Abstract:
A scraper device for use on motor vehicle windshields and other surfaces that require the removal of unwanted adherent matter is provided. The scraper device includes an extremely durable, credit card-sized laminate body having scraping edge surfaces that provide superior scraping capabilities. One of the scraper edge surfaces includes a first set of teeth each having a first length and a second set of teeth having a length shorter than the first length. Another scraper edge surface can include a plurality of scalloped edges. The laminate body of the scraper device can include a hard inner core layer and relatively softer top and bottom layers arranged on either side of the hard inner core layer.

Description:
FIELD 
   The present teachings relate to a scraper device for use on motor vehicle windshields and other surfaces that require the removal of unwanted adherent matter. In particular, the present teachings relate to an extremely durable credit card-sized scraper device including a laminate body having multiple scraping edge surfaces that provide superior scraping capabilities. 
   BACKGROUND 
   People confronted with small brittle ice deposits and/or snow deposits on their automobile windshield sometimes improvise by using a standard plastic wallet card, such as, a credit card, as a rudimentary scraping device. Not only is it likely that the plastic card can become permanently damaged as a result, but such cards are generally ineffective at removing ice deposits of any significance, see for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,445,420. 
   Other known scraper devices are generally ineffective at removing larger ice deposits or more stubborn adherent matter, such as paint, see for example, U.S. Des. Pat. Nos. 320,483; 349,592; and 355,281. 
   Other approaches to the problem employ larger, more substantial devices, which may provide a handle, squeegee, and/or brush feature. Various proposals are disclosed by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,275,476; 4,418,439; 4,468,831; 4,712,269; 4,747,175; 4,809,386; 4,922,569; and 5,263,222. Ice scraping devices with plural scraping edges have also been disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,418,998 and 5,099,540. 
   A need exists for a long-lasting, low-cost, and effective pocket or wallet-sized scraper having multiple scraping edges that can be readily carried by a user. A need also exists for such a scraper having flat surfaces onto which an eye-catching, colorful, advertising message, company logo, and the like, can be imprinted. The scraper needs to have a low manufacturing cost so that it can be exchanged as a novelty item, promotional product, and the like, while providing effective long-term use as a portable scraper. 
   SUMMARY 
   An object of the invention is to solve at least the above problems and/or disadvantages and to provide at least the advantages described hereinafter. 
   The present teachings relate to a scraper device including a credit-card sized planar body including a top surface, a bottom surface, and a plurality of edge surfaces. At least one of the edge surfaces includes a first set of teeth each having a first length, and a second set of teeth each having a length different from the first length. 
   The present teachings also relate to a scraper device including a credit-card sized planar body including a top surface, a bottom surface, and a plurality of edge surfaces. The planar body includes a laminate structure including a hard inner core layer and relatively softer top and bottom layers arranged on either side of the hard inner core layer. 
   The present teachings also relate to a scraper device including a credit-card sized planar body including a top surface, a bottom surface, and a plurality of edge surfaces. At least one of the edge surfaces includes a scalloped scraping edge including a plurality of scalloped edges. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The present teachings will be described in detail with reference to the following drawings in which like reference numerals refer to like elements wherein: 
       FIG. 1  shows a top plan view of the scraper device according to various embodiments; 
       FIG. 2  shows a blown-up view of portion A of the scraper device of  FIG. 1  according to various embodiments; 
       FIG. 3  shows a side view of a saw-toothed end portion of the scraper device shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 4  shows a partial cross-sectional side view of the scraper device shown in  FIG. 1  taken along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 1 ; and 
       FIG. 5  shows a top plan view of a scraper device having a non-rectangular shape according to various embodiments. 
   

   DESCRIPTION 
   A scraper device according to various embodiments is shown in  FIGS. 1-5  and is generally designated by the reference numeral  10 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the scraper device  10  can include a planar body  12  having a top surface  14  and a bottom surface  16 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , the planar body  12  can be polygonal in shape and can include a plurality of edge surfaces, such as, for example, four edge surfaces designated by reference numerals  18 ,  20 ,  22 ,  24 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 1 , an edge surface  18  of the scraper device  10  can be provided with a plurality of saw-teeth  26  sequentially arranged in a row. As will be discussed below, at one or both of the ends of the row of saw-teeth  26 , the edge surface  18  can be provided with one or more recessed end teeth  46 . The planar body  12  of the scraper device  10  can have a longitudinal axis, X-X, though a length of the planar body  12 . The planar body  12  can be substantially symmetrical about the longitudinal axis, X-X. The configuration of the teeth on the edge surface  18  can be used to facilitate the removal of unwanted adherents from a surface, such as, for example, ice from a motor vehicle&#39;s windshield. 
