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US 6,655,336 B2Granted
Hand-held starting device for model engines
OwnerPaul E. Arltoninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hand-held starter apparatus for starting model engines includes a motor, a body supporting the motor, a switching device that activates the motor, and a trigger in communication with the switching device. The body is configured for comfortable gripping by users with large hands and by users with small hands.
Claims102
A hand-held starter apparatus for starting model engines, the apparatus comprising
- a motor including a shaft that is rotatable about a motor axis,
- a trigger coupled to the motor to activate the motor to rotate the shaft to start a model engine, and
- a body having an interior region in which at least a portion of the motor is situated, the body being configured to be hand held, the body having a front end and a rear end, the body including an elongated main portion extending between the front end and the rear end, the elongated main portion having a body axis, the body including a front ridge extending from the elongated main portion, the front ridge being spaced apart from the front end, the front ridge being adapted for receipt between the pointer and index fingers of an operator's hand.
A hand-held starter apparatus for starting model engines, the apparatus comprising
- a motor including a shaft that is rotatable about a motor axis,
- a trigger coupled to the motor to activate the motor to rotate the shaft to start a model engine, and
- a body having an interior region in which at least a portion of the motor is situated, the body being configured to be hand held, the body having a front end and a rear end, the body including an elongated main portion extending between the front end and the rear end, the elongated main portion having a body axis, the body including a front ridge extending from the elongated main portion, the front ridge being spaced apart from the front end, a rear ridge extending from the elongated main portion and the rear ridge being spaced apart form the front ridge to define a finger-receiving space therebetween, the rear ridge including a rear distal tip spaced apart from the elongated main portion, the rear ridge blending smoothly with the elongated main portion from the rear distal tip along an arc having a radius positioned to lie forward of the rear distal tip.
A hand-held starter apparatus for starting model engines, the apparatus comprising
- a motor including a shaft that is rotatable about a motor axis,
- a trigger coupled to the motor to activate the motor to rotate the shaft to start a model engine, and
- a body having an interior region in which at least a portion of the motor is situated, the body being configured to be hand held, the body having a front end and a rear end, the body including an elongated main portion extending between the front end and the rear end, the elongated main portion having a body axis, the body including a front ridge extending from the elongated main portion, the front ridge being spaced apart from the front end, the trigger being coupled to the elongated main portion for pivoting movement about a trigger axis that is perpendicular to and spaced apart from the body axis and the trigger axis being positioned to lie between the rear end and the front end.
A hand-held starter apparatus for starting model engines, the apparatus comprising
- a motor including a shaft that is rotatable about a motor axis,
- a trigger coupled to the motor to activate the motor to rotate the shaft to start a model engine, and
- a body having an interior region in which at least a portion of the motor is situated, the body being configured to be hand held, the body having a front end and a rear end, the body including an elongated main portion extending between the front end and the rear end, the elongated main portion having a body axis, the body including a front ridge extending from the elongated main portion, the front ridge being spaced apart from the front end, a front portion of the elongated main portion adjacent the front end of the body having a substantially round cross section along a first plane that is perpendicular to the body axis and a rear portion of the elongated main portion adjacent the rear end of the body having a substantially elliptical cross section along a second plane that is perpendicular to the body axis.
A hand-held starter apparatus for starting model engines, the apparatus comprising
- a motor including a shaft that is rotatable about a motor axis,
- a trigger coupled to the motor to activate the motor to rotate the shaft to start a model engine, and
- a body having an interior region in which at least a portion of the motor is situated, the body being configured to be hand held, the body having a front end and a rear end, the body including an elongated main portion extending between the front end and the rear end, the elongated main portion having a body axis, the body including a front ridge extending from the elongated main portion, the front ridge being spaced apart from the front end, the body having a plurality of cross sections taken through the elongated main portion between the front end of the body and the rear end of the body that transition smoothly from being mostly round in a forward body portion of the elongated main portion adjacent the front end of the body to being mostly elliptical in a rear body portion of the elongated main portion adjacent the rear end of the body and each cross section of the plurality of cross sections being taken along a corresponding plane that is perpendicular to the body axis.
A hand-held starter apparatus for starting model engines, the apparatus comprising
- a motor including a shaft that is rotatable about a motor axis,
- a trigger coupled to the motor to activate the motor to rotate the shaft to start a model engine, and
- a body having an interior region in which at least a portion of the motor is situated, the body being configured to be hand held, the body having a front end and a rear end, the body including an elongated main portion extending between the front end and the rear end, the elongated main portion having a body axis, the body including a front ridge extending from the elongated main portion, the front ridge being spaced apart from the front end, the front ridge including a front distal tip spaced apart from the elongated main portion, the front ridge blending smoothly with the elongated main portion from the front distal tip along a first arc having a first radius positioned to lie forward of the front distal tip, and the front ridge blending smoothly with the elongated main portion from the front distal tip along a second arc having a second radius positioned to lie rearward of the front distal tip.
A hand-held starter apparatus for starting model engines, the apparatus comprising
- a motor including a shaft that is rotatable about a motor axis,
- a trigger coupled to the motor to activate the motor to rotate the shaft to start a model engine, and
- a body having an interior region in which at least a portion of the motor is situated, the body being configured to be hand held, the body having a front end and a rear end, the body including an elongated main portion extending between the front end and the rear end, the elongated main portion having a body axis, the body including a front ridge extending from the elongated main portion, the front ridge being spaced apart from the front end, at least a majority of an outer surface of the body that intersects a first plane which is perpendicular to the body axis adjacent the front end being defined by a circle having a diameter of about 1.6 inches.
