Backpack style power-pack with flexible drive and quick connect power take-off for connection to a variety of powered tools

• US 7,382,104 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2005
• Issued: 06/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mary Elizabeth Ingram
• Original Assignee: Bradley A. Jacobson, David E. Milton
• Inventors: Milton, David E., Jacobson, Bradley A.
• Primary Examiner(s): IP, SHIK LUEN PAUL
• Application Number:
  US11/247,393
• Publication Number:
  US 20060010850A1
• Time in Patent Office: 966 Days
• Field of Search: 318/280, 318/283, 318/430, 318/432, 318/276, 56/137, 302/76, 15/137, 15/971, 153/30
• US Class Current: 318/276
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/902 Ergonomic provisions

Abstract

The present invention relates to portable powered devices or tools for residential, commercial, or industrial applications, in which the power source may be carried on the back of the individual user, power is transferred via a flexible drive shaft, and the powered devices or tools may be quickly connected to or disconnected from the power source via a quick-connect power take-off and power take-on to allow the user to quickly, safely and ergonomically accomplish a variety of tasks, each requiring a different device or tool. Among residential, commercial, or industrial applications, the invention relates to power sources which are light-weight internal combustion engines or AC or DC powered electric motors and to portable powered tools for landscaping, maintenance and repair; such as, without limitation, string-trimmers, edge-trimmers, hedge cutters, brush saws, blowers, drills, buffers, grinders, sanders, drainer cleaners, or sump pumps.

Claims

1. A backpack style power-pack with flexible drive and quick-connect power take-off for connection to a variety of powered tools, each of said powered tools outfitted with a quick-connect power take-on, comprising:

(a) a power supply means;

(b) a portable, lightweight and rigid carrying means for said power supply means;

(c) a flexible power transfer means connected to the power supply means;

(d) an on-off switching means for the power supply means;

(e) a power speed control means for the power supply means;

(f) a powered tool positioning means;

(g) a light-weight and rigid mounting means for supporting said on-off switching means, said power speed control means, and said powered tool positioning means, and whereby the end of said flexible power transfer means opposite the end connected to the power supply means is connected to the end of said light-weight and rigid mounting means;

(h) a quick-connect power take-off means, whereby said quick-connect power take-off means is connected to the end of the light-weight and rigid mounting means opposite the end where the flexible power transfer means is connected;

(i) a powered tool means;

(j) a quick-connect power take on means connected to said powered tool means; and

(k) a connecting means for joining said quick-connect power take on means and said quick-connect power take-off means, whereby the quick-connect power take on means and the quick-connect power take off means are joined to form a rigid assembly.

2. A backpack style power-pack with flexible drive and quick-connect power take-off for connection to a variety of powered tools, each of said powered tools outfitted with a quick-connect power take on as in claim 1, where in;

(a) said power supply means is an internal combustion engine, with fuel supply, small and light enough to be worn on the back of a user;

(b) said portable, lightweight and rigid carrying means is a back pack with straps which may be comfortably worn on the back of said user;

(c) said flexible power transfer means is a flexible drive shaft securely connected to the drive shaft of said internal combustion engine, whereby rotational power from the internal combustion engine may be transferred to said flexible drive shaft without slippage;

(d) said on-off switching means for the internal combustion engine is an on-off power switch;

(e) said power speed control means for the internal combustion engine is a spring-loaded speed control switch;

whereby the rotational speed of the internal combustion engine may be varied from idle speed to full speed;

(f) said powered tool positioning means is a handle which may be adjusted to the user'"'"'s preference and grasped by the user;

(g) said light-weight and rigid mounting means is a metal or plastic tube upon which is mounted said on-off power switch, said spring-loaded speed control switch, and said handle which may be adjusted to the user'"'"'s preference and grasped by the user, and to which is connected the flexible drive shaft;

(h) said quick-connect power take-off means is a quick-connect power take-off connected to the end of said metal or plastic tube at the end opposite the end where the flexible drive shaft is connected to the metal or plastic tube;

