Driving device

Abstract

To provide a driving device equipped with a rotary locking mechanism that has a simple configuration and excellent operability.SOLUTION: A driving device comprises a device body and a handle. The device body has a pruning part which mows down or cuts off an object. The handle is rotatably connected to the device body, and has a rotary locking mechanism and a driving operation mechanism. The rotary locking mechanism has a rotary locking lever displaceable to a rotation blocking position for blocking rotation of the handle to the device body and a rotation allowing position allowing rotation of the handle to the device body. The driving operation mechanism has a switch which controls an action of the pruning part, and a throttle lever which is displaceable between a contact position for pushing the switch and a non-contact position separated from the switch. The throttle lever is configured so that it contacts with the rotary locking lever and is maintained at the non-contact position when the rotary locking lever is at the rotation allowing position, and the displacement to the contact position is allowed when the lever is at the rotation blocking position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a drive device. [Background technology]

[0002] A handheld working machine used for pruning hedges and plants is known (see Patent Document 1). This handheld working machine is equipped with a working machine body having an engine that generates driving power, and a rear handgrip that is rotatable relative to the working machine body. The rear handgrip is also provided with a throttle lever that controls the output of the engine, and a lock lever that restricts the rotation of the rear handgrip relative to the working machine body.

[0003] In such a handheld working machine, when the lock lever is released without the throttle lever being operated, the rear handgrip can be rotated relative to the working machine body. On the other hand, when the throttle lever is being operated, the action of two members, the lock arm attached to the throttle lever and the lock lever, restricts the rotation of the rear handgrip relative to the working machine body. Even if the lock lever is forcibly released in the latter state, the action of the lock arm still restricts the rotation of the rear handgrip relative to the working machine body. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2008-543275 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the above-mentioned hand-held working machine, the rotation lock mechanism has a complex structure. In view of the above circumstances, the present invention provides a drive device equipped with a rotation lock mechanism that is simple in configuration and excellent in operability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a handheld driving device. The driving device includes a device body and a handle. The device body has a pruning part for mowing or cutting an object. The handle is rotatably connected to the device body on the side opposite to the pruning part, and includes a rotation lock mechanism and a drive operation mechanism. The rotation lock mechanism has a rotation lock lever that is displaceable between a rotation preventing position where the rotation of the handle relative to the device body is prevented by engaging with the device body, and a rotation allowing position where the rotation of the handle relative to the device body is allowed by disengaging from the device body. The drive operation mechanism has a switch that controls the operation of the pruning part, and a throttle lever that is displaceable between a contact position where the switch is pressed in and a non-contact position where the switch is separated from the switch. The throttle lever is configured to be in contact with the rotation lock lever and maintained in the non-contact position when the rotation lock lever is in the rotation allowing position, and to be allowed to be displaced to the contact position when the rotation lock lever is in the rotation preventing position.

[0007] According to this aspect, the rotation lock mechanism has a simple structure and is easy to operate. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is an overall perspective view of the hedge trimmer seen from above. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an overall perspective view of the hedge trimmer as viewed from below. [Diagram 3] 4 is a side view showing the drive operation unit with a part of the main body case removed. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a side view (in a rotation-locked state and a displacement-locked state) showing the drive operation unit with a part of the handle case of the rear handle removed from FIG. 3. [Diagram 5] 13 is a side view (in a rotation-locked state and a displacement-locked state) showing the drive operation unit with a part of the opposite side of the handle case of the rear handle removed. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the main body with the rear handle removed. [Figure 7] 13 is a side view showing a state in which the displacement lock state has been released and the operation of pressing the drive switch using the throttle lever has begun. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a side view showing a state in which the drive switch is pressed in to the maximum by the throttle lever. [Figure 9] 13 is a side view showing a case where an attempt is made to press the drive switch using the throttle lever after the rotation lock state has been released. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Various characteristic features shown in the following embodiments can be combined with each other. Fig. 1 is an overall perspective view of the hedge trimmer as viewed from above. Fig. 2 is an overall perspective view of the hedge trimmer as viewed from below. Fig. 3 is a side view showing the drive operation unit with part of the main body case removed. Fig. 4 is a side view (rotation locked and displacement locked) showing the drive operation unit with part of the handle case of the rear handle removed from Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a side view (rotation locked and displacement locked) showing the drive operation unit with part of the opposite side of the handle case of the rear handle removed.

