Abstract:
A tool for removing ice, snow and other debris from a vehicle or other surface has an extension handle with telescoping ends. On one end of the handle there is an oblong head carrying a broom on one surface and a squeegee on the opposite surface. The head is rotatably mounted on the handle to provide both a linear cleaning motion and an arcuate motion. On the other end of the handle is a bifurcated extension carrying a scraper and a toothed cutter

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    This invention relates to a safety device for cleaning debris, such as ice and snow, from surfaces, including vehicles, to provide better visibility.  
           [0003]    2. Description of the Prior Art  
           [0004]    There are many different prior art ice and snow scrapers for clearing the surfaces of a car or truck. For the most part, these scrapers have a handle portion with a blade mounted or formed on one end. Some devices have a handle with a blade on one end and a broom on the other for removal of ice and snow.  
           [0005]    The Ingram patent, U.S. Pat. No. 6,481,041, discloses a tool with a scraper on one end and a pivoting brush on the other end.  
           [0006]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,243,906 discloses such a two ended handle with a broom and scraper mounted on opposite ends.  
           [0007]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,939,807, discloses a scraper and broom for removing snow from a car. The broom and scraper are at the same end of th handle mounted 180 degrees about the end of the handle.  
           [0008]    McLaughlin et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,908,900, disclose another cleaning tool withan extendable handle having a scraper on one end and a pivoting brush on the other.  
           [0009]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,776,716 to Huang discloses a mop or squeegee mounted on one end of a handle to be pivotable about a 90 degree arc.  
           [0010]    U.S. Pat. No. 3,968,535, discloses a general purpose cleaning tool with a brush, scraper a squeegee mounted on one end of a handle.  
           [0011]    Other representative known prior art ice scrapers include U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,018,836; 5,829,143; 5,539,949; 5,349,716; 5,255,406; 5,077,856; 4,719,660; 5,263,222; 5,099,540; 3,968,535; 3,724,017; 3,307,212; 3,051,975.  
           [0012]    What is needed in the art is a tool having an adjustable length handle with a scraper on one end and a pivotable combination wiper blade and brush or squeegee on the other end for use by smaller individuals and/or on larger vehicles.  
         SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION  
         [0013]    A cleaning tool for removing ice, snow and other debris from a vehicle or other surface. The cleaning tool has a handle, which may be extendable by use of a telescoping end. On one end of the handle there is an oblong head carrying a broom on one surface and a squeegee on the opposite surface. The head is rotatably mounted on the handle to provide both a linear cleaning motion and an arcuate motion. On the other end of the handle is a bifurcated extension carrying a scraper and a toothed cutter.  
           [0014]    Therefore, an objective of this invention is to provide a single tool that combines an ice scraper, a broom, a squeegee and a wiper blade to be used in a push-pull motion or an arcuate motion by pivoting the broom.  
           [0015]    Another objective of the invention is to provide an adjustable handle length so that the implements may be extended from the user to access distant surfaces of a vehicle.  
           [0016]    Other objectives and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein are set forth, by way of illustration and example, certain embodiments of this invention. The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments of the present invention and illustrate various objects and features thereof. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0017]    [0017]FIG. 1 is a perspective of the tool of this invention showing the head perpendicular to the handle;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 2 is a perspective of the tool of FIG. 1 with the head parallel to the handle;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 3 is a cross section tool with the handle extended;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the head of the tool of this invention;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 5 is a partial horizontal cross section of FIG. 1;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 6 is a partial vertical cross section of FIG. 1; and  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 7 is a cross section along line  7 - 7  of FIG. 1. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0024]    The snow and ice remover  10 , has a handle  11  with a front hand grip  12  and a rear hand grip  13 . Near the front hand grip  12  there is a head  14 . The head  14  can rotate about the forward end  15  of the handle from a position perpendicular to the handle, as shown in FIG. 1, to a parallel position, shown in FIG. 2.  
         [0025]    Near the rear grip  13 , there is a bifurcated extension  17  mounted on the rear end  16  of the handle. One side of the bifurcation  17  terminates in a knife edge scraper  18 . The other side of the bifurcation terminates in a toothed cutter  19 . As shown in FIG. 3, the bifurcated extension  17  has a bore  20  into which the rear grip  13  is inserted for assembly. As shown in FIG. 3, the rear grip  13  has a bore for receiving the rear end  16  of the handle. In this embodiment, the bifurcated extension  17  may or may not be part of the assembly. Alternatively, the rear grip  13  and the bifurcated extension may be one piece and telescope onto the rear end  16 , as shown in FIG. 4.  
