Ice scraper

Abstract

The present invention is concerned with ice scrapers having a tubular shaft and a blade made of spring sheet steel. The use of spring steel provides an ice scraper blade that is strong, thin and flexible, which makes it easier to lift frozen snow and ice off of sidewalks and driveways. The blade is preferably rectangular although other shapes such as trapezoidal and semi-circular may be used. The shaft comprises a compressible rubber bulb as a handle to absorb the compressible shock forces as the ice scraper is being used. An alternate embodiment of the present invention includes a deflector mounted above the blade similar to a snow scoop that directs pieces of snow and ice forward as they are lifted of the sidewalk or driveway.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of scrapers, more particularly, ice scrapers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] In winter climates, snow often accumulates on sidewalks and driveways. If not cleared shortly after a snowfall, the snow will often become compacted and, through temperature cycling throughout the day or through melting and freezing again overnight, turn into a layer of ice. Such ice buildup is difficult to remove from the sidewalk or driveway.

[0003] Convention ice scrapers are, typically, heavy and inflexible steel blades which are used to chop away layers of ice or to scrape along the sidewalk or driveway and lift the ice up. As the blade of such scrapers are relatively thick, it often requires great effort to remove ice with this style of tool.

[0004] This is even more apparent during the late-winter/early-spring months when daytime temperatures rise above freezing and allow the layers of frozen snow and ice on sidewalks or driveways to melt and subsequently freeze again when temperatures drop below freezing overnight. Freezing rain conditions during this period of time contribute to this problem even further. Conventional ice scrapers typically have too blunt of an edge to effectively lift layers of frozen snow and ice from sidewalks or driveways.

[0005] It is, therefore, desirable to have an ice scraper that requires minimal effort to lift ice frozen to a surface such as a sidewalk or driveway.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] The present invention is an improved ice scraper. It consists of a long, thin cylindrical handle having a blade holder at the lower end of the handle. Attached to the bottom of the blade holder is a piece of spring sheet steel. Preferably, the blade is bolted to the blade holder but it may also be welded or riveted to the holder. The use of spring sheet steel provides a blade that is thin, strong and flexible. This type of blade may, preferably, be rectangular in shape but other shapes, such as trapezoidal or semi-circular, may be employed as well.

[0007] The spring steel blade is quite thin compared to the blade of conventional ice scrapers. This aspect of the blade allows it to be more readily inserted between the sidewalk or driveway and the layer of ice with less force as required with conventional scrapers. Furthermore, the blade will curl as forces applied to the scraper to remove a layer of ice. The curling of the blade gives rise to spring tension in the blade as it tries to straighten out. The effect of the spring tension helps to lift or "pop" ice from the sidewalk or driveway thereby reducing the effort required to remove the layer of ice.

[0008] Another advantage of the spring steel blade is that the blade is self-sharpening as it is continually scraped along the concrete or asphalt surface of the sidewalk or driveway.

[0009] Another aspect of the present invention is that it also, preferably, includes a deflector on the blade holder located above the blade. Preferably, the deflector is curved forward like a snow scoop so that when ice is lifted from the surface, the deflector will direct the removed ice pieces forward as force is applied to the scraper.

[0010] Another aspect of the present invention is that it, preferably, includes a compressible grip on the upper end of the handle. Preferably, the grip is a hollow rubber bulb that absorbs shock to the users hand as the present invention is used to remove ice from a surface. The rubber bulb has a stem that, preferably, slips into a recess or opening at the upper end of the handle. Accordingly, the handle may be a hollow metal tube or a wooden shaft having a hole or recess drilled at the upper end to receive the stem of the bulb.

[0011] Broadly stated, the present invention is a scraper for removing material from a surface, comprising an elongate shaft having upper and lower ends; a blade holder operatively attached to the lower end of said shaft whereby said blade holder extends below the lower end of said shaft; and a flexible blade operatively attached to said blade holder whereby said blade extends below said blade holder.

[0012] Broadly stated, another aspect of the present invention is an ice scraper for removing ice from a substantially horizontal surface, comprising an elongate shaft having upper and lower ends, the upper end further comprising a shock-absorbing hand grip; a blade holder operatively attached to the lower end of the said shaft, the blade holder having a sleeve for receiving the lower end of said shaft whereby said blade holder extends below the lower end of said shaft; and a flexible blade made of spring steel operatively attached to said blade holder whereby said blade extends below said blade holder, said blade having a blade support mounted between said blade and said blade holder.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention.

[0014] FIG. 2A is a front view of an alternate embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] FIG. 2B is a front view of another alternate embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the present invention.

[0017] FIG. 4 is a close-up side view of the blade holder of the present invention.

[0018] FIG. 5 is a close-up side view of an alternate embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] FIG. 6 is a close-up side view of the handgrip of the present invention.

[0020] FIG. 7 is a close-up view of an alternate handgrip of the present invention.

[0021] FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of the present invention in operation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0022] The present invention is an ice scraper having a spring steel scraper blade.

[0023] Referring to FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, the preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown. Scraper 10 comprises of shaft 12, handgrip 18, blade holder 24 and blade 20. Shaft 12 may be made of wood or may be a metal tube.

[0024] Blade 20 is, preferably, made of sheet spring steel, typically between approximately 0.030" and 0.080" thick. Blade 20 may, preferably, be rectangular in shape or it may be trapezoidal as shown in FIG. 2A. It is anticipated that other shapes can be used as well such as curved or semi-circular as shown in FIG. 2B.

