Patent Publication Number: US-7213295-B2

Title: Trowel assembly

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to a trowel assembly, and more particularly to a trowel assembly that can be assembled easily, rapidly and conveniently, thereby facilitating the user mounting the trowel assembly. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   A conventional trowel assembly in accordance with the prior art shown in  FIG. 7  comprises a blade plate  1 , a connecting strip  2  fixed on the blade plate  1  by a plurality of rivets  3 , and a handle  4  having a front end provided with a support post  4   a  soldered on the connecting strip  2 . 
   However, the handle  4  is fixed on the blade plate  1 , so that the handle  4  cannot fit blade plates  1  of different sizes and shapes, thereby limiting the versatility of the conventional trowel assembly. In addition, the conventional trowel assembly has a larger volume in package, thereby increasing costs of transportation. 
   Another conventional trowel assembly in accordance with the prior art shown in  FIGS. 8–12  comprises a blade plate  5 , and a handle  6 . The blade plate  5  is soldered with three dovetailed seats  5   a , wherein each of the first and third dovetailed seats  5   a  is formed with a screw bore  5   b . The handle  6  includes an elongated support seat  6   c , and a grip  6   b  mounted on the support seat  6   c . The support seat  6   c  has a bottom formed with a channel  6   d  formed with three dovetailed grooves  6   e  to receive the three dovetailed seats  5   a  of the blade plate  5 . The support seat  6   c  has two sides each formed with a through hole  6   g . The grip  6   b  is formed with a passage hole  6   a  and has two sides each formed with a receiving hole  6   f  for receiving a locking screw  6   h  which is extended through the through hole  6   g  of the support seat  6   c  and screwed into the screw bore  5   b  of the respective dovetailed seat  5   a  of the blade plate  5 , so that the handle  6  is fixed on the blade plate  5 . Thus, the handle  6  can fit blade plates  5  of different sizes and shapes, and the trowel assembly has a smaller volume in package, thereby decreasing costs of transportation. 
   However, the concrete or cement easily enters the channel  6   d  of the support seat  6   c  of the handle  6 , so that the handle  6  is fixed on the blade plate  5  without detachment when the concrete or cement is solidified. In addition, it is necessary to form three dovetailed seats  5   a  on the blade plate  5  without deviation so as to fit the three dovetailed grooves  6   e  of the support seat  6   c  of the handle  6 , thereby greatly increasing difficulty in the working process. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a trowel assembly, wherein the connecting strip is fixed on the blade plate in a riveting manner, and the handle is combined with the connecting strip in a screwing manner, so that the trowel assembly can be assembled easily, rapidly and conveniently, thereby facilitating the user mounting the trowel assembly. 
   Another objective of the present invention is to provide a trowel assembly that has a simplified construction, thereby decreasing costs of fabrication. 
   A further objective of the present invention is to provide a trowel assembly, wherein the insertion block of the support post of the handle and the insertion recess of the connecting strip have a tapered shape to provide a guiding effect, so that the insertion block of the support post of the handle can be inserted into the insertion recess of the connecting strip easily and conveniently, thereby facilitating the user mounting the trowel assembly. 
   A further objective of the present invention is to provide a trowel assembly, wherein the insertion block of the support post of the handle is fixed in the insertion recess of the connecting strip rigidly and stably, so that the handle is combined with the insertion recess of the connecting strip rigidly and stably. 
   In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a trowel assembly, comprising: 
   a blade plate; 
   a connecting strip fixed on the blade plate and formed with an insertion recess; and 
   a handle mounted on the connecting strip and having a front end provided with a downward extended support post having a lower end provided with an insertion block inserted into the insertion recess of the connecting strip. 
   Further benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after a careful reading of the detailed description with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a trowel assembly in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the trowel assembly as shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is a plan cross-sectional view of the trowel assembly as shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a trowel assembly in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 5  is an exploded perspective view of the trowel assembly as shown in  FIG. 4 ; 
       FIG. 6  is a plan cross-sectional view of the trowel assembly as shown in  FIG. 4 ; 
       FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a conventional trowel assembly in accordance with the prior art; 
       FIG. 8  is a plan exploded view of another conventional trowel assembly in accordance with the prior art; 
       FIG. 9  is a top plan view of a blade plate of the conventional trowel assembly as shown in  FIG. 8 ; 
       FIG. 10  is a bottom plan view of a handle of the conventional trowel assembly as shown in  FIG. 8 ; 
       FIG. 11  is a cross-sectional assembly view of the conventional trowel assembly as shown in  FIG. 8 ; and 
       FIG. 12  is a side plan cross-sectional view of the conventional trowel assembly as shown in  FIG. 11 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Referring to the drawings and initially to  FIGS. 1–3 , a trowel assembly in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a blade plate  10 , a connecting strip  20 , a plurality of rivets  30 , and a handle  40 . 
