Patent Application
20240247453
The present invention relates generally to snow removal tools. More specifically, the present invention is a snow shovel assembly that allows a user to work during extreme weather conditions and/or low light conditions (e.g., from dusk to dawn). The present invention is specifically designed for snow removal. However, the present invention is not limited to this option, and it may further be adapted for different purposes.
A snow shovel is a specialized shovel designed for snow removal. Conventional snow shovels come in several different designs, each of which is designed to move snow in a different way. The earliest known snow shovel was found in Russia, and it was estimated to be about six thousand years old having a blade made from a carved elk antler. All snow shovels consist of a handle and a blade. Some snow shovels may include a shaft connecting the handle and blade, while in other snow shovels, the handle is extended and attaches directly to the blade. Most snow shovels are designed for either pushing snow or lifting snow, although some are crossovers which can do either job. Some snow shovel blades have sharpened blades which can chip away and lever up slabs of ice.
Handles on conventional snow shovels may be straight or bent wherein straight handles create an improved angle and make snow throwing easier compared to a bent handle. Long handles enable the user to leverage their weight for pushing snow while shorter handle designs make tossing snow easier. Handles are manufactured from different materials such as but not limited to plastic, fiberglass, wood and metal. Some handles include a D shaped grip or padded grip at the end of the handle. There may also be extra grips in the middle of the handle to assist with the snow shovel's lever action when lifting snow. Snow shovels designed for lifting snow generally have smaller blades than snow shovels designed for throwing snow. A narrower blade makes the removal of deep, wet, or heavy snow easier. Blades with a large curve can carry more snow, while those with a shallow curve are intended to push snow rather than carry it. Shoveling snow is hard work. In a single winter, shoveling a typical driveway can involve moving more than several tons of snow. Health risks associated with shoveling snow include heart attacks, worsening of existing breathing issues, sprains and strains, slips and falls, back injuries, hypothermia and frostbite. Individuals performing snow shoveling can reduce their risk of injury by shoveling snow when it is fresh and light. Appropriate clothing prevents hypothermia and frostbite.
The present invention discloses a snow shovel that comprises a shaft, a first handle, a second handle, a blade member, a power source, and a light. The shaft comprises a first end, a second end, and a middle portion. The first handle is secured to the first end of the shaft. The blade member is attached to the second end of the shaft. The second handle is attached to the shaft and positioned between the first end and the second end. The light is electrically connected to the power source.
One or more of the following features may be included. The second handle may comprise a sleeve member, and the light may be positioned at a lower end of the sleeve member. The second handle may be positioned at the middle portion of the of the shaft. The snow shovel may further comprise a switch to selectively connect or disconnect the power source from the light. The first handle may further comprise a first heating element that is electrically connected to the power source. The snow shovel may further comprise a switch to selectively connect or disconnect the power source from the first heating element. The second handle may further comprise a second heating element that is electrically connected to the power source. The snow shovel may further comprise a switch to selectively connect or disconnect the power source from the second heating element. The power source may be a rechargeable battery. The snow shovel may further comprise a charging port located on the shaft.
The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate an embodiment of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention. They are meant to be exemplary illustrations provided to enable persons skilled in the art to practice the disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. That is, the dimensions of the components of the present invention, independently and in relation to each other can be different. It should be noted that the drawings are schematic and not necessarily drawn to scale. Some drawings are enlarged or reduced to improve drawing legibility.
As a preliminary matter, it will readily be understood by one having ordinary skill in the relevant art that the present disclosure has broad utility and application. As should be understood, any embodiment may incorporate only one or a plurality of the above-disclosed aspects of the disclosure and may further incorporate only one or a plurality of the above-disclosed features. Furthermore, any embodiment discussed and identified as being “preferred” is considered to be part of a best mode contemplated for carrying out the embodiments of the present disclosure. Other embodiments also may be discussed for additional illustrative purposes in providing a full and enabling disclosure. Moreover, many embodiments, such as adaptations, variations, modifications, and equivalent arrangements, will be implicitly disclosed by the embodiments described herein and fall within the scope of the present disclosure.