[0010] Fig. 6 is a rear view of the main body with the rear handle removed. Fig. 7 is a side view showing the state where the displacement lock state has been released and the act of pressing the drive switch with the throttle lever has begun. Fig. 8 is a side view showing the state where the drive switch has been pressed to the fullest extent by the throttle lever. Fig. 9 is a side view showing the case where an attempt is made to press the drive switch with the throttle lever after the rotation lock state has been released. The directions of the hedge trimmer and each of the components constituting the hedge trimmer are defined based on the "up and down," "left and right," and "front and back" shown in the drawings.

[0011] The hedge trimmer 1 shown in FIG. 1 is a small handheld cutting machine (drive device) used for trimming and pruning hedges and plants, and is electrically driven with a battery 100 attached. The hedge trimmer 1 comprises a drive operating unit 2 and a cutter assembly 6 connected to the front side of the drive operating unit 2. The drive operation unit 2 has a main body 3, a front handle 4 provided on the front side of the main body 3, and a rear handle 5 provided on the rear side of the main body 3. The hedge trimmer 1 can be operated by holding the front handle 4 and the rear handle 5 with the hands. In this embodiment, the device main body is configured by the main body 3 and the cutter assembly 6. That is, the device main body has the cutter assembly 6 as a pruning section that mows or cuts an object.

[0012] A cutter assembly 6 is connected to the front side of the main body 3, and the rear portion of the cutter assembly 6 is protected by a cover 7. The cutter assembly (cutter assembly for a hedge trimmer) 6 has a lower cutter 61, an upper cutter 62, a lower cutter support 63, and an upper cutter support 64. The lower cutter 61 and the upper cutter 62 are overlapped with each other and are provided so as to be relatively slidable along the longitudinal direction (front-rear direction). The configuration of the lower cutter 61 and the configuration of the upper cutter 62 are substantially the same.

[0013] The lower cutter support 63 is provided below the lower cutter 61. From the viewpoint of weight reduction, the lower cutter support 63 is divided into two parts, a front support 63a and a rear support 63b, as shown in Fig. 2. That is, the cutter assembly 6 includes the lower cutter support 63 provided on the opposite side of the lower cutter 61 to the upper cutter 62 so as to cover a part of the lower cutter 61. On the other hand, the upper cutter support 64 is provided above the upper cutter 62. The upper cutter support 64 extends along the longitudinal direction of the cutter assembly 6 (the front-rear direction).

[0014] Each of the lower cutter 61 and the upper cutter 62 has a cutter body M and a plurality of blade portions B protruding laterally from the cutter body M. The cutter assembly 6 of the present embodiment is a double-edged type in which the plurality of blade portions B of each of the lower cutter 61 and the upper cutter 62 protrude from both sides of the cutter body M. The cutter body M of the lower cutter 61 has a long hole 611 formed therein that penetrates in the thickness direction and extends along the longitudinal direction. The cutter body M of the upper cutter 62 also has a long hole (not shown) formed therein that penetrates in the thickness direction and extends along the longitudinal direction. By forming such a long hole, the weight of each of the lower cutter 61 and the upper cutter 62 can be reduced. Each of the lower cutter 61 and the upper cutter 62 may be a single-edged cutter in which the blades B protrude from the cutter body M on only one side.

[0015] The main body 3 has a main body case 31 and an electric motor 32 housed in the main body case 31 . The main body case 31 is a resin box whose upper surface is inclined relative to the lower surface. The upper surface of the main body case 31 is inclined downward from the rear side to the front side. In other words, the front part of the main body case 31 is formed lower than the rear part. The main body case 31 is formed in a substantially triangular shape in a side view. The electric motor (power source) 32 is connected to the cutter assembly 6 via a drive transmission mechanism (not shown) and drives the cutter assembly 6. As described below, the cutter assembly 6 includes a lower cutter 61 and an upper cutter 62, and the electric motor 32 slides these relatively along the longitudinal direction.

[0016] A battery attachment section 33 for attaching the battery 100 is provided on the upper surface of the main body case 31. The battery attachment section 33 is inclined downward from the rear to the front in accordance with the upper surface of the main body case 31. Battery 100 is a typical battery that has a rectangular parallelepiped case extending in the front-rear direction and contains multiple lithium-ion battery cells to achieve a predetermined output. As shown in FIG. 6, the rear end face of the battery 100 is provided with a power on / off button 101 and a display unit 102 that shows the remaining battery power.

[0017] Although not shown, an engagement portion that engages with the battery mounting portion 33 protrudes from the rear end portion of the lower surface of the battery 100. When attaching the battery 100 to the battery mounting section 33, the battery 100 is slid from rear to front relative to the battery mounting section 33 while the lower part of the battery 100 is fitted into the battery mounting section 33. Then, when the front end of the battery 100 is moved to a position where it is supported by the front end of the battery mounting section 33, an engagement portion of the battery 100 engages with the battery mounting section 33, and the battery 100 is fixed to the battery mounting section 33.

