 2.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] The present invention relates to a hedge trimmer suitable for trimming branches and leaves.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An apparatus for trimming branches and leaves mainly includes upper and lower trimming blades having a plurality of comb-like blades protruding laterally, and an engine and an electric motor for relatively moving the upper and lower trimming blades back and forth. A hedge trimmer that includes a drive unit that is capable of cutting branches and leaves between upper and lower blades that relatively move back and forth has been widely put to practical use. Usually, the hedge trimmer is configured to be operated by providing an operation handle near the drive unit,
With this configuration, for example, when trimming low-level branches and leaves such as grass, it is necessary to buckle and work.
Also, when trimming branches and leaves at a high place such as a tree, it is necessary to stretch the back and perform the trimming, and the height range in which the trimming can be performed comfortably has been greatly restricted.

In view of such circumstances, the present applicant has proposed a hedge trimmer described in Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 3047350. In this hedge trimmer, a hedge trimmer main body having upper and lower trimming blades and a drive unit thereof is provided at the tip of a telescopic pole so as to be adjustable in angle. By adjusting the angle of the hedge trimmer body, for example, so that the trimming blade is parallel to the ground, it is possible to trim without bending, and when trimming high places, extend the pole and hedge By adjusting the angle of the trimmer main body to an optimum angle that facilitates trimming, the trimmer can be trimmed comfortably without stretching out. Further, in this hedge trimmer, an arm extending upward is provided in the middle of the pole, a first grip is formed at the distal end thereof, and a second grip is provided at the base end of the pole so as to be adjustable in angle. Is held with the left hand and the second grip is held with the right hand, and the first grip is attached with the arm to adjust the distance between the first grip and the second grip according to the user's physique and the like. The position is adjustable in the axial direction of the pole.

[0004]

However, when the position of the first grip is provided so as to be adjustable in the longitudinal direction of the pole and the second grip is provided rotatably with respect to the pole as described above, the hedge trimmer is provided. However, there is a problem that the number of parts increases and the manufacturing cost increases.

An object of the present invention is to provide a hedge trimmer capable of reducing manufacturing costs while ensuring sufficient handling and operability.

[0006]

The hedge trimmer according to the present invention is provided with a telescopic unit having a handle part and a telescopic rod assembled to the telescopic part, and an angle-adjustably fixed to a distal end of the telescopic rod. A hedge trimmer main body, an upwardly extending arm is provided at an intermediate portion of the handle portion, and a first grip is provided at a distal end thereof, the first grip extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to a plane including the arm and the handle portion, and a base of the handle portion is provided. A second grip extending substantially in the length direction of the handle portion is provided above the end portion.

[0007] In this hedge trimmer, the length of the telescopic rod with respect to the handle portion and the angle of the hedge trimmer body with respect to the telescopic rod are adjusted to the optimum length and angle for easy trimming, and trimming of lawn or tree is performed. Will be done.

When the user is right-handed, the first grip is held by the left hand and the second grip is held by the right hand to operate the hedge trimmer. More specifically, the first grip holds the four fingers except for the left thumb in the first grip.
While hooking the grip from the front side, the thumb is applied to the rear or side of the first grip and gripped, and the second grip is extended in the longitudinal direction of the handle, so that
You hold it by holding it with your right hand from the side. Therefore, by adjusting the gripping position with respect to the second grip in the longitudinal direction of the handle portion, the distance between the gripping positions of the first grip and the second grip can be adjusted according to the physique and the like. That is, the left and right gripping positions can be adjusted without configuring the first grip so that the position of the first grip can be adjusted in the axial direction of the handle portion as in the conventional hedge trimmer, so that the handleability of the hedge trimmer can be improved without increasing the number of parts. It is possible to improve.

[0009] Here, it is preferable that the second grip is formed by bending the base end of the handle part upward substantially in a U-shape. In this case, without increasing the number of parts, the second
Since the grip can be easily formed and the hedge trimmer can be operated while holding the curved portion, the handling and operability of the hedge trimmer can be further improved.

