HOOK AND CARRIER ARRANGEMENT

Abstract

A hook for fastening a hand-held working apparatus to a belt arrangement (10) has an open frame (46) with an access opening (23) and a closure member (22). The closure member (22) at least partly closes the access opening (23) in a rest position (32) of the closure member (22). The closure member (22) can be swiveled from the rest position (32) to a first open position (33) and to a second open position (34), so that a hand-held working apparatus which is arranged on the belt arrangement (10) can in a simple manner be both fastened to the belt arrangement and detached therefrom. A carrier arrangement with a hand-held working apparatus, a belt arrangement (10) and a fastening device (50) for fastening the working apparatus to the belt arrangement (10) comprises a hook (9) and an element to be engaged in the hook (9).

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS

The right of foreign priority is claimed under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) based on Federal Republic of Germany Application No. 10 2007 048 104.9, filed Oct. 6, 2007, the entire contents of which, including the specification, drawings, claims and abstract, are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a hook of the type specified in the preamble of claim 1 and to a carrier arrangement of the type specified in the preamble of claim 15.

A brush cutter, to which a carrier belt can be fastened by means of a snap hook, is known from DE 35 36 676 A1. Snap hooks of this type conventionally have a spring-loaded closure member which can be swiveled inward into the receiving opening of the hook counter to the force of the spring. Toward the outside of the hook, the closure member is conventionally secured in a form-fitting manner.

In order to detach a working apparatus from a carrier arrangement of this type, the closure member of the snap hook must be swiveled by hand and the hook then disengaged from the opening. This operation is comparatively awkward. As the operator must use one hand to open the snap hook, only one hand is available for holding the working apparatus, so that the entire weight of the working apparatus must be accommodated using one hand.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is based on the object of providing a hook for fastening a hand-held working apparatus to a belt arrangement, which hook allows simple securing of the working apparatus to the belt arrangement and simple detachment of the working apparatus from the belt arrangement. A further object of the invention is to specify a carrier arrangement allowing simple fastening and detachment of a working apparatus to and from a belt arrangement.

With regard to the hook, this object is achieved by a hook having the features of claim 1.

With regard to the carrier arrangement, the object is achieved by a carrier arrangement having the features of claim 15.

In order to achieve simple securing and simple detachment of the working apparatus to and from the belt arrangement, provision is made for the closure member to close the access opening in a rest position lying between end positions, and for the closure member to be swivelable from the advantageously central rest position to a first and to a second open position as the end position. In this case, advantageously one open position is associated with the fastening process and a second open position is associated with the detachment of the working apparatus from the belt arrangement. The two open positions or end positions can as a result be adapted to the movement of the working apparatus during engagement or during detachment, thus allowing the closure member to be swiveled into the respective open position by way of the working apparatus itself. Swiveling of the closure member by hand may thus be dispensed with. This simplifies the operation. The operator has both hands available for holding and moving the working apparatus.

Advantageously, the first open position is reached by swiveling the closure member from the preferably central rest position in a first swiveling direction and the second open position is reached by swiveling from the preferably central rest position in a second swiveling direction which is in the opposite direction to the first swiveling direction. Accordingly, the closure member can be swiveled from the central rest position in two opposing swiveling directions. In this case, provision is made for the closure member to be swiveled in one swiveling direction toward the frame of the hook and in the other swiveling direction away from the frame of the hook. For fastening and detaching the working apparatus to and from the hook, two swiveling directions standing transversely to each other can however also be provided.

Advantageously, the closure member is held resiliently in the rest position. A simple configuration is obtained if the closure member is held in the rest position by way of its inherent elasticity. An additional spring element may thus be dispensed with. This produces a simple and robust construction.

Provision is made for the hook to have a free end delimiting the access opening and for the closure member to be, in the rest position, at a spacing from the free end of the hook. The spacing is in this case advantageously smaller than the diameter of an element to be engaged in the hook, so that the closure member prevents accidental disengagement of the engaged element. At the same time, the spacing allows unimpeded swiveling of the closure member in both directions. A mechanical stop, which defines a position of the closure member, may as a result be dispensed with. This allows wear to be minimized, and the service life of the hook is extended.