   As also shown in  FIG. 1 , at least one of the edge surfaces, such as, for example, edge surfaces  20  and  24 , can be provided with a series of sequentially arranged scalloped edges  28 . The scalloped edges  28  can provide the user with an alternative scraping edge surface to help facilitate the removal of unwanted adherents, such as, for example, heavy frost or ice from a windshield. Referring to  FIG. 4 , the scalloped edges  28  can be incorporated on one or more beveled edges  30 ,  32  that can be angled with respect to the top surface  14  and the bottom surface  16 , respectively, of the scraper device  10 . 
   According to various embodiments, the dimensions of the scraper device  10 , as shown in  FIG. 1 , can substantially approximate those of a standard credit card, such as, for example, about 2.125 inches by about 3.375 inches. The scraper device  10  can have a square or rectangular planar shape. Alternatively, the credit-card sized scraper device  10  can have a non-rectangular shape, as shown in  FIG. 5 . 
   The thickness, T, of the scraper device  10 , as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , can be substantially equal to or greater than a standard credit card. According to various embodiments, the thickness, T, can be from about 0.025 inches to about 0.090 inches, and preferably can be about 0.058 inches. 
   The planar body  12  of the scraper device  10  can include a laminate structure. The laminate structure can include a hard inner core layer  34 . The hard inner core layer  34  can be surrounded by relatively softer top and bottom layers  36 ,  38 . 
   The hard inner core layer  34  can be made from a relatively hard material that can provide the scraper device  10  with added rigidity and strength. A harder core allows the scraper device  10  to be used more effectively as a scraping tool, such as, for example, a paint removal tool. The hard inner core layer  34  can be made from a vinyl, a plastic, and a metal. The hard inner core layer  34  can be made by stacking a plurality of layers together. The hard inner core layer  34  can be colored to provide an appealing look to the user. The thickness of the hard inner core layer  34  can be from about 0.040 inches to about 0.058 inches, and preferably can be about 0.054 inches. 
   At least one of the top layer  36  and the bottom layer  38  can be made from a material that is softer than the hard inner core layer  34 . According to various embodiments, the top layer  36  and/or the bottom layer  38  can be made from a plastic sheet, such as, for example, white vinyl, polyester, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polycarbonate, and ABS. The thicknesses of the top layer  36  and/or the bottom layer  38  can be from about 0.002 inches to about 0.020 inches, and preferably can be about 0.010 inches. 
   An advertising message, company logo, and the like, can be imprinted on either of the top layer  36  and the bottom layer  38 . The image can be imprinted on these layers using a printing method employed in imprinting credit cards, such as, for example, embossing. Alternatively, a dye sublimation technique can be employed by which a desired image is heat transferred onto the body of the plastic substrate. Moreover, silkscreening techniques, offset printing, and ultraviolet printing methods can be used. The surfaces of the scraper device  10  can be provided with a protective plastic layer to protect it from scratching. 
   The scraper device  10  can be provided with a magnetic strip if desired on which data can be stored. The top surface  14  and/or the bottom surface  16  can include raised bumps, lines, or indented grooves to help facilitate gripping of the scraper device  10 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , the scraper device  10  can be provided with a hole  44  through which a key ring or display rack ring can be inserted. The diameter of the hole can be about 0.15 inches to about 0.25 inches. 
   As shown in  FIG. 1 , the edge surface  18  includes a plurality of sequentially arranged saw-teeth  26 . The saw-teeth  26  can have a length, X, of between about 0.050 inches to about 0.150 inches, and preferably can have a length of about 0.100 inches. The saw-teeth  26  can be provided linearly along the edge surface  18  at a repeat distance, Z, of between about 0.100 inches to about 0.300 inches, and preferably the repeat distance can be about 0.200 inches. 
