Abstract:
A method and apparatus for manually handling large quantities of debris and placing such debris into containers. The method and apparatus is directed to a rake panel utilized in combination with a rake. The rake panel includes a panel and an open sleeve configured to removably attach with a rake via an interference fit. In one embodiment, the open sleeve removably attaches to a rake shaft, and in another embodiment, the open sleeve removably attaches to a rake head. The rake panel therefore is easily attachable and removable to and from a rake and, therefore, easily accessible with the rake. The rake panel also simplifies handling debris by simply sandwiching large quantities of debris between the rake panel and a rake head, making for easier cleanup.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    Field of the Invention: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for handling and removing debris from a pile into a container. More particularly, the present invention relates to a compact, light weight rake panel in combination with a rake for assisting in the manual removal of large quantities of debris into a container.  
           [0002]    State of the Art: Residential areas filled with deciduous trees experience the splendor of autumn every year as the leaves change color. However, there is a price to pay as autumn progresses and the leaves fall to the ground. Homeowners find themselves saddled with the task of removing the leaves from their lawn. The typical process of removing leaves involves raking or blowing the leaves into piles and then filling bags or cans with the leaves for disposal. The process of leaning down and bending over to pick up leaves from a pile by hand can be difficult work that leads to muscle fatigue and pain.  
           [0003]    Numerous tools have been developed which attempt to ease the process of leaf removal. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,564,267 discloses a rake having a shaft and a shovel having a shaft, in which the two are pivotally connected midway up the shaft. Such rake and shovel combination is used together in a scissor like arrangement to pick up debris such as leaves. Additionally, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,901,540, 5,564,266 and 4,378,671 disclose two rakes with their respective shafts having a pivotal connection. Although useful for picking up debris, the pivotal connections in each of the above-noted patents include many intricate parts making the pivotal connection relatively high in cost. Such intricate pivotal connections may also easily break and misfunction. Additionally, two separate tools, i.e., rake and shovel, pivotally connected may be awkward to use, making it difficult to be efficient in the desired easy removal of leaves or other types of debris.  
           [0004]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,644,796 discloses a work glove rake including a glove with rake tines at the end of each finger on the glove. Such glove may be helpful in removing leaves from hard to reach areas, but the rate by which one can remove leaves or debris is not any better than picking the leaves up without a tool. U.S. Pat. No. 5,706,640 discloses a landscaping debris collecting device, which includes a right and left plate member. Each plate member includes a rake end and a handle end for collecting and moving debris by sandwiching the debris between the plate members. However, such plate members require one to bend and lean to rake the piles prior to disposing the debris. The plate members also are not compactly and removably attachable to either a rake nor each other, resulting in two additional loose tools in one&#39;s tool collection array. In addition, the handle on each of the plate members lack wrist and arm support and may become tiresome when removing large quantities of debris over time.  
           [0005]    Therefore, an apparatus and method for making the same is needed that provides advantages of easily collecting debris into piles and removing large quantities of such debris at a time into containers while also providing wrist and arm support, and including a compact simplified design without the complicated, expensive and misfunctional pivotal connections as part of the apparatus.  
         BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for manually handling large quantities of debris and disposing such debris into containers. The present invention is directed to a rake panel having a rake attachment portion which is attachable to a rake by an interference connection.  
           [0007]    In one embodiment, the rake panel includes a rake attachment portion and a panel portion having a front surface and a back surface. The panel portion may be shaped to substantially follow the general periphery of a rake head. An aspect of the first embodiment provides the rake attachment portion to include an open sleeve having a C-shaped cross-section. Such open sleeve is configured to engage with the shaft of a rake and attach thereto with an interference connection. In another embodiment, the rake panel includes a rake attachment portion having an open sleeve with a U-shaped cross-section so that such open sleeve is configured to engage with a rake head of a rake and attach thereto with an interference connection.  
