Drip tray for a snow blower

The drip tray for a snow blower comprises a drip tray and a ramp. The ramp allows the snow blower to be pushed or propelled to the drip tray and the drip tray collects melt water originating at the snow blower. Melt water may be contained within the drip tray by three walls of the drip tray, an elevation of a portion of the ramp, and/or an inclination of the drip tray floor. In some embodiments, the drip tray may comprise a plurality of drain holes in the drip tray floor and a water reservoir under the drip tray floor for collecting the melt water.

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

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REFERENCE TO APPENDIX

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the field of snow removal equipment, more specifically, a drip tray for a snow blower.

Snow blowers are machines that are pushed through fallen snow to remove the snow. Snow blowers generally use the rotary motion of one or more blades to force the snow into a chute. The rapid motion of the blades causes the snow to move with such velocity that the snow is forcefully ejected from the top of the chute. Generally the top of the chute is curved and can be aimed to point the ejected snow to an area where the snow may accumulate without causing issues.

Snow blowers are frequently stored in the garage or storage shed of a residence. When a snow blower is returned to its assigned spot in the garage or shed it may have snow and ice the snow blower engine and the fact that the storage area may be warmer than the outdoor temperature, the snow and ice on the snow blower may melt and the melt water may drip off of the snow blower. This melt water may cause problems, especially if the snow or ice was contaminated by de-icing salt. Repeated use of the snow blower and repeated melting cycles may cause damage to the garage or shed floor, to walls close enough to have melt water reach them, and to nearby object such as bags of de-icing salt.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The drip tray for a snow blower comprises a drip tray and a ramp. The ramp allows the snow blower to be pushed or propelled to the drip tray and the drip tray collects melt water originating at the snow blower. Melt water may be contained within the drip tray by three walls of the drip tray, an elevation of a portion of the ramp, and/or an inclination of the drip tray floor. In some embodiments, the drip tray may comprise a plurality of drain holes in the drip tray floor and a water reservoir under the drip tray floor for collecting the melt water.

An object of the invention is to collect melt water from a snow blower that is parked on a drip tray.

Another object of the invention is to provide a ramp that allows the snow blower to enter the drip tray without allowing melt water to escape from the drip tray.

A further object of the invention is to provide a water reservoir under the drip tray to retain the melt water.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a drain aperture and drain plug to allow the water reservoir to be emptied.

These together with additional objects, features and advantages of the drip tray for a snow blower will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the following detailed description of the presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative, embodiments when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In this respect, before explaining the current embodiments of the drip tray for a snow blower in detail, it is to be understood that the drip tray for a snow blower is not limited in its applications to the details of construction and arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustration. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the concept of this disclosure may be readily utilized as a basis for the design of other structures, methods, and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the drip tray for a snow blower.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT

The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the described embodiments of the application and uses of the described embodiments. As used herein, the word “exemplary” or “illustrative” means “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any implementation described herein as “exemplary” or “illustrative” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations. All of the implementations described below are exemplary implementations provided to enable persons skilled in the art to practice the disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any expressed or implied theory presented in the preceding technical field, background, brief summary or the following detailed description. As used herein, the word “or” is intended to be inclusive. As used herein, the word “level” refers to a height above a surface which may or may not include the thickness of a material. As a non-limiting example, to say that “a ramp begins at the level of the floor” may mean that the beginning of the ramp rests on the floor and therefore the top side of the beginning of the ramp is the thickness of the ramp above the floor. As a further non-limiting example, to say that “the ramps ends at the level of a platform” may mean that the end of the ramp is at a height which substantially matches the height of the platform. As used herein, the word “substantially” may indicate that two values are the same except for a margin of error related to variances in materials, craftsmanship, installation, environmental conditions, and other factors that may influence the values.

The drip tray for a snow blower100(hereinafter invention) comprises a drip tray300and an entry ramp200. A snow blower900may be parked upon the drip tray300when the snow blower900is not being used. Accumulated snow and ice on the snow blower900may melt forming melt water910and the melt water910may drip from the snow blower900onto the drip tray300. The drip tray300may collect the melt water910and prevent it from ruining a building floor950, walls (not illustrated in the figures), and nearby objects. The entry ramp200provides a pathway for the snow blower900, allowing the snow blower900to be moved from the building floor950to the drip tray300.

The invention100has a front side150, a rear side155, a left side160, and a right side165. The drip tray300comprises a drip tray floor310, a drip tray rear side wall325, a drip tray left side wall330and a drip tray right side wall335. The drip tray rear side wall325, the drip tray left side wall330, and the drip tray right side wall335rise vertically from the building floor950to a maximum side wall height340. The drip tray rear side wall325is located on the rear side155of the drip tray300, the drip tray left side wall330is located on the left side160of the drip tray300, and the drip tray right side wall335is located on the right side165of the drip tray300.