A simple configuration of the closure member is achieved if the closure member has a first leg and a second leg, the two legs running on opposing sides of the frame of the hook and being joined together by a connecting portion. Advantageously, the first leg is mounted on a first swivel bearing and the second leg is mounted on a second swivel bearing on the frame, the swivel axes of the two swivel bearings being at a spacing from each other. As a result of the fact that the two interconnected legs rotate about different swivel axes, a stable rest position can be achieved. During swiveling of the connecting member from the rest position, the legs and the connecting portion are deformed owing to the mutually set-apart swivel axes. This ensures that the closure member swivels owing to its inherent elasticity back into the rest position as soon as the element to be engaged has passed the access opening.

In order to achieve the same forces in both swiveling directions, provision is made for the two swivel axes to lie, in the rest position of the closure member, in a plane with the connecting portion. Advantageously, the legs of the closure member run, between the respective swivel bearing and the connecting portion, straight and in the plane spanned by the swivel axes. A simple configuration is obtained if the closure member is configured as a wire hoop. The wire hoop can be manufactured in a simple manner. As a result of the fact that the rest position is defined by the orientation of the two swivel bearings, no precise tolerances must be adhered to in the manufacture of the hoop. A robust, simply constructed system is obtained.

Provision is made for the hook to have a space for receiving an element to be suspended in the hook. The spacing, measured in the direction of a height of the access opening, from a roof of the receiving space to the free end of the hook corresponds in this case advantageously to at least 80% of the height of the access opening. Advantageously, the spacing from the roof to the free end of the hook corresponds at least to the height of the access opening. In the conventional working position of the working apparatus, the element suspended in the hook can as a result be arranged in the region of the receiving space that adjoins the roof. This region is delimited by the free end of the hook, so that in the normal working position no forces act on the connecting member. The connecting member accordingly acts merely as a securing means. The forces conventionally acting in operation are absorbed by the frame of the hook.

For a carrier arrangement with a hand-held working apparatus, a belt arrangement and a fastening device for fastening the working apparatus to the belt arrangement, the fastening device having a hook and an element to be engaged with the hook, the hook comprising an open space with an access opening and a closure member, and the closure member at least partly closing the access opening in at least one position of the closure member, provision is made for the position in which the closure member at least partly closes the access opening to be preferably a central rest position and for the closure member to be swivelable from the central rest position to a first open position and to a second open position.

In order to ensure that in the conventional working position no forces act on the closure member and all occurring forces are absorbed by the frame of the hook, provision is made for the access opening of the hook to be arranged on the side of the hook that is remote from a tool of the working apparatus. Both when holding the tool close to the ground and when holding the tool roughly at the level of the user's shoulder, the weight of the working apparatus is accommodated by the frame of the hook and not by the closure member. Advantageously, the hook is upwardly closed in the normal working position of the working apparatus. Provision is made for the hook to be arranged on the working apparatus and for the element to be engaged in the hook to be arranged on the belt arrangement.

Further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description of preferred embodiments that follows, when considered together with the accompanying figures of drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

An exemplary embodiment of the invention will be described hereinafter with reference to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a carrier arrangement for a brush cutter.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a grip housing of the brush cutter with the hook arranged thereon.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the hook.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the hook from FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the hook from FIG. 4 in the direction of arrow V in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a side view of the closure member of the hook from FIGS. 3 to 5.

FIG. 7 is a side view of the hook with the closure member in a first open position.

FIG. 8 is a side view of the hook with the closure member in a second open position.

FIG. 9 is a side view of the hook schematically illustrating the closure member in all three positions.

FIG. 10 is a side view onto the hook from FIG. 9 from the rear side in FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a schematic view of a carrier arrangement for harvesting equipment such as an olive shaker.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The carrier arrangement shown in FIG. 1 comprises a belt arrangement 10, a fastening device 50 and a brush cutter 1. Instead of the brush cutter 1, the belt arrangement 10 can also be used for a different hand-held working apparatus, for example for a tree trimmer, harvesting equipment such as for example an olive shaker or the like. The brush cutter 1 comprises a guide tube 2, arranged on one end of which is a motor housing 3 and on the opposing end a thread mower head 4. From the thread mower head 4 protrudes a mower thread 6 which forms the tool of the brush cutter 1. The orbit of the mower thread 6 is covered by a guard 5 on the side facing an operator 16. A drive motor (not shown), which can for example be a two-stroke motor or an oil-in-gasoline-lubricated four-stroke motor, is arranged in the motor housing 3. The drive motor can however also be an electric motor. The drive motor drives a drive shaft which is rotatably mounted in the guide tube 2 and drives the thread mower head 4 in rotation. A handle 7 is secured to the guide tube 2 for guiding the brush cutter 1. An accelerator 8 is provided on the handle 7 for operating the drive motor.]

