EP4240597A1

EP4240597A1 - Scraper

Info

Publication number: EP4240597A1
Application number: EP21889715.5A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Birger Ericson
Original assignee: Speedheater System AB
Current assignee: Speedheater System AB
Priority date: 2020-11-07
Filing date: 2021-11-03
Publication date: 2023-09-13
Also published as: SE544976C2; SE2051297A1; WO2022098283A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a scraper (1) for scraping a surface, e.g. for removing paint from a wooden surface. The scraper comprises a handle (2) provided with a handle connector (21) and a head (3) provided with a head connector (31). The handle (2) and head (3) are pivotally connected to each other via a pivotal connection (4) connecting the handle connector (21) and head connector (31). The head (3) further comprises a blade holder (36) for securing a scraper blade (101) to the head (3). The pivotal connection (4) is designed to allow the head (3) to pivot in a first direction, e.g. clockwise, and a second opposite direction, e.g. counter-clockwise, around a neutral position. The head (3) is provided with a pivot restrictor (32) having a contact surface designed to cooperate with an abutment surface of an anvil (22) provided on said handle (2) such that further turning of the head (3) is restricted when the head 3 reaches a first working position (WP1) as the head (3) is turned in a first direction, e.g. clockwise, from the neutral position (NP) and further turning of the head (3) is also restricted when the head (3) reaches a second working position WP2 as the head (3) is turned in a second, opposite direction, e.g. counter-clockwise, from the neutral position (NP).

Description

TITLE

SCRAPER

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a hand scraper for scraping off a cover layer from a surface. The scraper is suitably used for scraping off a layer of paint or varnish from a wooden surface.

BACKGROUND ART

Hand scrapers for removing paints, varnish, putty or other debris or undesired coatings are well known. A wide variety of different scrapers have been developed under the years. Scrapers are commonly designed with a simple handle having a blade attached thereto. In general, the blades are removable so that it is possible to change a blade once it is worn out and blunt. A somewhat more sophisticated scraper is provided with an adjustable head to which the blade is attached in order to adjust the angle of the blade relative the handle.

US 698,849 discloses a scraper with an adjustable head to which a blade is attached. The adjustable head is connected to the handle by a ball-and-socket joint. The joint may switch between a locking mode, in which the adjustable head is firmly maintained in a specific position, and an adjustment mode in which the angle and position of the head relative the handle may be adjusted. The blade may thus be set and fixed to a desired angle relative the handle by rotating the head on the ball and socket joint when the joint is in its locking mode. The switching between the locking mode and adjustment mode is made by adjustment of the handle which is designed to comprise two parts which are rotatably connected to each other.

GB 1914/3413 discloses a similar scraper in which a blade is pivotally connected to a handle by a ball-and-socket joint. In this case the blade is positioned and maintained in a locked position by a screw which, when unscrewed, allows the blade to be adjusted.

US 2,173,700 also discloses a scraper with an adjustable blade. The scraper comprises a yoke to which the blade is attached. The yoke is provided with a bolt adapted to fit in with slots in a blade such that a swivel joint is formed between the blade and the handle. The bolt is provided with a nut which may be screwed to clamp the blade to maintain a fixed position or released to allow the blade to be adjusted to a desired position.

US 2,202,264 discloses another alternative of a scraper having an adjustable blade. A coggle wheel attached to the blade holder is arranged to engage with the edges of a nut on the handle. The nut may be screwed to lock the position of the coggle wheel, and thus also the blade holder, and unscrewed to release the blade holder from its fixed position and allow the angle of the blade holder, and thus the blade, relative the handle to be changed.

Further scrapers having a handle and an adjustably attached blade are disclosed in US 538,010; US 10,383,500; US 2009 / 188 066; US 740,087; US 2,664,945; and US 717,498.

