초록 ▼

A lawn rake or lawn rake attachment provides a capture structure which cooperates with the tines of a lawn rake to increase the collection of small leaves and debris with each stroke of the rake. More specifically, the capture structure provides a broad surface preferably spanning the width of the r

A lawn rake or lawn rake attachment provides a capture structure which cooperates with the tines of a lawn rake to increase the collection of small leaves and debris with each stroke of the rake. More specifically, the capture structure provides a broad surface preferably spanning the width of the rake and positioned an effective distance trailing behind the rake tine structure. In operation of the lawn rake equipped with the capture structure, during the course of a stroke of the rake the rake tines stir up the small leaves in or on the lawn grass. The stirring-up action propels the leaves a distance up above the ground before they fall back on the rake stroke trail. The trailing rake capture structure intercepts the airborne leaves and holds them at its surface while the rake is in a forward raking motion.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An attachment for a lawn rake, the lawn rake (i) having a tine structure with an upper end connected to a rake handle and a lower end including a number of raking tines which are spaced apart side-by-side along a raking line, the raking tines each including a root portion and a distal portion, ea

1. An attachment for a lawn rake, the lawn rake (i) having a tine structure with an upper end connected to a rake handle and a lower end including a number of raking tines which are spaced apart side-by-side along a raking line, the raking tines each including a root portion and a distal portion, each root portion lying in a first plane and each distal portion extending at an angle to the first plane, and (ii) being operable in a rake operating position in which the rake handle extends at an acute angle to a surface being raked in a raking direction and in which the distal portion of each raking tine extends downwardly toward the surface being raked and terminates at a position below the first plane, the attachment including: (a) a connector arrangement operable to provide a connection between the attachment and the lawn rake to hold the attachment in a connected position relative to the lawn rake; and(b) a capture structure defining a rear boundary of a raked debris containment volume, the capture structure being connected to the connector arrangement such that when the attachment is in the connected position relative to the lawn rake and the lawn rake is in the rake operating position with the rake handle at 45 degrees to the surface being raked, (i) the capture structure is located entirely above the first plane with a lower edge of the capture structure closest to the raking tines located at approximately the level of the distal ends of the raking tines, and (ii) both an upper edge of the capture structure and the lower edge of the capture structure closest to the raking tines are separated a respective effective distance in a rake trailing direction from a rearmost part of the tine structure, the rake trailing direction being opposite to the raking direction and the rearmost part of the tine structure being that part of the tine structure that extends furthest from the rake handle in the rake trailing direction. 2. The attachment of claim 1 wherein the capture structure includes an air-permeable rear boundary panel which defines at least a portion of the rear boundary of the raked debris containment volume, the air-permeable rear boundary panel being connected along a first lateral edge to a first frame member and along a second lateral edge to a second frame member with an air-permeable portion of the air-permeable rear boundary panel located between the first frame member and second frame member. 3. The attachment of claim 1 wherein the capture structure includes an air-permeable rear boundary panel which defines at least a portion of the rear boundary of the raked debris containment volume, and wherein the rear boundary panel includes an open mesh structure made up of a number of first mesh elements and a number of second mesh elements, the first mesh elements extending transverse to the second mesh elements to define mesh openings there between. 4. The attachment of claim 2 wherein the rear boundary panel includes a concave curvature about an axis extending substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the capture structure and facing in the raking direction when the attachment is in the connected position relative to the lawn rake and the lawn rake is in the rake operating position. 5. The attachment of claim 1: (a) wherein the connector arrangement includes (i) a first connector connected to the rake handle when the attachment is in the connected position relative to the lawn rake, and (ii) a second connector connected to the tine structure when the attachment is in the connected position relative to the lawn rake; and(b) further including a positioning structure connected between the second connector and the capture structure. 6. The attachment of claim 5 further including an adjustable connector connecting the capture structure and the positioning structure, the adjustable connector facilitating adjustment of the distance between the capture structure and the lower ends of the raking tines. 7. The attachment of claim 1: (a) wherein the connector arrangement includes (i) a first connector connected to an upper portion of the tine structure when the attachment is in the connected position relative to the lawn rake, and (ii) a second connector connected to a lower portion of the tine structure when the attachment is in the connected position relative to the lawn rake; and(b) further including a positioning structure connected between the second connector and the capture structure. 