WO2019158257A1

WO2019158257A1 - Digging tool

Info

Publication number: WO2019158257A1
Application number: PCT/EP2018/084950
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ottmar Locher
Original assignee: Husqvarna AB
Current assignee: Husqvarna AB
Priority date: 2018-02-14
Filing date: 2018-12-14
Publication date: 2019-08-22
Anticipated expiration: 2020-08-14

Abstract

A digging tool (100) includes a handle portion (102) and a blade portion (104) coupled to the handle portion (102). The blade portion (104) includes a first side (106) and a second side (108) disposed opposite the first side (106). The blade portion (104) includes a first edge (110) extending between the first side (106) and the second side (108). The blade portion (104) includes a second edge (112) extending between the first side (106) and the second side (108). The second edge (112) is disposed opposite the first edge (110). The blade portion (104) also includes a cutting edge (114) extending between the first side (106) and the second side (108), and between the first edge (110) and the second edge (112). The blade portion (104) further includes an embossed portion (116, 118, 20, 122) provided on at least one of the first edge (110), the second edge (112), and the cutting edge (114).

Description

DIGGING TOOL

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a digging tool, and more particularly to a profile of the digging tool.

BACKGROUND

Existing digging tools, such as a spade, a shovel, and the like, may include one or more linear part lines provided along a cutting edge of a blade portion thereof. In many situations, the liner part lines may extend sideward on the blade portion. An overall geometry of the blade portion may be configured to effectively transfer a user’s digging effort to the ground during a digging operation in order to efficiently perform the digging operation. The power required for the digging operation may directly correspond to various parameters of the ground, such as, hardness, digging depth, moisture content, and the like.

During the digging operation, as the blade portion of the digging tool may dig into the ground, resistance may be offered to the blade portion by one or more hardened areas in the digging material, such as plant roots, rock lumps, stones, and the like. This may result in inefficient digging operation, increased user effort, increased fatigue, increased blade friction, reduced blade durability, and so on. In some situations, additional tools may be required in order to dig out the hardened areas, in turn, increasing digging duration. Hence, there is a need for an improved profile of the digging tool.

SUMMARY

In view of the above, it is an objective of the present invention to solve or at least reduce the drawbacks discussed above. The objective is at least partially achieved by a digging tool, according to an embodiment of the present invention. The digging tool includes a handle portion and a blade portion coupled to the handle portion. The blade portion includes a first side and a second side disposed opposite the first side. The blade portion includes a first edge extending between the first side and the second side. The blade portion includes a second edge extending between the first side and the second side. The second edge is disposed opposite the first edge. The blade portion also includes a cutting edge extending between the first side and the second side, and between the first edge and the second edge. The blade portion further includes an embossed portion provided on at least one of the first edge, the second edge, and the cutting edge. The embossed portion is adapted to direct a user’s digging effort during the digging operation to a hardened area of a digging material, such as, rock portions, rooted portions, and the like. As such, the embossed portion enables to efficiently cut into the hardened area of the digging material with improved efficiency, improved precision, and reduced effort. In addition, the embossed portion may allow using the digging tool as a cutting tool, such as an axe, by forcefully impacting or repeatedly hammering the embossed portion on the hardened area of the digging material, such as thick roots. This may allow using the digging tool for multiple uses other than digging.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the embossed portion extends, at least partially, on each of the first edge and the cutting edge. As such, the embossed portion may be provided on a limited section of the blade portion in order to cut into the hardened area of the digging material with improved precision. Also, the embossed portion may be provided on the limited section of the blade portion with reduced manufacturing complexity.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the embossed portion extends, at least partially, on each of the second edge and the cutting edge. As such, the embossed portion may be provided on the limited section of the blade portion in order to cut into the hardened area of the digging material with improved precision. Also, the embossed portion may be provided on the limited section of the blade portion with reduced manufacturing complexity.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the blade portion includes a notch provided on the cutting edge in association with the embossed portion. The notch provides an improved cutting profile to the cutting edge in order to cut into the hardened area of the digging material with reduced effort. Other features and aspects of this invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be described in more detail with reference to the enclosed drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a partial front view of a digging tool, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows another partial front view of the digging tool, in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 shows another partial front view of the digging tool, in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 4 shows another partial front view of the digging tool, in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

The present invention will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which example embodiments of the invention incorporating one or more aspects of the present invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. For example, one or more aspects of the present invention can be utilized in other embodiments and even other types of structures and/or methods. In the drawings, like numbers refer to like elements.

