JP2011177088A - Hedge trimmer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a hedge trimmer excellent in operability. <P>SOLUTION: The hedge trimmer 1 includes: an engine 10 driving a cutting blade 20; a base 30 supporting the engine 10; a rear handle 50 connected to the base 30 and disposed apart from the engine 10; and a fuel tank 60 integrally set with the rear handle 50 and retaining fuel to be supplied to the engine 10. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a hedge trimmer using an engine as a drive source.

  The hedge trimmer is used for cutting off branches and leaves such as hedges. Patent Document 1 discloses an engine mounted on a base, a pair of cutting blades driven by the engine, a fuel tank attached to the engine, and a handle (rear handle) rotatably provided on the base. , A hedge trimmer is disclosed. According to such a hedge trimmer, the angle of the handle can be adjusted according to the position of the branches and leaves to be trimmed, the posture of the worker, and the like.

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 4-33505

  The hedge trimmer with a fuel tank attached to the engine has poor operability because the vibration of the engine is increased by the fuel tank and the weight is unbalanced in the vicinity of the engine away from the steering wheel, resulting in poor weight balance. In addition, the hedge trimmer that is configured so that the handle can be rotated has a poor weight balance because the relative position between the center of gravity of the fuel tank and the handle changes as the handle rotates, and this increases the vibration of the engine. Therefore, operability is bad.

  In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a hedge trimmer with excellent operability.

In order to achieve the above object, the hedge trimmer according to the present invention provides:
An engine that drives the cutting blade;
A base that supports the engine;
A handle coupled to the base and spaced apart from the engine;
A fuel tank provided integrally with the handle and holding fuel to be supplied to the engine,
It is characterized by that.

For example, the handle is composed of two first and second handle portions that are formed separately.
The fuel tank may be formed integrally with the first handle portion.

  The fuel tank may include, for example, a first tank part formed integrally with the first handle part, and a second tank part welded to the first tank part.

  For example, the fuel tank may be detachably fixed to the handle.

For example, the handle is composed of two first and second handle portions that are fastened by a screw member.
The fuel tank may be fixed to the handle via the screw member.

The handle is rotatably connected to the base.
It is desirable.

The fuel tank and the engine are connected by a fuel pipe for supplying fuel,
The fuel pipe is inserted through the approximate center of the connecting portion between the handle and the base,
It is desirable.

The fuel tank is arranged to be positioned below the handle when the handle is gripped.
It is desirable.

The engine and the base are connected via a vibration isolator,
It is desirable.

  According to the present invention, by providing the fuel tank integrally with the handle separated from the engine, vibration can be suppressed and the weight balance can be improved, thereby providing a hedge trimmer with excellent operability.

The side view which shows the hedge trimmer which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. The rear view which shows the rear handle | steering-wheel and fuel tank of the hedge trimmer shown by FIG. The II sectional view taken on the line of FIG. The side view which shows the state which rotated the rear handle | steering-wheel of the hedge trimmer shown by FIG. The rear view which shows the rear handle | steering-wheel and fuel tank of the hedge trimmer which concern on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. II-II sectional view taken on the line of FIG.

  Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Unless otherwise specified, the left side and the right side in FIGS. 1 and 4 which are side views of the hedge trimmer are the front (front side) and the rear (back side) of the hedge trimmer, respectively.

(First embodiment)
As shown in FIG. 1, the hedge trimmer 1 according to the first embodiment includes an engine 10, a cutting blade 20, a base 30, a front handle 40, a rear handle 50, and a fuel tank 60. .

  The engine 10 is composed of, for example, a two-cycle engine, and although not shown, a piston that reciprocates in the cylinder, a crankshaft that rotates in accordance with the reciprocating motion of the piston, a carburetor that creates a mixture of fuel and air, And a spark plug for igniting the air-fuel mixture in the combustion chamber. Note that an axis 3 extending in the vertical direction in FIG. 1 indicates the rotation axis of the crankshaft, that is, the rotation axis of the engine 10.

  The engine 10 is provided with a centrifugal clutch and an eccentric cam (not shown). The centrifugal clutch transmits or disconnects the power of the crankshaft to the eccentric cam in accordance with the rotational speed. The eccentric cam converts rotational power transmitted from the centrifugal clutch into reciprocating power and transmits it to the cutting blade 20. The centrifugal clutch transmits power when the rotation speed of the crankshaft is larger than a predetermined value so that the cutting blade 20 does not operate when the engine 10 is idling, and cuts power when the rotational speed is lower than the predetermined value.

