Quick loading trimmer head

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10517209-B2
Application number	US-201514666731-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 24, 2015
Priority date	Mar 24, 2014
Publication date	Dec 31, 2019
Grant date	Dec 31, 2019

Abstract

A trimmer head for a hand-held cutting device may include a first housing portion, a line holding assembly to hold and selectively release trimmer line, and a second housing portion operably coupled to the first housing portion to house the line holding assembly. The line holding assembly may include a spool configured to hold the trimmer line and a core operably coupled to the spool. The line holding assembly may be configured such that rotational movement of the core causes corresponding movement of the spool, but movement of the core in an axial direction does not cause corresponding movement of the spool.

First claim

That which is claimed:

1. A hand-held cutting device comprising:
an elongated member graspable along a portion thereof by an operator;
a trimmer head disposed at one end of the elongated member and configured to be rotatable to perform a cutting function using trimmer line held at a portion of the trimmer head; and
a power unit operably coupled to the trimmer head to selectively cause rotation of the trimmer head,
wherein the trimmer head comprises:
a first housing portion;
a line holding assembly to hold and selectively release the trimmer line; and
a second housing portion operably coupled to the first housing portion to house the line holding assembly,
wherein the line holding assembly includes a spool configured to hold the trimmer line operably coupled to the spool,
wherein the line holding assembly is configured such that the spool is operably coupled to a core, the core comprising a first surface facing in an axial direction and a second surface facing in a direction opposite of the first surface, the first surface comprising a first slide projection and the second surface comprising a second slide projection,
wherein the spool and core are rotationally fixed relative to each other responsive to any rotational movement of the core and as the spool slides relative to a third surface of the core when the core moves in the axial direction such that the trimmer line is released from the spool in response to tapping the core on a work surface, and
wherein the second slide projection is engageable with a detent on the second housing portion to prevent movement of the core relative to the second housing portion, and
wherein in response to the tapping the core on the work surface, the second slide projection disengages from the detent of the second housing portion to allow the core to rotate relative to the second housing portion.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first housing portion turns responsive to operation of the power unit.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the core comprises a line channel extending through the core in a radial direction to receive the trimmer line fed through the core.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the spool comprises a first flange and a second flange that extend in respective planes that are substantially parallel to each other and substantially perpendicular to the axial direction, and wherein the trimmer line extends out from opposing ends of the line channel and through channel portions in the spool to be wound onto the spool between the first and second flanges responsive to rotation of the core about the axial direction by the operator.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the spool comprises a third flange disposed between the first and second flanges to divide the spool into a top line receiving portion and a bottom line receiving portion, and wherein the top line receiving portion receives the trimmer line exiting one end of the opposing ends of the line channel and the bottom line receiving portion receives the trimmer line exiting the other end of the opposing ends of the line channel.

6. The device of claim 3 , wherein the line channel has a first width in the axial direction over a mid-portion of the line channel, and wherein the line channel expands to a second width in the axial direction proximate to each of opposing ends of the line channel.

7. The device of claim 3 , wherein the core comprises a top portion forming a top of the line channel and a separable bottom portion forming a bottom of the line channel.

8. The device of claim 3 , wherein the line channel includes at least one bend along a length thereof, the bend extending in the axial direction.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the spool is annularly shaped defining an inner periphery that slidably engages an outer periphery of a portion of the core relative to movement of the core in the axial direction.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein the inner periphery of the spool comprises a vertical protrusion configured to ride in a corresponding vertical channel formed at the outer periphery of the core.

11. The device of claim 10 , wherein ends of a line channel are aligned with a line orifice on each respective opposing side of the spool, the line orifice leading to channel portions.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein a length of the line channel is longer than a combined length of extension of the channel portions on each respective opposing side of the spool.

13. The device of claim 1 , wherein the core is movable in the axial direction to release the trimmer line from the spool, but the spool does not substantially move in the axial direction responsive to movement of the core in the axial direction.

14. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device is a trimmer or edger.

15. The device of claim 1 , wherein the power unit comprises an electric motor or a gasoline engine.

16. The hand-held cutting device of claim 1 , wherein in response to the second slide projection disengaging from the detent of the second housing portion, the first slide projection is configured to engage a detent of the first housing portion to limit the amount of motion between the first housing portion and the second housing portion and the core.

17. A trimmer head for a hand-held cutting device, the trimmer head comprising:
a first housing portion;
a line holding assembly to hold and selectively release trimmer line; and
a second housing portion operably coupled to the first housing portion to house the line holding assembly,
wherein the line holding assembly includes a spool configured to hold the trimmer line and a core operably coupled to the spool, the core comprising a first set of slide projections and a second set of slide projections, the second set of slide projections being spaced apart from the first set of slide projections in an axial direction,
wherein the spool and core are rotationally fixed relative to each other responsive to any rotational movement of the core and as the spool slidably engages a surface of the core when the core moves in the axial direction such that the trimmer line is released from the spool in response to tapping the core on a work surface, and
wherein a slide projection of the second set of slide projections is engageable with a detent on the second housing portion to prevent movement of the core relative to the second housing portion, and wherein in response to the tapping the core on the work surface, the slide projection of the second set of slide projections disengages from the detent of the second housing portion to allow the core to rotate relative to the second housing portion.

18. The trimmer head of claim 17 , wherein the first housing portion is configured to turn responsive to operation of a power unit of the hand-held cutting device.

19. The trimmer head of claim 17 , wherein the core comprises a line channel extending through the core in a radial direction to receive the trimmer line fed through the core.

20. The trimmer head of claim 19 , wherein the spool comprises a first flange and a second flange that extend in respective planes that are substantially parallel to each other and substantially perpendicular to the axial direction, and wherein the trimmer line extends out from opposing ends of the line channel and through channel portions in the spool to be wound onto the spool between the first and second flanges responsive to rotation of the core about the axial direction by an operator.

21. The trimmer head of claim 20 , wherein the spool comp

Assignees

• Husqvarna Ab

Inventors

• Kullberg Stefan

Classifications

• A01D34/4165 Primary

  Mounting of the cutter head · CPC title

• A01D34/4163

  by triggered line feedout, e.g. bump-feeding · CPC title