The brush cutter 1 is arranged on a carrier plate 14 of the belt arrangement 10 via the fastening device 50. For this purpose, a hook 9, which is engaged with an eyelet 15 on the carrier plate 14, is secured to the handle 7.

The belt arrangement 10 has two shoulder belts 11, a side belt 13 and a lap belt 12. The lap belt 12 is open in its formation and connected at its free ends to the carrier plate 15. The fastening device 50 can however also be provided for a belt arrangement 10 comprising just a shoulder strap which is connected to the brush cutter 1.

FIG. 2 shows the grip housing 17 of the handle 7. The grip part of the handle 7, which part surrounds the grip housing 17, is not shown in FIG. 2. As FIG. 2 shows, the grip housing 17 has two half-shells 18 and 19 delimiting a cylindrical socket 20 for the guide tube 2. The hook 9 is secured to the grip housing 17 on the side opposing the accelerator 8 (FIG. 1) using two fastening screws 21. In the conventional working position, the hook 9 is arranged above the guide tube 2 and the handle 7. As FIG. 2 shows, the hook 9 has a closure member 22 which will be described hereinafter in greater detail.

As FIG. 3 shows, the hook 9 has an open frame 46 which is formed by a flat base plate 26. The frame 46 can for example be manufactured as a part punched out of a metal sheet. Two fastening openings 25 are provided in the base plate 26 for receiving the fastening screws 21. The frame 46 forms a receiving space 24 which is accessible via an access opening 23. As FIGS. 1 and 2 show, the access opening 23 is arranged on the side of the brush cutter 1 that faces the motor housing 3 and is remote from the mower thread 6, so that the frame 46 is, in the conventional working position of the brush cutter 1 shown in FIG. 1, closed forward and upward.

The frame 46 has a free end 37 delimiting the access opening 23. The free end 37 is drawn downward in its configuration and extends toward the closure member 22. The closure member 22 is secured to the side of the frame 46 that opposes the free end 37 and protrudes toward the free end 37. The closure member 22 has a first leg 27 and a second leg 28. The closure member 22 is configured as a wire hoop. The first leg 27 is mounted in a swivel bearing 40 in the base plate 26 and the second leg 28 is mounted in a swivel bearing 41. FIG. 4 shows the closure member 22 in a stable rest position which can be a central rest position between two open positions and will be referred to hereinafter generally as the center position 32 in which no external forces act on the closure member 22. The center position does not have to be a mathematically precise center position between the open positions. The term “center position” denotes generally a stable position between the open positions, although this stable center position can also lie approximately in the center between the open positions.

As FIG. 4 shows, the two swivel bearings 40 and 41 are at a spacing from each other. The swivel bearing 40 has a swivel axis 44 and the swivel bearing 41 has a swivel axis 45. The two swivel axes 44 and 45 are at a spacing h from each other. Owing to the spacing h, different radii f, g are obtained for the two legs 27 and 28. The first, shorter leg 27 causes swiveling of a connecting portion 29 shown in FIG. 6 between the two legs 27 and 28 having a radius f. The second, longer leg 28 causes swiveling of the connecting portion 29 about the second swivel axis 45 having a radius g. Owing to the different swivel radii f and g, the connecting portion 29 becomes twisted during swiveling. The legs 27 and 28 are also deformed. This will be described hereinafter in greater detail.

As FIG. 4 shows, the opening 23 for accessing the receiving space 24 has a height a which is greater than a diameter i of the eyelet 15 to be engaged with the hook 9. The eyelet 15 can for example be configured as a metal ring. The eyelet 15 can however also be formed by a cable loop or the like. In the center position 32 shown in FIG. 4 of the closure member 23, the connecting portion 29 is at a spacing b from the free end 37 of the frame 46, which spacing is significantly smaller than the diameter i of the eyelet 15. The spacing b ensures that the closure member 22 cannot abut the free end 37. The spacing b is at the same time sufficiently small to prevent the eyelet 15 from passing through the spacing b without deflecting the closure member 22.

