Bamboo Bear Hand

Abstract

To provide a bamboo rake having superior durability. [Solution] A bamboo rake with a rake head 20 attached to one end of a handle 10, the rake head having multiple claws 31 arranged to form a fan shape that widens towards the tip, each claw having a node 33 which is a thick section derived from bamboo midway along its length, the nodes of each claw arranged in a circumferential row, a first engagement string 50 that engages the multiple claws with each other, and one of the multiple nodes, a tip-side node 33b, located on the tip side, is positioned close to the base end of the first engagement string.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to a bamboo rake used for outdoor cleaning, etc. [Background technology]

[0002] The bamboo rake is a tool that is widely used for tasks such as raking fallen leaves (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-201618 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] By the way, bamboo rakes are tools that are often used under load, such as when raking. These loads can cause breakage or malfunction.

[0005] The present invention was made in consideration of these problems, and aims to provide a bamboo rake that is more durable. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In this invention, we focused on the characteristic structure of bamboo rakes, which is their elasticity or flexibility, and carried out development and research from the perspective of improving durability without compromising the elasticity of the feel. Because it is thought that achieving both elasticity and durability is not necessarily easy. We also found that the resilience and durability of bamboo rakes is likely related to, for example, the stability and uniformity of the strength of the entire rake head. Furthermore, for example, the claws that make up the head of the rake have nodes along the way, and there is a difference in strength between the position of the node and the rest of the rake. We have found that a configuration in which the nodes of the claws that make up the head of the rake are arranged in a circumferential direction is not only superior in appearance design, but is also highly likely to contribute to stabilizing and equalizing the overall strength. The inventor of this invention, while respecting the structure of conventional bamboo rakes that realize the current elasticity and durability, has conducted extensive research into ways to improve the durability of bamboo rakes, including the considerations mentioned above. As a result, he has discovered unique insights into improving durability, such as the importance of the placement of the engaging strings that engage the multiple fan-shaped claws with each other, and the importance of stabilizing the position of the engaging strings, which has led to the creation of this invention.

[0007] The present invention is a bamboo rake with a rake head attached to one end of a handle, the rake head having a plurality of claws arranged to form a fan shape that widens toward the tip, each claw having a hook at its tip that curves toward the back of the fan shape, each claw having a thick section derived from bamboo midway along its length, the claws being arranged in a circumferential row and extending circumferentially across the plurality of claws arranged to form the fan shape, at least one or more engagement strings used to engage the plurality of claws, one of which, a first engagement string, is arranged distal to the midpoint of the length of the claws, forming a node arrangement section where the majority of the plurality of nodes are located, and at least one tip-side node arranged distal to the node located at the node arrangement section, at least one of the tip-side node being arranged in a position close to the base end of the first engagement string.

[0008] With this configuration, the position of the engaging string can be made more stable without compromising the conventional configuration, and a configuration that contributes to improved durability can be realized.

[0009] The distal end side knot located at a position close to the proximal end side of the first engagement string is a most distal end side knot located at a position closest to the distal end side.

[0010] In addition, the rake head attached to one end of the handle has a plurality of split bamboos arranged to form a fan shape that widens toward the tip, and each split bamboo has a plurality of claws formed by longitudinal notches made at its tip, and the multiple claws formed by the notches are united at the base end of the split bamboo and extend in a state that widens toward the tip, and the expansion width at the position of the node of the multiple claws that are united at the base end of each split bamboo is wider than the width of the base end of the split bamboo, and the longitudinal arrangement width of the node arrangement portion is less than twice the length of the expansion width.

[0011] The first engagement cord includes a plurality of cord materials, including a first cord material arranged in a serpentine state that passes through the front and back sides of a plurality of claws arranged in a fan shape, and a second cord material arranged in a serpentine state that passes through the front and back sides of the plurality of claws in the opposite phase to the first cord material, and an intervening portion formed by the first cord material and the second cord material arranged in a serpentine state abutting and / or crossing is arranged at a position between the adjacent claws, and at least one of the intervening portions has a winding portion where one of the first cord material and the second cord material abuts in a wound state around the other cord material.

