US20080030036A1

US20080030036A1 - Snow Removal Device

Info

Publication number: US20080030036A1
Application number: US11/308,799
Authority: US
Inventors: Earnest Shuler
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-09-12
Filing date: 2006-05-08
Publication date: 2008-02-07
Also published as: WO2007033209A2; WO2007033209A3

Abstract

A snow removal device that can be pushed on wheels while it shifts snow from the sidewalk, driveway, or similar surface to the side of the snow removal device. A partial cylinder is disposed on the front of the snow removal device so that as snow is gathered atop the snow removal device, the snow cannot continue to accumulate and present extreme weight for the user. Rather, the snow falls off one side of the snow removal device. The snow removal device has a leading edge that is used to begin scraping snow ahead of the rest of the present invention.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention concerns devices that remove snow and more particularly, through snow shovels.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

As soon as winter comes, in many areas of the United States, removing snow becomes a concern. Everyone is familiar with a typical show shovel, which has a long pole with a handle on one end and at the other end of the pole, a plastic or metal generally square piece of material is attached. The plastic or metal generally square piece of material is pushed at an angle along the sidewalk or along a street by a user to remove the snow. Often times when there is heavy snow that needs to be removed, or a large volume of snow that needs to be removed, the user must stick the snow shovel into the snow and literally, as if the user is shoveling earth, the user must lift the snow into the air and dump it somewhere else because simply pushing the snow shovel along the path to be cleared will not remove the snow. The snow has to be removed to another location.
Some snow shovels focus on better ergonomic grips for the user so the user will not hurt his/her back as the user is shoveling snow. Other snow shovels focus on being made of more durable materials, so the handle will not break under the weight of heavy snow, or so that the actual shovel, the piece of plastic or metal that is pushed along the sidewalk, will not break or bend under the user's pressure against the sidewalk and under the simple weight of the snow itself.
Still, snow shovels are deficient because they are unable to work as effectively as a snowplow that might be mounted on the front of a pickup truck or on the front of a bulldozer. While bulldozers and pickup trucks with plows are certainly well equipped to clear streets and parking lots, they are too expensive, impractical and much too large to use to clear a simple sidewalk. Moreover, many homeowners simply want to clear the snow as fast as possible and every homeowner is not going to own a snowplow that can be mounted onto a pickup truck or onto a dump truck.
Thus, there is a need to make a plow into a portable version that could be used by an individual user and pushed manually along a sidewalk or along a driveway or along a street, with the goal of making a snowplow-type device into a manually operative device that an individual user could use without mounting to a motorized vehicle.
There are several goals that must be achieved. First, the device must be large enough so that a good amount of snow can be cleared by the user, as a user makes a pass down a driveway or makes a pass down a sidewalk, or parking lot or other similar surface. Second, there is a need for a device that can be easily manipulated by an individual user without the aid of a pickup truck or other large equipment. Third, such a device needs to be able to clear snow off as it collects snow, much like a plow on the front of a pickup truck would do, without the need for the user to constantly lift snow into the air and then place that snow in another location.
In short, there is a need for a device that is a better snow shovel, but goes beyond the traditional role of a snow shovel.
Relevant art includes: U.S. Pat. No. 4,865,373 issued to Hudson on Sep. 12, 1989 shows a typical snow shovel. Unlike the present invention, it does not have an extended edge to remove snow easily without having to lift the shovel. U.S. Pat. No. 4,910,893 issued to Asay on Mar. 27, 1990 shows a manually operated snow plow. Unlike the present invention, it does not have an extended edge to remove snow easily without having to lift the shovel. U.S. Pat. No. 4,993,768 issued to Ewen on Feb. 19, 1991 shows a combined shovel and utility device. Unlike the present invention, it does not have an extended edge to remove snow easily without having to lift the shovel. It is also intended for other specific uses than the removal of snow. U.S. Pat. No. 5,669,163 issued to Winter on Sep. 23, 1997 shows a snow removal device. Unlike the present invention, it does not have an extended edge to remove snow easily without having to lift the shovel. U.S. Pat. No. 5,791,072 issued to Schbot on Aug. 11, 1998 shows a snowplow with adjustable handle. U.S. Pat. No. 5,906,060 issued to Tonry on May 25, 1999 shows a manually pushed snow shovel. Unlike the present invention, it does not have an extended edge to remove snow easily without having to lift the shovel. U.S. Pat. No. 5,918,921 issued to Samuelson on Jul. 6, 1999 shows a levered snow shovel. Unlike the present invention, it does not have an extended edge to remove snow easily without having to lift the shovel. U.S. Pat. No. 6,457,757 issued to Hendrick on Oct. 1, 2002 shows a snow removal device with an adjustable blade and wheels. Unlike the present invention, it does not have an extended edge to remove snow easily without having to lift the shovel.
The aforementioned devices are similar to a basic shovel in that they must generally be lifted once they are filled with snow and moved, which can be heavy and tiresome for the user, who is constantly having to lift snow with the shovel. There is a need for a device that can be pushed along the ground and remove snow without actually having to lift the shovel or snow removal device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a device for removing snow that is shaped like a non-congruent parallelogram, or a trapezoid. Thus, the shape of the present invention looks much like a square with one of the corners pulled in an extended fashion distal of the present invention.
The present invention also has a specialized end cap that is fitted along the bottom edge of the present invention that assists the present invention in contacting a sidewalk or other pavement. The end cap also assists in promoting snow up along the top surface of the present invention. A partial cylinder is disposed on the front of the present invention to prevent snow that is lifted onto the present invention from continuing completely over the present invention and onto the user. The partial cylinder is preferably disposed at an angle along the surface of the present invention, so that as snow is accumulated on the present invention, the snow is angled off to one side of the present invention. The extended corner of the present invention serves as a leading edge that attacks the point where the snow is on the ground, so that a small surface area of contact between the present invention and the snow begins as the user pushes the present invention into and under snow.
These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty, which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a front view of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a back view of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