As FIG. 4 shows, the receiving space 24 is formed so as to be substantially closed at its circumference and opened only in the region of the access opening 23. The height k, measured in the direction of the height a of the access opening 23, of the receiving space 24 is significantly greater than the height a of the access opening 23. The free end 37 is drawn downward in its configuration relative to a roof 38 of the receiving opening 24 that is remote from the guide tube 2. The height K is measured between a roof 38 and an opposing floor 39 of the receiving opening 24. The floor 39 runs in this case at an inclination relative to the longitudinal direction of the guide tube 2, descending in the direction toward the motor housing 3. The access opening 23 is arranged adjacent to the floor 39, i.e. in the lower region of the receiving space 24. The roof 38 is arched in its configuration. The eyelet 15 is therefore arranged, when the guide tube 2 is straight, in a front, upper region of the receiving opening 24. The free end 37 is at a spacing c from the roof 38, which spacing is measured in the direction of the height a and approximately perpendicularly to the floor 39 and is at least 80% of the height a of the access opening 23. Advantageously, the spacing c is at least as large as the height a.

As FIG. 4 shows, the swivel axes 44 and 45 are arranged in a notional plane 47 with the connecting portion 29, which plane intersects the free end 37.

As FIG. 5 shows, the two legs 27 and 28 are arranged on opposing sides of the base plate 26 of the hook 9, whereas the connecting portion 29 extends in the region of the base plate 26.

As FIG. 6 shows, the first leg 27 has a bearing portion 30 which protrudes into an opening of the base plate 26 of the hook 9 and thus forms the first swivel bearing 40. A bearing portion 31, which protrudes into a second opening of the base plate 26 and forms therewith the second swivel bearing 41, is arranged on the second leg 28, on the side opposing the connecting portion 29. As FIG. 6 shows, the legs 27 and 28 are configured so as to be straight between the respective bearing portion 30 or 31 and the connecting portion 29. The first leg 27 has a length d which is smaller than a length e of the second leg 28. Advantageously, the length d of the first leg 27 is approximately 50% to approximately 90% of the length e of the second leg 28. The length d is advantageously approximately 60% to approximately 80%, in particular approximately 70% of the length e.

FIG. 7 shows the closure member 22 in a first open position 33. In this open position, the connecting portion 29 is located inside the receiving space 24. As FIG. 7 shows, the closure member 22 is deflected by the eyelet 15 which is pressed into the receiving space 24 in the direction of the arrow 35. This increases the size of the spacing between the free end 37 and the connecting portion 29 to a spacing 1 corresponding to the diameter i of the eyelet 15. This allows the eyelet 15 to be inserted into the receiving space 24. Owing to the spacing h between the swivel axes 44 and 45 of the two legs 27 and 28, the legs 27 and 28 and the connecting portion 29 are elastically deformed in the first open position 33. This elastic deformation causes the closure member 22 to be swiveled back into the center position 32 once the eyelet 15 has been slid past the connecting portion 29 into the receiving space 24. The swiveling is caused by the inherent elasticity of the closure member 22, so that no additional spring element is necessary.

FIG. 8 shows the closure member 22 in a second open position 34 in which the connecting portion 29 has been swiveled out of the receiving space 24. This is caused by a movement of the eyelet 15 out of the receiving space 24 in the direction of the arrow 36. The swiveling of the closure member 22 increases the size of the spacing between the connecting portion 29 and the free end 37 to a spacing m corresponding to the diameter i of the eyelet 15 and to the spacing l in the first open position 33. The closure member 22 is elastically deformed in this second open position 34 too, so that the closure member 22 is swiveled back to its center position 32 once the eyelet 15 has been moved out of the region of the connecting portion 29.

FIG. 9 illustrates the radii f and g through which the legs 27 and 28 of the closure member 22 swivel. As FIG. 9 shows, the spacing of the radii f and g increases on increasing movement out of the center position 32. In the first open position 33 and the second open position 34, the spacing between the radii f and g causes elastic deformation of the connecting portion 29 and of the two legs 27 and 28 which generate restoring forces in the direction toward the center position 32.

As FIG. 10 shows, the closure member 22 is swiveled out of the center position 32 to the first open position 33 in a first swiveling direction 42 and out of the center position 32 to the second open position 34 in a second swiveling direction 43. The two swiveling directions 42 and 43 are in this case in opposite directions. The connecting portion 29 is in this case swiveled about a virtual swivel axis 48 which is indicated schematically in FIG. 10 and which lies between the two swivel axes 44 and 45.