There is thus a multitude of different kinds of known handheld scrapers having an adjustable blade. However, there is still a desire for an improved scraper having an adjustable head which allows the angle or position of a blade relative the handle to be changed in an easy manner.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

The invention is directed to a handheld scraper to be used for scraping a surface. The tool is suitably used for scraping surface coatings from an object, e.g. paint or varnish from a surface, such as a wooden surface. Even though removal paint from wood is an obvious use of the scraper, it may also be used for other purposes, e.g. for removing putty from windows, rust from a metal surface or other kind of surface coatings desired to be removed from a surface. The scraper comprises a handle and a head. The handle is provided with a handle connector and the head is provided with a head connector. The head connector and handle connector are pivotally connected to each other by a pivotal connection. Hence, the angle of the scraper head relative the handle may be adjusted. The head further comprises a blade holder for securing a scraper blade to the head. The possibility to adjust the scraper head is intended to provide a better working position of the blade attached to the scraper head relative the scraper handle. The pivotal connection is designed to allow the scraper head to pivot in a first direction, e.g. clockwise, towards a first end position and in a second opposite direction, e.g. counter-clockwise, towards a second end position relative to a central, neutral position (NP).

The scraper could for example be designed so that the edges of a blade attached to the scraper head are perpendicular to the longitudinal extension direction of the handle, when the head is adjusted to the neutral position. This may for example be the case if a flat scraper blade is positioned so that its surface is perpendicular to the longitudinal extension direction of the handle, i.e. the handle is extending in a direction which is parallel to a normal to the surface of a flat blade located in the blade holder.

The scraper is designed such that the scraper head may easily be turned and positioned in predefined working positions. The working positions are predefined and when the head is turned in a first direction, e.g. clockwise, it will be easily turned until there is a stop of the rotation when the head has reached a first working position (WP1 ). When the head is turned in a second, opposite direction, e.g. counter-clockwise, the rotating movement of the head will stop when the head has reached a second working position (WP2). In these end positions, a blade attached to the head will thus have a different angle relative the handle than when the head is positioned in the neutral position in-between the first and second working positions. In order to make the head stop at the predefined working positions, the scraper head is provided with a pivot restrictor. The pivot restrictor comprises a contact surface which is designed to cooperate with an abutment surface of an anvil comprised in the scraper handle. The pivot restrictor of the head and the anvil in the handle are designed to cooperate such that the scraper head may pivot between the first and second working positions without being restricted in their rotational motion. When the head reaches the first working position (WP1 ) as the head is turned in the first direction, e.g. clockwise, from the neutral position (NP), further turning of the head in the same direction is restricted. Likewise, when the head reaches the second working position (WP2) as the head is being turned in the opposite direction, e.g. counter-clockwise, further turning of the head is also restricted.

One advantage with this arrangement is that it enables to switch between WP1 and WP2 without the need of changing the relative position of the pivot restrictor and its contact surface relative the scraper head or changing the position of the anvil and its abutment surface relative the scraper handle. According to a first aspect of the invention, the contact surface of the of the pivot restrictor on the head and the abutment surface of the of the anvil on the handle are intended to cooperate in such a way that they provide two predefined positions for head relative the handle. In this first aspect of the invention, the scraper may further be designed such that there are only these two predefined working positions defined. The scraper may also be designed in this case such that the head is firmly prevented from rotating and change position in only one direction while there is no, or a rather low force, preventing the head in the other direction. In general when using the scraper there will only be a need to fix the head and prevent it from rotating in one direction only since the forces from scraping a surface will only, or at least predominantly, strive to rotate the head in one direction.

According to a second aspect of the invention, the head may change between two predefined positions without any need to release any locking arrangement. The scraper is in this case designed such that the head may rotate relative the handle between two stop positions, each position preventing further rotation in one direction of rotation. These stop positions may be designed such that the head is designed to rotate at least 20 degrees between the respective positions. In general it is desired to be able to rotate the head at least 30 degrees.