8. The attachment of claim 7 further including an adjustable connector connecting the capture structure and the positioning structure, the adjustable connector facilitating adjustment of the distance between the capture structure and the lower ends of the raking tines. 9. An attachment for a lawn rake, the attachment including: (a) a capture structure defining a boundary for a raked debris containment volume, the capture structure including a rear boundary panel connected between at least two opposing frame members of the capture structure, the rear boundary panel including an open mesh structure made up of a number of first mesh elements and a number of second mesh elements with the first mesh elements extending transverse to the second mesh elements to define mesh openings there between;(b) a positioning structure adapted to be connected to the capture structure in a forward position to extend from a forward edge of the capture structure so as to provide a distal end of the positioning structure spaced apart from the forward edge of the capture structure;(c) a connector arrangement connected to the positioning structure at the distal end of the positioning structure such that the positioning structure maintains a separation between the connector arrangement and the forward edge of the capture structure, the connector arrangement being operable to provide a connection between the attachment and a lawn rake; and(d) an adjustable connector connecting the capture structure and the positioning structure, the adjustable connector facilitating adjustment of the distance between the connector arrangement and the capture structure. 10. The attachment of claim 9 wherein the rear boundary panel includes a concave curvature about a longitudinal axis of the capture structure, the concave curvature facing in the direction the positioning structure extends from the forward edge of the capture structure when the positioning structure is connected to the capture structure in the forward position. 11. The attachment of claim 9: (a) wherein the connector arrangement includes (i) a first connector operable to connect to a rake handle of a lawn rake, and (ii) a second connector operable to connect to a tine structure of the lawn rake; and(b) wherein the positioning structure is connected between the second connector and the capture structure. 12. The attachment of claim 9: (a) wherein the connector arrangement includes (i) a first connector operable to connect to an upper portion of a tine structure of a lawn rake, and (ii) a second connector operable to connect to a lower portion of the tine structure; and(b) wherein the positioning structure is connected between the second connector and the capture structure. 13. A lawn rake including: (a) an elongated rake handle;(b) a tine structure with an upper end connected to the rake handle and a lower end including a number of raking tines which are spaced apart side-by-side along a raking line, the lawn rake being operable in a rake operating position in which (i) the longitudinal axis of the rake handle extends at an acute angle to a surface being raked in a raking direction and with the raking line extending generally parallel to the surface being raked, and (ii) the lower ends of the raking tines are positioned below the longitudinal axis of the rake handle; and(c) a capture structure defining a rear boundary of a raked debris containment volume, the capture structure being connected to the remainder of the lawn rake such that when the lawn rake is in the rake operating position at 45 degrees to the surface being raked, (i) the capture structure is located above the longitudinal axis of the rake handle, and with a lower edge of the capture structure closest to the raking tines located at approximately the level of lower ends of the raking tines, and (ii) both an upper edge of the capture structure and the lower edge of the capture structure closest to the raking tines is separated a respective effective distance in a rake trailing direction from a rearmost part of the tine structure, the rake trailing direction being opposite to the raking direction and the rearmost part of the tine structure being that part of the tine structure that extends furthest from the rake handle in the rake trailing direction. 14. The lawn rake of claim 13 wherein the capture structure includes an air-permeable rear boundary panel which defines at least a portion of the rear boundary of the raked debris containment volume, the air-permeable rear boundary panel being connected along a first lateral edge to a first frame member and along a second lateral edge to a second frame member with an air-permeable portion of the air-permeable rear boundary panel located between the first frame member and second frame member. 15. The lawn rake of claim 13 wherein the capture structure includes an air-permeable rear boundary panel which defines at least a portion of the rear boundary of the raked debris containment volume, and wherein the rear boundary panel includes an open mesh structure made up of a number of first mesh elements and a number of second mesh elements, the first mesh elements extending transverse to the second mesh elements to define mesh openings there between. 16. The lawn rake of claim 14 wherein the rear boundary panel includes a concave curvature about the longitudinal axis of the capture structure, the concave curvature facing in the raking direction when the lawn rake is in the rake operating position.