Plant scissors and elastic body for holding cut plants

Abstract

To provide scissors for plants capable of gripping a cut plant without dropping it and recovering it as it is. [Solution] The plant scissors 1 have a first blade 2a and a second blade 2b rotatably connected to each other via a rotating shaft 3, and are equipped with an elastic body mounting member 10 having an elastic body mounting surface perpendicular to the blade surface.By attaching an elastic body 20 for gripping cut plants, which has a plant gripping surface, to the elastic body mounting member 10, the cut plants can be gripped and moved to a container, and collected into the container.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] This invention concerns scissors for plants, such as grass cutting scissors and pruning shears. [Background technology]

[0002] Scissors for cutting plants, such as grass cutters for cutting weeds and pruning shears for pruning tree branches, have been in use for a long time. They have the same basic structure as regular scissors, with a pair of blades stacked so that they cross and connected via a rotating shaft at the crossing point so that they can rotate relative to each other. The blades are opened to place a plant between them, and then the blades are closed to cut the plant.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes scissors with a clamping function in which a pair of scissor blades intersect at a fulcrum and a pair of clamping members intersect at a fulcrum are stacked together, the fulcrums of the scissor blades and the fulcrum of the clamping members are supported on a common spindle, the feet of the scissor blades and the feet of the clamping members on the same side are fixed to corresponding handles, and a spring portion is interposed between the clamping members and the fulcrum. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Registered Utility Model No. 3021578 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Popular shears can easily cut off weeds and excess tree branches. However, the parts of the plant that are cut off from the main body will fall. Therefore, after cutting, it is necessary to gather up the cut leaves and branches. In other words, a two-step process is required: cutting and then collecting. Also, cut plants may have thorns or insects. In these cases, picking them up by hand is unpleasant and can lead to injury or insect bites.

[0006] The scissors with a clamping function in the cited document 1 are described as being able to stably clamp cut flowers and other plants, and can easily cut and harvest even those that are growing far away. However, grass stems and leaves are slippery, and it is difficult to hold them firmly so that they do not fall out. In addition, some weed stems are hard and difficult to cut, and they may not be cut completely in one cutting operation. In this case, if the scissors are still holding the stems that could not be cut, it is impossible to release the scissors from the remaining plant body (the base of the weed or the part where the branches are growing). On the other hand, if the scissors are opened, the stems that could not be cut can be released from the scissors, but the stems and leaves that have already been cut will fall off. In addition, the structure with the spring between the clamping member and the fulcrum is complicated. The force of the spring must be precisely adjusted; if it is too weak, the cut plant cannot be gripped, and if it is too strong, the scissors cannot be closed without applying a large force. Furthermore, even if the spring is properly adjusted at first, the repulsive force of the spring decreases with use. It is not practical to replace or readjust the spring to return it to the proper condition.

[0007] The object of this invention is to provide a pair of scissors for plants that can hold cut plants without dropping them and can retrieve them as they are. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, the plant scissors of this invention have a first blade and a second blade rotatably connected to each other via a rotation shaft, and each of the first blade and the second blade is provided with an elastic body attachment member having an elastic body attachment surface perpendicular to the blade surface. It is preferable that the plate-shaped member constituting the elastic body attachment surface has a fallen object gripping portion perpendicular to the elastic body attachment surface at the tip of the blade tip side. In addition, the plate-like member constituting the elastic body mounting surface may be made of a ferromagnetic material, and a magnet or adhesive tape may be provided on one surface of the elastic body, so that the elastic body is attached to the elastic body mounting surface by the magnetic force of the magnet or the adhesive force of the adhesive tape. The elastic body mounting member may be removably attached to the first blade and the second blade.

[0009] The elastic body for holding cut plants of this invention has an elastic body mounting surface mounting area for joining to the elastic body mounting surface of the elastic body mounting member which is attached to the first blade or the second blade of the plant scissors and has an elastic body mounting surface perpendicular to each blade, and a plant gripping surface for contacting the plant on the opposite side to the elastic body mounting surface mounting area. A magnet or adhesive tape may be provided on the surface that contacts the elastic body mounting surface. Effect of the Invention

[0010] The plant scissors of this invention can hold the cut plant as it is and easily retrieve it, eliminating the need to directly touch the plant from cutting to retrieving it. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the plant scissors in an open state. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the plant scissors in a closed state. [Diagram 3] 11 is a plan view showing an example of an elastic body mounting member. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the scissors body of the plant scissors. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing an example of an elastic body mounting member. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a first example of an elastic body for gripping a plant, seen from the plant gripping surface side. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a second example of an elastic body for gripping a plant, seen from the plant gripping surface side. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a side view showing the plant scissors holding a cut plant. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below. Fig. 1 is a plan view showing the open state of the plant scissors. Plant scissors are scissors for cutting plants, and include, for example, grass-cutting scissors for cutting weeds, pruning scissors for cutting the branches of plants and trees, and pruning scissors for pruning bonsai.