According to a third aspect of the invention, the head is designed such that it may rotate or swivel relative the handle to have a first stop position in which the angle of the blade and the cutting edge at one side is less than 90 degrees when the handle is held parallel to the surface to be scraped and to have a second stop position in which the angle of the blade and the cutting edge at the same one side is more than 90 degrees when the handle is held parallel to the surface to be scraped. In a preferred embodiment according to this third aspect of the invention, the stops are designed such that the angle of the blade relative the surface to be scraped will be 90 + alpha degrees for the first stop position and 90 - alpha for the second stop position. This is in particular useful in the case when the blade have cutting edges at two opposite sides allowing the handle to be inclined with alpha degrees relative the surface to be scraped when the blade and its edge on a first side is held perpendicular to the surface to be scraped in the first stop position while also allowing the handle to be inclined with alpha degrees relative the surface to be scraped when the blade and its edge on a second side, opposite the first side, is held perpendicular to the surface to be scraped in the second stop position. Hence, by such an arrangement it will be possible to use the scraper for the respective, opposite first and second sides of the blade having the same inclination angle alpha of the handle relative the surface to be scraped for the respective first and second stop positions. It shall however be noted that the angle need not to be the same for both sides and the device could be arranged such that the inclination angle of the handle relative the surface to be scraped may be different for the first side when it is in the first stop position than when the second side is in the second stop position. However, the first and second stop positions should preferably be designed such that the inclination angle of the handle relative the surface to be scraped when the the blade and its edge on the first and second side when the head is in the first and second stop position, respectively, will be at least 10 degrees and less than 40 degrees. Hence, the scraper could for example be designed to have the handle inclined 20 degrees relative the surface when the first side of the blade is perpendicular to the surface to be scraped in the first stop position and have the handle inclined 30 degrees relative the surface when the second side of the blade is perpendicular to the surface to be scraped in the second stop position. In general it is desired to have the same inclination angle of the handle when being in the first and second stop positions for the first and second sides of the blade, respectively, but it may be desired to allow the inclination angle to differ somewhat , e.g. by 10 degrees. However, the inclination angle of the handle shall still preferably be within 10 to 40 degrees for the respective first and second sides of the blade when the blade and its first or second side is held in contact with and perpendicular to the surface to be scraped in the first and second stop positions, respectively.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention, the arrangement for changing the angle of the head relative the handle is designed to not have any further arrangement needed to be switched or adjusted in order to change the angle between them. The only movement being necessary to make a change from the first stop position to the second stop positions is to rotate the handle and the head relative each other and no further details or feature are needed to change their configuration on the handle or on the head. Hence, there will be no other change or manipulation of the contact surface of the pivot restrictor on the head and the abutment surface of the of the anvil on the handle in addition to their rotation relative each other in order to change from the first stop position to the second stop position. Another way of expressing this fourth aspect of the invention may be to state that the contact surface of the pivot restrictor on the head will thus not change position relative the head and the abutment surface of the of the anvil on the handle will not change position relative the handle when changing from the first stop position to the second stop position. However, there may be some frictional forces which need to be overcome when performing the operation of turning the head relative the handle from the first stop position to the second stop position. However, these friction forces are not stronger than it may be overcome by a steady handgrip on the respective parts and thereafter performing the turning operation manually.

The above described five aspects of the invention may be included either alone or in combination with anyone else or several of the other aspects to be combined with the other features of the device disclosed above or in the following parts.

In the above four aspects of the invention, it has been referred to stop positions. Stop positions are also referred to as working positions in other parts of the application. The different use in this context is rather based on if the discussion is related to the discuss the technical features as such when it is referred to as stop positions while when describing how the scraper is intended to work during use the same positions are referred to as working positions.

In general, it is desired to use a scraper for scraping a surface having the scraper blade perpendicular to the surface. In case there is a blade attached to the blade holder as described above, i.e. a flat blade having a surface perpendicular to the longitudinal extension of the scraper handle in the neutral position, the surfaces of the pivot restrictor in the head and anvil in the handle are designed to cooperate to allow the handle to be inclined relative a surface to be scraped when the blade is fixed in the first or the second working position. The edges of the scraper blade can thus be perpendicular to the surface to be scraped while the handle, or more precisely the longitudinal extension direction of the handle, is inclined at an angle relative to the surface to be scraped when the scraper is positioned in the first or the second working position. Allowing the handle to be angled relative the surface to be scraped while having the blade in a desired working position, which in general is perpendicular to the surface to be scraped, will render the handheld tool be more user friendly and ergonomic since it is often desired by the user to incline the handle somewhat when scraping. The turning of the scraper head relative the scraper handle in order to reach the first and second working positions may be controlled by the shape of the abutment surface of the anvil in the handle and the contact surface of the pivot restrictor. According to one embodiment the contact surface of the pivot restrictor is rounded or angled while the abutment surface of said anvil is flat. The curvature or the angle of the contact surface of the pivot restrictor may thus be used to define the angle over which the head is turned from the neutral position to reach the first or the second working position. Alternatively, the contact surface of the anvil could be angled or rounded while the abutment surface of said pivot restrictor could be flat. There is of course also possible to allow both surfaces of the anvil and the pivot restrictor to be rounded or angled.

