Abstract:
A dustpan has a dustpan receptacle, a handle and a novel latching mechanism, which enables the dustpan receptacle to be latched in a horizontal position for a waste pick up and unlatched by hand or foot in a vertically extended position for a direct waste disposal and easier storage. The novel latching mechanism has two latching members interacting with each other and connecting the dustpan receptacle to the handle. Compared to dustpans in the prior art, the present dustpan is less fatiguing to use, and easier to construct and repair.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to waste receptacles, and more particularly to dustpans used for picking up debris.  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to a dustpan of the type having a latching mechanism enabling a dustpan receptacle to have two positions: a latched horizontal position and an unlatched vertical position.  
       DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART  
       [0003]     Dustpans of the general type described herein and known in the prior art have a receptacle portion pivotally mounted and hooked to a handle. Dustpans in the prior art are usually unhooked by exerting downward pressure on the handle. The main disadvantage of those dustpans is that when the handle of the unhooked receptacle is lifted, the receptacle rotates to a position of axial alignment with the shaft preventing the waste from falling out and thus necessitating the manual movement of the receptacle to dispose the waste.  
         [0004]     Some dustpans known in the prior art are capable of being unhooked to assume a vertically extended position. However, such dustpans require a mechanism located within the handle. As a result, it is more difficult to make and repair them.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     The present invention solves the problems in the prior art by providing a novel latching mechanism comprising two latching members interfacing each other and connecting the dustpan receptacle to the handle, which enables the dustpan receptacle to have two positions: a latched horizontal position for a waste pick up and an unlatched vertical position for a direct waste disposal into trashcans.  
         [0006]     It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved dustpan with a simplified operational mode so that it is less fatiguing to the user.  
         [0007]     A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved dustpan with a simplified construction and repair mode.  
         [0008]     Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from reading the following detailed description of the invention and the appended claims.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]      FIG. 1  is a front elevational view of the dustpan in its unlatched vertical position.  
         [0010]      FIG. 2  is a rear elevational view of the dustpan in its unlatched horizontal position.  
         [0011]      FIG. 3  is a side elevational view of the dustpan in its unlatched horizontal position.  
         [0012]      FIG. 4  is an exploded, fragmentary, front elevational view of the latching mechanism.  
         [0013]      FIG. 5  is an exploded, fragmentary, rear elevational view of the latching mechanism.  
         [0014]      FIG. 6  is a front elevational view of the dustpan in its latched position.  
         [0015]      FIG. 7  is a rear elevational view of the dustpan receptacle.  
         [0016]      FIG. 8  is a front elevational view of the handle.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0017]     With reference to the drawings, in particular to  FIGS. 1-8  thereof, the present invention, a dustpan with a novel latching mechanism, denoted by reference numeral  1  will be described. A dustpan  1  is shown comprising a dustpan receptacle  2 , a handle  3  and a latching mechanism  4  consisting of two members: an upper latching member  5  and a lower latching member  6 . The handle  3  is connected to the upper latching member  5  and the lower latching member  6 . The dustpan receptacle  2  is connected to the lower latching member  6  by a pivotal connection  7 . The upper latching member  5  and the lower latching member  6  are connected and interface each other. The handle  3  has a lower end  8  and an upper end  8   a.    
         [0018]     The upper latching member  5  has a first latching interface  9  (considered to be the front surface of the upper latching member  5 ) and a back surface  10  and consists of a plate  11 , and an open ended hollow rod  12  for accepting a part of the handle  3 . The plate  11  has a top edge  13 , a bottom edge  14 , and two spaced apart parallel and equal side edges  15 . The plate has a rectangular form where the top edge  13  and the bottom edge  14  have equal lengths, which are smaller than the length of the side edges  15 . The plate  11  can have a different geometric form.  
         [0019]     The hollow rod  12  is attached to the first latching interface  9  of the upper latching member  5 ) so that more than a half of the hollow rod  12  raises above the top edge  13 . There are two pointed protrusions  16 , one on each side of the hollow rod  12 . The pointed protrusions  16  can be in the form of ramps or right angle triangles where the right angle is aligned with the angle formed between the hollow rod  12  and the top edge  13  of the plate  11 . The first latching interface  9  also contains two spaced apart parallel protrusions  17 , located equidistantly from the centerline of the plate  11  and near the bottom edge  14  and the side edges  15 . The protrusions  16  are columnar and have a cross section in the form of an equilateral triangle. One side of the equilateral triangle is parallel to the top edge  13  and the bottom edge  14  of the plate  11 , the second side of the equilateral triangle is parallel to the side edges  15  of the plate  11 , and the third side of the equilateral triangle forms an angle of approximately 45° with a line parallel to the top edge  13  and the bottom edge  14  of the plate  11 . The protrusions can have a cross section with other geometric forms. The back surface  10  has an indented protrusion  18  for accepting the handle of another cleaning tool such as a broom. Also the indented protrusion  18  is used to accept one&#39;s fingers or foot to exert a downward pressure in order to unlatch the dustpan  1 .  
         [0020]     The second latching member  6  has a second latching interface  19  (considered to be the back surface of the upper latching member  6 ) and a front surface  20  and consists of a main body  21  and two spaced apart parallel channels  22  which become hooks  23  facing the latching surface of the second latching member  6 . Each hook  23  has a lowest part  23   a  and a tip  23   b . The main body has a top edge  24 , a bottom edge  25  and two spaced apart parallel and equal side edges  26 . The length of top edge  24  is approximately equal to the length of the bottom edge  25  but greater than the length of the side edges  26 . The two channels  22  are located equidistantly from the centerline of the main body  21  so that there is a space between the channels  22  for a circular protrusion  27  adapted to accept the handle  3 . The circular protrusion  27  can be substituted with a circular indentation.  