[0018] The battery 100 attached to the battery attachment portion 33 is inclined downward from the rear side to the front side, and is disposed so that the front part is lower than the rear part. A metallic connection terminal (not shown) is provided on the upper surface of the battery attachment portion 33. The connection terminal is electrically connected to a control board (not shown) and the electric motor 32. The connection terminal of the battery 100 is electrically connected to the connection terminal of the battery attachment portion 33, whereby power is supplied from the battery 100 to the control board and the electric motor 32.

[0019] When removing the battery 100 from the battery mounting portion 33, by operating the connecting lever 34 (see Figures 2 and 6) provided at the rear end of the battery 100, the engagement between the battery mounting portion 33 and the engagement portion is released, making it possible to slide the battery 100 backward relative to the battery mounting portion 33.

[0020] 1, a front handle 4 is provided on the front side of the main body case 31. The front handle 4 is located in front of the battery 100 attached to the battery attachment portion 33. The front handle 4 has a horizontal portion extending in the left-right direction and vertical portions extending downward from the left and right ends of the horizontal portion, which are integrally formed. The lower ends of the two vertical portions are fixed to the front end of the main body case 31.

[0021] A rear handle 5 is provided on the rear side of the main body case 31. As shown in Fig. 3, the rear handle 5 is connected to the rear of the main body 3 (main body case 31) so as to be rotatable about a rotation center O of an axis along the front-rear direction. Specifically, a cylindrical connection part 50 is provided protruding from the front side of the rear handle 5, and this connection part 50 is disposed within a support part 30 formed by recessing into the inner surface of the rear side of the main body 3. As a result, the rear handle 5 is rotatably connected to the device main body on the side opposite the cutter assembly (pruning part) 6. A grip portion 51 having an opening penetrating therethrough in the left-right direction is formed on the rear handle 5. When an operator holds the hedge trimmer 1, the operator inserts his / her hand into the opening of the grip portion 51 to grip the rear handle 5. In addition, a power switch 54 is provided on the upper side of the rear handle 5.

[0022] The rear handle 5 has a rotation lock mechanism, a drive operation mechanism, and a displacement prevention mechanism. The rotation lock mechanism has a rotation lock lever 55 that can be displaced between a rotation prevention position where it engages with the device main body (main body 3) to prevent rotation of the rear handle 5 relative to the device main body, and a rotation permission position where it disengages from the device main body to allow rotation of the rear handle 5 relative to the device main body. 4, the rotation lock lever 55 has a first arm 551 and a second arm 552. The first arm 551 and the second arm 552 each have a long, thin plate shape. The second arm 552 is substantially straight, while the first arm 551 extends at an angle to the front side relative to the second arm 552 and is bent midway in the longitudinal direction.

[0023] A plurality of protruding ridges having a predetermined shape are formed on both the left and right surfaces of the first arm portion 551 and the second arm portion 552. This provides a configuration for reinforcing the first arm portion 551 and the second arm portion 552. The rotation lock lever 55 is rotatably attached to the rear handle 5 (handle case 5a) at or near a connection 553 between the first arm 551 and the second arm 552. Therefore, the rotation lock lever 55 is rotatable within a predetermined angle range in the counterclockwise and clockwise directions about a rotation center 553a.

[0024] The first arm 551 has a claw portion 551a at an end opposite to the connection portion 553. That is, the rotation lock lever 55 has the claw portion 551a at an end on the device main body (main body 3) side. On the other hand, the device main body has a groove portion 31a into which the claw portion 551a is inserted. The rotation lock mechanism (rotation lock lever 55) and the device main body (main body 3) are configured to engage with each other by inserting the claw portion 551a into the groove portion 31a. In this state (rotation lock state), the rear handle 5 is prevented from rotating relative to the main body 3. That is, the position of the rotation lock lever 55 shown in FIG. 4 is the rotation prevention position. On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 9, the rotation lock lever 55 is rotated counterclockwise to disengage the claw portion 551a from the groove portion 31a. In this state (rotation unlocked state), rotation of the rear handle 5 relative to the main body 3 is permitted. That is, the position of the rotation lock lever 55 shown in Fig. 9 is the rotation permitted position.

