AU2008100769A4 - A trimmer head guard - Google Patents

Description

14-AUG-2008 14:06 From:WYNNES PRT&TM ATT 0733421292 To:0262837999 P.5 12 00 -1- 0 O A TRIMMER HEAD GUARD FIELD OF INVENTION The present invention relates to a guard for a trimmer head of a whipper snipper or brush cutter. In the specification, reference to whipper snipper is also a

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reference to brush cutters and line trimmers.

0 0 0 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION cN During the operation of a whipper snipper, cut grass can become tangled around the shaft of the whipper snipper as the trimmer head rotates relative to the fixed shaft. When long grass is being cut with the whipper snipper, the grass frequently becomes entangled around the junction formed between the shaft and the top collar of the trimmer head, The entangled grass impedes rotation of trimmer head and the person operating the whipper snipper is forced to stop and remove the grass. Stopping to remove the entangled grass is inconvenient and causes delays.

Currently, there is no suitable way of preventing grass from becoming entangled around the junction formed between the shaft and the trimmer head of a whipper snipper.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a trimmer head guard which overcomes in part one or more of the above mentioned disadvantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION COMS ID No: ARCS-202163 Received by IP Australia: Time 14:16 Date 2008-08-14 14-UG-2008 14:06 From:WYNNES PFT&TM ATT 0733421292 To:0262837999 P.6/12 00 -2- 0 o In one aspect the present invention broadly resides in a trimmer head guard tfo for surrounding a junction formed between a shaft and a trimmer head of a whipper snipper, said trimmer head guard is integral with or fixable to the trimmer head and about a mounting for the shaft on the trimmer head, said trimmer head is substantially cylindrical with a diameter that is greater than the diameter of the shaft

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but less than the diameter of the trimmer head and a height that is greater than the Sheight of the mounting, wherein the trimmer head guard spaces the junction from cut 00 0grass or the like thereby preventing entanglement about the junction.

SThe trimmer head guard preferably has a cylindrical wall.

The trimmer head guard preferably is of suitable diameter and height so that in use cut grass and the like is substantially prevented from entanglement about the junction.

Preferably the trimmer head guard is fixed or integral with the trimmer head so that it rotates when the trimmer head rotates. The trimmer head guard is preferably fixed or integral with the outer cover of the trimmer head. The mounting of the outer cover of the trimmer head to the outer wall of the shaft is in the form of an upwardly extending collar that is adjacent to but not in contact with the outer wall of the shaft.

Preferably the trimmer head guard is positioned around the collar where the collar and shaft are centrally located.

Preferably the trimmer head guard is positioned or located around but spaced apart from the collar of the trimmer head.

Preferably the trimmer head guard extends between ten and forty millimeters above the junction. More preferably the trimmer head guard extends approximately twenty five millimeters above the junction.

COMS ID No: ARCS-202163 Received by IP Australia: Time 14:16 Date 2008-08-14 14-AUG-2008 14:06 From:WYNNES PRT&TM TT 0733421292 To:0262837999 P.7/12 00 0 o Preferably the trimmer head guard has an inner diameter between thirty and tb ninety millimeters. More preferably the trimmer head guard has an inner diameter of approximately fifty to sixty millimeters.

Preferably the trimmer head guard has a length between 10 and 60mm and an inner diameter of between 30 and 90mm. More preferably the trimmer head

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guard has a length of 45mm and an inner diameter of o The height and diameter of the trimmer head guard will preferably vary in 00 accordance with the type and size of whipper snipper.

cA In one embodiment the trimmer head guard may have a top wall thereby enclosing the space between the trimmer head guard and the shaft. In this embodiment, the top wall surrounds the shaft but is not fixed to the shaft as the top wall will rotate relative to the shaft.

In an alternate embodiment the trimmer head guard may have a intermediate partition wall that is positioned above the junction so as to prevent cut grass or the like from being entangled about the junction. The intermediate partition wall of this embodiment surrounds the shaft but is not fixed to the shaft.