It is preferable that the first grip and the second grip and the handle part are formed as an integrally molded product, since the number of parts constituting the hedge trimmer can be further reduced.

When the angle of the hedge trimmer main body with respect to the telescopic rod is adjusted so that the axis of the telescopic rod and the handle part and the center line of the trimming blade of the hedge trimmer are parallel, the axis is aligned with the center line. It is preferable to set so as to be offset upward. In particular, it is preferable to set the offset amount such that the axes of the telescopic rod and the handle portion pass through or near the center of gravity of the hedge trimmer. In other words, the hedge trimmer body is generally provided with a trimming blade extending forward at the lower end of a drive unit mainly composed of an electric motor or a small engine, but such a hedge trimmer body has a center of gravity. When the telescopic rod is connected to the same height position as the trimming blade because it is located above the trimming blade, the rotational moment of the drive unit in the side-to-side direction when the hedge trimmer body is rotated left and right is reduced. It becomes large and the operability decreases. According to the present invention, the operability of the hedge trimmer can be improved by reducing such a rotational moment.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, a hedge trimmer 1 includes a telescopic unit 4 having a handle part 2 and a telescopic rod 3 attached to the telescopic rod, and a hedge trimmer main body 5 fixed to a distal end of the telescopic rod 3 so as to be adjustable in angle. And

The hedge trimmer body 5 will be described. A drive unit 6 mainly composed of an electric motor is provided.
A pair of trimming blades 7 and 8 are provided.
The guide 8 is supported so as to be movable in the front-rear direction via guide support plates 9 arranged above and below it. Both trimming blades 7 and 8 are configured in a comb shape having a plurality of blades protruding to the left and right sides at regular intervals in the front and rear.
By relatively reciprocating the drive unit 8 in the front-rear direction by the drive unit 6, it is possible to trim the branches and leaves between the upper and lower trimming blades 7, 8. However, the above-mentioned basic configuration of the hedge trimmer main body 5 is of a well-known configuration, and the shape and size of the blade, the structure of the drive unit of the trimming blades 7 and 8, the movement pattern, and the like can be arbitrarily set.

The electric motor of the drive unit 6 is connected to an external A
It is driven by a C power supply. However, a secondary battery can be incorporated in the drive unit 6 or the telescopic rod 3 and driven by the secondary battery, and the operability is slightly reduced, but a small engine is used instead of the electric motor. It is also possible to drive the trimming blades 7, 8 with.

The telescopic unit 4 will be described. A hollow pipe-shaped handle portion 2 is provided, and an arm portion 11 extending obliquely upward and forward is integrally formed at an intermediate portion of the handle portion 2, and a distal end portion of the arm portion 11 is formed. The (upper end) is provided with a first grip 12 projecting in a direction substantially perpendicular to a plane including the arm 11 and the handle 2. A base portion of the handle portion 2 is integrally formed with a curved portion 13 which is curved upward in a substantially U-shape.
A second grip 14 extending substantially parallel to a position above the base end portion is integrally formed. However, although the manufacturing cost is slightly higher, the arm 11 and the first grip 12
At least one of the bending portion 13 and the second grip 14 may be formed of a member separate from the handle portion 2 and may be configured to be fixed to the handle portion 2.

As shown in FIG. 2, when the right-handed user operates the hedge trimmer 1, the first grip 12 is gripped with the right hand and the second grip 14 is gripped with the left hand. 4 except for the right thumb
Hook one finger on the first grip 12 from the front side and place the thumb on the rear or side of the first grip 12
Hold the grip 12 and with respect to the second grip 14,
Four fingers except the left thumb are put on the second grip 14 from the right.
2nd grip 1
4 will be held. Also, depending on usage,
It is also possible to operate the hedge trimmer 1 by gripping the bending portion 13 with the left hand.

