Abstract:
A waste removal scoop for sifting and removing waste is disclosed herein. The scoop provides a handle and a head coupled to the handle. The head includes a receptacle and a front segment joined to the receptacle. The front segment includes a flexible hinge that flexes as the front segment is pressed against a surface.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/747,583, filed May 18, 2006, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to scoops for waste removal, and more particularly, to scoops for waste removal with flexible heads. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Scoops for waste removal, such as an animal litter scoop, are well known. These scoops are used to remove waste products or other debris from an animal&#39;s litter box. Waste should be removed and separated from litter pellets regularly to ensure a clean environment for the animal. This removal process is typically an undesirable task for a pet owner as it may be messy and unappealing. Accordingly, many scoops have been developed to make this removal process easier and more sanitary for pet owners. 
         [0004]    Typical scoops for animal litter boxes are made of hard materials such as plastic and/or metal. These hard materials may withstand the strain users put on them in order to scrape a litter box clean. Users will, at times, add pressure to scrape the box in order to sift the litter or to remove waste product from the litter box. Many scoops are acceptable in design and function if one is to clean a litter box without a litter box liner. However, if the user uses litter box liners to assist in keeping the box clean, then the hard, sometimes sharp scoops may rip and tear the liners. In turn, the rips may result in a mess as dirty litter flows through and collects underneath the litter box liner. These rips in the litter box liner then defeat the entire purpose for such a liner. 
         [0005]    There is a need in the art for a waste/debris removal scoop that will not tear litter box liners and will instead easily move across the liner without damaging the liner&#39;s integrity. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    One embodiment of the present invention takes the form of a waste removal scoop that may be used for sifting and removing waste. The scoop includes a handle and a head coupled to the handle. The head has a receptacle and a front segment joined to the receptacle. The front segment includes a flexible hinge that flexes as the front segment is pressed against a surface. 
         [0007]    Another embodiment of the present invention takes the form of a method of making a waste removal scoop. The method includes forming a handle. The method further includes producing a receptacle extending from one end of the handle, as well as forming a front segment extending from the receptacle. The front segment may include a flexible hinge that flexes as the front segment is pressed against a surface. 
         [0008]    As will be realized by those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the entirety of this disclosure, the invention is capable of modifications in various aspects, all without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the drawings and detailed description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a waste scoop. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is top view of a portion of the scoop. 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the scoop&#39;s front segment with a part of the co-molding removed to illustrate an extension of the front segment. 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the front segment and receptacle of the scoop. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0013]    The present invention discloses a waste removal scoop  10  (such as a litter scoop). The scoop  10  includes a soft edge that flexes when removing waste from a litter box (not shown). The soft edge is further discussed below. The scoop  10  generally allows a user to remove waste from the litter box without ripping or tearing a liner contained therein. 
         [0014]    The scoop  10  is now discussed with respect to  FIG. 1 , which is a perspective view of the scoop  10 . In an exemplary embodiment, the scoop  10  includes a handle  12  and a head  14  extending from the handle. 
         [0015]    Still referring to  FIG.1 , the head  14  includes a receptacle  16  and a front segment  18 . The front segment  18  may be softer than the receptacle  16 . In the exemplary embodiment, the receptacle  16  includes a base  20 , sidewalls  22  and a back wall  24 . The base  20  includes a back end  26 , sides  28 , and a front end  30 . The sidewalls  22  extend in an upward direction from the sides  28  of the base  20 . The back wall  24  extends in an upward direction from the back end  26  of the base  20 . Likewise, the front segment  18  extends in a forward direction from the front end  30  of the base  20 . The head  14  is preferably slotted with slots or elongated apertures  32  that may be arranged along the sidewalls  22 , and/or along the base  20 . Additionally, the slots  32  may be arranged along the back wall  24 . The slots  32  may permit sifting waste from litter pellets in the litter box. 
         [0016]    The majority of the scoop  10 , including the handle  12 , base  20  and extension  44  (discussed below), is formed from a plastic in the present embodiment. 
         [0017]    The front segment  18  is shown in  FIGS. 2-4 .  FIG. 2  is a top view of a portion of the exemplary scoop  10  showing the front segment  18 , which generally refers to a co-molded, co-extruded or (in certain embodiments) coated portion of the receptacle  16 . In the exemplary embodiment, the front segment  18  includes a first end  34  and a second end  36 . The first end  34  of the front segment  18  is adjacent the front end  30  of the base  20 . A flexible hinge  38  may be formed at the juncture between the first end  34  and base  20 . Further, the first end terminates in an edge tip  42 . 