Certain terminology is used herein for convenience only and is not to be taken as a limitation on the invention. For example,“upper”,“lower”,“front”, “rear”,“side”,“longitudinal”,“lateral”,“transverse”,“upwards”,“downwards”, “forward”, “backward”, “sideward”, “left,” “right,” “horizontal,” “vertical,” “upward”, “inner”, “outer”, “inward”, “outward”, “top”, “bottom”, “higher”, “above”, “below”, “central”, “middle”, “intermediate”, “between”, “end”, “adjacent”, “parallel”, “inclined”, “proximate”, “near”, “distal”, “remote”, “radial”,“circumferential”, or the like, merely describe the configuration shown in the Figures. Indeed, the components may be oriented in any direction and the terminology, therefore, should be understood as encompassing such variations unless specified otherwise.

Referring to FIG. 1, a partial front view of a digging tool 100 is illustrated. The digging tool 100 includes a handle portion 102. The handle portion 102 is adapted to hold the digging tool 100 during a digging operation. The handle portion 102 may include any configuration, such as cylindrical, elliptical, a combination thereof, and the like. Also, the handle portion 102 may be made of any material, such as wood, metal, polymer, a combination thereof, and the like.

The digging tool 100 also includes a blade portion 104. The blade portion 104 is coupled to the handle portion 102 via a coupler 103. In other embodiments, the handle portion 102 may be directly coupled to the blade portion 104 such that the coupler 103 may be integral with the handle portion 102. The blade portion 104 is adapted to dig into a digging material, such as soil, sand, mud, and the like, during the digging operation. In the illustrated embodiment, the blade portion 104 includes a substantially rectangular configuration. In other embodiments, the blade portion 104 may include any other configuration, such as triangular, circular, and the like, based on application requirements. The blade portion 104 may be made of any material, such as metal.

The blade portion 104 includes a first side 106 or a front side. The blade portion 104 also includes a second side 108 or a rear side. The second side 108 is disposed opposite the first side 106. The blade portion 104 includes a first edge 110 or a right edge. The first edge 110 extends between each of the first side 106 and the second side 108. The blade portion 104 includes a second edge 112 or a left edge. The second edge 112 extends between each of the first side 106 and the second side 108. Also, the second edge 112 is disposed opposite the first edge 110.

The blade portion 104 also includes a cutting edge 114. The cutting edge 114 extends between the first side 106 and the second side 108. The cutting edge 114 also extends between the first edge 110 and the second edge 112. The cutting edge 114 is adapted to dig into the digging material and/or cut into one or more hardened areas in the digging material, such as rocks, roots, and the like. The blade portion 104 further includes an embossed portion 116, 118, 120, 122 provided on at least one of the first edge 110, the second edge 112, and the cutting edge 114 respectively.

In the illustrated embodiment, the embossed portion 120, 122 is provided along the cutting edge 114. The embossed portion 120, 122 may be provided using any fabrication process, such as stamping, bending, grinding, and the like. The embossed portion 120, 122 is adapted to direct a user’s digging effort into the hardened areas in the digging material during the digging process. As such, the embossed portion 120, 122 provided on the cutting edge 114 may allow the user to direct the digging effort to cut roots, break rock lumps, and the like without using an additional separate tool.

Also, the embossed portion 116, 118 provided on the first edge 110 and the second edge 112 respectively may allow the user to use each of the first edge 110 and the second edge 112 as an additional cutting edge to direct the digging effort to other surrounding hardened areas in the digging material while limiting constant adjustment of one or more digging parameters, such as a digging angle, a digging orientation, and the like. It should be noted that a configuration of each of the embossed portions 116, 118, 120, 122 described herein is merely exemplary and may vary based on application requirements.