  The cutting blade 20 is disposed so as to extend forward from the engine 10, specifically, in a direction substantially orthogonal to the axis 3. The cutting blade 20 is composed of an upper blade 21 and a lower blade 22 that overlap in the direction of the axis 3. The upper blade 21 and the lower blade 22 are each connected to an eccentric cam of the engine 10 and reciprocate symmetrically in the front-rear direction under the power of the engine 10.

  The base 30 is formed in a frame shape from a synthetic resin such as reinforced plastic. The base 30 is provided with a damper 35 (vibration isolation unit) that supports the engine 10. The damper 35 suppresses the vibration of the engine 10 generated by the reciprocating motion of the piston from being transmitted to the front handle 40 and the rear handle 50 via the base 30. The dampers 35 are made of an elastic body such as rubber, for example, and are disposed at four locations (not shown) of the base 30. A rear handle 50 is connected to the rear end portion of the base 30 via a connecting portion 70 described later.

  The front handle 40 is formed in an inverted U shape when viewed in the front-rear direction, and is fixed to the front end portion of the base 30. The front handle 40 is provided with a plate-like hand guard 46 for protecting the operator's hand from branches and leaves that are cut off and scattered by the cutting blade 20.

  The rear handle 50 is connected to the rear end portion of the base 30. A throttle lever 56, a safety lever 57, and a stop switch 58 are attached to the rear handle 50. The throttle lever 56 is a trigger type lever that is operated by the finger of the operator holding the rear handle 50, and adjusts the amount of air-fuel mixture supplied from the carburetor of the engine 10 to the combustion chamber according to the pulling amount. The output (rotation speed) of the engine 10 is adjusted. The safety lever 57 is a retractable lever that is inserted and retracted by the palm of the worker holding the rear handle 50 and restricts the operation of the throttle lever 56 when the worker is not holding the rear handle 50. The stop switch 58 is a slide-type on / off switch, and stops the engine 10 by cutting off power supply to the spark plug of the engine 10.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the rear handle 50 is composed of two divided first and second handle portions 51 and 52. As shown in FIG. 1, the first and second handle portions 51 and 52 are joined so as to sandwich the throttle lever 56 and the safety lever 57, and are fastened together by a plurality of screw members 91.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the front end portion of the rear handle 50 is connected to the rear end portion of the base 30 via a connecting portion 70. The connecting portion 70 includes a substantially cylindrical fitting recess 31 formed at the rear end portion of the base 30 and a substantially cylindrical fitting convex portion 53 formed at the front end portion of the rear handle 50. Yes. And the fitting recessed part 31 and the fitting convex part 53 are fitted so that rotation is mutually possible. Therefore, the rear handle 50 is rotatably connected to the base 30 via the connecting portion 70. 1 and 3, the axis 5 that extends in the front-rear direction indicates the rotation axis of the connecting portion 70. As shown in FIG. 1, the axis 5 is disposed so as to be substantially orthogonal to the axis 3 indicating the rotation axis of the engine 10 (the rotation axis of the crankshaft). 4 shows a state in which the rear handle 50 of the hedge trimmer 1 shown in FIG. 1 is turned by 90 ° counterclockwise when viewed from the front. The rear handle 50 is restricted from turning at a predetermined or arbitrary turning position by a turning restriction means (not shown). The fitting convex portion 53 is formed with an insertion hole 54 through which fuel pipes 66 and 67, which will be described later, pass with the axis 5 as the center.

  The fuel tank 60 is a tank that stores fuel supplied to the engine 10 and is provided integrally with the rear handle 50 so as to be separated from the engine 10. As shown in FIG. 1, the fuel tank 60 is disposed so that the throttle lever 56 is positioned between the rear handle 50 and the fuel tank 60. That is, the fuel tank 60 is disposed so as to be positioned below the rear handle 50 when the operator holds the rear handle 50.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the fuel tank 60 is composed of two divided first and second tank portions 61 and 62. The first tank portion 61 is formed integrally with the first handle portion 51. Further, the second tank portion 62 is formed separately from the first tank portion 61 and then integrated with the first tank portion 61 by heat welding. The second tank portion 62 has an oil supply port 64 to which an oil supply cap 63 is detachably attached.

