Handle for a work apparatus having a drive motor

Abstract

A handle for a work apparatus has an actuation member for controlling the rpm of a drive motor of the work apparatus. The actuation member is mounted in the handle and has a pressure surface for the fingers of a user hand. In an initial position, the actuation member protrudes with its pressure surface beyond the grip surface of the handle and, in a position for continuous operation of the motor, has dipped into the grip surface so that the pressure surface of the actuation member lies at the level of the grip surface. A recess extends in the longitudinal direction of the handle and is formed in the grip surface. The recess overlaps the pressure surface of the actuation member so that the actuation member is displaced into the handle via the recess to a boost position whereat the pressure surface lies within the grip surface.

Claims

1. A handle for a work apparatus having a drive motor, the handle defining a longitudinal direction and comprising: a handle body having a grip surface for a user of the work apparatus; an actuation member for controlling a rotational speed of said drive motor; said actuation member being mounted in said handle body and having a pressure surface for actuation via a finger of the user; said actuation member having an initial position whereat said actuation member with said pressure surface projects outwardly beyond said grip surface; said actuation member being movable so as to dip into said grip surface of said handle body to assume an operating position whereat said drive motor runs continuously and whereat said pressure surface of said actuation member lies at a slightly protruding elevation in relation to said grip surface of said handle body; said grip surface having a recess formed therein in a region of said actuation member with said recess extending in said longitudinal direction of said handle; said actuation member being displaceable beyond said operating position to a boost position; said recess at least partially overlapping said pressure surface of said actuation member so as to cause said actuation member to be displaced into said handle body when assuming said boost position in said recess; and, said pressure surface of said actuation member lying within said grip surface when said actuation member is in said boost position.

2. The handle of claim 1, wherein said recess has a length (L) which extends in said longitudinal direction of said handle; and, said length (L) of said recess is shorter than said pressure surface when viewed in said longitudinal direction.

3. The handle of claim 2, wherein said pressure surface of said actuation member has a length (D) extending in the longitudinal direction of said handle; and, said recess lies within said length (D) of said actuation member.

4. The handle of claim 1, wherein said actuation member has first and second side surfaces extending in said longitudinal direction of said handle and said first and second side surfaces are configured to delimit said pressure surface; and, said recess in said grip surface is configured on both of said side surfaces of said actuation member.

5. The handle of claim 2, wherein said length (L) of said recess lies in a range of 10 mm to 50 mm.

6. The handle of claim 5, wherein said length (L) of said recess lies in a range of 15 mm to 30 mm.

7. The handle of claim 1, further comprising a spring operatively connected to said actuation member so as to cause said actuation member to be displaceable against the force of said spring.

8. The handle of claim 7, wherein said spring is configured so as to require a higher force to be overcome when displacing said actuation member from said operating position into said boost position.

9. The handle of claim 8, wherein said spring is configured to define a resilient intermediate stop determining said operating position for the continuous operation of said drive motor.

10. The handle of claim 1, further comprising a boost stop corresponding to said boost position to delimit the travel path of said actuation member.

11. The handle of claim 1, wherein said actuation member is a pivot lever.

12. A handle for a work apparatus having a drive motor, the handle defining a longitudinal direction and comprising: a handle housing, a top side of which forms a grip surface of the handle for a user of the work apparatus; an actuation member for controlling a rotational speed of said drive motor; said actuation member being mounted in said handle housing and having a pressure surface for actuation via a finger of the user; said actuation member having an initial position whereat said actuation member projects with its pressure surface beyond said grip surface; said actuation member being movable so as to dip into said grip surface of said handle housing to assume an operating position whereat said drive motor runs continuously and whereat said pressure surface of said actuation member lies at a same level as said grip surface of said handle housing; said handle housing having a recess formed in said grip surface in a region of said actuation member with said recess extending in said longitudinal direction of said handle; said actuation member being displaceable beyond said operating position to a boost position; said recess at least partially overlapping said pressure surface of said actuation member so as to cause said actuation member to be displaced into said handle housing beyond the operating position for continuous operation in a boost position in said recess; and, said pressure surface of said actuation member lying within said grip surface of said handle housing when said actuation member is in said boost position.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention will now be described with reference to the drawings wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a side view of a work apparatus with a drive motor using the example of a blower;

(3) FIG. 2 shows an enlarged illustration of the handle with an actuation member according to detail II in FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 shows an illustration of the pressed actuation member in the handle in a maximum, regular operating position for continuous operation;

(5) FIG. 4 shows a section along the handle in the maximum, regular operating position according to FIG. 3;