(i) said powered tool means is any one of a variety of tools, comprising a string trimmer, a hedge trimmer, an edge trimmer, a chain saw, a drill, a grinder/sander, a plumbing snake, a floor buffer, a sump pump, or blower;

(j) said quick-connect power take on means is a quick-connect power take on connected to each of a variety of tools, comprising said string trimmer, said hedge trimmer, said edge trimmer, said chain saw, said drill, said grinder/sander, said plumbing snake, said floor buffer, said sump pump, or said blower; and

(k) said connecting means for joining said quick-connect power take-off connected to the end of said metal or plastic tube and quick-connect power take on connected to each of a variety of tools, comprising the string trimmer, the hedge trimmer, the edge trimmer, the chain saw, the drill, the grinder/sander, the plumbing snake, the floor buffer, the sump pump, or the blower, is a collar and knob.

3. A backpack style power-pack with flexible drive and quick-connect power take-off for connection to a variety of powered tools, each of said powered tools outfitted with a quick-connect power take-on as in claim 1, where in;

(a) said power supply means is an electric motor powered by a battery pack.

4. A backpack style power-pack with flexible drive and quick-connect power take-off for connection to a variety of powered tools, each of said powered tools outfitted with a quick-connect power take-on as in claim 1, where in;

(a) said power supply means is an electric motor powered by a fuel-cell.

5. A backpack style power-pack with flexible drive and quick-connect power take-off for connection to a variety of powered tools, each of said powered tools outfitted with a quick-connect power take-on as in claim 1, where in;

(a) said power supply means is an electric motor powered by a solar panel.

6. A backpack style power-pack with flexible drive and quick-connect power take-off for connection to a variety of powered tools, each powered tool outfitted with a quick-connect power take-on as in claim 1, where in;

(a) said power supply means is an electric motor powered by a power cord.

7. A backpack style power-pack with flexible drive and quick-connect power take-off for connection to a variety of powered tools, each of said powered tools outfitted with a quick-connect power take-on as in claim 1, where in;

(a) said power supply means is an internal combustion engine fueled by any appropriate combustible fluid;

including, without limitation, alcohol, diesel fuel, gasoline, natural gas, or propane.

8. A backpack style power-pack with flexible drive and quick-connect power take-off for connection to a variety of powered tools, each of said powered tools outfitted with a quick-connect power take-on as in claim 1, where in;

(a) said power supply means is an internal combustion engine of 4-cycle design.

9. A backpack style power-pack with flexible drive and quick-connect power take-off for connection to a variety of powered tools, each of said powered tools outfitted with a quick-connect power take-on as in claim 1, where in;

(a) said power supply means is an internal combustion engine of 2-cycle design.

10. A method for providing portable power, with flexible drive and quick-connect power take-off, to a variety of powered tools, each of said powered tools outfitted with a quick-connect power take-on, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a power supply means;

(b) mounting said power supply means on a portable, lightweight and rigid carrying means;

(c) joining a flexible power transfer means to the power supply means;

(d) providing an on-off switching means for the power supply means;

(e) furnishing a power speed control means for the power supply means;

(f) providing a powered tool positioning means;

(g) furnishing a light-weight and rigid mounting means for supporting said on-off switching means, said power speed control means, and said powered tool positioning means;

(h) joining the end of said flexible power transfer means opposite the end connected to the power supply means to the end of said light-weight and rigid mounting means;

(i) connecting a quick-connect power take-off means to the end of the light-weight and rigid mounting means opposite the end where the flexible power transfer means is connected;

(j) furnishing a powered tool means;

(k) connecting a quick-connect power take on means to said powered tool means; and

(l) providing a connecting means for joining said quick-connect power take on means and said quick-connect power take-off means, whereby the quick-connect power take on means and the quick-connect power take off means are joined to form a rigid assembly.

