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WO-2026093702-A1 - HEDGE TRIMMER

WO2026093702A1WO 2026093702 A1WO2026093702 A1WO 2026093702A1WO-2026093702-A1

Abstract

This invention relates to a hedge trimmer having a pole and a body mounted to the pole. A first blade and a second blade are mounted to the body and a motor is connected to at least one of the blades for driving the at least one of the blades to reciprocate. The first blade and the second blade have respective ends and are mounted to the body between their respective ends.

Inventors

  • GREY, NICHOLAS GERALD

Assignees

  • GREY TECHNOLOGY LIMITED

Dates

Publication Date
20260507
Application Date
20250929
Priority Date
20241031

Claims (20)

  1. 1 . A hedge trimmer having a pole and a body mounted to the pole, a first blade and a second blade mounted to the body, a motor connected to at least one of the blades for driving the at least one of the blades to move, the first blade and the second blade having respective ends, in which the first blade and the second blade are mounted to the body between their respective ends.
  2. 2. A hedge trimmer according to claim 1 in which the first blade and the second blade are mounted to the body substantially mid-way between their respective ends.
  3. 3. A hedge trimmer according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the pole has a longitudinal axis, and in which the centre of gravity of the body is located at or adjacent to the longitudinal axis.
  4. 4. A hedge trimmer according to any one of claims 1 -3 in which the blades can articulate relative to the pole.
  5. 5. A hedge trimmer according to claim 4 in which the range of articulation is greater than 180°.
  6. 6. A hedge trimmer according to claim 4 or claim 5 in which the range of articulation is around 230°.
  7. 7. A hedge trimmer according to any one of claims 4-6 in which the body has an articulating joint.
  8. 8. A hedge trimmer according to claim 7 in which the blades have a longitudinal axis and the articulating joint has a pivot axis, the pivot axis being substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the blades.
  9. 9. A hedge trimmer according to claim 8 in which the pivot axis lies close to the longitudinal axis.
  10. 10. A hedge trimmer according to any one of claims 4-9 in which the pole has a longitudinal axis, and in which the centre of gravity of the body is located at or adjacent to the longitudinal axis throughout the range of articulation of the blades.
  11. 11. A hedge trimmer according to any one of claims 7-10 in which the body has a mounting part and a pivoting part with the articulating joint between the mounting part and the pivoting part, in which the blades are mounted to the pivoting part.
  12. 12. A hedge trimmer according to claim 1 1 in which the mounting part is configured for releasable connection to the pole.
  13. 13. A hedge trimmer according to claim 11 or claim 12 in which the motor is mounted to the pivoting part.
  14. 14. A hedge trimmer according to any one of claims 11 -13 in which the centre of gravity of the pivoting part is located at or adjacent to the pivot axis.
  15. 15. A hedge trimmer according to any one of claims 4-14 in which the blades can be articulated remotely.
  16. 16. A hedge trimmer according to claim 15 in which the blades can be articulated by way of a control handle mounted to the pole.
  17. 17. A hedge trimmer according to claim 15 or claim 16 in which the body has a pulley which is engaged by a pivot belt.
  18. 18. A hedge trimmer according to claim 17 in which the pivot belt extends along the pole.
  19. 19. A hedge trimmer according to claim 17 or claim 18 in which the control handle is movably mounted to the pole and the pivot belt is connected to the control handle.
  20. 20. A hedge trimmer according to any one of claims 1 -19 in which the first blade and the second blade each have teeth along only one of their respective edges.

Description

HEDGE TRIMMER FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a hedge trimmer. Notwithstanding that the generally-used name for devices such as that of the present invention is a “hedge trimmer”, as with the known devices of this type the device of the present invention can be used for trimming and cutting foliage other than hedges. The hedge trimmer of the present invention is designed as a gardening implement for manual operation, i.e. to be carried by a user during use to trim garden hedges, bushes and the like. It is therefore distinct from industrial machines which are typically carried by a tractor and suited to trimming hedgerows bordering fields for example. The hedge trimmer is also distinct from garden strimmers and chainsaws which have different structures and operations, notwithstanding that both of those could be used to trim hedges. BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION A hedge trimmer has first and second elongate blades which lie close to each other and which can slide relative to each other. The blades have cooperating rows of teeth. One or both of the blades is driven to move reciprocally so that the rows of teeth slide towards and across each other. Branches and leaves are cut by a scissor action between the teeth of the blades. The teeth of the first blade have relatively sharp leading and trailing edges, which leading and trailing edges alternate as the blade reciprocates. The teeth of the second blade may be substantially identical to the teeth of the first blade, but often the form of the respective teeth differ. In particular, the teeth of the second blade may not have sharpened edges, the teeth of the second blade effectively comprising means to hold the branches and leaves as they are cut by the teeth of the first blade. In some hedge trimmers the second blade is stationary relative to a body of the hedge trimmer. In many hedge trimmers, however, the second blade also moves reciprocally, in the opposite direction to the first blade. One benefit of having both blades moving in opposing directions is that the stroke of the first blade (i.e. the total distance by which the first blade must move relative to the body) is reduced. Another benefit is that there are no stationary teeth which might become stuck on a branch during use. Hedge trimmers may be powered by mains electricity, by battery, or by an internal combustion engine. The present invention is designed to be powered by batteries but the invention is also applicable to the other power sources. A first design of hedge trimmer has a body with handles for a user to hold with two hands. An end of the first blade, and an end of the second blade, are connected to the body with the blades oriented so that their longitudinal axis extends away from the body, and in use extends away from the user’s grip upon the handles. A motor is located in the body and is connected to the blades by driving elements such as cams and/or connecting rods which convert the rotary output of the motor into opposing reciprocating movement of the blades. The body carries an actuating switch or trigger by which the user can actuate the motor. During use of this first design of hedge trimmer the user may approach a section of hedge to be trimmed and manipulate the body by way of the handles so that the blades are moved in a sequence of swinging arc-like movements (side-to-side relative to the longitudinal axis of the blades), either generally in the up/down directions or generally in the left/right directions (or more typically a combination of these general directions) across the branches and leaves of the hedge. The user can stand in a suitable location close to the hedge whilst a section of hedge is trimmed to the desired degree, with the blades being moved by the user’s arms so that the arc-like movements are generally centred around the user’s shoulders. It is a particular benefit of the known designs of hedge trimmer that the blades can be moved in the side-to-side directions relative to the longitudinal axis of the blades and the user does not have to repeatedly extend and retract their arms in order to trim the hedge, which movements would quickly become tiring for most users. When the section of hedge has been trimmed the user can move the blades away from the hedge before moving along the hedge to trim a new section. A hedge will therefore typically be trimmed in a sequence of relatively small sections, with the size of each section largely being determined by the reach of the user. This method of operation is represented in Fig.1 with the arrows representing the path of movement of the blades across the hedge as a chosen section of the hedge is trimmed. The longitudinal axis of the blades is represented in Fig .1 by dashed lines, close to each end of the blades’ arc of movement during trimming of a higher section of the hedge. Alternatively, the user could walk slowly along the hedge, trimming the areas within reach, raising his or her arms to reach highe