           [0008]    One aspect of the present invention provides for the rake panel to include a handle and an arm support. The handle may be included in or on a back face of the rake panel. Such arm support provides a brace against one&#39;s arm when holding the handle as a load is placed on the front face of the rake panel while handling debris. In another aspect of the present invention, the handle and arm support of the rake panel may be included in the rake head of a rake. In another aspect of the present invention, the rake panel may include a handle in the form of a shaft extending therefrom utilized as a holding device when operating such rake panel. Thus, the arm support and handle provided on the rake panel and/or the rake head substantially simplifies handling debris and placing such debris into containers. Further, the rake panel of the present invention provides for a simplified and compact method and apparatus for attaching the rake panel to a rake. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]    The method and apparatus of the present invention will be more fully understood from the detailed description of the invention taken in conjunction with the drawings, wherein:  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary rake used for raking debris such as grass and leaves, which rake may be used in combination with the present invention;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of a rake panel according to a first embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-section of a portion of the rake panel along line  3  in FIG. 2, according to a first embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of the rake panel of FIG. 2 attached to the shaft of an exemplary rake, according to a first embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of a rake panel according to a second embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 6 illustrates a cross-section of a portion of the rake panel along line  6  in FIG. 5, according to a second embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 7 illustrates a perspective view of the rake panel of FIG. 5 attachable to the back side of a rake head of an exemplary rake, according to a second embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 8 illustrates a perspective view of a handle and arm support according to an aspect of the present invention;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 9 illustrates a perspective view of an alternative handle according to an aspect of the present invention;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 10 illustrates a perspective view of the handle and arm support depicted in FIG. 8 embodied with a rake head of an exemplary rake, according to another aspect of the present invention;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 11 illustrates a method of using the handle and arm support embodied in a rake head of an exemplary rake, according to the present invention; and  
         [0021]    FIGS.  12 - 14  illustrate simplified perspective views of a method of utilizing a rake panel and an exemplary rake in combination, according to the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0022]    Embodiments of the present invention will be hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the illustrations are not meant to be actual views of any particular apparatus and/or method, but are merely idealized representations which are employed to more clearly and fully depict the present invention then would otherwise be possible. Additionally, elements common between figures retain the same numerical designation.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 1 depicts an exemplary rake  10  used for raking leaves and debris as contemplated to be used in combination with the present invention. In particular, rake  10  includes a shaft  20  and a rake head  30  having prongs  34  spanned therefrom, wherein one end of the shaft  20  is connected to the rake head  30 . Rake  10  may be any type of rake used for raking leaves and debris.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a rake panel  100  according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Rake panel  100  includes a panel  110  having a front face  112  and a back face  114 . Preferably, the panel  110  is sized and shaped, but is not limited to such size and shape, to correspond with a peripheral shape of a rake head and its prongs that the particular rake panel  100  is associated with. For example, panel  110  may be triangular in shape to correspond with the peripheral shape of the rake head  30  and the prongs  34  extending therefrom shown in FIG. 1.  
         [0025]    As depicted in FIG. 2, panel  110  may include a triangular periphery with three main edges, including two side edges  116  and an end edge  118 . The side edges  116  include a flange  122 , which may extend along a majority of the length of the side edges  116 , and extends outward from the front face  112  of the panel  110 . The end edge  118  of the panel  110  includes a lip  124 , which preferably extends outward from the front face  112  of the panel  110 . Such flange  122  and lip  124  extending from side edges  116  and end edge  118 , respectively, are shaped and configured for scooping and holding debris within the rake panel  100 . To assist in scooping debris, it is contemplated that the lip  124  may include multiple prong like protrusions (not shown). Such protrusions may extend outward from the lip  124  or comprises the lip  124  itself. Additionally, the panel  110  may include an aperture  126  proximate a center portion of the lip  124  in the panel  110 .  
         [0026]    The side edges  116  of the rake panel  100  extend to an open sleeve  120  at the ends of the flange  122  on each side edge  116 , where the side edges proximately come together and meet. Such open sleeve includes a c-shaped cross-section as shown in FIG. 3 taken from line  3  of FIG. 2. On an inside sleeve surface  130  of the open sleeve  120  there may be one or more protrusions  132 . The one or more protrusions may extend longitudinally along the length L of the inside sleeve surface  130  and preferably proximate one or both end portions  134  of the C-shaped open sleeve  120 . The one or more protrusions  132  may be a continuous protrusion along the length of the inside sleeve surface  130  and/or the protrusions  132  may comprises multiple non-continuous protrusions along the length of the inside sleeve surface  130 . With this arrangement, the open sleeve  120  is configured to engage with and removably attach to a shaft via an interference fit or a friction fit.  