  As shown in FIG. 3, fuel pipes 66 and 67 are inserted into the fuel tank 60. The fuel pipes 66 and 67 are made of a rubber material having oil resistance and flexibility. The fuel pipes 66 and 67 extend into the rear handle 50 through the plug 69 and pass through the insertion hole 54 formed at the approximate center of the connecting portion 70. The base 30 is further connected to a carburetor of the engine 10 through an insertion hole 32 formed in the base 30. Accordingly, the lengths of the fuel pipes 66 and 67 are suppressed, and the twisting of the fuel pipes 66 and 67 accompanying the rotation of the rear handle 50 is suppressed.

  Next, the work by the above-described hedge trimmer 1 will be described. The operator starts the engine 10 after adjusting the angle of the rear handle 50, holds the front handle 40 and the rear handle 50, and lifts the hedge trimmer 1. Then, while operating the throttle lever 56 to adjust the output (rotation speed) of the engine 10, the cutting blade 20 is moved up, down, left, and right, and for example, branches and leaves are cut so that the upper surface and side surfaces of the fence become flat. pay.

  According to the hedge trimmer 1 configured as described above, by providing the fuel tank 60 integrally with the rear handle 50 spaced from the engine 10, the vibration of the engine 10 can be increased compared to a conventional hedge trimmer in which the fuel tank is attached to the engine. Can be suppressed. Further, since the weight of the hedge trimmer 1 is dispersed in the vicinity of the engine 10 and the rear handle 50, the weight balance of the hedge trimmer 1 can be improved. Furthermore, since the weight (inertia) in the vicinity of the rear handle 50 is increased, vibration transmitted to the operator can be suppressed. Thus, the operability of the hedge trimmer 1 can be improved by suppressing the vibration of the hedge trimmer 1 and improving the weight balance.

  Further, by connecting the rear handle 50 to the base 30 so as to be rotatable, the relative angle between the rear handle 50 and the cutting blade 20 can be adjusted according to the positions of branches and leaves to be trimmed, the posture of the operator, and the like. Therefore, the operability of the hedge trimmer 1 can be further improved. In addition, by providing the rear handle 50 and the fuel tank 60 integrally, even if the rear handle 50 is rotated, the relative position between the rear handle 50 and the fuel tank 60 does not change. Therefore, a change in the weight balance of the hedge trimmer 1 due to the rotation of the rear handle 50 can be suppressed, and further an increase in vibration of the engine 10 due to a poor weight balance can be suppressed. Therefore, the operability of the hedge trimmer 1 can be further improved.

  Further, by arranging the fuel tank 60 so as to be positioned below the rear handle 50 when the rear handle 50 is gripped, the hedge trimmer 1 can be stably held. Therefore, the operability of the hedge trimmer 1 can be further improved.

  Further, by forming the fuel tank 60 integrally with the first handle portion 51, the number of parts of the hedge trimmer 1 can be suppressed, and thereby the manufacturing cost can be suppressed.

  In addition, the fuel tank 60 includes a first tank portion 61 formed integrally with the first handle portion 51 and a second tank portion 62 welded to the first tank portion 61. The fuel tank 60 and the first handle portion 51 can be integrated relatively easily.

  Although the fuel tank 60 according to the first embodiment is formed integrally with the rear handle 50, the fuel tank according to the present invention is not limited to this, and may be integrated with the handle (rear handle). For example, it may be fixed to the handle (rear handle) by any method such as adhesion, fastening, engagement, or the like.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a hedge trimmer according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The hedge trimmer of the present embodiment is different from the hedge trimmer 1 of the first embodiment in that the fuel tank is detachably provided on the rear handle. Therefore, the hedge trimmer of the present embodiment will be described mainly with a focus on the fuel tank and the rear handle. Moreover, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same structure as the hedge trimmer 1 of 1st Embodiment, and the description is abbreviate | omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the rear handle 150 of the present embodiment is composed of two split first and second handle portions 151 and 152. The first and second handle portions 151 and 152 are fastened to each other by a screw member 91.

