Hedge Trimmer Battery Placement for Balance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hedge trimmers with electric motor drives and energy storage systems face issues with weight distribution, working time, and handling, limiting their use to the hobby sector due to the conventional placement of batteries on the rear or bottom of the housing, which affects balance and safety.
Innovation Solution
The energy store or battery is arranged on the housing primarily in front of the rear handle, allowing for improved weight distribution and balance, with various configurations such as overlapping, symmetrical, or oblique placement relative to the drive motor, and the option for interchangeable batteries with accessible interfaces for easy replacement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the energy store is arranged on the rear or bottom section of the housing, then the device structure is simplified and manufacturing is easier, but the handling and balance of the hedge trimmer deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from traditional rear/bottom battery placement to a lateral placement arrangement, utilizing the side dimension of the housing. This dimensional shift allows the energy store to be positioned in the lateral region between the longitudinal centerline and the transverse outer surface, fundamentally changing the weight distribution geometry and achieving superior balance without complicating the manufacturing process
2Device complexity
If the energy store is arranged on the rear or bottom section of the housing, then the device structure is simplified, but the balance and fatigue-free operation capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent strategically positions the energy store laterally to function as a counterweight that balances the hedge trimmer's overall mass distribution. By placing the heavy battery component in the lateral region rather than at the rear or bottom, the design creates an optimal center of gravity that enables fatigue-free operation, achieving excellent balance while maintaining simple device structure
3Device complexity
If the energy store is arranged on the rear or bottom section of the housing, then the design is conventional and simple, but the working time and energy efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the energy store's position parameters by relocating it from rear/bottom placement to lateral positioning. This parameter change in spatial coordinates improves the efficiency of energy utilization by reducing unnecessary weight moments and energy consumption during operation, thereby extending the working time capability while keeping the device design straightforward
4Power
If a corded design is used to power the hedge trimmer, then continuous power supply is ensured, but safety risks increase due to cable severing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the power source from the external mains supply and integrates an energy store directly into the housing structure. This extraction of the external cable dependency and incorporation of a self-contained battery system eliminates the safety hazard of cable severing while maintaining adequate power supply for hedge trimming operations
Data Source
AI summary
A cutting tool has a housing. A blade bar projects forwards from the housing along a longitudinal axis. An electric drive motor drives the blade bar. At least one battery supplies the drive motor with electrical energy. The blade bar, the drive motor and the battery are mounted on the housing. The cutting tool has a top handle arranged above a center of gravity of the hedge trimmer, and a rear handle arranged behind the hedge-trimmer center of gravity. The battery is arranged on the housing at least mainly in front of the rear handle.