As shown in FIG. 1, the present invention has a first side (10), a second side (20), a third side (30) and a fourth side (40). First side (10) is the bottom, or the side of the present invention that will contact the snow on the ground. Second side (20) and fourth side (40) are the right and left sides respectively of the present invention. Third side (30) is the top edge of the present invention. Third side (30) is configured to be 20-30% shorter than the other sides, so that the device is not too heavy for a user, and increased manageability is achieved.
First handle (45) and second handle (46) are disposed adjacent to third side (30). In use, the present invention receives the right hand of a user in first handle (45) and the left hand of the user in handle (46). First handle (45) and second handle (46) are preferably holes that have been placed through the present invention, so that the user's hands can grip the present invention securely. It is important in the preferred embodiment that first handle (45) and second handle (46) be located relatively near third side (30), for when the user manipulates the present invention, the user will be holding on near third side (30), as the present invention is pushed against a sidewalk or street.
First side (10) of the present invention, being the bottom, is the part of the present invention that actually contacts the street or the pavement when the snow is being removed. End cap (50), disposed on first side (10), is a protective layer that prevents the present invention from splitting or cracking when first side (10) contacts the sidewalk or pavement during use. End cap (50) also preferably is tapered toward its bottom, forming a nearly sharp edge, so that when first side (10) is pressed against a pavement or a sidewalk, end cap (50), with its thin edge, allows the present invention to come as close as possible to the pavement or sidewalk, and scrape away ice and snow.
The shape of the present invention is important in its function. While first side (10), second side (20) and third side (30) are relatively the same length, fourth side (40) is longer than first side (10), second side (20) and third side (30). Fourth side (40), being longer, creates extended corner (70). Extended corner (70) is farther from the center of the present invention than any other corner. This is important because during use, the present invention is angled down, such that front surface (65) of the present invention might be held at a 45-degree angle to the pavement or sidewalk. When used in such a way and held at a 45-degree angle, extended corner (70) will lead in front of the user farther than any other part of the present invention, and thus, as the present invention is pushed along the pavement or sidewalk, and as end cap (50) on first side (10) scrapes snow and ice from the sidewalk and pavement, it will be extended corner (70) that begins the scraping of snow and ice from the pavement or sidewalk first.
Because extended corner (70) begins scraping the snow and ice first because it is the leading edge of the present invention, when front surface (65) is held at a rough 45-degree angle from the pavement or sidewalk, the full surface area of end cap (50) on first side (10) will not present undue difficulty and require undue strength for the user to move the snow.
As the user pushes the present invention through the snow along the pavement or sidewalk, the snow will move from extended corner (70) across the front surface (65) of the present invention and encounter partial cylinder (100). Partial cylinder (100) is mounted on front surface (65) and is arcuate along its length. As the snow moves from extended corner (70) across front surface (65) of the present invention, the snow hits partial cylinder (100) and eventually moves off of the present invention at the lower end of second side (20). In short, partial cylinder (100) prevents the snow and ice that is picked up from the pavement and sidewalk by the present invention from traveling up front surface (65) and reaching first handle (45) and second handle (46).
Further, because partial cylinder (100) is mounted from extended corner (70) at an angle about one-third up second side (20) from first side (10), the snow is quickly shifted from extended corner (70), since there is not much room for snow to reside on front surface (65), and that snow shifted across front surface (65) and sloughed off the edge at the lower portion of second side (20).
When the present invention is operated according to the aforementioned description, the user is able to move the present invention quickly through heavy and greatly accumulated snow because partial cylinder (100) prevents the snow from accumulating on front surface (65), so the user is never pushing a huge amount of snow that has accumulated on the present invention. Further, there is no need for the user to lift snow and place it somewhere else because the present invention ensures that snow is sloughed off of front surface (65) over the lower portion of second side (20). The sloughing off of snow is achieved, importantly, without the user having to hold the present invention at an angle that is hard to maintain. For example, there is no need for the user to ensure that extended corner (70) is always ahead of the present invention, as would be necessary if fourth side (40) were the same length as second side (20). Because fourth side (40) is longer than second side (20), extended corner (70) is the leading edge of the present invention, as the present invention encounters snow and ice.
It should be understood that conventional wheels (150) are attached to the lower center and outer regions on the backside of the present invention as shown in FIG. 2. The conventional wheels (150) assist the user in pushing the present invention so that the weight of the present invention does not pose undue hardship to the user.
The present invention can be described as a personal snow-plow that is easily manageable.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A snow and ice removal device, comprising:

a first side;

a second side adjacent to said first side;

a third side adjacent to said second side;

a fourth side adjacent to said third side, wherein said first, said second, said third and said fourth sides comprise a main body;

a partial cylinder disposed on the front of said main body; and

a first handle and a second handle adjacent to said third side.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said fourth side is longer than said first, said second and said third sides.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said fourth side is configured to be an extended corner.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein said fourth side and said extended corner are configured such that said first side is held at a 45-degree angle to the pavement or sidewalk.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein said first side is configured to receive an endcap.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein said partial cylinder is configured to receive snow and ice through said extended corner.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein said partial cylinder is configured to expel snow and ice through said second corner.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein said main body is configured to be held by the user using said first and said second handle.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein said main body has wheels on said first side.