  Further, the fuel tank 160 of the present embodiment is formed separately from the rear handle 150 by blow molding. A flange portion 161 is formed on the fuel tank 160 so as to protrude from the upper surface. The flange portion 161 is fixed to the rear handle 150 by being engaged with the first handle portion 151 and being sandwiched between the first and second handle portions 151 and 152 fastened to each other by the screw member 91. ing. As shown in FIG. 6, the fuel tank 160 is fixed to the rear handle 150 via screw members 91 at two locations, the front end portion and the rear end portion, respectively. Therefore, the fuel tank 160 can be easily separated from the rear handle 150 by removing the two screw members 160.

  Further, the fuel pipes 166 and 167 of the present embodiment are connected via, for example, a connector, a joint, a coupling, or other connection means in order to make the fuel tank 160 and the rear handle 150 easier to attach and detach. It is possible to quickly separate and join at the location.

  According to the hedge trimmer according to the present embodiment, the operability of the hedge trimmer can be improved as in the hedge trimmer 1 of the first embodiment.

  Further, by fixing the fuel tank 160 to the rear handle 150 so as to be detachable, maintenance such as cleaning and drying of the fuel tank 160 can be easily performed. Furthermore, by forming the fuel tank 160 and the rear handle 150 separately, the fuel tank 160 can be formed by a method similar to the conventional method (blow molding or the like), so that the manufacture of each component can be facilitated.

  In addition, by fixing the fuel tank 160 to the rear handle 150 via the screw member 91 that fastens the first and second handle portions 151 and 152, the number of parts and assembly man-hours of the hedge trimmer can be reduced, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost. Can be suppressed.

(Modification)
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications within the scope described in the claims are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

  For example, in the first embodiment, the fuel tank 60 is composed of the two tank parts 61 and 62 joined by thermal welding. However, the fuel tank according to the present invention is not limited to this, for example, an appropriate one. It may be composed of a plurality of tank parts bonded or fastened via a simple sealing material.

  In the second embodiment, the fuel tank 160 is fixed to the rear handle 150 via the screw member 91. However, the fuel tank according to the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a latch mechanism is adopted. It may be fixed to the handle (rear handle). Thereby, attachment / detachment with a fuel tank and a handle (rear handle) can be implemented more easily.

  In addition, the material, shape, quantity, arrangement, and the like of each component can be appropriately changed as long as the object of the present invention can be achieved.

1 Hedge trimmer 3 Axis (rotary axis of engine 10)
5 axis (rotating shaft of the connecting part 70)
10 Engine 20 Cutting blade 21 Upper blade 22 Lower blade 30 Base 31 Fitting recess 32 Insertion hole 35 Damper (vibration isolation portion)
40 front handle 46 hand guard 50 rear handle 51 first handle portion 52 second handle portion 53 fitting convex portion 54 insertion hole 56 throttle lever 57 safety lever 58 stop switch 60 fuel tank 61 first tank portion 62 second The tank part 63 The fuel cap 64 The fuel inlets 66 and 67 The fuel pipe 69 The plug 70 The connecting part 91 The screw member 150 The rear handle 151 The first handle part 152 The second handle part 160 The fuel tank 161 The flange parts 166 and 167 The fuel pipe

Claims (9)

An engine that drives the cutting blade;
A base that supports the engine;
A handle coupled to the base and spaced apart from the engine;
A fuel tank provided integrally with the handle and holding fuel to be supplied to the engine,
Hedge trimmer characterized by that. The handle is composed of a split first and second handle portion formed separately,
The fuel tank is formed integrally with the first handle portion.
The hedge trimmer according to claim 1. The fuel tank includes a first tank part formed integrally with the first handle part, and a second tank part welded to the first tank part.
The hedge trimmer according to claim 2. The fuel tank is detachably fixed to the handle.
The hedge trimmer according to claim 1. The handle is composed of a first handle portion and a second handle portion divided into two parts fastened by a screw member;
The fuel tank is fixed to the handle via the screw member.
The hedge trimmer according to claim 4. The handle is rotatably connected to the base.
The hedge trimmer according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein The fuel tank and the engine are connected by a fuel pipe for supplying fuel,
The fuel pipe is inserted through the approximate center of the connecting portion between the handle and the base,
The hedge trimmer according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein The fuel tank is arranged to be positioned below the handle when the handle is gripped.
The hedge trimmer according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein The engine and the base are connected via a vibration isolator,
The hedge trimmer according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein

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