Accordingly, while embodiments are described herein in detail in relation to one or more embodiments, it is to be understood that this disclosure is illustrative and exemplary of the present disclosure and is made merely for the purposes of providing a full and enabling disclosure. The detailed disclosure herein of one or more embodiments is not intended, nor is to be construed, to limit the scope of patent protection afforded in any claim of a patent issuing here from, which scope is to be defined by the claims and the equivalents thereof. It is not intended that the scope of patent protection be defined by reading into any claim a limitation found herein that does not explicitly appear in the claim itself. Accordingly, it is intended that the scope of patent protection is to be defined by the issued claim(s) rather than the description set forth herein.
Additionally, it is important to note that each term used herein refers to that which an ordinary artisan would understand such term to mean based on the contextual use of such term herein. When not explicitly defined herein, to the extent that the meaning of a term used herein—as understood by the ordinary artisan based on the contextual use of such term—differs in any way from any particular dictionary definition of such term, it is intended that the meaning of the term as understood by the ordinary artisan should prevail.
Furthermore, it is important to note that, as used herein, “a” and “an” each generally denotes “at least one,” but does not exclude a plurality unless the contextual use dictates otherwise. When used herein to join a list of items, “or” denotes “at least one of the items,” but does not exclude a plurality of items of the list. Finally, when used herein to join a list of items, “and” denotes “all of the items of the list.”
The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the following description to refer to the same or similar elements. While many embodiments of the disclosure may be described, modifications, adaptations, and other implementations are possible. For example, substitutions, additions, or modifications may be made to the elements illustrated in the drawings, and the methods described herein may be modified by substituting, reordering, or adding stages to the disclosed methods. Accordingly, the following detailed description does not limit the disclosure. Instead, the proper scope of the disclosure is defined by the appended claims. The present disclosure contains headers. It should be understood that these headers are used as references and are not to be construed as limiting upon the subject matter disclosed under the header.
Other technical advantages may become readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art after review of the following figures and description. It should be understood at the outset that, although exemplary embodiments are illustrated in the figures and described below, the principles of the present disclosure may be implemented using any number of techniques, whether currently known or not. The present disclosure should in no way be limited to the exemplary implementations and techniques illustrated in the drawings and described below.
Unless otherwise indicated, the drawings are intended to be read together with the specification and are to be considered a portion of the entire written description of this invention. As used in the following description, the terms “horizontal”, “vertical”, “left”, “right”, “up”, “down” and the like, as well as adjectival and adverbial derivatives thereof (e.g., “horizontally”, “rightwardly”, “upwardly”, “radially”, etc.), simply refer to the orientation of the illustrated structure as the particular drawing figure faces the reader. Similarly, the terms “inwardly,” “outwardly” and “radially” generally refer to the orientation of a surface relative to its axis of elongation, or axis of rotation, as appropriate. As used herein, the term “proximate” refers to positions that are situated close/near in relationship to a structure. As used in the following description, the term “distal” refers to positions that are situated away from positions.
The present disclosure includes many aspects and features. Moreover, while many aspects and features relate to, and are described in the context of snow shovels, embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to use only in this context.
The present invention is a snow shovel. It is an aim of the present invention to provide a snow shovel that is provided with heated handles to provide a temperature to the hands of a user that is greater than that of the environmental surroundings. It is another aim of the present invention to provide a snow shovel that can illuminate the work area in front of the shovel.
Referring now to the figures of the present disclosure. The snow shovel of the present invention comprises a shaft 100, a first handle 110, a second handle 120, a blade member 130, a power source 140, and a light 124 electrically connected to the power source 140.