[0013] The scissors body of the plant scissors 1 has a pair of first and second blades 2a and 2b, which overlap and cross near the base of the blades. At this crossing point, a rotating shaft 3, which serves as a support shaft, is provided, and the first and second blades 2a and 2b are connected so that they can rotate with each other. In addition, the first and second blades 2a and 2b are provided with a handle 4 that continues from the base of the blades. This is the basic structure that scissors generally have.

[0014] The first blade 2a and the second blade 2b are provided with an elastic body mounting member 10 having an elastic body mounting surface 11 perpendicular to the blade surface, and an elastic body 20 for holding cut plants (hereinafter, simply referred to as an "elastic body") is mounted on the elastic body mounting surface 11. In the elastic body 20, the plant holding surface 22 opposite to the mounting surface 21 that contacts the elastic body mounting surface 11 is generally along the blade line. When the blade tips are open, the plant holding surfaces 22 of the elastic bodies 20 of the first blade 2a and the second blade 2b are separated from each other. On the other hand, when the blade tips are closed for cutting, the plant holding surfaces 22 of the elastic bodies 20 of the first blade 2a and the second blade 2b are in contact with each other. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the closed state of the plant scissors.

[0015] The elastic body mounting member will now be described. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing an example of the elastic body mounting member. Fig. 4 is a plan view showing a scissors body of plant scissors corresponding to the elastic body mounting member of this example.

[0016] It has a connection part 12 which is connected to the first blade 2a or the second blade 2b of the plant scissors, and an elastic body attachment surface 11 which is perpendicular to each blade when connected.

[0017] The connection part 12 in this example is a strip-shaped member having a predetermined width, and has a plurality of holes 13 formed therein. A strip-shaped plate member 14 is formed vertically along one side of the connection part 12, and the surface of the plate member 14 on the connection part 12 side serves as the elastic body attachment surface 11. In this example, the plate member 14 is longer than the connection part 12 and protrudes toward the blade tip. The plate member 14 is also bent vertically toward the connection part 12 at a position protruding beyond the blade tip, and the bent portion serves as the fallen object gripping part 15. Here, triangular peaks and valleys are repeatedly formed at the tip of the fallen object gripping part 15, forming a sawtooth shape. The tip of the plate-like member 14 may be terminated near the cutting edge without being bent. In this case, the fallen object gripping portion 15 is not formed, but the cutting edge can be inserted into a narrow space for use.

[0018] In the scissors body of this example, the first blade 2a and the second blade 2b each have an extension 5 formed on the opposite side of the blade line. An example of the outer shape of normal plant scissors is shown by the dotted line L, but the scissors body of this example has a shape that spreads outward, and the spread part is the extension 5. A hole 6 is provided in this extension 5. This hole 6 corresponds to the position of the hole 13 of the connection part 12 of the elastic body attachment member 10. In particular, in this example, the width of the first blade 2a and the second blade 2b does not narrow even near the cutting edge, and is generally band-shaped. This allows a sufficiently wide area to be secured for attaching the elastic body attachment member.

[0019] Hole 6 in the scissors body and hole 13 in the elastic body mounting member 10 are both large enough to pass a bolt through. The elastic body mounting member 10 can be attached to the scissors body by aligning hole 6 in the scissors body with hole 13 in the elastic body mounting member 10, passing a bolt through, and attaching a nut. It is preferable to use a hexagonal socket bolt here, as even a small bolt can be tightened with strong force to provide a firm fixation. Due to the formation of extension 5, connecting portion 6 comes into contact with the scissors body over a wide area, and the distance between holes 13 can be set wide, again resulting in a strong connection.

[0020] When the elastic body attachment member 10 is attached to the scissors main body in this way, the elastic body attachment surface 11 becomes approximately parallel to the blade line, and the tips of the plant gripping surfaces 22 of the first blade 2a and the second blade 2b are butted against each other. The distance between the elastic body attachment surface 11 and the blade line corresponds to the width of the elastic body 20.

