Abstract:
A garden power tool system comprises a lawn mower powered by a battery mounted on the mower and a plurality of electrically powered gardening implements such as a hedge trimmer and a string trimmer. The battery provides the electrical power for the garden implements when they are connected to the mower. The mower can be mounted on castor wheels. Ideally, the garden implements are releasably attachable via a connecting mechanism and an electric cable to the mower. The connecting mechanism provides electrical connection between the battery and the garden implements when attached and is sufficiently robust to enable the mower to be dragged around by the garden implement when connected.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to garden implements and in particular to electrically powered garden implements. 
     Most household gardens comprise a number of different features such as trees, lawns, flower beds, bushes, rockeries, paths and patios. Therefore, a gardener requires a range of garden implements in order to assist him in the maintenance of the garden. The majority of these implements are powered, usually by an electrical motor. Such implements include hedge trimmers, blow vacs, string trimmers, chain saws, lawn mowers, reciprocating saws and edgers. 
     Electrically powered garden implements are either powered by a mains electricity supply or a battery. 
     Garden implements powered by a mains electricity supply have to be connected via a cable to the supply. This restricts the locations where the garden implements can be used to areas within reach of a power supply outlet which is determined by location of the power supply outlet and by the length of the cable. 
     Cable extensions can be added. However, this incurs additional costs. 
     Garden implements powered by a battery are not so restricted as to the locations where they can be used compared with mains powered tools. However, each tool requires a separate battery and separate charging system incurring the cost of a battery and charger for each tool. Furthermore, the battery is attached directly to the tool. This adds an additional burden to the user because, in addition to supporting the power tool itself, he has to support the battery. Large batteries used in such power tools can be heavy requiring the user to make a considerable exertion in order to support both the power tool and the battery. 
     The run of time of a power tool between the recharges of the battery is dependent on the size of the battery. However, the size of the battery has to be limited so that the user is able to both support and maneuver the power tool. Therefore, the run time between recharges is limited. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The object of the present invention is to overcome the above problems. 
     According to the first aspect of the present invention, a garden power tool system comprises a lawn mower and one or more electrically powered gardening implements. The mower is powered by a battery mounted on the mower. The garden implements are electrically powered by being connectable to the mower such that the battery provides the electrical power for the garden implements. 
     By powering the garden implements from the battery of the mower, there is no need for the garden implement to be used near to an electrical power outlet. The mower can be easily wheeled to the required location so that the garden implement can be used wherever desired. 
     Because the battery is mounted on the lawn mower, which in turn is supported via wheels on the ground, the user does not have to support or maneuver the battery when using the gardening implement. Furthermore, as the weight of the battery is supported by the mower, it can be considerably larger than if it were supported by the user. Therefore, a far larger battery can be used, greatly increasing the run time of the gardening implement between recharges. 
     Furthermore, the mower can be used to support the weight of part of a connected garden implement, thus lightening the load which a user has to bear when using the garden implement. 
     Preferably the mower is mounted on castor wheels. The lawn mower can be made to be highly maneuverable over the surface of the ground by mounting it on castor wheels to allow it to travel in any direction both linear and rotational. Because the garden implements are connected to such a mower, the tool system can easily be moved around in any direction either with any garden implement connected to it, or by the garden implement itself. 
     Preferably, the garden implements are releasably attachable via a connecting mechanism to the mower, the connecting mechanism, providing electrical connection between the battery and garden implement when attached. 
     This allows the garden implements to be detached from the mower when not required. 
     Ideally, the connecting mechanism is sufficiently robust to enable the mower to be dragged around by the garden implement when connected. This allows the mower to be maneuvered around by the garden implement without the garden implement becoming detached. 
     Certain garden implements can be attached directly to the mower for example a shredder. However, for other garden implements such as hand held implements it is advantageous that the garden implement is attached to the mower via an electric cable. This allows the garden implement to be used remotely from the mower. This is a particularly useful feature, as the garden implement can be used in places not easily accessible to the mower such as up a tree. Furthermore, the mower may be easily dragged around by the garden implement via the cable. 
     The electric cable may be flexible in length. Such cables can include cable coiled in a helical spring which is able to stretch when a force is applied to the cable. 