The shaft 100 can be of any shape, size, material, features, type or kind, orientation, location, quantity, components, and arrangements of components that would allow the present invention to fulfill the objectives and intents of the present invention. In a preferred embodiment, the shaft 100 may have an elongated cylindrical shape. The shaft 100 may be fabricated from a rigid material. In some embodiments, the shaft 100 may be fabricated from wood, aluminum, or fiberglass. Although in the illustrated embodiment the shaft 100 is a straight elongated member, the shaft 100 may be ergonomically curved to reduce back strain. The shaft 100 comprises a first end 102, a second end 104, and a middle portion 106. The first handle 110 is secured to the first end 102 of the shaft 100, while the blade member 130 is attached to the second end 104 of the shaft 100. The second handle 120 may be attached to the shaft 100 and positioned between the first end 102 and the second end 104. The shaft 100 may be hollow to form a pathway for wires/cables running therethrough. In one embodiment, the shaft 100 may house the power source 140 that provide electrical energy for the operation of the heating elements and the light.
The first handle 110 may be an area of the invention adapted for grasping by one hand of the user. In the illustrated embodiment, the first handle 110 has a substantially rectangular shape including two vertical posts, a top horizontal member, and a bottom member. A collar is provided at the middle of the bottom member such that the first end 102 of the shaft 100 may be received in the collar. It should be noted that other shapes of the first handle 110 may also be contemplated, such as triangles, etc. In some embodiments, at least a portion of the first handle 110 may be cushioned for comfort. In one embodiment, the first handle 110 further comprises a first heating element 112 that is electrically connected to the power source 140. Preferably, the first heating element 112 may be arranged on the top horizontal member. However, it should be noted the vertical posts may also be provided with the first heating element 112.
The second handle 120 is configured to provide additional leverage and power for removing tough ice and snow. As mentioned above, the second handle 120 may be attached to the shaft 100 and positioned between the first end 102 and the second end 104. Preferably, the second handle 120 is positioned at the middle portion 106 of the shaft 100. In one embodiment, the second handle 120 comprises a light 124 electrically connected to the power source 140. In a preferred embodiment, the second handle 120 further comprises a second heating element 122 electrically connected to the power source 140. In one example, the first heating element 112 and/or the second heating element 122 may be negative temperature coefficient (NTC) thermistors, Peltier elements, heated coils, or heated wires. In the illustrated embodiment, the second handle 120 comprises a sleeve member 126 to attach the second handle 120 to the shaft 100. The light 124 may be positioned at the lower end of the sleeve member such that it illuminates the work area in front of the blade member 130. In this way, the user can see the snow and/or ground near the blade member 130 even in dark and/or inclement weather. It should be noted the light 124 could be placed at any suitable location. For example, the light 124 may be placed at the upper end (i.e., the first end 102) or lower end (i.e., the second end 104) of the shaft 100. As a non-limiting example, the light 124 may be an LED or incandescent light. Further, the second handle 120 may be configured to fold up or down for use.
In one embodiment, the first handle 110 may comprise one or more switches 114 that activate and deactivate the first heating element 112, the second heating element 122, and the light 124. For example, a first switch may be included to selectively connect or disconnect the power source 140 from the first heating element 112, a second switch may be used to selectively connect or disconnect the power source 140 from the light 124, and a third switch may be used to selectively connect or disconnect the power source 140 from the second heating element 122, as shown in
The blade member 130 may be an area where the wintry precipitation is scooped during forward motion of the shovel. The blade member 130 may be flat or curved in a lateral direction. The blade member 130 may be preferably fabricated from, for example, metals (e.g., aluminum, tin, copper, nickel, titanium, steel, and alloys thereof), natural resins, synthetic resins, plastics, composites, woods, and mixtures thereof.
The power source 140 is configured to provide power to the first heating element 112, the second heating element 122, and the light 124. Preferably, the power source 140 may be a rechargeable battery. The power source 140 may be located within the hollow shaft 100. It should be noted that the power source 140 may also be located at other suitable locations. For example, the power source 140 may be located within the first handle 110. In the illustrated embodiment, the present invention comprises a charging port 108 located on the shaft 100 such that the user may use a cord to charge the rechargeable battery.
Although the disclosure has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63481212 | Jan 2023 | US |