A hand-held starter apparatus for starting model engines, the apparatus comprising
- a motor including a shaft that is rotatable about a motor axis,
- a trigger coupled to the motor to activate the motor to rotate the shaft to start a model engine,
- a body having an interior region in which at least a portion of the motor is situated, the body being configured to be hand held, the body having a front end and a rear end, the body including an elongated main portion extending between the front end and the rear end, the elongated main portion having a body axis, the body including a front ridge extending from the elongated main portion, the front ridge being spaced apart from the front end, the front ridge being adapted for receipt between the pointer and index fingers of an operator's hand, and
- a power pack appended to the body and the power pack including at least one battery that supplies power to the motor.
1 more element
A hand-held starter apparatus for starting model engines, the apparatus comprising
- a motor including a shaft that is rotatable about a motor axis,
- a trigger coupled to the motor to activate the motor to rotate the shaft to start a model engine, and
- a body having an interior region in which at least a portion of the motor is situated, the body being configured to be hand held, the body having a front end and a rear end, the body including an elongated main portion extending between the front end and the rear end, the elongated main portion having a body axis, the body including a front ridge extending from the elongated main portion, the front ridge being spaced apart from the front end, at least a portion of the trigger extending from the body between the front end of the body and the front ridge.
A hand-held starter apparatus for starting model engines, the apparatus comprising
- a motor including a shaft that rotates about a motor axis when the motor is activated to start a model engine, and
- a body having an interior region in which at least a portion of the motor is situated, the body being configured to be hand held, the body having a front end and a rear end, the body including an elongated main portion extending between the front end and the rear end along a body axis, the elongated main portion including an outer surface having a circular cross section along a first plane that extends adjacent the front end in perpendicular relation with the body axis, the outer surface having an oval cross section along a second plane that extends adjacent the rear end in perpendicular relation with the body axis, and the outer surface of the elongated main portion transitions smoothly from the circular cross section to the oval cross section.
A hand-held starter apparatus for starting model engines, the apparatus comprising
- a body having a front end, a rear end spaced apart from the front end, and a main portion extending between the front end and the rear end, the main portion being formed to include an interior region between the front end and the rear end, the body being configured to be hand held,
- a motor situated in the interior region adjacent the front end, the motor being configured to start a model engine when the motor is activated,
- a switch situated in the interior region between the motor and the rear end, the switch being coupled to the motor and operable to activate the motor, and
- a trigger having a first portion positioned to lie in the interior region and a second portion positioned to lie outside the interior region, the first portion being coupled to the body for pivoting movement about a trigger axis that is located between the switch and the rear end, and moving the trigger operates the switch to activate the motor.
1 more element
A hand-held starter apparatus for starting model engines, the apparatus comprising
- a motor including a shaft that rotates about a motor axis when the motor is activated to start a model engine, and
- a body having an interior region in which at least a portion of the motor is situated, the body being configured to be hand held, the body having a front end and a rear end, the body including an elongated main portion extending between the front end and the rear end along a body axis, the elongated main portion including an outer surface having a first cross section with a first cross-sectional area taken along a first plane that extends adjacent the front end in perpendicular relation with the body axis, the outer surface having a second cross section with a second cross-sectional area taken along a second plane that extends adjacent the rear end in perpendicular relation with the body axis, the outer surface of the elongated main portion transitions smoothly from the first cross section to the second cross section, and the second cross-sectional area is less than the first cross-sectional area, the second cross-sectional area being about one half the first cross-sectional area.
A hand-held starter apparatus for starting a model engine, the apparatus comprising
- an electric motor including a shaft that is rotatable about a motor axis,
- a body having an interior region in which at least a portion of the electric motor is situated, the body being configured to be hand held, the body having a front end and a rear end, the body including an elongated main portion extending between the front end and the rear end, the elongated main portion having a body axis, the body including a front ridge extending from the elongated main portion adjacent the front end and a rear ridge extending from the elongated main portion adjacent the rear end, the front ridge being spaced apart from the rear ridge to define a finger-receiving space therebetween, the finger receiving space lying on a first side of the body axis,
- an adapter coupled to the shaft to rotate therewith, the adapter being adapted to be coupled to the model engine to transfer rotational motion from the shaft to the model engine to start the model engine,
- means for activating the motor, the activating means comprising a user-engageable portion that is situated between the front end and the rear end on a second side of the body axis, the second side of the body axis being diametrically opposite the first side of the body axis, and
- a guard extending away from the main portion in front of the user-engageable portion on the second side of the body axis, the body and the guard being configured so that when the apparatus is placed on a flat surface in any orientation having the body and guard contacting the flat surface, no portion of the flat surface contacts the user-engageable portion.
2 more elements
A hand-held starter apparatus for starting a model engine, the apparatus comprising
- a motor including a shaft that is rotatable about a motor axis,
- a body having an interior region in which at least a portion of the motor is situated, the body being configured to be hand-held, the body including an elongated main portion having a front end and a rear end and a ridge extending from the elongated main portion and being spaced apart from the front end and from the rear end to define a trigger space between the ridge and the front end, and
- a trigger coupled to the motor to activate the motor to rotate the shaft to start a model engine, at least a portion of the trigger extending from the elongated main portion into the trigger space.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.