     The use of such a cable enables any excess length of cable between the mower and garden implement to be kept tidy and as such, it is less of a safety hazard. 
     The mower can comprise a handle which is releasably attachable to the mower. Alternatively or additionally, the mower can comprise a handle which is capable of being folded down onto the body of the mower. When the mower is being dragged around by a garden implement, the handle of the mower may get caught in bushes or ornaments. Therefore, when it is not being used to maneuver the mower, it is desirable to either remove it or fold it away. Many types of mower comprise a grass box for catching the grass cuttings. However, as the mower itself is not being used whilst a garden implement is being used, it is also preferable that the grass box is releasably attachable so that it can be removed to minimize the size of the mower. 
     Examples of such garden implements are a hedge trimmer, a shredder, a string trimmer, a chain saw, a shrubber, a weeder, a pruner and any other hand held electrically powered garden implement. 
     According to the second aspect of the present invention, a lawn mower, powered by a battery mounted on the mower, comprises a connecting mechanism in electrical connection with the battery which is capable of being connected to one or more gardening implements to enable the battery to power the garden implements when they are connected to the connection mechanism. 
     Ideally the connecting mechanism is sufficiently robust to enable the mower to be dragged around by the connecting mechanism. 
     The mower can comprise a handle and/or a grass box which is releasably attachable to the mower. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing of which: 
     FIG. 1 shows a side view of the lawn mower according to the first embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 shows the electrical circuit of the lawn mower; 
     FIG. 3 shows the hedge trimmer garden implement; 
     FIG. 4 shows the string trimmer garden implement; 
     FIG. 5 shows a side view of the lawn mower according to the third embodiment of the present invention; and 
     FIG. 6 shows the bayonet connection for the lawn mower and garden tool. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The garden power tool system comprises a lawn mower and a plurality of electrically power garden implements which can be connected to the lawn mower. 
     The first embodiment of the present invention will now be described. Referring to FIG. 1, the lawn mower comprises a cutting deck  2  upon which is mounted a motor  4  and a battery  6 . A hood  8  encloses the motor  4  and battery  6 . The cutting deck  2  is mounted on four castor wheels  10  located near to the four comers of the cutting deck  2 . The motor  4  rotatingly drives a cutting blade not shown mounted below the cutting deck  2  on the output drive spindle of the motor  4  about a substantially vertical axis. A grass box  11  is attached to the rear of the deck  2 . A detachable handle  12  is attached to the rear of the deck  2 . Located on the handle  12  is a lever  14  which projects from a lever box  16  attached to the handle  12  and which encloses an electric switch  17 . Two electric cables  18  run from the lever box  16  to a plug  20 . A corresponding socket  22  is mounted on the rear of the cutting deck  2 . A cable  24  runs under the hood  8  from the socket  22  to a terminal of the battery  6 . FIG. 2 shows the internal wiring diagram of the mower. A second cable  26  runs from the socket  22  to a terminal of the motor  4 . A third electric cable  28  runs between the battery  6  and the motor  4 . An electric circuit is formed between the motor  4  and the battery  6  via the electric switch  17  when the plug  20  is connected to the socket  22 . The electric circuit is completed by the activation of the electric switch  17  by depression of the lever  14 , thus energizing the electric motor  4 . 
     A second socket  30  is mounted on the front of the cutting deck  2 . Two electric cables  32 ,  34  run from the terminals of the battery  6  to the second electric socket  30 . The socket comprises a bayonet connector. 
     The handle  12  is detachably connected to the rear of the deck by a clip mechanism  36 . When the clip mechanism  36  is released, the handle  12  is detached from the body of the mower. The electric cables  18  which run from the lever box  26  on the handle  12  to the body of the mower is released by unplugging the first plug  20  from the socket  22  mounted on the rear of the cutting deck  2 . 
     The disconnection of the first plug  20  and socket  22  does not interfere in any way between the electrical connection between the battery  6  and the second socket  30  on the side of the cutting deck. 