[0025] In this embodiment, the device main body (main body 3) has five (plural) grooves 31a arranged in an arc shape. The five grooves 31a are provided at the "0°" position on the upper side in Fig. 6, at "45°" positions on both the left and right sides, and at "90°" positions on both the left and right sides. The number of grooves 31a provided is not limited to five, and may be two, three, four, six or more. According to this configuration, after the rotation lock lever 55 is set to the rotation allowing position, the rear handle 5 is rotated relative to the main body 3 and the claw portion 551a is inserted into the predetermined groove portion 31a to set the rotation preventing position. This makes it possible to fix the main body 3 and the rear handle 5 in a state in which the up-down direction of the cutter assembly 6 and the up-down direction of the rear handle 5 are misaligned in the circumferential direction. This improves the workability of pruning the vertical surface of the hedge with the hedge trimmer 1 (cutter assembly 6).

[0026] Furthermore, the rotation lock lever 55 further has an operation part 554 for rotating the rotation lock lever 55 on the opposite side to the first arm part 551 via the second arm part 552. This operation part 554 is also connected to the connection part 553 between the first arm part 551 and the second arm part 552 or in the vicinity thereof. This allows the rotation lock lever 55 to be rotated with a relatively small force. The operation part 554 has a curved shape that is convex upward, and is disposed within the reach of the finger that operates the throttle lever 52. Therefore, when rotating the rear handle 5 relative to the main body 3, the operator can hold the grip part 51 with his / her hand, release the finger (index finger or middle finger) that is operating the throttle lever 52, stop the operation of the cutter assembly 6, and hook the finger (index finger or middle finger) that has been operating the throttle lever 52 on the operation part 554. In other words, the operator can safely operate the operation of the cutter assembly 6 or the rotation of the rear handle 5 with one hand without moving the hand that is holding the grip part 51, and can easily perform the rotation operation of the rotation lock lever 55. The second arm portion 552 has, on its end face opposite to the connecting portion 553, a contact surface 552a with which the tip surface of a contact portion 522 of the throttle lever 52, which will be described later, comes into contact. In this embodiment, the first arm portion 551, the second arm portion 552, the connection portion 553 and the operation portion 554 are integrally formed, but they may be formed as separate bodies and connected to each other.

[0027] As shown in Fig. 4, the rotation lock mechanism further has a torsion spring (biasing member) 57. This torsion spring 57 is fixed to the inner surface of the handle case 5a below the first arm portion 551 and is in contact with the first arm portion 551. As a result, the torsion spring 57 biases the rotation lock lever 55 to rotate clockwise. In other words, the torsion spring 57 is configured to bias the rotation lock lever 55 from the rotation permitted position (see Fig. 9) toward the rotation prevented position (see Fig. 4). Therefore, when the rotation lock lever 55 is in the rotation allowing position and a finger or the like is removed from the operating portion 554, the rotation lock lever 55 rotates clockwise due to the biasing force of the torsion spring 57, and the claw portion 551a is inserted into the groove portion 31a, thereby reaching the rotation preventing position. The biasing member is not limited to the torsion spring 57, but may be, for example, a leaf spring, a coil spring, or a rubber block having elasticity.

[0028] The drive operation mechanism includes a drive switch 56 and a throttle lever 52 . The drive switch 56 controls the operation of the cutter assembly (pruning unit) 6. Specifically, the drive switch 56 controls the rotation speed of the electric motor 32 according to the amount of depression of the drive switch 56 (see Figs. 7 and 8), thereby increasing or decreasing the movement speed (slide speed) of the cutter assembly 6 (the lower cutter 61 and the upper cutter 62). The throttle lever 52 has a long lever body 521. The lever body 521 is rotatably attached to the rear handle 5 (handle case 5a) midway in the longitudinal direction. With this configuration, the throttle lever 52 is configured to be rotatable (displaceable) about a rotation center 523 between a contact position (see FIGS. 7 and 8) where it contacts the head of the drive switch 56 and pushes it downward, and a non-contact position (see FIG. 4) where it is separated from the drive switch 56.

[0029] In addition, the throttle lever 52 has a contact portion 522. This contact portion 522 is connected to the end (front end) of the lever body 521 on the device body side so as to extend from the lever body 521 towards the rotation lock lever 55. 5, a plurality of convex stripes having a predetermined shape are formed on the front portion of lever body 521 and the right surface of abutment portion 522. This provides a configuration for reinforcing the front portion of lever body 521 and abutment portion 522. In this embodiment, the lever body 521 and the abutment portion 522 are integrally formed, but they may be formed as separate bodies and connected to each other.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 9, the contact portion 522 is configured to come into contact with the rotation lock lever 55 (second arm portion 552) when the rotation lock lever 55 is in the rotation permitted position. Therefore, when the rotation lock lever 55 is in the rotation permitted position, the throttle lever 52 is configured to abut (contact) the rotation lock lever 55 and be maintained in a non-contact position. This makes it possible to preferably prevent the drive switch 56 from being accidentally pressed by the throttle lever 52 and the cutter assembly 6 from being activated while the rear handle 5 is being rotated relative to the device main body (main body 3). Therefore, this configuration is very safe for the operator.

