GB2475935A

GB2475935A - Twin bladed scraper tool

Info

Publication number: GB2475935A
Application number: GB1013348A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ian Douglas Rolph
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-08-09
Filing date: 2010-08-09
Publication date: 2011-06-08
Anticipated expiration: 2030-08-09
Also published as: GB201013348D0; GB2475935B

Abstract

A scraper tool of a one piece construction is conformable for use in scraping various surfaces and is made up of a pair of scraper blades 3, 3' with their junction along the length of the tool, under its in-line culindrical handle 2. The blades 3, 3' extend in opposite directions under the handle 2, in line with it, at a set angle to form an open bottom triangle, with the handle 2 above the blades 3, 3' and surface to be scraped. The application of force and direction of travel will allow the forward blade to remove substrates from a surface, the rear blade will maintain a cutting angle for the forward blade, the device will operate in a similar fashion on its reverse stroke.

Description

TWIN BLADED SCRAPER TOOL

BACKGROUND ANT) FIELD OF TIlE INVENTION

* The invention relates to an apparatus for scraping substances from surfaces, and in particular to a novel and improved device for manually scraping ice, frost and snow from motor vehicle windscreens and windows. The invention is well suited for scraping frost build up from motor vehicle windscreens, but it is immediately appreciated that the invention finds beneficial use in nearly any application where it is desired to scrape a surface to remove a substance there from.

Scraper devices typifying the present state of the art are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4275476 to Hopkins et a!., 3130436 to Krause, and 6092255 to Kim. The devices disclosed in the foregoing patents, and in the scrapers most frequently encountered in commercial use, generally consist of a handle section upon which is mounted a single scraping blade. The manual grip commonly used to grasp most scrapers is inefficient and does not allow the user to exert the pressure required to remove stubborn deposits from motor vehicle windscreens while simultaneously maintaining the scrapper at the correct angle to allow the blade to work efficiently. The result of this is usually having the scraper skid across the surface of the deposit or having to resort to two handed use for which the above mentioned scrapers are not designed.

More recent devices which have overcome the issue of grip in the case of the above are disclosed in GB9802 114 to Webber, US 6018836 to Williams, US6282742 to Boggs, and US578 1957 to Scholl. The devices disclosed in these patents have addressed the issue of grip and balance, by having a device which naturally sits on a surface, blades downwardly displaced, handle uppermost. However blade configurations on these devices do not lend themselves to effective removal of stubborn deposits either by having a single blade which encompasses the device requiring many passes for the blade to initially penetrate the substrate, or as illustrated in 836 to Williams by having smaller blades a greater distance apart and an opposing handle which does not allow the required grip and arm alignment to apply maximum pressure to the device and its blades.

This results in more time and effort being expended to achieve the required clearance.

The present invention addresses an unmet need for a scraper device which allows the user to apply maximum pressure to an efficient blade configuration, and maintain stability and blade cutting angle whilst being comfortable in use due to natural arm alignment.

TWIN BLADED SCRAPER TOOL

An ice scraper for use in removing frost and ice from car windscreens and windows.

The scraper consists of a pair of opposing blades joined together at a pre-set angle, to form an open bottom triangle, under an in line cylindrical handle.

The blades are generally greater in length the their distance apart and are usually identical to each other. The pre-set angle between the blades creates a set "cutting" angle against the windscreen without the user having to rely on the wrist as a fulcrum.

Blades In its simple form the blades are moulded in one with the handle and are of a plastic material in common with the handle.

The blades can be tipped with another harder plastic material to give better cutting and greater durability, or one can be rubber tipped to form a squeegee giving dual use. This however will negate the bi-direetional scraping facility of the tool.

Handle The handle is an integral part of the scraper being moulded in one with the blades.

The handle is set above the joint of the two blades and relies less on the grip of the user but more on the pressure applied by the palm of the hand. In its basic form it will be a simple hollow cylinder, this can be modified to incorporate either ribs of plastic or rubber along its length, or a "softgrip" rubber handle.

General Due to the nature of the handles' proximity to the blades and the configuration of the blades, the scraper can be used depending on grip in either a side to side motion or a front to back motion.

In each case the leading blade scrapes the windscreen at its set angle using the rear blade as support/guide, the same is true of the reverse stroke.

Generally in use the more resistance by the substrate on the screen the greater the pressure applied to the handle and direction of travel, this pressure is transferred directly to the forward "cutting" blade.

On quarter lights where the ice is generally less compact or hard a single blade can be utilised so the user can get right into the corners of the glass section.

Summary of the invention

The invention relates to a manually held and operated scraper for removing, for example, frost, snow, ice and the like from a motor vehicle windscreen.

An object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved scraper which is ergonomically improved to reduce unnatural stresses in the users hand during use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a scraper which permits the user to apply maximum pressure to the surface to be scraped without sacrificing control and with the minimum of grip.

Another objective of the invention is to provide a more efficient scraper that permits the user to scrape a surface with the return stroke of the scraper as well as the forward stroke.

An advantage of the invention is that it reduces stress in the users hand and wrist to reduce fatigue.

Another advantage of the invention is that it permits the user to direct nearly all energy to the scraping action rather than wasting effort in maintaining stability of the device.

In accordance with the invention, therefore, there is provided a preferred embodiment of Twin Bladed Scraper Tool for scraping a surface.

The scraper fashioned generally in the shape of an open bottomed triangle with a cylindrical handie sitting above the blades, and away from the surface to be scrapped, whereby both blade portions are in contact with the surface being scraped.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The invention relates to scrapers and more particularly to scrapers for removing ice and snow from -vehicle windows and windscreens. The scraper apparatus according to present invention offers a more comfortable, efficient and reliable means of manually scrapping ice and snow from a motor vehicle windscreen. While the invention is most suitable for scraping ice and snow from windows, it is appreciated that the apparatus may have beneficial use in almost any instance where it is required to scrape a surface to remove a substrate there from.

