Hand tool with shear assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12471539-B2
Application number	US-202217723836-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 19, 2022
Priority date	Apr 29, 2021
Publication date	Nov 18, 2025
Grant date	Nov 18, 2025

Abstract

A hand tool includes a first handle forming a channel, and a second handle including a cutting member. A linkage is attached in pivotal arrangement to the first handle at the channel and to a cutting blade. The cutting blade is attached in pivotal arrangement to the second handle. The first handle is pivotally attached to the second handle via a fastener. The first handle includes a first portion, and a second portion includes a handle grip. The first portion extends substantially along a first reference axis, and the second portion extends substantially along a second reference axis. The first reference axis and the second reference axis extend at an acute angle relative to one another. The channel extends substantially along the first reference axis at the first portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A hand tool, the hand tool comprising:
a first handle forming a channel; a second handle comprising a cutting member; and a cutting blade forming a first opening and a second opening, wherein a linkage is attached, via a first fastener, in pivotal arrangement to the first handle at the channel and to the cutting blade at the second opening, and wherein the cutting blade is attached, via a second fastener, in pivotal arrangement to the second handle at the first opening, wherein the cutting blade and the linkage are pivotally attached via a third fastener, and wherein the first handle is pivotally attached to the second handle via a fourth fastener, wherein the first handle forms at the channel a first channel end distal to a second channel end, wherein the first channel end is separated along a first reference axis at the first handle from the second channel end, the first reference axis corresponding to an extension between the fourth fastener and the first fastener at the second channel end, wherein the first handle is attachable to the cutting blade in a first operating mode via the first fastener positioned at the first channel end, and wherein the first handle is attachable to the cutting blade in a second operating mode via the first fastener positioned at the second channel end, wherein the first handle comprises a first portion and a second portion, wherein a handle grip is positioned onto the first handle at the second portion, wherein the first portion extends substantially along the first reference axis, and wherein the second portion extends substantially along a second reference axis corresponding to an extension between the first fastener at the second channel end and the handle grip, and wherein the first reference axis and the second reference axis extend at an acute angle relative to one another, and wherein the channel extends straight along the first reference axis at the first portion.

2 . The hand tool of claim 1 , wherein the second channel end is positioned proximate to the handle grip and distal to the cutting blade, and wherein the first channel end is positioned distal to the second channel end.

3 . The hand tool of claim 1 , wherein the first fastener is configured to releasably attach at one or the other of the first channel end or the second channel end.

4 . The hand tool of claim 1 , wherein the linkage forms a groove configured to receive the fourth fastener.

5 . The hand tool of claim 4 , wherein the linkage forms the groove configured to receive the fourth fastener when the hand tool is in an extended second position.

6 . The hand tool of claim 4 , wherein the groove is formed between the third fastener and the first fastener.

7 . The hand tool of claim 1 , wherein the first fastener is slidable through the channel to the first channel end to position the linkage, the cutting blade, the first handle, and the second handle together in a first operating mode.

8 . The hand tool of claim 7 , wherein positioning the linkage, the cutting blade, the first handle, and the second handle together in the first operating mode allows the first handle to articulate at an angle up to approximately 92 degrees relative to the second handle.

9 . The hand tool of claim 7 , wherein the first fastener is slidable through the channel to the second channel end to position the linkage, the cutting blade, the first handle, and the second handle together in a second operating mode.

10 . The hand tool of claim 9 , wherein positioning the linkage, the cutting blade, the first handle, and the second handle together in the first operating mode allows the first handle to articulate at an angle up to approximately 49 degrees relative to the second handle.

11 . The hand tool of claim 1 , wherein the hand tool is a lopper, a garden shear, a hedge shear, a pruning shear, a single hand-held cutter, pliers, or combinations thereof.

12 . The hand tool of claim 1 , wherein the handle grip extends from the second portion along an axis different from the first reference axis and the second reference axis.

13 . A method for operating a hand tool, the method comprising:
coupling a linkage in a selectively sliding arrangement via a first fastener at a channel at a first handle; pivotally coupling a cutting blade to a second handle via a second fastener at a second handle-cutting blade interface; pivotally coupling the linkage to the cutting blade via a third fastener; pivotally coupling the first handle to the second handle via a fourth fastener; sliding the first fastener to a first channel end at the channel, wherein sliding the first fastener to the first channel end configures the hand tool in a first operating mode, and wherein the channel extends straight along a first reference axis corresponding to an extension between the fourth fastener and the first fastener at a second channel end distal to the first channel end; sliding the first fastener to the second channel end at the channel distal to the first channel end, wherein sliding the first fastener to the second channel end configures the hand tool in a second operating mode; and extending a first portion of the first handle substantially along the first reference axis; and extending a second portion of the first handle substantially along a second reference axis from the first fastener at the second channel end toward a handle grip at an acute angle relative to the first reference axis.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein sliding the first fastener to the first channel end of the channel comprises sliding the first fastener through the channel toward the cutting blade.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the first operating mode comprises an extension of the first handle relative to the second handle of up to approximately 92 degrees, and wherein the second operating mode comprises an extension of the first handle relative to the second handle of up to approximately 49 degrees.

16 . The method of claim 13 , comprising:
extending the handle grip from the second portion along an axis different from the first reference axis and the second reference axis.

Assignees

• Techtronic Cordless Gp

Inventors

• Chan Rony
• Nelson Samuel

Classifications

• A01G3/021

  characterized by the arrangement of pivots · CPC title

• A01G3/0475

  Hedge shears · CPC title

• A01G3/0251 Primary

  Loppers, i.e. branch cutters with two handles (hedge shears A01G3/0475) · CPC title