(6) FIG. 5 shows an illustration of the handle according to FIG. 3 with an actuation member which lies in the boost position; and,

(7) FIG. 6 shows a diagram illustrating the rotational speed (rpm) of the drive motor and the operating force of the actuation member depending on the switching position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

(8) The work apparatus 1 which is shown in FIG. 1 is a blower with a drive motor 2 which is indicated using dashed lines. The work apparatus 1 has an upper handle 3 which is fixed at its back end 4 and at its front end 5 on the top side of the housing 6 of the work apparatus 1. A fan wheel, which is driven by the drive motor 2, draws air in the direction of the arrow 7 through a protective grille and expels it at the opening 8 of the blower tube 9. The work apparatus 1 (the blower in the embodiment shown) is an electrically operated work apparatus 1, that is, has an electric drive motor 2. A rechargeable battery pack which supplies the electric drive motor 2 with power can be pushed into the housing 6. The rechargeable battery pack can also be carried on the belt of a user or can be provided as a rechargeable battery pack which is carried on the back. A connection cable then leads from the rechargeable battery pack to the work apparatus.

(9) An actuation member 10 is mounted as a switching lever in the handle 3 in order to control the rotational speed of the electric drive motor 2. In the embodiment which is shown, the actuation member 10 lies close to the front end 5 and, in the embodiment, is mounted as a pivoting lever in the handle 3 (FIG. 4). The actuation member 10 can also be arranged in the handle in some other way, for example, by being displaceable via a slotted guide.

(10) The actuation member 10 can be coupled to a potentiometer (not shown in greater detail), the output signal of which is fed to a controller for metering the electric power to the drive motor 2. The adjustment of the potentiometer by way of the actuation member takes place counter to the force of a spring. The spring acts in such a way that the actuation member is returned into its initial position.

(11) Furthermore, a selection switch 11 for electrically setting fan stages is mounted in the region of the front end 5 of the handle 3. In each selected fan stage, a rotational speed increase with a different rise is implemented by the pivoting travel of the actuation member 10.

(12) The actuation member 10, which is shown on an enlarged scale in FIGS. 2 to 5, has a pressure surface 12, on which the fingers 13 of a user's hand (not shown in greater detail) come to rest. In FIGS. 2 to 5, in each case the index finger 13a, the middle finger 13b, the ring finger 13c and the pinky finger 13d are indicated as circles of different diameter. As FIG. 3, in particular, shows, the pressure surface 12 is actuated substantially by the index finger 13a and the middle finger 13b. Here, the user's hand grips around the handle housing 14 of the handle 3, the top side of which forms an envelope curve 15. The envelope curve 15 at the same time forms the grip surface 16, namely, that section of the grip surface 16 of the handle which lies so as to face the housing 6 being of significance, in particular, within the context of the invention.

(13) The actuation member 10, which is configured as a switching lever, lies within a frame which is formed by the handle 3, its ends 4 and 5 and the housing 6 of the work apparatus 1. The actuation member 10 extends in the longitudinal direction of the handle 3, the handle 3 lying such that it is oriented in the direction of the longitudinal center axis 17 of the work apparatus 1. The actuation member 10 which is configured as a switching lever is shown, in particular, in a side view in FIG. 4.

(14) In the non-actuated state, the actuation member 10 lies in an initial position 20, as shown in FIG. 2. In the initial position 20, the rotational speed of an electric drive motor 2 is “zero”; the drive motor 2 is at standstill. In the initial position 20, the pressure surface 12 of the actuation member 10 lies outside the envelope curve 15; the pressure surface 12 protrudes beyond the grip surface 16.

(15) In a regular operating position 21 of the actuation member 10 for continuous operation of the drive motor 2, the actuation member 10 is moved via the pressure surface 12 by the fingers 13a and 13b of the actuation hand of a user into the handle housing 14 of the handle 3, as FIG. 3 shows. The actuation member 10 has dipped through a receiving opening 18 (FIG. 4) of the handle 3 in such a way that the pressure surface 12 of the actuation member 10 lies at a level H together with the grip surface 16 of the handle 3 (FIG. 3). In the operating position which is actuated by the fingers 13 of a user's hand, the pressure surface 12 is loaded with force substantially by the index finger 13a and the middle finger 13b.

(16) The maximum position of the regular operating position 21 for continuous operation of the drive motor 2 is reproduced in a sectional illustration in FIG. 4. The actuation member 10 is mounted in the region of the front end 5 of the handle 3 such that it can be pivoted about a pivot axis 19; a return spring (not shown in greater detail), which acts on the pivotable actuation member 10, exerts a returning force on the actuation member 10, in order to return it into its initial position 20 in the rotational direction 24. The profile of the operating force of the actuation lever is reproduced as a force curve 40 in FIG. 6. The actuation member 10 therefore has to be adjusted counter to the force of a return spring.