With reference to fig 1-4 the apparatus of the invention comprises of a pair of opposing blades 3,3' diverging away from each other under a cylindrical handle 2 at an angle at x of between 60 and 90 degrees. The scraper I is fashioned from a durable plastic to give rigid blades in use but soft enough not to scratch glass. The scraper is likely to be injection moulded.

As best seen in figs I and 4 the scraper 1, is fashioned in the shape of an open bottomed triangle with a cylindrical handle 2 to its top, at the furthest point from the blade edges 4 and 5 and the surface to be scraped. Accordingly a user of the invention may grasp the handle in various ways, depending on comfort and stroke and at all times avoid any contact with the surface to be scraped.

Figs 1-3 show the handle 2 is the same length as the blades and both blades 3,3' are of similar length,typically 130mm or more depending on model. Both blades have an equal projection from their intersection, typically 45mm ensuring that pressure applied to the handle is distributed to the blades evenly.

The intersection at 6 provides the structural connection between the handle 2 and blades 3,3'.

The scraper blades 3,3' engage the surface to be scraped at an angle of between 45 and 60 degrees and are tapered along their lengths to form a chamfer 4,4' and 5,5' so that the edges of these blades form a downwardly directed sharp edge of less than 90 degrees to the surface to be scraped.

To practice the invention the user places the scraper 1 against the surface to be scraped. The scraper is positioned so that both blade edges 4 and 5 are in contact with the surface.

A choice of hand positions on the handle 2 are available, the handle may be placed directly under the knuckles with the thumb wrapped around the end of the handle, and the scraper used in a forward and back motion. The scraper can be held diagonally across the palm and be pushed diagonally away from the body, or the handle can be held in line with the arm and used in a side to side motion, this gives the user the choice of the most comfortable and effective hold.

In use the only pressures that need be applied are a downward and sidewards pressure. No balancing or lifting pressure is required to make any compensation to correct the cutting angle.

The relation of the blade angles 4 and 5 to each other and any curvature of the windscreen acts to increase the pressure applied to the screen by clearing a smaller area of the screen, this is then compensated by having the bi-directional function of the scraper.

On quarter lights where build up of substrates is generally less due to their vertical nature the scraper may be used with one blade only to ensure total clearance.

TWIN BLADED SCRAPER TOOL

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig 1 is a perspective view from above a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Fig 2 is a top plan view of the embodiment of the invention shown in fig 1.

Fig 3 is a side view in elevation of the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig 1.

Fig 4 is an end view in elevation of the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig I

Claims

I Claim 1] A Twin bladed Scraper tool designed for scraping material from a surface comprising of a pair of * opposing blades joined together, under a in line handle at a pre-set angle to form an open bottom triangle.

2] Said twin bladed scrapers' in line handle being generally cylindrical in shape and of the same length asthe blades.

31 Said twin baded scraper having blades diverging away from each other under the handle towards the cutting edge of the blades,the cutting edge of said blades being greater in length than their distance apart by some 2 times.

4}said twin bladed scraper where the closest end of each opposing blade and the end of the handle adjoining those blade ends defining each end of the scraping tool.

5] Said twin bladed scraper tool which can be used in both a forward and backward motion or a left and right motion depending on the grip of the user.

6] Said twin bladed scraper tool which relies less on the grip and strength of the user but more on the pressure applied by the palm of the hand and the direction of travel applied to the tool by the user.

7] Said twin bladed scraper tool which in normal use maintains a constant angle between its leading "cutting" blade and the surface it is scraping by use of the rear blade as a guide/rest.

8] Said twin bladed scraper tool according to claimS which is as effective on its return stroke in removing substrates. as on its. forward stroke. as on. the return stroke. the. previous forward cutting *b1 becomes the guide/rest blade and vice versa.

9JSaid twin bladed scraping tool according to claim 6 where the pressure applied is transferred directly to the action of scraping a surface as opposed to maintaining the cutting angle 1O} Said twin bladed scraper tool which allows the user to exert maximum pressure where it is required on the motor vehicle windscreen, by way of the configuration of short length of handle to blade, the supporting rear blade, and natural arm alignment.l1]Said twin bladed scraper tool where the opposing blades can be, of the same material as the handle,tipped with a harder plastic material for better cutting and greater durability,or of different materials for example a rubber squeegee to give dual use.12] Said twin bladed scraper tool where the handle can be of the same material as the blades, incorporate plastic or rubber ribs as an aid to gripping, be a soft-grip rubber handle,or be designed as a novelty/collectable item or a corporate design.Amendments to the Claims have been filed as follows I Claim 1] A robust one piece twin bladed scraper tool for scraping material from a surface comprising of a pair of opposing identical blades under a cylindrical in line handle, wherein the blades are arranged to form an open bottomed triangle with the blades diverging away from each other at an angle of less than 90'.2] A robust one piece twin bladed scraper tool as claimed in claim 1 wherein the blades diverge away from each other at an angle of greater than 60', creating a blade to surface angle of contact greater than 45' but less than 60'.3] A robust one piece twin bladed scraper tool as claimed in claim I wherein the blade and handle length is more than two times the blades distance apart, at the point of contact with the surface to be scraped.SII:. .. 4] A robust one piece twin bladed scraper tool as claimed in claim I wherein the hollow cylindrical handle may incorporate rubber ribs on its exterior surface as an aid to gripping. S. S. * . * * A