         [0021]     Each of the two channels  22  has a top wall  28  and two spaced apart parallel side walls  29 . The inner of the two side walls  29  faces the handle  3  and starts at the top edge  24  of the main body  21 . The outer of the two side walls  29  is longer allowing for its upward and subsequent downward extensions and a termination in the form of a hook  22  facing the second latching interface  19  of the lower latching member  6 . The main body  21  of the lower latching member  6  is pivotally connected with the dustpan receptacle  2 . The pivotal connection  7  consists of two slots  30  located at the center and near the bottom edge  25  of the main body  21 , and pivotal protrusions  31  located on the dustpan receptacle  2 . The pivotal connection can consists of other types of pivotal connection known in the art. The latching surface of the lower latching member further contains two arcuate protrusions  32  located near the bottom edge  25  of the main body  21  of the lower latching member  6 , and equidistantly from the centerline of the main body  21 .  
         [0022]     The dustpan receptacle  2  consists of a top wall  33 , a bottom wall  34 , back wall  35  and a pair of spaced apart parallel side walls  36 . The back wall  35  has an opening  37 , which is located centrally and has a width equal to the distance between the tips of the hooks  22  of the upper latching member  5 . The opening  37  starts at said bottom wall  34  at a place for a pivotal connection  7 , and continues through said back wall  35  and said top wall  33 . The back wall  35  has two parallel slots  38  each of them located on each side of the opening  37 . The top wall  33  has two parallel protruding edges  39  on each side of the opening  37  and facing the bottom wall  34 . The bottom wall  34  can have a blade portion  40  for the easier pick up of the waste and a shoulder  41  for preventing the waste from slipping out of the dustpan receptacle  2  once it has been swept in. The shoulder  41  is located near the blade portion  40  and consists of a part of the bottom wall  34 , which is raised above the remaining part of the bottom wall  34 . The top wall  33  of the dustpan receptacle terminates with a broom cleaning edge  42 .  
         [0023]     The dustpan  1  contains a spring  43  wrapped around the lower end  8  of the handle  3  and located between said hollow rod  12  of the upper latching member  5  and the accepting circular protrusion  27  of the lower latching member  6 .  
         [0024]     The handle  3  can have an opening  44  or a hook for suspending the dustpan  1 , an ergonomically shaped handle  45  making the use easier and less fatiguing and an indented protrusion  46  for accepting another cleaning tool such as a broom. The handle  3  can be elongated for cleaning floors without the necessity to bend over, or shortened for cleaning raised surfaces such as tables, desks and others. The handle  3  can be hollow as to accept other cleaning tools such as brooms, dusters and others.  
         [0025]      FIG. 1  shows the dustpan  1  in its unlatched vertical position, which is utilized to comfortably discharge the waste directly into trashcans, to attach an additional cleaning tool such as a broom and to easily store it.  FIG. 1  shows that the upper latching member  5  is connected to the lower latching member  6  through an interaction between the latching interface  9  of the upper latching member  5  and the latching interface  19  of the lower latching member  6 . The protrusions  17  of the upper latching member  5  fit into the channels  22  of the lower latching member  6 .  
         [0026]     In order to use the dustpan  1  for a waste pickup, one has to latch the hooks  23  of the lower latching member  6  onto the two parallel protruding edges  39  of the top wall  33  of the dustpan receptacle  2  as shown on  FIG. 2  depicting the dustpan  1  in its latched horizontal position. The distance between the lowest parts  23   a  of the hooks  23  is slightly smaller than the width of the opening  37  on the top wall  33  of the dustpan receptacle  2 . The distance between the tips  23   b  of the hooks  23  is slightly greater that width of the opening  37  on the top wall  33  of the dustpan receptacle  2 . These distance differences allow the hooks  23  to slide into the opening  37  and to hook onto the protruding edges  39  of the top wall  33 . Furthermore, the two arcuate protrusions  32  on the second latching interface  19  of the lower latching member  6  fit into the slots  38  of the dustpan receptacle  2  preventing the movement of the latching mechanism and resulting in a more stable latched dustpan. The dustpan receptacle  2  is moved about its pivotal connection  7  so that the dustpan receptacle  2  is perpendicular to the handle. The latching of the dustpan  2  does not require any pressure but only the movement of the dustpan receptacle to its horizontal position.  
         [0027]     To unlatch the dustpan  1 , one has to exert downward pressure on the upper latching member  5  so that the spring  43  is being pressed downward and reduced in length. As a result, each of the protrusions  17  slides into each of the channels  22  of the lower latching member  6  in a downward direction, each of the pointed protrusions  16  of the upper latching member  5  fit between each of the channels  22  of the lower latching member  6  and the handle  3  resulting in flexing the channels  22  and hooks  23  away from the protruding edges  39  and disengaging and unlatching the hooks  23 . As a result of this disengagement, the weight of the dustpan receptacle  2  causes a pivotal traverse and provides for its discharge and achieving a storage position. The subsequent release of the upper latching member  5  causes the return of the upper latching member  5  to its original position under spring urgency.  
         [0028]     From the above description, it should be readily appreciated that the dustpan substantially simplifies the dustpan&#39;s operational, construction and repair mode. A latitude of modifications and substitutions is intended. As a result, the appended claims should be construed broadly in a manner consistent with the scope of the invention.