[0031] 9, the contact surfaces 522a, 552a between the contact portion 522 and the rotation lock lever 55 (second arm portion 552) are formed so as to be substantially perpendicular to the force applied from the contact portion 522 to the rotation lock lever 55 (second arm portion 552). With this configuration, it becomes easier to maintain the contact state of the contact portion 522 against the second arm portion 552. This makes it possible to preferably prevent the contact portion 522 from unintentionally shifting from the second arm portion 552 and causing the drive switch 56 to be pressed in by the lever body 521 of the throttle lever 52. Moreover, it is preferable that the force (thick arrow in FIG. 9) applied from the abutment portion 522 to the rotation lock lever 55 (second arm portion 552) is along the longitudinal direction of the second arm portion 552, and that the rotation center 553a of the rotation lock lever 55 is located in the direction in which the force is applied. This makes it possible to more reliably prevent the abutment portion 522 from being unintentionally displaced from the second arm portion 552.

[0032] If the rotation lock lever 55 is rotated slightly clockwise while in the rotation permitted position, the rear corners of the claws 551a come into contact with adjacent grooves 31a of the main body 3 (main body case 31). This contact creates resistance to the operation of rotating the rear handle 5 relative to the device main body (main body 3). In contrast, according to the present embodiment, as described above, the state in which the abutment portion 522 abuts against the second arm portion 552 is reliably maintained, and clockwise and counterclockwise rotation of the rotation lock lever 55 is restricted. Therefore, it is possible to suitably prevent the occurrence of inconveniences caused by the rear corner portion of the claw portion 551a coming into contact with the main body 3.

[0033] 7 and 8, when the rotation lock lever 55 is in the rotation preventing position, the throttle lever 52 is configured to be allowed to rotate (displace) from a non-contact position to a contact position with respect to the drive switch 56. This allows the cutter assembly 6 to be reliably operated by reliably pressing the drive switch 56 with the throttle lever 52. In this state, i.e., when the throttle lever 52 is in the contact position with the drive switch 56, when an attempt is made to rotate the rotation lock lever 55 to the rotation permitted position, the second arm 552 comes into contact with the side surface (rear side surface) of the abutment portion 522 of the throttle lever 52, restricting the rotation. This prevents the rear handle 5 from rotating relative to the device main body (main body 3) while the cutter assembly 6 is operating, ensuring high safety.

[0034] Moreover, it is preferable that the force (thick arrow in FIG. 8) applied from the second arm 552 to the side surface of the abutment portion 522 is along a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the abutment portion 522, and that the rotation center 523 of the throttle lever 52 is located in the direction opposite to the direction in which the force is applied. This makes it possible to more reliably prevent the second arm 552 from unintentionally shifting from the abutment portion 522. The displacement prevention mechanism is configured to prevent the throttle lever 52 from being displaced from a non-contact position to a contact position with respect to the drive switch 56. Specifically, the displacement prevention mechanism has a lock release lever 53. The lock release lever 53 has a long lever body 531. The lever body 521 is rotatably attached at its front end in the longitudinal direction to the rear handle 5 (handle case 5a).

[0035] Further, the lock release lever 53 has a locking portion 532. This locking portion 532 is connected to the end of the lever main body 531 on the device main body (main body 3) side so as to extend from the lever main body 531 towards the throttle lever 52. In this embodiment, the lever body 531 and the locking portion 532 are integrally formed, but they may be formed as separate bodies and connected to each other. Furthermore, a notch 532a is formed at the end of the locking portion 532 opposite the lever body 531. 4, the locking portion 532 is configured so that the notch 532a is locked to the edge of the opening 521a formed in the lever body 521 in the non-contact position, thereby restricting the counterclockwise rotation of the throttle lever 52.

[0036] When the unlock lever 53 is rotated clockwise from this state (displacement locked state), the locking of the locking portion 532 (notch 532a) with the edge of the opening 521a of the throttle lever 52 is released, and the locking portion 532 is positioned directly above the opening 521a of the lever body 521, as shown in Fig. 7. This state is a displacement unlocked state in which the displacement locked state is released. Therefore, the counterclockwise rotation operation of the throttle lever 52 can be performed without being blocked by the lock release lever 53. As a result, as shown in Figure 8, the throttle lever 52 can be rotated (displaced) from the non-contact position toward the contact position.