[0012] Furthermore, a second engagement string, which is a different engagement string from the first engagement string, is positioned closer to the base end of the handle than the midpoint of the longitudinal direction of the claw, the node arrangement portion is positioned between the first engagement string and the second engagement string, the node portion of the claw positioned in the center of the multiple claws arranged to form a fan shape is the node portion positioned at the most tip end position and is also the most distal node portion positioned in a position close to the base end of the first engagement string, the nodes other than the most distal node portion are positioned in the node arrangement portion, the intervening portion positioned between the claw having the most distal node portion and the claw having the node portion positioned in the node arrangement portion includes the winding portion, and the handle, which is made of bamboo, has a through hole formed in a node along the way. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] In the bamboo rake of this invention, the position of the engaging string is more stable, and a structure is realized that contributes to improved durability without compromising the stability and uniformity of conventional strength. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing the entire bamboo rake of the present embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an enlarged front view schematically showing the rake head of the bamboo rake shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] 3 is an enlarged perspective view showing a schematic view of an interposed portion of a first engagement string, which is a main part of the rake head portion shown in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view showing a schematic view of the first engagement string and the tip-side claws arranged in the vicinity thereof, which are essential parts of the rake head shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 5] 5 is an enlarged perspective view schematically showing a first string material of another embodiment in which the arrangement of the string material is different from the first engagement string shown in FIG. 4. FIG. [Figure 6] 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view schematically showing a longitudinal section of a portion of the handle of the bamboo rake shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Explanation of symbols]

[0015] 1...bamboo rake, 10...handle, 11...node (partition node), 11a...through hole (ventilation structure / ventilation path), 12...Hollow part, 20...Rake head, 30...Split bamboo, 31, 31a, 31b...Claw, 32...Hook part, 33...node portion (convex node), 33a...node portion of node arrangement portion, 33b...tip side joint portion (the most distal side joint portion, the support joint portion of the first engaging string 50), 33W...node arrangement part (node ​​arrangement zone), 34...straight part of the claw (rod-shaped part), 40... claw holding portion (claw base end side holding portion), 41... horizontal bar, 42... fastening string (fastening material), 50...first engagement string, 50B...intervening part, 50R...winding part, 50T...winding structure, 51...first string material, 52...second string material, 60...second engagement string, 60B...intervening part, 61...first string material, 62...second string material, D1...radial direction (longitudinal direction of the claw, radial direction), D2...front and back direction, D3...circumferential direction, S1...Inner arc of placement width, S2...Outer arc of placement width, W1...expansion width of split bamboo 30, W2...width of the base end of split bamboo 30 (base end width), W3...Layout width of node layout section 33W. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] Next, a bamboo rake according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. It should be noted that publicly known components of the bamboo rake may be omitted in the following description.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 1, the bamboo rake 1 has a handle 10 and a rake head 20 attached to the tip side (one end side) of the handle 10, which is the lower side in FIG.

[0018] The handle 10 is a bamboo rod having nodes (partition nodes) 11 formed inside and hollow portions 12 (see FIG. 6) formed between adjacent nodes 11. Each hollow section 12 communicates with the outside world via a through-hole (ventilation structure / ventilation path) 11a (see FIG. 6) formed in a joint 11 midway through the handle 10. If through-holes 11a are formed in all of the joints 11, or in all of the remaining joints 11 except for at least one joint 11, all of the hollow sections 12 can be made to communicate with the outside world.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1, the rake head 20 is generally fan-shaped and is fixed to the tip end of the handle 10 at the position of the main part on the base end side of the fan shape.

[0020] The rake head 20 has a plurality of claws 31 arranged radially to form a fan-like shape that widens toward the tip, a claw holding portion (claw base end holding portion) 40 formed using cross bars 41 arranged on the base end side of the plurality of claws 31, and engaging strings (string-like materials) 50, 60 arranged in a state that engages the plurality of claws 31 with each other.

[0021] More specifically, each claw 31 is an elongated member formed by making a cut from the tip side of a strip-shaped split bamboo 30. The claw 31 of the bamboo rake 1 in this embodiment is a three-part split claw (claw) 31 formed by making two longitudinal cuts (multiple cuts) from the tip side of the split bamboo, and the three-part split claw 31 is integrated at its base end (the base end of the split bamboo 30). As shown in Figure 1, the splitting claws 31, 31, 31 of each split bamboo 30 extend in a manner that widens toward the tip, and the expanded width W1 (see Figure 4) at the position of the node portion 33a of the node arrangement portion 33W of the claw 31 described below is wider than the width (base end width) W2 (see Figure 2) of the base end of the split bamboo 30.