   At one or both ends of the sequentially arranged saw-teeth  26 , the edge surface  18  can be provided with one or more recessed or offset end teeth  46 . The end teeth  46  can have a length that is shorter than the length of the sequentially arranged saw-teeth  26 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , the offset end teeth  46  can be provided with a rounded or non-pointed tip. According to various embodiments, the offset end teeth  46  can be shorter than the saw-teeth  26  by an offset distance, Y, of between about 0.010 inches to about 0.125 inches, and preferably the offset distance can be about 0.040 inches. The planar body  12  can be substantially symmetrical about the longitudinal axis, X-X. Accordingly, during scraping, the longer saw-teeth  26  of the edge surface  18  contact the adherent material first, thereby allowing the placement of a more concentrated force or pressure onto the material to be removed. Moreover, by incorporating offset end teeth  46 , wear on the saw-teeth  26  can be decreased, thereby increasing the operating life of the scraper device  10 . 
   According to various embodiments, a beveled edge including scalloping can be provided in a right-hand or a left-hand orientation with respect to the edge surface  18 . Scalloped beveled edges can be provided relative to the saw-toothed edge surface  18  so that the user is not required to reorient the scraper device  10  when switching between scraping operations utilizing different edge surfaces, such as edge surfaces  18 ,  20 ,  22 ,  24 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , the necessity to reorient the scraper device  10  can be avoided by providing a double bevel including beveled surfaces  30 ,  32  along an edge surface. Alternatively, a single bevel surface can be provided along an edge surface. The bevel angle of any beveled surfaces  30 ,  32  can range from about 10 degrees to about 90 degrees with respect to either the top surface  14  or the bottom surface  16  of the scraper device  10 . Preferably, a bevel angle can be in the range of about 20 degrees, plus/minus about 15 degrees. 
   As shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  2 , and  4 , the edge surfaces  20  and  24  can be provided with a series of sequentially arranged scalloped edges  28 . The scalloped edges  28  can be incorporated on one or more of the beveled surfaces  30 ,  32 . The scalloped edges  28  can be produced by various manufacturing processes, such as, for example, mechanical milling and injection molding. Referring to  FIG. 2 , a pitch distance, P, measured between peaks of each scalloped edge  28  can be from between about 0.062 inches and about 0.250 inches, and preferably the pitch distance can be about 0.105 inches. The scalloped edges  28  provide a scraping edge with a robust and effective scraping surface for facilitating the removal of unwanted adherents. 
   As shown in  FIG. 4 , the beveled surfaces  30 ,  32  including the scalloped edges  28  can be provided with a flattened tip  40 . The flattened tip  40  can extend substantially perpendicularly with respect to the planar body  12  of the scraper device. The use of a flattened tip  40  facilitates manufacture and increases the durability of the scraper device. Alternatively, the beveled edges  30 ,  32  can meet at a non-flattened tip  42 , as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
   The scraper device  10  of the present teachings can be conveniently made in small quantities by machining it from a selected sheet of material, such as a plastic, or from several sheets of laminated material. Alternatively, when large quantities of devices are desired, the scraping device  10  can be manufactured by injection molding. 
   A preferred method of manufacturing the scraper device  10  of the present teachings entails laminating together the hard inner core layer  34  between the relatively softer top layer  36  and bottom layer  38 . Then any lettering, logos, borders, and the like, desired for the face of the scraper device  10  can be applied by, for example, silkscreening. Alternatively, the imprinting can be personalized or customized by printing on it with an ink-jet printer, or the like. The scraper device can then be sealed, for example, heat sealed with a clear vinyl laminate, to protect the imprinted design. The laminated sheet can then be fused by applying conventional heat and pressure conditions thereto. A blank can then be punched out of the laminate with, for example, a press punch. The punch can be shaped so that the tooth arrangements discussed above can be provided on the blank. A key ring hole can also be provided at this point if desired. The blank can then be provided with one or more beveled surfaces and with scalloped edges by way of machining operations. If desired, a flattened tip can be formed at the end of the beveled surface. 
   An alternative manufacturing method entails laminating together a plurality of plastic sheets, for example, using colored plastic, then punching out the laminate to form the tooth arrangements discussed above. The blanks can be machined to provide beveled surfaces and scalloped edges as needed to form the desired scraping edges. An adhesive label can be applied to a face of the scraper device, which label contains desired lettering, logos, borders, and the like. A clear protective laminate can then be applied if desired. 
   Those skilled in the art can appreciate from the foregoing description that the present teachings can be implemented in a variety of forms. Therefore, while these teachings have been described in connection with particular embodiments and examples thereof, the true scope of the present teachings should not be so limited. Various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the teachings herein.