Instead of the wire loop, other elements can also serve as the closure member, for example a metal sheet, made for example of spring steel, which is biased into a center position owing to its inherent elasticity. Provision may also be made additionally to arrange one or more spring elements which hold the closure member in its center position.

FIG. 11 shows the hook 9 according to the invention in a fastening device 50 in the case of a carrier arrangement 10a for harvesting equipment 1a such as an olive shaker. The harvesting equipment 1a consists of a drive motor 3 which drives a shaking rod 2a back and forth (arrow 49) via a crank mechanism. A U-shaped hook 4a, which is intended to receive a branch to be shaken of the tree to be harvested, is fastened to the free end of the shaking rod 2a. The shaking drive is used to shake the branch, so that fruit which is ripe for harvesting becomes detached and falls to the ground in order then to be collected up. The user 19 carries the harvesting equipment by means of the carrier arrangement 10a which is configured as a shoulder belt, the hook 9 according to the invention ensuring both simple suspension of the belt and rapid discarding of the belt.

The foregoing description of preferred embodiments of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description only. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed, and modifications and variations are possible and/or would be apparent in light of the above teachings or may be acquired from practice of the invention. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain the principles of the invention and its practical application to enable one skilled in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto and that the claims encompass all embodiments of the invention, including the disclosed embodiments and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A hook for fastening a portable, hand-held working apparatus, in particular a brush cutter, harvesting equipment such as an olive shaker or the like, to a belt arrangement, the hook comprising an open frame with an access opening and a closure member, the closure member at least partly closing the access opening in at least one position of the closure member, wherein the position in which the closure member at least partly closes the access opening is a rest position and wherein the closure member can be swiveled from the rest position to a first open position and to a second open position.

2. The hook as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first open position is reached by swiveling the closure member from the rest position in a first swiveling direction and the second open position is reached by swiveling from the rest position in a second swiveling direction which is in the opposite direction to the first swiveling direction.

3. The hook as claimed in claim 1, wherein the closure member is held resiliently in the rest position.

4. The hook as claimed in claim 3, wherein the closure member is held in the rest position by way of its inherent elasticity.

5. The hook as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hook has a free end delimiting the access opening and wherein the closure member is, in the rest position, at a spacing from the free end of the hook.

6. The hook as claimed in claim 1, wherein the closure member has a first leg and a second leg, the two legs running on opposing sides of the frame of the hook and being joined together by a connecting portion.

7. The hook as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first leg is mounted on a first swivel bearing and the second leg is mounted on a second swivel bearing on the frame, the swivel axes of the two swivel bearings being at a spacing from each other.

8. The hook as claimed in claim 7, wherein the two swivel axes lie, in the rest position of the closure member, in a plane with the connecting portion.

9. The hook as claimed in claim 7, wherein the legs of the closure member run, between the respective swivel bearing and the connecting portion, straight and in the plane spanned by the swivel axes.

10. The hook as claimed in claim 1, wherein the closure member is configured as a wire hoop.

11. The hook as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hook has a space for receiving an element to be suspended in the hook.

12. The hook as claimed in claim 11, wherein the spacing, measured in the direction of a height of the access opening, from a roof of the receiving space to the free end of the hook corresponds to at least 80% of the height of the access opening.

13. The hook as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rest position of the closure member is a stable position between the first open position and the second open position.

14. The hook as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rest position of the closure member is a center position between the first open position and the second open position.

15. A carrier arrangement with a hand-held working apparatus, in particular with a brush cutter, harvesting equipment such as an olive shaker or the like, with a belt arrangement and a fastening device for fastening the working apparatus to the belt arrangement, the fastening device having a hook and an element to be engaged with the hook, the hook comprising an open frame with an access opening and a closure member, the closure member at least partly closing the access opening in at least one position of the closure member, wherein the position in which the closure member at least partly closes the access opening is a rest position and wherein the closure member can be swiveled from the rest position to a first open position and to a second open position.

16. The carrier arrangement as claimed in claim 15, wherein the working apparatus has a tool and wherein the access opening of the hook is arranged on the side of the hook that is remote from the tool.

17. The carrier arrangement as claimed in claim 15, wherein the hook is upwardly closed in the normal working position of the working apparatus.

18. The carrier arrangement as claimed in claim 15, wherein the hook is arranged on the working apparatus and the element to be engaged in the hook is arranged on the belt arrangement.