     FIG. 3 shows a hedge trimmer garden implement  38  which is attachable to the lawn mower. The hedge trimmer  38  comprises a rear handle  40  which is attached to the rear of the body  42  of the hedge trimmer  38 . An electric motor not shown is located within the body  42 . The motor reciprocatingly drives the hedge trimmer blades  44  attached to the front of the hedge trimmer  38  in a known manner. A helical stretchable electric cable  46  extends from the rear of the rear handle  40  to an electric plug  48  having a bayonet connection which is capable of mating with the second socket  30  on the lawn mower. The electric cable  46  passes through the rear handle  40  via a trigger switch  50  mounted on the rear handle  40  to the electric motor. A front bail handle  52  is mounted on the front of the body  42  of the hedge trimmer  46 . 
     FIG. 4 shows a string trimmer  53  comprising an elongate rod  54  having a motor housing  56  formed at one end and a rear handle  58  formed at the other. An electric motor not shown is mounted within the motor housing  56  which rotatingly drives a cutting head  60  in a known manner. A cutting line  62  extends from the cutting head  60 . An electric cable  66  extends from the rear handle  58  to an electric plug  68  having a bayonet connection which is capable of mating with the second socket  30  on the lawn mower. The cable  66  passes through the rear handle  58  via a trigger switch  70  mounted on the rear handle  58 , through the elongate rod  54  to the motor. 
     In use, a gardener would mow the lawn using the lawn mower in the known fashion. The gardener then may wish to trim the hedges. The gardener would connect the plug  48  of the hedge trimmer garden implement  38  into the second socket  30  located on the side of the cutting deck  2  of the mower. When the hedge trimmer garden implement  38  is connected to the socket  30  an electrical circuit is formed between the electric motor of the hedge trimmer  38  and the battery  6  of the mower via the trigger switch  50  on the hedge trimmer  38 . Depression of the trigger switch  50  activates the motor and thus starts the hedge trimmer. 
     The gardener would commence trimming the hedges. As the gardener moves around the garden with the hedge trimmer garden implement  38 , the mower would be pulled behind by the gardener via the electric cable  46 . The plug  48  and socket  30  connection is robust enough to withstand the pulling forces exerted onto the cable  46 . Because the mower is mounted on castor wheels  10 , it is able to follow the gardener with hedge trimmer attachment  38  in any direction and can easily change direction when required. 
     The handle  12  of the mower may become entangled in the hedges as it is pulled along by the gardener. Therefore, the handle  12  can be detached by unclipping the handle  12  from the cutting deck  2  and disconnecting the first plug  20  from the socket  22  at the rear of the deck  2 . In this fashion, only the body of the mower is pulled along behind the gardener. 
     In order to change implements, the plug  48  of the hedge trimmer attachment  38  is removed from the second socket  30 , and the plug  68  of the string trimmer attachment  53  is connected to the second socket  30 . The string trimmer attachment is then used in the normal manner, the mower being pulled along behind the trimmer via the cable  66 . 
     In the second embodiment of the present invention, the hedge trimmer attachment  38  and string trimmer attachment  53  is permanently connected via a cable directly to the battery  6 , thus avoiding the need for a plug  48 ;  68  and the second socket  30 . When not being used, the attachments  38 ;  53  are stored in specifically formed recesses integrally molded into the hood  8  of the mower. 
     The third embodiment of the present invention is the same as the first embodiment except that the grass box  11  is detachable and that the handle  12  is capable of being folded onto the body of the mower. 
     FIG. 5 shows the lawn mower according to the third embodiment in which the grass box  11  has been removed and the handle folded up. 
     FIG. 6 shows the electric plug  48  having the bayonet connection. While FIG. 6 illustrates the electric plug  48 , the electric plug  68  also has the bayonet connection shown in FIG.  6 . The electric plug  48  includes a body  80  and a pair of radially extending lugs  82 . Socket  30  includes a center bore  84  which accepts body  80  and a pair of slots  86  which accept the pair of lugs  82 . Once assembled, the electric plug  48  is rotated such that the pair of lugs  82  engage a pair of stops  88  (only one shown). The pair of stops  88  in conjunction with the pair of lugs  82  provide the robust connection which withstands the pulling forces exerted onto the cable  46  while a pair of contacts  90  maintain the necessary electrical connection between the electric plug  48  and the socket  30 . 
     While the invention has been explained by reference to a preferred embodiment, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus the present invention is intended to cover all such modification and variations provided they are covered by the appended claims and their equivalents.