Trimmer blade

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to trimmer blades.

2. General Background

Many vegetation trimmers have blades made of hard plastic or metal instead of string or line. Traditional trimmer blades have been unable to propel the cut vegetation away from the blade and the user. Instead, traditional blades have tended to propel the weeds, grass, and other cut vegetation up towards the user, rather than directly away. Thus, there is a need for a trimmer head that generally propels the cut vegetation away from the blade and the user, thereby reducing the amount of debris that strikes the user.

The present invention is a trimmer blade, comprising a blade with a housing, wherein the housing forms a perpendicular wall at the interface between the blade and the housing. This flat wall generally propels the cut vegetation away from the trimmer blade and the user. A ridge may also be placed on the housing to further enhance the blade's ability to distribute the cut vegetation away from the blade.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a blade assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of a blade assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a left side view of a blade assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a top view of a blade assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a right side view of a blade assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a front view of a blade assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a back view of a blade assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a cross-section taken along lines 8 - 8 of FIG. 2 .

FIG. 9 is a cross-section taken along lines 9 - 9 of FIG. 2

The present invention is a blade assembly comprising (1) a blade, (2) a housing, and (3) a substantially perpendicular wall in the housing at the housing's interface with the blade. The blade assembly also optionally contains a ridge with a perpendicular surface on the housing, and may contain a bore for attachment to a trimmer head.

The blade assembly 10 of the present invention has a blade 12 for cutting vegetation. See FIGS. 1-6 , 7 - 9 . The blade 12 may be serrated, as shown in the embodiment depicted in the figures. It also may be non-serrated. As shown in FIGS. 7 , 8 , and 9 , in one embodiment the blade 12 extends through the entire blade assembly 10 .

The blade 12 may be made of metal, ceramic, plastic, or any other suitable material.

The housing 14 covers some but not all of the blade 12 . In one embodiment, the housing 14 is molded around the blade 12 . The housing may be made of plastic, or other suitable materials, including ceramics, metals, etc. In one embodiment, as shown in the attached figures, the blade is separate from the housing, and the housing is molded around the blade. In another embodiment, the housing and the blade may be integrated into a single unit.

A perpendicular wall 16 is placed at the interface between the blade 12 and the housing 14 , as shown best in FIG. 1 . This wall forms a substantially 90-degree angle with the blade 12 . When the cut vegetation hits this perpendicular wall 16 , it is propelled directly away from the blade assembly 10 . By providing a perpendicular rather than sloped wall between the blade 12 and the housing 14 , the trimmer blade of the present invention maximizes the ability of the blade assembly to propel cut vegetation away from the user, for the same reason that a 1-iron in golf can drive the ball farther than a 7-iron. If the wall were sloped, it would not have the same ability to maximize the propulsion of the cut vegetation away from the user.

A ridge 18 may be provided in the housing 14 . The ridge 18 may have a perpendicular surface similar to the wall 16 , for propelling cut vegetation away from the blade. See FIGS. 1 and 5 .

To attach the blade to a trimmer head, a bore 20 may be provided. See FIGS. 1 , 2 , 4 .

In operation, the blade assembly 10 of the present invention would be installed on a trimmer head, and then used in the ordinary fashion. As the blade 12 cuts the vegetation, the cut vegetation then bounces off the perpendicular wall 16 and also off the optional ridge 18 . The blade 12 serves the entire cutting function, and the perpendicular wall 16 and plastic housing 14 serve no cutting function.

One skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention can be practiced by other than the preferred embodiments, which are presented for purposes of illustration and not of limitation.