The pivot restrictor and anvil can be designed to cooperate so that the absolute value of a pivot angle alpha, defining the pivoting angle through which the head is pivoted in the first direction to the first working position (WP1 ) or in the second, opposite direction to the second working position (WP2) relative the neutral position (NP), will be the same. The attack angle of a blade in the head will thus be the same in the first and second working when the handle is hold at the same angle relative the surface to be scraped. The attack angle is the angle between the scraped surface and the main plane of the blade. It is obvious that there are further details in addition to the design of the surfaces of these elements which will influence the angle position at the first and second working positions, respectively, e.g. the distance between the surfaces and the location of the pivotal connection and its axis of rotation. The angle can of course be controlled to be different for a scraper when the head is in the first respective second working position. However, it is considered to be desired to have the same working angle for edges in both working positions in order to know the angle of the blade will be the same regardless which position, and cutting edge, that is intended to be used.

The scraper may be designed such that the angle alpha, i.e. the pivot angle of the head in the first respective second working position relative the neutral position, is between 10 and 45 degrees, preferably between 15 and 40 degrees and most preferably between 20 and 30 degrees. The angle alpha will also generally correspond to the angle of the extension direction of the handle relative a surface to be scraped when the head is in the first and second working position, respectively. The pivotal connection between the handle and head of the scraper could in a straightforward design comprise a bolt located in a transverse hole in the head, e.g. a head hole in the head connector, and the handle, e.g. a handle hole located in the handle connector. This design allows the head to rotate easily relative the handle around the bolt forming the axis of rotation.

In one design, the pivotal connection comprises one or several shanks forming part of the scraper head and one or several shanks forming part of the scraper handle. Each head shank is provided with a head hole and each handle shank is provided with a handle hole which holes are configured concentrically for fitting the bolt through the holes to form the pivotal connection. The head shanks and handle shanks could also be design to make a close fit with each other. In this way there is a friction force between the cooperating shanks counteracting rotation of the head relative the handle when no or small rotational forces are applied to the head. In a specific case the pivotal connection comprises a head shank provided with a head hole and a pair of handle shanks comprising handle holes. When the scraper is assembled, the head shank is located between the handle shanks. By making a close fit between the shanks, there will be friction forces between the shanks preventing pivoting of the head shank and its attached head when no forces re applied to induce a rotation of the head. The shanks are joined by a bolt extending through the holes in a transverse direction relative to the extension of the handle.

According to one embodiment, the one or several head shanks is made from a suitable metallic or plastic material which has a higher hardness than the metallic or plastic material used in the one or more handle shanks. The use of different hardness may have several different benefits. In one aspect, the core of the handle may be made from aluminum and thus also be used for the shanks which contributes to a lightweight tool and the head could be made by steel in order to provide a harder and more wear resistant blade holder. In addition, the use of different hardness of the materials making up the heads can be advantageous for the pivotal connection wherein a bolt or sprint inserted in the holes will be prevented from rotating by higher friction forces between the softer material and the bolt while the bolt being allowed to rotate in the holes made by the harder material having weaker friction forces.

The higher friction forces will thus fixate the bolt in the handle shank(-s) while the lower friction forces will allow the bolt to rotate relative the hole in the head shank(-s) while still providing some friction to prevent the head from pivoting when low rotational forces are applied. It is desirable to provide some friction to prevent the head from rotating freely and to keep the head in its desired working position when there is no desire to change the head position. This can for instance occur when lifting the scraper from the surface to be scraped in order to scrape on the same or an adjacent spot.

