Fish cleaner and scraper

A fish cleaning and scraping apparatus (10) for use in combination with a hose (13) connected to a source of pressurized water (14), wherein the apparatus (10) comprises an elongated hollow handle portion (11) connected on one end to the hose (13), and having a scraper blade portion (12) formed on its other end, wherein the scraper blade portion (12) comprises an elongated blade element (17) formed into a blade loop (19) which in turn forms elongated opposed ports for the pressurized water (14).

TECHNICAL FIELD 
The present, invention relates generally to the field of fish scaling and 
cleaning implements. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The prior art is replete with diverse fish cleaning and scaling implements 
as can be seen by reference to U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,519,689; 3,270,368; 
3,667,086; and 4,297,765. 
As shown in the aforementioned prior art patents the vast majority of 
implements found in this area of technology are primarily concerned with 
and designed to facilitate the scaling of fish. 
While these prior art structures are more than adequate for their intended 
purpose and function, they are uniformly deficient in their shortsighted 
approach regarding the cleaning of the entire fish including the body 
cavity. 
Obviously, it is important to remove the scales of a fish as a preliminary 
step in the preparation of the fish; however, of even more importance is 
the thorough cleaning of the fish's body cavity. 
Anyone even remotely familiar with the problems associated with the proper 
cleaning of fish, such as the occasional recreational angler, soon comes 
to the quick realization that even after a fish has been gutted, a certain 
amount of viscera will remain attached to the walls and crevices in the 
body cavity. Not only is this result unpleasant from an appearance 
standpoint, but more importantly this residue is particularly susceptible 
to spoilage that may ultimately taint the flesh of the fish. 
Up until the development of the present invention, both commercial and 
recreational anglers had to improvise and employ implements that were 
neither designed nor intended for the removal of the body cavity viscera 
and residue. The end result of those efforts were, and continue to be, 
unpredictable, and soley dependent on the dexterity and skill of the 
individual users of the diverse implements. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention while specifically designed both for the cleansing of 
the body cavity of fish and the removal of the neck meat from certain 
species of fish such as halibut and the like, can also be employed 
effectively as a scaling tool. 
The present invention comprises in general a fish scraping and cleaning 
apparatus having an elongated hollow handle portion wherein one end of the 
hollow handle portion is dimensioned to frictionally engage the outlet of 
a hose which is connected to a source of water and, the other end of the 
hollow handle portion is provided with an elongated narrow scraper blade 
which forms a loop on the free end of the apparatus. 
As will be described in greater detail further on in the specification, the 
dimensioning and configuration of the scraper blade not only allows the 
blade to remove and dislodge the body cavity residue but, once the viscera 
is even partially detached, the interior blade surface redirects 
pressurized water in a tangential fashion along the blade periphery to 
assist and enhance the scraping of the cavity walls and subsequently flush 
the dislodged particles therefrom. 
The tangential impingement of the pressurized water along the blade 
interior surface also enhances the utilization of this implement as a 
descaling tool; in that the pressurized water tends to lift the individual 
scales a fraction of a second prior to the contact of the blade surface 
with the base of the scale at the point of attachment to the skIn of the 
fish.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
As can best be seen by reference to FIG. 1, the cleaning and scraping 
apparatus that forms the basis of the present invention is designated 
generally by the reference numeral (10). The apparatus (10) comprises in 
general a handle portion (11) and a scraper blade portion (12), which 
combine to form an elongated narrow hand held cleaning implement for use 
in combination with a hose (13) connected to a source (not shown) of 
pressurized water (14). The respective portions of the hand held implement 
or apparatus (10) will now be described in seriatim fashion. 
As is best depicted in FIGS. 1 and 3, the handle portion (11) comprises 
broadly, an elongated hollow cylindrical member (15), having a reduced 
diameter tubular extension (16) formed on one end wherein the reduced 
diameter extension (16) is dimensioned to frictionally engage the interior 
diameter (13') of a suitably dimensioned hose (13) connected to a source 
of pressurized water (14). 
As can also be seen by reference to FIGS. 1 through 3, the scraper blade 
portion (12) of the implement (10) comprises an elongated, thin and 
relatively flat narrow blade element (17) that is joined to the enlarged 
end of the cylindrica1 hand1e member (15) via a reinforced transition 
portion (18). The blade element (17) is formed integrally with the 
transition portion (18) and the cylindrical handle member (15) so as to 
form an elongated closed loop (19) with respect thereto, wherein loop 
openings (19') forms elongated opposed ports for the pressurized water 
(14). 
The major portion of the pressurized water (14) exiting from the hose (13) 
will impinge on the interior surface (17') of the blade element (17); and, 
in particular a substantial portion of the pressurized water (14) will 
impinge on the interior surface of the outboard end of the blade loop (19) 
resulting in a tangential dispersal of the pressurized water (14) along 
the periphery of the blade element (17). 
The interior blade surfaces (17') of the blade element (17) tend to 
concentrate and enhance the peripheral and tangential dispersion of the 
pressurized water (14) along the blade edges as is best illustrated in 
FIGS. 4 and 5. When the apparatus (10) is disposed within the body cavity 
(101) of a fish (100), as depicted in FIG. 4, the pressurized water (14) 
is equally effective on both sides of the loop opening (19') to not only 
elevate the viscera ahead of the blade surface; but, also to flush the 
detached residue from the body cavity (101). 
Referring to FIG. 5, wherein the implement (10) is used in the scaling 
mode, the peripheral dispersion of the pressurized water (14) is primarily 
effective along the trailing/scraping edge of the blade element (17). ln 
this mode, the stream of pressurized water immediately ahead of the 
trailing blade surface will lift the free ends of the individual scales 
(102) upwardly and away from engagement with the skin (103) of the fish. 
This lifting action facilitates the severing contact of the blade surface 
with the base of the scales, to effect the detachment of the scales (102) 
from the skin (103). Once the scales have been detached, the turbulent 
pressurized water (14) within the area defined by the interior blade 
surface (17') will flush the scales (102) out through the loop openings 
(19'). 
lt should also be appreciated at this point by reference to FIGS. 4 and 6, 
that the sharpened beveled edges 17" on the exterior surface of outboard 
curved end of the blade loop (19) are particularly well suited to 
accomplish the removal of the neck meat from certain species of fish, such 
as halibut and the like. 
Having thereby described the subject matter of this invention, it should be 
obvious that many substitutions, modifications and variations of the 
invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to 
be understood that the invention as taught and described herein is only to 
be limited to the extent of the breadth and scope of the appended claims.