[0022] In other words, the bamboo rake 1 has a plurality of split bamboos 30 that extend radially from the base end of the rake head 20 to the tip end, forming a fan-like shape that widens at the end, and has a plurality of claws 31 made up of three split claws 31, 31, 31 formed on each split bamboo 30 and extending in a widening manner at the end.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 3, each claw 31 has a hook portion 32 formed at its tip and a joint portion (protruding joint) 33 disposed midway along the hook portion.

[0024] The hook portion 32 is a portion curved toward the back side of the fan-shaped rake head 20, and is formed by a well-known bending process using heat.

[0025] The node 33 is a thick portion derived from a bamboo node and located midway along the elongated claw 31 extending in the radial direction (longitudinal direction of the claw, radial direction) D1, and is located on the front side of the fan-shaped rake head 20. The nodes 33 of each claw 31 are arranged in a circumferential direction D3 of the fan shape that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction D1 and the front-to-back direction D2 of the claw.

[0026] The node portion 33 is thicker than the other portions of the claw 31, and is relatively less susceptible to deformation than the straight rod-shaped portion 34 of the claw 31. In other words, the node portion 33 is less susceptible to warping deformation in the front-to-back direction D2 (see FIG. 1 ) and the circumferential direction D3, and less susceptible to twisting deformation, compared to the other portions of the straight rod-shaped portion 34 of the claw 31. A configuration in which multiple nodes 33 having such characteristics are arranged in a row in the circumferential direction D3 contributes to equalizing and stabilizing the deformation performance in the front-to-back direction D2 and the circumferential direction D3 at the intermediate position (midway position) when viewed from the entire fan-shaped rake head 20, and can be said to be a configuration that contributes to stabilizing and equalizing the strength of the rake head 20. Bamboo, which is the material of the bamboo rake 1, is usually a natural plant (a natural plant), and there are individual differences, and there is variation in the spacing between nodes (node ​​positions) and the shape of the nodes. Therefore, the positions of the nodes 33 of each claw 31 arranged in the circumferential direction D3 may be arranged in a state where there is some variation in the radial direction (longitudinal direction) D1 of the claw 31, but the nodes 33 are arranged in the circumferential direction within a certain arrangement range in the radial direction (longitudinal direction) D1. In the following description, the certain arrangement range in which the majority (e.g., the majority) of the nodes 33a are arranged in the circumferential direction D3 is referred to as a node arrangement portion 33W (see FIG. 2).

[0027] As shown in FIG. 2, the joint arrangement portion (joint arrangement zone) 33W is arranged between a first engagement string 50 and a second engagement string 60, which will be described later. As will be described later, the first engaging string 50 and the second engaging string 60 engage the multiple claws 31 together, and are configured to provide strength, i.e., durability, to the rake head 20. As described above, the nodes 33a arranged in the node arrangement section 33W in the circumferential direction D3 also contribute to stabilizing and equalizing the strength of the rake head 20. The configuration in which the components that are important from the viewpoint of strength and durability are allocated and arranged in three locations (the second engaging string 60, the node portion 33a of the node arrangement portion 33W, and the first engaging string 50) from the base end to the tip end of the rake head 20 contributes to stabilizing and equalizing the strength of the entire rake head.

[0028] The arrangement width W3 (Figure 4) in the radial direction (longitudinal direction of the claw) D1 of the node arrangement portion 33W is preferably less than twice the length of the expansion width W1 at the position of the node portion 33 of the split claw of the three-split bamboo described above, and more preferably less than the same length as the expansion width W1. The claws 31 of the rake head 20 are formed by dividing a split bamboo 30 into multiple pieces, and the nodes 33 of the claws 31 belonging to at least the same split bamboo 30 are arranged side by side in the circumferential direction D3. Therefore, if the positions of adjacent nodes 33 are far enough apart to exceed this expansion width W1, the stability and uniformity of the strength of the rake head 20 may be reduced or impaired. The actual arrangement width W3 of the node arrangement portion 33W is the distance in the radial direction D1 between an inner circular arc S1 (see FIG. 4) in the circumferential direction D3 that passes through the position of the node 33a that is located furthest from the base end among the nodes 33a that belong to the node arrangement portion 33W (the highest peak position on the surface of the node 33a), and an outer circular arc S2 in the circumferential direction that passes through the position of the node 33a that is located furthest from the tip end among the nodes 33a that belong to the node arrangement portion 33W (the highest peak position on the surface of the node 33a). The shorter this arrangement width W3 is, the greater its contribution to stabilizing and equalizing the strength of the rake head 20. 4 is a schematic diagram of a portion of the rake head 20 of this embodiment, in which the nodes 33a of the node arrangement portion 33W are aligned in a row in the circumferential direction, with no variation in their positions in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, in order to clearly indicate the predetermined arrangement width W3, the positions of the inner arc S1 and the outer arc S2 in the circumferential direction D3 are shown as convenient positions.

