Patent ID: 7836602

Claim:
A protective shield for a trimmer having a cutting head that is rotatable about an axis of rotation and supports a cutting thread that rotates about the axis of rotation when the cutting head is rotated, wherein the rotating cutting thread is aligned radially to the axis of rotation and, when rotating unimpaired about the axis of rotation, the rotating cutting thread moves on a planar cutting circle that is positioned at a right angle relative to the axis of rotation, wherein the axis of rotation in a usual working position of the trimmer is positioned approximately vertically to a ground surface to be worked on and the planar cutting circle is positioned approximately parallel to the ground surface to be worked on, wherein the protective shield at least partially covers the cutting circle; the protective shield comprising: a base member; a cutting-to-length blade arranged on the base member so as to be positioned circumferentially relative to the planar cutting circle of the rotating cutting thread, wherein said planar cutting circle defines a radial plane having a radial top face and a radial bottom face wherein said radial bottom face faces in a first axial direction the ground surface to be worked on and said radial top face faces in a second axial direction, opposite to the first axial direction, away from the ground surface to be worked on; the cutting-to-length blade having a cutting edge; the cutting edge displaced in the second axial direction relative to said planar cutting circle and positioned at an axial spacing from said planar cutting circle such that the cutting edge is positioned completely above said radial top face in the second axial direction; means for axially deflecting in the second axial direction the rotating cutting thread out of said planar cutting circle toward the cutting edge.