[0021] This elastic body mounting member 10 may be made by integral molding of plastic, or may be formed by bending a metal plate. In particular, if a ferromagnetic material such as a steel plate or stainless steel plate is used, the elastic body mounting surface 11 can be made ferromagnetic to which a magnet can easily adhere. Even if it is made of plastic, it can be made ferromagnetic by attaching a steel plate or stainless steel plate to the elastic body mounting surface 11.

[0022] The elastic body mounting member 10 in this example is fixed to the scissors body by bolts, so it is easy to remove.

[0023] Next, the plant-holding elastic body will be described. The material of the plant-holding elastic body 20 is an elastic body that can be deformed significantly in order to hold a plant. It does not have to be a special material specific to the application of this invention only, and many flexible materials that can be deformed to follow the shape of the plant to be held can be used. For example, rubber is suitable, and rod-shaped rubber with a certain thickness, hollow rubber used in rubber hoses, etc. are suitable. These are easily available and inexpensive.

[0024] Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the plant gripping surface side of a first example of the plant gripping elastic body, and Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the plant gripping elastic body from the mounting surface side. It is a rubber cylinder having a hollow part. One side of the cylindrical outer surface is the mounting area 21 that contacts the elastic body mounting surface 11, and the opposite side is the plant gripping surface 22. The elastic body 20 has a length that covers the entire blade line of the scissors, that is, most of the range from the base of the blade to the tip of the blade. In addition, the distance between the mounting area 21 that contacts the elastic body mounting surface 11 and the plant gripping surface 22, that is, the outer diameter of the elastic body 20, is enough to grip the plant to be cut in one cut, but a distance of 20 mm is suitable for many plant scissors.

[0025] The attachment region 21 is provided with a fixing member 23 for fixing to the elastic body attachment surface 11. This elastic body, with the fixing member 23 provided, can be provided as a consumable item for use in plant scissors.

[0026] As a fixing member, for example, an adhesive tape as shown in Fig. 7(a) can be attached to the attachment area 21. Before use, a protective tape is attached on top of this adhesive tape, and when the protective tape is removed, the adhesive surface appears, allowing the elastic body 20 to be attached to the elastic body attachment surface 11. Adhesive tape is cheap and simple. For example, a double-sided tape can be cut to the length of the attachment surface 21 and attached.

[0027] The adhesive tape has sufficient adhesive strength due to its adhesiveness, so it is unlikely to come off during use and can be removed relatively easily when replacing it.

[0028] When the plate-like member 14 constituting the elastic body mounting surface 11 is made of a ferromagnetic material, a magnet can be provided as a fixing member in the mounting area 21. For example, a magnetic rubber sheet can be attached as shown in FIG. 7b. Magnetic rubber sheets with an adhesive surface are also widely available, and can be easily attached by cutting them out. Alternatively, a small, powerful magnet such as a neodymium magnet can be attached as shown in FIG. 7c.

[0029] By using a magnet as the fixing member, the elastic body 20 can be easily attached to and detached from the elastic body attachment surface 11.

[0030] 8 is a perspective view of a second example of an elastic body for gripping a plant, seen from the plant gripping surface side. In this example, the elastic body 20 is not hollow, but is a rod-shaped rubber. The attachment region 21 is wide, and is approximately the same width as the elastic body attachment surface 21. On the other hand, the width is narrower at the plant gripping surface 22, and the cross section of this rod-shaped member is an isosceles trapezoid with the attachment region 21 as the longer side. This allows the attachment region 21 to be widened to provide a strong bond, while the portion in contact with the plant is more easily deformed.

[0031] We will now explain how to cut plants using the plant scissors of this invention. The elastic body attachment member 10 is attached to the first blade 2a and the second blade 2b, and the elastic body 20 is attached to the elastic body attachment surface 11. At this time, the tip of the plant gripping surface 22 of the elastic body 20 is roughly parallel to the blade line.

[0032] Then, the elastic body 20 is directed toward the tip of the plant to be cut, and the plant is cut. When cutting grass growing on the ground, the elastic body 20 is directed upwards, and when cutting tree branches, the elastic body 20 is directed toward the tip of the branch to be cut. The handle 4 is operated to open the first blade 2a and the second blade 2b, a plant is placed between them, and the first blade 2a and the second blade 2b are closed to cut the plant. At this time, the elastic bodies 20 of the first blade 2a and the second blade 2b also approach each other. The cut plant is held by the elastic body 20 and does not fall. Figure 9 is a side view showing the plant scissors holding the cut plant. The surface of the elastic body has a large friction coefficient, so it firmly holds the cut plant x. In addition, the elastic body is flexibly deformed, so it can hold the cut plant regardless of the amount or shape.