[0029] As shown in Figure 4, the bamboo rake 1 of this embodiment is configured to have at least one tip-side node 33b located closer to the tip than the node 33a of the node arrangement section 33W. In other words, most of the nodes 33a of the rake head 20 are located in the node arrangement section 33W, and some of the nodes 33b are tip-side nodes 33b located closer to the tip in the longitudinal direction D1 than the nodes 33a of the node arrangement section 33W. Furthermore, all of the nodes 33a except for one tip-side node 33b are located in the node arrangement section 33W. When there are a plurality of distal node portions at different positions, the distal node located furthest from the plurality of distal node portions is referred to as the most distal node. In this embodiment, the only tip node 33b is the node 33b of the claw 31 belonging to the central split bamboo 30, so the node 33b of the claw 31 belonging to this central split bamboo 30 is also the tip node.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 4, the distal joint 33b is disposed at a position close to the proximal end of a first engagement cord 50, which will be described later. The position where the tip-side node 33b and the first engagement string 50 are close to each other is, for example, the position where the tip-side node 33b, which is a node that is raised and thicker than the surface of the straight portion 34 of the claw 31, comes into contact with the first engagement string 50. Also, when the distance between the tip-side node 33b and the first engagement string 50 is equal to or less than the node dimension in the longitudinal direction D1 of the tip-side node 33b and / or the maximum cord width dimension in the longitudinal direction D1 of the first engagement string 50, the two 33b and 50 are also close to each other.

[0031] When the distal node 33b is disposed at a position close to the base end side of the first engagement string 50, displacement of the first engagement string 50 in the radial direction D1 is prevented, and the position of the first engagement string 50 is stabilized. When the position of the first engagement string 50 in the radial direction D1 is stabilized, the strength of the rake head 20 is maintained in a stable and uniform state, and the durability of the rake head 20 is improved.

[0032] Furthermore, when focusing on the viewpoint of stabilizing the position of the first engaging cord 50 without impairing the configuration of the conventional rake head 20 that contributes to stabilizing and equalizing the strength of the conventional rake head 20, the tip side node 33b (referred to as the support node 33b of the first engaging cord 50 in the next paragraph) located in the vicinity of the base end of the first engaging cord 50 is preferably arranged and configured as follows.

[0033] The number of support nodes (tip side nodes) 33b is preferably less than half of the total, and it is preferable that at least one support node 33b is provided.More preferably, the support node 33b is the most distal side node. Furthermore, it is preferable that the support nodes 33b are arranged symmetrically with respect to the circumferential direction (lateral direction) D3. Furthermore, it is more preferable that the node of the central claw 31 is the support node 33b. Furthermore, it is preferable that the nodes of the claws 31 at both ends of the plurality of claws 31 arranged in a fan shape are nodes (nodes of the node arrangement portion) that are not support nodes. When there are multiple support nodes, it is preferable that the number of nodes in the node arrangement section located in the section between the outermost support nodes on both sides of the circumferential direction D3 is less than the number of nodes in the node arrangement section located outside the outermost support node. When there are a plurality of support nodes, it is preferable that all of the support nodes are arranged adjacent to each other. In addition, the bamboo rake 1 of this embodiment has a total of 33 claws (total number of nodes) (11 split bamboos) (an odd number), the number of support nodes 33b is 3, the central node is a support node 33b, and the configuration with the three support nodes 33b arranged in the center is symmetrical.