[0037] The displacement prevention mechanism further has a torsion spring (biasing member) 58 that biases the lock release lever 53 in a direction away from the throttle lever 52. As shown in Fig. 4, one end of this torsion spring 58 is fixed to the lever body 531 of the lock release lever 53, and the other end is fixed to a portion of the lever body 521 of the throttle lever 52 rearward of the rotation center 523. As shown in FIG. 8, when the grip portion 51 is gripped and the lever body 531 of the unlock lever 53 and the rear portion of the lever body 521 of the throttle lever 52 are pressed together, the torsion spring 58 is compressed, urging them in directions separating them from each other.

[0038] In this state, when the pressing force on the rear portion of lever body 521 is released, the biasing force of torsion spring 58 causes the rear portion of lever body 521 to move away from lever body 531, as shown in FIG. With such a rear handle 5, the grip portion 51 can be held in one hand and, for example, the lock release lever 53 can be pushed in with the palm of the hand and the throttle lever 52 can be pulled up with the index finger and middle finger, and the rotation lock lever 55 can be pulled up with the same index finger and middle finger that operate the throttle lever 52. That is, with such rear handle 5, the three levers can be rotated with one hand, providing excellent operability. In addition, the configuration and arrangement of the levers 52 to 53 of the rear handle 5 are designed so that the rotation of the rear handle 5 relative to the device body and the operation of the cutter assembly 6 cannot be performed simultaneously, making the rear handle 5 highly safe.

[0039] It is preferable that the rear handle 5 (handle case 5a, throttle lever 52, lock release lever 53 and rotation lock lever 55), front handle 4 and main body case 31 described above are each made of a relatively hard resin material in order to ensure mechanical strength. Examples of such relatively hard resin materials include ABS resin, AS resin, polyamide (nylon), acrylic resin, polycarbonate, polyethylene terephthalate, etc. These resins may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0040] 3, the rear handle 5 has a handle case 5a and a shock absorbing member 5b provided on the outside of the handle case 5a. As described above with respect to the grip portion 51, the handle case 5a is annular with an opening. The handle case 5a includes a first portion 5a1 extending on the side opposite (rear side) to the cutter assembly 6, and a second portion 5a2 continuing from the first portion 5a1 and curving toward (downward) the rotation center O of the rear handle 5. The first portion 5a1 houses a drive operating mechanism and a displacement prevention mechanism.

[0041] The shock absorbing member 5b covers at least the region of the second portion 5a2 that is farthest from the device body (main body 3) (the region that protrudes most rearward). In this embodiment, the shock absorbing member 5b covers from the rear region of the first portion 5a1 to the region of the second portion 5a2 that is farthest from the device body (main body 3). The shock absorbing member 5b is made of a rubber material such as silicone rubber, urethane rubber, chloroprene rubber, or nitrile rubber. With this configuration, even if the hedge trimmer 1 is accidentally dropped with the cutter assembly 6 facing vertically upwards, the shock absorbing member 5b absorbs the impact from the ground, making the rear handle 5 less likely to be damaged.

[0042] Furthermore, the handle case 5a includes a protrusion 511 that protrudes toward the side opposite (rear side) the device main body (main body 3). The protrusion 511 is formed integrally with the handle case 5a and has a flat surface 511a that is approximately perpendicular to the rotation center O of the rear handle 5. Moreover, the protrusion 511 is disposed adjacent to the shock absorbing member 5b and is passed through by the center of rotation O. By providing such a protrusion 511, after the shock from the ground is absorbed by the shock absorbing member 5b, the protrusion 511 comes into contact with the ground, making it easier to absorb the shock, and damage to the rear handle 5 can be more reliably prevented. The protrusion 511 may be formed separately from the handle case 5a and fixed to the handle case 5a.

[0043] In the hedge trimmer 1 described above, the configuration and arrangement of the levers 52-53 are designed so that the rotation of the rear handle 5 relative to the device body and the operation of the cutter assembly 6 cannot be performed simultaneously, thereby making it very safe. Instead of the electric motor 32, an engine may be used as the power source for the hedge trimmer 1. Furthermore, the pruning part that cuts the target object may be a disk having a pruning blade on its outer periphery, a chainsaw having a continuously moving pruning blade, or the like. Furthermore, it may be provided in the following aspects:

[0044] (1) A handheld driving device comprising: a device body; and a handle; the device body having a pruning part for mowing or cutting an object; the handle being rotatably connected to the device body on the side opposite the pruning part; and a rotation lock mechanism and a drive operation mechanism; the rotation lock mechanism having a rotation lock lever that is displaceable between a rotation preventing position that prevents rotation of the handle relative to the device body by engaging with the device body, and a rotation allowing position that allows rotation of the handle relative to the device body by disengaging from the device body; the drive operation mechanism having a switch that controls the operation of the pruning part, and a throttle lever that is displaceable between a contact position that presses the switch and a non-contact position that is separated from the switch; the throttle lever is configured to contact the rotation lock lever and be maintained in the non-contact position when the rotation lock lever is in the rotation allowing position, and to be allowed to be displaced to the contact position when the rotation lock lever is in the rotation preventing position.

[0045] (2) In the drive device described in (1) above, the rotation lock lever has a claw portion at its end facing the device body, and the device body has a groove portion into which the claw portion is inserted, and the rotation lock mechanism and the device body are configured to engage with each other when the claw portion is inserted into the groove.

[0046] (3) The drive device described in (2) above, wherein the device body has a plurality of the groove portions arranged in an arc shape.

[0047] (4) In the drive device described in any one of (1) to (3) above, the throttle lever has a long lever body and an abutment portion, the lever body is rotatably attached to the handle midway in its longitudinal direction, and the abutment portion is connected to the end of the lever body on the device body side so as to extend from the lever body toward the rotation lock lever and is configured to abut against the rotation lock lever in the rotation allowing position.

[0048] (5) The drive device described above in (4), wherein an abutment surface between the abutment portion and the rotation lock lever is formed so as to be approximately perpendicular to a force applied from the abutment portion to the rotation lock lever.

[0049] (6) In the drive device described in (5) above, the rotation lock lever has a first arm portion having the claw portion and a second arm portion having the abutment surface, and is rotatably attached to the handle at or near the connection portion between the first arm portion and the second arm portion.

[0050] (7) In the drive device described in (6) above, the force applied from the abutment portion to the rotation lock lever is along the longitudinal direction of the second arm portion, and the center of rotation of the rotation lock lever is located in the direction in which the force is applied.

[0051] (8) A drive device according to the above-mentioned (6) or (7), wherein the rotation lock lever further has an operating portion on the opposite side to the first arm portion via the second arm portion, which operates to rotate the rotation lock lever.

[0052] (9) The drive device described in (8) above, wherein the operation unit is connected to a connection portion between the first arm portion and the second arm portion or in the vicinity thereof.

[0053] (10) The drive device described in (9) above is configured such that when the throttle lever is in the contact position and an attempt is made to rotate the rotation lock lever to the rotation allowing position, the second arm abuts against a side surface of the abutment portion of the throttle lever, thereby restricting the rotation.

[0054] (11) A drive device as described in (10) above, wherein the force applied from the second arm portion to the side of the abutment portion is along a direction approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the abutment portion, and the center of rotation of the throttle lever is located in the direction opposite to the direction in which the force is applied.

[0055] (12) In the drive device described in any one of (1) to (11) above, the rotation lock mechanism further has a biasing member configured to bias the rotation lock lever from the rotation allowing position toward the rotation preventing position.

[0056] (13) In the drive device described in any one of (1) to (12) above, the handle further has a displacement prevention mechanism configured to prevent the throttle lever from displacing from the non-contact position to the contact position.

[0057] (14) A driving device according to any one of (1) to (13) above, wherein the handle further has a handle case and an impact absorbing member provided on the outside of the handle case, the handle case including a first portion extending on the side opposite the pruning portion and a second portion continuing from the first portion and curved toward the rotation center of the handle, and the impact absorbing member covers at least the area of ​​the second portion that is farthest from the device body.

[0058] (15) In the drive device described in (14) above, the handle case further includes a convex portion protruding on the side opposite the device main body, and the convex portion has a flat surface that is approximately perpendicular to the center of rotation of the handle. Of course, this is not the case.