As shown in FIG. 1, the distance L1 between the handle portion 2 and the first grip 12 is preferably set to 55 to 65 mm. In other words, when the distance exceeds 65 mm, the balance (operability) when cutting undergrowth is reduced, and 55 mm.
If it is less than mm, the handleability of the first grip 12 deteriorates, so it is preferable to set the thickness to 55 to 65 mm.

The distance L2 between the handle portion 2 and the second grip 14 is preferably set to 50 to 60 mm. That is, when the length exceeds 60 mm, the balance (operability) when cutting a hedge or the like is reduced, and when the length is less than 50 mm, the handling of the second grip 14 is reduced. Is preferred.

The distance L3 between the front end of the first grip 12 and the front end of the second grip 14 is set to 165 to 17 so that a small user can operate without difficulty.
The length is preferably set to 5 mm, and the length of the straight portion of the second grip 14 is set to 50 to 80 mm so that a large user can operate it without difficulty.
Will be set to In this manner, the positional relationship between the first grip 12 and the second grip 14 is set, and
By setting the length of the grip 14, the gripping position of the second grip 14 is adjusted back and forth according to the physique and the like, so as to ensure optimal handling.

The telescopic rod 3 is attached to the handle portion 2 so as to extend and contract between a contracted position shown by a solid line in FIG. 3 and an extended position shown by an imaginary line, and a fixing means provided at the distal end of the handle portion 2. It is configured to be able to be fixed at any expansion / contraction position via 15. In the present embodiment, a pin member 16 extending in the left-right direction is provided as a fixing means 15 at the front end of the handle portion 2, and a lever member 17 is provided rotatably at an intermediate portion of the pin member 16. When a cam (not shown) is formed on the moving center side and the lever member 17 is rotated upward, the engagement between the telescopic rod 3 and the cam is released, and the telescopic rod 3 is in a state where it can freely expand and contract. When the handle 17 is operated in the direction along the handle part 2, the cam is engaged with the side surface of the telescopic rod 3, and the telescopic rod 3 is locked to the handle part 2 so as to be inextensible. are doing. However, as the fixing means 15,
It is possible to employ a fixing means of any configuration using a screw, a pin, or the like other than the cam. In this embodiment, only one telescopic rod 3 is provided, but two or more telescopic rods 3 may be provided so as to be able to expand and contract in multiple stages.

A pair of left and right support arms 19 are integrally formed at the rear portion of the housing 18 of the drive unit 6, and a connecting member 20 extending between the left and right support arms 19 is externally fixed to the distal end of the telescopic rod 3. An angle adjusting means 21 for adjusting the angle of the hedge trimmer main body 5 with respect to the telescopic rod 3 is provided between the support arm 19 and the connecting member 20, and the hedge trimmer main body 5 is 4 is rotatably supported between a position indicated by a one-dot chain line and a position indicated by a two-dot line, and is configured to be fixed at an arbitrary angular position. The angle adjusting means 21 may have any configuration. In this embodiment, by loosening the operation knob 22 (see FIG. 1), the engagement piece (not shown) on the side of the hedge trimmer main body 5 and the engagement piece (not shown) on the side of the telescopic rod 3 are provided. By separating, the hedge trimmer main body 5 is rotatable with respect to the telescopic rod 3, and the operation knob 22 is tightened.
The two engagement pieces are engaged so that the rotation of the hedge trimmer main body 5 with respect to the telescopic rod 3 is restricted.

The pair of left and right support arms 19 are disposed so as to extend obliquely rearward and upward with respect to the housing 18, and as shown in FIG. 1, the axis P1 of the telescopic rod 3 and the center of the trimming blades 7, 8. In a state where the angle of the hedge trimmer main body 5 with respect to the telescopic rod 3 is adjusted so that the line P2 is parallel, the axis is offset upward by a predetermined distance L4 with respect to the center line P2. The offset amount L4 is set in accordance with the position G of the center of gravity of the hedge trimmer main body 5, and basically, the extension rod 3
Is set so that the center of gravity of the hedge trimmer main body 5 is located on the axis P1 of. By setting in this manner, the rotational moment of the drive unit 6 in the sideward falling direction when the hedge trimmer main body 5 is rotated left and right is reduced, and the operability of the hedge trimmer 1 is improved.