It is desired that the head is kept in its position by low friction forces between the scraper head and the scraper handle, either by parts in the handle and head being directly in contact with each other, e.g. shanks, or via indirect contact, e.g. by the pivotal connection. The scraper is intended to work so that a locking mechanism to keep the head in either working position or the neutral position is not required. A locking mechanism would need to be released whenever there is a desire to shift the working position of the head. Instead it is desired that a rather weak force, e.g. a friction force, is sufficient for keeping the head in its desired working position. Changing the working position only requires an increased force applied to the head, e.g. by gripping the head using a hand. Hence, the position is changed by providing a turning force, without requiring the release of a locking mechanism.

In one embodiment the scraper is designed to cooperate with a blade, having cutting edges at opposite sides of the blade. When the blade is attached to the scraper head, a cutting edge will be positioned in a working position whether the head has been rotated clockwise or counter-clockwise. This feature could be particularly useful when the cutting edges of the opposite sides of the blade are designed to have different contours. By changing the working position of the head by rotating from the first working position to the second working position, a user can easily switch working positions to access a cutting edge having another contour.

The scraper could be designed with a handle having a triangular cross-sectional shape. The handle could for example be manufactured with an inner core or rod made from metal such as aluminium encased by a polymer material or wood. In this way the contour of the handle can be shaped in a similar way as many handheld ergonomic tools. Such a triangular shape will allow the handle to be gripped and held in a steady position and prevent undesired rotation of the tool when held in one hand. In particular, a scraper having a handle with a triangular cross-sectional shape can be designed so that the handle is aligned when the head pivots to the first working position (WP1 ). In this way, an edge of a blade placed in a working position for scraping a surface will have a base of said triangular shaped handle facing towards the surface to be scraped, while the extension of the handle is angled relative to the surface. When the is head pivoted to the second working position (WP2) the opposite edge of the blade in a working position for scraping a surface. In this case the handle is arranged so that a longitudinal edge of the triangular cross-section of the handle is facing towards the surface to be scraped, while the extension of the handle is angled relative to the surface.

During tests, a surprising effect of the triangular cross-sectional shape of the handle is that it provides a comfortable feeling and an ergonomic working position. The handle can be kept steady both when positioned with a base or with a longitudinal edge of the triangular shape of the handle facing towards the surface to be scraped. The triangular cross-sectional shape of the handle is preferably somewhat rounded along the edges to avoid sharp edges to be in contact with the hand when holding the tool.

The use of a pivotable head is particularly useful for short handheld scrapers. If the length of the handle of a conventional scraper is below 25 cm, it will almost certainly render the blade of the scraper to be inclined relative the surface to be scraped, resulting in an undesired, obtuse angle of attack for the blade. The problem when using short tools is that the hand will be relatively close to the head and the attached blade. The shorter distance between the hand and the blade will cause the angle between the blade and the surface to increase when lifting the handle above the surface to be scraped in order to avoid contact between the hand and the surface. The closer to the blade the hand is positioned the more angled will the blade be relative the surface when lifting the handle the same distance from the surface. Hence, the inventive arrangement with a pivoting head is in particular useful when using a scraper having a handle being less than 25 cm long and even more desired when used for a handle less than 22 cm long.

The features of the scraper described above only disclose some of the embodiments and different features which may be modified within the scope of the invention. It is for example to use a different number of shanks on the handle and the head of the scraper or using other material for manufacturing the scraper, e.g. using reinforced polymers or carbon fibres instead of metal in the handle and / or the head. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 A discloses a side view of scraper comprising a handle pivotally connected to a head in neutral position (NP);

FIG. 1 B discloses an exploded view of the scraper disclosed in FIG. 1 A;

FIG. 1 C discloses a side view of the scraper in FIG. 1 A with the head in a first working position (WP1);

FIG. 1 D discloses a side view of the scraper in FIG. 1 A with the head in a second working position (WP2);

FIG. 2A discloses a view from above of a head connector in the scraper;

FIG. 2B discloses a side view of the head connector in FIG. 2A;

FIG. 2C discloses a view from above of a handle connector in the scraper;

FIG. 2D discloses a side view of the handle connector in FIG. 2C;