   The blade plate  10  is formed with a plurality of fixing holes  11  equally spaced from each other. 
   The connecting strip  20  is fixed on the blade plate  10  and is formed with a plurality of riveting holes  21  each aligning with a respective one of the fixing holes  11  of the blade plate  10 . The connecting strip  20  is formed with an insertion recess  22 . Preferably, the insertion recess  22  of the connecting strip  20  is located between two adjacent riveting holes  21  and has a rectangular tapered shape. In addition, the insertion recess  22  of the connecting strip  20  has a bottom face having a center formed with a screw bore  221 . 
   Each of the rivets  30  is extended through a respective one of the riveting holes  21  of the connecting strip  20  and is riveted into a respective one of the fixing holes  11  of the blade plate  10 , so that the connecting strip  20  is fixed on the blade plate  10  by the rivets  30 . 
   The handle  40  is mounted on the connecting strip  20  and has a front end provided with a downward extended support post  41  having a lower end provided with an insertion block  42  inserted into the insertion recess  22  of the connecting strip  20 . The support post  41  of the handle  40  has a side formed with an opening  43  located above the insertion block  42  so as to expose the insertion block  42 . Preferably, the insertion block  42  of the support post  41  of the handle  40  has a rectangular tapered shape to mate with that of the insertion recess  22  of the connecting strip  20 . In addition, the insertion block  42  of the support post  41  of the handle  40  is formed with a counterbore  421  aligning with the screw bore  221  of the insertion recess  22  of the connecting strip  20 . Preferably, the counterbore  421  of the insertion block  42  of the support post  41  of the handle  40  communicates with the opening  43  of the support post  41  of the handle  40 . 
   The trowel assembly further comprises a locking screw  44  extended through the counterbore  421  of the insertion block  42  of the support post  41  of the handle  40  and screwed into the screw bore  221  of the insertion recess  22  of the connecting strip  20 , so that the insertion block  42  of the support post  41  of the handle  40  is fixed in the insertion recess  22  of the connecting strip  20 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 4–6 , in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, the blade plate  10  is formed with a through hole  12  located between two adjacent fixing holes  11 . In addition, the insertion recess  22  of the connecting strip  20  has a bottom face having a center formed with a stepped hole  222  aligning with the through hole  12  of the blade plate  10 . Preferably, the stepped hole  222  has an upper portion having a smaller diameter and a lower portion having a greater diameter. In addition, the insertion block  42  of the support post  41  of the handle  40  has a bottom face formed with a screw bore  422  aligning with the stepped hole  222  of the insertion recess  22  of the connecting strip  20 . 
   The trowel assembly further comprises a locking screw  44  extended through the through hole  12  of the blade plate  10  and the stepped hole  222  of the insertion recess  22  of the connecting strip  20 , and screwed into the screw bore  422  of the insertion block  42  of the support post  41  of the handle  40 , so that the insertion block  42  of the support post  41  of the handle  40  is fixed in the insertion recess  22  of the connecting strip  20 . The trowel assembly further comprises a cover  45  inserted into the through hole  12  of the blade plate  10  to seal the locking screw  44 . 
   Accordingly, the connecting strip  20  is fixed on the blade plate  10  in a riveting manner, and the handle  40  is combined with the connecting strip  20  in a screwing manner, so that the trowel assembly can be assembled easily, rapidly and conveniently, thereby facilitating the user mounting the trowel assembly. In addition, the trowel assembly has a simplified construction, thereby decreasing costs of fabrication. Further, the insertion block  42  of the support post  41  of the handle  40  and the insertion recess  22  of the connecting strip  20  have a tapered shape to provide a guiding effect, so that the insertion block  42  of the support post  41  of the handle  40  can be inserted into the insertion recess  22  of the connecting strip  20  easily and conveniently, thereby facilitating the user mounting the trowel assembly. Further, the insertion block  42  of the support post  41  of the handle  40  is fixed in the insertion recess  22  of the connecting strip  20  rigidly and stably, so that the handle  40  is combined with the insertion recess  22  of the connecting strip  20  rigidly and stably. 
   Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment(s) as mentioned above, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. It is, therefore, contemplated that the appended claim or claims will cover such modifications and variations that fall within the true scope of the invention.