[0025] Blade holder 24 further comprises sleeve 26, relief 25 and deflector 22 which has concave side 28 and convex side 30. Blade 20 is mounted to blade holder 24 by passing bolts 34 through openings 21 on blade 20 and holes 35 in blade holder 24 which are secured by nuts 36. In the preferred embodiment, blade support 32 is a Z-shaped member mounted between blade 20 and blade holder 24 in relief 25. Blade support 32 is preferably made of metal and provides additional strength and support for blade 20. Blade holder 24 may, preferably, be made of metal or injected-molded plastic although other materials as known to those skilled in the art will suffice.

[0026] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, lower end 14 of shaft 12 is inserted in sleeve 26. Preferably, lower end 14 slides into sleeve 26 until it contacts blade support 32. When configured this way, force imparted on blade 20 when scraper 10 is in use transfers through blade support 32 to lower end 14 of shaft 12 instead of on blade holder 24. Shaft 12 is secured in sleeve 26 either by friction fit, by adhesive and/or by a fastener such as a nail, bolt, screw or rivet.

[0027] Referring to FIG. 5, an alternate embodiment of blade holder 24 is shown. This alternate embodiment comprises mounting tabs 48 on the convex side 30 of deflector 22. Mounting tabs 48 are provided for attaching a rope or a second handle assembly (not shown) for two-handed operation of scraper 10.

[0028] Referring to FIG. 6, the preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises handgrip 18 mounted on upper end 16 of shaft 12. Handgrip 18 is, preferably, a compressible rubber bulb 38 with narrow stem 40. Stem 40 is fitted into opening 42 of upper end of shaft 12. Handgrip 18 may be held in place by friction fit or it may be secured in opening 42 by adhesive or by a fastener as well known to those skilled in the art.

[0029] Referring to FIG. 7, an alternate embodiment of the present invention is shown comprising yoke 44 on upper end 16 of shaft 12. Yoke 44 further comprises rotating grip 46.

[0030] Referring to FIG. 8, when scraper 10 is in use, blade 20 scrapes along surface 50 and slides underneath ice layer 42. The force to push scraper 10 forward causes blade 20 to flex or curl increasing the spring tension in blade 20. As blade 20 slides underneath ice layer 52, the spring tension of blade 20 assists in ice removal by causing pieces of ice to pop up from surface 50. When scraper 10 is pushed along surface 50, deflector 22 directs ice fragments 54 forward. Any shock forces in scraping ice off surface 50 traveling up shaft 12 are suppressed by handgrip 18 which are absorbed by rubber bulb 38.

[0031] Although a few preferred embodiments have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications might be made without departing from the scope of the invention. The terms and expressions in the preceding specification have been used therein as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, it being recognized that the scope of the invention is defined and limited only by the claims that follow.

Claims

We claim:

1. A scraper for removing material from a surface, comprising: a) an elongate shaft having upper and lower ends; b) a blade holder operatively attached to the lower end of said shaft whereby said blade holder extends below the lower end of said shaft; and c) a flexible blade operatively attached to said blade holder whereby said blade extends below said blade holder.

2. The scraper as set forth in claim 1 wherein said scraper is suitable for removing ice from the surface.

3. The scraper as set forth in claim 1 wherein the upper end of said shaft comprises a shock-absorbing hand grip.

4. The scraper as set forth in claim 3 wherein said hand grip is a compressible bulb made of rubber.

5. The scraper as set forth in claim 1 wherein said blade holder further comprises a blade support mounted between said blade and said blade holder to support said blade.

6. The scraper as set forth in claim 5 wherein said blade holder further comprises a sleeve for receiving the lower end of said shaft whereby the lower end of said shaft contacts said blade support when said lower end is inserted fully into said sleeve.

7. The scraper as set forth in claim 1 wherein said blade is made of spring steel.

8. The scraper as set forth in claim 7 wherein the thickness of said blade is in the range of 0.030" and 0.080".

9. The scraper as set forth in claim 7 wherein said blade is rectangular.

10. The scraper as set forth in claim 7 wherein said blade is trapezoidal.

11. The scraper as set forth in claim 7 wherein said blade is semi-circular.

12. The scraper as set forth in claim 1 wherein said blade holder further comprises a deflector for directing material away from the surface as said material is raised by said blade as said blade is slid between said material and said surface.

13. An ice scraper for removing ice from a substantially horizontal surface, comprising: a) an elongate shaft having upper and lower ends, the upper end further comprising a shock-absorbing hand grip; b) a blade holder operatively attached to the lower end of said shaft, the blade holder having a sleeve for receiving the lower end of said shaft whereby said blade holder extends below the lower end of said shaft; and c) a flexible blade made of spring steel operatively attached to said blade holder whereby said blade extends below said blade holder, said blade having a blade support mounted between said blade and said blade holder.

14. The ice scraper as set forth in claim 13 wherein said blade holder further comprises a deflector for directing ice away from the surface as said ice is raised by said blade, said blade raising said ice with the spring tension of said blade as it is slid between said ice and said surface.

15. The ice scraper as set forth in claim 13 wherein said hand grip is a compressible bulb made of rubber.

16. The ice scraper as set forth in claim 13 wherein the thickness of said blade is in the range of 0.030" and 0.080".

17. The ice scraper as set forth in claim 13 wherein said blade is rectangular.

18. The ice scraper as set forth in claim 13 wherein said blade is trapezoidal.

19. The ice scraper as set forth in claim 13 wherein said blade is semi-circular.