FIG. 2E discloses a view from above of the pivotal connection comprising the head connector in fig. 2A and handle connector in FIG. 2C;

FIG. 2F discloses a side view of the pivotal connection comprising the head connector in fig. 2B and handle connector in FIG. 2D;

FIG. 3A,3B disclose a detailed side view of a first embodiment of a pivot restrictor in the head connector and an anvil in the handle connector along a cross sectional line C-C in FIG. 2E;

FIG. 3C,3D disclose a detailed side view of a second embodiment of a pivot restrictor in the head connector and an anvil in the handle connector along a cross sectional line C-C in FIG. 2E;

FIG. 3E,3F disclose a detailed side view of a third embodiment of a pivot restrictor in the head connector and an anvil in the handle connector along a cross sectional line C-C in FIG. 2E;

FIG. 3G,3H disclose a detailed side view of a fourth embodiment of a pivot restrictor in the head connector and an anvil in the handle connector along a cross sectional line C-C in FIG. 2E;

SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) FIG. 31, 3J disclose a detailed side view of a fifth embodiment of a pivot restrictor in the head connector and an anvil in the handle connector along a cross sectional line C-C in FIG. 2E; and

FIG. 3K discloses the geometric shapes of the surface of the pivot restrictor in the fifth embodiment in FIG. 31 and FIG. 3J.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In Figure 1A is disclosed a scraper 1. The scraper 1 is handheld and comprises a handle 2 and a head 3 which are connected to each other via a pivotal connection 4. Attached to the head 3 is a scraper blade 101 .

Figure 1 A is discloses the scraper 1 when the head 3 is positioned in a neutral position (NP). By neutral position is meant that the head 3 is positioned such that the surface of the flat scraper blade 101 is perpendicular to the longitudinal extension of the scraper handle 2.

In Figure 1 B is the scraper 1 from Figure 1 A disassembled in order to better show and describe the details of the handle 2 and the head 3. The scraper handle comprises a handle connector 21 which is used for connecting the handle 2 to the head 3. The handle connector 21 comprises an anvil 22 provided with an abutment surface and a handle shank 25 provided with a handle hole 24. The handle connector 21 is designed to cooperate with a head connector 31 on the scraper head 3 so as to form the pivotal connection 4. The head connector 31 comprises a pivot restrictor 32 having a contact surface and a head shank 35 provided with a head hole 34. The scraper head 3 further comprises a blade holder 36 in order to attach a blade 101 to the head 3. The handle connector 21 and the head connector 31 are attached to each other by a bolt 41 which is running through the handle hole 24 and the head hole 34. The head 3 may thus pivot relative the handle 2 around an axis of rotation formed by the bolt 41 such that a scraper blade attached to the scraper head 3 will have different attack angles when the scraper is used for scraping a surface.

Figure 1 C discloses the head 3 located in a first working position (WP1 ) when the head is rotated clockwise until further rotation of the head 3 is prevented by the contact surface of the pivot restrictor 32 being in contact with the abutment surface of the anvil 22. The extension direction of the handle will thus be inclined relative the surface of an object 201 to be scraped when the attack angle of the blade 101 is 90 degrees relative the surface. The configuration and attack angle of the scraper blade disclosed in Figure 1A, where the head is in neutral position, imply that the extension direction of the handle 2 need to be parallel to the surface to be scraped if the same attack angle is desired. In general, the attack angle desired of the blade is 90 degrees as disclosed in Figure 1 C and it will be difficult, if not impossible, to manage to achieve an attack angle of 90 degrees when the head is configured as disclosed in Figure 1 A. Hence, enabling the head to pivot and be in the first working position as disclosed in Figure 1 C will enable to use a desired attack angle of 90 degrees easier than if the head is configured as disclosed in Figure 1A.

Figure 1 D discloses the head 3 located in a second working position (WP2) when the head is rotated counter-clockwise. In this case another edge, e.g. the opposite edge, of the scraper blade 101 be used when scraping the surface of an object 201 if the same attack angle and inclination of the scraper 1 relative the surface of the object 201 to be scraped as disclosed in FIG 10 is desired.