[0033] The plant is held and moved to a plant collection container such as a bag or basket, and when the first blade 2a and the second blade 2b are opened, the elastic bodies 20 separate and the plant that was held falls and is collected in the container. With conventional plant scissors, the plant is cut and then the fallen plant is raked up and collected, which is a two-step process that takes time. In addition, the task of collecting the scattered plants is troublesome and some plants are left behind. With this invention, the plant can be cut and collected at the same time by simply closing and opening the first blade 2a and the second blade 2b, which is a normal scissors action.

[0034] Some plants have thorns or are sharp like thatch leaves that can hurt your hands. There are also insects attached to them, so you may be stung. Even if there are no insects on the plants, people who dislike insects avoid touching them because they think there may be insects. With the plant scissors of this invention, you can work safely, since you can cut and collect the plants without touching them with your hands.

[0035] In this example, the plate-like member 14 constituting the elastic body mounting surface 11 has a fallen object gripping portion 15 at the tip of the blade side, which is perpendicular to the elastic body mounting surface 11. The pair of fallen object gripping portions 15 move away from and towards each other as the first blade 2a and the second blade 2b open and close. If any plant falls and cannot be collected during cutting and collection, the plant can be collected by gripping it with the fallen object gripping portion 15 and releasing it on a collection container. In this case, there is no need to touch the fallen plant with your hands, and there is also no need to bring out other tools such as fire tongs. The tip is saw-shaped, making it easy to grip even small pieces of plant.

[0036] Even if there is some inaccuracy in the attachment position of the elastic body mounting member 10 or in the shape and dimensions of the elastic body, the elastic body 20 can flexibly deform and absorb the error. Also, if some of the plant cannot be completely cut, the first blade 2a and the second blade 2b can be moved toward the tip of the plant while still closed. The remaining plant will slip out from between the elastic bodies 20, while the cut plant will continue to be held in place.

[0037] The above description is based on an example in which the elastic body mounting member 10 is detachably attached. However, the elastic body mounting member 10 may be fixed integrally to the scissors body. In ordinary plant scissors, the first blade 2a and the second blade 2b are narrow in width, and it may be difficult to detachably attach the elastic body mounting member 10 without interfering with the opening and closing operation. Therefore, the elastic body mounting member 10 may be fixed near the outer parts of the first blade 2a and the second blade 2b by welding or a strong adhesive. If they are integrated by welding or the like, they can be firmly fixed even at small connection parts. This allows ordinary plant scissors that are usually available on the market to be used as the scissors body, and the plant scissors of this invention can be realized by simple processing. [Explanation of symbols]

[0038] 1. Plant scissors 2a.1st blade 2b.Second blade 3. Rotating shaft (support shaft) 4. Pattern 5.Extension part 6. Holes 10. Elastic body mounting member 11. Elastic body mounting surface 12. Connections 13. Hole 15.Falling object gripping part 20. Elastic body for grasping plants (elastic body) 21. Mounting area 22. Plant gripping surface x.Plants

Claims

1. The plant scissors have a first blade and a second blade rotatably connected to each other via a rotating shaft, and each of the first blade and the second blade is provided with an elastic body mounting member having an elastic body mounting surface perpendicular to the blade surface.

2. 2. The plant scissors according to claim 1, wherein the plate-like member constituting the elastic body mounting surface is provided with a fallen object gripping portion at a tip portion on the cutting edge side, the fallen object gripping portion being perpendicular to the elastic body mounting surface.

3. 2. Plant scissors as described in claim 1, wherein the plate-like member constituting the elastic body mounting surface is made of a ferromagnetic material, a magnet or adhesive tape is provided on one surface of the elastic body, and the elastic body is attached to the elastic body mounting surface by the magnetic force of the magnet or the adhesive force of the adhesive tape.

4. 4. The plant scissors according to claim 1, wherein an elastic body mounting member is detachably attached to the first blade and the second blade.

5. The elastic body for gripping cut plants has an attachment area for joining the elastic body attachment surface of an elastic body attachment member which is attached to the first blade or the second blade of the plant scissors and has an elastic body attachment surface perpendicular to each blade, and a plant gripping surface on the opposite side of the attachment area for contacting the plant.

6. 6. The elastic body for holding cut plants according to claim 5, further comprising a magnet or an adhesive tape on a surface in contact with the elastic body attachment area.

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