[0059] Finally, although various embodiments of the present invention have been described, these are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. The embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] 1: Hedge trimmer 2: Drive operation unit 3: Main unit 30: Support part 31: Main body case 31a:Groove 32: Electric motor 33: Battery mounting section 34: Connection lever 4: Front handle 5: Rear handle 50: Connection part 51: Grip part 5a: Handle case 5a1: First part 5a2: Second part 5b: Shock absorbing material 511: Convex 511a: flat surface 52: Throttle lever 521: Lever body 521a:Aperture 522: Contact part 522a: Contact surface 523: Rotation center 53: Lock release lever 531: Lever body 532: Locking part 532a :Notch 54: Power switch 55: Rotation lock lever 551: First arm 551a: Claw part 552: Second arm 552a: Contact surface 553: Connection 553a: Rotation center 554:Operation unit 56: Drive switch 57: Torsion spring 58: Torsion spring 6: Cutter assembly 61: Lower cutter 611: Long hole 62: Upper cutter 63: Lower cutter support 63a: Front support 63b: Rear support 64: Upper cutter support 7: Cover 100: Battery 101: Button 102: Display section B:Blade part M: Cutter body O: Center of rotation

Claims

1. A handheld drive device, The device comprises a device body and a handle, The device body has a pruning unit that cuts or mows an object, The handle is rotatably connected to the device body on the opposite side to the pruning part, and has a rotation lock mechanism and a drive operation mechanism; the rotation lock mechanism has a rotation lock lever that is displaceable between a rotation prevention position where the rotation of the handle relative to the device body is prevented by engaging with the device body, and a rotation permission position where the rotation of the handle relative to the device body is permitted by releasing the engagement with the device body, The drive operation mechanism includes a switch for controlling the operation of the pruning unit, and a throttle lever that is displaceable between a contact position where the switch is pressed and a non-contact position where the switch is separated from the switch, a drive device configured such that when the rotation lock lever is in the rotation allowing position, the throttle lever contacts the rotation lock lever and is maintained in the non-contact position, and when the rotation lock lever is in the rotation preventing position, the throttle lever is allowed to move to the contact position.

2. 2. The drive device according to claim 1, The rotation lock lever has a claw portion at an end portion thereof on the device body side, the device body has a groove into which the claw is inserted, The drive device is configured so that the rotation lock mechanism and the device body are engaged with each other by inserting the claw portion into the groove portion.

3. 3. The drive device according to claim 2, The drive device, wherein the device body has a plurality of the grooves arranged in an arc shape.

4. 2. The drive device according to claim 1, The throttle lever has a long lever body and a contact portion, The lever body is rotatably attached to the handle at a midpoint in the longitudinal direction thereof, a drive device, wherein the abutment portion is connected to the end of the lever body on the device body side so as to extend from the lever body toward the rotation lock lever, and is configured to abut against the rotation lock lever when it is in the rotation allowing position.

5. 5. The drive device according to claim 4, a contact surface between the contact portion and the rotation lock lever formed so as to be substantially perpendicular to the force applied from the contact portion to the rotation lock lever;

6. 6. The drive device according to claim 5, A drive device in which the rotation lock lever has a first arm portion having a claw portion at the end on the device main body side and a second arm portion having the abutment surface, and is rotatably attached to the handle at or near the connection between the first arm portion and the second arm portion.

7. 7. The drive device according to claim 6, a drive device in which the force applied from the abutment portion to the rotation lock lever is along the longitudinal direction of the second arm portion, and the rotation center of the rotation lock lever is located in the direction in which the force is applied.

8. 7. The drive device according to claim 6, The rotation lock lever further includes an operating portion for rotating the rotation lock lever on the opposite side of the first arm portion with the second arm portion interposed therebetween.

9. 9. The drive device according to claim 8, The operating unit is connected to a connection between the first arm and the second arm or in the vicinity thereof.

10. 10. The drive device according to claim 9, a drive device configured such that when an attempt is made to rotate the rotation lock lever to the rotation allowing position while the throttle lever is in the contact position, the second arm abuts against the side of the abutment portion of the throttle lever, thereby restricting the rotation.

11. 11. The drive device according to claim 10, a drive device in which the force applied from the second arm portion to the side surface of the abutment portion is along a direction approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the abutment portion, and the center of rotation of the throttle lever is located in the direction opposite to the direction in which the force is applied.

12. 2. The drive device according to claim 1, The rotation lock mechanism further includes a biasing member configured to bias the rotation lock lever from the rotation allowing position toward the rotation preventing position.

13. 2. The drive device according to claim 1, The handle further includes a displacement prevention mechanism configured to prevent the throttle lever from being displaced from the non-contact position to the contact position.

14. 2. The drive device according to claim 1, The handle further includes a handle case and a shock absorbing member provided on the outside of the handle case, the handle case includes a first portion extending on the opposite side to the pruning portion, and a second portion continuing from the first portion and curved toward the rotation center of the handle, A drive device, wherein the shock absorbing member covers at least a region of the second portion that is farthest from the device body.

15. 15. The drive device according to claim 14, The handle case further includes a protrusion protruding on the side opposite to the device body, The protrusion has a flat surface that is substantially perpendicular to the center of rotation of the handle.

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