Figure 2 shows details of the head connector 31 (see Figures 2A and 2B) and the handle connector 21 (see Figures 2C and 2D) as well as how the head connector 31 and handle connector 21 cooperate. The head connector 31 has been provided with a centrally located head shank 35 which is adapted to fit in between a pair of handle shanks 25 provided on the handle connector 21 in order to connect the head 3 with the handle 2 as disclosed in Figures 2E and 2F. The head connector 31 and the handle connector 21 are connected by a bolt (not shown, see Figure 1 B) located in the head hole 34 and handle holes 24 (there is a handle hole in each handle shank 25). It is further disclosed that there is an anvil 22 in the handle connector 21 and a pivot restrictor 32 in the head connector 31 which are designed to cooperate in order to define the first working position (see Figure 1 C) and the second working position (see Figure 1 D) such that further rotation beyond these positions is prevented when a head 2 connected to the head connector 31 is rotated clockwise and counter-clockwise, respectively. There are also disclosed head support surfaces 33 on each side of the head shank 35 which may be designed to be in contact with or close to the head support surfaces 23 on the tip of the head shanks 25. These support surfaces 23,33 may cooperate to help in stabilizing the pivotal connection 4 (se Figure 1 A) and prevent the handle 2 and head 3 to jiggle or being dislocated. Figures 3A-3J disclose examples pf different possible shapes of the contact surface of the pivot restrictor 32.

Figure 3A and 3B disclose a flat surface of the pivot restrictor 32 on the handle connector. The flat surface of the pivot restrictor 32 is parallel to the abutment surface of the anvil 22 on the handle when the head 2 is in neutral position (see fig. 1 A). This shape may work but the contact area between the anvil 22 and the pivot restrictor 32 when the head is turned to a working position (see fig 3B) is very small. This means that there will be a large retaining force per area unit needed in order to retain a scraper head 3 in the first or second working position (se Figure 1 C and 1 D) and the anvil surface 22 may be worn out rather quick. Hence, it is desired a larger contact area between the pivot restrictor 32 and anvil 22.

Figure 3C and 3D disclose a second embodiment of the pivot restrictor 32 which is V- shaped. This will be an improvement compared to the first embodiment in that the edge of the pivot restrictor 32 will be less angled at its contact with the anvil 22 and less prone to cause wear of the anvil 22 and pivot restrictor 32. However, the contact surface is still rather small.

Figure 3E and 3F disclose a third embodiment of the pivot restrictor 32 which comprises three straight surfaces being angled relative each other. The middle surface is parallel to the anvil 22 when the head is in neutral position (Fig. 3E). This will be still an improvement compared to the first and second embodiment in that there will be an even less angled edge of the pivot restrictor 32 in contact with the anvil 22. However, the arrangement may be hard to produce as desired and there is a risk the edge between the straight surfaces will come in contact with the anvil 22 when the head is rotated. Hence, there may be desired an arrangement with no risk of having an edge preventing rotation.

Figure 3G and 3H disclose a fourth embodiment of the pivot restrictor 32 which is a circular shaped segment. This will be still an improvement compared to the previous embodiments in that there will be no edge of the pivot restrictor 32 in contact with the anvil 22 and even less wear of the pivot restrictor 32 and anvil 22 is expected is expected. However, the contact surface is still small and there is a risk for glitches since the contact area is small and without any edges. Figures 31 and 3J disclose a preferred embodiment in which there are straight surfaces at the ends of the pivot restrictor 32 joined by a circular shaped surface in between the straight surfaces. This is clearly explained in Figure 3K where the shapes of the surface are clarified by the dotted lines indicating the shapes of the different portions of the pivot restrictor 32. This design can be adapted such that the straight stretches may be in contact with the anvil 22 when the head and its associated pivot restrictor 22 is rotated to reach the first working position WP1 (see Fig. 3J) and second working position WP2. By adapting the curved area to a desired curvature there will not be any risk for some edge being in contact with the anvil while the anvil is turned and there will be a large surface area in contact with the anvil 22 when the pivot restrictor has reached the first and second working position assuring a stable positioning at the first and second working positions.