[0034] As shown in Figure 2, the claw holding portion (claw base end side holding portion) 40 includes a cross bar 41 arranged at a position near the base end of the multiple claws 31 arranged in a fan shape, and a string-like fastening string (fastening material) 42 used to fasten the cross bar 41 and the claws 31. The horizontal crosspieces 41 are composed of horizontal crosspiece pieces arranged on the front and back sides of the fan-shaped claws 31 in the front-to-back direction D2, and are arranged so that the front and back horizontal crosspieces sandwich all of the claws 31. The horizontal crosspieces 41 are connected to and fixed to the tip of the handle 20 while extending in the horizontal direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the handle 10. The fastening string 42 is a string material that is wound around the plurality of claws 31 and the horizontal bar 41 so as to fix them to each other, thereby fastening the entire plurality of claws 31 and the horizontal bar 41 together. The configuration in which the entire plurality of claws 31 are fastened to the horizontal bar 41 in this manner contributes to stabilizing and equalizing the holding and fixing of the entire plurality of claws 31 at the base end position. The above-described holding structure is a well-known structure, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 2, the rake head 20 is provided with a first engagement string 50 and a second engagement string 60 as engagement strings. The engaging strings 50, 60 can be made of conventional string materials such as a string material mainly made of plastically deformable wire or a string material made of various fibers, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

[0036] The first engagement string 50 and the second engagement string 60 are both arranged to extend in the circumferential direction D3 across the plurality of claws 31 arranged to form a fan shape. The first engagement string 50 is disposed closer to the tip side than the middle position of the claw 31 in the longitudinal direction D1. The second engagement string 60 is positioned closer to the base end than the midpoint of the longitudinal direction D1 of the claw 31, closer to the handle 10, and is also positioned closer to the base end than the midpoint between the connecting position of the cross bar 41 and the handle 10 and the tip position of the claw 31. As described above, the joint arrangement portion 33W is arranged between the first engagement string 50 and the second engagement string 60.

[0037] As shown in Figure 4, the second engagement string 60 is composed of a first string material 61 arranged in a serpentine pattern passing through the front and back sides of multiple claws 31 arranged in a fan shape, and a second string material 62 arranged in a serpentine pattern passing through the front and back sides of multiple claws 31 in the opposite phase to the first string material 61. The strings 61, 62 arranged in a serpentine manner cross each other at a position between adjacently arranged claws 31. More specifically, when the crossing position is visually recognized in the longitudinal direction D1 of the claws 31, the strings cross each other, and when the crossing position is visually recognized in the front-to-back direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction D1, the strings 61, 62 cross each other and are in contact with each other at the crossing position. In other words, the second engagement string 60 has an intersection of both string materials 61, 62 at a position between adjacent claws 31. It can be said that the second engagement string 60 made up of both string materials 61, 62 is arranged to surround each claw 31. This intersection can also be referred to as an intervening portion 60B that ensures the spacing between adjacent claws 31. The intervening portion 60B is formed by the second string material 60 arranged in a serpentine state abutting and / or crossing. Note that the second engagement string has a well-known configuration, so a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0038] 4, the first engagement cord 50 is basically arranged between a plurality of claws 31 arranged in a fan shape, similar to the second engagement cord 60, and has an intervening portion 50B formed by an intersection portion. The intervening portion 50B is formed by abutting and / or intersecting the first cord material 51 and the second cord material 52 arranged in a serpentine state. In other words, the first engagement string 50 has an intervening portion 50B that ensures that adjacent claws 31 are spaced apart from each other, and the first engagement string 50, which is made up of both string materials 51, 52, is arranged to surround each claw 31.

[0039] Similar to the second engagement string 60, the first engagement string 50 generally comprises a first string material 51 arranged in a serpentine pattern passing through the front and back sides of a plurality of claws 31 arranged in a fan shape, and a second string material 52 arranged in a serpentine pattern passing through the front and back sides of the plurality of claws in the opposite phase to the first string material 51. The strings 51, 52 arranged in a serpentine manner intersect at a position between adjacent claws 31. When the intersecting position is visually recognized in the longitudinal direction D1 of the claw 31, the strings 51, 52 intersect, and when the intersecting position is visually recognized in the front-to-back direction D2 perpendicular to the longitudinal direction D1, the strings 51, 52 intersect and are in contact with each other at the intersecting position.

[0040] As shown in Figure 3, the first engagement string 50 is configured to have multiple intervening portions 50B formed between adjacent claws 31, and at least one of the multiple intervening portions 50B has an intervening portion 50B that includes a winding portion 50R.

[0041] More specifically, the first engagement string 50 has an intervening portion 50B that is arranged so that one (the other) string material 51 advances from the front side of one of the adjacent claws 31a, 31b (shown only in Figure 3) toward the intervening portion 50B, abuts and intersects with the other (the other) string material 52 at the position of the intervening portion 50B, and is then wrapped around the other string material 52 and advances toward the back side of the other claw 31b. The intervening portion 50B in which both string materials 51, 52 are arranged in this manner has a wound portion 50R in which one (the other) string material 51 is wound around and abuts on the other (one) string material 51. The winding angle of one string material 51 in the intervening portion 50B (the winding angle of the outer periphery of the other string material 52 at the portion where one string material 51 and the other string material 52 abut on each other) is approximately 360 degrees, as shown in FIG.

[0042] Here, the interposed portion 50B having a wound portion refers to the interposed portion 50B having the aforementioned winding angle (number of turns) of 60 degrees or more. The winding angle is preferably 150 degrees or more, more preferably 180 degrees or more, even more preferably 270 degrees or more, and particularly preferably 360 degrees or more. The winding angle is preferably 720 degrees or less, more preferably 540 degrees or less, and even more preferably 450 degrees or less. In a configuration in which both cord materials 51, 52 are twisted evenly, the outer circumferential length (diameter × π) t of one of the cord materials can be regarded as the length corresponding to the longitudinal contact length of both cord materials when the winding angle is 360 degrees, and the actual longitudinal contact length of both cord materials divided by the aforementioned outer circumferential length t can be regarded as the actual number of turns, and the calculated number of turns (deemed number of turns) multiplied by 360 can be used as the winding angle.

[0043] For example, an intervening portion 50B arranged such that one (the other) string material 51 advances from the back side of one of the adjacent claws 31 toward the intervening portion 50B, abuts against and intersects with the other (the other) string material 52 at the position of the intervening portion 50B, and is then wound around the other string material 52 by a winding angle of 50 degrees or more (corresponding contact length) before advancing toward the back side of the other claw 31 can be said to be an intervening portion 50B having a winding portion 50R.

[0044] Furthermore, the number and placement of the intervening parts 50B is preferably one or more, and they are preferably placed between the claws 31 belonging to different split bamboos 30 (between the split bamboos 30). In the case of the bamboo rake 1 of this embodiment, the number of split bamboos is 11, so the number of intervening parts is preferably 10 (10 locations), which is the number of split bamboos minus 1. If the number of intervening parts is less than the number of split bamboos minus 1, they are preferably placed symmetrically and at equal intervals. In this embodiment, intervening portions 50B are formed at all positions between the claws 31 (split bamboos 30) belonging to different split bamboos 30 (see FIG. 3).

[0045] The first engagement string 50 engages the multiple claws 31 arranged in a fan shape with each other, functions as a force transmission medium between adjacent claws, and has the function of interlocking all of the multiple claws 31. The first engagement string 50 also has an intervening portion 50B arranged between adjacent claws 31, which ensures that the claws 31 are spaced apart from each other (see FIG. 3). Therefore, even if a large load is applied to some of the claws 31 of the rake head 20 when using the bamboo rake 1, the multiple claws 31, which are spaced apart from one another, will all deform in unison and work together to accommodate the large load, allowing the bamboo rake 1 to be used while maintaining a comfortable feel. In other words, the structure using the first engaging string 50 allows the elasticity and flexibility of the rake head 20 to be utilized, and can be said to be a structure with a certain degree of durability.

[0046] However, in the case of a conventional first engagement string in which the intervening portion between the claws 31 does not have a winding portion 50R (see Figure 3) and is composed only of an intersection, the first engagement string is likely to move due to the lateral movement (circumferential direction D3) of the claws 31 under load or deformation or movement in the front-to-back direction D2, and the intersection position of the two string materials 51, 52 that make up the first engagement string is likely to shift laterally. Therefore, for example, even if the amount of lateral shift at the position of each claw 31 is small, if the lateral shift at the position of each claw 31 accumulates and concentrates at the position of one or more specific claws 31, the surrounding diameter of the structure surrounding the claws by both string materials 51, 52 will become large, and the actual engagement between the claw 31 and the first engagement string will be released, which may result in the engagement not functioning. In this state, if we focus on the first engagement string, the first engagement string is prone to shifting position in the radial direction D1, and if we focus on the claw 31, the contact resistance with the first engagement string is eliminated (reduced), making the claw 31 prone to twisting.

[0047] In this regard, in the bamboo rake 1 of this embodiment, part of the intervening portion 50B of the first engaging string 50 is the intervening portion 50B having the winding portion 50R (see Figure 3), and this winding portion 50R is configured to stop lateral shift movement at the intersection position of the two string materials 51, 52 (in other words, it serves as a separator of the lateral shift section), thereby suppressing lateral shift and limiting the accumulation upper limit of the amount of lateral shift to a small value. When the accumulation of lateral misalignment is suppressed, the expansion of the diameter of the claw surrounded by both string materials 51, 52 is also suppressed, preventing a state in which the engagement between the claw 31 and the first engaging string 50 is essentially released, and preventing a state in which the first engaging string 50 is prone to misalignment in the radial direction D1 or twisting deformation of the claw 31.

[0048] In other words, all of the claws 31 of the rake head 20 are engaged with the first engaging string 50 in a state where they exhibit elasticity and flexibility, and the intervening portion 50B including the wound portion 50R (see FIG. 3) is provided as part of the intervening portion 50B, so lateral movement of the intersection position of the two strings 51, 52 is suppressed, and ultimately, positional displacement in the radial direction D1 of the first engaging string 50 and twisting of the claws 31 are suppressed. These suppressions lead to the prevention of damage to the claws 31 and improved durability. In other words, according to the bamboo rake 1 of this embodiment, the durability of the rake head 20 can be improved without impairing the elasticity and flexibility of the rake head 20.

[0049] The intervening portion 50B (see FIG. 3) with the winding portion 50R is configured to ensure a wider separation distance between the claws 31 compared to an intervening portion that does not have a winding portion 50B and is simply an intersection. For this reason, the position of the intervening portion 50B with the winding portion 50R is preferably between claws 31 that belong to different split bamboos 30 at the base end (claws that belong to different split bamboos 30) rather than between claws 31 that are united at the base end. Furthermore, it is preferable that the intervening portion 50B between the claw 31 with the most distal node 33b and the claw 31 with the node 33a located in the node arrangement portion 33W is an intervening portion 50B with the winding portion 50R.

[0050] Furthermore, the distal end knot 33b disposed in the vicinity of the base end of the first engagement string 50 serves as a configuration for preventing displacement of the first engagement string 50 in the radial direction (longitudinal direction of the claws 31) D1. The configuration of the first engagement string 50 shown in FIG. 5 is configured to further improve the function of preventing positional deviation by the distal joint portion 33b. Specifically, the first engagement string 50 shown in Figure 5 is arranged in a state in which at least one of the two string materials 51, 52 has a winding structure 50T in which it is wound around at least one of the claws 31 having the tip side node portion 33b by one or more turns (one turn). This configuration further improves the reliability of the function of preventing the first engagement string 50 from moving toward the base end in the radial direction D1 by the tip-side node 33b arranged close to the base end of the first engagement string 50.

[0051] Regarding the manufacturing procedure for the bamboo rake 1, conventional manufacturing methods can be used for the basic configuration, and the parts relating to the configuration unique to the bamboo rake 1 of this embodiment can be manufactured based on the contents of the previous disclosure, so explanations will be omitted.

[0052] Next, how to use the bamboo rake 1 of this embodiment will be described. The bamboo rake 1 is used, for example, to rake up fallen leaves over a wide area on the road, or to remove and drop branches and leaves that remain caught on trees after pruning.

[0053] When the rake head 20 is pulled along the ground in the longitudinal direction D1 of the handle 10 with the hook portion 32 in contact with the ground to rake up fallen leaves, the reaction force received by the hook portion 32 from the ground acts on each of the fan-shaped claws 31 in a direction that reduces the fan shape (in other words, narrows the width of the tip of the fan-shaped rake head 20). The state in which the fan shape is deflated is a state in which the first engagement string 50 is more likely to be displaced in the radial direction (longitudinal direction of the claw) D1. Furthermore, when the fan shape is deflated and an action is performed that has a component of rotating the rake head 20 around the base end of the bamboo rake 1 (the part the worker holds), a lateral (circumferential) reaction force D3 from the ground acts on the curved tip end of the hook portion 32, causing the tip end of the hook portion 32 to tip over (a state in which the angle of inclination to the ground becomes smaller). The force that causes the hook portion 32 to tip over acts as a force that twists the claws. Furthermore, the work of pruning trees and removing branches and leaves that have been cut and remain on the tree is usually done with the tip of the handle 10 to which the rake head 20 is attached facing upward. In this state, the position of the first engaging string 50 is likely to shift toward the base end of the rake head 20 in the radial direction D1.

[0054] In this way, when the bamboo rake 1 is in use, it is not uncommon for the rake head 20 to be subjected to a force that deforms it into a state that makes it easy for the first engaging string 50 to become misaligned, and it is not uncommon for the bamboo rake 1 to be used continuously in a state that makes it easy for the first engaging string 50 to become misaligned, and furthermore, it is not uncommon for a force to be applied in a twisting direction to the claws 31 of the rake head 20.

