Patent attributes
A handheld work apparatus has a housing with a guide bar affixed thereto. A saw chain is driven along the guide bar which defines a central plane. A drive element for the chain is in a sprocket wheel space delimited by a sprocket wheel cover. The cover has a longitudinal edge which delimits the space adjacent to a first side of the saw chain. The longitudinal edge has a length from an entry region to a discharge opening. Over at least 50% of this length, the longitudinal edge is at a distance (L) to the housing. The distance (L) corresponds to the chain width (a). The distance of the longitudinal edge of the cover increases at the discharge opening in the running direction of the first side. The largest distance (b) of the longitudinal edge to the central plane is at least 110% of the smallest distance (c).