The rear side155of the drip tray floor310couples to the drip tray rear side wall325, the left side160of the drip tray floor310couples to the drip tray left side wall330, and the right side165of the drip tray floor310couples to the drip tray right side wall335. The highest point of the drip tray floor310is below the maximum side wall height340. The drip tray rear side wall325, the drip tray left side wall330, and the drip tray right side wall335prevent the melt water910from flowing out of the drip tray300. At the front side150, the drip tray floor310couples to the entry ramp200.

In some embodiments, the drip tray floor310may be parallel to the building floor950. Such embodiments may depended upon an elevated height along the entry ramp200to prevent the melt water910from draining out of the front side150of the drip tray300.

In some embodiments the drip tray floor310may be fully or partially inclined from being parallel with the building floor950. As a non-limiting example, the drip tray floor310may be inclined from being parallel with the building floor950along its entire length by having the drip tray floor310lower at the rear side155of the drip tray300than it is at the front side150of the drip tray300. Such an inclination may cause the melt water910to flow towards the rear side155of the drip tray300.

As an additional non-limiting example, the drip tray floor310may have an initial inclined section345at the front side150of the drip tray floor310followed by a level section350for the remainder of the drip tray floor310. The initial inclined section345may transition the height of the drip tray floor310from the level of a rear side of the ramp220to a lower level that is higher than the level of the building floor950. The level section350may be level at the height of the lower level and may be parallel to the building floor950.

In some embodiments, the invention100may comprise a plurality of drain holes315in the drip tray floor310and a water reservoir320under the drip tray floor310. The water reservoir320may comprise a cavity within the drip tray300.

In these embodiments with the plurality of drain holes315and the water reservoir320, the melt water910from the snow blower900may flow through the plurality of drain holes315into the water reservoir320. The water reservoir320may comprise a water reservoir floor322and a water reservoir front wall324and the water reservoir320may utilize the drip tray rear side wall325, the drip tray left side wall330, and the drip tray right side wall335to contain the melt water910.

In some embodiments, the water reservoir320may comprise a drain aperture370and a drain plug375. The drain aperture370may be a resealable opening on the water reservoir front wall324, on the drip tray rear side wall325, on the drip tray left side wall330, or on the drip tray right side wall335. As a non-limiting example, the drain aperture370may be a threaded hole on the drip tray rear side wall325which accepts the drain plug375to seal the water reservoir320. The drain plug375may comprise a thread which is complimentary to the thread of the drain aperture370. To drain the melt water910from the drip tray300, the invention100may be dragged or carried to a location where it may be emptied, the drain plug375may be removed, and the invention100may be tilted to allow the melt water910to flow out of the drain aperture370. The drain plug375may be returned to the drain aperture370and the invention100may be placed back at its original location for further use.

In embodiments that do not comprise the plurality of drain holes315in the drip tray floor310and do not comprise the water reservoir320under the drip tray floor310, the melt water910may collect in the drip tray300and the drip tray300may be emptied by dragging or carrying the invention100to a location where it may be emptied and then tilting the invention100to allow the melt water910to flow out.

The entry ramp200comprises a ramp floor260, a front side of the ramp210, the rear side of the ramp220, a left side of the ramp250and a right side of the ramp255. The ramp floor260provides a pathway for movement of the snow blower900and allows the snow blower900to transition from the level of the building floor950to the level of the front side150of the drip tray floor310. The entry ramp200may be coupled to the drip tray300. Specifically, the rear side of the ramp220may be coupled to the front side150of the drip tray floor310.

The front side of the ramp210may be at the level of the building floor950to allow for a gradual elevation transition as the snow blower900moves from the building floor950onto the entry ramp200. In some embodiments, the rear side of the ramp220and the drip tray floor310may be at the level of the building floor950if the embodiment does not comprise the plurality of drain holes315and the water reservoir320. In those embodiments, the ramp floor260may form a hump, meaning that the height of the ramp floor260may increase to a maximum height of the ramp225which is higher than the level of the front side of the ramp210and may then decrease to match the height of the drip tray floor310. The maximum height of the ramp225may therefore occur between the front side of the ramp210and the rear side of the ramp220. The fact that the maximum height of the ramp225is higher than the drip tray floor310may prevent the melt water910that may have collected in the drip tray300from flowing out through the front side150of the entry ramp200.

In some embodiments, the rear side of the ramp220may be at a higher level than the building floor950. As a non-limiting example, the entry ramp200may be a flat inclined plane that rises linearly from the level of the building floor950to the level of the drip tray300at the rear side of the ramp220, thus placing the maximum height of the ramp225at the rear side of the ramp220.

The entry ramp200may comprise a ramp left side wall270and a ramp right side wall275. The ramp left side wall270and the ramp right side wall275may prevent the snow blower900from moving off the side of the entry ramp200and may prevent the melt water910from flowing off the sides of the entry ramp200. In some embodiments, the ramp left side wall270and the ramp right side wall275may be continuations of the drip tray left side wall330and the drip tray right side wall335, respectively.

The ramp floor260may have a non-slip surface265. The non-slip surface265may comprise an area of roughening, texturing, stamping, applique, or other method of increasing the friction of the ramp floor260.