[0055] In this regard, the rake head 20 of the bamboo rake 1 of this embodiment is arranged so that the tip-side claw (the most distal claw) 33b is positioned close to the base end of the first engaging string 50, and at least one intervening portion 50B having a wound portion 50R is arranged as the intervening portion 50B of the first engaging string 50. In other words, the rake head 20 is configured to suppress deformation that would cause the first engaging string 50 to easily become misaligned. Therefore, even if various forces as described in the previous paragraph are applied, or the bamboo rake 1 is oriented in a direction that makes it easy for the first engaging string 50 to shift out of position, the first engaging string 50 will remain in a state of being prevented from shifting out of position, and even if a force that twists the claws 31 of the rake head 20 is applied, the twisting of the claws 31 will be kept in a state of being prevented, thereby improving the durability of the bamboo rake head 20 without compromising the elasticity and flexibility that the bamboo rake 1 has traditionally had.

[0056] As explained above, the configuration of the bamboo rake 1 of this embodiment does not impair the characteristic feel of use, which is stable and uniformly elastic based on the conventional configuration, and moreover, it is possible to maintain the attachment state of the first engagement string 50 in a more stable state. A configuration that more stably maintains the position of the first engagement string 50 contributes to stabilizing and equalizing the strength of the rake head 20, and contributes to improving the durability of the rake head 20 and, ultimately, the bamboo rake 1.

Claims

1. It is a bamboo rake with a rake head attached to one end of the handle. The rake head has a plurality of claws arranged to form a fan shape that widens toward the tip, Each claw has a hook portion at its tip that curves toward the back side of the fan shape, Each of the claws has a node portion, which is a thick portion derived from bamboo, in the middle in the longitudinal direction, The nodes of the claws are arranged in a circumferential direction, at least one engaging string is disposed in a state of extending in a circumferential direction across the plurality of claws that are disposed to form a fan shape, and is used for engaging the plurality of claws with each other; a first engagement string, which is one of the engagement strings, is disposed closer to the tip end than the intermediate position in the longitudinal direction of the claw; a node arrangement section in which a majority of the plurality of node sections are located, and at least one tip-side node section is located on the tip side of the node sections located in the node arrangement section; At least one of the distal node portions is positioned in proximity to the proximal end of the first engagement string.

2. The bamboo rake according to claim 1, wherein the tip-side node located in a position close to the base end of the first engagement string is a most distal-end node located at a position closest to the tip.

3. The rake head attached to one end of the handle has a plurality of split bamboos arranged to form a fan shape that widens toward the tip, Each split bamboo has a plurality of claws formed by longitudinal notches formed on its tip side, The plurality of claws formed by the incisions are integral at the base end of the split bamboo and extend in a divergent manner toward the tip end, The expansion width at the node position of the plurality of claws that are united at the base end of each split bamboo is wider than the width of the base end of the split bamboo, The bamboo rake according to claim 2, wherein the longitudinal width of the joint arrangement portion is equal to or less than twice the expanded width.

4. The first engagement string includes a plurality of string materials, including a first string material arranged in a serpentine state passing through the front and back sides of a plurality of claws arranged in a fan shape, and a second string material arranged in a serpentine state passing through the front and back sides of the plurality of claws in an opposite phase to the first string material, an intervening portion formed by the first cord material and the second cord material arranged in a meandering state contacting and / or crossing each other is arranged at a position between the adjacently arranged claws, A bamboo rake as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein at least one of the interposed portions has a winding portion in which one of the first and second cord materials is wound around and abuts the other cord material.

5. a second engagement string that is different from the first engagement string is disposed closer to the base end of the pawl than a middle position in the longitudinal direction of the pawl, The joint arrangement portion is arranged between the first engagement string and the second engagement string, the node portion of the claw located in the center of the plurality of claws arranged to form a fan shape is the node portion located at the most distal end position and is also the most distal node portion located at a position close to the base end side of the first engagement cord, the nodes other than the most distal node are located in the node arrangement section, the interposition portion located between the claw having the most distal node portion and the claw having the node portion located in the node arrangement portion includes the winding portion, 5. The bamboo rake according to claim 4, wherein the handle made of bamboo has through holes formed at joints midway along the handle.

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