         [0027]    The rake panel  100  is preferably formed from a polymer, such as a polyethylene amongst other known polymers, however, rake panel  100  may be formed from any suitable material as known to one of ordinary skill in the art. Such polymer formed rake panel  100  is preferably formed as a single member by an injection molding technique or other techniques as known in the art. However, the rake panel may also be formed from multiple parts, such as the panel  110  and the open sleeve  120 , which may be fastened together by any suitable fastener.  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 4 depicts a perspective view of rake panel  100  attached to the shaft  20  of rake  10 . As shown, the c-shaped open sleeve  120  is configured to attach to shaft  20  with an interference fit, which may be removably attachable at any portion along shaft  20 . Also, with open sleeve  120  attached to shaft  20 , the shaft  20  may extend through the aperture  126  in the panel  110 . The open sleeve  120  is designed with the necessary elasticity parameters, which may easily be determined by one skilled in the art, so as to provide the interference fit. Such elasticity parameters preferably allow the end portions  134  of the C-shaped open sleeve to expand when inserting the shaft between such end portions  134  so that such end portions are exerting a biasing force F on the shaft to facilitate the interference fit. Once the shaft  20  is fully inserted past the protrusions  132 , the end portions  134  clamp around the shaft  20  with the biasing force F so that the inside sleeve surface  130  abuts with the surface of the shaft  20  resulting in the interference fit. As such, the open sleeve  120  provides the necessary friction so as to prevent rake panel  100  from sliding up and down shaft  20 .  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 5 is a perspective view depicting rake panel  100  in a second embodiment according to the present invention. The second embodiment is the same as the first embodiment in every respect except that the open sleeve  140  includes a u-shaped cross section and, additionally, there may be no aperture  126  defined in the panel  110 , as shown in FIG. 6 taken along line  6  in FIG. 5. As depicted in FIG. 6, the U-shaped open sleeve  140  includes inside sleeve surface  142  with end portions  144  and one or more protrusions  146  formed proximate the end portions  144  on the inside sleeve surface  142 . As in the previous embodiment, the one or more protrusions  146  may extend longitudinally along the length L of the inside sleeve surface  142  and preferably proximate one or both end portions  144  of the U-shaped open sleeve  140 . The one or more protrusions  146  may be continuous protrusions along the length of the inside sleeve surface  142  and/or the one or more protrusions  146  may comprises multiple non-continuous protrusions along the length of the inside sleeve surface  142 . With this arrangement, the open sleeve  140  is configured to engage with and removably attach to the back side of a rake head  30  via an interference fit or a friction fit, as depicted in FIG. 7. Such interference fit is employed in a similar manner as described in the previous embodiment.  
         [0030]    [0030]FIGS. 8 and 9 are perspective views of holding means  150  for the rake panel  100  according to another aspect of the present invention. As depicted in FIG. 8, rake panel  100  may include an opening  152  in the panel  110  adjacent the open sleeve  120 , wherein the opening  152  includes a handle  154  in the form of a shaft extending across the opening  152 . Alternatively, a handle  154  may be directly secured to the back face  114  of the panel  110  without the opening therein. In addition, an arm rest  156  may be provided to brace against ones arm when holding the handle  154  as loads are placed on the front face  112  of the panel  110  while handling debris. FIG. 9 depicts another holding means, by which rake panel  100  includes a panel shaft  158  extending from the back face  114  of panel  110  and/or from the open sleeve  120 .  
         [0031]    In another aspect of the present invention, it is contemplated that the handle  154  and arm support  156  included on rake panel  100  may be included on the rake head  30  of the rake  10  itself as handle  164  and arm support  166  (FIG. 10). Such handle  164  and arm support  166  allows one to easily hold a container with one hand and move debris into such container with the other hand by utilizing such rake head  30  with the handle  164  and arm support  166 , as depicted in FIG. 11. Further, such handle  164  allows easy maneuverability for tight areas and corners, such as, but not limited to, under trees and shrubs and the like.  
         [0032]    It is contemplated that the rake panel  100  depicted in FIGS. 8 and 9 may, or may not, include the open sleeve  120  for attaching the rake panel  110  to a rake  10 , wherein the rake panel  100  may be attached by some alternate means, such as by a tab, string, cord, velcro, or any other means known in the art. Additionally, it is contemplated that the rake panel  100  may not include an attaching means as previously described. As such, the rake panel  100  of the present invention may be operable with a rake head, a second rake panel, or any panel-like object that is configured for assisting rake panel  100  in sandwiching debris therebetween, and further, rake panel may (or may not) be attachable to such panel-like object used for assisting the rake panel.  
         [0033]    [0033]FIGS. 12 through 14 depict a method of using the rake panel  100  according to the present invention. FIG. 12 illustrates detaching the rake panel  100  from a rake  10  by simply pulling apart the interference fit effected by the open sleeve  120 . FIG. 13 illustrates sandwiching debris between the rake panel  100  and the rake head  30 , which is a relatively larger quantity of debris compared to the conventional method of sandwiching debris between ones hand and the rake head. FIG. 14 illustrates discarding the sandwiched debris into a container, such as a waste container, by simply separating the hand held rake panel  100  and rake  10 .  
         [0034]    Thus, the arm support and handle provided on the rake panel and/or the rake head substantially simplifies handling debris by allowing one to easily handle large quantities of debris at a time, and then placing such large quantities of debris into containers. Further, attachment portion of the rake panel includes advantages of being simplified, compact and durable.  
         [0035]    While the present invention has been disclosed in terms of a certain preferred embodiments and alternatives thereof, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize and appreciate that the invention is not so limited. Additions, deletions and modifications to the disclosed embodiments may be effected without departing from the scope of the invention as claimed herein. Similarly, features from one embodiment may be combined with those of another while remaining within the scope of the invention.