         [0026]    The handle  11  has a forward section  21  and a rear section  22 . One section has a smaller diameter than the other so that these sections telescope together to shorten or extend the length of the handle. As shown in FIGS. 1-3, for illustration and not limitation, the forward section telescopes into the rear section. This orientation could be reversed, if desired. A friction nut  23  is mounted on the leading end of the rear section  16  of the handle, as shown in FIG. 4, to temporarily fix the desired length of the handle. The friction nut has an inner tubular portion  24  permanently attached to the handle  11 . The tubular portion  24  has external threads  25  and flexible fingers  26  extending beyond the end of the rear handle  16 . The friction nut  23  has internal threads and a tapered portion  27 . The front end  15  of the handle is telescoped through the friction nut into the rear end of the handle. As the friction nut is tightened on the threads the tapered portion reduces the circumference of the fingers  26  to grip the front end of the handle.  
         [0027]    The head  14  has an oblong base  27  with a top surface  28 , a bottom surface  29  and a sidewall  30 . The sidewall  30  has a gap  31  extending from the center of the base through one side and one end to receive a portion of the handle when the head is in a parallel position with reference to the longitudinal axis of the handle. The bottom surface of the head has parallel slots  36  and  37  into which brooms  38  and  39  are inserted and secured. The spines  40  and  41  fit into an enlarged portion of the slots while the bristles extend through a narrowed opening.  
         [0028]    The top surface  28  has a hub  44  extending outwardly from a larger depression near the approximate center. The hub  44  rotatably engages the end  15  of the handle  14 . A head cover  32  fits over the top surface  28 . The head cover  32  has prongs that fit into the openings  33  in the top surface  28  of the head. Alternatively, the head cover may form a friction fit about the periphery of the head  14 . The head cover has a slot  34  along the length for receiving a wiper blade or squeegee  35 . The head cover also has an opening  42  through which a portion of the latch mechanism  50  protrudes. The button  43  reciprocates when a user manually presses on it. A dome shaped cavity  45  is formed in the interior of the head cover near the center, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7.  
         [0029]    The front end  15  of the handle  14  is formed with tubular fitting  46  normal to the longitudinal axis of the handle, also shown in FIGS. 5-7. The upper end  47  of the tubular fitting rotatably engages the dome shaped cavity  45  of the head cover  32 . The lower end  48  accepts the hub  44  on the top surface  28  of the head  14 . The tubular fitting  46  has two notches about the circumference, as shown in FIG. 5. One notch  51  is at the forward side of the tubular fitting in line with the longitudinal axis of the handle. The other notch  52  is displaced 90 degrees about the circumference of the tubular fitting.  
         [0030]    The latch mechanism  50  has a semi-circular body  53  formed with a button  43  on the top. On the sides of the latch mechanism at about 180 degrees apart, resilient arms  54  and  55  protrude laterally and downwardly below the bottom of the latch mechanism. These arms engage the top surface  28  of the head and provide spring bias forcing the button through the opening  42 . Also, on the body  53  there is a tooth  56  disposed about 90 degrees from the arms  54  and  55 . The semi-circular body  53  is shaped to partially surround the forward end  15  of the handle. The tooth  56  engages the notch  51 .  
         [0031]    To rotate the head  14  from a perpendicular position to a parallel position, relative to the longitudinal axis of the handle  14 , the operator or user pushes on the button  43  reciprocating the latch mechanism body into the larger depression about the hub  44 . This moves the tooth  56  downwardly below the bottom of the notch  51  freeing the latch mechanism. The head can be rotated, with the button  43  remaining depressed, to the parallel position. The button is then released and the spring biased arms  54  and  55  reciprocate the latch mechanism body upwardly engaging the tooth  56  with notch  52 . The broom and squeegee are now in a position to be used in an arcuate motion to clear the selected surface.  
         [0032]    A number of embodiments of the present invention have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited by the specific illustrated embodiment but only by the scope of the appended claims.