Hedge trimmer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11284568-B2
Application number	US-201916417715-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 21, 2019
Priority date	May 23, 2018
Publication date	Mar 29, 2022
Grant date	Mar 29, 2022

Abstract

An outdoor tool includes a powerhead, a tool portion operatively powered by the powerhead, an elongated shaft assembly extending along a shaft axis between the powerhead and the tool portion, and a locking mechanism. The tool portion includes a first housing fixed to the shaft assembly, a second housing coupled to the first housing for pivoting movement about a pivot axis, and a blade assembly supported by the second housing. The locking mechanism is movable between a locked position, in which relative movement between the second housing and the first housing is prevented, and an unlocked position, in which the second housing is movable relative to the first housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An outdoor tool comprising:
a powerhead;
a tool portion operatively powered by the powerhead;
an elongated shaft assembly defining a longitudinal shaft axis between the powerhead and the tool portion, the tool portion including:
a first housing fixed to the shaft assembly;
a second housing coupled to the first housing for pivoting movement about a pivot axis, the second housing including a locking wheel that defines a plurality of radial recesses;
a blade assembly supported by the second housing;
a lock mechanism movable between a locked position, in which relative movement between the second housing and the first housing is prevented, and an unlocked position, in which the second housing is movable relative to the first housing, the lock mechanism including a locking ring supported about the locking wheel and defining a plurality of apertures such that the plurality of apertures align with the plurality of radial recesses; and
an elastomeric seal disposed between the first housing and the second housing and configured to inhibit relative movement between the first housing and the second housing when the lock mechanism is moved to the unlocked position, the elastomeric seal comprising a pair of O-rings connected side by side.

2. The outdoor tool of claim 1 , wherein the lock mechanism further includes a sleeve slidably supported by the shaft assembly for movement between the locked position and the unlocked position.

3. The outdoor tool of claim 2 , wherein the lock mechanism further includes a pin supported by the sleeve and selectively engageable with the second housing.

4. The outdoor tool of claim 3 , wherein the pin is received in one of the plurality of recesses to lock the second housing relative to the first housing.

5. The outdoor tool of claim 4 , wherein each recess corresponds to a relative position of the second housing with respect to the first housing.

6. The outdoor tool of claim 5 , wherein the locking ring extends about the pivot axis.

7. The outdoor tool of claim 3 , wherein the pin is movable relative to the pivot axis between the locked position and the unlocked position.

8. The outdoor tool of claim 1 , wherein the tool portion comprises a hedge trimmer.

9. The outdoor tool of claim 1 , wherein the second housing is pivotable relative to the first housing to a storage position, in which the blade assembly is positioned alongside the shaft assembly.

10. The outdoor tool of claim 9 , wherein the longitudinal shaft axis and the pivot axis define a first plane, and the blade assembly defines a blade plane, wherein in the storage position, the first plane and the blade plane are one of parallel and co-planar.

11. An outdoor tool comprising:
an elongated shaft assembly defining a longitudinal shaft axis, the elongated shaft assembly including
a first shaft segment,
a first connecting portion attached to the first shaft segment,
a second shaft segment, and
a second connecting portion attached to the second shaft segment and configured to selectively and removably couple to the first connecting portion;
a powerhead coupled to the first shaft segment;
a tool portion coupled to the second shaft segment, the tool portion being powered by the powerhead, the tool portion including
a first housing fixed to the shaft assembly;
a second housing rotatably coupled to the first housing for pivoting movement relative to the first housing about a pivot axis; and
a blade assembly supported by the second housing;
a lock mechanism including
a first member supported on the second housing to extend about the pivot axis, the first member defining a plurality of apertures; and
a second member supported by the first housing and selectively engageable in the plurality of apertures to lock the second housing in a corresponding position relative to the first housing;

wherein one of the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion includes a connecting recess, and the other of the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion includes a button having a projection selectively receivable in the connecting recess to releasably secure the first connecting portion to the second connecting portion; and
wherein the second housing includes a locking wheel that defines a plurality of radial recesses, and wherein the first member is a locking ring supported about the locking wheel such that the plurality of apertures align with the plurality of radial recesses.

12. The outdoor tool of claim 11 , wherein the second member is movable radially relative to the pivot axis between a locked position, in which relative pivoting movement between the second housing and the first housing is prevented, and an unlocked position, in which the second housing is pivotable relative to the first housing.

13. The outdoor tool of claim 12 , wherein the lock mechanism further includes a sleeve supporting the second member, the sleeve being slidably supported by the shaft assembly for movement between the locked position and the unlocked position.

14. The outdoor tool of claim 12 , wherein the tool portion further includes an elastomeric seal disposed between the first housing and the second housing and configured to inhibit relative movement between the first housing and the second housing when the second member is moved to the unlocked position, the elastomeric seal comprising a pair of O-rings connected side by side.

15. The outdoor tool of claim 11 , wherein the second member is a pin and the pin extends along a pin axis, and further wherein the pin axis, the longitudinal shaft axis, and the pivot axis are arranged in a plane.

16. The outdoor tool of claim 11 , wherein the second housing is pivotable relative to the first housing to a storage position, in which the blade assembly is positioned alongside the shaft assembly.

17. The outdoor tool of claim 16 , wherein the longitudinal shaft axis and the pivot axis define a first plane, and the blade assembly defines a blade plane, wherein in the storage position, the first plane and the blade plane are one of parallel and co-planar.

18. The outdoor tool of claim 11 , wherein the locking ring partially circumscribes the locking wheel.

19. An outdoor tool comprising:
a powerhead;
a tool portion operatively powered by the powerhead; and
an elongated shaft assembly defining a longitudinal shaft axis between the powerhead and the tool portion, the tool portion including:
a first housing fixed to the shaft assembly;
a second housing coupled to the first housing for pivoting movement about a pivot axis, the second housing including a locking wheel that defines a plurality of radial recesses;
a blade assembly supported by the second housing; and
a lock mechanism movable between a locked position, in which relative movement between the second housing and the first housing is prevented, and an unlocked position, in which the second housing is movable relative to the first housing, the lock mechanism including a locking ring supported about the locking wheel and defining a plurality of apertures such that the plurality of apertures align with the plurality of radial recesses.

Assignees

• Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp

Inventors

• Mccue Shane
• Whealon John L

Classifications

• A01G3/053 Primary

  motor-driven · CPC title

• A01G2003/0461

  with reciprocating knives · CPC title