Where the trimmer head guard is fixable to the trimmer head, the trimmer head guard preferably has one or more recesses to accommodate veins, moldings and the like of the trimmer head. The fixable trimmer head guard preferably has a suitable means of fastening the trimmer head guard to the trimmer head, BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In order that the present invention can be more readily understood reference will now be made to the accompanying drawing which illustrate the preferred embodiment of the invention and wherein: COMS ID No: ARCS-202163 Received by IP Australia: Time 14:16 Date 2008-08-14 14-RUG-20218 lq:a6 From:WYNNES PRTUM RiTT 073342189PQ r 04To:0b62837999 P.8-12 00 -4- 0 0 Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a trimmer head of a whipper snipper with a Strimmer head guard according to the preferred embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED

EMBODIMENT

S 5 With reference to Figure 1, there is shown a whipper snipper 10 having a NO shaft 11 and trimmer head 12. The trimmer head 12 has an outer cover 13 and an o inner reel 14 on which line is coiled. The inner reel 14 is fixed to the end of the shaft 00 11 in a manner to cause it to rotate relative to the outer wall 15 of the shaft 11. The C outer cover 13 is located about the shaft 11 and rotates about the shaft 11 when the inner reel 14 rotates. The outer cover 13 has a mounting in the form of a collar 16 about the outer wall 15 of the shaft 11. The collar 16 meets with the outer wall 15 of the shaft 11 to form a junction 17. Cut grass and the like often become entangled at or near the junction 17 as the outer cover 13 rotates while the outer wall 15 of the shaft 11 is immobile.

The trimmer head guard 20 has a cylindrical wail and is mounted on the outer cover 13. The trimmer head guard 20 has an inner diameter of 55mm and a length of 45mm. The trimmer head guard 20 is positioned on the outer cover 13 with the shaft 11 in the centre of the cylindrical trimmer head guard The trimmer head guard 20 can be made integral with the outer cover 13.

Alternatively the trimmer head guard 20 is fixed or fixable to the outer cover 13 by means of welding, gluing or other suitable form of fastening.

The trimmer head guard 20 may have an intermediate partition wall 21 (shown in phantom) to enclose the junction 17.

COMS ID No: ARCS-202163 Received by IP Australia: Time 14:16 Date 2008-08-14 14-RUG-2008 1q:07 From:WYNNES PATUTM RlTT M73719Oq 1 2L. I o:0 b2837999 P.912 00 0 O The trimmer head guard 20 substantially prevents cut grass or the like from t being entangled around the junction 17 by providing a barrier and spacing the junction 17 from any cut grass or the like.

ADVANTAGES

Va SAn advantage of the preferred embodiment of present invention is having a

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o cylindrical trimmer head guard that surrounds the junction formed between the shaft 00 0 and the trimmer head of a whipper snipper that prevents entanglement of grass and N the like.

VARIATIONS

It will of course be Dealized that while the foregoing has been given by way of illustrative example of this invention, all such and other modifications and variations thereto as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of this invention as is herein set forth.

Throughout the description and claims this specification the word "comprise" and variations of that word such as "comprises" and "comprising", are not intended to exclude other additives, components, integers or steps.

COMS ID No: ARCS-202163 Received by IP Australia: Time 14:16 Date 2008-08-14

Claims (1)

14-RUG-2008 14:07 From:WYNNES PRT&TM ATT 0733421292 To:0262837999 P.10/12 00 -f6- 0 0 CLAIMS S1 A trimmer head guard for surrounding a junction formed between a shaft and a trimmer head of a whipper snipper, said trimmer head guard is integral with or fixable to the trimmer head and about a mounting for the shaft on the trimmer head, said trimmer head is substantially cylindrical with a diameter that is greater than the diameter of the shaft but less than the diameter of the trimmer head and a height that o is greater than the height of the mounting, wherein the trimmer head guard spaces 00 O the junction from cut grass or the like thereby preventing entanglement about the c junction. 2. A trimmer head guard as claimed in claim 1 wherein the guard has a cylindrical wall, the trimmer head guard is fixed to or integral with an outer cover of the trimmer head so that the shaft of the whipper snipper is centrally located when the trimmer head guard is in use. 3. A trimmer head guard as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the trimmer head guard has a length between 10 and 60mm and an inner diameter of between 30 and depending on the type and size of the whipper snipper. 4. A trimmer head guard as claimed in any one of the abovementioned claims wherein the trimmer head guard has a length of 45mm and an inner diameter of A trimmer head guard as substantially describes herein with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawing. COMS ID No: ARCS-202163 Received by IP Australia: Time 14:16 Date 2008-08-14