For example, referring to FIG. 2, in another embodiment, the digging tool 100 may include the embossed portion 116, 120 provided partially along each of the first edge 110 and the cutting edge 114 respectively. The embossed portion 118, 122 provided on the second edge 112 and the cutting edge 114 respectively may be omitted. Accordingly, in such a situation, the embossed portion 116, 120 may allow the user to direct the digging effort to the hardened areas in the digging material by adjusting the digging angle, the digging orientation, and the like, as per operational requirements.

In another embodiment (not shown), the digging tool 100 may include the embossed portion 118, 122 provided partially along each of the second edge 112 and the cutting edge 114 respectively. The embossed portion 116, 120 provided on the first edge 110 and the cutting edge 114 respectively may be omitted. Accordingly, in such a situation, the embossed portion 118, 122 may allow the user to direct the digging effort to the hardened areas in the digging material by adjusting the digging angle, the digging orientation, and the like, as per operational requirements.

Referring to FIG. 3, in another embodiment, the digging tool 100 may include the embossed portion 118, 122 provided partially along each of the second edge 112 and the cutting edge 114 respectively. The embossed portion 116, 120 provided on the first edge 110 and the cutting edge 114 respectively may be omitted. Accordingly, in such a situation, the embossed portion 118, 122 may allow the user to direct the digging effort to the hardened areas in the digging material by adjusting the digging angle, the digging orientation, and the like, as per operational requirements.

In another embodiment (not shown), the digging tool 100 may include the embossed portion 116, 120 provided partially along each of the first edge 110 and the cutting edge 114 respectively. The embossed portion 118, 122 provided on the second edge 112 and the cutting edge 114 respectively may be omitted. Accordingly, in such a situation, the embossed portion 116, 120 may allow the user to direct the digging effort to the hardened areas in the digging material by adjusting the digging angle, the digging orientation, and the like, as per operational requirements. Referring to FIG. 4, in yet another embodiment, the digging tool 100 may include the embossed portion 120, 122 provided along the cutting edge 114. The embossed portion 116, 118 provided on the first edge 110 and the second edge 112 respectively may be omitted. Accordingly, in such a situation, the embossed portion 120, 122 may allow the user to dig into the digging material while simultaneously directing the digging effort to the hardened areas in the digging material by adjusting the digging angle, the digging orientation, and the like, as per operational requirements.

Referring back to FIGS. 1 to 4, the digging tool 100 further includes a notch 124 provided in the cutting edge 114. The notch 124 is provided in association with the embossed portion 120, 122 provided on the cutting edge 114. The notch 124 is adapted to provide an enhanced cutting profile to the cutting edge 114 and/or the embossed portion 120, 122. Accordingly, during the digging operation, the cutting edge 114 in association with the notch 124 therein may allow the user to precisely direct and multiply the digging effort to the hardened areas in the digging material, in turn, reducing digging effort and user fatigue.

In the drawings and specification, there have been disclosed preferred embodiments and examples of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for the purpose of limitation of the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims.

LIST OF ELEMENTS 100 Digging Tool

102 Handle Portion

103 Coupler

104 Blade Portion

106 First Side

108 Second Side

110 First Edge

112 Second Edge

114 Cutting Edge

116 Embossed Portion

118 Embossed Portion

120 Embossed Portion

122 Embossed Portion

124 Notch

Claims

1. A digging tool (100) comprising:

a handle portion (102), and

a blade portion (104) coupled to the handle portion (102), the blade portion (104) including:

a first side (106),

a second side (108) disposed opposite the first side (106), a first edge (110) extending between the first side (106) and the second side (108),

a second edge (112) extending between the first side (106) and the second side (108), the second edge (112) disposed opposite the first edge (110), and

a cutting edge (114) extending between the first side (106) and the second side (108), and between the first edge (110) and the second edge (112),

characterized in that:

the blade portion (104) includes an embossed portion (116, 118, 120, 122) provided on at least one of the first edge (110), the second edge (112), and the cutting edge (114).

2. The digging tool (100) of claim 1, wherein the embossed portion (116, 120) extends, at least partially, on each of the first edge (110) and the cutting edge (114).

3. The digging tool (100) of claim 1, wherein the embossed portion (118, 122) extends, at least partially, on each of the second edge (112) and the cutting edge (114).

4. The digging tool (100) of claim 1 further includes a notch (124) provided on the cutting edge (114) in association with the embossed portion (120, 122).

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