(17) A spring 23 (a leaf spring in the embodiment), which is arranged at the free end 22 of the actuation member 10, has a formed step 26 at its free end 25. A cam 27 of the actuation member 10 bears against the step 26 when the actuation member 10 is pivoted counter to the rotational direction 24 into its maximum, regular operating position 21 for continuous operation. This contact of the cam 27 with the step 26 of the spring 23 is shown as a force peak 41 in the force curve 40. When the cam 27 comes into contact with the step 26, the user senses the increased actuation force (force peak 41) and can thus determine that he/she has reached the regular, maximum operating position 21 of the actuation member 10 for continuous operation.

(18) The maximum, regular operating position 21 is configured electrically in such a way that an operating time of the work apparatus 1, which is as long as possible, is achieved by way of a connected rechargeable battery pack. Here, the configuration is selected in such a way that sufficiently high performance is provided which is required for regular work. For maximum performance of the work apparatus 1, the actuation member is assigned a boost position 33 as will be explained in greater detail hereinafter.

(19) As shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 5, a recess 30, which extends in the longitudinal direction 28 of the handle 3, is formed in the grip surface 16 of the handle 3 in the region of the actuation member 10. A recess 30 expediently lies in the grip surface 16 of the handle 3 on both longitudinal sides 29 of the actuation member 10, with the result that the recess extends transversely with respect to the longitudinal direction 28 of the handle 3.

(20) It is sufficient in principle if the recess 30 at least partially overlaps the pressure surface 12 of the actuation member 10 in such a way that the actuation member 10 can be displaced further into the handle 3 in a boost position 33 by way, for example, of a finger 13a of the user's hand via the recess 30. The actuation member 10 can therefore be pivoted beyond the maximum operating position for continuous operation into the boost position 33, in which the pressure surface 12 of the actuation member 10 lies within the envelope curve 15 of the handle 3, that is, within the grip surface 16 of the handle 3. This is shown in FIG. 5. The user can pivot the actuation member 10 into the boost position 33 by way of engagement, for example, of the index finger 13a into the recess 30; in the boost position 33, the rotational speed of the drive motor 2 is increased significantly, for example is increased by up to 30% with respect to the rotational speed in the maximum, regular operating position 21 for continuous operation (FIG. 3). FIG. 6 shows the corresponding rotational speed curve 50.

(21) In the embodiment which is shown, the recess 30 has a length L (FIG. 2), which is measured in the longitudinal direction 28 of the handle 3 and is less than the length D, extending in the same direction of the pressure surface 12 of the actuation member 10. Furthermore, the arrangement in the longitudinal direction 28 of the handle 3 is provided in such a way that the recess 30 lies within the length D, extending in the longitudinal direction 28 of the handle 3, of the pressure surface 12 of the actuation member 10. Here, the arrangement is selected in such a way that the recess 30 is formed in the grip surface 16 of the handle 3 on both side faces 29 of the actuation member 10, the two side faces 29 of the actuation member 10 which extend parallel to the longitudinal direction 28 of the handle delimiting the pressure surface 12 laterally.

(22) The length L of the recess 30 which extends in the longitudinal direction 28 corresponds at least to the thickness of a finger 13 of a typical user's hand. It is provided structurally that the recess has a length L of from 10 mm to 50 mm in such a way that a large number of users can displace the actuation member 10 via the recess 30 into the boost position 33 by way of the user's hand or one or two fingers 13 of the user's hand. The length L can be provided in such a way that only one finger (for example, the index finger 13a) can trigger the boost position 33 of the actuation member 10, to which end a length of from 15 mm to 30 mm is advantageous. It can be practical to extend the length to up to 50 mm, in order that two fingers of the user can dip into the recess 30 at the same time, in order to adjust the actuation member 10 into the boost position 33.

(23) The transition from the maximum operating position 21 for continuous operation according to FIGS. 3 and 4 into the boost position 33 according to FIG. 5 can be achieved only by overcoming an increased spring force. FIG. 6 shows this clearly. The rotational speed increases by up to 30% only after the force peak is overcome.

(24) In order to achieve a defined end position of the actuation member 10 in the boost position 33, a boost stop 31 is provided within the handle housing 14. The boost stop 31 fixes the end of the adjustment travel of the actuation member 10.

(25) It is understood that the foregoing description is that of the preferred embodiments of the invention and that various changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.