A cable 23 for supplying power to the electric motor of the drive unit 6 is led out from the rear end of the handle portion 2, and the power supply to the electric motor is turned on / off near the front end of the upper portion of the second grip 14. A power switch 24 for switching,
A regulation button 25 for regulating the operation of the power switch 24 is provided, and the power switch 24 cannot be turned ON unless the regulation button 25 is operated.
It is configured to prevent the power switch 24 from being carelessly operated to enhance safety.

[0024]

According to the hedge trimmer of the present invention,
By adjusting the angle of the hedge trimmer body with respect to the telescopic rod or adjusting the length of the telescopic rod, it is possible to perform trimming work in an optimal posture, and operability and workability can be significantly improved. Grip and second
Even if the grip is fixedly attached to the handle, the second
By adjusting the gripping position with respect to the grip, the distance between the left and right gripping positions can be adjusted according to the physique, etc., so that it is possible to improve the handleability of the hedge trimmer without increasing the number of parts. .

Here, the base end of the handle portion is moved upward approximately U
When the second grip is formed by bending in the shape of a letter, the second grip can be easily formed without increasing the number of parts, and the hedge trimmer can be operated by gripping the curved portion. Handling and operability can be further improved.

It is preferable that the first grip and the second grip and the handle portion are formed as an integral product because the number of parts constituting the hedge trimmer can be further reduced.

The axis of the telescopic rod and the handle is set to be offset upward with respect to the center line of the trimming blade of the hedge trimmer, or the axis of the telescopic rod and the handle is positioned at or near the center of gravity of the hedge trimmer. When the offset amount is set so as to pass through, the rotational moment of the drive unit in the sideways falling direction when the hedge trimmer main body is rotated left and right can be set small to improve the operability of the hedge trimmer.

[Brief description of the drawings]

1A is a plan view of a hedge trimmer, and FIG. 1B is a side view of a hedge trimmer.

FIG. 2 is an illustration of hedge trimmer handling.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of how to use a hedge trimmer.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of how to use a hedge trimmer.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Hedge trimmer 2 Handle part 3 Telescopic rod 4 Telescopic unit 5 Hedge trimmer main body 6 Drive unit 7 Trimming blade 8 Trimming blade 9 Guide support plate 11 Arm part 12 First grip 13 Curved part 14 Second grip 15 Fixing means 16 Pin member 17 Lever member 18 Housing 19 Support arm 20 Connecting member 21 Angle adjusting means 22 Operation knob 23 Cable 24 Power switch 25 Regulatory button

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A telescopic unit having a handle part and a telescopic rod assembled with the telescopic rod, and a hedge trimmer main body fixed to the distal end part of the telescopic rod so as to be adjustable in angle. A first grip extending in a direction substantially orthogonal to a plane including the arm and the handle portion at a distal end thereof, and a first grip extending in a substantially longitudinal direction of the handle portion at a position above a base end portion of the handle portion. A hedge trimmer provided with a second grip that extends. 2. The hedge trimmer according to claim 1, wherein a second grip is formed by bending a base end of the handle portion upward substantially in a U-shape. 3. The hedge trimmer according to claim 1, wherein the first grip, the second grip, and the handle portion are integrally formed. 4. The center of the hedge trimmer with respect to the telescopic rod is adjusted so that the axis of the telescopic rod and the handle part is parallel to the center line of the trimming blade of the hedge trimmer. The hedge trimmer according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the hedge trimmer is set to be offset upward with respect to the line. 5. The hedge trimmer according to claim 4, wherein the axes of the telescopic rod and the handle pass at or near the center of gravity of the hedge trimmer.