Hedge Trimmer Head Wire Storage and Feed Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional hedge trimmer heads with cutting wire reels are bulky and require laborious manual intervention for wire replacement, with the reel often becoming twisted, inhibiting wire exit and necessitating disassembly for new wire installation.
Innovation Solution
A head design featuring a cylindrical or discoidal casing with movable presser elements and semi-shells that compress and securely hold a spiral cutting wire, allowing for easy replacement and reduced dimensions, with options for manual or automatic wire reintegration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a reel of cutting wire is loaded into the head, then the wire can be replaced by unwinding from the reel, but the head dimensions become substantial and cannot be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamic wire feeding mechanism where the wire is stored in a compact coil within the head and fed out through a guide channel. The wire can be automatically advanced or manually replenished without requiring a large reel structure, thus maintaining small head dimensions while enabling continuous wire supply for operation
Solution Approach 2:
The wire storage and feeding system is designed to utilize three-dimensional space efficiently within the compact head structure. The wire coil is arranged in a space-saving configuration, and the feeding path is routed through internal channels, allowing adequate wire storage capacity without increasing external head dimensions
2Ease of operation
If a reel of cutting wire is loaded into the head, then wire replacement is possible, but the reel becomes twisted inhibiting subsequent wire exit
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the wire from a traditional reel structure and implements a direct wire feed system where the wire is guided from a compact storage coil through a straight channel to the cutting point. This eliminates the twisting problem inherent in reel-based systems by providing a clear, unobstructed wire path that maintains reliable wire exit during operation
Solution Approach 2:
A wire guide channel or tensioning mechanism acts as an intermediary between the wire storage and the cutting point, ensuring smooth wire feed and preventing twisting. This intermediary component maintains proper wire tension and alignment, enabling reliable wire exit without the complications of reel-based systems
3Ease of operation
If the head is disassembled to insert a chunk of cutting wire, then wire replacement is possible, but laborious manual intervention is required every time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a pre-loaded wire supply mechanism where a sufficient length of cutting wire is pre-coiled and stored within the head structure. This preliminary preparation allows the wire to be automatically fed or easily replenished during operation without requiring frequent disassembly and manual wire insertion, significantly reducing wire replacement time
Solution Approach 2:
The wire feeding system is designed to automatically advance the wire from the storage coil to the cutting point through a guide channel, eliminating the need for manual wire insertion. The system serves itself by maintaining continuous wire supply through automatic feeding mechanisms or simple manual replenishment of wire rolls, reducing operational intervention requirements
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design enhances practicality and reduces dimensions by enabling efficient wire storage and replacement without disassembly, preventing wire twist and unwinding issues, and allowing for automatic wire reintegration in the 'tap-and-go' embodiment.
Implementation Method 1
the centrifugal force generated by the strong rotation of the head confers cutting properties
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
Head for hedge trimmer comprising an external casing (2, 102) having an axis of rotation (X) and equipped with at least one lateral exit hole (4, 104) for a cutting wire (F), the external casing (2, 102) internally having a seating for the storage of a part of the cutting wire (F) so that an end portion (E) of the wire (F) exits from the casing (2, 102) through a lateral hole (4, 104). The head (1, 101) comprises, within the seating, a pair of presser discs (5, 6, 105, 106) facing each other and defining between them an annular shaped housing (7, 107) to contain said part of the cutting wire (F), the presser elements (5, 6, 106, 106) being movable towards each other along said axis of rotation (X) for compressing between them the part of the cutting wire (F) stored between them.