Claims

1. A scraper (1) for scraping a surface, e.g. for removing paint from a wooden surface, the scraper comprising a handle (2) provided with a handle connector (21 ) and a head (3) provided with a head connector (31 ), the handle (2) and head (3) being pivotally connected to each other via a pivotal connection (4) connecting the handle connector (21) and head connector (31), the head (3) further comprising a blade holder (36) for securing a scraper blade (101) to the head (3), the pivotal connection (4) designed to allow the head (3) to pivot in a first direction, e.g. clockwise, and a second opposite direction, e.g. counter-clockwise, around a neutral position (NP), characterized in that the head (3) further being provided with a pivot restrictor (32) having a contact surface designed to cooperate with an abutment surface of an anvil (22) provided on the handle (2) such that further turning of the head (3) is restricted when the head (3) reaches a first working position (WP1) as the head (3) is turned in a first direction, e.g. clockwise, from the neutral position (NP) and further turning of the head (3) is also restricted when the head (3) reaches a second working position (WP2) as the head (3) is turned in a second, opposite direction, e.g. counter-clockwise, from the neutral position (NP).

2. A scraper according to claim 1, characterized in that the contact surface of the pivot restrictor (32) is rounded or angled while the abutment surface of the anvil (22) is flat such that the curvature or angle of the contact surface of the pivot restrictor (32) defines an angle (a) to be turned for the head (3) from the neutral position (NP) to reach the first working position (WP1) and the second working position (WP2).

3. A scraper (1 ) according to claim 1 or2, characterized in that the pivot restrictor (32) and anvil (22) are designed to cooperate such that the absolute value of an angle (a), defining the pivoting angle when the head is pivoted in the first direction to the first working position (WP1) and in the second, opposite direction to the second working position (WP2) relative the neutral position (NP), will be the same.

4. A scraper according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the angle (a) is between 10 and 45 degrees, preferably between 15 and 40 degrees and most preferably between 20 and 30 degrees.

5. A scraper according to claim 1 , characterized in that the pivotal connection (4) comprises a bolt (41) located in a head hole (34) , forming part of the connector (31 ) of the head (3), and a handle hole (24) located in the handle connector (21), such that the head (3) may rotate relative the handle (2) around the bolt (41).

6. A scraper according to claim 5, characterized in that the pivotal connection (4) comprises one or several head shanks (35), each one provided with a head hole (34), and one or several handle shanks (25) of the handle (2), each one comprising a handle hole (24), which head shanks (35) and handle shanks 23 are designed to fit into each other such that there is a friction force between the bolt (41 ) and the shanks (23) counteracting rotation of the head (3) relative the handle (2)

7. A scraper according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the pivotal connection (4) comprises a head shank (35) provided with the head hole (34) and a pair of handle shanks (25) of the handle (2) comprising handle holes (24) and the head shank (35) being clamped between the handle shanks (23).

8. A scraper according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the one or several head shanks (35) is made from a material which has a higher hardness than the material of the one or several handle shanks (25).

9. A scraper according to any previous claim, characterized in that it comprises a blade (101) provided with cutting edges at opposite sides of the blade such that a cutting edge will be positioned in working position when the blade is rotated clockwise as well as counter-clockwise.

10. A scraper according to claim 9, characterized in that the cutting edge at each opposite side of the blade have different contours.

11. A scraper according to claim 1, characterized in that the blade holder is kept in its working position by friction forces.

12. A scraper according to any previous claim, characterized in that the handle (2) has a triangular cross-sectional shape.

13. A scraper according to claim 12, characterized in that the handle (2) is aligned in such a way that when the head (2) pivots to the first working position (WP1 ) having an edge of a blade (101 ) in a working position for scraping a surface 18

(201), a base of the triangular cross-sectional shape of the handle (2) is facing towards the surface to be scraped while the handle is angled relative the surface, and when the head pivots to the second working position (WP2) having an opposite edge of the blade (101) in a working position for scraping a surface, a longitudinal edge of the triangular cross-sectional shape of the handle (2) is facing towards the surface to be scraped while the handle is angled relative the surface. A scraper according to claim 12, characterized in that the handle has a length of 25 cm or less, preferably less than 22 cm long.