11. A method for providing portable power, with flexible drive and quick-connect power take-off, to a variety of powered tools, each of said powered tools outfitted with a quick-connect power take-on as in claim 10, where in:

(a) said power supply means is an internal combustion engine, with fuel supply, small and light enough to be worn on the back of a user;

(b) said portable, lightweight and rigid carrying means is a back pack with straps which may be comfortably worn on the back of said user;

(c) said flexible power transfer means is a flexible drive shaft securely connected to the drive shaft of said internal combustion engine, whereby rotational power from the internal combustion engine may be transferred to said flexible drive shaft without slippage;

(d) said on-off switching means for the internal combustion engine is an on-off power switch;

(e) said power speed control means for the internal combustion engine is a spring-loaded speed control switch;

whereby the rotational speed of the internal combustion engine may be varied from idle speed to full speed;

(f) said powered tool positioning means is a handle which may be adjusted to the user'"'"'s preference and grasped by the user;

(g) said light-weight and rigid mounting means is a metal or plastic tube upon which is mounted said on-off power switch, said spring-loaded speed control switch, and said handle which may be adjusted to the user'"'"'s preference and grasped by the user, and to which is connected the flexible drive shaft;

(h) said quick-connect power take-off means is a quick-connect power take-off connected to the end of said metal or plastic tube at the end opposite the end where the flexible drive shaft is connected to the metal or plastic tube;

(i) said powered tool means is any one of a variety of tools, comprising a string trimmer, a hedge trimmer, an edge trimmer, a chain saw, a drill, a grinder/sander, a plumbing snake, a floor buffer, a sump pump, or blower;

(j) said quick-connect power take on means is a quick-connect power take on connected to each of a variety of tools, comprising said string trimmer, said hedge trimmer, said edge trimmer, said chain saw, said drill, said grinder/sander, said plumbing snake, said floor buffer, said sump pump, or said blower; and

(k) said connecting means for joining said quick-connect power take-off connected to the end of said metal or plastic tube and quick-connect power take on connected to each of a variety of tools, comprising the string trimmer, the hedge trimmer, the edge trimmer, the chain saw, the drill, the grinder/sander, the plumbing snake, the floor buffer, the sump pump, or the blower, is a collar and knob.

12. A method for providing portable power, with flexible drive and quick-connect power take-off, to a variety of powered tools, each of said powered tools outfitted with a quick-connect power take-on as in claim 10, where in:

(a) said power supply means is an electric motor powered by a battery pack.

13. A method for providing portable power, with flexible drive and quick-connect power take-off, to a variety of powered tools, each of said powered tools outfitted with a quick-connect power take-on as in claim 10, where in:

(a) said power supply means is an electric motor powered by a fuel cell.

14. A method for providing portable power, with flexible drive and quick-connect power take-off, to a variety of powered tools, each of said powered tools outfitted with a quick-connect power take-on as in claim 10, where in:

(a) said power supply means is an electric motor powered by a solar panel.

15. A method for providing portable power, with flexible drive and quick-connect power take-off, to a variety of powered tools, each of said powered tools outfitted with a quick-connect power take-on as in claim 10, where in:

(a) said power supply means is an electric motor powered by a power cord.

16. A method for providing portable power, with flexible drive and quick-connect power take-off, to a variety of powered tools, each of said powered tools outfitted with a quick-connect power take-on as in claim 10, where in:

(a) said power supply means is an internal combustion engine fueled by any appropriate combustible fluid;

including, without limitation, alcohol, diesel fuel, gasoline, natural gas, or propane.

17. A method for providing portable power, with flexible drive and quick-connect power take-off, to a variety of powered tools, each of said powered tools outfitted with a quick-connect power take-on as in claim 10, where in:

(a) said power supply means is an internal combustion engine of 4-cycle design.

18. A method for providing portable power, with flexible drive and quick-connect power take-off, to a variety of powered tools, each of said powered tools outfitted with a quick-connect power take-on as in claim 10, where in:

(a) said power supply means is an internal combustion engine of 2-cycle design.