         [0018]    Still referring to  FIGS. 2-4 , the flexible hinge  38  may be thinner in the cross section than the receptacle  16  and may be initially molded or formed in this manner with the receptacle. Alternatively, in a multi-step molding process the flexible hinge may be formed by thinning either the extension  44  (discussed below) or receptacle  16 . Since the flexible hinge  38  is thinner in cross section than the receptacle  16 , the scoop  10  may flex and bend at the hinge. Typically, a material thickness of the receptacle  16  is greater than the material thickness of the flexible hinge  38  to facilitate this flexing. 
         [0019]    Turning now to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , an extension  44  may project forward from the flexible hinge  38 . The extension  44  may be of approximately the same thickness as the flexible hinge  38  or, in some embodiments, may be somewhat thicker. One or more apertures  46  may be formed in the extension  44 . By forming apertures in the extension, the overall flexibility and/or ability of the extension to bend upward or downward along its longitudinal axis may be enhanced as less material may resist this bending. (Generally, the longitudinal axis of the extension  44  and overall scoop  10  is parallel to the handle  12 .) The extension is formed of the same material as the scoop base  20  and is typically molded simultaneously with the rest of the scoop  10 . Thus, in the present embodiment the extension is unitary with the rest of the scoop  10  and in particular with the scoop base  20 , albeit thinner in cross-section as shown particularly in  FIG. 4 . 
         [0020]    Still referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the front segment  18  (that is, the portion of the scoop  10  forward from the flexible hinge  38 ) may be formed from not only the extension  44 , but a soft elastomeric material  40 , such as a polymeric material like a plastic or rubber. In another embodiment, the front segment material may be a silicon material. In still another embodiment, the front segment material may include any material that allows the front segment  18  to slide across the surface of the litter box liner in a smooth manner so as not to tear or rip the liner. Generally, the front segment is not coated with the elastomeric or other front segment material, but instead molded from such material. The front segment material may generally terminate at or about the flexible hinge  38  or first end  34 . In particular, the elastomeric material  40  is typically co-molded about and with the extension  44 , such that the two materials are pressed in a single mold. (In alternative embodiments, the elastomeric material  44  may be coated or molded about the extension  44  in an operation separate from the molding of the extension itself.) In addition to being generally softer than the extension, the elastomeric material is also typically more flexible. Thus, the co-molded front segment  18  generally flexes and/or bends perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis more easily than a front edge made solely of the material forming the extension  44  and scoop base  20 . Additionally, the thickness of the elastomeric material plus the extension is generally equal to a thickness of the receptacle  16 . 
         [0021]    As shown in the cross-sectional view of  FIG. 4 , the elastomeric material  40  generally fills in the apertures  46  formed in the extension  44 . This creates a stronger bond between the extension  44  and elastomeric material  40  since the elastomeric material may surround at least portions of the extension  44 . In addition, since the elastomeric material  40  is typically more flexible than the substance of the extension  44 , the flexibility of the front segment  18  is still greater than if it were formed purely from the substance of the extension. 
         [0022]    The front segment  18  and receptacle  16  may be molded simultaneously or may be formed in separate stages (in either the same or separate molds). In the present embodiment, the front segment  18  is made by co-molding the elastomeric material  40  over the plastic of the extension  44 , rather than simply coated the extension. Thus, the elastomeric material  40  is integrally formed with the receptacle  16  and rest of the scoop. The scoop, including the front segment  18 , is generally formed by molding. Thus, the elastomeric material  40  is co-molded with the plastic, resin, polymer or other material used to form the rest of the scoop. 
         [0023]    The handle  12  may be co-molded or coated with a material similar to (or the same as) the elastomeric material  40  used to form the front segment  18  of the scoop. For example, the handle  12  may be coated to match the front segment  18  for aesthetics, to impart gliding or other properties similar to those of the front segment, and/or for comfort. 
         [0024]    During use, as a user applies pressure to the scoop  10 , the scoop  10  travels along the surface of a litter box, and may flex at the flexible hinge  38 . Likewise, the sides of the scoop may buckle and bend. The front segment  18  may thus experience some degree of movement with the litter box liner as it slides along the litter box liner. More specifically, the flexible hinge  38  of the scoop  10  allows the head  14  to move as the front segment  18  is pressed into the surface of the litter box. If a litter box liner is pulled over the litter box, the flexible hinge  38  allows some movement if the litter liner shifts, instead of ripping the liner. This movement reduces wear on the litter box liner and works to prevent holes or other ripping. 
         [0025]    As previously stated, as pressure is applied to the scoop  10 , the flexible front segment  18  bends and the sides  28  of the scoop  10  buckle and bend. The sides  28  and/or base  20  of the scoop  10  may be made of a polymeric material, such as plastic, or other material sufficiently soft to allow this buckling and/or bending. 
         [0026]    Although the present invention has been described with reference to certain embodiments and methods of manufacture, persons skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the proper scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims.